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Thread: Smooth Pancakes' Coaching Carousel Career

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  1. #981
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    I had a feeling you'd have something to say about the week's results.

  2. #982
    Heisman jaymo76's Avatar
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    Damn Smooth... you better get that approval rating up or you won't be around for the Arizona St series. You may be in tough with some of your goals. Good luck brother!

  3. #983
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
    Damn Smooth... you better get that approval rating up or you won't be around for the Arizona St series. You may be in tough with some of your goals. Good luck brother!
    I'm trying. All these damn goals are length of the contract or each season goals, so I can't gain crap for bumps in approval rating. And while they hand out penalties for losing to a lower ranked team like candy, like hell they'll give anything for knocking off a better team. I think I'm gonna end up riding by the seat of my pants the next two off-seasons.

  4. #984
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Game Ten





    Game Notes

    --- Heading into Senior Night off the loss to Rice, our hopes of another West Division title rested in this game against rival UTEP. With Rice and UTEP both with only one conference loss, a third loss in the conference would eliminate us from contention. As is customary, the fans filled the stadium to bid farewell to the outgoing seniors in their last home game, including: HB Roy Smith, FB Randy Newman, WR Connor Jefferson, WR Antoine Banks, WR Bobby Smith, LT Marlon Smith, LG Dennis Moody, C Travis Hearn, RT Cameron Powers, LE Greg Wilkerson, RE Tyrone Haynes, DT Chris Peoples, MLB Jermaine Clark, CB Tyler Fountain, CB Chad Wheeler, FS Clay Weiss and P Carlos Wilcox.

    It looked to be another battle, as UTEP with similar numbers as Rice. The Miners enter putting up 29.1 points/game (#59 nationally), with 400.2 yards of offense (#59), 124.6 yards rushing (#109) and 275.6 yards passing (#18). On defense, they give up 373.6 yards/game (#49 nationally), with 148.2 yards rushing (#29) and 225.3 yards passing (#70). To go along with a strong rated defense, they enter with a +7 turnover differential, good enough for #15 in the nation. Coming off our turnover-fest last week against Rice, that number could be trouble. UTEP won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A touchback on the opening kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line. Testing out the run game, Will Oliver took the handoff on first down and fought his way to a three yard gain. A second rush by Oliver went for a gain of four yards, leaving third and three. Continuing to feel out of the defense, Oliver took the ball and bounced outside the left tackle, able to pick up 7 yards and a first down at the 39 yard line before being taken down by the defense. Oliver took the next play up the middle, able to gain one yard, but he didn’t get up after the play, having to be helped off the field, dealing a big blow to our run game against a tough run defense. Oliver was thankfully only diagnosed with a strained bicep, keeping him out of action for a little while. Lining up on second down, both the right guard and right tackle jumped the snap, pushing us back 5 yards to leave second and 14. Throwing up a pass on second down, Jefferson was able to get the ball into his arms, but a vicious hit by the safety jarred the ball loose and incomplete, bringing up third and 14. Trying to thread the needle to Eric Hayden, the pass from Brad Stephens was wildly off-target and intercepted by safety Danny Holmes, who returned it 31 yards down the sideline before being pushed out of bounds by Stephens at our 20 yard line.

    UTEP wasted no time at all cashing in on the interception, as Rich Livingston connected with Ben Robertson over the middle for a 20 yard touchdown pass, giving UTEP an immediate 7-0 lead with 6:37 to play in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff got us again started at our 25 yard line, Stephens’ position under center on the hot seat. Stephens was able to actually hook up with Hayden this time, completing the pass down the left hash for a 21 yard gain and a first down at the 46 yard line. Jefferson got in on the action, catching a pass from Stephens for a 13 yard pickup and first down at the UTEP 41. Going back to the run game now that Oliver had returned, we never got the play off, as we were flagged for false start, pushed back to the 46 and left facing first and 15. Stephens was just barely able to get rid of the ball to avoid the sack, leaving second and very long. Getting separation from the defender on an out route, Jefferson was able to haul in the ball for a 22 yard gain and a first down at the 24 yard line, keeping the drive moving. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, able to get 7 yards on the play, followed by a gain of 6 to get the first down at the UTEP 11 yard line. Going outside the left tackle, Oliver was able to pound his way down to the two yard line for a gain of 9. Oliver tried to take it up the middle on second down, but could only get maybe a yard, left with third and inches from the two. Taking the handoff and leaping over the pile, Roy Smith jumping into the end zone for the two yard touchdown rush to even up the score at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

    No return on the following kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, their offense now getting its first true action of the game. The Miners seemed more than ready, as Brandon Johnson took the ball on the ground for a four yard rush, followed by a 10 yard pass to Robertson to get the first down at the 39 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Martin Ward got tackled for a loss of two yards, leaving UTEP facing third and 12. We caught a break as the third down pass intended for Johnson fell incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth and long. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got us set up at our 24 yard line for the next drive.

    Hit from behind, helping his momentum to carry him forward, Oliver was able to get 9 yards on the first down carry, followed by a 5 yard rush to get the first down at the 38. Going into the air on first down, Jefferson went up and was able to bring down the pass from Stephens for a gain of 12 yards and a new set of downs at the 49 yard line. Oliver again went out of the game, suffering from bruised ribs that would again keep him sidelined for a little while. Trying our luck with Smith running the ground game, it ended in complete and total disaster, as Smith was hit and fumbled the ball at the line of scrimmage, the fumble picked up by defensive end Nick Cole. It was almost like looking at a replay of last week’s disaster, as Cole scooped up the fumble and could have returned it to the house, but he got tripped up at the last moment and could only return it four yards before falling down at our 42 yard line.

    Taking over after the turnover, Livingston connecting with Lance Cunningham for a 9 yard gain, followed by a four yard rush from Johnson to get the first down at our 28. After two dropped passes by Robertson and Ward, Livingston threw up a deep bomb in the end zone, caught by Robertson for the 28 yard touchdown, giving UTEP a 14-7 lead with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. A touchback on the kickoff left us starting again from our 25 yard line. A two yard gain up the middle by Oliver was the last play of the quarter, as the final two seconds ran off the clock, bringing the first quarter to an end, UTEP leading 14-7.

    Opening up the second quarter, Oliver shook off a tackle attempt in the backfield and was able to pick up three yards on the second down play, leaving third and 5 from the 30 yard line. The third down pass intended for Hayden fell incomplete, bringing out the punt team. A 7 yard return by Robertson on the 46 yard punt gave UTEP the ball at their 30 yard line. Johnson got the drive started with a 5 yard rush, but that would be the only success for the Miners, as two incomplete passes brought the drive to an end on fourth and 5. Jefferson called for a fair catch on the 42 yard punt, setting us up at our 23 yard line for our next drive.

    Taking the handoff around the right tackle, Oliver was able to hit the next level, only the safety saving the day and tackling him for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 33 yard line. A rush around the other end, Oliver was able to pick up 6 yards, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and one at the 42. Living and dying by the ground game, Oliver was nearly brought down by the ankles in the backfield, but broke loose, hit a hole in the second level and broke free for a 16 yard gain before being brought down from behind at the UTEP 42. Trying to trick the defense with a play action pass, they weren’t fooled by it as the pass intended for Randy Newman was broken up, nearly intercepted by the safety, leaving second down. Reading a heavy blitz coming, Stephens quickly dumped off the ball to Hayden, complete for a gain of 6 yards to leave third and four at the 37. With another all-out blitz by the linebackers, Stephens quickly launched a pass down the middle of the field, brought down by Hayden, who then, thanks a double pick block by Jefferson that took both the cornerback and safety out of position, Hayden was able race downfield for a 37 yard touchdown to knot the game up at 14-14 with 5:19 left in the second quarter.

    No return on the following kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, looking to recapture the lead. That plan would never come to fruition, as a rush by Johnson for a loss of three yards and two incomplete passes left the punt team quickly coming out on fourth and 13. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt gave us amazing field position, starting from our 46 yard line. Oliver tried to find a hole on first down, but was quickly brought down for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on the next play, the pass intended for Jefferson was nearly intercepted by the safety, who had it in his hands for a moment before stumbling and tripping over his own feet, losing control of the ball to bring up third and 9. Much like UTEP’s drive, ours ended with little fanfare, as the third down pass intended for Hayden was batted away by the outside linebacker, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. We did catch one huge break, as UTEP was unable to return the 46 yard punt, leaving them trapped at their own 7 yard line to start their next drive.

    The Miners tried to take a shot deep downfield on first down, and nearly were successful, but Jake Moore was unable to hold onto the ball, dropping it incomplete. Johnson kept the ball on the ground on the next play, picking up four yards on the play to leave third and 6 at the 11. The Miners would convert third down this time around, Cunningham leaping up to catch the pass from Livingston for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 24 yard line. Another pass to Cunningham went for 22 yards and immediate fresh seto f downs at the 46 yard line, UTEP starting to find some momentum. Johnson kept the ball on first down, picking up two yards, before the second down pass intended for Ward fell incomplete to leave third and 8. The Miners were able to get another third down conversion, Moore holding on to the ball this time for a 10 yard completion, moving the chains to our 42 yard line. Livingston followed that up with a 12 yard completion to Ward, picking up yet another set of downs at our 30 yard line, our defense unable to keep up. Johnson ran the ball on the next play, getting one yard for his troubles, followed by a 6 yard gain to set up third and three at the 23. UTEP needed only one more play to conclude the drive, as Livingston connected with Cunningham yet again, this time for a 23 yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead with 1:48 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line, only 1:40 to work with on our drive. Going into the air over the middle, Jefferson got us started with a 10 yard reception and a first down at the 35. Throwing deep down the left sideline on the next play, Hayden was able to come down with the pass, and nearly broke free, but the safety was able to get a hand on his ankle, bringing him down for a 26 yard gain and a first down at the UTEP 38 yard line, 1:23 left on the clock. Throwing to Smith out of the backfield, he was able to get three yards, followed by a 10 yard pass to Newman for a first down at the 25 yard line. Rushing up the ball, Stephens connected with Newman for a second play in a row, this time for an 8 yard gain, setting up second and two at the 17 yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 34 seconds to play. Throwing up over the middle on the next play, Hayden was able to come down with the ball for a 12 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the 6 yard line. Rushing up to the line, we took a chance at pounding it in, but Smith was tackled for a two yard loss, leaving second and goal at the 8 yard line, calling our second timeout with 27 seconds left. Throwing to Hayden on a short slant, the pass from Stephens was complete for a 5 yard gain, leaving the clock running. Sprinting back to the line, Stephens threw up a ball intended for Antoine Banks in the back of the end zone, but the middle linebacker was able to get a hand on the ball, knocking it incomplete, leaving fourth and goal with 8 seconds to go. The 20 yard field goal attempt by David Glover was good, cutting UTEP’s lead to 21-17 with 5 seconds to go. A 27 yard kickoff return by Johnson ran out the remainder of the clock, as we headed into halftime trailing UTEP 21-17.

