Smooth Pancakes' Coaching Carousel Career [Archive] - Page 7

SmoothPancakes

09-12-2014, 12:33 AM

Game Ten

:Miami_OH: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Facing a win or die situation, our team rose to the occasion and defeated a tough and talented Air Force squad. The story would remain much the same as we entered the final games of the season, though the conference race would get put on the back burner for one week, as we stepped outside conference play to take on the RedHawks of Miami University out of the Mid-American Conference.

This could very well be considered a tune-up game for our final two conference games, as the RedHawks entered the game with a dismal 1-8 record. The only spot that could be considered bright on their offense was their rushing game, ranked #60 in the nation with 166.9 yards/game average. Passing was meager at best, ranked #92 while putting up 211.8 yards/game, and a total offense ranked #85 with 378.7 yards/game. That much said, our offense fared even worse. We entered with the #110 overall offense, putting up just 346.6 yards/game. Our rushing offense was ranked #69 (159.7 yards/game) and our passing defense was #111 (186.9 yards/game).

On the flip side, Miami did have an actual bright spot on defense, boasting the #27 nationally ranked rushing defense (145.8 yards/game). They had a decidedly much worse passing defense at #108 (273.2 yards/game) and an overall defense ranked #82 (419.0 yards/game). Our keys to victory, simple, limit Miami’s chances on the ground and chances in the red zone and discover an offense that could beat their top 30 rushing defense. While our rushing game could most likely still find success against the RedHawks, our passing game would be almost essential today unlike the game against Air Force. Miami won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Eric McGuire gave us the ball at the 27 yard line to start the game. Matt Leierer got us started on the ground on first down with a four yard run off the right tackle, before being stood up for no gain to leave third and 6. Max Rhodes would keep us breathing as he pulled in the third down pass from Adam Powers, good for a 16 yard gain up the right sideline and a first down at the 48 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, McGuire would snag in a pass over the middle between two defenders for a 12 yard gain to move the chains to the Miami 41 yard line. Returning to the ground, Leierer was able to pick up four yards on first down, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and three. Gambling through the air on third down, Powers lined up under center, dropping back and firing a pass to tight end Jack Long, who shouldered off a tackle attempt by the outside linebacker, before outracing three defenders to the end zone for a 34 yard touchdown pass, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

Kelly Hampton returned the kickoff 20 yards for the RedHawks to start them at their 21 yard line for their first drive of the game. Charlie Slater took the handoff on first down, gaining just one yard on the play. Our defense would get horsefucked the remainder of the drive as Miami promptly went no huddle. Quarterback Eddie Wright would keep the ball on second down, rushing for 11 yards on the option keeper and a first down at the 33 yard line. Slater would then proceed to burn us on an option pitch, gaining 19 yards up the right sideline to give Miami a first down at our 47 yard line. After a three yard rush by Slater, the RedHawks would go into the air as Wright found Thad Russell for a 13 yard strike and a first down at the 31. Slater would end up going backwards on the first down carry, as our blitz was able to break through and hit him right after the handoff to leave second and 16. It wouldn’t much faze Miami as Wright came right back and hit Ryan Andrews for a 13 yard pass to set up third and three. The RedHawks wouldn’t even need the third down conversion, instead going right for the throat with a 24 yard touchdown pass from Wright to Daniel Moore up the left sideline, tying the game up at 7-7 with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter.

A 31 yard kickoff return by McGuire would get us back in action from our 33 yard line. Starting once more on the ground, Leierer took the handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a stuffed run for a loss of four yards, putting us right back where we began with third and 9. Going into the air on third down, the play would end in utter disaster as the pass intended for Rhodes was intercepted by outside linebacker Adam Arnold and returned 39 yards for a touchdown, giving Miami a 14-7 lead with 2:16 left in the first quarter.

A 28 yard kickoff return by McGuire put our offense back on the field once more, lining up at our 32 yard line. Beginning the drive again on the ground, Leierer could only pick up two yards on the first down carry. Putting Powers right back in the saddle on second down, we headed into the air from under center, Powers hitting Long over the middle for a 16 yard gain and a first down at midfield. Despite the success through the air, we’d go right backwards as Powers was sacked for a 9 yard loss on first down, leaving us with second and 19. This time around, Powers would successfully complete his pass attempt to Rhodes, good for a gain of 17 yards to leave us facing third and two. Putting the ball into the hands of Leierer, he would fight his way to a three yard gain to get the first down at the Miami 39 yard line. That would be the last play as the first quarter came to an end, Miami University STUNNING the home Utah State crowd 14-7.

Opening up the second quarter at the Miami 39 yard line, Leierer got us moving on first down with a 7 yard rush, followed by a 4 yard gain to get a new set of downs at the 28 yard line. The first down handoff to Leierer on a Power O play would just send us backwards, tackled for a four yard loss on the play. Going into the air on second down, McGuire would pick up a new first down with a pass reception over the middle for an 18 yard gain to move the chains to the 14 yard line. A quick pass to Tyson Taylor out of the backfield picked up 5 yards, followed by a 6 yard rush by Leierer to set us up with first and goal at the 3 yard line. Leierer would need just one play to punch it in for a three yard touchdown, tying the game up at 14-14 with 6:22 left in the second quarter.

A 23 yard kickoff return by Slater got Miami lined up from their 21 yard line. First play of the drive would be more of the same of the last drive, as Wright kept the ball on an option keeper and torched our defense up the right sideline for a 23 yard gain, giving the RedHawks a first down at the 44 yard line. Thankfully our defense would find a backbone from that play on, stopping Slater on first down for a negative one yard rush, followed by a gain of just one yard on second down to leave Miami with third and 10. Wright would go into the air on third down and tried to hit Slater over the middle, but a timely knock down by the middle linebacker would bring the drive to a mercifully uneventful end. No return by McGuire on the 36 yard punt left us at our 20 yard line.

Lining up at the 20 yard line after the punt, we came right at the Miami defense this time around, as Powers dropped back from under center before firing off a pass to Long for an 18 yard gain up the middle and a quick first down at the 38 yard line. Dropping into the shotgun on the next play, Powers connected with McGuire for a gain of 17 yards, moving the chains to the Miami 45 yard line. We’d keep it going as Powers found Rhodes for a 13 yard completion, giving us our third first down in as many plays, this time from the Miami 33 yard line. Unfortunately the drive would come crashing to an end on first down as Powers tried to hit tight end Cedric McKinney over the middle, only to be intercepted by safety Chris Jacobs, giving Miami the ball at their 24 yard line.

Slater would get the RedHawks started this drive, and it would again be an ugly start for our defense, as he burned us for a 17 yard rush and a quick first down at the 41 yard line. We’d limit Slater to just a single yard gain on the next first down carry, followed by a one yard loss to leave Miami facing third and 10. We nearly got burned through the air on third down as Wright found an open Tyler Hollis over the middle, but one of our linebacker was able to collapse down on Hollis from coverage and tackle him for just a 7 yard gain, leaving Miami punting on fourth and three. Or rather we thought they were punting. Miami ran a fake punt, the snap going to fullback Anthony Lawrence, who would have had the first down without question if not for the raw strength of outside linebacker Casey Hunter, who singlehandedly brought down Lawrence to stop the conversion and force the turnover on downs at the Miami 49 yard line, one yard short of the first down marker.

Lining up after the turnover on downs, we opted to start this drive on the ground, as Leierer took the first down handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 6 yard rush to get the first down. Leierer would keep plugging away on the ground with a 5 yard rush, followed by a 5 yard carry by Taylor to pick up the first down at the 28 yard line. Taking our chances once more through the air on first down, Powers was able to get back in the saddle with a 13 yard completion to Rhodes, moving the chains to the 15 yard line. A quick pass from under center was completed to Long for a 7 yard gain, after which a three yard run by Leierer left us just short of the first down, facing third and inches. We were forced to burn our first timeout to stop the clock with 51 seconds remaining. Leierer would take the third handoff and plow straight forward for a 5 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the one yard line. Letting the clock tick away after the conversion, Leierer would take the first down handoff and plow into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, giving us a 21-14 lead with 30 seconds left until halftime.

A 22 yard kickoff return by Hampton gave Miami the ball at their 24 yard line with just 26 seconds to go. A first down screen pass to Slater would pick up 8 yards, leaving Miami with second and two, but just 21 seconds remaining as the play went for a low gain and chewed up valuable seconds. Further more seconds were wasted as Wright was forced to throw the second down pass attempt away to avoid a sack, leaving third down and only 16 seconds, Miami stalled on their 31 yard line. Defensive tackle Lance Nash would put the proverbial stake in the heart of the RedHawks drive, sacking Wright for a 9 yard loss to leave fourth and 11 with just 10 seconds left. Miami would line up in the punt formation but would just let the clock expire without snapping the ball, sending us into halftime with a 21-14 lead.

Opening up the second half, Hampton returned the kickoff 22 yard to give Miami the ball at their 21 yard line to begin the third quarter. Once again we would get absolutely torched on first down as Wright kept the ball on the option keeper, found a gap, broke a tackle, and burned our asses for a 48 yard rush, giving Miami a new set of downs at our 31 yard line. Our defense would find an answer on the next play, tackling Wright in the backfield for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. A two yard rush by Hollis left Miami looking at third and 10. Our defense would finally answer back on third down, as cornerback Leonard Hart intercepted the third down pass intended for Tavares Chase at our 8 yard line, returning it 20 yards to the 28 yard line.

Lining up after the interception, this was the drive our offense had to make a statement on. It wouldn’t be much of a statement to start as Leierer was dragged down from behind on the first down handoff, picking up only two yards. An 11 yard second down completion to Rhodes would get the first down at the 41 yard line and keep us moving down the field. A four yard rush by Leierer was followed by a 5 yard gain, leaving third and one just on the other side of midfield. Taylor would get the job done and then some with a 7 yard rush, good for a first down at the Miami 43 yard line. We’d continue plugging away on first down, but Taylor was only able to manage a single yard on the carry. Coming out in the shotgun on second down, Powers found McGuire on a slant route and completed the pass for a 12 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 29 yard line. Leierer tried to get us moving again on the ground on frist down, but he was quickly stopped for no gain on the play. Fullback Walter Johnson would get in on the action on second down, pulling in a quick short pass from Powers for a 7 yard gain, leaving us with third and three. We would leave the drive in the hands of Leierer, who would not let us down, gaining 6 yards on the third down play to pick up a first down at the 17 yard line. Miami’s defense started to show signs of wear and tear, as they left a giant gap open up the middle, allowing Leierer to rush for an 8 yard gain, followed by a four yard rush by Taylor to give us first and goal at the four yard line. Leierer would need just one try to find the end zone yet again, punching it in for a four yard touchdown. Instead of kicking the extra point, Miami would opt to challenge the touchdown call. We would get completely screwed over by the replay system, as they only reviewed the end of the run when Leierer got tackled short of the goal line. They didn’t bother to review the part of the play just before that when Leierer got the ball over the goal line before being pushed back and tackled inside the one yard line. So instead of celebrating a 14 point lead, we had to try again for a touchdown that was stolen from us by the replay system. Lining up on second and goal from inside the one yard line, Leierer would leave NO DOUBT this time, driving all the way into the end zone to give us a 28-14 lead with 2:10 left in the third quarter.

A 23 yard kickoff return by Slater gave Miami the ball at their 25 yard line. Miami would never have a chance on first down as Wright tried to keep the ball on the option keeper, only be to instantly tackled in the backfield for a 5 yard loss, putting Miami in a quick hole on second and 15. A second down pass intended for Slater, broken up by defensive end Caleb McBride, would leave the RedHawks facing third and very long. A third down screen pass to Slater would send Miami backwards even further, the play resulting in a one yard loss to force Miami to punt the ball away on fourth and 16. A 6 yard return by McGuire on the very short 32 yard punt gave us the ball starting at the Miami 46 yard line.

Starting our next drive inside Miami’s territory, Leierer got us off and running with a 6 yard carry, followed by an 8 yard rush by Taylor to get a first down at the 33 yard line. Taking a shot through the air on first down, Powers connected with McGuire for a 12 yard gain, moving the chains to the 20 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down intended for Benjamin Silva, Powers would find Rhodes for a 10 yard completion, giving us a first down at the 10 yard line. Powers tried to go right back to Rhodes on the next play, but the pass was broken up, leaving us with second down. Powers would try to hit Dre Martin over the middle on second down, but he overthrew the pass and it sailed out of the end zone, leaving third down. The third down pass attempt intended for Johnson would likewise be broken up, forcing us to settle for a field goal on fourth and 10. The 27 yard field goal by Doug Marcus was good as time expired on the third quarter, sending into the quarter break with a 31-14 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, a 26 yard kickoff return by Slater gave Miami the ball at their 28 yard line. Miami would try to go into the air on first down, but the drive would come to a one play conclusion, as the pass from Wright intended for Jamaal Carter was intercepted by cornerback Buck Castillo, giving us possession at the Miami 41 yard line.

Lining up on first down at the 41 yard line, we tried to go for the jugular on first down, but the pass from Powers intended for Rhodes was broken up, leaving second down. McGuire would get us moving on second down, as he pulled in a pass from Powers for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 27, followed by an 11 yard pass to Rhodes to move the ball to the 16 yard line. Silva would pull down a first down pass from Powers for a 7 yard gain, leaving us second and three, upon which Rhodes would snag a pass from Powers for a 9 yard gain to give us first and goal at the one yard line. Taylor would finish off the drive on the next play with a one yard touchdown rush, increasing our lead to 38-14 with 7:33 left in the game.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Hampton gave Miami the ball at their 26 yard line, the RedHawks trying to stop the full scale implosion since the first quarter. After two straight incomplete passes, Wright would complete a third down screen pass to Slater, but he would only manage to gain a single yard on the play, forcing Miami to punt on fourth and 9 as the implosion continued to build. A 9 yard return by McGuire on the 39 yard punt gave us the ball at our 42 yard line.

Our offense came into the field on first down, just a mere 58 yards away from another touchdown. Leierer got our drive started with a six yard dash around the left end, followed by a one yard rush to leave third and three. Going into the air on third down, Rhodes would keep us in action with a 10 yard reception. A first down pass to Martin would also be complete for an 11 yard gain, moving the chains to the Miami 30 yard line. Staying with the pass, the next two passes by Powers were both incomplete, leaving us with third and long. Powers would try to sneak a pass past the outside linebacker and into the hands of McGuire, but it would be batted down to leave fourth and 10. The 47 yard field goal attempt by Marcus was batted at the line and fell well short of the end zone, giving Miami the ball at their 30 yard line.

Taking over after the missed field goal, Miami came out passing as Wright connected with Slater on first down for a 21 yard completion along the sideline, moving the chains to our 49 yard line. Wright would follow that up with a 13 yard pass to Trey Atkins, giving Miami a first down at our 36 yard line. The drive would screech to a halt on the next play as Wright would have his pass intended for Russell intercepted by defensive end Shaun Peterson, giving us the ball at our 40 yard line with 5:09 left in the game.

Lining up after the interception, Leierer got us off on the right foot with a 9 yard rush on first down, followed by a two yard gain to move the sticks to the Miami 49 yard line. A pair of rushes by Taylor went for gains of 3 and 4 yards, leaving us with third and 3. We would pick up the first down through the air as Powers found Rhodes for a 15 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 28 yard line. A pair of three yard runs by Taylor and Silva would leave us facing third and four. Taking a chance on the ground this time, Taylor would let us down as he’d manage just a single yard to bring up fourth and three. The 38 yard field goal attempt by Marcus was yet again no good, this time finding the length but not the accuracy, going just wide of the left upright at the last moment.

Miami took over on their own 21 yard line after the failed field goal attempt. The defense would win first down as defensive tackle Ernest Sims would get to and sack Wright for a 6 yard loss. Sims would get to Wright again on second down but Wright would lose the football during the sack, ruled an incomplete pass on the play to leave third and 16. A three yard completion to Slater would bring the drive to an end as Miami punted on fourth and 13. A 6 yard return by McGuire on the 33 yard punt gave us the ball at the Miami 46 yard line.

Lining up in Miami territory after the punt, we were down to the final plays of the game as the clock wore down. A pair of rushes by Taylor would net just two yards, leaving us with third and 8. Forced into the air on third down, Rhodes would keep us moving with an 11 yard reception, giving us a first down at the Miami 34 yard line. Powers would keep the ball on first down, rushing straight up the middle for a 4 yard gain to bring up second and 6. Taylor would take over on second down, picking up 5 yards on the play, before converting third and short with a 4 yard run to give us a first down at the 23 yard line. That would be the last offensive play necessary as we would need just a simple kneel down to run out the rest of the clock to make our 38-14 victory over Miami official.

With the fourth straight win, we improve to 8-2, 5-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Miami University drops to 1-9, 1-7 in Mid-American Conference play. Up next, it’s on the road for the final time this season, as Utah State travels to UNLV. The Rebels enter the game at 4-5, 3-3 in Mountain West action. UNLV opened their season with a 42-3 drubbing from #22 UCLA, but followed it up with a 38-21 win at Troy. Things took a downturn from there as UNLV went on a three game losing streak, losing 31-20 to Air Force, 24-19 at Boise State and 24-17 to San Jose State. They would turn things around and proceed to get on a three game winning streak, picking up a 24-20 win at Nevada, a 35-24 win against Fresno State and a 35-28 victory at Hawaii, before suffering a 35-16 setback to BYU.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 38, :Miami_OH: 14

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Powers had his ups and downs today. He did go 25-35 for 325 yards and a touchdown, but he also had two very bad interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Rushing, Leierer led the way with 112 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, Taylor had 45 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, Silva had three yards on one rush and Powers ended with -3 yards on 3 carries. Receiving, Rhodes was the top receiver with 136 yards on 11 catches. McGuire had 84 yards on 6 catches, Long had 75 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. In all, 7 receivers caught a pass today, four receivers had double digit yards, Rhodes was the only one with double digits receptions,

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Horrible first quarter. Got off to a very poor start as Miami had their way with the defense using the no-huddle offense. Just torched us all the way down the field for the game tying touchdown. After some changes, primarily aborting any zone defense and sticking almost exclusively to man defense with the defensive ends playing QB contain and the defensive focus on the pitch man and QB, we largely shut down the Miami offense. We still got burned a couple times through the air as our focus was more on the run than the pass, but we were able to limit the damage the rest of the way, only suffering minor setbacks rather than catastrophes. Also a big day in terms of turnovers, as CBs Hart and Castillo, along with DE Peterson all recorded interceptions today.

Utah State Kicking – A horrid day for Marcus, going 1-3 in field goal with a 27 yard kick and misses from 38 and 47 yards out, while also going 5-5 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Miami_OH:
14
0
0
0
14

:Utah_State:
7
14
10
7
38

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:30
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

3:45
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
D. Moore, 24 yard pass from E. Wright (M. Patterson kick)
TIED 7-7

2:16
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
A. Arnold, returned interception 39 yards (M. Patterson kick)
:Miami_OH: 14-7

Second Quarter

6:22
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 14-14

0:30
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 21-14

Third Quarter

2:10
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 5 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 28-14

0:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 27 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 31-14

Fourth Quarter

7:33
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
T. Taylor, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 38-14

Game Stats

Miami University
Stat
Utah State

14
Score
38

8
First Downs
31

200
Total Offense
478

18 - 98 - 0
Rushes - Yards - TD
50 - 153 - 4

10 - 19 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
25 - 35 - 1

102
Passing Yards
325

2
Times Sacked
1

1 - 8 (12%)
3rd Down Conversion
10 - 14 (71%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 - 0 (0%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
5 - 4 - 1 (100%)

3
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

3
Intercepted
2

0
Punt Return Yards
21

159
Kick Return Yards
81

359
Total Yards
580

4 – 35.5
Punts - Average
0 - 0.0

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

8:10
Time of Possession
27:50

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x6

Force a Turnover
25
x3

Pass for 250 Yards
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

14-Point Comeback Victory
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
7
8

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

09-12-2014, 12:34 AM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State defeated Penn State 35-14. In the upset of the week saw Indiana stun #2 Michigan 49-35. #3 Georgia Tech beat Pitt 45-24. #5 Louisiana-Lafayette squeaked past South Alabama 28-26. #6 Notre Dame handled Toledo 38-17. #7 Virginia Tech doubled up Miami 42-21. Illinois shocked #8 Nebraska 31-28. #10 Florida State embarrassed Boston College 56-3. #11 Army slipped past #21 USC 35-34. SMU upset #12 Cincinnati 31-28 in overtime.

Baylor knocked off #13 Oklahoma 38-27. #14 Alabama beat Mississippi State 28-13. #15 Texas whooped Kansas 41-10. #16 Connecticut defeated Central Florida 38-10. #17 TCU topped Tulsa 41-28. #18 Oregon beat Washington State 52-38. #19 Kansas State dismantled Texas Tech 55-21. #20 Wisconsin escaped one-win Purdue 26-23 in overtime. #23 UCLA topped Arizona 38-21. #24 Marshall defeated Florida Atlantic 38-17. #25 West Virginia beat East Carolina 49-21.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten) with a 35-14 win over Penn State. Morsdraconis, West Virginia improves to 7-3 (5-2 Big 12) with a 49-21 win over East Carolina. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 6-4 (5-1 C-USA) with a 34-27 loss to Florida International. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 4-6 (2-5 Pac-12) with a 42-28 win over Colorado. LeeSO, Auburn drops to 5-5 (4-4 SEC) with a 35-0 loss to Georgia. SCClassof93, South Carolina improves to 7-4 (5-4 SEC) with a 35-20 win over Florida. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 7-2 (5-0 Sun Belt) with a 28-17 win over Georgia State. Florida International improves to 6-4 (4-2 C-USA) with a 34-27 win over Southern Miss. #5 Navy remains 9-0 (7-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa drops to 4-6 (3-4 American) with a 41-28 loss to #17 TCU.

In Mountain West action, New Mexico beat Air Force 35-21, Boise State topped Colorado State 26-14, San Jose State beat Hawaii 31-14, San Diego State beat Fresno State 33-14, Utah State defeated Miami University 38-14, Utah beat Wyoming 44-24, Northwestern dominated Nevada 49-16 and BYU knocked off UNLV 35-16.

With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, New Mexico (6-0) sits on top, followed by Utah State (5-1), Boise State (4-2), Air Force (3-3), Colorado State (1-5) and finally Wyoming (0-6). In the West Division, San Jose State and San Diego State (both 5-1) share the top spot, followed by both UNLV and Nevada (both 3-3), Hawaii (1-5) and last Fresno State (0-6).

If those standings hold, San Jose State will advance to the MWC championship game over San Diego State by way of the head to head tiebreaker. New Mexico will almost likely advance regardless as they hold the head to head tiebreaker over Utah State. Utah State can only advance if they win out and finish 7-1 while New Mexico loses both of their last two conference games to end up 6-2.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #2 Michigan lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 4. #1 Ohio State (10-0), #3 Georgia Tech (10-0), #5 Navy (9-0) and #6 Louisiana Lafayette (9-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: UTSA (0-10).

Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (37 first place votes) remains #1, Georgia Tech (22 votes) climbs one to #2, Navy (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Louisiana-Lafayette (1 vote) climbs one to #4 and Notre Dame moves up one to #5. Virginia Tech jumps one to #6, Stanford moves up two to #7, Army leaps three to #8, Florida State climbs one to #9 and Michigan drops eight to #10. Alabama climbs three to #11, Texas jumps three to #12, Connecticut moves up three to #13, TCU climbs three to #14 and Oregon jumps three to #15. Indiana enters the poll at #16, Kansas State climbs two to #17, Wisconsin moves up two the #18, Cincinnati drops seven to #19 and Tennessee climbs two to #20. Nebraska plummets thirteen to #21, UCLA moves up one to #22, Oklahoma freefalls ten spots to #23, Marshall remains #24 and West Virginia (304 points) remains #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was USC (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, New Mexico (291 points) is #26, followed by Ohio (229), Northwestern (149), Ole Miss (86) and Utah State (18) to round out the Top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (42 first place votes) remains the #1 team, Georgia Tech (22 votes) climbs one to #2, Navy (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Louisiana-Lafayette moves up one to #4, and Notre Dame climbs one to #5. Virginia Tech jumps one to #6, Stanford climbs two to #7, Florida State jumps two to #8, Michigan drops seven to #9 and Army climbs one to #10. Alabama jumps four to #11, Oregon climbs two to #12, Texas moves up three to #13, Connecticut rises three to #14 and Wisconsin jumps three to #15. TCU leaps four to #16, Kansas State climbs two to #17, Cincinnati drops six to #16, Indiana enters the poll at #19 and Nebraska falls twelve to #20. Marshall climbs one to #21, Tennessee jumps one to #22, Oklahoma falls ten to #23, UCLA remains #24 and New Mexico (321 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were USC (from #21) and Ohio (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Points, Ohio (313 points) is #26, followed by West Virginia (266), Northwestern (186), Ole Miss (139) and Utah State (115) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include: SMU (79) and USC (41).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Georgia Tech (0.995), #3 Navy (0.989), #4 Louisiana-Lafayette (0.980), #5 Notre Dame (0.979), #6 Virginia Tech (0.974), #7 Stanford (0.968), #8 Michigan (0.955), #9 Florida State (0.954) and #10 Army (0.954). Others: #25 West Virginia (0.814).

An updated look at the Heisman race, Notre Dame QB Mike Harper is #1 (LW: #2), Stanford QB Roger Langford is #2 (LW: #1), Georgia Tech QB Phil Terrell is #3 (LW: NR), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #4 (LW: NR) and Indiana QB Jerome Walker is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list were Michigan QB Carl Ginn (LW: #3), USC QB Frank Campbell (LW: #4) and Navy QB Jarrod Brooks (LW: #5).

Looking at the Bowl Picture, 11 teams punched their ticket this week, giving us 51 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 7 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 41 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 94 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

SmoothPancakes

09-18-2014, 02:55 PM

Game Eleven

:Utah_State: :@: :UNLV:

Game Story

--- After pulling out a tougher than expected victory over a feisty Miami (OH) squad, it was back into conference play for our final two games of the season. To start off the final two game stretch, we headed on the road to take on the UNLV Rebels, a budding rivalry over the last couple years. This game would undoubtedly be no different, as we were fighting for a division title, while UNLV found themselves fighting for a .500 season and bowl berth, leaving both teams eager to fight for victory.

This had all the makings of a potentially ugly one today. Both teams entered the game ranked pitifully in total offense. Utah State’s rushing offense was middle of the pack while UNLV had one of the three worst rushing offenses in college football. The Rebels more than made up for that with the #36 passing offense, whereas Utah State couldn’t even crack the top 100 for passing. On the flip side, Utah State had one of the top defenses in the game, in all facets of the game, something that would come in handy in shutting down UNLV’s high power passing game. UNLV meanwhile had one of the 10 worst rushing defenses in the nation, paired up with a passing defense that ranked #42 nationally. That was a positive for us as rushing had been our forte lately. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A 20 yard kickoff return by Jacob Hudson gave UNLV the ball at their 19 yard line to start the game. The Rebels would start the game through the air as Gary Alvarez found Adam Rivers coming out of the backfield for a 7 yard completion. Going straight into the no huddle on second down, our defense would collapse as Kevin Davis took the handoff from Alvarez, rushing straight up the middle into a gaping hole for a 32 yard gain and a first down at our 41 yard line. Alvarez tried to keep the ball on first down with a delayed option keeper, but our blitz was able to keep him contained in the backfield for a three yard loss, leaving UNLV with second and 13. Alvarez stepped back on second down to pass downfield, but with a four man rush breaking through the offensive line, he found himself quickly under pressure and tried to throw a hurried pass to Rivers. The pass would not find its target however as cornerback Mike Moses was in front of the receiver, intercepting the lofted pass to give us the ball at our 24 yard line.

Taking over after the interception, we came out and did what we do best, handing the ball off on first down to Matt Leierer, who picked up three yards on the play. Another rush by Leierer saw him stood up just beyond the line of scrimmage, only picking up two yards on the play to leave third and 5. Going into the air on third down, a quick pass from Adam Powers to Max Rhodes would keep the drive alive with an 11 yard completion, moving the chains to the 40 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Tyson Taylor kept us moving down the field with a 10 yard rush, picking up another first down at the 50 yard line. Unfortunately we would end up going backwards as an outside rush by Taylor was blown up for a loss of one yard, leaving second and 11. Dropping back to pass on second down, Powers would come through in the clutch with a key strike to Eric McGuire, the pass complete for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the UNLV 35 yard line. Taylor would take the ball on first down, only gaining two yards on the carry. Going into the air on second and long, Powers to rifle a pass to tight end Cedric McKinney, who was cutting up the middle, the pass complete for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at the 15 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, Powers lined up in the shotgun, firing a pass over the middle to McGuire on a slant route. McGuire caught the pass at the 5 yard line and fought his way through a tackle attempt, spinning into the end zone for a 15 yard touchdown to give us a 7-0 lead with 4:13 left in the first quarter.

A 21 yard kickoff return by Hudson got UNLV back on the field at their 21 yard line. UNLV tried to pass on first down, but our blitz forced Alvarez to quickly throw the ball out of bounds to avoid the sack. Then utter confusion broke loose. A flag was thrown after the play, presumably for intentional grounding. Instead, the penalty was called as defensive pass interference on Utah State. Even more bizarrely, the penalty resulted in UNLV’s offense backing up four yards, from the 21 yard line to the 17 yard line, while still having first down. We would again be flagged on the next play, this time for a legitimate offside call on defensive end Caleb McBride, but a completed pass to Rivers for a gain of 13 yards would result in that penalty being declined, giving UNLV a first down at their 30 yard line. UNLV would stay in the air on first down, as Alvarez threw a pass to Hudson on a screen play, but the defense quickly got to Hudson and tripped him up for a two yard loss. That would be followed with an even bigger loss of yards as Alvarez was sacked on second down by outside linebacker Casey Hunter for a 7 yard loss, leaving UNLV facing third and 19. Alvarez tried to find a receiver downfield on third down, but he was hit from behind right as he threw the ball, causing it to sail harmlessly into the grass 10 yards downfield, well behind the nearest receiver, forcing UNLV to punt on fourth down. A 9 yard return by McGuire on the 44 yard punt gave us the ball at our 45 yard line.

Starting our drive off on the ground, Leierer got us moving with a 5 yard carry on first down, followed by a four yard rush to bring up third and one. Leaving things in the hands of Leierer, he took the third down handoff up the middle for a two yard rush, just managing to get the first down at the UNLV 44 yard line. Keeping with the ground game, Taylor took the ball on first down for a gain of 5 yards, before Leierer spun his way through a pair of tackles for a 9 yard carry, moving the chains to the 30 yard line. Taylor would keep us moving with a 5 yard rush, followed by a one yard gain by Leierer to leave third and four. That would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock ran out, taking us into the break with a 7-0 lead.

Opening up the second quarter, we decided to take a gamble through the air on third down, Powers connecting with Walter Johnson for a 10 yard strike to give us a first down at the 14 yard line. Returning to the ground, Leierer kept us moving on first down with a huge carry for a 9 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to set us up with first and goal from the two yard line. Leierer needed just one play to finish the drive, taking the handoff from Powers and diving into the end zone for the two yard touchdown, giving us a 14-0 lead with 7:48 left to go in the second quarter.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Tony Stephens got UNLV back in action at their 26 yard line. The drive would last all of one play as the meltdown continued for the Rebels. Alvarez dropped back to pass on first down and found himself quickly under pressure from the pass rush. Just barely avoiding being sacked from behind, Alvarez chucked up a prayer to a receiver nearly 40 yards down the field along the right sideline. Unfortunately for Alvarez and UNLV, that receiver was covered by two defenders, allowing cornerback Leonard Hart to intercept the pass, returning it 12 yards to set us up with possession at the UNLV 45 yard line.

Taking over after the interception, Leierer would get us off and running yet again with a four yard carry on first down, followed by a 5 yard rush to leave us with third and one. Leierer would successfully convert on third down with a 5 yard carry, moving the chains to the 32 yard line. Continuing to pound it out, Leierer rushed for a three yard gain on first down, before a four yard rush by Taylor would pick up four yards, bringing up third and three. Going into the air on third down, Rhodes would again be the savior with a 14 yard reception near the left sideline, giving us a first down at the 10 yard line. Taylor got us started again on the ground on first down with a 5 yard gain, followed up by a three yard rush by Leierer to bring up third and two. Trying to gain the touchdown through the air, we would instead go backwards as Powers was sacked for a 6 yard loss, leaving us facing fourth and 8. It would be a bit of a disappointing result, but the 26 yard field goal by Doug Marcus increased our lead to 17-0 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

An 18 yard kickoff return by Stephens gave UNLV the ball at their 21 yard line for their next drive. Davis would start the drive off with a 6 yard carry, after which UNLV quickly went no huddle, allowing Davis to reel off gains of 1 yard and 10 yards on the ground for a quick first down 38 yard line. With UNLV sticking with the run, and the no huddle, our defense started bringing the blitz and spreading out the defensive line, allowing us to put a stopper in Davis and tackle him for consecutive losses of one and two yards, leaving UNLV facing third and 13. Going into the air on third down, Alvarez chucked up a very ill-advised pass to a receiver 25 yards down the field, heading towards the sideline and with his back to the pass. Worst of all, the pass ended up underthrown and behind the receiver, allowing cornerback Lawrence Coker to cut off and intercept the pass, Alvarez’s third interception of the game, to give us the ball at our 45 yard line with 2:05 left until halftime.

Coming out passing on first down following the interception, Powers made a quick strike to Dre Martin, complete for a 10 yard gain to quickly move the chains to the UNLV 45 yard line. Staying in the air, Powers tried to go right back to Martin on a comeback route, but the pass was nearly intercepted right back, leaving us with second down. A second straight incomplete pass, this time intended for McGuire, would leave us with third down. Targeting Rhodes on third down, Powers was just able to get rid of the ball to avoid the sack, hitting Rhodes for a 13 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 32 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Powers tried to go up the middle to tight end Jack Long, but the pass was broken up to bring up second down. Martin would reset the downs as he pulled in a second down pass from Powers, good for a 15 yard gain down to the UNLV 16 yard line. Greg Miller would advance the ball on first down, snagging in a pass from Powers and racing for the right sideline, tackled for an 11 yard gain at the 5 yard line, unfortunately unable to get out of bounds however. With one minute left and the clock ticking, we handed the ball off to Leierer, who needed to just one play to find pay dirt, juking his way past two defenders and into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown to give us a 24-0 lead with 44 seconds left until halftime.

A 20 yard kickoff return by Stephens set UNLV up at their 24 yard line, just 40 seconds left until half. Dropping back into a defend the pass at all costs zone defense, Alvarez found himself with no options other than a short pass to Davis for a four yard gain. The Rebels seemingly understood the unlikelihood of them finding a way to score in this situation, as they didn’t bother to call timeout, nor did they go no huddle, instead huddling up and letting the clock continue to tick away at 30 seconds. While they would come up to the line of scrimmage with over 25 seconds still left on the clock, the offense wouldn’t bother snapping the ball until there was just two seconds remaining. The half would end much the same way it had gone for UNLV, as Alvarez chucked up a pass intended for tight end Ray Hamilton, only to have it intercepted by Coker, his second of the game, to take us into halftime with a 24-0 lead.

Opening up the second half, a 25 yard kickoff return by McGuire gave us the ball at our 22 yard line to start the third quarter. Leierer got the drive started with a 6 yard rush up the middle, followed by a 5 yard carry around the right tackle for a first down. Taylor would take over on first down with a 6 yard rush, followed by a 5 yard rush by Leierer to move the chains to the 44 yard line. Taylor took the handoff next, rushing for 5 yards on the carry, after which Leierer returned to the backfield for a 5 yard rush, coming up just short to leave third and inches. We would just BARELY convert the third down, as Taylor just got over the line of scrimmage for a one yard gain before being lifted off the ground and sent flying backwards by the defense, moving the chains to the UNLV 46 yard line. Continuing with the rushing attack on first down, Leierer fought his way to a four yard gain, followed by a 5 yard rush to leave us with third and one. Again taking our chances on the ground during third and short, Taylor took the handoff from Powers and made this conversion much easier, bowling over a pair of defenders for a 9 yard gain to give us a first down at the 28 yard line. Leierer took back over on first down, fighting his way to a pickup of 5 yards, followed by a 5 yard rush by Taylor to move us down to the 18 yard line with a new set of downs. Leierer kept us moving on first down with a 7 yard carry, followed by a two yard rush to leave us with third and one. Keeping it on the ground once more on third and one, Taylor was able to get the job done, picking up three yards up the middle to give us first and goal at the 5 yard line. Leierer again got us started on first down with a three yard rush, followed by a two yard gain by Taylor to leave us with third and goal from just outside the goal line. Leierer would get the job done, taking the third down handoff from Powers and blasting through a defender and into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, giving us a 31-0 lead with 2:24 left in the third quarter, capping off a monster 18 play drive, all 18 plays coming on the ground, that traveled 71 yards and took 6:36 off the third quarter clock.

A 31 yard kickoff return by Hudson gave UNLV the ball at their 33 yard line, the Rebels offense making their first appearance of the entire third quarter with only just over two minutes remaining. UNLV’s offense wasted no time as they came out passing on first down, Alvarez connecting with John Williams for an 11 yard gain and a quick first down at the 44 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, Alvarez dropped back to pass again, but with all receivers covered and the pass rush closing in, he was forced to dump the ball into empty space up the field for an incomplete pass. Alvarez would end up again forced to get rid of the ball on second down, this time chucking it out of bounds, leaving UNLV facing third and 10. Alvarez tried to hit a relatively open Hamilton near the left sideline on third down, but he would end up overthrowing it, causing the ball to sail out of bounds over Hamilton's head and incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. A 6 yard return by McGuire on the 41 yard punt left us starting from our 20 yard line.

After the overwhelming success of the previous drive, it was right back to more of the same for our offense this time around, as Powers handed the ball off to Leierer on first down. Unfortunately it would get off to a slower start as Leierer found himself with nowhere to run inside. Trying to break outside and turn the corner, he would be unable to outrun the two defenders chasing him, only gaining two yards before being tackled from behind. Thankfully he would make up for the minimal gain on the previous play, finding a hole and pounding through it for a gain of 9 yards to pick up the first down at the 31 yard line. Taylor took over on first down with a four yard carry, followed by a three yard rush by Leierer to leave us with third and three. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 31-0 as we entered the final quarter.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up at our own 39 yard line, facing third and three. Leierer would pick up the conversion with a four yard carry, giving us a first down at the 42 yard line. That would, barring any disastrous meltdowns, be the end of Leierer’s day as we started mass substitutions and brought in the second team offense, holding a 31 point lead with only 9 minutes left in the game. Taylor would get the second team offense started, taking the handoff but only able to gain a single yard on the play. The second down rush would fare better, as Taylor was able to fight his way to a 5 yard gain, leaving us with third and four. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, redshirt junior Jason Barnes stepped in to make just his second appearance in the backfield of the entire season. His only other appearance, and his only pass of the season, ended with an interception. This would be a much better result this time around for Barnes, as he found Greg Miller along the left sideline for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the UNLV 41 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Taylor would end up lit up like a torch in the backfield, tackled and flattened for a one yard loss to bring up second and 11. Adam Washington would keep our offense moving through the air as he pulled in a pass from Barnes for a gain of 12 yards, giving us a first down at the 30 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, due to our suddenly worthless second team rushing attack, Raymond Watson would keep us moving down the field with a 9 yard reception, setting up second and one. Unfortunately, we would fail to get the first down on the next play, as Taylor was met at the line of scrimmage for no gain to leave us with third and one. Taylor would find much better success on third down, rushing for a 5 yard gain to move the chains to the 16 yard line. Benjamin Silva would make his first appearance in the backfield, rushing for a 7 yard gain on first down. A 6 yard rush by Taylor on second down would be get the job done on the conversion, setting us up with first and goal from the three yard line. The first down rush by Taylor would end up going for just a one yard gain. Handing it off on second and goal from the two yard line, Taylor tried again to punch it in, but was stood up for no gain on the play. Lining up on third and goal from the two yard line, but third time would NOT be a charm, as Taylor was again stopped, this time for just a one yard gain to leave fourth and goal at the one yard line. Letting the play clock run down under 5 seconds, we would settle for a 18 yard field goal by Marcus, increasing our lead to 34-0 with 1:24 remaining in the game, capping off another 18 play, 80 yard drive that took 9:31 off the clock during a drive that stretched between the end of the third quarter and the very late fourth quarter.

An 18 yard kickoff return by Stephens gave UNLV the ball at their 19 yard line, just 1:20 left to play. Running the ball on first down, Davis would find big success against our second team defense, rushing for a 20 yard gain and getting out of bounds to give UNLV a first down at the 39 yard line, stopping the clock with 1:13 to play. Throwing the ball on first down, Alvarez was able to connect with Rivers for a 24 yard strike, moving the ball down to our 38 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, our defense would catch a break as a pass from Alvarez to a very wide open Williams was dropped, leaving second down. Unfortunately our second team defense would ruin the shutout. Despite nearly sacking Alvarez, he was able to get the second down pass off, finding Hamilton between a pair of defenders. Hamilton was able to step his way out of a tackle attempting dive at the ankles, allowing him to cover the remaining 10 yards and stumble forward into the end zone for a 38 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 34-7 with 56 seconds left in the game.

UNLV would go for the onside kick, and unbelievably, recover it, giving the Rebels the ball at their 43 yard line, no time coming off the clock during the play. UNLV would start this drive on the ground as Alvarez handed the ball off to Davis, but he would get stood up for just a one yard gain, forcing UNLV to call their first timeout with 53 seconds left. Bringing a blitz on second down, we were able to force Alvarez to throw the ball away, leaving UNLV with third and 9. Any chance UNLV had of finding the end zone for a second time ended on third down when Alvarez tried to chuck a pass up to Williams, who was triple defended thanks to Rivers also being nearby to bring three of our defenders close together. Instead of finding Williams, the ball would end up in the hands of Moses, who recorded his second interception of the game, Alvarez’s five interception today, giving us the ball at our 41 yard line with 43 seconds left in the game.

We would waste no time in bringing this game to an end as Barnes would twice drop to a knee, running the clock out on our dominating 34-7 victory over UNLV.

With the win, we improve to 9-2, 6-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, UNLV drops to 4-6, 3-4 in Mountain West play. Up next, we close out the regular season with a home game against heated rival Wyoming. Wyoming enters the game at 2-9, 0-7 in Mountain West play. The Cowboys opened their year on a sour note with a 28-14 loss to Eastern Michigan. They briefly turned it around by knocking off Washington State 27-24 and upsetting Northern Illinois 35-24. After that, it was all downhill as they proceeded to lose their next 8 games, falling 44-40 at San Jose State, losing to Nevada in overtime 45-38, losing at Colorado State 49-10, losing at Air Force 38-28, falling to #20 New Mexico 31-21, losing to Boise State 35-14, losing to Utah 44-24 and losing to San Diego State 44-24.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 34, :UNLV: 7

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A pretty good day for Powers, going 10-13 for 133 yards passing and one touchdown. Barnes, in limited action, ended 3-3 for 32 yards through the air. Rushing, Leierer led the way with 131 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Taylor finished with 81 yards on 24 rushes and Silva had 7 yards on his lone carry of the game. Receiving, Rhodes was the lead receiver with 38 yards on just three catches. Next up was McGuire who had 30 yards and a touchdown on two catches. In all, 8 receivers caught at least one pass today, seven of them ending with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A once in a century day defensively, as the UNLV offense was completely shut down and ground to a halt until the end of the game. First and foremost, the 5 interceptions made today. Mike Moses and Lawrence Coker account for four of the five, with each intercepting two passes. Leonard Hart also had an interception today. Only one sack recorded today by the defense, but it was an important one during the drive it occurred. Final stats for the defense was 152 yards given up, but it was much lower than that until UNLV's drive at the end of the game when they scored against our second team defense. All in all, a MONSTER day by the Utah State D.

Utah State Kicking – An extremely rare perfect day for Marcus, going 2-2 on field goals with kicks from 18 and 26 yards out, as well as going 4-4 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
17
7
3
34

:UNLV:
0
0
0
7
7

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

4:13
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
E. McGuire, 15 yard pass from A. Powers (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

7:48
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-0

3:40
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 26 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 17-0

0:44
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 6 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 24-0

Third Quarter

2:24
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 31-0

Fourth Quarter

1:27
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 18 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 34-0

0:56
:UNLV:
Touchdown
R. Hamilton, 38 yard pass from G. Alvarez (J. Mack kick)
:Utah_State: 34-7

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
UNLV

34
Score
7

26
First Downs
6

374
Total Offense
152

59 - 209 - 3
Rushes - Yards - TD
10 - 57 - 0

13 - 16 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
7 - 18 - 1

165
Passing Yards
95

1
Times Sacked
1

13 - 15 (86%)
3rd Down Conversion
1 - 5 (20%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

6 - 4 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
0 - 0 - 0 (0%)

0
Turnovers
5

0
Fumbles Lost
0

0
Intercepted
5

15
Punt Return Yards
0

25
Kick Return Yards
150

414
Total Yards
302

0 – 0.0
Punts - Average
2 - 42.5

1 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

30:17
Time of Possession
5:43

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x5

5 Consecutive Wins
250
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

Opponent Under 10 Points
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
7
9

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

09-18-2014, 02:56 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State avoided the same fate as Michigan and defeated #16 Indiana 38-17. In the game of the week, #6 Virginia Tech ended #2 Georgia Tech's perfect run, 31-21. #3 Navy beat Tulsa 28-16. #4 Louisiana Lafayette edged past Texas State 38-31. In the upset of the week, Wake Forest shocked #5 Notre Dame 28-24. California knocked off #7 Stanford 26-14. #8 Army toppled Iowa 28-25. #9 Florida State routed Syracuse 34-7. #11 Alabama topped Texas A&M 38-14.

Oklahoma State stunned the Longhorns, destroying #12 Texas 38-14. South Florida knocked off #13 Connecticut 28-21. #15 Oregon slipped past Washington 27-24. Kansas shocked #17 Kansas State 24-20. #18 Wisconsin survived Northwestern 41-38. #19 Cincinnati beat Memphis 38-21. Vanderbilt upset #20 Tennessee 41-34. #21 Nebraska dominated Minnesota 42-14. Texas Tech knocked off #23 Oklahoma 35-28. And Florida International stunned #24 Marshall 27-16.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten) with a 38-17 win over #16 Indiana. Morsdraconis, #25 West Virginia remains 7-3 (5-2 Big 12) with a bye week. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 6-5 (5-2 C-USA) with a 38-10 loss to UAB. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 5-6 (3-5 Pac-12) with a 35-25 win over Utah. LeeSO, Auburn drops to 5-6 (4-5 SEC) with a 41-28 loss to LSU. SCClassof93, South Carolina remains 7-4 (5-4 SEC) with a bye week. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 7-2 (5-0 Sun Belt) with a 28-17 win over Georgia State. Florida International improves to 7-4 (5-2 C-USA) with a 27-16 win over #24 Marshall. #3 Navy improves to 10-0 (8-0 American) with a 28-16 win over Tulsa. Tulsa drops to 4-7 (3-5 American) with a 28-16 loss to #3 Navy.

In Mountain West action, Utah State dominated UNLV 34-7, New Mexico slipped past Boise State 28-23, Air Force beat Colorado State 20-17 in overtime, Nevada topped Hawaii 44-20, Fresno State shocked San Jose State 42-35 and San Diego State beat Wyoming 44-24.

With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, New Mexico (7-0) sits on top, followed by Utah State (6-1), Boise State (4-2), Air Force (4-3), Colorado State (1-6) and finally Wyoming (0-7). In the West Division, San Diego State (6-1) is king, followed by San Jose State (5-2), Nevada (4-3), UNLV (3-4), and both Hawaii and Fresno State (both 1-6).

If those standings hold, San Diego State will advance to the MWC Championship Game over San Jose State (though San Jose State holds the head to head tiebreaker depending upon next week's results). New Mexico has clinched a spot in the MWC Championship Game as they hold the head to head tiebreaker over Utah State. Even if Utah State wins and New Mexico loses next week, the head to head tiebreaker will carry New Mexico through to the CCG.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #2 Georgia Tech lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 3. #1 Ohio State (11-0), #3 Navy (10-0) and #4 Louisiana Lafayette (10-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: UTSA (0-11).

Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (38 first place votes) remains #1, Navy (22 votes) climbs one to #2, Louisiana-Lafayette (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Virginia Tech jumps two to #4 and Georgia Tech drops just three to #5. Army climbs two to #6, Florida State jumps two to #7, Michigan moves up two #8, Alabama climbs two to #9 and TCU jumps four to #10. Oregon jumps four to #11, Wisconsin leaps six to #12, Cincinnati climbs six to #13, Nebraska vaults seven to #14 and Notre Dame drops ten to #15. UCLA leaps six to #16, Stanford drops ten to #17, Indiana falls two to #18, West Virginia climbs six to #19 and New Mexico enters the poll at #20. Ohio enters the poll at #21, Connecticut falls nine to #22, Texas drops eleven to #23, Ole Miss enters the poll at #24 and Utah State (224 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kansas State (from #17), Tennessee (from #20), Oklahoma (from #23) and Marshall (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Oklahoma State (166 points) is #26, followed by SMU (118), LSU (103), Vanderbilt (86) and Marshall (61) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points include USC (44) and Kansas State (15).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (40 first place votes) remains the #1 team, Navy (23 votes) climbs one to #2, Virginia Tech jumps three to #3, Louisiana-Lafayette (2 votes) remains #4 and Georgia Tech drops three to #5. Florida State climbs two to #6, Michigan jumps two to #7, Army moves up two to #8, Alabama climbs two to #9 and Oregon jumps two to #10. Wisconsin jumps four to #11, TCU moves up four to #12, Cincinnati leaps five to #13, Nebraska vaults six to #14 and Notre Dame drops ten to #15. Stanford falls nine to #16, UCLA leaps seven to #17, New Mexico jumps seven to #18, Indiana remains #19 and Ohio enters the poll at #20. West Virginia enters the poll at #20, Connecticut drops eight to #22, Ole Miss enters the poll at #23, Utah State (246 points) enters the poll at #24 and Texas (246 points) plummets twelve to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kansas State (from #17), Marshall (from #21), Tennessee (from #22) and Oklahoma (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Oklahoma State (205 points) is #26, followed by SMU (191), Marshall (171), USC (135) and South Carolina (80) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points include LSU (47), Vanderbilt (37) and Kansas State (35).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Navy (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.987), #4 Louisiana-Lafayette (0.984), #5 Georgia Tech (0.979), #6 Florida State (0.971), #7 Army (0.968), #8 Michigan (0.966), #9 Alabama (0.958) and #10 Oregon (0.950). Others: #19 New Mexico (0.867), #20 West Virginia (0.861), #25 Utah State (0.833).

An updated look at the Heisman race, Notre Dame QB Mike Harper is #1 (LW: #2), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #2 (LW: #4), Stanford QB Roger Langford is #3 (LW: #2), Indiana QB Jerome Walker is #4 (LW: #4) and Navy QB Jarrod Brooks is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list was Georgia Tech QB Phil Terrell (LW: #3).

Looking at Awards Finalists, senior defensive end Caleb McBride somehow qualified as a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy, though he is currently ranked #8 on the list.

Looking at the Bowl Picture, 8 teams punched their ticket this week, giving us 59 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 9 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 24 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 85 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

Looking at the first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on Washington (6-5, 4-4) out of the Pac-12. The Beef O'Brady's Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-5, 5-2 C-USA) matching up with Texas A&M (5-6, 4-4 Big 12). The New Orleans Bowl would match-up Arkansas State (8-2, 6-0 Sun Belt) against North Texas (8-3, 5-2 C-USA). The Military Bowl would feature Arizona State (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) against Duke (5-6, 4-4 ACC). The Armed Forces Bowl would match-up Florida International (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) against Air Force (6-5, 4-3 Mountain West).

The Alamo Bowl would feature #19 West Virginia (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) vs. #17 Stanford (9-2, 7-2 Pac-12). The Outback Bowl would match-up South Carolina (7-4, 5-4 SEC) against #14 Nebraska (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten). The Sugar Bowl would feature #9 Alabama (8-3, 6-2 SEC) against #20 New Mexico (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West). The BCS National Championship Game would host a showdown between #2 Navy (10-0, 8-0 American) against #1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #3 Louisiana Lafayette (10-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) against USC (7-4, 7-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #10 TCU (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) matching up with #5 Georgia Tech (10-1, 8-1 ACC). The Sugar Bowl has #9 Alabama (8-3, 6-2 SEC) matching up with #20 New Mexico (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #4 Virginia Tech (10-1, 8-0 ACC) and #6 Army (9-1). And in the national championship game, #2 Navy (10-0, 8-0 American) takes on #1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten).

SmoothPancakes

09-19-2014, 02:33 PM

Game Twelve

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx305/SmoothPancakes/safe_image_zps8a8a1bc0.jpg

:Wyoming: :@: #25 :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- The end had arrived. After making it through an entertaining 2022 season, we had reached the final game of the regular season. Naturally, this wasn’t going to be just any season finale contest. Our opponent would once more be hated rival Wyoming in Bridger’s Battle. Despite Wyoming entering the contest after a very rough season, coming in at 2-9 and still searching for their first conference win at 0-7, that would potentially play right into this game. What would bring Wyoming more joy than concluding their 2022 season with a conference victory by upsetting their rivals from Utah, an upset that would be guaranteed to knock us out of the Top 25 polls. Despite hammering Wyoming last season during our own down year, it was necessary to only go back to the 2020 season when Wyoming came into Romney Stadium and shocked an 8-win Utah State team in overtime after a missed PAT handed the Cowboys the one point victory. Wyoming would be looking for that same upset this time around.

Also as dangerous as ever, was Wyoming’s no-huddle offense, an offense that has led to many headaches for the Utah State coaching staff the previous two seasons. The keys to the game would be simple. Stop Wyoming’s offense, an offense that had a better national ranking and better stats than Utah State in all categories of total offense, rushing offense and passing offense. Defensively, the Aggies would have to find a way to move the ball on the ground against a Wyoming rush defense that entered with a #51 national ranking. With any chance of an appearance in the Mountain West title game ended after last week’s conference win by New Mexico, Utah State would be playing for nothing more than record, Top 25 ranking, and a good tier bowl game. Wyoming would be playing to taste victory over their rivals at the end of another long season full of defeats. The weather would potentially play into today’s game as well as it was a very cold, very windy and snowy day with a completely white field. We won the coin toss and elected to kick, kicking off into a stiff 15 MPH wind.

A 17 yard kickoff return by Jamie Morales gave Wyoming the ball at their 22 yard line to start the game. Handing the ball off on first down, Derrick Greenwood was only able to gain one yard on the carry, leaving second and 9. Despite blitzing on second down, Greenwood still was able to make our defense look foolish, breaking open for a 12 yard rush to move the chains to the 35 yard line. Wyoming tried to go into the air on first down, but Skip Abrams’ pass intended for Terence Hill was thrown behind the receiver and incomplete. Taking another crack through the air, Abrams hit Nathan Jenkins on a quick screen pass for a four yard gain, leaving the Cowboys with third and 6. Leave it to our defense to blow it on third down as Hill was left wide open over the middle. After breaking a pair of tackles during the play, he was finally wrestled down deep in our territory for a 45 yard reception, giving Wyoming a first down at our 16 yard line. Abrams would keep it himself on first down, using a designed QB keeper to rush up the middle for a 5 yard gain to leave second and 5. We got lucky on second down as Abrams heaved up a pass to the corner of the end zone, intended for Ryan Goddard. Thankfully the pass was overthrown and landed incomplete out of the back of the end zone. Hill would come through in the clutch for Wyoming on third down, hauling in a pass from Abrams for a 6 yard gain, giving Wyoming first and a goal from our 5 yard line. Greenwood would need just one play to punch it in, rushing for the corner as our defense got blocked and locked up inside for a 5 yard touchdown, giving Wyoming a 7-0 lead with 6:54 left in the first quarter.

A 29 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart gave us the ball at our 26 yard line for our first drive. Matt Leierer would get our offense started, taking the first down handoff from Adam Powers for a 7 yard gain around the right tackle, followed by a four yard rush to get the first down at the 38 yard line. Leierer would keep pounding it away with a 5 yard carry on first down, followed by a four yard rush by Tyson Taylor would leave us with third and one. Unfortunately, Wyoming would be ready for us on third down, as Leierer was met at the line of scrimmage and brought down for no gain, forcing us to punt on fourth and one. A 5 yard return by Brandon Stover on the 35 yard punt gave Wyoming the ball at their 22 yard line.

Wyoming started their drive off on the ground, as Abrams faked a handoff and tried to take off around the right end, only to be met by defensive end Caleb McBride and tackled for a four yard loss, putting Wyoming in an early hole with second and 14. Abrams would again keep it on second down, taking off scrambling after no receivers could get open before the pocket collapsed. But with a linebacker spying on the play, Abrams was limited to just a two yard gain on the scramble, bringing up third and 12 for the Cowboys. In quite possibly one of the most unbelievable plays of the season, Abrams heaved up a pass deep downfield right before being leveled by McBride. The pass would somehow find its way into the hands of Goddard, despite him being tied up with two defenders, the pass complete for an impossible 50 yard gain, saving the drive and giving Wyoming a first down at our 30 yard line. Abrams handed the ball off to Greenwood on first down, but our defense was ready for the rush and stopped Greenwood for a loss of a yard on the play to leave second and 11. Abrams dropped back to pass but ended up trying to scramble on the second down play, getting hit from behind and sacked for a two yard loss to bring up third and 13. Abrams was forced to throw the ball away on third down as he was about to end up on his back, though he made a dangerous throw by chucking it downfield in the vicinity of one of our linebackers. Regardless, the play resulted in Wyoming facing fourth and 13 from the 33 yard line. Rather than try for a 50 yard field goal with the wind to their back, nor try to convert the first down, Wyoming elected to punt the ball, pooching it out of bounds at our 10 yard line for a 22 yard punt.

Lining up at our 10 yard line after the punt, we picked things back up with our ground game as Leierer took the handoff, but he was only able to pick up two yards on the play. Taking a chance through the air on second down, Powers found Eric McGuire open over the middle for a 16 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 28 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, Powers tried to throw a pass to a wide open Adam Washington down the middle of the field, only to have the pass end up in the hands of a different Washington, Wyoming cornerback Issac Washington, who intercepted the pass to give the Cowboys the ball at our 31 yard line.

Wyoming lined up after the interception, looking to add on to their 7 point lead. Greenwood tried to take a first down handoff around the right side, but ended up quickly on his back for a two yard loss. Dropping back to pass on second and 12, Abrams quickly found himself under pressure and tried to scramble, only to end up sacked for a four yard loss, leaving Wyoming with third and 16. The drive would end unceremoniously for the Cowboys as our defense would sack Abrams for the second straight play, this time for an 8 yard loss, forcing Wyoming to punt on fourth and 24 from our 45 yard line. The punt would end up sailing 45 yards into and out the back of the end zone for a touchback.

Our offense got lined up for the new drive at our 20 yard line following the touchback. We returned to the ground for the first down play, Leierer taking the handoff for a four yard gain to leave second and 6. That would be the final play of the first quarter, Wyoming leading 7-0.

Opening up the second quarter, Leierer tried to keep us moving, but could only manage a two yard carry, bringing up third and four. Going into the air on third down, with the wind now at our back, the pass from Powers intended for Max Rhodes was woefully overthrown, forcing yet another punt on fourth down. A fair catch by Stover on the sky high 41 yard punt gave Wyoming the ball at their 32 yard line.

Wyoming’s offense came out on first down following the punt with a handoff to Greenwood, who broke two tackles and rumbled his way to a 7 yard gain on the play. Despite bringing a heavy blitz, Greenwood would still find a way to pick up two yards on second down, leaving third and one. Going into the air on third and short, the Cowboys would catch our defense off guard with a 9 yard completion to Sean Austin, giving Wyoming a first down at the 50 yard line. Returning to the ground, Greenwood took a first down handoff for a four yard gain, followed by a two yard rush by Stover to bring up third and four. The defense would manage to hold on third down, putting pressure on Abrams and forcing him to throw the ball away yet again, leaving the Cowboys punting on fourth and four. It turned out Wyoming had other plans as they ran a fake punt pass, luckily our return team left no one open and the punter was forced to throw the ball over the middle into empty space, turning the ball over on downs at our 44 yard line.

Taking over after the failed fake punt, our offense tried to get the ball rolling through the air this time, as Powers connected with Dre Martin for a quick 5 yard completion. Lining up under center on second down, Powers dropped back and threw a quick pass to Walter Johnson, good for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the Wyoming 41 yard line. Changing it up with a run on first down, Leierer took the handoff for a 6 yard gain. Returning to the air on second down, Powers was able to connect with Rhodes this time, the pass complete for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the Wyoming 21 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Leierer got three HUGE blocks, allowing him to get outside the right tackle and up the field for a big 18 yard gain, dragged down from behind at the last moment as Wyoming saved the touchdown, instead leaving us with first and goal from the three yard line. Taylor took over on first down, only able to pick up one yard on the play, before finally getting it into the end zone on second and goal, scoring what appeared to be the game tying two yard touchdown. Instead the play would be reviewed and reversed, as it was ruled Taylor left knee was down before he broke the plane, leaving us with third and goal from inside the one yard line. Leierer would make sure there was no doubt on the third down carry, rushing into the end zone standing up for a one yard touchdown, this time officially tying the game up at 7-7 with 3:15 left in the second quarter.

A touchback on the booming kickoff, aided by the 15 MPH wind now at our back, gave Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. It didn’t take long for the Cowboys to exploit our defense, as Greenwood took the first down handoff from Abrams and found a gap toward the left side, slipping out of two tackles on his way to a 29 yard rush, moving the chains to our 46 yard line in one play. Wyoming tried to go into the air on first down, but Abrams was forced to throw the ball away to avoid the pressure, leaving second down. Stover took a handoff from Abrams on second down, taking advantage of our pass expecting defense and rushing for a 9 yard gain to bring up third and one. Despite forcing a rushed pass on the play, Abrams was able to find Hill near the right sideline for a two yard gain, injecting new life into the drive with a first down at our 36 yard line. Greenwood took the ball on first down and tried to get around the left end, but he was quickly met by a defender and dropped in the backfield for four yard loss to leave Wyoming facing second and 14. Abrams took off running on a delayed option keeper on second down. Despite spinning his way out of one tackle, we were able to limit the damage to just a three yard gain, setting up third and 11 after the play. A screen pass on third down would end up essentially a failure, despite the pass being completed to Greenwood, as the play ended up only gaining a single yard, leaving fourth and 10. Even better, Greenwood was forced out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:21 remaining. The punt would end up carrying into the end zone for a touchback.

Taking over at our 20 yard line following the touchback, we lined up with 1:15 left on the clock and all three timeouts in our pocket. There was no secret we’d be going into the air on first down, but we were still able to quickly move the ball as Powers found McGuire downfield for a 19 yard completion and a first down at the 39 yard line. Quickly going no huddle, Powers targeted McGuire for a second straight play, this time on a deep comeback route along the right sideline. Despite hitting McGuire in the hands, he was unable to hang onto the ball and dropped it to leave second down, 1:05 remaining. Staying in the shotgun on second down, Powers would connect with Rhodes along the left sideline, the pass good for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the Wyoming 48 yard line. Racing right back to the line, we go opposite side of the field this time, as Powers went right back to Rhodes for a gain of 11 yards, moving the chains to the 37. Another 11 yard completion, this time to Johnson, got us down to the Wyoming 26 yard line with 40 seconds to go. Instead of utilizing our timeouts, we tried to keep the defense reeling on their heels, only to royally screw up as Powers tried to loft a pass over the secondary to tight end Cedric McKinney, only to have the pass intercepted by outside linebacker Eric Gore, returned 18 yards to give Wyoming the ball at their 29 yard line with 34 seconds left in the half.

Lining up after the interception, Wyoming went with the run to start their drive as Greenwood received the handoff for a four yard gain, Wyoming calling their first timeout with 29 seconds left. Abrams initially dropped back from the shotgun on second down, before taking off on what appeared to be a designed QB keeper, breaking a tackle and picking up 6 yards on the dash, but coming up just short of the first down. Wyoming was left facing third and inches after the play, forced to call their second timeout with 24 seconds to play. Abrams would take off scrambling on third down, rushing his way to a 5 yard gain and a first down at the 44 yard line. The Cowboys elected to save their timeout and went no huddle on first down. Abrams dropped back to pass and tried to connect with Austin over the middle, but the pass was broken up to leave second down and the clock stopped with 12 seconds to play. Running a screen pass on second down, Greenwood was able to pick up 11 yards along the right sideline behind his blockers, pushed out of bounds at our 45 yard line to stop the clock with 6 seconds to go. The Hail Mary attempt on first down ended up deflected and incomplete with no time left, sending us into halftime deadlocked at 7-7.

Opening up the second half, a 34 yard kickoff return by McGuire gave us the ball at our 29 yard line to start the third quarter. Wyoming was more than ready for our running game on first down, as Leierer was almost instantly lit up for just a two yard gain. After an incomplete pass intended for Martin, we came back out in the shotgun on third and 8. Powers dropped back and was able to find Rhodes for a 9 yard gain, just getting us the first down at the 39 yard line. Tight end Jack Long would keep us moving with a reception up the middle for a quick gain of 17 yards, moving the ball to the Wyoming 44 yard line. Going back to the ground to try and keep the defense honest, Leierer took the first down handoff up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush by Taylor to leave third and one. Taking our chances on the ground, Taylor was able to fight his way to a three yard gain, picking up the first down at the 33 yard line. Changing it up again, we headed back into the air on first down, as Powers hit a wide open Martin on a slant route for a gain of 19 yards and a new set of downs at the Wyoming 14 yard line. We tried to go right back at the defense on first down, but Leierer was only able to gain two yards on the carry, leaving second and 8. Looking to put this drive to bed, Powers lined up in the shotgun, with Leierer out wide as a receiver. The defense wasn’t expecting Leierer to immediately cut out off the line of scrimmage on an out route, leaving his completely uncovered, allowing Powers to hit him near the 8 yard line and leaving him the space to take it all the way into the end zone for a 12 yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

A 22 yard kickoff return by Stover gave Wyoming the ball at their 27 yard line for their next drive. Abrams tried to keep the ball on first down with a QB keeper, but our meager four man rush was able to break through the offensive line and meet Abrams in the backfield for a four yard loss, putting Wyoming in an early hole with second and 14. The Cowboys would end up going even further in reverse, as Abrams was sacked from behind for a 5 yard loss during a well defended pass play, leaving third and 19. Despite a fairly successful screen pass to Greenwood, he was only able to pick up 9 yards on the play before being chased down, forcing Wyoming to punt the ball on fourth and 10. A 22 yard return by McGuire on the 46 yard punt gave us the ball at our 49 yard line.

Lining up after the punt, we tried once more to get our running game going again, as Leierer took the first down handoff from Powers for a 6 yard gain. Despite a heavy blitz, Leierer was able to find a small gap for a 5 yard gain, giving us an early first down at the Wyoming 41 yard line. Passing the ball on first down, the pass intended for McGuire was nearly intercepted, leaving us with second and long. Rhodes would come through for us on second down, just getting 11 yards on a pass from Powers, good enough to move the chains to the 30 yard line. Going back to the ground game, Leierer kept us moving forward on first down, picking up 8 yards on a huge carry, followed by a two yard rush by Taylor to get the first down at the 20 yard line. Heading back into the air on first down, Powers was able to find Martin down the left sideline on a comeback route, the pass complete for a gain of 13 yards, setting us up with first and goal at the Wyoming 7 yard line. Returning to the ground, Taylor would advance the ball on first down with a four yard rush, moving us up to the three yard line. Leierer would take a crack on second down, but he would end up stood up for no gain, leaving us with third and goal at the three yard line. That would end up being the last play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 14-7 in an extremely hard fought game.

Opening up the fourth quarter and final quarter, we lined up facing third and goal at the three yard line. After two unsuccessful runs, we tried our luck through the air on third down, but Powers would end up hit from behind as he tried to throw, the wounded duck ball spiraling into the ground at the feet of the right tackle for an incomplete pass, leaving fourth and goal. Despite the successful drive up to that point, we were forced to settle for a 21 yard field goal, increasing our lead to 17-7 with 8:55 left to go in the game.

A touchback on the wind-aided kickoff led to Wyoming starting their drive from their 25 yard line. Despite lining up in the Power I on first down, Abrams tried to quickly drop back to pass, only to end up finding himself under a pile of blue jerseys as the defense broke through the offensive line, causing chaos in the backfield and sacking Abrams for a 7 yard loss to leave Wyoming facing second and 17. Our defense was able to stop Abrams on a scramble on second down, presumably for a loss, but a facemask flag on defensive tackle Ernest Sims erased two plays of great work, instead giving Wyoming a first down at the 28 yard line. Abrams needed just one play to turn that penalty into a killer, as he took off running on a QB keeper, torching us up the middle for a 24 yard gain to give Wyoming a first down at our 48 yard line. In two plays Wyoming went from facing third and very long to having a first down in our territory. Handing the ball off to Greenwood on first down, he would end up failing to return to the line of scrimmage, quickly brought down by our defensive line for a one yard loss to bring up second and 11. Despite good pressure and air tight coverage, Abrams would still burn us on second down as he took off scrambling, hurdling one defensive player along the way of a huge 29 yard carry, giving Wyoming a first down at our 20 yard line, our defense essentially entering meltdown stage. A first down carry by Greenwood would go for a two yard gain, followed by a one yard rush to set up third and 7. The defense would finally find a backbone on third down, tackling Stover for a two yard loss to leave Wyoming’s drive halted on fourth and 9. Instead of attempting a 36 yard field goal into the wind that would cut the gap to just a one possession, the Cowboys elected to go for it on fourth down. Despite feeling the pressure from a four man rush, Abrams stood his ground in the pocket and tried to connect with Goddard near the first down marker along the right sideline. Unfortunately for Wyoming, Abrams put a little too much go-go juice on the pass and the ball ended up beating Goddard to the sideline, sailing out of bounds incomplete to turn the ball over on downs.

Our offense got lined up following the turnover on downs, starting our drive from our own 19 yard line with just 6:02 remaining in the game and holding onto a 10 point lead. Two results were needed from this drive to essentially seal the game. Either put more points on the board, preferably a touchdown which would make it a three possession game, or chew up time and take at least three minutes off the clock, leaving Wyoming with only two or three minutes in which to score at least 10 points. We came out on first down and kept it on the ground, as Leierer took the handoff from Powers for a big 8 yard gain. The second down effort by Leierer would end up picking up three yards, giving us a new set of downs at the 30 yard line and keeping the clock running. Taylor kept us moving on the ground as he rushed for 5 yards on his first down attempt, followed by a hard fought 6 yard carry by Leierer to reset the downs at the 41 yard line and keep the clock moving, now under four minutes to play. Taylor would keep the momentum up with another 5 yard carry, followed by a three yard rush by Leierer to leave us facing third and two. We’d leave the drive in the hands of Leierer, who would just barely get the third down conversion with a three yard carry to give us a first down at the Wyoming 48 yard line. The first down rush by Taylor would send up going backwards, as he was tackled for a one yard loss on the play, Wyoming calling their first timeout with 2:16 left on the clock. A second down carry by Leierer would end up gaining four yards, leaving us with third and 7, Wyoming calling their second timeout to stop the clock at 2:13. Despite needing 7 yards, which we would more likely get through the air, we decided to play the situation and called a running play on third down, figuring on one of two things happening. Either Wyoming would be forced to burn their final timeout to stop the clock with just over two minutes to play, or they would elect to save that timeout for their offensive drive, and we would be able to run the clock down before punting if we failed to convert. It would end up being the former as Leierer could only manage 5 yards on the carry, leaving us with fourth and two following the play. Wyoming would try to save as much time as possible and called their third and final timeout to stop the clock with 2:10 remaining. Punting the ball from the Wyoming 41 yard line with a very stiff 15 MPH wind behind us, true freshman Freddie Arnold would proceed to perfectly coffin corner the kick, sending it sailing out of bounds at Wyoming’s 8 yard line, leaving the Cowboys with 92 yards to cover just for their first of two necessary possessions, and only 2:05 left on the clock.

Lining up buried at their 8 yard line after the perfectly kick punt, Wyoming needed to find at least three points on this drive to get it back within a one possession game, and they only had just over two minutes to do it in, while having no timeouts to work with. Going four wide on first down, Wyoming saw any hopes and dreams they had of making a comeback shattered on the very first play, as Abrams’ pass over the middle intended for Jenkins was intercepted by Hart, giving us the ball at the Wyoming 14 yard line with just 2:01 left in the game.

Lining up following the interception, we intended for nothing more than to just kill off the final two minutes with one or two runs before kneeling out the remaining time. Instead our drive would turn into a one play touchdown as Leierer took the handoff from Powers, plowing over top of a defender, high-stepping through two more tackle attempts and breaking free into open space and into the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown, unintentionally increasing our lead to 24-7 with 1:55 left in the game.

A touchback on the kickoff would get Wyoming back on the field at their 25 yard line, the game essentially over as the Cowboys now found themselves trailing by 17 points after that unintended touchdown. Dropping back to pass on first down, Abrams would end up under pressure from our four man pass rush, only to be sacked for a two yard loss as he tried to step up in the collapsing pocket. The Cowboys rushed to the line and Abrams spiked the ball to stop the clock, leaving third and 12. Abrams tried to connect with Jenkins cutting across the middle of the field, but his pass was late and sailed past behind Jenkins back incomplete, forcing Wyoming to raise the white flag and punt the ball away on fourth down. Signaling our acceptance of Wyoming’s surrender, despite there being no Wyoming player within 20 yards of him, McGuire signaled for a fair catch on the 36 yard punt, rather than return it, giving us the ball at our 40 yard line with 1:33 left in the game.

Lining up after the touchback, we kept the ball on the ground for first down, looking to take around a minute off the clock before ultimately dropping to a knee. Leierer got things started with a four yard carry straight up the middle, followed by a 9 yard rush to pick up a first down at the Wyoming 48 yard line. That would be our final offensive play as we would line up in the victory formation with less than 30 seconds left. Snapping the ball with one second left on the play clock and only 21 seconds left in the game, Powers took the snap and quickly dropped to a knee, running out the remaining clock on our extremely hard fought 24-7 win over rival Wyoming, winning Bridger’s Battle for the 2022 season.

With the win, we wrap up the regular season at 10-2, 7-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Wyoming concludes their season at 2-10, 0-8 in Mountain West play. Up next, since New Mexico claimed the division title and a spot in the MWC title game over us, we wait to see where we’re going and who we’ll face in the bowls.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 24, :Wyoming: 7

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Powers ended up having a so-so day, going 14-21 for 180 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw two bad interceptions that could have cost us had Wyoming been able to capitalize. Rushing, Leierer led the way with 136 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Taylor ended up with 28 yards on 10 rushes. Receiving, Rhodes was the top receiver with 58 yards on five receptions. Leierer had 12 yards and a touchdown on one lone reception. In all, six receivers caught at least one pass today, all six ended with double digit yards through the air.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Horrible first quarter, and some rough spots throughout the game as Wyoming drove right down our throats at times. Other than the drive when Wyoming scored their lone touchdown however, the defense was able to make a stand at some point during each drive and keep Wyoming from adding to their points total. Defensive end Shaun Peterson had a big day in the backfield as he recorded three sacks and five tackles for a loss. Cornerback Leonard Hart came through huge as his lone interception essentially ended any chance Wyoming had of a comeback with two minutes left.

Utah State Kicking – Another perfect day for Marcus, going 1-1 in field goal with an 18 yard kick, while also going 3-3 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Wyoming:
7
0
0
0
7

:Utah_State:
0
7
7
10
24

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

6:54
:Wyoming:
Touchdown
D. Greenwood, 5 yard run (J. Jones kick)
:Wyoming: 7-0

Second Quarter

3:15
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 7-7

Third Quarter

5:39
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 12 yard pass from A. Powers (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-7

Fourth Quarter

8:55
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 21 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 17-7

1:55
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
M. Leierer, 14 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 24-7

Game Stats

Wyoming
Stat
Utah State

7
Score
24

12
First Downs
21

236
Total Offense
342

33 - 99 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
38 - 162 - 2

9 - 20 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
14 - 21 - 1

137
Passing Yards
180

7
Times Sacked
0

6 - 13 (46%)
3rd Down Conversion
4 - 8 (50%)

0 - 2 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

2 - 1 - 0 (50%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
4 - 3 - 1 (100%)

1
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

1
Intercepted
2

4
Punt Return Yards
22

37
Kick Return Yards
62

277
Total Yards
426

5 – 37.4
Punts - Average
3 - 36.3

0 - 0
Penalties
1 - 15

14:52
Time of Possession
21:08

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Uner 10 Points
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
7
:check: 10

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

09-19-2014, 02:34 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 Ohio State defeated rival #8 Michigan 38-20. #2 Navy beat East Carolina 42-21. #3 Louisiana Lafayette escaped Arkansas State 21-14. #4 Virginia Tech topped Virginia 35-28. In the upset of the week, Georgia shocked #5 Georgia Tech 28-21. #6 Army beat Rutgers 31-14. Florida knocked off #7 Florida State 38-26. #9 Alabama thrashed Auburn 41-10. #10 TCU got past Oklahoma 42-35. #11 Oregon beat Oregon State 28-21.

#13 Cincinnati slipped past Houston in overtime 38-35. #14 Nebraska beat Iowa 35-19. #15 Notre Dame toppled #17 Stanford 52-21. #16 UCLA walloped USC 27-3. #18 Indiana doubled up Penn State 42-21. #19 West Virginia defeated #23 Texas 42-30. #20 New Mexico thrashed Colorado State 41-13. #21 Ohio escaped Miami University 27-21. #22 Connecticut topped Temple 35-16. #24 Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 49-28. #25 Utah State beat Wyoming 24-7.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) with a 38-20 win over #8 Michigan. Morsdraconis, #19 West Virginia improves to 8-3 (6-2 Big 12) with a 42-30 win over #23 Texas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 6-6 (5-3 C-USA) with a 42-26 loss to Marshall. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 6-6 (4-5 Pac-12) with a 45-20 win over rival Arizona. LeeSO, Auburn drops to 5-7 (4-5 SEC) with a 41-10 loss to #9 Alabama. SCClassof93, South Carolina improves to 8-4 (5-4 SEC) with a 41-24 win over Clemson. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 8-3 (6-1 Sun Belt) with a 21-14 loss to #3 Louisiana Lafayette. Florida International improves to 8-4 (6-2 C-USA) with a 35-30 win over Florida Atlantic. #2 Navy improves to 11-0 (9-0 American) with a 42-21 win over East Carolina. Tulsa ends their year at 5-7 (4-5 American) with a 31-17 win over Tulane.

In Mountain West action, #20 New Mexico beat Colorado State 41-13, Utah State topped Wyoming 24-7, San Diego State defeated UNLV 31-21, San Jose State beat Nevada 41-35, Boise State topped Air Force 42-26 and Fresno State beat Hawaii 36-14.

With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, New Mexico (8-0) finished first, followed by Utah State (7-1), Boise State (5-3), Air Force (4-4), Colorado State (1-7) and finally Wyoming (0-8). In the West Division, San Diego State (7-1) finished first, followed by San Jose State (6-2), Nevada (4-4), UNLV (3-5), Fresno State (2-6) and finally Hawaii (1-7).

With this results, the MWC Championship Game will feature San Diego State, from the West Division, battling New Mexico, from the Mountain Division.

Looking at undefeated teams left, no one lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 3. #1 Ohio State (12-0), #2 Navy (11-0) and #3 Louisiana Lafayette (11-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. UTSA (0-12) will finish the season as the only team to fail to win a single game.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (39 first place votes) remains #1, Navy (21 votes) remains #2, Louisiana-Lafayette (1 vote) remains #3, Virginia Tech remains #4 and Army climbs one to #5. TCU leaps four to #6, Alabama jumps two to #7, Oregon moves up three to #8, Wisconsin jumps three to #9 and Cincinnati climbs three to #10. Michigan drops three to #11, Nebraska climbs two #12, Notre Dame moves up two #13, Georgia Tech falls nine to #14 and UCLA climbs one to #15. Florida State plummets nine to #16, West Virginia climbs two to #17, Indiana remains #18, New Mexico moves up one to #19 and Ohio rises one to #20. Connecticut moves up one to #21, Ole Miss jumps two to #22, Utah State climbs two to #23, Stanford drops seven to #24 and SMU (293 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Texas (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia (290 points) is #26, followed by Florida (237), Vanderbilt (225), Marshall (214) and Baylor (93) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points include South Carolina (70), San Diego State (45) and North Texas (35).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (36 first place votes) remains the #1 team, Navy (28 votes) remains #2, Louisiana Lafayette (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Virginia Tech falls one to #4 and Army climbs three to #5. Alabama moves up three to #6, Oregon jumps three to #7, Wisconsin climbs three to #8, TCU rises three to #9 and Michigan falls three to #10. Cincinnati jumps two to #11, Nebraska moves up two to #12, Notre Dame climbs two to #13, Georgia Tech drops nine to #14 and Florida State falls nine to #15. UCLA moves up one to #16, New Mexico climbs one to #17, Indiana jumps one to #18, Ohio moves up one to #19 and West Virginia climbs one to #20. Connecticut climbs one to #21, Ole Miss moves up one to #22, Utah State jumps one to #23, Stanford drops eight to #24 and SMU (336 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Texas (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida (325 points) is #26, followed by Marshall (281), Georgia (269), Vanderbilt (211) and South Carolina (211) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Baylor (152), San Diego State (101), North Texas (91) and Florida International (50).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Navy (0.995), #3 Louisiana Lafayette (0.989), #4 Virginia Tech (0.984), #5 Army (0.979), #6 Alabama (0.971), #7 TCU (0.966), #8 Oregon (0.966), #9 Wisconsin (0.960) and #10 Michigan (0.950). Others: #18 West Virginia (0.875), #19 New Mexico (0.874), #24 Utah State (0.841).

An updated look at the Heisman race, Notre Dame QB Mike Harper is #1 (LW: #1), Indiana QB Jerome Walker is #2 (LW: #4), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #3 (LW: #2), Navy QB Jarrod Brooks is #3 (LW: #5) and Stanford QB Roger Langford is #5 (LW: #3). No one fell off the list this week.

Looking at Awards Finalists, senior defensive end Caleb McBride somehow qualified as a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy, though he is currently ranked #8 on the list.

Looking at the Bowl Picture, 10 teams punched their ticket this week, giving us 69 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 14 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 1 team still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 70 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on Washington (7-5, 5-4) out of the Pac-12. The Beef O'Brady's Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-6, 5-3 C-USA) matching up with Tennessee (6-6, 4-5 Big 12). The New Orleans Bowl would match-up Florida International (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) against Arkansas State (8-3, 6-1 Sun Belt). The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl would feature Arizona State (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) against #13 Notre Dame (10-2).

The Alamo Bowl would feature #17 West Virginia (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) vs. #15 UCLA (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12). The Music City Bowl would match-up South Carolina (8-4, 5-4 SEC) against Duke (6-6, 5-4 ACC). The Sugar Bowl would feature #7 Alabama (9-3, 7-2 SEC) against #19 New Mexico (11-1, 8-0 Mountain West). The BCS National Championship Game would host a showdown between #2 Navy (11-0, 9-0 American) against #1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #3 Louisiana Lafayette (11-0, 7-0 Sun Belt) against #8 Oregon (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #6 TCU (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) matching up with #5 Army (10-1). The Sugar Bowl has #7 Alabama (9-3, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #19 New Mexico (11-1, 8-0 Mountain West). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #4 Virginia Tech (11-1, 9-0 ACC) and #9 Wisconsin (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Navy (11-0, 9-0 American) takes on #1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten).

SmoothPancakes

09-19-2014, 03:27 PM

On a bye week, so lets hit it!

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #2 Navy fights off #5 Army 30-24. #3 Louisiana Lafayette embarrassed Louisiana Monroe 52-13. #17 West Virginia kicks a 23 yard field goal with no time left to knock off #6 TCU 37-34.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State remains 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) with a bye week. Morsdraconis, #17 West Virginia improves to 9-3 (7-2 Big 12) with a 37-34 win over #6 TCU thanks to a field goal with no time left. Souljahbill, Southern Miss remains 6-6 (5-3 C-USA) with a bye week. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 6-6 (4-5 Pac-12) with a bye week. LeeSO, Auburn ends their year at 5-7 (4-5 SEC). SCClassof93, South Carolina remains 8-4 (5-4 SEC) with a bye week. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 9-3 (7-1 Sun Belt) with a 24-9 win over Texas State. Florida International remains 8-4 (6-2 C-USA) with a bye week. #2 Navy improves to 12-0 (9-0 American) with a 30-24 win over #5 Army. Tulsa ends their year at 5-7 (4-5 American).

In Mountain West action, UNLV beat South Florida 13-7.

The MWC Championship Game will feature San Diego State, from the West Division, battling New Mexico, from the Mountain Division.

Looking at undefeated teams left, no one lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 3. #1 Ohio State (12-0), #2 Navy (12-0) and #3 Louisiana Lafayette (12-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. UTSA (0-12) will finish the season as the only team to fail to win a single game.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Navy (32 votes) jumps one to #1, Ohio State (24 first place votes) drops one to #2, Louisiana-Lafayette (5 votes) remains #3, Virginia Tech remains #4 and Alabama climbs two to #5. Oregon jumps two to #6, Wisconsin moves up two to #7, Army drops three to #8, Cincinnati climbs one to #9 and Michigan jumps one to #10. Nebraska climbs one to #11, Notre Dame moves up one to #12, Georgia Tech jumps one to #13, West Virginia vaults three to #14 and TCU drops nine to #15. UCLA drops one to #16, Florida State falls one to #17, Indiana remains #19, New Mexico remains #19 and Ohio remains #20. Connecticut remains #21, Ole Miss remains #22, Utah State remains #23, Stanford remains #24 and SMU (279 points) remains #25. No one dropped from the poll this week. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia (233 points) is #26, followed by Florida (186), Vanderbilt (153), Marshall (126) and Baylor (85) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is South Carolina (33).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Navy (45 votes) climbs one to #1, Ohio State (20 first place votes) drops one to #2, Louisiana Lafayette remains #3, Virginia Tech remains #4 and Alabama climbs one to #5. Oregon jumps one to #6, Wisconsin moves up one to #7, Army drops three to #8, Michigan climbs one to #9 and Cincinnati jumps one to #10. Nebraska jumps one to #11, Notre Dame moves up one to #12, Georgia Tech rises one to #13, West Virginia leaps six to #14 and Florida State remains #15. UCLA remains #16, TCU drops eight to #17, New Mexico falls one to #18, Indiana drops one to #19 and Ohio falls one to #20. Connecticut remains #21, Ole Miss remains #22, Utah State remains #23, Stanford remains #24 and SMU (301 points) remains #25. No one dropped from the poll this week. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida (245 points) is #26, followed by Marshall (180), Georgia (166), Vanderbilt (79) and South Carolina (79) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Baylor (36).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Navy (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Louisiana Lafayette (0.989), #4 Virginia Tech (0.984), #5 Alabama (0.979), #6 Oregon (0.974), #7 Wisconsin (0.968), #8 Army (0.963), #9 Michigan (0.955) and #10 Notre Dame (0.942). Others: #14 West Virginia (0.913), #19 New Mexico (0.870), #24 Utah State (0.840).

An updated look at the Heisman race, Notre Dame QB Mike Harper is #1 (LW: #1), Navy QB Jarrod Brooks is #2 (LW: #3), Indiana QB Jerome Walker is #3 (LW: #2), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #4 (LW: #3), and Stanford QB Roger Langford is #5 (LW: #5). No one fell off the list this week.

Looking at Awards Finalists, senior defensive end Caleb McBride somehow qualified as a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy, though he is currently ranked #8 on the list.

Looking at the Bowl Picture, No new teams punched their ticket this week, giving us 69 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 1 team saw their bowl hopes end to leave 69 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots, leaving one team getting screwed this year.

Looking at the newest projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on Washington (7-5, 5-4) out of the Pac-12. The Beef O'Brady's Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-6, 5-3 C-USA) matching up with Ball State (8-4, 6-3 MAC). The New Orleans Bowl would match-up Florida International (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) against Arkansas State (9-3, 7-1 Sun Belt). The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl would feature Arizona State (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) against #12 Notre Dame (10-2).

The Music City Bowl would match-up South Carolina (8-4, 5-4 SEC) against Duke (6-6, 5-4 ACC). The AT&T Cotton Bowl would host #22 Ole Miss (8-4, 5-4 SEC) against #14 West Virginia (9-3, 7-2 Big 12). The Sugar Bowl would feature #5 Alabama (9-3, 7-2 SEC) against #19 New Mexico (11-1, 8-0 Mountain West). The BCS National Championship Game would host a showdown between #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) against #1 Navy (12-0, 9-0 American).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #3 Louisiana Lafayette (12-0, 8-0 Sun Belt) against #6 Oregon (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has Baylor (8-4, 7-2 Big 12) matching up with #7 Wisconsin (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). The Sugar Bowl has #5 Alabama (9-3, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #19 New Mexico (11-1, 8-0 Mountain West). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #4 Virginia Tech (11-1, 9-0 ACC) and #8 Army (10-2). And in the national championship game, #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) takes on #1 Navy (12-0, 9-0 American).

SmoothPancakes

09-19-2014, 03:59 PM

Conference Championship Week

Conference
Winning Team
Record
Score
Losing Team
Record

:ACC_Championship:
(4) :Virginia_Tech:
12-1 (10-0)
42-14
(17) :Florida_State:
10-3 (8-2)

:AAC:
(1) :Navy:
13-0 (10-0)
34-28
(9) :Cincinnati:
10-3 (8-2)

:B1G_Championship:
(2) :Ohio_State:
13-0 (10-0)
42-37
(11) :Nebraska:
10-3 (8-2)

:CUSA:
:Marshall:
11-2 (8-1)
28-9
:Western_Kentucky:
7-6 (7-2)

:MAC_Championship:
(20) :Ohio:
11-2 (9-1)
26-14
:Toledo:
6-7 (6-4)

:Mountain_West:
(19) :New_Mexico:
12-1 (9-0)
42-28
:San_Diego_State:
9-4 (7-2)

:Pac_12:
(16) :UCLA:
11-2 (8-2)
24-21
(6) :Oregon:
9-4 (7-3)

:SEC_Championship:
(5) :Alabama:
10-3 (7-2)
42-14
:Florida:
7-6 (5-5)

SmoothPancakes

09-21-2014, 06:11 AM

Pre-Bowl Games Update

Final BCS Standings

Rank
LW
Team
Wins
Losses
Points

1
1
Navy
13
0
1.000

2
2
Ohio State
13
0
.995

3
3
Louisiana Lafayette
13
0
.989

4
4
Virginia Tech
12
1
.984

5
5
Alabama
10
3
.979

6
7
Wisconsin
10
3
.974

7
8
Army
10
2
.968

8
9
Michigan
10
2
.963

9
10
Notre Dame
10
2
.955

10
16
UCLA
11
2
.947

11
13
Georgia Tech
10
2
.941

12
14
West Virginia
9
3
.927

13
15
TCU
9
3
.920

14
11
Cincinnati
10
3
.916

15
12
Nebraska
10
3
.916

16
18
Indiana
9
3
.906

17
19
New Mexico
12
1
.888

18
6
Oregon
9
4
.887

19
21
Ohio
11
2
.864

20
20
Connecticut
9
3
.864

21
22
Ole Miss
8
4
.859

22
24
Utah State
10
2
.848

23
17
Florida State
10
3
.848

24
23
Stanford
9
3
.841

25
---
SMU
9
3
.828

Conference Standings

* - Played in Conference Championship Game

ACC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

Atlantic Division

#1
(23) Florida State*
10-3
.760
8-2
448
276
6-0

#2
Syracuse
7-5
.580
6-3
358
336
4-2

#3
Louisville
5-7
.410
4-5
300
370
4-2

#4
Boston College
6-6
.500
3-6
272
351
3-3

#5
Wake Forest
4-8
.330
3-6
276
383
2-4

#6
Clemson
5-7
.410
3-6
361
337
2-4

#7
NC State
3-9
.250
1-8
305
395
0-6

Coastal Division

#1
(4) Virginia Tech*
12-1
.920
10-0
487
231
6-0

#2
(11) Georgia Tech
10-2
.830
8-1
430
186
5-1

#3
Miami (FL)
7-5
.580
5-4
339
353
3-3

#4
Duke
6-6
.500
5-4
322
356
3-3

#5
Virginia
5-7
.410
4-5
339
334
3-3

#6
North Carolina
5-7
.410
2-7
349
359
1-5

#7
Pittsburgh
4-8
.330
2-7
301
424
0-6

American Athletic Conference

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(1) Navy*
13-0
1.000
10-0
512
354
5-0

#2
(20) Connecticut
9-3
.750
6-3
376
251
3-2

#3
South Florida
6-6
.500
5-4
257
332
3-2

#4
Temple
6-6
.500
4-5
302
275
2-3

#5
East Carolina
3-9
.250
3-6
252
408
2-3

#6
Central Florida
4-8
.330
2-7
309
401
0-5

West Division

#1
(14) Cincinnati*
10-3
.760
8-2
434
250
4-1

#2
(25) SMU
9-3
.750
7-2
398
347
4-1

#3
Houston
5-7
.410
4-5
377
423
3-2

#4
Tulsa
5-7
.410
4-5
341
377
3-2

#5
Tulane
1-11
.080
1-8
206
396
1-4

#6
Memphis
1-11
.080
1-8
287
413
0-5

Big 12

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
Baylor
8-4
.660
7-2
364
315

#2
(12) West Virginia
9-3
.750
7-2
421
313

#3
(13) TCU
9-3
.750
6-3
488
355

#4
Oklahoma
8-4
.660
5-4
433
351

#5
Texas
7-5
.580
5-4
426
380

#6
Kansas State
8-4
.660
5-4
401
314

#7
Oklahoma State
6-6
.500
3-6
376
400

#8
Iowa State
4-8
.330
3-6
261
345

#9
Texas Tech
5-7
.410
3-6
365
411

#10
Kansas
3-9
.250
1-8
291
337

Big Ten

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(2) Ohio State*
13-0
1.000
10-0
487
235
6-0

#2
(8) Michigan
10-2
.830
7-2
453
315
4-2

#3
(16) Indiana
9-3
.750
6-3
445
337
4-2

#4
Maryland
6-6
.500
4-5
350
385
3-3

#5
Rutgers
4-8
.330
3-6
294
361
2-4

#6
Penn State
4-8
.330
2-7
288
359
2-4

#7
Michigan State
3-9
.250
2-7
323
368
0-6

West Division

#1
(15) Nebraska*
10-3
.760
8-2
446
275
5-1

#2
(6) Wisconsin
10-2
.830
7-2
404
342
5-1

#3
Northwestern
7-5
.580
5-4
375
328
3-3

#4
Iowa
6-6
.500
5-4
328
295
3-3

#5
Illinois
6-6
.500
4-5
353
365
4-2

#6
Purdue
2-10
.160
1-8
322
414
1-5

#7
Minnesota
1-11
.080
0-9
266
404
0-6

Conference USA

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
Marshall*
11-2
.840
8-1
501
278
5-1

#2
Florida International
8-4
.660
6-2
410
311
5-1

#3
Southern Miss
6-6
.500
5-3
338
374
3-3

#4
Massachusetts
6-6
.500
5-3
321
386
3-3

#5
Old Dominion
3-9
.250
3-5
273
379
3-3

#6
UAB
4-8
.330
3-5
302
386
2-4

#7
Florida Atlantic
1-11
.080
0-8
274
442
0-6

West Division

#1
Western Kentucky*
7-6
.530
7-2
345
382
5-1

#2
North Texas
9-3
.750
6-2
461
364
5-1

#3
Rice
5-7
.410
5-3
308
347
4-2

#4
MTSU
5-7
.410
4-4
307
332
2-4

#5
Louisiana Tech
4-8
.330
3-5
259
329
3-3

#6
UTEP
4-8
.330
2-6
228
337
2-4

#7
UTSA
0-12
.000
0-8
210
390
0-6

Independents

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
(7) Army
10-2
.830
---
455
242

#2
(9) Notre Dame
10-2
.830
---
537
327

#3
BYU
7-5
.580
---
351
346

MAC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(19) Ohio*
11-2
.840
9-1
429
258
4-1

#2
Bowling Green
8-4
.660
7-2
359
323
4-1

#3
Kent State
6-6
.500
5-4
343
348
3-2

#4
Akron
3-9
.250
3-6
292
377
2-3

#5
Buffalo
3-9
.250
3-6
317
360
2-3

#6
Miami University
1-11
.080
1-8
237
399
0-5

West Division

#1
Northern Illinois
6-6
.500
6-3
320
312
3-2

#2
Ball State
8-4
.660
6-3
377
311
3-2

#3
Toledo*
6-7
.460
6-4
297
331
4-1

#4
Central Michigan
4-8
.330
4-5
270
375
3-2

#5
Western Michigan
3-9
.250
3-6
331
389
1-4

#6
Eastern Michigan
3-9
.250
2-7
252
412
1-4

Mountain West

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

Mountain Division

#1
(17) New Mexico*
12-1
.920
9-0
458
242
5-0

#2
(22) Utah State
10-2
.830
7-1
354
186
4-1

#3
Boise State
8-4
.660
5-3
381
309
3-2

#4
Air Force
6-6
.500
4-4
309
322
2-3

#5
Colorado State
4-8
.330
1-7
305
361
1-4

#6
Wyoming
2-10
.160
0-8
282
430
0-5

West Division

#1
San Diego State*
9-4
.690
7-2
442
359
4-1

#2
San Jose State
6-6
.500
6-2
325
370
4-1

#3
Nevada
4-8
.330
4-4
287
386
2-3

#4
UNLV
5-7
.410
3-5
225
314
3-2

#5
Fresno State
3-9
.250
2-6
331
420
2-3

#6
Hawaii
2-10
.160
1-7
239
392
0-5

Pac-12

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

North Division

#1
(24) Stanford
9-3
.750
7-2
463
348
3-2

#2
(18) Oregon*
9-4
.690
7-3
431
351
5-0

#3
Washington
7-5
.580
5-4
342
319
3-2

#4
Washington State
5-7
.410
5-4
414
491
2-3

#5
California
5-7
.410
3-6
336
386
1-4

#6
Oregon State
4-8
.330
2-7
342
361
1-4

South Division

#1
(10) UCLA*
11-2
.840
8-2
496
262
4-1

#2
USC
7-5
.580
7-2
453
366
4-1

#3
Arizona State
6-6
.500
4-5
417
400
3-2

#4
Colorado
5-7
.410
3-6
409
442
2-3

#5
Arizona
5-7
.410
2-7
328
334
2-3

#6
Utah
4-8
.330
2-7
316
390
0-5

SEC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
Vanderbilt
8-4
.660
5-4
372
338
3-3

#2
South Carolina
8-4
.660
5-4
408
321
3-3

#3
Georgia
8-4
.660
5-4
457
301
3-3

#4
Florida*
7-6
.530
5-5
378
332
4-2

#5
Kentucky
7-5
.580
4-5
352
334
3-3

#6
Tennessee
6-6
.500
4-5
366
331
2-4

#7
Missouri
5-7
.410
3-6
311
388
3-3

West Division

#1
(5) Alabama*
10-3
.760
8-2
475
310
6-0

#2
(21) Ole Miss
8-4
.660
5-4
334
260
4-2

#3
LSU
8-4
.660
5-4
368
364
3-3

#4
Texas A&M
6-6
.500
5-4
438
452
2-4

#5
Arkansas
5-7
.410
4-5
337
321
3-3

#6
Auburn
5-7
.410
4-5
331
390
2-4

#7
Mississippi State
5-7
.410
2-7
359
365
1-5

Sun Belt

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
(3) Louisiana Lafayette
12-0
1.000
8-0
369
164

#2
Arkansas State
9-3
.750
7-1
313
225

#3
Troy
8-4
.660
6-2
316
270

#4
South Alabama
5-7
.410
4-4
272
337

#5
Texas State
4-8
.330
3-5
293
297

#6
Georgia State
2-10
.160
2-6
258
406

#7
Louisiana Monroe
4-8
.330
2-6
266
342

#8
New Mexico State
2-10
.160
2-6
229
431

#9
Idaho
3-9
.250
2-6
213
377

Heisman Memorial Trophy

:Heisman_Trophy:

Rank
Player
Position
Team
1st
2nd
3rd
Total

#1
Jarrod Brooks
QB
Navy
290
244
167
1525

#2
Mike Harper
QB
Notre Dame
261
239
186
1447

#3
Jordan Watkins
QB
Ohio State
139
171
229
988

#4
Jerome Walker
QB
Indiana
75
112
167
616

#5
Roger Langford
QB
Stanford
16
11
23
93

Award Winners

Award
Player
Position
Team
Year

:Heisman_Trophy:
Jarrod Brooks
QB
Navy
Senior

Maxwell
Mike Harper
QB
Notre Dame
Senior (RS)

Walter Camp
Mike Harper
QB
Notre Dame
Senior (RS)

Bednarik
E.J. Haynes
CB
North Texas
Sophomore

Nagurski
Sam McKinney
RE
Ohio State
Senior

O'Brien
Mike Harper
QB
Notre Dame
Senior (RS)

Walker
Tom Williams
HB
Ohio State
Senior

Biletnikoff
Henry Freund
WR
Alabama
Senior

Mackey
Lonnie Engel
TE
Marshall
Senior (RS)

Outland
Mike Perry
C
Ohio State
Senior

Rimington
Mike Perry
C
Ohio State
Senior

Lombardi
Sam McKinney
RE
Ohio State
Senior

Best LB
Trey Cleveland
ROLB
Navy
Senior (RS)

Thorpe
E.J. Haynes
CB
North Texas
Sophomore

Groza
Jeff Sykes
K
Miami (FL)
Senior (RS)

Guy
Brett Bean
P
Virginia Tech
Senior

Best Returner
Michael Muse
HB
Michigan
Junior

All Americans

All-NCAA

1st Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Mike Harper
Notre Dame
Senior (RS)

HB
Tom Williams
Ohio State
Senior

HB
Bobby Rodriguez
Navy
Senior (RS)

WR
Henry Freund
Alabama
Senior

WR
Stephen Singleton
UCLA
Senior (RS)

TE
Lonnie Engel
Marshall
Senior (RS)

LT
Maurice Mays
Navy
Senior (RS)

LG
Tommy Davis
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

C
Mike Perry
Ohio State
Senior

RG
C.J. Rosario
Michigan
Senior (RS)

RT
Derek Jones
Ohio State
Senior

Defense

LE
Jacob Richardson
Ohio State
Senior

RE
Sam McKinney
Ohio State
Senior

DT
Ernest Sims
Utah State
Senior (RS)

DT
Dion Williams
South Florida
Senior (RS)

LOLB
Mark Woods
Virginia Tech
Senior (RS)

MLB
Andy Reese
Nebraska
Junior (RS)

ROLB
Trey Cleveland
Navy
Senior (RS)

CB
E.J. Haynes
North Texas
Sophomore

CB
Robert Kramer
Virginia Tech
Junior

FS
Franklin Swanson
Florida State
Junior (RS)

SS
Corey Hodge
Ohio State
Junior

K
David Lawrence
Kansas State
Sophomore

P
Brett Bean
Virginia Tech
Senior

Returner
Michael Muse
Michigan
Junior

2nd Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Jordan Watkins
Ohio State
Junior (RS)

HB
Brad Taylor
TCU
Senior

HB
Derek Scott
Alabama
Senior

WR
Brian Mayfield
Kansas State
Senior (RS)

WR
Derrick Barber
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

TE
Derrick Thomas
Cincinnati
Junior (RS)

LT
Brandon Ruffin
Stanford
Junior (RS)

LG
Chris Murray
LSU
Senior (RS)

C
Jeff Frank
UCLA
Senior (RS)

RG
Derek Higdon
Notre Dame
Senior (RS)

RT
Aaron Jackson
Nebraska
Senior (RS)

Defense

RE
Jermaine Baker
Texas Tech
Senior (RS)

RE
Mark Gore
Louisiana Lafayette
Senior (RS)

DT
Sean Morris
Connecticut
Junior (RS)

DT
Victor Goins
Cincinnati
Senior (RS)

LOLB
Michael Brown
UCLA
Junior

MLB
Casey Bowman
Cincinnati
Junior

ROLB
Lawrence White
Marshall
Senior (RS)

CB
Jaron Washington
Ohio
Senior (RS)

CB
Marcus Cox
Baylor
Junior (RS)

FS
Mark Crosby
Ohio
Senior (RS)

SS
Reggie Clark
Navy
Sophomore

K
Jeff Hines
San Diego State
Senior

P
Tom Walker
Alabama
Sophomore

Returner
Matt Morton
Boise State
Junior

Freshman Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
T.C. Hughes
Hawaii
Freshman

HB
Alan Clemens
LSU
Freshman (RS)

HB
Tyson Taylor
Utah State
Freshman

WR
Michael Harrell
Idaho
Freshman

WR
Jamaal Bowman
Old Dominion
Freshman

TE
Jeremy Nobles
Bowling Green
Freshman (RS)

LT
Stephen Cody
Florida State
Freshman (RS)

LG
Brett Cobbs
Virginia Tech
Freshman (RS)

LG
Jason Heard
Ohio State
Freshman

C
Loren Mitchell
BYU
Freshman (RS)

RT
Ben George
UCLA
Freshman

Defense

LE
Ray Peoples
Boise State
Freshman

RE
Bob Ransom
Army
Freshman

DT
Lance Nash
Utah State
Freshman

DT
Kirk Long
Wisconsin
Freshman

LOLB
Tyler Williamson
Kansas State
Freshman

MLB
Daniel Hunter
Syracuse
Freshman (RS)

ROLB
Jeff Horne
San Diego State
Freshman (RS)

CB
Nick Davis
San Diego State
Freshman

CB
Aaron Toth
Nebraska
Freshman

FS
Joel Dodd
Wisconsin
Freshman (RS)

SS
Anthony Hughes
Army
Freshman (RS)

K
David Keller
Wisconsin
Freshman

P
Travis Robertson
Ohio State
Freshman

Returner
Alex White
Georgia
Freshman

All-Mountain West

1st Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Mike Robison
New Mexico
Senior

HB
James Mason
New Mexico
Senior (RS)

HB
Matt Leierer
Utah State
Senior (RS)

WR
Derrick Barber
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

WR
Nick Harris
New Mexico
Senior (RS)

TE
Jason Henderson
Boise State
Senior (RS)

LT
Derek Smith
Utah State
Junior (RS)

LG
Max Cobbs
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

C
Tyler Toth
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

RG
Ryan Curry
San Diego State
Junior (RS)

RT
Grant Stover
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

Defense

RE
Shaun Peterson
Utah State
Sophomore

RE
Lance Durbin
San Diego State
Sophomore (RS)

DT
Ernest Sims
Utah State
Senior (RS)

DT
Anthony White
Nevada
Sophomore

MLB
Terrence Barrett
New Mexico
Sophomore

ROLB
Casey Hunter
Utah State
Senior (RS)

ROLB
Jonathan McDonald
UNLV
Junior

CB
Mike Moses
Utah State
Junior (RS)

CB
Buck Castillo
Utah State
Senior (RS)

FS
Charles Noble
Utah State
Senior (RS)

SS
Sam Richwalski
Utah State
Senior (RS)

K
Jeff Hines
San Diego State
Senior

P
Steven Moses
Boise State
Sophomore

Returner
Matt Morton
Boise State
Junior

2nd Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Danny Chavis
Boise State
Junior (RS)

HB
Cornelius Dudley
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

HB
Eric Kenney
Nevada
Senior (RS)

WR
Travis Bolden
Boise State
Sophomore (RS)

WR
Michael Davis
Air Force
Sophomore (RS)

TE
Wesley Lane
San Diego State
Sophomore (RS)

LT
Erik Williams
San Diego State
Junior (RS)

LG
Fred Sims
Boise State
Senior (RS)

LG
Tim Peterson
Utah State
Senior (RS)

C
Bryan Lopez
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

RT
Jake Lee
Utah State
Senior (RS)

Defense

LE
Caleb McBride
Utah State
Senior (RS)

RE
Brandon Justice
Boise State
Senior (RS)

DT
Kelvin Brown
New Mexico
Senior

DT
Lance Nash
Utah State
Freshman

LOLB
Paul Gibson
San Diego State
Junior (RS)

MLB
Justin Dunn
Utah State
Sophomore

ROLB
Brandon Branch
New Mexico
Junior

CB
Greg Blair
San Jose State
Senior

CB
Leonard Hart
Utah State
Sophomore

FS
Trey Pope
New Mexico
Junior (RS)

SS
Nick Gordon
San Diego State
Junior

K
Ben Richardson
Boise State
Senior

P
Andrew Love
San Diego State
Freshman

Returner
Eric McGuire
Utah State
Senior (RS)

SmoothPancakes

09-21-2014, 07:42 AM

2022 Conference Champions

Conference
Team
Record
Conference Record

CCG Loser
Record
Conference Record

:ACC:
:Virginia_Tech:
12-1
10-0

:Florida_State:
10-3
8-2

:AAC:
:Navy:
13-0
10-0

:Cincinnati:
10-3
8-2

:Big_12:
:Baylor:
8-4
7-2

:Big_Ten:
:Ohio_State:
13-0
10-0

:Nebraska:
10-3
8-2

:CUSA:
:Marshall:
11-2
8-1

:Western_Kentucky:
7-6
7-2

:MAC:
:Ohio:
11-2
9-1

:Toledo:
6-7
6-4

:Mountain_West:
:New_Mexico:
12-1
9-0

:San_Diego_State:
9-4
7-2

:Pac_12:
:UCLA:
11-2
8-2

:Oregon:
9-4
7-2

:SEC:
:Alabama:
10-3
8-2

:Florida:
7-6
5-5

:Sun_Belt:
:Louisiana:
12-0
8-0

SmoothPancakes

09-21-2014, 08:23 AM

2022 Bowl Season Rundown

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team

Team
Record
Conference

Date/Result

:New_Mexico_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
6-6 (4-4)
:Air_Force:
vs.
:Tennessee:
6-6 (4-5)
:SEC:

12/15 - 12:30 PM

:Famous_Idaho_Bowl:
:MAC:
6-6 (6-3)
:Northern_Illinois:
vs.
:Cincinnati:
10-3 (8-2)
:AAC:

12/15 - 4:30 PM

:Poinsettia_Bowl:
:AAC:
9-3 (7-2)
(25) :SMU:
vs.
:San_Diego_State:
9-4 (7-2)
:Mountain_West:

12/20 - 8:00 PM

:Beef_O_Bradys_Bowl:
:CUSA:
6-6 (5-3)
:Southern_Miss:
vs.
:Temple:
6-6 (4-5)
:AAC:

12/21 - 7:30 PM

:New_Orleans_Bowl:
:CUSA:
8-4 (6-2)
:FIU:
vs.
:Arkansas_State:
9-3 (7-1)
:Sun_Belt:

12/22 - 12:00 PM

:Las_Vegas_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
7-5 (5-4)
:Washington:
vs.
:Utah_State:
10-2 (7-1)
:Mountain_West:

12/22 - 3:30 PM

:Hawaii_Bowl:
:CUSA:
7-6 (7-2)
:Western_Kentucky:
vs.
:San_Jose_State:
6-6 (6-2)
:Mountain_West:

12/24 - 8:00 PM

:LittleCaesars_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
6-6 (4-5)
:Illinois:
vs.
:Bowling_Green:
8-4 (7-2)
:MAC:

12/26 - 7:30 PM

:Military_Bowl:
:MAC:
8-4 (6-3)
:Ball_State:
vs.
:UMass:
6-6 (5-3)
:CUSA:

12/27 - 3:30 PM

:Holiday_Bowl:
:Big_12:
7-5 (5-4)
:Texas:
vs.
:USC:
7-5 (7-2)
:Pac_12:

12/27 - 3:30 PM

:Belk_Bowl:
:ACC:
7-5 (5-4)
:Miami:
vs.
:Oklahoma_State:
6-6 (3-6)
:Big_12:

12/27 - 6:00 PM

:Independence_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-5 (4-5)
:Kentucky:
vs.
:BC:
6-6 (3-6)
:ACC:

12/28 - 2:00 PM

:Russell_Athletic:
:AAC:
9-3 (6-3)
(20) :Connecticut:
vs.
(23) :Florida_State:
10-3 (8-2)
:ACC:

12/28 - 6:00 PM

:Meineke_Texas_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
6-6 (5-4)
:Iowa:
vs.
:Kansas_State:
8-4 (5-4)
:Big_12:

12/28 - 9:00 PM

:Armed_Forces_Bowl:
:CUSA:
9-3 (6-2)
:North_Texas:
vs.
:Boise_State:
8-4 (5-3)
:Mountain_West:

12/29 - 12:00 PM

:Fight_Hunger_Bowl:
Independent
10-2
(9) :Notre_Dame:
vs.
:Arizona_State:
6-6 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

12/29 - 4:30 PM

:Alamo_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-3 (6-3)
(13) :TCU:
vs.
(24) :Stanford:
9-3 (7-2)
:Pac_12:

12/29 - 7:00 PM

:BWW_Bowl:
:Big_12:
8-4 (5-4)
:Oklahoma:
vs.
:Northwestern:
7-5 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

12/29 - 10:00 PM

:Music_City_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-4 (5-4)
:Georgia:
vs.
:Duke:
6-6 (5-4)
:ACC:

12/31 - 12:00 PM

:Sun_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
9-4 (7-3)
(18) :Oregon:
vs.
:Syracuse:
7-5 (6-3)
:ACC:

12/31 - 2:00 PM

:Liberty_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-6 (5-5)
:Florida:
vs.
:Marshall:
11-2 (8-1)
:CUSA:

12/31 - 3:30 PM

:Chick_fil_A_Bowl:
:SEC:
6-6 (5-4)
:Texas_A&M:
vs.
(11) :Georgia_Tech:
10-2 (8-1)
:ACC:

12/31 - 7:30 PM

:Heart_of_Dallas:
:MAC:
6-6 (5-4)
:Kent_State:
vs.
:Maryland:
6-6 (4-5)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:00 PM

:TaxSlayer_Gator:
:SEC:
8-4 (5-4)
:South_Carolina:
vs.
(16) :Indiana:
9-3 (6-3)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:00 PM

:Capital_One_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-4 (5-4)
:Vanderbilt:
vs.
(15) :Nebraska:
10-3 (8-2)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:30 PM

:Outback_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-4 (5-4)
(21) :Ole_Miss:
vs.
(8) :Michigan:
10-2 (7-2)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:30 PM

:Cotton_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-4 (5-4)
:LSU:
vs.
(12) :West_Virginia:
9-3 (7-2)
:Big_12:

1/3 - 8:00 PM

:BBVA_Compass_Bowl:
Independent
7-5
:BYU:
vs.
:USF:
6-6 (5-4)
:AAC:

1/4 - 12:30 PM

:GoDaddycom_Bowl:
:MAC:
11-2 (9-1)
(19) :Ohio:
vs.
:Troy:
8-4 (6-2)
:Sun_Belt:

1/5 - 9:00 PM

2022 BCS Bowls

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team

Team
Record
Conference

Date/Result

:Rose_Bowl:
:Sun_Belt:
12-0 (8-0)
(3) :Louisiana:
vs.
(10) :UCLA:
11-2 (8-2)
:Pac_12:

1/1 - 4:30 PM

:Fiesta_Bowl:
:Big_12:
8-4 (7-2)
:Baylor:
vs.
(6) :Wisconsin:
10-2 (7-2)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 8:00 PM

:Sugar_Bowl:
:SEC:
10-3 (8-2)
(5) :Alabama:
vs.
(17) :New_Mexico:
12-1 (9-0)
:Mountain_West:

1/2 - 8:00 PM

:Orange_Bowl:
:ACC:
12-1 (10-0)
(4) :Virginia_Tech:
vs.
(7) :Army:
10-2
Independent

1/3 - 8:00 PM

:BCS_Trophy:
:Big_Ten:
13-0 (10-0)
(2) :Ohio_State:
vs.
(1) :Navy:
13-0 (10-0)
:AAC:

1/6 - 8:00 PM

SmoothPancakes

09-21-2014, 08:24 AM

So there you have it. Utah State will tangle with Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah State fans are wondering if this will be the last year they see Marko Ramius on the sidelines as his contract expires at the end of the year, with no word yet, nor even a rumor, of a possible contract extension in the works.

