NCAAF Week 4 News and Notes
By Phil Steele
NEWS AND NOTES: California’s Mike Mohamed who led the Pac-10 in tackles last year was a late scratch from the Nevada game. In the 1H NV had a 182-126 yd edge and led 24-14. The key play of the game happened in the 2H after Cal had trimmed it to 24-21 and was driving for the go-ahead TD, Riley was int’d and ret’d 65 yds for a TD, a 14 pt swing. Cal would then go on a 76/8pl drive and settle for a 22 yd FG, go on a 65/14pl drive but was SOD at the NV13 and went 49/8pl but was int’d at the NV10. One of NV’s TD’s came after they recovered an onside kick and drove 41 yards for a TD in their 52-31 win. Cal actually had the yardage edge at 502-497.
Ohio St dominated Ohio with a 289-52 yd edge in the 1H, 16-2 FD edge and led 34-0. They extended it to 43-0 before OU got a garbage TD with 6:14 left. Terrelle Pryor hit a school record 16 consec passes, topping Jim Karsatos’ 1985 record (12, vs Wisc).
Penn St looked like they would be on their way to a rout going 45/10pl and 70/5pl on their first 2 poss for TD’s. PSU did finish with 382-228 yd and 21-12 FD edges but KSU held Royster to 38 yards on 11 carries. PSU punted on their next 4 poss then turned it over on their next 3 poss, all at midfield. They finally drove 80/17pl for a 27 yd FG, went on an 8pl drive and missed a 43 yd FG and then after a Kent St 17 yard punt with a 48/1pl TD pass to Smith with 8:27 left. PSU’s last drive was SOD at the KSU38 with :47 left. KSU missed a 47 yd FG on their only scoring threat.
Daniel Thomas rushed for 181 yards. Kansas St led 10-7 when they faked a 36 yd FG and were stopped late 2Q. They opened the 3Q driving for an apparent 10 pt lead when they were int’d 69 yds for a TD and actually trailed 14-10. Iowa St led 20-17 when KSt got a TD with 6:47 left and ISt fumbled at their own 25 with 1:58 left and KSt got a 42 yd FG with 1:38 left for the 7 pt lead. ISt was SOD at the KSt36 with :13 left.
West Virginia dominated the 1H vs Maryland with a 250-62 yd edge and led 21-0. It could have been worse as WV fumbled at the MD15, was SOD at the MD34 and fumbled at the MD38. Two plays kept MD in the game when they got 60 and 80 yd TD passes from Jamarr Robinson. MD, down by 14, was SOD then went on an 11pl drive but settled for a 35 yd FG to get within 28-17. WV clinched it with a 76/16pl drive for a 23 yd FG with 3:07 left.
Perhaps it’s bad karma that Mississippi picked up transfer Jeremiah Masoli as they have now lost 2 games as a large favorite. The first 9 poss of the Ole Miss/Vanderbilt game were actually punts and while each team would score a TD, VU got a 21 yd IR TD and led 14-7 at the half. UM tied it but Norman ripped off an 80 yd TD run to retake the lead 21-14. UM missed a 32 yd FG, was SOD at their own 49 and then fmbl’d at their own 15 with 8:09 left and VU tacked on a 15 yd TD run on the next play to make it 28-14. UM was SOD at their own 45 and int at the VU18 on their final 2 poss and lost despite 18-12 FD and 385-300 yd edges.
North Carolina was playing without 12 players again including 10 def starters but had a great shot at defeating GT. In fact, NC led 24-17 when GT was SOD at the NC44 late 3Q but the FB knocked the ball out of QB Yates’ hands on the next play and GT would get a TD and 2 FG’s on their next 2 poss to lead 30-24. NC got to the GT39 but was SOD with 1:16 left.
Temple is now 3-0 for the first time since 1979 when they finished 10-2. The Owls also got their first win over a BCS foe since 2004. Connecticut had a 245-143 yd edge at the half but trailed 7-6 as they settled for 3 FG’s and missed one of them. TU trailed 16-14 when they ret’d a fumble 24 yds for a TD and the lead. They then got a 50 yd PR to set up a 5 yd drive for a TD to lead 27-16. They got a 39 yd run by Pierce that was originally ruled a TD but after review it was spotted on the 1 and they settled for a 32 yd FG in the 30-16 win despite being outFD’d 16-13 and outgained 390-356.
North Texas is one of the most beaten up teams in the country. They lost QB Tune to inj, their 7th starter lost to inj and 5th for the season. Backup QB Thompson came in and played well but then broke his leg and is probably OFY. Riley Dodge, last year’s starter who was not able to QB this year due to shoulder problems, which limits his throwing, had to QB the rest of the game. Depth-shy NT did play well. In fact, trailing 7-0 they fmbl’d into the EZ for a TB and then Army, after recovering a fumble, drove 14 yds for a TD with 4:57 left in the half to lead 14-0. NT was also SOD at their own 45 with :14 left. Army finally broke it open in the 3Q with a 79/11pl drive for a TD and NT was also SOD at the Army24 with 7:21 left. It was the first game all season NT had been outgained and outFD’d.
