Inside the Boxscores - Part I
By Matt Fargo
Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature from Matt Fargo that has been widely recognized as one of the best summations in college football. He takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. Fargo takes you inside the action.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
LOUISVILLE 38 Kansas State 29
Louisville spotted the Wildcats a 7-0 lead and then reeled off the next 20 points to pull away. The Cardinals racked up 577 yards of offense that included 274 yards passing and 303 yards rushing on 55 carries (5.5 ypc). Kansas St. finished with 343 total yards but only 30 yards rushing on 12 carries (2.5 ypc). Louisville controlled the clock by more than 22 minutes and thus, ran 34 more plays from scrimmage.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
COLORADO 17 West Virginia 14
Colorado jumped out to an early 14-0 lead but the offense was stymied as it was shutout for over 55 minutes before kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime. The Buffaloes did get into West Virginia territory four times after those initial scores but turned it over twice and punted the other two times. The Mountaineers were successful on the ground, rushing for 311 yards on 52 carries (6.0 ypc).
Friday, September 19, 2008
CONNECTICUT 31 Baylor 28
Baylor outgained the Huskies 377-350 in what was a back and forth game right from the start. The Bears took their final lead early in the fourth quarter but Connecticut was able to get the ball back with excellent field position following a punt and drive 29 yards for the winning score. Baylor got it back but failed on a fourth down conversion at the Huskies 39-yard line with just under a minute remaining.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
GEORGIA TECH 38 Miss State 7
It was a nightmare start for Mississippi St. as it committed three turnovers, missed a field goal and turned in over on downs in its first five possessions of the game. Georgia Tech built a 21-0 lead over that span and scored the first 38 points overall before the Bulldogs avoided the shutout by scoring midway through the fourth quarter. Mississippi St. actually had one more first down and was outgained by just 93 total yards.
MINNESOTA 37 Fla Atlantic 3
Minnesota got its revenge in a big way as it broke open a 10-3 game by scoring the final 27 points in the rout. The Gophers outgained Florida Atlantic 441-276 while the defense had four interceptions, the last which was returned 50 yards for a touchdown. In total 21 points were scored off those turnovers. Minnesota crossed midfield in nine of its 11 possessions and finished the game 3-7 on third down.
NC STATE 30 (23) East Carolina 24
The teams were separated by just one total yard so it was fitting the game was decided in overtime. East Carolina led most of the way and built a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter but the Wolfpack were able to drive 55 yards in their final possession to tie the game. Both teams committed two turnovers but East Carolina had one of its in overtime and NC State scored the winner three plays later.
NORTHWESTERN 16 Ohio U 8
Northwestern came up with a big defensive effort as it held the Bobcats to 232 total yards including just four yards rushing on 28 carries (0.1 ypc). Ohio also had five turnovers and three missed field goals so there were many opportunities missed. Northwestern did not help matters as it also committed five turnovers but none were turned into points for the Bobcats. The Wildcats finished with only 280 yards of offense.
(14) OHIO STATE 28 Troy 10
Troy actually outgained the Buckeyes 315-309 and it was down by just four points entering the fourth quarter. Field position played a big role as Ohio St. had three touchdown drives of 37, 37 and 27 yards in length. One of those came off an interception, one of two Trojans picks on the day. The other stopped a possible Troy scoring drive on the first possession of the second half.
(12) PENN STATE 45 Temple 3
After a scoreless first quarter, the Nittany Lions poured it on the in the second period, scoring 31 points to run away with it. Penn St. outgained the Owls 546-138 as the defense allowed just 10 first downs and 16 yards rushing on 28 carries (0.6 ypc). Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions rushed for 308 yards on 45 carries (6.8 ypc). Temple was forced to punt 11 times and finished 2-15 on third down attempts.
PITTSBURGH 21 Iowa 20
Iowa outgained the Panthers 361-259 but Pittsburgh used those yards efficiently. In the three touchdown drives, Pittsburgh amassed 207 yards while basically getting shut down in its other 10 possessions. The Hawkeyes were forced to kick two field goals while also missing a 35-yard attempt in the second quarter. Pittsburgh was forced to punt with 2:19 remaining and was able to pin the Hawkeyes on their own one-yard line.
PURDUE 32 Central Mich 25
Purdue escaped with the victory despite getting outgained 440-344. The Chippewas were down a touchdown late in the fourth quarter but drove 53 yards for the score and succeeded at the two-point conversion to take a one-point lead. The Boilermakers returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards and also got an extra 15 yards on a penalty and scored on a 46-yard run on the next play to pull out the win.