Elsewhere, Southern Miss faces Temple in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl, Florida International and Arkansas State meet in the New Orleans Bowl, Arizona State takes on #9 Notre Dame in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, South Carolina meets #16 Indiana in the Gator Bowl, #12 West Virginia is relegated to the Cotton Bowl and a match-up with LSU due to an early season overtime loss to Big-12 Champion Baylor. A perfect season for #3 Louisiana-Lafayette gives them a Rose Bowl showdown with #10 UCLA, #17 New Mexico crashes the BCS party to face #5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, #7 Army makes a BCS appearance in the Orange Bowl against #4 Virginia Tech and it's back to back title games for #2 Ohio State as they take on #1 Navy for the National Championship game.

And in terms of bowl numbers, the SEC has the most of any conference with 10 teams getting into a bowl game, followed closely by the Big Ten (9 teams) and the ACC (7 teams).

Looking through the standings, 69 teams made it bowl eligible with only 68 slots. One team got screwed this year.

And a look at who got screwed out of a bowl game this year:

MAC

:Toledo: - (6-7)

So there you go. Toledo ends up the only team to not get invited to a bowl game. Toledo was likely headed for a bowl with a 6-6 record before the MAC Championship Game, but a 26-14 to MAC Champion Ohio would leave Toledo with a 6-7 record and leave the Rockets sitting at home for the bowl season.

JeffHCross

09-22-2014, 10:24 AM

#2 Navy? Defeats #5 Army? What the hell. Lol.

SmoothPancakes

09-22-2014, 10:33 AM

#2 Navy? Defeats #5 Army? What the hell. Lol.

:D

Navy was a little surprising this year, but considering they beat a top 10 Notre Dame, among other ranked teams in the American, they got some big boosts on their way to a perfect season.

Army I'm actually not at all surprised about. They've come on hot the last two years. After going 6-7 two years ago, Army finished the season 11-2 and ranked #14 last season. Then they go 10-2 this season (were 10-1 until the Army-Navy game) and stayed high in the rankings throughout the season.

I'm actually looking forward to next season to see if both teams can keep piling up wins or if they have a falling off due to graduating players.

souljahbill

09-22-2014, 06:25 PM

#2 Navy? Defeats #5 Army? What the hell. Lol.

They run the option. NCAA 14 has an erection for option teams like Army, Navy, and GA Tech.

SmoothPancakes

09-22-2014, 06:27 PM

They run the option. NCAA 14 has an erection for option teams like Army, Navy, and GA Tech.

Actually, I'm not sure they still do. Don't forget, offenses can change due to the coaching carousel. I looked at one or two Navy games during the season, and they were putting up some big passing numbers. How else would their QB have won the Heisman Trophy this season?

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

JeffHCross

09-23-2014, 09:40 AM

Actually, I'm not sure they still do. Don't forget, offenses can change due to the coaching carousel. I looked at one or two Navy games during the season, and they were putting up some big passing numbers. How else would their QB have won the Heisman Trophy this season?

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy assI can vouch that it is possible to win a Heisman with a running QB. It's the O'Brien award that is difficult with a running QB

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 11:07 AM

I can vouch that it is possible to win a Heisman with a running QB. It's the O'Brien award that is difficult with a running QB

True. Well, I plan on trying to get my bowl game played in a little bit, I'll check out the stats and playbooks of both Army and Navy, see if it was the option or quality of players that helped them play so well.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 12:18 PM

Alright, I took a quick glance.

Army still runs the Army playbook. Looking at season stats, Army's QBs combined to go 159-268 passing for 2,411 yards and 16 TDs. Rushing, Army had 637 total rushes this season by all players for a combined 3,036 yards and 45 TDs.

Navy still runs the Navy playbook. Looking at season stats, Navy's QBs combined to go 163-194 passing for 2,297 yards and 23 TDs. Rushing, Navy had 688 total rushes this season by all players for a combined 3,654 yards and 41 TDs.

So, I guess running the option did play into the successes of Army and Navy, for sure, for this season. But both teams also have QBs who can pass, so it wasn't all the running game. In the Army-Navy game, while Navy had a run heavy offense, Army had two times more passing yards than they did rushing yards. They actually had quite a few games where they had twice the passing yards than rushing yards. It just ended up skewed because of some of their early season games against Boston College (285 rushing, 80 passing) and Duke (388 rushing, 57 passing), where the rushing yards stat got a huge head start.

For Navy, they leaned run, but for the most part was relatively even. They had one or two games where it was heavily skewed to the run. Then they had the Notre Dame game where it was ALL pass. In the 77-73 win over Notre Dame, Navy went 39-71 passing for 612 yards. They only had 13 rushes for 112 yards in that game. So while Navy did lean towards the running game this season (though not as heavily as the real life Navy), they quite simply have the players for a high power passing game as well, as they showed against Notre Dame.

So it was probably a mix of the option game in NCAA 14, as well as recruiting bringing in better players, primarily QBs, that improved the passing game for both teams and let both offenses open the playbook up when needed. I guess the biggest test will be the bowl games. We'll see how Army does against #4 Virginia Tech and how Navy does against #2 Ohio State, see if it was just some lucky games and a favorable schedule, along with some unlucky losses by teams ranked above them, or if Army and Navy were the real deal this season.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 05:15 PM

Las Vegas Bowl

:Washington: VS #22 :Utah_State:

Game Notes

--- Here we were, the conclusion of Ramius’ third season at Utah State, the last season of his current contract. Despite an outstanding 2022 campaign that saw the team end on a 6 game winning streak and finish 7-1 in conference, we would end up second in the Mountain Division, missing out on a chance at the Mountain West title, and end up in the Las Vegas Bowl against a familiar face from Ramius’ years at Tulsa, the Washington Huskies.

It’d be a test for our defense as Washington entered with a rushing offense ranked #26 in the nation. Despite a better ranked rushing offense, Washington averaged more yards per game through the air than on the ground. Looking at the overall picture, Washington appeared a team of mediocrity. Other than the #26 national ranking in rush offense, the Huskies didn’t really separate themselves from the pack of NCAA teams, ranking between #41 and #87 in all other categories while playing their way to a just above .500 season at 7-5. However, being a team from the always dangerous Pac-12, the Huskies would be no exception to having to play a perfect game for us to defeat them.

Glancing at Washington’s schedule to judge their level of play this year, the Huskies opened up their season with a 27-21 win against Hawaii, followed by a 38-17 victory at Boise State. They would go on a bit of a rough stretch, dropping three straight games with a 28-9 loss to #3 Louisiana Lafayette, a 35-28 loss at #10 UCLA and a 49-26 loss at #24 Stanford. They would get it turned around with a 23-10 win over Arizona, a 38-21 victory against California and a 35-28 win at Arizona State, before being upset by Colorado 38-28. The Huskies would make it to 6 wins with a 35-28 win over Oregon State, followed by a 27-24 loss at #18 Oregon, before wrapping up their season with a 31-17 win over rival Washington State.

For the most part, they played close games all season, only truly being blown out in two of their five losses, the loss to Louisiana Lafayette and the loss to Stanford. Otherwise they stayed within 10 points in their other three losses. Probably the one thing that does not bode well for Washington is the fact that they went 0-4 against teams ranked in the Top #25 this season. Playing against a ranked Utah State squad likely doesn’t fill them with a ton of confidence. But, then, that’s why they play the games. Washington won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A huge 46 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart on the opening kickoff gave us great field position to start the game, lining up from our own 39 yard line. Getting our drive started on the ground, Leierer got us off and running with a 6 yard carry on first down, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and one. Leierer would manage to find a gap and pick up the first down with a four yard rush, moving the chains to the Washington 48 yard line. We’d keep pounding right away on first down as an outside blitz left a huge gap up the middle, allowing Leierer to gain 11 yards for a first down at the 37. Unfortunately, Leierer would leave the game after that play, suffering from an injury. After a rush by Tyson Taylor gained just one yard, we switched it up on second down. Still lining up under center, this time Adam Powers dropped back and threw a quick pass to tight end Cedric McKinney, good for a gain of 11 yards and a new set of downs at the 25 yard line. Taylor took another crack at rushing the ball on first down, fighting his way to a gain of 6 yards, followed by a two yard rush to bring up third and two. Before lining up on third down, we got word that Leierer’s collegiate career had come to an early end, as he suffered a mild concussion two plays ago, forcing him to be benched for the rest of the game. With that, our rushing game fell onto the shoulders of three true freshmen in Tyson Taylor, Benjamin Silva and Zack Coleman. Lining up on third and two, Taylor would just barely make it to the first down marker, getting spun by a pair of defenders across the line for a two yard gain, picking up a first down at the 15. A first down rush by Taylor resulted in a two yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and 5. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Powers tried hit Eric McGuire in the back of the end zone, but the pass was broken up by the safety to leave fourth down. The 26 yard field goal by Doug Marcus split the uprights, giving us a 3-0 lead with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

A 29 yard kickoff return by Nate Burton gave Washington the ball at their 33 yard line. A first down rush by Herb Rouse got Washington off to a quick start with a 6 yard gain, but the Huskies would promptly go backwards, as Wesley Gross dropped back to pass on second down. Finding no open receivers he tried to scramble around the right tackle, but ended up scrambling right into the arms of defensive end Caleb McBride, resulting in a sack for a loss of 6 yards to leave third and 10 after the offsetting plays. Gross would try to heave a pass nearly 50 yards downfield, but he overshot the intended receiver by nearly 15 yards, the incomplete pass bringing up fourth down and forcing Washington’s punt team onto the field. A three yard return by McGuire on the 49 yard punt left us starting our next drive at our 20 yard line.

Lining up after the punt, we decided to switch things up this time and came out passing on first down, Powers just getting the pass off before being leveled, the pass completed to Dre Martin for a gain of 16 yards and a first down at the 36 yard line. Another first down pass, this time to Max Rhodes, picked up 12 yards to move the chains to the 48 yard line. Switching to the ground on first down, Taylor was only able to pick up one yard on the play, followed by a four yard rush to leave us facing third and 5. Taking a gamble on an extremely rare triple option play (at least by this offense), it ended up a disaster as Taylor was left with nowhere to run after the pitch, forced backwards and tackled for a four yard loss to leave us punting on fourth and 9. A so-so punt by Freddie Arnold traveled 22 yards, going out of bounds at the Washington 27 yard line.

The Huskies came out on first down putting the ball on the ground. Rouse proved to be an elusive little bastard as he proceeded to hurdle, juke and spin his way past multiple defenders and up the right sideline, aided by some very fast legs, before finally being trapped between a couple defenders and the sideline to limit the damage to a 21 yard gain that would give Washington a first down at their 48 yard line. After a 5 yard rush by Rouse up the middle, Gross tried to go over the middle through the air for a short pass, but a well timed deflection by cornerback Charles Noble batted the ball away, leaving the Huskies with third and 5. Our pass rush nearly sacked Gross on the play, but he was able to juke past the diving defender, before being forced to throw the ball away as the pocket collapsed around him. The incompletion would leave fourth down and Washington was forced to punt the ball once more. The coffin corner punt would be successful, as the 42 yard punt would sail out of bounds at our 5 yard line.

Coming out on offense in the shadow of our own goalpost, Taylor tried to get us started, but he was quickly met by two defenders and brought down for no gain on the play. That would be the final play as the clock hit all zeroes, ending the first quarter with our lead holding at 3-0.

Opening up the second quarter, we took another chance on the ground, the second rush by Taylor more successful this time as he gained four yards on the play, leaving third and 6 from the 9 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Powers would needle a pass in between two Washington defenders, somehow getting the ball into the hands of Martin for a 7 yard completion and a first down at the 17 yard line. Going back into the air on first down, Powers tried to connect with tight end Jack Long over the middle, but the pass ended up intercepted by outside linebacker Wendell Jenkins, returned 7 yards to give Washington possession at our 22 yard line.

Lining up after the interception, the Huskies would give the ball to their guaranteed yards machine, as Rouse took the handoff around the left end for a 13 yard rush, setting Washington up with first and goal from the 9 yard line. Despite shaking off two defenders on first down, Rouse was limited to no gain this time as he tried to go around the right end. Going no huddle on second down, the rushed play seemed to confuse the Washington offense more than it did our defense, as Gross faked a handoff to Rouse, only to end up sacked for a 5 yard loss as McBride came through completely unblocked, diving at Gross’ feet to bring him down before he could get rid of the ball. That would leave Washington facing third and goal, lined up from the 14 yard line. We ended up extremely lucky on third down as Washington went into the air, Gross dropped back and throwing a pass to a completely wide open Cory Baker just outside the goal line. Thankfully, Baker tried to catch the ball and turn into the end zone at the same time, proceeding to let the ball go right through his hands and bounce off his body and onto the ground for an incomplete pass, saving the touchdown and forcing Washington to settle for a field goal. The 31 yard field goal by Greg Concepcion would sail through the uprights, tying the game up at 3-3 with 7:08 left in the second quarter.

A 15 yard kickoff return by McGuire, in an extremely poor decision that saw him take the ball out from very deep in the end zone, and then after getting close to the 15 yard line, end up going backwards after shedding a tackler, resulted in our offense lining up from their own 6 yard line to start the offensive series. We would end up getting even closer to the goal line rather than further away from it, as Taylor took the handoff on first down, only to end up tackled in the backfield for a two yard loss, leaving second and 12 from the four yard line. Taylor tried to get us moving in the right direction, but the Washington defense left us completely buggered, as Taylor was tackled for a one yard loss to bring up third and 13 at our three yard line. With no choice but to take our chances through the air, Powers lined up in the shotgun. He dropped back to pass but found little time to do anything as Washington brought a blitz. Powers quickly rolled out and scrambled towards his right, trying to buy time before the defense closed in on him. Despite throwing across his body, Powers was somehow able to complete a pass downfield to Martin, but the momentum of both Martin and the pass that was thrown to lead him, carried Martin out of bounds for only an 11 yard gain, resulting in fourth and two at the 13 yard line. A 16 yard return by Burton on the 41 yard punt set Washington up with beautiful field position at our 39 yard line.

Beginning their drive in our territory, the Huskies would nearly squander the great starting spot as Rouse tried to rush the ball on first down, only to be tackled for a one yard loss, before a pass intended for Wesley Stewart was dropped incomplete to leave third and 11. But Washington would need just two passes to get back on track, as Gross found Rouse out of the backfield and up the left sideline for a 21 yard completion to move the ball to our 19 yard line, followed by a 12 yard pass to Vincent Robinson, setting Washington up with first and goal from our 7 yard line. The Huskies returned to the ground on first down, but we were able to contain Rouse and tackled him for a three yard loss on the play. Tony Marshall would try his luck on second down, but he too would end up going backwards for a three yard loss, bringing up third and goal at the 13 yard line. Baker ended up once again being Gross’ target on third and goal from the second consecutive drive, but while he briefly managed to pull the ball in, he would end up dropping it on contact by the members of our secondary, forcing Washington to settle for another field goal attempt on fourth and goal. The 30 yard field goal by Concepcion gave Washington a 6-3 lead with 3:49 left in the second quarter.

We would need just 12 seconds to respond and take over the lead as McGuire received the kickoff 5 yards deep in our end zone. Getting multiple big blocks, he was able to find a hole up in the left side of the kickoff team and broke through, turning out towards the sideline to avoid two pursuing Washington players and proceeded to take it all the way for a 105 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving us a 10-6 lead with 3:37 left until halftime.

A 26 yard kickoff return by Burton would give Washington the ball at their 27 yard line. Rouse would waste little time in getting the Huskies moving, taking the handoff on first down straight up the middle for a 16 yard gain and a quick first down at the 44 yard line. Continuing to pound it down our throats, Rouse rushed for a 8 yard gain on first down, followed by a 7 yard carry around the right tackle to move the chains to our 41 yard line. Gross would keep the ball on first down this time, fighting his way to a 10 yard gain, just coming up short to leave second and inches. Rouse would try and pick up the first down but was met in the backfield by our heavy blitz, tackled for a three yard loss to leave third and three. Dropping back to pass, Gross never had a chance on third down as we brought all four linemen and all three linebackers on a blitz, Gross ending up almost immediately surrounding in a collapsing pocket and sacked for a 7 yard loss, forcing Washington to punt the ball on fourth and 11. The punt would sail 41 yards and out of the back of the end zone for a touchback, giving us the ball at our 20 yard line.

Lining up after the touchback with just 1:55 left on the clock, we took into the air on first down, but the pass from Powers intended for McGuire was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving second down. Powers tried to hit Al Washington on an out route on second down, but the pass was also broken up after it was thrown behind the receiver’s back, bringing up third and 10. Another pass intended for McGuire would end up woefully underthrown and was nearly intercepted, as we would proceed to go three and out on this drive. A 7 yard return by Burton on the 33 yard punt would give Washington the ball at our 48 yard line.

Starting their drive yet again in our territory, Washington came out trying to pass, but our defense would reign supreme on first down as the backside blitz would get to Gross and sack him for a 6 yard loss, putting the Huskies into an immediate hole. Washington would call their first timeout after the play, stopping the clock with 1:32 remaining. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, a screen pass to Rouse would net just four yards to leave third and 12. Going no huddle on third down, the Huskies would take their chances on the ground with Rouse (which with the way he’s run today was actually a rather logical play call), but it would not pay off this time for the Huskies, as Rouse could only gain 6 yards on the play before being brought down by three defenders, forcing Washington to punt on fourth and 6. We would call our first timeout to stop the clock with 1:06 remaining, keeping the Huskies from wasting clock before punting. The punt would sail 44 yards into the end zone for another touchback, starting us once more from our 20 yard line with exactly one minute remaining until halftime.

Beginning our drive from the 20 yard line, with only one minute left on the clock, it was right into the air for our drive as Powers completed a pass over the middle to McGuire for a 14 yard gain and a quick first down at the 34 yard line. Going into the no huddle, Powers tried to go back to McGuire on a comeback route, but the pass was jumped by the cornerback and swatted away to leave third down. Martin would keep us moving on third down as he cut across on a slant route and pulled in a pass from Powers for a 13 yard gain, moving the chains to the 49 yard line with 43 seconds remaining. Staying in the no huddle, we would see our drive end up in danger as two incomplete passes intended for Martin and Rhodes brought up third down, just 36 seconds to go. It would be Martin who would save the drive again as he head for the sideline on a comeback route and caught the slightly wild pass from Powers on a dive, just barely getting his feet down inbounds before falling out of bounds, the pass good for a gain of 13 yards to give us a first down at the Washington 38 yard line. Powers tried to go back to Martin on a streak route up the right sideline, but he horrendously overthrew the pass, as it sailed nearly 20 yards over Martin’s head and well out of bounds, leaving second down. Staying in the field of play this time on second down, Powers was able to hit Long on an out route, which, thanks to some downfield blocking by McGuire, turned into a 24 yard gain that set us up with a new set of downs at the 14 yard line. Racing to the line with the clock momentarily stopped, Powers tried to find an open receiver near the end zone, but was forced to dump it off to Greg Miller for just a 5 yard gain to leave second and 5 at the 9 yard line, forcing us to call our second timeout with 13 seconds remaining. Unfortunately that would be as far as we would get as Powers dropped back to pass on second down. Upon finding the pocket starting to collapse, and with a giant patch of green in front of him, Powers tried to take off scrambling, only to end up tripped up by the foot of his own center, resulting in a sack for the defense for a loss of two yards, leaving third down from the 11 yard line. With only 7 seconds on the clock following the play, despite it only being third down, rather than risk running out of time while trying to take one last shot at the end zone, we were forced to settle for the field goal attempt. Despite the bad angle, the 28 yard field goal by Marcus was good, increasing our lead to 13-6 with four seconds left until halftime.

A 27 yard kickoff return by Burton would give Washington the ball at their 27 yard line, just one second remaining. The Huskies were content to head into halftime as things stood, handing the ball off to Rouse, who went up the middle for a 5 yard gain to take us into halftime with a 13-6 lead.

Opening up the second half, a 26 yard return by Baker on the kickoff would set Washington up at their 25 yard line to begin the third quarter. Rouse would kick things off, as usual, with an 8 yard rush around the left side of the line, before being tripped up for just a one yard gain to leave third and one. Despite being mostly wrapped up twice, Rouse would somehow break loose multiple times on third down on his way to a 22 yard rush and a first down at our 44 yard line. Rouse would keep plugging away on first down with a four yard carry, before being stood up for no gain to leave third and 6. Gross dropped back to pass on third down, but tried to take off scrambling in the face of pressure, only to end up tripped up, and technically sacked, for no gain to bring up fourth and 5, finally bringing to an end Washington’s no huddle offense. Sitting with fourth down on our 39 yard line, the Huskies would go for it on fourth down, but they would come up short as the completion from Gross to Jeff Smith would gain only three yards, turning the ball over on downs at our 36 yard line.

Taylor would get our next drive started on the ground, but he would only pick up one yard before being quickly spun down by the defense. Another attempt on second and 9 would result in no gain, leaving us facing third and 9. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Powers tried to find Martin over the middle, but the pass was broken up and we were forced to punt on fourth down. A 13 yard return by Burton on the 37 yard punt gave Washington the ball at their 38 yard line.

Lining up after the punt return, Washington’s drive would get off to a very slow start, as Gross’ pass on first down sailed long and out of bounds over the head of his intended receiver, followed by a second down rush by Rouse that would lose four yards, leaving Washington lining up facing third and 14. We would get lucky on third down as Gross threw up a pass intended for Burton, who was cutting over the middle of the field. Thankfully Gross tried to lead Burton too much and overthrew the pass, the ball landing incomplete a couple yards ahead of Burton to force out the punt team on fourth down. An 18 yard return by McGuire on the 48 yard punt got us back in action from our 35 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, we again elected to try our luck on the ground on first down, where Taylor would find more success this time around, starting us with a 7 yard carry, followed by a 5 yard carry to pick up a new set of downs at the 47 yard line. Taylor would keep pounding away on first down with a 6 yard gain up the middle, before Benjamin Silva, on his first carry of the game, would end up stood up and flattened on his back by the defensive tackle for no gain, leaving us with third and four. Lining up under center on third down, Powers dropped back to pass and found Long up the middle out of the tight end slot, the pass good for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the Washington 30 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, Powers would try to squeeze a pass into a tight gap to McGuire, only to have it intercepted by cornerback Mike Williams, giving Washington the ball at their 23 yard line.

Coming out after the interception by their defense, the Washington offense would head into the air on first down as Gross would connect with a diving Baker for an 11 yard gain and a quick first down at the 34 yard line. Instantly going into the no huddle (surprise, surprise), Washington kept the ball moving through the air as Gross found Robinson over the middle for a 9 yard gain. Dropping back to pass on second down, Gross couldn’t find anyone open before the pocket started to close, so he took off running and found ample room to move, scrambling for a 9 yard gain and a first down at our 49 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, intended for Baker over the middle, and Washington taking their first huddle of the entire drive, the offense came out on second down in a five wide formation, with Gross hitting Sam Payne for a gain of 14 yards and a first down at the 35 yard line. Even worse than the no huddle offense was Washington’s five wide no huddle offense, as Gross dropped back and quickly found Smith along the left sideline for an 11 yard gain to move the ball to our 24 yard line. After a 5 yard scramble by Gross, the Huskies offense would be the first offense to find the end zone today, as Gross connected with Payne over the middle for a 19 yard touchdown pass, tying the game up at 13-13 with 1:27 left in the third quarter.

McGuire would field the following kickoff in the back of the end zone, the kick caught for a touchback as his right foot stepped out of bounds while catching the ball. Lining up from our 25 yard line following the touchback, Taylor would get us off and running with a four yard carry on first down, followed by a gain of just one yard, Taylor being violently leveled on the tackle to leave third and 5. Taking a crack through the air, despite the poor ending of the previous drive, Powers lined up in the shotgun and fired off a pass to Rhodes, completed for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 41 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Powers would be forced to bail out of the pocket, finding some open space and scrambling for a 13 yard gain, moving the chains to the Washington 46 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, the score all knotted up at 13-13.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we got back to it on offense, lined up at the Washington 46 yard line, with a first down rush by Taylor that would pick up just two yards. Taking a chance with a play action pass on second down, despite throwing off his back foot while trying to avoid the pass rush, Powers was able to complete a pass to McGuire for a 12 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 32 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Taylor was able to fight his way to a positive gain of four yards this time, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and three. Taking a gamble through the air on a quick pass, the ball intended for Martin was badly thrown and nearly intercepted, leaving fourth down at the 26 yard line. Despite multiple poor performances by Marcus this season from longer than 30 yards, we gave it a prayer on fourth down and lined up for a 43 yard field goal. In a rarity, he would manage to clear the crossbar by a couple yards, giving us a 16-13 lead with 6:47 left in the game.

A 28 yard kickoff return by Burton would get Washington lined up at their 29 yard line. The Huskies would start things off on the ground, but the handoff to Rouse would be well defended for a change, limiting the damage to just two yards. Going no huddle on second down, Gross went into the air and completed a short pass to Robinson, but he was quickly spun down for only a two yard gain, leaving third and 6. Racing back to the line once more, the third down play for Washington would be a short one as our pass rush forced Gross to quickly throw the ball away, our defense bending but not breaking as the Huskies were forced to punt. A 15 yard return by McGuire on the 47 yard punt would get us back in action from our 34 yard line.

Returning to the field after the punt return, our offense trotted out holding a three point lead with just 5:49 remaining in the game. This was an important drive with two primary goals. Run down some clock and increase the lead, preferably via a touchdown. Going outside on first down, Taylor would fight his way to a 6 yard rush on first down, followed by a big 10 yard carry to pick up an early first down at midfield. Silva would come in on first down and rumble his way up the middle to a gain of 9 yards, before a 6 yard rush by Taylor would move the chains to the Washington 35 yard line. Taylor tried to pick up yards off the right tackle, but he was quickly brought down for no gain on the play. Going into the air on second down, Powers would find Rhodes on an out route for a 9 yard gain, setting up third and one. Putting the drive in Taylor’s hands, he would get the first down and then some with a 10 yard rush right up the gut, setting up a first down at the 17 yard line. Continuing to pound the ball away, Taylor would only manage a two yard gain on first down, followed by a 7 yard rush to leave us facing third and one at the 8 yard line. Washington would call their first timeout with 2:10 left in the game. Only one yard away, we decided to go for it on the ground. Worst case scenario, we didn’t get it and forced Washington to use their second timeout. Silva would be the back of honor this time, but he would end up stood up for a one yard loss, forcing us to make a decision on fourth and three, Washington’s second timeout stopping the clock with 2:07 left. While not being happy about it, we decided to settle for the field goal and hope our defense could make a stop when it mattered most. The 27 yard kick by Marcus increased our lead to 19-13 with 2:04 remaining, setting us up for either a great win or a devastating loss.

A 22 yard kickoff return by Burton would start Washington from their 24 yard line, the Huskies with exactly two minutes to work with as they needed a touchdown to win. It would be an incredible start for our defense was Gross tried to drop back to pass on first down, only to quickly take off scrambling under pressure from our pass rush. In the process of running around his blockers, he ended up tripped and sacked for a two yard loss. Racing to the line, Gross would then spike the ball to stop the clock at 1:45 remaining, Washington forced into a third and 12 situation just mere seconds into their drive. Lining up in the shotgun again on third down, Gross would heave up a pass down the right sideline intended for Baker, only to have it intercepted by cornerback Leonard Hart to give us the ball at the Washington 42 yard line with 1:39 remaining, Washington’s only turnover of the game coming at the worst possible time.

Lining up following the interception, we looked to keep it on the ground and run out the clock in just a couple plays. Silva would get us started, but would quickly get tackled in the backfield for a two yard loss, Washington using their last timeout to stop the clock with 1:36 remaining. Silva would take the ball on second down for a 6 yard rush, followed by a two yard gain that would leave us with fourth and four at the 36 yard line. Letting the play clock run out, we were forced to punt the ball away with 28 seconds remaining, the delay of game penalty pushing us back to the 41 yard line. Trying to coffin corner the punt, instead Arnold would make quite possibly the worst shanked punt in college football history, as the ball traveled a whopping 7 yards and went out of bounds at the Washington 33 yard line, breathing life into the Washington sideline and resulting in multiple broken headsets on the Utah State sideline.

Taking over at their 33 yard line with just 25 seconds remaining, Washington was going to have to be perfect this drive with no timeouts to bail them out. It would be disaster for the Huskies as our defense would bail our asses out. Heaving up a, maybe a bit early, Hail Mary pass down the left sideline, intended for Damian Johnson, the pass would be intercepted by cornerback Buck Castillo to give us possession at our 10 yard line with just 16 seconds left in the game. Lining up on first down, Powers would simply drop to a knee to put the topper on our surprising 19-13 victory over the Washington Huskies.

With the win, we end our 2022 season at 11-2, 7-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Washington’s year comes to a close at 7-6, 5-4 in Pac-12 play.

Final Score
#22 :Utah_State: 19, :Washington: 13

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense – A rather poor day for Powers, ending his career going 14-26 for 117 yards and two interceptions. Rushing, Taylor led the way today with 89 yards on 30 carries. Silva had 15 yards on 6 rushes. Leierer ended his career watching from the bench after exiting with an injury early on, only gaining 24 yards on four carries. Powers, due to a couple scrambles, had 10 yards on three rushes.

Receiving, Martin was the top receiver with 62 yards on five catches in his final game. Rhodes ended his collegiate career with 32 yards on three catches. Long had 41 yards in just two catches today. McGuire wrapped up his career with 26 yards on just two catches, though he did also have a 105 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which was our only touchdown all day. Tight end McKinney ended his career with just one catch for 11 yards. In all, six receivers caught at least one pass today, five of them ending with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – They put up one hell of a fight today. Despite having issues at times with Washington's no huddle offense, and despite having issues stopping Rouse a couple times, the defense performed pretty damn well, limiting Washington to just a touchdown and two field goals. While Washington's lone touchdown came on offense, our lone touchdown came on special teams, thanks to McGuire taking a kickoff return back 105 yards for a touchdown.

Utah State Kicking – A rarity today, it was a perfect day for Marcus, who proceeded to go 4 for 4 in field goals, making kicks of 26, 28, 43 and 27 yards out. He would also end 1 for 1 on PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Washington:
0
6
7
0
13

#22 :Utah_State:
3
10
0
6
19

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

4:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 26 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 3-0

Second Quarter

7:11
:Washington:
Field Goal
G. Concepcion, 31 yard field goal
TIED 3-3

3:52
:Washington:
Field Goal
G. Concepcion, 29 yard field goal
:Washington: 6-3

3:37
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
E. McGuire, returned kickoff 105 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 10-6

0:04
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 28 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 13-6

Third Quarter

1:27
:Washington:
Touchdown
S. Payne, 19 yard pass from W. Gross (G. Concepcion kick)
TIED 13-13

Fourth Quarter

6:47
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 43 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 16-13

2:04
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 27 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 19-13

Game Stats

Washington
Stat
Utah State

13
Score
19

11
First Downs
19

214
Total Offense
315

30 - 108 - 0
Rushes - Yards - TD
43 - 138 - 0

10 - 22 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
14 - 26 - 0

106
Passing Yards
177

4
Times Sacked
1

2 - 12 (16%)
3rd Down Conversion
7 - 15 (46%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

3 - 1 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
3 - 0 - 3 (100%)

2
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
2

34
Punt Return Yards
36

157
Kick Return Yards
165

405
Total Yards
516

6 – 45.5
Punts - Average
5 – 28.6

0 - 0
Penalties
1 - 5

13:26
Time of Possession
22:34

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Kick/Punt Return Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

NCAA Record: Longest Kick Return (105 Yards)
300
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

Rush for 2000 Yards (Season)
400
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Job Security Status

100%

souljahbill

09-23-2014, 05:55 PM

One more year! One more year! One more year!

-Utah St. Student Section

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 06:02 PM

One more year! One more year! One more year!

-Utah St. Student Section

We shall see later tonight. :)

One thing that sort of worries me about potentially coming back next year, is the loss of a LOT of good players on both sides of the ball. The way redhshirts played out over the last three years, this year's team ended up being "the one" to go all out in terms of best record/ranking/conference title/bowl. Next year will see one hell of a downfall in talent.

BUT, I haven't said no yet. Nor have I said yes (assuming the almost assured contract extension is offered). Right now, I plan to wait on any extension that comes and go into the coaching carousel without any obligations, fielding whatever offers arise until Utah State and the extension come back to the top of the board.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 07:42 PM

2022 Bowl Season Rundown

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team
Results
Team
Record
Conference

:New_Mexico_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
7-6 (4-4)
:Air_Force:
37-24
:Tennessee:
6-7 (4-5)
:SEC:

:Famous_Idaho_Bowl:
:MAC:
7-6 (6-3)
:Northern_Illinois:
32-31
(13) :Cincinnati:
10-4 (8-2)
:AAC:

:Poinsettia_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
10-4 (7-2)
:San_Diego_State:
38-17
(25) :SMU:
9-4 (7-2)
:AAC:

:Beef_O_Bradys_Bowl:
:AAC:
7-6 (4-5)
:Temple:
34-10
:Southern_Miss:
6-7 (5-3)
:CUSA:

:New_Orleans_Bowl:
:Sun_Belt:
10-3 (7-1)
:Arkansas_State:
24-17
:FIU:
8-5 (6-2)
:CUSA:

:Las_Vegas_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
11-2 (7-1)
(22) :Utah_State:
19-16
:Washington:
7-6 (5-4)
:Pac_12:

:Hawaii_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
7-6 (6-2)
:San_Jose_State:
14-7
:Western_Kentucky:
7-7 (7-2)
:CUSA:

:LittleCaesars_Bowl:
:MAC:
9-4 (7-2)
:Bowling_Green:
37-24
:Illinois:
6-7 (4-5)
:Big_Ten:

:Military_Bowl:
:CUSA:
7-6 (5-3)
:UMass:
33-31
:Ball_State:
8-5 (6-3)
:MAC:

:Holiday_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
8-5 (7-2)
:USC:
38-14
:Texas:
7-6 (5-4)
:Big_12:

:Belk_Bowl:
:ACC:
8-5 (5-4)
:Miami:
35-17
:Oklahoma_State:
6-7 (3-6)
:Big_12:

:Independence_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-5 (4-5)
:Kentucky:
42-28
:BC:
6-7 (3-6)
:ACC:

:Russell_Athletic:
:AAC:
10-3 (6-3)
(20) :Connecticut:
17-10
(23) :Florida_State:
10-4 (8-2)
:ACC:

:Meineke_Texas_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-4 (5-4)
:Kansas_State:
38-10
:Iowa:
6-7 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

:Armed_Forces_Bowl:
:CUSA:
10-3 (6-2)
:North_Texas:
45-38
:Boise_State:
8-5 (5-3)
:Mountain_West:

:Fight_Hunger_Bowl:
Independent
11-2
(9) :Notre_Dame:
49-21
:Arizona_State:
6-7 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

:Alamo_Bowl:
:Big_12:
10-3 (6-3)
(13) :TCU:
35-16
(24) :Stanford:
9-4 (7-2)
:Pac_12:

:BWW_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-4 (5-4)
:Oklahoma:
38-14
:Northwestern:
7-6 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

:Music_City_Bowl:
:SEC:
9-4 (5-4)
:Georgia:
27-20
:Duke:
6-7 (5-4)
:ACC:

:Sun_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
10-4 (7-3)
(18) :Oregon:
38-17
:Syracuse:
7-6 (6-3)
:ACC:

:Liberty_Bowl:
:SEC:
8-6 (5-5)
:Florida:
59-28
:Marshall:
11-3 (8-1)
:CUSA:

:Chick_fil_A_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-6 (5-4)
:Texas_A&M:
48-45 2OT
(11) :Georgia_Tech:
10-3 (8-1)
:ACC:

:Heart_of_Dallas:
:Big_Ten:
7-6 (4-5)
:Maryland:
38-28
:Kent_State:
6-7 (5-4)
:MAC:

:TaxSlayer_Gator:
:SEC:
9-4 (5-4)
:South_Carolina:
37-17
(16) :Indiana:
9-4 (6-3)
:Big_Ten:

:Capital_One_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
11-3 (8-2)
(15) :Nebraska:
45-28
:Vanderbilt:
8-5 (5-4)
:SEC:

:Outback_Bowl:
:SEC:
9-4 (5-4)
(21) :Ole_Miss:
35-32 OT
(8) :Michigan:
10-3 (7-2)
:Big_Ten:

:Cotton_Bowl:
:Big_12:
10-3 (7-2)
(12) :West_Virginia:
31-17
:LSU:
8-5 (5-4)
:SEC:

:BBVA_Compass_Bowl:
:AAC:
7-6 (5-4)
:USF:
34-13
:BYU:
7-6
Independent

:GoDaddycom_Bowl:
:MAC:
12-2 (9-1)
(19) :Ohio:
25-16
:Troy:
8-5 (6-2)
:Sun_Belt:

2022 BCS Bowls

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team
Results
Team
Record
Conference

:Rose_Bowl:
:Sun_Belt:
13-0 (8-0)
(3) :Louisiana:
45-35
(10) :UCLA:
11-3 (8-2)
:Pac_12:

:Fiesta_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
11-2 (7-2)
(6) :Wisconsin:
45-21
:Baylor:
8-5 (7-2)
:Big_12:

:Sugar_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
13-1 (9-0)
(17) :New_Mexico:
42-28
(5) :Alabama:
10-4 (8-2)
:SEC:

:Orange_Bowl:
:ACC:
13-1 (10-0)
(4) :Virginia_Tech:
13-10
(7) :Army:
10-3
Independent

:BCS_Trophy:
:Big_Ten:
14-0 (10-0)
(2) :Ohio_State:
49-35
(1) :Navy:
13-1 (10-0)
:AAC:

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 07:43 PM

2022 Bowl Challenge Cup Standings

Rank
Conference
Bowl Teams
Bowl Record
Percentage
Teams in AP Poll

1
:Mountain_West:
6
5-1
.830
2

2
:Sun_Belt:
3
2-1
.660
2

3
:SEC: (1)
10
6-4
.600
4

4
:MAC: (1)
5
3-2
.600
1

5
:Big_12:
7
4-3
.570
2

6
:Big_Ten:
9
4-5
.440
5

7
:AAC:
7
3-4
.420
3

8
:Pac_12: (1)(2)
6
2-4
.330
2

9
:CUSA: (1)(2)
6
2-4
.330
0

10
Independent (1)
3
1-2
.330
2

11
:ACC:
7
2-5
.280
2

1 - Tied based on winning percentage, but final order based on number of bowl wins.
2 - Tied with 2-4 records.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 07:45 PM

And so there you go. The dynasty is official. Ohio State is your 2022 national champion, winning their third straight national title, and the Mountain West surprises everyone and goes 5-1 in bowl games to win the 2022 Bowl Challenge Cup.

On the other side of the coin, the ACC goes just 2-5 in a very forgettable bowl season to claim the "we suck" conference title of 2022.

On a note of interest, it was unbeknownst to this author until after the National Title Game results were final. Ohio State has now won three straight national titles with 14-0 records. They currently hold a 42 game winning streak, just 5 wins shy of the NCAA Division I record of 47 set by Oklahoma back between 1953 and 1957. We will find out in Ohio State's first 6 games next season whether or not that record will fall.

For readers teams, Temple knocks off Southern Miss 34-10 in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl, Arkansas State tops Florida International 24-17 in the New Orleans Bowl, Utah State slogs past Washington 19-13 in the Las Vegas Bowl, #9 Notre Dame routs Arizona State 49-21 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, South Carolina upsets #16 Indiana 37-17 in the Gator Bowl, #12 West Virginia handles LSU 31-17 win the Cotton Bowl, #4 Virginia Tech escapes #7 Army 13-10 in the Orange Bowl and and #2 Ohio State claims the National Championship, topping #1 Navy 49-35 in the national title game.

The American wrapped up their season going 3-4 in bowls, though Navy did lose to Ohio State in the national title game. Despite the .420 record during the bowl season, after claiming the top spot in the Bowl Challenge standings last season, the American will keep their automatic bid secured for at least the next two seasons. A Bowl Challenge title clinching 5-1 finish by the Mountain West, including a very impressive Sugar Bowl victory by New Mexico over Alabama, has taken the MWC off of watch status. Their BCS bowl bid is now considered safe unless they end up on watch status again due to poor records in future seasons.

The ACC and Pac-12 are still considered safe for the time being, due to above .500 finishes in years prior, but a closer eye will be kept. The Big Ten is safe for the moment, but after finishing 7th in the Bowl Challenge standings with a 3-5 record last year and placing 6th with a 4-5 record this year, anything worse than 7th place next year may result in the Big Ten being placed on watch status, even despite Ohio State's three straight national titles.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 07:57 PM

2022 Final Top 25

Coaches Poll - Media Poll

Rank
Team
Record

Team
Record

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0

:Ohio_State:
14-0

2
:Louisiana:
13-0

:Louisiana:
13-0

3
:Virginia_Tech:
13-1

:Virginia_Tech:
13-1

4
:Navy:
13-1

:Navy:
13-1

5
:Wisconsin:
11-2

:Wisconsin:
11-2

6
:Notre_Dame:
11-2

:New_Mexico:
13-1

7
:West_Virginia:
10-3

:Notre_Dame:
11-2

8
:Army:
10-3

:West_Virginia:
10-3

9
:TCU:
10-3

:Army:
10-3

10
:New_Mexico:
13-1

:Nebraska:
11-3

11
:Nebraska:
11-3

:TCU:
10-3

12
:Michigan:
10-3

:Michigan:
10-3

13
:UCLA:
11-3

:UCLA:
11-3

14
:Alabama:
10-4

:Ole_Miss:
9-4

15
:Ole_Miss:
9-4

:Alabama:
10-4

16
:Oregon:
10-4

:Oregon:
10-4

17
:Ohio:
12-2

:Ohio:
12-2

18
:Connecticut:
10-3

:Connecticut:
10-3

19
:Georgia_Tech:
10-3

:Georgia_Tech:
10-3

20
:Utah_State:
11-2

:Utah_State:
11-2

21
:Georgia:
9-4

:South_Carolina:
9-4

22
:South_Carolina:
9-4

:Georgia:
9-4

23
:Indiana:
9-4

:Indiana:
9-4

24
:North_Texas:
10-3

:Arkansas_State:
10-3

25
:Cincinnati:
10-4

:Cincinnati:
10-4

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 08:05 PM

Alright, for the record, Utah State has offered a 5-year contract extension. :o :hmm:

I have not accepted, nor have I declined. I'm going to leave it on the table and see what comes up in the coaching carousel. I have a couple different teams in my mind as to where I'd like to go next to coach at. If they come up, I'm going to give it some thought. If they don't come up before Utah State and the contract extension comes up in the carousel, then I'll probably stay with Utah State, even if it means another FIVE years in the Mountain West.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 09:30 PM

2022 Coaching Carousel

Team
Position
Previous Coach
Reason Left

New Coach
Previous Team
Previous Position
O/D Style

:Penn_State:
Head Coach
John Sims
Fired

Matt Canada
:Louisiana:
Head Coach
UL Lafayette (Spread) \ 4-3

:Michigan_State:
Head Coach
Dan Roushar
Fired

Nick Howell
:Ohio_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Arkansas State (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Pitt:
Head Coach
John Shoop
Fired

Brian Randle
:Louisiana:
Defensive Coordinator
Purdue (Pro) \ 4-3

:Utah_State:
Head Coach
Marko Ramius
Contract Expired

Marko Ramius
:Utah_State:
Head Coach
Utah State (Spread) \ 4-3

:NC_State:
Head Coach
Ted Roof
Retired at age 66

Dennis Franchione
:New_Mexico:
Head Coach
New Mexico (Pistol) \ 3-4

:Minnesota:
Head Coach
Rob Ianello
Fired

Mark D'Onofrio
:SMU:
Head Coach
Miami (Pro) \ 4-3

:Utah:
Head Coach
Houston Nutt
Fired

Kirby Smart
:Ohio_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Georgia (Pro) \ 3-4

:Louisiana:
Head Coach
Matt Canada
Left for Penn State HC job

Willy Robinson
:Virginia_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Virginia Tech (Multiple) \ 4-3

:SMU:
Head Coach
Mark D'Onofrio
Left for Minnesota HC job

Gary Nord
:San_Jose_State:
Head Coach
UCLA (Spread) \ 3-4

:Miami_OH:
Head Coach
Ruffin McNeil
Fired

Tyson Hart
:Virginia_Tech:
Offensive Coordinator
Virginia Tech (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Purdue:
Head Coach
Todd Bradford
Fired

Scott Shafer
:Kansas_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Iowa State (Spread) \ 4-3

:New_Mexico:
Head Coach
Dennis Franchione
Left for NC State HC job

George Barlow
:New_Mexico:
Defensive Coordinator
New Mexico (Pistol) \ 3-4

:San_Jose_State:
Head Coach
Gary Nord
Left for SMU HC job

David Reaves
:New_Mexico:
Offensive Coordinator
New Mexico (Piston) \ 3-4

:Hawaii:
Head Coach
Tyrell Downing
Fired

Robb Akey
:Utah_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Utah State (Spread) \ 4-3

:Virginia_Tech:
Offensive Coordinator
Tyson Hart
Left for Miami University HC job

Blake Gordon
:North_Texas:
Offensive Coordinator
North Texas (Pro)

:Virginia_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Will Robinson
Left for Louisiana Lafayette HC job

Dwayne Scales
:Florida_State:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
Greg McMackin
Retired at age 69

Todd Bradford
:Purdue:
Head Coach
Washington (Pro)

:Ohio_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Kirby Smart
Left for Utah HC job

Kevin Rogers
:FIU:
Offensive Coordinator
FIU (Multiple)

:Ohio_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Nick Howell
Left for Michigan State HC job

Dan Roushar
:Michigan_State:
Head Coach
4-3

:Auburn:
Defensive Coordinator
Mike Archer
Fired

Dave Cohen
:West_Virginia:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Florida_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Dwayne Scales
Left for Virginia Tech DC job

Ruffin McNeil
:Miami_OH:
Head Coach
4-3

:Penn_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Neil Callaway
Retired at age 66

Rob Ianello
:Minnesota:
Head Coach
Texas A&M (Air Raid)

:Kansas_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Scott Shafer
Left for Purdue HC job

Houston Nutt
:Utah:
Head Coach
4-3

:FAU:
Head Coach
Mario Cristobal
Fired

John Sims
:Penn_State:
Head Coach
Penn State (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Georgia_State:
Head Coach
Trent Miles
Fired

Tyrell Downing
:Hawaii:
Head Coach
Utah State (Spread) \ 4-3

:West_Virginia:
Defensive Coordinator
Dave Cohen
Left for Auburn DC job

John Shoop
:Pitt:
Head Coach
4-3

:Western_Michigan:
Head Coach
Bill Cubit
Fired

Jay Johnson
:Maryland:
Offensive Coordinator
Maryland (Multiple) \ 4-3

:NC_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Bobby Petrino
Retired at age 65

Bill Cubit
:Western_Michigan:
Head Coach
Western Michigan (Pro)

:Utah_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Robb Akey
Left for Hawaii HC job

Ed Orgeron
:Virginia:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:NC_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Jim Heacock
Fired

Lance Guidry
:Northwestern:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Pitt:
Offensive Coordinator
Jeff Tedford
Fired

Matt Cobb
:Southern_Miss:
Offensive Coordinator
Southern Miss (Air Raid)

:Pitt:
Defensive Coordinator
Keith Patterson
Fired

Stephen Latimer
N/A
N/A
4-3

:UTSA:
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Fired

Josh Sutton
N/A
N/A
Tulane (Pro) \ 4-3

:Virginia:
Defensive Coordinator
Ed Orgeron
Left for Utah State DC job

Bryan Mitchell
:Vanderbilt:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Maryland:
Offensive Coordinator
Jay Johnson
Left for Western Michigan HC job

Mario Cristobal
:FAU:
Head Coach
Florida Atlantic (Spread)

:FIU:
Offensive Coordinator
Kevin Rogers
Left for Ohio State OC job

Trent Miles
:Georgia_State:
Head Coach
Georgia State (Pro)

:Louisiana:
Defensive Coordinator
Brian Randle
Left for Pittsburgh HC job

Chase Hooper
N/A
N/A
3-4

:Kansas:
Offensive Coordinator
Galen Hill
Fired

Jerry Kill
:San_Jose_State:
Offensive Coordinator
San Jose State (Pro)

:Miami_OH:
Offensive Coordinator
David Shaw
Fired

Lincoln Riley
:Tulane:
Head Coach
Pittsburgh (Pro)

:Miami_OH:
Defensive Coordinator
Doug Marrone
Fired

Bret Bielema
:UTSA:
Head Coach
3-4

:Purdue:
Defensive Coordinator
Greg Mattison
Fired

Bryan Hall
N/A
N/A
4-3

:Southern_Miss:
Offensive Coordinator
Matt Cobb
Left for Pittsburgh OC job

Kalani Sitake
:Troy:
Offensive Coordinator
Troy (Air Raid)

:Minnesota:
Offensive Coordinator
David Lee
Fired

Ian Shields
:Memphis:
Head Coach
UMass (Spread)

:Minnesota:
Defensive Coordinator
Pat Fitzgerald
Fired

Mike Archer
:Auburn:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:North_Texas:
Offensive Coordinator
Blake Gordon
Left for Virginia Tech OC job

Les Miles
:Utah:
Offensive Coordinator
Utah (Spread)

:Northwestern:
Defensive Coordinator
Lance Guidry
Left for NC State DC job

Pat Fitzgerald
:Minnesota:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Texas_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Phil Elmassian
Fired

Mike MacIntyre
:Wake_Forest:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Troy:
Offensive Coordinator
Kalani Sitake
Left for Southern Miss OC job

Robert Matthews
:South_Alabama:
Offensive Coordinator
South Alabama (Spread)

:Utah:
Offensive Coordinator
Les Miles
Left for North Texas OC job

Bob Connelly
:UTEP:
Offensive Coordinator
UTEP (Multiple)

:Vanderbilt:
Defensive Coordinator
Bryan Mitchell
Left for Virginia DC job

Phil Elmassian
:Texas_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Wake_Forest:
Defensive Coordinator
Mike MacIntyre
Fired

Jim Heacock
:NC_State:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Tulane:
Head Coach
Lincoln Riley
Fired

Mike Sabock
:Texas_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Texas State (Pistol) / 4-2-5

:Memphis:
Head Coach
Ian Shields
Fired

Keith Patterson
:Pitt:
Defensive Coordinator
Pittsburgh (Pro) \ 4-3

:New_Mexico:
Offensive Coordinator
David Reaves
Left for San Jose State HC job

Jeff Tedford
:Pitt:
Offensive Coordinator
California (Air Raid)

:New_Mexico:
Defensive Coordinator
George Barlow
Left for New Mexico HC job

Marvin Singletary
:Hawaii:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Hawaii:
Offensive Coordinator
Mike Johnson
Fired

Galen Hill
:Kansas:
Offensive Coordinator
Kansas (Pro)

:Hawaii:
Defensive Coordinator
Marvin Singletary
Fired

Phil Snow
:FAU:
Defensive Coordinator
4-2-5

:Old_Dominion:
Offensive Coordinator
Brian Scott
Fired

Zach Azzanni
:Eastern_Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
Eastern Michigan (One Back)

:San_Jose_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Jerry Kill
Left for Kansas OC job

Brian Scott
:Old_Dominion:
Offensive Coordinator
Old Dominion (Air Raid)

:South_Alabama:
Offensive Coordinator
Robert Matthews
Left for Troy OC job

Michael Walker
:Tulane:
Offensive Coordinator
Arkansas (Pro)

:Wyoming:
Offensive Coordinator
John Pennington
Fired

Doug Martin
:New_Mexico_State:
Offensive Coordinator
New Mexico State (Spread)

:Wyoming:
Defensive Coordinator
Kerry Lowe
Fired

Greg Mattison
:Purdue:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:FAU:
Offensive Coordinator
Darryl Jackson
Fired

David Shaw
:Miami_OH:
Offensive Coordinator
LSU (Pro)

:FAU:
Defensive Coordinator
Phil Snow
Fired

Kerry Lowe
:Wyoming:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Eastern_Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
Zach Azzanni
Left for Old Dominion OC job

Mike Johnson
:Hawaii:
Offensive Coordinator
Indiana (Air Raid)

:Georgia_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Eric Price
Fired

Darryl Jackson
:FAU:
Offensive Coordinator
Florida Atlantic (Spread)

:Georgia_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Bill Young
Fired

Clay Rivers
:Memphis:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Texas_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Mike Sabock
Left for Tulane HC job

David Lee
:Minnesota:
Offensive Coordinator
Wake Forest (Spread)

:UTEP:
Offensive Coordinator
Bob Connelly
Left for Utah OC job

John Pennington
:Wyoming:
Offensive Coordinator
Minnesota (Multiple)

:UTSA:
Offensive Coordinator
Frank Cignetti
Fired

Eric Price
:Georgia_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Kentucky (Air Raid)

:UTSA:
Defensive Coordinator
Rich Nagy
Fired

Bill Young
:Georgia_State:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Tulane:
Offensive Coordinator
Michael Walker
Fired

Dana Holgorsen
:Memphis:
Offensive Coordinator
UNLV (Spread)

:Tulane:
Defensive Coordinator
Michael Hammond
Fired

Rich Nagy
:UTSA:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Memphis:
Offensive Coordinator
Dana Holgorsen
Fired

Frank Cignetti
:UTSA:
Offensive Coordinator
Memphis (Spread)

:Memphis:
Defensive Coordinator
Clay Rivers
Fired

Jonathan Schmidt
N/A
N/A
4-3

:New_Mexico_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Doug Martin
Fired

Tyler Hubbard
N/A
N/A
Texas (Spread)

Jobs I Was in the Running For

Team
Position
Candidate Rank
Offered Job

:Pitt:
Head Coach
2nd
No

:Utah_State:
Head Coach
1st
Yes

Notes of Interest

Multiple teams saw their entire coaching staffs shaken up, as the entire staffs are replaced at Pittsburgh, NC State, Minnesota, Miami University, Hawaii, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, UTSA, Tulane and Memphis. New Mexico inadvertently got shaken up when their HC left for the NC State HC job, their OC left for the San Jose State HC job and their DC took over as the new HC of the program.

While I'll never know what jobs I would have received offers from, I can speculate that I would have seen head coach offers from Minnesota, Utah, Louisiana Lafayette, SMU, Miami University, Purdue, New Mexico, San Jose State, Hawaii, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Western Michigan, UTSA, Tulane and Memphis. NONE of those teams were on my short list, so staying at Utah State turned out to be the right move. Meanwhile, we had a minor shakeup in our coaching staff, as Robb Akey, our defensive coordinator, left to become the new head coach at Hawaii. Taking his place is Ed Orgeron, who comes over from Virginia where he was their defensive coordinator. As he is a 4-3 coach, our defense will be remaining in the 4-3 in the 2023 season.

It's tough to be the king, as successful seasons saw Ohio State lose both of their offensive coordinators to the head coach jobs at Michigan State and Utah, while Louisiana Lafayette's head coach and defensive coordinator hit the road for the head coach positions at Penn State and Pitt, the second straight season Ohio State has seen turnover at both coordinator positions and Louisiana Lafayette at the head coach position.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 09:33 PM

So then, there you go. The Utah State chronicles will continue for another FIVE years. Unless I get really bloody tired of the Mountain West and amend my rules to allow my ass to jump ship sometime between years 2 and 5. :D

At least now I can try for that Mountain West championship, twice coming so close to winning the division and making the CCG, only to be thwarted by an early season conference loss that would see me finish second in the division.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 10:42 PM

2022-23 Off-Season

Players Leaving

Player
Position
Overall
Year
Reason
Overall of Next Player

Adam Powers
QB
96
Senior (RS)
Graduation/Pro Draft
91

Eric McGuire
WR
87
Senior (RS)
Graduation
82

Casey Hunter
ROLB
86
Senior (RS)
Graduation
74

Max Rhodes
WR
85
Senior (RS)
Graduation
82

Ernest Sims
DT
84
Senior (RS)
Graduation
71

Dre Martin
WR
83
Senior (RS)
Graduation
82

Sam Richwalski
SS
82
Senior (RS)
Graduation
63

Caleb McBride
LE
81
Senior (RS)
Graduation
68

Perry Johnson
LOLB
81
Senior (RS)
Graduation
75

Ross Brown
QB
81
Senior (RS)
Graduation
91

Tim Peterson
LG
80
Senior (RS)
Graduation
68

Sean Edwards
MLB
80
Senior (RS)
Graduation
81

Jake Lee
RT
79
Senior (RS)
Graduation
62

Charles Noble
FS
79
Senior (RS)
Graduation
71

Buck Castillo
CB
78
Senior (RS)
Graduation
83

Matt Leierer
HB
76
Senior (RS)
Graduation
85

Cedric McKinney
TE
72
Senior (RS)
Graduation
73

William Hudson
CB
69
Senior (RS)
Graduation
83

Allen Salyer
FS
68
Freshman
Transfer (Home Sick)
71

Lance Nash
DT
67
Freshman
Transfer (Playing Time)
71

NFL Draft

Player
Position
Overall
Year
Projected Round
Drafted Round

Adam Powers
QB
96
Senior (RS)
3rd
3rd

Transfer Requests

Player
Position
Transferring From
Transferring To
Year
Overall
Reason
Admitted/Denied

Allen Salyer
FS
Utah State
Idaho
Freshman
68
Home Sick
Declared Staying

Lance Nash
DT
Utah State
Western Michigan
Freshman
67
Playing Time
Declared Staying

2022 Utah State Recruiting Class

Player
Position
Position Rank
Tendency
Star Ranking
:sparq:
Overall
+/-
Notes

Kyle Hall
HB
#7
Balanced
:4star:
78.00
73
-2

J.R. Gray
DT
#21
Balanced
:3star:
57.00
72
+1

DeMario Preston
DT
#7
Pass Rusher
:4star:
66.00
71
-4

Reggie Sanders
DE
#55
Pass Rusher
:3star:
63.00
71
+2

Jovon Blount
DE
#140
Balanced
:2star:
55.00
71
+1
JUCO (SO)

Nate Williams
TE
#38
Receiving
:3star:
63.00
69
+5

Cole Brown
SS
#36
Hard Hitter
:3star:
67.00
68
+1

Ryan Taylor
OLB
#66
Coverage
:3star:
64.00
68
-1

Garrett Brooks
HB
#44
Speed
:3star:
69.00
67
-1

James Campbell
SS
#57
Coverage
:3star:
67.00
67
+2

Sam Livingston
TE
#22
Blocking
:3star:
63.00
66
-1

Max Richard
T
#46
Run Block
:3star:
57.00
67
+4

Richard Andrews
G
#23
Balanced
:3star:
57.00
67
-2

Stephen Castillo
C
#27
Pass Block
:3star:
57.00
67
-2

J.T. Gillett
G
#32
Balanced
:3star:
57.00
67
-2

Freddie Williams
DT
#95
Run Block
:2star:
50.00
67
+5

John Waters
FB
#35
Blocking
:1star:
49.00
67
+1

Josh Jones
QB
#42
Pocket Passer
:3star:
65.00
66
-3

Gerald Woods
TE
#59
Balanced
:3star:
63.00
66
+1

Matt Peterson
DT
#32
Run Stopper
:3star:
57.00
66
-3

George Savoy
DT
#20
Run Stopper
:3star:
57.00
65
-4

Ken McDuffie
DT
#23
Balanced
:3star:
57.00
65
-5
Bust

Leon Castillo
DE
#34
Pass Rusher
:3star:
63.00
63
-3

Recruiting Class Rank

Rank: 21

Position Changes

Player
Position
Overall
New Position
Overall

Richard Andrews
RG
67
LG
67

Joshua Porter
MLB
70
LOLB
70

Derrick Perez
MLB
71
ROLB
69

Training Results

Highest Overall Player - Jason Barnes - QB - 94 OVR (+3)
Largest Training Increase - Brian Paris - HB - 91 OVR (+6)

Cut Players

Player
Position
Depth Chart Rank
Year
Overall

Leon Castillo
LE
4th
Freshman
63

Ken McDuffie
DT
5th
Freshman
65

George Savoy
DT
4th
Freshman
65

Matt Peterson
DT
4th
Freshman
660

Garrett Brooks
HB
6th
Freshman
67

Conference Changes

Team

Old Conference
New Conference

:Cincinnati:

:AAC: West Division
:AAC: East Division

:Navy:

:AAC: East Division
:AAC: West Division

BCS Bowl Tie Ins

Slots
Conference
Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:ACC:
Orange Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:AAC:
Any Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Big_Ten:
Rose Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Big_12:
Fiesta Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Mountain_West:
Any Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Pac_12:
Rose Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:SEC:
Sugar Bowl

Open Slot
At Large
Any Bowl

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 10:51 PM

2023 Utah State Football Schedule

Week
Home/Away
Team
Result
Score
Record
Game Notes

1
Home
:Utah:
Win
28-14 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734966422&viewfull=1#post1734966422)
1-0
Season Opener
Home Opener
Battle of the Brothers
Beehive Boot

2
Away
:Miami_OH:
Loss
34-31 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734966576&viewfull=1#post1734966576)
1-1

3
Away
#6 :Michigan:
Loss
27-52 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734966938&viewfull=1#post1734966938)
1-2

4
Away
:BYU:
Win
43-21 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734967083&viewfull=1#post1734967083)
2-2
The Old Wagon Wheel
Beehive Boot

5
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

6
Home
:San_Jose_State:
Win
49-21 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734969153&viewfull=1#post1734969153)
3-2 (1-0)
Conference Opener
Homecoming

7
Away
:Nevada:
Win
23-10 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734969244&viewfull=1#post1734969244)
4-2 (2-0)

8
Home
:New_Mexico:
Win
45-20 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734969283&viewfull=1#post1734969283)
5-2 (3-0)

9
Away
:Colorado_State:
Win
58-7 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734969582&viewfull=1#post1734969582)
6-2 (4-0)

10
Home
:Boise_State:
Win
33-32 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734977770&viewfull=1#post1734977770)
7-2 (5-0)

11
Away
:Air_Force:
Loss
33-34* (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734977990&viewfull=1#post1734977990)
7-3 (5-1)

12
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

13
Home
:UNLV:
Win
40-14 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734978099&viewfull=1#post1734978099)
8-3 (6-1)
Senior Night

14
Away
:Wyoming:
Win
33-9 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734978172&viewfull=1#post1734978172)
9-3 (7-1)
Bridger's Battle

15
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

CCG
:Mountain_West:
#3 :Fresno_State:
Loss
22-29 OT (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734978237&viewfull=1#post1734978237)
9-4 (7-2)
Mountain West Championship Game

Bowl Game
:Las_Vegas_Bowl:
:Cal:
Win
73-33 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734978352&viewfull=1#post1734978352)
10-4 (7-2)
Las Vegas Bowl

--- The scores are hyperlinks to the posted game report of that game. Just click on the score/link to be taken to that game's posted report.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 10:52 PM

Utah State Five Year HC Contract Goals - Year One

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
10

Job Security Status

100%

--- Contract goal numbers and job security updated through Season 13, Off-Season.

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 10:58 PM

The following players have been redshirted for the 2023 season.

2023 Redshirt Players

Player
Position
Depth Chart Rank
Year
Overall

Josh Jones
QB
4th
Freshman
66

Tyson Taylor
HB
2nd
Sophomore
76

Zack Coleman
HB
5th
Sophomore
71

Walter Johnson
FB
1st
Junior
74

Greg Miller
WR
2nd
Senior
77

Nate Williams
TE
2nd
Freshman
69

Max Richard
LT
3rd
Freshman
67

Richard Andrews
LG
3rd
Freshman
67

Drew Triplett
DT
3rd
Junior
70

Ryan Taylor
LOLB
4th
Freshman
68

Justin Dunn
MLB
1st
Junior
86

Freddie Arnold
P
2nd
Sophomore
71

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 11:42 PM

2023 Preseason Top 25

Rank
Team
2022 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
B-

2
:Notre_Dame:
11-2
A (95)
A (95)
A+ (97)
C

3
:Virginia_Tech:
13-1
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
A (95)
B

4
:Alabama:
10-4
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A+ (97)
A+

5
:West_Virginia:
10-3
B+ (91)
A+ (99)
B (85)
B

6
:Michigan:
10-3
A (95)
A+ (99)
A- (93)
D

7
:Nebraska:
11-3
A (95)
A+ (97)
A (95)
B+

8
:TCU:
10-3
B+ (91)
A- (93)
A- (92)
D-

9
:Wisconsin:
11-2
B+ (91)
A (95)
B+ (88)
C+

10
:UCLA:
11-3
A- (93)
A (95)
A- (93)
A-

11
:Georgia:
9-4
A (95)
A (95)
A (95)
C

12
:Ole_Miss:
9-4
B+ (91)
A (95)
B+ (90)
C-

13
:Florida_State:
10-4
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
A (95)
A

14
:Miami:
8-5
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
A (95)
A

15
:Oregon:
10-4
A- (93)
A+ (97)
A- (93)
B-

16
:South_Carolina:
9-4
A (95)
A+ (99)
A- (92)
A-

17
:Georgia_Tech:
10-3
B+ (90)
A- (93)
B+ (88)
B

18
:Texas_A&M:
7-6
A (95)
A (95)
A (95)
D-

19
:Oklahoma:
9-4
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A (95)
B+

20
:Connecticut:
10-3
B+ (90)
B+ (91)
B+ (88)
B-

21
:Stanford:
9-4
A- (93)
A+ (97)
B+ (90)
B-

22
:Navy:
13-1
B- (83)
B+ (88)
C+ (78)
C-

23
:Kentucky:
8-5
B (86)
B+ (91)
B- (82)
A

24
:Florida:
8-6
A+ (97)
A (95)
A+ (99)
A+

25
:Kansas_State:
9-4
B+ (90)
B+ (91)
B (87)
C

Mountain West Teams and 2023 Opponents

Rank
Team
2022 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

6
:Michigan:
10-3
A (95)
A+ (99)
A- (93)
D

34
:Utah_State:
11-2
B (84)
B+ (91)
B- (80)
B+

41
:New_Mexico:
13-1
C+ (77)
C+ (79)
C+ (76)
D-

43
:San_Diego_State:
10-4
B+ (88)
B+ (90)
B (87)
D

51
:Boise_State:
8-5
B+ (88)
A- (93)
B- (83)
D

61
:BYU:
7-6
B (84)
B (86)
B- (83)
D-

80
:San_Jose_State:
7-6
C+ (79)
B (84)
C (75)
D-

83
:Air_Force:
7-6
C+ (77)
B (84)
C- (71)
B

85
:Utah:
4-8
B (86)
B (86)
B (87)
B-

86
:Fresno_State:
3-9
B- (83)
B (86)
B- (82)
C+

92
:Nevada:
4-8
C+ (79)
B (86)
C (73)
B

101
:Colorado_State:
4-8
C (75)
C+ (77)
C (75)
C+

109
:UNLV:
5-7
C (74)
C+ (77)
C- (71)
D-

112
:Hawaii:
2-10
C+ (79)
B (84)
C (75)
B-

114
:Wyoming:
2-10
C (75)
C+ (77)
C+ (76)
D-

120
:Miami_OH:
1-11
C+ (79)
B (84)
C+ (76)
D+

"For Our Readers" Teams

Rank
Team
2022 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
B-

5
:West_Virginia:
10-3
B+ (91)
A+ (99)
B (85)
B

16
:South_Carolina:
9-4
A (95)
A+ (99)
A- (92)
A-

22
:Navy:
13-1
B- (83)
B+ (88)
C+ (78)
C-

32
:Army:
10-3
C+ (77)
C+ (79)
C+ (78)
D-

33
:Louisiana:
13-0
C+ (79)
B (84)
C+ (76)
C+

46
:Arkansas_State:
10-3
B- (83)
B (84)
B- (82)
B+

47
:Arizona_State:
6-7
B (86)
B (84)
B+ (90)
C+

54
:FIU:
8-5
B- (81)
C+ (77)
B- (83)
A-

55
:Auburn:
5-7
A- (93)
A- (93)
A (95)
B-

79
:Tulsa:
5-7
B- (83)
B (84)
B- (82)
D

104
:Southern_Miss:
6-7
C+ (79)
C+ (79)
C+ (78)
B

SmoothPancakes

09-23-2014, 11:59 PM

2023 Utah State Two Deep Roster

Offense

Position
Rank
Name
Year
Overall

QB
1
Jason Barnes
Senior (RS)
94

QB
2
Ryan Smith
Senior (RS)
82

HB
1
Brian Paris
Senior (RS)
91

HB
2
Benjamin Silva
Sophomore
73

FB
1
Raymond Watson
Sophomore
73

FB
2
John Waters
Freshman
67

WR
1
David Douglas
Senior (RS)
87

WR
2
Adam Washington
Sophomore
84

WR
3
Aaron Allen
Senior (RS)
77

WR
4
Jon Morris
Sophomore
73

WR
5
Tristan Muhammad
Freshman (RS)
72

TE
1
Jack Long
Senior (RS)
77

TE
2
Sam Livingston
Freshman
66

LT
1
Derek Smith
Senior (RS)
85

LT
2
Sean Baker
Senior (RS)
79

LG
1
Kevin Thomas
Sophomore (RS)
73

LG
2
Steve Sanders
Sophomore
68

C
1
Randy Thomas
Sophomore
76

C
2
Paul Rodgers
Sophomore (RS)
74

RG
1
Shelton Woods
Sophomore (RS)
85

RG
2
T.J. Bell
Junior
72

RT
1
Justin Wallace
Sophomore (RS)
78

RT
2
Freddie Williams
Freshman
67

Defense

Position
Rank
Name
Year
Overall

LE
1
Steve Jones
Freshman (RS)
73

LE
2
Jovon Blount
Sophmore
71

RE
1
Shaun Peterson
Junior
83

RE
2
Leroy Fuqua
Senior (RS)
76

DT
1
Scott Flanagan
Junior (RS)
75

DT
2
Lance Nash
Sophomore
72

DT
3
J.R. Gray
Freshman
72

DT
4
Xavier Simmons
Sophomore
71

LOLB
1
John Hale
Senior (RS)
80

LOLB
2
Joshua Porter
Freshman (RS)
75

MLB
1
Jon Smith
Senior (RS)
81

MLB
2
Johnny Sullivan
Sophomore (RS)
80

ROLB
1
Derrick Perez
Junior
78

ROLB
2
Jason Baker
Sophomore (RS)
78

CB
1
Leonard Hart
Junior
89

CB
2
Mike Moses
Senior (RS)
84

CB
3
Jesse Breedlove
Sophomore (RS)
83

CB
4
Lawrence Coker
Senior (RS)
75

FS
1
Kyle Mitchell
Sophomore (RS)
75

FS
2
Allen Salyer
Sophomore
72

SS
1
Cole Brown
Freshman
68

SS
2
James Campbell
Freshman
67

K
1
Doug Marcus
Junior
82

K
2
Ed Allen
Senior (RS)
89

P
1
Ed Allen
Senior (RS)
89

P
2
Doug Marcus
Junior
82

KR
1
David Douglas
Senior (RS)
99

KR
2
Leonard Hart
Junior
94

PR
1
David Douglas
Senior (RS)
99

PR
2
Leonard Hart
Junior
94

SmoothPancakes

09-24-2014, 12:22 AM

Alright, that should do it for all the preseason stuff. Looking over my schedule, it will be another challenging year, especially with the #6 Michigan looming early on.

Running down the list of games and the expectations, based on the preseason rankings as well as team ratings:

Utah - Toss-up
at Miami U - Win
at Michigan - Loss
at BYU - Toss-up leaning towards a loss
San Jose State - Toss-up leaning towards a win
at Nevada - Toss-up
New Mexico - Toss-up
at Colorado State - Likely Win
Boise State - Toss-up leaning toward a loss
at Air Force - Toss-up leaning toward a win
UNLV - Win
at Wyoming - Win

Based on those expectation and predictions, I'm looking at 4 games I should expect to win (6 if I include the toss-up leaning towards a win against Air Force and San Jose State). There is really technically only one game I should expect to lose, that being the road trip to Michigan. However, there are also two games that are a toss-up, leaning towards a loss. And then there are three games that are a true toss-up that could go either way.

So logically, I'm looking at a potential record somewhere between 9-3 and 4-8 this season. Utah has talent and skill, and being a rival, they're always a dangerous game, so it could go either way. Miami should be another win, though after the trouble we had early on last year with the Red Hawks, who knows. Michigan will be another loss in the Big House, BYU could go either way, especially due to the rivalry, but Cougars get slight nod due to having home field. San Jose State, this is only the second time facing them, so not entirely sure what to expect, though based on raw preseason ratings, we have the leg up. Nevada will be another that can go either way, same as New Mexico now after last season, who knows anymore instead of the expected 50+ point win in years past. Colorado State, a likely expected win unless the Rams somehow turn it around this year. Boise State will always be a toss-up. Air Force and that triple option will always be a toss-up, but our ratings advantage gives us the edge. UNLV should be another cakewalk, as should Wyoming, but with the rivalry with Wyoming, who knows. They seem to get themselves up for that last game against us no matter how their season has gone.

That schedule is no fluke. Utah State really does have 7 road games and only 5 home games this year. Utah and BYU alternate opposite each other, so when Utah is home, BYU is away, etc. For my other two non-conference games, I try to do the same, set one to be home the first year and away the second. The other game I set away the first year and home the second. Unfortunately, to work out the contract to play Michigan, we were forced into two away games in consecutive years, so we play at Michigan this year, after having just played at Michigan last year. Next year we'll have a neutral site game against Michigan at a location to be determined. So for this season, due to the Michigan contract, we will be saddled with 7 road games and only 5 home games, turning an already tougher schedule (with a bit weaker team) into an even bigger challenge with fewer games in front of our home fans on our home field.

SmoothPancakes

09-24-2014, 08:01 PM

One thing I forget to mention, what with going through all the off season stuff last night. I think I'm going to bump quarter length up to 10 or 11 minutes this season. There were a lot of games where I'd go on a 15+ plus play drive, made up mostly of runs, and would end up eating 6 or more minutes off the clock, of a 9 minute quarter clock. Gonna try to get more plays per game for both teams in my games, try to get plays and stats more in line with the simulated CPU games.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

JeffHCross

09-26-2014, 07:33 AM

And so there you go. The dynasty is official. Ohio State is your 2022 national champion, winning their third straight national title B1G! B1G! B1G!

Ohio State won a national title with Kirby Smart as OFFENSIVE coordinator? Now I've seen everything.

SmoothPancakes

09-26-2014, 08:46 AM

B1G! B1G! B1G!

Ohio State won a national title with Kirby Smart as OFFENSIVE coordinator? Now I've seen everything.

:D

Yeah, it seems he got tired of running Alabama's defense. The coaching carousel definitely gives some interesting results!

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

jaymo76

09-28-2014, 04:26 PM

Holy S$#@! Arizona State was in a bowl game? I don't check this forum for a week or so and all hell breaks loose. Next thing you are going to tell me is that Ram created an NFL conspiracy thread...:D

SmoothPancakes

09-28-2014, 05:39 PM

Holy S$#@! Arizona State was in a bowl game? I don't check this forum for a week or so and all hell breaks loose. Next thing you are going to tell me is that Ram created an NFL conspiracy thread...:D

:D

Yeah, it was an ugly bowl game, but Arizona State did what they needed to make it to one. It'll be interesting to see if they can repeat it next season.

Not sure when I'm going to start the new season. Took a break the last couple days from gaming, so not sure if I'll extend the NCAA break or jump into the new season sometime this week.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

SmoothPancakes

11-18-2014, 05:25 PM

Utah State Inks Series with Bowling Green, Navy and Notre Dame

By Staff Reports on June 18, 2023, at 6:25 PM

LOGAN — As the summer heats up and football practices begin, the coaches and players of Utah State found out just exactly who they'd be playing over the next five seasons, as the final pieces of the 2024 through 2027 schedules were put together, with Utah State agreeing to a home and home series with both Bowling Green and Navy, while signing an agreement with Notre Dame for a "two for one" series, with Notre Dame hosting two games in South Bend, while playing a third game at a neutral site, similar to the current three game contract with Michigan.

With the new additions to the future schedule, Utah State will travel to Notre Dame in 2024 and 2025, take a one year hiatus and then close out the Notre Dame series at a neutral location yet to be determined in 2027. Utah State will begin the Navy series in 2025 hosting the Midshipmen at Romney Stadium, followed by a visit to Annapolis in 2026. And Utah State will also open the Bowling Green series in front of friendly fans in 2026, before making the return trip to Doyt L. Perry Stadium in 2027.

A year ago, during the summer of 2022, the Utah State athletic department also announced extensions to the annual Beehive Boot series with both BYU and Utah, extending both of those fierce rivalry series through the 2027 season.

The new series with Notre Dame and Navy extends the list of highly competitive non-conference opponents on the schedules of the Aggies, that have seen Utah State in recent years play the likes of Auburn, BYU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Tulsa, USC, Utah and Wisconsin.

Listed below are the upcoming and future non-conference schedules for Utah State:

2023
Utah
at Michigan
at BYU
at Miami University

2024
at Utah
Michigan (at neutral site)
BYU
at Notre Dame

2025
Utah
at BYU
at Notre Dame
Navy

2026
at Utah
BYU
at Navy
Bowling Green

2027
Utah
at BYU
at Bowling Green
Notre Dame (at neutral site)

SmoothPancakes

01-05-2015, 10:46 PM

Game One

:Utah: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- After another winter, spring and summer of weight lifting, training, spring practices, meetings, two a days, scrimmages and practices, it was finally time to kick off another season of Utah State football. Coach Ramius entered the year with a shiny new 5 year contract extension and an expectation of 7 wins each season. Coming off an 11-2 season and a 7-1 mark in the Mountain West that saw Utah State just come up short of a trip to the conference title game, the Aggies were looking to win much more than just 7 games each season. The big question going into the year would be if they could rise to the challenge, with tougher non-conference schedules and somewhat weaker recruiting classes coming in.

Despite the losses to graduation after last season, not all hope was lost, as redshirt senior QB Jason Barnes took back the reigns of the offense, while redshirt senior Brian Paris and sophomore Benjamin Silva became the two headed rushing attack for the Aggies following the departure of Matt Leierer. Probably the biggest question would be the defense, which suffered quite a few losses to graduation, after already having some sub-par performances last season. The first test of the season would not be an easy one, as rival Utah came into Romney Stadium for the Battle of the Brothers. We won the coin toss and elected to kickoff.

A touchback on the opening kickoff would give Utah the ball at their 25 yard line to open the season, with Kirby Smart starting his first year at the helm of Utah on offense. A dropped pass on first down would get the drive started, followed by our first defensive meltdown of the season, as Donald Walker took the handoff on second down, weaved his way through a couple of holes around the left side and proceeded to break his way through three different tackles on the way to a 27 yard carry and a first down at our 48 yard line. Going into the air on first down, another dropped pass would bring up second and long for the Utes. Thanks to excellent pressure by our defense on second down, Ryan Tatum was forced to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack, leaving Utah with third and 10. Throwing up a deep bomb on third down, the pass would pay off for Utah as Maurice Allen was able to get behind his man going down the right sideline, hauling in the pass from Tatum in stride for a 48 yard touchdown pass, giving Utah a 7-0 lead with 9:26 left in the first quarter.

A 27 yard return by David Douglas would start us off at our 24 yard line. Starting our drive on the ground, Brian Paris would get us initially off on a good foot, rushing up the middle for an 8 yard gain, before being tripped up in the backfield for a one yard loss to leave us facing third and three. Taking a chance through the air on third down, the pass from Jason Barnes to tight end Jack Long was on the target, but a timely hit by the middle linebacker was enough to knock the ball loose and incomplete, forcing us to punt on fourth and three. A 15 yard return by Trey Riley on the 44 yard punt would set Utah up from their 38 yard line.

Utah would come out passing the ball again this drive, as Tatum quickly found his mark, hitting Clint Lee on an out route for a four yard gain, followed by a dump pass to Matt Dahl, good for a 9 yard gain to give Utah a first down at our 48 yard line. Walker would receive a pitch around the right side from Tatum on first down, but our defense was able to keep him bottled up and brought him down for a three yard loss to leave second and 13. Walker would make up those lost yards on second down with a 6 yard carry around the left end, bringing up third and 7 for the Utes. Somehow, Tatum would manage to chuck up a pass across his body to Riley, who would dive and stretch out to haul the pass in for a 21 yard gain as he slid out of bounds, giving Utah a new set of downs at our 24 yard line, our defense back to being incompetent. A first down pass from Tatum to Josh Griffith would actually see Utah go backwards, as Griffith was forced to give up ground while trying to avoid being tackled, only to be tripped up at the 27 yard line to leave second and 13. Our defense would both play great, and horribly, on the same second down play, as a blitz would find Tatum surrounded by blue jerseys in the backfield, and seemingly sacked for a 10 yard loss as he kept backpedaling, only for him to spin his way out of the grasp of two different players and nearly break free on the run. Thankfully extra movement slowed Tatum down long enough for the rest of our defensive line to close the distance and he was finally sacked for a 6 yard loss, leaving Utah with third and 19. Running a screen pass on third down, it would be broken from the start as our defensive end broke clean through and nearly sacked Tatum before tripping and falling. Tatum was forced to rush his screen pass to Walker, who was left unprotected and could only pick up two yards before being dragged down, leaving Utah attempting a field goal on fourth and 17 from our 31 yard line. The 48 yard kick had the distance and appeared to be sailing towards the center of the goalposts, but it slowly started to hook back outside over the final 10 yards and ended up missing just wide right, giving us back the ball at our 31 yard line, still only trailing by a touchdown.

Lining up after the missed field goal, Paris would again get us started off huge on the ground, this time with a 9 yard rush around the right end, followed by a four yard gain to pick up a first down at the 44 yard line. It would be no going on first down as Paris was quickly met at the line for no gain, while a second down attempt would net just three yards to leave us facing third and 7. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Barnes dropped back and rifled a pass to Adam Washington, but the pass would end up leading the receiver too much and was thrown ahead of Washington, allowing Utah’s defense to break it up and force another punt on fourth down. The 54 yard punt would bounce down around the 10 yard line and going into the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at their 20 yard line following the touchback, Utah came out attempting to pass, but a blitz and poor pass protection would see Tatum almost instantly sacked on first down for a four yard loss. A second down completion to Lee would go for a 10 yard gain, forced out of bounds at the 26 yard line to leave third and four. Tatum dropped back to pass on third down, but the blitz would get to him, the defense hitting him as he threw to force an incomplete pass and a Utah punt on fourth and four. A 13 yard return by Jesse Breedlove on the 36 yard punt would start our next drive from the Utah 49 yard line.

Taking over on first down just inside Utah territory, we would once again call upon our running game to start the drive, as Paris took the handoff from Barnes for a 10 yard gain around the left end and an immediate first down at the Utah 39 yard line. Another rush by Paris, this time up the middle, would go for a gain of 6 yards to bring up second and four. Continuing to pound the ball, Paris would rumble his way to an 8 yard carry, moving the chains once again, this time to the Utah 25 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Paris would be followed up by Benjamin Silva’s first carry of the game, good for a 7 yard rush to give us a first down from the 11 yard line. Paris would resume the backfield duties on first down, rushing for a 6 yard gain as we continue to plug away at the defense’s apparent main weak link, their inability to effectively stop the run. That would be our last play of the quarter as the clock ran out before we could get another snap off, bringing the first quarter to an end with Utah leading 7-0.

Starting the second quarter, we lined up on the 5 yard line, facing second down and four. Paris would take the handoff, plow his way into the mass of bodies in front of him and fight and drive his way into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown, tying the game up at 7-7 with 9:57 left in the quarter.

Another booming kickoff to the back of the end zone would result in another touchback, giving Utah the ball once more at their 25 yard line. It appeared to be our defense’s turn to be inept at stopping the run, as Walker took the handoff on first down and plowed straight up the middle into the heart of our defense, still managing to weave his way to a 10 yard carry before being brought down for a first down at the 35 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun, Tatum tried to fire a pass to Jerrell Lewis, but ended up overthrowing the ball for an incompletion. Attempting a screen pass on second down, the completion to Walker would end up going for no gain, leaving the Utes with third and 10. Managing to shake his way out of a sack, Tatum was forced to step up into the pocket as quickly throw the ball downfield as our blitz closed in around him, the pass ending up well over 15 yards behind the nearest receiver, all of whom apparently went racing downfield on fly routes. The incomplete pass would see the promising Utah drive come to an end and another appearance by the punt team on fourth down. A one yard return by Breedlove on the 35 yard punt gave us the ball at our 31 yard line.

Paris would be called on once more to get our drive off and running, only able to pick up three yards this time around. Paris would manage to fight and roll his way to a 5 yard gain on second down, bringing up third and two. Letting Paris do his thing on third down, he would come through with a three yard carry, setting us up with a first down at the 41 yard line. Continuing to pound away on the ground, Paris would pick up 5 more yards with a first down carry, followed by a huge 10 yard rush up the middle to get a new set of downs at the Utah 44 yard line. Trying to change things up and going into the air on first down, we would end up promptly back in our own territory as Barnes was sacked while still dropping back and driven back for a 9 yard loss to bring up second and 19 from our own 47 yard line. Now with no choice but to pass on second and very long, Barnes lined up in the shotgun, but his pass attempt intended for Washington was broken up over the middle to leave third down. Taking a prayer down the left sideline, the pass thrown to David Douglas would end up swatted down near the 10 yard line, forcing us to punt away. An 11 yard return by Riley on the 39 yard punt would give Utah the ball at their 25 yard line.

Lining up on first down following the punt, Utah would waste little time burning our defense on the ground, as Walker weaved his way around multiple defenders on the way to a 14 yard carry and a quick first down at the 39 yard line. Our defense would be ready the second time around, as Walker was quickly swallowed up in the backfield for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. A second down screen pass would likewise go nowhere as Walker was driven out of bounds for no gain on the reception, leaving third and 12. An incredibly ballsy play call, Utah would call the exact same screen pass for the second play in a row on third down. This time it would pay off as our defense was caught off guard this time, allowing Walker to haul in the pass all alone and race up the left sideline behind blockers for an 18 yard gain and a first down at our 46 yard line. Derrick Ross would take the handoff on first down, fighting his way to a gain of just two yards to leave second and 8. Another rush by Ross would go for a 6 yard gain to bring up third and two. Instead of giving the ball to Walker on third and short, Tatum would drop back to pass and tried to connect with Griffith over the middle, only to have the pass broken up to leave fourth down. Stranded out of field goal range at our 37 yard line, the Utes elected to go for it on fourth down. Ross received the handoff and initially looked to go up the middle, only to find a wall of bodies in his way. Attempting to bounce outside the right tackle, Ross would find himself in the path of the blitzing outside linebacker and would be tripped up and thrown off balance, finally pushed down and tackled for a two yard loss to force the turnover on downs.

Lining up at our 39 yard line following the failed fourth down attempt, this time we decided to change things up and came out passing on first down, but the pass over the middle intended for tight end Sam Livingston was thrown past both the receiver and defender and incomplete, leaving second down. Despite being hit at the exact same time the ball got to him, Douglas was able to haul in a pass from Barnes for a 15 yard gain on a comeback route, giving us a first down at the Utah 46 yard line. A first down handoff to Paris would net 6 yards, followed by a 7 yard rush to move the chains to the 33. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Barnes was finally able to get a pass into the hands of Washington, only to have it knocked out by the defender during the tackle, the ball falling incomplete to leave second down. Aaron Allen would come through for us on second down, hauling in a pass from Barnes along the left sideline for a 13 yard gain, resetting the down marker at the 20 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, the defense was ready for us as Paris could only manage a two yard gain to set up second and 8. This time around, a pass intended for Livingston would find its target for a 13 yard completion, setting us up with first and goal from the Utah 5 yard line. Paris would take his first crack at the end zone, rushing outside the right tackle for a three yard gain to move us to the two yard line. On the tenth play of the drive, Paris would take the handoff from Barnes and plow forward into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 1:12 left in the second quarter.

Another kickoff drilled deep into the end zone would result in yet another touchback, with Utah lining up at their 25 yard line. A first down screen pass by the Utes would see Walker pick up 13 yards and a quick first down, moving the chains to the 38 yard line. Griffith would keep things moving with a 13 yard reception over the middle for a first down at our 49 yard line. Rushing to the line, Tatum quickly dropped back and tried to connect with Dahl on first down, but his pass was off the mark to bring up second down, the clock stopped with 56 seconds remaining. From there, the offense would melt down as Tatum found himself quickly sacked on second down for a four yard loss, before a woefully overthrown pass intended for Walker sailed out of bounds, forcing Utah to punt on fourth and 14. Breedlove would let the 53 yard punt go into the end zone for a touchback.

Following the touchback, we lined up at our 20 yard line, still 33 seconds on the clock and all three timeouts in the bag. We didn’t have very many expectations with so little time, but we felt it better to at least make a token attempt at moving down the field rather than just taking a knee and running off 30+ seconds in a one possession game. Our first down pass attempt, intended for Allen, never had a chance of being completed as it was quickly broken up, leaving second down and 29 seconds to go. The second down pass attempt, this time intended for Jake Morris was nearly intercepted near midfield, bringing up third and long with 24 seconds remaining. At this point, with our lack of success obvious, we handed the ball off to Paris, who would gain two yards to leave fourth and 8. Utah would call their first timeout with 22 seconds to go. A 44 yard punt that landed right next to the sideline with no chance for a return would leave Utah starting from their 33 yard line with just 16 seconds left on the clock.

Coming out passing on first down, as expected, Utah would again burn our defense with that fucking screen pass, as Walker caught the ball behind a wall of blockers and raced down the right sideline for a 27 yard gain, finally forced out of bounds at our 40 yard line with 9 seconds left. Instead of playing prevent defense, with our crappy pass coverage, we chose to bring the blitz on first down, and it paid off as Tatum found little time to stand in the pocket, forced to rifle an errant pass downfield in the direction of Allen, only to have the ball be overthrown. The incomplete pass would leave second down from the 40 yard line and only 5 seconds remaining on the clock. Chucking up a Hail Mary into the left corner of the end zone, the pass would be intercepted at the goal line by cornerback Mike Moses with no time left on the clock, sending us into halftime holding a 14-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, a massive 62 yard kickoff return down the left sideline by Douglas would set us up with likely the best field position of the entire game, starting our drive from the Utah 36 yard to begin the third quarter. Douglas had nothing but wide open green in front of him after clearing the initial coverage by Utah and seemingly was on his way to a 98 yard kickoff return, but two Utah players were slightly faster and were able to chase him down from behind thanks to having the pursuit angle, and saved what would have been an assured touchdown in the process. Lining up at Utah’s 36 yard line, Paris got us started on the ground, but would only manage to pick up two yards on the first down carry. Another rush by Paris would pick up 6 yards this time around, bringing up third and two. Paris would just manage to keep our drive alive with his third down rush, getting the two yards necessary before being tackled, moving the chains to the 26 yard line. Continuing to grind it out, Paris fought his way to a 5 yard carry on first down, followed by a 6 yard rush to pick up the first down at the 15 yard line. Silva would keep us moving forward with a 6 yard rush on first down, followed by a four yard rush by Paris to leave us with third and inches. Silva would come back in the game on third down and get the job done, racing up the middle for a gain of four yards to set up first and goal at the one yard line. Paris would take the handoff on first down, picking up maybe six inches before being tackled to leave second and goal. Paris wouldn’t be denied on second down, plowing forward into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game, this time from one yard out, to increase our lead to 21-7 with 6:06 left in the third quarter.

Another deep kickoff would result in a touchback and Utah got lined up from their 25 yard line. Just when it couldn’t get any worse for the Utes, Tatum took the snap from under center on first down, dropped back to try and pass, only to find our blitz in his face. Scrambling desperately to find a space to either run or throw the ball away, he spun and sprinted around from one side of the collapsing pocket to another, got tripped up by Walker who had lined up in the backfield, somehow managed to spin off one sack attempt only to be hit by another defender. During the contact with the defender, the ball was jarred loose from Tatum’s throwing arm and fumbled, promptly picked up by defensive end Steve Jones, who managed to advance it four yards before being tackled to give us possession of the ball at the Utah 11 yard line. This play would disprove the previous prediction, following the kickoff return, that the best field position of the entire game would see us starting from the Utah 36 yard line, as we managed to knock 25 yards off that number and set ourselves up at the 11 yard line thanks to the defense.

Lining up at the 11 yard line following the fumble recovery, Paris went right back to work on first down, picking up two yards on the carry before being spun down. The second down carry would be a bit more successful, as Paris would rush for a gain of three yards to leave third and five. Paris would take another crack at it on third down, picking up three yards in the process, but still come up short to leave us with fourth and two from the three yard line. Ramius was faced with a tough play call decision. Kick the extra point distance field goal and take a 17 point lead, or gamble and try to get those two yards on the ground and extend our lead to 21, or leave Utah stuck with no wiggle room should we fail, as they would be in the shadow of their own goalposts. We would take the fourth down gamble and go for it all, but much like Utah last half, it wasn’t meant to be as Paris was shut down immediately for no gain, turning the ball over on downs at the three yard line.

Lining up along the goal line following the failed fourth down try, Utah was in a precarious position, with no room for lost yardage. That would end up not being a concern as Walker would shed off FOUR different defenders on his way to a 9 yard rush on first down. Another 9 yard rush by Walker, against shaking off multiple tackle attempts, would pick up the first down at the 21 yard line. Ross would take over on first down, getting around the corner and up the right sideline for a 19 yard gain and moving the chains to the 41 yard line. In another sign of bullshit, even Tatum would proceed to shake off three different tackle attempts while scrambling from the blitz, managing to run and slide his way to an 8 yard carry to leave second and two. Utah, infatuated with screen passes, would throw another on first down, this time to Ross for a gain of 17 yards and a new set of downs at our 35 yard line. (Boy, when this game fucks you, it REALLY fucks you). Walker would receive the handoff on first down, only able to gain one yard on the carry before being spun down to leave second and 9. Utah would go into the air on second down, but the pass from Tatum intended for Lee was off the mark and incomplete to bring up third down. Utah would run yet another screen pass on third down, but thankfully a diving tackle at the knees would send Ross to the ground for no gain on the play to set up fourth and 9 from the 34 yard line. The 51 yard field goal attempt, like the first one, was plenty long enough, but also like the first one, would sail wide right and we would get the ball back at our 34 yard line.

Paris would again get our drive off and running following the missed field goal, taking a handoff on first down for a gain of four yards, followed by a second four yard rush to leave third and two. Despite the failures of the previous drive, we decided to take another chance on the ground on third down, as Paris fought his way forward for a three yard gain to get the first down at the 45 yard line. Silva would take over on first down, only to be quickly stood up for just a one yard gain, leaving second and 9. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, Barnes would rifle off a pass to Allen on an out route, completed for a gain of 9 yards to leave us looking at third and inches. The clock would run out without another snap and that would be the end of the third quarter, our lead standing at 21-7.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up on third and inches from the Utah 46 yard line. Paris would get the handoff and would rumble for gain of 6 yards to pick up the first down at the 40 yard line. A first down carry by Paris would gain 7 yards, followed by a big 10 yard rush around the right tackle, moving the chains to the Utah 23 yard line. Silva would keep the momentum going with a 7 yard carry of his own, after which Paris would take the second down handoff for a gain of four yards to give us a first down at the 12 yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on first down, this time rushing for a gain of four yards. A second down rush by Paris would pick up three yards, leaving us with third and three. This time Paris would not be denied, fighting his way forward for a gain of three yards to give us first and goal at the two yard line. A one yard rush by Silva would bring up second and goal just outside the goal line. Another carry by Silva would see him met at the line of scrimmage for no gain, leaving third and goal. Silva would get the job done on his third try, punching it in for a one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 28-7 with 6:26 left in the game.

Utah would again field the kickoff in the end zone and kneel down for a touchback, starting their drive from the 25 yard line. The Utes would come out passing on first down, as Tatum stepped up in the pocket and took the hit as he threw, completing a pass to Dahl for a gain of 14 yards and a quick first down at the 39 yard line. Tatum would take off scrambling on first down, but would only gain four yards before being dragged down hard. A pass on second down would see Griffith pull in a 7 yard completion, good enough to get the first down at the 49 yard line. Going back to Griffith on first down, Tatum would complete the pass, but only for a two yard gain. The next play, the Utah offense would finally break our defense, as Riley cut across the field and was able to lose his man, hauling in a pass from Tatum near the 30 yard line with not a soul around him. One tackle attempt would see Riley shake his way out of it before being tripped up at the ankles and falling into the end zone for a 49 yard touchdown pass, cutting our lead to 28-14 with 5:05 left in the game.

Leonard Hart would only manage 19 yards on the kickoff return, forcing us to line up from our 18 yard line, by far our worst field position of the day. Silva would get us started on first down with a four yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and three. We would keep it on the ground on third down, where Silva (as Paris had seemingly up and disappeared from the game) managed to stumble his way to a 6 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 31 yard line and keeping the clock running with 3:43 and counting left In the game. Silva would find a great hole on first down and ran it all the way to a 10 yard carry, setting up second down and inches. A three yard rush by Silva would get the job done and reset the down marker, moving the chains to the 44 yard line. Freshman Kyle Hall would see his first collegiate action on first down, managing a two yard carry before being tripped up. Utah would call their first timeout of the half with 2:16 remaining. A two yard carry by Silva would leave us with third and 6, Utah’s second timeout called with 2:14 to go. While a pass play would be the most prudent course of action in the situation, needing 6 yards for a first down, we elected to run the ball on third down as it would force Utah to choose to either burn their final timeout of the game with just over two minutes remaining and down by 14, or have sit on their timeout and watch us take another 30 seconds off the clock before punting. Either way, it was a seemingly better option than taking a chance through the air and risking an incomplete pass. Silva would nearly get the first down, but he would be brought down for a gain of only four yards, forcing us to punt the ball on fourth and three from the Utah 49 yard line. The Utes would elect to burn their final timeout of the game, leaving them with 2:11 left and a 14 point deficit, with no way to stop the clock for the rest of the game other than getting out of bounds. In a solid punt, Ed Allen would punt the ball 37 yards and straight out of bounds at the Utah 12 yard line to leave the Utes no chance of a return.

Utah’s offense lined up from their own 12 yard line, just 2:07 remaining in the game and facing a 14 point deficit. It would no surprise to anyone following the game, that Utah would be going aerial assault from here on out. The aerial assault nearly lasted all of one play, as Tatum tried to fire a first down pass to Dahl, only to have it nearly intercepted (but sadly dropped) by Hall, leaving second down. Naturally, our defense would keel over and die on the next play as Lewis caught a pass over the middle from Tatum and, thanks to breaking his way out of three different tackle attempts, turn it into a 51 yard reception before a defender was finally able to hang on and drag him down, giving Utah a first down at our 37 yard line. Trying to go right back to Lewis on first down, the pass from Tatum would be dropped incomplete, leaving second and 10. This time, Tatum would not get away with his mistake, as his pass attempt down the left sideline intended for Allen was intercepted by Moses, his second of the game, and return 7 yards to give us possession of the ball at our 26 yard line with 1:43 remaining.

Silva would take the first down handoff following the interception, rushing for a gain of one yard to leave second and 9 and the clock running. Snapping the ball with 1:01 left, Silva took the handoff from Barnes and raced up the middle for an 8 yard gain, leaving third and one. Despite there being less than 30 seconds when the ball was snapped, we gave the ball off to Silva one last time, letting him pick up 6 yards on the carry and one last first down at our 40 yard line with 20 seconds left to go in the game. Despite being absolutely unnecessary, Barnes would line up under center and kneel down the ball with 13 seconds to go, just to put the icing and cherry on top of the cake of our 28-14 win over rival Utah, our second straight victory over the Utes.

With the win, we open our regular season at 1-0. With the loss, Utah opens their year 0-1. Up next, it’s on the road, for the first of many times this season, to take on the Red Hawks of Miami University.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 28, :Utah: 14

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A very quiet and poor day for Barnes, as he started off ice cold in the first quarter and never got much of a chance after as our running game took over, ending the day 4-12 for 50 yards passing. Hopefully it was just early season rust, as he will no doubt be needed, and called upon heavily, in future games. Rushing, Paris had a career day, running for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries. Silva ended his day with 78 yard and one touchdown on 19 rushes. Freshman Hall had two yards on his lone rush, the first of his collegiate career. Receiving, it was a very quite day as Allen led the way with 22 yards on two receptions. Douglas had 15 yards on a lone catch while Livingston ended with 13 yards on a single catch. Long and Washington were both targeted, but both marked with drops.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Had some trouble in the first quarter, had a lot of trouble in the fourth quarter, and had some horrible drives in-between that they thankfully didn't break on. It pretty much seemed to depend on which defense showed up from individual drive to individual drive, if we would shut the Utah offense, or if their offense would have their way with us and drive right down the field with huge runs and even bigger passes. Defense will no doubt be a major liability this season. Special teams however showed promise, especially the 62 yard kickoff return by Douglas to open up the second half. If Douglas doesn't somehow return at least a couple kickoffs this season, it will be a major shock after today's performance.

Utah State Kicking – A pretty much nonexistent day for Marcus as he didn't attempt any field goals. He did however end up going 4-4 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah:
7
0
0
7
14

:Utah_State:
0
14
7
7
28

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

9:26
:Utah:
Touchdown
M. Allen, 48 yard pass from R. Tatum (S. Mayhew kick)
:Utah: 7-0

Second Quarter

9:57
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 5 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 7-7

1:12
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-7

Third Quarter

6:06
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 21-7

Fourth Quarter

6:26
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 28-7

5:05
:Utah:
Touchdown
T. Riley, 49 yard pass from R. Tatum (S. Mayhew kick)
:Utah_State: 28-14

Game Stats

Utah
Stat
Utah State

14
Score
28

15
First Downs
21

377
Total Offense
314

19 - 86 - 0
Rushes - Yards - TD
66 - 264 - 5

20 - 35 - 2
Comp - Att - TD
4 - 12 - 0

302
Passing Yards
50

4
Times Sacked
1

3 - 9 (33%)
3rd Down Conversion
9 - 15 (60%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 1 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 - 0 (0%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
5 - 5 - 0 (100%)

3
Turnovers
0

1
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
0

25
Punt Return Yards
14

0
Kick Return Yards
106

413
Total Yards
434

3 – 41.7
Punts - Average
5 - 44.0

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

15:39
Time of Possession
24:21

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x3

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School
50
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

01-05-2015, 10:47 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State dominated Bowling Green 45-13, extending Ohio State's win streak to 43 games. In the upset of the week, Texas upended #2 Notre Dame 41-20. #4 Alabama knocked off #11 Georgia 38-17. #6 Michigan dispatched Hawaii 44-20. In a runner-up to upset of the week, Fresno State stunned #7 Nebraska 28-7. In the 2023 Texas Kickoff Classic, #23 Kentucky shocked #8 TCU 28-14. #10 UCLA survived Rutgers 37-28. #14 Miami topped Toledo 38-17. #16 South Carolina routed LSU 52-20. And #24 Florida rolled Massachusetts 59-21. Outside the Top 25, the 2023 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game would see Tennessee wallop Louisville 42-7.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State opens the year 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a 45-13 win over Bowling Green. Morsdraconis, #5 West Virginia remains 0-0 (0-0 Big 12) with a bye week. Souljahbill, Southern Miss remains 0-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 0-0 (0-0 Pac-12) with a bye week. LeeSO, Auburn remains 0-0 (0-0 SEC) with a bye week. SCClassof93, #16 South Carolina opens the year 1-0 (1-0 SEC) with a 52-20 rout of LSU. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 0-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International remains 0-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Navy remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week.

In Mountain West action, Utah State knocked off Utah 28-14. Fresno State stunned #7 Nebraska 28-7. Louisiana Lafayette would score with three seconds left to tie and then win in overtime, 42-35 over Boise State. The Rocky Mountain Showdown would see Colorado prevail over Colorado State 31-17. #6 Michigan slapped around Hawaii 44-20. California survived Nevada 23-20. And Northern Illinois topped Wyoming 21-14.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (40 first place votes) remains the #1 team, Alabama (21 votes) jumps two to #2, Virginia Tech remains #3, West Virginia climbs one to #4 and Michigan jumps one to #5. Wisconsin jumps three to #6, UCLA climbs three to #7, Ole Miss leaps four to #8, Notre Dame drops seven to #9 and Florida State climbs three to #10. Miami climbs three spots to #11, Oregon jumps three to #12, South Carolina moves up three to #13, TCU drops six to #14 and Georgia Tech moves up two to #15. Georgia falls five spots to #16, Texas A&M moves up one to #17, Oklahoma jumps one to #18, Connecticut climbs one to #19 and Kentucky jumps three to #20. Stanford remains #21, Navy remains #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, Nebraska plummets 17 spots to #24 and Florida (301 points) falls one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Kansas State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Kansas State (261 points) is #26, followed by Cincinnati (234), Arkansas (184), USC (148) and Vanderbilt (28).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1, Oklahoma QB Ben West is #2, Florida QB Joseph Brown is #3, Nebraska QB Cary Woods is #4 and Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #5.

souljahbill

01-06-2015, 05:35 AM

Your season is fixed. You already know all the results of all your games because you're the one scripting it.