Purdue lost its top RB in the spring then lost their top WR Keith Smith last week. Robert Marve was inj in the 3Q vs Ball St and Rob Henry hit 3-6-89 in his place. The majority of Henry’s passing stats came on a 3rd & 17 pass which should have been int but bounced off a BSU defender and Smith, who was behind the secondary, caught the deflection and took it 76 yds for a TD. Ball St started rFr Keith Wenning and he it 11-21-89 yds. BSt had a 1st & gl at the PU10 late 1H but were int in the EZ. PU got a 26 yd IR to set up a 23 yd FG but BSt got a TD with 4:50 left.
Michigan almost had its 2nd embarrassing defeat to an FCS foe. UMass actually led 17-7 when Michigan got a 66 yd TD pass with 1:01 left 1H to pull within 3. UMass fmbl’d 2pl later and UM got a 55/5pl drive for a TD with :16 left in the half to take the lead to the lockerroom. They did open the 3Q with 69/6pl and 94/8pl drives for TD’s to lead 35-17 and were up 42-24. UMass got a TD with 5:15 left then blk’d a punt and got another TD with 2:05 left but UM recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. While UMass had a 26-22 FD edge, UM had a 525-439 yd edge.
East Carolina had leads of 17-7 at the start of the 2Q and 24-21 at the half. They extended it to 27-21 vs Virginia Tech. VT battled back to lead 35-27 then got 2 big plays. A 68 yd IR TD with 13:22 left gave them some breathing room then following another int, and then got a 69/1pl TD pass to Boykin with 10:53 left. The next 3 poss were punts until VT ran out the clock. RB Ryan Williams was inj and David Wilson saw his most extensive PT rushing 12 times for 89 yards.
Georgia was playing w/o susp’d WR AJ Green. They got down early to Arkansas, 17-7 at the half and it was 24-10 after 3Q’s. UGA battled back with a pair of TD’s, the 2nd with 3:55 left. The Bulldogs forced a punt and had the game in their hands with the ball at midfield but was sk’d on 3&4 then Ark got a 30 yd TD pass with :15 left. UGA started at its 36 but a Hail Mary pass which went 65 yds in the EZ on the fly was tipped and incomplete.
Oklahoma took its opening drive 60/12pl for a TD but led just 10-3 at the half. AF tied it on their opening drive of the 3Q but OU took charge by going 41/2pl, 31/7pl and 76/10pl for 2 TD’s and a FG and led 27-10 after 3Q’s. AF went on a 14pl drive even converting on 3&15 and got a TD with 10:43 left. A key play happened when OU, at the AF35, had a 4&8 and went for it and Broyles was open for what could have been a TD but it was overthrown. AF went 65/10pl including another 3&15 conversion and got a 15 yd TD run with 3:39 left. OU got 2 FD’s and ran out the clock.
Hawaii led Colorado 10-0 at the half with a 237-124 yd edge. CU got a TD, safety and TD to open the 3Q to take a 17-10 lead. Up 17-3 on 3&8 they got a 73 yd TD pass with 9:24 left then went 59/7pl for a TD with 3:12 left. UH’s 2&4 pass was int at their own 37 with 2:32 left. CU finished with 26-13 and 452-337 yd edges.
Alabama had their most pts since scoring 62 in 1991. Their 45 pts in the 1H were the most since 1973 and amazingly Bama did not face a 3rd down until the 3Q!! David Cutcliffe is an Alabama grad. Mark Ingram in his first game of the season took his first carry 48 yds and his third 50 yds and finished with 152 yards on just 9 carries as the Tide had 315 yds rushing and 312 passing.
SMU led 14-7 vs Washington St when they fmbl’d a punt and it rolled into the EZ and Washington St fell on it for a TD with 2:23 left 1H to tie it. SMU opened it back up to 28-14 and WSU was SOD at the SMU26 and then on 4&20 SOD at the SMU25 with 6:11 left. SMU got a TD with 2:08 left to extend it to 21 but WSU got a 67 yd TD pass on their next offensive play with 1:50 left.
Say goodbye to the Heisman candidacy for Jake Locker. Team success is important but so is individual performance and Locker hit just 4-20-70. His 20% comp was the 3rd lowest in a single game behind Pat Julmiste of USF in ‘04 and Alan Evridge of KSt in 2005 who completed 15% and 18.5%. Taylor Martinez is trying to take some of Denard Robinson’s thunder as he was very impressive in his first road start rushing for 139 yards and hitting 7-11-150 passing. Nebraska led 28-14 at the half when Martinez took the 1st play of the 2H 80 yds for a TD. NU brought in backup QB Green during the 2Q and he fmbl’d on the first play but Martinez would return and guide a TD drive with 1:19 left 2Q, 28-14. NU led 49-21 and WU waved the white flag as they punted on 4&3, 4&4 and 4&12 on their next 3 poss.