    Opening up the second half, no return on the kickoff gave UTEP the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Jason Taylor got the drive started with a pair of rushes for 8 and 6 yards, picking up a quick first down at the 39 yard line. Another 6 yard rush by Taylor was followed with a 6 yard rush by Cunningham, and the Miners had a first down at our 49 yard line. UTEP headed into the air on first down and second down, but both times Cunningham dropped the ball, bringing up third and long. Opting to take the deep bal chance instead of just getting the first down, the ploy worked out for UTEP, as Livingston connected with Moore for a gain of 22 yard and a first down at our 27 yard line. After throwing the ball away on first down, Livingston found Ward over the middle for an 11 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 16 yard line, our defense unable to find an answer to the UTEP offense. After an incomplete pass intended for Ward, Taylor took the ball around the left tackle, gaining 7 yards on the ground to leave third and three. Our defense finally won a battle, tackling Alvin Powers for a two yard loss, leaving UTEP with fourth and 5 from our 11 yard line. We won a second battle, when the 28 yard field goal attempt by Joel Hill was no good, sailing wide right, to give us back the ball at our 20 yard line with no new damage taken.

    Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, rumbling this way to an 11 yard carry and a first down at the 31 yard line. Keeping it going on the ground, Oliver was able to get 5 yards on the rush, leaving second and 5. Keeping the ball himself on a designed run, Stephens was able to get multiple block and broke free down the right sideline for a 28 yard rush clear down to the UTEP 36 yard line. Taking the ball up the hole on first down, Oliver got 6 yards on the play, followed by a loss of two yards while attempting to go around the right tackle, leaving third and 6. The third down pass intended for Newman was off the target, flying into the shin of a UTEP defender and incomplete. Attempting a 48 yard field goal on fourth down, the kick by Glover easily had the distance, but he didn’t get enough counter push by the wind, the ball clanking into the left upright and falling into the end zone no good, giving UTEP back the ball at their 31 yard line.

    Coming out throwing on first down, the pass intended for Ward was dropped, leaving the Miners with a quick second and long. After Livingston scrambled for a three yard gain, he found Ward again, who was able to hang on this time for an 8 yard pickup and a first down at the 43 yard line. A two yard rush by Livingston was followed with yet another dropped pass by Ward, leaving third and 8. The Miners would be unable to convert this time around, as the third down pass fell incomplete, bringing out the punt unit on fourth and long.

    It was our turn this time to get pinned deep, as no return by Antonio McKinney on the 48 yard punt left our offense starting at our 7 yard line. A blitz by the middle linebacker limited Oliver to only a single yard, bringing up second and 9 at the 8. Trying to circle around the outside of the left tackle, Oliver was brought down in the backfield, for a three yard loss, leaving us with third and 12 at the 6 yard line and in danger. Stephens made a great play initially to avoid a sack, scrambling through a gap and trying to make the first down line at the sideline, but when multiple defenders closed off the route, Stephens tried to turn back to his left and find another place to run. While trying to escape back to the left, the far cornerback, who had come all the way across the field from the left sideline, hit Stephens from behind and stripped the ball loose. With nothing but five white jerseys around, defensive end Steve Jones scooped up the ball and practically moon walked unopposed 5 yards into the end zone for the touchdown, giving UTEP a 28-17 lead with 1:59 left in the third quarter.

    A 25 yard kickoff return by Jefferson got us started out at our 30 yard line, looking for any sign of life support now as the third quarter slowly drew to a close. Going up to get a high pass, Hayden was able to come down with the ball for a 9 yard reception at the 39 yard line. Oliver took the second down handoff up the middle, just barely getting one yard to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Stephens had a wide open target in Jefferson, who broke free of coverage on a comeback route, but Stephens was unable to get the pass off, hit as he threw, causing the ball to rocket into the ground and incomplete. Stephens was able to connect with Hayden on the second down play for a 7 yard gain, but the third down pass to Marcus Mullins came up short, picking up only two yards to leave fourth and one at the 49. No return on the 48 yard punt set a new best in the game for pinning deep, leaving UTEP starting from their three yard line for their next drive.

    The Miners didn’t remain there for long, as Moore took the ball on first down and picked up four yards on the ground, followed by a 20 yard pass from Livingston to Taylor to get a first down at the 27 yard line. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last seconds ticked off the clock, bringing the third quarter to an end, UTEP leading 28-17.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, Taylor took the ball on the ground but could only manage a single yard. Cunningham then took his turn in the ground game, fighting forward for a 7 yard rush to leave third and two at the 35. Livingston would convert the third down, getting a 6 yard rush out to the 41 yard line. Livingston then turned around on the next play and threw up an 18 yard pass to Taylor for a first down at our 41 yard line, our defense almost completely helpless to stop the drive. If they hadn’t already, our defense finally broke on the next play, as Ward pulled in a deep pass from Livingston for a 29 yard gain, set UTEP up with a first down at our 12 yard line. A first down pass to Mike Howell picked up 9 yards, down to the three yard line, before Howell caught a second pass from Livingston, this time for the three yard touchdown, giving UTEP a 35-17 lead with 7:26 to play in the game, putting us in an extremely deep hole.

    Jefferson tried his best to get our comeback efforts off to a good start, returning the kickoff 21 yards out to our 26 yard line for our next drive. The defense was more than energized, as Stephens was blasted as he tried to throw on first down, the ball falling incomplete and leaving second down. Hayden was able to beat the cornerback off the line on the next play and get extremely wide open down the left sideline, Stephens sailing the pass down the field, but he a bit too much air under it, the ball falling just out of the reach of Hayden, in what was a guaranteed touchdown pass, leaving third and long and our offense deflated at the missed opportunity. Stephens was at least able to recover on the next play, connecting with Banks along the right sideline for a 23 yard gain and a first down at midfield to keep the drive alive. A pass to Jefferson along the right hash went for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches at the 40. Stephens was able to get the ball off to Hayden, who was breaking open over the middle, but the safety cut across at the last minute and was able to get a hand on the ball, knocking it incomplete to bring up third and inches. In desperate need of a first down, it was back to the ground game temporarily as Oliver rumbled ahead for an 8 yard gain, advancing the chains to the 33 yard line. Returning to the air game, we took another gamble at the end zone, this time Stephens not putting too much air on it, and Hayden was able to come down with the ball along the back edge of the end zone for the 33 yard touchdown pass. Going for the two-point conversion, Stephens was able to get the ball off and into the hands of Smith, successfully completing the conversion to cut the score to 35-25 with exactly six minutes left in the game.

    No return on the ensuing kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, looking to put the game on ice. Our defense put up a great effort on first down, batting down the pass intended for Moore, but they had no answer on second down, as Livingston connected with Howell for 27 yards and a first down at our 48 yard line. Another pass, this time to Cunningham, was completed for a 12 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 37, UTEP looking to respond to our previous score and seal their win. After an incomplete pass on first down, Taylor took the ball up the middle for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 9 yard pass along the right sideline to Joe Carlton to reset the downs at our 23 yard line. The Livingston to Cunningham connection screwed us again, as the first down pass resulted in a 23 yard touchdown pass and a 42-25 lead for UTEP with 4:40 left to play.

    Jefferson returned the kickoff 18 yards out to our 17 yard line, and trailing by 17 points with only 4:30 left in the game, it was starting to look hopeless. Stephens tried to throw to Banks deep down the middle of the field on first down, but the safety was able to break off his block nearby and make a play on the ball, knocking it incomplete. The second down pass wasn’t much better, as the ball intended for Carl Barnes was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving third and long. The third down pass attempt, intended for Banks, never had a chance as Stephens was hit as he threw, the ball landing a couple yards away incomplete. All but waving the white flag, the punt team came out on fourth down, a 10 yard return on the 47 yard punt giving UTEP the ball at their 45 yard line.

    Starting the drive with 4:10 to go, Taylor took the handoff on first down for a four yard gain, followed by a three yard rush from Livingston to leave third and three at our 48 yard line. Our defense finally decided to make a stand, tackling Taylor for a four yard loss, bringing out UTEP’s punt unit on fourth and 7. That quickly turned into fourth and two as we got flagged for offside. Courtesy of those extra 5 yards that UTEP got, McKinney was unable to return the 44 yard punt, matching the Miners for deepest starting position of the game, coming out on offense at our three yard line. Putting the ball in the hands of Oliver, he was able to get up the middle of the pile for a 6 yard gain, giving us some breathing room. Threading the needle between the cornerback and safety, Stephens was able to complete the second down pass to Jefferson for a 16 yard gain and a first down at our 25. Banks nearly made a huge play on first down, going up over the safety and outside linebacker to get his hands on the ball, but was unable o hold on as he fell back to earth, the incomplete pass leaving second down. Trying to find Banks again on the next play, the pass never had a chance as the safety dropped down from on top, breaking up the play and leaving third and long. A bad third down pass, intended for Hayden but thrown into the hands of the middle linebacker, was thankfully dropped incomplete, but resulted in fourth and long with 2:25 to play. Going for it on fourth down, the pass intended for Smith sailed long and fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at our 25 yard line.