#Puppetmaster

SmoothPancakes

01-06-2015, 10:28 AM

Your season is fixed. You already know all the results of all your games because you're the one scripting it.

#Puppetmaster
Damn straight! :D

Do you know how many times I had to replay that game over and over until I could get that interception at the end so it would make the game have a thrilling ending for you "drooling masses" reading my thread? I really need to buy a second controller to make these scripted plays and outcomes easier to produce.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I #TrustTheScript

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 04:59 PM

souljahbill

01-07-2015, 05:28 PM

You ever have a game where the game/CPU does everything it can to fuck you over every chance it gets? Yeah, I think this is one of those games. I've already had 3 or 4 moments where there has been some shady bullshit going on by the CPU, and I'm still only in the first quarter. :fp:

There's always "that game" where you're like, the CPU has decided it's going to win and you have no choice but to take it. It's always a game where you know you're going to win beforehand because your team is way better.

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 05:41 PM

There's always "that game" where you're like, the CPU has decided it's going to win and you have no choice but to take it. It's always a game where you know you're going to win beforehand because your team is way better.

Yeah, I'm having that game right now. The "occasions of bullshit" have climbed now to 6 or 7 and I still have 5 minutes left in the second quarter. It seems like it's one thing after another, just never ending. :fp:

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 06:32 PM

Yep, this is definitely "that game". Never ending shed tackles (I love how Miami's QB can constantly break his way out of three or four consecutive tackle attempts, right from one to the next, and never even be slowed down), flying DBs (apparently Miami either has Harry fucking Potter playing as DB or this is the college football version of Angels in the Outfield), numerous plays were every single Miami player initiates an absolutely flawless, perfect block that completely takes my defense out of the play for the first 10 yards, or their QB, despite being in the middle of being sacked, will fire off a PINPOINT ACCURATE pass 25 yards down field. And don't even get me started on the fucking WORTHLESS fucking challenge system. Nothing is EVER fucking reviewable in this game! :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

Worst yet, there's still 9 fucking minutes left in the third quarter. :bang:

souljahbill

01-07-2015, 07:16 PM

Dude, we've all been there. Your team is worthless and the opponent is full of Greek Gods who can do no wrong.

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 07:21 PM

Dude, we've all been there. Your team is worthless and the opponent is full of Greek Gods who can do no wrong.
Yep. :( Except why couldn't it be someone worthwhile? Why Miami OH of all bloody teams? I don't think they even won two games last year, yet they're playing like the New England Patriots.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I #TrustTheScript

souljahbill

01-07-2015, 08:00 PM

Yep. :( Except why couldn't it be someone worthwhile? Why Miami OH of all bloody teams? I don't think they even won two games last year, yet they're playing like the New England Patriots.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I #TrustTheScript

I told you. It's ALWAYS against a team you should beat. Some crappy team plays WAY up and your team plays WAY down. So frustrating because it feels like the game is cheating.

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 08:05 PM

I told you. It's ALWAYS against a team you should beat. Some crappy team plays WAY up and your team plays WAY down. So frustrating because it feels like the game is cheating.

Yep. That's what it's felt like the whole game. I actually had one play, where I got screwed, that went under automatic booth review, and I honest to god 100% expected for the game to say the play stands just say "F U" to me. I was legitimately shocked when the game reversed the play. Thankfully I'm midway through the third quarter (took a break to eat dinner), so I'm almost through the pain. :D

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 11:00 PM

Game Two

:Utah_State: :@: :Miami_OH:

Game Story

--- Coming off a successful season opener, one that saw us defeat our hated rivals for the second year in a row, it was onto the road for the first of many times this season, we headed to the Midwest to take Miami University. The RedHawks were a team that surprised us last year, as they held a 14-7 lead after one quarter and only trailed 21-14 at halftime, considering they were 1-8 going into the game.

Unfortunately, we would be going into the game blind this time around as we would be Miami’s season opening opponent. Whether the RedHawks had improved from last season’s dismal record or declined even more remained to be seen. Also remaining to be seen would be if Jason Barnes could overcome a poor first game and start finding his groove as a QB, as we would not be able to rely exclusively on the running game all season. Miami won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A 19 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart gave us the ball to start at the 20 yard line. Starting things off on the ground, Brian Paris took the handoff on first down for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a 6 yard rush to get a first down at the 31 yard line. Paris would keep pounding it away on first down, fighting his way forward for a gain of 3 yards, before a three yard rush on second down would leave us facing third and four. Trying out our passing game early on, Jason Barnes lined up in the shotgun on third down and hit an open Adam Washington right in the hands over the middle, only to have Washington drop the ball incomplete, forcing us to punt on fourth down. A 27 yard return by Tavares Chase on the 42 yard punt gave Miami the ball at their 48 yard line. However, there was a booth review on the play, and in what quite possibly would be the biggest screw job of the game, despite clear video evidence showing Chase’s footing stepping out of bounds THREE different times on the return, the full 27 yard return was upheld and Miami started near midfield.

For the second straight game, it would be a first appearance by our opponent’s head coach, as Tyson Hart was newly christened the Miami head coach during the offseason. So far, it seemed a promising start to his career. Dropping back to pass right out of the gate, Eddie Wright tried to connect with Raishaun Lee deep downfield over the middle, but Lee was unable to pull the pass in as it bounced off his hands and fell incomplete. In a repeat nightmare from last game, Miami came out on second down running a screen pass, as Wright successfully connected with Jon Lamb for a 10 yard completion and a first down at our 42 yard line. Wright took the snap on first down and quickly pitched it left to Lamb, but our defense thankfully caught on fast and was able to bring Lamb down for a two yard loss on the play. Lining up on second and long, Wright showed his mettle, standing up in the pocket and taking the hit, as he fired off a pass to Daniel Moore over the middle, good for a completion of 33 yards and a first down at our 11 yard line, with only an ankle tackle saving a touchdown. Lamb would need just one play to find pay dirt and he took a handoff from Wright and rumbled straight up the middle for an 11 yard touchdown, giving Miami a 7-0 lead with 6:43 left in the first quarter.

David Douglas would only manage an 18 yard return on the kickoff, leaving us lining up from our 19 yard line. We would again try to get things rolling first on the ground, as Paris took the first down handoff for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a 9 yard rush to move the chains to the 34 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Barnes quickly dropped back and fired off a pass to tight end Jack Long, only to have the ball knocked loose on contact by the linebacker, leaving second down. Another pass attempt, this time intended for Douglas, was broken up by the cornerback to bring up third and long. Barnes would finally manage to complete his first pass of the game with an 8 yard completion to Aaron Allen, but it wouldn’t be enough as we were forced to punt on fourth and two. A 36 yard punt by Ed Allen would sail out of bounds at the Miami 23 yard line.

Lining up at the 23 yard line after the punt, the RedHawks came out passing on first down, as Moore was apparently part Superman, covering an inexplicable amount of yards and making a diving, stretched out circus catch on the pass from Wright, good for a gain of 16 yards and a quick first down at the 39 yard line. Finally feeling pressure from our defensive line, Wright was forced to throw the ball away on first down. Second down would see even less success as Lamb was tackled in the backfield on a rush for a three yard loss to leave third and 13. The drive would end up coming to a quick end as a quick completion from Wright to Chase, also resulted in a quick tackle, with Chase limited to just a three yard gain and the RedHawks punting on fourth and 10. A fair catch on the 33 yard punt gave us back possession at the 27 yard line.

Taking over on offense following the punt, this time we decided to bring it straight at Miami, as Barnes dropped back from the shotgun and rifled a pass over the middle to Benjamin Silva, good for a quick 15 yard strike and a first down at the 42. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes tried to connect with Washington, but unfortunately overthrew the pass incomplete. Long would come through for us on second down, as a slant route would see him come open across the middle for a gain of 12 yards and a new set of downs at the Miami 45 yard line. Returning to the ground game, Paris took the handoff on first down and fought his way forward for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a four yard rush to leave us facing third and one. A three yard rush by Paris would be more than enough to preserve the drive, moving the chains to the 33 yard line. Continuing to pound the ball on first down, Paris managed to pick up four yards on the play, followed by an 11 yard dash by Silva to pick up the first down at the 18 yard line. Taking a chance through the air on first down, the pass intended for Allen was overthrown and nearly intercepted, leaving second down. Staying in the air on second down, instead of getting inside the 10 yard line as intended, the play would instead result in a catch by Douglas at the 5 yard line and on into the end zone through the body of a defender for an 18 yard touchdown pass, tying the game up at 7-7 with 1:13 left in the first quarter.

A touchback on the booming kickoff would give Miami the ball at their 25 yard line. Lamb would get things started with a rush around the left end, picking up 6 yards in the process. Dropping back to throw on second and four, the pass from Wright intended for Trey Atkins was dropped near the first down line to bring up third down. In a MASSIVE headbanging on the wall moment, Miami would turn a screen pass, that seemed destined to fail until a diving defender completely missed on the tackle, into a 69 yard touchdown catch by Lamb, who raced up the right sideline and into the end zone to give Miami a 14-7 lead with 31 seconds left in the quarter.

A 45 yard kickoff return by Hart would set us up with great field position, starting from our 48 yard line. Paris would get us off and running on first down with an 8 yard dash up the middle to leave second and two. That would be all we would get off however as the clock ran out to bring the first quarter to an end, Miami leading 14-7.

Starting the second quarter, we lined up on second and two from the Miami 44 yard line. Paris would again get the handoff and was able to work his way over the first down marker for a gain of four yards, down to the Miami 40. Trying to rush the ball once more, it was no go as Paris was quickly met at the line and devoured for no gain. Going into the air on second down, Barnes tried to connect with Washington, only to have the pass intercepted by safety Brian Griffith, returned 11 yards to the Miami 46 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, Wright would come out running a QB option, managing to break three different tackle attempts to turn it into a 19 yard rush, giving Miami a first down at our 35 yard line as apparently nothing we did could stop or bring down any Miami ball carrier. Another QB option on first down, would AGAIN see Wright break four fucking tackles on his way to a 35 yard touchdown rush, giving Miami a 21-7 lead with 8:37 as the CPU continued to really pile on the bullshit this game.

Hart would recover some of the momentum for us, thanks to impeccable blocking, with a huge 70 yard kickoff return up the right sideline, setting us up to start our next drive at the Miami 27 yard line. Paris would again get us started, picking up three yards on a first down carry, followed by a 5 yard rush to leave us facing third and two. Somehow, despite the blitz, Paris would just manage to pick up three yards on the carry, picking up a new set of downs at the 16 yard line. Paris would continue to pound the ball at the Miami defense, taking the handoff on first down for a much needed 7 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush by Silva to set us up with first and goal from the three yard line. Paris’ first crack at the end zone would result in a two yard carry, moving the ball to the one yard line. Lining up on second and goal, Paris would not be denied this time as he plunged into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, cutting Miami’s lead to 21-14 with 5:46 left in the second quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would give Miami the ball at their 25 yard line. Our defense came out on first down looking to make a statement, and they would do just that, as Wright found himself quickly under pressure while dropping back to pass, forced into throwing the ball away to avoid a sack and bring up second down. We would catch a big break on second down, as a pass from Wright to a wide open Chase, for what would have been at minimum an assured first down, was thankfully dropped incomplete, leaving Miami with third and long. Finally, after numerous close calls, our blitz would finally manage to get to Wright and sack him, bringing him down for a 7 yard loss and forcing the RedHawks to punt on fourth and 17. A 6 yard return by Breedlove on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 49 yard line.

We would continue to do what we do best and start the drive on the ground, where a pair of 5 yard rushes by Paris would leave us facing third and inches inside Miami territory. Handing it off to Paris on third down, he would get the first down and then some, as he found the gap and raced ahead for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the Miami 26 yard line. Silva would take over on first down, fighting his way to a gain of four yards, followed by a two yard rush by Paris to leave us with third and four. Trying to pass on third down, the throw intended for Allen would be swatted down by Superman DB in a recreation of the movie “Angels in the Outfield”, forcing us to settle for a field goal. The 34 yard field goal by Doug Marcus was good, further cutting Miami’s lead down to 21-17 with 2:45 left in the first half.

Another kickoff, another touchback, and Miami was back in action from their 25 yard line. Lamb would receive the handoff on first down, but was only able to gain one yard on the play. Lamb would try his luck again on second down, but was quickly stood up for no gain to stick Miami into a third and 9 situation. In a very questionable third down play, Wright was able to get a pass off to Chase for a 9 yard gain, but it appeared Chase was stood up short of the first down marker and driven out of bounds without crossing the line, however the refs gave him a first down on the play. Naturally, it was impossible to challenge the marking on the field, and Miami got to keep their drive moving at the 35 yard line. Our defense refused to go down without a fight however, as Wright was forced to throw the ball away on first down. Unfortunately the success was short lived as Wright connected with Atkins over the middle on the very next play for an 18 yard completion and a first down at our 46 yard line. Thankfully, we would next get burned on Miami’s first down screen pass this time, as one of our defenders hurdled his blocker and managed to drag Lamb down for a gain of only 6 yards, leaving Miami with second and four and forced to use their first timeout with 1:14 left on the clock. Despite being dragged down by our blitz on second down, Wright was somehow magically able to still fire off a dead accurate pass downfield to Chase, good for a 16 yard gain and another first down at our 25 yard line as there seemed to be no earthly way for our defense to do anything to stop this drive. After completing a first down pass to Chase for a gain of 8 yards, Wright tried to pull a QB option on second down, only to find himself running straight into our defensive line and instantly tackled for a 5 yard loss, setting up third and 7, Miami calling their second timeout with 54 seconds to go. Thankfully, with the threat of a sack looming, Wright would overthrow his third down pass, sending it out the back of the end zone and incomplete to bring up fourth and 7. Inexplicably, instead of kicking the 39 yard field goal, Miami would instead opt to go for it on fourth and 7 for no noticeable reason. Naturally, Wright, aka Harry Fucking Potter, would shake off three different defenders in the pocket and rocket another accurate pass over the middle to Jamaal Carter for a 21 yard completion, setting Miami up with first and goal at our one yard line. Rushing to the line of scrimmage, Wright would try to get the touchdown through the air, but the pass to Thad Russell was dropped, leaving second and goal. The RedHawks would try and pitch the ball right to Lamb, but one of our guys was able to break through the line unblocked and drive Lamb backwards, eventually brought down for a 5 yard loss to bring up third and goal at the 6 yard line. Again trying their chances through the air, it was not meant to be for Miami as Wright’s pass intended for Damon Guidry was dropped as he ran out of the back of the end zone, forcing Miami to finally settle for a field goal on fourth and goal. The 23 yard field goal by Matt Patterson would sail through, extending Miami’s lead to 24-17 with 16 seconds left until halftime.

A 15 yard return would be all Hart would manage, leaving us stuck at our 17 yard line with 12 seconds to go. We would find some quick success as Jon Morris was able to get open and behind his man deep over the middle, hauling in the pass from Barnes for a quick 25 yard strike to give us a first down at our 42 yard line. An immediate timeout stopped the clock with 7 seconds remaining, time for one, MAYBE two more plays. Instead of having a chance at anything, the first down pass would be intercepted and the clock would expire during the play, sending us into halftime trailing 24-17.

Opening up the second half, another touchback would give Miami the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Thankfully, despite the offense coming out trying to run a screen pass on first down, our defense was able to recognize it and broke up the pass right away to force second and long. It wouldn’t take long for our defense to completely steamrolled once more, as Miami would make every perfect block and Lamb would have an entire goddamn half of the field to run his way to a 26 yard gain, giving Miami a first down at our 49 yard line. After a QB option run by Wright that would pick up 8 yards, he would again show flashes of Joe Namath and fire a perfect pass to Lee right at the sideline for a Sportscenter highlight one foot toe drag 17 yard catch and first down at our 24 yard line. After being forced to get rid of the ball on first down, Wright would come back on second down and find a WIDE OPEN, completely unguarded Russell for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 11 yard line, a diving ankle tackle the only thing keeping that play from becoming an even longer touchdown pass. Somehow, our defense finally stood up and made a play on first down, as it was our turn for a little Angel shit as a pass from Wright, intended for Lee, was instead jumped and intercepted by safety James Campbell in the back of the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at our 20 yard line following the interception and touchback, there was no doubt that we absolutely had to score a touchdown here. With the way the Miami offense (and game) was bending us over, anything short of a touchdown to tie the game right here and right now would probably make it impossible to come back. Coming out running on first down, Paris would get us moving with a 5 yard gain, followed by a three yard gain to bring up third and two. Going all in with the run game, Paris would get the ball and wouldn’t let us down, as he rumbled his way to an 8 yard rush and a first down at the 36 yard line. Silva would come in on first down and keep us moving with a 6 yard dash, followed by a four yard rush by Paris to leave us with third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down, rushing forward for a gain of 5 yards to get a new set of downs at the Miami 49 yard line. Paris would try to keep us moving on first down, but his carry would pick up just two yards. Going into the air on second down, Barnes would find Raymond Watson over the middle for a big 13 yard gain, resetting the down marker at the Miami 34 yard line. Returning to the ground game on first down, Paris would go straight up the middle for a 6 yard gain on the play. Silva would return on second down, and in quite possibly the most blatant bullshit from the game today, Silva would suddenly fumble the ball after a two or three yard gain, the fumble would promptly be picked up by a defensive tackle and said fat ass defensive tackle would take the ball 72 yards back for a touchdown, with not a single one of my faster offensive players able to run his fat ass down. Now, the game would initiate a challenge of the play on its own, and in a miracle, the call would legitimately shockingly be reversed and Silva would be credited with a four yard run, after it was confirmed he was already down by his elbow before the fumble occurred. (Author’s Note: I’ll be honest, despite the video evidence of Silva being down, and despite the announcers saying they thought he was down, I 100% legitimately expected the game to fuck me over and say the play would stand as a fumble/Miami TD, just because that is exactly the kind of game this game has been today.) So, after surprisingly not getting screwed on the replay and being able to continue our drive, we lined up on third and two, with Paris getting the call. It would be close, but Paris was just barely able to get two yards on the play and pick up the first down at the 24 yard line. Changing it up on first down, Barnes lined up under center, only to quickly drop back and rifle a pass to tight end Sam Livingston, good for a quick gain of 21 yards to give us first and goal at the three yard line. Paris would get first crack on first and goal, gaining one yard on the play to move the ball to the two yard line. Paris would not be denied on his second try, punching it in for a two yard touchdown to finally tie the game back up, 24-24, with 3:45 left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff would result in another touchback and Miami lined up from their 25 yard line. Lamb would get things started on the ground with an 8 yard rush, followed by a dash of 7 yards to pick up a first down at the 41 yard line. Trying to run around the right side, the delayed handoff from Wright to Lamb would leave him a sitting duck, quickly brought down for a two yard loss to leave Miami facing second and 12. Despite being hit by two different players, Wright would still manage to fire off a perfect pass on second down to a wide open Chase, who proceeded to break his way out of two tackles on his way to a 51 yard reception, before finally being yanked down at our 10 yard line, giving Miami first and goal. Going into the air on first and goal, Wright tried to connect with Moore along the left sideline, but the pass was dropped. Lamb would get the ball on second down, picking up only three yards on the play despite nearly running from sideline to sideline, setting up third and goal from the 7. The RedHawks would run a screen pass on third and goal, but Lamb would only be able to gain a single yard on the play, as almost our entire defense has been dropped back into zone on the play, and thus almost no one bit on the screen. Facing fourth and goal from the 6 yard line, Miami would settle for a 24 yard field goal, taking a 27-24 lead with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

A 24 yard kickoff return by Hart would get us back on the field at our 27 yard line. Paris would get our drive started, but a breakdown by our offensive line would limit his first down rush to just two yards. It would take just one pass to see us down by double digits, as a pass intended for Jack Long would be intercepted and returned 36 yards for a touchdown to put Miami up 34-24 with 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

An 18 yard return by Douglas on the kickoff would find us starting from our 20 yard line. Forcing Barnes right back into the saddle, we came out in the shotgun on first down, his pass attempt intended for Allen swatted away from behind and incomplete. Tristan Muhammad would come through on second down, pulling in a pass from Barnes for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at the 31 yard line. Barnes would drop back to pass on first down, but was hit as he went to throw and had the pass broken up. Allen would get us back moving forward on second down, as he hauled in a pass for a 15 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 46. We would fail to get another snap off before the clock ran out, bringing the third quarter to an end with Miami leading 34-24.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up with a first down at the 46 yard line. Paris would get the quarter underway with a four yard rush around the right tackle, followed by another four yard rush to leave us with third and two. A 7 yard rush would solidify the first down, moving the chains to the Miami 40 yard line. A first down pass intended for Douglas would get broken up, while a pass on second down, intended for Kyle Hall, was nearly intercepted, leaving us facing third and long. Dropping back to pass on third down, Barnes was forced to rush his throw, intended for Allen, and overthrow his target, leaving us facing fourth and long. Down 10, against a team our defense has been pretty much worthless at stopping all game, with only 8:38 remaining in the game and sitting on the Miami 40 yard line, we figured now was as good as any to take a stab on fourth down. It most likely wouldn’t much matter if we didn’t get it, as the end result would probably be the same whether we failed to convert on fourth down or punted. This time around, Barnes would complete the pass to Allen, but he would be stopped short for just a 5 yard gain, and we would turn the ball over on downs at the Miami 35 yard line.

Lamb would get the Miami offense off and running with a three yard rush on first down, before a second pass attempt, intended for Atkins, sailed long and out of bounds to bring up third and 7. Despite completing the third down pass to Russell, our defense was able to limit the damage to just four yards on the completion, forcing Miami to punt away on fourth and three and giving us a momentary breath of hope. Miami’s punter would shank the kick, sending it straight out of bounds for just 19 yards, setting us up in good shape at our 39 yard line.

Lining up after the shanked punt, we came out firing as Barnes found Watson on first down for a quick 11 yard gain and a first down at midfield. Unfortunately we’d momentarily go cold, as pass attempts to both Washington and Muhammad resulted in incompletion passes, leaving us with third and long. Thankfully Allen would come through with a huge catch on third down, good for a gain of 10 yards and new set of downs at the Miami 40 yard line. Running the ball on first down, Silva took the handoff and plowed ahead for a 5 yard gain, followed by a second 5 yard rush to leave us with third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down, and with a two yard rush, he extended our drive to the Miami 28 yard line. A play action pass on first down would see the defense bite and find Watson wide open along the right sideline, good for a 10 yard completion to leave us with second and inches. Despite facing a goal line defense, Silva was able to rumble ahead for a three yard gain and a new first down at the 15 yard line. Going back to the air on first down, with a necessity of scoring and time ticking down, Barnes fired off a pass to Allen for a quick 12 yard gain to set us up with first and goal from the Miami three yard line. Hall would take the ball on first down, bouncing outside the right tackle for a two yard gain, down to the one yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on second down and need just one play to punch it in for a one yard touchdown, cutting Miami’s lead to 34-31 with 4:17 left in the game.

Our kickoff would again send the football sailing into the end zone for a touchback, lining Miami up from their 25 yard line. Now was truly do or die for our defense. The RedHawks would come out passing on first and second down, but thanks to a good pass rush and good coverage of the receives, Wright was twice forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sack, resulting in a quick third and 10. Probably our biggest break of the entire game, Chase had been able to get behind his defender and very possibly could have taken a catch all the way down the field, 75 yards for a touchdown, but by the grace of god, he would end up dropping the ball he went tried to catch it and turn up field at the same time, forcing Miami to punt on fourth and 10 from their 25 yard line. A 10 return by Breedlove on the 35 yard punt would give our offense the ball right at midfield.

Our offense came on the field following the punt, needing a field goal to tie, a touchdown to potentially win, and just 3:56 in which to score one or the other. We elected to start the drive on the ground, letting Silva get us started with a four yard rush up the middle. Another handoff to Silva would gain three more yards, leaving third and three. Seeing this as a four down drive no matter what, we kept the ball in Silva’s hands, and he would come through in the clutch, picking up three yards on the play to move the chains to the 39 yard line. A big run by Hall would go for a 10 yard gain, leaving us with just second and inches, upon which Silva would take the handoff from Barnes and fight his way to gain of a single yard, picking up the first down at the 29 yard line with 1:58 remaining. After getting three yards on the ground out of Silva, we would end up going backwards as Barnes was sacked for an 11 yard loss, leaving us facing third and 17, our first timeout called with 1:03 remaining. Going into the air on third down, Barnes was able to complete a pass to Allen, but it would go for only 8 yards, setting up a game deciding fourth and 9 from the 28 yard line. We called our second timeout with 47 seconds remaining to decide on the play. A field goal was briefly thought about, but at 45 yards, when we’re lucky if our kicker even has the distance for a 35 yard field goal, that was quickly dismissed as it would all but likely end up another attempt falling 7+ yards short and bouncing in the end zone. No, our best chance would be on offense. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t happen. The defense brought the blitz and Barnes was forced to scramble to avoid a sack. In the mean time, Allen was his only option of a completion, but he would be quickly tackled for a mere four yard gain, turning the ball over on downs at the Miami 24 yard line.

Lining up in victory formation, Wright would drop to a knee on first down. Even though it would do literally no good, we called our final timeout with 40 seconds remaining. Wright would drop to a knee one more time. Letting the clock dip down to 5 seconds to go, the RedHawks would snap the ball again, but instead of dropping to a knee, they would hand the ball off to Lamb for a one yard loss to end the game, handing us a 34-31 defeat.

With the loss, we drop to 1-1. With the win, Miami University opens their season 1-0. Up next, we head to Ann Arbor to get our annual prostate exam from the #5 Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines opened their season in week one, drubbing Hawaii 44-20, before entering a bye week ahead of our contest in the Big House.

Final Score

:Miami_OH: 34, :Utah_State: 31

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Another piss ass day for Barnes, ending 16-32 for 198 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. If Barnes doesn't pull his ass out of his head soon, he's getting benched, enough is enough. Rushing, Paris led the way with 158 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries. Silva finished with 63 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, Hall had 12 yards on two rushes. Receiving, Allen led the way with 63 yards on seven catches. Douglas had the only receiving touchdown, which also came on his only catch of the game for 18 yards. In total, 8 receivers caught at least one pass today, and all of them ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – No comment.

Utah State Kicking – A perfect day for Marcus, going 1-1 on field goals with a 34 yard kick, as well as going 4-4 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
10
7
7
31

:Miami_OH:
14
10
10
0
34

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

6:43
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
J. Lamb, 11 yard run (M. Patterson kick)
:Miami_OH: 7-0

1:13
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, 18 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 7-7

0:31
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
J. Lamb, 69 yard pass from E. Wright (M. Patterson)
:Miami_OH: 14-7

Second Quarter

8:45
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
E. Wright, 35 yard run (M. Patterson kick)
:Miami_OH: 21-7

5:47
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Miami_OH: 21-14

2:49
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 34 yard field goal
:Miami_OH: 21-17

0:16
:Miami_OH:
Field Goal
M. Patterson, 24 yard field goal
:Miami_OH: 24-17

Third Quarter

3:45
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 24-24

1:32
:Miami_OH:
Field Goal
M. Patterson, 24 yard field goal
:Miami_OH: 27-24

0:45
:Miami_OH:
Touchdown
J. Quinn, returned interception 36 yards (M. Patterson kick)
:Miami_OH: 34-24

Fourth Quarter

4:17
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Miami_OH: 34-31

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Miami University

31
Score
34

26
First Downs
13

422
Total Offense
392

55 - 224 - 3
Rushes - Yards - TD
21 - 97 - 2

16 - 32 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
16 - 33 - 1

198
Passing Yards
295

1
Times Sacked
1

10 - 15 (66%)
3rd Down Conversion
2 - 10 (20%)

0 - 2 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 1 (100%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

5 - 4 - 1 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
4 - 1 - 2 (75%)

3
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
0

3
Intercepted
1

17
Punt Return Yards
26

205
Kick Return Yards
0

644
Total Yards
418

2 – 39.0
Punts - Average
4 - 31.8

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

27:41
Time of Possession
12:19

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Play in an ESPN Classic Game
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 11:00 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State demolished Tulsa 56-17, upping their win streak to 44 games. In the upset of the week, Michigan State toppled #2 Alabama 35-28. In the game of the week, #3 Virginia Tech knocked off #6 Wisconsin 38-17. #4 West Virginia doubled up Texas Tech 42-21. #7 UCLA beat #21 Stanford 28-14. #8 Ole Miss got past Missouri 42-28. Syracuse stunned #9 Notre Dame 42-38.

#10 Florida State hammered Florida International 49-28. #12 Oregon flew past Virginia 35-21. #13 South Carolina violated UAB 66-10. #15 Georgia Tech escaped Vanderbilt 31-26. In the 2023 Cowboys Classic, #18 Oklahoma shocked #16 Georgia 31-29. #17 Texas A&M beat Eastern Washington 45-24. #20 Kentucky beat Arkansas 42-28. #23 Texas walloped California 56-37. Tennessee shocked #24 Nebraska 31-28. #25 Florida topped North Texas 52-31.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a 56-17 drubbing of Tulsa. Morsdraconis, #4 West Virginia opens their year 1-0 (1-0 Big 12) with a 42-21 win over Texas Tech. Souljahbill, Southern Miss remains 0-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Jaymo, Arizona State opens the year 0-1 (0-0 Pac-12) with a 52-21 shellacking from LSU. LeeSO, Auburn opens the year 1-0 (0-0 SEC) with a 44-7 thrashing of Cal Poly. SCClassof93, #13 South Carolina improves to 2-0 (1-0 SEC) with a 66-10 horsefucking of UAB. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State opens the year 1-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 45-10 rout of Western Carolina. Florida International opens the year 1-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a 24-13 win over Tennessee State. Navy remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa opens their year 0-1 (0-0 American) with a 56-17 loss to #1 Ohio State.

In Mountain West action, Air Force slipped past Georgia State 38-35, San Jose State knocked off Colorado 28-24, Hawaii rolled Youngstown State 34-3, Fresno State escaped Portland State 24-17, Colorado State edged out Florida Atlantic 21-20, San Diego State topped Northern Arizona 27-14, New Mexico got past Coastal Carolina 24-13, Miami University cheated their way past Utah State 34-31, Purdue smoked Nevada 45-17, Baylor topped Wyoming 34-7 and Montana shocked UNLV 37-34 in overtime.

In a separate game of note, BYU defeated Utah 37-34 in overtime. That will set up the BYU-Utah State game as the deciding game for the Beehive Boot, in addition to the Old Wagon Wheel.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, in a stunner, Virginia Tech (33 first place votes) jumps two spots to steal the #1 ranking. Ohio State (27 first place votes) drops one to #2, West Virginia climbs one to #3, Michigan jumps one to #4 and UCLA moves up two to #5. Ole Miss jumps two to #6, Florida State leaps three to #7, Miami jumps three to #8, Oregon climbs three to #9 and Wisconsin drops four to #10. South Carolina climbs two to #11, Georgia Tech jumps three to #12, TCU moves up one to #13, Oklahoma vaults four to #14 and Texas A&M climbs two to #15. Alabama plummets fourteen to #16, Connecticut jumps two to #17, Kentucky climbs two to #18, Navy moves up three to #19 and Texas jumps three to #20. Notre Dame falls twelve to #21, Georgia drops six to #22, Florida climbs two to #23, Kansas State enters the poll at #24 and Stanford (257 points) drops four to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Nebraska (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Cincinnati (237 points) is #26, followed by USC (175), Baylor (95), South Florida (78) and Louisiana-Lafayette (61) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include New Mexico (49), Tennessee (29) and SMU (28).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1 (LW: #1), Oklahoma QB Ben West is #2 (LW: #2), Florida QB Joseph Brown is #3 (LW: #3), Texas QB Justin Jones is #4 (LW: NR) and Nebraska QB Cary Woods is #5 (LW: #5). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Michigan QB Brian Brewster (LW: #5).

SmoothPancakes

01-07-2015, 11:02 PM

Whichever cocksucker coded the game in such a shitty way as to allow it to so blatantly cheat like that, I hope they choke on a dick.

That's all I have to say about the Miami game.

I think I'll be back on hiatus for at least a few days while I get rid of the desire to take an acetylene torch to my disc.

souljahbill

01-08-2015, 08:55 AM

I've been there plenty of times. On the bright side, you're about to blow Michigan out. The opposite is also true. Your team will play like crap against lesser schools but will murder a better team. It's absolutely crazy how that works sometimes.

jaymo76

01-10-2015, 02:06 PM

SmoothPancakes

01-10-2015, 04:04 PM

Wow! Ram totally called it. The fix is in! :D:fp:

Like Soulja, these games drive me crazy. I have had my fill of them in Madden 15. My last one was in the playoffs last season. My controller almost went through the TV.
Ugh, this game pissed me off so bad. I've had games like this once or twice before, but I was always able to overcome the bullshit and win. This is the first time I've lost when being so blatantly cheated against by the game. All I know is if I end up missing a bowl game because of this shit, I'm mailing a bag of shit to every EA employee who coded the CPU in this game.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I #TrustTheScript

jaymo76

01-10-2015, 05:57 PM

You are a better man than I Smooth. I have been trying to get back into NCAA 14... BUT going back to last gen is proving to be difficult, especially after picking up the super awesome xbox one (and having a 4). Graphics, sound, and overall quality are hard things to get over. Plus the lack of the playoff and the now extremely outdated unis are tough to think about.

That being said, the last chapter for coach Jaymo at UNLV has not yet been written!

SmoothPancakes

01-10-2015, 06:05 PM

:D Truth be told, I've been trying to get this season started since I made my schedule post on November 18th with the addition of series against Bowling Green, Navy and Notre Dame.

I'd be sitting there with a block of hours wide open, saying to myself that I wanted to get the season going. Then instead of firing up NCAA, I'd jump on Xbox One for a "quick round" of Advanced Warfare or something, only to stay on it for an hour or two, or I'd find a good movie on TV or start watching a show, next thing I know, instead of having 4-5 hours I can dedicate to my dynasty, it's already 8 or 9pm and I have no time to fit it in.

It's been like that for weeks. This week, I knew if I was going to revive this thing, I had to do it now or else I would probably just keep putting off and off and off, so I just forced myself to fire it up and get the Utah game going and try and get this season rolling.

SmoothPancakes

01-13-2015, 01:45 AM

Game Three

:Utah_State: :@: #4 :Michigan:

Game Story

--- After an extremely disappointing loss to Miami University, it was back to the Midwest as we headed for the Big House to take on the #4 ranked Michigan Wolverines. Already dejected because of the RedHawks, we would have to try and recover and get up for a much more challenging opponent with a top 15 offense and a top 20 defense.

While Michigan’s only game of the season came on a 44-20 drubbing of Hawaii, some hints as to their offense were given, as Michigan’s QB was also their leading rusher, alluding to a mobile QB who can just as easily run as pass. As well, Michigan appeared to be more run oriented against the Rainbows as their QB ended with just one passing touchdowns and one interception, meaning that the other four touchdowns Michigan scored that day came via some other method than passing. Michigan won the coin toss and elected to kick.

David Douglas would get us off to an incredible start, as he took the opening kickoff straight up and down the left sideline, returning it 53 yards before being tackled at the Michigan 38 yard line. Quite possibly what would be our best starting field position all game, our offense got lined up on first down as Brian Paris started us off with a 5 yard rush. A second rush by Paris would go for a gain of three yards, bringing up our first third down of the game on third and two. Taking a chance on third down, Paris would come through for us with a 5 yard carry, picking up a first down at the 25 yard line. Paris would continue pounding the ball, taking a first down handoff for a four yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and three. Lining up under center on third down, Jason Barnes dropped back and rifled a quick pass to tight end Sam Livingston for a 12 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the 6 yard line. Paris would need just one play as he found a huge hole and dived into the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown, putting us on top 7-0 with 7:15 left in the first quarter, stunning the home crowd into silence.

A touchback on the kickoff would give Michigan the ball at their 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, it wouldn’t take the Wolverines long against our defense as Brian Brewster connected with an open Josh Warren for an immediate 18 yard gain and a first down at the 43 yard line. A quick first down pass over the middle to Heath McAfee would pick up 9 yards, before a screen pass to Michael Muse would result in a loss of four yards, bringing up third and 5 for the maize and blue. A rushed pass by Brewster would get nearly intercepted, the incompletion forcing Michigan to punt on fourth and 5. No return by Breedlove on the 34 yard punt gave us the ball at our 16 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, Paris would once again get our drive off and running, picking up 5 yards on the ground on first down, followed by a three yard rush to bring up third and two. Despite a deafening crowd, Paris would fight his way to a 5 yard gain to pick up a new set of downs at the 30 yard line. Paris would keep us moving forward on first down with a four yard rush, followed by a gain of three yards to bring up third and three. Running a play action pass on third down, the pass intended for tight end GeraldWoods was broken up by the outside linebacker, as Michigan didn’t bite on the fake, and we were forced to punt on fourth down. A fair catch on the 45 yard punt would see Michigan start from their 17 yard line.

Coming back on the field following the punt, the Wolverines would start in the shotgun, with Brewster finding Freddie Hall for a quick 22 yard strike and a first down at the 39 yard line. Running the ball on first down, Muse took the handoff from Brewster but was quickly tackled for no gain. The Wolverines would end up going backwards on second down as Brewster was sacked for a 7 yard loss, leaving third and 17 at the 31 yard line. A third down screen pass to Muse would pick up 7 yards, but it wouldn’t be enough as Michigan was left punting on fourth and 10. The 62 punt would bounce down at the 15 yard line and roll into the end zone for a touchback.

Starting at our 20 yard line following the punt, Paris would pick back up on first down with a 5 yard rush, followed by a second 5 yard rush to leave us with third and inches. Somehow, despite being hit behind the first down line, Paris would fall forward and get the inches needed for a first down at the 30 yard line. Another rush by Paris would gain four yards, followed by a 5 yard carry by Benjamin Silva to bring up third and one. Paris would return to the backfield on third down, only to end up stood up at the line of scrimmage for no gain to leave fourth and one. That would be the final play before the clock ran out, bringing the first quarter to an end with us holding a surprising 7-0 lead.

Opening up the second quarter, we lined up facing fourth and one on the 39 yard line. Another fair catch on the 45 yard punt would line Michigan up at their 15 yard line. It would take one play for Michigan to even the score as two missed tackles and an ill-timed dive by one of our players that would take out a teammate, allowed McAfee to pull in the first down pass from Brewster and take it all the way for an 85 yard touchdown, tying the game up 7-7 with 9:42 left in the second quarter.

A 16 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would get us started from our 20 yard line. Paris would start our drive off on the ground, only to get hit in the backfield and fumble the ball. There would be a mad dash for the ball, with defensive end Clifton Griffin recovering the ball for Michigan at our 13 yard line and shooting our offense in the foot.

Lining up at our 13 yard line following the fumble, Muse would take a pitch from Brewster, but quickly find himself hit behind the line of scrimmage and driven backwards for a 5 yard loss. A second rush attempt by Muse, this time driving straight up the middle, would see him pick up 11 yards to leave Michigan with a third and four. Passing on third down, Brewster would stand up in the face of our blitz and throw up a rainbow pass into the back of the end zone and into the hands of Hall for a 7 yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 14-7 lead with 8:42 left in the second quarter.

A 13 yard kickoff return by Douglas would give us the ball at our 18 yard line. Unfortunately that would turn into the 13 yard line after a false start on first down backed us up to first and 15. Forcing Paris to get right back in the saddle after his screw up last drive, he would only manage a three yard gain to leave us facing second and 12. Going into the air on second down, Barnes tried to throw a pass to Adam Washington, only to have it swatted down by a defensive lineman, leaving third and very long. Aaron Allen would give us our best chance at sustaining the drive, but even he would come up short, hauling in a pass from Barnes for only a 10 yard gain to bring up fourth and two, the momentum clearly having shifted to the Michigan sideline. A 16 yard return by Jamar Anderson on the 46 yard punt set Michigan up at their 43 yard line.

The Wolverines would come out passing as Brewster would sling a pass to his fullback, Ryan Griffin, good for a 10 yard gain and a quick first down. Our defense would manage to answer back on first down, as Brewster was circled and eventually sacked for an 8 yard loss. Lining up on second and 18, Brewster would line up in the shotgun and fire a pass to Jon Ford for a 13 yard gain to leave third and 5. Brewster would show his speed on third down as he found no receivers open and the pocket collapsing, choose to run it out himself with a giant 21 yard rush down the left sideline to pick up a first down at our 20 yard line. Thanks to our blitz, Brewster was forced to throw the ball away on first down, followed by a 5 yard quick completion to McAfee to bring up third and 5. Hall would keep the Wolverines moving as he hauled in a short pass from Brewster for an 8 yard gain, giving Michigan first and goal at our 7 yard line. Muse would finish off the drive on the very next play as he bowled his way over three different defenders on his way to a 7 yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 21-7 lead with 5:25 left in the second quarter.

A 17 yard kickoff return by Hart would start our drive from our 19 yard line. Despite still having 5 minutes to go in the second quarter, this quite likely would be our most important drive of the game. This would be the do or die drive. If we succeed, we cut Michigan’s lead to 7 points and stay in the game. If we fail, Michigan likely drives right down our throats once more, takes a 21 point lead, squashes any spirit of a comeback we have in us and runs away with the remainder of the game. This drive would be the key drive of the game for our team. And it would get off to a poor start as we came out in the shotgun on first down. Barnes dropped back to pass and tried to get the ball off to an open Washington over the middle, only to be hit as he threw and have the ball go straight up and straight down incomplete to bring up second down. Another pass attempt, this time intended for Allen, would be broken up near the 40 yard line, leaving us with third down. Barnes would take another shot at Allen, this time on an out route and wide open, only to completely overthrow Allen and send the ball sailing over his head and 10 yards beyond him, forcing us to punt on fourth down and likely already ringing the death knell for us this game. No return on the 44 yard punt would give Michigan the ball at their 36 yard line.

The Wolverines would waste little time in moving the ball as Brewster came out firing, hitting Ford for an immediate 12 yard gain and a first down at the 48 yard line. Muse would receive a handoff on first down, but was quickly dragged down for no gain on the play to bring up second down. Lining up in the shotgun, Brewster would end up hit as he tried to throw, our blitz successful in disrupting the play to bring up third and 10. In a display that would prove we were screwed this game, Brewster would try to throw up a pass on third down, only to have it swatted at the line by a defensive lineman. Instead of flying backwards or dropping dead, the ball would instead start rotating forward, right into the hands of Hakim Watson, who would grab the ball, make two defenders miss on tackle attempts and pick up 13 yards to give Michigan an impossible first down at our 40 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Muse would take the handoff from Brewster around the left side, and thanks to some great downfield blocking, pick up 19 yards on the play for a first down at our 21 yard line. Our defense would thankfully get one victory, as Brewster was forced to throw the ball away out the back of the end zone on first down, followed by a rushed pass at the feet of a receiver on second down, as our pass rush and blitzes quickly brought up third and 10 for the Wolverines. Throwing into double coverage to his receiver, Brewster would instead find Hart, who intercepted the pass at our 6 yard line and returned it 17 yards to give us the ball at our 23 yard line.

Unfortunately our drive would be a short lived one as two straight passes to Allen would go for no gain and a three yard pickup, followed by a 7 yard pass to Washington that would be marked short of the first down marker. Because the game is a piece of crap, a review of the spot of the ball would not be allowed, and we would be forced to punt on fourth and inches from our 32 yard line. No return on the 28 yard punt would give Michigan the ball at their 39 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, the Wolverines would start off running the ball, but Muse would be quickly dragged down for just a one yard gain to leave second and 9, Michigan calling their first timeout with 2:01 remaining. The blitz would keep the pressure up as Brewster was forced to throw the ball away, setting up third and 9. Despite being flushed out of the pocket and forced to scramble, Brewster would manage to throw a pass on the run and hit McAfee for a 12 yard gain and a first down at our 48 yard line. Our defense would get broken on first down as Brewster found Hall over the middle for a 44 yard gain, pushed out of bounds at our four yard line to give Michigan first and goal. Muse would need just one play to finish the drive off, going around the right end for a four yard touchdown to put Michigan up 28-7 with 1:40 left in the second quarter.

A 27 yard kickoff return by Douglas would give us the ball at our 30 yard line. Dropping back to pass on first down, Barnes would finally get a good completion with a 17 yard strike to Washington. Running to the line, Barnes would do it again with an 11 yard completion to Tristan Muhammad, giving us a first down at the Michigan 42 yard line, our first timeout called with 1:05 remaining. Allen would keep us moving forward with a big 20 yard completion over the middle for a new set of downs at the 22 yard line. Opting to forgo calling a timeout, Barnes would line up in the shotgun on first down and try to find Washington over the middle, but the pass would get broken up to bring up second down. Going under center on second down, the pass intended for Livingston would also end up broken up, bringing up third and 10 with 46 seconds to go. Unfortunately, the third down pass attempt intended for Allen would be way off the mark and overthrown, forcing us to settle for a field goal on fourth down. The 39 yard field goal by Doug Marcus would sail through the uprights, cutting Michigan’s lead to 28-10 with 39 seconds left until halftime.

A touchback on the kickoff would give Michigan the ball at their 25 yard line. After an incomplete pass intended for McAfee on first down, Brewster and the Wolverines would end up going backwards as our defense managed to sack him for a 6 yard loss, leaving Michigan with third and 16 and 30 seconds to go. Snapping the ball with only three seconds remaining, the Wolverines would call it a half, as Muse would take the handoff and get stood up for no gain, sending us into halftime with Michigan leading 28-10.

Opening up the second half, another touchback on the kickoff would give Michigan the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. It would start poorly for our defense as Hall hauled in a pass from Brewster, spun his way through two defenders and trucked a third before finally being pushed out of bounds at our 45 yard line for a 30 yard gain. A first down pass to Muse would see the Wolverines pick up 20 more yards and a new set of downs at our 26 yard line. Going to the ground game, Muse would pick up 13 yards up the middle, moving the chains to our 12 yard line. Brian Smith would come in on first down, only able to pick up a single yard on the first down rush. Another rush by Smith would see him go backwards two yards, leaving Michigan facing third and 11. A well timed screen pass to Muse on third down would see him find pay dirt for a 13 yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 35-10 lead with 8:17 left in the third quarter.

A huge 56 yard kickoff return by Douglas would restore some life in our sideline, as our offense took over at the Michigan 39 yard line. Paris would start us off on first down, but he would only pick up two yards on the play, followed by a three yard rush up the middle on second down to leave us facing third and 5. Allen would keep our drive alive as he managed to pull in a pass from Barnes for an 8 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 26 yard line. Paris would take the ball on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard rush, followed by a two yard carry by Silva to bring up third and three. Douglas would briefly pull in the third down pass from Barnes, only to drop it when hit by the defender to leave us kicking on fourth down. The 37 yard field goal by Marcus would sail through the uprights, cutting Michigan’s lead to 35-13 with 5:58 left in the third quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would see Michigan lining up once more at their 25 yard line. The Wolverines would try to start on the ground, as Muse would take the handoff from Brewster, only to lose two yards on the play. Another handoff to Muse would see another loss of yards, this time a three yard loss, and Michigan would be left facing third and 15. A quality pass rush would force Brewster to rush a pass and throw it incomplete, bringing out Michigan’s punt team (a rare sight today) to punt on fourth and long. A 7 yard return by Jesse Breedlove on the 34 yard punt would give us the ball at the Michigan 48 yard line.

Lining up inside Michigan territory after the punt return, Paris would again try to get our running game going, only to be tackled on first down for just a two yard gain. A second rush by Paris, this time for a 5 yard gain, would set up third and three. Getting Paris involved with the passing game on third down, Barnes would hit him over the middle for a 20 yard gain on a play action pass, picking up a much needed first down at the 21 yard line. Silva would take over on first down, rumbling to an 8 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush by Paris to set us up with first and goal at the Michigan 6 yard line. Silva would get the first crack at the end zone, fighting to a gain of three yards. We would get some bad news after the play, receiving word that Paris suffered a bruised sternum on his previous carry, leaving him sidelined for one quarter and likely out for the remainder of the game. Silva would finish things off on the next play as he would plunge into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, cutting Michigan’s lead to 35-20 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

Another touchback on yet another kickoff would give Michigan ball to start another drive at their 25 yard line. Starting the drive in the air, Brewster would connect with Muse on first down, but he would only pick up two yards on the play. Running the ball on second down, Muse would again be contained and limited to a single yard, bringing up third and 7. We would get a miracle on third down, as a wide open Warren would drop the pass from Brewster, forcing another Michigan punt on fourth down. A one yard return by Breedlove on the 36 yard punt would give us the ball at our 36 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, Silva would try to keep our momentum building, taking a first down handoff from Barnes for a gain of three yards, followed by a 6 yard dash to bring up third and one. Relying on Silva on third down, he would come through for us with a 7 yard carry up the middle, getting the first down at the Michigan 49 yard line. Kyle Hall would step in on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a 5 yard gain. Lining up on second down, Silva would take the handoff and find a big hole for a 7 yard gain to move the chains to the Michigan 36 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter as the clock ran out with Michigan holding a 35-20 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we looked to continue our march down the field for a hopeful comeback, as Silva took the handoff on first down for a 5 yard gain, followed by a three yard carry to bring up third and two. Silva would manage to keep our drive alive by rolling over the top of a Michigan defender to avoid being tackled, picking up 6 yards to move the chains to the 23 yard line. Some more twisting by Silva as he worked his way through the defense would see him pick up 8 yards on the first down rush, followed by Hall fighting his way forward to a 5 yard gain, setting us up with first and goal at the Michigan 10 yard line. Silva would take the ball on first down, only to be quickly brought down for just a two yard gain. Running a play action pass on second down, unfortunately the defense would not bite, forcing Barnes to take off scrambling. He would get back to the line of scrimmage before being tackled, officially ruled a sack for a zero yard loss. Either way, we would be left looking at third and goal from the 8 yard line. Dropping back from the shotgun on third down, Barnes tried to complete a pass to Allen, only to overthrow it and have it broken up by the safety to bring up fourth and goal. Trailing by 15 points, with just 6:43 left in the game, against a team that slapped us around like a ragdoll for most of the game, there would be no field goals here. It was now or never. It was time for us to rise up and take our touchdown by force. We would do just that as Barnes would fire a perfect pass right past the head of the defender and into the hands of Douglas, who was just coming out of a cut on his slant route, the pass complete for an 8 yard touchdown to cut Michigan’s lead to 35-27 with 6:39 left in the game.

Another kickoff would sail into the end zone for a touchback, as Michigan took over at their 25 yard line looking to close out the game. Muse would get the drive started on the ground with a four yard rush around the right end, followed by a 6 yard gain to the left to bring up third and inches. Muse would get the inches and then some with a 7 yard dash, picking up a first down at the 42 yard line. Running a screen pass on first down, Brewster would get the pass off to Brian Smith, who would turn it into a 28 yard gain thanks to downfield blocking, giving Michigan a new set of downs at our 31 yard line. A quick pass to Watson would be blown up behind the line of scrimmage, Watson tackled for a two yard loss on the play. Muse would try to get things back on track on second down, only to be brought down by our blitz for a four yard loss, leaving Michigan facing third and 16. A 5 yard completion to Hall would be all Michigan could achieve on third down, bringing up fourth and 11 at the 32 yard line. Apparently not content to kick a field goal to make it a two score game with 4:20 remaining, the Wolverines came out looking to go for it on fourth down themselves. Naturally, our defense would choose the worst time to roll over and play dead, as Nick Rogers was allowed to race down the left sideline and get behind his man, pulling in a pass from Brewster for a 29 yard gain to set up first and goal at our three yard line. In the process, that would set a new record for Michigan, as Brewster set the record for most passing yards in a game at 390 (and counting). Trying to punch it in on the ground, Muse would end up limited to only a one yard gain. Lining up in the shotgun on second and goal, Brewster would hit Hall in the hands, but he would drop it on contact just inside the goal line, dropping the touchdown pass and leaving Michigan with third and goal. Muse would again try to score on the ground, only to end up swarmed and tackled for a one yard loss, leaving Michigan attempting a field goal on fourth and goal. The 20 yard field goal would sail through the uprights to increase Michigan’s lead to 38-27 with 2:47 remaining.

A 27 yard kickoff return by Hart would get us started from our 30 yard line. Unfortunately the drive would pretty much go straight into the ground as three straight incomplete passes would leave us with a decision. If we went for it on fourth down and failed, Michigan would have the ball at our 30 yard line. If we punted, Michigan would have the ball in their territory and just need to run out two and a half minutes, essentially raising the white flag on any comeback hopes we had. Saying screw it and going for it on fourth down, the pass intended for Douglas would end up batted down, turning the ball over on downs and giving Michigan the ball at our 30 yard line.

Lining up following the turnover on downs, the Wolverines were just 2:27 away from victory. An hopes we had were pretty much ended when Muse took the ball on first down, cut outside the left tackle and raced up the field for a 27 yard gain, giving Michigan first and goal at our three yard line, our first timeout called to stop the clock with 2:15 remaining. Muse would again try to finish off a drive inside the 5 yard line, only to end up stuffed again for a one yard loss, leaving second and goal, our second timeout called with 2:10 to go. Muse wouldn’t be denied a second time as he took a delayed pitch from Brewster and found a huge gap, waltzing into the end zone for a four yard touchdown to give Michigan a 45-27 lead with 2:06 remaining.

A 20 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 22 yard line, pretty much playing for pride at this point. Staying in the shotgun on first down, a pass attempt intended for Douglas would end up swatted away to bring up second down. Second down would be the dagger in the heart, as a pass attempt deep intended for Washington would end up intercepted by cornerback Bruce Cross, who, with nothing but green in front of him, proceed to return it 48 yards for a touchdown, giving Michigan a 52-27 lead with 1:47 remaining.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Hart would set us up at our 29 yard line. With only 1:42 remaining and an impossible deficit, we came out running on first down. Silva would get us started with a three yard carry around the right end, followed by a reappearance by Paris, who would promptly be tackled for no gain to bring up third and 7. A four yard rush by Silva would bring our drive to an end, as we were forced to punt on fourth and three with 15 seconds to go. A 21 yard return on the 32 yard punt would give Michigan the ball at our 47 yard line, just three seconds left.

Lining up at our 47 yard line, Brewster would take the snap and drop to a knee to run out the clock. Just for shits and giggles, we decided to call our final timeout for the hell of it, if anything, just so we could take another two yards off Brewster’s running total, stopping the clock with two seconds left. One more knee by Brewster would be all she would write as Michigan would walk out with a 52-27 victory.

With the loss, we drop to 1-2. With the win, #4 Michigan improves to 2-0. Up next, we wrap up our three game road trip, as well as our non-conference schedule, with a trip to Provo to battle rival BYU for the Old Wagon Wheel. The Cougars enter the game sitting at 2-1 on the season. BYU opened their year with a 51-32 loss to Arizona, before recovering with a 37-34 overtime win at Utah and a 31-26 victory over Pittsburgh.

Final Score

#4 :Michigan: 52, :Utah_State: 27

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A slightly better day for Barnes, though still sub-par, as he finished 11-27 for 116 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rushing, Paris led the way with 81 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries. Silva had 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 rushes. Receiving, Allen was led receiver with 41 yards on five catches. Douglas had the only touchdown on a single 8 yard reception. In all, six receivers caught at least one pass today, five ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Good and bad. The defense played phenomenal in the first and third quarters. They sucked horribly in the second quarter and fell apart, no thanks to our offense, late in the fourth quarter. Gotta figure out a way to tackle and stop giving up big plays.

Utah State Kicking – A perfect day for Marcus, going 2-2 on field goals with 39 and 37 yard kicks, as well as going 3-3 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
3
10
7
27

:Michigan:
0
28
7
17
52

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

7:15
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 6 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

9:42
:Michigan:
Touchdown
H. McAfee, 85 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
TIED 7-7

8:42
:Michigan:
Touchdown
F. Hall, 7 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 14-7

5:25
:Michigan:
Touchdown
M. Muse, 7 yard run (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 21-7

1:40
:Michigan:
Touchdown
M. Muse, 4 yard run (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 28-7

0:39
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 39 yard field goal
:Michigan: 28-10

Third Quarter

8:17
:Michigan:
Touchdown
M. Muse, 13 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 35-10

5:58
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 37 yard field goal
:Michigan: 35-13

2:41
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Michigan: 35-20

Fourth Quarter

6:39
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, 8 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Michigan: 35-27

2:47
:Michigan:
Field Goal
G. Smith, 20 yard field goal
:Michigan: 38-27

2:06
:Michigan:
Touchdown
M. Muse, 4 yard run (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 45-27

1:47
:Michigan:
Touchdown
B. Cross, returned interception 48 yards (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 52-27

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Michigan

27
Score
52

14
First Downs
17

282
Total Offense
470

44 - 166 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
31 - 80 - 3

11 - 27 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
22 - 33 - 3

116
Passing Yards
390

1
Times Sacked
3

8 - 18 (44%)
3rd Down Conversion
7 - 15 (46%)

1 - 2 (50%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 1 (100%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

4 - 3 - 1 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
6 - 5 - 1 (100%)

2
Turnovers
1

1
Fumbles Lost
0

1
Intercepted
1

8
Punt Return Yards
37

249
Kick Return Yards
0

539
Total Yards
507

6 – 40.5
Punts - Average
4 - 42.0

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

23:10
Time of Possession
16:50

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x3

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

01-13-2015, 01:46 AM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week AND the upset of the week, #7 Florida State shocked #1 Virginia Tech 37-32. #3 West Virginia topped East Carolina 48-20. #4 Michigan blew out Utah State 52-27. #5 UCLA routed Nevada 38-10. #6 Ole Miss beat Tennessee 38-28. #8 Miami dominated Florida Atlantic 31-10. #9 Oregon ripped Citadel 42-17. #10 Wisconsin topped Central Florida 35-21. #11 South Carolina survived #22 Georgia 41-34 in double overtime.

#13 TCU got past Texas Tech 37-24. #14 Oklahoma beat Eastern Washington 30-3. #23 Florida destroyed #15 Texas A&M 44-7. #16 Alabama smoked Indiana State 38-17. #17 Connecticut knocked off #19 Navy 52-27. Louisville upset #17 Kentucky 55-47 in 4OT. Clemson shocked #21 Notre Dame 42-28. #24 Kansas State routed Southern Miss 49-17. #25 Stanford smacked Colorado 47-6.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State remains 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a bye week. Morsdraconis, #3 West Virginia improves to 2-0 (1-0 Big 12) with a 48-20 win over East Carolina. Souljahbill, Southern Miss opens the year 0-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 49-17 loss to #24 Kansas State. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 0-2 (0-0 Pac-12) with a 34-21 loss to Arkansas State. LeeSO, Auburn drops to 1-1 (0-1 SEC) with a 47-21 loss to Mississippi State. SCClassof93, #11 South Carolina improves to 3-0 (2-0 SEC) with a 41-34 double overtime win over #22 Georgia. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 2-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 34-21 win over Arizona State. Florida International drops to 0-2 (0-0 C-USA) with a 35-30 loss to New Mexico. #19 Navy opens their year 0-1 (0-1 American) with a 52-27 loss to #17 Connecticut. Tulsa drops to 0-2 (0-0 American) with a 31-14 loss to Fresno State.

In Mountain West action, New Mexico survived Florida International 35-30, San Jose State fly past Harvard 45-21, Fresno State beat Tulsa 31-14, Boise State stunned Washington State 52-31, #4 Michigan raped Utah State 52-27, #5 UCLA smacked around Nevada 38-10, Central Michigan slapped UNLV 41-10, Rice stunned Air Force 44-36, Nebraska routed Wyoming 48-17, Utah topped San Diego State 38-35, UTSA dominated Colorado State 41-14 and North Texas beat Hawaii 28-17.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (35 first place votes) climbs one to reclaim #1, West Virginia (25 votes) climbs one to #2, Michigan (1 vote) jumps one to #3, Florida State leaps three to #4 and UCLA remains #5. Ole Miss remains #6, Miami climbs one to #7, Virginia Tech drops seven to #8, Oregon remains #9 and South Carolina climbs one to #10. Wisconsin drops one to #11, Georgia Tech remains #12, Oklahoma climbs one to #13, TCU drops one to #14 and Alabama climbs one to #15. Connecticut moves up one to #16, Texas jumps three to #17, Florida leaps five to #18, Texas A&M drops four to #19 and Kansas State jumps four to #20. Stanford climbs four to #21, Cincinnati enters the poll at #22, Navy drops four to #23, Baylor enters the poll at #24 and Kentucky (100 points) drops seven to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Notre Dame (from #21) and Georgia (from #22). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, New Mexico (85 points) is #26, followed by Georgia (83), Washington (81), Fresno State (62) and Michigan State (39) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Ohio (17).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1 (LW: #1), Florida QB Joseph Brown is #2 (LW: #3), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #3 (LW: NR), Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #4 (LW: NR) and Alabama HB Alex Davis is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Oklahoma QB Ben West (LW: #2), Texas QB Justin Jones (LW: #4) and Nebraska QB Cary Woods (LW: #5).

JeffHCross

01-14-2015, 11:21 AM

Ohio State has a 44 game winning streak, was #1 last win coming off a big win, and is #2 this week. Tell me all I need to know about the coding.

SmoothPancakes

01-14-2015, 02:04 PM

Ohio State has a 44 game winning streak, was #1 last win coming off a big win, and is #2 this week. Tell me all I need to know about the coding.

:D Yeah, I was waiting for that eventual comment. Sure, Virginia Tech had a blowout win over #6 Wisconsin while Ohio State blew out a crappy Tulsa team, but no way in hell would voters take a team on a 44 game winning streak and vote them out of the #1 spot until they lost. They would be permanent #1 until they finally lost a game.

#TheScriptIsDead

SmoothPancakes

01-14-2015, 10:06 PM

Game Four

:Utah_State: :@: :BYU:

Game Story

--- After a second straight loss, this time in a double digit drubbing to #4 Michigan that saw us collapse in the fourth quarter, it would be back on the trail to finish up our three game road trip. This time it would be just across the state to Provo to take on rival BYU in a battle for the Old Wagon Wheel. This game would also decide the winner of the Beehive Boot for the 2023 season, as both us and BYU managed victories over Utah, setting this game up as the decider in the annual three-way battle for the Boot.

This one wouldn’t any easier as BYU came in boasting the #19 passing offense in the nation. Considering our passing defense entered ranked #115, this could be a long day. Pretty much our running game would be our savior today as we entered the game ranked #23 nationally in rushing, while our passing game entered ranked #123. Our ability to run the ball, and our defense’s ability to stop the pass, would be the keys to winning or losing. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A touchback on the kickoff would give BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. It wouldn’t take BYU long to get moving as Patrick Johnson dropped back on first down and found Taylor Hayes over the middle for a 14 yard strike to the 39 yard line. Going five wide on first down, Eric Pettit would pull in a pass for a 5 yard gain, followed by a four yard run by Kevin Neal to bring up third and one. Blown coverage by our defense would leave Joe Outlaw wide open on third down and BYU would make us suffer, with a 53 yard touchdown pass to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead with 8:52 left in the first quarter.

A 17 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would see us start at our 18 yard line. Brian Paris would get us started with a four yard rush on first down, followed by a three yard gain to bring up third and three. Lining up under center on third down, Jason Barnes would drop back and firing off a pass to Adam Washington, threading the needle between two BYU defenders for a 20 yard strike and a first down at the 44 yard line, quieting down the raucous BYU crowd. Paris would try again on first down, but would only manage a two yard gain on the play. A second down pass to Adam Washington would be a drive killer as it would end up off the mark and intercepted by cornerback Lawrence Hughes, returned three yards to our 49 yard line.

Lining up on first down after the interception, Johnson would throw a quick out pass to Neal for a three yard gain, before taking off running on a delay QB option on second down, making two defenders miss and getting 5 yards on the play to bring up third and two. The Cougars would run an option play on third down, but would be left going backwards as Neal would receive the option and quickly be driven backwards for a four yard loss to bring up fourth and 6. The 45 yard punt would land at the 5 yard line and bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

Taking over at our 20 yard line following the punt, we would again call on Paris to try and get us moving on first down, as he would take the handoff from Barnes and fight his way to a 5 yard gain. A four yard gain by Paris on second down would set us up with third and one. Leaving it in Paris’ hands on third down, he would manage to pick up three yards and get the first down at the 32 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, Paris would fight his way to a three yard gain around the right tackle, followed by a three yard rush by Benjamin Silva to leave third and four. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, a quick pass to Aaron Allen would go for a gain of 13 yards to extend the drive at the BYU 49 yard line. Paris would continue to pound the ball on first down, fighting his way forward for a 7 yard gain on the play, followed up by Silva with a 7 yard carry to get a new set of downs at the 35. A first down rush by Paris would gain three yards to bring up second and 7. Trying to run play action on second down, unfortunately the BYU defense wouldn’t fall for it, and Barnes was just barely able to get rid of the ball before being sacked, the incompletion bringing up third and 7. An incomplete pass, intended for Allen, would leave us stranded at the 32 yard line on fourth down. Opting for a 49 yard field goal attempt, the kick by Doug Marcus would sail straight and through the uprights to cut BYU’s lead to 7-3 with 1:49 left in the first quarter.

Another kickoff into the end zone would result in a touchback, starting BYU from their 25 yard line. A quick first down pass to Outlaw would pick up 8 yards over the middle, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Nate Edwards to bring up third and two for the Cougars. Despite BYU trying to run an option play on third down, defensive end Steve Jones would come off the end unblocked and dive into Johnson before he could pitch the ball, taking him to the ground for a four yard loss to bring up fourth and 6 and bring the punt team on the field. Unbelievably, during the return by Jesse Breedlove on the 40 yard punt, he would make it all the way to midfield running from across the width of the field, only to fumble the ball as he was being tackled, the fumble recovered by middle linebacker Jonathon Birch to return possession right back to BYU at our 43 yard line. Pissed off about having to go right back on the field, the defense would make their anger known on first down as multiple defensive linemen converged to sack Johnson for a 7 yard loss, leaving BYU with second and 17. A second down pass attempt intended for Neal would end up incomplete as Neal would drop the pass on (hard) contact, bringing up third and very long. Forced to scramble as the pocket collapsed around him, and all of his receivers stayed covered up tight, Johnson would try and roll out toward the near sideline, only to be chased down and sacked for a second time, this time resulting in a 6 yard loss, to leave the Cougars punting once again, on fourth and 23. That would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock hit all zeros, with BYU leading 7-3.

Opening up the second quarter, BYU lined up to punt on fourth and 23. A big 22 yard return by Breedlove on the 32 yard punt (without a fumble this time) would give us the ball at our 44 yard line.

Lining up at our 44 yard line after the punt return, Paris would get the call to start us off on first down, fighting his way to a four yard gain, only to backwards on second down and give those four yards right back to BYU’s defense, bringing up third and 10. Thankfully the passing game would come through on third down, as Barnes would connect with Allen for an 18 yard gain, moving the chains to the BYU 38 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would rifle off a pass to David Douglas on a comeback route, the pass good for a 16 yard gain and a first down at the 22 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Paris would only manage two yards on the carry, leaving second and 8. Lining up under center on second down, Barnes would drop back to pass, only to have his throw, intended for tight end Sam Livingston, be intercepted for the second time as middle linebacker Jonathan Burch jumped the pass at the 12 yard line and returned it 7 yards to BYU’s 19 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, Johnson would heave up a deep ball down the left sideline intended for Brandon Smith, only to have cornerback Mike Moses intercept the ball right back for us at the 42 yard line. Moses would manage to return the interception 13 yards to give us back possession at the BYU 29 yard line and survive another turnover without damage.

Beginning at the BYU 29 yard line following the interception, Paris would receive the first down handoff from Barnes, fighting his way to a three yard carry to bring up second and 7. A second three yard rush by Paris would leave us facing third and four. This time, the pass intended for Livingston would find its target, good for a 5 yard gain and a first down at the 18 yard line. A first down pass attempt intended for Washington would end up broken up at the goal line. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, the pass to Tristan Muhammad would go for a 6 yard gain, bringing up third and four. Unfortunately, the third down pass intended for Allen would go wide of its mark, leaving us stranded once more on fourth and four. The 29 yard field goal by Marcus would split the uprights, cutting BYU’s lead further to 7-6 with 5:09 left in the second quarter.

The kickoff would sail out the back of the end zone for a touchback, giving BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. Taking a chance with a first down blitz, it would pay off as Johnson handed the ball off to Neal, only for Neal to be instantly tackled for a four yard loss. Surprisingly staying on the ground on second and 14, Neal would fight his way to a 6 yard gain to bring up third and 8. Running a screen pass on third down that pretty much our entire defense bit on, Clinton Harrison would pull in the pass from Johnson with nothing but green between him and the first down marker. Amazingly, Harrison would never make it as middle linebacker Jon Smith came sprinting over from the hash mark, forcing Harrison against the sideline in the process, only to grab Harrison at the 34 yard line and drag him down backwards and out of bounds to miraculously save the play for our defense and force BYU to punt the ball on fourth and one. A 5 yard return by Breedlove on the 32 yard punt would give us the ball at our 38 yard line.

Starting our drive after the punt return, we would give Paris another chance on first down to try and get the running game going. He would come through with some success early, as he took the handoff straight up the middle for a 7 yard gain. Despite picking up 7 more yards on second down, Paris would fumble the ball at the end of his drive. Thankfully tight end Jack Long would dive on top of the fumble and save us from a fourth turnover, instead giving us a first down at the BYU 47 yard line. Despite the fumble on the previous play, we would give Paris another chance, but he would get just two yards on the first down carry. Taking another shot with a play action pass on second down, Gerald Woods would pull in the pass from Barnes for a 7 yard reception, setting up third and one. Paris would get the call on third down, rumbling forward for a 6 yard gain and a first down at the 32 yard line. A first down pass attempt intended for Washington would get batted down. A second down pass attempt intended for Long would get broken up and nearly intercepted, leaving us with third and 10. Allen would come through for us on third down, pulling in a pass from Barnes for a 13 yard gain to save the drive and give us a first down at the BYU 19 yard line. We would call our first timeout after the play to stop the clock with 1:22 remaining before halftime. Handing the ball off to Paris on first down, he would only pick up a single yard, wasting a play and wasting clock as it ticked down. Going into the air on second down, Barnes would find Washington for a 7 yard strike, but it would still leave us with third and two and our second timeout burned to stop the clock with 54 seconds to go. Paris would get the first down and then some as he would rumble his way to an 8 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the three yard line. Running to the line on first down, to avoid having to call our third timeout, we would hand the ball right back off to Paris, who would need just one play to dive into the end zone for a three yard touchdown. Despite the temptation to go for two here, it wasn’t the right moment in the game to try for it, instead opting to kick the extra point to give us a 13-7 lead with 47 seconds remaining until halftime.

The wind aided kickoff would sail out of the back of the end zone, giving BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. The Cougars seemingly were content to go into halftime trailing, as Johnson handed the ball off to Neal for a one yard gain, and then would huddle up, not using any of their three timeouts and letting the clock tick down to 35 seconds and continue ticking. BYU would let the clock tick all the way down to 5 seconds remaining before handing the ball off to Neal for a four yard gain to bring up third and 5 at the 30 yard line. Even more confusingly, BYU would then call their first timeout with two seconds left, coming out with an empty backfield. Not sure why BYU felt a 70 yard Hail Mary would have more favorable results than a 74 yard Hail Mary, but they would attempt it none the less. Instead, the pass would end up intercepted by safety Cole Brown at our 20 yard line to send us into halftime with a 13-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, we would receive the kickoff to start the third quarter. Douglas would make it one HELL of a start, receiving the kickoff at our 7 yard line right next to the sideline, and then thanks to some great blocking, took it straight up the sideline all the way to the house for a 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, extending our lead to 20-7 with 9:50 left in the third quarter.

A kickoff into the end zone would result in a touchback and the ball on the 25 yard line for BYU. Johnson dropped back to pass on first down, but with the pocket collapsing, was forced to throw the ball away. Johnson would get a pass off on second down, connecting with Smith for a 5 yard gain that would leave BYU with third and 5. Johnson nearly got the pass for a first down into the hands of Hayes, but a well timed hit right on top of the sideline would simultaneously push Hayes out of bounds as well as knock the ball loose, forcing BYU to punt on fourth down. A 24 yard return by Douglas on the 40 yard punt would give us the ball at the BYU 47 yard line.

Lining up in BYU territory after the punt, the momentum in this game had shifted and it was now on our offense to capitalize and turn this into a blowout. Paris would get us started on the ground, working his way through the piles to a four yard run, followed by a two yard rush that would leave us facing third and four. Despite the failures in the past, we would give a play action pass a try on third down. Amazingly we would convert as Raymond Watson pulled in a pass from Barnes in the middle of traffic, good for a 7 yard gain and a first down at the 34 yard line. Paris would take back over on first down, rumbling up the middle to a 7 yard gain, followed by a second 7 yard rush to move the chains to the BYU 20 yard line. Silva would take over on first down, fighting through the defense for 5 tough yards, before a single yard rush by Paris would bring up third and four. Going into the air on third down, Silva would extend the drive as he came out of the backfield, pulling in a pass from Barnes for a 9 yard gain to give us first and goal at the 6 yard line. A first down rush by Silva would only go for a single yard gain to the 5 yard line. Barnes would try to find the end zone through the air with a quick pass on second down, only to overthrow Washington to bring up third and goal. After saving our drive earlier on third down, Watson would finish our drive this time, pulling in a quick pass from Barnes at the goal line and heading into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 27-7 with 4:46 left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff would result in another touchback, giving BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down screen pass to Reggie Hendrix would get the drive started with a 6 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard pass toEdwards, giving BYU a first down at their 37 yard line. Another screen pass to Hendrix would gain 5 yards. Going deep on second and 5, Hendrix would burn our secondary down the left sideline for a 39 yard completion, setting BYU up with a first down at our 19 yard line. Staying in the shotgun, Johnson would hand the ball off to Neal for a 7 yard gain, followed by a 9 yard rush by Harrison to give BYU first and goal from our three yard line. Neal would finish the drive off on the next play with a three yard touchdown on the ground, cutting our lead to 27-14 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

A huge 47 yard kickoff return by Hart would set us up in great position once more, starting our drive from our 49 yard line. Starting on the ground, Paris would fight his way to a four yard gain on first down. A second down pass to Allen would result in a gain of 9 yards, giving us a first down at the BYU 38. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would rifle a pass over the middle to Washington for a 13 yard strike, moving the chains to the 26 yard line. Forced to roll out on first down, Barnes tried to connect with Douglas on the run, but his throw was off the mark and incomplete. Going over the top on second down, Watson would pull in the pass from Barnes for a 12 yard completion, resetting the down marker at the BYU 14 yard line. Returning to the ground game on first down, Paris took a handoff straight up the middle, bowling his way over three defenders for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches. A second down run off the right tackle by Paris would pick up two yards, setting us up with first and goal from the BYU two yard line. Silva would take the first crack at the end zone, gaining one yard on the first down carry. That would be the last play of the quarter as the clock ran out without another snapping, ending the third quarter with us leading 27-14.

Opening the fourth quarter, we lined up on second and goal at the BYU one yard line. Paris would get the next crack and he would not be denied, lining up behind an offensive lineman and diving into the end zone over his back for the one yard touchdown, extending our lead to 34-14 with 9:58 remaining in the game.

A kickoff out of the end zone would give BYU the ball at their 25 yard line following the touchback. Needing some big plays to get back in this game, the opposite would instead happen as BYU came out in the shotgun on first down. Johnson would drop back to pass, but would quickly find the pocket collapsing as our pass rush got penetration. He would try to get a pass off but would fail to do so, ending up sacked instead for a 7 yard loss on the play. The Cougars would get those yards back on second down, as Johnson found Neal along the left sideline for a 7 yard gain, but that would be as far as BYU would get, as Johnson was forced to scramble to avoid a sack on third down and threw a desperation pass to Joe Jones, who was promptly tackled for no gain on the play to force a punt on fourth and 10. An 11 yard return by Douglas on the 33 yard punt would get us back in action from BYU’s 48 yard line.

Setting up following the punt return, we would get the offense rolling with the typical first down run, as Paris fought his way through the defense for a 7 yard gain. A second down rush by Paris would result in 6 more yards, giving us the first down at the 35 yard line. A first down carry by Silva would largely go nowhere, gaining just a single yard on the play. Barnes would try his own luck on second down, only gaining a yard as well to leave us with third and 8. The third down pass attempt intended for Douglas would get batted away, leaving fourth down. Suddenly finding himself a leg, Marcus would nail the 50 yard field goal down the middle, extending our lead to 37-14 with 6:54 left in the game.

A kickoff into the end zone would be downed for a touchback, giving BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. Running a screen pass on first down, our defense would obliterate it as Neal would quickly be brought down for a four yard loss on the pass. Despite the great play, BYU would turn around and have a great play of their own with a 15 yard strike to Hayes, caught just before going out of bounds at the 36 yard line. Another screen pass to Neal would gain just two yards, followed by a dump pass to Harrison for a gain of 5 yards, bringing up third and three. Somehow Outlaw would pull down a pass over the middle from Johnson, good for a 6 yard gain and a first down at the 49 yard line. A quick throw to Pettit on first down would pick up 5 more yards for the offense, followed by an aborted screen pass that would leave BYU facing third and 5. Another screen pass, this time completed to Neal, would gain just three yards to forcing BYU into fourth and two at our 43 yard line. Going for it on fourth down, the roll out blind pass intended for Pettit would instead by intercepted by safety Dwayne Thompson, who essentially had the blind pass thrown right at him, returned three yards to the 45 yard line.

Taking over at our 45 yard line following the interception, we needed only to bleed 4:21 off the clock to seal our surprising victory over the Cougars. Lining up on first down, Silva would get us started up the middle with a huge 9 yard run. That 9 yards would turn into 24 as a facemask penalty would get called on outside linebacker Ricky Rust during the tackle, tacking an extra 15 yards onto the play to give us a first down at the BYU 31 yard line and essentially gifting us the win. Another first down rush by Silva would this time go for just two yards, but it would keep the clock moving. Silva would keep us moving forward on second down, fighting his way for a four yard gain to leave us with third and four. Normally we would go into the air in this situation, but with trying to chew up some clock, we instead gave the ball back to Silva, who would be tackled for essentially no gain, leaving third and four at the 25 yard line. Attempting a 42 yard field goal on fourth down, Marcus would send it sailing through the uprights, giving us a 40-14 lead with 1:58 left in the game.

BYU would again start their next drive from their 25 yard line, following the touchback on the kickoff. Johnson would drop back from the shotgun on first down, and despite almost being sacked, hurled a deep pass down the left sideline intended for Smith, but Smith would drop it as he ran out of bounds, leaving second down for the Cougars. Handing the ball off on second down, unbelievably, Neal would head straight up the middle, and with three different jukes, made every defender in front of him miss diving in front of or behind him and was off to the races for a 75 yard touchdown run, cutting our lead to 40-21 with 1:41 left in the game.

BYU would attempt the onside kick, but our hands team would recover it with ease, giving our offense the ball at the BYU 42 yard line. Silva would get us going on first down, managing to get three yards on the play. That wouldn’t be all we would get however as the BYU defense would again boneheadedly commit a facemask penalty on the tackle, this time called on cornerback Rich Murphy, gift wrapping us a first down at the BYU 24 yard line. Silva would take the ball again on first down, rushing for a 7 yard gain, followed by no gain to bring up third and three, the clock ticking under one minute. Kyle Hall would take the ball on third down, but despite getting three yards on the carry, get marked short to leave us with fourth and inches, two seconds difference between the game clock and play clock. Despite appearing to be running up the score, we had to settle for a 31 yard field goal by Marcus with two seconds left to give us a 43-21 lead.

An 11 yard return on the squibbed kickoff would be the final play of the game, as we walked out with a very surprising 43-21 victory over BYU.

With the win, we improve to 2-2 and claim both the Beehive Boot and the Old Wagon Wheel in the same year. With the loss, BYU drops to 2-2. Up next, we get a bye week before opening conference play with a home game against San Jose State.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 43, :BYU: 21

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Another bad day for Barnes. He had some good throws, but had a lot off target misses and multiple picks. He would end the day 15-26 for 160 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Rushing, Paris would lead the way with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. Silva ended the day with 45 yards on 13 carries. Receiving, Allen led the way with 53 yards on four catches. Watson had the only receiving touchdown to go along with 24 yards on three catches. In all, eight receivers would catch at least one pass today, only four however would end with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A MUCH better day by our defense. Other than the first drive by BYU and the 75 yard TD run by Neal, our defense pretty much shut down BYU. Even more impressive were the defensive stops following the two interceptions and the fumble, that would force our defense into a tough situation. To go along with that, our defense would have a field day as well with three interceptions (by three different players) to largely keep the BYU offense on ice while our offense got over their turnover desires and got some momentum going. Without that performance by our defense today, BYU would have scored much more than 7 points in the first half and we wouldn't have been able to just sit there chipping away with field goal while our offense self destructed.

Special teams also had a huge day as Douglas, in his only kickoff return of the game, made the most of it with a 93 yard touchdown return, to go along with two solid returns by Hart, including one for 46 yards, that often kept us in great field position. Punt returns, Breedlove was alright, but a couple mediocre returns (to go along with his bad and mediocre returns in the previous three games), plus his fumble that cost us a drive before our offense could even get on the field), ultimately would lose Breedlove his starting position, as a decision was made midway through the third quarter to demote Breedlove and promote Douglas to starting punt returner. A 24 yard return by Douglas would go a long way in making that decision an easy one.

Utah State Kicking – A perfect day and a career day for Marcus, going an incredible 5-5 on field goals with kicks from 49, 29, 50, 42 and 31 yards, as well as going 4-4 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
3
10
14
16
43

:BYU:
7
0
7
7
21

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

8:52
:BYU:
Touchdown
J. Outlaw, 53 yard pass from P. Johnson (J. McCarthy kick)
:BYU: 7-0

1:49
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 49 yard field goal
:BYU: 7-3

Second Quarter

5:09
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 29 yard field goal
:BYU: 7-6

0:47
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 13-7

Third Quarter

9:50
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, returned kickoff 93 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 20-7

4:46
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
R. Watson, 5 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 27-7

2:44
:BYU:
Touchdown
K. Neal, 3 yard run (J. McCarthy kick)
:Utah_State: 27-14

Fourth Quarter

9:58
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 34-14

6:54
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 50 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 37-14

1:58
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 42 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 40-14

1:41
:BYU:
Touchdown
K. Neal, 75 yard run (J. McCarthy kick)
:Utah_State: 40-21

0:01
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 31 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 43-21

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
BYU

43
Score
21

21
First Downs
6

333
Total Offense
273

47 - 173 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
15 - 82 - 2

15 - 26 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
20 - 29 - 1

160
Passing Yards
191

0
Times Sacked
3

11 - 16 (68%)
3rd Down Conversion
2 - 10 (20%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 1 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

5 - 3 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
1 - 1 - 0 (100%)

3
Turnovers
3

1
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
3

75
Punt Return Yards
0

156
Kick Return Yards
10

564
Total Yards
283

0 – 0.0
Punts - Average
6 - 37.7

0 - 0
Penalties
2 - 30

27:02
Time of Possession
12:58

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Kick/Punt Return Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x3

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x2

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
2

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

01-14-2015, 10:07 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State doubled up Central Michigan 42-21 to extend their winning streak to 45 games. #2 West Virginia steamrolled Maryland 52-17. #3 Michigan smoked Purdue 49-14. #4 Florida State routed Virginia 55-21. #5 UCLA beat Washington State 45-31. #6 Ole Miss got past Vanderbilt 42-31. In the upset of the week, Wake Forest stunned #7 Miami 28-27. #8 Virginia Tech dominated Old Dominion 44-10. USC shocked #9 Oregon 53-39. In the game of the week, #10 South Carolina toppled #15 Alabama 31-21.

Louisiana Tech stunned #11 Wisconsin 39-35. NC State shocked #12 Georgia Tech 28-23. #14 TCU manhandled Oklahoma State 56-17. Arkansas State knocked off #16 Connecticut 34-28. #17 Texas walloped UTEP 38-3. #18 Florida survived Tennessee 27-23. Georgia slapped around #19 Texas A&M 42-10. #21 Stanford escaped Arizona State 41-38 in overtime. #22 Cincinnati dominated Miami University 49-28. Temple knocked off #23 Navy 36-26. #24 Baylor got by Rice 28-18. Auburn upset #25 Kentucky 30-24.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 3-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a 42-21 win over Central Michigan. Morsdraconis, #2 West Virginia improves to 3-0 (1-0 Big 12) with a 52-17 win over Maryland. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 1-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 45-42 overtime upset of LSU. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 0-3 (0-1 Pac-12) with a 41-38 overtime loss to #21 Stanford. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 2-1 (1-1 SEC) with a 30-24 upset of #25 Kentucky. SCClassof93, #10 South Carolina improves to 4-0 (3-0 SEC) with a 31-21 win over #15 Alabama. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 3-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 34-28 win over #16 Connecticut. Florida International drops to 0-3 (0-1 C-USA) with a 42-41 loss to Western Kentucky. #23 Navy drops to 0-2 (0-2 American) with a 36-26 loss to Temple. Tulsa improves to 1-2 (1-0 American) with a 48-0 shutout of East Carolina.

In Mountain West action, Utah State trampled BYU 43-21, Wyoming knocked off Eastern Michigan 23-14, San Diego State smoked Buffalo 38-16, Boise State spanked the beaver, beating Oregon State 31-16, New Mexico topped New Mexico State in the Rio Grande Rivalry 38-17, Minnesota beat Colorado State 34-15, Houston escaped Nevada 28-25, Iowa State slipped past San Jose State 29-28, Idaho doubled up UNLV 42-21 and Illinois defeated Hawaii 42-35.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (35 first place votes) remains #1, West Virginia (25 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Florida State remains #4 and UCLA remains #5. Ole Miss remains #6, South Carolina jumps three to #7, Virginia Tech remains #8, Oklahoma climbs four to #9 and TCU leaps four to #10. Texas vaults six to #11, Florida leaps six to #12, Oregon drops four to #13, Miami falls seven to #14 and Kansas State jumps five to #15. Stanford leaps five to #16, Cincinnati jumps five to #17, Alabama drops three to #18, Georgia enters the poll at #19 and USC enters the poll at #20. Baylor climbs three to #21, Connecticut drops six to #22, Arkansas State enters the poll at #23, New Mexico enters the poll at #24 and Georgia Tech (241 points) drops thirteen spots to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Wisconsin (from #11), Texas A&M (from #19), Navy (from #23) and Kentucky (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Washington (190 points) is #26, followed by Texas A&M (174), Fresno State (147), Wisconsin (105) and Michigan State (104) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Ohio (74) and Syracuse (31).

Taking a look at the first Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Florida State (40 first place votes) is #1, Ohio State (21 votes) is #2, West Virginia (1 vote) is #3, Michigan (1 vote) is #4 and Ole Miss (1 vote) is #5. UCLA (1 vote) is #6, Virginia Tech is #7, South Carolina is #8, Texas is #9 and Oklahoma is #10. TCU is #11, Florida is #12, Kansas State is #13, Miami is #14 and Oregon is #15. Alabama is #16, Cincinnati is #17, Stanford is #18, Georgia is #19, Washington is #20. USC is #21, Arkansas State is #22, Connecticut is #23, Ohio is #24 and Georgia Tech (259 points) is #25. Looking at Others Receiving Points, Baylor (237 points) is #26, followed by Michigan State (201), Texas A&M (141), Clemson (131) and New Mexico (131) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Wisconsin (126), Fresno State (97), Kentucky (71) and Syracuse (34).

A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1 (LW: #1), Florida QB Joseph Brown is #2 (LW: #2), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #3 (LW: #3), Texas QB Justin Jones is #4 (LW: NR) and UcLA QB Randy McNair is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Fresno State HB Chris Vincent (LW: #4) and Alabama HB Alex Davis (LW: #5).

SmoothPancakes

01-14-2015, 11:26 PM

On a bye week this week, so lets get right to it.

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State cakewalked past Wisconsin 52-7, upping their win streak to 46 games. #2 West Virginia slipped past Oklahoma State 51-45 in overtime. #3 Michigan manhandled Illinois 49-13. #4 Florida State smoked Wake Forest 42-17. #5 UCLA survived Washington 35-31. In the game of the week, #6 Ole Miss topped #18 Alabama 40-34 in overtime. #7 South Carolina beat San Jose State 31-20. In the upset of the week, Arizona State stunned #8 Virginia Tech 30-21. #9 Oklahoma outlasted Toledo 34-27.

#10 TCU got by SMU 42-30. #12 Florida defeated Kentucky 34-21. Texas Tech knocked off #13 Oregon 42-35. #14 Miami violated Notre Dame 62-3. #15 Kansas State escaped BYU 38-35. Arizona upset #16 Stanford 45-42. #17 Cincinnati defeated Tulsa 23-7. #19 Georgia survived NC State 31-27. #20 USC topped California 42-30. Tennessee shocked #22 Connecticut 42-27. Auburn knocked off #23 Arkansas State 22-16. Nevada stunned #24 New Mexico 37-10, likely ending any hopes of a return BCS appearance by the Lobos. #25 Georgia Tech doubled up Syracuse 42-21.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 4-0 (1-0 Big Ten) with a 52-7 laugher over Wisconsin. Morsdraconis, #2 West Virginia improves to 4-0 (2-0 Big 12) with a 51-45 overtime win over Oklahoma State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss remains 1-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 1-3 (0-1 Pac-12) with a 30-21 upset of #8 Virginia Tech. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 3-1 (1-1 SEC) with a 22-16 upset of #23 Arkansas State. SCClassof93, #7 South Carolina improves to 5-0 (3-0 SEC) with a 31-20 win over San Jose State. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 3-1 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 22-16 loss to Auburn. Florida International drops to 0-4 (0-1 C-USA) with a 37-21 loss to Montana. Navy improves to 1-2 (1-2 American) with a 37-34 overtime win over Central Florida. Tulsa drops to 1-3 (1-1 American) with a 23-7 loss to #17 Cincinnati.

In Mountain West action, Nevada shocked New Mexico 37-10, Fresno State blanked Colorado State 14-0, UNLV routed Wyoming 41-14, Air Force toppled San Diego State 27-22 and #7 South Carolina beat San Jose State 31-20.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (34 first place votes) remains #1, West Virginia (25 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Florida State (1 vote) remains #4 and UCLA remains #5. Ole Miss remains #6, South Carolina remains #7, Oklahoma climbs one to #8, TCU jumps one to #9 and Texas moves up one to #10. Florida climbs one to #11, Miami jumps two to #12, Kansas State rises two to #13, Cincinnati leaps three to #14 and Georgia vaults four to #15. USC jumps four to #16, Baylor climbs four to #17, Virginia Tech drops ten to #18, Georgia Tech leaps six to #19 and Alabama (despite two straight losses and three losses on the season) drops only two to #20. Fresno State enters the poll at #21, Stanford drops six to #22, Oregon falls ten to #23, Washington enters the poll at #24 and Michigan State (179 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Connecticut (from #22), Arkansas State (from #23) and New Mexico (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Tennessee (163 points) is #26, followed by Ohio (147), Connecticut (128), Arkansas State (127) and Indiana (101) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Clemson (57), Auburn (52) and Temple (30).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Florida State (37 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (27 votes) remains #2, West Virginia (1 vote) remains #3, Michigan remains #4 and Ole Miss remains #5. UCLA remains #6, South Carolina climbs one to #7, Texas jumps one to #8, Oklahoma moves up one to #9 and TCU jumps one to #10. Florida moves up one to #11, Kansas State rises one to #12, Miami jumps one to #13, Cincinnati leaps three to #14 and Georgia vaults four to #15. USC leaps five to #16, Virginia Tech drops ten to #17, Baylor enters the poll at #18, Alabama drops three to #19 and Georgia Tech jumps five to #20. Ohio climbs three to #21, Washington drops two to #22, Michigan State enters the poll at #23, Clemson enters the poll at #24 and Oregon (120 points) plummets ten to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Stanford (from #18), Arkansas State (from #22) and Connecticut (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Stanford (116 points) is #26, followed by Arkansas State (101), Fresno State (77), Tennessee (64) and Auburn (33) to round out the Top 30.

A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1 (LW: #1), UCLA QB Randy McNair is #2 (LW: #5), Florida QB Joseph Brown is #3 (LW: #2), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #4 (LW: NR) and South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #5 (LW: #3). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Texas QB Justin Jones (LW: #4).

SmoothPancakes

01-14-2015, 11:35 PM

Just for note, now that Ohio State did indeed get past their non-conference schedule and got past what originally appeared to be a tough test against Wisconsin (who was ranked up until the week before playing Ohio State) to up their win streak to 46 straight games, the Buckeyes are now just two games away from setting the record for longest win streak. Who are those two opponents for the Buckeyes?

They start with a home game against Iowa (1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) in week 6. Iowa opened with a 20-17 win over FCS West, before losing 28-14 to Iowa State and 23-19 to Indiana.

If they get past Iowa, Ohio State will then tangle with Illinois (currently 2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at home in week 7. Illinois opened their year with a 33-17 win at Western Michigan, lost 28-21 to Texas State, beat Hawaii 42-35 and lost 49-13 to #3 Michigan. They have a game at 4-0 Penn State this week before playing Ohio State next week. In fact, looking at Illinois' schedule, what a bitch of a stretch. In three consecutive weeks, 4-0 (3-0 at the time they played) #3 Michigan, 4-0 Penn State and 4-0 (likely 5-0 at the time when they play) #1 Ohio State.

On the flip side, Ohio State has a gauntlet to end the season. With current records as of the end of week 5, Ohio State's last four games are against 3-0 #25 Michigan State, 4-0 Penn State, at 4-1 Indiana and at 4-0 #3 Michigan. Now obviously they won't all be undefeated or have only one loss by the time Ohio State gets to week 11, but regardless, that will be one hell of a month of games in November.

JeffHCross

01-15-2015, 09:34 AM

:D Yeah, I was waiting for that eventual comment. Sure, Virginia Tech had a blowout win over #6 Wisconsin while Ohio State blew out a crappy Tulsa team, but no way in hell would voters take a team on a 44 game winning streak and vote them out of the #1 spot until they lost. They would be permanent #1 until they finally lost a game.

#TheScriptIsDeadI mean, I can believe that a few of them would take them out of the top spot ... see Kentucky this year being a unanimous #1 up until this week in college basketball. But no way would enough drop them ...

On the flip side, Ohio State has a gauntlet to end the season. With current records as of the end of week 5, Ohio State's last four games are against 3-0 #25 Michigan State, 4-0 Penn State, at 4-1 Indiana and at 4-0 #3 Michigan. Now obviously they won't all be undefeated or have only one loss by the time Ohio State gets to week 11, but regardless, that will be one hell of a month of games in November.Speaking of gauntlets, did you see the schedule they have (IRL) for 2015? It ends Michigan State, Michigan, (Possible) CCG, Bowl/Playoff. Wowza.

jaymo76

01-17-2015, 12:15 PM

1-3 for :Arizona_State: Well. I guess Ram called it. The SunDevils are NOT allowed to win because of the whole Christianity movement in the USA. I guess Sparky will anger the religious right??? Wow, even the script writers figured out how to destroy video games with their secret illuminati agenda! :fp:

SmoothPancakes

03-11-2015, 03:04 AM

Game Five

:San_Jose_State: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Coming off a huge victory over BYU to wrap up the Beehive Boot and the Old Wagon Wheel for the season followed by a bye week to rest up, it was time to dive into the conference schedule for the year. First up would be San Jose State, who would enter the game at 2-2 on the year. This looked to be a tough one. The Spartans started their season with consecutive wins (28-14 at Colorado and 45-21 vs. Fordham), before losing 29-28 at Iowa State and 31-20 at #7 South Carolina. We were going to be tested today, as San Jose State entered with the #35 rushing offense, a defense that ranked between #50 and #65 as well as entering the contest as the #1 team in the nation in turnover differential. It would take a perfect game by our offense (including NO turnovers) and a strong showing by our defense to get the job done today. It would be a little bit more difficult as the field was pure white and the snow was flying on this October afternoon. We would win the coin toss and elect to kick.

The opening kickoff would sail into the touchback and San Jose State would start their opening drive from their 25 yard line. Antoine Wyatt would get the Spartans off and running on first down with a 8 yard carry around the left end. Keeping the ball on second down, quarterback C.J. Dotson would be met in the backfield and quickly tackled for a three yard loss, bringing up third and 5. Our defense would rise to the occasion on third down, as Dotson dropped back to pass off of a play action fake, only to have his pass intercepted by cornerback Leonard Hart, who returned the ball 5 yards to the 32 yard line.

Taking over possession at the San Jose State 32 yard line following the interception, our offense was left in impeccable position to take control of the tempo of this game early on. We would get our first drive of the game started on the ground, as Brian Paris took the handoff for a four yard gain up the middle, followed by a 7 yard dash to give us a quick first down at the 21 yard line. Another four yard gain by Paris would keep us moving the ball forward as we lined up on second and 6. Paris would plow ahead on second down, picking up 6 yards on the play to bring up third and inches. Placing the ball right back into the hands of Paris, he would fight for a two yard gain and pick up the first down, giving us first and goal at the Spartan 9 yard line. Continuing to force San Jose State to stop us on the ground, Paris would rush forward for a 5 yard gain on first down, moving the ball to the four yard line. Another rush attempt by Paris would result in no gain, bringing up third and goal from the four yard line. Taking a gamble on the play action pass on third down, the defense would bite on the fake, allowing tight end Gerald Woods to get open along the right side of the end zone, hauling in the pass from Jason Barnes for a four yard touchdown to give us a 7-0 lead with 5:37 left in the first quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would place San Jose State right back at their 25 yard line. Wyatt would get the Spartans off and running on first down, but the blitz by our defense would leave him with nowhere to run, tackled for no gain on the play. The Spartans would find a small victory on second down, as a play action pass caught our defense out of place, but Wyatt would only manage 5 yards on the reception as he was dragged down from behind, bringing up third and 5. Unfortunately San Jose State would turn a first down pass into a 70 yard touchdown as multiple crossing routes left our secondary victims of friendly fire collisions, allowing Robert Thomas to pull in the pass and race up field untouched, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:33 left in the first quarter.

A 17 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 21 yard line for our next drive. Despite nearly being swarmed at the snap, Paris was able to avoid the blitzing defense on the first down handoff and find a hole for a gain of 6 yards. Another rush by Paris would go for 6 more yards, giving us a first down at the 33 yard line. Paris would continue to take it right at the defense, fighting his way up the middle and briefly breaking into open space on a 16 yard carry, moving the chains to the 48 yard line. Unfortunately, the first down carry by Paris would gain just two yards as the defense managed to clog up all of the holes, leaving second and 8. Going into the air on second down, Barnes would find Adam Washington wide open over the middle, the pass complete for an 18 yard gain and a first down at the San Jose State 33 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, Raymond Watson was able to pull in a quick pass from Barnes for a 6 yard gain, bringing up second and four. Returning to the ground on second down, Paris rumbled ahead for a four yard gain, leaving us just short and facing third and inches. A second four down rush by Paris would get the job down, picking up the first down and advancing the chains to the 18 yard line. Aaron Allen would keep us moving forward on first down as he pulled in a pass from Barnes along the left sideline, good for a 13 yard gain to set us up with first and goal from the 5 yard line. Paris would take the handoff on first down, but he was unable to gain any yards on the play, leaving second and goal. A second attempt by Paris would go for a gain of four yards to bring up third and goal at the one yard line. That would be the final play of the quarter, the first quarter coming to an end in a 7-7 tie.

Opening up the second quarter, we lined up at the San Jose State one yard line, facing third and goal on the play. Paris had largely gotten us here courtesy of his rushing, so we left it to him to finish the drive off. He would do exactly that as he took the handoff and plunged untouched into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 9:59 left in the second quarter.

A 27 yard kickoff return by Wyatt would give the Spartans the ball at their 24 yard line. Despite blowing up Dotson and hitting the receiver well behind the line of scrimmage, the screen pass to Tony Robinson would still end up going for an 11 yard gain in a moment of high-stepping BS, giving San Jose State a first down at the 36 yard line. Going to the ground on first down, Wyatt would gain just one yard on the play, bringing up second and 9. A late option pitch to Jesse Lewis would go for a 5 yard gain, leaving the Spartans with third and four. Dotson would drop back to pass on third down, but a completely missed block by Wyatt would allow our defensive end to coming sprinting into the backfield completely untouched, sacking Dotson for a 7 yard loss and forcing the Spartans to punt on fourth and 11. A one yard return on the 35 yard punt gave us the ball at our 30 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, it was back to more of the same as Paris rumbled ahead for a 6 yard gain on first down, followed by a four yard gain to leave us facing third and inches. Despite stacking the line of scrimmage, the defense would be unable to stop Paris as he raced forward for a 6 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 46 yard line. Paris would try to keep it going on first down, but he would quickly get brought down for just a one yard gain, leaving second and 9. Raymond Watson would get us moving through the air, pulling in a pass from Barnes out of the backfield for a quick strike of 8 yards, bringing up third and one in San Jose territory. Paris would again get the call on third down, turning it into a four yard gain and a new set of downs at the San Jose 41 yard line. Following his blockers on first down, Paris would rumble forward for a gain of 7 yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush by Benjamin Silva, giving us a first down at the 29 yard line. Paris would return on first down, heading straight up the middle for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a second 6 yard carry to give us another first down at the 18 yard line. With seemingly no way to slow us down, Silva would get the handoff on first down, fighting forward for a 5 yard gain. Paris was on his way to a first down on the second down carry, before he was stripped on the play, the fumble recovered by San Jose State at their 7 yard line. We would take a chance and challenge the fumble (with only 3:27 left in the half), but the ruling on the field was confirmed.

Taking over after the fumble recovery, San Jose State came out passing but quickly found themselves facing third and four as an incomplete pass and a 6 yard rush by Wyatt burned their first two downs of the drive. Hit as he tried to throw the pass, Dotson would only get off a wounded duck pass that would land incomplete, forcing San Jose to punt on fourth and four. A 9 yard return on the 34 yard punt would give us the ball at the San Jose State 37 yard line.

Lining up inside Spartans territory following the punt, we forced Paris right back into the saddle on first down. Unfortunately, he would only gain a single yard on the play, leaving us with second and 9. Taking another shot with a play action pass, it would pay off HUGE as Woods would again get wide open behind the corner, pulling in the pass from Barnes and racing downfield for a 27 yard gain before being tripped up from behind, giving us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Paris took the handoff straight up the middle for a 5 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to leave us with third and goal at the two yard line. Silva would get the call on third and goal, plowing forward into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 21-7 with 47 seconds remaining until halftime.

Another touchback on the kickoff would give San Jose State the ball at their 25 yard line, just 47 seconds to work with in the quarter. Going into the air on first down, Dotson was forced to throw a short pass to Robinson, only gaining 5 yards on the play and forcing the Spartans to use their first timeout with 43 seconds to go. It would only get worse for the Spartans as our pass coverage gave our defensive line time to break through the pass block, as two defenders converged on Dotson to sack him for an 8 yard loss, leaving the Spartans facing third and 13 from their 22 yard line. San Jose State seemingly was ready to throw in the towel after that play, as they didn’t bother to call one of their two remaining timeouts, huddling up and letting the clock continue to tick its way under 30 seconds. Snapping the ball with two seconds left, the Spartans would hand the ball off to Wyatt for a 5 yard gain, taking us into halftime with a 21-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, a huge 57 yard kickoff return by Hart up the right sideline gave us the ball at the San Jose State 40 yard line to start the third quarter. Getting the drive started on the ground (why change what works?), Paris got us off and running with a 5 yard gain on first down, followed by a three yard rush to bring up third and two. Leaving the drive in the hands of Paris, he would fight his way to a three yard gain to pick up the first down at the 29 yard line. Paris would keep us moving with a four yard gain on first down, followed by a 7 yard rush to give us a first down at the 18 yard line. Changing it up with a pass on first down, Barnes would connect with Allen along the left hash mark for a 10 yard completion, leaving us with second and inches. Taking the ball on second down, Paris would rush the ball around the right tackle for a two yard gain, giving us first and goal at the San Jose 6 yard line. Taking the ball on first down Paris would rush forward for a three yard gain to bring up second and goal at the three yard line. Silva would need just one play to finish the drive off, punching it in on second down for a three yard touchdown to increase our lead to a commanding 28-7 with 6:27 left in the third quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would start the Spartans from their 25 yard line. Wyatt would get the drive started with a two yard run up the middle, before being brought down for a four yard loss by our blitzing defense, leaving San Jose State with third and 12 from their 23 yard line. Emptying out the backfield would do little for the Spartans, as safety Kyle Mitchell would come sprinting in from behind the receiver, intercepting the downfield pass along the sideline to give us possession at the San Jose 34 yard line.

Lining up once more with great field position following an interception, Paris would put forth a major effort on the first down carry, fighting his way through two tackle attempts on his way to an 11 yard carry, picking up a quick new set of downs at the 23 yard line. Another rush up the middle by Paris would go for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a 6 yard carry to give us first and goal at the 10 yard line. Silva would take the ball on first down, fighting his way forward for a 6 yard gain, giving us second and goal at the four yard line. A two yard rush by Paris would bring up third and goal from the two yard line. Paris would get the call on third down, sprinting forward untouched into the end zone, further increasing our commanding lead to 35-7 with 3:29 left in the third quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would start San Jose State’s next drive from the 25 yard line. A first down screen pass to Wyatt would end up going for a 16 yard gain, getting the Spartans off to a quick start. After an incomplete pass on first down, Dotson would find Jorge White for a 9 yard gain to bring up second and one. Keeping the ball on an option play, Dotson would get into open field for a 27 yard gain, giving San Jose a first down at our 23 yard line. Dotson would be forced to throw the ball away on first down, followed by a 23 yard touchdown pass on a screen pass to Lewis, cutting our lead to 35-14 with 2:20 left in the third quarter.

A 24 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 27 yard line. Paris would get our drive started with a 5 yard carry, followed by a second down pass to Washington, good for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the 46 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would try to connect with Jon Morris, but the pass would get broken up to leave second down. Going back to the ground on second down, Paris would only gain two yards before being ripped down from behind, leaving third and 8. A third down pass to Allen would pick up 12 yards, moving the chains to the San Jose State 40 yard line. Going to the ground on first down, Paris would take the handoff for a 7 yard carry, followed by a second 7 yard gain to get a first down at the 26 yard line. A 6 yard run by Silva would bring the third quarter to an end, our lead sitting at 35-14.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up at the San Jose State 20 yard line, facing second and four. Silva would again get the call, rushing for a four yard gain to leave us facing third and short. The defense would end up giving us the first down as a facemask penalty on the play, marked half the distance to the goal, would set us up with first and goal from the 8 yard line. Silva would nearly end the drive on the first play, finding a huge gap up the middle for a 7 yard gain, brought down just outside the goal line to leave second and goal. Catching the defense sleeping as they stacked the box, Barnes dropped back from under center and rifled a quick pass to tight end Jack Long on a slant route, good for a one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 42-14 with 9:11 left in the game.

Wyatt would choose to take a knee on the kickoff, the touchback giving the Spartans the ball at their 25 yard line. The rough day would continue for San Jose State as Dotson dropped back to pass on first down, only to find no one open and the pocket collapsing, eventually scrambling his way right into a defender for a sack for a 6 yard loss to leave second and 16 and an early hole for the offense. A quick out pass to Wyatt would go for no gain, bringing up third and 16. Unbelievably, a screen pass on third down would result in SIX missed tackles as Wyatt run up the left sideline for a bloody 68 goddamn yard gain, giving San Jose State a first down at our 13 yard line. Lewis would take the handoff on first down, gaining only two yards on the counter. An option pitch to Lewis on second down would result in a loss of four yards, bringing up third and 12. Unfortunately Dotson would sail a pass into the corner of the end zone to Zach Ross for a 16 yard touchdown pass, cutting out lead to 42-21 with 7:08 left in the game.

A 19 yard kickoff return by Hart would leave us starting our drive from our 18 yard line. With a three possession lead and just seven minutes from victory, we elected to start our drive on the ground, where Silva would gain just two yards. While we preferred to chew up clock, we also preferred to keep possession of the ball, going into the air on second down. David Douglas would do exactly that with a 16 yard reception from Barnes, giving us a first down at the 36 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, another pass to Douglas, this time on a comeback route, would see the cornerback miss on his tackle attempt and allow Douglas to get up the field for a 28 yard completion, moving the chains to the San Jose 36 yard line. Unfortunately we would end up going backwards on first down, sacked for an 8 yard loss. Going over the middle on second and 18, Douglas would erase that loss and get the first down with a 20 yard completion, moving the ball to the 25 yard line. Trying to hit Allen down the right sideline, the pass would end up intercepted by cornerback Anthony Walker, giving San Jose State the ball at their 28 yard line.

Lining up after the interception, the Spartans came out throwing on first down. That would be a mistake as Hart would intercept the pass right back, and unlike Walker, return it 46 yards to the house for a pick six touchdown, increasing our lead to 49-21 with 4:55 left in the game.

No return on the kickoff would start the Spartans again from their 25 yard line. After two incomplete passes to bring up third and 10 for San Jose State, Jesse Breedlove would get in on the action, intercepting Dotson’s third down pass along the left sideline to give us the ball at the San Jose 41 yard line.

Lining up in Spartans territory following the interception, our defense’s fourth interception of the game, we decided to repeat what we did with Paris earlier in the game, and put Barnes right back in the saddle on first down. Shaking off his interception from his previous drive, he found Douglas over the middle on first down for a 16 yard strike and a quick first down at the 25 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Barnes would connect with tight end Sam Livingston for another 16 yard gain, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line. Unbelievably, the first and goal pass intended for Long would be intercepted by a fully stretched out and diving safety Kevin Johnson in the end zone for a touchback, giving San Jose the ball at their 20 yard line. That would be four straight possessions combined between both teams ending in interceptions. Ridiculous.

Lining up after the touchback on the interception, Dotson would drop back to pass on first down, but finding no one open, would take off scrambling for a 20 yard gain, moving the chains to the 40 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Dotson would connect with Robinson for a gain of 16 yards, moving the ball to our 44 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Wyatt would take the ball up the middle for a two yard gain to bring up third and 8. An incomplete pass would bring up fourth down for the Spartans. Somehow Thomas would pull in a pass from Dotson for a 14 yard gain, getting a first down at our 28 yard line. After another incomplete pass on first down, Dotson would end up sacked for a one yard loss, leaving third and 11. Another sack would push the Spartans back another 7 yards, bringing up fourth and 18. Going for it on fourth down, a false start penalty would add 5 more yards to the down, San Jose now punting on fourth and 23. A touchback on the punt would give us the ball at our 20 yard line.