Florida St’s D bounced back from their loss to Oklahoma. They held BYU to just 191 ttl yards incl 39 in the 2H and recorded 8 sacks. FSU led 13-0 but BYU got a FG and TD in the final 2:46 of the 1H to make it 13-10. After going with Riley Nelson in the 2H vs AF, Heaps took the majority of the snaps but hit just 15-31-114 yds. Nelson was 1-4-1 and an int. FSU had a 126-6 yd edge in the 1Q but only led 3-0. They finished with 427 yds offense.
Wisconsin was without 2 offensive players (WR’s Toon and Gilreath). Spec tms almost cost UW the game. They gave up a 97 yd KR for a TD and then an 80 yd PR for a TD but luckily it was called back. Before the half, ASU got a 95 yd KR by Middlebrook but he was tkl’d at the 1 as time ran out. ST ended up saving UW as Arizona St got the apparent tying TD with 4:09 left but Jay Valai blk’d the xp. UW got 2 FD and ran the clock.
Portland St QB Conner Kavanaugh completed just 8-18-24 yds. At the half Oregon led 45-0 and had a 446-35 yd edge. They scored TD’s on the first 4 poss of the 2H despite having the 2nd unit in. Duck RB LaMichael James rushed for 227 yards on 14 carries and PSt gained 83 of their yards on their final 2 drives when trailing 69-0. UO’s point-a-minute offense came in with 120 pts in 120 minutes and extended that in the win.
Brandon Weeden hit 23-32-409 yds and had the 4th highest passing total in Oklahoma St history despite being pulled after 1 drive in the 3Q. OSU led 27-7 and Tulsa was trying to get back in it when they were at the OSU15 and were int in the EZ and returned 79 yds. OSU got a 21 yd TD pass on the next play and then added a TD with :14 left in the half for a 41-7 lead. OSU led 58-7 mid 3Q before Tulsa went 80/9pl, 76/15pl and got an 81 yd IR TD to pull within 58-28 but backup QB Chelf led an 84/10pl drive for a TD with 3:48 left. OSU had a school record 722 yards offense, breaking the record set by a Barry Sanders led 1988 team.
One week after throwing for 400 yards, Ryan Aplin hit 20-32 for 243 yards and ASU rolled over ULM. They led 21-0 in the 2Q and finished with 234 yds rushing and 240 passing. ULM did gain 391 yds. Trailing 31-14, ULM went 73/8pl for a TD with 5:40 left but ASU rec’d the onside kick and added a FG.
Indiana got an 88 yd KR to open vs WKU but fumbled at the WKU9 and WKU went 91/10pl for a TD. WKU only had 1 FD in the 3Q and would have just 197 yards the rest of the game. IU missed a FG but then would go 59/6, 70/11pl and 77/8pl for 2 TD’s and a FG to lead 17-7 at the half and they opened the 3Q with a 39/7pl and 82/13pl drives for TD’s to lead 31-7. It was 38-14 when WKU got a 31 yd TD pass with 5:24 left. Indy QB Ben Chappell had a career high 366 yds.
It was an impressive night for the non-BCS teams trying to make their mark. TCU scored TD’s on their first 5 poss vs Baylor with the school’s less than 90 miles apart and they used to be in the SWC together. They led 35-3 with 6:03 left in the 2Q and at the half had a 335-87 yd edge. TCU extended it to 45-10 on a TD with 9:53 left and QB Andy Dalton hit 91% of his passes (21-23) which was a single game TCU & MWC record. The Frogs have won all 3 matchups vs Baylor since the SWC disbanded by a combined score of 89-17 and BU had come in 2-0 and is led by Robert Griffin.
The last 6 times Iowa has played west of the Central time zone they have lost all 6.
Kentucky had a slow start vs Akron as they missed a FG, were SOD, punted and settled for a 33 yd FG on their first 4 poss and UA went 53/12pl for a 30 yd FG and the game was tied 3-3 early 2Q but UK scored on their next 7 poss incl 6 straight drives for TD’s. They led 20-3 at the half with a 249-46 yd edge and it was 47-3 with 9:03 left. UA went 73/8pl getting a 30 yd garbage TD pass one play after converting on 4&7. The TD came with 1:31 left and UK had a 552-99 yd edge prior to the garbage drive.
Navy threw for 219 yards with 179 of them in the 1H but Louisiana Tech led 23-16 at the half and had a 327-326 yd edge. Amazingly Navy came into the game allowing just 190 ypg but LT had 137 yards more than that at half. Navy went back to the ground game for the 2H adding just 40 more passing yards. With it tied at 23, LT was int’d and Navy went 55/10pl incl a 4th & 2, 17 yd run to the 7. They got a TD with :31 left 1H to take the lead and their next drive went 81/8pl for a TD and LT did not threaten after that.