    Taylor took the handoff on first down, picking up 6 yards for UTEP, followed by an off-target pass intended for Ward at the front corner of the end zone, the ball sailing out of bounds and incomplete, the Miners apparently intent to run up the score as much as they can. We avoided allowing that to happen, as Taylor was stripped of the ball on the next play, the fumble on third down recovered by defensive end Tyrone Haynes, giving us back the ball at our 21 yard line with 1:48 left on the clock. Throwing up a deep bomb down the left sideline, putting a Tulsa spin on the Immaculate Reception, Hayden went up, behind both the safety and outside linebacker who had dropped back to cover him, and somehow, between five hands all trying to make a play on the ball, snagged it out of the air. The momentum of both the safety and linebacker carried them a couple yards further downfield, allowing Hayden the time to land, turn around, and cut towards the sideline. Both defenders turned to chase after him, but Hayden had already gotten enough of a head start on both of them, racing both players, and the second safety who had since come racing over from across the other side of the field, avoiding the diving tackle attempt by the linebacker and diving into the end zone for 79 yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 42-32 with 1:37 to play.

    We unfortunately were unable to parley that ungodly completion into a bigger advantage, as UTEP recovered the onside kick, taking over at our 41 yard line with 1:33 to go. Taylor took the ball on first down and picked up 5 yards on the ground, our first timeout freezing the clock with 1:29 left. Another 5 yard rush left us just barely hanging onto hope, as Taylor was stopped short to leave third and inches, our second timeout stopping the clock with 1:22 remaining. We caught an even bigger break, as Livingston threw up a pass into the end zone on third down, the ball intended for Howell batted incomplete, stopping the clock with 1:19 left and saving our third timeout. Any extremely slim hopes we had all depending on if UTEP would go for it on fourth and short or kick a field goal. The Miners opted to go for the field goal, the 48 yard kick by Hill splitting the uprights, giving UTEP a 45-32 lead with 1:15 to go.

    A touchback on the following kickoff left just 1:07 left on the clock as we took over at our 25 yard line. Needing another Tulsa Miracle reception, the deep bomb intended for Jefferson, in man coverage, sailed too long and fell incomplete, leaving second down and 1:02 on the clock. Not even faking that it was going to be a short pass, Stephens was able to just barely avoid the pass rush and launch a 34 yard pass to Oliver, giving us first down at the UTEP 41. Racing to the line, throwing to Oliver again, the play was broken up by the outside linebacker, stopping the clock with 53 seconds to go. Getting favorable coverage again, Hayden was unable to make the miraculous catch this time, the cornerback and safety playing volleyball for a few seconds before the ball landed incomplete in the end zone. With third down and 46 seconds to go, Stephens had Hayden wide open down the right sideline, but never got the chance to release the ball, sacked for a 9 yard loss to bring up fourth and 19 at the UTEP 49, our final timeout stopping the clock with 43 seconds to go. The defense again turned Stephens into a piñata, sacking him for another 9 yard loss and forcing the turnover on downs at our 42 yard line with 41 seconds left to play.

    The offense trotted out onto the field, Livingston taking a knee twice to run out the clock and secure the 45-32 win for UTEP, all but eliminating us from contention for the C-USA West Division title.

    With the loss, we drop to 6-4 on the year, 3-3 in C-USA action. With the win, UTEP improves to 6-3 for the season, 4-1 in C-USA play, setting up the Rice-UTEP showdown next week for the West Division driver’s seat as the season winds down. Up next,, we head into a bye week, before it's back onto the road, the start of a two game road trip to end the season, as we visit North Texas. The Mean Green will enter the game with a 4-5 record, 3-3 in C-USA action. North Texas started the year with a 44-21 loss at USC, followed with a 27-7 loss to NC State and a 31-24 loss to MTSU. They finally got in the win column with a 20-3 victory at Florida Atlantic, before losing 38-20 to Florida International and 23-17 to Rice. They then went on a three game win streak, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 38-23, getting a 22-14 win at UTSA and picking up a 28-21 overtime win over Louisiana Tech ahead of our trip to Denton.



    Final Score
    45, 32



    Stat(s) of the Game:
    - Tulsa Offense – Stephens had a better day this week, ending 22-45 for 398 yards and three touchdowns (though 79 yards and one TD came on the "Tulsa Miracle" play), but he did have one interception, that very nearly got him benched the rest of the game, if he had ended up throwing one more INT. Rushing, it was again the Oliver show, ending with 122 yards on 25 carries. Smith had the lone rushing touchdown, to go with just 6 yards on four rushes. Receiving, without a doubt a career day for Hayden, ending the game with 235 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 10 receptions. Next closest was Jefferson with 83 yards on six receptions. In all, seven receivers caught a ball during the game, five receivers making it into double digit yards, Hayden the lone receiver to hit triple digits in yards for the game.

    - Tulsa Defense – As stated during the Rice game, when the defense breaks, and floodgates open. UTEP broke the defense early on, and we were left playing catch-up the entire game. A couple horribly timed turnovers padded their lead and we could never keep up, just as the defense had trouble keeping up with the UTEP passing game.

    - Tulsa Kicking – Another non-perfect game for Glover, ending 1-2 in field goals, successfully making a 20 yard kick, but missing the 48 yard kick that clanked of the upright in the third quarter. Ultimately, it would have made little difference, us losing only by 10 instead of 13, but without that UTEP field goal at the end, we could have had a chance to tie if Glover had converted. He at least was perfect in PATs this time around, ending 3-3.



    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    14 7 7 17 45
    7 10 0 15 32


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    6:37 Touchdown B. Robertson, 19 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) 7-0
    3:28 Touchdown R. Smith, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) TIED 7-7
    0:10 Touchdown B. Robertson, 28 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) 14-7
    Second Quarter
    5:19 Touchdown E. Hayden, 37 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) TIED 14-14
    1:48 Touchdown L. Cunningham, 23 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) 21-14
    0:05 Field Goal D. Glover, 20 yard field goal 21-17
    Third Quarter
    1:59 Touchdown S. Jones, returned fumble 5 yards (J. Hill kick) 28-17
    Fourth Quarter
    7:26 Touchdown M. Howell, 3 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) 35-17
    6:00 Touchdown E. Hayden, 33 yard pass from B. Stephens (Two-point conversion good) 35-25
    4:40 Touchdown L. Cunningham, 23 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) 42-25
    1:37 Touchdown E. Hayden, 79 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) 42-32
    1:15 Field Goal J. Hill, 48 yard field goal 45-32




    Game Stats

    UTEP Stat Tulsa
    45 Score 32
    18 First Downs 20
    432 Total Offense 535
    31 - 94 - 0 Rushes - Yards - TD 33 - 137 - 1
    21 - 42 - 5 Comp - Att - TD 22 - 45 - 3
    338 Passing Yards 398
    0 Times Sacked 3
    8 - 16 (50%) 3rd Down Conversion 6 - 16 (37%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 2 (0%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 1 - 1 (100%)
    6 - 1 - 0 (16%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 1 - 1 (50%)
    1 Turnovers 3
    1 Fumbles Lost 2
    0 Intercepted 1
    17 Punt Return Yards 20
    27 Kick Return Yards 64
    476 Total Yards 619
    5 – 45.0 Punts - Average 4 - 47.5
    0 - 0 Penalties 3 - 15
    14:34 Time of Possession 21:26




    Tulsa Contract Goals Update

    Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact
    21+ points per game in each season 23
    Win 10 games in one season 6
    3300+ passing yards each season
    65% pass completions over the entire contract 58%
    Win 6 games in one season
    15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed
    3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    Penalty
    Lost to a lower ranked team



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  5. #985
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    Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame just barely held onto their seat at the top, trailing Navy 7-0 after one, leading 10-7 at halftime, trailing 14-10 after the third quarter, and then losing 21-17 halfway through the fourth quarter, only finally getting the win with a 42 yard touchdown pass with 4:43 to go to pull out the 24-21 win over Navy.

    #2 Arkansas State faced the toughest test of the week, quickly falling behind Texas State 21-7 after the first quarter. The Red Wolves managed to pull within 28-21 at halftime, and trailed 35-28 at the end of the third quarter. It was starting to look dismal for Arkansas State, as a Texas State field goal in the early fourth gave the Bobcats a 38-28 lead. But the Red Wolves fought back, scoring a pair of touchdowns, the second one coming with 3:28 left to play, to pull out the 42-38 win over Texas State.

    South Carolina becomes bowl eligible thanks to a 24-20 upset of #3 Georgia, ruining the hopes of the Bulldogs for a title game appearance. #5 Oklahoma received all they could handle from West Virginia. A 7-7 tie after one, a 10-10 tie at halftime, a 17-10 West Virginia lead after three quarters and a 24-10 West Virginia lead in the early fourth quarter, the Sooners reeled off 21 fourth quarter points, scoring the game winner on a 13 yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining to beat the Mountaineers 31-24.

    The game of the week sees #9 Virginia Tech knock off #7 Miami 31-17 in a battle for ACC supremacy. #8 Florida State fights off a late comeback by NC State to beat the Wolfpack 49-42. #24 Northwestern raced out to a 24-7 lead over #11 Nebraska, gave up 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to end up tied, before scoring with 20 seconds to play to down the Huskers 31-24. #12 Alabama wins the SEC battle of the week, beating #15 LSU 23-7. Utah shocked the home Wildcat crowd, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, and 24 straight going back to the end of the third quarter to knock off #13 Arizona, 38-24. Pittsburgh defended their home turf with a 48-45 overtime upset of #14 Virginia.

    One week after losing to Arkansas State and seeing their perfect record unraveled, #16 BYU recovers with a 42-10 thrasing of UL-Lafayette. #18 Ohio State had a hell of a time with Purdue. Despite leading 20-7 at halftime and 23-10 after the third quarter, Purdue made a comeback in the fourth quarter to take a 24-23 lead, Ohio State scoring a field goal with 3:34 remaining to retake the lead 26-24, and then adding another field goal with 14 seconds left in the game to seal the 29-24 win over the Boilermakers.