Initially coming out running on first down, San Jose’s defense stacked the box, causing Barnes to audible to a pass play, only to have the pass over the middle intended for Douglas broken up. Another pass to Douglas would be completed this time for an 18 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 38 yard line. Finding Allen for a 10 yard completion on first down, we would line up on second and inches, with a four yard rush enough to get the first down at the San Jose 48 yard line. Another pass to Allen would pick up 17 yards, giving us a first down at the 31 yard line. With the clock now ticking under a minute, we would call off the dogs and Barnes would drop to a knee with 30 seconds left in the game, running out the clock on a dominating 49-21 victory in the conference opener.

With the win, we open conference play and improve to 3-2, 1-0 in Mountain West action. With the loss, San Jose State drops to 2-3, 0-1 in Mountain West play. Up next, it’s on the road to take on Nevada. The Wolf Pack enter the game at 1-4, 1-0 in Mountain West action. Nevada started out on a four game losing streak, losing at Cal 23-20, at Purdue 45-17, to #4 UCLA 38-10 and to Houston 28-25, before finally breaking into the win column with a 37-10 victory at New Mexico.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 49, :San_Jose_State: 21

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A rather good day for Barnes, going 18-22 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Only negatives today were the two interceptions, one in the end zone and one in the red zone, both on tough passes that the defense just made outstanding plays on more than a bad throw by Barnes. Rushing, Paris had a monster day, ending with 198 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 44 carries. Silva finished his day with 44 yards and two touchdowns on 10 rushes. Receiving, Douglas led the way with 98 yards on 5 catches. Woods (31 yards on two catches) and Long (one yard on one catch) accounted for the two receiving touchdowns. In all, seven receivers caught at least one pass today, six of them ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Other than the three touchdown scoring drives by the Spartans, our defense by and large reined supreme today. Four interceptions was incredible. One interception by Breedlove, one by Mitchell and a huge two by Hart, including a pick six, really set the tone for the day and kept the Spartans offense largely in check. Still have to work on defending the screen passes and the option, as well as just plain defending the pass in general as some of those touchdowns and some of San Jose's big gains came through the air, but all in all, a good day defensively.

Utah State Kicking – A pretty much nonexistent day for Marcus as he didn't attempt any field goals. He did however end up going 7-7 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:San_Jose_State:
7
0
7
7
21

:Utah_State:
7
14
14
14
49

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:37
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
G. Woods, 4 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

4:33
:San_Jose_State:
Touchdown
R. Thomas, 70 yard pass from C. Dotson (M. Thomas kick)
TIED 7-7

Second Quarter

9:59
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-7

0:47
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 21-7

Third Quarter

6:27
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 28-7

3:29
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 35-7

2:20
:San_Jose_State:
Touchdown
J. Lewis, 23 yard pass from C. Dotson (M. Thomas kick)
:Utah_State: 35-14

Fourth Quarter

9:11
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
J. Long, 1 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 42-14

7:08
:San_Jose_State:
Touchdown
Z. Ross, 16 yard pass from C. Dotson (M. Thomas kick)
:Utah_State: 42-21

4:55
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
L. Hart, returned interception 46 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 49-21

Game Stats

San Jose State
Stat
Utah State

21
Score
49

7
First Downs
29

290
Total Offense
486

19 - 38 - 0
Rushes - Yards - TD
56 - 232 - 4

12 - 26 - 3
Comp - Att - TD
18 - 22 - 2

252
Passing Yards
254

5
Times Sacked
1

4 - 12 (33%)
3rd Down Conversion
10 - 10 (100%)

1 - 1 (100%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

1 - 1 - 0 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
8 - 6 - 0 (75%)

4
Turnovers
3

0
Fumbles Lost
1

4
Intercepted
2

0
Punt Return Yards
9

27
Kick Return Yards
116

317
Total Yards
611

3 – 36.7
Punts - Average
0 - 0.0

2 - 13
Penalties
0 - 0

15:01
Time of Possession
24:59

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x7

Score a Defensive Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x4

Pass for 250 Yards
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
3

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

03-11-2015, 03:05 AM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State cakewalked past Iowa 42-7, upping their win streak to 47 games to tie the 1953-57 Oklahoma team for the national record for longest winning streak. #2 West Virginia dominated Kansas 49-7. #3 Michigan downed Colorado 28-17. #4 Florida State struggled past Maryland 42-35. #5 UCLA beat Cal 31-21. #6 Ole Miss survived BYU 35-28. #7 South Carolina beat Kentucky 41-21. In the game of the week, #8 Oklahoma would claim the Red River Shootout with a 45-35 win over #10 Texas.

#9 TCU topped #17 Baylor 21-17. #11 Florida slapped around LSU 52-24. #12 Miami got past NC State 35-31. #14 Cincinnati dominated Memphis 52-28. #15 Georgia beat Tennessee 24-19. #16 USC topped Utah 38-26. #18 Virginia fought off Syracuse 62-56 in triple overtime. #19 Georgia Tech took down Clemson 35-31. #20 Alabama took down UAB 34-14. #22 Stanford beat Washington State 35-18. #24 Washington defeated Florida International 34-14. Nebraska knocked off #25 Michigan State 38-35.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten) with a 42-7 stomping of Iowa. Morsdraconis, #2 West Virginia improves to 5-0 (3-0 Big 12) with a 49-7 thrashing of Kansas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 1-2 (0-1 C-USA) with a 31-16 loss to Rice. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 1-4 (0-2 Pac-12) with a 28-13 loss to Oregon State. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 4-1 (1-1 SEC) with a 27-6 win over Georgia State. SCClassof93, #7 South Carolina improves to 6-0 (4-0 SEC) with a 41-21 win over Kentucky. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 3-1 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International drops to 0-5 (0-1 C-USA) with a 34-14 loss to #24 Washington. Navy improves to 2-2 (1-2 American) with a 31-17 win over Air Force. Tulsa remains 1-3 (1-1 American) with a bye week.

In Mountain West action, Utah State routed San Jose State 49-21, Hawaii upset Boise State 48-38, Colorado State beat Wyoming 45-24, New Mexico State shocked San Diego State 41-38 in overtime and Navy beat Air Force 31-17.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #10 Texas, #17 Baylor, #25 Michigan State, Boston College, Clemson, Ohio and UTSA all lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 14. #1 Ohio State (5-0), #2 West Virginia (5-0), #3 Michigan (5-0), #4 Florida State (5-0), #5 UCLA (6-0), #6 Ole Miss (5-0), #7 South Carolina (6-0), #8 Oklahoma (4-0), #11 Florida (6-0), #13 Kansas State (3-0), #14 Cincinnati, #21 Fresno State (4-0), Northern Illinois (4-0) and Penn State (5-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 7 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-5), East Carolina (0-5), Florida International (0-5), Kent State (0-4), Notre Dame (0-6), UAB (0-4) and Western Michigan (0-4).

Teams getting their first win this week were: Ball State (44-27 over Buffalo), Florida Atlantic (42-28 over Middle Tennessee State), Massachusetts (41-20 over Old Dominion) and Pittsburgh (22-16 over Notre Dame).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, in a head scratcher, West Virginia (39 first place votes) climbs one to #1, Ohio State (21 votes) drops one to #2, Florida State (1 vote) climbs one to #3, UCLA jumps one to #4 and Michigan drops two #5. Oklahoma jumps two to #6, Ole Miss drops one to #7, South Carolina drops one to #8, Florida jumps two to #9 and Kansas State leaps three to #10. TCU drops two to #11, Cincinnati climbs two to #12, Miami falls one to #13, Georgia moves up one to #14 and Texas drops five to #15. USC remains #16, Fresno State jumps four to #17, Virginia Tech remains #18, Georgia Tech remains #19 and Alabama remains #20. Baylor drops four to #21, Stanford remains #22, Oregon remains #23, Washington remains #24 and Arkansas State (118 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Michigan State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Indiana (97 points) is #26, followed by Auburn (53), Louisiana Lafayette (39), Temple (33) and Tennessee (20) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Navy (8), Michigan State (7) and Arkansas (6).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Florida State (37 first place votes) remains #1, West Virginia (21 votes) jumps one to #2, Ohio State (3 votes) gets no respect and drops one to #3, Ole Miss (2 votes) jumps one to #4 and Oklahoma (1 vote) leaps four to #5. UCLA (1 vote) remains #6, Michigan drops three to #7, South Carolina drops one to #8, Kansas State leaps three to #9 and Florida climbs one to #10. TCU drops one to #11, Cincinnati climbs two to #12, Miami remains #13, Texas falls six to #14 and Georgia remains #15. USC remains #16, Virginia Tech remains #17, Alabama climbs one to #18, Georgia Tech jumps one to #19 and Fresno State enters the poll at #20. Baylor drops three to #21, Washington remains #22, Stanford enters the poll at #23, Oregon climbs one to #24 and Arkansas State (157 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Ohio (from #21), Michigan State (from #23) and Clemson (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (86 points) is #26, followed by Auburn (81), Indiana (81), Temple (48) and Ohio (48) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Michigan State (41), Arkansas (23) and Northern Illinois (15).

A look at the Heisman race, Florida QB Joseph Brown is #1 (LW: #3), Florida State QB Chris Larson is #2 (LW: NR), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #3 (LW: #1), UCLA QB Randy McNair is #4 (LW: #2) and South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #5 (LW: #5). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Michigan QB Brian Brewster (LW: #4).

SmoothPancakes

03-12-2015, 02:02 PM

Game Six

:Utah_State: :@: :Nevada:

Game Story

--- Entering the halfway point of the season, while a 3-2 record was respectable, it certainly wasn’t where we expected to be so far. With one game of conference play under our belts, we were already in a position of advantage as New Mexico had previously lost a conference game, and, along with other conference wins and losses, ourselves and Air Force were the only ones in the Mountain Division with a still untarnished record. After coming so close to a Mountain Division title in previous years, only to end up one or two games out of first place, we needed to take advantage of this early fortune, and that started with a win today against Nevada.

While the Wolf Pack entered boasting the #40 rushing offense in the nation, they were mediocre at very best, their next best ranking in any offensive or defensive stat coming at #73 nationally in rushing defense. With a mix of rankings in the 80s, 90s and 100s, if we could set the tempo from the start today, we could quickly knock any upset hopes down early. Unfortunately, it would be another poor weather game as the rain came down in a monsoon in Reno. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A touchback on the opening kickoff gave Nevada the ball at their 25 yard line to start the game. Trying to keep the ball on a delayed QB option, Eric Barnes would end up with nowhere to run as our blitz quickly broke through the offensive line, tacking Barnes for a 5 yard loss. Trying to go with a screen pass on second down, Barnes was forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sacking, leaving third and 15 for the Wolf Pack. A completed screen pass to Lorenzo Harris would pick up 10 yards, but Nevada would be forced to punt away on fourth down. A 6 yard return on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 36 yard line.

In an utterly unsurprising move as we lined up on first down, Brian Paris would get the ball to start our drive, as he raced up the middle for a 7 yard gain, followed by a 6 yard rush to pick up a quick first down at the 49 yard line. Another handoff to Paris would gain three yards, before a huge 10 yard rumble would give us a new set of downs at the Nevada 39 yard line. Benjamin Silva would take over on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard carry, followed by a stumbling 9 yard rush by Paris to pick up another first down at the 25 yard line. Paris would keep the ball on first down, finding a gaping hole straight up the middle for an 8 yard gain. Taking a chance with the play action pass on second down, the pass from Jason Barnes to tight end Gerald Woods would go for just a one yard gain, as Barnes was forced to throw across his body and forced Woods to go back behind the line of scrimmage to retrieve the pass. With that errant play, we lined back up on third and one. Paris would get the call and race straight forward for a 6 yard carry, setting us up with first and goal from the 10 yard line. Finding the middle of the line of scrimmage completely clogged up, Paris received the handoff from Barnes, bounced outside and sprinted for the sideline, turning up field at the last moment and racing into the end zone for a 10 yard touchdown rush, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:15 left in the first quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would give Nevada the ball at their 25 yard line. Harris would get the handoff on first down, but he would get quickly met by our blitzing linebacker, tackled for a two yard loss on the play. Going right back to the ground, Harris would recover those lost yards and then some with a 9 yard carry up the middle, bringing up third and three. Harris would get the call once more on third down, but he would end up going nowhere as he was tackled for no gain on the play, forcing Nevada to once more call out their punt team on fourth and three. A 15 yard return on the 39 yard punt set us up with the ball at our 43 yard line.

Starting our next drive once more on the ground, Paris got us off and running with a four yard carry on first down. Unfortunately it would be bad news from there as Paris was slow to get up after the play, clutching his ribs as he walked off the field, a potentially devastating blow to our offense. Picking up for the injured Paris, Silva would enter the backfield on second down, rumbling forward for a gain of 5 yards, leaving us with third and inches. Putting the ball right back into the hands of Silva, he would fight for a four yard gain and fresh set of downs at the Nevada 43 yard line. Trying to get Silva warmed up, we would hand the ball right back off on first down, only picking up one yard on the play as Silva was quickly tripped up at the line of scrimmage. Taking a shot through the air on second down, Barnes would connect with Aaron Allen for a 13 yard strike, giving us a first down at the 29 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would connect with Adam Washington over the middle for an 11 yard gain, giving us another first down at the 18. Silva would get us rolling on first down with a four yard carry. That would be when we would learn the bad news, discovering that Paris had suffered a strained back, an injury that would leave him sidelined for the next three weeks, essentially ruining what had been shaping up to be a season record setting year. Keeping at it on second down, Silva would stumble his way to a 6 yard gain, good enough to set us up with first and goal at the 8 yard line. Silva would take his first crack at the end zone on first down, pin-balling his way to a three yard gain, followed by a second three yard rush to leave us with third and goal from the two yard line. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead standing at 7-0.

Opening up the second quarter, we lined up at the Nevada two yard line, facing third and goal in a make or break play. Despite some good blocking, Silva would only be able to get one yard on the play, leaving us with fourth and goal from the one yard line. Facing a tough decision, we elected to kick for the three points, the 18 yard field goal by Doug Marcus sailing through the uprights to give us a 10-0 lead with 9:30 left in the second quarter.

Another touchback on the deep kickoff would start Nevada from their 25. Harris would try to get the Wolf Pack off and running, but our defense was able to quickly open a gap and let our linebacker break through, tackling Harris for a three yard loss to bring up second and 13. Dropping back to pass on second down, Barnes tried to connect with John Miller, only to have the pass broken up and nearly intercepted, leaving the Wolf Pack facing third and 13. A third down screen pass to Harris would pick up 6 yards, but a well timed move by one of our linebackers allowed him to hurdle a diving blocker and wrap up and tackle Harris from behind, forcing Nevada to once more punt on fourth and 7. A 7 yard return on the 36 yard punt would give us possession at our 42 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, we decided to keep trying to work Silva, who would now be the face of our rushing attack for the next three weeks. Unfortunately he would quickly end up tackled for no gain, bringing up second and 10. Dropping back to pass on second down, the pass from Barnes intended for Washington was nearly intercepted by the safety, leaving third and long. A third down pass to Allen would just get enough yards, picking up 10 on the reception, to give us a first down at the Nevada 48 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Silva would struggle to pick up three yards on the carry, clearly not quite up to the talent level of Paris. Lining up under center on second down, Barnes dropped back and tried to thread the needle to Raymond Watson, only to have the pass intercepted by safety Steve McClellan to give Nevada the ball at their 43 yard line.

Coming out on offense after the interception, Harris got the handoff on first down, barely avoiding a huge loss in the backfield before being chased down from behind and tackled for no gain on the play. Harris wouldn’t get back to the line of scrimmage on second down, tackled in the backfield for a one yard loss to leave third and 11. Barnes had a good pass to a wide open Greg Burnett, but he would end up dropping the ball while making the catch, the incompletion forcing another punt on fourth and 11 and saving our offense’s asses. A 14 yard return on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 33 yard line.

Lining up on first down, Silva again would get the call to start the drive, only to gain just one yard as he pretty much rushed straight into the defensive tackle. With our running game effectively neutered, we lined up under center on second down, Barnes dropping back to pass and connecting with Washington on a comeback route, good for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the 46 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would nearly get intercepted again, as his pass over the middle intended for Washington was broken up by the middle linebacker. Unfortunately Barnes would get so lucky on second down, as his pass intended for Allen would be intercepted this time, picked off by cornerback D.D. Jones to give Nevada the ball at our 42 yard line, our offense seemingly now trying to piss this game away.

Coming out following the interception, Nevada found themselves with great field position and a chance to even this game right back up. Naturally our defense would suddenly shove their heads up their collective asses on this drive, allowing Harris to juke, spin and hurdle his way through five missed tackles for a huge 19 yard rush, giving Nevada a first down at our 24 yard line. Barnes would keep the ball on a QB option, rushing around the right end for a 20 yard rush, our defense essentially also deciding to just give up now, Nevada setting up with first and goal from our four yard line. Another QB option against our incompetent defense, and Barnes had a four yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 10-7 with 4:03 left in the second quarter.

A 20 yard kickoff return by David Douglas would give us possession at the 19 yard line. Starting the drive on the ground, Silva would find some success at last, rushing ahead for a 7 yard gain, followed by an 8 yard carry to give us a first down at the 34 yard line. Keeping at it on first down, Silva would get some great blocking, allowing him to hit the gap for an 8 yard carry, followed by a 9 yard gain by third-stringer Kyle Hall, giving us a first down at the Nevada 49 yard line. Silva would resume the duties on first down, hitting the right corner and spinning his way out of two tackles, the carry good for a gain of 11 yards and a new set of downs at the 38 yard line. Silva would take the handoff once more on first down, fighting his way to a three yard gain on the play. Running a play action pass on second down, the defense wouldn’t fall for it one bit, the pass intended for Watson nearly ending up intercepted a second time by McClellan, leaving us with third and 7. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Barnes would manage to connect with Allen for an 11 yard completion, giving us new life at the 24 yard line. A first down pass to Tristan Muhammad would go for a 5 yard gain, our first timeout called with 57 seconds left in the half. Giving the ball to Silva, he would race forward for a four yard gain on second down to leave third and one. Going no huddle on third down, Silva would again get the call, a two yard carry giving us a first down at the 12 yard line and momentarily stopping the clock. Trying to go through the air from under center on first down, the pass intended for Douglas would get nearly intercepted inside the 5 yard line, bringing up second and 10 and stopping the clock with 29 seconds left in the half. Going into the shotgun on second down, Barnes would hit Douglas in the hands, but a slap on the arm by the cornerback would cause Douglas to drop the ball in the end zone, leaving us with third down. Unfortunately, despite finding Allen open along the right hash mark, the completion from Barnes would only go for a gain of 9 yards, leaving us facing fourth and one from the three yard line. We would let the clock tick down to the final seconds before calling our second timeout and line up for the field goal. Marcus would just squeeze the sharp angle 20 yard field goal through the near upright, giving us a 13-7 lead and sending us into halftime.

Opening up the second half, a 37 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would give us the ball at our 38 yard line to start the third quarter. Starting the drive on the ground, Silva would weave his way through a pair of holes, picking up a big 9 yard gain on the play, followed by a 6 yard rush to get the first down at the Nevada 47 yard line. Silva would keep plugging away with a four yard carry on first down, before a three yard rush by Hall would leave us facing third and three. Relying on Silva to get the first down, he would get the three needed yards and then some with a 5 yard rush, giving us a new set of downs at the 35. Unfortunately Hall would end up with nowhere to run on first down, giving us second and long. The play action pass on second down would be technically successful, but a pass to the wrong receiver would leave Watson only picking up two yards on the play instead of a potential first down by the tight end, bringing up third and 8. Thankfully Allen would again come through for us on a huge third down play, pulling in the pass from Barnes over the middle for a 19 yard completion and a first down at the Nevada 13 yard line. Turning back to the ground game on first down, Silva would fight his way to a three yard gain on first down, followed by a gain of just one yard on the second down carry by Hall, bringing up third and 6. Unfortunately the third down pass intended for Washington would be nearly intercepted, forcing us to kick another field goal on fourth and 6. The 27 yard field goal would sail through the uprights, increasing our lead to 16-7 with 5:08 left in the third quarter.

A touchback on the ensuing kickoff would give Nevada the ball at their 25 yard line. Naturally, a catch, a shed tackle and a stiff arm for 10 more yards would all be a part of the first down pass from Barnes to Miller for a 30 yard strike, giving Nevada a first down at our 45 yard line. Thankfully our defense would find life on first down, tackling Harris for no gain on the carry, only to let Barnes scramble out between six different defenders and rushing for an 18 yard gain, sending the coaching staff into a fucking fury. Another first down rush by Harris would result in a loss of one yard on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush to bring up third and 6. Thankfully Lonnie Johnson’s third down rush attempt would gain just a single yard, forcing Nevada to kick the field goal on fourth and 5. Micah Whitehead would send the 38 yard field goal through the uprights, cutting our lead to 16-10 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.

In a typical display of utter bullshit, Douglas would magically fail to catch the kickoff, fumbling the ball and needing THREE different players to try and pick it up, only to have a blocker inexplicably DIVE on the ball, leaving us starting our next drive at our three fucking yard line. Lining up inside the end zone on first down, Silva would take the handoff from Barnes and give us some instant breathing room, sprinting forward for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 13 yard line. Another first down carry by Silva would gain 7 yards, followed by a 6 yard rush by Hall to get a new set of downs at the 26 yard line. Keeping it in the hands of Silva on first down, he would rumble his way to an 8 yard gain, as the Nevada defense suddenly found themselves unable to defend the rushing game. Another rush by Silva, this time for a 7 yard gain, would reset the down marker at the 41 yard line. Silva would find a decent hole on first down, picking up 6 yards on the rush, followed by a massive 14 yard carry carry on second down to give us a first down at the Nevada 39 yard line. Hall would take over on first down, only able to pick up two yards on his rush attempt to bring up second and 8. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead just a mere six points, 16-10.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up on second and 8 from the Nevada 37 yard line, where Silva would take the handoff from Barnes and fight his way to a 7 yard gain, leaving us with third and one. Hall would get the call on third down, struggling his way to a 5 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 25 yard line. Another rush by Hall would see him gain just a single yard on the first down carry, followed by a three yard gain to leave us facing third and 6. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, a quick pass from Barnes to Hall straight up the middle would see Hall pull in the pass near the 5 yard line, juke the diving defender and stumble into the end zone for a 21 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to a slightly safer feeling 23-10 with 7:47 left in the game.

Another kickoff resulted in another touchback, giving Nevada the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down screen pass would send the Wolf Pack backwards, as the completion to Harris would result in a loss of three yards on the play. Lining up on second and 13, a QB option by Barnes would go for a gain of 8 yards, bringing up third and 5. Despite bringing pressure on third down, Barnes would be able to get a clean pass off to Dave Rice for a 13 yard completion and a first down at the 43 yard line. An option pitch to Harris would go for a 12 yard gain up the right sideline, picking up another quick first down at our 45 yard line for Nevada. Keeping the ball on the ground on first down, Harris would gain just one yard on the play, leaving second and 9. Barnes would sail a second down pass across his body to Jeremy Fontenot, only to have the pass promptly intercepted by cornerback Jesse Breedlove, giving us the ball at our 43 yard line and preserving our 13 point lead.

Lining up after the interception, we found ourselves just six minutes away from a hard fought, aggravating victory. Starting the drive on the ground, as we attempted to burn some clock, Hall would take the handoff from Barnes and struggle to a two yard gain, leaving second and 8. Another carry by Hall would go for a 5 yard gain, bringing up third and three inside Nevada territory. Unfortunately we would end up going backwards on third down as Hall was tackled for a two yard loss, forcing us to punt on fourth and 5. None the less, our mission was achieved as a 10 yard return on the 39 yard punt left Nevada starting their drive from their 22 yard line with only 3:44 left on the clock.

Coming into the field following the punt return, the Wolf Pack found time limited and behind by two possessions. Dropping back to pass on first down, Barnes was forced to throw the ball away on the play as our four man pass rush caused problems in the backfield before any receivers were able to get open, leaving Nevada with second down. An 8 yard rush by Harris would keep the offense in breathing distance of a fresh set of downs, setting up third and two. Thankfully, an entirely undefended and wide open Rice would end up dropping the third down pass from Barnes, forcing Nevada to go for it on fourth and two. Unfortunately, Harris would take the handoff on fourth down and just manage to pick up three yards on the carry, giving Nevada new life at their 32 yard line. Dropping back to pass on first down, Barnes would end up hit as he threw, the pass fluttering to the ground incomplete to leave second and long. Despite sneaking the ball behind the back of our cornerback, Rice would yet again drop a pass, leaving Nevada facing third and 10, the clock just finally ticking under three minutes to play. Changing things up and blitzing on third down, it would pay off big as Nevada tried to run a screen pass on third down, only to go backwards as Harris was instantly tackled after catching the pass from Barnes, the play resulting in a four yard loss and forcing Nevada to give in and punt on fourth and 14 from their 28 yard line. A 9 yard return on the 36 yard punt would give us the ball at our 44 yard line.

Lining up near midfield after the punt return, with Nevada seemingly raising the white flag with their decision to punt, we needed only to run the final 2:26 off the clock to claim our victory today. Hall would start us off on first down, taking the handoff up the middle for just a two yard gain, Nevada apparently not ready to quit yet as they called their first timeout with 2:16 left. Another rush by Hall would gain 5 yards, leaving us with third and three, Nevada’s second timeout called with 2:12 remaining. Forcing the Wolf Pack to make a decision if we failed to convert, we handed the ball off once more to Hall, with a two yard rush leaving us stuck on fourth and one, Nevada electing to burn their final timeout and stop the clock with 2:09 left to play. A shanked 15 yard punt straight out of bounds would give Nevada the ball at their 31 yard line, as punter Edward Allen put too much angle on the kick and field to get it inside the 20.

Nevada would line up at their 31 yard line following the punt, the Wolf Pack still trailing by 13 points with just 2:06 left on the clock and no timeouts remaining, a challenging position to be in for any team. Dropping back to pass on first down, Nevada’s drive would last just one play, not because of a great offensive play, but because of a poorly thrown rainbow pass 30 yards down field left the ball hanging, allowing Hart to intercept the pass, returning it 11 yards to the 47 yard line.

Taking over at our 47 yard line following the interception, essentially a single first down was all that stood between us as victory as we lined up with 1:58 left to play. Hall would get our drive started with a four yard carry up the middle, followed by a two yard rush to set up third and four inside Nevada territory. Able to run the clock down to just 30 seconds remaining before having to snap on third down, Barnes would take the snap and drop to a knee, running the final seconds out without another play, sealing our hard battled 23-10 victory over Nevada.

With the win, we improve to 4-2, 2-0 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Nevada drops to 1-5, 1-1 in Mountain West play. Up next, we return home to take on New Mexico. The Lobos enter the game 3-2, 0-2 in Mountain West action. New Mexico opened their year on a three game winning streak, winning against Florida A&M 24-13, at Florida International 35-30 and at New Mexico State 35-17, before losing to Nevada 37-10 and losing at #17 Fresno State 34-10.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 23, :Nevada: 10

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - It was a mediocre day for Barnes, as he finished 11-19 for 113 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Rushing, Silva led the way today (in the wake of Paris' injury) with 166 yards on 31 carries. Before he got injured, Paris had racked up 63 yards and a touchdown on 9 rushes and Hall ended the day with 50 yards on 17 carries. Receiving, Allen was the lead receiver with 63 yards on five catches. Hall had the lone receiving touchdown, also coming on his only catch for 21 yards. In all, six receivers caught at least one pass today, but only three would end up with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A pretty solid day by the defense. Gave up that bad touchdown drive in the second quarter, and let Nevada march down for a field goal in the third quarter, but other than that, the defense largely kept the Wolf Pack under lock and key today. Two interceptions that really seemed to twist the knife into any chances of momentum for Nevada went a long way while our offense tried to work through their issues.

Utah State Kicking – A perfect day for Marcus, going 3-3 on field goals with kicks from 18, 20 and 27 yards, as well as going 2-2 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
6
3
7
23

:Nevada:
0
7
3
0
10

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:15
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 10 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

9:30
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 18 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 10-0

4:03
:Nevada:
Touchdown
E. Barnes, 4 yard run (M. Whitehead kick)
:Utah_State: 10-7

0:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 20 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 13-7

Third Quarter

5:11
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 27 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 16-7

2:56
:Nevada:
Field Goal
M. Whitehead, 38 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 16-10

Fourth Quarter

7:47
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
K. Hall, 21 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 23-10

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Nevada

23
Score
10

23
First Downs
7

390
Total Offense
147

58 - 277 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
20 - 95 - 1

11 - 19 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
6 - 15 - 0

113
Passing Yards
52

0
Times Sacked
0

9 - 15 (60%)
3rd Down Conversion
1 - 8 (12%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 1 (100%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

4 - 1 - 3 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
1 - 1 - 0 (100%)

2
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
2

48
Punt Return Yards
9

56
Kick Return Yards
0

494
Total Yards
156

2 – 27.5
Punts - Average
5 - 38.0

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

27:46
Time of Possession
12:14

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

3 Consecutive Wins
150
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x2

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
4

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

03-12-2015, 02:02 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 West Virginia doubles up #10 Kansas State 42-21. In the national game of interest, Ohio State breaks the 66 year old record held by Oklahoma, as the Buckeyes win their 48th game in a row, beating Illinois 45-21. #13 Miami knocks off #3 Florida State 27-24. #5 Michigan routed Rutgers 45-13. Auburn shocks #7 Ole Miss 29-26 in FOUR overtimes.

#8 South Carolina gets past Arkansas 41-27. #9 Florida slips by Vanderbilt 42-35. #11 TCU escapes Iowa State 21-14. #12 Cincinnati tops SMU 45-28. #14 Georgia sneaks past Missouri 25-23. #16 USC beats Colorado 38-17. #17 Fresno State wallops New Mexico 34-10. #19 Georgia Tech takes down Army 31-16. #22 Stanford upends #24 Washington 28-16. Arizona State stuns #23 Oregon 28-21.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) with a 45-21 win over Illinois. Morsdraconis, #1 West Virginia improves to 6-0 (4-0 Big 12) with a 42-21 win over #10 Kansas State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 2-2 (1-1 C-USA) with a 24-17 win over UTEP. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 2-4 (1-2 Pac-12) with a 28-21 win over #23 Oregon. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 5-1 (2-1 SEC) with a 29-26 4OT win over Ole Miss. SCClassof93, #8 South Carolina improves to 7-0 (5-0 SEC) with a 41-27 win over Arkansas. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 3-1 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International drops to 0-5 (0-1 C-USA) with a 34-14 loss to #24 Washington. Navy improves to 3-2 (2-2 American) with a 52-24 win over Tulsa. Tulsa drops to 1-4 (1-2 American) with a 52-24 loss to Navy.

In Mountain West action, #17 Fresno State topped New Mexico 34-10, Utah State survived Nevada 23-10, Boise State beat San Diego State 31-20, San Jose State outlasted Wyoming 43-42, UNLV tripped up Air Force 23-14 and Hawaii topped Colorado State 31-24.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #3 Florida State, #7 Ole Miss, #10 Kansas State and Nothern Illinois all lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 10. #1 West Virginia (6-0), #2 Ohio State (6-0), #4 UCLA (6-0), #5 Michigan (6-0), #6 Oklahoma (4-0), #8 South Carolina (7-0), #9 Florida (7-0), #12 Cincinnati (5-0), #17 Fresno State (5-0) and Penn State (6-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 5 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-6), East Carolina (0-5), Florida International (0-5), Kent State (0-5) and UAB (0-5).

Teams getting their first win this week were: Notre Dame (38-17 over Boston College) and Western Michigan (27-7 over Buffalo).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, in a head scratcher, West Virginia (38 first place votes) remains #1, UCLA (22 votes) jumps two to #2, Ohio State (1 vote), getting absolutely no respect after breaking the NCAA record for longest winning streak, drops one to #3, Oklahoma jumps two to #4 and Michigan remains #5. South Carolina moves up two to #6, Florida jumps two to #7, Cincinnati leaps four to #8, Florida State drops six to #9 and Miami climbs three to #10. TCU remains #11, Fresno State leaps five to #12, Ole Miss drops six to #13, Georgia remains #14 and Kansas State falls five to #15. Texas drops one to #16, USC falls one to #17, Virginia Tech remains #18, Georgia Tech remains #19 and Alabama remains #20. Baylor remains #21, Stanford remains #22, Auburn enters the poll at #23, Arkansas State climbs one to #24 and Indiana (218 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Oregon (from #23) and Washington (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Louisiana Lafayette (133 points) is #26, followed by Temple (99), Penn State (94), Washington (39) and Tennessee (32).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, West Virginia (43 first place votes) climbs one to #1, Oklahoma (21 votes) jumps three to #2, UCLA (1 vote) climbs three to #3, Ohio State continues to get shat on and drops one to #4 and South Carolina climbs three to #5. Michigan climbs one to #6, Miami leaps six to #7, Florida jumps two to #8, Florida State drops eight to #9 and Cincinnati jumps two to #10. TCU remains #11, Ole Miss drops eight to #12, Texas climbs one to #13, Kansas State falls five to #14 and Georgia remains #15. Fresno State jumps four to #16, Auburn enters the poll at #17, USC drops two to #18, Virginia Tech falls two to #19 and Georgia Tech drops one to #20. Alabama falls three to #21, Baylor drops one to #22, Stanford remains #23, Arkansas State climbs one to #24 and Clemson (216 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Washington (from #22) and Oregon (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Points, Indiana (216 points) is #26, followed by Penn State (189), Temple (167), Washington (167) and Michigan State (141) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Ohio (118), Navy (86), Louisiana Lafayette (71) and Tennessee (66).

A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #1 (LW: #3), Florida QB Joseph Brown is #2 (LW: #1), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #3 (LW: #5), Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #4 (LW: NR) and Penn State QB Brian McDaniel is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Florida State QB Chris Larson (LW: #2) and UCLA QB Randy McNair (LW: #4).

SmoothPancakes

03-12-2015, 05:21 PM

Just real quick, taking a look at the mid-season (at least for me being halfway through my schedule) Mountain West standings.

In the Mountain Division, Utah State (4-2, 2-0) leads the way, followed by Boise State (3-2, 1-1) and Air Force (2-3, 1-1). Colorado State (2-5, 1-2) is next, followed by New Mexico (3-2, 0-2) and lastly Wyoming (1-6, 0-3).

In the West Division, #12 Fresno State (5-0, 2-0) sits on top, followed by Hawaii (3-3, 2-0) and UNLV (2-3, 2-0). After that is San Jose State (3-3, 1-1) and Nevada (1-5, 1-1) and in last place is San Diego State (2-4, 0-2).

Some surprises thus far. San Diego State has really fallen off this year, along with Nevada. Hawaii and UNLV are actually showing signs of life early on. #12 Fresno State is just a beast. Looking at their schedule, Fresno State has won 28-7 at Nebraska, 24-17 against FCS NW, 31-14 against Tulsa, 14-0 at Colorado State and 34-10 against New Mexico. Really, there aren't many true tests the rest of their schedule. Based on record, the best remaining opponents for Fresno State are Boise State (3-2) in week 9 and San Jose State/Hawaii (both 3-3) in the last two weeks of the season. Their other remaining opponents are 2-3, 2-4 or 1-5. There is a chance Fresno State very well could sweep the table and go 12-0. Thankfully, Fresno State dropped off my cross-divisional schedule this year, so I was able to avoid the Bulldogs until, at the earliest, the Mountain West conference championship game.

As for the Mountain Division, thanks to the wins over San Jose State and Nevada, I already have a one game cushion over Boise State and Air Force. Wyoming is terrible, and Colorado State isn't really all that good either, so those should be two more wins I can reasonably expect. New Mexico, my next opponent, seems to seriously have fallen off the map this year. The Lobos were undefeated deep into the season and even crashed the BCS last season, but this year they seem to be having some troubles in conference, especially getting blown out by Nevada by 27 points.

If I can get the wins over New Mexico, Colorado State and Wyoming, that'll just leave UNLV, Boise State and Air Force to deal with on my schedule and just Boise State and Air Force to contend with for the Mountain Division title. In years past, even going 7-1 wasn't enough to win the title. This year, even at this point, I would expect 6-2 to be needed to claim the division. 5-3 may be possible, but it would be too close, especially with Boise State in the chase. 5-3 may require some tiebreaker luck at the end of the season. If I take care of business against New Mexico, Colorado State and Wyoming, that'll get me to the minimum 5-win plateau. Then I could conceivably afford to go 1-2 against the trio of Boise State, Air Force and UNLV and still potentially be sitting comfortably in first place.

The one thing looking up for me is Boise State's loss came to Hawaii and they still have a road trip to Fresno State on the schedule. Air Force might be tougher. Their loss came against UNLV, but they avoid Fresno State, only having to deal with Hawaii and San Diego State (who they beat) in cross-division games. Probably the biggest game of the schedule between two Mountain Division teams outside my own games, will come on the last week of the season as Boise State and Air Force meet each other in their season ending games. That could end up being the deciding game on whether we have a shot at the conference championship game or whether Boise State or Air Force will be in the running for it.

souljahbill

03-12-2015, 07:55 PM

I see you've gotten far enough into dynasty mode for the Top 25 to go stupid. Soon, you'll have 2-loss teams in the BCS championship game and 3-loss teams ranked in the top 5 over 1 and 2-loss teams.

SmoothPancakes

03-13-2015, 08:02 AM

Yeah, I don't remember it being this bad on NCAA '13 with Tulsa, where I went seven seasons. This time, in NCAA '14 with Utah State, it's gone full stupid after only 3 1/2 seasons. Makes no sense.

#TheScriptIsDead

SmoothPancakes

03-13-2015, 11:43 AM

I pretty much dominate New Mexico for the entire first half, shutting them out until they score a touchdown with about a minute left, only let them get about 60 yards rushing for the half. First drive of the third quarter? New Mexico starts on their 25 yard line and in five plays, they rush for gains of 22, 14, 25, 13 and 1 yards to score a touchdown. Glad to see the game can just turn the bullshit on whenever it feels like. Normally it's bullshit right from the very beginning when the game wants to cheat you, it's the entire game. This time apparently the game decided to let me jump out to a big lead and then turn on the bullshit and try to fuck me over.

SmoothPancakes

03-13-2015, 02:14 PM

Game Seven

:New_Mexico: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Entering the second half of the season, we were sitting in a good position as the only remaining unbeaten team in the Mountain Division. Unfortunately, our two conference games had come against cross-division opponents, leaving all five Mountain Division opponents remaining on the schedule. The first one up would be New Mexico. The Lobos entered the game at 3-2 on the year, their two losses both coming in conference play.

It would be a potentially tough day with Brian Paris still sidelined with an injury, to go along with New Mexico having the #5 passing defense in the nation. The good thing for us, their rushing defense was ranked #114 nationally. As long as Benjamin Silva could get some momentum going early on and use that to build on as the game progressed, we would be in good shape. Luckily for our defense, the Lobos had a very poor offense, with the #119th total offense and #120th passing offense. Their only bright spot offensively was their rushing game, ranked #58 in the nation.

The keys to the game would be get our rushing game established and shut down Wyoming’s own rushing game, and based on those pass defense numbers, pass as sparingly as we can to avoid any unnecessary turnovers. The question would be just how good New Mexico would truly be. This was a two who we beat 87-7 in our first two years, only to blow a 17-7 halftime lead and lose 21-17 to last year as New Mexico crashed their way into a BCS bowl. If New Mexico had indeed suffered losses in graduation and failed to recover fully then we would be a favorable position today. If they had just had a couple bad losses but were still fully talented, today could be a long and rough day, especially with Paris out of the game. New Mexico would win the coin toss and elect to kick.

A 26 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would give us the ball to start at our 30 yard line. Starting our drive on the ground, Benjamin Silva would get right to work against New Mexico’s weak rushing defense, taking the first down handoff up the middle for 9 yard gain, followed by a 5 yard carry to get a new set of downs at the 43 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Silva on first down would be followed up with another 5 yard carry, giving us a first down at the New Mexico 45 yard line. Continuing to bring it right at the Lobos defense, Silva got the handoff on first down, fighting his way to an 8 yard carry, before a four yard rush would move the chains to the Lobos 33 yard line. Changing it up with a play action pass on first down, Jason Barnes would find Raymond Watson coming out of the backfield, but New Mexico would not bite on the fake, the pass going for no gain on the play. Returning to the ground, Silva would only gain two yards on the carry, bringing up third and 8. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, an 11 yard completion from Barnes to Aaron Allen would save the drive, moving the chains to the 20 yard line. Going back to the ground game on first down, Silva took the ball from Barnes for a four yard gain, followed by a big 9 yard rush by Kyle Hall, setting us up with first and goal from the New Mexico 6 yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on first down, weaving his way straight up the middle and fighting through two defenders to fall forward into the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would give New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Alex Thomas would drop back and roll out to his right looking to pass down field, only to end up tripped by a dive at the ankles by our defensive tackle, sacked for a 10 yard loss on the play to put New Mexico into an immediate second and 20 hole. The Lobos would get those yards right back as a failed interception attempt allowed David Turner to haul in a pass from Thomas, good for a 10 yard gain, to bring up third and 10. Unfortunately for Thomas, our defensive line would prove better than New Mexico’s offensive line, as the pocket collapsed almost immediately right on top of Thomas, resulting in him being sacked for a 6 yard loss and forcing New Mexico to punt on fourth and 16. A 10 yard return on the 34 yard punt would give us the ball at the New Mexico 44 yard line.

Starting our drive in Lobos territory after the punt return, we decided to go right back to what worked best last drive, handing the ball off to Silva for a four yard gain up the gut, followed by a second gain of four yards to leave us with third and two. Putting the ball into the hands of Silva on third down, somehow, despite essentially being met at the line of scrimmage, he would somehow slip past the blitzing linebacker and fall forward onto a pile of bodies, body surfing his way to a third consecutive four yard gain and a new first down at the 31 yard line. Showing one hell of a streak of consistency, Silva would reel off a fourth straight four yard gain to give us second and 6. Silva’s run of four yard rushes would end on second down, but in a good way, as he found a huge gap and raced ahead for an 11 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 17 yard line. A first down rush by Silva would go for a three yard gain, followed by a 6 yard rush by Hall as he spun and high stepped his way out of three different tackle attempts, bringing up third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down and get the job down with a three yard rush, setting up first and goal from the four yard line. Silva would take the first crack at the end zone, rushing ahead for a three yard gain to the one yard line. Lining up on second and goal, Silva would get the job done as he plowed into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, giving us a 14-0 lead with 5 seconds left in the first quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would give New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line. Running the ball on first down, the Lobos would find signs of life as Patrick Brown took the handoff and broke two tackles on his way to a 22 yard gain, a diving tackle at the ankles likely the only thing keeping it from being a 75 yard touchdown. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead standing at 14-0.

Opening up the second quarter, the Lobos would end up going backwards this time as Brown was tackled for a one yard loss to bring up second and 11. A second down screen pass to Dante Tyler would pick up 9 yards, bringing up third and two. Thomas would prove to be an elusive little fucker as he took off on a QB option, weaving his way up back and forth at top sprint speed before turning up the field and racing for a 25 yard gain, giving New Mexico a first down at our 21 yard line. Brown would get the call on first down, but our defense would trap him for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. Dropping back to pass on second down, Thomas would throw up an extremely questionable pass, his throw ending up nowhere near the receiver but rather straight to cornerback Leonard Hart, who standing in the middle of the field completely alone, made probably the easiest interception of his career, returning it 8 yards to the 21 yard line.

Lining up after the interception, we thankfully got back on the field without any damage. Silva would get our next drive started on the ground with a four yard rush around the right end, followed by a three yard gain to bring up third down and three to go. Despite the overwhelming success of our running game, we elected to go into the shotgun on third down, the pass from Barnes to our go to man Allen gaining us 13 yards and a new first down at the 41 yard line. Going back to our ground game on first down, Silva would get us right back on the move with an 8 yard carry, followed by a four yard rush to move the chains to the New Mexico 48 yard line. Two straight four yard rushes by Silva would leave us looking at third and two. Hall would get the call on third down, taking it straight up the middle of a HUGE gap for a 9 yard gain to move the chains to the 32. Silva would continue to punish the Lobos defense with a 7 yard carry on first down, followed by a gain of four yards to get another first down at the 20 yard line. Silva would rush his way to a four yard gain on first down, bringing up second and 6. Hall would get the call on second down, rushing straight up the middle, and despite being stuck in the middle of a pile of bodies, somehow, after a few seconds, Hall would manage to escape the mass and somehow stumble his way forward into the end zone for a shocking 16 yard touchdown, his first touchdown of his career, giving us a 21-0 lead with 4:02 left in the second quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would set New Mexico up from their 25 yard line. Brown would get the Lobos off and running with a 13 yard carry and a first down at the 38 yard line. James Larson would get the ball on an end around on first down, picking up three yards on the play. Unfortunately for New Mexico, another pass attempt by Thomas would again end up intercepted by Hart, his second of the day and his second interception on consecutive New Mexico drives. Even worse for the Lobos, Hart would come up from behind the receiver and intercept the ball in stride, returning it 44 yards for a pick six touchdown, giving us a 28-0 lead with 3:17 left in the second quarter.

Another kickoff resulted in another touchback, New Mexico again lining up from their 25 yard line desperately looking for offense. A first down screen pass to Brown would pick up 8 yards, followed by another screen pass to Brown that would result in a six yard loss, bringing up third and 8. Unbelievably, chucking up a deep pass down the left sideline, cornerback Mike Moses would somehow fail to either intercept or knock down the pass, despite his entire body being between the receiver and the ball, allowing Jordan Curry to pull the pass in for a 59 yard completion and a first down at our 14 yard line. A QB option keeper on first down would see Thomas gain three yards, New Mexico calling their first timeout with 1:59 remaining. Brown would get the call on second down, rushing for a three yard gain before being tripped up from behind, leaving third and 5. A screen pass on third down would unfortunately let New Mexico find the end zone, as Edward Davis pull in the pass from Thomas and, thanks to our defense both biting on the screen and being sealed off in the end zone, moon walking into the end zone for a 9 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 28-7 with 1:32 left before halftime.

A 31 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 36 yard line with only 1:26 left to play. Due to limited time, we came out in the shotgun on first down, but the pass intended for Adam Washington would be knocked down from behind by Super Man, leaving second down. Going under center on second down, the pass intended for Watson would get broken up, leaving third down. Thankfully, Allen would again come through for us when needed on third down, pulling in a pass from Barnes for a 17 yard gain, giving us a new set of downs at the New Mexico 47 yard line, our first timeout taken with 1:15 remaining. Washington would manage to pull in a pass from Barnes on first down, a comeback route getting him separation for a gain of 15 yards and a new set of downs at the 32 yard line. However we would go backwards on the next play as we rushed to the line, Barnes ending up tackled for a two yard loss on a failed option play to leave second and 12, our second timeout called with 1:06 to go. A second down pass to Hall would pick up just four yards on the play. Running to the line of scrimmage with the clock ticking, Barnes would try to connect with David Douglas over the middle, only to have the pass broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving fourth and 8. The 47 yard field goal attempt by Doug Marcus would end up just short of the cross bar, giving New Mexico the ball at their 30 yard line with 41 seconds to go.

Taking over after the failed field goal attempt, New Mexico came out passing on first down. Too bad for the Lobos, our defense was ready and would leave Thomas with no open receivers to pass to, allowing our defensive line to close down the pocket and sack him for a 6 yard loss, leaving second and 16. The Lobos wouldn’t take one of their two timeouts, letting the clock continue ticking under 30 seconds. In fact, the Lobos would take their time getting to the line and seemingly ready to go into halftime, as they wouldn’t snap the ball until there were two seconds left, an incomplete pass over the middle being the final play of the half and taking us into the locker room with a 28-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff would give New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. A QB option keeper on first down would torch our offense, as Thomas escaped up the left sideline for a gain of 22 yard, giving the Lobos a quick first down at their 47 yard line. A first down rush by Brown would go for 14 yards and another first down for the Lobos at our 39 yard line as the game apparently decided to turn our defense into a bunch of fucking morons. Once again, our defense would just stand still as Davis took the handoff from Thomas and cakewalked his way to a 25 yard gain, giving New Mexico a first down at our 14 yard line. More bullshit would ensue as Thomas ran any direction he wanted at full speed like he was on fucking ice skates, picking up 13 yards on the QB keeper to give New Mexico first and goal at our one yard line, clearly the game deciding to bullshit me the entire second half. A one yard rush by Brown would cap off the five play 75 yard touchdown drive (that consisted solely of rushes of 22, 14, 25, 13 and 1 yards) to cut our lead to 28-14 with 8:51 left in the third quarter.

Naturally, our kickoff return team completely ignores half of the Lobos players coming down the field, limiting Hart to a return of just 20 yards to leave us starting at the 23 yard line. Getting us started on the ground, thankfully our running game still reigned supreme as Silva took the handoff for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches. Silva would take the second down carry around the right end for a four yard gain, giving us the early first down at the 37 yard line. Another rush by Silva would gain 7 yards, followed by a 6 yard rush by Hall to move the chains to the 50 yard line. Silva would keep us moving on first down with a two yard rush, before a 6 yard carry by Hall would leave third and two. Hall would get the call on third down, plowing his way forward for a 6 yard gain and a first down at the New Mexico 36 yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on first down, rushing for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a three yard rush to bring up third and inches. Hall would again get the call on third down, but he would get stood up for no gain on the play. Due to the failures of our kicker earlier in the game, we elected to go for it on fourth down, Silva fighting his way forward for a three yard gain and a first down at the 23 yard line. Hall would take over on first down with a 5 yard carry, followed by a 6 yard rush by Silva to move the chains to the 12 yard line. Continuing on the ground, Silva would fight to a three yard gain on first down, before a 7 yard rush by Hall would leave us looking at third and inches from the two yard line. Silva would get the call on third and down and just manage to gain a single yard on the play, setting us up with first and goal from the one yard line. Hall would try to punch it in on first down, only to end up going backwards one yard to leave second and goal from the two yard line. A two yard second down rush by Silva would advance the ball to just outside of the goal line, leaving third and goal. Hall would again try to punch it in on third down, only to end up tackled for no gain on the play. With the ball just outside the goal line, we elected to go for it on fourth down once more, this time Hall would get the job down with a one yard touchdown, capping off a monster 20 play drive that lasted over 7 ½ minutes, increasing our lead to 35-14 with 1:18 left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff, another touchback, another New Mexico drive starting from the 25 yard line. Dropping back to pass on first down, Thomas would try to connect with Turner deep over the middle, only to have the pass intercepted by cornerback Jesse Breedlove, giving the ball right back to our offense at the New Mexico 47 yard line.

Lining up in New Mexico territory following the interception, Hall would get our drive started on the ground with a four yard rush up the middle, followed by a two yard carry to leave us looking at third and four. Going into the shotgun on third down, Barnes was able to find Allen for a gain of 10 yards and a drive saving first down at the 31 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 35-14.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up at the New Mexico 31 yard line on first down, looking to increase our three touchdown advantage. Starting the quarter back on the ground, Hall would get the ball for an 8 yard carry, followed by a rush for no gain to bring up third and two. Watson would get the call on third down, fighting his way to a three yard gain to pick up the first down at the 19 yard line. Hall would dash ahead on first down for a gain of four yards, followed by a one yard gain by Watson to bring up third and 5. Forced into the air on third down, Allen would again get the call from Barnes, only to have the initially caught pass dropped as he was blasted from behind by the safety to force fourth and 5. Settling for a field goal, the 31 yard field goal by Marcus would sail through the uprights, increasing our lead to 38-14 with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter.

New Mexico would again take over at their 25 yard line following a touchback on the kickoff. A screen pass to Brown would result in an 18 yard gain, as Brown would shake off three tackles and stiff arm TWO defenders simultaneously for an extra 10 yards, giving New Mexico a first down at the 43 yard line. Scrambling to avoid a collapsing pocket, Thomas would shake off a tackle and pick up two yards on the play before being speared into the ground to leave second and 8. A second down pass intended for Larsen would end up batted away incomplete, leaving the Lobos with third down. Another pass deflection on third down, this time by Jesse Breedlove on a pass intended for Turner, would leave the Lobos with fourth and 8, and the offense electing to go for it. New Mexico would attempt a screen pass on fourth down, only picking up two yards on the play and seemingly turning the ball over on downs. Of course, because the game is in the middle of trying to fuck me over, in a moment of typical bullshit, I suddenly and magically get flagged for a facemask penalty after the play, and New Mexico gets a brand new set of downs at our 38 yard line. Going into the air on first down, Thomas would find Curry for a gain of 17 yards and another new set of downs at our 21. Changing up our man defense and bringing a blitz on first down, Thomas was finally pressured and forced to throw the ball away, leaving the Lobos with second down. Continuing to blitz on second down, Thomas was forced to hurry a pass over the middle of the field, in the process overthrowing Turner for an incomplete pass to leave third and 10. Unfortunately for the Lobos, our four man pass rush would defeat their opponents and hit Thomas as he went to throw, his pass ending up a wounded duck in the middle of the field and incomplete to leave fourth and 10. New Mexico would elect to go for it on fourth down, and naturally, Thomas would throw a perfect pass right past our defender and into the hands of Turner for a 21 yard touchdown. Not content to just be behind by 17, the Lobos would go for the two point conversion, but our defense would manage to hold Brown to no gain on the rush, only cutting our lead to 38-20 with 6:08 left in the game.

We would line up for an onside kick on the following kickoff, but surprisingly the Lobos would kick it off deep, a 17 yard return by Douglas giving us the ball at our 22 yard line. Starting the drive on the ground on first down, Hall would rush forward for a gain of 6 yards on the play, followed by a four yard rush to leave us looking at third and inches. Watson would get the call on third down, fighting his way forward for a gain of 6 yards to give us a first down at the 37 yard line and keep the clock ticking. Hall would return to the backfield on first down, sprinting straight up the middle and through a huge gap for a gain of 16 yards and an instant first down at the New Mexico 47 yard line. That rush would give Hall his first career 100 yard rushing game, to go along with his first two touchdowns of his career. Watson would get the next carry, taking it for a 6 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush by Hall to leave third and one. Watson would get the call on third down, fighting forward for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 30 yard line. Hall would return to the backfield on first down, but he would be quickly brought down for a single yard gain, leaving second and 9. Trying our luck with a play action pass on second down, despite the Lobos defense not falling for the fake, tight end Gerald Woods would still somehow manage to catch the pass behind the defender and work his way up the field for a 19 yard completion, giving us a first down at the 11 yard line. A three yard rush by Hall would be followed by a 5 yard rush by Watson, leaving us looking at third and two from the three yard line, the clock ticking underneath one minute as the Lobos seemingly accepted defeat with three timeouts remaining. Hall would take the handoff from Barnes and plow straight forward and into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, his third of the game, increasing our lead to 45-20 with 29 seconds left in the game.

A touchback on the kickoff would give New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line, just 29 seconds left to play. New Mexico would seemingly raise the white flag as they handed the ball off to Brown for a one yard rush, but the Lobos would then immediately, and head scratchingly, call their first time out, stopping the clock with 26 seconds to go. Thomas would fake a hand off and keep the ball on the QB option play, only to be quickly brought down in the backfield for a loss of three yards, leaving New Mexico facing third and 12, their second timeout called to stop the clock with 22 seconds remaining. Lining up in the shotgun, Thomas would try to chuck up a pass to Larsen along the left sideline, only to have the pass intercepted by Moses to give us possession at the New Mexico 38 yard line with 16 seconds left to play.

Lining up on offense following the interception, it would be one of the simplest drives as Barnes would immediately drop to a knee on first down, running off the final seconds to seal our 45-20 victory over New Mexico.

With the win, we improve to 5-2, 3-0 in Mountain West action. With the loss, New Mexico drops to 3-3, 0-3 in Mountain West play. Up next, it’s back on the road to take on Colorado State. The Rams enter the game 2-5, 1-2 in Mountain West action. Colorado State started their year with a 31-17 loss to rival Colorado, then won 21-20 at Florida Atlantic. They would then go on a three game losing streak, losing 41-14 to UTSA, 34-15 at Minnesota and 14-0 to #7 Fresno State. The Rams would break back into the win column with a 45-24 victory at Wyoming before falling 31-24 at Hawaii.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 45, :New_Mexico: 20

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A fairly quite day for Barnes, going only 8-12 for 89 yards and zero touchdowns. Rushing, Silva led the way with 177 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. Hall wasn't far behind as he had a career day, rushing for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 25 attempts. Watson finished with 29 yards on 6 rushes. Receiving, Allen was the main guy today with 51 yards on four catches. In all, five receivers caught a pass today, three of them for double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – The tale of two halves. The first half, the defense was incredible. The second half, the defense couldn't pull their heads out of their asses. Still, despite the failures of the second half, we still had some big performances, none bigger than Leonard Hart, who intercepted two passes for a total of 52 yards, including the 44 yard pick six that gave us a four touchdown lead not long before halftime. Jesse Breedlove and Mike Moses (to give us the ball back with just seconds left) would add interceptions in a hell of a pass defense performance.

Utah State Kicking – An imperfect day for Marcus going 1-2 in field goals with a 31 yard field goal but a miss short from 47 yards. He did however end up going 6-6 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:New_Mexico:
0
7
14
6
20

:Utah_State:
14
14
7
10
45

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:16
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 6 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

0:05
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-0

Second Quarter

4:02
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
K. Hall, 16 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 21-0

3:17
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
L. Hart, returned interception 44 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 28-0

1:32
:New_Mexico:
Touchdown
E. Davis, 9 yard pass from A. Thomas (K. Allen kick)
:Utah_State: 28-7

Third Quarter

8:51
:New_Mexico:
Touchdown
P. Brown, 1 yard run (K. Allen kick)
:Utah_State: 28-14

1:18
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
K. Hall, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 35-14

Fourth Quarter

7:55
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 31 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 38-14

6:08
:New_Mexico:
Touchdown
D. Turner, 21 yard pass from A. Thomas (2-point conversion failed)
:Utah_State: 38-20

0:29
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
K. Hall, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 45-20

Game Stats

New Mexico
Stat
Utah State

20
Score
45

11
First Downs
26

266
Total Offense
415

19 - 119 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
71 - 326 - 5

10 - 20 - 2
Comp - Att - TD
8 - 12 - 0

147
Passing Yards
89

3
Times Sacked
0

3 - 7 (42%)
3rd Down Conversion
13 - 17 (76%)

2 - 2 (100%)
4th Down Conversion
2 - 2 (100%)

0 - 1 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

2 - 2 - 0 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
6 - 5 - 1 (75%)

4
Turnovers
0

0
Fumbles Lost
0

4
Intercepted
0

0
Punt Return Yards
10

0
Kick Return Yards
91

226
Total Yards
516

1 – 35.0
Punts - Average
0 - 0.0

0 - 0
Penalties
1 - 15

11:04
Time of Possession
28:56

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x6

Score a Defensive Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x4

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
5

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

03-13-2015, 02:15 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the upset of the week, #21 Baylor stuns #1 West Virginia 38-35. #2 UCLA demolishes Southern Miss 45-10. #4 Oklahoma survives Kansas 28-21. #5 Michigan dominates Maryland 49-24. #6 South Carolina tops Tennessee 48-27. Mississippi State knocks off #7 Florida 28-14. South Florida shocks #8 Cincinnati 21-14. #9 Florida State beats NC State 42-7. #10 Miami downs Virginia 42-20. #15 Kansas State knocks off #11 TCU 42-27.

#12 Fresno State beats Old Dominion 41-24. Vanderbilt surprises #14 Georgia 42-35. #16 Texas battles off Iowa State 44-38 in overtime. #18 Virginia Tech outlasts Duke 48-38. #19 Georgia Tech routs North Carolina 41-10. Arkansas upsets #20 Alabama 38-33. #22 Stanford doubles up Notre Dame 34-17. #23 Auburn takes down Texas A&M 38-21. New Mexico State knocks off #24 Arkansas State 23-21. Purdue upsets #25 Indiana 25-24.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #3 Ohio State remains 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) with a bye week. Morsdraconis, #1 West Virginia falls to 6-1 (4-1 Big 12) with a 38-35 loss to #21 Baylor. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 2-3 (1-1 C-USA) with a 45-10 loss to #2 UCLA. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 2-4 (1-2 Pac-12) with a bye week. LeeSO, #23 Auburn improves to 6-1 (3-1 SEC) with a 38-21 win over Texas A&M. SCClassof93, #6 South Carolina improves to 8-0 (6-0 SEC) with a 48-27 win over Tennessee. Other teams of interest, #24 Arkansas State drops to 3-2 (0-1 Sun Belt) with a 23-21 loss to New Mexico State. Florida International improves to 1-5 (1-1 C-USA) with a 30-13 win over Massachusetts. Navy drops to 3-3 (2-3 American) with a 35-31 loss to SMU. Tulsa drops to 1-5 (1-3 American) with a 38-25 loss to Tulane.

In Mountain West action, #12 Fresno State beat Old Dominion 41-24, Utah State topped New Mexico 45-20, San Diego State upended Nevada 38-12, San Jose State knocked off UNLV 38-22, Air Force survived Hawaii 31-28 and Boise State outlasted BYU 38-35.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #1 West Virginia, #7 Florida, #8 Cincinnati all lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 7. #2 UCLA (7-0), #3 Ohio State (6-0), #4 Oklahoma (5-0), #5 Michigan (7-0), #6 South Carolina (8-0), #12 Fresno State (6-0) and Penn State (7-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 2 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-7) and East Carolina (0-6).

Teams getting their first win this week were: Florida International (30-13 over 1-7 Massachusetts), Kent State (45-42 over 3-4 Miami University) and UAB (56-28 over 2-3 Texas Tech).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (36 first place votes) jumps two and rightfully retakes #1, Oklahoma (24 votes) jumps two to #2, UCLA (1 vote) drops one to #3, Michigan climbs one to #4 and South Carolina moves up one to #5. West Virginia drops five to #6, Fresno State leaps five to #7, Florida State jumps one to #8, Miami moves up one to #9 and Kansas State jumps five to #10. Ole Miss climbs two to #11, Texas jumps four to #12, Florida drops six to #13, USC moves up three to #14 and Cincinnati falls seven to #15. TCU drops five to #16, Baylor jumps four to #17, Virginia Tech remains #18, Georgia Tech remains #19 and Stanford climbs two to #20. Mississippi State enters the poll at #21, Auburn climbs one to #22, Penn State enters the poll at #23, Louisiana Lafayette enters the poll at #24 and South Florida (251 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia (from #14), Alabama (from #20), Arkansas State (from #24) and Indiana (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Temple (235 points) is #26, followed by Washington (169), Arkansas (168), Georgia (70) and Michigan State (70) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Clemson (48) and Ohio (7).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Oklahoma (42 first place votes) climbs one to become the new #1, Ohio State (21 votes) jumps two to #2, South Carolina (1 vote) jumps two to #3, UCLA (1 vote) drops one to #4 and Michigan climbs one to #5. Miami moves up one to #6, West Virginia drops six to #7, Florida State climbs one to #8, Baylor vaults thirteen spots to #9 and Fresno State leaps six to #10. Kansas State jumps three to #11, Ole Miss remains #12, Texas remains #13, Florida drops six to #14 and USC climbs three to #15. TCU falls five to #16, Auburn remains #17, Virginia Tech climbs one to #18, Cincinnati drops nine to #19 and Georgia Tech remains #20. Penn State enters the poll at #21, Mississippi State enters the poll at #22, Stanford remains #23, Clemson climbs one to #24 and Temple (210 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia (from #15), Alabama (from #21) and Arkansas State (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Washington (170 points) is #26, followed by Arkansas (151), South Florida (150), Michigan State (116) and Louisiana Lafayette (114) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Ohio (87) and Georgia (47).

In the first BCS rankings of the year: #1 Ohio State (0.997), #2 Oklahoma (0.997), #3 UCLA (0.987), #4 South Carolina (0.984), #5 Michigan (0.981), #6 West Virginia (0.971), #7 Miami (0.966), #8 Florida State (0.963), #9 Fresno State (0.946) and #10 Ole Miss (0.944). Others: #20 Auburn (0.871).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #4), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #2 (LW: #3), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #3 (LW: #1), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #4 (LW: NR) and Miami QB Marlon Johnson is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Florida QB Joseph Brown (LW: #2) and Penn State QB Brian McDaniel (LW: #5).

SmoothPancakes

03-18-2015, 11:53 PM

Game Eight

:Utah_State: :@: :Colorado_State:

Game Story

--- Continuing our alternating home and away schedule, it was back onto the road for our eighth game of the season, as we traveled to take on the Rams of Colorado State. This would hopefully be a booster game to our division title hopes as the Rams came stumbling into the contest, just two wins on the year, only one win in-conference. Colorado State was pretty bad to say the least, offensively rated #125 overall, #121 in rushing and #87 in passing. They were a little better on defense, but still mediocre at best, rated #59 nationally in overall defense, #71 in rushing defense and #58 in passing defense. It would all come down to how would our rushing game due today, would our passing game be reliable when it was needed, and would we win the turnover battle like we had in recent games? We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

The opening kickoff sailed out of the end zone for a touchback, and Colorado State started the game from their 25 yard line. Starting the drive on the ground, Chad Thompson rushed for a three yard gain, before a no huddle rush by Jon Mayo would result in a four yard loss, leaving third and 11. Jordan Cooley would pull in the third down pass from Mayo, but it wouldn’t be enough as a 9 yard gain would leave the Rams punting on third and two. An 11 yard return on the 43 yard punt would set us up from our 35 yard line.

Taking over after the punt, we would come out on the ground to start our drive, Benjamin Silva possibly making his last start if Brian Paris returned from his injury next week. If it was his last start, Silva made sure it was a good one as he took the handoff and plowed straight up the middle for a huge 9 yard gain to start the drive, followed by a 5 yard carry to get a first down at the 49 yard line. Another rush by Silva would go from almost instant disaster in the backfield to a miraculous 5 yard gain, our offensive line not giving up even after being beaten early in the play. Silva would keep working his magic on second down, fighting his way forward for a 6 yard gain, before a face mask penalty on middle linebacker Kyle Morse would tack on 15 yards to the end of the play, setting us up with a brand spanking new first down at the Rams 26 yard line. Kyle Hall would enter the backfield on first down, but he would only manage two yards on the play, leaving second and 8. Silva would get the call on second down, sprinting through the gap for a 7 yard gain, at first leaving third and one, until a delayed flag on the play, a second face mask penalty on the Rams, this time called on safety Ben Herron, would move us half the distance to the goal and give us first and goal at the 8 yard line. Silva would get the first crack on first down, rushing for a four yard gain down to the four yard line. Hall would get the next chance at the end zone, only gaining a single yard on the play to bring up third and goal from the three yard line. Silva would take the final crack at the end zone, and he would achieve, as he plowed forward straight into a defender and powered his way into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:27 left in the first quarter.

Another wind aided kickoff would result in a touchback, Colorado State lining up from their 25. A first down rush by Thompson would gain 8 yards, before a no huddle three yard keeper by Mayo would net three yards and a first down. Colorado State would stay in the no huddle on first down, but our defense would get a break with a false start on the offensive line, leaving first and 15. A bullshit pass at the ankles would result in an 18 yard completion to Cooley, giving the Rams a first down at midfield. Again with the no huddle, Mayo would drop back to pass on first down, but our blitz would break through the offensive line and make contact. Unfortunately for Mayo and the Rams, he would not be sacked, but rather fumble the ball during contact, allowing defensive tackle Scott Flanagan to recover the fumble and give us possession at the Colorado State 38 yard line.

Taking over on offense following the fumble recovery, it was right back to what we know best, as Silva ran for a 6 yard gain on first down, followed by a 7 yard rush to move the chains to the 25 yard line. Silva would keep us moving on first down, as he would body surf his way over a pile of defensive bodies for an 8 yard carry, before a 10 yard rush outside the right tackle and up the sideline would set us up with first and goal at the 7 yard line. Hall would take over on first down, fighting his way through the middle for a 5 yard gain, leaving second and goal from the two yard line. Another carry by Hall would gain one yard, bringing up the decisive third and goal at the Rams 1 yard line. Silva would get the call on third down and blitz his way into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 14-0 with 2:07 left in the first quarter.

Another kickoff, another touchback, and Colorado State lined up at their 25 yard line. The Rams would try to go into the air on first down, but the quick pass intended for Cooley over the middle would be quickly broken up, leaving second down. Thompson would get the ball on second down, gaining two yards on the carry. Going no huddle on third and 8, Mayo would try to find Jesse Hendrix through the air, but he would under throw the pass, the ball sailing out of bounds 5 yards behind Hendrix to bring out the punt team once more on fourth and 8. A 16 yard return on the 42 yard punt would give us the ball from our 46 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, Silva would again get the call to start our drive on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain, followed by a huge 14 yard dash out and up the sideline, giving us a first down at the Colorado State 34 yard line. A three yard first down carry by Silva would be followed by an 8 yard second down rush by Hall, giving us a first down at the 23 yard line. Returning the backfield on first down, Silva would rumble to a four yard gain, leaving second and 6. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead standing at 14-0.

Opening up the second quarter, we would line up at the Colorado State 19 yard line, facing second and 6. Despite nearly being tackled immediately after the hand off, Silva was able to shed the defender and fight for a three yard gain, bringing up third and three. Silva would get the call but only gain two yards on the play, leaving us with fourth and inches at the 14 yard line. Even though we desperately wanted the touchdown, a 31 yard field goal by Doug Marcus would increase our lead to 17-0 with exactly 9:00 left on the clock.

Despite kicking into the wind, we would still put the kickoff into the end zone, the Rams electing to take a knee instead of returning it. Lining up at the 25 yard line following the touchback, Colorado State would come out passing as Brandon Powell pulled in a 12 yard pass from Mayo, getting a quick first down at the 37 yard line. Our defense would take away some of those yards on first down, as Mayo dropped back to pass out of the no huddle offense, only to find out defensive line in his face, ultimately ending up sacked for a 7 yard loss to leave the Rams looking at second and 17. A pass to Tevita Wilson would go for a 12 yard gain to leave third and 5, before a pass to Tyler Adams would gain 9 yards, giving Colorado State a first down at our 49 yard line. Staying in the no huddle this entire time, our defense would finally force the Rams to stop the no huddle bullshit, as a first down carry by Thompson would go for a two yard loss, leaving second and 12. Going through the air on Thompson on second down, he would be pushed out of bounds for no gain to leave third and 12. The Rams would go no huddle on third down, but it seemingly did us more good as our defense got quick pressure in the pocket, Mayo somehow shaking off two different sack attempts before hurling the ball down field over the middle, the incomplete pass leaving the punt team coming out on fourth down. The 51 yard punt would sail into the end zone with the aid of the wind, and we would start our next drive at our 20 yard line.

Coming out after the punt, there was little doubt as to what our offense would call, still not a single pass thrown halfway through the second quarter. And still, the defense couldn’t stop us as Silva got the ball and went straight up the middle for a 9 yard gain, followed by a massive 31 yard sprint up the right sideline after the Rams stacked the box, giving us a first down at the Colorado State 39 yard line. Hall would get the call on first down, fighting for a gain of three yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush by Silva to leave third and two. It would be Hall’s responsibility to keep our drive alive, and he would come through when called on, rushing through a gap for a 7 yard gain and moving the chains to the 24 yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on first down, keeping us moving forward with a 6 yard carry, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and one. A second three yard carry by Silva would convert the third down, moving us to the 12 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Silva would be followed by a four yard rush by Hall to give us first and goal at the one yard line. Silva would need just a single try at the end zone, rushing in for the one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 24-0 with 3:19 left in the second quarter.

The kickoff would be fielded in the end zone, but the Rams would again elect to kneel it down for a touchback instead of returning it, taking the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down screen pass to Thompson would result in a three yard loss for the Rams, leaving second and 13. The defense would push the Rams back even more as Mayo would try to pass on second down, only to end up sacked for a 6 yard loss, leaving third and 19. In a ridiculous play, Mayo would throw a pass deep over the middle intended for Wilson, who managed to somehow beat both the linebacker playing man and the safety playing deep zone. The pass was perfect and hit Wilson squarely in the hands. He seemingly caught it and it was going to be a race for the end zone, but instead the ball would slip out of his hands as he went to pull it in. The ball would keep traveling forward, staying pretty much even with Wilson’s momentum, giving him a second chance to pull the ball in, only his momentum would cause him to bobble the ball a second time, leaving the ball floating in the air until cornerback Jesse Breedlove was able to come up from behind and intercept it, returning the interception 23 yards up the right sideline to give us possession at the Colorado State 32 yard line. Or, at least that’s what appeared to have happened. Based on video replay, it appeared the ball bounced off of the turf briefly before Breedlove could intercept it, which means the play should have resulted in an incomplete pass on the play and the Rams punting on fourth and 19. But, Colorado State neither challenged the play (likely because they would have been punting on fourth and 19 from their 16 yard line), nor did the officials call for a review, and so the play stood and we took over at the Colorado State 32 yard line with 2:18 left until halftime.

Lining up following the surprisingly unchallenged interception, Silva would start the drive with a four yard carry, followed by a big 9 yard rush to give us a quick first down at the 20 yard line. A pair of 7 yard runs by Silva would end up giving us first and goal from the 6 yard line. Hall would get the call on first down, fighting forward for a three yard gain, followed by a rush for no gain to leave third and goal at the three yard line. A one yard rush by Hall would fail to get the job done, leaving us with fourth and goal from the two yard line. We would call our first timeout of the half, stopping the clock with three seconds left to line up for a field goal. The 19 yard field goal by Marcus would sail through the uprights, increasing our lead to 27-0 with one second left on the clock.

A squib kick on the kickoff would result in an 11 yard return with no time left on the clock, taking us into halftime with a 27-0 lead.

Opening up the second half, a MASSIVE 81 yard kickoff return by David Douglas would give us the ball at the Colorado State 21 yard line to start the third quarter, a single Rams player the only thing keeping it from being a touchdown. Opening up the drive on first down, Silva would fight his way to a three yard gain, but much like the start of the first half, the second half would begin with shots to the foot by the Colorado State defense, as a face mask penalty by cornerback Maurice Martindale would set us up with first and goal from the 9 yard line. Silva would need just a single down to end the drive as he would take the handoff, plow up the middle and drive his way through a defender and into the end zone for a 9 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 34-0 with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would give the Rams the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down screen pass to Thompson would result in a two yard loss, bringing up second and 12. Going 5-wide, Mayo would connect with a Hendrix for a 26 yard gain and a first down at the 48 yard line. From there Colorado State would promptly no huddle fuck us all the way down the field as Mayo would find Wilson for a 13 yard gain, followed by a 38 yard strike to Mike Smith for a 38 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 34-7 with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

A 37 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would give us the ball at the 36 yard line to start our next drive. Going up against a fired up defense on first down, Silva would end up tackled for no gain on the play, followed by a 7 yard carry to bring up third and three. Silva would get the call on third down, just barely picking up three yards to move the chains at the 46 yard line. Silva would keep us rolling with a three yard gain on first down, followed by a 6 yard rush by Hall to bring up third and one. Silva would again take the ball on third down, racing forward for a 6 yard gain, giving us a first down at the Colorado State 39 yard line. A 6 yard rush by Hall would be followed by a four yard rush by Silva to leave us looking at third and inches. Hall would take the third down off, fighting his way to a four yard gain and a first down at the 25 yard line. Silva would struggle to a three yard gain on the first down carry, followed by a 5 yard dash that would leave us with third and two. It would be all on Hall’s shoulders on third down, and he wouldn’t let us down with a four yard scramble, picking up the first down at the 14 yard line. Hall would keep us rolling on first down with a 5 yard carry, followed by a 5 yard rush by Silva to set us up with first and goal from the three yard line. Silva would again need just one crack at the end zone, sprinting in for a three yard touchdown, Silva’s fifth touchdown of the game, to increase our lead to 41-7 with 3:49 left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff would end in another touchback, Colorado State lining up from their 25 yard line. The Rams would waste no time in horsefucking us with their no huddle offense, as Mayo connected with Thompson for a 7 yard gain on first down, followed by a 9 yard completion to Powell to move the chains to the 41 yard line. Thompson would quickly give the Rams another first down with a 10 yard catch out of bounds at our 49 yard line, followed by an 11 yard reception by Powell for yet another first down at our 38 yard line. Finally our defense would force Colorado State to huddle up as an incomplete pass to result in second and 10. Somehow, a briefly completed pass to Tyler Adams would be dropped incomplete, leaving third down. Under almost instant pressure by our four man rush, Mayo would somehow twice avoid being sacked, only to end up throwing the ball into the back of his lineman’s helmet as he tried to throw the ball downfield, the incompletion leaving fourth and 10 and the Rams lining up to go for it on the fourth down play. This time, Mayo would never get the chance to get the ball off as he rolled out to the right to avoid pressure, only to end up flattened from behind and sacked for a 6 yard loss to turn the ball over on downs at our 44 yard line.

Lining up after the turnover, we once again turned to our running game to fuel our offense on this drive. Silva would get the drive started on first down with a 5 yard carry around the right end, followed by a four yard rush to bring up third and one. A 7 yard rush by Silva on the misdirection would give us the first down at the Colorado State 40 yard line. Hall would come in on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a gain of 9 yards, followed by a four yard rush to get the first down at the 27 yard line. Silva would return to the backfield on first down, tackled for a three yard gain on the play, followed by a 5 yard gain to leave us looking at third and two. It would be on Hall to get the first down, taking the handoff for a gain of four yards and a first down at the 15 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 41-7.

Opening up the fourth quarter, Silva would get the ball on first down, rushing for a three yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush to leave us looking at third and inches. It would be on Silva to extend our drive on third down, taking the handoff from Jason Barnes for a three yard gain to give us first and goal at the two yard line. Hall would take the first crack at the end zone, only to end up tackled for a three yard loss on the play. Taking the ball on second down, Hall would get those yards back with a 5 yard gain, leaving us looking at third and goal from inside the one yard line. Hall would get the call to finish off the drive on third down, rushing for the one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 48-7 with 8:00 left in the fourth quarter.

The kickoff would be fielded and kneeled in the end zone for a touchback, giving the Rams the ball at their 25 yard line. In an unbelievable moment of bullshit, an ankle catch by Thompson, followed by some high speed weaving, stop and go and spins would result in two missed tackles and a 29 yard gain, giving Colorado State a first down at our 46 yard line. Another pass to Thompson would gain 11 yards and another quick first down, moving the chains to our 35. Thankfully, despite Colorado State staying in the no huddle the entire time, our defense would rise to the occasion as a slow, weak pass outside would end up intercepted by Breedlove, his second of the game, the interception returned 17 yards to give us possession at the Colorado State 46 yard line.

Lining up in Colorado State territory following the interception, Hall would get our drive started on first down with a 7 yard rush to the right side, followed by a four yard carry to give us a first down at the 35 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Hall would be followed up by a gain of 9 yards, giving us a new set of downs from the 22 yard line. Hall would try to bounce outside on first down, only to end up flattened for a two yard gain. Hall would keep us moving forward with a four yard carry, bringing up third and four. Unfortunately Hall would be unable to convert on third down, stopped for just two yards on the play to leave us with fourth and two. The 31 yard field goal attempt by Marcus would sail just wide right, leaving our lead at 48-7 with 4:40 left in the game.

Taking over at the 20 yard line following the missed field goal, Colorado State came out passing on first down. That would prove to be a mistake as Mayo would again sail a pass, this time down field along the right sideline, only to have it intercepted by Hart to give us the ball at the 36 yard line.

Coming out on offense following the interception, we turned to our ground game once more to, hopefully, finish this game off. Hall would get the call on first down, picking up just two yards on the play. Raymond Watson would get the ball on second down, fighting his way to a four yard gain to leave us looking at third and four. A four yard rush by Watson would leave us just short of the first down, bringing up fourth and inches. Taking another chance on a field goal, this time Marcus would be on target, sending the 43 yard field goal straight down the middle to increase our lead to 51-7 with 3:01 left in the game.

Colorado State would again begin from their 25 yard line after kneeling down the kickoff for a touchback. The Rams would start this drive on the ground, as Thompson rushed for a two yard gain on first down, before a bad pass by Mayo, intended for Powell, would end up overthrown and incomplete to bring up third and 8. With the pocket collapsing around him, Mayo would chuck the ball downfield on third down, officially it was intended for Hendrix, only problem was the ball was about 20 yards BEHIND Hendrix, leaving the Rams punting on fourth and 8. Despite a booming 54 yard punt, it would all be for naught as Douglas would field the punt at our 18 yard line, starting running up the middle, and thanks to a couple of key blocks, bounce outside and up the right sideline, outracing three defenders who would dive at his feet and end up only eating grass, returning the punt all the way for an 82 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 58-7 with 2:21 left in the game.

Colorado State would again kneel down the kickoff, taking the ball at their 25 yard line. Again starting on the ground, Thompson would get the Rams moving with a 6 yard carry on first down. Refusing to give up, Colorado State would again go into the no huddle, as Mayo connected with Powell for a four yard gain and a first down at the 35 yard line. Another pass to Powell would result in 11 yards and a first down at the 46 yard line. Thankfully, our defense would get a break from the no huddle offense as Mayo tried to connect with Adams over the middle, only to have the play broken up to leave second and 10. Our defense would send the Rams moving backwards on second down, as Mayo would be leveled from in front for an 8 yard sack, bringing up third and 18. Our defense would put the final nail in the coffin as Mayo was forced to dance around in the pocket, desperately searching for an open receiver against our man defense. Unfortunately for him, none would come, as our four man rush would finally break through the pass protection and hit Mayo from two different sides, sacking him for a second 8 yards loss and leaving the Rams punting on fourth and 26. A 15 yard return by Douglas on the 48 yard punt would give us the ball at our 36 yard line with 54 seconds left in the game.

Lining up following the punt, we would only need to take 54 seconds off of the clock. We wouldn’t even need to run another offensive play to close this game out, as Barnes would simply drop to a knee to start the clock moving. Snapping the ball for the final time this game, Barnes would drop to a knee with 15 seconds left to put the final nail in our 58-7 victory.

With the win, we improve to 6-2, 4-0 in Mountain West action and become officially bowl eligible for the 2023 season. With the loss, Colorado State drops to 2-6, 1-3 in Mountain West play. Up next, we return home to take on Boise State. The Broncos enter the game 4-3, 1-2 in Mountain West action. Boise State opened their year with a 42-35 overtime loss to #22 Louisiana Lafayette, before picking up a 52-31 win over Washington State and a 31-16 win at Oregon State. The Broncos would suffer a 48-38 loss to Hawaii, before being San Diego State 31-20. Boise State would pick up another win, 38-35 over BYU, before suffering a 28-21 loss to #6 Fresno State.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 58, :Colorado_State: 7

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - No stats for Barnes today. Other than taking the snap and handing it off, that was as close as we got to a passing game. Rushing, Silva led the way with a career day, rushing for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns on 50 carries. In regards to dynasty records, Silva just set the new single game dynasty record for carries and tied the record for rushing touchdowns. Unfortunately he came up 9 yards short of the dynasty record for single game rushing yards. Hall ended the day with 114 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries and Watson finished with 9 yards on two rushes in late game efforts. As with passing, there are no receiving stats to report.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A solid defensive effort today, as the Colorado State offense was largely kept in check, even despite the never ending, aggravating as hell no huddle. Big days by our backs, as Breedlove finished with two interceptions and Hart ended with one interception, while defensive end Steve Jones recorded a forced fumble and defensive tackle Scott Flanagan recorded a fumble recovery.

Utah State Kicking – It was an almost perfect day for Marcus, going 3-4 on field goals with kicks from 31, 19 and 43 yards, the lone miss coming on a 31 yard attempt that was pushed wide right by the wind, as well as going 7-7 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
14
13
14
17
58

:Colorado_State:
0
0
7
0
7

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:27
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

2:07
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-0

Second Quarter

9:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 31 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 17-0

3:19
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 24-0

0:01
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 19 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 27-0

Third Quarter

9:38
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 9 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 34-0

8:54
:Colorado_State:
Touchdown
M. Smith, 38 yard pass from J. Mayo (J. White kick)
:Utah_State: 34-7

3:49
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 41-7

Fourth Quarter

8:00
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
K. Hall, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 48-7

3:01
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 43 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 51-7

2:21
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, returned punt 82 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 58-7

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Colorado State

58
Score
7

25
First Downs
13

402
Total Offense
199

84 - 402 - 6
Rushes - Yards - TD
14 - (-25) - 0

0 - 0 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
19 - 31 - 1

0
Passing Yards
224

0
Times Sacked
6

12 - 16 (75%)
3rd Down Conversion
1 - 8 (12%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 1 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

9 - 6 - 2 (88%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
0 - 0 - 0 (0%)

0
Turnovers
4

0
Fumbles Lost
1

0
Intercepted
3

124
Punt Return Yards
0

121
Kick Return Yards
11

647
Total Yards
210

0 – 0.0
Punts - Average
5 - 47.8

0 - 0
Penalties
4 - 38

30:20
Time of Possession
9:40

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x7

Kick/Punt Return Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x4

5 Consecutive Wins
250
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 10 Points
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

Force 20 Turnovers (Season)
350
x1

Rush for 2000 Yards (Season)
400
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

School Record: Rush TD/Game (5)
200
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
6

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

03-18-2015, 11:54 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State embarrassed Rutgers 66-13. #2 Oklahoma dropped #10 Kansas State 35-28. #3 UCLA defeated Utah 39-20. #4 Michigan dispatched Minnesota 42-28. #5 South Carolina ran it up against Missouri 62-28. #6 West Virginia just barely held on against Iowa State 39-38. Louisville shocked #8 Florida State 37-34. #9 Miami beat Duke 31-21. #11 Ole Miss beat Arkansas 35-14. #12 Texas doubled #16 TCU 30-15.

Georgia upset #13 Florida 28-27. Arizona State knocked off #14 USC 24-13. #15 Cincinnati topped Connecticut 28-17. #17 Baylor got past Oklahoma State 42-32. #18 Virginia Tech doubled up North Carolina 34-17. #19 Georgia Tech beat Virginia 38-24. #20 Stanford slipped past Oregon State 26-21. #21 Mississippi State escaped Kentucky 28-23. #22 Auburn survived Vanderbilt 28-21. #24 Louisiana Lafayette topped New Mexico State 49-35. East Carolina stunned #25 South Florida 41-23.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 7-0 (4-0 Big Ten) with a 66-13 drubbing of Rutgers. Morsdraconis, #6 West Virginia improves to 7-1 (5-1 Big 12) with a 39-38 win over Iowa State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 3-3 (2-1 C-USA) with a 42-38 win over Massachusetts. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 3-4 (2-2 Pac-12) with a 24-13 win over #14 USC. LeeSO, #22 Auburn improves to 7-1 (4-1 SEC) with a 28-21 win over Vanderbilt. SCClassof93, #5 South Carolina improves to 9-0 (7-0 SEC) with a 62-28 win over Missouri. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 4-2 (1-1 Sun Belt) with a 44-16 win over Idaho. Florida International drops to 1-6 (1-2 C-USA) with a 41-20 loss to Middle Tennessee State. Navy improves to 4-3 (3-3 American) with a 35-31 win over Houston. Tulsa drops to 1-6 (1-4 American) with a 42-24 loss to Central Florida.

In Mountain West action, #7 Fresno State survived Boise State 28-21, Utah State hammered Colorado State 58-7, Air Force beat Wyoming 38-7, San Jose State doubled up New Mexico 42-21 and BYU downed UNLV 31-17.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Utah State (4-0) stands on top, followed closely by Air Force (3-1) and a little further back Boise State (1-2). Beyond that, pretty much everyone else is eliminated from contention, including Colorado State (1-3), New Mexico (0-4) and Wyoming (0-4). In the West Division, #6 Fresno State (3-0) still remains on top, followed closely by San Jose State (3-1), Hawaii and UNLV (both 2-1). After that sits San Diego and Nevada (both 1-2).

Looking at undefeated teams left, #23 Penn State lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 6. #1 Ohio State (7-0), #2 Oklahoma (6-0), #3 UCLA (8-0), #4 Michigan (8-0), #5 South Carolina (9-0) and #7 Fresno State (7-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-8).

Teams getting their first win this week were: East Carolina (41-23 over 4-3 #25 South Florida).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Oklahoma (39 first place votes) uses their top 10 victory to climb one to #1, Ohio State (21 votes) drops one to #2, Michigan (1 vote) climbs one to #3, South Carolina jumps one to #4 and UCLA drops two to #5. Fresno State climbs one to #6, West Virginia drops one to #7, Miami jumps one to #8, Ole Miss climbs two to #9 and Texas jumps two to #10. Cincinnati leaps four to #11, Kansas State drops two to #12, Baylor climbs four to #13, Virginia Tech leaps four to #14 and Georgia Tech jumps four to #15. Florida State drops eight to #16, Stanford moves up three to #17, Florida falls five to #18, Mississippi State jumps two to #19 and Auburn climbs two to #20. USC drops seven to #21, Louisiana Lafayette climbs two to #22, TCU falls seven to #23, Georgia enters the poll at #24 and Temple (316 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Penn State (from #23) and South Florida (from #25). Taking a look at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan State (162 points) is #26, followed by Clemson (137), Ohio (101), Utah State (72) and Alabama (24) to round out the Top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Oklahoma (41 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (23 votes) remains #2, South Carolina (1 vote) remains #3, Michigan climbs one to #4 and UCLA drops one to #5. Fresno State leaps four to #6, Miami drops one #7, West Virginia drops one to #8, Baylor remains #9 and Ole Miss climbs two to #10. Texas jumps two to #11, Kansas State drops one to #12, Auburn leaps four to #13, Cincinnati vaults five to #14 and Virginia Tech jumps three to #15. Florida State drops eight to #16, Georgia Tech moves up three to #17, Mississippi State jumps four to #18, Florida drops five to #19 and Stanford climbs three to #20. TCU falls five to #21, Temple jumps three to #22, USC drops eight to #23, Clemson remains #24 and Georgia (328 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Penn State (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan State (230 points) is #26, followed by Louisiana Lafayette (228), Ohio (155), Penn State (20) and Alabama (18) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Arizona (11).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Oklahoma (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 South Carolina (0.987), #4 Michigan (0.987), #5 UCLA (0.979), #6 Fresno State (0.966), #7 Miami (0.966), #8 West Virginia (0.964), #9 Ole Miss (0.955) and #10 Texas (0.950). Others: #17 Auburn (0.896).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #2 (LW: #4), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #3 (LW: #2), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #4 (LW: #3) and West Virginia WR Michael McNeil is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch List this week was Miami QB Marlon Johnson (LW: #5).

Looking at Weekly Awards, Utah State HB Benjamin Silva was named the NCAA Offensive Player of the Week and the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Colorado State, rushing for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns on 50 carries.

Looking at the bowl picture, 11 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 23 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 4 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 99 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 122 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

souljahbill

03-19-2015, 05:59 AM

Geaux Cajuns Geaux! Geaux :Louisiana:

SmoothPancakes

08-04-2015, 03:02 AM

Alright. As mentioned in Jaymo's Raiders thread, this baby should be coming back to life this week. I've been trying for two weeks to get my next game played, and hoped to just randomly one day revive this with a game post, but yeah, not gonna happen. Either ended up just exhausted by the end of the day and wasn't up for sitting 3-4 hours and playing the game and typing everything up. Or, I had to watch TV as my DVR has almost always been 90%+ full.

I had hoped to get a game played Monday or today (Tuesday). Monday didn't happen as my time was spent with Time Warner trying to get the modem replaced and then trying to fix the email inbox space after having rebundled to lower the monthly bill suddenly left me with only 10 MB of inbox space and 3000% over space and a bunch of bounced emails.

That is all finally fixed. Except now, I'm doing my damnedest to wipe everything off my DVR. While I was at Time Warner, I saw their ads about Enhanced DVR. $3.15 extra a month and I can record 6 channels at once instead of my current only 2, and can record up to 150 hours of shows instead of the current only 75. No brainer for me. I have just two episodes of Hell on Wheels (which I'm plowing through right now before bed) and a 90 minute movie (which I'll be watching when I wake up) left on my DVR and as soon as it's empty, I'm factory resetting it and taking it to Time Warner to swap out for an Enhanced DVR since Tuesday is my quietest day of the entire week for recordings.

If all goes well, I hope to have my new DVR all hooked up and running at full speed and be firing up my next game of NCAA by the evening.

SmoothPancakes

08-16-2015, 02:10 PM

Game Nine

:Boise_State: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Heading down the home stretch, the schedule would see Boise State make an appearance in Utah for week 9. The Broncos were a team that Utah State and coach Ramius were still trying to figure out. Ramius entered the game sporting a career 2-3 record against the Broncos, while Utah State, during Ramius’ tenure as coach, was 1-2 against Boise State, their only win coming last season in a three point nail-biter. Both teams were desperate for a win here. Utah State (4-0 MWC) needed a win today with Air Force breathing down their necks just one game behind, and a trip to Air Force next up on the schedule. Boise State (1-2 MWC) meanwhile needed a win to keep any hopes of a division title alive and knocking off the division leader would go a long way in achieving those goals. This game had all the makings of a slugfest as Boise State entered with the superior offense (#9 overall and #11 passing), while Utah State came in with the superior defense. All that remained to be seen would be which side of the ball would reign supreme today. Utah State would win the coin toss and elect to kick.

A 30 yard kickoff return by David Andrews would give Boise State the ball to start at their 29 yard line. The Broncos would waste little time in violating our defense as Andy Robinson took the first down handoff around the left side and raced up the sideline for a 58 yard rush on the very first play from scrimmage, gift wrapping Boise State a first down at our 13 yard line. A complete pass to Jason Meyer from Demetrius Hester would end up going for no gain as Meyer would be carried out of bounds by his momentum to waste a play. Matt Morton would get the ball on an end around handoff, but he would be quickly brought down in the backfield for a two yard loss to bring up third and 12. Hester would try to find Meyer over the middle on third down, but the pass into the end zone would be off the mark and would sail incomplete for fourth down. Boise State would be forced to settle for a field goal after such a promising start, but even that would end in failure for the Broncos as the 32 yard field goal attempt by Brian Coley would be no good, the ball sailing underneath the crossbar and falling to the ground short.

We would line up for our first offensive drive of the game at our 20 yard line. Doing what we do best, the drive would get underway with a first down rush, as Brian Paris would fight his way to a four yard gain on the play, followed by a three yard carry to bring up third and three. Testing the Boise State defense right off the bat, Paris would get the ball for the third straight play, just inching his way across the marker for a three yard gain and a first down at the 31 yard line to keep our drive alive. Paris would keep the ball again on first down for another four yard gain, before an attempted pass on second down would get knocked loose and incomplete to leave third and 6. Raymond Watson would come down with a pass from Jason Barnes on third down, but it would only gain 5 yards on the completion, forcing us to punt on fourth and one. An extremely poor 24 yard punt by Ed Allen would hand Boise State the ball at their 36 yard line for their next drive.

Robinson would get the Broncos off and running with a 6 yard carry to start their next drive, followed by a straight up bitch slap of our defense as he would again break free around the left end and up the sideline for a second 58 yard rush, this time for a 58 yard touchdown, giving Boise State a 7-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first quarter.

Leonard Hart would return the kickoff 21 yards to give us the ball at our 18 yard line. Paris would get right back to work on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a 7 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to get a first down at the 28. Another rush by Paris would be aided by a massive hole, allowing him to sprint downfield for a gain of 8 yards, with a four yard carry on the next play giving us another set of downs at the 40 yard line. We would take our chances on a play action pass on first down, a decision of disastrous proportions as the pass would be intercepted by cornerback Patrick Liston, returned 44 yards for a pick six. The only silver lining would be that the Broncos kicker sucks and would miss the extra point kick, leaving Boise State with a 13-0 lead with 3:51 left in the first quarter.

A 33 yard kickoff return by Hart would set Utah State up from the 29 yard line. A first down handoff to Paris would result in no gain on the play as he was instantly stonewalled at the line. Dropping back to pass on second down, this time Barnes would connect with Adam Washington for a 16 yard strike to pick up a first down at the 44 yard line. Returning to the ground, Paris would fight through a pile of bodies for a 7 yard carry, followed by a second 7 yard gain around the right end to move the chains to the Boise State 41 yard line, our first time crossing the 50 yard line today with 2:21 left in the first quarter. Paris would continue to plow ahead on first down with a 5 yard gain, followed by a two yard carry to bring up third and three. Paris would try to extend the drive on third down, but would get tackled for one yard, leaving fourth and two from the 34 yard line. Saying a prayer, we would attempt the 51 yard field goal, and amazingly, Doug Marcus would sail it through the uprights to cut Boise State’s lead to 13-3 with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Boise State would get their drive started from the 25 yard line after a touchback on the kickoff. Robinson would waste little time on first down with an 11 yard carry and a first down at the 36. Another carry would gain 16 more yards and move the chains again to our 49 yard line. The Broncos would drop back to pass on first down this time, and again our defense would just bend over and take it, as Hester connected with Randy Wheeler for a 37 yard strike, giving Boise State a first down at our 12 yard line. That would thankfully be the final play of the first quarter, Boise State leading 13-3.

Opening up the second quarter, Boise State lined up from our 12 yard line, our defense about to bend over once more. Sure enough, Antonio Harrington would pull in a pass from Hester, shake off two tackles and trot the final four yards into the end zone to give Boise State a 20-3 lead with 9:56 left in the second quarter, capping off a 76 yard drive on four fucking plays.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Hart would leave us starting from our 20 yard line. Paris would resume his duties with a 6 yard carry on first down, followed by a two yard gain to leave third and two. This time Paris would keep the drive alive as he plowed straight ahead for a four yard carry and a first down at the 32 yard line. Paris would keep rumbling ahead with a first down carry for 6 yards, followed by a second 6 yard gain to give us a first down at the 44 yard line. Fighting off multiple tackle attempts, Paris would keep his legs pumping for a gain of 9 yards on the first down carry, before being tackled for no gain to leave third and one. Leaving it all in the trenches, Paris would dive forward for a four yard gain to move the chains to the Boise State 42 yard line. Benjamin Silva would take over on first down, fighting for a 5 yard carry, followed by a four yard gain by Paris to bring up third and one. Paris would get the call, but would again be brought down for no gain to leave fourth and one at the Boise State 33 yard line. Forced to settle for another field goal, Marcus would again come through as he would drill this time a 50 yard kick straight through the uprights to cut Boise State’s lead to 20-6 with 5:19 left in the second quarter.

Another touchback would give the ball to Boise State at their 25 yard line. Once again, Robinson just raced for a 14 yard gain with ease on first down. Finally we would contain the bastard on first down to just a four yard gain. Boise State would go into the air on second down, but the pass intended for Meyer would be batted at the line, bringing up third and 6. This time the Broncos would not find success as Hester would end up sacked for an 8 yard loss, forcing them to punt on fourth and 14. We would still almost screw it up, as punt returner Jesse Breedlove fumbled the return, forcing two of our blockers to dive on it before Boise State could. The end result would leave us starting our next drive from our 17 yard line.

Lining up after the nearly fumbled away punt return, Paris would again get us started on the ground with a 6 yard carry around the left side, followed by a four yard gain to get a first down. Another four yard gain by Paris would be followed by a gain of just one yard, leaving us facing third and 5 from the 32. Going into the air on third down, the pass intended for Washington would be nearly intercepted, forcing us to punt the ball right back. A 19 yard return on the 47 yard punt would give Boise State the ball at their 39 yard line.

Starting near midfield thanks to a good punt return, the Broncos would come out surprisingly trying to pass, Hester ending up hit as he tried to throw, resulting in an incomplete pass on the play. Morton would get the drive off and moving with a second down reception over the middle, picking up 18 yards and a first down at our 43 yard line. Travis Bolden would pull in a 14 yard reception for another first down, this time at our 29 yard line, as our defense continue to keep their heads firmly shoved up their asses, regardless of plays on the ground or in the air. Thankfully Hester would throw an incomplete pass on first down, about the only way for us to stop the Boise State offense. It wouldn’t last long as Wheeler would pull in a pass for a 20 yard gain WHILE falling backwards on his ass, giving Boise State a first and goal at our 9 yard line. Robinson would get the ball on first down, fighting for a four yard gain. The next play would see two defensive players run right past Hester as he attempted a very poorly faked handoff, leaving him wide open to just trot into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown, another missed extra point leaving Boise State with a 26-6 lead with 1:40 left until halftime.

A 30 yard kickoff return by David Douglas would give us the ball at our 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Barnes would connect with Aaron Allen for a quick 17 yard strike out of bounds and a first down at the 42 yard line. Tight end Sam Livingston would keep us moving after an incomplete pass, pulling in the second down toss for a 13 yard gain and a new set of downs at the Boise State 45 yard line. Naturally, the success would come to an end as a pass over the middle intended for Douglas was intercepted, returned 14 yards to Boise State’s 49 yard line with 1:02 left.

Taking over after the interception, the Broncos would use a second down pass to find Wheeler along the sideline for a 20 yard completion, moving the chains to our 31 yard line. Robinson would get a handoff on first down, but would be tackled for a two yard loss, forcing Boise State to use their second timeout. After a pass to Robinson that would gain no yards, Hester would be forced to throw the ball away on third down, leaving the Broncos punting from our 33 yard line with 35 seconds remaining. A 20 yard punt out of bounds would leave us lining up from our 13 yard line.

Starting from our 13 yard line and just 31 seconds on the clock, there was almost no hope of doing anything before halftime. But nevertheless, we’re morons and decided to try. After an incomplete pass on first down, tight end Jack Long would come through huge, getting open over the middle and hauling in the pass from Barnes, then angling toward the sideline to hold off a closing defender as long as possible, the end result being a 47 yard completion that would give us a first down at the Boise State 40 yard line, our second timeout called with 17 seconds remaining. After an incomplete pass on first down, Paris would come through with a reception along the right hash for a 26 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 14 yard line, our final timeout called with 8 seconds remaining. With enough time for two plays, we opted to take one shot into the end zone before having to settle for another field goal. It actually turned out we had enough time for two shots into the end zone, but neither were successful. And with two seconds left, we were forced to kick a 31 yard field goal, cutting Boise State’s lead to 26-9 as we entered halftime.

Opening up the second half, a 34 yard kickoff return by Hart gave us the ball at our 34 yard line to start the third quarter. Paris would get us off and running with a three yard carry on first down, followed by a two yard gain to bring up third and 5. Going into the air on third down, Allen would pull in a pass from Barnes for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the Boise State 48 yard line. A first down pass attempt would end up incomplete, followed by a 10 yard completion to Silva over the middle to give us a new set of downs at the 37. Returning to the ground, Paris would find a huge hole and rumble forward for an 11 yard gain and another first down. Paris would follow that up with a second straight 11 yard carry as the right side kept opening like the Red Sea, leaving him nothing but green to run through until meeting the safeties. That play would give us another first down and move the ball to the Boise State 16. Paris would try to keep the success coming, but would be limited to just a two yard carry on first down. It would take to tries, but finally, we would find the end zone on third down as Long pulled in a pass from Barnes at the goal line for a 13 yard touchdown, cutting Boise State’s lead to 26-16 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.

A 27 yard kickoff return would give Boise State the ball at their 25 yard line. Boise State would try to go back to their workhorse and let Robinson run wild over us again, but this time he would only gain one yard before being dragged down from behind to bring up second and 9. Hester would drop back on second down and try to connect with Wheeler, but an overthrown pass would bring up third down. Of course, it wouldn’t matter as Morton would pull down a pass right in the middle of four bloody defenders, giving the Broncos 18 yards and a first down at the 44 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Boise State would end up going backwards as Hester was sacked for a 7 yard loss, leaving the Broncos with third and 17. Another incomplete pass would finally bring the drive to an end and force Boise State to punt. A 16 yard return on the 47 yard punt would give us the ball at our 32 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, it was back to business as usual as Paris would get us started with a four yard rush around the right end, before a gain of a single lone yard would bring up third and four. Taking a shot through the air, Long would come through huge for us with a 28 yard reception over the middle, moving the chains to the Boise State 34 yard line. A first down rush by Paris would go for a gain of three yards, followed by a 6 yard carry to bring up third and one. Paris would get the job done with a 5 yard carry, moving the chains to the 21 yard line. Staying on the ground on first down, Paris was quickly swarmed at the line of scrimmage for just a one yard gain. After an incomplete pass on second down, Allen would keep us moving forward with a 14 yard pass from Barnes to set up first and goal from the 6 yard line. Paris would get the ball on first down, fighting forward for a four yard rush, followed by a second down plunge into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, cutting Boise State’s lead to 26-23 with 2:09 left in the third quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would give Boise State the ball at their 25 yard line. Robinson would try to recapture his earlier magic, but he would be quickly brought down for a three yard loss. Naturally, Hester would just take over on second down and torch our defense with a 31 yard run, screwing us over one way or the other, as Boise State picked up a first down at our 47 yard line. After a four yard run by Robinson on first down, Hester would suddenly rediscover his talent for passing, throwing a pristine rope across his body to Wheeler for a 22 yard gain and a first down at our 21 yard line. The Broncos would try to run a play action pass on first down, with Hester faking the handoff and then rolling out to his left, only to be met and sacked for a 7 yard loss, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Robinson to leave third and 17, where thankfully Hester would miss his receiver and throw the pass out of bounds for fourth down. Going for it on fourth down, Hester would connect with Travis Bolden over the middle, but he would be quickly tackled for a gain of only 12 yards, forcing the turnover on downs.

Taking over at our 16 yard line after the Broncos came up 5 yards short, we would get off and running with a handoff to Paris for a gain of 7 yards. That would be the final play of the third quarter as the clock hit zeros, Boise State leading 26-23.

Opening up the fourth quarter with second and three, Paris fought forward for a gain of 8 yards and a first down at the 30 yard line. Paris would keep advancing the ball with a 9 yard carry on first down, followed by a gain of 5 yards to move the chains once more to the 44. Boise State would respond on first down as Paris was only able to gain two yards on the carry. Going into the air, after an incomplete pass on second down, Allen would save our drive with an 11 yard reception and a first down at the Boise State 43 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Paris would rumble forward for a gain of 8 yards, followed by a 5 yard carry to get a new set of downs at the 30 yard line. Once again, Paris would be limited to just two yards on first down, followed by a four yard rush that would bring up third and four. Taking a chance on the ground this time, Silva would get the call on third down, racing ahead for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 16 yard line. The first down carry by Silva would end with just a single yard gained, resulting in another return to the air. Barnes would again find Allen, this time for an 8 yard completion, leaving us looking at third and one. Leaving the drive in the hands of Silva, he took the ball and plowed forward for a four yard gain, giving us first and goal at the Boise State four yard line. Silva would finish the job on the very next play, driving into the end zone for a four yard touchdown, giving us our first lead of the entire game, 30-26, with 4:40 left in the game.

A 34 yard kickoff return by David Andrews would give Boise State the ball at their 34 yard line. As expected, Robinson would now come alive again, finding a gap and racing for a 22 yard gain up the left sideline for a first down at our 44 yard line. Andrews would take the ball on first down for a gain of 7 yards around the right side, followed by a 31 yard strike to Wheeler to give Boise State first and goal at our 7 yard line. Robinson would get the ball on first down for a three yard gain, followed by a second three yard gain for a touchdown and yet another missed extra point, giving Boise State only a 32-30 lead with 3:08 left. But, Boise State still goes 66 yards in just six plays, 53 of those yards coming on two plays, to once again try and screw us over.

A 33 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 28 yard line. Silva would start the drive with a four yard rush. Going back to back passes to Allen, we would pick up gains of 8 yards and 11 yards, along with a pair of first downs to get us up to the Boise State 48 yard line. Long would come through for us on a third straight pass, as he would haul in a throw from Barnes up the middle for a gain of 18 yards and a first down at the Boise State 30 yard line, our first timeout called with 2:06 left in the game. Going to the ground on first down, Silva ran for a 6 yard gain, followed by a three yard carry to give us third and one with the ball located near the middle of the field. A four yard rush by Silva would give us a first down at the 17 yard line, and with one minute left in the game, all but finish the job. Silva would run the ball once more on first down, gaining four yards on the play. A second down carry by Silva would gain four more yards to leave third and two. Calling our second timeout with 9 seconds left, we would try once more to get dead center on the field. Silva would get as close as he could on a 3 yard carry, not only placing us near the middle of the field, but also giving us first and goal at the Boise State 7 yard line, our final time out called with 7 seconds left. Boise State apparently expected a field goal on third down as they called three straight timeouts before that third down play. So this was it, neither team had any time outs left, this field goal attempt would either give us the lead and almost all but guarantee a win, or it would miss and guarantee defeat. The chip shot 24 yard field goal from Marcus sailed through the middle of the uprights, giving up a 33-32 lead with four seconds left in the game.

A squib kick on the kickoff resulted in a 12 yard kickoff return by Lee Stephens to give Boise State the ball at their 46 yard line, Stephens unfortunately tackled with one second still on the clock, forcing our crap defense to have to save our asses from one final play. With everybody and their momma dropping back to defend the pass, our defense would strike gold on the final play as Allen Salyer went up and came down with the ball for a game ending interception at our 10 yard line to seal the incredible 33-32 come from behind victory.

With the win, we improve to 7-2, 5-0 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Boise State drops to 4-4, 1-3 in Mountain West play. Up next, it’s back on the road to take on Air Force, who is the only remaining team in the Mountain Division capable of challenging us for the division title over the final weeks of the season. The Falcons enter the game 5-3 on the year, 3-1 in Mountain West action. Air Force had a rocky start as they opened with a 38-35 win over Georgia State, lost 44-36 at Rice, beat San Diego State 27-22, then lost 31-17 to Navy and 23-14 at UNLV, their only blemish so far in the Mountain West. The Falcons, sitting 2-3 on the year, would then recover and go on a three game winning streak, beating Hawaii 31-28, winning at Wyoming 38-7, and escaping at Army 45-41 before heading home to host Utah State next week.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 33, :Boise_State: 32

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A very poor start that would still lead to a rather sub-par day for Barnes as he would finish the game 16-29 for 258 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Rushing, Paris had a monster day, going for 219 yards and one touchdown on 50 carries. Silva would end with 50 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Receiving, top receiver was tight end Jack Long, who ended with 107 yards and one touchdown on four catches. Top catcher was Aaron Allen with seven catches for 81 yards. In all, seven receivers caught at least one pass today, six of them ended up with double digits receiving yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Literally the worst defensive game ever since Ramius took over as coach of Utah State. The joke of a defense allowed Boise State running back Andy Robinson to race like a wild jackal for 199 bloody yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. That is an average of 13.2 yards per carry! An absolute piss poor performance today. Receiving wasn't much better. Wide receiver Randy Wheeler ended with 130 yards on five catches for an average of 26.0 yards per catch. In other words, an entire day to just plain forget. The ONLY positive today by the defense was the game winning interception by safety Allen Salyer on the final play of the game.