There were a couple of key plays in the Florida/Tennessee game. UF was stopped on 4&1 at the UT43 and UT got 2 FD when Daniel Lincoln tied a career high with a 49 yd FG was the first time they scored first vs the Gators since ‘01. UF led 7-3 and fmbl’d the punt at their 40 but UT was int’d in the EZ on 3&gl from the 3. In the 3Q UF got a 44 yd FG to lead 10-3 but UT got a 49 yd TD pass to tie it at 10. UF faked a punt from its own 39 gaining 36 yards and continued on a 65/10pl drive. UT was int and UF went 45/5pl for a TD and it appeared it would be a repeat of the previous wk vs Oregon when UT faded in the 2H. In fact Simms was called for intentional grounding in the EZ for a safety but they reviewed and overturned it spotting it at the 1 which was huge as UF fmbl’d 2pl later and then on 4&6 UT got a 35 yd TD pass to make it 24-17. UF went 60/9pl for a TD, 31-17 with 6:15 left.
Clemson had a great situational edge vs Auburn as it was their biggest game in the month of Sept while Aub was in an SEC sandwich. CU dominated the 1H and had a 17-0 lead and a 267-68 yd edge scoring a TD with 1:14 left 1H. AU on 3&10 got def pass interf for a FD and then Newton ran for a couple of FD and AU got a 35 yd FG on the final play of the half to gain some momentum. AU was int at the CU1 but went 61/6pl, 72/8pl for TD’s then got a 78 yd TD pass to stunningly take a 24-17 lead after 3Q. CU tied it and it went to OT where AU got a FG. CU QB Parker was banged up and missed an open rec in the EZ and they settled for a 26 yd FG to send it to the 2nd OT but the C moved the ball and after the 5 yd pen, CU missed their 31 yd FG.
Two big plays kept San Diego St in the game. The game was just 10-7 when Missouri scored with 1:00 left in the half to go up 17-7. SDSt appeared headed for half when they just ran the ball on 3&6 but frosh Hillman broke though and got a 75 yd TD run to change the dynamics of the game to make it 17-14. Trailing 20-14 the Aztecs had a 2nd & gl at the 3 but were int’d in the EZ. The next drive they were at their own 7 when Hillman got a 93 yd TD run to take the lead, 21-20. Hillman finished with 228 yards. Missouri punted on its next poss and was int and ret’d to their 45 an the Aztecs added a 25 yd FG for a 24-20 lead with just 2:03 left and the game appeared over while Missouri threw an int at their own 37 with 1:48 left. SDS punted with just 1:13 left and it was fair caught at the 12. MO had 1 time-out but got a 20 yd pass to Jackson and their big play happened when a short pass to TJ Moe saw him break a tackle on the left sideline and race 68 yards for the game winning TD with :51 left.
Texas A&M turned it over 5 times vs FIU and actually trailed 20-6 in the 4Q, the key being a 54 yd IR TD by Gaitor which made it 20-6. A&M scored a TD with 13:51 left and then tied the game with 7:07 left. FIU punted with 5:33 left and A&M got a 31 yd pass followed by a 40 yd TD run by Gary with 4:29 left. The Panthers were not done. FIU drove to a 1st & gl at the 8 but on 4&gl from the 7 gained 3 yds and A&M escaped.
TURNOVERS: Marshall had 5 TO’s to BG’s 2. At the half MU had a 231-196 yd edge but BG led 28-14. BG got the 14 pt turnaround with a 78 yd IR TD and after another int drove 16 yds for a TD for that 28-14 lead. MU had a 42 yd FG blk’d to open the 3Q. BG fmbl’d on their 1 and MU got a TD to tie at 28. BG got a 31 yd TD pass on 3&8 with 9:21 left then got a 2nd IR TD, this one 29 yds to make it 44-28 which was the final.
Western Michigan had a 24-11 FD edge over Toledo and 416-268 yd edge but could not overcome QB Alex Carder’s 6 TO’s. Things started early for WM as they fmbl’d at their own 30 setting up a TD drive and WM was SOD at the UT26 and trailed 21-7 at the half. Toledo got a 24 yd FG on a 19 yd drive following a fumble then got a 15 yd IR TD to lead 31-7. WM scored on their next 3 drives to make it 31-24 but UT got a 98 yd KR TD. WM’s final 3 drives ended on an int at the UT27, were SOD at the UT31 and int at the UT20.
It was standard practice for LSU to be outgained once again, this time 267-262 but came away with a comfortable 29-7 victory which was never in doubt. Five TO’s were the key and Patrick Peterson grabbed 2 tipped int with long returns showing why he is one of top CB’s in college football. MSU QB Relf QB’d the 1H and had int at the LSU2 and 30. LSU led 12-0 at half with a 112-107 yd edge. Each team went on a long drive for a TD to open the 3Q but Russell came in at QB and was int at midfield and at their 39 setting up LSU’s 28 yd TD drive and a 6 yd drive for a 21 yd FG which extended the margin. MSU did gain 40 yds on their final 5 plays of the game to end with the yardage edge...
Misleading Games: While Miami, Oh rolled to a 31-10 win over Colorado St, they did only have 17-15 FD were actually outgained 306-299. CSU led 3-0 when they fumbled a punt on their own 15 setting up a UM FG. UM got a 56 yd IR TD to lead 17-3. It was 17-3 at the half but only a 139-122 yd edge. CSU was SOD at the UM2 and UM on 3&11 got a 62 yd TD pass with 2:35 left. CSU did drive 71/9pl getting a garbage TD with 1:19 left.