    #19 Oklahoma State pulls out a late 28-23 win over Kansas State (now losers of four straight since starting 4-0). Vanderbilt scores a 38-21 upset of #20 Kentucky to get to 5-5 on the year. #21 Georgia Tech held on to beat North Carolina 38-20. #22 Michigan downs #25 Wisconsin 39-35, thanks to a 22 point fourth quarter comeback, and 25 unanswered points going back to a field goal with 2 minutes left in the third and #23 TCU escaped Kansas with a 27-21 win over the Jayhawks.

    For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss, one week after an embarrassing loss, improves to 8-1 (4-1 C-USA) with a 42-13 thumping of Florida Atlantic to stay alive in the East Division race. Jaymo, where the hell has this team been? Arizona State improves to 4-6 (3-4 Pac-12), knocking off Cal 48-31. Mors, West Virginia put up a hell of a fight (see the Top 25 recap for details), but drops to 4-5 (3-3 Big 12), with a 31-24 loss to #5 Oklahoma. Jeff, #18 Ohio State themselves had a hell of a battle (also see Top 25 recap for details), but improve to 9-1 (7-0 Big Ten), with a 29-24 win at Purdue. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State barely improves to 9-0 (4-0 Sun Belt) with a 42-38 win over Texas State (again, see Top 25 recap for details)

    In C-USA action, UTEP beats Tulsa 45-32, Rice pulls out a 31-24 win over Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss thumps Florida Atlantic 42-13, Marshall downs Florida International 24-12, North Texas picks up a 22-14 win over UTSA, and in non-conference action, San Diego State beats UAB 34-14.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall (5-1) now claims sole possession of the top spot, followed closely by Southern Miss (4-1) and Florida International (4-2). MTSU (2-3) and UAB and Florida Atlantic (both 1-5) are all eliminated. Some showdowns will decide the division. Southern Miss travels to FIU next week, and then Southern Miss travels to Marshall in the last game of the season for both teams, so the East Division is very much still alive. Over in the West Division, Rice (5-1) remains top dog, followed by UTEP (4-1). Tulsa (3-3) and North Texas (2-3) trail behind, but we're pretty much all but eliminated now. UTSA (2-5) and Louisiana Tech (1-5) are officially eliminated. That sets up the UTEP at Rice showdown next week to decide the front runner (and most likely winner) of the division.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2, though both teams were seriously tested. #1 Notre Dame (9-0) and #2 Arkansas State (9-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (33 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (28 votes) remains #2. USC moves up one to #3, Oklahoma climbs one to #4 and Michigan State climbs one to #5. Virginia Tech jumps three to #6, Florida State climbs one to #7, Mississippi State jumps two to #8, Georgia drops six to #9 and Alabama moves up two to #10. Miami drops four to #11, BYU climbs four to #12, Iowa jumps four to #13, Ohio State moves up four to #14 and Oklahoma State jumps four to #15. Nebraska drops five to #16, Georgia Tech jumps four to #17, Northwestern leaps six to #18, Michigan climbs three to #19 and South Carolina enters the poll at #20. Virginia drops seven spots to #21, TCU moves up one to #22, LSU falls eight to #23, Arizona tumbles eleven to #24 and Clemson re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kentucky (from #20) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas (271 votes) is #26, followed by Texas Tech (204), Southern Miss (137), Houston (88) and San Diego State (51) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Wyoming (29) and Pittsburgh (15).

    Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (42 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (23 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma climbs one to #4 and Virginia Tech jumps four to #5. Michigan State remains #6, Mississippi State moves up three to #7, Florida State jumps four to #8, Georgia falls five to #9 and Alabama climbs four to #10. BYU vaults five to #11, Miami drops four to #12, Michigan climbs two to #13, Oklahoma State moves up four to #14 and Virginia falls eight to #15. Iowa climbs three to #16, Ohio State moves up three to #17, Northwestern leaps seven spots to #18, Nebraska falls eight places to #19 and Georgia Tech climbs one to #20. South Carolina enters the poll this week at #21, Arizona falls nine to #22, TCU moves up one to #23, LSU tumbles seven to #24 and Clemson re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kentucky (from #20) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas (246 votes) is #26, followed by Texas Tech (215), Pittsburgh (189), Southern Miss (185), and Houston (133) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Wyoming (66), San Diego State (15) and Auburn (6).

    Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.981), #5 Michigan State (0.976), #6 Virginia Tech (0.976), #7 Mississippi State (0.965), #8 Florida State (0.965), #9 Georgia (0.957) and #10 Alabama (0.951).

    Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #2 (LW: #2), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #3 (LW: #3), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #5) and Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke re-entering the list at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Arizona QB E.J. McCoy (LW: #4).
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 04-11-2013 at 01:52 AM.

  6. #986
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    On a bye week so lets jump right into it. Starting in the Top 25, after last week's close call, #1 Notre Dame costs to a 35-7 win over Boston College to defend the #1 ranking. #3 USC barely escapes #24 Arizona 31-24. #4 Oklahoma scores the game-winning touchdown with 1:42 to play to defeat Baylor 38-31. #13 Iowa slays #5 Michigan State 31-28. #6 Virginia Tech escapes, thanks to two fourth quarter touchdowns, with a 21-14 win over #17 Georgia Tech. #7 Florida State escapes #25 Clemson with a 38-35 overtime win.

    The game of the week goes to #10 Alabama, who takes down #8 Mississippi State 42-35. #9 Georgia falls down and goes boom for the second week in a row, losing 20-17 in overtime to Auburn. #14 Ohio State continued to pull close wins out of their ass, using two touchdowns and two field goals to beat Illinois 20-7. Iowa State (3-6) scores a huge upset of #15 Oklahoma State, 34-31. #16 Nebraska uses a 20-0 second half advantage to beat Wisconsin 34-14. #19 Michigan knocks off #18 Northwestern 37-21. Texas A&M gets back to .500 on the year, knocking off #23 LSU 34-31.

    For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss, improves to 9-1 (5-1 C-USA) with a 45-28 win over Florida Atlantic. Jaymo, Arizona State wins their third in a row, improving to 5-6 (4-4 Pac-12), scoring twice in the last 4:44 of the game, including the game-winning 30 yard field goal with 13 seconds to play to knock off UCLA 45-42. Mors, West Virginia remains 4-5 (3-3 Big 12), with a bye week. Jeff, #14 Ohio State improves to 10-1 (8-0 Big Ten), pulling out a 20-7 win over Illinois. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State remains 9-0 (4-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week.

    In C-USA action, Southern Miss beats Florida International 45-28, Marshall thumps UMass 45-7, UTEP pimp slaps Rice 49-14, North Texas edges out Louisiana Tech 28-21 in overtime, Florida Atlantic pulls out a 24-21 win over MTSU, and in non-conference action, Syracuse whoops UTSA 48-17.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall and Southern Miss (both 5-1) are tied for the division lead, making November 28th (barring any upsets the week before) in Marshall the showdown for the division. Florida International (4-3), MTSU (2-4), Florida Atlantic (2-5) and UAB (1-5) are all eliminated. In the West Division, UTEP (5-1) takes over control of the top with Rice (5-2) trailing behind. Tulsa and North Texas (both 3-3), UTSA (2-5) and Louisiana Tech (1-5) are all eliminated. Rice just has UTSA left, UTEP plays Louisiana Tech and North Texas, so the division will come down to Rice winning their last game, and then whether or not UTEP finishes with two wins, a win and a loss or two losses.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (10-0) and #2 Arkansas State (9-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (37 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (24 votes) remains #2. USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech moves up one to #5. Florida State climbs one to #6, Alabama jumps three to #7, Iowa moves up five to #8, Miami climbs two to #9 and BYU jumps two to #10. Michigan State falls six to #11, Mississippi State drops four to #12, Ohio State moves up one to #13, Nebraska climbs two to #14 and Michigan leaps four to #15. Georgia falls seven to #16, South Carolina moves up three to #17, Virginia climbs three to #18, TCU jumps three to #19 and Georgia Tech drops three to #20. Auburn enters the poll this week at #21, Northwestern falls four to #22, Texas enters the poll at 23, Southern Miss re-enters at #24 and Houston enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Oklahoma State (from #15), LSU (from #23), Arizona (from #24) and Clemson (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Oklahoma State (215 votes) is #26, followed by Arizona (198), San Diego State (183), Wyoming (113) and Northern Illinois (113) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Utah (81) and Oregon (38).

    Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (40 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (25 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Alabama jumps four to #6, Florida State climbs one to #7, Iowa leaps eight to #8, BYU jumps two to #9 and Miami moves up two to #10. Mississippi State falls four to #11, Michigan climbs one to #12, Michigan State drops seven to #13, Ohio State climbs three to #14 and Virginia remains #15. Nebraska moves up three to #16, Georgia drops eight to #17, South Carolina climbs three to #18, TCU jumps four to #19 and Georgia Tech remains #20. Auburn enters the poll this week at #21, Northwestern falls four to #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, Oklahoma State falls ten to #24 and Southern Miss re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Arizona (from #22), LSU (#24) and Clemson (#25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arizona (241 votes) is #26, followed by Houston (202), Wyoming (162), San Diego State (118) and Oregon (44) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Utah (3) and Northern Illinois (3).

    Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.980), #5 Virginia Tech (0.978), #6 Alabama (0.970), #7 Florida State (0.970), #8 Iowa (0.955), #9 Miami (0.954) and #10 BYU (0.943).

    Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #2 (LW: #2), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #3 (LW: #3), Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #4 (LW: #5) and Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #5 (LW: #4). No one fell off the list this week.

    Looking at the very first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Hawaii Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on 5-4 (3-3) Temple out of the Big East. The AutZone Liberty Bowl would feature #24 Southern Miss (9-1, 5-1 C-USA) matching up with #25 Houston (7-2, 4-2 Big East). #13 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #3 USC (9-1, 8-0 Pac-12).