(8) Alabama 49 ARKANSAS 14
Alabama won on the road as it outgained the Razorbacks 402-309 despite running 27 fewer plays from scrimmage. The Tide intercepted Arkansas four times, two of which were returned 63 yards and 74 yards for touchdowns. A third interception set up a short field for another touchdown. Alabama rushed for 328 yards on 35 carries (9.4 ypc) while the defense allowed just 92 yards rushing on 31 carries (3.0 ypc).
BOSTON COLLEGE 34 U-C-F 7
Central Florida took a 7-3 lead into halftime thanks to a touchdown on the final play of the half but Boston College dominated the second half. The Eagles ran off 31 unanswered points and the defense limited the Knights to just 82 total yards in the second half. Boston College finished with 404 total yards and doubled the Knights in first downs 24-12 but it was far from perfect, tossing three interceptions and missing a 24-yard field goal.
MARYLAND 51 Eastern Mich 24
There was no letdown for Maryland as it easily won despite outgaining the Eagles by only 32 total yards and finishing with five fewer first downs. The Terrapins took advantage of a short field most of the day as their average starting field position was their own 43-yard line. Eastern Michigan was able to control the clock for over 11 more minutes but finished only 2-12 on third down attempts.
Akron 22 ARMY 3
The Akron defense limited Army to 223 total yards and 15 first downs while forcing five turnovers with three of those turnovers leading to 16 points. Army turned in over on its final four possessions, three of which occurred in its own territory while the fourth took place in the Akron endzone. The Zips finished with 357 total yards but went 1-9 on third down attempts and committed nine penalties.
(6) MISSOURI 42 Buffalo 21
Missouri outgained the Bulls 590-286 but the game was still in doubt toward the end of the third quarter as the Tigers possessed just a six-point lead. After pulling to within 27-21, Buffalo stopped the Tigers on fourth down but failed to capitalize. The Tigers drove 87 yards on the ensuing possession and scored on their next possession to finally pull away. The Bulls were aided by a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
(11) B-Y-U 44 Wyoming 0
This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates as the Cougars outgained Wyoming by only 364-273 and had just four more first downs. The Cowboys trailed by only seven points midway through the second quarter, with that touchdown coming on a 64-yard fumble return. BYU was able to tack on three touchdowns in six minutes to pull away and the Cougars scored their final touchdown on a 19-yard interception return.
TULANE 24 UL-Monroe 10
Tulane picked up its first win of the season as it outgained the Warhawks 454-182 and held UL-Monroe to just nine first downs. The score could have been worse but the Green Wave missed three fourth down conversions all in Warhawks territory. UL-Monroe could not move the ball at all in the first half as it was forced to punt on all six possessions while 74 its yards came in garbage time on its final drive.
Arizona 31 U-C-L-A 10
UCLA kept it close for a while as it took a 7-3 lead into the second quarter but the Wildcats defense was too strong. The Bruins scored their lone touchdown on a one-yard fumble recovery. UCLA managed only 196 total yards and 11 first downs while being forced to punt 11 times. The Bruins were also only 4-17 on third down attempts. Arizona finished with just 333 total yards and 15 first downs.
COLORADO STATE 28 Houston 25
Colorado St. jumped ahead 21-0 and the Cougars rally fell short. Houston lost despite outgaining the Rams 473-422 but it was hurt by four turnovers including three in its last five possessions. The Cougars forced a three and out with just over a minute remaining and got down to the Rams 15-yard line before being picked off to end the game. Colorado St. was able to control the clock for almost 15 more minutes.
MICHIGAN STATE 23 Notre Dame 7
Michigan St. jumped ahead 13-0 and Notre Dame was able to pull within six points early in the fourth quarter. The Spartans were then able to drive for a field goal and after a Notre Dame missed field goal, they went 77 yards for their final touchdown. In total, the Irish missed two field goals and turned it over three times which led to 10 Michigan St. points. Notre Dame finished with just 16 yards rushing on 22 carries (0.7 ypc).
NAVY 23 Rutgers 21
Rutgers dropped to 0-3 as turnovers ended up being the difference. The Scarlet Knights were driving at the end of the first half to take a 21-6 lead but fumbled in the endzone. Navy scored touchdowns on its first two second half possessions to take the lead. The Midshipmen went up by two points with a late field goal and Rutgers had a last shot but tossed an interception in Rutgers territory with just over a minute left.