Northern Illinois Coach Jerry Kill spent a good portion of the week in the hospital but returned to the field for the game. Illinois only had a 208-203 yd edge at the half but led 18-12. There were 7 punts on the first 8 poss of the 2H. UI got a 32 yd FG with 7:07 left and NI got a TD to pull within 21-19. UI went 63/10pl for a 29 yd TD run to lead 28-19. It was a strange ending as NI got to the UI31 with :24 left then opted for a 48 yd FG which pulled them within 6. UI rec’d the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
USC missed a 48 yd FG and was int’d at the UM28 in the 1H and only led 13-7 despite a 176-106 yd edge. USC was driving but was int’d at the UM25 and the Gophers got a TD to lead 14-13. USC then got a 97 yd KR, went 88/11pl and 91/6pl for TD’s. HC Lane Kiffin actually went for it on 2 pt conversions after 3 of their 5 TD’s and failed on all 3. USC still had the game locked up as on 4th & 1 they got a 2 yd run to the UM33 and only 1:18 was left in the game. On the next play, Bradford fmbl’d. UM went 69/8pl and got a 22 yd TD pass with :11 left.
EXCITING FINISHES: UAB blew some opportunities vs Troy. They were SOD at the Troy28, fmbl’d at the Troy8, were SOD at the Troy38, fmbl’d at the Troy26 and int at the Troy10 in the 1H. Despite only a 338-273 yd deficit, they trailed 23-7. UAB opened the 3Q in the same way being int at the Troy10 but battled back. Troy got a TD with 9:50 left to lead 33-20 but UAB went 60/4pl for a TD. Troy went on a 14pl drive and had a FD at the UAB40 but after a hold they punted with 1:09 left. UAB went 99 yds incl a couple of 3&10 conversions and on the last play threw a 44 yd Hail Mary pass for the miracle win, 34-33.
More News and Notes
By Phil Steele
The UCF/Buffalo game was much closer than the final would indicate. In the 1H UCF got a 30 yd IR TD to take a 10-3 lead and Buffalo was intercepted in the EZ at the end of the 1H. At the half Buffalo had a 150-141 yd edge. Buffalo drove for a TD and the score was 10-10 in the 4Q when UCF got a TD with just 9:53 left. Buffalo went for it on 4&1 at its own 34 and was stopped and UCF tacked on a TD with 3:55 left 7 plays later. Buffalo was SOD at the UCF45 on their final drive and finished with 21-16 and 326-288 yd edges.
Northwestern does not usually do well in the favorites role, but dominated Rice. In the 1H it was fairly close as NU went 49/10pl for a 42 yd FG and the next six possessions were punts. After a Rice fumble, NU went 53/13pl for a 28 yd FG, 6-0. NU added an 11 yd IR TD with 3:44 left in the half. Rice did most of its damage on its final drive of each half. They went 68/11pl for a 31 yd FG on the final play of the 1H to only trail 13-3. NU extended it to 27-6 and then went 80/6pl and fumbled into the EZ from the 1 yard line for a TB. It was 30-6 when Rice took over with 2:29 left and they would go on a 97/11pl drive for a garbage TD with just :14 left.
Perhaps the best Special Teams in the country belongs to Utah. It seems each week they get tons of short drives with Shaky Smithson the star. Smithson had a 34 yd PR which set up a 44 yard TD drive, a 33 yard return set up a 47 yd TD drive. Utah was in control 21-0 at the half. New Mexico got a 27 yard FR TD but Utah got a 75 yard TD pass and 36 yard IR TD then Smithson did it again with a 73 yard PR TD, 42-7. Utah, leading 56-14 ended the game at the NM17 and only had a 19-16 FD edge but a 438-230 yard edge.
In 2009 Maine took Syracuse to the wire and QB Warren Smith threw for 305 yards. This time Maine decided to attack on the ground with 32 rushes although they did hit 21-29 passes for just 129 yards. The 1H was dead even as Maine actually had a 9-5 FD edge and the yards were even. Syracuse got a 4&4 TD with :27 left 1H to take their first lead of the game, 17-14. Maine got 1 FD in the 3Q and Syracuse went 87/9pl, 66/5pl then after recovering a fumble got a 20/1pl TD pass for 3 TD’s and a 38-14 lead one play into the 4Q and coasted from there.
Steve Spurrier and South Carolina always struggle with FCS foes. Spurrier did raise his record to 40-0 vs non-BCS foes but after only beating Woffard 27-20 in 2006 and 23-13 in 2007 they struggled vs Furman. Furman settled for 2 FG’s of 37 and 37 yards and trailed 14-6 when SC took over with 3:41 left in the half and drove 62/6pl for a TD and a 21-6 lead. Furman chipped away in the 2H. Trailing 31-13 they were SOD at the SC26 (14:09 4Q) but forced a punt, ran a halfback option pass from Tersoo Uhaa to Mims which went 72 yds for a TD. The 2 pt conversion failed but they were within 12, 31-19. Furman got the ball back on a 47 yd pass to Mims got them down to the 33 but on 2&7 SC got an 80 yd IR TD by Gilmore which was like a 14 point swing and gave them breathing room, 38-19 with 6:39 left and Furman never threatened after that.