    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #13 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) against #3 USC (9-1, 8-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has #17 South Carolina (6-4, 6-2 SEC) matching up with #6 Florida State (8-2, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #5 Virginia Tech (9-1, 7-1 ACC) matching up with #8 Iowa (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #4 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) and #7 Alabama (8-2, 5-2). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (9-0, 4-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (10-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 04-11-2013 at 06:48 AM.

  7. #987
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    Game Eleven





    Game Notes

    --- Stuck on yet another two game losing streak, and eliminated from the C-USA West Division race, we were left wondering where it all went wrong. A 5-0 start to the season, the year was full of promise, only to then end up stuck in a 1-4 slide over our last five games. Not only was the OC coaching seat getting warmer with each passing week, but our hopes of a bowl game also could be in jeopardy. Officially, only 56 teams, including ourselves, made it to bowl eligibility by this week, but another 35 teams still had hopes (however slim some of those hopes might be) of getting to 6 wins. With only 68 bowl slots up for contention, if even half of those teams are able to obtain that elusive 6th win, a potential 6-6 record may end up not being enough and we could end up on the outside looking in.

    It wasn’t going to get any easier, as we seemed to still be running the gauntlet of good defensive teams. North Texas may only be 4-5 on the year, but they entered with the #37 defense in the nation, giving up only 359.8 yards/game. They ranked even better against the run, coming in at #20 (142.4 yards/game) and were still in the top 50% in pass defense at #59 (217.4 yards/game). While we had a better offense, going by the number, turning the ball over six times (three interceptions, three fumbles) in our last two games, and giving up 10 sacks on those same two games, whatever success we do manage on offense often gets reversed with the damage caused from the turnovers and sacks. We had to find a way to stop the flood of sacks and turnovers, and keep our defense from breaking to avoid our current slide going further downhill. North Texas won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    The opening kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback, and we got our first drive of the game started at our 25 yard line. Breaking away from our usual pattern of establishing the run first, we came out firing, trying to set the tone of the game, and set the tone we did. In a very slow developing play, Brad Stephens dropped back and waited and waited and waited until Connor Jefferson was the first receiver to finally get open, cutting across the middle on a slant. The pass was on-target, Jefferson hauling in the ball and turning up the field for a 28 yard gain and an immediate first down at the North Texas 47 yard line. Throwing up the ball to avoid a sack, the pass intended for Eric Hayden was broken up by the outside linebacker, bringing up second down. Jefferson made his second catch of the game on the next play, tight-roping the right sideline to haul in an overthrown pass from Stephens, complete for a 30 yard gain and a first down at the 17. Taking advantage of the pass-first defense, Will Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, picking up 6 yards on the play. Going off the left tackle on second down, Oliver got hit by the defensive end at the 6 yard line, spinning clockwise through the air will falling forward, able to cover the last 5 yards in the air and get the ball over the goal line before landing on the ground to get the 11 yard touchdown and give us a 7-0 lead with 7:34 to go in the first quarter.

    A 16 yard kickoff return left the Mean Green starting from their 17 yard line, looking to respond. That response would have to wait, as a rush for a three yard loss by Andrew Cooper, followed by two incomplete passes from Brian Sanchez left North Texas bringing out the punt team. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt set us up at our 36 yard line, in a rare occasion, playing with the lead.

    Leading off with the ground game this time around, Oliver took the ball on first down for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a 7 yard rush to get the first down at the 49 yard line. Oliver took his third handoff of the drive on third down, finding a large hole and busting into the secondary. While trying to break out of a tackle attempt, the safety came diving in, jarring the ball loose. Despite multiple attempts by North Texas players to dive on the loose football, we got a huge break as Carl Barnes was able to recover the fumble, Barnes ending up credited in the books with a 13 yard rush that had most of the work done by Oliver. Either way, we were able to end up with a first down at the 38 yard line after the play, though narrowly. Despite not recovering the fumble, just the fact that a fumble was caused energized the North Texas defense, as Oliver was quickly brought down for a one yard gain on the first down play. Trying to find Hayden over the middle on second down, the play was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving us facing third and 9. Dumping off the ball to avoid a sack, Roy Smith came down with the pass, but could only pick up 7 yards before being tackled, leaving fourth and two. The 47 yard field goal attempt by Derek Glover split the uprights, extending our lead to 10-0 with 3:55 left in the first quarter.

    No return on the kickoff left North Texas again starting at the 25. This time the Mean Green were able to find offensive success, as Sanchez connected with Rob Moss over the middle for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 35. Cooper took the ball on first down, picking up three yards on the play, but then promptly lost them, tackled for a three yard loss on the next down to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass from Sanchez sealed the fate on another drive, the North Texas punt team coming out again. A 7 yard return by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt saved some field position for us, giving us the ball at our 24 yard line.

    Oliver kept the rushing show going, taking the first down handoff straight up the middle for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches at the 34. North Texas was more than ready for the second down play, the outside linebacker blitzing in to meet Oliver in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving third and one. The Mean Green would get the job done, blitzing hard on the left side and able to break through and cut Oliver down for a one yard loss, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and two. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt got North Texas underway at their 20 yard line.

    It was a very rough start for the Green, as a 10 yard holding penalty quickly pushed them back, leaving first and 20 from the 10 yard line. They were able to make up those yards though, as Sanchez found Cooper for an 8 yard gain, followed by a 9 yard pass to E.J. Jackson to leave third and three. The third down pass was less than successful, complete to Deshawn Banks for a single yard to leave fourth and two. The 46 yard punt was returned for four yards by Jefferson, and our offense came back out at our 29 yard line. Oliver took the first down handoff around the right tackle, the defense still refusing to give up anything as he was tackled for no gain. That would bring the first quarter to an end, our lead holding at 10-0.

    Opening up the second quarter, with the running game effectively neutralized, it was into the air on second down. That proved to be a mistake, as the pass over the middle intended for Hayden ended up directly in the hands of middle linebacker Steve Prince for the interception, giving North Texas back the ball at our 40 yard line. Cooper got the drive started with a three yard rush, followed by a 5 yard gain by Sanchez to leave third and two. Our defense rose to the occasion on third down, sacking Sanchez for a loss of two yards, leaving the Mean Green with fourth and four at our 34 yard line. Apparently not trusting their kicker, North Texas opted to go for it on fourth down instead of attempt the field goal, the pass intended for Mark Coleman broken up to force the turnover on downs.

    Returning to the field on offense, it was turning into a “pick your poison” moment, with a running game that was, at the moment, being shut down, and a passing game led by a quarterback who had just thrown his fourth interception in three games. Choosing the poison of the running game, Oliver was able to prove the less deadly option, finding a way to get 6 yards on the first down carry. Oliver tried to stretch the second down play toward the far sideline, but was quickly run down by the outside linebacker for a gain of one yard, leaving third and three. Pitching the ball to the left on third down, Oliver tried his best, but couldn’t make it, tackled for a two yard gain to leave fourth and one. No return on the 45 yard punt left North Texas starting at their 13 yard line for the next drive.

    It seemed like another short drive was in store, as the first down pass by Sanchez fell woefully incomplete, but he was able to connect with Brandon Carroll on the next play for a 19 yard gain, getting the Mean Green moving with a first down at the 32. The drive would come to a end three plays later, as two incomplete passes and a four yard rush by Cooper left the punt team trotting out on fourth and 6. A 6 yard return by Jefferson on the 46 yard punt and we were back in action at our 24 yard line. Oliver was able to avoid a tackle in the backfield, racing toward the left sideline and managing a 7 yard gain to the 31. Heading back to the right on second down, Oliver tried to turn it up around the right hash to avoid the cornerback, but was quickly pushed by the safety who had quickly crashed down, only getting two yards on the play to leave third and one. Smith never had a chance to convert on third and short, tackled for a two yard loss to leave fourth and three. A fair catch on the 45 yard punt and North Texas was back on the field at their 24.

    North Texas again showed some signs of life on offense, as Sanchez found Carroll over the middle for an 8 yard gain. But two incomplete passes would doom yet another drive, as the punt team came back out on fourth and two. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt, and it was back in to action at our 23 yard line. Leaving the run game in the back of the playbook this drive, the results quickly paid off as Jefferson broke open deep over the middle, hauling in the pass from Stephens for a 25 yard gain and a first down at the 49. Trying to hit Hayden on the post route, the ball was broken up (thankfully not intercepted) by the safety, leaving second and long. Antoine Banks was able to haul in a pass from Stephens for a 7 yard gain, leaving third and three at the NT 44. Keeping the passing attack going, the pass intended for Barnes was batted down by the middle linebacker, leaving fourth and three. The punt landed at the 5 yard line, bouncing into the end zone for a touchback.

    North Texas came out firing this drive, and it paid off, as Sanchez found Jackson for a big 26 yard gain and an immediate first down at the 46 yard line. Another pass, this time to Coleman for 16 yards, and North Texas had a new set of downs at our 38. After an incomplete pass on first down, our defense struck back with a vengeance, sacking Sanchez for an 11 yard loss, leaving the Mean Green facing third and 21 from the 49 yard line. They would only go backwards, as Cooper was tackled for a two yard loss, ending a drive that held massive potential and promise with the punt team trotting out on fourth and 23. North Texas would get the last laugh, as no return on the 41 yard punt left our offense to start our next drive at the 10 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, but was gobbled up in the backfield for a one yard loss. The next play would end in disaster, as Oliver plowed up the middle of the line, getting about four yards before he was stripped of the ball, the fumble recovered by outside linebacker Anthony Brant to give North Texas the ball at our 12 yard line with 46 seconds left before halftime.

    Our defense wasn’t going to make it easy on the Mean Green, sacking Sanchez for a three yard loss on first down, the first timeout by the offense stopping the clock with 42 seconds. They were able to make up the lost yards as Sanchez found Carroll for a 9 yard gain, leaving third and four at our 7 yard line, the second timeout stopping the clock with 36 seconds to go. An incomplete pass intended for Jackson left the North Texas coaching staff with a decision to make, as they faced fourth and four from our 7 yard line. The Mean Green came out in field goal formation, but it ended up being a ballsy fake field goal, as backup quarterback and holder Tim Bush hit David Jackson in the end zone for the 7 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 10-7 with 26 seconds left on the clock. A touchback on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 25 yard line, Oliver taking the handoff up the middle for no gain, running the final 15 seconds off the clock to bring the second quarter to an end, as we headed into halftime with a 10-7 lead.