Utah State Kicking – At LONG last, a breakout performance by Doug Marcus! After two plus years of bad kicking, Marcus finally finds a leg and some muscles and kicks not one, but two 50+ yard field goals and kicks four field goals total for the game. He would go a perfect 4-4 in field goal attempt, with kicks of 51, 50, 31 and the game winning 24 yard field goal. He would also end a perfect 3-3 in extra points, something Boise State's kicker could NOT say, as that poor bastard would shank his way through three missed extra points, a 2-5 performance, that would doom Boise State today. If he makes all three, Utah State trails 35-30 and has to score a touchdown. If he even just makes that final attempt, Utah State only manages to tie the game at 33 and a trip to overtime. Instead those three missed extra points allows Utah State to literally steal a victory from Boise State at the last second.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Boise_State:
13
13
0
6
32

:Utah_State:
3
6
14
10
33

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:35
:Boise_State:
Touchdown
A. Robinson, 58 yard run (B. Coley kick)
:Boise_State: 7-0

3:51
:Boise_State:
Touchdown
P. Liston, returned interception 44 yards (missed kick)
:Boise_State: 13-0

0:35
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 51 yard field goal
:Boise_State: 13-3

Second Quarter

9:56
:Boise_State:
Touchdown
A. Harrington, 12 yard pass from D. Hester (B. Coley kick)
:Boise_State: 20-3

5:19
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 50 yard field goal
:Boise_State: 20-6

1:40
:Boise_State:
Touchdown
D. Hester, 5 yard run (missed kick)
:Boise_State: 26-6

0:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 31 yard field goal
:Boise_State: 26-9

Third Quarter

7:12
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
J. Long, 13 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Boise_State: 26-16

2:09
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Boise_State: 26-23

Fourth Quarter

4:40
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 4 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 30-26

3:08
:Boise_State:
Touchdown
A. Robinson, 3 yard run (missed kick)
:Boise_State: 32-30

0:04
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 24 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 33-32

Game Stats

Boise State
Stat
Utah State

32
Score
33

14
First Downs
31

422
Total Offense
527

22 - 218 - 3
Rushes - Yards - TD
62 - 269 - 2

12 - 24 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
16 - 29 - 1

204
Passing Yards
258

3
Times Sacked
0

1 - 6 (316)
3rd Down Conversion
13 - 17 (76%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

5 - 3 - 0 (60%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
5 - 3 - 2 (100%)

1
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

1
Intercepted
2

19
Punt Return Yards
16

102
Kick Return Yards
175

543
Total Yards
718

3 – 38.0
Punts - Average
2 - 35.5

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

14:54
Time of Possession
25:06

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x3

Force a Turnover
25
x1

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x2

Pass for 250 Yards
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Play in an ESPN Classic Game
75
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

14-Point Comeback Victory
75
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
7

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-16-2015, 02:12 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Oklahoma dismantled Iowa State 42-10. #2 Ohio State continued their historic win streak with a 41-32 victory over Maryland. #3 Michigan got past Michigan State 42-28. #4 South Carolina smacked around Vanderbilt 35-14. #5 UCLA topped Colorado 28-21. #6 Fresno State beat UNLV 37-14. #7 West Virginia fought off BYU 56-42. #9 Ole Miss ran roughshod over Texas A&M 45-14. #10 Texas destroyed #12 Kansas State 52-13.

#11 Cincinnati would win the battle of the AAC over #25 Temple 38-24. #13 Baylor defeated Texas Tech 35-23. #14 Virginia Tech routed Boston College 55-24. #15 Georgia Tech beat Duke 31-20. Two-win Oregon would knock off #17 Stanford 42-31. Tennessee upset #19 Mississippi State 31-19. Arkansas stunned #20 Auburn 35-34 with a 21-point fourth quarter comeback. Arizona shocked #21 USC 38-17. #22 Louisiana Lafayette barely escaped Georgia State 56-53.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten) with a 41-32 win over Maryland. Morsdraconis, #7 West Virginia improves to 8-1 (5-1 Big 12) with a 56-42 win over BYU. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 4-3 (3-1 C-USA) with a 24-21 win over Old Dominion. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 3-5 (2-3 Pac-12) with a 37-21 loss to Washington. LeeSO, #20 Auburn drops to 7-2 (4-2 SEC) with a 35-34 loss to Arkansas. SCClassof93, #4 South Carolina improves to 10-0 (8-0 SEC) with a 35-14 Vanderbilt. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 5-2 (2-1 Sun Belt) with a 16-13 win over South Alabama. Florida International improves to 2-6 (2-2 C-USA) with a 33-21 win over UAB. Navy improves to 5-3 (3-3 American) with a 29-26 win over Notre Dame. Tulsa improves to 2-6 (1-4 American) with a 31-21 win over Northern Illinois.

In Mountain West action, #6 Fresno State topped UNLV 37-14. Utah State escaped Boise State 33-32. New Mexico routed Wyoming 35-7. Nevada horsewhipped Colorado State 45-14. Hawaii knocked off San Diego State 32-28. And in non-conference action, Air Force barely got past Army 45-41.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Utah State (5-0) stands on top, followed closely by Air Force (3-1). Beyond that, pretty much everyone else is eliminated from contention, including Boise State (1-3), New Mexico (1-4), Colorado State (1-4) and Wyoming (0-5). In the West Division, #6 Fresno State (4-0) still remains on top, followed closely by San Jose State and Hawaii (both 3-1). After that sits UNLV and Nevada (both 2-2) and San Diego State (1-3).

Looking at undefeated teams left, no undefeated teams lost this week, leaving our number of undefeated teams at 6. #1 Oklahoma (7-0), #2 Ohio State (8-0), #3 Michigan (9-0), #4 South Carolina (10-0), #5 UCLA (9-0) and #6 Fresno State (8-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-8).

Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Oklahoma (38 first place votes) remains #1, South Carolina (21 votes) jumps two to #2, Ohio State (1 vote) drops one to #3, UCLA (1 vote) climbs one to #4, and Michigan drops two to #5. Fresno State remains #6, West Virginia remains #7, Miami remains #8, Ole Miss remains #9 and Texas remains #10. Cincinnati remains #11, Baylor climbs one to #12, Virginia Tech jumps one to #13, Georgia Tech moves up one to #14 and Florida State climbs one to #15. Florida jumps two to #16, Kansas State drops five to #17, Louisiana Lafayette leaps four to #18, TCU jumps four to #19 and Georgia vaults four to #20. Arizona enters the poll at #21, Clemson enters the poll at #22, Auburn drops three to #23, Ohio enters the poll at #24 and Utah State (93 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Stanford (from #17), Mississippi State (from #19), USC (from #21) and Temple (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Mississippi State (82 points) is #26, followed by Temple (59), Michigan State (59), Alabama (19) and Arkansas (3) to round out the Top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Oklahoma (39 first place votes) remains #1, South Carolina (24 votes) jumps one to #2, Ohio State (1 votes) drops one to #3, UCLA (1 vote) climbs one to #4 and Michigan drops one to #5. Fresno State remains #6, Miami remains #7, West Virginia remains #8, Ole Miss jumps one to #9 and Baylor drops one to #10. Texas remains #11, Cincinnati jumps two to #12, Virginia Tech moves up two to #13, Florida State climbs two to #14 and Georgia Tech jumps two to #15. Florida leaps three to #16, Kansas State drops five to #17, TCU jumps three to #18, Auburn falls six to #19 and Clemson climbs four to #20. Georgia jumps four to #21, Louisiana Lafayette enters the poll at #22, Ohio enters the poll at #23, Arizona enters the poll at #24 and Temple (201 points) drops three to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Mississippi State (from #18), Stanford (from #20) and USC (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Mississippi State (179 points) is #26, followed by Arkansas (169), Penn State (151), Michigan State (140) and Alabama (126) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Utah State (104), Washington (77) and USC (20).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 Oklahoma (1.000), #2 South Carolina (0.995), #3 Ohio State (0.989), #4 UCLA (0.984), #5 Michigan (0.979), #6 Fresno State (0.966), #7 Miami (0.964), #8 West Virginia (0.962), #9 Ole Miss (0.958) and #10 Texas (0.950). Others: #20 Auburn (0.861).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #2 (LW: #2), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #3 (LW: #3), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #4 (LW: #4) and West Virginia WR Michael McNeil is #5 (LW: #5). No one fell off the list this week.

Looking at the bowl picture, 7 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 30 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 6 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 86 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 116 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

jaymo76

08-17-2015, 05:43 AM

Welcome back!

SmoothPancakes

08-17-2015, 05:51 AM

Welcome back!
Glad to be back, at long last. :)

Although if that Boise State game was any indication, I may need another vacation if games are going to be that horrible the rest of the season. God that was one of my worst games I've ever played.

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 11:54 AM

Game Ten

#25 :Utah_State: :@: :Air_Force:

Game Story

--- After escaping with a last second victory against Boise State the week before, the challenge would not get any easier for Utah State in week 10 as we headed one state over to visit Air Force. This game, barring any major upsets in the final games of the season for both teams, would potentially decide the winner of the Mountain Division and the division representative in the conference championship game. After thinking the Boise State game was a challenge, this would be a whole other experience. Air Force entered the game boasting the #38 total offense, the #4 rushing offense, the #25 total defense and the #11 passing defense. Yards would likely be at a premium today, and rushing would likely be our only savior if those passing defense numbers were accurate. On the flip side, our high rated rushing defense would get their biggest test and workout of the season. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A touchback on the opening kickoff would give Air Force the ball at their 25 yard line to start the game. The game got off to a GREAT start as the defense was tagged with an offside penalty before the first snap of the bloody game, giving Air Force free yards and first and 5 from their 30. Justin Morris would keep the snap on first down as he tried to roll out for an option play, but he was quickly brought down by our blitz for a three yard loss. Morris would torch us on the next play as a missed assignment on the option play allowed him to break open and keep the ball for a 19 yard gain and a first down near midfield. Craig Williams would take the ball on first down, picking up 6 yards on the run, followed by a 5 yard carry for a first down at our 43 yard line. Our defense never had a chance on the first down play as Patrick Kirby would get the ball, find a hole, cut back and forth multiple times while our defenders dived at his feet, and race 43 yards untouched for a touchdown, giving Air Force a 7-0 lead with 8:16 remaining in the first quarter.

A 38 yard kickoff return by David Douglas would give Utah State the ball at the 34 yard line. Brian Paris would show off his own running skills as he got the ball on first down, racing for a 12 yard gain and a quick first down close to midfield. Another first down carry would pick up four yards, followed by an 8 yard gain by Paris to move the chains to the Air Force 43 yard line. Paris would keep driving forward with a 6 yard carry on first down, followed by a 9 yard rush up the middle for a new set of downs at the 27 yard line. The Falcons defense had no answer for Paris, who turned a potential two yard carry into a gain of 8 yards thanks to some well timed spinning on top of the bodies of defenders. Paris would then fight forward for a three yard gain on the next play to gain a first down at the 16. The Air Force defense would come alive on first down as Paris was limited to just a two yard gain. It would end up even worse on second down as he was held for a one yard gain to bring up third and 7. Taking a chance through the air on third down, Jason Barnes would find Aaron Allen open in the flats for an easy completion and a 14 yard touchdown to tie the score a 7-7 with 4:30 left in the first quarter.

Instead of taking a touchback on the kickoff, Tyler Jackson would return the ball, fighting his way to a 29 yard return to set the Falcons up at their 26 yard line. Our defense would properly read the option play on first down, tackling a sitting duck Morris in the backfield for a two yard loss on the play. Williams would take a handoff from Morris and try to go straight up the middle in between our oncoming blitz, but he would only gain a single yard on the play before being dragged down to bring up third and 11. Air Force would go into the air on third down, but a rushed, off target pass by Morris, intended for T. Jackson, would be easily intercepted by safety Kyle Mitchell and returned four yards to give us the ball at our 48 yard line.

Sitting pretty near midfield after the interception, our offense got right back to work on the ground as Paris took the ball on first down. Unfortunately for us, Air Force was more than ready for our run game this time, as a pair of rushes by Paris would go for gain of just two and three yards to leave third and 5. Trying to catch the defense off guard with a play action pass, instead, the Falcons would return the favor as outside linebacker Stephen Jackson would intercept a low pass intended for tight end Jack Long at the line of scrimmage, giving Air Force the ball right back at their 47 yard line.

The Falcons would get the ball moving initially this time around, as Morris kept the snap and rushed for a four yard gain around the right end, but a failed option play on second down would result in Morris going backwards for a three yard loss, the Falcons left facing third and 9. We would get some news between plays, it turns out Brian Paris broke his thumb during his last run in the previous drive. It was being considered a minor injury that wouldn’t even see him out for the rest of the game. With a low re-injury risk, we decided to leave Paris in the game and take our chances. Air Force would again try to pass on third down, but the throw would be again off the mark, resulting in an incomplete pass. A 51 yard punt would bounce into the end zone for a touchback, giving us the ball at our 20 yard line.

Lining up at the 20 following the punt, Paris’ broken thumb would get tested right away, as he took the first down handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard carry to pick up a quick first down at the 32. Another rush by Paris would gain 6 more yards, following that up with a gain of four to move the sticks to the 43. Air Force was having no more of that on first down, as they brought the house and tackled Paris for no gain on the play, leaving second and 10. That would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock hit all zeroes, the game deadlocked 7-7.

Opening up the second quarter, Utah State got lined up at our 43 yard line. Coming out under center, Barnes dropped back to try and pass, but the throw intended for Long was broken up, leaving us with third and distance. Barnes would throw from the shotgun on third down, but the pass to a wide open Allen was overthrown and incomplete, forcing us to punt on fourth down. An 8 yard return by T. Jackson on the 41 yard punt would leave Air Force starting from their 23 yard line.

Taking over on offense following the punt return, Air Force again got off to a rocky start as our defensive line blew up a first down option play, tackling Morris in the backfield for a three yard loss before he had any hope of even trying to pitch the ball. Taking advantage of a hole in our defense, Morris would avoid a potential sack on the second down pass play and take off scrambling, gaining 16 yards and a first down before anyone on our defense could close in and grab him. Another first down option play would see Morris tackled for no gain on the play, but Williams would more than make up for it on second down with a 9 yard carry, leaving the Falcons with just third and one. Williams would finish the job on third down with a four yard carry for a first down near midfield. Morris would try to run an option reverse on first down, but would again be quickly met and tackled for a one yard loss on the play. Running out of the I-formation on second down, Williams would be met in the backfield for a loss of three yards on the play, forcing third and 14. Morris would try to find a first down through the air on third, but forced to rush his throw to avoid the closing pocket, his pass would again be overthrown and off target, resulting in another visit by the punt team. A 13 yard return by Jesse Breedlove on the 40 yard punt would give us the ball at our 28 yard line.

Coming out on offense following the punt, we tried to once again get our running game going as Paris took the ball on first down, dashing forward for a 7 yard gain on first down, followed by an 8 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 44. Keeping at it on the ground, Paris would rush for gains of four and three yards to leave us with third and three. With midfield seemingly being a black hole for offensive success for both teams, our drive would again collapse on third down as Paris would be brought down for a gain of just two yards on the play, leaving fourth and one at the Air Force 47 yard line. The overpowered punt would sail 47 yards straight into the end zone for a touchback.

Air Force would come out surprisingly running a screen pass on first down, but even that would implode as Morris failed to get rid of the ball in a timely matter, ending up sacked for a 9 yard loss back at the 11 yard line. Williams would receive the ball on the ground on second down, but would gain just a single yard on the carry, leaving Air Force facing third and 18. Morris would again fail to complete a pass today as he dropped back on third down, only to be hit as he went to throw, the incomplete pass leaving fourth and long. A 12 yard return by Breedlove on the 40 yard punt would give us the ball at the Air Force 40 yard line.

Paris would again try and get us going on the ground on first down, but he would be quickly dragged down for just a two yard gain on the play. Another rush attempt would pick up four yards to leave us with third and four. Taking a chance on third down, Paris would again come up just short of the marker, gaining three yards on the carry, but still leaving us looking at fourth and one from the 32 yard line. Settling for three points, the 49 yard field goal by Doug Marcus would sail through the uprights, finally breaking the tie and giving us a 10-7 lead with 2:37 left in the second quarter.

A touchback on the kickoff would give Air Force the ball at their 25 yard line. Williams would get the ball on first down, rushing for a 6 yard gain on the play. Then the shit would hit the fan as another blown assignment would leave Morris WIDE open on the second down option play, allowing him to break loose and race down the sideline for a 69 yard touchdown, giving Air Force a 14-10 lead with 2:02 left in the second quarter.

Our special teams would answer right back with their own response, as Leonard Hart received the kickoff, found some great blocking and raced up the right sideline for a 67 yard kickoff return, giving our offense the ball to start at the Air Force 35 yard line. A first down carry by Paris would gain just two yards. Going into the air on second down, a play action pass to Gerald Woods would gain us six yards, leaving us facing third and two. Taking a chance with Paris on third down, he would get the first down and then some with a 7 yard gain on the ground and a first down at the 20 yard line. Limited by time, we went into the air on first down. Lining up in the shotgun, Barnes dropped back and rifled a pass to Adam Washington, good for a gain of 11 yards and a quick first down at the 9 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, a wingback dive by fullback Raymond Watson would pick up 5 yards, leaving second and goal from the four yard line and our second timeout called to stop the clock with 32 seconds remaining. Taking a shot on the ground, Paris would receive the second down handoff, fighting for a two yard gain down to the two yard line. Racing back to the line, going no huddle with the clock ticking, Paris would again get the call on a last shot play before having to settle for the kicking game, receiving the handoff with 11 seconds left and plunging into the end zone through a hole on the right side, scoring a two yard touchdown to give us a 17-14 lead with 9 seconds left until halftime.

A touchback on the kickoff would leave Air Force starting at their 25 yard line. A four yard rush by Scott White would be Air Force’s only attempt, settling for heading into the locker room with a three point deficit. That would send us to halftime, Utah State leading 17-14 in a back and forth slobber knocker.

Opening up the second half, a 23 yard kickoff return by Douglas would give Utah State the ball at our 17 yard line to start the third quarter. Trying to relight the ground game, Paris would take the handoff on first down for a gain of three yards, followed by a short two yard carry to leave us facing third and 5. Allen would come through for us on third down as he pulled in a 14 yard pass from Barnes, good for a first down at the 37 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would throw a perfectly timed rope to Washington on a curl route. An ill stutter step would break the cornerback’s ankles, allowing Washington to race deep down the field before being dragged down from behind for a 49 yard completion and a first down at the Air Force 14 yard line. Hoping to find a looser defense following those big plays through the air, Paris took the ball on first down, managing to avoid the blitzing linebackers and stumbling and falling his way forward for a very lucky gain of 10 yards, giving us first and goal at the four yard line. Benjamin Silva would finish the job on first down, avoiding the stacked middle and bouncing outside to the right for a four yard touchdown, giving us a 24-14 lead with 7:55 left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff led to another touchback and another Air Force drive starting at their 25 yard line. Morris would again be left open due to a failed assignment, allowing him to keep the option and race up the field for a 20 yard gain, thankfully running right into one of our defenders and getting wrapped up before he would break into the open, saving what otherwise would have been a 75 yard touchdown. Nonetheless, the damage was done and Air Force had a first down at their 45 yard line. Williams would follow that up with a 15 yard gain of his own, moving the chains once more to our 40 yard line. Morris would follow with a 12 yard run, continuing to punch our defense right in the mouth. We would get a miraculous break on first down as the Falcons for some reason decided right then to pass. Morris dropped back on a play action pass, only to be hit from behind and fumble the ball, the fumble recovered by safety Cole Brown to give us back possession at our 34 yard line and kill what likely would have been a touchdown scoring drive by the Falcons.

Starting our next drive on the ground, Paris would pick up four yards with the first down carry. Lining up under center on second down, Barnes would connect with a semi-open Long over the middle for a quick 19 yard strike in the heart of the Air Force defense, giving us a first down at the Air Force 43 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Paris would reel off another four yard carry, followed by a 9 yard pass to Allen in the flats to move the chains once more at the 30 yard line. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes tried to connect with Washington over the middle, but overthrew the pass for an incompletion. Another pass intended for Washington, this time on a quick comeback route, got knocked away by an alert cornerback, leaving third down. Allen would again come through in the clutch with a 12 yard reception on the opposite side of the field, giving us a first down at the 18 yard line. Returning to the ground, Paris would take the handoff for a 6 yard gain, followed by a two yard carry to leave us with third and two. Despite picking up two yards on the play, Paris would come up just inches short on third down, leaving us facing fourth and one at the 8 yard line. While everything was shouting GO FOR IT, we would instead play it safe and take the sure points, the 25 yard field goal by Marcus splitting the uprights to give us a 27-14 lead with 3:55 left in the third quarter.

The kickoff would again be kneeled for a touchback, Air Force taking over at their 25 yard line. Morris, somehow shaking off four defenders who were practically body hugging him, would fight his way to a 7 yard gain, multiple times nearly breaking loose and free. He would follow that up with a 5 yard rush for a first down at the 37. For some reason, Air Force elected to run a screen pass on first down, almost instantly throwing the ball away to avoid being sacked by our blitz. Regardless, Air Force would make up that lost play as a perfectly defended Morris would pitch the ball to an imperfectly defended Williams, who would race up the sideline for a 13 yard gain before being shoved out of bounds for a first down right at the 50 yard line. Morris would continue to torch our defense on first down, weaving his way through multiple defenders for a 15 yard gain and a new first down at our 35 yard line. Morris would find himself covered on first down, opting to pitch to Kirby, who would shake his way out of five tackles and just moon walk right into the goddamn end zone for a 35 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 27-21 with 2:35 left in the third quarter.

A 28 yard kickoff return by Hart would give us the ball at our 26 yard line. Paris would get us started on first down with a 6 yard carry up the middle, followed by an 8 yard dash to pick up a quick first down at the 40 yard line. Paris would keep rumbling right along on first down with a 7 yard gain. Silva would come in on second down, just bulldozing right through a linebacker and plowing his way straight through the defense for a 10 yard gain and a new first down at the Air Force 43 yard line. Paris returned on first down, picking up 6 yards on first down, before being flattened for a gain of just a single yard, leaving us looking at third and 5. Attempting a play action pass on third down, it would never have a chance as the pass intended for Long was intercepted by cornerback Joe Patterson, giving the Falcons the ball at their 33 yard line. That would also be the final play of the third quarter as clock expired during play, Utah State leading 27-21.

Opening up the fourth quarter, Air Force got lined up at their 33 yard line following the interception, a sole touchdown needed to retake the lead. Scott White would get a direct handoff on first down, only to be instantly tackled for a one yard loss. The very next play, the biggest pile of bullshit would happen, as White would follow the exact same route, straight through the dead center middle heart of our defense, juking his way past more than 6 defenders in his path without even slowing down, and racing all the way untouched for a 67 yard touchdown, giving Air Force a 28-27 lead with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter.

After being on the receiving end of the biggest ever pile of bullshit horsefucking by the AI, Utah State wouldn’t have to wait, at all, for revenge, as Hart received the kickoff a couple yards into the end zone, finding a wall of blockers and racing up the field for a 103 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to steal the lead right back. We would gamble and go for the two point conversion, but the pass was poorly thrown and incomplete, leaving Utah State only up 33-28 with 9:17 remaining in the game.

Another touchback would start Air Force from their 25 yard line. Williams would start the drive straight up the middle for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 39 yard line. Running a screen pass on first down, Morris would again never throw the pass, instead ending up sacked for a 10 yard loss to leave second and 20 at the 29. White would take the ball on second down, fighting for a 6 yard gain to bring up third and 14. Morris would drop back on third down and tried to throw a rocket down the right sideline intended for Michael Davis, but the ball would be underthrown, straight into the arms of Hart, for an interception and possession of the ball at our 42 yard line.

Lining up after the interception, Paris would get the call on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain, followed by a three yard carry that would leave third and two. Leaving it in the hands of Paris on third down, he would drive his way straight up the middle for a 5 yard gain, giving us a first down at the Air Force 46 yard line. Paris would keep us moving with an 8 yard rush on first down, followed by a two yard carry by Silva would pick up a new set of downs at the 35. Continuing to take it right at the Air Force defense, Silva would get the first down carry and rush for a gain of 6 yards, before a four yard carry would pick up yet another first down. Silva would continue to just simply overpower the Air Force defenders with raw strength, rushing for a 7 yard gain on first down, before a blitz by the Falcons would see him trapped for a gain of just a single yard, leaving us with third and two. A three yard gain by Silva would extend the drive, giving us a first down at the 13 yard line. Silva would try to run again on first down, but would be quickly shut down for another single yard gain. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Washington would be intercepted underneath by defensive tackle Josh Carter, giving Air Force the ball at their 7 yard line with 3:24 left in the game.

Taking over at the 7 yard line following the interception, Williams would start the drive with a two yard rush up the middle, followed by a one yard gain that would leave the Falcons facing third and 7. Amazingly, Morris would complete his first pass of the entire game, as well as actually throw the ball on a screen pass for the first time of the entire game, on a third down dump to Williams, who would race up the right sideline for a 25 yard gain and a first down at the 35 yard line. Kirby would get a first down pitch from Morris, running for 6 yards on the play, before an option keeper by Morris would result in a four yard loss. Rushing to the line on third and 8, Morris would fumble the ball as he was being sacked, the fumble jumped on by an Air Force lineman, while the play would officially be ruled as a sack for a four yard loss on Morris, leaving Air Force with fourth and 12. And the hits just keep on coming. On fourth and long, Morris would hit a one in a million shot over the outstretched arms of a jumping cornerback, right into the hands of Nathan Reed who would sprint down the sideline untouched for a 67 yard touchdown. Air Force would take a shot at the two point conversion to try and go up by three points, but Morris, trying to scramble up the middle, would be hit and dropped for a four yard loss, leaving Air Force only a 34-33 lead with 1:07 left in the game.

Another HUGE 53 yard kickoff return by Hart would set our offense up in fantastic position, starting our drive from our own 47 yard line with 1:01 remaining. A quick pass to Allen would pick up 10 yards, though leave us short of the first down. Rushing to the line, an incomplete pass intended for Long would bring up third and inches, just 34 seconds left on the clock. Going to the ground to sustain the drive, Silva would plow his way forward for a four yard gain, giving us a new set of downs at the Air Force 38 yard line, our first timeout called with 30 seconds remaining. In probably the worst moment in the history of Utah State football, Allen would pull in a pass from Barnes, be instantly hit and lose the football. The refs would call it a fumble, which was promptly jumped on and recovered by an Air Force safety, essentially giving Air Force the victory. In a rare moment where the game would actually allow you to challenge the play for a change, and actually allow you to challenge the key moment of the play that you WANTED to challenge, we immediately threw the red flag on the field and challenged the fumble. As Allen was hit and lost the ball almost instantaneously after catching it, not even being able to turn up the field, it should have been ruled a simple dropped ball and incomplete pass. In epic screw job fashion, the refs would uphold the fumble, and Air Force was literally given a stolen victory with 27 seconds left.

Taking over after the ref aided BLATANT THEFT, Morris would take the snap at the 22 yard line and drop to a knee. Even though there was absolutely no point, we would call our final timeout anyways in one last act of flipping the middle finger to Air Force and the refs, stopping the clock with 23 seconds remaining. One more drop to a knee by Morris and that was the end of the game, the referees blatantly stealing this game right out from under us and gift wrapping a victory shrouded in collusion! This contest was nothing more than a clown car of lies! Air Force would walk off the field with a 34-33 victory, in a game that will forever contain an asterisk in Utah State record books.

With the loss that was really a STOLEN WIN, we drop to 7-3, 5-1 in Mountain West action. With the STOLEN WIN that was really a loss, Air Force improves to 6-3, 4-1 in Mountain West play. Up next, we take a week off for a bye week, before closing out the home schedule for 2023 with a visit from UNLV. UNLV enters the game with a record of 3-7, 3-3 in Mountain West action. UNLV opened their season with a 37-34 overtime loss to FCS Northwest, before losing 41-10 at Central Michigan and 42-21 to Idaho. The Rebels would get their first wins of the year with a 41-14 victory over Wyoming and a 23-14 upset of Air Force. They would follow that with a 38-22 loss at San Jose State, a 31-17 loss at BYU and a 37-14 loss at #6 Fresno State. They would get their third win of the year with a 42-35 upset victory of Hawaii, before losing 24-7 to Nevada ahead of our game.

Final Score

:Air_Force: 34*, #25 :Utah_State: 33

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Piss poor day for Barnes, finishing 10-18 for 159 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Rushing, Paris led the charge with 206 yards and one touchdown on 45 carries. Silva ended with 42 yards and one touchdown on 10 rushes. Receiving, Allen was the leading receiver in both yards and catches with 74 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Four receivers today caught at least one pass, three of them ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Great when they forced the two interceptions and a fumble from Air Force. Otherwise, they sucked! Giving up 448 damn yards of offense, 356 bloody yards on the ground in only 42 damn carries. Absolutely pitiful. The entire damn defense should be shot!

On the other hand, special teams was a highlight today, as Leonard Hart finished with 249 yards and one touchdown on four kickoff return, an insane 62.2 yards average per return. David Douglas also had a good day with 59 yards on two returns

Utah State Kicking – Another perfect day for Marcus, going 2-2 in field goal with kicks of a 25 and 49 yards, while also going 3-3 in extra points.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
10
10
6
33

:Air_Force:
7
7
7
13
34*

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

8:16
:Air_Force:
Touchdown
P. Kirby, 43 yard run (A. West kick)
:Air_Force: 7-0

4:30
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
A. Allen, 14 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
TIED 7-7

Second Quarter

2:37
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 49 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 10-7

2:02
:Air_Force:
Touchdown
J. Morris, 69 yard run (A. West kick)
:Air_Force: 14-10

0:09
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 17-14

Third Quarter

7:55
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 4 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 24-14

3:55
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 25 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 27-14

2:35
:Air_Force:
Touchdown
P. Kirby, 35 yard run (A. West kick)
:Utah_State: 27-21

Fourth Quarter

9:28
:Air_Force:
Touchdown
S. White, 68 yard run (A. West kick)
:Air_Force: 28-27

9:17
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
L. Hart, returned kickoff 103 yards (2-point failed)
:Utah_State: 33-28

1:07
:Air_Force:
Touchdown
N. Reed, 67 yard pass from J. Morris (2-point failed)
:Air_Force: 34-33

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Air Force

33
Score
34

22
First Downs
12

412
Total Offense
448

56 - 253 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
42 - 356 - 4

10 - 18 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
2 - 8 - 1

159
Passing Yards
92

0
Times Sacked
4

8 - 14 (57%)
3rd Down Conversion
2 - 8 (25%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 1 (100%)

0 - 1 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 1 (0%)

5 - 3 - 1 (80%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
0 - 0 - 0 (0%)

4
Turnovers
3

1
Fumbles Lost
1

3
Intercepted
2

25
Punt Return Yards
8

308
Kick Return Yards
29

745
Total Yards
485

2 –44.5
Punts - Average
3 - 44.0

1 - 5
Penalties
1 - 5

23:47
Time of Possession
16:13

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Kick/Punt Return Touchdown
50
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x3

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Play in an ESPN Classic Game
75
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
7

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 11:57 AM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the upset of the week, #7 West Virginia STUNNED #1 Oklahoma 37-24. #2 South Carolina took out #16 Florida 33-14. #3 Ohio State survived Michigan State 48-38. #4 UCLA topped Arizona State 48-27. #5 Michigan doubled up Penn State 42-21. #6 Fresno State handled Nevada 35-18. #9 Ole Miss got past New Mexico 34-29. #11 Cincinnati toppled Central Florida 38-14. #12 Baylor outgunned #10 Texas 52-50.

#13 Virginia Tech defeated Pitt 34-14. In an ACC battle, #14 Georgia Tech shellacked #8 Miami 38-7. #21 Clemson knocked off #15 Florida State 31-14. #17 Kansas State dispatched Oklahoma State 52-33. #18 Louisiana Lafayette dispatched Troy 35-14. #19 TCU beat Kansas 42-23. #23 Auburn slapped around #20 Georgia 41-20. #21 Arizona escaped Utah 35-31. #24 Ohio manhandled Akron 38-6. Air Force knocked off #25 Utah State 34-33.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #3 Ohio State improves to 9-0 (6-0 Big Ten) with a 48-38 win over Michigan State. Morsdraconis, #7 West Virginia improves to 9-1 (6-1 Big 12) with a 37-24 stunning upset of #1 Oklahoma. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 5-3 (4-1 C-USA) with a 33-20 win over Florida Atlantic. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 3-6 (2-4 Pac-12) with a 48-27 loss to #4 UCLA. LeeSO, #23 Auburn improves to 8-2 (5-2 SEC) with a 41-20 win over #20 Georgia. SCClassof93, #2 South Carolina improves to 11-0 (9-0 SEC) with a 33-14 win over #16 Florida. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 6-2 (3-1 Sun Belt) with a 45-35 win over Louisiana Monroe. Florida International improves to 3-6 (3-2 C-USA) with a 27-14 win over Old Dominion. Navy improves to 6-3 (4-3 American) with a 42-17 win over Memphis. Tulsa drops to 2-7 (1-5 American) with a 27-17 loss to South Florida.

In Mountain West action, #6 Fresno State topped Nevada 35-18. Air Force knocked off #25 Utah State 34-33. Boise State destroyed Wyoming 49-7. UNLV upset Hawaii 42-35. San Diego State shocked San Jose State 45-21. And Ole Miss topped New Mexico 34-29.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Utah State (5-1) stands on top, followed very closely by Air Force (4-1). Beyond that, everyone else is eliminated from contention, including Boise State (2-3), New Mexico (1-4), Colorado State (1-4) and Wyoming (0-6). In the West Division, #6 Fresno State (5-0) still remains on top. Following Fresno State, likely eliminated but technically still alive, is San Jose State, UNLV and Hawaii (all 3-2). After that sits San Diego State and Nevada (both 2-3).

Looking at undefeated teams left, #1 Oklahoma lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 5. #2 South Carolina (11-0), #3 Ohio State (9-0), #4 UCLA (10-0), #5 Michigan (10-0) and #6 Fresno State (9-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-9).

Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, South Carolina (40 first place votes) jumps one to #1, UCLA (21 votes) leaps two to #2, Ohio State remains #3, Michigan climbs one to #4 and Fresno State jumps one to #5. West Virginia climbs one to #6, Oklahoma drops six to #7, Ole Miss moves up one to #8, Baylor jumps three to #9 and Cincinnati climbs one to #10. Georgia Tech leaps three to #11, Virginia Tech moves up one to #12, Miami drops five to #13, Texas falls four to #14 and Kansas State climbs two to #15. Louisiana Lafayette jumps two to #16, TCU climbs two to #17, Clemson jumps four to #18, Auburn leaps four to #19 and Arizona moves up one to #20. Florida drops five to #21, Ohio moves up two to #22, Florida State falls eight to #23, Temple enters the poll at #24 and Alabama (221 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Georgia (from #20) and Utah State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arkansas (158 points) is #26, followed by USC (150), Stanford (105), Washington (73) and Michigan State (63) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Louisville (60), Mississippi State (45), Arkansas State (27) and Navy (18).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, South Carolina (44 first place votes) climbs one to #1, UCLA (21 votes) jumps two to #2, Ohio State remains #3, West Virginia leaps four to #4 and Michigan remains #5. Fresno State remains #6, Oklahoma drops six to #7, Georgia Tech vaults seven to #8, Ole Miss remains #9 and Baylor remains #10. Cincinnati climbs one to #11, Virginia Tech moves up one to #12, Miami drops six to #13, Texas falls three to #14 and Kansas State climbs two to #15. Clemson jumps four to #16, TCU moves up one to #17, Auburn climbs one to #18, Louisiana Lafayette jumps three to #19 and Ohio leaps three to #20. Arizona climbs three to #21, Florida drops six to #22, Florida State plummets nine to #23, Temple climbs one to #24 and Arkansas (208 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Georgia (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Alabama (181 points) is #26, followed by Washington (68) Arkansas State (52), USC (32) and Penn State (6) to round out the Top 30.

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 South Carolina (1.000), #2 UCLA (0.995), #3 Ohio State (0.989), #4 Michigan (0.981), #5 West Virginia (0.979), #6 Fresno State (0.970), #7 Oklahoma (0.968), #8 Ole Miss (0.960), #9 Baylor (0.955) and #10 Georgia Tech (0.951). Others: #18 Auburn (0.881), Louisiana Lafayette (0.874).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #2 (LW: #2), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #3 (LW: #4), South Carolina QB Jared Stevens is #4 (LW: #3), and Texas QB Justin Jones is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the list this week was West Virginia WR Michael McNeil (LW: #5).

Taking a glance at Award Semifinalists, Utah State cornerback Leonard Hart is third for the Bednarik, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is twelfth for the Bednarik, halfback Benjamin Silva is eighth for the Walker, halfback Brian Paris is tenth for the Walker, defensive end Steve Jones is ninth for the Lombardi, cornerback Leonard Hart is fourth for the Thorpe, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is eleventh for the Thorpe, kicker Doug Marcus is first for the Groza, and wide receiver David Douglas is fifth for Best Returner.

Looking at the bowl picture, 14 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 44 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 10 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 62 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 106 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 12:03 PM

souljahbill

08-19-2015, 12:52 PM

And that is how rivalries are born. From now on, as far as I am concerned, Air Force is a rival. Every time I play them, every chance I get, I'm running up the score. Every time I play them, I'm doing my damnedest to score 100 points on those fuckers! I am going to try my hardest to pound them into the fucking dirt every single season and make them my bitch.

Is that the Navy in you speaking? :D

Speaking of Navy, how long are you going to dick around at other schools around the country before going to Anapolis?

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 01:27 PM

Is that the Navy in you speaking? :D

Speaking of Navy, how long are you going to dick around at other schools around the country before going to Anapolis?

Maybe 50% Navy. :D

As for when I'll be going to Annapolis, do you want the official or unofficial answer?

The official answer, I honestly don't know. I'm literally just sort of going where the coaching carousel takes me.

The unofficial answer, I still honestly don't know. I built this dynasty as one where the coaching carousel would decide where I go from job to job, rather than me picking specific schools. Now, do I have a "lean" towards certain schools that I'd like to end up at? Sure, and if I get those jobs, great. If not, oh well.

Before this dynasty, I had never played in the Sun Belt, never played in Conference USA, never played in the Mountain West, never played as Florida International, or Tulsa or Utah State. Before this dynasty, I couldn't tell you one thing about Tulsa or Utah State or FIU. This dynasty is allowing me to experience new conferences, new teams and new rivalries that I have never played as before, because I was always Navy or nothing when it came to dynasties. It's even opened up my interest in real life college football. In addition to watching Navy every week, this dynasty has me going out of my way to watch Utah State on TV every week because of how much time I spent researching this program before my first season here, how much time I've spent reading about it on message boards and various team sites, how much time I've spent playing as the team, it's built up an interest to watch them and see them succeed in real life. Maybe not on the same level as Navy in terms of how intense of a fan I am, but I still enjoy watching them play and win each week.

So, truth be told, I am not going out of my way during this dynasty to try and get to Navy. Navy is probably going to be my last job, my retirement job. I'll take over at Navy, spend as long as needed to build them into a national title contender, win a couple titles, make them unbeatable and then go riding into the sunset on top of the world. And then start all over again from scratch with a new dynasty. :D

So for me personally, while I do want to and plan to eventually get to Navy, I'm not setting out to make it there instantly. I want to experience the rest of the NCAA first. After Utah State, depending on how I do these final years of the contract, I'm hoping to make the jump either to the Pac-12 or Big Ten next. Somewhere in there, maybe have a short stint in the SEC or Big 12, and then after that, eventually make my way to Navy. I'm honestly not looking to arrive at Navy, for at least another 10-15 seasons. I have two or three choice Big Ten schools and two or three choice Pac-12 schools that I hope to get offered a chance to coach at next. If an offer comes from one of those specific schools when my Utah State contract ends, I am jumping to those specific schools. If none of them offer, then I'll go with which offer intrigues me most in a conference I haven't yet coached in (Big Ten, Big 12, MAC, Pac-12 and SEC).

Then, once I have shuffled around the conferences and feel like I've achieved what I wanted to elsewhere, then I'll make the jump to Navy (when offered) and settle down there and ride out the glory years of this dynasty.

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 01:49 PM

On a bye week this week, so lets get to it...

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the upset of the week, #20 Arizona shocked #2 UCLA 41-31. #3 Ohio State escaped Penn State 20-17. #4 Michigan barely got past Indiana 38-33. #5 Fresno State beat San Diego State 30-14. #7 Oklahoma assaulted #9 Baylor 45-7. #8 Ole Miss destroyed LSU 49-21. #10 Cincinnati smoked BYU 45-17.

#11 Georgia Tech violated Pittsburgh 42-10. #12 Virginia Tech outgunned #13 Miami 51-44. #14 Texas pimp slapped Kansas 66-21. #15 Kansas State horsewhipped Texas Tech 63-27. #16 Louisiana Lafayette massacred South Alabama 44-7. Syracuse stunned #18 Clemson 41-37. Toledo knocked off #22 Ohio 24-17. #23 Florida State topped Boston College 31-14. #24 Temple beat South Florida 31-24.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #3 Ohio State improves to 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten) with a 20-17 win over Penn State. Morsdraconis, #6 West Virginia remains 9-1 (6-1 Big 12) with a bye week. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 5-4 (4-2 C-USA) with a 38-21 loss at Florida International. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 3-7 (2-5 Pac-12) with a 42-21 loss to Colorado. LeeSO, #19 Auburn remains 8-2 (5-2 SEC) with a bye week. SCClassof93, #1 South Carolina remains 11-0 (9-0 SEC) with a bye week. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 7-2 (4-1 Sun Belt) with a 31-7 win over Georgia State. Florida International improves to 4-6 (4-2 C-USA) with a 38-21 win over Southern Miss. Navy remains 6-3 (4-3 American) with a bye week. Tulsa improves to 3-7 (2-5 American) with a 35-10 win over Houston.

In Mountain West action, #6 Fresno State beat San Diego State 30-14. Nevada topped UNLV 24-7. Air Force demolished New Mexico 41-7. Boise State destroyed Colorado State 41-7. And Hawaii topped San Jose State 40-21.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Air Force and Utah State (5-1) are now tied atop the division, with Air Force holding not only the head to head tiebreaker, but also the division tiebreaker (Air Force is 3-0 in-division, Utah State is 3-1). Beyond that, everyone else is eliminated from contention, including Boise State (3-3), New Mexico (1-4), Colorado State (1-4) and Wyoming (0-6). In the West Division, #6 Fresno State (6-0) still remains on top. The only other team still technically alive is Hawaii (4-2), who plays Fresno State in their last game of the season. Otherwise, San Jose State, Nevada and UNLV (all 3-3) and San Diego State (2-4) are all eliminated from the division race.

Looking at undefeated teams left, #2 UCLA lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 4. #1 South Carolina (11-0), #3 Ohio State (10-0), #4 Michigan (11-0), #5 Fresno State (10-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 teams still looking for their first win: Buffalo (0-10).

Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, South Carolina (39 first place votes) jumps one to #1, Ohio State (21 votes) jumps one to #2, Michigan (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Fresno State moves up one to #4 and Oklahoma jumps two to #5. West Virginia remains #6, Ole Miss climbs one to #7, UCLA drops six to #8, Cincinnati jumps one to #9 and Georgia Tech moves up one to #10. Virginia Tech climbs one to #11, Texas jumps two to #12, Kansas State climbs two to #13, Baylor drops five to #14 and Louisiana Lafayette climbs one to #15. Arizona leaps four to #16, TCU remains #17, Auburn jumps one to #18, Miami drops six to #19 and Florida moves up one to #20. Florida State jumps two to #21, Temple climbs two to #22, Alabama moves up two to #23, Arkansas enters the poll at #24 and USC (270 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Clemson (from #18) and Ohio (from #22). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Stanford (242 points) is #26, followed by Clemson (218), Michigan State (183), Ohio (156) and Louisville (152) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Arkansas State (105), Utah State (80), Navy (72) and Tennessee (5).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, South Carolina (36 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (27 votes) climbs one to #2, Michigan (1 vote) jumps two to #3, Fresno State (1 vote) jumps two to #4 and West Virginia drops one to #5. Oklahoma moves up one to #6, UCLA drops five to #7, Georgia Tech remains #8, Ole Miss remains #9 and Cincinnati climbs one to #10. Arizona vaults ten spots to #11, Virginia Tech remains #12, Texas moves up one to #13, Kansas State climbs one to #14 and Baylor drops five to #15. TCU moves up one to #16, Louisiana Lafayette jumps two to #17, Auburn remains #18, Miami falls six to #19 and Florida climbs two to #20. Florida State moves up two to #21, Temple climbs two to #22, Arkansas jumps two to #23, Alabama enters the poll at #24 and Clemson (223 points) drops nine to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Ohio (from #20). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arkansas State (201 points) is #26, followed by USC (195), Ohio (162), Stanford (121) and Navy (78) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Michigan State (42).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 South Carolina (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Michigan (0.989), #4 Fresno State (0.981), #5 Oklahoma (0.976), #6 West Virginia (0.976), #7 UCLA (0.966), #8 Ole Miss (0.963), #9 Cincinnati (0.955) and #10 Georgia Tech (0.952). Others: #17 Louisiana Lafayette (0.887), #18 Auburn (0.885).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #2 (LW: #2), Texas QB Justin Jones is #3 (LW: #5), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #4 (LW: #3) and Ole Miss QB Jason Davis is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the list this week was South Carolina QB Jared Stevens (LW: #4).

Taking a glance at Award Finalists, Utah State cornerback Leonard Hart is third for the Bednarik, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is twelfth for the Bednarik, halfback Benjamin Silva is eighth for the Walker, halfback Brian Paris is tenth for the Walker, defensive end Steve Jones is ninth for the Lombardi, cornerback Leonard Hart is fourth for the Thorpe, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is eleventh for the Thorpe, kicker Doug Marcus is second for the Groza, and wide receiver David Douglas is fifth for Best Returner.

Looking at the bowl picture, 5 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 49 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 10 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 47 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 96 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

Looking at the first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Poinsettia Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on Central Florida (6-4, 4-3) out of the American Athletic Conference. The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl would feature Arkansas State (7-2, 4-1 Sun Belt) matching up with Ohio State (8-2, 5-2 MAC). The Meineke Car Care Bowl would see Navy (6-3, 4-3 AAC) battle Washington (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12). The Capital One Bowl has #18 Auburn (8-2, 5-2 SEC) vs. Michigan State (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten).

The Fiesta Bowl would feature #6 West Virginia (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) vs #7 Ole Miss (9-1, 7-1 SEC). The Sugar Bowl would see #4 Fresno State (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) against #5 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12). The BBVA Compass Bowl would see Syracuse (5-5, 2-5 ACC) take on Southern Miss (5-4, 4-2 C-USA). And the BCS National Championship Game would feature a showdown between #2 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) and #1 South Carolina (11-0, 9-0 SEC).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) against #8 UCLA (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #6 West Virginia (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) matching up with #7 Ole Miss (9-1, 7-1 SEC). The Sugar Bowl has #4 Fresno State (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) matching up with #5 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #10 Georgia Tech (9-1, 7-1 ACC) and #9 Cincinnati (9-1, 6-1 American). And in the national championship game, #2 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) takes on #1 South Carolina (11-0, 9-0 SEC).

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 07:30 PM

Game Eleven

:UNLV: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- As yet another season began to wind down, it was time to once again say goodbye to another year of seniors as they took their home field for the final time in their careers. The home crowd would say farewell to a talented group of seniors, including: Quarterback Jason Barnes, backup quarterback Ryan Smith, star halfback Brian Paris, wide receiver David Douglas, wide receiver Aaron Allen, tight end Jack Long, left tackle Derek Smith, left tackle Sean Baker, defensive end Leroy Fuqua, left outside linebacker John Hale, left outside linebacker Obi Rush, middle linebacker Jon Smith, cornerback Mike Moses, cornerback Lawrence Coker and punter Ed Allen.

And the opponent for the final home game of their collegiate careers would be the UNLV Rebels. The Rebels were having a major down year, sputtering along to a 3-7 record, including an embarrassing 37-34 overtime loss to FCS Northwest back in the opening week of the season. The Rebels didn’t seem to have much going for them, with a mediocre at best offense, a #50 passing offense their own high point on the entire team. Their defense was even worse, with their passing defense, #77 in the nation, the highest ranking they could achieve. Such subpar offensive and defensive rankings, to go along with a negative-11 turnover differential, made this game appear to be a likely easy victory. Whether appearances would match reality would remain to be seen. UNLV won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A short kickoff would be fielded by David Douglas at our four yard line, and with a wall of blockers, he would nearly take the opening kickoff all the way to the house. A poor juke that failed to fool the last man between him and the end zone would be the only thing keeping him from scoring, instead as he would end up tackled for an 83 yard kickoff return, giving our offense the ball to start at the UNLV 13 yard line. Brian Paris would get the ball on first down, find a hole, plow up the middle and fall over a UNLV defender into the end zone for a 13 yard touchdown, giving us an extremely quick 7-0 lead with 9:46 still sitting on the clock in the first quarter.

A deep kickoff would be kneeled for a touchback, giving UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line. The Rebels would come out passing on first down, but a poorly thrown screen pass by Kyle Massey would result in a quick incompletion. Kevin Davis would get the ball on second down, rushing up the middle and plowing his way over multiple defenders for a 9 yard gain, but instead of trying to push across the first down line on the ground, UNLV would go no huddle and throw up a wild pass In the flats, the ball sailing long and out of bounds to kill the drive and force a punt on fourth and one. A muffed catch by Jesse Breedlove on the punt return would be recovered by safety Cole Brown, returned 5 yards to the 33 yard line.

Taking over after the nearly blown punt return, we came out once again running on first down, as Paris ran forward for a four yard gain, followed by a 7 yard carry to pick up a first down at the 43 yard line. Following a pair of blockers, Paris would ride their asses, literally, to a 9 yard gain on first down, before a four yard scramble outside got across the first down marker for a new set of downs at the UNLV 44 yard line. Changing things up on first down, a well timed play action pass to Gerald Woods went for a gain of 13 yards across the opposite side of the field, moving the chains once more to the 31 yard line. Dropping back into the shotgun on first down, Jason Barnes connected with Adam Washington over the middle for a 16 yard strike down to the 15 yard line. Another first down pass out of the shotgun would see Barnes connect with Aaron Allen up the right hash for a 15 yard touchdown pass, giving us a 14-0 lead with 6:49 remaining in the first quarter.

Another kickoff resulted in another touchback, UNLV starting at their 25 yard line. The Rebels would find life this drive, as Massey connected with Michael Moore on first down for a 20 yard completion. Then that goddamned no huddle offense would screw us, as our defense was left out of position, allowing for a bloody gift wrapped 53 yard completion to Joel Samuel, setting UNLV up with first and goal at our two yard line. Another no huddle would see Davis take the handoff from Massey and stroll into the end zone untouched for a two yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 14-7 with 6:30 left in the first quarter.

Un-fucking-believable! A kickoff return by Douglas, from a yard inside the end zone to out across the 30 yard line, would end in a fumble, recovered by UNLV to give the Rebels possession at our goddamn 28 yard line. Our pissed off defense came out spitting nails, blowing through the offensive line and sacking Massey for a 7 yard loss on first down. A rushed pass intended for Davis would be dropped, leaving the Rebels facing third and 17. Another sack, this time for two yards on third down, would leave the Rebels stalled with fourth and 19 and punting from our 37 yard line. The 37 yard punt would land at the two yard line and bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at our 20 yard line following the touchback, Paris would find nowhere to run as he was tackled for a loss of one yard. Saying to hell with it and going into the shotgun on second down, Barnes found Allen in the flats for a 15 yard completion and a first down at the 34. Going over the middle on first down, the pass intended for Douglas was nearly intercepted, thankfully batted down incomplete. A second pass to Douglas, this time on a comeback route, would find its mark this time, good for a gain of 17 yards and a reset of the downs at the UNLV 49 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Paris would struggle to a three yard gain, followed by an 8 yard sprint up the middle for a first down at the 38. Continuing to plug away on the ground, Paris would fight forward for a gain of four yards, followed by a huge 12 yard carry that would give us another first down at the 22 yard line. Paris would keep at it on first down, picking up 5 yards on the play, followed by a three yard carry to bring up third and two. Leaving it in the hands of Paris, he would give his best, but still be stopped for just a one yard gain, leaving us kicking on fourth and one. The 31 yard field goal by Doug Marcus sailed through the uprights, giving us a 17-7 lead with 1:35 left in the first quarter.

The kickoff would again sail into the end zone for a touchback, giving UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Massey tried to connect with Davis out of the backfield, but the pass would sail over his head and incomplete. A second down rush by Davis would go straight up the middle for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 38 yard line. Another rush by Davis on first down would gain two yards, followed by a 5 yard screen pass to Davis that would leave the Rebels with third and three. Going into the air on third down, Massey would be forced to rush his pass by our blitz, overthrowing a receiver and sending the ball out of bounds for an incompletion, forcing UNLV to punt on fourth down. A 13 yard return by Breedlove on the 36 yard punt would give us the ball at our 32 yard line.

Taking over on first down following the punt return, Paris would again get us started with a first down rush for 9 yards, followed by a one yard carry for a first down at the 42 yard line. A sprint straight up the middle for a 7 yard gain by Paris would be the final play of the quarter, ending the first quarter with a 17-7 lead.

Opening up the second quarter facing second and three near midfield, Paris would again get the ball, fighting his way to a four yard gain and a first down at the UNLV 47 yard line. A four yard rush on first down would be followed with a 7 yard scramble on second down, moving the chains once more to the 35 yard line. Paris would keep pounding right along, slowly wearing down the UNLV defense, with a four yard carry on first down, followed by a second four yard run to leave us with third and two. Leaving the drive in the hands of Paris, he would find a hole and sprint through it for a 7 yard gain, moving the chains to the 20 yard line. A first down rush by Paris would find little room to run, managing a gain of just two yards on the play. Attempting a play action pass on second down, the pass would be nearly intercepted, leaving third and 8. Dropping back from under center on third down, Barnes would connect with fullback Raymond Watson out of the backfield, who would fight his way through two defenders for a 9 yard completion to give us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Paris would resume his duties on first down with a two yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to bring up third and goal from the 5 yard line. Going into the air on first down, Barnes was forced to dump the ball off to avoid a sack, his pass to Benjamin Silva ending up in an instant tackle for a loss of 5 yards, leaving fourth and goal at the 10 yard line. Kicking a chip shot field goal, Marcus would nail 27 yard field goal to increase our lead to 20-7 with 5:16 left in the second quarter.

Another kickoff into the end zone would again result in a touchback, UNLV choosing to start from their 25 yard line. The drive would start with more passing woes for Massey as he would make two horribly incomplete throws. Apparently meeting his missed throws in a row quota, suddenly Massey turned into Joe Montana and bitchslapped our defense down the field, slinging a 12 yard pass to Samuels, a perfect 14 yard throw to Adam Rivers, and followed that up with an immaculate 49 yard touchdown bomb to Dustin Carpenter to cap off another absurd 75 yard drive and cut our lead to 20-14 with 4:48 left in the second quarter.

A pitiful 17 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would leave us starting at our 19 yard line. A first down rush by Paris would result in no gain as our offensive line suddenly forgot how to block. Saying to hell with it and going into the air on second down, Barnes would connect with Allen for a quick 18 yard strike and a first down at the 37 yard line. Staying in the air, Barnes would find Washington over the middle for a 14 yard completion to the UNLV 49 yard line. Allen would again be the target on first down, pulling in another pass from Barnes for another 18 yard completion and a new first down at the 31 yard line. Returning to the ground, Paris would find a tight virgin of a hole and plow through it for a 9 yard gain, followed by a barely two yard rush that would pick up a new set of downs at the 20. Paris would keep it at on first down with a four yard carry, followed by a 5 yard gain to leave us looking at third and one. A 6 yard rush by Paris would get the one and then some, setting us up with first and goal from the 5 yard line. Paris would get the ball on first down, fighting ahead for a two yard gain. Lining up on second and goal, Paris would drive his way through a pile of bodies and break into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, giving us a 27-14 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would start UNLV from their 25 yard line. Massey would drop back to pass on first down, but would end up taking off scrambling as the pressure mounted, ultimately tackled at the line of scrimmage no gain on the play. Seemingly content to just let the half end, the Rebels would actually willingly go into the huddle for the first time all day, letting the final 12 seconds tick off the clock and sending us into halftime with a 27-14 lead.

Opening up the second half, another touchback would give UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Again feeling the pressure on first down, Massey’s pass intended for Rivers would be poorly thrown and incomplete. Managing to get a clean pass off on second down, Massey would find John Williams for a gain of 19 yards and a first down at the 44 yard line. However, a rush by Davis for no gain and another bad pass, this time intended for Adam Pope, and the Rebels again found themselves facing third and 10. While Massey would get off a decent pass, it would be underthrown and a sitting duck for safety Kyle Mitchell to intercept. To add insult to injury, Rivers would end up dragging Mitchell down by his facemask on the tackle, adding a 15 yard face mask penalty on top of the interception and giving us the ball to start our drive at the UNLV 49 yard line.

Lining up in UNLV territory thanks to the interception and face mask penalty, Paris would get our drive off and running with a 7 yard sprint up the middle, followed by a gain of 6 yards for a first down at the 36 yard line. Paris would get another carry on first down, managing just two yards on the play, followed by a second two yard rush to leave us facing third and 6. Trying to find Allen in the flats, Barnes would be very rushed in his throw to avoid a sack, causing the pass to sail long. In a rare display of failure, Marcus would send his 49 yard field goal sailing straight into the left upright and bouncing it into the end zone for a miss.

Taking over following the missed field goal, Davis would start things off with an 8 yard rush. After an incomplete pass to leave third and two, Davis would just roll right through five different tackle attempts on his way to a 19 yard rush and a first down at our 42 yard line. A three yard rush by Davis on first down would be followed by an incomplete pass on second down, bringing up third and 7 for the Rebels. Another third down pass would add in disaster for UNLV, as a chucked up throw would be easily intercepted by cornerback LawrenceCoker, giving us the ball at our 27 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, Paris would get the ball on first down, managing just two yards on the play. Going into the air on second down, Barnes would find Woods on a play action pass for a 15 yard gain, though Woods would fumble the ball on the play, thankfully it would be scooped up and carried out of bounds by Watson. There would be a booth review on the play, it would end being ruled that the ground caused the fumble. It wouldn’t change anything really since we still had a first down at the 43 yard line. Paris would get the ball again on first down, finding a hole for a four yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush on second down to move the chains to the UNLV 46 yard line. Continuing to slowly drive up the field, Paris would pick up four more yards on a first down carry, before being instantly tackled for no gain by a blitzing linebacker no one bothered to even stick an arm out at. The third down pass intended for Allen was on target, but dropped as he was hit, leaving fourth and 6 at the 42. Stuck in no man’s land on fourth down, we said screw it and went for it on fourth down, Barnes lining up in the shotgun and finding Paris along the right hash for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 28 yard line. Another first down rush by Paris would again go for no gain, the defense suddenly blitzing every play now. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Douglas would be broken up, leaving third and long. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Barnes would connect with Allen for a 16 yard strike, giving us a first down at the UNLV 12 yard line. A first down carry by Paris would pick up three yards, followed by a 5 yard scramble to leave us with third and two. Falling backwards across the line of scrimmage, Paris would turn what would have been no gain into a two yard play, giving us first and goal from the two yard line. Paris would finish the drive off on the next play as he plunged into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 34-14 with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

The following kickoff would likewise sail into the end zone for a touchback, UNLV starting from their 25 yard line. Coming out rushing on first down, Davis would run for gains of three and one yards, leaving third and 6, upon which Massey, aka Joe Montana, would sling a perfect pass to Montgomery downfield for a 25 yard completion and a first down at our 46 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Massey would drop back to pass on second down, before taking off scrambling for his life and sliding for a three yard gain. Massey would again try to pass on third and 7, but would be forced to throw the ball away to avoid the sack, forcing UNLV to punt on fourth down. The 43 yard punt would land at the two yard line and bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

Taking over at our 20 yard line following the punt, a 7 yard rush by Paris would run out the final seconds on the clock, bring the third quarter to an end with a 34-14 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, Paris would pick up right where he left off just moments before, racing through a pile of bodies for a gain of 9 yards and a first down at the 36 yard line. A 5 yard carry on first down would be followed by a four yard run on second down, leaving us facing third and one. A backside blitz would drag Paris down from behind on third down. Despite being credited with a one yard gain on the play, we would still be left facing fourth and inches at our own 45 yard line. Forced to punt the ball, the kick would sail all the way to the UNLV 5 yard line and into the end zone for a touchback on the 55 yard booming punt.

Starting from their 20 yard line following the touchback, a first down screen pass to Davis would result in only two yards for the Rebels, followed by an incomplete pass that would sail long and out of bounds, leaving UNLV facing a quick third and 8 on their drive. Another third down pass would see the UNLV drive end with another interception, as an across the body pass intended for Rivers would instead be cut off and intercepted by cornerback Mike Moses and returned 8 yards to the UNLV 25 yard line.

Starting our next drive deep in UNLV territory thanks to another interception by our defense, Paris would again get us off and running with a three yard gain on first down, followed by an 11 yard sprint through a perfectly timed hole, picking up a first down at the 11 yard line. Paris would keep plugging away on first down with a three yard gain, followed by a four yard rush to leave us facing third and four. Benjamin Silva would get the call on third down, but he would pick up just two yards on the play, leaving us with third and two from the three yard line. Kicking the glorified extra point, Marcus would sail the 20 yard field goal through the uprights to extend our lead to 37-14 with 5:28 left in the game.

Another touchback would start UNLV from their 25 yard line. Dropping back to pass on first down, Massey would end up sacked from behind for a three yard loss on the play. Moses would again be responsible for ending a drive as he would get his second interception of the game, in as many drives, as he jumped an under thrown pass deep down the left sideline, giving us back possession from our 47 yard line.

Lining up near midfield thanks to yet another interception by our defense, Silva would come out running on first down, fighting and driving to a 6 yard gain on the play, following that up with a second gain of 6 yards and a first down at the UNLV 41 yard line. Silva would continue pounding the ball straight into the heart of the defense, keeping his legs driving through a mass of bodies for a 10 yard gain, bringing up second and inches, upon which Silva would dive forward for a gain of two yards and a new set of downs at the 29. A first down rush by Silva would result in just a two yard gain, followed by a second gain of only two yards to leave us facing third and 6. Going into the shotgun on third down, Barnes would connect with Tristan Muhammad for a pickup of 8 yards and a first down at the 17 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Silva would keep us moving forward with a 7 yard carry, followed by a three yard rush to give us first and goal from the 7 yard line. Running on first down, Silva would plow ahead for a gain of 5 yards, before being swarmed for a one yard loss to leave us with third and goal at the three yard line. The Rebels would go all out blitz on third down, leaving Silva trapped and driven backwards, resulting in a four yard loss on the play and fourth down at the 6 yard line. Forced to settle for a field goal, Marcus would drive the 23 yard kick through the uprights to increase our lead to 40-14 with 32 seconds left.

One more kickoff would result in one more touchback, UNLV starting from their 25 yard line for the final time today. As a final insult, Massey would launch a pass on first down along the right sideline, only to be intercepted for the fifth time today, as Leonard Hart picked up his first interception of the game, returning it 23 yards down to the UNLV 26 yard line.

Setting up at the UNLV 26 yard line following the interception, we would need to just drop to a knee one time to run out the last 26 seconds remaining in the game. Barnes would drop to his knee and seal our 40-14 victory over UNLV, our final home victory of the season, keeping slim hopes of winning the Mountain Division alive.

With the win, we improve to 8-3, 6-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, UNLV drops to 3-8, 3-4 in Mountain West play. Up next, it’s back on the road to finish up the 2023 season with another edition of Bridger’s Battle against the Wyoming Cowboys. Wyoming enters the game at 2-9, 1-6 in Mountain West action. The Cowboys opened on a three game losing streak, falling 21-14 to Northern Illinois, 24-10 at #14 Baylor and 48-17 at Nebraska. They would break into the win column with a 23-14 win at Eastern Michigan. It would be downhill from there as they would lose their next six straight, losing 41-14 to UNLV, 45-24 to Colorado State, 43-42 at San Jose State, 38-7 to Air Force, 35-7 at New Mexico and 49-7 at Boise State. Wyoming would finally break into the win column in the Mountain West, and break their losing streak, by upsetting San Diego State 28-27 on the road before heading home to host Utah State in the season finale.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 40, :UNLV: 14

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A decent game (mainly because of no interceptions) by Barnes, as he ended 14-19 for 180 yards and one touchdown. Rushing, it was nearly a one man show today as Paris ran for 250 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries. Silva, in limited action, gained 39 yards on 12 rushes. Receiving, Allen again led the way in yards and catches, picking up 81 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. In total, eight receivers caught a pass today, five of them would end with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A much better performance by the defense today. Still gave up way too many big yardage plays, particularly due to the unit's failure to adapt to defending a no-huddle offense. Regardless, a huge 5 interception day today, as cornerback Leonard Hart (1), safety Kyle Mitchell (1), cornerback Mike Moses (2) and cornerback Lawrence Coker (1) killed numerous drives with timely interceptions and gave us beautiful field position on multiple occasions.

Also a big day in special teams as Douglas opened the game with a massive 83 yard kickoff return that would leave us starting our first drive of the game on UNLV's doorstep. Add in a second return for 34 yards that set us up in great position and it was a good day for Douglas.

Utah State Kicking – Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, as Marcus saw his streak of perfect games broken today, thanks to a 49 yard field goal, with a 5 MPH cross wind, that would sail into and bounce off the left upright, rather than squeaking just inside it as the wind failed to push the ball to the right far enough. Still, Marcus had a solid day as he turned in a 4-5 performance, with field goals of 20, 23, 27 and 31 yards, along with going a perfect 4-4 in PATs. It remains to be seen whether going 4-5 will be enough to help Marcus retake first place in projections for the Groza award, or if that one missed kick will doom an outstanding 2023 campaign and leave him looking up from second place when the dust settles.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:UNLV:
7
7
0
0
14

:Utah_State:
17
10
7
6
40

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

9:46
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 13 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

6:49
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
A. Allen, 15 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-0

6:30
:UNLV:
Touchdown
K. Davis, 2 yard run (J. Mack kick)
:Utah_State: 14-7

1:35
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 31 yard field gaol
:Utah_State: 17-7

Second Quarter

5:16
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 27 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 20-7

4:48
:UNLV:
Touchdown
D. Carpenter, 49 yard pass from K. Massey (J. Mack kick)
:Utah_State: 20-14

0:25
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 27-14

Third Quarter

1:20
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 2 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 34-14

Fourth Quarter

5:28
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 20 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 37-14

0:32
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 23 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 40-14

Game Stats

UNLV
Stat
Utah State

14
Score
40

8
First Downs
30

250
Total Offense
467

15 - 51 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
69 - 287 - 3

9 - 28 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
14 - 19 - 1

199
Passing Yards
180

3
Times Sacked
0

3 - 10 (30%)
3rd Down Conversion
6 - 13 (46%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 1 (100%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

1 - 1 - 0 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
8 - 4 - 4 (100%)

5
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
1

5
Intercepted
0

0
Punt Return Yards
18

0
Kick Return Yards
134

250
Total Yards
619

4 – 39.5
Punts - Average
1 - 55.0

1 - 15
Penalties
0 - 0

9:07
Time of Possession
30:53

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x4

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
8

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 07:30 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #2 Ohio State barely escaped Indiana 41-34 in double overtime. #4 Fresno State made it past San Jose State 33-21. #5 Oklahoma survived Texas Tech 34-24. #7 Ole Miss beat Wake Forest 56-21. #8 UCLA topped #25 USC 31-21. #9 Cincinnati slipped past Tulane 30-27. #11 Virginia Tech toppled #10 Georgia Tech 48-31. #12 Texas beat Oklahoma State 40-34. #13 Kansas State barely squeaked past Kansas 52-49.

Iowa State stunned #14 Baylor 24-3. #15 Louisiana Lafayette massacred Texas State 49-24. #16 Arizona ruthlessly violated Colorado 63-17. #24 Arkansas knocked off #17 TCU 42-35. #18 Auburn doubled up LSU 28-14. #19 Miami dispatched North Carolina 35-23. Missouri knocked off #20 Florida 31-24. #21 Florida State beat Syracuse 34-17. Central Florida trout slapped #22 Temple 48-14. Texas A&M shocked #23 Alabama 56-30.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten) with a 41-34 double overtime win at Indiana. Morsdraconis, #6 West Virginia remains 9-1 (6-1 Big 12) with yet another bye week. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 6-4 (5-2 C-USA) with a 48-21 win over UAB. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 3-8 (2-6 Pac-12) with a 48-17 loss at Utah. LeeSO, #18 Auburn improves to 9-2 (6-2 SEC) with a 28-14 win at LSU. SCClassof93, #1 South Carolina remains 11-0 (9-0 SEC) with another bye week. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 7-3 (4-2 Sun Belt) with a 27-24 loss to Troy. Florida International drops to 4-7 (4-3 C-USA) with a 38-21 loss to Marshall. Navy improves to 7-3 (5-3 American) with a 45-38 overtime win over East Carolina. Tulsa drops to 3-8 (2-6 American) with a 45-27 loss to Memphis.

In Mountain West action, #6 Fresno State beat San Jose State 33-21. Utah State hammered UNLV 40-14. Air Force got past Colorado State 31-24. Wyoming knocked off San Diego State 28-27. Boise State topped New Mexico 28-21 in overtime. And Nevada upset Hawaii 43-37.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Air Force and Utah State (6-1) remain tied atop the division, with Air Force holding not only the head to head tiebreaker, but also the division tiebreaker (Air Force is 4-0 in-division, Utah State is 3-1). Beyond that, everyone else is eliminated from contention, including Boise State (4-3), New Mexico, Colorado State and Wyoming (all 1-6). In the West Division, #6 Fresno State (7-0) has clinched the division and a spot in the conference title game. Nevada and Hawaii (both 4-3), San Jose State and UNLV (both 3-4) and San Diego State (2-5) are all eliminated from the division race.

That sets up a HUGE week 14. Fresno State is guaranteed in the conference championship game. Who they will play remains to be decided. Right now, Air Force will play in the conference title game thanks to their head to head victory over Utah State, as both teams are tied with 6-1 conference records. Even despite the head to head tiebreaker, Air Force would still go over Utah State thanks to the division record (4-0 for Air Force, 3-1 for Utah State). There are two games to watch in week 14. Air Force (8-3, 6-1) at Boise State (7-4, 4-3) and Utah State (8-3, 6-1) at Wyoming (2-9, 1-6). If Air Force beats Boise State, regardless of what Utah State does, Air Force will play in the conference title game. If Boise State beats Air Force and Utah State beats Wyoming, Utah State will advance to the conference title game by way of conference record (7-1 vs. what would become Air Force's 6-2). Boise State beating Air Force is Utah State's only hope of making it to the conference championship game. Both games kickoff at 1:00 PM, so Utah State won't know for sure what Air Force did until likely their own game is final, though there will be eager eyes watching the scoreboard and watching the TVs for score updates between action.

Looking at undefeated teams left, no one lost this week, leaving our number of undefeated teams at 4. #1 South Carolina (11-0), #2 Ohio State (11-0), #3 Michigan (11-0) and #4 Fresno State (11-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 0 teams still looking for their first win.

Teams getting their first win this week were: Buffalo (24-14 over 3-8 Bowling Green).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, South Carolina (35 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (22 votes) remains #2, Michigan (3 votes) remains #3, Fresno State (1 vote) remains #4 and Oklahoma remains #5. West Virginia remains #6, Ole Miss remains #7, UCLA remains #8, Virginia Tech jumps two to #9 and Cincinnati drops one to #10. Texas moves up one to #11, Kansas State climbs one to #12, Louisiana Lafayette jumps two to #13, Arizona leaps two to #14 and Georgia Tech drops five to #15. Auburn climbs two to #16, Miami jumps two to #17, Florida State climbs three to #18, Arkansas leaps five to #19 and Stanford enters the poll at #20. Baylor falls seven to #21, Clemson enters the poll at #22, Michigan State enters the poll at #23, Ohio enters the poll at #24 and TCU (208 points) drops eight to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Florida (from #20), Temple (from #22), Alabama (from #23) and USC (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Utah State (136 points) is #26, followed by Navy (101), SMU (92), Temple (79) and Tennessee (57) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is USC (25).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, South Carolina (43 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (21 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Fresno State remains #4 and West Virginia remains #5. Oklahoma remains #6, UCLA remains #7, Virginia Tech leaps four to #8, Ole Miss remains #9 and Cincinnati remains #10. Arizona remains #11, Texas climbs one to #12, Kansas State moves up one to #13, Georgia Tech falls six to #14 and Louisiana Lafayette jumps two to #15. Auburn jumps two to #16, Miami climbs two to #17, Arkansas leaps five to #18, Florida State moves up two to #19 and Clemson vaults five to #20. Baylor drops six to #21, Ohio enters the poll at #22, Stanford enters the poll at #23, TCU drops eight to #24 and Michigan State (237 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Florida (from #20), Temple (from #22) and Alabama (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Navy (201 points) is #26, followed by Utah State (134), Tennessee (88), Temple (86) and SMU (61) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Central Florida (14) and Florida (12).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 South Carolina (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Michigan (0.989), #4 Fresno State (0.981), #5 Oklahoma (0.976), #6 West Virginia (0.976), #7 UCLA (0.966), #8 Ole Miss (0.963), #9 Virginia Tech (0.955) and #10 Cincinnati (0.952). Others: #15 Louisiana Lafayette (0.904), #16 Auburn (0.900).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #2 (LW: #4), Texas QB Justin Jones is #3 (LW: #3), Ole Miss QB Jason Davis is #4 (LW: #5) and Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #5 (LW: #2). No one fell off the watch list this week.

Taking a glance at Award Finalists, Utah State cornerback Leonard Hart is second for the Bednarik, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is twelfth for the Bednarik, halfback Benjamin Silva is eighth for the Walker, halfback Brian Paris is tenth for the Walker, defensive end Steve Jones is ninth for the Lombardi, cornerback Leonard Hart is fourth for the Thorpe, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is eleventh for the Thorpe, kicker Doug Marcus is second for the Groza, and wide receiver David Douglas is fifth for Best Returner.

Looking at the bowl picture, 6 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 55 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 10 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 31 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 86 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

Looking at the first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Poinsettia Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on Washington (6-5, 3-5) out of the Pac-12. The Armed Forces Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-4, 5-2 C-USA) vs Navy (7-3, 5-3 American). The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl would see #12 Kansas State (7-3, 4-3) take on Arkansas State (7-3, 4-2 Sun Belt). The Capital One Bowl would feature #16 Auburn (9-2, 6-2 SEC) vs. #23 Michigan State (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten).

The Fiesta Bowl would feature #6 West Virginia (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) vs #7 Ole Miss (10-1, 7-1 SEC). The Sugar Bowl would see #4 Fresno State (11-0, 7-0 Mountain West) against #5 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12). And the BCS National Championship Game would feature a showdown between #2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) and #1 South Carolina (11-0, 9-0 SEC).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) against #8 UCLA (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #6 West Virginia (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) matching up with #7 Ole Miss (10-1, 7-1 SEC). The Sugar Bowl has #4 Fresno State (11-0, 7-0 Mountain West) matching up with #5 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #9 Virginia Tech (9-2, 7-1 ACC) and #10 Cincinnati (10-1, 7-1 American). And in the national championship game, #2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) takes on #1 South Carolina (11-0, 9-0 SEC).

SmoothPancakes

08-19-2015, 08:04 PM

My oh my, what a week that Week 14 is shaping up to be. First, you have the two games that everyone in the Mountain West will be watching, as Boise State hosts Air Force and Wyoming hosts Utah State, both with 1pm kickoffs. To clinch the Mountain Division, all Air Force has to do is win, or they can afford to lose if Utah State loses. For Utah State, the only way they can win the Mountain Division is if they win at Wyoming and Air Force loses to Boise State.

So, many eyes will be glued to the scoreboards during those contests. Then on top of that, you have #4 Fresno State who will be going for a perfect 12-0 regular season with a trip to Hawaii.

In other action, you have a big showdown between #1 South Carolina (11-0, 9-0 SEC) against their hated rival, #22 Clemson (9-2, 7-2 ACC). What would be more perfect for Clemson than destroying the perfect season AND national title hopes of hated rival South Carolina? :popcorn:

Even bigger than that, you have the showdown of all showdowns in the Big Ten East. #2 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) vs #3 Michigan (11-0, 8-0) for all the marbles in the East and a trip to the Big Ten title game, with an almost guaranteed national title slot waiting after that. There is already no love to be lost between these two opponents. Add in their perfect records, the division title, a spot in the conference title game and an all but guaranteed spot in the national title game? They better bring an army of refs and the National Guard for this one!

And we'll be returning to the Big Ten shortly to talk about the disaster in the West.

In the Big 12, you have the first of two huge games for #6 West Virginia (9-1, 6-1) as they host #11 Texas (8-2, 5-2) this week, followed by hosting #25 TCU (6-4, 5-2) next week. Win both, and they have the outright Big 12 title. Lose one, and #5 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1) could slip in. Oklahoma doesn't have it easy either. They travel to #25 TCU this week, then host hated Oklahoma State (4-6, 1-6) next week, though the records can be thrown out when it comes to rivalries (most of the time).

In Conference USA, week 14 brings about the battle for the East, as Southern Miss (6-4, 5-2) visits Marshall (8-3, 5-2) with all the marbles on the line. Only question will be how, if at all, Florida Atlantic (5-6, 5-2) plays into things. Throughout the season, Florida Atlantic beat Marshall but lost to Southern Miss. Could Florida Atlantic steal the division title if they beat Florida International (4-7, 4-3) and Marshall tops Southern Miss?

Likewise, in the SEC West, could Auburn steal the division title at the last moment? #16 Auburn (9-2, 6-2) beat #7 Ole Miss 29-26 in overtime back in early October. If Auburn beats Alabama and Ole Miss loses to Mississippi State, both would end with a 7-2 division record, which should mean a title for Auburn based on head to head. Ole Miss has got to be feeling the pressure right now.

Okay, now, back to the Big Ten West. While the East is nice and clean, with 8-0 Ohio State and 8-0 Michigan at the top, with the division to be decided in one ultimate game of utter rivalry hate, the West Division is a complete and utter clusterfuck. Here is what the West Division currently looks like:

#1 - Purdue - 5-6, 4-4
#2 - Nebraska - 5-6, 4-4
#3 - Wisconsin - 5-6. 4-4
#4 - Iowa - 5-6, 3-5
#5 - Northwestern - 5-6, 3-5
#6 - Minnesota - 4-6, 3-5
#7 - Illinois - 3-8, 1-7

To make matters worse, apparently it was nothing but a battle of attrition this season.

Purdue beat Nebraska, lost to Wisconsin, lost to Iowa, beat Northwestern, beat Illinois and end with Minnesota.
Nebraska lost to Purdue, beat Wisconsin, lost to Northwestern, beat Minnesota, beat Illinois, and end with Iowa.
Wisconsin beat Purdue, lost to Nebraska, beat Iowa, lost to Northwestern, beat Minnesota and beat Illinois, ending with Rutgers.
Iowa beat Purdue, lost to Wisconsin, beat Northwestern, lost to Minnesota, lost to Illinois and end with Nebraska.
Northwestern lost to Purdue, beat Nebraska, beat Wisconsin, lost to Iowa, beat Minnesota and end with Illinois.
Minnesota lost to Nebraska, lost to Wisconsin, beat Iowa, lost to Northwestern, beat Illinois and end with Purdue.
Illinois lost to Purdue, lost to Nebraska, lost to Wisconsin, beat Iowa, lost to Minnesota and end with Northwestern.

Now, not only does trying to figure out who would even win that clusterfuck of a division (depending on an exponentially different number of possible outcomes of all games in week 14) immediately enter the realm of migraine-inducing, but the fact that if the right results happened, you could have a six way tie at 4-5 in the division, is mind boggling. On top of that, if you played out the absolute worst case scenario of results for the entire division (Minnesota beats Purdue and then loses in week 15, either Nebraska or Iowa win, Rutgers beats Wisconsin and, Illinois beats Northwestern), then you would end up with five teams sitting at 5-7, and only the winner of the Nebraska-Iowa game as the only team to reach six wins and a potential bowl game out of the entire division. This division and the way it has played out over the course of the season, is so out there this season that you might think you were in the Twilight Zone.

Needless to say, week 14 is going to be very very interesting.

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 10:26 AM

Just for the hell of it, while I'm playing the Wyoming game, some score updates to pass along.

Early 2nd quarter, Marshall leads Southern Miss 14-7.

Early 2nd quarter, Fresno State leads Hawaii 7-0.

Air Force-Boise State never showed up on the ticker, so I'm still completely in the dark on how that game is going right now.

All the big games are later in the day, with West Virginia-Texas at 3:30, Ohio State-Michigan at 3:30 and South Carolina-Clemson at 7.

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 10:43 AM

Another score update.

Early 3rd quarter, Fresno State leads Hawaii 17-0.

Early 3rd quarter, Marshall leads Southern Miss 24-20.

Still have yet to see a single update on Air Force-Boise State.

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 11:50 AM

Hooray for score updates.

Late 3rd quarter, Fresno State leads Hawaii 20-0.

Early 4th quarter, Marshall leads Southern Miss 38-28.

And still not a single goddamn update from Air Force-Boise State. Apparently this damn game is intentionally trying to piss me off.

souljahbill

08-20-2015, 12:27 PM

Hooray for score updates.

Early 4th quarter, Marshall leads Southern Miss 38-28.

Fuck!

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 12:37 PM

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 03:39 PM

Game Twelve
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx305/SmoothPancakes/safe_image_zps8a8a1bc0.jpg
:Utah_State: :@: :Wyoming:

Game Story

--- This was it, another regular season come to its conclusion. This regular season finale would see more importance thrust upon it as both Utah State and Air Force battled their separate opponents to try and claim the Mountain Division title. For Utah State, that opponent would be rival Wyoming, as both teams closed out their seasons with another edition of Bridger’s Battle. While Utah State would be playing for the hopes of a division title, Wyoming would be playing to ruin the hopes of their rival, as Wyoming entered with little to play for, having only won two games all season. If Wyoming wanted to pull off the upset, it would take one hell of a performance to do so, as they entered the game with one of the worst offenses and defenses in the nation. Their highest ranked offensive category was passing offense, at #98 in the nation. On defense, they were highest ranked on rushing defense, at #96 in the nation. Everything else was #112, #124 or #125 ranked. Wyoming won the coin toss and surprisingly elected to receive first, a 7 MPH wind blowing from one end zone to the other.

A wind aided kickoff would sail into the end zone for a touchback, giving Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. Kyle Franklin would fake a handoff on first down and elected to keep the ball himself, only to end up lit up and tackled in the backfield for a three yard loss on the play, a poor start to the game for the Cowboys. Wyoming’s shotgun running game would again leave them moving backwards as a second down carry by Matt Sims would result in another three yard loss, bringing up third and 16. The air would be a different story as a mix up by our secondary would allow Nathan Jenkins to go up for a cakewalk catch of 18 yards and a first down at the 37 yard line. A first down carry by Sims would pick up three yards. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Ryan Goddard was almost intercepted by cornerback Lawrence Coker, but he wasn’t able to hold on, resulting in an incomplete pass and third and 7. What should have been two sacks would turn into a shovel pass to Sims, who would plow right over three different defenders on his way to a 17 yard reception and a first down at our 43 yard line, twice now this drive that our defense has completely blown it when they should have made the stop. Franklin would take off running on his own on first down, sprinting to an 8 yard gain on the play, before a reverse handoff to Jenkins on second down would get blown up for a loss of four yards, leaving Wyoming with third and 6. Another third down, another failure by our defense as Franklin lobbed a pass to a wide open Brandon McDonald for a 27 yard gain and yet another first down at our 12 yard line. A first down rush by Sims would gain four yards, followed by a failed option play that would see Franklin tackled for a two yard loss, leaving third and 8. FINALLY, we would catch a break on third down as Sean Austin dropped a pass that had hit him square in the hands, the incompletion finally bringing to an end a drive that should have been over 10 plays ago. A 27 yard chip shot field goal by Jeff Jones would give Wyoming a 3-0 lead with 6:19 left in the first quarter.

A 19 yard kickoff return by Leonard Hart would give us the ball to start at our 28 yard line. Starting our drive on the ground, Brian Paris would get the ball on first down, powering his way to a four yard gain around the right tackle, followed by a second four yard rush to leave us facing third and two. We would leave things in the hands of Paris on third down, just managing a three yard gain to get the first down. Paris would keep plugging along on first down, using an outside blitz by Wyoming to dive up the middle for a 5 yard gain, followed by a big 6 yard carry to move the chains to the Wyoming 49 yard line. Paris would keep working his magic on first down, fighting for a gain of four yards on the play. Trying to catch Wyoming sleeping on second down, we came out running a play action pass, but the Cowboys wouldn’t bite and Jason Barnes had to get rid of the ball, leaving third and 6. Coming out in the shotgun on third down, Barnes would manage to connect with Aaron Allen for a completion of 15 yards, giving us a new set of downs at the 30 yard line. Calling an audible at the line of scrimmage, Barnes would take advantage of the showed blitz and instead of handing the ball off to Paris, he would fake the handoff, roll out and dump the ball off to fullback Raymond Watson for a four yard completion. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, Barnes would throw a missile to David Douglas over the middle, good for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the 11 yard line. Turning the duties back over to Paris, he would only manage a three yard gain on the first down carry. Another carry on second down would gain 5 yards, leaving us looking at third and two from the three yard line. Leaving it in the hands of Paris on third down, he would take the ball and dive straight ahead, but he would only be able to gain one yard on the play to bring up fourth and one. Settling for three points, Doug Marcus would drive the 19 yard field goal through the uprights, tying the game at 3-3 with 1:08 left in the first quarter.

Another wind aided kickoff would result in a touchback for Wyoming. A blown tackle would allow Sims to turn what would have been a two yard loss into a 14 yard gain on first down, as our defense AGAIN continued to screw their own selves up the ass. The defense would answer on the next play, this time tackling Sims for a three yard loss. Another three yard loss on a second down carry by Sims would leave Wyoming facing third and 16. Going five wide on third down, this time our defense would finish the job, as cornerback Leonard Hart went up and intercepted an errant pass, giving us the ball at the Wyoming 41 yard line.

Taking over in Wyoming territory following the interception, we would get one play off before the clock expired, as Paris would be flattened for a one yard loss, ending the first quarter deadlocked at 3-3.

Opening up the second quarter, we would get lined up on second and 11, coming out in the shotgun on the play. Barnes would manage to connect with Allen in the flats, good for an 8 yard gain to leave us looking at third and three. Taking a chance with Paris, he would get the ball and fight for a gain of four yards, picking up the first down at the 30 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, Paris would only pick up two yards, as the Wyoming defense continued to blitz nearly every play. Lining up under center on second down, Barnes would drop back and fire a pass up the middle to tight end Jack Long, picking up 12 yards on the completion and a new set of downs at the 16 yard line. Turning back to Paris on first down, he would rush for a 7 yard gain, followed by a four yard carry that would give us first and goal from the 5 yard line. Paris would keep driving on first down, driven forward by a defender for a three yard gain. Second and goal would see Paris almost impossibly not score a touchdown, picking up two yards on the play, from the two yard line, meaning nothing but mere inches separated him from the end zone. Lining up on third and goal from literally inches outside the goal line, Paris would not be denied, diving into the end zone for a 1 yard touchdown, giving us a 10-3 lead with 6:29 left in the second quarter.

A 34 yard kickoff return, helped by us kicking off into the wind, as well as the son of a bitch breaking seven goddamn tackles, would give Wyoming the ball at their 41 yard line. Sims would get the drive started with a three yard rush. Franklin would drop back to pass on second down, but would end up sacked for a loss of 7 yards by our blitz, leaving Wyoming facing third and 14. Naturally, our defense would screw up again, giving up a 15 yard reception to Austin, when at most he should have only gained 7, thus giving Wyoming a first down at our 48 yard line and again extending their drive when it should have already ended. Franklin would follow that up with a 13 yard rush of his own and another first down at our 35. Sims would get the ball on first down, but would end up dragged down from behind in the backfield, resulting in a two yard loss on the play. Sims would get a delayed handoff from Franklin, rushing up the middle for a gain of 5 yards, bringing up third and 7. Finally, the drive would end as a pass nearly completed to Sims would be broken up thanks to a well timed hit by the cornerback, leaving fourth down. Despite sitting on our 32 yard line, with a 7 MPH wind aiding them, Wyoming would elect not to attempt the long field goal and instead would punt the ball. As a result, the 32 yard punt would sail clean out of the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at our 20 yard line following the punt, Paris would get us underway with a 7 yard rush, followed by a four yard carry to pick up a new first down at the 31. Paris would try to keep it going on frist down, but he would be quickly hit for a gain of just two yards. Running a play action pass on second down, the defense would bite hook, line and sinker, as tight end Gerald Woods was left WIDE open and completely uncovered, allowing him to pull in the lobbed pass from Barnes and race up the sideline for a 41 yard gain before being chased down from behind, giving us a first down at the Wyoming 26 yard line. Returning to the ground game, Paris would rush for a gain of 6 yards on first down, followed by an 11 yard sprint by Benjamin Silva, setting up first and goal from the 10 yard line. Paris would return on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain. Lining up on second and goal, we would get tagged with a false start penalty, putting us right back where we started on the 10 yard line. This time Paris would only gain two yards on the carry, leaving us facing third and goal from the 8 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, going five wide, Paris would end up being left completely uncovered by the defense, apparently a safety left responsible for him. That would leave him the perfect target as Barnes took the snap, dropped back two steps and rifled a pass to Paris before the safety could get near him, good for an 8 yard touchdown to give us a 17-3 lead with 22 seconds left before halftime.

The kickoff would make it into the end zone this time, taken for a touchback to give Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. The Cowboys would come on running the ball on first down, as Sims raced up the middle for a 9 yard gain, followed by Wyoming quickly calling their first timeout with 17 seconds left. Dropping back to pass on second down, Franklin would end up taking off scrambling to avoid the pass rush, tackled for a three yard gain on the play. While it would get Wyoming a first down at the 37 yard line, they would be forced to call their second time out with 11 seconds to play. Dropping back to pass in a five wide formation, Franklin would completely blow the pass and overthrow his receiver, leaving 7 seconds to go. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, Franklin would feel the pressure and move up in the pocket, but instead of throwing the ball or taking off running, he would just stand there bouncing on his feet while a defender came rushing at him from 10 yards away, ending up sacked for a 0 yard loss with the clock on zero. That would send us into halftime, holding a 17-3 lead over Wyoming.

Opening up the second half, Douglas would field the kickoff around the 5 yard line and return it 15 yards, before a blatantly missed block by our return team left him a sitting duck for a Wyoming player, leaving us starting from our 19 yard line to begin the third quarter. Starting our drive on the ground, Paris would get us off and running with gains of four and 6 yards to pick up a quick first down. After a three yard carry by Paris, we would attempt a play action pass on second down, but throw intended for Long would be dropped near the first down marker, leaving us with third down. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, we would manage to extend our drive as Barnes connected with Allen in the flats, good for a 9 yard gain and a first down at the 42 yard line. Paris would pick right back up where he left off, following a gaping hole for a 9 yard carry, followed by a two yard dash to pick up the first down at the Wyoming 47 yard line. A 6 yard carry by Paris on first down would be followed by a 5 yard second down rush by Silva, moving the chains once more to the Wyoming 36 yard line. A pair of carries by Paris would go for gains of four and three yards, leaving us looking at third and three. Paris would try and keep the drive moving, but he would be stood up right at the first down marker, credited with a three yard gain, but leaving us facing fourth and inches at the 27 yard line. Settling for three points, the 44 yard field goal by Marcus would sail through the uprights to give us a 20-3 lead with 5:48 left in the third quarter.

The wind aided kickoff would sail out of the end zone for a touchback, giving Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. Sims would come out running for the Cowboys on the first two plays, picking up gains of four and three yards. But the drive would come crashing to a sudden end for Wyoming as a pass intended for Jenkins on third and three would be dropped as he went to turn up the field, the incomplete pass forcing Wyoming to dejectedly bring out their punt team. An 18 yard return by Jesse Breedlove on the 35 yard punt would give us the ball right at the 50 yard line.

Taking over at midfield thanks to a solid punt return, this time we would change it up and come out passing, as Barnes dropped back from the shotgun and tried to thread the needle over the middle to Washington. While the pass would hit Washington in the hands, he would be unable to hold on to it while being sandwiched by two defenders, leaving second down after the incompletion. A risky pass up the middle on second down would find its target, as Long would pull in the ball just before being lit up by the safety, good for a gain of 26 yards and a first down at the Wyoming 23 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Barnes would try to connect with Douglas along the left sideline, but the pass would be nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker with a well timed leap underneath, leaving second down. Coming out in the shotgun on second down, Barnes would launch a quick pass to Allen on a streak route, good to pick up 17 yards and set us up with first and goal from the Wyoming 7 yard line. Paris would get the call on first down, fighting his way to a four yard carry on the play, before diving into the end zone on second down for a three yard touchdown, extending our lead to 27-3 with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

Another wind aided kickback would sail out of the end zone untouched, Wyoming again starting from their 25 yard line. Bringing a heavy blitz on first down, it would pay off as Franklin dropped back to pass, only to instantly throw the ball away to avoid an impending sack. It wouldn’t matter however as a complete meltdown on second down by our secondary would leave Jenkins completely uncovered up the left sideline, pulling in the pass from Franklin and racing 58 yards down the field before being ankle tackled for a first down at our 17 yard line. Sims would get the ball on first down, rushing for a three yard gain on the play, followed by a one yard carry by Franklin to leave Wyoming facing third and 6. Sims would pretty much power his way right over three different defenders on his way to a 13 yard carry, setting up first and goal at our one yard line. Cory Ryan would finish the drive off on the next play with a one yard touchdown run. Wyoming would attempt to go for a two point conversion, but Sims would never make it past the three yard line before being tackled, to keep our lead at 27-9 with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

A huge 50 yard kickoff return by Hart, fielded at our 8 yard line would give us beautiful field position, starting our drive at the Wyoming 42 yard line. Paris would start our drive off again with a 5 yard carry up the middle, followed by a two yard rush around the left side, leaving us with third and three. Paris would get those three yards on third down, but the refs would mark him short officially, leaving us facing fourth and one (technically inches) at the Wyoming 32 yard line. With a 7 MPH wind still backing us up for one more minute, we elected to go for the three points, the 49 yard field goal by Marcus splitting the uprights to increase our lead to 30-9 with 50 seconds left in the third quarter.

Another wind aided touchback would start Wyoming again from their 25 yard line. Sims would get things started with a 6 yard run up the middle, followed by a 12 yard gain through a massive gaping hole, easily picking up a first down at the 43 yard line. One final 5 yard rush by Sims would run out the clock, ending the third quarter with our lead 30-9.

Opening up the fourth quarter, a very heavy blitz would force Franklin to throw the ball away, leaving third and 5. Sims would get the handoff on third down, and should have been tackled for no gain, but apparently with the left arm of the Hulk, he would stiff arm two defenders and still drive forward for a 7 yard gain, giving Wyoming a first down at our 45 yard line. A first down pass over the middle would end up incomplete thanks to a well timed hit by our safety, but the Cowboys would come right back on second down with a 19 yard completion to Austin, picking up the first down regardless at our 26 yard line. Sims would get the ball on first down, only to be quickly tackled for no gain on the play, followed by a poorly thrown incomplete pass that would leave Wyoming lining up on third and 10. Of course, a pass from Franklin, thrown across his body, would perfectly land in the hands of Jenkins, surrounded by three different defenders, for a miraculous 16 yard completion, giving Wyoming first and a goal at our 10 yard line. Sims would start things off with a two yard run, followed by a three yard carry by Ryan, leaving third and goal from the 5 yard line. Franklin would never have a chance to get the third down pass off as we blitzed seven, resulting in a sack for a loss of 7 yards. Wyoming would elect to go for it on fourth and goal, lining up at the 12 yard line. In a game of inches, Franklin would launch a quick pass to McDonald near the two yard line, who was quickly swarmed by four different defenders in zone coverage. Despite falling towards the end zone, McDonald would be ruled down before he cross the goal line, a 12 yard completion that would result in a turnover on downs inside the one yard line.

While we had made the defensive stop and forced the turnover on downs, now our offense was forced to line up just inches away from our own goal line. Paris would get the handoff on first down, and thanks to some friendly fire in the secondary, would be able to race into the heart of the defense for a 7 yard carry. Another rush by Paris would pick up a solid 5 yards, giving us a first down at the 12 yard line and giving us some much needed breathing room. Paris would continue plugging right along, picking up gains of 6 and two yards, leaving us facing third and two. Silva would get the call on third down, fighting his way to a 6 yard gain to move the chains to the 26 yard line. Running a play action pass on first down, the throw intended for Woods was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker, leaving second down. Coming out in the shotgun on second down, Barnes would rifle a pass over the middle to Douglas, who would get damn near decleated, but would hold onto the ball for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at the 46 yard line. Paris would again get the call on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain, followed by a four yard rush to leave us with third and one. An 8 yard rush by Paris would keep our drive alive, moving the ball down to the Wyoming 37 yard line. Silva would take over in the backfield on first down, picking up two yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard gain to bring up third and three. A 6 yard rush by Silva would give us a first down at the 24 yard line, all but cementing our ability to just run out the clock with 2:35 remaining. Of course, as soon as that is said, a momentary loss of focus would result in the play clock expiring before snapping the ball, the 5 yard delay of game penalty leaving us with first and 15. Silva would take the ball on first down, following a pair of blockers on his way to a 9 yard carry, followed by a three yard gain to set up third and three. Silva would get the call on third down, but would be stood up for a one yard gain, leaving fourth and two at the 16 yard line, an 8 second difference between the play and game clocks. Snapping the ball with one second left on the play clock, Marcus would send the 33 yard field goal sailing through the uprights, increasing our lead to 33-9 with 7 seconds left in the game.

A 10 yard return by Terrance Hill on the squib kick would give Wyoming the ball at their 44 yard line, lining up with four seconds left on the clock. A first down screen pass to Sims would end in a dropped pass with no time left on the clock, ending the game and our 33-9 victory over Wyoming.

With the win, we improve to 9-3, 7-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Wyoming ends their season 2-10, 1-7 in Mountain West play. Up next, we wait to see if we will somehow slip into the Mountain West conference championship game. And if that doesn’t happen, we then wait to see what bowl game we will play in and who our opponent will be.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 33, :Wyoming: 9

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A pretty solid day for Barnes, going 11-16 for 175 yards and 1 touchdown. Rushing, Paris led the way with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries, setting the single season rushing record in the process, breaking the previous record by nearly 90 yards. Silva would end his day with 49 yards on 9 carries. Receiving, Allen would again be top receiver in both yards and catches, ending with 49 yards on four catches. Paris had the only receiving touchdown on a single 8 yard catch. In all, six receivers caught at least one pass today, four of them would end with double digit receiving yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Despite the blowout score, a horrible day. So many bloody times, Wyoming was able to keep extending drives because the defense that played so damn well on first and second downs, would just shove their heads up their collective asses on third down and let Wyoming do whatever they wanted to get a new set of downs. With the way things were going, we're lucky Wyoming didn't end up scoring 30, because they certainly had the chances.

Utah State Kicking – Another perfect day for Marcus, going 4-4 in field goal with kicks of a 19, 33, 44 and 49 yards, while also going 3-3 in extra points. Whether or not it will be enough for him to reclaim first place in the Groza remains to be seen.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
3
14
13
3
33

:Wyoming:
3
0
6
0
9

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

6:19
:Wyoming:
Field Goal
J. Jones, 26 yard field goal
:Wyoming: 3-3

1:08
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 19 yard field goal
TIED 3-3

Second Quarter

6:29
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 10-3

0:22
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 8 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 17-3

Third Quarter

5:48
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 44 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 20-3

3:42
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 27-3

2:17
:Wyoming:
Touchdown
C. Ryan, 1 yard run (2-Pt failed)
:Utah_State: 27-9

0:50
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 49 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 30-9

Fourth Quarter

0:07
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 33 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 33-9

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Wyoming

33
Score
9

21
First Downs
13

399
Total Offense
269

53 - 224 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
32 - 87 - 1

11 - 16 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
8 - 19 - 0

175
Passing Yards
182

0
Times Sacked
3

9 - 13 (69%)
3rd Down Conversion
7 - 12 (58%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 1 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 1 (0%)

5 - 3 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
3 - 1 - 1 (66%)

0
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
0

0
Intercepted
1

18
Punt Return Yards
0

81
Kick Return Yards
44

498
Total Yards
313

0 –0.0
Punts - Average
2 - 34.0

2 - 10
Penalties
0 - 0

25:45
Time of Possession
14:15

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x3

Force a Turnover
25
x1

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 10 Points
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

50 Touchdowns (Season)
250
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

School Record: Rush Yds/Season (1670)
300
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
9

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 03:40 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 South Carolina massacred #22 Clemson 73-31. #2 Ohio State survived #3 Michigan 21-14. #4 Fresno State outlasted Hawaii 20-13. #5 Oklahoma topped #25 TCU 38-28. #6 West Virginia slipped past #11 Texas 38-31. #7 Ole Miss routed Mississippi State 45-26. Virginia knocked off #9 Virginia Tech 31-24. #10 Cincinnati evaded East Carolina 41-34.

#21 Baylor stunned #12 Kansas State 45-35. #13 Louisiana Lafayette survived Arkansas State 37-35. #14 Arizona topped Arizona State 33-21. #15 Georgia Tech got by Georgia 25-21. #16 Auburn smoked Alabama 40-13. #17 Miami defeated Pittsburgh 37-27. #18 Florida State beat Florida 34-27. LSU shocked #19 Arkansas 49-39. #23 Michigan State topped Maryland 31-17. And #24 Ohio hammered Miami University 56-24.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) with a 21-14 win over #3 Michigan. Morsdraconis, #6 West Virginia improves to 10-1 (7-1 Big 12) with a 38-31 win over #11 Texas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 6-5 (5-3 C-USA) with a 52-31 loss to Marshall. Jaymo, Arizona State finishes 3-9 (2-7 Pac-12) with a 33-21 loss to #14 Arizona. LeeSO, #16 Auburn improves to 10-2 (7-2 SEC) with a 40-13 win over Alabama. SCClassof93, #1 South Carolina improves to 12-0 (9-0 SEC) with a 73-31 violation of #22 Clemson. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 7-4 (4-3 Sun Belt) with a 37-35 loss to #13 Louisiana Lafayette. Florida International finishes 5-7 (5-3 C-USA) with a 27-10 win over Florida Atlantic. Navy improves to 8-3 (6-3 American) with a 28-27 overtime win at Tulane. Tulsa finishes 3-9 (2-7 American) with a 38-17 loss at SMU.

In Mountain West action, #4 Fresno State beat Hawaii 20-13. Utah State topped Wyoming 33-9. Boise State shattered the hopes and dreams of Air Force 52-21. Colorado State hammered New Mexico 28-7. San Diego State routed UNLV 38-13. And Nevada blew San Jose State's bowl hopes, 35-21.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Utah State (7-1) miraculously claims the Mountain Division title as Air Force (6-2) is left looking up from second place thanks to Boise State's 52-21 whooping in week 14! In the West Division, #4 Fresno State (8-0) has clinched the division and a spot in the conference title game.

So that sets up the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. It will be Utah State (9-3, 7-1) at #4 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0).

Looking at undefeated teams left, #3 Michigan lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 3. #1 South Carolina (12-0), #2 Ohio State (12-0) and #4 Fresno State (12-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There are 0 teams still looking for their first win this season.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, South Carolina (36 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (23 votes) remains #2, Fresno State (2 votes) climbs one to #3, Oklahoma jumps one to #4 and West Virginia moves up one to #5. Ole Miss climbs one to #6, Michigan drops four to #7, UCLA remains #8, Cincinnati climbs one to #9 and Louisiana Lafayette leaps three to #10. Arizona jumps three to #11, Georgia Tech moves up three to #12, Auburn climbs three to #13, Miami jumps three to #14 and Texas drops four to #15. Florida State moves up two to #16, Baylor jumps four to #17, Stanford climbs two to #18, Michigan State rises four to #19 and Ohio jumps four to #20. Virginia Tech plummets twelve spots to #21, Kansas State falls ten to #22, Utah State enters the poll at #23, Navy enters the poll at #24 and SMU (305 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Arkansas (from #19), Clemson (from #22) and TCU (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Points, Clemson (299 points) is #26, followed by USC (229), Boise State (157), South Florida (155) and Texas State (130) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Iowa State (127), UTSA (91) and Marshall (34).

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (37 first place votes) climbs one to retake #1, South Carolina (24 votes) drops one to #2, Fresno State (4 votes) moves up one to #3, West Virginia climbs one to #4 and Oklahoma jumps one to #5. UCLA climbs one to #6, Michigan drops four to #7, Ole Miss moves up one to #8, Cincinnati climbs one to #9 and Arizona jumps one to #10. Georgia Tech leaps three to #11, Louisiana Lafayette jumps three to #12, Auburn climbs three to #13, Miami moves up three to #14 and Baylor jumps six to #15. Texas drops four to #16, Florida State climbs two to #17, Stanford jumps five to #18, Ohio climbs three to #19 and Virginia Tech plummets twelve to #20. Michigan State jumps four to #21, Navy enters the poll at #22, Kansas State drops ten to #23, Utah State enters the poll at #24 and Clemson (335 points) falls five to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Arkansas (from #18) and TCU (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, SMU (289 points) is #26, followed by Boise State (213), South Florida (205), USC (189) and Iowa State (151) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Texas State (112), UTSA (100), Marshall (43) and Kentucky (39).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 South Carolina (0.997), #2 Ohio State (0.997), #3 Fresno State (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.981), #5 West Virginia (0.981), #6 Ole Miss (0.968), #7 Michigan (0.968), #8 UCLA (0.968), #9 Cincinnati (0.954) and #10 Arizona (0.950). Others: #12 Louisiana Lafayette (0.928), #13 Auburn (0.928), #23 Utah State (0.837), #24 Navy (0.834).

A look at the Heisman race, Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #1 (LW: #1), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #2 (LW: #2), Texas QB Justin Jones is #3 (LW: #3), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #4 (LW: #3) and Ole Miss QB Jason Davis is #5 (LW: #4). No one fell off the watch list this week.

Taking a glance at Award Finalists, Utah State cornerback Leonard Hart is first for the Bednarik, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is twelfth for the Bednarik, halfback Benjamin Silva is eighth for the Walker, halfback Brian Paris is tenth for the Walker, defensive end Steve Jones is ninth for the Lombardi, cornerback Leonard Hart is fourth for the Thorpe, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is eleventh for the Thorpe, kicker Doug Marcus is first for the Groza, and wide receiver David Douglas is fifth for Best Returner.

Looking at the bowl picture, 12 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 67 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 17 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 3 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 70 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on USC (8-4, 5-4) out of the Pac-12. The New Orleans Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-5, 5-3 C-USA) vs Texas State (8-3, 6-1 Sun Belt). The Armed Forces Bowl would see Western Kentucky (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) take on #24 Navy (8-3, 6-3 American). The Capital One Bowl would feature #13 Auburn (10-2, 7-2 SEC) vs #7 Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten). And the GoDaddy.com Bowl would see Toledo (8-4, 7-2 MAC) take on Arkansas State (7-4, 4-3 Sun Belt)

The Fiesta Bowl would feature #5 West Virginia (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) vs #10 Louisiana Lafayette (10-1, 7-0 Sun Belt). The Sugar Bowl would see #3 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West) against #6 Ole Miss (11-1, 8-1 SEC). And the BCS National Championship Game would feature a showdown between #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and #1 South Carolina (12-0, 9-0 SEC).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #4 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) against #11 Arizona (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #5 West Virginia (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) matching up with #10 Louisiana Lafayette (10-1, 7-0 Sun Belt). The Sugar Bowl has #3 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West) matching up with #6 Ole Miss (11-1, 8-1 SEC). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #21 Virginia Tech (9-3, 7-2 ACC) and #9 Cincinnati (11-1, 8-1 American). And in the national championship game, #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) takes on #1 South Carolina (12-0, 9-0 SEC).

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 03:40 PM

In Mountain West action, Utah State topped Wyoming 33-9. Boise State shattered the hopes and dreams of Air Force 52-21.

Thank you Boise State you goddamn marvelous beautiful sons of bitches you!!!

After coming SOOOOOOOO goddamn close to making it to the Mountain West title game in 2020 and 2022, FINALLY, thanks to those goddamn beautiful sons of bitches in Boise, Utah State is going to the conference championship game!

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 05:02 PM

On a bye week this week, so lets get to it!

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, there are no words to describe the unholy violations that #5 West Virginia inflicted upon TCU in a 81-42 horsefucking of epic proportions, going WAY above and beyond what horrible things South Carolina had achieved against Clemson just the week before. West Virginia had 56 points by HALFTIME!

Elsewhere, Oklahoma State stunned #4 Oklahoma 45-44. #10 Louisiana Lafayette handled Louisiana Monroe 43-21. #15 Texas escaped Texas Tech 41-38. #17 Baylor routed Kansas 35-3. #22 Kansas State topped Iowa State 35-28. And #24 Navy slipped past Army 31-28.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State remains 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) with a bye week. Morsdraconis, #5 West Virginia improves to 11-1 (8-1 Big 12) with an unholy 81-42 win over TCU. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 7-5 (5-3 C-USA) with a 37-10 win over Ball State. Jaymo, Arizona State finishes 3-9 (2-7 Pac-12) with bye week. LeeSO, #13 Auburn remains 10-2 (7-2 SEC) with a bye week. SCClassof93, #1 South Carolina remains 12-0 (9-0 SEC) with a bye week. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 8-4 (5-3 Sun Belt) with a 27-3 win over Texas State. Florida International finishes 5-7 (5-3 C-USA) with a bye week. Navy improves to 9-3 (6-3 American) with a 31-28 win over Army. Tulsa finishes 3-9 (2-7 American) with a bye week.