TCU was concerned with rolling up the score in their first couple of games but no such problem for Boise St. Boise, which dropped in the poles after Virg Tech lost to James Madison, just destroyed Wyoming. They scored on their first 5 poss to lead 31-0 and at the half had a 409-59 yd edge and a 34-0 lead. It was 44-6 after 3Q and Wyoming was SOD at their own 41 with 3:33 left. While Boise just ran the ball they went 41/6pl for another TD with :57 left with backup QB Couglin piloting them for the 51-6 final and finished with a 648-135 yard edge.
Idaho dominated UNLV. They had not allowed a point in the Kibbie Dome and this was their 2nd game until UNLV, trailing 30-0 when 80/5pl and got a 25 yd TD pass with 1:18 left. At the half Idaho had a 254-86 yd edge but they settled for 44 and 37 yd FG’s in the 2H. Idaho did only finish with a 332-187 yd edge.
Turnovers were the key in the Middle Tenn/Memphis game as 4 turnovers set up all 4 of Memphis’ scores. MT led 3-0 but was int’d and Memphis drove 34/10pl for a 22 yd FG. After another int, Memphis drove 36/6pl for a TD. After a fumble, Memphis drove 43/6pl for a TD and they led 17-10 at the half with a 196-164 yd edge. Middle Tenn’s first drive of the 3Q ended on an int and Memphis drove 44 yards, its longest scoring drive of the game in just 3 plays for a TD, 24-10. MT brought in Murphy at QB and went 69/6pl for a TD. They went on a 12pl drive and had a FD at the 15 but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a delay of game forced a 4th & 37 and they punted (8:06). On their next drive they got to the Memphis 18 but a hold forced a 4&25 and they punted 31 yds to the 2. MT’s last drive started at their own 26 after Memphis got off a 63 yd punt. On 4&1 MT lost 2 yards.
Southern Utah could easily have had an another IAA or FCS upset. They had a 21-16 FD edge vs San Jose St and a 334-250 yard edge. SJS got a short 26 yd drive for a 25 yard FG. SU went on a 54/10pl drive but settled for a 28 yd FG, 3-3. After a bad snap on a SJS punt gave SU a safety to lead 5-3, SU was SOD on 4&2 at the SJ32. SJ took over with 2:03 left in the half and went 65/7pl for a TD and the lead, 10-5. SU dominated the 3Q. They went on a 5pl drive but settled for a 37 yd FG. They then went on a 55/11pl drive but after a 1st & gl at the 10, roughing the QB took Brad Sorensen out of the game. Sorensen, a BYU transfer hit 23-39-230. The dive stalled and they settled for a 32 yd FG and only led 11-2. SU recovered a fumble at the SJ24 but with Olson at QB, got 1 FD and missed a 26-yd FG. SU’s next drive went 7pl but on 4&7 they fired incomplete from the SJS34. When SJS was SOD on 4&1 at the SU30 with 3:56 left, it looked like all hopes were gone but SU had a clip so they punted on 4&20 and SJS drove 48/5pl getting a Muldrow 6 yard TD run with 1:10 left to escape. SU did get to the SJS39 but a hold wiped out a completion and on 2nd & 20 they were int’d.
UTEP’s offense was very efficient vs New Mexico St as they scored on the first 3 drives of the game going 74/9pl, 48/12pl and 56/8pl for TD’s and a communing 21-0 lead. They let up a bit at the end of the half giving up a TD and FG drive but UTEP came out in the 3Q and opened with a 49/5, 68/1p and 80/12pl drives for TD’s once again to take a commanding 42-10 lead. They even had a 43 yd FG blocked with 9:24 left in their 42-10 win. UTEP had a balanced 249 yards rushing and 246 passing while NMSt had 296 total yards.
Utah St actually led Fresno St 24-17 in the 3Q and had the yardage edge after 3Q’s at 274-269 but Fresno won by 17. Utah St led 17-10 when FSU got a 50 yd PR to the US27 with 1:47 left 1H. Fresno got a TD with :38 left to tie it. Utah St had a 37 yd FG blocked in the 3Q but then drove 60/9pl for the TD and the lead, 24-17. Fresno went 80/9pl for a TD to tie it after 3Q’s, 24-24 then blocked a punt setting up a 30 yd FG and after a 21 yard PR, went 46/4pl for a TD, 34-24. Utah St punted with 6:26 left and Fresno got some crucial FD’s on 3&1 and 4&5 and actually continued on a 51/12pl drive getting a 3&gl 2 yd TD run with just :42 left to make it a somewhat misleading final.