    Opening up the third quarter, a touchback on the kickoff gave North Texas the ball at their 25 yard line to begin the second half. It was looking like another short drive for the green faithful, as two dropped passes by Jackson left North Texas facing third and long. It ended up being a short drive on the next play, as cornerback Chad Wheeler intercepted a pass from Sanchez near midfield, returning it 38 yards before being tackled at the North Texas 10 yard line to give us first and goal. The first down rush by Oliver picked up 7 yards, leaving second and goal at the three. Oliver would punch it in on the next play, plowing into the mass of bodies ahead of him and driving and pushing forward into the end zone for the three yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead with 7:59 left in the third quarter.

    No return on the following kickoff left North Texas again trailing by double digits, as they began their drive at their 25 yard line. Our defense gave them some major help, as a 15 yard facemask penalty at the end of a two yard run set North Texas up with a first down at the 42 yard line. Cooper took the handoff on first down, but found nowhere to go, tackled for a three yard loss. Trying his luck a second time, Cooper was able to gain 7 yards on the ground, leaving third and 6 from the 46. That third and 6 turned into third and 11 courtesy of a false start penalty, turning a molehill into a mountain for the offense. North Texas nearly converted third down, as Sanchez found Moss over the middle for an 11 yard gain, but the refs marked him short, leaving fourth and inches at our 48 yard line. Cooper would get the job done, converting fourth and short with a 5 yard rush to get the fresh set of downs at our 44. After an incomplete pass on first down, Cooper took the ball around the left tackle, fighting his way to a four yard gain, followed by a four yard gain by Sanchez on a scramble to bring up fourth and two at the 36. North Texas would again try to convert fourth down, failing this time as Ryan Morales was tackled for a two yard loss, turning the ball over on downs at our 38 yard line.

    Taking over at the 38, Oliver took the ball on first down, but found no success at all on the ground, quickly brought down for no gain. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Jefferson was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker but thankfully dropped, leaving third and long. Stephens was able to hook up with Smith along the right hash on third down, but it wouldn’t be enough as Smith was tackled for a gain of only 8 yards, leaving the punt unit coming out on fourth and two. No return on the 51 yard punt gave us top rank in the punting war, leaving North Texas buried at their three yard line.

    North Texas wouldn’t remain there for long however, as a pair of rushes by Cooper for gains of three and 8 yards got a quick first down at the 14 yard line. A two yard rush by Sanchez was followed with a pass to Jackson for a 13 yard gain and first down at the 29. Our defense again screwed us, flagged for another facemask on a four yard carry, giving North Texas 19 free yards and a first down at the 48 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Carroll was followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 5. Sanchez was able to complete the third down pass to Carroll, but the defense quickly brought him down for only a one yard gain, leaving fourth and four at our 46, North Texas once again failing to parlay a facemask penalty (and a bunch of free yards) by the defense into points. The punt sailed 49 yards into the end zone for a touchback, giving us back the ball at our 20 yard line.

    Giving the run game a chance, Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, fighting his way to a three yard gain. On second down, Oliver was a supposed to go between the left tackle and guard, but finding the hole closed, bounced outside. With the safety crashing down to make a play, Oliver stretched out toward the sideline, getting a small edge and able to get 12 yards on the play before being wrestled down at the 35 yard line, thought it came at a price as Oliver was sidelined for a couple plays with back spasms. Following his blockers on first down, Smith was able to break into the second level around the right tackle, turning up at the last second to cut off the cornerback, tackled forward from behind by the safety for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 45 yard line. Shaking off one tackle in the backfield, Smith was unable to break free from the defensive tackle, brought down for no gain to leave second and long. Countering to the left on second down, Eric Silva could only manage three yards, leaving third and 8 at the 47. Going into the air on third down, Stephens was able to hook up with Randy Newman for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the North Texas 45 yard line. That would bring the third quarter to an end as the final 10 seconds ran off the clock, our lead holding at 17-7.

    Starting the fourth quarter, Stephens kept the ball himself, going off the right tackle, but could only get three yards before all the holes closed up and the defense surrounded him. Taking a chance with an option play, Stephens was able to get the pitch off at the last second to Smith, who picked up four yards on the play to leave third and three. Silva made the play of the drive, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 27. Smith hauled in a first down pass from Stephens, juking away from a diving tackler and picking up 6 yards on the play, though it too came at a price, Smith sidelined after the play with a bruised elbow, keeping him out for a while. Barely avoiding a sack, Stephens got the ball off to Banks for a 6 yard gain and a first down at the 15 yard line, keeping the drive moving. A quick pass to Kyle Jones was complete for four yards, followed by a 10 yard pass to Oliver to set up first and goal at the one yard line. Despite being hit in the backfield by two defenders, Oliver was able to keep the legs pumping and carry all three of them into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, giving us a 24-7 lead and all but sealing the victory with 5:30 left on the clock.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave North Texas the ball at their 25 yard line, any hopes the Mean Green had of getting back in this game nearly all vaporized. Cooper got the drive started with an 8 yard rush, followed by an 8 yard pass from Sanchez to Banks, setting up a first down at the 40 yard line. Sanchez connected with Banks a second time, this one a 19 yard gain to move the chains to our 41 yard line. Cooper took the ball on first down, but was tackled for a loss of three yards, followed by an incomplete pass from Sanchez to bring up third and 13. The third down pass intended for Cooper fell incomplete, and North Texas was left facing fourth and very long at our 44 yard line. The Mean Green went for it on fourth down, but the pass from Sanchez was batted down at the line of scrimmage, forcing the turnover on downs at our 44 with 4:15 left in the game.

    Oliver took the handoff on first down, plowing his way up the middle for a 10 yard gain, with an extra 15 yards tacked on thanks to a facemask penalty on safety Rodney Cronin on the tackle, giving us a first down at the North Texas 31 yard line. Oliver had a chance at breaking through a hole on first down, but a quick tackle by the defensive tackle saved the big gain, taking Oliver down for just three yards to leave second and 7. Taking a shot through the air, the pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the safety, leaving third and 7. Hayden was able to haul in the pass the second time around, good for a gain of 8 yards and the first down at the 20 yard line. Keeping it in the air, Stephens was able to get off the pass to Banks for a 13 yard pickup, giving us first and goal at the 7 yard line. Throwing on first down, the pass intended for Newman was broken up. Threading the needle between both cornerbacks and both safeties, Stephens was able to hook up with Jefferson for the 7 yard touchdown, giving us a 31-7 lead with 3:04 left in the game. Some people make call our pass heavy drive nothing but running up the score, and they would be correct, as we took out many of our frustrations from our current 1-4 slide on the North Texas defense.

    A 21 yard kickoff return got North Texas set up at their 23 yard line for their next drive. It looked to be a short drive, as two dropped passes by Cooper left the Mean Green facing third and long. Sanchez finally completed a pass to Coleman on the third down play, good for a 10 yard gain, but an unfavorable spot by the refs left North Texas stuck with fourth and inches at the 33 yard line. The Mean Green attempted to go for it on fourth down, but Cooper never had a chance on the carry, tackled for a three yard loss to force the turnover on downs at the 30 yard line with 2:29 left to play.

    If we were accused of running up the score last drive, the North Texas fans were screaming bloody murder this drive, as we came out throwing from the start. Unfortunately, the defense refused to give us anything, three straight incomplete passes to Oliver, Banks and Newman leaving us facing fourth and 10 at the 30 yard line. We were still able to put some points on the board, as Glover nailed a 47 yard field goal down the middle to extend our lead to 34-7 with 2:15 left to play.

    A 15 yard kickoff return left North Texas beginning at their 16 yard line. It was straight backwards as Cooper was tackled for a four yard loss, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 14. The third down pass, intended for Coleman, was broken up by the safety, leaving the punt team coming out at their 12 yard line. A 13 yard return on a 38 yard punt gave us back the ball at the North Texas 37 yard line, just 1:40 remaining. Calling off the dogs, Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a three yard gain, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and 5 with 45 seconds to go. On the final play of the game, Oliver was tackled for a one yard gain, as the last 10 seconds ticked off the clock, giving us the 34-7 victory to claim only our second win in the last six games.

    With the win, we improve to 7-4, 4-3 in C-USA action. With the loss, North Texas falls to 4-6, 3-4 in C-USA play. Up next, it’s back onto the road to wrap up our regular season, with a trip to Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs enter the game at 3-8 on the year, 2-5 in C-USA action. Louisiana Tech opened their season with a 38-9 win over Jacksonville State, before going on a four game losing streak, losing 45-28 at Central Florida, 45-10 at Marshall, 20-14 at Louisiana-Monroe and 48-10 at Oklahoma. They got back in the win column with a 45-35 win over UAB. It was then right back into a second four game losing streak, starting with a 41-38 overtime loss at Southern Miss, a 38-21 loss to UTSA, a 31-24 defeat at Rice and a 28-21 overtime loss to North Texas. Louisiana Tech then got their biggest win of the season, going on the road and knocking off UTEP 28-10 to give them a giant morale boost heading into our regular season ending contest.



    Final Score
    34, 7




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Tulsa Offense – A fairly decent day for Stephens, ending 15-26 for 177 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw an interception, his fourth in three games. Thankfully it didn't screw us. Rushing, it was all Oliver, ending with 110 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. Only black marks were the two fumbles, one lost, that Oliver coughed up. Receiving, Jefferson led the way today, ending with 90 yards and the lone receiving touchdown of the game on four receptions. In all, eight receivers caught a pass today, and five receivers ended the game with double digit receiving yards.

    Tulsa Defense – A great day by the defense, holding North Texas to 7 points, sacking the QB three times and ending with one interception. Need more games like that.

    Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day for Glover, ending 2-2 in field goal, both from 47 yards out, and 4-4 in PATs.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    10 0 7 17 34
    0 7 0 0 7


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    7:34 Touchdown W. Oliver, 11 yard run (D. Glover kick) 7-0
    3:55 Field Goal D. Glover, 47 yard field goal 10-0
    Second Quarter
    0:26 Touchdown D. Jackson, 6 yard pass from T. Bush (R. Woods kick) 10-7
    Third Quarter
    7:59 Touchdown W. Oliver, 3 yard run (D. Glover kick) 17-7
    Fourth Quarter
    5:30 Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 24-7
    3:04 Touchdown C. Jefferson, 7 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) 31-7
    2:15 Field Goal D. Glover, 47 yard field goal 34-7




    Game Stats

    Tulsa Stat North Texas
    34 Score 7
    15 First Downs 10
    307 Total Offense 229
    35 - 130 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 22 - 42 - 0
    15 - 26 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 17 - 40 - 1
    177 Passing Yards 187
    0 Times Sacked 3
    3 - 11 (27%) 3rd Down Conversion 0 - 15 (0%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 2 - 6 (33%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    6 - 4 - 0 (66%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 1 - 0 (25%)
    2 Turnovers 1
    1 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 1
    17 Punt Return Yards 0
    0 Kick Return Yards 52
    324 Total Yards 281
    5 – 46.6 Punts - Average 8 - 45.4
    2 - 30 Penalties 4 - 45
    24:49 Time of Possession 11:11




    Tulsa Contract Goals Update

    Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact
    21+ points per game in each season 24
    Win 10 games in one season 7
    3300+ passing yards each season
    65% pass completions over the entire contract 58%
    Win 6 games in one season
    15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed
    3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed




    Job Security Status

    38%

  8. #988
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame moves one game away from another perfect regular season and a second straight title game berth with a 45-10 thrashing of UMass. #2 Arkansas State manages to keep their BCS dream alive with a 29-17 victory over Western Kentucky. #3 USC rolls over UCLA 59-7, ending the hopes of a bowl game for Bruins fans. #4 Oklahoma thumps Texas Tech 45-17. Maryland keeps their bowl hopes alive, stunning #6 Florida State 20-14. #7 Alabama fights off Texas A&M 35-21. #8 Iowa downs #15 Michigan 35-14. #9 Miami scores 17 straight points between the third and fourth quarters to come back and fight off #20 Georgia Tech, 20-16.

    #11 Michigan State beats down #22 Northwestern 55-21. Arkansas sends #12 Mississippi State to their third straight loss, 18-10. #14 Nebraska steamrolls Minnesota 48-6. #16 Georgia whoops Kentucky 48-17. #17 South Carolina holds off Florida 20-13. #18 Virginia scores 17 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner with 1:25 left to comeback and beat Duke 34-27. #19 TCU holds on to beat West Virginia 35-25. Oklahoma State makes a case for re-entry to the top 25, with a 27-17 upset of #23 Texas. #24 Southern Miss rolls to a 52-14 beating of UAB. Connecticut whoops #25 Houston 45-14.

    For our readers, souljahbill, #24 Southern Miss, improves to 10-1 (6-1 C-USA) with a 52-14 win over UAB. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 5-6 (4-4 Pac-12) with a bye week ahead of the Duel in the Desert. Mors, West Virginia falls to 4-6 (3-4 Big 12), with a 35-24 loss to #19 TCU. Jeff, #13 Ohio State remains 10-1 (8-0 Big Ten) with a bye week ahead of The Game. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 10-0 (5-0 Sun Belt) with a 29-17 win over Western Kentucky. On a personal note, Navy improves to 6-5 (4-3 Big East) with a 38-17 win over Army to claim the C-I-C Trophy.

    In C-USA action, Tulsa beats North Texas 34-7, #24 Southern Miss smacks UAB 52-14, in the upset of the week, Louisiana Tech knocks off UTEP 28-10, Marshall beats MTSU 45-21, UTSA matches Louisiana Tech and knocks off Rice 21-17, and in non-conference action, Florida International knocks off Missouri 45-35 to keep their bowl hopes alive.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall and Southern Miss (both 6-1) remain tied for the division and set up the major showdown next week in Marshall with the division and a C-USA Championship Game spot on the line. In the West Division, both UTEP and Rice lose this week, which costs Rice a huge opportunity to even things up. As it stands, UTEP (5-2) remains #1, followed by Rice (5-3) and technically Tulsa (4-3), but we would lose out on any tiebreakers so we're out. Rice is done for the year, UTEP has one last game at home with North Texas. Even if UTEP were to lose, they still hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Rice (thanks to that 49-14 thrashing last week) and should have the West Division now sealed up.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (11-0) and #2 Arkansas State (10-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (33 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (28 votes) remains #2. USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Iowa climbs two to #6, Alabama remains #7, Miami moves up one to #8, BYU jumps one to #9 and Michigan State climbs one to #10. Ohio State jumps two to #11, Nebraska climbs two to #12, Georgia moves up three to #13, South Carolina climbs three to #14 and Virginia jumps three to #15. TCU climbs three to #16, Auburn moves up four to #17, Florida State tumbles twelve to #18, Michigan falls four to #19 and Mississippi State drops eight to #20. Oklahoma State re-enters the poll at #21, Southern Miss jumps two to #22, Arizona enters the poll at #23, San Diego State enters the poll at #24 and Northern Illinois enters the poll this week at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #20), Northwestern (from #22), Texas (from #23) and Houston (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arkansas (204 votes) is #26, followed by Georgia Tech (181), Utah (179), Oregon (151) and Kansas State (102) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include SMU (90), Northwestern (78), Colorado State (37) and Texas (30).

    Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (45 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (20 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Alabama remains #6, Iowa climbs one to #7, BYU jumps one to #8, Miami moves up one to #9 and Michigan State climbs three to #10. Ohio State jumps three to #11, Virginia climbs three to #12, Nebraska moves up three to #13, Georgia climbs three to #14 and South Carolina jumps three to #15. TCU climbs three spots to #16, Auburn jumps four to #17, Michigan falls six spots to #18, Mississippi State drops eight to #19 and Florida State plummets thirteen ranks to #20. Oklahoma State moves up three to #21, Southern Miss jumps three to #22, Arizona enters the poll at #23, San Diego State enters the poll this week at #24 and Arkansas enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #20), Northwestern (from #22) and Texas (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northern Illinois (175 votes) is #26, followed by Oregon (168), Georgia Tech (154), Utah (135) and SMU (62) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Colorado State (19).

    Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.982), #5 Virginia Tech (0.978), #6 Iowa (0.970), #7 Alabama (0.970), #8 Miami (0.959), #9 Michigan State (0.951) and #10 BYU (0.951).

    Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #4), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #3 (LW: #5), USC HB Blake Cross at #4 (LW: NR) and Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #5 (LW: #2). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith (LW: #3).

    Looking at the bowl picture, 5 teams were knocked out this week as they hit 7 losses. 62 teams have reached the 6 win plateau, 25 teams still have a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 87 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

    Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Hawaii Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on Wyoming (7-3, 1-1) out of the WAC. The AutZone Liberty Bowl would feature #22 Southern Miss (10-1, 6-1 C-USA) matching up with Connecticut (6-4, 5-2 Big East). #11 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #3 USC (10-1, 9-0 Pac-12).

    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #11 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) against #3 USC (10-1, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has #14 South Carolina (7-4, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #8 Miami (8-3, 6-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #5 Virginia Tech (9-1, 7-1 ACC) matching up with #7 Alabama (9-2, 6-2 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #4 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) and #6 Iowa (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (10-0, 5-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (11-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 04-12-2013 at 05:36 AM.

  9. #989
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Game Twelve





    Game Notes

    --- With our second two game losing streak history, it was back onto the road to conclude the regular season, and our last C-USA game, at Louisiana Tech. We would finally catch a break, as the Bulldogs entered the game with a less than stellar defense, their highest ranking coming in at #80 nationally in pass defense (231.2 yards/game). However, on the other side of the coin, the Bulldogs entered with the #14 passing offense, throwing for over 277.8 yards a game. That would be the only saving grace for them, as their running game was an abomination, ranked #118, gaining only 87.9 yards/game on the ground. If we could finally put an end to the turnovers and our defense shut down the passing game, we would be able to end the regular season on a high note. But, we couldn’t afford to overlook the Bulldogs. After all, at 3-8 on the season, they had nothing to lose, playing for honor and memories in front of their home crowd and trying to send their seniors out on top. Louisiana Tech won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A 21 yard kickoff return by Eric Hayden got the game opened up, as our offense came out to start at the 20 yard line. Leading with the running game this time around, the Bulldogs were more than ready for us, as Will Oliver was quickly tackled for no gain. Going into the air on second down to try and shut up the fans, they would only roar louder when middle linebacker Chad Palmer intercepted the pass intended for Hayden, returning it two yards to set Louisiana Tech up at our 27 yard line. Titus Brothers took the ball on first down, picking up four yards on the ground, before dropping back to pass, his throw intended for Brett Pearson falling incomplete to bring up third and 6. Our defense struck back, sacking Brothers for a 10 yard loss, leaving Louisiana Tech with fourth and 16 at the 32. Our dumbass defense then gave those yards right back, slapped with roughing the kicker, giving Louisiana Tech 15 free yards and a first down at the 17. The Bulldogs took full advantage of our defense’s gift, as Brothers connected with Nick Jenkins for a 15 yard gain, leaving first and goal at the two yard line. Louisiana Tech would get on the board on the next play, as Brothers hit Matthew Anderson in the back of the end zone for the two yard touchdown, going up 7-0 with 7:20 left in the first quarter.

    Conner Jefferson got us off to a much better start this time around, returning the kickoff 25 yards out to our 33 yard line. Throwing up a pass to Jefferson, it was away off-target, sailing over Jefferson’s head and nearly intercepted by the safety. Trying to hit Roy Smith on the next, the middle linebacker batted down the ball, leaving third down, still not single offensive yard gained. Taking a shot down the right sideline, the pass intended for Jefferson was broken up by the cornerback, leaving the punt team coming out. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt got Louisiana Tech back on offense at their 20 yard line.