In Mountain West action, no games were played this week.

With those results, looking at the latest conference standings, in the Mountain Division, Utah State (7-1) miraculously claims the Mountain Division title as Air Force (6-2) is left looking up from second place thanks to Boise State's 52-21 whooping in week 14! In the West Division, #4 Fresno State (8-0) has clinched the division and a spot in the conference title game.

So that sets up the Mountain West Conference Championship Game. It will be Utah State (9-3, 7-1) at #4 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0).

Looking at undefeated teams left, no one lost this week, leaving our number of undefeated teams at 3. #1 South Carolina (12-0), #2 Ohio State (12-0) and #4 Fresno State (12-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There are 0 teams still looking for their first win this season.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, South Carolina (40 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (21 votes) remains #2, Fresno State remains #3, West Virginia climbs one to #4 and Ole Miss moves up one to #5. Michigan climbs one to #6, UCLA jumps one to #7, Cincinnati moves up one to #8, Louisiana Lafayette climbs one to #9 and Arizona jumps one to #10. Georgia Tech climbs one to #11, Auburn jumps one to #12, Miami moves up one to #13, Oklahoma plummets ten to #14 and Texas remains #15. Florida State remains #16, Baylor remains #17, Stanford remains #18, Michigan State remains #19 and Ohio remains #20. Virginia Tech remains #21, Kansas State remains #22, Utah State remains #23, Navy remains #24 and SMU (285 points) remains #25. No one dropped out of the poll this week. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (254 points) is #26, followed by USC (212), Boise State (175), South Florida (138) and UTSA (36) to round out the Top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, South Carolina (37 first place votes) climbs one to retake #1, Ohio State (27 votes) drops one to #2, Fresno State (1 vote) remains #3, West Virginia remains #4 and UCLA climbs one to #5. Michigan moves up one to #6, Ole Miss climbs one to #7, Cincinnati jumps one to #8, Arizona moves up one to #9 and Georgia Tech climbs one to #10. Louisiana Lafayette climbs one to #11, Auburn jumps one to #12, Miami moves up one to #13, Oklahoma falls nine to #14 and Texas jumps one to #15. Baylor drops one to #16, Florida State remains #17, Stanford remains #18, Ohio remains #19 and Virginia Tech remains #20. Michigan State remains #21, Navy remains #22, Kansas State remains #23, Utah State remains #24 and Clemson (319 points) remains #25. No one dropped out of the poll this week. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, SMU (278 points) is #26, followed by Boise State (243), South Florida (208), USC (174) and UTSA (80) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Marshall (48) and Arkansas State (46).

In the newest BCS rankings: #1 South Carolina (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Fresno State (0.989), #4 West Virginia (0.984), #5 UCLA (0.974), #6 Michigan (0.974), #7 Ole Miss (0.974), #8 Cincinnati (0.962), #9 Arizona (0.955) and #10 Georgia Tech (0.943). Others: #11 Louisiana Lafayette (0.936), #12 Auburn (0.936), #23 Utah State (0.837), #24 Navy (0.833).

A look at the Heisman race, Texas QB Justin Jones is #1 (LW: #3), Fresno State HB Chris Vincent is #2 (LW: #1), Ohio State QB Jordan Watkins is #3 (LW: #2), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #4 (LW: #4) and West Virginia WR Michael McNeil is #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the watch list this week was Ole Miss QB Jason Davis (LW: #5).

Taking a glance at Award Finalists, Utah State cornerback Leonard Hart is first for the Bednarik, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is twelfth for the Bednarik, halfback Benjamin Silva is eighth for the Walker, halfback Brian Paris is tenth for the Walker, defensive end Steve Jones is ninth for the Lombardi, cornerback Leonard Hart is fourth for the Thorpe, cornerback Jesse Breedlove is eleventh for the Thorpe, kicker Doug Marcus is first for the Groza, and wide receiver David Douglas is fifth for Best Returner.

Looking at the bowl picture, 2 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 69 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 1 teams saw their bowl hopes end. That leaves 69 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots. One team will be getting screwed!

Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on California (6-6, 5-4) out of the Pac-12. The New Orleans Bowl would feature Southern Miss (7-5, 5-3 C-USA) vs Texas State (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt). The Armed Forces Bowl would see Western Kentucky (8-4, 6-2 C-USA) take on #24 Navy (9-3, 6-3 American). The Outback Bowl would feature #12 Auburn (10-2, 7-2 SEC) vs Wisconsin (6-6, 5-4 Big Ten). And the GoDaddy.com Bowl would see Toledo (8-4, 7-2 MAC) take on Arkansas State (8-4, 5-3 Sun Belt).

The Fiesta Bowl would feature #4 West Virginia (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) vs #9 Louisiana Lafayette (11-1, 8-0 Sun Belt). The Sugar Bowl would see #3 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West) against #7 UCLA (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12). And the BCS National Championship Game would feature a showdown between #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and #1 South Carolina (12-0, 9-0 SEC).

Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #6 Michigan (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) against #10 Arizona (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #4 West Virginia (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) matching up with #9 Louisiana Lafayette (11-1, 8-0 Sun Belt). The Sugar Bowl has #3 Fresno State (12-0, 8-0 Mountain West) matching up with #7 UCLA (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #21 Virginia Tech (9-3, 7-2 ACC) and #8 Cincinnati (11-1, 8-1 American). And in the national championship game, #2 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) takes on #1 South Carolina (12-0, 9-0 SEC).

SmoothPancakes

08-20-2015, 05:23 PM

And that will have to do it for now. It's already getting well into the evening, and I still have to eat dinner and find time to go into work for a couple hours. If I'm awake enough and feel up for attempting a whole new game later tonight when I get home, I'll give it a shot. Otherwise, the CCG will have to wait until tomorrow.

While I am happy as hell to finally crack the Mountain West title game (and my first conference title game since 2016 with Tulsa when they were still in Conference USA), man this is destroying my schedule. I had hoped to spend the rest of tonight and tomorrow working on the Pre-Bowl Games Update and all the stuff between Week 15 and the bowl games. I was going to find the time tomorrow to play my bowl game. And then I would have all day Saturday and Sunday to work everything from post-bowl games through the off-season and into the preseason of the 2024 season. Now everything is being thrown off and pushed back due to the extra game added with the CCG.

I'm still really pushing for Sunday night to be done with the off-season as I have to be up at 5am for work every morning next week, so my gaming chances are going to be minimal. I'm just not sure I'm going to make it.

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 01:57 PM

Mountain West Conference Championship Game

#23 :Utah_State: :@: #3 :Fresno_State:

Game Story

--- After three previous failed tries, Coach Ramius and Utah State had finally reached the promised land, the Mountain West Conference championship game. Their reward, a trip to Fresno, California to take on the 12-0 and #3 ranked Fresno State Bulldogs. The good news, Ramius holds a 2-1 record against the Bulldogs, defeating Fresno State 35-25 in 2022, losing to the Bulldogs 62-38 in 2021 and beating Fresno State 27-24 in overtime in 2016 while head coach at Tulsa. Not very much of a history to aid predictions, other than try your damnedest to hold Fresno State to 25 points or less for a chance to win.

Unlike our previous two opponents, this one had an offense and had one hell of a defense. Fresno State would come roaring into the game with the #3 rushing offense. The good news for us is that would be their only offense, as they also sported the #124 passing offense. On the flip side, we would have to find a way to overcome the best defense we had ever faced. Fresno State not only held the #1 defense in the nation, they held the #4 rushing defense and the #1 passing defense in the entire country. This was a team that not only put up nearly 300 yards a game rushing, but would then turn around to hold opponents to only 240 yards a game of total offense. We would have to find some way, any way, to overcome the single best defense in the entire country if we were to hope to win today. Fresno State won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A 29 yard kickoff return by David Douglas would get us off and running from our 29 yard line. Brian Paris would get things started with a four yard dash outside toward the right sideline, followed by a four yard plunge up the middle to leave third and two. Thanks to some great blocking, Paris would be able to find a hole and sprint through it for an 8 yard carry, giving us a first down at the 46 yard line. After a first down rush by Paris that resulted in no gain on the play, he would manage to do some spinning and juking in the heart of the defense and fight his way down to a 6 yard carry, somehow, to leave us facing third and four. Dropping back to pass on third down, Jason Barnes was able to just avoid the blitz and get a pass off to Aaron Allen, good for a gain of 14 yard and a new set of downs at the Fresno State 34 yard line. Thankfully Fresno State hadn’t found a way to block us yet, as Paris continued to rumble along on first down for an 8 yard gain, followed up with a four yard carry to move the chains to the 23. Bringing a first down blitz that was loaded to the left side would be a fatal mistake for the Bulldogs, as Paris got the ball and found a plethora of green field in front of him with a designed run to the right, following blockers and a giant hole all the way for an 11 yard rush and a first down at the 12 yard line. Paris would keep us moving with a three yard carry on first down, before being lit up in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving us facing third and 8. Dropping back into the shotgun on third down, Paris would rifle a perfectly timed pass through the defense and into the hands of Adam Washington for a 10 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:20 left in the first quarter.

A wind aided kickoff would sail out of the end zone for a touchback, Fresno State lining up from their 25 yard line for their first drive of the game. A first down option keeper by Justin Corbett would result in a one yard loss and a rough start for the Bulldogs offense. That would ALLLL change on second down as another option keeper, this time to the left side, would see Corbett break into the open and race 40 yards down the left sideline before being shoved out of bounds at our 36 yard line. A designed run by Corbett would again see the Bulldogs move backwards thanks to a two yard loss on the play. Another blown up option play would result in a one yard loss to leave Fresno State with third and 13. Justin Greer would take a standard handoff straight up the middle, but would only gain two yards on the play to bring up fourth and 11. The 36 yard punt would sail into the end zone for a touchback.

Taking over at our 20 yard line following the touchback, we would again turn to Paris to get us off and running. It would be a good choice as he would find a huge hole straight through the middle for an 8 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush for a first down at the 34. A 5 yard first down rush would be followed up with a big 10 yard sprint, moving the chains once more to the 49 yard line. From there we would start to find trouble running, as Paris could only pick up three yards on a first down carry, before being absolutely flattened by the Fresno State defense for a three yard loss, leaving us facing third and 10. Dropping back in the shotgun on third down, Barnes would be forced to take off scrambling to avoid a sack. While he would nearly get the first down himself with a 9 yard scramble, he would be forced out of bounds before he could cross the line, leaving us punting on fourth and one. The 41 yard wind aided punt would sail into the end zone for a touchback.

Starting their next drive at their own 20 yard line, Corbett would get started with a big 16 yard option keeper for a first down at the 36 yard line. A perfectly tossed option pitch would see Chris Vincent race up field for a 10 yard carry and a new first down. Another pitch to Vincent would this time be defended properly, as Vincent would end up tackled for a two yard loss on the play. That would be the last play as the clock ran out, bringing the first quarter to an end with our lead at 7-0.

Opening up the second quarter, Fresno State lined up facing second and 12, an option keeper by Corbett picking up three yards to set up third and 9. Going into the air on third down, Corbett would try to connect with Marvin Williams in the flats, but the underthrown pass would sail right into the back of the head of our cornerback for an incomplete pass, forcing Fresno State to punt on fourth down. Sweet mother of god, Fresno State would run a fake punt run, and it would decimate our defense, as Greer would break out of three tackles and sprint down the field for a 48 yard rush before being ankle tackled from behind, giving Fresno State first and goal from our 6 yard line. :fp: Vincent would get the ball on first down, but would be quickly tackled for no gain on the play. The Bulldogs would finish it off on the next play as Corbett would run the option keeper to perfection and drive into the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 8:48 left in the second quarter.

A 30 yard kickoff return by Douglas would start our next drive from our 24 yard line. Paris would get the call on first down, racing through the defense for a 9 yard gain, before being lit up by the blitzing defense for no gain on the play, leaving third and one. Paris would just extend our drive with a three yard rush, moving the chains to the 36 yard line. Paris would find better success on first down with a 7 yard carry around the right side, followed by a gain of 9 yards and a first down at the Fresno State 49 yard line. The first down carry by Paris would see a gain of just two yards on the play, followed by a three yard carry by Benjamin Silva to leave us with third and 5. Taking a shot with a play action pass on third down, the Fresno State defense would bite completely, leaving tight end Gerald Woods completely uncovered in the flats, the pass from Barnes good for a 21 yard gain and a first down at the 23 yard line. Paris would get the call again on first down, only to be immediately met and driven backwards for a two yard loss on the play. Going into the air on second and 12, the pass intended for Douglas would be nearly intercepted by the middle linebacker, leaving us facing third and long. Taking a shot into the end zone, the pass intended for Jon Morris would likewise be nearly intercepted, bringing our drive to an end on fourth and 12. Settling for a 41 yard field goal, the kick by Doug Marcus would sail through the uprights to give us a 10-7 lead with 5:01 left in the second quarter.

Fresno State would field the kickoff in the end zone and drop to a knee to take the touchback. Lining up from their 25 yard line, Fresno State would predictably come out running the ball, as an option keeper by Corbett would go for gain of 14 yards and an immediate first down at the 39 yard line. A first down carry by Vincent would gain just one yard on the play, followed with a 5 yard keeper by Corbett to bring up third and four. Dropping back to pass on third down, Corbett would be indecisive in the pocket, not choosing whether to throw it or scramble, and that would lead to him being sacked for a three yard loss on the play, forcing another Fresno State punt on fourth and 7. A solid 20 yard return by Jesse Breedlove on the 42 yard punt would start our drive from the 36 yard line.

Lining up at the 36, Paris would again be called on for first down, only to be blown up in the backfield for a three yard loss on the play, leaving second and 13. Abandoning the run this drive, we would turn to the shotgun on second down, but the pass intended for Washington would be broken up to leave third down. Another shotgun pass would see Barnes overthrow Allen in a rushed pass, forcing us to punt on fourth and long. A mediocre 36 yard punt would sail out of bound at the Fresno State 30 yard line.

Taking over on first down from their 30 yard line, the Bulldogs would come out running with an 8 yard keeper by Corbett on first down. Another keeper would see Corbett gain two yards, just enough for the first down at the 41 yard line. Corbett would leave the game with an injury after that play, suffering a dislocated thumb that would leave him sidelined for the rest of the game. With their starting quarterback lost for the rest of the game, it would be understandable if the Fresno State offense starting missing a beat, but instead, backup quarterback Cedric Clark would come in on first down and immediately torch our defense with his own running skills, breaking free on an option keeper for a 31 yard gain and a first down at our 28 yard line. Clark would drop back to pass on first down, but with a heavy blitz coming to try and contain the option, Clark would be left nothing but a sitting duck, ultimately sacked on the play for a 6 yard loss to leave second and 16. Clark would launch up a pass toward the left corner of the end zone, only to have the pass intercepted by cornerback Breedlove, giving us the ball at our 6 yard line.

Taking over in the shadows of our own goalposts after the interception, we would come out passing on first down with just a minute and a half left on the clock. Barnes would drop back on first down and connect with Washington for a quick 8 yard completion, followed by a 23 yard strike to a wide open Morris, giving us a first down at the 36 yard line. A quick pass to an uncovered tight end Jack Long would go for a 15 yard gain. That would be followed up by a 14 yard completion to Allen, giving us a first down at the Fresno State 34 yard line, our first timeout called with 37 seconds left until halftime. A perfectly played coverage by the outside linebacker would see a completion to Douglas instead nearly turn into a gift wrapped interception, the incomplete pass leaving second down. We would keep the drive moving on second down as Barnes was able to connect with Douglas this time around for an 11 yard gain to the 23 yard line. That would be followed up with a perfectly thrown pass over the middle through the heart of the defense and into the hands of Washington for a 20 yard completion, giving us first and goal at the three yard line, our second timeout called with 19 seconds remaining. With only one chance at the end zone, we would try out luck on the ground, but Paris would only be able to fight his way for a two yard gain, leaving us with second and goal from the one yard line, our third and final timeout called with three seconds left. Marcus would easily make the 18 yard field goal with no time left, sending us into halftime with a 13-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff would give Fresno State the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Clark would start things off with an option keeper for a gain of 10 yards and a quick first down. Another keeper by Clark would gain 9 yards, followed by a four yard carry by Williams to get the first down at the 48 yard line. Clark would nearly break free for a touchdown on first down, but a belly flopping ankle tackle by a defensive end would trip Clark up for only a 16 yard gain, still picking up a first down however at our 36 yard line. Clark would keep the ball on first down, only gaining three yards on the play, followed by a blown option that would see Clark tackled for a two yard loss, leaving third and 9 for the Bulldogs. Dropping back to pass on third down, Clark would get lit up while throwing for an incomplete pass to leave fourth and 9. Fresno State would take a shot on fourth down, but Clark would also be as indecisive as Corbett in the middle of a collapsing pocket, ultimately sacked for a 7 yard loss to force the turnover on downs.

Taking over at our own 41 yard line following the turnover on downs, Paris would try to get us off and moving on first down, managing only a two yard gain on the play, However, we would end up going backwards as a holding penalty was called on left tackle Derek Smith on the play, leaving us facing first and 20 from the 31 yard line. Paris would try to pick up some quick yard for us, gaining 5 yards on the carry. Lining up under center on second down, Barnes would connect with tight end Sam Livingston for a 9 yard completion, leaving us with third and 6. Dropping back into the shotgun, Barnes would never get the pass off as he would end up sacked for a 6 yard loss, forcing us to punt on fourth and 12. The booming kick would land at the 10 yard line and bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

Fresno State would start their next drive at their 20 yard line following the touchback, where Vincent would get them off and running with a four yard carry on first down. Clark would make a mistake on second down, pitching the ball instead of keeping it, turning what would have been a 5 yard gain into a gain of only three yards, leaving third and three for the Bulldogs. Clark would make up for his mistake on third down, picking up those three yards and then some with a 10 yard rush straight up the middle, giving Fresno State a first down at the 37 yard line. Another first down rush by Vincent would go for a three yard gain around the left side, followed by a failed second down option that would see Clark lose two yards on the play, forcing third and 9. This time around, the Bulldogs would successfully go into the air, as Clark connected with Jeremy Fleming in the middle of traffic over the middle, good for a 27 yard completion and a first down at our 35 yard line. From there it would be right back to the option game as Clark would keep the ball for a four yard gain, followed by another failed play that would see Clark tackled for a two yard loss, leaving third and 8. The third down pass toward the left corner of the end zone, intended for Terrance Green would be nearly intercepted by the cornerback, forcing Fresno State to again gamble and go for it on fourth down. Our defense would catch a HUGE break on fourth down, as Clark launched a pass into the end zone to a wide open Green, only to see Green fail to catch the ball and instead bobble and drop it, the dropped pass forcing a turnover on downs.

Retaking possession at our 34 yard line following the turnover on downs, Paris would only manage a single yard on first down. Running a play action pass on second down, the defense would fail to pick up the fake, resulting in Long being left wide open near the sideline for a 25 yard completion, giving us a first down at the Fresno State 40 yard line. Paris would finally find more success on the ground with a 7 yard carry on first down, before being dropped for a gain of two yards, leaving us facing third and one. Barnes would try and keep the ball on third down, but he would be trapped in the backfield with nowhere to go, tackled for a loss of two yards to leave fourth and three. With a 5 MPH wind behind us, we would line up for the field goal, the 50 yard kick by Marcus splitting the uprights to give us a 16-7 lead with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would give Fresno State the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down keeper by Clark would go for a gain of just two yards. He would more than make up for that on second down as he would run another option keeper to the left, this time finding space and racing up the sideline for a huge 57 yard gain before finally being shoved out of bounds at our 16 yard line. Fresno State would fail to get the snap off before the clock ran out, bringing the third quarter to an end, with us very surprisingly holding a 16-7 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, Vincent would keep the Bulldogs moving with an 8 yard option rush on first down, followed by a three yard gain on the option pitch to give Fresno State first and goal at our 6 yard line. The Bulldogs would waste no time in ending the drive as our defense would get destroyed by the option keeper, allowing Clark to slowly trot into the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 16-14 with 9:29 left in the game.

Douglas would come through for us with a huge, badly needed 60 yard kickoff return, giving our offense the ball to start at the Fresno State 45 yard line and a great chance to try and put this game away. Paris would get us off and running with an 8 yard gain on the first down play, before being tackled for no gain on the second down carry, leaving us facing third and two. A two yard rush by Paris would get us very near the first down, but we would still be marked short, left facing fourth and inches at the 36 yard line. Looking for any points we could get, despite kicking into a 5 MPH wind, Marcus would nail the 53 yard field goal, giving us a 19-14 lead with 7:59 left in the game.

A touchback on the kickoff would start Fresno State from their 25 yard line. Clark again would get the Bulldogs quickly moving down the field as he would take off on first down with an option keeper, using the sideline and a wall of blockers to rush for a big 36 yard gain and a first down at our 39 yard line. Keeping the ball on first down, this time Clark would be limited to just a two yard gain, followed by a carry of only one yard, leaving the Bulldogs lining up on third and 7. Even after dropping back to pass on third down, Clark would still torch our defense as he would take off scrambling, easily picking up 18 yards before anyone on our defense could bring him down, giving Fresno State a first down at our 18 yard line. Another option keeper by Clark would go for a gain of a 11 yards, setting up Fresno State with first and goal from our 7 yard line. Shockingly, Fresno State would line up showing option, only for Clark to take two steps back from under center and launch a blazingly quick pass over the middle to Green on a slant route, giving Fresno State a 7 yard touchdown. Fresno State would go for the two point conversion, and would get it as Clark would keep the ball on an option run, trotting into the end zone untouched to give the Bulldogs a 22-19 lead with 6:13 left in the game.

A booming kickoff would sail out of the end zone for a touchback, forcing us to start at our 25 yard line. Paris would get the call to start our drive on the ground, but he would only be able to pick up two yards before a reenergized defense would swarm him. Trying to run a play action pass on second down, disaster would strike as the pass intended for Woods would be intercepted by cornerback Daniel Matthews and returned 7 yards, giving Fresno State the ball at our 32 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, Fresno State would come out running as Clark would pitch the ball to Vincent for a 7 yard gain. A second down option keeper by Clark would leave him running for an easy 11 yard gain and a first down at our 14 yard line. Bringing damn near the entire defense, we would finally manage to contain Clark and tackle him for a two yard loss on first down. Fresno State would try and pass on second down, but with bringing half the house on a blitz, Clark would be forced to throw the ball away, leaving the Bulldogs with third and 12. Clark would again drop back to pass on third down, only to end up sacked for a 7 yard loss. Apparently with no viable field goal kicker, the Bulldogs would entirely skip the 39 yard field goal and instead elect to go for it on fourth and 19. That would be a mistake for Fresno State as the pass from Clark, intended for Green, would be intercepted by cornerback Mike Moses near the end zone and returned 21 yards out to our 25 yard line.

Lining up on offense after the interception, this time we would come out passing on first down, as Barnes would line up in the shotgun and fire a pass off to Douglas for a gain of 12 and a quick first down. Another pass to Douglas would be broken up this time on a comeback route, leaving us with second down. The second down pass intended for Tristan Muhammad would likewise end up broken up and incomplete, bringing up third and 10. Throwing up a quick pass to Paris, who had spread out to join the 5 wide, he would pull in the throw from Barnes for a gain of 19 yards to extend our drive at the Fresno State 44 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Barnes would drop back and sling a pass to fullback Raymond Watson, good for a gain of 10 yards and another first down at the 34 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Paris would fight his way to a four yard gain on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush that would leave us with third and one. Silva would get the call on the third down play, barely getting three yards, but enough for a new set of downs at the 22 yard line. Silva would keep at it on first down with a four yard rush, followed by a three yard carry to leave us with third and three. A two yard rush would be all Silva would manage, bringing up fourth and one from the 13 yard line. Settling for a game tying field goal, we would let the play clock run all the way down, calling our first timeout of the half to stop the game clock with four seconds left in the game. Fresno State would then proceed to burn through all three of their timeouts to try and freeze our kicker. After that process was finally over, we lined up on fourth and one with four seconds left. Marcus would coolly boot the football up and straight through the middle of the uprights for a 30 yard field goal, tying the game at 22-22 with two seconds left in the game.

A 14 yard return by Michael Whitaker on a squibbed kickoff would kill the remaining time on the clock, sending us into overtime tied at 22-22.

At the start of overtime, we would win the coin toss and elected to go on defense first. Starting at their 25 yard line, Fresno State would begin on the ground as a handoff to Greer would go for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a two yard rush that would leave third and two. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Clark would fake the option keeper to draw in our blitzing linebacker, and then dump it at the last second to Vincent, who would proceed to race across the first down line for a gain of 5 yards and a new set of downs at the 12 yard line. Clark would try to keep the ball on first down, only to be tackled for a three yard loss on the play. Greer would get the ball on second down, fighting his way through four different tackles on his way to a 10 yard rush, leaving third and three at the 5 yard line. Despite blitzing nearly the entire defense, Clark would keep the ball, turn up the field around his left tackle and walk into the end zone untouched for a 5 yard touchdown, giving Fresno State a 29-22 lead.

Coming out for our turn on offense, lining up at the 25 yard line, we too would turn to our running game to start the drive as Silva got the ball on first down, fighting his way to a two yard gain. Attempting a play action pass on second down, the toss to Watson would be complete for a four yard gain, leaving us with third and four. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Barnes would drop back and fire a pass to Allen, only to have it ripped right out of his hands and intercepted by outside linebacker Mark Grant, killing our hopes right there on the spot as Fresno State would escape with a 29-22 overtime victory.

With the loss, we drop to 9-4, 7-2 in Mountain West action. With the win, #3 Fresno State improves to 13-0, 9-0 in Mountain West play and are your 2023 Mountain West champions. Up next, we wait to see what bowl game we will play in and who our opponent will be.

Final Score

#3 :Fresno_State: 29, #23 :Utah_State: 22 - OT

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A decent day for Barnes, going 15-24 for 216 yards (his highest yardage in ages) for one touchdown, but also two interceptions. Rushing, Paris was held in check as he would get only 137 yards on 35 carries. Silva would gain only 17 yards on 6 rushes. Receiving, Washington would lead in most catches at three, to go along with 39 yards and one touchdown. Long would claim most yards, with 40 yards on two catches. In all, nine different receivers would catch a pass today, eight of them ending the day with double digit receiving yards as the rock was shared around plenty.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Another pretty bad performance by the defense. While they were incredible against the pass, allowing just three completions and only 39 yards through the air, that mattered almost nothing as they turned around and gave up a team history worst 398 yards rushing. Clark, who came in as a bloody backup and only played three quarters would end with 201 yards rushin, Corbett, who only played the first quarter, finished with 87, Greer had 68, Vincent had 38 and Williams had four. Clark would rack up his 201 yards on just 25 carries, good for an 8.0 average. Corbett finished with a 7.2 average as he got his 87 yards on 12 rushes. Greer finished with an absurd 13.6 average as his 68 yards came on only 5 carries.

Special team, Douglas was the lone returner today, ending with 117 yards on three kick returns, including a big 60 yard return that would unfortunately end with only a field goal.

Utah State Kicking – It would be another perfect day for Marcus, who even despite kicking into a 5 MPH wind for two quarters, would go 5-5 with field goals of 18, 30, 41, 50 and 53 yards, to go along with a perfect 1-1 on extra points. Those five field goals would also help Marcus break the NCAA record for most field goals made in a season, his 34 field goals this season breaking the previous record of 31 set by Georgia kicker Billy Bennett back in 2003.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Overtime
Final Score

:Utah_State:
7
6
3
6
0
22

:Fresno_State:
0
7
0
15
7
29

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

5:20
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
A. Washington, 10 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

8:48
:Fresno_State:
Touchdown
J. Corbett, 6 yard run (A. Browne kick)
TIED 7-7

5:01
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 41 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 10-7

0:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 18 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 13-7

Third Quarter

0:46
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 50 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 16-7

Fourth Quarter

9:29
:Fresno_State:
Touchdown
C. Clark, 6 yard run (A. Browne kick)
:Utah_State: 16-14

7:59
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 53 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 19-14

6:13
:Fresno_State:
Touchdown
T. Green, 7 yard pass from C. Clark (2-Pt good)
:Fresno_State: 22-19

0:02
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 30 yard field goal
TIED 22-22

Overtime

---
:Fresno_State:
Touchdown
C. Clark, 5 yard run (A. Browne kick)
:Fresno_State: 29-22

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Fresno State

22
Score
29

19
First Downs
19

372
Total Offense
437

44 - 156 - 0
Rushes - Yards - TD
53 - 398 - 3

15 - 24 - 1
Comp - Att - TD
3 - 10 - 1

216
Passing Yards
39

1
Times Sacked
4

7 - 15 (46%)
3rd Down Conversion
5 - 11 (45%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
1 - 4 (25%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
1 - 1 (100%)

4 - 1 - 2 (75%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
5 - 4 - 0 (80%)

2
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
2

20
Punt Return Yards
0

117
Kick Return Yards
14

509
Total Yards
451

3 –45.7
Punts - Average
2 - 39.0

1 - 10
Penalties
0 - 0

22:28
Time of Possession
17:32

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x2

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x2

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Play in an ESPN Classic Game
75
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

NCAA Record: Field Goals Made/Season (34)
500
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
9

Job Security Status

100%

jaymo76

08-21-2015, 02:00 PM

Yet another score update.

Very late 4th quarter, Fresno State leads Hawaii 20-13 as the Rainbows have made a second half comeback.

Meanwhile it has gone final, Marshall defeats Southern Miss 52-31.

And still not a single sighting of an update on Air Force-Boise State. What a crock.

If Madden did a ticker and league score updates it would totally change the immerssion. All NCAA did was sim the games FIRST rather than last. Why can Madden not do the same???

jaymo76

08-21-2015, 02:03 PM

Heard a rumour today in the Utah Free Press that Coach Pancakes is getting serious consideration from the 5 power conferences. Any truth that you may be looking at a bigger and better school in the offseason???

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 02:14 PM

Conference Championship Week

Conference
Winning Team
Record
Score
Losing Team
Record

:ACC_Championship:
:Clemson:
10-3 (8-2)
24-17
(21) :Virginia_Tech:
9-4 (7-3)

:AAC:
(8) :Cincinnati:
12-1 (9-1)
44-17
(25) :SMU:
8-5 (7-3)

:B1G_Championship:
(2) :Ohio_State:
13-0 (10-0)
35-28
:Wisconsin:
6-7 (5-5)

:CUSA:
:UTSA:
10-3 (8-1)
34-30
:Marshall:
9-4 (6-3)

:MAC_Championship:
(20) :Ohio:
11-2 (8-2)
35-19
:Toledo:
8-5 (7-3)

:Mountain_West:
(3) :Fresno_State:
13-0 (8-0)
29-22 OT
(23) :Utah_State:
9-4 (7-2)

:Pac_12:
(10) :Arizona:
11-2 (9-1)
28-17
(18) :Stanford:
9-4 (6-4)

:SEC_Championship:
(1) :South_Carolina:
13-0 (10-0)
41-24
(5) :Ole_Miss:
11-2 (8-2)

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 02:18 PM

If Madden did a ticker and league score updates it would totally change the immerssion. All NCAA did was sim the games FIRST rather than last. Why can Madden not do the same???

Yeah, I like being able to see how games are going on the ticker while I play. It definitely adds to the immersion as you go through a season, knowing what else is going on around you.

Heard a rumour today in the Utah Free Press that Coach Pancakes is getting serious consideration from the 5 power conferences. Any truth that you may be looking at a bigger and better school in the offseason???

According to an athletic department spokesman, Coach Ramius has no comment on any future plans at this time. He said he is looking forward to seeing where the team will be heading for their bowl game and getting his team prepared for their eventual opponent.

:)

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 03:47 PM

Pre-Bowl Games Update

Final BCS Standings

Rank
LW
Team
Wins
Losses
Points

1
1
South Carolina
13
0
1.000

2
2
Ohio State
13
0
.995

3
3
Fresno State
13
0
.989

4
4
West Virginia
11
1
.984

5
6
Michigan
11
1
.976

6
5
UCLA
11
1
.976

7
8
Cincinnati
12
1
.968

8
9
Arizona
11
2
.958

9
7
Ole Miss
11
2
.952

10
10
Georgia Tech
10
2
.946

11
11
Louisiana Lafayette
11
1
.944

12
12
Auburn
10
2
.933

13
13
Oklahoma
10
2
.922

14
14
Miami
9
3
.921

15
15
Texas
9
3
.917

16
16
Florida State
9
3
.902

17
17
Baylor
9
3
.902

18
19
Michigan State
9
3
.890

19
21
Ohio
11
2
.867

20
22
Kansas State
8
4
.867

21
25
Clemson
10
3
.866

22
24
Navy
9
3
.849

23
---
Boise State
8
4
.841

24
18
Stanford
9
4
.832

25
---
USC
8
4
.829

Conference Standings

* - Played in Conference Championship Game

ACC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

Atlantic Division

#1
(21) Clemson*
10-3
.760
8-2
494
342
5-1

#2
Louisville
7-5
.580
6-3
409
354
4-2

#3
(16) Florida State
9-3
.750
6-3
438
293
4-2

#4
NC State
6-6
.500
5-4
319
321
3-3

#5
Boston College
5-7
.410
3-6
282
377
2-4

#6
Syracuse
5-7
.410
2-7
382
385
2-4

#7
Wake Forest
3-9
.250
2-7
293
431
1-5

Coastal Division

#1
(10) Georgia Tech
10-2
.830
7-2
408
262
5-1

#2
Virginia Tech*
9-4
.690
7-3
508
373
5-1

#3
(14) Miami
9-3
.750
6-3
416
293
4-2

#4
Pittsburgh
5-7
.410
4-5
347
456
2-4

#5
Virginia
5-7
.410
4-5
322
402
3-3

#6
North Carolina
3-9
.250
2-7
291
382
1-5

#7
Duke
3-9
.250
2-7
285
405
1-5

American Athletic Conference

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(7) Cincinnati*
12-1
.920
9-1
485
279
4-1

#2
Temple
8-4
.660
6-3
359
293
2-3

#3
South Florida
8-4
.660
6-3
336
251
3-2

#4
Central Florida
7-5
.580
5-4
407
353
3-2

#5
Connecticut
5-7
.410
5-4
404
331
2-3

#6
East Carolina
2-10
.160
2-7
323
491
1-4

West Division

#1
SMU*
8-5
.610
7-3
416
365
5-0

#2
(22) Navy
9-3
.750
6-3
414
365
4-1

#3
Tulane
5-7
.410
4-5
336
351
3-2

#4
Memphis
4-8
.330
2-7
349
441
1-4

#5
Tulsa
3-9
.250
2-7
286
383
1-4

#6
Houston
3-9
.250
1-8
281
437
1-4

Big 12

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
(4) West Virginia
11-1
.910
8-1
580
346

#2
(13) Oklahoma
10-2
.830
7-2
430
294

#3
(17) Baylor
9-3
.750
6-3
362
316

#4
(15) Texas
9-3
.750
6-3
524
354

#5
(20) Kansas State
8-4
.660
5-4
455
407

#6
TCU
6-6
.500
5-4
380
396

#7
Iowa State
6-6
.500
4-5
343
320

#8
Oklahoma State
6-6
.500
3-6
403
399

#9
Kansas
2-10
.160
1-8
277
446

#10
Texas Tech
2-10
.160
0-9
339
505

Big Ten

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(2) Ohio State*
13-0
1.000
10-0
554
262
6-0

#2
(5) Michigan
11-1
.910
8-1
494
259
5-1

#3
(18) Michigan State
9-3
.750
6-3
421
320
4-2

#4
Indiana
6-6
.500
4-5
357
364
2-4

#5
Penn State
7-5
.580
4-5
377
304
1-5

#6
Rutgers
4-8
.330
3-6
361
451
2-4

#7
Maryland
3-9
.250
3-6
357
493
1-5

West Division

#1
Purdue
6-6
.500
5-4
310
375
4-2

#2
Nebraska
6-6
.500
5-4
366
339
4-2

#3
Wisconsin*
6-7
.460
5-5
375
427
4-2

#4
Northwestern
6-6
.500
4-5
404
361
4-2

#5
Minnesota
5-7
.410
3-6
383
395
2-4

#6
Iowa
5-7
.410
3-6
350
397
2-4

#7
Illinois
3-9
.250
1-8
333
446
1-5

Conference USA

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
Marshall*
9-4
.690
6-3
447
282
4-2

#2
Florida International
5-7
.410
5-3
330
355
5-1

#3
Southern Miss
7-5
.580
5-3
311
374
4-2

#4
Florida Atlantic
5-7
.410
5-3
263
325
3-3

#5
Old Dominion
4-8
.330
3-5
310
384
2-4

#6
UAB
3-9
.250
2-6
272
427
2-4

#7
Massachusetts
1-11
.080
1-7
297
480
1-5

West Division

#1
UTSA*
10-3
.760
8-1
443
369
5-1

#2
Western Kentucky
8-4
.660
6-2
396
329
4-2

#3
Rice
6-6
.500
4-4
354
310
3-3

#4
Mid Tennessee State
5-7
.410
4-4
339
370
3-3

#5
North Texas
5-7
.410
3-5
339
345
3-3

#6
Louisiana Tech
5-7
.410
3-5
313
396
2-4

#7
UTEP
4-8
.330
2-6
236
362
1-5

Independents

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
BYU
3-9
.250
---
360
459

#2
Notre Dame
3-9
.250
---
296
385

#3
Army
3-9
.250
---
279
382

MAC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(19) Ohio*
11-2
.840
8-2
438
251
5-0

#2
Miami University
7-5
.580
5-4
421
359
3-2

#3
Akron
6-6
.500
5-4
248
311
3-2

#4
Kent State
4-8
.330
4-5
292
402
3-2

#5
Bowling Green
3-9
.250
2-7
290
383
0-5

#6
Buffalo
1-11
.080
1-8
199
353
1-4

West Division

#1
Toledo*
8-5
.610
7-3
428
343
4-1

#2
Northern Illinois
8-4
.660
6-3
285
281
3-2

#3
Ball State
6-6
.500
6-3
285
281
3-2

#4
Western Michigan
4-8
.330
4-5
235
402
3-2

#5
Central Michigan
5-7
.410
4-5
354
330
1-4

#6
Eastern Michigan
4-8
.330
3-6
270
371
1-4

Mountain West

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

Mountain Division

#1
Utah State*
9-4
.690
7-2
465
297
4-1

#2
Air Force
8-4
.660
6-2
373
347
4-1

#3
(23) Boise State
8-4
.660
5-3
448
309
4-1

#4
Colorado State
3-9
.250
2-6
216
377
2-3

#5
New Mexico
4-8
.330
1-7
257
356
1-4

#6
Wyoming
2-10
.160
1-7
202
418
0-5

West Division

#1
(3) Fresno State*
13-0
1.000
9-0
384
195
5-0

#2
Nevada
5-7
.410
5-3
296
319
3-2

#3
Hawaii
5-7
.410
4-4
370
364
2-3

#4
San Diego State
5-7
.410
3-5
370
303
3-2

#5
San Jose State
5-7
.410
3-5
349
392
1-4

#6
UNLV
3-9
.250
3-5
258
391
1-4

Pac-12

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

North Division

#1
(24) Stanford*
9-4
.690
6-4
413
328
4-1

#2
California
6-6
.500
5-4
431
463
4-1

#3
Oregon
6-6
.500
4-5
376
375
4-1

#4
Oregon State
6-6
.500
4-5
334
304
2-3

#5
Washington
7-5
.580
4-5
417
353
1-4

#6
Washington State
3-9
.250
1-8
388
433
0-5

South Division

#1
(8) Arizona*
11-2
.840
9-1
532
356
5-0

#2
(6) UCLA
11-1
.910
8-1
436
275
4-1

#3
Utah
7-5
.580
6-3
408
374
2-3

#4
(25) USC
8-4
.660
5-4
409
332
2-3

#5
Arizona State
3-9
.250
2-7
282
418
1-4

#6
Colorado
2-10
.160
1-8
293
443
1-4

SEC

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against
Division Record

East Division

#1
(1) South Carolina*
13-0
1.000
10-0
595
291
6-0

#2
Florida
7-5
.580
5-4
416
316
3-3

#3
Kentucky
6-6
.500
4-5
415
389
3-3

#4
Georgia
5-7
.410
4-5
334
362
3-3

#5
Tennessee
6-6
.500
3-6
380
373
2-4

#6
Missouri
6-6
.500
3-6
400
409
2-4

#7
Vanderbilt
5-7
.410
3-6
402
429
2-4

West Division

#1
(9) Ole Miss*
11-2
.840
8-2
511
344
5-1

#2
(12) Auburn
10-2
.830
7-2
392
250
4-2

#3
Arkansas
7-5
.580
4-5
403
433
4-2

#4
Alabama
6-6
.500
4-5
393
365
2-4

#5
Mississippi State
7-5
.580
4-5
367
315
2-4

#6
LSU
5-7
.410
3-6
389
418
3-3

#7
Texas A&M
4-8
.330
2-7
330
438
1-5

Sun Belt

Rank
Team
Record
Percentage
Conference Record
Points For
Points Against

#1
(11) Louisiana Lafayette
11-1
.910
8-0
465
314

#2
Texas State
8-4
.660
6-2
266
314

#3
Arkansas State
8-4
.660
5-3
372
242

#4
Troy
6-6
.500
4-4
331
222

#5
New Mexico State
6-6
.500
4-4
400
413

#6
Louisiana Monroe
5-7
.410
3-5
307
362

#7
Georgia State
4-8
.330
3-5
307
389

#8
Idaho
3-9
.250
2-6
320
412

#9
South Alabama
2-10
.160
1-7
249
388

Heisman Memorial Trophy

:Heisman_Trophy:

Rank
Player
Position
Team
1st
2nd
3rd
Total

#1
Jordan Watkins
QB
Ohio State
271
261
181
1516

#2
Chris Vincent
HB
Fresno State
254
225
220
1432

#3
Justin Jones
QB
Texas
198
204
247
1249

#4
Jason Davis
QB
Ole Miss
38
71
93
349

#5
Jared Stevens
QB
South Carolina
16
22
33
125

Award Winners

Award
Player
Position
Team
Year

:Heisman_Trophy:
Jordan Watkins
QB
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

Maxwell
Jordan Watkins
QB
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

Walter Camp
Chris Vincent
HB
Fresno State
Senior

Bednarik
Leonard Hart
CB
Utah State
Junior

Nagurski
Isaac Irvin
ROLB
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

O'Brien
Jordan Watkins
QB
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

Walker
Chris Vincent
HB
Fresno State
Senior

Biletnikoff
Michael McNeil
WR
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

Mackey
Jamaal Collins
TE
Ohio State
Senior

Outland
Loren Johnson
C
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

Rimington
Loren Johnson
C
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

Lombardi
Jim Smith
DT
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

Best LB
Isaac Irvin
ROLB
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

Thorpe
Lawrence Harrison
CB
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

Groza
Doug Marcus
K
Utah State
Junior

Guy
Ken Smith
P
UCLA
Senior

Best Returner
Shannon Holland
HB
Notre Dame
Junior (RS)

All Americans

All-NCAA

1st Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Jordan Watkins
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

HB
Chris Vincent
Fresno State
Senior

HB
Brian Paris
Utah State
Senior (RS)

WR
Michael McNeil
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

WR
Brandon Doty
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

TE
Jamaal Collins
Ohio State
Senior

LT
Ted McDowell
Ohio State
Senior (RS)

LG
Matt Hicks
South Carolina
Junior (RS)

C
Loren Johnson
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

RG
Kyle Burley
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

RT
Pat Peterson
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

Defense

LE
Paul Fuller
Tulane
Senior (RS)

LE
Nathan Kelly
Arizona
Junior (RS)

DT
Jim Smith
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

DT
Scott Flanagan
Utah State
Junior (RS)

MLB
Todd Alexander
Ohio State
Senior

ROLB
Cory Haynes
South Carolina
Junior (RS)

ROLB
Isaac Irvin
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

CB
Leonard Hart
Utah State
Junior

CB
Lawrence Harrison
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

FS
Nick Scott
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

SS
Jon Mason
Cincinnati
Senior (RS)

K
Doug Marcus
Utah State
Junior

P
Ken Smith
UCLA
Senior

Returner
Shannon Holland
Notre Dame
Junior (RS)

2nd Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Jared Stevens
South Carolina
Senior (RS)

HB
Travis Smiley
Louisville
Senior (RS)

HB
Jerome Gore
Ohio
Sophomore (RS)

WR
Sam Mayo
Iowa State
Senior (RS)

WR
Will Holden
Louisiana Lafayette
Junior (RS)

TE
Derrick Thomas
Cincinnati
Senior (RS)

LT
Brandon Ruffin
Stanford
Senior (RS)

LG
Charlie Blanks
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

C
Marvin Dixon
West Virginia
Senior (RS)

RG
Chad Garrison
Michigan
Senior (RS)

RT
B.J. Wilkinson
Ohio State
Junior

Defense

LE
Cameron Goins
Michigan State
Junior (RS)

RE
Riley Jean
Clemson
Junior (RS)

DT
Ken Taylor
Auburn
Senior

DT
Chris Mann
Georgia
Senior (RS)

LOLB
Brent Bullock
South Carolina
Senior

MLB
Trey Smith
Stanford
Junior

ROLB
Tyler Barrett
Cincinnati
Senior (RS)

CB
Zac McLaughlin
Auburn
Senior (RS)

CB
Tim Keller
Wisconsin
Senior

FS
Kyle Mitchell
Utah State
Sophomore (RS)

SS
Joel Reed
Michigan State
Senior (RS)

K
Kris Russell
Virginia Tech
Junior

P
T.J. Petty
Ole Miss
Junior

Returner
Edwin Morton
Clemson
Senior (RS)

Freshman Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Matt Cochran
Auburn
Freshman (RS)

HB
Derrick Ross
Utah
Freshman

HB
Sam Allen
Texas
Freshman (RS)

WR
Randy Holt
Texas
Freshman (RS)

WR
Ryan Smith
Buffalo
Freshman

TE
Robbie Jackson
Texas
Freshman

LT
Brian Howard
South Carolina
Freshman (RS)

LT
Ryan Roberts
Arizona
Freshman

C
Dan Frazier
Ohio State
Freshman

RG
Ernest Dickson
Ohio State
Freshman

RG
Bryan Jefferson
Ohio State
Freshman

Defense

LE
Steve Jones
Utah State
Freshman (RS)

RE
Eric Slaughter
Arkansas
Freshman

DT
Courtney Johnson
Cincinnati
Freshman

DT
Quinton Pittman
Ohio State
Freshman

MLB
Willie Louis
West Virginia
Freshman (RS)

ROLB
Nicholas Clark
Navy
Freshman

ROLB
Marcus Bishop
Mid Tennessee State
Freshman

CB
William Gordon
South Carolina
Freshman

CB
Sid Watson
Idaho
Freshman

FS
Leon Johnson
Arizona
Freshman (RS)

SS
Carl Ferwerda
Ole Miss
Freshman

K
Brian Bradley
Navy
Freshman

P
William Smith
Virginia Tech
Freshman

Returner
Jay Hopkins
Maryland
Freshman (RS)

All-Mountain West

1st Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Demetrius Hester
Boise State
Junior (RS)

HB
Chris Vincent
Fresno State
Senior

HB
Brian Paris
Utah State
Senior (RS)

WR
Travis Bolden
Boise State
Junior (RS)

WR
Danny Rutledge
San Diego State
Sophomore (RS)

TE
Wesley Lane
San Diego State
Junior (RS)

LT
Derek Smith
Utah State
Senior (RS)

C
Justin Davis
Fresno State
Senior

RG
Ryan Curry
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

RG
Shelton Woods
Utah State
Sophomore (RS)

RT
David Fuller
Fresno State
Senior

Defense

LE
Steve Jones
Utah State
Freshman (RS)

LE
Ray Peoples
Boise State
Sophomore

DT
Scott Flanagan
Utah State
Junior (RS)

DT
Travis Henderson
Fresno State
Junior (RS)

LOLB
Mark Grant
Fresno State
Senior

MLB
Jon Smith
Utah State
Senior (RS)

ROLB
Dusty Rogers
Fresno State
Junior

CB
Leonard Hart
Utah State
Junior

CB
Jesse Breedlove
Utah State
Sophomore (RS)

FS
Kyle Mitchell
Utah State
Sophomore (RS)

SS
Cole Brown
Utah State
Freshman

K
Doug Marcus
Utah State
Junior

P
Pete Coker
Fresno State
Senior

Returner
David Douglas
Utah State
Senior (RS)

2nd Team

Position
Player
Team
Year

Offense

QB
Matt Dixon
San Diego State
Senior (RS)

HB
Benjamin Silva
Utah State
Sophomore

HB
Craig Williams
Air Force
Senior

WR
Nate Rose
Hawaii
Senior (RS)

WR
Jeremy Fleming
Fresno State
Senior (RS)

TE
Jason Meyer
Boise State
Senior

LT
Marvin Wesley
Fresno State
Sophomore (RS)

C
Tony Black
Air Force
Junior

RG
Matt McBride
Fresno State
Sophomore

RG
Cameron Moss
Air Force
Senior

RT
Earl Lawrence
Air Force
Senior

Defense

LE
Jon McDonald
Fresno State
Sophomore

RE
Shaun Peterson
Utah State
Junior

DT
Thomas Austin
Fresno State
Junior (RS)

DT
Lance Nash
Utah State
Sophomore

LOLB
Stephen Jackson
Air Force
Senior (RS)

MLB
Taylor Scott
Air Force
Junior

ROLB
Jason Wayne
Boise State
Senior (RS)

CB
Mike Moses
Utah State
Senior (RS)

CB
Grant Griffin
Fresno State
Senior (RS)

FS
Dennis Fenton
Fresno State
Junior (RS)

SS
Marcus Newell
Fresno State
Senior (RS)

K
Jonathan Schmidt
Hawaii
Sophomore

P
Steven Moses
Boise State
Junior

Returner
Luis Parks
San Jose State
Junior (RS)

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 04:08 PM

2023 Conference Champions

Conference
Team
Record
Conference Record

CCG Loser
Record
Conference Record

:ACC:
:Clemson:
10-3
8-2

:Virginia_Tech:
9-4
7-3

:AAC:
:Cincinnati:
12-1
9-1

:SMU:
8-5
7-3

:Big_12:
:West_Virginia:
11-1
8-1

:Big_Ten:
:Ohio_State:
13-0
10-0

:Wisconsin:
6-7
5-5

:CUSA:
:UTSA:
10-3
8-1

:Marshall:
9-4
6-3

:MAC:
:Ohio:
11-2
8-2

:Toledo:
8-5
7-3

:Mountain_West:
:Fresno_State:
13-0
9-0

:Utah_State:
9-4
7-2

:Pac_12:
:Arizona:
11-2
9-1

:Stanford:
9-4
6-4

:SEC:
:South_Carolina:
13-0
10-0

:Ole_Miss:
11-2
8-2

:Sun_Belt:
:Louisiana:
11-1
8-0

souljahbill

08-21-2015, 04:22 PM

At least in the virtual world, Southern Miss is contending. And how 'bout them Cajuns? Geaux Cajuns!

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 04:54 PM

2023 Bowl Season Rundown

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team

Team
Record
Conference

Date/Result

:New_Mexico_Bowl:
:Big_12:
6-6 (4-5)
:Iowa_State:
vs.
:Oregon_State:
6-6 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

12/15 - 12:30 PM

:Famous_Idaho_Bowl:
:MAC:
6-6 (6-3)
:Ball_State:
vs.
:Temple:
8-4 (6-3)
:AAC:

12/15 - 4:30 PM

:Poinsettia_Bowl:
:SEC:
6-6 (3-6)
:Tennessee:
vs.
:Air_Force:
8-4 (6-2)
:Mountain_West:

12/20 - 8:00 PM

:Beef_O_Bradys_Bowl:
:CUSA:
6-6 (4-4)
:Rice:
vs.
:Washington:
7-5 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

12/21 - 7:30 PM

:New_Orleans_Bowl:
:CUSA:
7-5 (5-3)
:Southern_Miss:
vs.
:Texas_State:
8-4 (6-2)
:Sun_Belt:

12/22 - 12:00 PM

:Las_Vegas_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
6-6 (5-4)
:Cal:
vs.
:Utah_State:
9-4 (7-2)
:Mountain_West:

12/22 - 3:30 PM

:Hawaii_Bowl:
:CUSA:
8-4 (6-2)
:Western_Kentucky:
vs.
(23) :Boise_State:
8-4 (5-3)
:Mountain_West:

12/24 - 8:00 PM

:LittleCaesars_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
6-6 (4-5)
:Northwestern:
vs.
:Toledo:
8-5 (7-3)
:MAC:

12/26 - 7:30 PM

:Military_Bowl:
:MAC:
8-4 (6-3)
:Northern_Illinois:
vs.
:New_Mexico_State:
6-6 (4-4)
:Sun_Belt:

12/27 - 3:30 PM

:Holiday_Bowl:
:Big_12:
8-4 (5-4)
(20) :Kansas_State:
vs.
(24) :Stanford:
9-4 (6-4)
:Pac_12:

12/27 - 3:30 PM

:Belk_Bowl:
:ACC:
7-5 (6-3)
:Louisville:
vs.
:Missouri:
6-6 (3-6)
:SEC:

12/27 - 6:00 PM

:Independence_Bowl:
:AAC:
8-5 (7-3)
:SMU:
vs.
:NC_State:
6-6 (5-4)
:ACC:

12/28 - 2:00 PM

:Russell_Athletic:
:Big_12:
6-6 (3-6)
:Oklahoma_State:
vs.
:Virginia_Tech:
9-4 (7-3)
:ACC:

12/28 - 6:00 PM

:Meineke_Texas_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
6-6 (4-5)
:Indiana:
vs.
:TCU:
6-6 (5-4)
:Big_12:

12/28 - 9:00 PM

:Armed_Forces_Bowl:
:CUSA:
9-4 (6-3)
:Marshall:
vs.
(22) :Navy:
9-3 (6-3)
:AAC:

12/29 - 12:00 PM

:Fight_Hunger_Bowl:
:AAC:
8-4 (6-3)
:USF:
vs.
:Oregon:
6-6 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

12/29 - 4:30 PM

:Alamo_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-3 (6-3)
(17) :Baylor:
vs.
:Utah:
7-5 (6-3)
:Pac_12:

12/29 - 7:00 PM

:BWW_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-3 (6-3)
(15) :Texas:
vs.
:Wisconsin:
6-7 (5-5)
:Big_Ten:

12/29 - 10:00 PM

:Music_City_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-5 (4-5)
:Mississippi_State:
vs.
(16) :Florida_State:
9-3 (6-3)
:ACC:

12/31 - 12:00 PM

:Sun_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
8-4 (5-4)
(25) :USC:
vs.
(14) :Miami:
9-3 (6-3)
:ACC:

12/31 - 2:00 PM

:Liberty_Bowl:
:SEC:
6-6 (4-5)
:Kentucky:
vs.
:UTSA:
10-3 (8-1)
:CUSA:

12/31 - 3:30 PM

:Chick_fil_A_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-5 (4-5)
:Arkansas:
vs.
(10) :Georgia_Tech:
10-2 (7-2)
:ACC:

12/31 - 7:30 PM

:Heart_of_Dallas:
:MAC:
7-5 (5-4)
:Miami_OH:
vs.
:Penn_State:
7-5 (4-5)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:00 PM

:TaxSlayer_Gator:
:SEC:
6-6 (4-5)
:Alabama:
vs.
:Nebraska:
6-6 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:00 PM

:Capital_One_Bowl:
:SEC:
11-2 (8-2)
(9) :Ole_Miss:
vs.
(18) :Michigan_State:
9-3 (6-3)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:30 PM

:Outback_Bowl:
:SEC:
10-2 (7-2)
(12) :Auburn:
vs.
:Purdue:
6-6 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

1/1 - 12:30 PM

:Cotton_Bowl:
:SEC:
7-5 (5-4)
:Florida:
vs.
(13) :Oklahoma:
10-2 (7-2)
:Big_12:

1/3 - 8:00 PM

:BBVA_Compass_Bowl:
:AAC:
7-5 (5-4)
:UCF:
vs.
:Troy:
6-6 (4-4)
:Sun_Belt:

1/4 - 12:30 PM

:GoDaddycom_Bowl:
:MAC:
11-2 (8-2)
(19) :Ohio:
vs.
:Arkansas_State:
8-4 (5-3)
:Sun_Belt:

1/5 - 9:00 PM

2023 BCS Bowls

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team

Team
Record
Conference

Date/Result

:Rose_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
11-1 (8-1)
(5) :Michigan:
vs.
(8) :Arizona:
11-2 (9-1)
:Pac_12:

1/1 - 4:30 PM

:Fiesta_Bowl:
:Big_12:
11-1 (8-1)
(4) :West_Virginia:
vs.
(7) :Cincinnati:
12-1 (9-1)
:AAC:

1/1 - 8:00 PM

:Sugar_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
13-0 (9-0)
(3) :Fresno_State:
vs.
(6) :UCLA:
11-1 (8-1)
:Pac_12:

1/2 - 8:00 PM

:Orange_Bowl:
:ACC:
10-3 (8-2)
(21) :Clemson:
vs.
(11) :Louisiana:
11-1 (8-0)
:Sun_Belt:

1/3 - 8:00 PM

:BCS_Trophy:
:Big_Ten:
13-0 (10-0)
(2) :Ohio_State:
vs.
(1) :South_Carolina:
13-0 (10-0)
:SEC:

1/6 - 8:00 PM

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 04:56 PM

So there you have it. Utah State will return to the Las Vegas Bowl for the second straight year, tangling with another Pac-12 opponent, this time the California Golden Bears.

Elsewhere, Southern Miss faces Texas State in the New Orleans Bowl, #22 Navy battles Marshall in the Armed Forces Bowl, #12 Auburn is relegated to the Outback Bowl and a match-up with Purdue, #4 West Virginia's Big 12 title gives them a Fiesta Bowl showdown with #7 Cincinnati, #3 Fresno State carries a perfect season into the Sugar Bowl and a game against #6 UCLA and #11 Louisiana Lafayette makes another BCS crash with a trip to the Orange Bowl against #21 Clemson.

Finally, it's a reader vs. reader battle royale as #2 Ohio State, going for their fourth straight national title, collides with #1 South Carolina in a battle of unbeatens for the National Championship game. Ohio State enters the game on a historical best 55 game winning streak! Can they make it 56 or will South Carolina be known as the school that broke the streak?

In terms of bowl numbers, the SEC has the most of any conference with 10 teams getting into a bowl game, followed closely by the Big Ten and Pac-12 (9 teams) and the Big 12 (8 teams). The conference with the fewest teams getting into a bowl game (other than the Independents and their zero) was the Mountain West Conference with just a pitiful four teams out of twelve making it bowl eligible this year, followed closely by Conference USA who would get just five teams into a bowl game.

Looking through the standings, 69 teams made it bowl eligible with only 68 slots. One team got screwed this year.

And a look at who got screwed out of a bowl game this year:

MAC

:Akron: - (6-6)

So there you go. Despite winning their final three games of the season just to even make it to 6-6 and become bowl eligible, Akron ends up getting the shaft as a 6-7 Big Ten title game losing Wisconsin team slips into the final bowl slot ahead of them.

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 05:09 PM

Alright, that shall have to do it for tonight. It's already 6pm after playing Fresno State and then going through typing all of that up. I have to be up at 2:30am for work, and plan on being passed out by 9 or 10pm, so trying to play my bowl game tonight is not possible. On top of working in the morning until 8am, I then have to go back in at 10am for an hour or two or prerecord a remote. Seeing as I normally go to sleep for a couple hours after getting home on Saturday mornings, and seeing as I probably won't be able to go to sleep until noon if I'm lucky, that pretty much kills the entire afternoon Saturday.

It probably won't be until sometime late in the evening or night Saturday night before I'll have a chance to play the bowl game. Depending on how tired I am by the time that's done, I'll try to start the post-bowl game stuff. Majority of everything (season wrap up posts, coaching carousel, off-season, etc) won't be happening until Sunday.

I'm still aiming to have this season and off-season completely wrapped up, get the preseason stuff done and posted, have my 2024 schedule posted and basically be sitting ready to dive straight into game one by the end of Sunday. Then, whenever I get a chance around my work schedule, try to kick off a new season. Earliest that's gonna happen is at least a week or two. Next week is completely shot, I'm gonna be working so many damn hours next week my entire week will practically be nothing but sleep or work. The week after that, maybe early on, but once college football starts up, I won't be doing a thing but watching games the entire Labor Day weekend.

souljahbill

08-21-2015, 06:37 PM

Just glad the dynasty is back

jaymo76

08-21-2015, 06:44 PM

Yeah, I like being able to see how games are going on the ticker while I play. It definitely adds to the immersion as you go through a season, knowing what else is going on around you.

According to an athletic department spokesman, Coach Ramius has no comment on any future plans at this time. He said he is looking forward to seeing where the team will be heading for their bowl game and getting his team prepared for their eventual opponent.

:)

Future politician me thinks... ;)

SmoothPancakes

08-21-2015, 07:15 PM

Just glad the dynasty is back

Yep, between the ton of games I bought and was playing on PS4 this winter and spring, and then living nothing but MLB The Show all summer, this dynasty ended up being completely shoved off the table and forgotten. I'm gonna try to finish this next season in fewer than 11 months. :D :D :D

Future politician me thinks... ;)

Always keep the cards close to the chest I say. :)

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 02:06 PM

Las Vegas Bowl

:Cal: VS :Utah_State:

Game Notes

--- Here we were, the conclusion of Ramius’ fourth season at Utah State. Another outstanding campaign would see the team and Ramius finally reach the Promised Land, finish 7-1 in conference, winning the Mountain Division and getting a chance to play for Mountain West title. Unfortunately a conference title would still elude the Aggies as they ran into the buzz saw that was #3 Fresno State, and despite having a lead for most of the game, was unable to finish the job as the power and skill of the Bulldogs proved to be too much. With those results, that would leave Utah State to end up back in the Las Vegas Bowl for the second year in a row, and while playing another Pac-12 team, this time it would be a new opponent, as Ramius would face the California Golden Bears for the first time in his career.

It’d be a test for our defense as California came into the game with the #15 overall offense and the #3 passing offense in the nation. It appeared the Bears were a pretty much one trick pony on offense however as they ranked a pitiful #117 nationally in rushing, so as long as we could slow down or stop their passing attack, we would be right there with them from start to end. Luckily for our offense, California also had a terrible defense, ranking #124 nationally in overall defense and passing defense, while coming in at #101 in the nation in rushing defense, signaling the possibility of an easy day moving the ball as long as our offense fired on all cylinders.

Glancing at California’s schedule to judge their level of play this year, the Golden Bears opened up their season with a 23-20 win against Nevada, followed by a 56-37 loss at #15 Texas. They pick up a damn good looking 55-45 win over #8 Arizona, but would then go on a bit of a rough stretch, dropping three straight games with a 52-24 loss to Utah, a 42-30 loss at #25 USC and a 31-21 loss at #6 UCLA. They would get it turned around with a four game winning streak that would see them become bowl eligible, picking up a 41-34 win at Washington State, a 45-42 victory against Washington, a 45-38 win over Oregon State and a 48-31 win at Oregon. Despite sitting at 6-4, California would stumble to the finish line in the final weeks with a 35-28 loss at #24 Stanford and a 37-34 defeat to Iowa to wrap up their regular season with .500 record.

To be fair to California, they actually play some good games this year. While they had some close wins (Nevada and Washington) and a close loss (Iowa), they also pulled off some surprising upsets, handing #8 Arizona one of their only two losses all season, they handled a traditionally strong Oregon team, and they lost by only a touchdown against #24 Stanford. On the flipside however, they also had some rough losses, primarily against ranked teams, losing by 19 points to #15 Texas, losing by 12 points to #25 USC and losing by 10 points to #6 UCLA. In all, California struggled to a 1-4 record against ranked teams this season. Going up against teams with 7 wins or more, the Golden Bears were 2-5, while going 4-5 against teams that made it to .500 and made a bowl game. So while California had the talent to play with and surprise top ranked teams, they often underperformed as they limped to a 6-6 record. Whether that trend would continue against a 9 win Utah State squad remained to be seen. California won the coin toss and elected to kick.

The Utah State sideline and fans couldn’t have possibly asked for any better of a start to this ball game, then the one they got on the opening kickoff. Catching the ball four yards into the end zone, David Douglas would bring the ball out, pick up a wall of blockers out to the 25 yard line, bounced outside near the sideline, juked inside to avoid one last man, and with the kicker thrown off balance by a block further up the field, Douglas was off to the races untouched for a 104 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, thrusting us out to an instant 7-0 lead in only 11 seconds of action, 9:49 still remaining on the game clock.

California wouldn’t get a chance to replicate that success as the following kickoff would sail far enough into the end zone for the Golden Bears to take the touchback, starting their drive, technically the first drive of the game, at their own 25 yard line. The Golden Bears would waste no time going into the air as they came out in five wide on first down, Chris Jackson dropping back and firing a pass to Tony Gray for a quick 13 yard gain and a first down. Going no huddle on first, Jackson would attempt to go right back to Gray, but a well timed hit by our cornerback would jar the ball loose and incomplete to bring up second down. We would catch a break on second down as Jackson tossed up a pass to Donny Sherman who was open in between two different defenders for what would have been at least a first down, but he would end up dropping the ball as he attempted to catch it, forcing third and long. Jackson would make a huge mistake on third down, as a blitz by our defense left him under instant pressure. Rolling out to his right to avoid the collapsing pocket, he would try and throw across his body to a receiver back toward the left hash mark, only to have the seriously underthrown and off target pass easily intercepted by safety Kyle Mitchell, who would return the ball 15 yards before being tripped up at the California 38 yard line.

Taking over possession inside Golden Bears territory following the pick, we would show California what a running game can do for you, as Brian Paris would get the ball on first down, fighting his way through a pile of bodies for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a two yard gain that would leave us with third and one. Paris would get the job done on third down as he got the ball and plowed straight ahead for a gain of four yards and a first down at the Cal 25 yard line. Changing things up on first down, we would come out in the shotgun, as Jason Barnes took a quick drop back and fired a pass over the middle to Adam Washington, good for a gain of 10 yards and a new set of downs at the 14. Staying in the shotgun on first down, Barnes would try and air mail a pass to Jon Morris in the front right corner of the end zone, only to have cornerback Jeremy Beard leap up and snatch the ball out of midair for an interception, returning it 24 yards out to the 28 yard line to give the ball right back to California with the turnovers essentially cancelling each other out.

Lining up at their 28 yard line following their own interception, California came out on first down lining up in the shotgun. Jackson dropped back to pass but was having trouble finding an open receiver against our tough man defense. That would prove to be fatal as Jackson proceeded to dance around in the collapsing pocket, only to end up sacked for a loss of 5 yards on the play, leaving second and 15. Incredibly terrible tackling would see a screen pass to Arthur Jones that should have resulted in no gain, instead go for a massive 71 yard dagger to our heart, a last second desperation dive at the ankles saving a guaranteed touchdown and instead leaving California with first and goal at our 6 yard line. Going straight to the no huddle, the Golden Bears would try and run the ball on first down, as Jones would make his first carry of the day for a four yard gain. Staying in the no huddle on second and goal at the two yard line, the Golden Bears would get lined up, but with apparently play calling trouble, they would never get the snap off before the play clock expired, ending up pushed back to the 7 yard line thanks to the delay of game penalty. Michael Green would get the call on the ground on second down, but he would be instantly swallowed up in the backfield for a three yard loss, bringing up third and goal from the 10 yard line. Dropping back to pass on third down, Jackson would be forced to scramble from our four man pass rush and would again attempt a throw back across his body, only to watch the ball this time sail harmlessly into the grass well in front of his intended target. Left with fourth and goal after the incompletion, California would be forced to settle for a 27 yard field goal to cut our lead to 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first quarter.

Despite a kickoff all the way to the back of the end zone, Douglas would try to find greased lightning for the second straight kickoff. He would nearly be successful as another wall of blockers left him with a gaping hole towards the left sideline, but a diving ankle tackle by the last guy to the outside of Douglas would trip him up and limit his return to just 37 yards, leaving us starting our drive from our 28 yard line. Again starting our drive on the ground, Paris would get the call on first down, taking the handoff from Barnes and upon finding the entire middle of the field clogged with bodies, would start sprinting toward the far sideline and up the field, high stepping his way out of an attempted ankle tackle while turning the corner. Paris had a chance to possible take it all the way, but probably the fastest player on the entire California defense would manage to close in on him with a perfect angle pursuit, forcing him out of bound after a 47 yard rush, giving us a first down at the Golden Bears 26 yard line. Remaining with our ground game, Paris would keep plugging along on first down with a 7 yard carry, followed by a 5 yard rush to move the chains to the 14 yard line. Taking a chance with a play action pass on first down, the California defense wouldn’t completely bite on the fake, but their pass coverage was loose enough that Barnes was able to thread a pass to tight end Gerald Woods near the pylon in the front left corner of the end zone, good for a 14 yard touchdown pass to give us a 14-3 lead with 4:39 left in the first quarter.

Another kickoff would result in another touchback, California lining up from their 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Jackson was able to complete a short pass to Ron Nash for a gain of 5 yards, before throwing a perfect spiral at the left sideline to Travis Sanders, who would catch the ball while falling out of bounds for a 21 yard completion and a first down at our 49 yard line. The Golden Bears would end up going backwards on first down as our left defensive end, All-American Steve Jones would basically straight bull rush Cal’s right tackle right off the line and straight back into Jackson, resulting in a sack for a loss of four yards, leaving second and 14. Calling a surprise run on second down, it would pay off as more piss poor tackling by our defense would see Jones break his way through six different defenders on his way to a 22 yard rush and a first down at our 32 yard line. Going no huddle on the ground, the Golden Bears would keep plugging away as Jones rushed for another 5 yards on first down, followed by a four yard gain to leave third and one. Anticipating another rush on third down, our defense would call for an all out blitz, which would pay dividends as Jones took the handoff from Jackson, only to be trapped in the backfield for a one yard loss on the play, leaving fourth and two and again forcing California to settle for three points, the 41 yard field goal splitting the uprights to cut our lead to 14-6 with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

Despite California’s kicker learning his lesson and kicking away from Douglas this time, our return team would still drive the Golden Bears sideline bonkers as Leonard Hart received the kickoff in the end zone, bringing it out behind another solid wall of blockers and racing up the field for a 39 yard return, giving us the ball at our 35 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, we would change it up on first down as Barnes dropped back to pass, hurling a quick pass over the middle to tight end Sam Livingston, good for a quick strike gain of 22 yards and a fast first down at the Cal 43 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, we would come out in the shotgun this time, but the pass intended for Washington was broken up by the middle linebacker, bringing up second down. Another pass out of the shotgun would see Tristan Muhammad pull in a pass from Barnes for a gain of 6 yards to leave third and four, before a pass to Aaron Allen would pick up 16 yards and give us a new first down at the 22 yard line. Switching it up again and returning to the ground game, Paris would take the ball on first down and fight forward for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a big 11 yard rush that would set up first and goal at the 6 yard line. Paris would only be able to pick up two yards on the first down play, before receiving the ball on second down, bouncing outside and racing for the far corner over the end zone for a four yard touchdown with no time remaining on the clock, increasing our lead to 21-6 as the first quarter came to an end.

Opening up the second quarter, another touchback on the kickoff would see California line up from their 25 yard line for their next drive. The drive would get off to a poor start as the Golden Bears offensive line continued to be overpowered, resulting in another sack, this time for a loss of 5 yard to immediately leaving Cal facing second and 15. That wouldn’t faze the Bears at all, as Jackson would drop back to pass on second down, finding the pocket collapsing, take off scrambling, and after breaking through three tackles, he would break free into open space and was off to the races untouched for an 80 yard touchdown rush/scramble, instantly cutting our lead to 21-13 with 9:22 left in the second quarter.

The California kicker would screw up and kickoff at Douglas on the ensuing kickoff, and boy would Douglas make him regret that, as a perfectly blocked wall would take out any defenders in front of Douglas, allowing him to break open along the left sideline and out sprint three different Golden Bears players on his way to his second special teams touchdown of the game, this time a 106 yard kickoff return for a touchdown to instantly increase our lead to 28-13 with 9:11 left in the second quarter.

Another touchback on the kickoff would see California starting from their 25 yard line. Coming out in the shotgun on first down, Jackson would fire a quick dump pass to Jones, good for a gain of 15 yards and a quick first down at the 40 yard line. On the next play, we would catch a massive break as Jackson heaved a pass toward the left sideline and streaking Sanders, who had gotten behind our coverage and would have had either a 30+ yard reception or a touchdown. Instead, Sanders would end up bobbling and dropping the pass as he tried to catch it in the middle of a full sprint, saving us on the that play and leaving second and 10. Shockingly running an option play on first down, a late pitch from Jackson to Jones would pick up two yards on the play, before returning to the air and again continuing to torch our defense, as a pass from Jackson connected with Brent Moore over the middle, going for a gain of 45 yard before he could finally be chased down from behind, giving California first and 10 at our 13 yard line. Aiming for the end zone on first down, Jackson tried to thread a pass over the middle to Sanders, but it would be broken up to force second down. Another pass into the end zone, this time intended for Dan Sims in the far corner would just barely be swatted away at the last second, forcing the Golden Bears into third and 10. Jackson would finally be able to complete a pass on third down, but the completion to William Vaughn would only gain a single yard, leaving fourth and 9 and again forcing the Golden Bears to settle for only three points on the drive, the 29 yard field goal sailing through the uprights to cut our lead to 28-16 with 7:59 left in the second quarter.

Kicking off to Hart this time, he would still make the Golden Bears kickoff unit pay, as he would return the kickoff from the back of the end zone and out 41 yards to our own 35 yard line. Unfortunately for California, a flag would be thrown during the tackle, as Sims would be hammered with a 15 yard facemask penalty during the play, instead giving us a first down right at the 50 yard line. Starting things off on the ground, Paris would try to run outside after finding a no openings inside, but he would end up quickly tackled by an alert defender for no gain on the play. Coming out on second down and 10, Paris would again take the handoff, this time finding an opening for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a very close four yard rush that would be just enough to get the first down. Another four yard carry on first down would be followed with a two yard gain, leaving us facing third and four. Paris would fight and drive toward the first down marker, but he would come up just short as he would be tackled for gain of just three yards, leaving us sitting with fourth and one from the 31 yard line. Settling for three points of our own, the 48 yard field goal by Doug Marcus would easily clear the goal posts, increasing our lead to 31-16 with 4:56 left in the second quarter.

Another touchback would again see California start from their 25 yard line. The Golden Bears would come out running to start the drive, but Jones would only be able to pick up a single yard on the play. Going into the air on second and 9, Jackson would throw up a very poor pass into the left flats, only to have the pass very nearly intercepted by cornerback Jesse Breedlove, leaving third and long for Cal. The Golden Bears would run a third down screen pass to perfection, as Jackson would hit Green for a 10 yard completion, all the while our defense completely biting on the screen, to give the Golden Bears a first down at the 36 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, our defense would be left in shambles as Green would then run for a 15 yard gain straight up the middle through the heart of our defense. But we would put a momentary damper in his stats on first down as a blitz would leave Green stuck in the backfield and tackled for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. Jackson would come out in the shotgun on third down, but he ultimately was forced to throw the pass away when no receivers could get open to bring up third and long. Jackson would launch up a pass intended for Sherman toward the far left sideline, but this time, Breedlove would make sure he held onto the ball, intercepting the pass to give us possession at our 35 yard line.

Lining up under center, following the interception, we decided to come out passing this time around, as Barnes dropped back in the pocket and hurled a quick pass to tight end Jack Long, goo for a gain of 10 yards and a quick first down. Coming out in the shotgun on the next play, a pass to Douglas on a comeback route would be perfectly timed to see the cornerback fail to react, allowing Douglas to pull in the pass for a 21 yard completion and a new set of downs at the California 33 yard line. Continuing to push it through the air, Morris would keep us moving with a 10 yard reception of his own to pick up another first down at the 23. A mistake by the cornerback on first down would allow Douglas to slip past his defender and into open space completely uncovered, where Barnes would launch a perfect pass at the front corner of the end zone, completed to Douglas for a 23 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 38-16 with 2:35 left until halftime.

Another kickoff would see another touchback and the Golden Bears starting at their 25 yard line. Running the ball on first down, Jones would take the handoff for a gain of a 15 yards and a quick first down at the 40 yard line. Dropping back to pass on the next play, Jackson tried to connect with Sanders over the middle, only to have the pass batted away and incomplete to bring up second down. Getting the ball on second down, followed by a 19 yard completion from Jackson to Gray, good for a new set of downs at our 35 yard line. After being forced to throw the ball away on first down, Jackson would try to connect with Jones along the near sideline, only to overthrow the ball out of bounds to bring up third and 10. Another screen pass to Green would again save a California drive, this time picking up 11 yards on the play to move the chains to the 24 yard line. After a first down pass to Sherman picked up 9 yards, Jackson would hurl a fast throw to Vaughn at the line of scrimmage, good for a gain of two yards and a first down at the 13 yard line. Jones would get the call on first down, rushing for one yard on the play, before being lit up on second down for a loss of two yards, leaving Cal facing third and 11. Once again, a great drive that saw plenty of advances and ball movement would come crashing to a halt for the Golden Bears, as Jackson’s third down pass intended for Moore was underthrown and would sail into the turf in the end zone, forcing California to settle for another three points. The Golden Bears would watch yet another drive end with a kick, as the 31 yard field goal sailed through the uprights to cut our lead to 38-19 with exactly 1:00 left in the second quarter.

The Golden Bears would finally start to find some success on kickoffs, as Hart would be limited to a pedestrian 22 yard return, leaving us starting from our 17 yard line. With only 58 seconds on the clock, we would come out passing right away on first down. Lining up in the shotgun, Barnes dropped back and found a wide open Douglas over the middle for a gain of 18 yards and a first down at the 36 yard line. Another pass would find Allen for a 9 yard pickup, forcing us to use our first timeout to stop the ticking clock with 36 seconds remaining. Staying in the shotgun, Barnes would connect with Allen this time around as a pass over the middle was completed for a 12 yard gain and a new set of downs at the Cal 43 yard line. Barnes would attempt a risky first down pass intended for Morris, but the ball would be broken up, very nearly intercepted, to leave us with second and 10. With the pocket collapsing on second down, Barnes would be forced to try and throw on the run, resulting in a poor pass that instead of finding the target of a streaking Morris would had gotten past his coverage, it would instead be nearly throw right into the hands of the very coverage that was left trailing Morris, the incompletion resulting in third and long. Going back to Allen on third down, the pass would pay off as he was able to pull in the throw from Barnes for completion of 21 yards and a first down at the 22 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, with just 17 seconds remaining, Barnes would try to go right back to Allen, and the pass was initially completed, only to see Allen fumble the ball while being tackled, the fumble immediately picked up by cornerback Victor Kearney to give Cal the ball at their 6 yard line with 10 seconds left until halftime. It was a no brainer to instantly throw the red flag on the field and challenge the fumble. After viewing the replays, it was determined that Allen actually had been down at the time of the fumble, and that the fumble was caused by the ground, causing the play to be reversed and credited to Allen with a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line, our second timeout forced to be called to stop the now ticking clock at 9 seconds remaining. Barnes would try to hook up with fullback Raymond Watson on first down, only to have the low pass deflected by the ass of one of our offensive lineman, leaving second and goal and just 5 seconds remaining. With time for one very, very fast heave into the end zone, we came out lining up under center on second down, Barnes taking a quick three step drop back and rifling a pass over the middle to tight end Long in the end zone, good for a 9 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 45-19 with three seconds left until halftime.

A 13 yard kickoff return by Gray on the squibbed kickoff would kill the final seconds on the clock, sending us into halftime with a 45-19 lead.

Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff would give California the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. As if anything could possibly go any worse for the Golden Bears, that question would be answered on first down as Jackson lined up in the shotgun with three receivers out wide. Jackson dropped back to pass and threw a quick toss over the middle to Jones, who had come out of the backfield after a few seconds delay. Jones would fail to catch the ball, instead bobbling it for a moment, only to see the falling ball snatched up just inches off the ground by outside linebacker Derrick Perez to intercept the dropped pass, immediately giving us possession at the California 23 yard line, this blowout now in danger of turning into a rout.

Lining up well in California territory after the interception, we turned to our run game on this drive as Paris took the handoff from Barnes and plowed his way forward around the right tackle, picking up 8 yards on the carry. Paris would then follow that up with a four yard carry, moving the chains to the Cal 11 yard line. Keeping at it with the ground game, a first down carry by Paris would end up going for no gain on the play, followed by a tough grinding 6 yard rush that would leave us facing third and four. Staying on the ground on third down, Paris would bounce outside on the play and just get across the first down marker for a four yard gain, giving us first and goal from the California one yard line. Paris would end the drive on the very next play as he drove into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 52-19 with 7:03 left in the third quarter.

California would take over at their 25 yard line for their next drive following a touchback on the kickoff. Jackson would come out in the shotgun on first down and was able to toss a quick pass to Brown for a short four yard completion. You had to admire California’s refusal to give up, even in the face of a 33 point deficit, as they went right back to the no huddle, where Jackson would throw probably his most perfect pass of the game, down the left sideline, over the shoulder and right into the hands of a streaking Moore, good for a gain of 67 yards, a desperation ankle tackle the only thing saving a touchdown and leaving the Golden Bears with first and goal from our four yard line. Turning to the ground game, Jones would get the ball on first down, nearly getting into the end zone as he fought up the middle for a three yard gain. Lining up on second down from the one yard line, our defense would prevail this time as Jones was trapped and tackled in the backfield for a loss of two yards, leaving California facing third and goal at the three yard line. Despite showing pass, the Golden Bears would stick to their guns with their run game, as Green received the handoff from Jackson and punched it into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 52-26 with 5:52 left in the third quarter.

A deep, booming kickoff would be fielded by Douglas in the back of the end zone. While he would return the kickoff 38 yards, this time the kickoff team would keep him contained inside and eventually tackle him, leaving us starting our next drive at our 29 yard line. We would go right back to our running game on first down, as Paris took the ball for a gain of 7 yards on the play, followed by a second 7 yard rush to give us a first down at the 43 yard line. Paris would keep plugging along on first down as he fought his way for a gain of three yards, followed by a 6 yard dash that would leave us facing third and one. Remaining on the ground on third down, Paris would fight his way across the first down marker and then some as a four yard carry would keep our drive moving with a new set of downs at the California 44 yard line. A 5 yard first down rush by Paris would come before three yard carry, setting up third and two. Another third down carry by Paris would keep the drive going as he fought his way to a four yard gain, moving the chains to the 31 yard line. Continuing to keep the clock running with our ground game, after all, we’re not animals, we’re civil and can keep from intentionally running up the score, Paris would get the ball on first down for a gain of 5 yards, with some dirty laundry thrown after the play. Cal safety Brian Rust would get flagged for a facemask penalty during the tackle, moving us 13 yards half the distance to the goal to give us a first down at the 13 yard line. Paris would keep moving right along on first down with a four yard gain that he would get almost exclusively while driving backwards after getting turned around during the play. The second down play would see Paris plow straight up the middle for gain of 7 yards, giving us first and goal from the two yard line. Paris would finish off the drive on the very next play as he took the handoff and drove straight into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 59-26 with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.

Another kickoff would result in another touchback, California lining up from their 25 yard line. Coming out in the shotgun from the start, Jackson hurled a pass toward the sideline to Eddie Brown for a quick completion of 17 yards and a first down at the 42 yard line. Running a screen pass on first down, Jones would manage to gain 6 yards on the reception, followed by a quick pass to Brown right at the first down marker for a 5 yard gain and a first down at our 48 yard line. Another well executed screen pass would see Jones gain 6 more yards through the air. Snapping the ball as time expired, Jackson would be forced to throw the ball away as no receivers could get open, taking us into the end of the third quarter holding a 59-26 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, California got lined up on third and four from our 43 yard line, Jackson would hit Vaughn in the hands with a pass at the first down line, but a well timed hit by our secondary would knock the ball loose and incomplete, forcing the Golden Bears to go for it on fourth down. California would attempt a screen pass on fourth down, but with our zone coverage sitting right in the middle of the screen, Jackson attempted to take off running to avoid our quickly approaching defensive line, only to end up running right into the path of our defensive tackle, ending up sacked for a 6 yard loss and turning the ball over on downs at our 49 yard line.

Taking over after the turnover on downs, we would again come out running the ball as we took over with 9:53 left on the clock to chew. Paris would get us started on first down with a 6 yard carry up the middle, followed by a big 11 yard carry around the right side to move the chains to the Cal 34 yard line. Paris would end up on his back on first down, as the senior outside linebacker blitzed into the backfield completely untouched and leveled Paris for no gain on the play. Paris would make up for the lack of yards with his second down carry, finding a hole up the middle and racing for a pickup of 8 yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush on third and two to pick up a new first down at the 21 yard line. Paris would continue to pound the rock on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush that would set us up with first and goal from the 8 yard line. Benjamin Silva would make an appearance in the backfield on first down, rushing forward for a 5 yard carry. Paris would return to the field on second and goal, and would make sure to finish the job then and there, powering his way into the end zone for a 3 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 66-26 with 6:05 left in the game.

It would take until almost the end of the game, but the Golden Bears would finally find an answer for our special teams success earlier in the game, as Moore received the short kickoff at the 10 yard line, would find a hole in our kickoff coverage and proceeded to race 90 yards untouched for a kickoff return for a touchdown, instantly cutting our lead to 66-33 with 5:53 left in the game.

California would attempt an onside kick, despite the 33 point deficit, but it would be unsuccessful as Woods was able to quickly jump on the football, recovering the onside kick and giving us the ball at the Cal 45 yard line. Coming out running the ball on first down, Paris would pick right up where he left off with a 7 yard carry, followed by a two yard rush that would leave third and one. Paris would get the ball on third down, fighting his way through a pair of defensive bodies for a two yard gain and a new set of downs at the 34 yard line. Paris would keep rolling on first down with a 5 yard gain on the play, before a 5 yard rush would leave us just shy of the first down marker, left facing third and inches. Paris would again extend our drive on third down with a three yard carry to move the chains at the 21 yard line. A 5 yard first down carry by Paris would be followed by a 6 yard dash on second down, giving us first and goal from the 10 yard line. Paris would get the ball on first down, finding a hole of the middle and plunging through it for a gain of 7 yards, leaving second and goal from the three yard line. Unfortunately, despite our attempt to run out the remainder of the clock, we would end up running out of field first, as Paris would end up driving into the end zone on second down for a three yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 73-33 with 1:12 left in the game.

Despite fielding the kickoff just a yard or two inside the end zone, the Golden Bears would instead drop to a knee and take the touchback, lining up from their 25 yard line for their final drive of the game. California, god bless them, still refused to go down without a fight, coming out in the shotgun on first and passing just as hard as ever, as Jackson tried to muscle a pass along the right sideline into the hands of Sherman, only to have it nearly intercepted by our cornerback. A second down screen pass to Jones would end up blown up by our defense as Jones caught the pass right in front of a linebacker, only to be instantly tackled for a loss of 5 yards to leave third and 15. It wouldn’t get any better on third down as Jones would try to run the ball, ending up tackled in the backfield for a two yard loss, leaving California punting the ball on fourth and 17. An 8 yard return by Breedlove on the 34 yard punt would give us the ball at the California 44 yard line with 32 seconds left.

Calling the favorite play of every offense in the nation, we came out in the victory formation on first down, as Barnes would take a single drop to a knee to kill the final 32 seconds off the clock and wrap up one of the most impressive offensive and special teams performances in Utah State football history with a 73-33 victory over the California Golden Bears, as well as bringing home the Las Vegas Bowl trophy for the second straight year.

With the dominating win, we end our 2023 season at 10-4, 7-2 in Mountain West action. With the loss, California’s year comes to a close at 6-7, 5-4 in Pac-12 play.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 73, :Cal: 33

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense – A near career best day as Barnes ends his career, going 15-20 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Rushing, a career day for Paris as he too closes his career, rushing for 286 yards and 5 touchdowns on 52 carries. Silva would only see the field once, gaining 5 yards on a single carry. Receiving, Allen led the way with 70 yards on five catches. Douglas, Long and Woods all finished with one touchdown catch. In all, eight receivers caught at least one pass today, seven of them ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – A good day in terms of three interceptions. A terrible day in terms of giving up 452 yard of offense.

Special teams had a historical day, as Douglas returned two kickoffs 104 and 106 yards for touchdowns, as well as picking up another 178 yards on kickoff returns the rest of the game.

Utah State Kicking – It was a perfect day for Marcus, who proceeded to go 1 for 1 in field goals, making a 48 yard shot. He would also end 10 for 10 on PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Cal:
6
13
7
7
33

:Utah_State:
21
24
14
14
73

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

9:49
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, returned kickoff 104 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

5:52
:Cal:
Field Goal
J. Grigsby, 27 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 7-3

4:39
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
G. Woods, 14 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 14-3

2:29
:Cal:
Field Goal
J. Grigsby, 41 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 14-6

0:00
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 5 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 21-6

Second Quarter

9:22
:Cal:
Touchdown
C. Jackson, 80 yard run (J. Grigsby kick)
:Utah_State: 21-13

9:11
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, returned kickoff 106 yards (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 28-13

7:59
:Cal:
Field Goal
J. Grigsby, 29 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 28-16

4:56
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
D. Marcus, 48 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 31-16

2:35
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
D. Douglas, 23 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 38-16

1:00
:Cal:
Field Goal
J. Grigsby, 31 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 38-19

0:03
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
J. Long, 9 yard pass from J. Barnes (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 45-19

Third Quarter

7:03
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 1 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 52-19

5:52
:Cal:
Touchdown
M. Green, 3 yard run (J. Grigsby kick)
:Utah_State: 52-26

0:55
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 59-26

Fourth Quarter

6:05
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 66-26

5:53
:Cal:
Touchdown
B. Moore, returned kickoff 90 yards (J. Grigsby kick)
:Utah_State: 66-33

1:12
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Paris, 3 yard run (D. Marcus kick)
:Utah_State: 73-33

Game Stats

California
Stat
Utah State

33
Score
73

15
First Downs
28

452
Total Offense
502

23 - 130 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
54 - 289 - 5

19 - 37 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
15 - 20 - 3

322
Passing Yards
213

4
Times Sacked
0

5 - 13 (38%)
3rd Down Conversion
11 - 12 (91%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

5 - 1 - 3 (80%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
8 - 7 - 0 (87%)

3
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
0

3
Intercepted
1

0
Punt Return Yards
8

102
Kick Return Yards
388

554
Total Yards
898

1 – 34.0
Punts - Average
0 – 0.0

3 - 33
Penalties
0 - 0

12:18
Time of Possession
27:42

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x10

Kick/Punt Return Touchdown
50
x2

Force a Turnover
25
x3

45+ Yard Field Goal
10
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

NCAA Record: Longest Kick Return (106 Yards)
300
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

School Record: Rush TD/Game (5)
200
x1

School Record: Rush TD/Season (23)
300
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
10

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 02:14 PM

Wow, this game was just nuts! It might be one of the oddest, strangest games I've ever play. And while the final score, and the score throughout the game makes it look like it was a complete mismatch blowout from the start, it really wasn't!

Cal was actually handing my ass to me that first half. They were moving the ball really easily early on, at one point racking up something like 200 yards of offense in the first half while we were still stuck with only 60 or 70 yards. What screwed Cal was them throwing three interceptions, and their inability to finish drives. Four times in the first half, Cal was driving right down my throat with their combination of no-huddle offense and constantly going 4 or 5 wide out of the shotgun. However, once they would get inside my 30 yard line, they would just fall apart and couldn't carry it the rest of the way and were forced to settle for field goals. If that offense had found a way to keep the ball moving and scored all touchdowns instead of field goals, we end up in a 45-35 track meet at halftime instead of a 45-19 blowout.

Take away our two first half kickoff returns on top of that, and we would have ended up actually LOSING 35-31 at halftime. So it was just a case where everything went perfect for us, while California kept failing to complete drives in the final 30 yards and threw three interceptions which just killed them when they needed points the most. And despite the utter blowout in the score, California still ended up with 109 yards passing MORE than us and only ended up 50 yards of total offense behind us.

So they were moving the ball all game long, their passing attack and their no-huddle offense kept punching our defense right in the mouth play after play, drive after drive. We just got really lucky with some very timely defensive stops inside our 30 yard line in the first half, three interceptions by our defense, two massive kickoff returns for touchdowns in the first half that gave us instant momentum boosts and an ability to keep driving and putting points on the board every single offensive drive we had, allowing us to jump out to a quick lead and then just keep pulling further and further away as the game went on.

I know one thing, regardless of that final score, I don't want to play California again. That no-huddle 5-wide offense really took it to us and I would not be the least bit surprised if we ended up on the losing end of a blowout if we played them a second time.

souljahbill

08-23-2015, 02:31 PM

Holy Pound-Me-In-The-Ass-Prison! 73?! That's 60 minutes of doggystyle right there!

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 02:36 PM

Yeah, California definitely lived up to their #124 overall defense, #124 passing defense and #101 rushing defense national rankings!

But, like I said in my after game comment, I was getting it doggy style too! That goddamn 5-wide offense, combined WITH the no-huddle, Jesus that was offense was giving me nightmares. That second quarter touchdown when their QB, just bloody scrambling after initially dropping back to pass, taking off and scoring a goddamn 80 yard touchdown, that was my kind of day on defense. They had a number of big plays that gained a lot of yards, and only their own inability to finish out drives in the final 30 yards kept them from keeping the score close.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 02:42 PM

Oh yeah, and while I'm going through simming the bowl game results right now, I've decided to do things a little differently. It might force me to go into Monday to try and wrap this season up, but with the first time occurrence of two readers teams meeting in the National Championship Game, I have decided to watch the national title game play out live CPU vs. CPU. I'm not going to do a play by play update like I do with my games, but I will give updates maybe when there are turnovers, when a team scores, end of the quarters, etc. If it's close in the final minutes, I may live post the game with 3-4 plays grouped at a time.

I just figured I've give a little extra for Jeff and SC, with Ohio State and South Carolina colliding. Plus for once I actually want to sit back and watch how the game plays out rather than just simming it, so I've bump the level of this dynasty up just a tad. :D

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 03:18 PM

And here we go! The National Championship Game is kicking off, as #2 Ohio State (13-0, 10-0 Big Ten) battles #1 South Carolina (13-0, 10-0 SEC) for college football supremacy! Ohio State is gunning for their fourth straight national title and their 56th victory in a row, while South Carolina is looking to shatter that streak and put the SEC back on top of college football.

Looking at the raw numbers, Ohio State is rated 99 overall, 99 offense and 99 defense. South Carolina is rated 95 overall, 99 offense and 92 defense.

Ohio State has the #2 offense in the country (526.6 yards/game), the #22 rushing offense (202.7 yards/game) and the #8 passing offense (323.9 yards/game). The Buckeyes rank #8 nationally on defense (349.0 yards/game), #2 in rush defense (123.9 yards/game) and #38 in pass defense (225.1 yards/game). They have the #3 scoring offense (42.6 points/game) and are ranked #20 in turnover differential (+5).

South Carolina has the #4 offense in the nation (511.7 yards/game), the #70 rush offense (164.1 yards/game) and the #5 pass offense (347.6 yards/game). The Gamecocks rank #17 nationally on defense (364.9 yards/game), #24 in rush defense (148.8 yards/game) and #26 in pass defense (216.2 yards/game). They have the #2 scoring offense (45.8 points/game) and are the #1 team in the nation in turnover differential (+18).

Running down their schedules, Ohio State defeated Bowling Green 45-13, beat Tulsa 56-17, topped Central Michigan 42-21, hammered Wisconsin 52-7, destroyed Iowa 42-7, beat Illinois 45-21, demolished Rutgers 65-13, got past Maryland 41-32, defeated #18 Michigan State 48-38, slipped by Penn State 20-17, squeaked past Indiana 41-34 in overtime, defeated rival #5 Michigan 21-14 and topped Wisconsin for the second time in the Big Ten Championship game with a 35-28 win.

Meanwhile, South Carolina opened with a 52-20 hammering of LSU, destroyed UAB 66-10, escaped Georgia 41-34 in overtime, topped Alabama 31-21, beat San Jose State 31-20, defeated Kentucky 41-21, got by Arkansas 41-27, topped Tennessee 48-27, battered Missouri 62-28, pounded Vanderbilt 35-14, beat Florida 33-14, violated #21 Clemson 73-31 and topped #9 Ole Miss in the SEC Championship game with a 41-24 win.

Ohio State wins the coin toss with a successful call of tails, and elects to kick off first and we are underway in the national championship game!

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 03:26 PM

South Carolina comes out lining up almost exclusively in the shotgun and would take advantage of the loose zone defense by Ohio State, but they would make it no further than Ohio State's 45 yard line before running out of downs and room as Ohio State scores a sack on third and 15.

Ohio State starts in the shotgun as well, but despite a decent start with a 6 yard first down handoff, a second down sack and a dropped diving pass on a throw almost 50 yards down the field over the middle of the field ends their drive as well as both teams start off by feeling each other out.

Both teams have solid defenses that aren't going to just bend over and give up yards easily. It's going to depend on how teams handle themselves on second and third down to see which offense will rule the day.

It would be South Carolina who would strike first blood, using a successful option pitch on first down from the Ohio State 9 yard line to score the first touchdown of the game, giving South Carolina a 7-0 lead with 6:27 left in the first quarter.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 03:37 PM

This time around, Ohio State's running game starts by just chewing South Carolina up on the ground to move the ball 26 yards in two plays. The Buckeyes would elect to go for it on fourth and short near the South Carolina 30 yard line, but a dropped pass by a WIDE OPEN receiver would doom their drive.

Both teams would see their next drives end up going three and out, as neither was able to pick up more than 7 yards on their drives. Both defenses definitely came to play today.

Another three and out by the Gamecocks, gaining just three yards on the drive, would see the Buckeyes tack over from their 33 yard line. This time around Ohio State would manage to pick up a first down and start moving the ball, but they would get no further than the South Carolina 45 yard line before being forced to punt.

South Carolina's issues are their running game and their constant attempt to run screen passes that result in losses. Ohio State meanwhile is being killed by dropped passes that would have kept their last two drives alive.

We would end up hitting the end of the first quarter during South Carolina's next drive, both defenses controlling this one thus far.

End 1st quarter, South Carolina 7, Ohio State 0

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 03:52 PM

South Carolina would again see another drive end to start the second quarter, as they would go from 2nd and two to punting on fourth down thanks to an incomplete pass and a rush for no gain.

A very ill-timed blitz on second down would see a screen pass from Ohio State go for a big 27 yard gain to get to the South Carolina 43 yard line. Another pass for a gain of 11 yards would nearly end in disaster as the wide receiver fumbled the ball while being tackled, but the Buckeyes would just manage to recover it at the 32 yard line. Unbelievably, despite Ohio State's quarterback scrambling for a first down plus about an extra 10 yards, he would end up getting stripped and fumble the ball, South Carolina recovering to take over at their 17 yard line.

However, South Carolina would again fail to take advantage of the situation as a sack on third down would leave them punting on fourth and 19. Unfortunately for South Carolina, Ohio State would start their next drive form the Gamecocks 36 yard line following the punt return. Despite starting strong with a 12 yard pass, Ohio State would go backwards with a rush for a loss, a sack and a false start penalty, snapping the ball on third and 23, only to have the pass into the end zone be nearly intercepted to force another punt.

The Gamecocks would find life on first down to start their next drive thanks to a 10 yard rush to leave second and inches, but a carry for a three yard loss and a screen pass that would see another loss for four yards, would kill another drive and continue the exchange of punts. Ohio State would take over at their 47 yard line after the punt, but a couple of rushes for little to no gain and yet another incomplete pass would continue the punt war midway through the fourth quarter.

While it was looking very bad for South Carolina as an 8 yard sack left them with third and 15, the Ohio State secondary would end up making a nearly fatal error, allowing a South Carolina receiver to get behind the coverage and up the left sideline for a 56 yard completion to get South Carolina to the Buckeyes 29 yard line. They would then naturally fall apart again, as a failed option play resulted in a loss of four yards and an incomplete pass on third and 6 forced the Gamecocks to kick a 41 yard field goal, giving South Carolina a 10-0 lead with 2:48 left in the second quarter.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 03:55 PM

After a decent kickoff return, Ohio State would this time use a combination of their running attack and accurate, short passes to gradually drive down the field. This time it would be South Carolina's turn to completely blow it on defense, allowing an Ohio State receiver to get behind the secondary and up the right sideline for a 40 yard completion down to the South Carolina 7 yard line. The Buckeyes would need just one more play as quarterback Jordan Watkins would break the school record for passing touchdowns with a 7 yard missile into the end zone, cutting South Carolina's lead to 10-7 with 1:43 left until hafltime.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:01 PM

South Carolina would find solid success going 5-wide on their next drive, moving the ball as far as the Ohio State 29 yard line, before an incomplete pass, a near interception and a two yard completion would bring things screeching to a halt at the 26 yard line. Snapping the ball with only two seconds left on the clock, the Gamecocks would nail the 43 yard field goal, giving South Carolina a 13-7 lead at halftime.

Halftime, South Carolina 13, Ohio State 7

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:26 PM

Ohio State would get the ball to start the third quarter, methodically driving down the field with a series of rushes by both their halfback and quarterback, as well as short passes underneath the coverage to keep the ball moving. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their running game would take a massive hit midway through the drive as starting halfback and All-American Zach Rogers was injured after a carry, sidelined for the rest of the game with a strained back. That loss would instantly impact the offense, as they went from gaining yards every play to facing third and 13 at the South Carolina 40 yard line, before a near interception would successfully kill the drive and force a punt.

The Gamecocks would likewise have troubles of their own, not gaining a single yard as they were forced to punt almost immediately on fourth and 10. Despite some troubles now rushing the ball, the Buckeyes would still eventually make their way inside the South Carolina 30 yard line. Unfortunately they wouldn't be able to sustain their success, a second down sack for a loss of 8 yards helping to bring it to an end with an incomplete pass on third. Despite having the ball at the 31 yard line, Ohio State would punt away instead of trying the 48 yard field goal.

This time around, South Carolina would actually pick up a first down thanks to an 11 yard rush on the first play of the drive, followed by a solid pass near midfield to keep the ball moving. The Gamecocks would make it as far as their 47 yard line before a pair of incomplete passes and a on yard loss on the ground would resume war of punters. A quick three and out by the Buckeyes would hand the ball right back to South Carolina.

South Carolina would start their next drive at their 39 yard line, but they too would go three and out as the punters continued playing a real life game of ping pong. The Buckeyes would this time avoid going three and out courtesy of a 21 yard rush by their quarterback on third and two, followed by a 16 yard carry by their halfback to reach the South Carolina 33 yard line. That would be as far as they would get as a two yard loss on a first down rush and two more incomplete passes would force another punt at the South Carolina 35 yard line.

Ohio State would make the first big statement in the punting game, sending the ball out of bounds to leave South Carolina stuck at their three yard line. The Gamecocks would use their goal line offense to success to pick up a first down in two plays and give themselves some breathing room outside the 10 yard line. This time South Carolina would sustain some success as they would pick up 17 yards through the air to get out to their 30 yard line. But a two yard gain, a three yard loss on a blown up screen pass and a pass for a gain of just 11 yards would force South Carolina to punt on fourth and inches at their 40 yard line.

Ohio State would get off just one play on their next offensive drive, picking up 12 yards and a quick first down through the air before the clock would hit all zeroes to end the third quarter.

End 3rd quarter, South Carolina 13, Ohio State 7

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:32 PM

Opening up the final quarter of the game, Ohio State would keep chugging right along, using three plays to make it out to the 50 yard line, before a pair of bad rushes would leave the Buckeyes facing third and 11 instead of sticking to their passing game. Ohio State would successfully pull off a screen pass, but it would gain just 5 yards. Ohio State would elect to go for it on fourth and 6 at the South Carolina 45 yard line, but a dropped pass would doom the drive and give the Gamecocks the ball near midfield.

South Carolina would again struggle to move the ball as two incompletions would quickly leave them facing third and 10, before a sack for a loss of 8 yards would once again continue the trade of punts.

Coming out to start a crucial drive, Ohio State would use a fake handoff and QB keeper to success for a quick 10 yard gain, followed by a second straight 10 yard keeper play. The Buckeyes would just keep faking the handoffs over and over and South Carolina would keep biting, as Ohio State ran their way to South Carolina 45 yard line before being blown up on a play for a three yard loss. Lining up on third and 6, Ohio State would once again be plagued by a dropped pass, forcing the Buckeyes to go for it on fourth and 6. They would nearly pick up the first down, but the receiver would be shoved out of bounds at the last minute for just a 5 yard gain, turning the ball over on downs at the South Carolina 39 yard line with 6:45 left in the game.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:34 PM

Just a warning right now, I'm trying really hard to get this game over, but we're about to get slammed with a severe thunderstorm any second. The thunder has been terrible so this storm is definitely a harsh one that could potentially kill our power. If that happens, either I'll have to start all over or I can try and manually get the game to 13-7 at 6:30 left in the fourth quarter and try to let it play out from there in a second attempt. Hopefully that won't happen though.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:42 PM

South Carolina would get off to a good start this drive, fighting their way down to the Ohio State 37 yard line, but another pair of incomplete passes and a sack would force yet another South Carolina punt.

For only the second time this game, Ohio State would put together a proper drive, using their ground game to its fullest effect. Rushes of 13, 10 and 8 yards would get the Buckeyes to midfield before being left facing third and two after an incomplete pass. Returning to the ground, Ohio State would run for gains of 17, 12, 6, 8, 1, and 4 yard, leaving them lining up on third and goal at South Carolina's one yard line. Despite nearly being tackled for no gain on the play, quarterback Jordan Watkins would at the last second reach out for the goal line before being tackled, scoring a one yard touchdown to give Ohio State a 14-13 lead with 2:37 left in the game.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:48 PM

Going through the air this drive, South Carolina would start to find success, as completions of gains of 19 and 25 yards, as well as a 6 yard carry, would give them a first down at the Ohio State 26 yard line. Trying to run the clock down for a game winning field goal, South Carolina would only end up going backwards, tackled for no gain and a three yard loss to leave third and 13. One final rush would see a gain of one yard, setting up a 45 yard field goal in the final second.

Calling their first timeout to stop the clock with just two seconds remaining, the Gamecocks would line up on the right hash for the 45 yard kick. Ohio State would then use their three timeouts three straight times to try and ice the kicker. After three resets, South Carolina would finally line up to make the kick for real.

The snap is good, the kick is up, it has the distance, but it goes WIDE RIGHT! Ohio State is your 2023 National Champions!

FINAL, Ohio State 14, South Carolina 13

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 04:54 PM

The story of this game, failure to catch! Both teams ended with 9 dropped passes, and damn near every single drive seemed to be killed because of a dropped pass.

Ohio State made their name on the ground, rushing for 251 yards to South Carolina's 32 yards. Meanwhile the Gamecocks dominated the air, passing for 288 yards to the Buckeyes 194 yards. Ohio State had 445 yards of total offense, South Carolina had 320. Ohio State had the only turnover of the game with an early fumble. South Carolina won time of possession 21:22 to 18:38.

The Buckeyes were 4-17 (23%) on third down, South Carolina was 6-20 (30%), while Ohio State went 0-3 on fourth down attempts.

Holy punt wars. Ohio State would end up punting 9 times for a 41.7 yard average, while South Carolina would punt 12 times for a 45.0 yard average. Talk about the punters getting a workout today!

Player of the game for Ohio State was quarterback Jordan Watkins, ending 24-45 for 194 yards, 24 carries for 116 yards and being responsible for both of Ohio State's touchdowns.

Top player for South Carolina was quarterback Jared Stevens, going 28-48 for 288 yards.

jaymo76

08-23-2015, 05:11 PM

Love your posts buddy. That being said, maybe stream on twitch and upload to YouTube to save yourself some time. You are going to burn yourself out with these amazing write-ups.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 05:16 PM

Love your posts buddy. That being said, maybe stream on twitch and upload to YouTube to save yourself some time. You are going to burn yourself out with these amazing write-ups.

I would love to, but I can't. I don't have anything that I can use to stream with my 360. When I first got my Xbox One, I tried to hook up my 360 using the pass through, but it won't let me stream on Twitch because either Twitch or the One automatically assumes I am passing through my TV feed, not my 360 feed and so it blocks me from being able to broadcast while using the pass through feed. So short of going out and spending a couple hundred bucks on an Elgato or whatever other devices there are out there, I'm left with no other option but typing.