Tough loss for Notre Dame vs Michigan St. The Irish led 7-0 late 1H when they were int’d at the MSU6 and the Spartans drove 94/7pl for a TD to tie it at the half, 7-7. With the game tied 21-21 the Irish got a TD pass to go ahead 28-21 with 13:20 left. MSU went 56/4pl. Replay showed that on 2nd & 12 Cunningham stepped OOB and came back in for a 24 yd D pass. No flag was thrown so the TD counted to tie it. In OT the Irish on 3&3 gained 2 yds and settled for a 33 yard FG. Michigan St on 4&14 faked a 46 yard FG. The play actually started with the play clock already expired and a ND defender fell down and Gantr caught a wide open pass for a 29 yard TD and the 3 point win. MSU HC Mark Dantonio suffered a minor heart attack after the game and he’s expected to return in a short amount of time.
UCLA knows how missed practice time can affect a QB’s play as Kevin Prince has been ineffective most of the year as he has not gotten true practice time. He hit just 9-17-99 yards vs Houston. UH QB Case Keenum ended his Heisman candidacy as he was questionable all week to play and while he did play the 1H and guided UH to a 79/9pl drive for a 29 yard FG and a 3-0 lead, he was somewhat ineffective hitting just 11-19-87. UCLA scored TD’s on consecutive drives to lead 21-3 and UH was trying to get back in it and had a 1st & gl at the UCLA2 when Keenum was int’d in the EZ and returned 77 yards. During the return Keenum hurt himself (ACL) trying to make the tackle and will be out for the rest of the season. His backup, Turner was also injured (clavicle) and he is also out for the rest of the season. UCLA led 31-3 when they burned the RS on true frosh Terrance Broadway PS#30. He led UH 74/12pl and 49/7pl for a TD and a FG to make it 31-13. UCLA took over at their 30 and got 3 FD taking a knee at the UH11 on their final drive.
Louisville played a great game at Oregon St and in fact had a 460-310 yd edge but blew a couple of golden opportunities. They had a 4&1 but were SOD at the Oregon St 3 on their opening poss. On the next drive, UL on 2nd & 2 from the 13 QB Froman appeared to be headed for the EZ and a TD but he fumbled into the EZ for a TB. Oregon St had TD “drives” of 23 yards (after 28 yd PR), 37 yards (after 63 yd KR), 46 yds (after 43 yd KR) and 40 yds (after 15 yd PR) and actually took a 35-14 lead. UL pulled within 35-24 and got the ball back at their 12 with 1:43 left. They had a 2nd & 7 at the OSU49 and were int’d at the 23 with 1:07 left and the Beavers prevailed.
Arizona got some big plays early to jump out to a lead over Iowa as they blocked a punt setting up an 8 yd TD drive, got an 85 yd IR TD and added a 100 yard KR TD. AU did fumble at the Iowa 7 at the end of a 64/5pl drive and Iowa trailed 21-7 despite having a 182-72 yard edge and 9-2 FD edge. AU went on a pair of long drives but settled for 22 and 47 yard FG’s. At the half Iowa’s yardage edge slipped to 241-209 and AU led 27-7. Big plays got Iowa back in it. It was 27-14 when AU fumbled a punt at its own 18 and Iowa got an 18 yd TD pass on the next play. Two plays later Iowa got a 20 yard IR TD. The xp was blocked so the game was tied. AU went 72/9pl for a TD with 3:57 left and on 4&25 Iowa was sacked for a 7 yard loss back at its 15 with 1:56 left.
Andrew Luck led Stanford to 8 TD’s on 8 poss vs Wake Forest then came out of the game with 8:46 to go with SU up 55-10. They did have a couple of short drives including 27 yards after a 22 yard PR and 18 yards after a 36 yard IR and also needed a 4th & 1 conversion on their 2nd drive but were pretty much dominant. SU finished with a 34-20 FD edge and backup QB Alex Loukas led a pair of TD drives and 3rd string QB Andrew Stutz led a TD drive with 6:06 left.
NCAA Football: Betting News and Notes
By Teddy Covers
Last week, I took a look at three teams that weren’t pleased at all with their performance the previous week. Florida State, Navy and Nebraska all proceeded to win and cover by double-digit margins last Saturday. I’ll try it again this week, focusing on three more struggling squads: Georgia, North Carolina and BYU; each of whom is riding a two-game losing streak into this weekend’s action.
Blundering Bulldogs
At the start of the 2008 season, Georgia was ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls. But since an October ‘08 defeat at the hands of Alabama, the Bulldogs have seemingly been in the process of a steady decline. They finished with five losses last year, finishing just 4-4 in SEC play. And Georgia has stared the 2010 campaign 0-2 in the nation’s toughest conference after last week’s home loss to Arkansas.
Head coach Mark Richt doesn’t sound ready to push the panic button. “I know the guys are desperate for a victory, so that probably takes care of itself. I don’t think that I have to remind them that we are 0-2 (in the SEC) right now… We just have to keep grinding right now. No matter how you might feel, I’m not really even worried how they feel right now. I’m more worried about how they work.”
All reports out of Athens have the Bulldogs staying upbeat despite their current woes. Senior wide receiver Kris Dunham has been a solid fill-in for the suspended AJ Green. “We’re on a losing streak now, which is not something we wanted or imagined… We’re going to have to stay together. We can’t point fingers at who’s making mistakes and who’s not.”
Dunham continued, talking about their effort as they rallied from two TDs down against Arkansas, only to fall short late. “I’m extremely proud of the way we fought. We were faced with some adversity and our character showed. We’re fighters. We’re not going to give up.”
Frosh QB Aaron Murray has been inconsistent so far, in large part due to the struggles of the offensive line in front of him. But Murray, too, sounds upbeat as the Bulldogs prepare for Mississippi State on Saturday. “If we lose another game in the SEC, our chances of going to Atlanta (for the championship game) are very, very, very, very slim, if they’re possible at all. I feel like if we win out and go 6-2 in the league, then we still have a chance. We’ve just got worry about ourselves and make sure we win every week.” Georgia is currently lined as a one-point underdog in Starkville.
Linebacker Cornelius Washington summed it up best, talking about Georgia’s two game losing streak. “You have a nasty taste in your mouth until you get the next victory.”
Cooling their Heels
Few teams in the country have faced more adversity than North Carolina so far this season. The Tar Heels have been under investigation by the NCAA, and they’ve been forced to sit more than a dozen players as a result of the pending inquiry. The Tar Heels have lost each of their first two games by identical 30-24 scores, unable to beat LSU or Georgia Tech despite having opportunities to do so in the fourth quarter of each contest.
Now 0-2, the Tar Heels have a chance to right the ship on Saturday as they travel to Rutgers. Linebacker Quan Sturdivant talked to reporters about the need to stay together as a team. “You’ve got to trust your teammates—-that’s the whole thing. Got to do your job. We’ve just got to go out there and compete and play our game.”
Linebacker Bruce Carter talked about the distractions facing the Tar Heels. “I think Coach Davis does a great job of not letting it (the NCAA investigation) be a distraction. We’ve just got to be focused and tuned in on what we can do. That stuff is out of our hands so we have to move forward… I think they (the young freshmen playing defense, replacing suspended starters) are doing a great job.”
Defensive tackle Quinton Coples chipped in with this quote, talking about the six suspended starters on defense: “We miss them out there because they are our brothers. But we can't let that distract us.”
Senior quarterback TJ Yates has played extremely well, throwing for 621 yards and four touchdowns without an interception against two quality defenses. Yates showed his leadership qualities with this quote: “Nobody on this team is making excuses…. It's not like we have major issues that can't be fixed. It's only one conference game for us, so we know it's not the end of the world. We know there are things we have to do to get back on track, and we're going to keep working hard; we're not going to stop no matter what.”
Head coach Butch Davis has been encouraged by his team’s response to adversity. “It's easy to be a front-runner, and it's easy to be in the lead, and it's easy to win. You find out an awful lot about a lot of people when things don't go well. The seniors, the older guys that are out there, they have been very, very good about trying to reassure the young guys and helping them build confidence.”
North Carolina is currently a two-point road favorite against the Scarlet Knights in New Jersey on Saturday.
Toothless Cougars
To say the BYU has stunk up the field over the last two weekends is something of an understatement. The Cougars followed up a three touchdown loss to Air Force with an ugly showing in Tallahassee last Saturday, losing 34-10 to Florida State. For a team that was ranked in the Top 25 for the entirety of the 2009 and 2009 campaigns, the rough start to 2010 comes as something of a shock for a program with a 43-9 SU mark over the previous four years.
To make matters even worse for the Cougars, the injuries have started to pile up. QB Riley Nelson, who was splitting time with true frosh Jake Heaps, is now out for the season. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall called the latest BYU injury report “not good”, with 13 players suffering from a wide variety of ailments. That report includes injuries to starting left tackle Matt Reynolds, starting safety Andrew Rich and starting cornerback Brian Logan, all of whom are questionable for BYU’s game against Nevada on Saturday.
Mendenhall told reporters that he was planning on shortening his bench this weekend, as opposed to shaking up the depth charts. “We haven’t played the same players in the same schemes running the same plays together enough. So rather than depth chart changes, you’ll see fewer players in the game.”
Frosh QB Heaps sounded upbeat as he prepped for the Wolfpack defense, secure in his starting position for the first time this year. “We've got 10 games. So we're going to win those 10 games. There's no doubt in our demeanor, it's what our team has to do. This isn't something where we throw in the towel, no way. This team is going to fight, this team going to battle, we're gonna come after it and come back. From right here, the plan is to go 10-0, that's all I know, that's all I know that my team is thinking right now.”
Running back J.J. Di Luigi was pleased with the calm demeanor of his frosh QB in a tough environment last weekend. “I think he did well. I was surprised with his poise in the pocket. He stayed in there after getting hit a few times. He showed a lot of maturity.”
Last but not least, Coach Mendenhall said that he was well aware of the pointspread for BYU’s upcoming game against Nevada – or at least the fact that the Cougars were four-point underdogs on Saturday. “It’s a role we’ve earned.”