Maybe if they ever add NCAA 14 as a backwards compatible game on the One, I would probably be able to go the Twitch route then, but for now, I'm stuck.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 05:33 PM

2023 Bowl Season Rundown

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team
Results
Team
Record
Conference

:New_Mexico_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
7-6 (4-5)
:Oregon_State:
27-14
:Iowa_State:
6-7 (4-5)
:Big_12:

:Famous_Idaho_Bowl:
:AAC:
9-4 (6-3)
:Temple:
20-10
:Ball_State:
6-7 (6-3)
:MAC:

:Poinsettia_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
9-4 (6-2)
:Air_Force:
52-44
:Tennessee:
6-7 (3-6)
:SEC:

:Beef_O_Bradys_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
8-5 (4-5)
:Washington:
30-27 OT
:Rice:
6-7 (4-4)
:CUSA:

:New_Orleans_Bowl:
:Sun_Belt:
9-4 (5-2)
:Texas_State:
31-20
:Southern_Miss:
7-6 (5-3)
:CUSA:

:Las_Vegas_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
10-4 (7-2)
:Utah_State:
73-33
:Cal:
6-7 (5-4)
:Pac_12:

:Hawaii_Bowl:
:Mountain_West:
9-4 (5-3)
(23) :Boise_State:
34-26
:Western_Kentucky:
8-5 (6-2)
:CUSA:

:LittleCaesars_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
7-6 (4-5)
:Northwestern:
42-38
:Toledo:
8-6 (7-3)
:MAC:

:Military_Bowl:
:MAC:
9-4 (6-3)
:Northern_Illinois:
28-23
:New_Mexico_State:
6-7 (4-4)
:Sun_Belt:

:Holiday_Bowl:
:Big_12:
9-4 (5-4)
(20) :Kansas_State:
45-41
(24) :Stanford:
9-5 (6-4)
:Pac_12:

:Belk_Bowl:
:ACC:
8-5 (6-3)
:Louisville:
38-31
:Missouri:
6-7 (3-6)
:SEC:

:Independence_Bowl:
:ACC:
7-6 (5-4)
:NC_State:
35-24
:SMU:
8-6 (7-3)
:AAC:

:Russell_Athletic:
:ACC:
10-4 (7-3)
:Virginia_Tech:
50-14
:Oklahoma_State:
6-7 (3-6)
:Big_12:

:Meineke_Texas_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
7-6 (4-5)
:Indiana:
35-21
:TCU:
6-7 (5-4)
:Big_12:

:Armed_Forces_Bowl:
:CUSA:
10-4 (6-3)
:Marshall:
35-23
(22) :Navy:
9-4 (6-3)
:AAC:

:Fight_Hunger_Bowl:
:AAC:
9-4 (6-3)
:USF:
34-24
:Oregon:
6-7 (4-5)
:Pac_12:

:Alamo_Bowl:
:Big_12:
10-3 (6-3)
(17) :Baylor:
42-37
:Utah:
7-6 (6-3)
:Pac_12:

:BWW_Bowl:
:Big_Ten:
7-7 (5-5)
:Wisconsin:
24-17
(15) :Texas:
9-4 (6-3)
:Big_12:

:Music_City_Bowl:
:ACC:
10-3 (6-3)
(16) :Florida_State:
27-14
:Mississippi_State:
7-6 (4-5)
:SEC:

:Sun_Bowl:
:ACC:
10-3 (6-3)
(14) :Miami:
27-17
(25) :USC:
8-5 (5-4)
:Pac_12:

:Liberty_Bowl:
:CUSA:
11-3 (8-1)
:UTSA:
35-30
:Kentucky:
6-7 (4-5)
:SEC:

:Chick_fil_A_Bowl:
:ACC:
11-2 (7-2)
(10) :Georgia_Tech:
21-7
:Arkansas:
7-6 (4-5)
:SEC:

:Heart_of_Dallas:
:Big_Ten:
8-5 (4-5)
:Penn_State:
48-38
:Miami_OH:
7-6 (5-4)
:MAC:

:TaxSlayer_Gator:
:Big_Ten:
7-6 (5-4)
:Nebraska:
35-21
:Alabama:
6-7 (4-5)
:SEC:

:Capital_One_Bowl:
:SEC:
12-2 (8-2)
(9) :Ole_Miss:
34-24
(18) :Michigan_State:
9-4 (6-3)
:Big_Ten:

:Outback_Bowl:
:SEC:
11-2 (7-2)
(12) :Auburn:
41-7
:Purdue:
6-7 (5-4)
:Big_Ten:

:Cotton_Bowl:
:Big_12:
11-2 (7-2)
(13) :Oklahoma:
42-35
:Florida:
7-6 (5-4)
:SEC:

:BBVA_Compass_Bowl:
:AAC:
8-5 (5-4)
:UCF:
38-31
:Troy:
6-7 (4-4)
:Sun_Belt:

:GoDaddycom_Bowl:
:Sun_Belt:
9-4 (5-3)
:Arkansas_State:
28-23
(19) :Ohio:
11-3 (8-2)
:MAC:

2023 BCS Bowls

Bowl Game
Conference
Record
Team
Results
Team
Record
Conference

:Rose_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
12-2 (9-1)
(8) :Arizona:
23-7
(5) :Michigan:
11-2 (8-1)
:Big_Ten:

:Fiesta_Bowl:
:Big_12:
12-1 (8-1)
(4) :West_Virginia:
48-42
(7) :Cincinnati:
12-2 (9-1)
:AAC:

:Sugar_Bowl:
:Pac_12:
12-1 (8-1)
(6) :UCLA:
21-10
(3) :Fresno_State:
13-1 (9-0)
:Mountain_West:

:Orange_Bowl:
:ACC:
11-3 (8-2)
(21) :Clemson:
52-30
(11) :Louisiana:
11-2 (8-0)
:Sun_Belt:

:BCS_Trophy:
:Big_Ten:
14-0 (10-0)
(2) :Ohio_State:
14-13
(1) :South_Carolina:
13-1 (10-0)
:SEC:

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 05:34 PM

2023 Bowl Challenge Cup Standings

Rank
Conference
Bowl Teams
Bowl Record
Percentage
Teams in AP Poll

1
:ACC:
7
7-0
1.000

2
:Mountain_West:
4
3-1
.750

3
:Big_Ten:
9
6-3
.660

4
:Big_12: (1)
8
4-4
.500

5
:AAC: (1)
6
3-3
.500

6
:Pac_12:
9
4-5
.440

7
:Sun_Belt: (2)
5
2-3
.400

8
:CUSA: (2)
5
2-3
.400

9
:MAC:
5
1-4
.250

10
:SEC:
10
2-8
.200

11
Independents
0
0-0
.000

1 - Tied based on winning percentage, but final order based on number of bowl wins.
2 - Tied with 2-3 records, but Sun Belt holds 1-0 head to head record vs. Conference USA.

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 05:35 PM

And so there you go. The domination continues. Ohio State is your 2023 national champion, winning their fourth straight national title and their 56th game in a row, while the ACC shows dominance of their own and goes a perfect 7-0 in bowl games to win the 2023 Bowl Challenge Cup.

On the other side of the coin, the SEC faceplants in epic proportions as they lifelessly float to a 2-8 finish in an extremely forgettable bowl season to claim the "we suck" conference title of 2023.

For readers teams, Texas State topples Southern Miss 31-20 in the New Orleans Bowl, Marshall defeats #22 Navy 35-23 in the Armed Forces Bowl, Utah State embarrasses California 73-33 in the Las Vegas Bowl, Arkansas State slips past #19 Ohio 28-23 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, #12 Auburn manhandles Purdue 41-7 in the Outback Bowl, #21 Clemson routs routs #8 Louisiana Lafayette 52-30 in the Orange Bowl, #6 UCLA tops #3 Fresno State 21-10 in the Sugar Bowl, #4 West Virginia escapes #7 Cincinnati 48-42 in the Fiesta Bowl and and #2 Ohio State claims the National Championship for a fourth straight season, topping #1 South Carolina 14-13 in the national title game.

The American wrapped up their season going 3-3 in bowls, but with past success in the previous couple seasons, the American officially off the watch list and will retain the automatic bid indefinitely. A second place finish in the Bowl Challenge Cup with a 3-1 finish by the Mountain West, following last years 5-1 mark, means their BCS bowl bid is now considered officially safe unless they end up on watch status again due to poor records in future seasons.

The ACC is definitely safe after a perfect 7-0 record. The Pac-12 is still considered safe for the time being, but a closer eye will be kept as they suffer their second straight sub-.500 year. The Big Ten is officially safe thanks to their 6-3 record this year, breaking a streak of three straight years with .500 or worse records.

The SEC on the other hand, yikes. They're still safe since they had an above-.500 record last year, but going a pathetic 2-8 will definitely have them being watched in future seasons. If they can't turn it around in the next year or two, they might find themselves landing on watch status.

jaymo76

08-23-2015, 05:37 PM

2-8! Couldn't happen to a more desrving confernce. Nice!

SmoothPancakes

08-23-2015, 07:03 PM

Alright, unfortunately the final polls, the coaching carousel and the off-season summary will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday.

Probably because I was unable to stay asleep for more than three or four hours max between 7am Friday and 2am Sunday, my body has been rebelling this afternoon. For the last 5 or 6 hours, my entire body has been feeling fatigued, similar to how you start to feel right before the onset of the flu. I'm not feeling that bad anymore thankfully, after eating dinner, but I'm still calling it a night very early tonight.

Since I have to be up for work at 5am tomorrow morning, I want to be to bed by 10pm and am just going to take it easy and catch up on some recorded shows for the rest of the night. Depending on how I feel tomorrow after work, I may try to jump on later in the afternoon or evening and either finish everything up or at least try to get through coaching carousel for the night and then try and finish everything on Tuesday. It'll all depending on how I'm feeling. I'm not gonna push it because I have a crap ton of hours coming up later this week with our high school football broadcasts starting back up for another season on Thursday and Friday and I'm not trying to go through an entire football broadcast feeling like the walking dead.

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 12:44 PM

2023 Final Top 25

Coaches Poll - Media Poll

Rank
Team
Record

Team
Record

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0

:Ohio_State:
14-0

2
:West_Virginia:
12-1

:West_Virginia:
12-1

3
:UCLA:
12-1

:UCLA:
12-1

4
:South_Carolina:
13-1

:South_Carolina:
13-1

5
:Arizona:
12-2

:Arizona:
12-2

6
:Ole_Miss:
12-2

:Ole_Miss:
12-2

7
:Georgia_Tech:
11-2

:Fresno_State:
13-1

8
:Auburn:
11-2

:Georgia_Tech:
11-2

9
:Fresno_State:
13-1

:Auburn:
11-2

10
:Michigan:
11-2

:Michigan:
11-2

11
:Oklahoma:
11-2

:Cincinnati:
12-2

12
:Cincinnati:
12-2

:Oklahoma:
11-2

13
:Miami:
10-3

:Miami:
10-3

14
:Florida_State:
10-3

:Baylor:
10-3

15
:Louisiana:
11-2

:Florida_State:
10-3

16
:Baylor:
10-3

:Louisiana:
11-2

17
:Clemson:
11-3

:Clemson:
11-3

18
:Kansas_State:
9-4

:Kansas_State:
9-4

19
:Boise_State:
9-4

:Boise_State:
9-4

20
:UTSA:
11-3

:UTSA:
11-3

21
:Utah_State:
10-4

:Utah_State:
10-4

22
:Marshall:
10-4

:Marshall:
10-4

23
:Air_Force:
9-4

:Air_Force:
9-4

24
:Texas_State:
9-4

:Texas_State:
9-4

25
:Texas:
9-4

:Texas:
9-4

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 02:30 PM

2023 Coaching Carousel

Team
Position
Previous Coach
Reason Left

New Coach
Previous Team
Previous Position
O/D Style

:Notre_Dame:
Head Coach
Brian Kelly
Fired

Willy Robinson
:Louisiana:
Head Coach
Virginia Tech (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Ohio:
Head Coach
Matt Green
Retired at age 70

Troy Reffett
:Ohio:
Defensive Coordinator
UL Monroe (Spread) \ 3-3-5

:North_Carolina:
Head Coach
June Jones
Fired

John Klacik
:Clemson:
Offensive Coordinator
Minnesota (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Louisiana:
Head Coach
Willy Robinson
Left for Notre Dame HC job

Kevin Rogers
:Ohio_State:
Offensive Coordinator
FIU (Multiple) \ 4-3

:BYU:
Head Coach
Randy Clements
Fired

Clay Hendrix
:West_Virginia:
Offensive Coordinator
West Virginia (Air Raid) \ 3-4

:Illinois:
Head Coach
Kevin Cosgrove
Fired

Dan Roushar
:Ohio_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Michigan State (Pro) \ 4-3

:Arizona_State:
Head Coach
Dana Bible
Fired

Josh Sutton
:UTSA:
Head Coach
Tulane (Pro) \ 4-3

:Colorado:
Head Coach
Jim Bollman
Fired

Bobby Hauck
:South_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
Central Michigan (Multiple) \ 4-2-5

:Houston:
Head Coach
Dan Morrison
Fired

Kraig Paulson
:UCLA:
Defensive Coordinator
UCLA (Spread) \ 3-4

:Texas_Tech:
Head Coach
Tommy Tuberville
Fired

Dave Cohen
:Auburn:
Defensive Coordinator
West Virginia (Air Raid) \ 3-4

:Wake_Forest:
Head Coach
Jay Niemann
Fired

Tom Mason
:Georgia_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Western Kentucky (Pro) \ 4-3

:Kansas:
Head Coach
Tim DeRuyter
Fired

Tim Banks
:Boise_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Boise State (Multiple) \ 4-2-5

:Tulsa:
Head Coach
Andy Ludwig
Fired

Steven Elbert
:Akron:
Head Coach
Stanford (Pro) \ 3-4

:East_Carolina:
Head Coach
Chad Glasgow
Fired

Pete Kwiatkowski
:Fresno_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Fresno State (Spread) \ 3-4

:UTSA:
Head Coach
Josh Sutton
Left for Arizona State HC job

Eric Price
:UTSA:
Offensive Coordinator
Kentucky (Air Raid) \ 4-3

:Ohio_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Dan Roushar
Left for Illinois HC job

Brent Venables
:Oklahoma:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Georgia_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Tom Mason
Left for Wake Forest HC job

Randy Clements
:BYU:
Head Coach
3-4

:Ohio_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Kevin Rogers
Left for Louisiana Lafayette HC job

Mike Bajakian
:Cincinnati:
Offensive Coordinator
Cincinnati (Multiple)

:LSU:
Defensive Coordinator
Paul Rhoads
Fired

Kevin Cosgrove
:Illinois:
Head Coach
4-3

:Notre_Dame:
Offensive Coordinator
Charley Molnar
Fired

Art Briles
:Boise_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Boise State (Multiple)

:Oklahoma:
Defensive Coordinator
Brent Veneables
Left for Ohio State DC job

Greg Stewart
:Stanford:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Clemson:
Offensive Coordinator
John Klacik
Left for North Carolina HC job

Brian Kelly
:Notre_Dame:
Head Coach
Notre Dame (Spread)

:Auburn:
Defensive Coordinator
Dave Cohen
Left for Texas Tech HC job

Brent Guy
:Penn_State:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:South_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
Bobby Hauck
Left for Colorado HC job

Tyson Lewis
:New_Mexico_State:
Head Coach
New Mexico State (Spread)

:UCLA:
Defensive Coordinator
Kraig Paulson
Left for Houston HC job

Bill Young
:UTSA:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:South_Alabama:
Head Coach
Joey Jones
Fired

Dan Morrison
:Houston:
Head Coach
Houston (Air Raid) \ 3-4

:Stanford:
Defensive Coordinator
Greg Stewart
Left for Oklahoma DC job

June Jones
:North_Carolina:
Head Coach
4-2-5

:Texas_A&M:
Defensive Coordinator
Dan McCarney
Fired

Phil Bennett
:Mississippi_State:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Wyoming:
Head Coach
Steve Kragthorpe
Fired

Mark Richt
:Northwestern:
Offensive Coordinator
Northwestern (Spread) \ 4-3

:Boise_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Tim Banks
Left for Kansas HC job

Jay Niemann
:Wake_Forest:
Head Coach
3-4

:Ohio:
Defensive Coordinator
Troy Reffett
Left for Ohio HC job

Stephen Hairston
None
None
4-3

:Boise_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Art Briles
Left for Notre Dame OC job

Dana Bible
:Arizona_State:
Head Coach
Arizona State (Spread)

:Penn_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Brent Guy
Left for Auburn DC job

Chuck Driesbach
:Rice:
Defensive Coordinator
4-2-5

:TCU:
Defensive Coordinator
Dick Bumpas
Retired at age 67

Chad Glasgow
:East_Carolina:
Head Coach
3-4

:West_Virginia:
Offensive Coordinator
Clay Hendrix
Left for BYU HC job

Andy Ludwig
:Tulsa:
Head Coach
Tulsa (Spread)

:Cincinnati:
Offensive Coordinator
Mike Bajakian
Left for Ohio State OC job

Tommy Tuberville
:Texas_Tech:
Head Coach
Texas Tech (Air Raid)

:New_Mexico_State:
Head Coach
Tyson Lewis
Left for South Carolina OC job

Joey Jones
:South_Alabama:
Head Coach
South Alabama (Spread) \ 3-4 Multiple

:Akron:
Head Coach
Steven Elbert
Left for Tulsa HC job

Ethan Wilson
None
None
Multiple (Multiple) \ 3-4

:Fresno_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Pete Kwiatkowski
Left for East Carolina HC job

Phillip Estes Rhodes
:North_Texas:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Buffalo:
Head Coach
Turner Gill
Fired

Will McCoy
None
None
UTSA (Multiple) \ 4-3

:Iowa:
Defensive Coordinator
Bob Fraser
Fired

Dan McCarney
:Texas_A&M:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Mississippi_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Phil Bennett
Left for Texas A&M DC job

Walter Jackson
None
None
4-3

:North_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
Kenny Edenfield
Fired

Jim Bollman
:Colorado:
Head Coach
Ohio State (Spread)

:North_Carolina:
Defensive Coordinator
Will Muschamp
Fired

Ellis Johnson
:MTSU:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Northwestern:
Offensive Coordinator
Mark Richt
Left for Wyoming HC job

Tim DeRuyter
:Kansas:
Head Coach
Kansas (Pro)

:Rutgers:
Defensive Coordinator
Marcus Riley
Fired

Caleb Daniels
None
None
4-3

:Arizona_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Geoff Collins
Fired

Carl Torbush
:Temple:
Offensive Coordinator
Temple (Multiple)

:Arizona_State:
Defensive Coordinator
Greg Cruz
Fired

Will Muschamp
:North_Carolina:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Colorado:
Offensive Coordinator
Kurt Roper Parks
Fired

Steve Kragthorpe
:Wyoming:
Head Coach
LSU (Pro)

:Kansas:
Offensive Coordinator
Jerry Kill
Fired

Turner Gill
:Buffalo:
Head Coach
Buffalo (Spread)

:Kansas:
Defensive Coordinator
David Hayford
Fired

Paul Rhoads
:LSU:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Illinois:
Defensive Coordinator
Todd Orlando
Fired

Bob Fraser
:Iowa:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Southern_Miss:
Defensive Coordinator
Dan Disch
Retired at age 68

Kevin Steele
:Maryland:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:North_Texas:
Defensive Coordinator
Phillip Estes Rhodes
Left for Fresno State DC job

Todd Orlando
:Illinois:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Texas_Tech:
Offensive Coordinator
Jeff Casteel
Fired

Dave Yost
:MTSU:
Offensive Coordinator
Mid Tennessee State (Air Raid)

:Texas_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
Mike MacIntyre
Fired

Greg Cruz
:Arizona_State:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:Wake_Forest:
Offensive Coordinator
Dave Clawson
Fired

Charley Molnar
:Notre_Dame:
Offensive Coordinator
Notre Dame (Spread)

:Maryland:
Defensive Coordinator
Kevin Steele
Fired

Kevin Sherrer
:South_Alabama:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4 Multiple

:Temple:
Offensive Coordinator
Carl Torbush
Left for Arizona State OC job

Chaz Pugh
:UL_Monroe:
Offensive Coordinator
UL Monroe (Spread)

:Houston:
Offensive Coordinator
Eric Bieniemy
Fired

Brian Stinespring
:Akron:
Offensive Coordinator
USF (Pro)

:Tulsa:
Offensive Coordinator
Kevin Johns
Fired

Kurt Roper Parks
:Colorado:
Offensive Coordinator
Wyoming (Spread)

:Colorado:
Defensive Coordinator
Dustin Hamilton
Fired

Marcus Riley
:Rutgers:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:UTSA:
Defensive Coordinator
Bill Young
Left for UCLA DC job

Bill Busch
:East_Carolina:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:UTSA:
Offensive Coordinator
Eric Price
Left for UTSA HC job

Jeff Casteel
:Texas_Tech:
Offensive Coordinator
Texas Tech (Air Raid)

:Colorado_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Pat Meyer
Fired

Eric Bieniemy
:Houston:
Offensive Coordinator
Houston (Air Raid)

:Rice:
Defensive Coordinator
Chuck Driesbach
Left for Penn State DC job

Tommy West
:UAB:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:South_Alabama:
Offensive Coordinator
Michael Walker
Fired

Geoff Collins
:Arizona_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Arizona State (Spread)

:South_Alabama:
Defensive Coordinator
Kevin Sherrer
Left for Maryland DC job

Mike MacIntyre
:Texas_Tech:
Defensive Coordinator
3-4

:UL_Monroe:
Offensive Coordinator
Chaz Pugh
Left for Temple OC job

Jerry Kill
:Kansas:
Offensive Coordinator
San Jose State (Pro)

:MTSU:
Offensive Coordinator
Dave Yost
Left for Texas Tech OC job

Mike Washington
:Western_Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
Western Michigan (Pro)

:MTSU:
Defensive Coordinator
Ellis Johnson
Left for North Carolina DC job

Zach Everett
:UMass:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Western_Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
Mike Washington
Left for MTSU OC job

Kevin Johns
:Tulsa:
Offensive Coordinator
Tulsa (Spread)

:Wyoming:
Offensive Coordinator
Doug Martin
Fired

Michael Walker
:South_Alabama:
Offensive Coordinator
Arkansas (Pro)

:Wyoming:
Defensive Coordinator
Greg Mattison
Fired

David Hayford
:Kansas:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:East_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
Ralph Brewer
Fired

Kenny Edenfield
:North_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
North Carolina (Spread)

:East_Carolina:
Defensive Coordinator
Bill Busch
Fired

Greg Mattinson
:Wyoming:
Defensive Coordinator
4-3

:Akron:
Offensive Coordinator
Brian Stinespring
Left for Houston OC job

Pat Meyer
:Colorado_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Colorado State (One Back)

:Buffalo:
Offensive Coordinator
Alex Wood
Fired

Jason Ostrander
None
None
UCLA (Spread)

:UAB:
Defensive Coordinator
Tommy West
Left for Rice DC job

Brian Dean
None
None
3-4

:UMass:
Offensive Coordinator
Craig Bray
Fired

Larry Vincent
None
None
Western Kentucky (Pro)

:UMass:
Defensive Coordinator
Zach Everett
Fired

Chris Richardson
None
None
4-3

:Idaho:
Defensive Coordinator
Marty English
Retired at age 65

Ben James
None
None
4-3

Jobs I Was in the Running For

Team
Position
Candidate Rank
Offered Job

:North_Carolina:
Head Coach
Top 6
No

:Louisiana:
Head Coach
2nd
No

:BYU:
Head Coach
3rd
Yes

:Illinois:
Head Coach
Top 6
No

:Arizona_State:
Head Coach
Top 6
No

:Colorado:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:Houston:
Head Coach
3rd
Yes

:Texas_Tech:
Head Coach
2nd
Yes

:Wake_Forest:
Head Coach
1st
Yes

:Kansas:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:Tulsa:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:East_Carolina:
Head Coach
3rd
Yes

:UTSA:
Head Coach
2nd
Yes

:Ohio_State:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:Notre_Dame:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:Clemson:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:South_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:South_Alabama:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:Wyoming:
Head Coach
2nd
Yes

:Boise_State:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:West_Virginia:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:Cincinnati:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:New_Mexico_State:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:Akron:
Head Coach
Top 6
Yes

:Buffalo:
Head Coach
3rd
Yes

:North_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:Northwestern:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:Arizona_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:Colorado:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:Kansas:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:Texas_Tech:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:Wake_Forest:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:Temple:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:Houston:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:Tulsa:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:UTSA:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:Colorado_State:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:South_Alabama:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:UL_Monroe:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:MTSU:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:Western_Michigan:
Offensive Coordinator
3rd
Yes

:Wyoming:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:East_Carolina:
Offensive Coordinator
Top 6
Yes

:Akron:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

:Buffalo:
Offensive Coordinator
1st
Yes

:UMass:
Offensive Coordinator
2nd
Yes

Notes of Interest

Multiple teams saw their entire coaching staffs shaken up, as the entire staffs are replaced at Arizona State, Colorado, East Carolina, Kansas, North Carolina, South Alabama, Texas Tech and Wyoming. UTSA would also end up seeing a coaching change from top to bottom, after their head coach left for Arizona State, their defensive coordinator left for UCLA and their offensive coordinator took over at head coach.

Other teams experiencing multiple changes were Buffalo (HC/OC), Houston (HC/OC), Illinois (HC/DC), MTSU (OC/DC), Tulsa (HC/OC), UMass (OC/DC) and Wake Forest (HC/OC).

For the third straight year, Louisiana Lafayette lost their head coach. Their head coach two years ago left for the head coach position at LSU, their newly hired coach last year left to become head coach at Penn State. Then this year, their new head coach bolts after one season to take over as head coach at Notre Dame. Louisiana Lafayette will be playing under their fourth head coach in fourth seasons.

It's tough to be the king, as successful seasons saw Ohio State lose both of their offensive coordinators, for the third straight year, to the head coach jobs at Louisiana Lafayette and Illinois, while Louisiana Lafayette's third straight head coach jumps for a higher rung on the ladder after one season. Clemson (OC), South Carolina (OC) and West Virginia (OC) would also see coordinators take advantage of recent success and leave for head coach slots elsewhere.

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 03:33 PM

2023-24 Off-Season

Players Leaving

Player
Position
Overall
Year
Reason
Overall of Next Player

David Douglas
WR
95
Senior (RS)
Graduation
84

Jason Barnes
QB
94
Senior (RS)
Graduation
80

Brian Paris
HB
92
Senior (RS)
Graduation
80

Ed Allen
P
89
Senior (RS)
Graduation
71

Derek Smith
LT
86
Senior (RS)
Graduation
67

Ryan Smith
QB
86
Senior (RS)
Graduation
80

Mike Moses
CB
84
Senior (RS)
Graduation
93

Jon Smith
MLB
82
Senior (RS)
Graduation
86

John Hale
LOLB
80
Senior (RS)
Graduation
75

Sean Baker
LT
79
Senior (RS)
Graduation
---

Aaron Allen
WR
77
Senior (RS)
Graduation
77

Jack Long
TE
77
Senior (RS)
Graduation
69

Leroy Fuqua
RE
76
Senior (RS)
Graduation
83

Lawrence Coker
CB
75
Senior (RS)
Graduation
84

Obi Rush
LOLB
73
Senior (RS)
Graduation
68

J.T. Gillett
RG
67
Freshman
Transfer (Playing Time)
85

NFL Draft

Player
Position
Overall
Year
Projected Round
Drafted Round

---
---
---
---
---
---

Transfer Requests

Player
Position
Transferring From
Transferring To
Year
Overall
Reason
Admitted/Denied

J.T. Gillett
RG
Utah State
Florida International
Freshman
67
Playing Time
Leaving

2023 Utah State Recruiting Class

Player
Position
Position Rank
Tendency
Star Ranking
:sparq:
Overall
+/-
Notes

Aaron Rush
CB
#33
Balanced
:3star:
67.00
73
+3

Jay Love
HB
#10
Balanced
:4star:
78.00
71
-2

Luke Jennings
OLB
#41
Run Stopper
:3star:
64.00
70
+2

Bryce Lewis
ATH
#46
Athlete
:4star:
76.00
70
+2

Matt Turner
WR
#63
Speed
:3star:
67.00
69
0

Max Thompson
K
#45
Accurate
:1star:
40.00
69
+10
Gem

Carnell Tidwell
ATH
#61
Athlete
:3star:
67.00
69
+2

Brian Smith
QB
#50
Scrambler
:3star:
65.00
68
+2

Matt Chavez
WR
#126
Speed
:3star:
67.00
68
+3

Lamar Moore
T
#48
Balanced
:3star:
57.00
68
0

Jeremy Brown
CB
#14
Coverage
:4star:
76.00
68
+1

Tyler Powell
FS
#72
Balanced
:2star:
59.00
68
+6
Gem

Anthony Williams
OLB
#99
Balanced
:3star:
64.00
67
+3

Michael Lewis
MLB
#45
Run Stopper
:3star:
64.00
67
+2

Todd Barclay
CB
#81
Balanced
:3star:
67.00
67
+2

Jon Parks
QB
#9
Scrambler
:4star:
73.00
66
-8
Bust

Jerod Burnette
G
#22
Run Block
:3star:
57.00
66
-6
Bust

David Jenkins
CB
#53
Coverage
:3star:
67.00
66
+1

Anthony Haumiller
CB
#88
Coverage
:3star:
67.00
66
+2

Matt Weber
FS
#41
Coverage
:3star:
67.00
66
0

Recruiting Class Rank

Rank: 35

Position Changes

Player
Position
Overall
New Position
Overall

Richard Andrews
LG
67
RG
67

Anthony Williams
ROLB
67
LOLB
67

Bryce Lewis
ATH
70
FS
75

Carnell Tidwell
ATH
69
SS
73

Training Results

Highest Overall Player - Leonard Hart - CB - 97 OVR (+4)
Largest Training Increase - Doug Marcus - K - 94 OVR (+6)

Cut Players

Player
Position
Depth Chart Rank
Year
Overall

David Jenkins
CB
4th
Freshman
66

Anthony Haumiller
CB
4th
Freshman
66

Matt Weber
FS
5th
Freshman
66

Brian Smith
QB
3rd
Freshman
68

Conference Changes

Team

Old Conference
New Conference

---

---
---

BCS Bowl Tie Ins

Slots
Conference
Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:ACC:
Orange Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:AAC:
Any Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Big_Ten:
Rose Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Big_12:
Fiesta Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Mountain_West:
Any Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:Pac_12:
Rose Bowl

Automatic Qualifier
:SEC:
Sugar Bowl

Open Slot
At Large
Any Bowl

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 04:03 PM

2024 Utah State Football Schedule

Week
Home/Away
Team
Result
Score
Record
Game Notes

1
Away
:Utah:
Win
27-24 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734987103&viewfull=1#post1734987103)
1-0
Season Opener
Battle of the Brothers
Beehive Boot

2
Neutral Site
#7 :Michigan:
Loss
31-48 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734987327&viewfull=1#post1734987327)
1-1
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium

3
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

4
Away
:Notre_Dame:
Loss
23-31 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734987537&viewfull=1#post1734987537)
1-2

5
Home
:BYU:
Win
49-7 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734996347&viewfull=1#post1734996347)
2-2
Home Opener
The Old Wagon Wheel
Beehive Boot

6
Away
:San_Diego_State:
Loss
14-28 (http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1734999151&viewfull=1#post1734999151)
2-3 (0-1)
Conference Opener

7
Home
:San_Jose_State:

Win

13-10
(http://www.thegamingtailgate.com/forums/showthread.php?2857-Smooth-Pancakes-Coaching-Carousel-Career&p=1735001947&viewfull=1#post1735001947)
3-3 (1-1)

Homecoming

8
Away
:New_Mexico:
---
---
---

9
Home
:Colorado_State:
---
---
---

10
Away
:Boise_State:
---
---
---

11
Home
:Air_Force:
---
---
---

12
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

13
Away
:UNLV:
---
---
---

14
Home
:Wyoming:
---
---
---
Bridger's Battle
Senior Night

15
---
Bye Week
---
---
---

CCG
:Mountain_West:
---
---
---
---
Mountain West Championship Game

Bowl Game
---
---
---
---
---
2024 Bowl Game

--- The scores are hyperlinks to the posted game report of that game. Just click on the score/link to be taken to that game's posted report.

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 04:04 PM

Utah State Five Year HC Contract Goals - Year Two

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
3

Job Security Status

100%

--- Contract goal numbers and job security updated through Season 14, Week 7.

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 04:10 PM

The following players have been redshirted for the 2024 season.

2024 Redshirt Players

Player
Position
Depth Chart Rank
Year
Overall

Kyle Hall
HB
4th
Sophomore
78

Raymond Watson
FB
2nd
Junior
78

Trent Allen
WR
3rd
Junior
75

Steve Sanders
LG
2nd
Junior
73

T.J. Bell
RG
2nd
Senior
77

Shaun Peterson
RE
1st
Senior
88

Lance Nash
DT
2nd
Junior
77

Michael Lewis
MLB
3rd
Freshman
67

Derrick Perez
ROLB
2nd
Senior
82

Leonard Hart
CB
1st
Senior
97

Allen Salyer
FS
2nd
Junior
76

Cole Brown
SS
1st
Sophomore
74

Doug Marcus
K
1st
Senior
94

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 05:20 PM

2024 Preseason Top 25

Rank
Team
2023 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0
A (95)
A+ (99)
B+ (90)
B+

2
:South_Carolina:
13-1
B+ (90)
A- (93)
B+ (88)
B-

3
:Oklahoma:
11-2
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A+ (99)
A+

4
:UCLA:
12-1
A- (93)
B+ (90)
A+ (97)
B-

5
:West_Virginia:
12-1
B- (83)
B+ (90)
C+ (76)
D

6
:Miami:
10-3
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
B+ (88)
A+

7
:Michigan:
11-2
A+ (97)
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
C

8
:Florida_State:
10-3
A (95)
A+ (99)
B+ (88)
B

9
:Ole_Miss:
12-2
B+ (91)
A- (93)
A- (92)
B-

10
:Auburn:
11-2
A- (93)
A+ (99)
B+ (90)
A

11
:Baylor:
10-3
B (86)
B+ (88)
B (87)
C+

12
:Clemson:
11-3
B+ (91)
A+ (97)
B+ (88)
A+

13
:Texas:
9-4
A- (93)
A+ (99)
B+ (90)
A+

14
:Georgia_Tech:
11-2
B+ (91)
A- (93)
B+ (90)
C+

15
:Arizona:
12-2
B (86)
A- (93)
B- (80)
B

16
:Virginia_Tech:
10-4
A (95)
A+ (99)
A- (93)
A

17
:Stanford:
9-5
B+ (88)
B (86)
B+ (90)
A-

18
:USC:
8-5
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
A (95)
C

19
:Michigan_State:
9-4
B+ (91)
A- (93)
B+ (90)
A

20
:Cincinnati:
12-2
B- (83)
B+ (90)
C+ (76)
C-

21
:Kansas_State:
9-4
B+ (88)
B+ (88)
B (87)
B

22
:Florida:
7-6
A (95)
A- (93)
A+ (99)
B+

23
:Oregon:
6-7
B+ (90)
B+ (90)
B+ (90)
B+

24
:Fresno_State:
13-1
B- (83)
B- (83)
B (85)
D-

25
:Arkansas:
7-6
B+ (90)
A (95)
B (85)
C+

Mountain West Teams and 2024 Opponents

Rank
Team
2023 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

7
:Michigan:
11-2
A+ (97)
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
C

24
:Fresno_State:
13-1
B- (83)
B- (83)
B (85)
D

27
:Boise_State:
9-4
B (86)
B+ (88)
B (87)
C

29
:Utah_State:
10-4
B (84)
B (86)
B- (82)
C

34
:Utah:
7-6
B+ (90)
B+ (91)
B+ (90)
A-

57
:Notre_Dame:
3-9
A+ (99)
A+ (97)
A+ (99)
B

61
:Air_Force:
9-4
C+ (79)
B- (81)
C+ (76)
A

74
:San_Diego_State:
5-7
B+ (90)
B+ (91)
B+ (88)
C-

82
:Nevada:
5-7
C+ (77)
C (75)
B- (80)
A

90
:Hawaii:
5-7
B (84)
B+ (90)
B- (82)
D

91
:BYU:
3-9
B (84)
B+ (88)
B- (82)
C-

93
:San_Jose_State:
5-7
B- (81)
B (84)
B- (80)
D+

108
:New_Mexico:
4-8
C+ (79)
B- (81)
C+ (78)
D-

111
:Colorado_State:
3-9
C (72)
C+ (77)
C- (70)
D-

112
:Wyoming:
2-10
C+ (77)
B- (83)
C (75)
D

123
:UNLV:
3-9
C+ (77)
B- (81)
C (75)
D+

"For Our Readers" Teams

Rank
Team
2023 Record
Overall
Offense
Defense
Special Teams

1
:Ohio_State:
14-0
A (95)
A+ (99)
B+ (90)
B+

2
:South_Carolina:
13-1
B+ (90)
A- (93)
B+ (88)
B-

5
:West_Virginia:
12-1
B- (83)
B+ (90)
C+ (76)
D

10
:Auburn:
11-2
A- (93)
A+ (99)
B+ (90)
A

35
:Navy:
9-4
B (84)
B+ (88)
B- (82)
B-

37
:Louisiana:
11-2
B- (81)
B- (83)
B- (80)
D-

45
:Arkansas_State:
9-4
B- (81)
B- (83)
B- (80)
C

80
:Arizona_State:
3-9
B+ (88)
B (86)
B+ (90)
D

84
:FIU:
5-7
B- (83)
B (84)
B- (82)
D-

87
:Southern_Miss:
7-6
B- (83)
B- (83)
B (85)
C+

103
:Tulsa:
3-9
B- (81)
B (84)
B- (80)
C-

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 05:40 PM

2024 Utah State Two Deep Roster

Offense

Position
Rank
Name
Year
Overall

QB
1
Pat Williams
Junior (RS)
86

QB
2
Josh Jones
Freshman (RS)
72

HB
1
Benjamin Silva
Junior
85

HB
2
Tyson Taylor
Sophomore (RS)
81

FB
1
Walter Johnson
Junior (RS)
78

FB
2
John Waters
Sophomore
71

WR
1
Adam Washington
Junior
89

WR
2
Greg Miller
Senior (RS)
81

WR
3
Tristan Muhammad
Sophomore (RS)
76

WR
4
Jon Morris
Junior (RS)
76

WR
5
Matt Turner
Freshman
69

TE
1
Nate Williams
Freshman (RS)
75

TE
2
Sam Livingston
Sophomore
73

LT
1
Max Richard
Freshman (RS)
72

LT
2
Lamar Moore
Freshman
68

LG
1
Kevin Thomas
Junior (RS)
78

LG
2
Jerod Burnette
Freshman
66

C
1
Randy Thomas
Junior
82

C
2
Paul Rodgers
Junior (RS)
80

RG
1
Shelton Woods
Junior (RS)
91

RG
2
Richard Andrews
Freshman (RS)
73

RT
1
Justin Wallace
Junior (RS)
83

RT
2
Freddie Williams
Sophomore
72

Defense

Position
Rank
Name
Year
Overall

LE
1
Steve Jones
Sophomore (RS)
77

LE
2
Jovon Blount
Junior
76

RE
1
Steve Simpson
Sophomore (RS)
76

RE
2
---
---
---

DT
1
Scott Flanagan
Senior (RS)
81

DT
2
J.R. Gray
Sophomore
77

DT
3
Xavier Simmons
Junior
76

DT
4
Drew Triplett
Junior (RS)
75

LOLB
1
Joshua Porter
Sophomore (RS)
79

LOLB
2
Ryan Taylor
Freshman (RS)
72

MLB
1
Justin Dunn
Junior (RS)
91

MLB
2
Johnny Sullivan
Junior (RS)
84

ROLB
1
Jason Baker
Junior (RS)
83

ROLB
2
Luke Jennings
Freshman
70

CB
1
Jesse Breedlove
Junior (RS)
88

CB
2
Aaron Rush
Freshman
73

CB
3
Jeremy Brown
Freshman
68

CB
4
Todd Barclay
Freshman
67

FS
1
Kyle Mitchell
Junior (RS)
80

FS
2
Bryce Lewis
Freshman
75

SS
1
Carnell Tidwell
Freshman
73

SS
2
Dwayne Thompson
Sophomore (RS)
72

K
1
Max Thompson
Freshman
69

K
2
Freddie Arnold
Sophomore (RS)
78

P
1
Freddie Arnold
Sophomore (RS)
78

P
2
Max Thompson
Freshman
68

KR
1
Benjamin Silva
Junior
97

KR
2
Jon Morris
Junior (RS)
91

PR
1
Benjamin Silva
Junior
97

PR
2
Jon Morris
Junior (RS)
91

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 05:58 PM

Alright, that should do it for all the preseason stuff. Looking over my schedule, this may very well be my toughest schedule yet this entire dynasty.

Running down the list of games and the expectations, based on the preseason rankings as well as team ratings:

Utah - Toss-up leaning towards a loss
vs Michigan (neutral field) - Guaranteed loss
at Notre Dame - Guaranteed loss (they sucked last year but I can't compete with 99 overall, 97 offense and 99 defense)
BYU - Toss-up
at San Diego State - Toss-up leaning towards a loss
San Jose State - Likely Win
at New Mexico - Likely Win
Colorado State - Damn well better Win
at Boise State - Toss-up leaning toward a loss
Air Force - Toss-up leaning toward a win (depends on how we defend the triple option)
at UNLV - Damn well better Win
Wyoming - Damn well better Win

Based on those expectation and predictions, I'm looking at 5 games I should expect to win without any problems, due in part to just how bad the 5 teams are. That number moves up to 6 if I include the toss-up leaning towards a win against Air Force. There are really technically only two games I should expect to lose, that being the neutral site game against Michigan and the road trip to Notre Dame, where I'll be lucky if I don't give up a combined 100+ points between those two. However, there are also three games that are a toss-up, leaning towards a loss. And then there is one game, the BYU game, that is a true toss-up that could go either way.

So logically, I'm looking at a potential record somewhere between 10-2 and 5-7 this season. Utah, as usual, has more skill and talent than us, and being a rival, it's a battle from start to finish regardless of the skill levels. Michigan and Notre Dame, I'll just be happy if I can keep them under 50. I don't have a chance in hell against those overpowered rosters. BYU could go either way, partly due to the rivalry aspect, but also due to the Cougars being essentially equal in talent, and in fact slightly better offensively. San Diego State, despite a sub-.500 win season, are actually better talented and are stronger across the board overall, on offense and on defense and will be a definite problem. San Jose State is a worse rated team, but they aren't that far behind Utah State, it is nowhere out of the realm of possibility that they could taste victory against us.

After their big breakout perfect regular season two years ago, New Mexico is quickly fallen off the ladder and faceplanted. They can still be a dangerous team, but we should have the talent to take care of business. Colorado State is probably the closest thing to a guaranteed win, they are just plain that terribly bad. Boise State is much improved this year, and with it being at Boise State, they will have the natural advantage. Air Force and that triple option will always be a toss-up, but our ratings advantage gives us the edge as they enter this season as bit weaker of a team. UNLV should be another cakewalk, as should Wyoming, both of them battling Colorado State for last place in the conference. However, with the rivalry with Wyoming, who knows. They seem to get themselves up for that last game against us no matter how poorly their season has gone, and have already tasted upset victory against us at least once in the last 4 seasons.

Unfortunately, we end up with technically only 5 home games for the second straight season. While we are considered the home team against Michigan, due to it being a neutral site game played at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium, we essentially still only have 5 true home games, though our road schedule at least thankfully returns to a normal 6 game docket.

jaymo76

08-24-2015, 07:56 PM

No Smooth... say it ain't so. You were offered ASU and didn't accept? You could have been SunDevil salvation with you OC brilliance!

:Arizona_State:

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 08:06 PM

:D Only way I'm going back to the nightmare that is offensive coordinator and being forced to helplessly watch our crap defense screw us over every game, is if I end up getting fired and am offered nothing but OC jobs. :)

I'm also sort of trying to avoid coaching any readers schools, just because I may not be able to live up to that reader's expectations. ;)

SmoothPancakes

08-24-2015, 08:13 PM

I also still haven't made up my mind if I am going to amend my coaching rules. I have given it some thought after recent comments by both you and souljahbill, but I've done nothing more than just toss the idea around in my mind. Otherwise, for the time being, I am still restricted to playing out my coaching contracts in full (or being fired) before I can move on to another school.

Regardless, even if I did change my rules, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! I have some fun non-conference games coming up in future seasons, and I WANT that Mountain West Conference championship damnit! I haven't won a conference title since the 2016 season with Tulsa. I WILL win one at Utah State damnit! :D

Another reason I am sticking with Utah State for the next two seasons at least, I may have a VERY fun roster to play with in 2-3 seasons time. Doing my preseason recruiting, I had a 5* recruit and multiple 4* recruits that all had Utah State among their top 3 schools right from the very get go out of the gate. If I can somehow pull what could possibly be my greatest ever recruiting class out of my ass this season, there ain't a damn thing that is going to keep me from staying at Utah State to spend my time with those recruits on the field!

SmoothPancakes

09-15-2015, 07:28 AM

Just an update, it's probably going to be a while before I play the next season. Over the last two weeks, I've had some issues with my laptop. Since Saturday, I haven't even been able to successfully log in for more than a minute or two before it just stops cold. Best I can tell, the hard drive is either right in the middle of a full blown failure or on the edge of a failure. So until I can get a new hard drive into my laptop, typing up game summaries on Word is impossible, thus meaning this dynasty is on permanent hold until then.

souljahbill

09-15-2015, 08:09 AM

Get to it when you get it. We're not going anywhere.

SmoothPancakes

09-15-2015, 08:12 AM

Oh, I'm not going anywhere either. :D. But it'll be at least early October before I may be able to get my NCAA on again. Depending on work, maybe not until November. So just wanted to leave an update to not be surprised when this goes dead for another month or two. Utah State shall ride again, I just don't have the means to type about it. :)

SmoothPancakes

01-18-2016, 07:09 PM

Let this baby live again!!!

http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx305/SmoothPancakes/frankenstein-1_zps9h1zxrxl.jpg

As I posted in the Merry Christmas thread, I got a Microsoft Surface 3 tablet for Christmas. Came with Windows 10 installed, I was able to get Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016 ($399.99 retail) for $9.99 through the Microsoft Home Use Program thanks to working for a nice large global communications company, so I have the normal fully operational Microsoft Office on my tablet similar to a normal PC.

I bought a bluetooth mouse right after New Year's, and have a bluetooth keyboard arriving tomorrow morning from Amazon. Also have a padded "lap desk" arriving on Wednesday that I can set my tablet up on, along with the keyboard, and use it almost like a quasi-laptop.

As I have been sorely bitten by the NCAA Football bug since mid-December, I am anxiously looking forward to diving back into sweet glorious college football action.

SmoothPancakes

01-30-2016, 10:22 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tHQd7NIYAI

SmoothPancakes

02-04-2016, 11:41 PM

Game One

:Utah_State: :@: :Utah:

Game Story

--- After a long offseason of training, meetings and practices, the start of the 2024 football season had finally arrived. Fans and players would be going into a true unknown this season as the Aggies scrambled to replace nearly their entire offense from last season. Most teams could reasonably bounce back from losing one or two key players. Utah State, on the other hand, would have to replace the starting and backup quarterbacks, starting running back, #1 and #3 wide receivers, starting tight end, and the starting and backup left tackles. Defense and Special Teams weren’t untouched either, as losses impacted the #1 cornerback, two-thirds of the linebacker corps and the punter.

It wouldn’t be an easy start to the season as we tried to replace all those lost starters, as we would be dropped straight into the fire with a road game at rival Utah. We would also be officially kicking off the 2024 football season for the entire nation, playing a lone game by ourselves on Thursday night. We could only hope that redshirt junior quarterback Pat Williams, junior running Benjamin Silva, junior and redshirt senior wide receivers Adam Washington and Greg Miller and redshirt freshman tight end Nate Williams would be prepared and able to fill the holes in our young offense. We won the coin toss and elected to kick to start the season.

A 29 yard kickoff return would set Utah up at their 32 yard line for their first offensive drive of 2024. The Utes would waste little time in moving the ball on our defense, as Maurice Allen pulled in a 29 yard completion from senior quarterback Jonathan Harrell, giving the Utes a quick first down at our 39 yard line. A 6 yard pass to tight end Clint Lee would be followed with a 33 yard touchdown pass to Trey Riley, giving Utah a very fast 7-0 lead with 9:08 left in the first quarter.

Benjamin Silva would get us some great field position with a 46 yard kickoff return, lining our offense up at the 44 yard line. Our running game would be mediocre to start, as consecutive rushes by Silva would gain just 5 yards to leave third and 5. Taking our first shot through the air, Pat Williams was able to drop back from the shotgun and connect with Tyson Taylor for a 14 yard gain, keeping our drive alive at the Utah 38 yard line. We would slowly start to find more success on the ground, as a first down rush by Silva would go for a 6 yard gain, followed a four yard rush that would leave us facing third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down, and would get the job done with a 5 yard carry, moving the chains to the 23 yard line. Taking a chance through the air on first down, Williams would find Greg Miller over the middle, but the pass would end up dropped and incomplete. Lining up under center on second down, Williams would through a very ballsy pass over the middle between both inside linebackers, and into the hands of tight end Shaun Livingston for a 23 yard completion, giving us first and goal just inches from the goal line. Silva would get the play call and plow forward for a one yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 5:48 left in the first quarter.

Utah would again field the kickoff from inside their 5 yard line, a 23 yard return giving the Utes the ball at their 24 yard line. Donald Walker would get Utah started with a three yard rush, followed by a 5 yard pass to Riley to bring up third and two. A third down blitz by our defense would pay off huge as Harrell was forced to scramble and ultimately throw the ball away to avoid a sack, forcing the Utes to punt on fourth and two. A 22 yard punt return by Silva on the 41 yard kick would give us the ball at our 48 yard line to start our next drive.

Lining up near midfield following the great punt return, our offense looked to repeat their success of the previous drive and stake a claim for the lead in this game. A pair of rushes by Silva would go for gains of three and four yards, bringing up a quick third and three. Leaving our fate in Silva’s hands, he would just manage to prolong our drive with a four yard rush and a first down at the Utah 42 yard line. Taylor would take over on first down, plowing up the gut for a 9 yard carry, followed by a spinning washing machine spin cycle like run up the field for a second gain of 9 yards, giving us a first down at the 24. Despite Utah’s best efforts, including blitzing two linebackers, Silva would somehow avoid the rushers in the backfield and would shimmy his way out of one tackle attempt, on his way to a second consecutive 9 yard gain. A 6 yard rush on second down and one would move the chains as we would end up with first and goal from the Utah 9 yard line. With Utah unable to do anything this drive to stop our running game, we chose to just keep it in the hands of Silva on first down, who would plow ahead for a 7 yard carry, leaving second and goal at the two yard line. Silva tried to punch it in on second down, but was tackled for a gain of just one yard, bringing up third and goal from the one. Silva would again get the call on third down, taking the handoff and bouncing outside the right tackle, fighting through the defensive end and falling into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, his second of the day, to give us a 14-7 lead with 16 seconds left in the first quarter.

A 36 yard kickoff return, that came just two players away from being a near return to the house, would give Utah the ball at their 35 yard line. Utah’s drive would get off to a poor start with two straight very ugly incomplete passes, neither throw anywhere near a Utah receiver. Even despite completing a screen pass to Walker on third down, he would end up tackled shy of the first down marker for a gain of only 8 yards, forcing Utah to punt on fourth and two. That would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock ran out during action, Utah State leading 14-7.

Starting the second quarter, Utah’s punt team came out on fourth down. A 9 yard return on the 40 yard punt would give us the ball at our 27 yard line. Picking up where we left off last drive, Silva got the play call on first down, only to be instantly stood up for no gain on the play. Taking another crack at the Utah defense, Silva took the handoff up the middle and found much better success this time around, rushing for a gain of 8 yards to leave third and two. Despite running into red at the line of scrimmage, Silva was able to bounce past the defensive tackle and across the line of scrimmage for a 6 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 41 yard line. Taylor would take over on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain around the left guard, followed by a pitch right to Silva for a gain of three yards, leaving us facing third and two. Once again leaving the drive in the hands of Silva, he would just barely find a hole through the blitz and pick up three yards on the carry, giving us a new set of downs at the Utah 48 yard line. Running a play action pass on first down, tight end Gerald Woods was able to come down with a quick pass from Williams for a 14 yard completion and a first down at the 34. Airing it out on first down, Williams dropped back from the shotgun and heaved a deep pass down the left sideline and into the end zone intended for Adam Washington, only to have the pass intercepted in the back of the end zone by cornerback Josh Dailey, the touchback giving Utah the ball at their 20 yard line.

Taking over on offense after the turnover, Walker would get the Utes moving with a 5 yard carry on first down, followed by a two yard gain to bring up third and three. Our defense would thankfully come through again, with a strong blitz and air tight man coverage forcing a bad pass from Harrell that would harmlessly land incomplete and force Utah to punt once more. A 10 yard return on the 46 yard punt would give us the ball back at our 36 yard line.

Returning to our ground game to start this next drive, Silva would stumble forward for a gain of four yards on first down, before being stood up for no gain on a second down rush attempt, leaving us facing third and 6. Going into the air on third down, Williams would drop back and fire a pass intended for Tristan Muhammad, only to overthrow the ball and force us to punt on fourth down. A 10 yard return on a poor 34 yard punt would set Utah up from their 35 yard line.

Liking up on offense following the punt return, the offensive struggles of the Utes would continue as consecutive passes by Harrell would end up incomplete to quickly bring up third down. A rushed third down pass would likewise end up incomplete, and Utah was forced to punt once more. An 8 yard return on the 43 yard punt would give us the ball at our 29 yard line.

Starting once more on the ground, Silva would get the call on first down, diving forward for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a 7 yard carry to give us a new first down at the 41 yard line. Another first down rush by Silva would see him stood up for a gain of just two yards, before plowing ahead on an 8 yard dash over the top of multiple Utah defenders to bring up third and inches. Silva would get the first down and then some with a big 10 yard rush, giving us a first down at the Utah 39 yard line. With time running short, it was into the air on first down as Williams dropped back on a play action pass, finding fullback Walter Johnson for a gain of 12 yards and a new set of downs at the 27 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Williams was able to connect with Washington over the middle for a 16 yard completion, giving us a first down at the 11 yard line with a minute and a half left on the clock. Putting the drive back in the hands of Silva on first down, he would get the handoff, find a huge hole outside the right guard and stumble and bumble his way all the way into the end zone for an 11 yard touchdown rush, his third rushing TD of the game, giving us a 21-7 lead with 1:13 left in the second quarter.

A 21 yard kickoff return would give Utah the ball at their 22 yard line, 1:09 remaining on the clock. Despite a forced incomplete pass on first down, the Utes would not go quietly, as Harrell connected with Lee for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 33, the Utes calling their first timeout with exactly one minute remaining. A questionable pass over the middle to Allen would result in him quickly being tripped up for a gain of just 5 yards, leaving second and 5 and forcing Utah to burn their second timeout. An incomplete pass down the left sideline would bring up third and 5 for the Utes, just 52 seconds left on the clock. Despite our defensive pressure, Harrell was able to complete a pass to Jerrell Lewis for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at our 42 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, the Utes tried to fire a pass over the middle to Joey McMahan, only to have it broken up incomplete, leaving second down and the clock stopped with 38 seconds remaining. With yet another year’s defense collapsing at the worst times, the defense would fold on second down as Harrell connected with a double covered Allen down the left sideline for a 27 yard gain, giving Utah a first down at our 15 yard line with 32 seconds to go. With their backs against the wall, our defense would make probably their two best plays of the game thus far, as a first down blitz would reach Harrell and sack him for an 8 yard loss. Going no huddle on second and 18, despite getting caught out of position while trying to line up at the snap, our defense was able to force Harrell overthrow his pass down the left sideline out of bounds, leaving the Utes facing third and 18 with 9 seconds left on the clock. Despite nearly blowing it as our cornerback got beat down the right sideline, Harrell would again overthrow the pass under pressure, forcing Utah to settle for a field goal. The 40 yard kick by Sam Mayhew was good, cutting our lead to 21-10 with one second left until halftime.

Silva was only able to manage a 21 yard kickoff return before being tackled, sending us into halftime with a 21-10 lead.

Opening up the second half, a questionable 18 yard kickoff return by Jon Morris would give us the ball at the 12 yard line to start the third quarter. Silva would get our drive off and running with a 7 yard carry on first down, followed by an initial three yard gain. However, during the play, Silva would fumble the football, the ball scooped up by fullback Johnson, who would be credited with the three yard carry and a first down at the 22 yard line. The fumble would be reviewed, with it ultimately being determined that Silva was down by contact before the ball came loose, the credit for the three yard gain instead going back to Silva, though we would still have a first down at the 22 yard line either way. Silva would keep us moving with another 7 yard carry, followed by a four yard gain to move the chains to the 34 yard line. Silva would keep plowing ahead on first down, finding a hole along the right tackle for a gain of 8 yards, before being quickly brought down for no gain to leave us facing third and two. Leaving our faith and trust in Silva, he would get the handoff and find a gap in the defense for a 6 yard gain, moving the chains to the 48 yard line. Calling a play action pass on first down, Williams would connect with Woods for a gain of 5 yards. Lining up under center on second down, the pass attempt intended for Livingston would end up batted away, leaving us with third and 5. Coming out in the shotgun on third down, Muhammad would get the call, pulling in a 14 yard pass from Williams for a first down at the Utah 33 yard line. Returning to the ground game on first down, Silva would fight his way forward for a gain of four yards, followed by a second four yard rush to leave us facing third and two. Taylor would get the ball on third down, just barely picking up two yards before being flattened, giving us a first down at the Utah 23. A first down pass intended for Washington was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker, followed by a another incomplete pass, this time intended for Miller, to leave us facing third and long. Taylor would get his number called on third down, just beating the safety to the ball for a 22 yard completion, giving us first and goal at the one yard line. Taylor would try to punch it in on the ground on first down, but he would end up tackled for a two yard loss, leaving second and goal from the three. Taylor would take another crack, only to be stood up for no gain, bringing up third and goal. Taylor would try once again, but would only gain a single yard on the play, leaving us kicking on fourth and goal from the two yard line. Freshman kicker Max Thompson would cap off the 18 play drive with a 19 yard field goal, increasing our lead to 24-10 with 2:46 left in the third quarter.

A 24 yard kickoff return would give Utah the ball at their 25 yard line. Walker would get the Utes started with a 12 yard rush for a first down. Another rush would result in a loss of two yards on the play, followed by maybe the worst shovel pass in history to Charlie Smith, resulting in another two yard loss to bring up third and 14. The third down pass over the middle was very nearly intercepted by our middle linebacker, forcing Utah to punt. A 6 yard return on the 38 yard punt would give us the ball from our 34 yard line.

Lining up under center on first down, Taylor got the call with a four yard carry, before being stood up for no gain on second down, leaving us facing third and 6. Trying to go into the air on third down, Williams would end up throwing his second interception of the game, picked off by middle linebacker MarquesReid, who would return it 5 yards to our 46 yard line.

Taking over possession inside our half of the field following the interception, Utah came out passing with a play action pass, only to gain a single yard as they failed to fool our defense. The Utes would instead come punching right back on second down, as Harrell found Josh Griffith for an open 14 yard completion and a first down at our 32 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 24-10.

Opening up the fourth quarter, the Utes lined up on first down from our 32 yard line, and promptly handed the ball off to Walker for a gain of 9 yards on the play. Anticipating the run on second and short, the Utes would instead run a flawless play action pass, leaving Riley completely uncovered for a 23 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 24-17 with 9:31 left in the game.

A 27 yard kickoff return by Jesse Breedlove would give us the ball at our 23 yard line, just 9:28 away from victory, if we could hold on. Coming out running the ball on first down, Taylor took the handoff up the middle for a gain of 6 yards, followed by an 8 yard rush to pick up a quick first down at the 34 yard line. Taylor would keep plugging away on the ground, fighting his way to a gain of three yards on first down, followed by a three yard carry to leave us facing third and four. Taking a chance through the air on third down, Williams was able to connect with Muhammad for a 12 yard completion, giving us a new set of downs at the Utah 47 yard line. Taylor would resume his rushing attack on first down, sprinting outside the right tackle for a 5 yard gain, before being quickly spun down at the line of scrimmage for no gain, bringing up third and 5. Lining up under center on third down, Williams would find Livingston over the middle for a gain of 13 yards and a new first down at the 30 yard line. Resuming our rushing attack, Taylor would only manage a two yard gain on first down, followed by a three yard rush that would again leave us facing third and 5. Coming out in the shotgun on third down, Williams would connect with Zach Coleman for a gain of 16 yards over the middle, giving us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Coleman would take over in the backfield on first down, rushing his way to a gain of four yards, followed by a three yard rush by Taylor to leave third and goal from the two yard line. Coleman would get the call on third down, only to be tackled for a loss of one yard to bring up fourth and goal at the three yard line. Thompson would split the uprights on the 20 yard field goal, increasing our lead to 27-17 with 2:51 left in the game.

A 30 yard kickoff return by Riley would give Utah the ball at their 36 yard line. Throwing under pressure on first down, Harrell’s pass intended for Griffith would land incomplete, before Harrell was forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sack on second down, bringing up third and long. Another overthrown pass on third down would essentially bring up the play of the game, as Utah would go for it on fourth and 10. A stop right here, with a 10 point lead and only 2:33 left on the clock would make it all but impossible for Utah to mount any possible comeback. Our defense would step up to the job as the blitz forced a woefully underthrown pass by Harrell, the ball landing over 15 yards behind the closest receiver, forcing the turnover on downs.

Taking over after the forced turnover on downs, our offense got lined up from the Utah 36 yard line. Taylor would get us started on the ground, but he would only manage a single yard gain on the play, Utah calling their first timeout immediately after. Another rush by Taylor would pick up three yards, leaving third and 6, Utah calling their second timeout following the play. Playing the strategy of the situation, instead of passing to try and get the first down, we elected to run on third and 6. If we got the first down, all the better, but if we failed, Utah would be forced to either call their third timeout, or watch the clock keep ticking down from 2:12 and well underneath two minutes, while we took our sweet time lining up for a field goal. Taylor would take the handoff on third down, managing only a three yard gain to bring up fourth and three at the Utah 29 yard line. Utah would call their third and final timeout, stopping the clock with 2:10 remaining. We would line up for the 46 yard field goal, looking to make this a 13 point game, The ungodly ugly kick from Thompson never had a chance, both going wide left, as well as landing over 5 yards short in the actual end zone, clearly Thompson not having jack crap for length strength.

With the missed field goal, Utah would take over at their 29 yard line, lining up with 2:06 remaining on the clock and no timeouts left, needing 10 points, two possessions, to tie. Unbelievably, they would almost instantly get 7 of those needed 10 points, as Harrell found Walker over the middle, and after three broken tackles, it was a 71 yard footrace for a touchdown, cutting our lead to 27-24 with 1:53 left in the game.

Lining up for the onside kick, our hands team would make damn sure not to be responsible for us blowing it, as Miller snatched the ball out of the air off the bounce, giving us possession at the Utah 43 yard line with 1:52 remaining in the game. Taylor would get the ball on first down, fighting forward for a gain of four yards, followed by a 5 yard rush to bring up third and one, with one minute remaining on the clock. A 5 yard rush by Taylor would seal the deal, picking up a first down at the Utah 29 yard line. A single kneel down by Williams would 15 seconds left would ice the game and our 27-24 victory over rival Utah.

With the win, we open our 2024 season at 1-0. With the loss, Utah opens their year 0-1. Up next, we head to Denver, Colorado and Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium to face the #7 Michigan Wolverines in a neutral site contest. Michigan enters the game 1-0 followed a 45-24 win over Mississippi State in week one.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 27, :Utah: 24

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A rough first start for Williams. While he did go 11-18 for 160 yards, he also had no touchdowns and two interceptions. Rushing, Silva led the way with 175 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries. Taylor finished with 73 yards on 23 rushes and Coleman gained three yards on two carries. Receiving, Livingston ended up the top receiver with 36 yards on two catches. Right behind him was Taylor with 35 yards on two receptions. In total, seven receivers caught at least one pass today, and all seven receivers ended with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Not a terrible day by the defense. Despite a rough opening drive and a very rough fourth quarter, the defense was actually pretty damn well shut down all game and kept the Utah offense pretty well under wraps. Between a mix of timely blitzes, a stifling man-to-man defense and a damn good four man pass rush, the defense was able to keep Harrell off his game most of the day, leading to a lot of overthrow and underthrown passes that repeatedly doomed offensive drives for the Utes.

Utah State Kicking – Unfortunately, freshman Max Thompson would very much prove to not be in the same league as former kick Doug Marcus. While Marcus had his own struggles once reaching the 50+ yard range, Thompson was woefully short on a 46 yard attempt today, that very well may have still been short even from 40 yards. Unfortunately, that is going to screw our strategies this season as we can no longer rely on our field goal unit from 40-50 yards out, instead we're going to essentially be limited to kicks from 35 yards or less, leading to either an increase in punts on the opponent's half of the field, or some ballsy fourth down attempts.

Now it wasn't entirely terrible. While that 46 yard miss was extremely ugly, Thompson was able to nail two field goals from 19 and 20 yards out (as would be expected), so he still finished a respectable 2-3 today, along with 3-3 on extra points.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
14
7
3
3
27

:Utah:
7
3
0
14
24

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

9:08
:Utah:
Touchdown
T. Riley, 33 yard pass from J. Harrell (S. Mayhew kick)
:Utah: 7-0

5:48

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 1 yard run (M. Thompson kick)

TIED 7-7

0:16

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 1 yard run (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 14-7

Second Quarter

1:13
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 11 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 21-7

0:01
:Utah:
Field Goal
S. Mayhew, 40 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 21-10

Third Quarter

2:46
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 19 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 24-10

Fourth Quarter

9:31
:Utah:
Touchdown
T. Riley, 23 yard pass from J. Harrell (S. Mayhew kick)
:Utah_State: 24-17

2:51
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 20 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 27-17

1:53
:Utah:
Touchdown
D. Walker, 71 yard pass from J. Harrell (S. Mayhew kick)
:Utah_State: 27-24

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Utah

27
Score
24

24
First Downs
6

409
Total Offense
272

63- 249 - 3
Rushes - Yards - TD
7- 21 - 0

11- 18 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
14- 31 - 3

160
Passing Yards
251

0
Times Sacked
1

15- 20 (75%)
3rd Down Conversion
1- 8 (12%)

0 - 0 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0- 1 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

5- 3 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
1- 0 - 1 (100%)

2
Turnovers
0

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
0

52
Punt Return Yards
10

112
Kick Return Yards
162

573
Total Yards
444

1 – 35.0
Punts - Average
5- 41.8

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

28:08
Time of Possession
11:52

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game

100

x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x3

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School

50

x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards

50

x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 Or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

02-04-2016, 11:42 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, it was a barn burner in the Cowboys Classic, as #1 Ohio State would outscore #25 Arkansas 21-3 in the fourth quarter, allowing the Buckeyes to pull off the improbably comeback and come from behind to defeat Arkansas 42-41. That victory keeps Ohio State's winning streak alive, now standing at 57 straight games.

In the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, #2 South Carolina scored 10 points in the final 2:12 for the 24-21 come from behind win over #8 Florida State. #4 UCLA beat Rutgers 35-17. #5 West Virginia escaped East Carolina 38-31. #7 Michigan smoked Mississippi State 45-24. #9 Ole Miss topped South Alabama 31-14. #11 Baylor survived SMU 33-28. #12 Clemson doubled up Kent State 42-21. #15 Arizona smacked UTEP 41-10. #17 Stanford hammered Rice 49-24. #19 Michigan State needed overtime to survive Alabama 38-31.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State opens the year 1-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with an amazing 42-41 win over #25 Arkansas. Morsdraconis, #5 West Virginia opens 1-0 (0-0 Big 12) with a 38-31 win over East Carolina. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 0-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 45-10 hammering at Tennessee. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 0-0 (0-0 Pac-12) with a bye week. LeeSO, Auburn remains 0-0 (0-0 SEC) with a bye week. SCClassof93, #2 South Carolina opens the year 1-0 (0-0 SEC) with a come from behind 24-21 win over #8 Florida State. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 0-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International remains 0-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Navy remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week.

In Mountain West action, Utah State knocked off Utah 27-24, Boise State escapes Troy 31-28, Texas A&M demolished New Mexico 56-35, Colorado State lost the Rocky Mountain Showdown to Colorado 28-18 and Washington State topples Nevada 41-31.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, somehow, South Carolina (36 first place votes) jumps one to #1, Ohio State (22 first place votes) drops to #2, Oklahoma (2 votes) remains #3, UCLA (1 vote) remains #4 and West Virginia remains #5. Miami remains #6, Michigan remains #7, Ole Miss climbs one to #8, Auburn moves up one to #9 and Baylor climbs one to #10. Clemson jumps one to #11, Texas climbs one to #12, Georgia Tech moves up one to #13, Florida State drops six to #14 and Arizona remains #15. Virginia Tech remains #16, Stanford remains #17, USC remains #18, Michigan State remains #19 and Cincinnati remains #20. Kansas State remains #21, Florida remains #22, Oregon remains #23, Fresno State remains #24 and Louisville (210 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Arkansas (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Boise State (177 points) is #26 followed by Utah State (122), Arkansas (115), Tennessee (83) and Kentucky (54). Other teams getting points this week include Oklahoma State (26), Georgia (20) and Louisiana Lafayette (16).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Arizona QB Adam Parrish is #1, NC State HB Steven Osborn is #2, Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #3, Central Florida QB Will Robinson is #4 and Ohio State QB James Gates is #5.

SmoothPancakes

02-09-2016, 04:02 PM

Game Two

#7 :Michigan: VS :Utah_State:

At Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium

Game Story

--- Coming off a big upset victory over Utah to open the season, the challenges would not let up as we would be instantly tested again, this time in a neutral site game against #7 Michigan. We could only hope that the confines of Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium would afford us some kind of advantage against a by far superior Wolverines squad. There’s not much to say as not much good is expected in this contest, nor does anyone in the media give us much hope of being within 30 points by the end. Utah State would win the coin toss and elect to kick.

A 24 yard kickoff return by Nick Rogers would set Michigan up at their 26 yard line to start the game. Xavier Merritt would get the call on first down, fighting his way up the middle for a gain of just two yards on the play. Dropping back to pass on second down, Brian Brewster’s pass downfield would be overthrown and incomplete to bring up third and 8. Trying to force a throw on third down, Brewster would commit the first mistake of the day as his pass intended for tight end Jon Ford would be intercepted by cornerback Todd Barclay, giving us the ball at the Michigan 48 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, Benjamin Silva would get us off and running on first down with a strong 6 yard gain on the ground, followed by a three yard scramble around the right tackle to leave us facing third and inches. Leaving things in the hands of Silva, he would fail to convert, ending up tackled for no gain to bring up fourth and inches from the 38 yard line. With a field goal out of the question from this distance, we were forced to punt on fourth down, a 20 yard pooch punt by Freddie Arnold flying out of bounds at the Michigan 17 yard line.

Returning to the field following the punt, Michigan would come out passing on first down, with Brewster finding Merritt for a 7 yard gain. A pass broken up over the middle would bring up third and three, where a pitch left attempt would go up in flames, Merritt tackled for a two yard loss to force Michigan to punt on fourth and 5. A 9 yard return by Silva on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 47 yard line.

Again starting our offensive drive around midfield, our end result would be much better than the first time around, despite Silva being blown up on first down for no gain on the play. Tight end Nate Williams would get us moving on second down as he pulled in a pass over the middle for a gain of 22 yards and a first down at the Michigan 31 yard line. Another rush by Silva would go for positive yards this time with a gain of four, followed by a second four yard rush to leave us looking at third and two. This time Silva would manage to convert on third down as he would just manage to pick up three yards on the play, moving the chains to the 21 yard line. Running a play action pass on first down, Michigan wasn’t fooled in the slightest, the pass thankfully being knocked down instead of intercepted. Dropping back in the shotgun on second down, Pat Williams connected with Greg Miller over the middle for a gain of 12 yards, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line. Silva would get the call on first down, tackled after a gain of four yards. Another rush by Silva would be blown up for no gain on the play, leaving third and goal at the 5. A quick pass from under center to Adam Washington would connect at the goal line for a 5 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 3:10 left in the first quarter and shocking the entire stadium.

A 22 yard kickoff return by J.P. Miller would give Michigan back the ball at their 24 yard line. A first down screen pass to Rogers would go for a big, quick gain of 17 yards, giving Michigan an immediate first down at their 41 yard line. The beast doth woketh, Hakim Watson pulled in a second straight 17 yard pass from Brewster, moving the Wolverines to our 42 yard line. Even the running game came alive as Merritt rumbled straight up the middle for a 15 yard carry for a first down at our 27 yard line. The drive would continue with an 11 yard pass to James Sears and a new set of downs at our 16 yard line. Another pass to Watson would pick up 13 more yards and yet another first down, giving Michigan first and goal at our three yard line, Michigan having traveled 73 yards in just 5 plays. Merritt would need only one attempt to finish the drive, taking a pitch from Brewster and racing for the right pylon for a three yard touchdown carry, tying the game at 7-7 with 1:46 left in the first quarter.

A 33 yard kickoff return by Silva would at least give us some positivity, starting our next drive from our 37 yard line. Starting the drive on the ground, Silva would take the handoff and rumble ahead for a gain of 5 yards, followed by an 8 yard rush to pick up a quick first down right at midfield. Michigan would start to key in on Silva after a third straight rush, limiting him to a gain of just one yard on the play. Lining up under center on second down, the pass over the middle intended for Williams would be broken up to leave third and 9. Coming out in the shotgun on third down, Williams would be forced to rush his throw to avoid a sack, in the process widely overthrowing Tristan Muhammad and leaving us punting on fourth down. No return on a 28 yard punt by Arnold would leave Michigan lining up from their 20 yard line, only 7 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Coming out on offense with time for just one play left in the first quarter, Michigan would hand the ball off to Merritt, but our defense would win the battle with a tackle for a two yard loss, leaving Michigan facing second and 12. That would end the first quarter, the game all tied up at 7-7.

Opening up the second quarter, the Wolverines came out passing on second and long. Brewster would find an open Rogers over the middle for a gain of 21 yards and the new set of downs from the 39 yard line. Running the ball on first down, Merritt would finish the drive off on just its third play, finding a gap around the right tackle and sprinting up the field untouched for a 61 yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 14-7 lead with 9:33 left in the second quarter.

A HUGE 61 yard kickoff return by Silva, that came two players away from being broken for a touchdown, would give us amazing field position, starting our drive at the Michigan 36 yard line. Reenergized from that return, Silva would get the ball on first down, fighting his way forward for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a 5 yard carry to move the chains to the 25 yard line. Another rush by Silva would pick up 5 more yards, followed by a four yard rush to leave us facing third and one. Silva would convert the third down and then some with a 6 yard carry up the middle, giving us a first down at the 10 yard line. Michigan would finally step up on defense on first down, standing Silva up for gain of just one yard, leaving second and 9. Attempting a play action pass on second down, tight end Gerald Woods would be left completely uncovered on an out route into the end zone, giving us an easy 9 yard touchdown pass and tying the game at 14-14 with 6:28 left in the second quarter.

A horrible kickoff would sail straight out of bounds, Michigan taking over at their 35 yard line following the penalty and just killing all momentum we had built up. Merritt would start the drive for the Wolverines with a 5 yard carry on first down, followed by an incomplete pass. However, the Wolverines would get bailed out as right outside linebacker Jason Baker would be flagged for pass interference on the play, giving Michigan a new first down at their 46 yard line. Merritt would take the ball on first down, nearly breaking free for a touchdown before being dragged down from behind for a gain of 16 yards, moving the chains to our 37 yard line in the process. A quick first down pass to Sears would go for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a QB run by Brewster that would end in no gain, bringing up third and four. Merritt would try and get the conversion on a delayed handoff, but instead of running up the field, he would run toward the left sideline, allowing a couple defenders to close in on him and bring him down for a gain of just one yard on the play. Instead of attempting the 48 yard field goal, Michigan would elect to go for it on fourth and three. Maybe they should have tried the three points as our defense would buckle down in man coverage, leaving Brewster scrambling in a collapsing pocket and ultimately sacked for a 7 yard loss, forcing the turnover on downs at our 38 yard line.

Taking over following the turnover on downs, our offense came out with a shot to recapture the lead. Instead Silva would end up blown up at the line of scrimmage for no gain and a quick second and long. Dropping back in the shotgun on second down, Williams would rifle a pass to Miller for gain of 16 yards and a first down at the Michigan 46 yard line. Another rush by Silva would end in utter disaster, as he would fumble the ball during the play, the fumble scooped up by Michigan middle linebacker Marcus Keyes and returned 9 yards to our 44 yard line.

Lining up in our half of the field following the fumble recovery, Michigan’s offense seemed poised to strike for blood this time around. After an incomplete pass on first down, Brewster would initially connect with a wide open Rogers, only to have the snail mail delivered pass dropped by Rogers upon being hit in the back by a quick closing cornerback. Lining up on third and long, the long day would continue for our defense as a simple screen pass to Merritt would result in a 44 yard touchdown, thanks to a number of missed tackles by our incompetent defense, giving Michigan a 21-14 lead with 3:07 left in the second quarter.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 29 yard line. Coming out running on first down, Silva would get the chance to make up for his previous fumble. He would get us off and running with a 5 yard gain on first down, followed by a three yard rush to bring up third and two. Leaving it in the hands of Silva, he would pick up the third down conversion with a 6 yard rush, moving the chains to the 43 yard line. Another first down rush by Silva would this time result in no gain, leaving second and long. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, a pass intended for Washington was thrown nowhere near him, resulting in third and 10. Staying in the shotgun on third down, a pass up the middle intended for Muhammad would be intercepted by safety Nick Jones and returned 16 yards to our 45 yard line.

Michigan would line up at our 45 yard line following the interception, just 1:06 left on the clock until halftime. A quick first down pass to Rogers would go for 11 yards and a first down at the 34 yard line. Thankfully our defense would make a stand on the next play and force Brewster to throw the ball away, bringing up second and 10. A second down pass intended for Heath McAfee would be overthrown and land out of bounds to leave third and long. Yet another screen pass would result in yet another Michigan touchdown as Merritt caught the screen pass from Brewster and raced into the end zone untouched for a 34 yard touchdown, giving Michigan a 28-14 lead with 35 seconds left until halftime.

An 18 yard return by Silva would leave us starting from our 21 yard line, just 31 seconds left in the half. Taking a shot through the air on first down, the pass intended for Jon Morris would be deflected incomplete. Another pass down the field, again intended for Morris, would end up intercepted by cornerback Mark Byers, giving Michigan the ball at our 41 yard line with 20 seconds left in the quarter.

Taking over following the second straight interception, the Wolverines would waste no time torching our defense as McAfee pulled in a 34 yard pass from Brewster, giving Michigan first and goal from our 7 yard line, their first timeout called to stop the clock with 13 seconds remaining. The first down pass intended for Sears would be broken up at the goal line, just three seconds coming off the clock. Brewster would be forced to throw the ball away on second down thanks to a combination of our man defense and a timely delayed blitz, leaving Michigan facing third and goal from the 7 yard line, just 8 seconds remaining on the clock. Despite our best efforts, McAfee would stretch outside the end zone and pull in a wide pass available only for him along the left edge of the end zone for a 7 yard touchdown catch, giving Michigan a 35-14 lead with four seconds left until halftime.

An 18 yard kickoff return by Morris would run out and the clock and send us into halftime, Michigan leading 35-14 at the break.

Opening up the second half, a 21 yard kickoff return by Morris would give us the ball at our 26 yard line to start the third quarter. Coming out running on first down, Silva would manage just a one yard gain before running into a brick wall and ending up flat on his back. A second down rush by Silva would find more success, going for a gain of 7 yards to bring up third and two. Leaving it in the hands of Silva on third down, he would end up blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss, forcing us to punt on fourth and three. A 12 yard return on the 37 yard punt would give Michigan the ball at their 41 yard line.

Lining up for the first time in the second half, Michigan nearly added to their lead with just one play, as McAfee pulled in a pass from Brewster and found himself looking at nothing but grass after shedding a tackle attempt. Thankfully, a desperation ankle tackle would just manage to trip McAfee up, resulting in only a 40 yard completion, giving Michigan a first down at our 19 yard line. Still throwing the ball on first down, Brewster’s pass intended for Rogers was broken up to bring up second down. A second down rush by Merritt meanwhile would result in no gain on the play thanks to quick defensive penetration, bringing up third and 10. Despite nearly letting him escape, our defense wouldn’t stop fighting on third down and would eventually sack Brewster for a two yard loss, forcing the Wolverines to settle for a field goal attempt on fourth and 12. The 38 yard field goal by Garrett Smith would split the uprights, giving Michigan a 38-14 lead with 7:17 left in the third quarter. While the drive may have still resulted in points, it was at least a bit of a moral victory, holding them to only three points instead of 7.

A 40 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 44 yard line, giving us a bit of boost on the sideline. Starting our next drive on the ground, Silva would fight his way forward for a gain of three yards, followed by a 5 yard gain to bring up third and two. Again taking a chance on the ground on third and short, Silva this time would come through for us with a 6 yard carry, moving the chains to the Michigan 41 yard line. Running a play action pass on first down, the Michigan defense would again bite on the run fake, leaving Woods wide open for a 19 yard pass and a first down at the 23 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Silva would find nowhere to run as he was quickly flattened for no gain on the play. Lining up in the shotgun on second and 10, William’s pass intended for Washington would be nearly intercepted, bringing up third and long. Williams would manage to connect with Muhammad on third down, but it wouldn’t be enough as he would be quickly tackled for gain of just 9 yards, leaving us facing fourth and one at the 13 yard line. Desperately needing a touchdown, we would attempt to go for it on fourth down, only to be hit with a delay of game penalty as the play clock ran out just a half a second before we could snap the ball. Stuck facing fourth and 6, we now had no choice but to settle for the field goal. The 35 yard field goal by Max Thompson would sail through to the uprights, cutting Michigan’s lead to 38-17 with 4:11 left in the game.

A 36 yard kickoff return by Miller would give Michigan the ball at their 40 yard line. Taking off scrambling on first down, Brewster would slide for a gain of three yards. A quick pass to Watson along the sideline would gain just three yards, bringing up third and four. This time our defense would rise to the occasion, sacking Brewster for a loss of one yard and forcing the Wolverines to punt on fourth and 5. Silva would get flattened for no return on the 40 yard punt, leaving us starting our next drive at our 14 yard line.

Taking over deep inside our own territory, Silva would get the call on first down, rushing around the left end for a 6 yard gain on the play, followed by a four yard gain that would leave us just short of the first, lining up facing third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down and plunge ahead for a gain of 5 yards, picking up the first down at the 29 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Williams would drop back to pass and rifle a throw to his tight end counterpart, Nate Williams, good for a gain of 17 yard and a quick first down at the 46. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, the pass intended for Washington would be nearly intercepted over the middle, leaving second down. A pass to Miller on a comeback route would go for a gain of 15 yards and a new set of downs at the Michigan 39 yard line. Another shotgun pass, this one intended for Muhammad, would be swatted down by the outside linebacker. Aiming for Miller on second down, the pass would be nearly intercepted by the cornerback, leaving us with third and 10. A third down pass to Muhammad would finally find the target this time, good for a gain of 17 yards to keep the drive alive at the 23 yard line. Returning to the ground game on first down, Silva would get the call, clawing and digging his way to a 9 yard gain. That would be the final play of the third quarter, Michigan holding a 38-17 lead, but our offense driving to try and close the gap.

Opening up the fourth quarter, Silva would again get the ball on second and one. While he would be credited with a one yard gain, he would be marked short of the first down marker, bringing up third and inches. Plowing straight ahead, Silva would get the conversion and extend the drive with a four yard carry, giving us first and goal from the 9 yard line. Staying on the ground, Silva would rush forward for a gain of four yards on first down. The second down carry by Silva would pick up three more yards, leaving third and goal from the two yard line. Silva would need just one more play to finish the drive, punching it in for a three yard touchdown rush, cutting Michigan’s lead to 38-24 with 8:20 left in the game.

A 33 yard kickoff return by Miller would set Michigan up at their 41 yard line for their next drive. A surprising first down option keeper by Brewster would result in a 9 yard carry, followed by a four yard rush by Merritt to pick up the first down at our 45 yard line. Josh Warren would keep things moving with a 10 yard completion and a first down at the 35. A first down rush by Merritt would gain just one yard, followed by a second one yard rush to leave third and 8 for the Wolverines. Thankfully, despite a defensive mismatch, the third down pass intended for McAfee would be thrown behind him and incomplete to bring up fourth and 8. Again forgoing the 50 yard field goal, Michigan would attempt another fourth down conversion. Unbelievably, despite being double covered, Sears would haul in a pass from Brewster for a gain of 17 yards and a first down at our 16 yard line. Keeping the ball himself on a QB read, Brewster would race around the right tackle for a 7 yard gain. Going into the air on second down, a leaping Merritt would nearly come down with a high pass at the four yard line, but the defense would manage to break it up, leaving Michigan with third and three. Refusing to let Michigan convert, our defensive line would close on Brewster and sack him for a loss of 7 yards, finally forcing Michigan to kick the field goal on fourth and 10. The 34 yard field goal by Smith would sail through, extending Michigan’s lead to 41-24 with 5:18 left in the game.

With another HUGE momentum booster, Silva would dam near take the ensuing kickoff all the way for a touchdown, racing up the left sideline for a massive 83 yard kickoff return before a last second ankle tackle by the only Michigan player with a hope would trip Silva up at the Wolverine 15 yard line. Starting our offensive drive just 15 yards away from pay dirt, we would call on Tyson Taylor on first down, who would rush forward for a gain of 5 yards on the play. Another rush by Taylor would gain three yards, leaving third and two. Keeping it on the ground on third down, Taylor would get the conversion and then some with a 5 yard rush up the middle, setting us up with first and goal from the two yard line. Plowing forward on first down, Taylor would be stopped for no gain on the play. The Wolverines wouldn’t able to contain him on second down as he would squirm into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, cutting Michigan’s lead to 41-31 with 3:19 left in the game.

Despite wanting to kickoff deep, trailing a fast scoring, high octane Michigan offense by two possession with only just over three minutes left to play, we had no choice but to attempt the onside kick. In a shocking turn of events, the Aggies would attempt and actually convert the onside kick, as kickoff kicker Arnold would absolutely drill the ball straight into the 42 yard line, the bounce quickly ricocheting the ball right into the hands and facemask of Sears, who would end up bobbling the ball back towards the kickoff team, the ball rolling back to the 39 yard line. Watson, Sears and Rivers would all try, and fail, to dive on the loose ball for the Wolverines. Somehow, despite four different white jerseys all surrounding the ball, Barclay would miraculously come up with the football for the Aggies, recovering it at the 39 yard line.

Lining up on offense after the miraculous onside kick recovery, we got right back to work, coming out in the shotgun on first down at our 39 yard line. The miracle nearly imploded as a first down pass intended for Miller was almost intercepted. Staying in the shotgun on second down, another pass would be almost intercepted, leaving us facing third and 10. Third time would prove to be the charm for Michigan as after two near misses, the defense WOULD intercept Williams on third down. Not only would the pass be intercepted, but outside linebacker Davon Barr would take it 44 yards for a pick six touchdown, increasing Michigan’s lead to 48-31 and likely killing our hopes with 3:02 left in the game.

Jesse Breedlove would manage just a 14 yard return on the kickoff, leaving us starting at our 20 yard line for our next drive. With limited time remaining, we would once again be forced into the air. This time Williams would find Miller for a 16 yard completion and a first down at the 36 yard line. Another pass to Miller would be knocked incomplete, but a facemask penalty on Byers would give us 15 free yards and a free first down at the Michigan 49 yard line. Taking a shot deep down the field on first down, the pass would end up intercepted by safety Dwayne Fowler, who would return it 12 yards to the 41 yard line, officially sticking the knife in our comeback hopes.

Taking over on offense following the interception, Michigan would hand of the ball off to Merritt for a gain of one yard. Another one yard rush by Merritt would leave third and 8, as we would opt to take our first timeout with 1:39 left in the game. Merritt would manage two yards on third down, our second timeout called with 1:36 to play. Punting the ball on fourth and 6, Morris would manage a 6 yard return on the 39 yard punt by Michigan, giving us the ball at our 21 yard line.

Just 1:28 left in the game, we would again pin our nonexistent hopes on the air attack. Dropping back on first down, Williams would be hit from behind as he tried to throw, resulting in an incomplete pass. Throwing on second down, Williams would connect with Muhammad for a 17 yard gain, Muhammad getting out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:20 to play. In a surprising first down play, Williams would try to throw to Miller on an out route, only to have the pass swatted by the cornerback and right into the hands of Washington for a 15 yard gain and a first down. Going no huddle on first down, Williams would throw an incredibly ballsy pass deep down the middle of the field to a tightly double covered Muhammad, who would go up and catch it for a big 33 yard gain and a first down at the Michigan 14 yard line. Again going no huddle on first down, Williams would be forced to take off scrambling, only to be sacked for a 10 yard loss, our offense forced to burn our final timeout with 58 seconds remaining. Lining up in the shotgun on second and 20, Williams would hit Muhammad for a gain of 16 yards, leaving third and four at the 8 yard line. Going no huddle with the clock ticking, Williams would try to fire off a quick pass to Washington on the slant route, only to have the pass intercepted by Barr, his second of the game, giving Michigan the ball at their one yard line with 26 seconds left in the game. Sending the house on first down, Merritt would still get past our goal line defense for a four yard gain on the play. That would be the final play as the Wolverines would run out the final 22 seconds without another snap, walking away with the 48-31 victory.

With the loss we drop to 1-1 on the season. With the win, #7 Michigan improves to 2-0 on the year. Up next, we get a bye week to rest up before our next challenge, a road game at Notre Dame. The Irish opened the year with a 31-24 win over Temple, hammered Syracuse 49-13 and then escaped NC State 28-27.

Final Score

#7 :Michigan: 48, :Utah_State: 31

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - The day started off good for Williams, then went to crap. He would end up going 15-33 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter and a half, but would end with 5 interceptions the rest of the game. Rushing, Silva led the way with 134 yards and one touchdown on 39 carries. Taylor finished with 19 yards and one touchdown on 6 rushes. Receiving, Muhammad was the top dog with 92 yards on five catches. Woods and Washington had the two receiving touchdowns. In all, five receivers caught passes today, all of them with at least two receptions. All would end with double digit yards, all with 20 or more yards for the game.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Damn great first quarter. Worst goddamn second quarter ever seen. Pretty solid third quarter. Somewhat decent fourth quarter. Pretty much sums up the day.

Utah State Kicking – It would be a perfect day for Thompson, who would go 1-1 in field goals with a 35 yard kick, along with going 4-4 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Michigan:
7
28
3
10
48

:Utah_State:
7
7
3
14
31

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

3:10
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
A. Washington, 5 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

1:46
:Michigan:
Touchdown
X. Merritt, 3 yard run (G. Smith kick)
TIED 7-7

Second Quarter

9:33
:Michigan:
Touchdown
X. Merritt, 61 yard run (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 14-7

6:28
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
G. Woods, 9 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)
TIED 14-14

3:07
:Michigan:
Touchdown
X. Merritt, 44 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 21-14

0:35
:Michigan:
Touchdown
X. Merritt, 34 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 28-14

0:04
:Michigan:
Touchdown
H. McAfee, 7 yard pass from B. Brewster (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 35-14

Third Quarter

7:20
:Michigan:
Field Goal
G. Smith, 38 yard field goal
:Michigan: 38-14

4:11
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 35 yard field goal
:Michigan: 38-17

Fourth Quarter

8:20
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 2 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Michigan: 38-24

5:18
:Michigan:
Field Goal
G. Smith, 34 yard field goal
:Michigan: 41-24

3:19
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
T. Taylor, 2 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Michigan: 41-31

3:02
:Michigan:
Touchdown
D. Barr, returned interception 44 yards (G. Smith kick)
:Michigan: 48-31

Game Stats

Michigan
Stat
Utah State

48
Score
31

13
First Downs
21

407
Total Offense
381

25 - 115 - 2
Rushes - Yards - TD
46 - 143 - 2

16 - 28 - 3
Comp - Att - TD
15 - 33 - 2

292
Passing Yards
238

4
Times Sacked
1

3 - 11 (27%)
3rd Down Conversion
10 - 17 (58%)

1 - 2 (50%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

4 - 2 - 2 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
6 - 4 - 1 (83%)

1
Turnovers
6

0
Fumbles Lost
1

1
Intercepted
5

15
Punt Return Yards
15

115
Kick Return Yards
308

537
Total Yards
704

2 –40.0
Punts - Average
3 - 30.3

1 - 15
Penalties
3 - 13

13:39
Time of Possession
26:21

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x4

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

02-09-2016, 04:03 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the upset of the week, Georgia destroyed #1 South Carolina 44-13. In the game of the week, #2 Ohio State toppled #3 Oklahoma 41-29 to win their 58th straight game. Washington State shocked #4 UCLA 31-28. Texas Tech knocked off #5 West Virginia 49-42. #6 Miami (FL) smoked FCS Midwest 42-9. #7 Michigan outpaced Utah State 48-31.

#8 Ole Miss just escaped Kentucky 38-35. Washington shocked #9 Auburn 27-20. #10 Baylor hammered UTSA 52-6. #11 Clemson slipped past Army 42-37. #18 USC embarrassed #12 Texas 48-24. #15 Arizona outlasted FCS West 30-17. #16 Virginia Tech handled Wisconsin 35-10. #17 Stanford leveled Virginia 37-7. #19 Michigan State survived Miami (OH) 56-46, scoring 29 fourth quarter points to come from behind.

FCS West STUNNED #20 Cincinnati 35-21. #21 Kansas State beat FCS Midwest 28-12. #22 Florida escaped Texas A&M 19-13. #23 Oregon topped FCS Midwest 35-6. #24 Fresno State got by FCS West 28-17. And #25 Louisville survived FCS Est 38-24.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a big 41-29 win over #3 Oklahoma. Morsdraconis, #5 West Virginia drops to 1-1 (0-1 Big 12) with a 49-42 loss to Texas Tech. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 1-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 48-14 hammering of FCS East. Jaymo, Arizona State opens the season 1-0 (1-0 Pac-12) with a 48-34 win over Cal. LeeSO, #9 Auburn drops to 0-1 (0-0 SEC) with a 27-20 loss to Washington. SCClassof93, #1 South Carolina drops to 1-1 (0-1 SEC) with a 44-13 hammering from Georgia. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State opens the year 1-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 42-10 whooping of FCS Northwest. Florida International opens the year 1-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a 35-28 win over Eastern Michigan. Navy remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa opens the year 0-1 (0-0 American) with a 45-14 loss to New Mexico.

In Mountain West action, #24 Fresno State beat FCS West 28-17, Air Force hammered MTSU 35-6, New Mexico whooped Tulsa 45-14, Colorado State blanked FCS Midwest 24-0, San Jose State knocked off Colorado 34-31 in overtime, Hawaii beat FCS West 34-10, #7 Michigan manhandled Utah State 48-31, Missouri topped Wyoming 49-28, Idaho destroyed UNLV 55-28 and Toledo blitzed Nevada 45-21.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (40 first place votes) climbs one to #1, Miami (21 votes) jumps four to #2, Michigan leaps four to #3, Ole Miss moves up four to #4 and Oklahoma drops two to #5. Baylor leaps four to #6, Clemson moves up four to #7, South Carolina drops seven to #8, Georgia Tech moves up four to #9 and Arizona climbs five to #10. USC leaps seven to #11, Virginia Tech jumps four to #12, Florida State moves up one to #13, Stanford climbs three to #14 and Auburn drops six to #15. Michigan State moves up three to #16, UCLA plummets thirteen spots to #17, Texas drops six to #18, Kansas State climbs two to #19 and Florida jumps two to #20. West Virginia freefalls sixteen spots to #21, Oregon moves up one to #22, Washington enters the poll at #23, Georgia enters the poll at #24 and Fresno State (377 points) drops one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Cincinnati (from #20) and Louisville (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Louisville (338 points) is #26, followed by Boise State (298), Nebraska (233), Arkansas (183) and Vanderbilt (90) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Utah State (74) and Navy (58).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Arizona QB Adam Parrish is #1 (LW: #1), NC State HB Steven Osborn is #2 (LW: #2), Michigan QB Brian Brewster is #3 (LW: #3), Michigan HB Xavier Merritt is #4 (LW: NR) and Ole Miss HB Randy Wright is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was Central Florida QB Will Robinson (LW: #4) and Ohio State QB James Gates (LW: #5).

SmoothPancakes

02-14-2016, 04:58 PM

On a bye week this week, so lets get to it.

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State, in one of the closest games of their winning streak, would score with less than 30 seconds left in the game to pull out of their asses a 35-31 win over North Carolina, extending their all time record winning streak to 59 games.

#2 Miami (FL) dominated Old Dominion 56-16. #4 Ole Miss survived Missouri 42-39. #5 Oklahoma dismantled FCS Southeast 38-3. In the game of the week, #8 South Carolina topped #9 Georgia Tech 28-18. #10 Arizona got past California 38-28. #23 Washington knocked off #11 USC 51-48 in triple overtime. #13 Florida State upset #12 Virginia Tech 31-17. #17 UCLA smacked #14 Stanford 40-17.

#15 Auburn beat Mississippi State 35-14. #16 Michigan State beat South Florida 49-28. #18 Texas escaped Central Florida 52-45 in overtime. #19 Kansas State took down Syracuse 37-24. Alabama stunned #20 Florida 45-38. #21 West Virginia smoked FCS Northwest 45-17. #22 Oregon handled Wyoming 34-10. #24 Georgia barely slipped past FCS East 26-21. #25 Fresno State hammered Louisiana Lafayette 48-3.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 3-0 (0-0 Big Ten) with a last second 35-31 win over North Carolina. Morsdraconis, #21 West Virginia improves to 2-1 (0-1 Big 12) with a 45-17 win over FCS Northwest. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 1-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 48-14 hammering of FCS East. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 1-1 (1-0 Pac-12) with a 38-10 loss to San Diego State. LeeSO, #15 Auburn improves to 1-1 (1-0 SEC) with a 35-14 win over Mississippi State. SCClassof93, #8 South Carolina improves to 2-1 (0-1 SEC) with a 28-18 win over #9 Georgia Tech. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 2-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 38-35 win over Ball State. Florida International remains 1-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Navy remains 0-0 (0-0 American) with a bye week. Tulsa drops to 0-2 (0-0 American) with a 28-23 loss to Toledo.

In Mountain West action, #25 Fresno State hammered Louisiana Lafayette 48-3, San Diego State knocked off Arizona State 38-10, Hawaii escaped Georgia State 31-26, Boise State upset Washington State 38-36, Illinois topped New Mexico 31-28, FCS East stunned San Jose State 24-14, Oregon smoked Wyoming 34-10, Utah beat UNLV 34-28 and Oregon State destroyed Nevada 34-6.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (39 first place votes) remains #1, Miami (21 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Ole Miss remains #4 and South Carolina climbs three to #5. Oklahoma drops one to #6, Baylor falls one to #7, Clemson drops one to #8, Arizona climbs one to #9 and Florida State moves up three to #10. UCLA leaps six to #11, Georgia Tech drops three to #12, Michigan State moves up three to #13, Auburn climbs one to #14 and USC drops four to #15. Kansas State jumps three to #16, Virginia Tech drops five to #17, Texas remains #18, Washington climbs four to #19 and Stanford falls six to #20. West Virginia remains #21, Oregon remains #22, Georgia climbs one to #23, Fresno State moves up one to #24 and Louisville (245 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Florida (from #20). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Boise State (215 points) was #26, followed by Nebraska (177), Florida (138), Arkansas (132), Navy (77) and Utah State (77) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Arkansas State (57), Alabama (54) and TCU (24).

An early season look at the Heisman race, Arizona QB Adam Parrish is #1 (LW: #1), NC State HB Steven Osborn is #2 (LW: #2), West Virginia QB Kevin Gates is #3 (LW: NR), Ole Miss HB Randy Wright is #4 (LW: #5) and Michigan State QB Jordan Norton is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was Michigan QB Brian Brewster (LW: #3) and Michigan HB Xavier Merritt (LW: #4).

SmoothPancakes

02-16-2016, 03:36 PM

Game Three

:Utah_State: :@: :Notre_Dame:

Game Story

--- After failing our previous test, a neutral site game against then #7 Michigan, the hits would keep right on coming with another very challenging contest, this time a true road game at Notre Dame. Going into one of the most storied stadiums in college football, this would be the first make or break game of the season for the team, as a win here would very likely propel the squad into the Top 25 rankings and give them a massive momentum boost ahead of the game with BYU. A loss meanwhile would leave them under .500 and looking to try and turn things around before having to face the rival Cougars next week and a tough Mountain West schedule looming on the horizon. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

A 31 yard return by Henry Owens, followed by a fumble that would be recovered by Notre Dame, would set the Irish up at their 38 yard line to start the game. There would be a booth review on the play, determining that the ball came out AFTER Owens was down, pushing the Irish back to their 34 yard line. A misfired, incomplete pass would start the drive for Notre Dame, followed by an 8 yard pass to Matt Hill to bring up third and two. Despite the blitz, Shannon Holland would take the handoff and rush straight up the middle for an 11 yard gain, dragging a Utah State defender with him for half of those yards, giving Notre Dame a first down at our 47 yard line. Holland would get the call on first down, going for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a huge 17 yard carry to pick up a first down at our 25 yard line. Charlie Goddard would get the ball on first, only able to gain one yard on the rush. We would blow up a screen pass on second down as Holland was quickly tackled by the middle linebacker for a two yard loss, leaving Notre Dame facing third and 11. Thanks to our shut down man defense, the Irish would never have a chance on third down as Brandon Walker would end up sacked for a 10 yard loss, forcing Notre Dame to kick it on fourth and 21 from the 36 yard line. The 53 yard field goal attempt would never have a chance as it would never curl, instead going straight the entire way and ending up well to the left of the upright.

Taking over at our 36 yard line following the missed field goal, Benjamin Silva would get the call on first down, fighting to a two yard gain before quickly being smothered. A second rush by Silva would find much better success, shooting the hole around the right guard and racing up the field for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 46. Silva would keep plugging away on first down, picking up 5 yards on the play, followed by a 6 yard rush to move the chains to the Notre Dame 43 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Pat Williams dropped back and fired an inside pass over the middle to tight end Sam Livingston, good for a big 25 yard gain and a first down at the 18 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Williams would try to connect with Adam Washington on first down, only to throw the ball right into the hands of cornerbacker Jason Moss for an interception, the 5 yard return giving Notre Dame the ball at their 13 yard line.

Holland would get the Irish off and running with a 5 yard gain on first down, followed by a 9 yard rush out of bounds to pick up a first down at the 27 yard line. Our defense would finally slow down Holland on first down, stopping him for no gain on the play. The victory would be short lived however as Goddard chewed our defense up for a 15 yard carry to move the chains to the 42 yard line. We would manage to put a dent in the momentum as our four man rush completely overwhelmed Notre Dame’s offensive line on first down, quickly sacking Walker for a 7 yard loss to leave second and 17. The hits would keep right on coming as Walker would try to take off running on second down, only to end up sacked for the second play in a row, this time for a 6 yard loss to bring up third and 23. Despite having three defenders in front of the receiver on the underthrown pass, none of them were able to come up with the interception, forcing Notre Dame to punt on fourth and very long. Silva would only manage a 5 yard return on the 37 yard punt, giving us the ball at our 38 yard line.

Taking over following the punt, we would throw Williams right back into the hot seat, his pass intended for Tristan Muhammad overthrown and out of bounds. Another pass on second down, this time intended for Jon Morris, would end up batted down, leaving third and 10. Williams would apparently continue to remain rattled for that previous interception as his third down pass intended for Muhammad would be underthrown and swatted down by the defense, forcing us to punt on fourth down. Just barely getting the punt off, a fair catch on the 42 yard boot would leave Notre Dame at their 19 yard line.

Lining up following the punt, the Irish would come out running the ball, only to watch Holland stuffed and driven backwards for a two yard loss on the first down carry. A second down pass to Hill would be completed for a gain of 11 yards, leaving the Irish just third and one. Despite the blitz, Holland would still easily rush for a gain of 10 yards and a first down at the 39 yard line. A first down carry by Holland would get stopped for no gain, followed by a 13 yard rush by Goddard to again undo any success our defense had, giving Notre Dame a new set of downs at our 48 yard line. Holland would keep the ball moving on first down with a three yard rush, followed by an incomplete pass from Walker to leave third and 7. A diving tackle at the ankles would miraculously trip up Holland for a gain of just two yards on a screen pass, going from an almost assured first down to Notre Dame being forced to punt on fourth and 5. A touchback on the 42 yard punt would be the final play of the first quarter, the game stilled deadlocked at 0-0 as neither offense was able to keep drives alive long enough to put points on the board.

Starting the second quarter, our offense lined up from our 20 yard to start our drive following the touchback at the end of the first quarter. This time we would start on the ground, Silva fighting very hard for a minimal two yard gain. Trying a play action pass on second down, the pass to tight end Gerald Woods would fool the defense just enough for a 9 yard gain and a first down at the 31 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Silva would fight forward for a gain of four yards, followed by a 6 yard rush to leave third and inches. Silva would get the call on third down, blasting through the hole for a 7 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 48 yard line. Silva would try to keep us moving forward on first down, only to be blasted at the line for a single yard gain. Going under center on second and long, Williams would drop back and fire a pass to tight end Nate Williams for a solid 19 yard completion, giving us a first down at the Notre Dame 32 yard line. Dropping back into the shotgun on first down, Williams would halfback Tyson Taylor out of the backfield for an 11 yard gain, moving the chains to the 21 yard line. Returning to the ground game, Silva would rumble ahead on first down for a 6 yard carry, followed by a four yard rush to once again bring up third and inches. Silva would again get the call, picking up two yards on the play to keep the drive alive and give us first and goal from the Notre Dame 9 yard line. We would find the end zone just one play later as the Irish defense would again bite hook, line and sinker on the play action fake, giving Williams a simple little league toss to a completely alone and uncovered Woods in the corner of the end zone for a 9 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:03 left in the second quarter.

A 20 yard return by Owens would give Notre Dame the ball at their 23 yard line. It would take Notre Dame exactly one play to respond as a QB read by Walker would result in three broken tackles and a 77 yard touchdown rush by the signal caller to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:45 left in the first half.

A touchback on the following kickoff would leave us starting at our 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Williams would rifle a pass over the middle intended for Miller, only to have it nearly intercepted on the play. A second down pass to Washington on a comeback route would go for a huge 25 yard gain, thanks to a couple of shed tackles, giving us a first down at the Notre Dame 49 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, the pass from Williams intended for Livingston would be broken up. Looking to catch the defense sleeping, a pitch left to Silva would only go backwards for a loss of two yards on the play, leaving third and 12. Muhammad would thankfully keep our drive alive on third down with a 16 yard reception from Williams, giving us a new set of downs at the Notre Dame 36 yard line. Turning back to the ground game on first down, Silva would fight his way to a four yard gain on the play, followed by a 5 yard rush to leave us facing third and one. Somehow, the Irish defense would put the brakes on our drive as Silva would be blown up at the line of scrimmage for no gain, bringing up fourth and one at the 27 yard line. Opting for the points, the 44 yard field goal by Max Thompson would just barely squeak over the crossbar, giving us a 10-7 lead with 1:30 left in the second quarter.

A 31 yard return by Owens would give the Irish the ball at their 36 yard line. A quick first down pass to Roger Thornburg would gain 11 yards and a new first down at the 47. A short pass to Hill would go for a 5 yard gain, Notre Dame calling their first timeout with 1:08 remaining. Walker would try to connect with a wide open Thornburg on second down, but the pass would be overthrown and incomplete to leave third and 5. A third down screen pass would come up short as Holland would be tackled for only a four yard gain, leaving the Irish facing fourth and two at our 44 yard line. Notre Dame would elect to go for it on fourth down, and with the absolute worst time for a penalty, the hard count would get our defense to jump, resulting in a 5 yard penalty for encroachment and a free first down for the Irish at our 39. Yet another screen pass would go all the way this time as Holland would race untouched into the end zone for a 39 yard touchdown pass, giving Notre Dame a 14-10 lead with 28 seconds left until halftime.

A 24 yard kickoff return by Silva would leave us starting at our 20 yard line, just 24 seconds to play. Looking for a deep pass out of the shotgun, Williams would take his sweet time and end up sacked for an 11 yard loss, leaving second and 21 and our first timeout called with 20 seconds to play. Muhammad would come through on second down, hauling in a pass from Williams for a gain of 24 yard and a first down at the 32 yard line. Unfortunately, after racing to the line, a first down pass attempt would again result in Williams being sacked, this time for a loss of 9 yards, leaving second and 19 and forced to call our second timeout with just 11 seconds remaining. Taking a shot on a Hail Mary from our 23 yard line, Muhammad would manage to outsprint his defender and Williams would sail a pass that would hit Muhammad perfectly in stride for a 45 yard completion and a first down at the 32 yard line, our final timeout called with just four seconds left to play. Lining up for a 49 yard field goal on the final play of the half, the kick would never make it to the goal post and instead would be returned by the Irish clear out to the 30 yard line before our squad could finally make the tackle. That would be the end of the second quarter, sending us into halftime trailing Notre Dame 14-10.

Opening up the second half, a huge 47 yard kickoff return up the right sideline by Morris would give us the ball at our 42 yard line to start the third quarter. Silva would get the ball to start our first drive of the second half, rushing for a gain of three yards on the play, followed by a four yard rush to leave us facing third and three. Taking a chance on the ground, Silva would get the ball and the first down with a 5 yard rush, moving the chains to the Notre Dame 46 yard line. Taylor would take over on first down, fighting his way up the middle for an 8 yard carry, followed by a three yard dash by Silva to get the first down at the 35. Silva would end up rushing to consecutive three yard gains, leaving us with third and four. Trying our luck a third time, we came out with a play action pass on third down. This time the defense would read us like a book and Williams was forced to check down and throw to fullback Walter Johnson, the play only resulting in a single yard gain to set up fourth and three from the Irish 29 yard line. Trying our luck on a 46 yard field goal, the kick by Thompson would hook wide left, giving Notre Dame the ball at their 29 yard line.

Taking over following the failed field goal attempt, Holland would get the Irish moving with a 6 yard rush on first down. Walker would take off scrambling on a second down pass attempt, only to scramble right into two defenders and end up sacked for a two yard loss, leaving third and 6. Holland would continue to be an annoying son of a bitch to our defense, coming from out of nowhere to pull down a last second pass from Walker, nearly 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and race up the field for a 12 yard gain, giving Notre Dame a first down at their 46 yard line. First down would see our defense get a chance of their own to blow up a pitch play, as the Holland would be quickly brought down for a loss of five yards. Notre Dame would surprisingly run the ball on second and very long, gaining just two yards on the rush by Goddard to leave third and 13. Taking a chance deep down the left sideline, the pass from Walker would be jumped by cornerback Jesse Breedlove and intercepted as he fell out of bounds, giving us the ball at our 39 yard line.

Lining up following the interception, Silva would take the ball on first down but only gain two yards before being violently ripped down from behind. Going through the air on second down, the pass intended for Miller would end up swatted down by the middle linebacker, leaving third and 8. Another pass, this one intended for Morris, would again be broken up and nearly intercepted over the middle, forcing us to punt the ball away on fourth down. A 23 yard return by Owens on the 39 yard punt would give Notre Dame the ball at their 42 yard line.

Starting their next drive near midfield, the Irish seemed to be primed to take control of this game as the third quarter ticked down. Walker would again get twitchy in the backfield and take off scrambling on the first down pass attempt, only to yet again run right into the arms of a defender and end up sacked for a four yard loss. Once again, despite blitzing, Holland would just moon walk his fat ass to a 10 yard gain, giving the Irish third and four. Another rush by Holland would gain four more yards and a first down at our 48 yard line. Holland would keep plowing right over our defense, rushing for 7 yards on first down, followed by three shed tackles and a 10 yard carry to move the chains to our 30 yard line. Yet again, a first down blitz wouldn’t do crap, as Goddard had a huge hole for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a 6 yard rush by Holland to get a first down at our 17. The Irish would continue making a fucking mockery of our defense as Goddard would get the world’s biggest hole, for the 10th play in a row no matter what blitz, non-blitz or formation we called, rushing for a gain of 10 yards to leave second and inches. Even despite bringing literally the entire damn defense, Holland would still end up rushing for a one yard gain, giving the Irish first and goal from our 7 yard line. Despite the blitz, Goddard would easily pick up 6 yards to move the ball to our one yard line. The goal line blitz would be literally worthless on second down as our defense would literally run right past Walker and let him stroll into the end zone on a QB read for a one yard touchdown, giving Notre Dame a 21-10 lead with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

A 36 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 27 yard line. Needing to get back into this game, we would come out passing on first down, the pass jumped and batted down by Superman at cornerback, leaving second down. Going four wide on second down, Williams would sneak out up the middle from the tight end spot and haul in a pass by the quarterback Williams, good for a gain of 21 yards and a first down at the 49 yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, Notre Dame leading 21-10.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we came out on first down with a handoff to Silva, who would gain 6 yards on the play. Another rush by Silva would pick up three yards, leaving third and one. Looking to keep our drive alive, Silva would get the call on third down and make the most of it with an 8 yard carry, giving us a first down at the Notre Dame 34 yard line. Continuing to plug along on the ground, Silva would manage just a two yard gain on first down, followed by a 7 yard rush up the middle to bring up third and one. Taylor would get the call on third down this time, fighting for a gain of four yards and a new set of downs at the 21 yard line. Taking another shot on the play action pass on first down, it would end up wasted as the defense would bite, allowing Woods to get open and initially pull in the pass from Williams. But the hit and tackled by the safety would end up knocking the ball loose, resulting in an incomplete pass and ruin a potential 13 yard gain. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, somehow, (I have no clue how the hell…), Williams would thread the bloody needle as he would rifle the ball through the arms and hands of three different defenders and into the hands of Washington, who would fall backwards and end up tackled into the end zone for a 21 yard touchdown, cutting Notre Dame’s lead to 21-17 with 7:12 left in the game.

Notre Dame wouldn’t even need an offensive play to respond to that touchdown, as Owens would receive the kickoff at his three yard line and proceed to race up the right sideline completely untouched, going all the way for a 97 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, instantly boosting Notre Dame’s lead to 28-17 with 7:00 left in the game.

Morris would manage just a pedestrian 21 yard kickoff return on the following kick, leaving us starting at our 18 yard line. Coming out in the shotgun on first down, a very poorly timed interception attempt by the outside linebacker would leave Matt Turner with a completed pass and nothing but green in front of him. While the much faster Notre Dame defense would eventually chase him down, it would be until after he had run for a 51 yard completion, tackled at the Notre Dame 31 yard line. Trying to induce a heart attack at the end of the play, Turner would fumble the ball as he was being tackled, thankfully another Utah State player, sprinting up the field behind the play, would leap on the fumble before any of the three nearby Notre Dame players could even react to it. There would be a booth review on the fumble, and it would be ultimately reversed. Turner would be ruled down before the fumble, resulting in one yard being taken off the play. So Turner instead would be credited with a 50 yard reception and we would get a first down at the Notre Dame 32 yard line. Turning to our ground game on first down, Silva would get the handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush to get a new set of downs at the 20 yard line. Another first down rush by Silva would gain 5 more yards, followed by a two yard rush that would leave us facing third and three. Leaving our drive in the hands of Taylor, he would get the first down and then some with a 7 yard rush, giving us first and goal from the Notre Dame 5 yard line. Silva would take the ball on first down, rushing for a gain of two yards. Silva would find the end zone on his second try, rushing through a gap and into the end zone for a three yard touchdown to make it 28-23. With only 3:56 left in the game, we decided to gamble on the two point conversion and try and make this just a three point game. Calling the increasingly ballsy play action pass, it would set up perfectly, as the defense would initially defend Woods coming off the line, only to bite on the play action fake. With a complete undefended Woods AND Walter off in the left half of the end zone, all Williams had to do was just toss another little league pass. Instead due to pressure from a blitz, Williams would throw off his back foot and the pass would sail right in the middle between both Walter and Woods and land in the end zone incomplete, leaving Notre Dame’s lead at 28-23 with 3:56 remaining in the game.

We would kickoff deep and pray our defense could make a stop. It nearly didn’t matter as Holland returned the kickoff and had a chance of breaking loose, thankfully a second tackle would limit him to just a gain of 29 yards and keep him from reaching the sideline with a wall of blockers. Lining up at their 36 yard line, the Irish came out on first down running the ball, but Holland would be quickly brought down for no gain on the play. Second down would again see Holland get the ball, gaining only two yards on the play to bring up third and 8. The defense would come through huge on fourth down as Notre Dame would run a play action pass of their own, leaving a receiver open in a coverage gap along the right sideline. Thankfully the pass would be slow and aired out instead of a direct strike, allowing the safety to crash down and leap in front of the pass, deflecting the ball out of bounds with his entire body. Not only would Notre Dame be forced to punt on fourth and 8 from their 39 yard line, but the incomplete pass would stop the clock at 2:39 and keep the Irish from running the clock down any further. An 8 yard return by Silva on the 44 yard punt would give us the ball at our 24 yard line with just 2:28 remaining in the game.

Coming out lining up under center on first down, Williams would end up hit as he tried to throw to Livingston, bringing up second down. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, the pass intended for Miller would be intercepted by cornerback BrianAndrews and returned 23 yards up the right sideline, giving Notre Dame the ball at our 22 yard line with 2:15 remaining.

Taking over at our 22 yard line following the interception, the Irish came out rushing the ball, as Holland would rumble for a 9 yard gain on the play, forcing us to call our first timeout with 2:08 to go. Another rush by Holland would go for a gain of 7 yards, setting Notre Dame up with first and goal from our 5 yard line, our second timeout taken with 2:04 to play. Another rush by Holland would go for a gain of two yards, leaving second and goal at our three yard line, our final timeout called with 1:58 remaining. The Irish would try to pass on second down, but our goal line blitz would leave Walker instantly scrambling for his life and ultimately sacked for a 5 yard loss, bringing up third and goal from the 8 yard line. A third down screen pass would result in Holland being tackled for a two yard loss, leaving Notre Dame with fourth and goal from the 10 yard line and 1:01 remaining on the clock. Running the play clock down to two seconds, Notre Dame would kick a 27 yard field goal to increase their lead to 31-23 with 31 seconds left in the game.

A 38 yard kickoff return by Morris would give us the ball at our 31 yard line, just 25 seconds remaining on the clock. A first down pass intended for Williams was broken up with 20 seconds to go. A second down Hail Mary intended for Washington was nearly intercepted, just 13 seconds remaining. A third down Hail Mary intended for Muhammad would be batted down, leaving fourth down and 7 seconds left in the game. With one last hope, the fourth down Hail Mary pass intended for Washington would end up underthrown nearly 15 yards before the group of receivers and incomplete with no time remaining, giving Notre Dame the 31-23 victory.

With the loss we drop to 1-2 on the season. With the win, Notre Dame improves to 4-0 on the year. Up next, we close out our non-conference schedule with a home game against rival BYU. The Cougars enter the game 2-2, opening the season with a 52-35 win over Wisconsin, a 41-35 overtime loss at Temple, a 45-34 win at East Carolina and a 38-21 loss against Air Force.

Final Score

:Notre_Dame: 31, :Utah_State: 23

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Some positive and some negative for Williams. He would end up 13-29 for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He could have had a two point conversion as well if he wouldn't throw off his back foot. Rushing, Silva led the way with 133 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries. Taylor ended with 19 yards on three rushes. Receiving, Muhammad had the top yards with 85 yards on three catches. In total, eight receivers caught at least one pass, seven receivers ended with double digits in yards receiving. Woods and Washington would have the two receiving touchdowns. Woods would also have the only drop, a drop that ended up being a drive killer.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Damn great first quarter. Worse second quarter ever seen. Decent third quarter. Bad fourth quarter. Pretty much sums up the day. Two interceptions however did help to stall some Notre Dame drives and keep us in the game.

Utah State Kicking – It would be a horrid day for Thompson, who would go 1-3 in field goals with a 44 yard kick, misses from 46 and 49 yards, along with going 2-2 in PATs. At this rate, we're either only going to be able to kick field goals from 45 yards or less with ANY confidence, or just forgo field goal altogether from now on. Thompson is useless.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:
0
10
0
13
23

:Notre_Dame:
0
14
7
10
31

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

---
---
---
---
---

Second Quarter

5:03
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
G. Woods, 9 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

4:45
:Notre_Dame:
Touchdown
B. Walker, 77 yard run (K. White kick)
TIED 7-7

1:30
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 44 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 10-7

0:28
:Notre_Dame:
Touchdown
S. Holland, 39 yard pass from B. Walker (K. White kick)
:Notre_Dame: 14-10

Third Quarter

0:15
:Notre_Dame:
Touchdown
B. Walker, 1 yard run (K. White kick)
:Notre_Dame: 21-10

Fourth Quarter

7:12
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
A. Washington, 21 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)
:Notre_Dame: 21-17

7:00
:Notre_Dame:
Touchdown
H. Owens, returned kickoff 97 yards (K. White kick)
:Notre_Dame: 28-17

3:56
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (2-point conversion pass failed)
:Notre_Dame: 28-23

0:31
:Notre_Dame:
Field Goal
K. White, 27 yard field goal
:Notre_Dame: 31-23

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat
Notre Dame

23
Score
31

19
First Downs
13

409
Total Offense
303

39 - 132 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
38 - 215 - 2

13 - 29 - 2
Comp - Att - TD
10 - 16 - 1

277
Passing Yards
88

2
Times Sacked
6

7 - 12 (58%)
3rd Down Conversion
4 - 11 (36%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 1 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

3 - 2 - 0 (66%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
2 - 1 - 1 (100%)

2
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
1

13
Punt Return Yards
22

163
Kick Return Yards
200

585
Total Yards
525

2 –40.5
Punts - Average
3 - 41.3

1 - 5
Penalties
0 - 0

21:37
Time of Possession
18:23

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Score a Touchdown
25
x3

Force a Turnover
25
x1

Pass for 250 Yards
25
x1

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
1

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

02-16-2016, 03:38 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio needed a 15-point fourth quarter to get past Northwestern 25-21, running the Buckeyes record win streak to 60 straight games. #4 Ole Miss hammered Vanderbilt 40-14. #5 South Carolina fisted LSU 45-17. #7 Baylor outlasted Duke 35-28. #8 Clemson survived #17 Virginia Tech 26-21. #9 Arizona escaped #25 Louisville 36-33. #12 Georgia Tech stung #10 Florida State 30-3.

#11 UCLA fended off #19 Washington 24-17. Minnesota knocked off #13 Michigan State 38-35. #14 Auburn topped Arkansas State 37-17. #15 USC handled Washington State 56-34. #18 Texas embarrassed FCS East 40-3. Colorado shocked #20 Stanford 35-34. #21 West Virginia escaped Maryland 31-28. #23 Georgia beat Alabama 42-28. #24 Fresno State survived winless Georgia State 31-28.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 4-0 (1-0 Big Ten) with a come from behind 25-21 win over Northwestern. Morsdraconis, #21 West Virginia improves to 3-1 (0-1 Big 12) with a 31-28 win over Maryland. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 1-2 (0-0 C-USA) with a 34-27 loss to Illinois. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-1 (1-0 Pac-12) with a 49-35 win over New Mexico State. LeeSO, #14 Auburn improves to 2-1 (1-0 SEC) with a 37-17 win over Arkansas State. SCClassof93, #5 South Carolina improves to 3-1 (1-1 SEC) with a 45-17 win over LSU. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 2-1 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 37-17 loss to #14 Auburn. Florida International improves to 2-0 (0-0 C-USA) with a 28-21 win over Akron. Navy opens their season 1-0 (1-0 American) with a 24-21 win over Temple. Tulsa improves to 1-2 (1-0 American) with a 28-27 win over East Carolina.

In Mountain West action, #24 Fresno State escaped Georgia State 31-28, Wyoming doubled up Rutgers 48-24, Hawaii topped Louisiana Monroe 31-14, UNLV dispatched Louisiana Lafayette 34-14, San Diego State survived Houston 30-24 in overtime, Air Force hammered BYU 38-21, Boise State knocked off Virginia 48-45, Colorado State edged out UTSA 38-35 in overtime, San Jose State upset Iowa State 28-21, and in the ONLY loss for the Mountain West this week, Notre Dame defeats Utah State 31-23.

The Mountain West as a whole had one of their best weeks, likely ever, as they would combine to go 9-1, Utah State the only team keeping them from going perfect for the week.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (36 first place votes) remains #1, Miami (23 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Ole Miss (1 vote) remains #4 and South Carolina remains #5. Clemson climbs two to #6, Oklahoma drops one to #7, Baylor falls one to #8, Arizona remains #9 and Georgia Tech climbs two to #10. UCLA remains #11, Auburn climbs two to #12, USC moves up two to #13, Kansas State jumps two to #14 and Florida State falls five to #15. Texas climbs two to #16, West Virginia leaps four to #17, Oregon moves up four to #18, Georgia climbs four to #19 and Virginia Tech drops three to #20. Fresno State climbs three to #21, Washington drops three to #22, Boise State enters the poll at #23, Nebraska enters the poll at #24 and Michigan State (226 points) plummets twelve spots to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Stanford (from #20) and Louisville (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Louisville, (180 points) is #26, followed by Notre Dame (144), Navy (143), Texas A&M (36) and Stanford (23) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Tennessee (15), Oklahoma State (12) and Arkansas State (10).

Taking a look at the first Top 25 Media Poll of the year, Ohio State (43 first place votes) is #1, Miami (21 votes) is #2, Michigan (1 vote) is #3, Baylor is #4 and Clemson is #5. Ole Miss is #6, South Carolina is #7, Oklahoma is #8, Georgia Tech is #9 and Arizona is #10. UCLA is #11, Georgia is #12, Auburn is #13, USC is #14 and Texas is #15. Florida State is #16, Kansas State is #17, West Virginia is #18, Washington is #19 and Oregon is #20. Virginia Tech is #21, Fresno State is #22, Boise State is #23, Nebraska is #24 and Louisville (208 points) is #25. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan State (153 votes) is #26, followed by Navy (145), Notre Dame (86), Texas A&M (61) and Tennessee (35) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Alabama (19), Kentucky (15), Arkansas State (8) and Oklahoma State (7).

An early season look at the Heisman race, West Virginia QB Kevin Gates is #1 (LW: #3), Michigan State QB Jordan Norton is #2 (LW: #5), Arizona QB Adam Parrish is #3 (LW: #1), Ohio State QB James Gates is #4 (LW: NR) and Ole Miss HB Randy Wright is #5 (LW: #4). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was NC State HB Steven Osborn (LW: #2).

SmoothPancakes

08-07-2017, 03:52 PM

What's that I hear? The sound of whistles? What time is it? It's game time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF3fsQwKp1k

souljahbill

08-07-2017, 07:01 PM

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SmoothPancakes

08-07-2017, 08:59 PM

Game Four

:BYU: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Coming off a second straight loss, this time at the hands of Notre Dame, we would return back to Utah licking our wounds with a 1-2 record, and looking to try and right the ship with a home game against BYU. The year so far had been up and down for the Cougars, as they defeated a weak Wisconsin in the first week of the season, only to drop an overtime contest at Temple. They would recover with a win over East Carolina, then get smacked around by Air Force. They may have two wins, but both of those wins came against teams currently sitting at 0-3 in the standings. The combined level of play thus far only added up to a record of 3-8, so trying to gather some knowledge from their previous contests would be almost impossible. Besides, with this game being the Battle for the Beehive Boot, records and past games didn’t matter as both teams would show up for a fight regardless. BYU would win the coin toss and elect to kick off first.

Returner Jon Morris would get us off to a fantastic start with a huge 52 yard kickoff return that would set us up at our 47 yard line to start the game. Trusted workhorse Benjamin Silva would get the call on first down, taking the handoff and rushing around the right guard for a 10 yard gain and a quick first down at the BYU 43. A halfback toss to Silva on first down would nearly end in disaster with a big loss on the play, but a missed tackle would allow Silva to salvage the play and turn it into an 8 yard gain. Taking our first crack through the air on second down, Adam Washington would pull down a quick rocket from Pat Williams up the left sideline, good for a gain of 10 yard and a new set of downs at the BYU 25 yard line. Another first down rush by Silva would go for a gain of four yards, followed by an 8 yard rush to move the chains to the 13 yard line. Silva would try to keep us moving forward on first down, but would quickly end up tackled for a gain of just one yard. Taking a chance out of the shotgun on second down, Williams would connect with Greg Miller on a shallow slant, good for a 9 yard gain and what should have been first and goal, until Miller fumbled the ball during a hit and the ball was recovered by BYU on their own five yard line. We would take a gamble and challenge the fumble on the play, as it seemed like a bang-bang play, but the ruling on the field would stand, and BYU would take over in the shadows of their own end zone.

Starting at their own five yard line following the fumble recovery, the Cougars would come out passing, but the rushed pass by Kenneth Sharp was well wide of any receivers and incomplete. Unfortunately for Sharp and the Cougars, that would be the most positive play of their drive as our front line would break through on second down and sack Sharp in the end zone for a safety, giving us a 2-0 lead with 7:10 left in the first quarter.

A 21 yard return for Silva on the safety punt would get us back in action from our 43 yard line. Silva would get the drive started on the ground with a pair of rushes for gains of three and two yards, leaving us facing third and five. Going into the air on third down, Williams would connect with Miller and this time he would hold onto the ball, good for a 20 yard pass and a first down at the BYU 32 yard line. Staying with the air game, Tyson Taylor would pull in a pass from Williams good for a gain of 13 yards, moving the chains to the 19 yard line. Silva would get a couple more cracks on the ground, plowing forward for a gain of five yards, followed by an 8 yard rush that would set us up with first and goal from the BYU 6. Silva would get the call again on first and goal, dashing through the lines for a four yard carry to move the ball to the two yard line. Silva would finish the drive off on the next play with a two yard touchdown plunge, giving us a 9-0 lead with 3:27 left to go in the first quarter.

A 19 yard kickoff return by Clinton Harrison would set the Cougars up at their 23 yard line for their next drive. After an incomplete pass to start the drive, Sharp would finally complete a pass, connecting with Kevin Neal for a gain of 26 yards, followed by a 16 yard strike to Taylor Hayes over the middle, giving the Cougars a first down at our 35 yard line and their offense pushing us to our limit with a no-huddle offense. We would get a temporary respite as the next pass would end up dropped incomplete, giving us a chance to huddle, substitute and catch our breath before facing the no-huddle onslaught once more. A second down pass to Brandon Irby would end up going for a loss of one yard, while a quick toss to John Sims would gain 10 yards, but leave the Cougars looking at fourth and one from our 26 yard line. While conventional wisdom would suggest kick the field goal, BYU was apparently not playing it conventional today as they lined up to go for it on fourth down, and would promptly convert with a 25 yard strike to Eric Pettit to set up first and goal at our one yard line. A one yard pitch to Neal on first down would end the drive with a touchdown, cutting our lead to 9-7 with 2:03 left in the first quarter.

A 24 yard kickoff return by Silva would leave us lining up at our 20 yard line for our next drive. Silva would get us started with a 6 yard carry on first down, followed by a three yard gain on an option pitch to bring up third and one. Silva would get the call on third down, and just barely fall across the line while being tackled for a two yard gain to move the chains. Going into the air on first down, Tristan Muhammad would pull in a pass from Williams for a gain of 11 yards and a quick first down at the 42. An 8 yard rush by Silva would bring the first quarter to a close, with a narrow 9-7 lead.

Opening up the second quarter, Silva would again be the workhorse of the drive, going for a gain of three yards and a new set of downs at the BYU 46. Walter Johnson would move the ball forward with a five yard reception, followed by a pass to Miller for a big 21 yard gain and a first down at the 21 yard line. A first down play action pass would work to perfection as tight end Gerald Woods would slip off the line of scrimmage, haul in a pass from Williams around the 10 yard line and then shoulder his way through a defender and into the end zone for a 21 yard touchdown completion and a 16-7 lead with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

A wind-aided touchback on the following kickoff would result in the Cougars starting at their 25 yard line. A lot of pressure by the defense and some incomplete passes would be all it would take to sink BYU’s drive and force them to bring out their punt team. A 10 yard return by Silva on the 38 yard punt would give us the ball at our 46 yard line to start our drive.

Coming out on the ground, a two yard rush by Silva would give way to an attempted pass to tight end Shaun Livingston, only to have the ball broken up to bring up third and long. Falling back in the shotgun, Williams would keep us alive with an 11 yard strike to Muhammad, giving us a new set of downs at the BYU 41. A first down pass to Jon Morris would go for a big gain of 25 yards and instantly move the chains down to the 15 yard line. Silva would get the call on first down, plowing forward for a gain of 7 yards, followed by a second 7 yard rush that would give us first and goal at, essentially, the goal line. Silva would get the call again, plunging forward for a one yard touchdown and increasing our lead to 23-7 with 5:39 left in the second quarter.

A 24 yard kickoff return would see the Cougars start from their 23 yard line on their next drive. Hayes would get the drive started with a 16 yard reception, and then the no huddle offense would pretty much begin to just ram it right down our throats, with a four yard pass to Joe Outlaw, a 13 yard pass to Hayes, a three yard pass to Sims, a 7 yard pass to Sims and a 13 yard pass to Brandon Smith, giving BYU a first down at our 21 yard line before finally going to the goddamn huddle for the first time since starting the drive. A first down rush by Harrison would go for 10 yards to leave second and inches. Once again going no huddle, this time it would bite BYU in the ass as a poor pass over the middle would be thrown right at, and easily intercepted by, middle linebacker Justin Dunn, returned two yards to give us possession of the ball at our own 10 yard line.

Taking over deep in our territory following the interception, Silva would again get the call to start us off, plowing forward for a 6 yard gain, before getting immediately leveled for no gain on the next play to leave us with third and four. Lining up in the shotgun, Williams would manage to connect with Muhammad for a 15 yard gain, giving us a fresh set of downs at the 31. Going over the middle on first down, Williams would try to connect with Miller, but the pass would end up broken up. Another pass, this time intended for Morris, would likewise be swatted down to leave third and long. Muhammad would again come through in the clutch, taking advantage of the heavy blitz to pull in a quick pass and gain 22 yards on the play, moving the chains to the BYU 47 yard line. Another pass, this time to Livingston over the middle, dropped beautifully right in the middle of the coverage, would go for a gain of 34 yards and set us up with a first down at the 14 yard line. Coming out on the ground on first down, Silva would plow ahead for a gain of four yards on the carry, followed by a five yard rush to leave us with third and one at the four yard line, just under a minute left in the half. Silva would need just one more play to finish it off, scrambling through the hole and over a defender for a four yard touchdown rush, giving us a 30-7 lead with 24 seconds left until halftime.

A touchback on the kickoff would leave BYU starting at their 25 yard line, just 24 seconds left to play in the second quarter. Not even attempting to make a push for a score before half, a one yard rush by Neal would be the final play as the Cougars would settle for running out the clock, sending us into halftime with a 30-7 lead over BYU.

Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff would give BYU the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. A first down play action pass would go nowhere as Sharp was forced to thrown the ball away. Second down would see the Cougars go backwards as Sharp would end up sacked for an 8 yard loss after failing to escape the blitz. The third and 18 pass attempt would nearly be completed to Outlaw a good 30 yards downfield, but our secondary would thankfully break it up and force BYU to punt. No return on the 36 yard punt would start our next drive from our 46 yard line.

Lining up near midfield following the punt, Silva would need one play to add to the score as he would get the handoff, turn the corner and race up the left sideline for a 54 yard touchdown run, increasing our lead to 37-7 over BYU.

Another kickoff, another touchback, another drive for BYU starting at their 25. Another first down, another incomplete pass via a dropped ball. A dump pass to Neal on second down would again see BYU going backwards, this time for a four yard loss to bring up third and 14. Sharp would once again attempt to throw a deep pass down the left sideline, a good 30-35 yards downfield intended for Outlaw, but it was not meant to be as cornerback Jesse Breedlove, the sole player between Outlaw and the end zone, would cut off the pass and intercept the ball, giving us possession at our 47 yard line. It would come at a high price however, as Breedlove would bruise his ribs on the play, resulting in him being pulled out for the remainder of the game, a huge casualty for our defense to lose one of their best players.

Taking over near midfield following the interception, Silva would get us rolling on first down with a 7 yard rush, followed by a one yard gain that would leave us facing third and two. Leaving the fate of the drive in Silva’s hands, he would get the job done and then some with a 7 yard carry, moving the chains to the BYU 38 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, as we looked to chew up some clock with our big lead, Silva would just keep shredding the defense with a 6 yard gain, followed by a second 6 yard carry to move the chains. Silva would cross the 200 yard plateau, rushing for a five yard gain on first down, then adding to it with a gain of 6 to refresh the down marker. If they can’t stop it, why change it? Silva would get the ball again on first down and plow forward for a five yard gain, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and three. Silva would again get the call on third down, only to be met for no gain, forcing us to settle for a field goal on fourth down from the 8. Max Thompson would nail the 25 yard field goal and we would increase our lead to 40-7 with 3:06 left in the third quarter.

No return on the kickoff would give BYU the ball once more at their 25 yard line. A first down pass to Neal behind the line of scrimmage would result in a loss of three yards, instantly sending BYU in the wrong direction once again. After a thrown away ball to bring up third down, Sharp would end up sacked for a loss of 6 yards and another BYU drive would come to a quick and futile conclusion. A 5 yard return by Silva on the 35 yard punt would give us the ball at the BYU 47 yard line.

Starting our next drive inside BYU’s half of the 50, Silva would again pick up where he left off, dashing through the line for a 14 yard gain and a first down. A three yard rush on first down would be followed by a second three yard gain, leaving us facing third and four. Going into the air on third down, Muhammad would just pull in a pass through the outstretched hands of the defender, good for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at the 15 yard line. Silva would get the call on the final play of the third quarter, rushing for a gain of 6 yards as we headed into the break with a 40-7 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up at the BYU 9 yard line on second and four. Silva would again keep us moving forward with a five yard rush to give us first and goal at the four yard line. A first down carry by Silva would gain one yard, followed by a three yard plunge into the end zone, giving Silva his fifth touchdown of the game and extending our lead to 47-7 with 9:03 left in the game.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Harrison gave BYU the ball at their 29 yard line for their next drive. An incomplete pass, followed by a completion to Neal for no gain would leave the Cougars again facing third and long. BYU would almost manage to pick up a first down with a pass right at the first down marker, but a wide open Hayes would bobble and drop the catch, forcing the punt team out once more. A muffed punt return would nearly turn disastrous for us, but Silva would manage to regain the ball and save possession for us at our 27 yard line.

Taking over after the nearly lost punt return, Silva would get the ball, rush for an 8 yard gain, and dash his way over the 250 yards rushing mark for the game. Another rush by Silva would gain four more yard and get the first down. A five yard rush by Silva on first down would be followed with a 6 yard carry to move the chains to the 50 yard line. The drive would quickly come to an end as Taylor would take over for Silva on first down, rushing for a pair of three yard gains, before being met for a one yard loss and forcing us to punt on fourth and four. An AMAZING punt by Frank Arnold would land at the five yard line, spin down near the goal line and be touched down at the BYU one yard line, forcing the Cougars right up against it for their next drive.

Taking over at their own one yard line following the downed punt, BYU would come out running the ball, only to see Neal swarmed in the end zone for the second safety of the game, increasing our lead to 49-7 with 5:18 left in the game.

A 17 yard return by Washington on the safety punt would give us the ball at our 38 yard line. A first down rush by Taylor would go for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches, followed by a gain of three yards to move the chains to the BYU 49 yard line. First down would see Zack Coleman tackled for a one yard loss, followed by a three yard gain to leave us facing third and 8. A third down pass to Muhammad would result in a gain of only 7 yards, leaving us facing fourth and inches from the BYU 40 yard line with 3:19 remaining and ticking. Unfortunately, Arnold’s second coffin corner punt would roll into the end zone, giving BYU the ball at their 20 yard line.

Starting at the 20 yard line, this drive for BYU would begin much the same as previous drives, as the Cougars would see first down quickly turn to second down with a thrown away pass. Second down would turn to third down on an incomplete pass, while third down would see the drive end altogether as Sharp’s pass intended for Outlaw would be intercepted for the third time today.

Taking over at the BYU 32 yard line following the interception, Taylor would advance the ball with a three yard rush, followed by a carry for no gain that would leave us looking at third and 7 with two minutes remaining. Going into the air on third down, the pass intended for Muhammad would end up incomplete to bring up fourth and 7 at the 29 yard line. Shockingly, the 46 yard field goal attempt by Thompson was short of the crossbar and no good (it likely would have made it if not for kicking into a 12 MPH wind) and BYU took over at their 29 yard line with 1:33 left in the game.

Lining up following the failed field goal try, the Cougars would opt to run the ball this time, with Neal dashing for a 9 yard gain on first down, followed by a thrown away pass to leave third and one (even down by 42 points with one minute left, the assholes still insist on going no huddle). Third and one would see a much familiar sight, as the pass attempt would end up incomplete thanks to the ball being dropped by Hayes on a crossing route. That would result in fourth and one and the punt team coming onto the field with 1:08 to go. A 12 yard return by Morris on the 43 yard punt would give us the ball at our 30 yard line with exactly one minute left to play in the game. Williams would step up under center on first down and drop to a knee. He would take one more knee on second down with 19 seconds left in the game and that would be the last play of the game as we celebrated an abusive 49-7 thrashing of rival BYU.

With the win, we improve to 2-2 on the year. With the loss, BYU drops to 2-3. Up next, we kick off Mountain West Conference play for the year as we travel to San Diego State. San Diego State enters the game at 4-0, 0-0 in Mountain West action. The Aztecs opened the season with a 38-13 hammering of Jacksonville State, then a 38-10 whooping of Arizona State. They topped Houston on the road 30-24 in overtime and then handled Pittsburgh 34-17 heading into our game.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 49, :BYU: 7

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A great day by Williams, going 15-19 for 235 yards and a touchdown. Silva was a beast today, ending with 272 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns on 47 carries. Receiving, Muhammad led the way with 6 receptions and 77 yards. In all, 8 receivers caught at least one pass and 7 of them ended up with double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – That first quarter was ugly as hell and had me sweating. BYU's reliance on the no-huddle, our complete incompetence to stop the no-huddle that one touchdown drive by the Cougars, plus some stupid angling and routes by our defenders gave up some free yards that should have never been given up. But they turned it around, completely shut BYU down the rest of the game and tacked on three more interceptions to their total so far this season.

Utah State Kicking – A 50/50 day for Thompson, as he would nail a 25 yard field goal, but then come up short on a 46 yard attempt (though kicking dead straight on into a 12 MPH wind didn't help). He did manage to go 6-6 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:BYU:
7
0
0
0
7

:Utah_State:
9
21
10
9
49

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

7:14
:Utah_State:
Safety
Team Safety, K. Sharp sacked in end zone for safety
:Utah_State: 2-0

3:27
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 2 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 9-0

2:03
:BYU:
Touchdown
K. Neal, 2 yard run (J. McCarthy kick)
:Utah_State: 9-7

Second Quarter

8:41
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
G. Woods, 21 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 16-7

5:39
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 1 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 23-7

0:24
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 4 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 30-7

Third Quarter

9:11
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 54 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 37-7

3:06
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 25 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 40-7

Fourth Quarter

9:03
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 3 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 47-7

5:21
:Utah_State:
Safety
Team Safety, K. Neal tackled in end zone for safety
:Utah_State: 49-7

Game Stats

BYU
Stat
Utah State

7
Score
49

6
First Downs
25

125
Total Offense
526

8 - 0 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
58 - 291 - 5

14 - 33 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
15 - 19 - 1

125
Passing Yards
235

3

Times Sacked

0

1 - 9 (11%)
3rd Down Conversion
8 - 12 (66%)

1 - 1 (100%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

2 - 1 - 0 (50%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
6 - 4 - 1 (83%)

3
Turnovers
1

0
Fumbles Lost
1

3
Intercepted
0

0
Punt Return Yards
27

67
Kick Return Yards
112

192
Total Yards
665

5 – 39.8
Punts - Average
2 - 42.0

0 - 0
Penalties
0 - 0

12:03
Time of Possession
27:57

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x6

Force a Turnover
25
x3

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 10 Points
75
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Beat a Rival School
540
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

School Record: Rush TD/Game (5)
200
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
2

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

08-07-2017, 09:00 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #2 Miami (FL) topped NC State 42-26. #3 Michigan came back to beat Purdue 35-24. #4 Ole Miss got past Alabama 35-28. In the game of the week, #12 Auburn shellacked #5 South Carolina 42-23. #6 Clemson needed overtime to escape Virginia 41-38. Washington State knocked off #9 Arizona 42-41. #10 Georgia Tech massacred Syracuse 41-10. #11 UCLA held off Oregon State 35-25.

California knocked off #13 USC 42-32. Wake Forest upset #15 Florida State 35-28. #17 West Virginia had to go to double overtime to fend off Oklahoma State 55-49. #18 Oregon topped Southern Miss 42-25. #19 Georgia hammered Florida International 38-10. East Carolina stunned #20 Virginia Tech 31-28. #21 Fresno State fought off Air Force 24-20. #22 Washington slipped past Arkansas State 32-27. #23 Boise State survived Northern Illinois 35-28. #25 Michigan State toppled #24 Nebraska 35-28.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State remains 4-0 (1-0 Big Ten) with a bye week. Morsdraconis, #17 West Virginia improves to 4-1 (1-1 Big 12) with a 55-49 double OT win over Oklahoma State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 1-3 (0-0 C-USA) with a 42-25 loss to #18 Oregon. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-2 (1-1 Pac-12) with a 42-20 loss to Stanford. LeeSO, #12 Auburn improves to 3-1 (2-0 SEC) with a 42-23 win over #5 South Carolina. SCClassof93, #5 South Carolina drops to 3-2 (1-2 SEC) with a 42-23 loss to #12 Auburn. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State drops to 2-2 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 32-27 loss to #22 Washington. Florida International drops to 2-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 38-10 loss to #19 Georgia. Navy drops to 1-1 (1-1 American) with a 27-21 loss to Central Florida. Tulsa improves to 2-2 (2-0 American) with a 38-31 win over Cincinnati

In Mountain West action, #21 Fresno State escaped Air Force 24-20, #23 Boise State topped Northern Illinois 35-28, New Mexico beat UNLV 40-35, Utah State hammered BYU 49-7, San Jose State edged out Colorado State 34-33, Hawaii toppled Wyoming 28-21 and San Diego State knocked off Pittsburgh 34-17.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (33 first place votes) remains #1, Miami (25 votes) remains #2, Ole Miss (1 vote) climbs one to #3, Michigan (1 vote) drops one to #4, and Clemson (1 vote) jumps one to #5. Oklahoma moves up one to #6, Baylor climbs one to #7, Auburn leaps four to #8, Georgia Tech climbs one to #9 and UCLA moves up one to #10. South Carolina drops six to #11, Kansas State climbs two to #12, Texas moves up three to #13, West Virginia jumps three to #14 and Oregon climbs three to #15. Arizona drops seven to #16, Georgia jumps two to #17, Fresno State climbs three to #18, Washington moves up three to #19 and Boise State rises three to #20. Michigan State jumps four to #21, Louisville enters the poll at #22, Notre Dame enters the poll at #23, Washington State enters the poll at #24 and USC (185 points) plummets twelve spots to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Florida State (from #15), Virginia Tech (from #20) and Nebraska (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas A&M (152 points) is #26, followed by Nebraska (123), Stanford (104), Florida State (93) and Tennessee (81) to round out the top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the year, Ohio State (40 first place votes) remains #1, Miami (21 votes) remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Baylor (1 vote) remains #4 and Clemson (1 vote) remains #5. Ole Miss (1 vote) remains #6, Auburn climbs six spots to #7, Oklahoma remains #8, Georgia Tech remains #9 and UCLA moves up one to #10. Georgia climbs one to #11, Texas leaps three to #12, South Carolina falls six to #13, Kansas State jumps three to #14 and West Virginia climbs three to #15. Arizona drops six to #16, Oregon moves up three to #17, Washington rises one to #18, Fresno State jumps three to #19 and Boise State climbs three to #20. Michigan State enters the poll at #21, Louisville climbs three to #22, Notre Dame enters the poll at #23, Washington State enters the poll at #24 and Texas A&M (178 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were USC (from #13), Florida State (from #16), Virginia Tech (from #21) and Nebraska (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, USC (178 points) is #26, followed by Nebraska (140), Tennessee (130), Florida State (87) and Florida (86) to round out the Top 30.

An early season look at the Heisman race, West Virginia QB Kevin Gates is #1 (LW: #1), Michigan State QB Jordan Norton is #2 (LW: #2), Washington State QB Lee Foster is #3 (LW: NR), Arizona QB Adam Parrish is #4 (LW: #3) and Georgia HB Chris Walters is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was Ohio State QB James Gates (LW: #4) and Ole Miss HB Randy Wright (LW: #5).

jaymo76

08-08-2017, 06:29 PM

souljahbill

08-08-2017, 07:32 PM

Didn't miss a beat hey buddy? Nice victory and good to see you posting again. I struggled with the controls and graphics a little bit last I played but it's shocking to see how much better NCAA 14 is than Madden 17. Man I miss college football video games...

No kidding. It's amazing the amount of people information he types. And I read every single word.

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SmoothPancakes

08-08-2017, 10:30 PM

Didn't miss a beat hey buddy? Nice victory and good to see you posting again. I struggled with the controls and graphics a little bit last I played but it's shocking to see how much better NCAA 14 is than Madden 17. Man I miss college football video games...Yeah, I was shocked how that game turned out. I hadn't played NCAA since early 2016, so I thought I'd be rusty as hell, but I didn't miss a beat. Even the playbook was just as I remembered. I knew exactly where to go for which plays I wanted both on offense and defense, even after not even looking at the playbooks for a year and a half.

As for graphics, honestly, I didn't even really pay attention to or notice the decrease compared to current Gen games. As long as it sounded, looked and felt exactly like the NCAA Football that know and love, I'm happy.
No kidding. It's amazing the amount of people information he types. And I read every single word.

Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI'm glad to hear that. Even though it's a LOT of text, and it does extend the amount of time it takes to play and post one week in the game, I feel the play by play narrative really helps the reader submerse themselves into the highs and lows of the game.

That and I'm terrible at summaries. I always feel like I'm leaving important information out, and not quite capturing the excitement and the feeling of do or die moments during individual drives. And since I don't have the set up to record the game like I can with MLB the Show or FIFA.

Also, forgive any typos, incorrect words or incorrect numbers. I bought a type pad for my Surface tablet (one side is a keyboard, the other a cover to protect the screen when closed) and this game was my first time using it at length, so it took some getting use to.

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SmoothPancakes

07-05-2018, 11:03 PM

Game Five

:Utah_State: :@: :San_Diego_State:

Game Story

--- Heading back on the road after our surprisingly easy blowout win over rival BYU, it was off to San Diego State and a date with the 4-0 Aztecs. Sporting a schedule that included wins over Arizona State, Pitt and Houston, this contest was going to be far from an easy one, and with difficult contests ahead against the likes of San Jose State, New Mexico, #20 Boise State and Air Force, all with winning records, this would be a must win game if we had any hopes of reaching the Mountain West Conference Championship Game for a second year in a row. San Diego State won the coin toss and elected to kickoff first.

A 29 yard kickoff return by Benjamin Silva would get us off and running from our own 26 yard line. Coming to the line on first down to the pounding beat of Seven Nation Army, the ball would end up handed off to Silva for a five yard gain, followed by a four yard rush that would leave us facing third and one. Leaving our first drive in the hands of Silva, he would just manage to fight his way across the line for a three yard gain, giving us a first down at the 38 yard line. Coming out in a shotgun formation on first down, Pat Williams dropped back and fired a laser pass to Adam Washington for a 14 yard completion to move the chains to the SDSU 48 yard line. Going deep on first down, Williams would attempt to find Greg Miller on a nearly 50 yard bomb, but the pass would get bobbled and broken up at the goal line. Coming back on second down, Silva would get the call on the ground, bouncing outside to the left and finding a gap for a 10 yard carry and a new set of downs at the 38 yard line. A three yard first down carry by Silva would be followed by a 6 yard dive, leaving us facing third and one. This time Silva would fail to keep the drive alive, as he would be dragged for a loss of one yard on the play, bringing up fourth and two from the 29. Attempting a 46 yard field goal, the kick from Max Thompson wouldn’t even make it to the end zone before falling out of the air like a wounded duck.

With the missed field goal, San Diego State would take over at their own 29 yard line for their first offensive drive of the game. Tim Sanders would get the call on first down, but his rush around the left side would result in no gain on the play. Another rush by Sanders would this time go for a gain of two yards, leaving third and 8. Marcus Pitts would drop back to pass on third down, and had a wide open receiver for what would have been a first down, but the ball would end up dropped incomplete and kill the Aztecs drive. A 7 yard return by Silva on the 40 yard punt would give us the ball at our 34 yard line.

Taking over following the punt, Silva would once again get the call on first down, finding five yards up the middle, before being tackled for no gain on the next play to leave us facing third and five. Trying a play action pass on third down, Williams would find tight end Gerald Woods in the flats for a gain of 10 yards and a first down at the 49 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Williams would beat the blitz and connect with Adam Washington for a gain of 16 yards and a new set of downs at the Aztecs 35 yard line. Silva would gain four yards on the ground on first down, before being blown up for no gain on second down to bring up third and five. Lining up on center on third down, Williams would connect with fullback Walter Johnson out of the backfield for a 12 yard completion and a first down at the SDSU 19 yard line. Continuing to mix things up, Silva would get the ball on first down, but would only manage a gain of two yards before being brought down. Lining up once more in the shotgun on second down, Williams would thread the needle over the middle to Jon Morris, who would be left with a wide open run to the end zone for a 17 yard touchdown after the linebacker dived and failed to intercept the pass. The PAT by Thompson would make it 7-0 Utah State with 1:46 remaining in the first quarter.

A 26 yard kickoff return by Drew Scott would give the Aztecs the ball at their 28 yard line. Sanders would get the call on first down, picking up five yards on the carry, before a pass from Pitts to Wesley Lane would connect for a gain of 10 yards and a first down at the 42 yard line. The Aztec offense would start to come to life as another pass from Pitts to Lane would go for a gain of 11 yards, moving the chains once more to our 47 yard line. Going back to the ground on first down, Sanders would rush forward for a gain of five yards, followed by another 11 yard strike to Lane to move the ball to our 32. Another first down rush by Sanders would go for a gain of five yards as the first quarter came to a close, Utah State leading 7-0, but the Aztecs pounding on the door.

Starting the second quarter, San Diego State lined up on second and five from our 27 yard line. Looking to go into the air, Pitts never got a chance to get the pass off as our blitz broken through like a flood and flattened Pitts like a pancake. Middle linebacker Justin Dunn was credited for the sack for a loss of seven yards, leaving the Aztecs facing third and 12. Pitts would drop back to pass, but a hurried pass to avoid the blitz would end in disaster as it was immediately intercepted by cornerback Jesse Breedlove for a three yard return, giving us possession at our 36 yard line.

Taking over following the interception, we would try to get quickly to work on first down, but Silva would be met at the line of scrimmage for zero gain on the carry. Silva would find better results on second down, rushing for a gain of four yards to leave third and six, followed by Silva pulling in a play action pass from Williams for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at the SDSU 47 yard line. Staying in the air on first down, the pass intended for Washington would be nearly intercepted by three different Aztec defenders as the ball was bobbled around, before finally dropping incomplete to the turf. Turning to Silva on second down, he would end up quickly dragged down from behind for a gain of only two yards, bringing up third and long. Another pass over the middle would be nearly intercepted again, leaving us with fourth and long and bringing out the punt team. The 45 yard punt would land at the five yard and bounce into the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at their own 20 yard line following the touchback, the Aztecs came out looking to build off of their last drive. It instead would get off to a slow start as Pitts would roll out to pass on first down, but after shaking off a sack attempt, he would be forced to get rid of the ball. A perfectly timed screen pass, as we brought a heavy blitz on the play, allowed Pitts to find a wide open Sanders with nothing but green in front of him. The defense would run Sanders down from behind but not until the play had turned into a 44 yard gain that gave SDSU a first down at our 36 yard line on either the best timed screen pass or the worse timed blitz in the history of football. Sanders would get the ball again on first down, rushing around the right end for a gain of four yards. Our defense would respond back on second down, as our middle linebacker blitzed through untouched and sacked Pitts for a loss of seven yards, leaving the Aztecs facing third and 12. Another screen pass to Sanders would come close to breaking open, but we would manage to drive Sanders into the sideline and out of bounds after only a gain of six yards and force SDSU to punt on fourth and seven. The 25 yard coffin corner punt would sail out of bounds at our seven yard line.

Starting our next drive in the shadows of our own goalposts, we lined up from our seven yard on first down. The Aztecs brought such a blitz on first down, that even though the play was a designed handoff to Silva, Williams never even had time to get the ball out of his hands before one of the defenders plowed through the line and tackled Williams for a loss of three yards on the play. Going into the shotgun on second and 13, a late pass to halfback Tyson Taylor would go for a five yard gain, giving us a little breathing room with third and eight from the nine yard line. Williams would attempt to connect with Washington over the middle, but the ball would be knocked loose on contact and we would be forced to punt on fourth down. A 13 yard return by Scott on the 39 yard punt would give San Diego State the ball at our 34 yard line.

Coming out on offense with fantastic field position, the Aztecs would need just a single play to tie the game up as Sanders would get the handoff out of the shotgun, and with three missed tackles, followed by a wall of blockers, he would race all the way to the end zone for a 34 yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:19 left in the second quarter.

A huge 42 yard kickoff return by Silva would get us a good starting position for our next drive, lining up from our 39 yard line. Coming to the line to a deafening roar by the Aztec fans, Silva would get the handoff for a gain of four yards on first down, followed by a second four yard dive to bring up third and two. Silva would again get the call on third down, but this time he would be met and dragged down for no gain, bringing out drive to a crashing halt and forcing us to punt. A 16 yard return by Scott on the 33 yard punt would give the Aztecs the ball on their own 34 yard line.

Looking to repeat the success of their previous drive, the Aztecs came out on first down in an I-formation, giving the ball to Sanders for a six yard carry, followed by a second six yard rush to move the chains to the 46 yard line. Sanders would get a pitch to the right and attempt to break free, but our defense would drive him toward the sideline and eventually drag him down for no gain on the play. Following their first timeout of the half, the Aztecs would come to the line on second and 10 in the shotgun. A pass over the middle from Pitts to Scott would go for a gain of six yards to leave third and four. Another pass to Scott would go for a gain of nine yards and give the Aztecs a first down at our 40 yard line. Pitts would sail a rainbow pass to a wide open Scott along the left sideline, but he would butterfingers the ball and drop it incomplete to leave second and long with just over a minute left on the clock. The fourth consecutive pass to Scott would again be dropped after hitting him right in the hands, leaving the Aztecs suddenly facing third and 10. Bringing the blitz on third down, we would twice nearly sack Pitts before he was able to throw the ball away and leave things in the hands of the punt team. The punt would sail 40 yards into the end zone, giving us the ball at our 20 yard line.

Lining up from our own 20 following the punt, we were left with 55 seconds remaining until halftime. Going straight into the shotgun on first down, Williams would get hit from behind as he went to pass, the ball making a wounded duck landing just yards away. The second down pass would end in disaster as it would be intercepted by Joe Williams and returned 10 yards to our 14 yard line.

After receiving a lifetime’s worth of Christmas gifts, the Aztecs would line up from our 14 yard line on first down with 46 seconds remaining on the clock. A delayed quarterback keeper by Pitts would see him break two tackles and go 14 yards into the end zone to give San Diego State a 14-7 lead with 40 seconds left until halftime.

A 31 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 27 yard line. Having no choice but to stay in the shotgun, the first down pass from Williams to Morris would end up swatted down. The second down pass would in disaster for the second straight drive, as it was intercepted by cornerback Jarrett Dobzinski and returned seven yards to our 37 yard line with 24 seconds left in the half.

Starting in our territory following the interception, Pitts would drop back to pass out of the shotgun, but he would be hit as he went to throw, resulting in a much needed incomplete pass on first down. A quick pass to Sanders on second down would result in a loss of four yards on the play, leaving San Diego State facing third and 14 and calling their second timeout with 15 seconds left on the clock. A third down pass to Lane would go for a gain of 12 yards, bringing up fourth and three and leaving the clock ticking. Despite having one timeout remaining, the Aztecs would seemingly settle for the seven point lead and just let the clock expire, sending us into halftime trailing 14-7.

Opening up the second half, a 26 yard kickoff return by Scott would give the Aztecs the ball at their 26 yard line to start the third quarter. A first down run straight up the middle by Sanders would go for a gain of six yards, followed by a frustrating 16 yard rush by Chris Christensen that saw four different defenders fail to tackle him, giving SDSU a first down at the 48 yard line. Our defense would rise up and make a huge play on first down, as cornerback Jeremy Brown would intercept a pass by Pitts and return it 36 yards all the way down to the San Diego State 14 yard line.

Taking over as the Aztecs 14 yard line following the big interception return, Silva got the call on first down, rushing right up the gut for a seven yard carry, followed by a gain of six yards on the next play. During the tackle at the one yard line, the defender would drag Silva down by his facemask, resulting in a penalty flag. We declined the penalty as it ultimately had zero effect on anything as we would end up with first and goal from the one yard line whether we accepted it or not. Silva would need just one more play to punch it into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, tying the game back up at 14-14 with 8:30 left in the third quarter.

A surprising 50 yard kick return by Danny Rutledge would give the Aztecs outstanding field position, starting their next drive from our own 45 yard line. Sanders would get the drive started on the ground with a five yard carry, followed by a four yard gain that would bring up third and one. Even though we should have had Sanders contained for a loss of yards on third down, he would manage to slip through and pick up a nine yard gain on the play instead, giving SDSU a first down at our 27 yard line. Sanders would pick up two yards on the first down carry, before a second down shotgun pass to Aaron Houston would be completed for a gain of 14 yards and a first down at our 11 yard line. Sanders would get the ball on first down, rushing for a gain of seven yards on the play, with five of those yards coming while stiff arming one of our linebackers and driving him backwards. Pitts would attempt to keep the ball himself on second down, but would end up quickly brought down for a loss of one yard on the play, leaving third and five. A late pass to Houston right at the goal line would result in a five yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead for San Diego State with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
A 42 yard kickoff return by Morris would give us good starting position at our 42 yard line. Once again hearing a loud and raucous crowd, backed up by an equally load Seven Nation Army, Silva would take the first down handoff up the middle for a gain of two yards. Dropping back to pass from under center on second down, the pass intended for Johnson was broken up to leave third and eight. A third down pass to Tristan Muhammad would go for a lackluster gain of two yards and force us to punt on fourth and six. Scott would call for a fair catch on the 37 yard punt, giving the Aztecs the ball at their own 16 yard line.

Starting deep in their territory following the punt, the Aztecs would quickly start moving down the field as Sanders took the handoff on first down and sprinted for a gain of 24 yards and a first down at the 41 yard line. Another rush by Sanders would go for a gain of three yards, followed by a 10 yard carry to move the chains to our 47 yard line. Sanders would keep it going on first down, diving forward for a two yard gain, followed by a massively failed screen pass that would see Pitts sacked for a giant loss of 11 yards, forcing the Aztecs into a third and 19 situation. It wouldn’t get any better on third down as our defense would again ultimately drag down Pitts after wearing down the offensive line, sacking him for a loss of eight yards and forcing SDSU to punt on fourth and 27. A six yard return by Silva on the 43 yard punt would give us the ball at our 26 yard line.

Taking over on offense following the punt, Silva would get the ball on back to back plays, rushing forward for gains of three yards and two yards, leaving us looking at a third and five. Going into the air on third down, Nate Williams would pull down a pass over the middle for a gain of 14 yards and a first down at the 45. Another first down rush by Silva would result in a gain of six yards, followed by a four yard rush to leave us looking at third and inches. The clock would expire before we could get lined up again, resulting in that being the final play of the third quarter with San Diego State leading 21-14.

Starting the fourth quarter, we would line up on third and inches from the SDSU 45 yard line. Silva would get the call and get the job more than done, rushing for a gain of seven yards and a new set of downs at the 38. Silva would get another crack, clawing his way to a three yard gain on the play. Calling a play action pass on second and seven, the pass to Johnson would go for no gain on the play, leaving us facing third down. Coming out in the shotgun on third down, Muhammad would be tackled for a loss of one yard on the play, killing out drive in the process. The 36 yard punt would sail into the end zone for a touchback.

The Aztecs would start their next drive lined up from their own 20 following the touchback and come out in the shotgun from the outset. A quick first down pass to Houston would gain 10 yards and give them second and inches. Sanders would get the call and rush for a gain of 10 yards, giving SDSU a first down at their 40 yard line. We would finally stuff Sanders on first down, bringing him down for no gain on the play following a rush up the middle. Second down would see that jackass just stiff arm his way right through three different defenders, turning what should have been an automatic loss of yards into a 17 yard gain because it’s apparently impossible to tackle him with less than three players at the same time. Another run by Sanders would gain six yards, followed by a four yard option keeper by Pitts to leave the Aztecs looking at third and inches. Despite the blitz, Sanders would still gain five yards on the play, giving San Diego State a first down at our 28 yard line. Another rush by Sanders, where he just drove my defender backwards for more than 10 yards like he was pushing a kid, went for a gain of 13 yards and another first down at our 15 yard line. Finally we would manage to bring Sanders down for no gain on the first down play, followed by a loss of two yards on a second down keeper by Pitts, leaving third and 12. Emptying out the backfield on third down, Pitts would sling a pass over the middle to Joe Johnson for a 15 yard gain, giving the Aztecs first and goal from our two yard line. Despite bringing the entire house, Sanders would run into the end zone completely untouched for a two yard touchdown, giving San Diego State a 28-14 lead with 4:05 left in the game.

A measly 18 yard return by Morris on the kickoff would leave us starting at our own 16 yard line for our next drive. Coming out in the shotgun on first down, Williams would connect with Washington for a gain of 18 yards and a quick first down at the 34. The next play, another pass to Washington, would be broken up at the last second. A 23 yard strike to Muhammad on second down would move the chains to the SDSU 43 yard line. Another pass to Muhammad would go for a gain of 14 yards to get us down to the 29. Instead of finishing the drive for a touchdown, the drive would crash into a brick wall on the next play as a late pass thrown behind Washington would end up intercepted by outside linebacker Maurice Mills and returned nine yards to the SDSU 25 yard line.

The Aztecs would line up at their own 25 yard line following the interception, just 2:43 standing between them and victory. Sanders would waste zero time once again making us his bitch as he would clothesline one defender and bull rush another on his way to a 20 yard gain, once again making our defense look like incompetent dumbshits who couldn’t tackle a blade of grass. That gain would result in first down at the 45 yard line and the clock killing would commence. Another rush by Sanders would go for four yards to leave second and six, with our first timeout called with 1:56 remaining. Another four yard rush by Sanders would leave third and two, our second timeout freezing the clock with 1:48 remaining. Another rush by Sanders would go for a gain of 8 yards, after breaking three tackles along the way, and with that, any hope for actually even just simply getting the ball back were lost and we didn’t even bother to use our last timeout. A three yard rush by Sanders would be followed by a gain of four yards to leave third and three. A third down rush by Sanders for two yards would leave the Aztecs lining up on fourth and one from our 30 yard line. Just as a final fuck you to San Diego State, we opted to use our final timeout to stop the clock with nine seconds remaining. We may lose, but at least we delayed those asshole from celebrating and forced them to play out the final seconds. Of course, even then we couldn’t stop Sanders, as he would rush for a gain of five yards and give SDSU a first down at our 25 yard line on the final play of the game. With that, the last seconds would tick off the clock and San Diego State would walk away with a 28-14 victory.

With the loss, we drop to 2-3, 0-1 in Mountain West action. With the win, San Diego State improves to 5-0, 1-0 in Mountain West play. Up next, it's back home to take on a tough San Jose State. The Trojans enter the game with a 4-1 record, 1-0 in Mountain West action. San Jose State opened their year with a 34-31 overtime win over Colorado, followed by a stunning 24-14 loss to Delaware State. They got back on the winning track however, beating Iowa State 28-21, Colorado State 34-33 and toppling Cal 44-41 in overtime.

Final Score

:San_Diego_State: 28, :Utah_State: 14

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A poor day for Williams, as he would end up going 14-25 for a pathetic 157 yards, only one touchdown and three interceptions. Silva was decent, but far from a career day, only gaining 97 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries for a 3.4 yard/play average. Washington ended up being the leading receiver with 48 yards on three receptions. Muhammad had the most receptions with four to go along with 38 yards. In all, eight receivers caught a pass today, with seven of them reaching double digit yards.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Absolutely terrible showing today. Sure, the two interceptions by cornerbacks Jeremy Brown and Jesse Breedlove were great, but the defense also gave up 388 yards of offense and 239 yards of rushing, with Tim Sanders having a career day against us, rushing for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries, good for an absurd 6.7 yard/carry average. And it's not even the fact he was running for a bunch of yards, but how he was doing it. Every single play, he was stiff arming, clotheslining, or just driving our defenders backwards like he was rushing against a 10 year old kid. It legitimately took three or more defenders to tackle him every play. If only one or two tried, he would either break the tackle with ease or just start pushing them back like he was taunting a fist swinging kid by holding him back with a simple straight arm to the head. Never has an opposing running back just bitch slapped our defense like that.

Utah State Kicking – A terrible day for Thompson as he couldn't even reach the end zone on a 46 yard field goal, much less actually have a hope of making it to the uprights. We need a new kicker and badly, can't even attempt a field goal anymore unless it's inside the 20 yard line, at which point it's essentially a glorified PAT.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:

7

0

7

0

14

:San_Diego_State:

0
14

7

7

28

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

1:46

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

J. Morris, 17 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

4:19

:San_Diego_State:

Touchdown

T. Sanders, 34 yard run (D. Taylor kick)

TIED 7-7

0:40

:San_Diego_State:

Touchdown
M. Pitts, 14 yard run (D. Taylor kick)

:San_Diego_State: 14-7

Third Quarter

8:30

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 1 yard run (M. Thompson kick)

TIED 14-14

5:45

:San_Diego_State:

Touchdown

A. Houston, 5 yard pass from M. Pitts (D. Taylor kick)

:San_Diego_State: 21-14

Fourth Quarter

4:05

:San_Diego_State:

Touchdown

T. Sanders, 2 yard run (D. Taylor kick)

:San_Diego_State: 28-14

Game Stats

Utah State
Stat

San Diego State

14

Score

28

13
First Downs

19

251

Total Offense

388

29 - 94 - 1

Rushes - Yards - TD

45 - 239 - 3

14 - 25 - 1

Comp - Att - TD

13 - 21 - 1

157

Passing Yards

149

Times Sacked

6 - 12 (50%)

3rd Down Conversion

6 - 13 (46%)

0 - 0 (0%)

4th Down Conversion

0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)

2-Point Conv

0 - 0 (0%)

2 - 2 - 0 (100%)

Red Zone - TD - FG

3 - 3 - 0 (100%)

3
Turnovers

2

0

Fumbles Lost

0

3

Intercepted

2

12

Punt Return Yards

28

160

Kick Return Yards

101

423

Total Yards

517

5 –38.2

Punts - Average

4 - 37.5

0 - 0

Penalties

0 - 0

20:28

Time of Possession

19:32

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal

XP Reward

Completed

Score a Touchdown

25

x2

Force a Turnover

25

x2

3+ Sacks

50

x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards

50

x1

Pass Completion Over 50%
30

x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency

50

x1

10+ First Downs

50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions

25

x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
2

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

07-05-2018, 11:04 PM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State just barely squeaked past Iowa 30-28, running their winning streak to an absurd 61 wins in a row. At this point, will Ohio State ever lose again? And how many goats will have to be sacrificed by the opposing team to do it?

#2 Miami (FL) juiced Syracuse 38-10. In the upset of the week, Tulane stunned #3 and previously 5-0 Ole Miss with a 44-38 overtime victory. #4 Michigan escaped Nebraska 42-37. #9 Georgia Tech neutered #5 Clemson 45-28. #6 Oklahoma shellacked previously unbeaten Hawaii 48-10. In runner up for upset of the week, TCU knocked off #7 Baylor 28-14. In third place for upset of the week, Florida International plastered #8 Auburn 49-30.

#10 UCLA got past UAB 45-31. Kentucky defeathered #11 South Carolina 49-33. Kansas shocked #14 West Virginia 39-37. #15 Oregon fought off Colorado 43-40. #17 just edged by Tennessee 31-30. #18 Fresno State survived Army 21-18. #19 Washington upset #12 Kansas State 23-19. #20 Boise State handled Nevada 35-13. Virginia knocked off #22 Louisville 35-28. Previously winless Georgia State shocked #23 Notre Dame, ruining their 5-0 record. #24 Washington State held off Stanford 35-28. #25 USC scalped Utah 45-34.

It was a rough week for top 25 teams, as the #3, #5, #7, #8, #11, #12, #14, #22 and #23 teams all lost.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten) with a 30-28 win over Iowa, their 61st win in a row. Morsdraconis, #14 West Virginia drops to 4-2 (1-2 Big 12) with a 39-37 loss to undefeated Kansas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 2-3 (1-0 C-USA) with a 27-24 overtime win over winless Louisiana Tech. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-3 (1-2 Pac-12) with a 23-21 loss to Oregon State. LeeSO, #8 Auburn falls to 3-2 (2-0 SEC) with a 49-30 loss to Florida International. SCClassof93, #11 South Carolina drops to 3-3 (1-3 SEC) with a 49-33 loss to Kentucky. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 2-2 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International improves to 3-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 49-30 upset of #8 Auburn. Navy improves to 2-1 (1-1 American) with a 34-23 win over Air Force. Tulsa falls to 2-3 (2-1 American) with a 46-28 loss to Connecticut.

In Mountain West action, #6 Oklahoma slaughtered Hawaii 48-10, #18 Fresno State slipped past Army 21-18, #20 Boise State poached Nevada 35-13, San Diego State speared Utah State 28-14, New Mexico feasted on New Mexico State 41-10 in the Rio Grande Rivalry. San Jose State shocked Cal 44-41 in overtime, and Navy shot down Air Force 34-23.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, in a shocking surprise, Miami (40 first place votes) jumps the Buckeyes and take over as the #1 team, Ohio State (21 votes), despite winning 61 games in a row, drops to #2, Michigan climbs one to #3, Georgia Tech jumps five spots to #4 and Oklahoma moves up one to #5. Oregon leaps nine ranks to #6, UCLA climbs three to #7, Clemson drops three spots to #8, Georgia jumps eight spots to #9 and Texas moves up three to #10. Fresno State jumps seven spots to #11, Arizona climbs four to #12, Washington leaps six spots to #13, Baylor falls seven to #14 and Boise State rises five to #15. Ole Miss plummets thirteen spots to #16, Kansas State drops five to #17, Michigan State climbs three to #18, TCU enters the poll at #19 and Auburn sinks twelve spots to #20. Washington State climbs three to #21, South Carolina drops eleven ranks to #22, USC jumps two to #23, West Virginia falls ten spots to #24 and Texas A&M (302 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Louisville (from #22) and Notre Dame (from #23). Both Louisville and Notre Dame were in the poll for just one week, entering the poll last week, only to immediately drop right back out this week. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida State (135 points) is #26, followed by San Diego State (93), Nebraska (76), Florida (20) and Louisville (15) to round out the Top 30. Also getting points this week was Kansas (14), good enough for 31st.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the year, just like the coaches poll, 61 wins in a row don't get you any respect, as Miami (38 first place votes) jumps one to become the new #1 team, Ohio State (22 votes) drops one to #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Georgia Tech climbs five to #4 and Georgia (2 votes) leaps six to #5. Oklahoma climbs two to #6, UCLA moves up three to #7, Oregon (2 votes) vaults nine spots to #8, Clemson drops four to #9 and Texas moves up two to #10. Baylor falls seven to #11, Fresno State jumps seven spots to #12, Arizona climbs three to #13, Washington moves up four to #14 and Boise State climbs five to #15. Ole Miss drops ten spots to #16, TCU enters the poll at #17, Kansas State falls four to #18, Michigan State climbs two to #19 and Auburn plummets thirteen spots to #20. Washington State moves up three to #21, Texas A&M jumps three to #22, USC enters the poll at #23, South Carolina falls eleven spaces to #24 and West Virginia (297 points) falls ten spots to just barely hang on at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Louisville (from #22) and Notre Dame (from #23), who immediately leaves the poll the very next week after entering the poll. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida State (179 points) is #26, followed by Nebraska (121), Florida (111), Louisville (55) and Kentucky (54) to round out the Top 30. Also getting points this week were Vanderbilt (34) and San Diego State (2).

A look at the Heisman race, West Virginia QB Kevin Gates is #1 (LW: #1), Washington State QB Lee Foster is #2 (LW: #3), Georgia HB Chris Walters is #3 (LW: #5), Michigan State QB Jordan Norton is #4 (LW: #2) and UCLA QB Mitchell Slaughter is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was Arizona QB Adam Parrish (LW: #4).

souljahbill

07-06-2018, 10:07 AM

Welcome back, buddy. I got back into NCAA 14 too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SmoothPancakes

07-06-2018, 01:47 PM

Welcome back, buddy. I got back into NCAA 14 too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I've been itching to dive back into NCAA for nearly a week now. I wanted to play one or two games on the 4th, but my 360 was unplugged and didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to figure out which plug led to which electronic and what I could and couldn't unplug. I eventually had a chance to sort things out yesterday afternoon and was able to dive back in.

Not sure if I'll get a game played tonight like I originally planned. Now that it's no longer hotter than Satan's asshole here, I gotta mow after work. Between that and cooking dinner, it might be 8pm or later before I'd have a chance to sit down and start a game.

jaymo76

07-29-2018, 10:55 PM

Yeah, I've been itching to dive back into NCAA for nearly a week now. I wanted to play one or two games on the 4th, but my 360 was unplugged and didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to figure out which plug led to which electronic and what I could and couldn't unplug. I eventually had a chance to sort things out yesterday afternoon and was able to dive back in.

Not sure if I'll get a game played tonight like I originally planned. Now that it's no longer hotter than Satan's asshole here, I gotta mow after work. Between that and cooking dinner, it might be 8pm or later before I'd have a chance to sit down and start a game.

Good to see you back at it. If this game was backwards compatible I would play it all the time but sadly it's not. However getting it set up is just not worth the time hassle. I've accepted that College Football on consoles is dead. I still dream what could have been on our current gen consoles.

SmoothPancakes

07-29-2018, 11:45 PM

Good to see you back at it. If this game was backwards compatible I would play it all the time but sadly it's not. However getting it set up is just not worth the time hassle. I've accepted that College Football on consoles is dead. I still dream what could have been on our current gen consoles.Oh god, I would kill to have NCAA 14 be backwards compatible on either the Xbox One or PS4. It's a bit of a pain to play it, because I have to play it on my old ass 360, running it through the HDMI pass through on my One. I especially wish it would show up backwards compatible some day as I fear the day my 360 dies as it's closing in on 9-10 years old.

But, as long as my 360 still runs, I'll still play NCAA. And now that my month of hell is over at work (3 weeks of 5:30am starts at work, pushing between 9-12 hours a day, 5 days a week), I hope to dive back in a couple evenings this week and keep working on this season.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

souljahbill

07-30-2018, 07:17 AM

jaymo76

07-31-2018, 12:35 PM

Yeah, my 360 is hooked up in one of the guest rooms and it’s sole purpose is to be my NCAA 14 player. I even have a wired controller so that don’t have to bother with batteries.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hooked up my PS3 after this discussion and found out all of the controllers are broke. I ordered two cheap knockoffs on Amazon so if the mood strikes me I may try and fire up a game this week.

SmoothPancakes

11-21-2019, 12:31 AM

Game Six

:San_Jose_State: :@: :Utah_State:

Game Story

--- Back home after a hard fought loss against undefeated San Diego State, the Aggies needed to get things turned around, sitting at 2-3 on the season and an early 0-1 in conference play. It wasn’t about to get any easier as San Jose State would come into the contest at 4-1 on the season. The Spartans were a tough team to decipher. They opened up their year with an overtime victory over Colorado before losing to Alcorn State. They would then follow that with wins over Iowa State, Colorado State and an overtime win at Cal. Their wins suggest a talented team that has earned that 4-1 record, but that puzzling loss to Alcorn State also suggest that their record may be inflated due to facing opponents with a combined 8-13 record thus far. San Jose State won the coin toss and elected to kick first.

Jon Morris would return the kickoff out to the 25 yard line and give the ball over to the offense to start the game. Benjamin Silva would take the first down handoff, rushing up the middle for a gain of three yards, followed by a six yard dash to leave us facing third and one. Silva would get the call again on third down, coming through with a five yard carry to pick up a first down at the 39 yard line. Silva would keep us moving forward on first down with a three yard rush, before an attempted pass from Pat Williams intended for Nate Williams was broken up, leaving third and long. The third down pass intended for Adam Washington would likewise be broken up at the first down line, bringing the offensive drive to an early end. An 8 yard return by Luis Parks on the 32 yard punt by Freddie Arnold would give San Jose State the ball at their own 33 yard line.

It wouldn’t take long for the Spartans to get moving as Jesse Lewis would take the handoff on first down and burn our defense for a 25 yard gain, giving them a first down at our 43 yard line. A handoff to James Payne on first down would go backwards on the next play as defensive end Steve Jones would come plowing into the backfield, tackling Payne for a loss of five yards on the play. The Spartans would move even further backwards as Josh Stanley ended up sacked for a loss of eight yards by defensive tackle Scott Flanagan, leaving San Jose State facing third and 23. The third down play would result in negative yards yet again, as the ball came out of Stanley’s hands as he was hit, only to be grabbed out of the air by Jesse Lewis, who was promptly tackled for a six yard loss on the play to force the Spartans to punt on fourth and 29. A 14 yard return by Silva on the 38 yard punt would give us the ball at our 38 yard line.

Silva would get our new drive started with a four yard gain around the left end, before being stood up for no gain on the next play, leaving us with third and six. The third down pass to Tristan Muhammad would be complete this time, but it would only go for a gain of two yards, forcing us to punt once more on fourth and four. An 11 yard return by Parks on the 42 yard punt would give San Jose State the ball at their 25 yard line.

A delayed rush by the quarterback Stanley would go absolutely nowhere on first down, as our blitz would quickly bring him down for a two yard loss on the play, only to be followed up by a sack for a loss of six yards, quickly putting the Spartans in a hole, facing third and 18. Going deep down the left sideline on third down, Stanley would watch his underthrown pass be intercepted by freshman cornerback Aaron Rush, giving us back possession of the ball at the SJSU 46 yard line.

Taking over after the interception, we would again turn to Silva to get the drive started on first down, picking up a gain of three yards on the play. A second down play action pass intended for Washington was very nearly intercepted over the middle, leaving third down. Going back to Washington on third down, Williams would connect this time along the left sideline for a gain of 16 yards and a first down at the Spartans 27 yard line. Silva would get the call on first down, gaining three yards on the carry, followed by a two yard rush to leave us facing third and five. Walter Johnson would keep us moving on third down, pulling in a pass from Williams for a gain of eight yards and a first down at the 14 yard line. Silva would get the rock on first down, rushing forward for a gain of six on the play. Silva would need only one more play to find pay dirt, running straight up the middle and pushing the pile of bodies in front of him forward with his legs for an eight yard touchdown to give us a 7-0 lead with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

A 21 yard kickoff return by Parks would give San Jose State the ball at their 25 yard line. Unfortunately for the Spartans, they wouldn’t even be able to snap the ball without moving backwards, as a false start would quickly push them backwards five yards. They would quickly make that up though as a 17 yard pass over the middle to Robert Thomas would give the Spartans a new set of downs at their 37 yard line. Lewis would get the ball on first down, but he would be met in the backfield for a loss of one yard on the play. And that would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock hit all zeros.

Starting the second quarter, San Jose State lined up facing second and 11 from their own 36. Going deep in the air down the left sideline, Stanley would again find his pass intercepted, this time by Jeremy Brown to give us the ball back at our 44 yard line.

Lining up on offense after the interception, we came out firing as the first down pass intended for Jon Morris was incomplete, just overthrown a bit too much along the sideline. Williams would come back with a pass on a dime to Greg Miller in heavy coverage, good for 15 yards and a new set of downs at the SJSU 42. Silva would get the call on first down, but was only able to gain two yards after a linebacker beat his block and filled the hole. The second down play action pass intended for Miller was nearly intercepted, leaving us facing third and long. Another pass, this time intended for Williams, was again incomplete, leaving us with fourth down from the 39. Unfortunately the punt by Arnold would be shanked, going out of bounds at the 31 yard line for a whopping eight yard boot.

Lewis would get the Spartans offense started on the ground with a two yard carry around the right end, followed by a screen pass to Thomas good for a gain of 15 yards and a first down at the 48. A first down option attempt would fail for the Spartans as Stanley was quickly met and brought down for a loss of four yards on the play. A handoff to Lewis on second down would also go backwards for a loss of six yards on the play to leave third and 20. A third down pass intended for Zach Ross was thrown into double coverage and nearly intercepted, forcing the Spartans to punt on fourth and long. An 11 yard return by Silva on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 35 yard line.

A first down handoff to Silva would only gain two yards, as the Spartans weren’t shy about bringing the blitz in the early downs this game. A second down pass to Johnson would go for a gain of 11 yards, moving the chains to the 48 yard line. Another rush by Silva would go for three more yards, followed by an incomplete play action pass intended for Williams to leave third and long. Miller would keep our drive alive with a pass reception for eight yards and a first down at the SJSU 41. A first down rush by Silva would gain seven yards on the play, followed by a carry for a gain of three yards to bring up third and inches. Silva would again get the call on third down, rushing for four yards and a first down at the 27. Silva would keep us marching forward with a six yard carry on first, followed by a carry for a loss of one yard as he was quickly met in the backfield, leaving us with third and five. A third down pass by Williams would result in absolute disaster as the ball intended for Silva would be intercepted by ? and returned 77 yards before being tackled at the last moment at the one yard line. A facemask penalty on the tackle would have little effect, as the Spartans would take over on first and goal from our one yard line.

Lewis would get the ball on first down, only to be tackled for a loss of two yards on the play. Stanley would keep the ball on second down, and quickly end up tackled for a five yard loss himself, leaving San Jose State facing third and goal from the eight yard line. In probably our greatest defensive stand of the season, a screen pass to Lewis would only gain five yards and the Spartans would be forced to settle for a field goal after starting the drive on the one yard line. The 21 yard field goal by Mike Thomas was good, making our lead 7-3 with 1:17 left until halftime.

A 25 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 23 yard line with only 1:14 left on the clock. A first down pass deep over the middle would be complete to Morris for a gain of 19 yards, quickly getting our offense moving to the 42 yard line. Another pass, this time to Miller over the middle, would go for 17 more yards and another first down at the SJSU 41. Williams would find Miller again, this time for a 14 yard completion and a first down at the 27 yard line with 29 seconds left on the clock, upon which we called our first timeout. A deep pass intended for Washington was broken up inside the five yard line. The second down pass intended for Morris was nearly intercepted. The third down pass intended for Johnson would be intercepted this time by cornerback Chris Tucker, giving San Jose State the ball at their 33 yard line.

With only 14 seconds left on the clock, the Spartans surprisingly came out passing deep on first down, the pass broken up inside our 30 yard line. Stanley would drop back to pass on second down, only to end up sacked for a loss of seven yards, leaving third and 17. Since San Jose State was still trying to throw deep and not just kneeling it and calling it a half, we called our second timeout to give our defense another shot at Stanley on third and long and four seconds left. This time the Spartans would just run the ball on third down, with Lewis being met for no gain on the play, sending us into halftime with a 7-3 lead over San Jose State.

Opening up the second half, a 26 yard kickoff return by Parks would give the Spartans the ball at their 26 yard line to start the third quarter. Lewis would get the call on first down to start the drive, rushing for a gain of two yards. A QB keeper by Stanley would gain 11 yards thanks to a pair of missed tackles, giving the Spartans a first down at the 39. Lewis would break containment around the left end on first down, rushing for a gain of 13 yards and moving the chains once more to our 48 yard line. A first down rush by Parks would pick up three yards, followed by a two yard gain by Lewis to bring up third and five. A quick pass to Ross would only gain one yard, forcing the Spartans to punt on fourth and four. The punt by Bryan would sail 42 yards into the end zone for a touchback.

Lining up at our 20 yard line following the touchback, we again turned to Silva to get our drive started, sprinting forward for a nine yard gain on first down, followed by a huge 28 yard dash up the right sideline, giving us a first down at the SJSU 43 yard line. Silva would keep things rolling with a five yard carry, before a two yard gain would leave us facing third and three. Leaving our drive in the hands of Silva, he would come through huge with an 11 yard carry, moving the sticks to the 26 yard line. A first down rush by Silva would gain only one yard on the play. A play action pass to John Waters would be nearly intercepted, leaving us with third and nine. A pass to Miller on a comeback route would go for a gain of 17 yards down to the eight yard line. A facemask penalty on cornerback George Smith on the tackle would result in half the distance to the goal, setting us up with first and goal from the SJSU four yard line. Silva’s first down rush would result in no gain on the play, followed by a rush for no gain once again on second down, leaving us with third and goal. The third down pass intended for Washington would end up being nearly intercepted in the end zone, forcing us to settle for a field goal as San Jose State would make a defensive stand of their own. Max Thompson would nail the 21 yard field goal down the middle, giving us a 10-3 lead with 4:01 left to play in the third quarter.

A 22 yard kickoff return by Parks would give San Jose State the ball at their 25 yard line for their next drive. A rush by James Payne would result in a two yard loss on the first down play, before a handoff straight up the middle by Parks would pick up 13 yards and a first down for the Spartans at their 35. Stanley would keep the ball on first down, gaining two yards on the carry, before Tim Hall would break containment and race up the right sideline for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at our 43 yard line. Parks would keep the Spartans moving forward with a three yard gain on first down. Our defense would continue to suck as Hall torched us for a 34 yard rush straight down our throats, giving San Jose State a first and goal at our six yard line. Parks would get the ball on first down, rushing for a gain of three yards. Second and goal should have resulted in a touchdown as a play action pass resulted in our blitz leaving Patrick Sanders completely alone in the end zone over the middle, but he would drop the pass and force the Spartans to line up on third and goal from the three. This time the Spartans would find the end zone as Parks would take the ball off tackle to the left and waltz into the end zone untouched for a three yard touchdown, tying the game 10-10 with 1:28 left in the third quarter.

A 40 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 37 yard line for our next drive. A first down rush by Silva would go for a gain of three yards, followed by another three yard rush to leave us facing third and four. Johnson would keep us alive with a six yard reception, giving us a first down at the 49 yard line. Silva would pick up four yards on a first down carry, as that would bring the third quarter to an end.

We would get the fourth quarter started with a rush on second and six, as Silva would race forward for a gain of nine yards and a first down at the SJSU 38 yard line. Silva would only manage a single yard on the next play. Getting a little tricky on second down, Silva would receive a pitch from Williams on the snap, only to throw the ball himself to Washington for a gain of 12 yards and a first down at the 26. Going back to the ground on first down, Silva would fight and then body surf his way to a 10 yard carry, leaving us with second and inches. A seven yard rush by Silva on the next play would set us up with first and goal form the nine yard line. Silva would pick up four yards on the first down carry, followed by a rush for no gain to leave us with third and goal from the five. Going into the air on third down, the pass intended for Tyson Taylor was incomplete and we would be forced once again to settle for a field goal. The 23 yard field goal by Thompson would just squeak inside the left upright, giving us a 13-10 lead with 6:08 left in the game.

A bunch of dumbasses failing to tackle the ball carrier allowed Parks to return the kickoff 42 yards out to the SJSU 42 yard line. A late pitch to Parks would go for a gain of 26 yards on first down, giving the Spartans a quick first down at our 33 yard line. Looking to pitch it again on the next play, our defense wouldn’t give Stanley the chance, quickly tackling him for a loss of four yards to bring up second and 14. Parks would get the ball on second down, only managing a gain of three yards on the carry to leave third and 11. Going into the air, Stanley would connect with Sanders and while the catch was short of the first down, Sanders would manage to fall across the line during the tackle for a gain of 11 yards and a new set of downs at our 22 yard line. A first down handoff to Payne would result in a three yard loss on first down. Our coverage would force Stanley to hold onto the ball for too long on second down, sacking him for a loss of eight yards and leaving the Spartans facing third and 21. A rushed pass to would land harmlessly incomplete in the middle of the field, bringing up fourth and very long for San Jose State with only 3:48 left to play in the game. Going for it on fourth down, Stanley would sail a pass deep into the end zone, a pass that was very nearly a touchdown. The ball would hit Thomas in his hands, but he would bobble it and our secondary would break the pass up, narrowly avoiding disaster and forcing a turnover on downs with 3:43 left to play.

Taking over following the turnover on downs at our 34 yard line, our mission was simple, just run out the clock and walk away with the win. Silva got the ball on first down, only gaining two yards on the carry. A second down rush by Silva would pick up three yards, leaving us facing third and five. Taking a chance through the air on third down, Williams would manage to connect with Washington for a gain of 15 yards and a first down at San Jose State’s 47 yard line. That would also force the Spartans to call their first timeout of the half with 2:14 left on the clock. Silva would get the call on first down, picking up three yards on the play. A second timeout by San Jose State would freeze the clock with 2:11 to go. A huge nine yard rush by Silva would give us a new set of downs at the 34 yard line of the Spartans, their third and final timeout stopping the clock with 2:08 to play. Silva would get the ball on first down, plowing forward for a nine yard carry on the play, which would also put him over the 1,000 yard mark for the season. A four yard rush by Silva would clinch the victory as we would pick up a first down at the SJSU 21 yard line with 1:20 left to play in the game. Two kneel downs by Williams would run out the clock on a very hard fought 13-10 victory over San Jose State.

With the win, we improve to 3-3, 1-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, San Jose State drops to 4-2, 1-1 in Mountain West play. Up next, it's back on the road to visit the New Mexico Lobos. New Mexico enters the game at 3-3, 1-1 in Mountain West action. The Lobos opened their season with a 56-35 loss at #23 Texas A&M, beat Tulsa on the road 45-14 and lost to Illinois 31-28. New Mexico then reeled off consecutive victories with a 40-35 win at UNLV and a 41-10 win over New Mexico State, before losing 34-27 to Nevada, giving Nevada their first win of the season.

Final Score
:Utah_State: 13, :San_Jose_State: 10

Stat(s) of the Game:

Utah State Offense - A rough game for Williams who would end up 12 of 26 for 149 yards and two interceptions. Most of the passing yards for Williams came on only two or three drives where we were able to actually move the ball through the air. Otherwise the passing game was largely silent. Silva had another fantastic game on the ground, rushing for 198 yards on 42 carries and one touchdown. Silva also completed one pass on a trick play action play, good for a 12 yard completion. Receiving, only five receivers caught a pass today, with six in total targeted. The leading receiver was Miller, who ended up with 71 yards on five receptions. Johnson, Washington and Morris all had double digit yards through the air.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Other than the drive in the third quarter when San Jose State scored their lone touchdown, when our defense could do nothing to stop or slow their offense down, today was a great performance. Middle linebacker Justin Dunn led the way with 9 tackles, including three for a loss, and one sack. Cornerbacks Jeremy Brown and Aaron Rush had both interceptions for the defense, while defensive tackle Scott Flanagan had two sacks for the day. The biggest moment for the defense came in the second quarter, following a 77-yard interception return by San Jose State to our one yard line. Despite having first and goal from the one, San Jose State would fail to get into the end zone and would even go backwards, forced to settle for a field goal. If the defense gives up a touchdown on that series, it likely ends up being a whole different ball game.

Utah State Kicking – A pretty quiet day for Max Thompson, who would go 2 for 2 in field goals, with kicks of 22 and 23 yards, as well as 1 for 1 in PATs.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:San_Jose_State:
0
3
7
0
10

:Utah_State:
7
0
3
3
13

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

0:32
:Utah_State:
Touchdown
B. Silva, 8 yard run (M. Thompson kick)
:Utah_State: 7-0

Second Quarter

1:16
:San_Jose_State:
Field Goal
M. Thomas, 21 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 7-3

Third Quarter

4:00
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 22 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 10-3

1:27
:San_Jose_State:
Touchdown
L. Parks, 3 yard run (M. Thomas kick)
TIED 10-10

Fourth Quarter

6:07
:Utah_State:
Field Goal
M. Thompson, 23 yard field goal
:Utah_State: 13-10

Game Stats

San Jose State
Stat
Utah State

10
Score
13

10
First Downs
20

144
Total Offense
355

31 - 102 - 1
Rushes - Yards - TD
44 - 194 - 1

6 - 13 - 0
Comp - Att - TD
13 - 27 - 0

42
Passing Yards
161

4
Times Sacked
0

2 - 9 (22%)
3rd Down Conversion
9 - 16 (56%)

0 - 1 (0%)
4th Down Conversion
0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)
2-Point Conv
0 - 0 (0%)

2 - 1 - 1 (100%)
Red Zone - TD - FG
3 - 1 - 2 (100%)

2
Turnovers
2

0
Fumbles Lost
0

2
Intercepted
2

18
Punt Return Yards
25

109
Kick Return Yards
89

271
Total Yards
469

3 – 39.7
Punts - Average
3 - 27.7

2 - 9
Penalties
1 - 1

13:48
Time of Possession
26:12

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal
XP Reward
Completed

Win a Game
100
x1

Score a Touchdown
25
x1

Force a Turnover
25
x2

Rush for 100 Yards
25
x1

Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead
10
x1

3+ Sacks
50
x1

Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards
50
x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards
50
x1

100% Red Zone Efficiency
50
x1

Score 21 or More Points
50
x1

350+ Offensive Yards
50
x1

10+ First Downs
50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8

3

Job Security Status

100%

SmoothPancakes

11-21-2019, 12:33 AM

Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #2 Ohio State romped Illinois 56-17, running their winning streak to an absurd 62 wins in a row. At this point, will Ohio State ever lose again? And how many goats will have to be sacrificed by the opposing team to do it?

#3 Michigan manhandled Rutgers 48-20. #4 Georgia Tech outlasted Notre Dame 31-24. #5 Oklahoma seared #10 Texas 40-34. Arizona State went into Eugene and knocked off the previously undefeated #6 Oregon, 40-37 in overtime. #7 UCLA lambasted UTEP 41-7. #8 Clemson escaped Louisville 45-38. #9 Georgia remains perfect against Missouri 35-21. #11 Fresno State keeps rolling along, rolling over Colorado State 31-7.

#13 Washington got past Stanford 35-28. #15 Boise State survived Hawaii 31-23. #20 Auburn knocks off #16 Ole Miss 34-24. #17 Kansas State outdueled #24 West Virginia 49-42. Iowa State knocked off #19 TCU 25-21. #21 Washington State squeaked past Utah 45-42. #22 South Carolina topped Arkansas 45-21. #23 USC beat Colorado 38-19. #25 Texas A&M dropped Mississippi State 35-21.

For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten) with a 56-17 win over Illinois, their 62nd win in a row. Morsdraconis, #24 West Virginia drops to 4-3 (1-3 Big 12) with a 49-42 loss to #17 Kansas State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 2-4 (1-1 C-USA) with a 42-28 loss to Rice (who is 5-1 so far). Jaymo, Arizona State scores the upset of the week as they improve to 3-3 (2-2 Pac-12) with a shocking 40-37 overtime upset on the road at #6 Oregon. LeeSO, #20 Auburn improves to 4-2 (3-0 SEC) with a 34-24 win against #16 Ole Miss. SCClassof93, #22 South Carolina improves to 4-3 (2-3 SEC) with a 45-21 win over Arkansas. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 2-2 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International improves to 4-1 (1-0 C-USA) with a 30-25 win over North Texas. Navy drops to 2-2 (1-2 American) with a 38-19 loss at Tulsa. Tulsa improves to 3-3 (3-1 American) with a 38-19 win over Navy.

In Mountain West action, #11 Fresno State hammered Colorado State 31-7, #15 Boise State escaped Hawaii 31-23, Utah State edged out San Jose State 13-10, Wyoming topped UNLV 28-21, Air Force knocked off undefeated San Diego State 31-21 and winless Nevada gets their first victory over the year over New Mexico, 34-27.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Miami (38 first place votes) remains #1 team, Ohio State (21 votes), despite winning 62 games in a row, remains #2, Michigan (1 vote) remains #3, Oklahoma moves up one to #4 and Georgia (1 vote) jumps four spots to #5. Georgia Tech drops two ranks to #6, UCLA remains #7, Fresno State climbs three to #8, Clemson falls one to #9 and Boise State leaps five to #10. Arizona drops one to #11, Washington falls one to #12, Baylor moves down one to #13, Texas falls four to #14 and Kansas State climbs two to #15. Michigan State moves up two to #16, Auburn climbs three to #17, Oregon plummets twelve spots to #18, Washington State moves up two to #19 and South Carolina climbs two to #20. USC jumps two toe #21, Ole Miss drops six to #22, Texas A&M climbs two to #23, Kansas enters the poll at #24 and Florida State (279 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were TCU (from #19) and West Virginia (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida (196 points) is #26, followed by West Virginia (106), TCU (103), Kentucky (86) and San Diego State (1) to round out the Top 30.

Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the year, Miami (37 first place votes) remains the #1 team, Ohio State (24 votes) remains #2, Michigan (2 votes) remains #3, Georgia (1 vote) climbs one to #4 and Georgia Tech falls one to #5. Oklahoma remains #6, UCLA remains #7, Fresno State (1 vote) leaps four to #8, Clemson remains #9 and Boise State jumps five to #10. Baylor remains #11, Arizona climbs one to #12, Washington moves up one #13, Texas drops four to #14 and Kansas State climbs three to #15. Auburn jumps four to #16, Michigan State climbs two to #17, Oregon plummets ten to #18, Washington State moves up two to #19 and Texas A&M jumps two to #20. USC moves up two to #21, Ole Miss drops six to #22, South Carolina climbs one to #23, Florida State enters the poll at #24 and Florida (271 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were TCU (from #17) and West Virginia (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Kansas (233 points) is #26, followed by TCU (173), Kentucky (165), Vanderbilt (141) and West Virginia (113) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting points this week include Arkansas State (45), Louisville (37) and Florida International (7).

A look at the Heisman race, West Virginia QB Kevin Gates is #1 (LW: #1), Washington State QB Lee Foster is #2 (LW: #2), Georgia HB Chris Walters is #3 (LW: #3), UCLA QB Mitchell Slaughter is #4 (LW: #5) and Ohio State QB James Gates is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was Michigan State QB Jordan Norton (LW: #4).

souljahbill

11-21-2019, 05:42 AM

Yes!!!!

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SmoothPancakes

11-21-2019, 03:51 PM

Yes!!!!

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:D I have been having an itch to get back into NCAA Football for weeks now, just either never had time due to my schedule, dealing with issues getting my Xbox 360 to actually turn on, or I would get home after work, plan to spend the evening playing the next game in my dynasty, only to end up dozing off in front of the TV for an hour or two and end up no longer having enough time to get a game in. Thankfully I was finally able to play last night. I won't be able to the next couple nights, but I'm hoping maybe Sunday or Monday I can settle down and play some more NCAA and get the New Mexico game played.

SmoothPancakes

11-28-2019, 02:08 PM

I'm planning on playing the New Mexico game this afternoon, and maybe I can also squeeze in the Colorado State game later tonight.

Just real quick, taking a look at the mid-season (at least for me being halfway through my schedule) Mountain West standings.

In the Mountain Division, #10 Boise State (6-0, 2-0) leads the way, followed by Air Force (3-2, 1-1), Utah State (3-3, 1-1), New Mexico (3-3, 1-1) and Wyoming (2-3, 1-1), while Colorado State (2-3, 0-2) sits in last place.

In the West Division, #8 Fresno State (6-0, 2-0) sits on top, followed by San Diego State (5-1, 1-1), Hawaii (4-2, 1-1), San Jose State (4-2, 1-1) and Nevada (1-4, 1-1) while UNLV (1-4, 0-2) brings up the rear.

Right now, this year is shaping up to be a top 10 conference championship game showdown between Boise State and Fresno State. Both are damn good teams, and unfortunately for one of them, they're going to drop in the rankings in two weeks when they play each other at Boise State. Strangely enough, both have a bye week heading into this next week to rest up before their showdown. Air Force is also a talented team, with their only losses coming to Fresno State and Navy, so they are going to be a tough challenge when we face them in a month. Both New Mexico and Wyoming are so-so this year, probably looking at finishing anywhere from 7-5 to 5-7. Colorado State is likely in for a rough season.

The West Division looks fantastic on paper right now, with a 6-0, 5-1 and two 4-2 teams at the midway point. But they are going to massacre each other as the season goes on. Fresno State still has games at Boise State and at home with San Diego State, San Jose State and Hawaii. Hawaii lost to Oklahoma and Boise State, and still have to play Air Force, San Diego State, San Jose State and Fresno State. San Diego State lost to Air Force and still has to play Hawaii, San Jose State and Fresno State. And San Jose State lost to Alcorn State and Utah State, and still have to play San Diego State, Hawaii and Fresno State.

This early in the season the division races are still technically wide open, but they clear go through Boise State and Fresno State if anyone else is going to get to the conference title game. That loss to San Diego State really put us being the eight ball, with games at New Mexico, at Boise State and home against Air Force among our toughest remaining contests.

If I had to project things out the rest of the season, I feel confident I can beat New Mexico and Colorado State, which would get me to 3-1 in conference play before my big showdown with Boise State. Even if Fresno State ends up beating Boise State in two weeks, that game against Boise State will still essentially be a must win, as a loss would put me a game behind them with only three games remaining for me and four games remaining for them. With a post-game schedule of Wyoming, Colorado State, New Mexico and Air Force for Boise State, there's not many opportunities for them to get knocked off by someone other than maybe Air Force, so I can't afford to drop a game behind them. If they beat Fresno State in two weeks, then no only would I absolutely have to beat Boise State when I played them, I'd basically have to run the table the rest of the season, including wins over New Mexico and Colorado State.

SmoothPancakes

11-28-2019, 09:50 PM

Game Seven

:Utah_State: :@: :New_Mexico:

Game Story

--- It was off on the road for another contest following our home victory over San Jose State. This time it was a date with New Mexico, who came into the contest at 3-3 on the season and 1-1 conference play. New Mexico had always been a thorn in our side over the years, and this was expected to still be the case this season. But a win today was necessary if we were going to stay within a game of Boise State and have any hope of winning the Mountain Division this season. New Mexico won the coin toss and elected to kickoff first.

A 34 yard kickoff return by Jon Morris would get our first offensive drive of the game started on our 37 yard line. Benjamin Silva would get us off and running on the ground with a big eight yard gain on first down, followed by a huge 30 yard rush around the far end and up the right sideline for a first down at the New Mexico 24 yard line. A first down pass to Silva would end up being complete but for no gain. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, Pat Williams would be sacked for a loss of five yards, leaving us with third and 15. The third down pass up the right sideline intended for Adam Washington would end up intercepted by Daniel Schmidt, giving New Mexico the ball at their own 16 yard line.

Taking over after the interception, quarterback Alex Thomas would try to scramble after dropping back to pass, only to be sacked for a two yard loss. A two yard completion to Jesse Jackson would leave the Lobos facing third and nine. Sailing a pass along the far sideline, the ball would be intercepted by cornerback Aaron Rush, giving us the ball right back at the New Mexico 44 yard line.

Lining up with fantastic field position after the interception, Silva got the call on first down, rushing for a five yard gain, followed by a gain of six yards and a first down at the 33 yard line. Silva would keep the ball moving on the ground with a first down carry of seven yards, before dashing for an eight yard gain to move the chains to the 19 yard line. A play action pass intended for Gerald Woods would end up nearly intercepted, bringing up second down. Silva would take the handoff on second down, but only gain a single yard on the play. A third down pass to Washington would go for a gain of seven yards, leaving us with fourth and two from the Lobos 11 yard line. The 28 yard field goal by Max Thompson would end up sailing wide left and no good, giving New Mexico the ball at their own 20 yard line.

The first running play of the game by New Mexico would see Keith Sanders rush up the middle for an 18 yard gain and a quick first down at the 38 yard line. Another first down handoff to Sanders would quickly be blown up for a four yard loss to bring up second and 14. A five yard carry by Sanders would leave New Mexico with third and nine. Another third down pass by New Mexico would be intercepted, this time by cornerback Jesse Breedlove, who would return the ball 23 yards before being tackled out of bounds at the New Mexico 48 yard line.

Again starting in New Mexico territory after the interception return, this time our offense really needed to put some points on the board. Silva would try to get us started on first down, only to be immediately tackled for no gain. Another carry by Silva would gain just four yards, leaving third and six. A third down pass to Tyson Taylor would just get enough, picking up seven yards to get a first down at the 37. Another carry by Silva would gain 10 yards this time and move the chains once more to the 27. A three yard carry by Silva would be followed with a six yard rush to leave us facing third and one. That would be the final play of the first quarter, with no score yet in the game.

Opening up the second quarter, we’d come to the line facing third and one at the New Mexico 18 yard line. Silva would nearly end up stood up at the line of scrimmage, just managing to gain two yards and the first down on the play. A first down carry would go for a gain of three yards. Trying another play action pass on second down, the pass intended for Miller was nearly intercepted to leave third down. Going into the air on third down, Williams would sneak a pass just past the outstretched arms of the cornerback and into the hands of Miller for a 13 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 8:56 left in the second quarter.

A 28 yard kickoff return by Raul Ingram would give New Mexico the ball at their 28 yard line. A first down handoff to Sanders would go for a gain of two yards, followed by a one yard rush to leave New Mexico with third and seven. Thomas would drop back to pass on third down, but while trying to scramble, ended up sacked for a three yard loss to force the Lobos to punt on fourth and 11. A seven yard return by Silva on the 37 yard punt would give us the ball at our own 42 yard line.

Silva would get our next drive started, body surfing his way from what should have only been a four or five yard carry to a gain of 14 yards and a quick new set of downs. Another first down carry by Silva would gain six yards, followed by a seven yard gain to give us a first down at the 31 yard line. A facemask penalty on the tackle would add another 15 yards onto the play, moving the chains to the New Mexico 16 yard line. Figuring why change what’s working, Silva would again get the ball on first down, rushing for a gain of seven yards on the play. He would follow that up with a five yard carry to give us first and goal from the four yard line. Silva would get the ball on first down, going off tackle and trying to run toward the pylon. He would gain three yards on the carry to advance the ball to the one yard line. Silva would cap off the drive on the next play with a one yard touchdown plunge into the end zone, giving us a 14-0 lead over New Mexico with 4:37 left in the second quarter.

A 21 yard kickoff return by Ingram would get the Lobos started at their own 21 yard line. A delayed option keeper by Thomas would very nearly go the distance in one play, as he would find a couple holes and break free into the open, before finally being chased down and tackled from behind for a gain of 57 yards to give New Mexico a first down at our 22 yard line. Another option keeper by Thomas would see him break six different tackle attempts and just mosey his way into the end zone for a 22 yard touchdown like he was going to buy some milk. The extra point would cut into our lead, making it 14-7 with 4:04 left in the second quarter.

A 26 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 29 yard line. Starting the ball on the ground, Silva would rush up the middle for a nine yard gain, an offside penalty on the defense declined on the play. Another rush by Silva would gain three yards and a first down at the 42 yard line. Taking a chance through the air on first down, Williams would connect with Washington over the middle for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the New Mexico 38 yard line. A pass over the middle intended for Nate Williams would be broken up to leave second down. A 15 yard pass to Williams on a comeback route would move the chains and give us a fresh set of downs at the 23 yard line. Turning back to the ground game on first down, Silva would get the call with a six yard carry, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and two. Silva would take the ball on third down, gaining six yards to give us first and goal at the nine yard line. Silva would pick up three yards on the first down carry. Another rush by Silva would gain four yards to leave third and goal at the two yard line. Silva would get the job done on third down, rushing off the left tackle, through a defender and into the end zone for a two yard touchdown, giving us a 21-7 lead with six seconds left until halftime.

A 21 yard kickoff return by Austin Jones would give the Lobos the ball at their own 38 yard line with just two seconds left on the clock. New Mexico would try to chuck up a Hail Mary on first down, but our defensive line would win the battle and sack Thomas for a loss of seven yards to send us into halftime with a 21-7 lead.

Opening up the second half, a 27 yard kickoff return by Ingram would give the Lobos the ball at their 27 yard line to start the third quarter. A QB keeper by Thomas would again see our defense torched as he raced up the middle of the field for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the 47 yard line. Thomas would go into the air on first down, connecting with James Larsen for a 10 yard gain and another first down at our 43. A handoff to Sanders on first down only gained one yard, followed by Thomas being sacked for a loss of six yards to bring up third and 15. An incomplete pass, as Thomas somehow threw the ball away as he was being sacked without being called for intentional grounding, resulted in fourth down and long and the Lobos forced to punt. A 48 yard punt would bounce into the end zone for a touchback, giving us the ball at our own 20 yard line.

We would again call on our workhorse Silva to get us going on our first drive of the second half. A touchdown here could potentially put the game away. A first down carry would gain no yards on the play, followed by a two yard rush to leave us facing third and eight. An 11 yard pass over the middle from Williams to Taylor would keep our drive alive with a new set of downs at the 33 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Silva would rush for a gain of three yards, followed by a five yard dive up the middle to leave us with third and two. Silva would pick up exactly two yards on his third down carry, but on the short side of the marker, leaving us facing fourth and inches at our 42 yard line. Taking a massive gamble, we elected to go for it on fourth down, with Silva rushing for a five yard gain and keeping our drive alive at the 47. Silva would keep us marching down the field with a five yard carry, followed by a three yard carry to leave third and two. Silva would get the two yards and then some with a seven yard gain and a first down at the New Mexico 37 yard line. Silva would just keep plowing his way up the field, gaining three yards on first down before rushing for a gain of three yards to leave us with third and four. A third down pass to Miller would go for a gain of 16 yards and give us a fresh set of downs at the 15 yard line. Silva would get the call again, rushing for a gain of eight yards, followed by a two yard carry to give us first and goal at the four yard line. Silva would need just one more play to find the end zone for a four yard touchdown, giving us a 28-7 lead with 1:31 left in the third quarter.

Ingram would return the ball 25 yards to give the Lobos the ball at their 26 yard line. It would take New Mexico all of one play to answer as Sanders would get the handoff from the quarterback, find a couple blocks outside and run up the sideline untouched for a 74 yard touchdown to cut our lead to 28-14 with 1:14 left in the third quarter.

A 29 yard kickoff by Silva would give us the ball at our 33 yard line for our next drive. A five yard rush by Silva on first down would by followed by a two yard rush to leave us with third and three. Keeping the ball in the hands of Silva on third down, he would just manage to pick up three yards and get a first down at the 43 yard line. A first down carry by Silva would gain just two yards on the play. That would be the final play of the third quarter with a 28-14 lead.

Opening up the fourth quarter, we would get lined up at our own 45 yard line, facing second and eight. Silva would again keep us moving forward on second down, picking up seven yards on the carry. A one yard carry on third down would leave us short of the first down marker, facing fourth and inches from the New Mexico 47 yard line. A field goal was out of the question. A 40 yard field goal was already questionable distance when it came to Thompson, our kicker. A 64 yard field goal had no chance. Deciding to take another gamble, we would line up and give the ball to Silva on fourth down, and he would get the job done with a carry for a gain of four yards to move the chains to the 44 yard line. Silva would keep us driving with a seven yard carry, followed by a four yard gain to move the chains once more to the 33 yard line. Silva would continue his drive up the field with a two yard first down carry, before being tackled for a loss of one yard to leave us with third and nine. Dropping back to pass on third down, Williams would end up sacked for a loss of 11 yards, forcing us to punt on fourth and 20. Punter Freddie Arnold would try to bury the Lobos deep in their territory, but his punt would bounce down at the four yard line and into the end zone before it could be downed, giving New Mexico the ball at their 20 yard line.

A late option pitch to Chris Thompson would get the Lobos drive started with a 10 yard carry to leave second and inches. That would be followed by Sanders torching our defense for a 32 yard rush up the right sideline to give New Mexico a first down at our 39 yard line in just two plays. Sanders would go left on the next play, rushing for six yards, followed by a huge 25 yard carry right up the gut of our defense to give the Lobos first and goal at our eight yard line. Sanders would finish off the drive on the very next play with an eight yard touchdown run to cut our lead to 28-21 with 4:27 left in the game and put the outcome of this contest in doubt.

A 26 yard kickoff return by Silva would give us the ball at our 28 yard line for the next drive. Silva would get the ball on first down to start the drive, hoping to run out the clock on a victory. The first down carry by Silva would go for a gain of three yards, followed by a six yard carry to leave us facing third and one. A seven yard rush by Silva would move the chains and reset the downs at the 44 yard line. Silva would keep us moving down the field with an 11 yard carry on first down, moving the chains once more to the New Mexico 45 yard line, though Silva would unfortunately exit the game with an injury after the play. Taylor would get the call on first down, rushing for a five yard gain and forcing New Mexico to call their first timeout with 2:16 left on the clock. We got good news during the timeout, as it was learned that Silva was only suffered from hip bursitis, and would be able to return soon. Until then, the game was in the hands of Taylor. Taylor would manage just a single yard on the second down play, leaving us with third and four and the Lobos second timeout freezing the clock with 2:14 to play. Taking a chance on third down, Pat Williams would connect with tight end Nate Williams for a very quick seven yard pass, good for a first down at the New Mexico 32 yard line, forcing the Lobos to burn their final timeout with 2:10 left in the game. Taylor would pick up four yards on the first down carry, followed by a six yard rush by a returned Silva to give us a first down at the 22 yard line. Silva’s carry on first down would gain three yards, followed by a seven yard carry to leave third and inches. The third down play would go for no gain, leaving fourth and inches at the 12 yard line. Silva would keep us moving with a three yard rush to give us first and goal at the eight yard line. A three yard carry on the next play would run out the clock and bring the game to an end as we walk away with a 28-21 win in a game that got much closer at the end than it had been for the majority of the contest.

With the win, we improve to 4-3, 2-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, New Mexico drops to 3-4, 1-2 in Mountain West play. Up next, we return home to take on the Rams of Colorado State. The Rams enter the game with a record of 2-4, 0-3 in Mountain West action. Colorado State opened their season with a 28-18 loss to Colorado, then defeated South Dakota State 24-0 and beat UTSA 38-35 in overtime. Since entering league play, the Rams have gone on a three game losing streak, losing 34-33 at San Jose State, 31-7 to #4 Fresno State and 41-24 to Wyoming.

Final Score

:Utah_State: 28, :New_Mexico: 21

Stats of the Game:

Utah State Offense - Williams largely took the backseat today, only going 9 for 13 for 96 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The start of the game was Silva, would who end up rushing for 306 yards on 65 carries, good for a 4.7 yard per carry average, and three rushing touchdowns. Receiving, five receivers caught a pass today, of those five, three ended up with double digit yards. Washington led all receivers in catches and yardage with three receptions for 42 yards. Miller had two receptions and 29 yards to go along with his receiving touchdown.

A special note, that monster 306 yard game by Silva, has made him the leading rusher in college football, with 1,315 yards for the season, leading #2 leading rusher Chris Walters of Georgia by 184 yards and has put Silva squarely in the middle of the Heisman race, the first Heisman candidate for Coach Ramius since Tulsa running back Kiel Fletcher back in 2015.

Utah State Defense/Special Teams – Until the middle of the third quarter, a fantastic showing today. The defense for the most part kept the Lobos running game bottled up and made their passing game essentially nonexistent. Cornerbacks Jesse Breedlove (returned for 24 yards) and Aaron Rush (no return) each had an interception, while three different defenders picked up sacks. However it was from the middle of the third quarter on that the defense started getting torched by the New Mexico offense, giving up multiple big yardage runs and a pair of touchdowns that turned this game from a near rout into a near blown loss.

Utah State Kicking – Today was not a perfect day for Thompson, as while he would go 4 for 4 in PATs, he missed a 28 yard field goal wide left back in the first quarter.

Scoring Summary

Team
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Final Score

:Utah_State:

0

21

7

0

28

:New_Mexico:

0

7

7

7

21

Time
Team
Result
Play
Score

First Quarter

Second Quarter

8:56

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

G. Miller, 13 yard pass from P. Williams (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 7-0

4:37

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 1 yard run, (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 14-0

4:04

:New_Mexico:

Touchdown

A. Thomas, 22 yard run (K. Allen kick)

:Utah_State: 14-7

0:06

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 2 yard run (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 21-7

Third Quarter

1:31

:Utah_State:

Touchdown

B. Silva, 4 yard run (M. Thompson kick)

:Utah_State: 28-7

1:14

:New_Mexico:

Touchdown

K. Sanders, 74 yard run (K. Allen kick)

:Utah_State: 28-14

Fourth Quarter

4:27

:New_Mexico:

Touchdown

K. Sanders, 8 yard run (K. Allen kick)

:Utah_State: 28-21

Game Stats

Utah State

Stat

New Mexico

28

Score

21

26

First Downs

10

396

Total Offense

271

70 - 300 - 3

Rushes - Yards - TD

19 - 259 - 3

9 - 13 - 1

Comp - Att - TD

2 - 5 - 0

96

Passing Yards

12

2

Times Sacked

4

11 - 17 (64%)

3rd Down Conversion

0 - 4 (0%)

3 - 3 (100%)

4th Down Conversion

0 - 0 (0%)

0 - 0 (0%)

2-Point Conv

0 - 0 (0%)

6 - 4 - 0 (66%)

Red Zone - TD - FG

1 - 1 - 0 (100%)

1
Turnovers

2

0

Fumbles Lost

0

1

Intercepted

2

7

Punt Return Yards

0

113

Kick Return Yards

118

516

Total Yards

389

1 –42.0

Punts - Average

2 - 43.0

0 - 0

Penalties

1 - 15

27:57

Time of Possession

12:03

Utah State Coach Goals

Goal

XP Reward

Completed

Win a Game

100

x1

Score a Touchdown

25

x4

Force a Turnover

25

x2

Rush for 100 Yards

25

x1

3+ Sacks

50

x1

Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards

50

x1

Pass Completion Over 50%

30

x1

Score 21 or More Points

50

x1

350+ Offensive Yards

50

x1

10+ First Downs

50
x1

4+ 3rd Down Conversions
25
x1

Utah State Contract Goals Update

Goal
Expectations
Progress

Target Wins Per Season
8
4

Job Security Status

100%