    It was looking like a long day for our defense, as Brothers came out firing, hitting Ray Hoffman for a 22 yard pass and an immediate first down at the 41. After an incomplete pass, Jenkins got tackled for a two yard loss, leaving third and 12. The Bulldogs were nearly able to convert, Hoffman pulling in a second pass for a 9 yard gain, but they were left with fourth and four. Louisiana Tech came out in punt formation but ran a fake punt, the pass from Ryan Moore intended for Mike Valentine falling incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at the Bulldogs’ 48 yard line.

    Trying to prove that our passing game could do something, the first down pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the middle linebacker, and we still were held without a completion or any offensive yards gained. Antoine Banks would be the savior of our offense, hauling in a pass from Stephens along the right sideline for a 12 yard gain, giving us our first completed pass, our first offensive yards and first down number one with 5:48 left in the quarter. Turning that completion into some momentum, Jefferson reeled in a 7 yard pass to leave second and three. Jefferson tried to get the first down on the play, but the pass intended for him was batted away by the outside linebacker, leaving third and short. Randy Newman would keep the drive alive, catching a pass from Stephens for a 6 yard pickup to move the chains to the 23 yard line. Returning to the run game, Oliver made the most of it, breaking up the middle for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches. Keeping the ball on second down, Oliver fought his way forward for a four yard gain, setting up first and goal at the 10 yard line. A heavy blitz on first down limited Oliver to just a single yard, bringing up second and goal at the 9. Pulling out the option play, the Bulldogs never had a chance, as Stephens turned the corner outside the right tackle, got up field and pitched the ball to Oliver at the last moment, Oliver rumbling over a defender for the 9 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff got Louisiana Tech started at their 25. It was more of the same head banging on wall inducing play, as Brothers connected with Hoffman for a 7 yard gain, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and three. Our defense then continued to slit their own throats, a 15 yard pass interference penalty giving Louisiana Tech a first down at their 47. Brothers found Jenkins on first down for a 7 yard gain, before the Bulldogs suffered a setback from a false start penalty, leaving second and 8. After an incomplete pass to force third down, it got even worse, as a holding penalty on the offense pushed them back ever further, leaving third and 18 at the 39 yard line. Louisiana Tech very nearly still managed to convert it, as Anderson broke free down the left sideline, but the pass from Brothers was dropped, bringing out the punt team on fourth and 18. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt got us back on the field at our 18 yard line.

    Oliver did his damnedest to break free on the first down carry, fighting all the way into the secondary for a 14 yard rush and a first down at the 32. Tossing the ball to the right, Oliver never had any hope, receiving the ball only to have to break free of a tackle right away, and then get swarmed before he could recover, tackled for a 5 yard loss. Looking to recover the lost yards, it was into the air, as the pass from Stephens hit Jefferson right in the hands, but he was unable to hang on during contact from the cornerback and safety, bringing up third and 15. Banks was able to get his hands on the third down pass, but timely contact by the outside linebacker broke the play up, the ball dropped incomplete to bring out the punt team. A fair catch on the 48 yard punt gave Louisiana Tech the ball at the 25.

    Hoffman started the drive with a two yard rush, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Jenkins to bring up third and 8. The Bulldogs got very close to converting, Brothers finding Anderson open over the middle, but the defense was able to bring him down for only a 7 yard gain, leaving the Bulldogs punting on fourth and one. A 10 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 39 yard punt and we were back in action at our 36 yard line. Abandoning any fancy running plays, Oliver took a pair of handoffs for gains of 5 and two yards, leaving third and three at the 43 yard line. That would be where the first quarter would come to an end, as the clock hit all zeroes, still a 7-7 tie.

    Opening up the second quarter, facing third and three, we came out in a run play designed for Oliver, but with the linebackers sneaking up to the line, Stephens quickly checked off to a pass play, Marcus Mullins coming out of the tight end position to grab a 9 yard pass from Stephens for the first down at the Louisiana Tech 48 yard line. Getting a big hole thanks to the blitzing linebackers, and a timely block, Oliver took the first down carry for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 37. Trying to keep the defense guessing, we came out passing on first down, Smith catching a pass from out of the backfield, and thanks to a great block by Hayden, was able to race down the sideline for a 30 yard gain, finally brought down by the safety at the LTU 7 yard line to set up first and goal. Thanks to a couple blocks, Oliver was able to pick up 5 yards on the first down carry, leaving second and goal at the two. Receiving the handoff on second down and leaping into the air, Smith dove up and over the mass of bodies in front of him and into the end zone for the two yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 7:30 left in the second quarter.

    A 22 yard kickoff return got Louisiana Tech back on the field at their 21 yard line, looking for a response. They wouldn’t find one as three straight incomplete pass, two of them dropped, brought the drive to a sudden end. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt got us back in action at our 35 yard line. Putting the ball back into the hands of Oliver, he was able to weave his way past a couple different blocks on his way to an 11 yard rush and a first down at the 46. The next carry was decidedly less successful, as Oliver was tackled for no gain to bring up second and long. Returning to the pass attack, the defense struck blood, sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave us with third and 18. The third down pass intended for Oliver fell incomplete, and a drive that started with promise ended in disaster, as the punt team came out on fourth down. Just to rub our faces in it even more, we got tagged with a false start penalty on the punt, pushing us back 5 yards to fourth and 23. Finally getting the punt off, a four yard return on the 46 yard kick set Louisiana Tech up at their 25.

    The Bulldogs came out firing short passes, as Brothers connected with both Pearsonand Anderson for 5 yard gains to get the first down at the 35 yard line. The drive would stall out there, as two incomplete passes and a completion to Jenkins for one yard left the Bulldogs punting on fourth and 9, this game suddenly turning into a defensive battle after the early offensive displays. A three yard return by Jefferson on the 45 yard punt left us at our 21 yard line.

    Coming out firing through the air on first down, it paid off as Jefferson was able to get enough separation from his man to haul in the pass and pick up some extra yards, finally tackled at the 49 yard line for a 28 yard gain. Continuing through the air on second down, Stephens connected with Bobby Smith along the right sideline for a 19 yard pickup and a first down at the Louisiana Tech 32. We got some back news after the play, Jefferson suffering from back spams, keeping him sidelined for at least the rest of the drive. The pass intended for R. Smith was no good, batted incomplete to bring up second down. A quick pass to Carl Barnes went for 5 yards, leaving third and 5. Trying to find Hayden along the left sideline, the pass was broken up by the outside linebacker, nearly intercepted in the process. Left with fourth and 5 from the 27 yard line, the 44 yard field goal by David Glover split the uprights, extending our lead to 17-7 with 3:16 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the following kickoff gave Louisiana Tech the ball at their 25 yard line, looking for any points here. It was a good start for the Bulldogs, as Chaz Humphrey pulled down a pass from Brothers for 8 yards. Our defense helped out again, tagged with a 5 yard facemask penalty at the end of an 11 yard rush by Brothers, setting up first down at the 49 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, the Bulldogs crossed midfield on a 6 yard rush by Jenkins to leave third and four. The drive would stall at our 45 after an incomplete pass on third down. The Bulldogs again came out running a fake punt, but the pass by Moore fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at our 45 yard line with 2:20 left before half.

    Throwing on first down, Banks hauled in a pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain, giving us a quick first down at the LTU 44 yard line. Welcoming Jefferson back to the field, Stephens threw up a pass to him along the right sideline, complete for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at the 25 yard line. Handing off the ball on first down, Oliver spun off an initial tackle attempt in the backfield, fighting for two yards to bring up second and 8. Returning to the pass, Barnes was able to beat the middle linebacker to the ball, turning up field and running down to the 7 yard line for a 16 yard completion to give us first and goal. Giving the ball to Smith, he was able to pick up three yards on the play, setting up second and goal at the four. Oliver took the ball on second down, picking up two yards to leave third and goal at the two yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 29 seconds to go. Oliver would get the job done on the next play, following his blocker straight up the middle for the two yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead with 27 seconds left until halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff left Louisiana Tech started from their 25. The Bulldogs waived the white flag on the first half, Robbie Washington taking the ball up the middle for a three yard gain, running out the final seconds and taking us into halftime with a 24-7 lead.

    Opening up the third quarter, Brad Jackson returned the kickoff 24 yards to set Louisiana Tech up at their 26 yard to start the third quarter. Our defense continued to play their asses off, sacking Brothers for a three yard loss on first down. Brothers was able to get those yards back on the next play, scrambling for a gain of three, leaving third and long. An incomplete pass intended for Hoffman brought the drive to an end exactly where it started. A fair catch called by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt gave us our first possession of the second half at our 26 yard line.

    Receiving the pitched ball to the left, Oliver never had a chance, as a blitz by the defense left him nowhere to go, tackled for a 6 yard loss to leave second and 16. Hayden was able to make up the lost yards, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 7 yard gain, giving us third and 9. A pass along the right sideline to Banks reeled in 11 yards and a first down at the 38 yard line. Oliver took the handoff on first down, unable to find anywhere to go, tackled for no gain. Returning to the passing game, a diving catch by Jefferson picked up 8 yards to leave third and two. Smith was able to get the third down conversion, rumbling ahead for a gain of four yards to move the chains to midfield. Dumping the ball to avoid a sack, the pass was complete to Oliver, but he was quickly tackled in the backfield, resulting in a 5 yard loss to leave second and 15. Hit as he threw, the pass from Stephens intended for Newman was a wounded duck, landing at the heels of the right tackle to bring up third down. Banks was able to get his hands on the third down pass, but came up short, picking up only 14 yards to leave us punting away on fourth and one. The punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback.

    Taking over at their 20 yard line, Louisiana Tech still couldn’t get their passing game restarted, as three straight incomplete passes brought another drive to an end without any gain. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt, and we were back in action at our 42. Oliver was able to pick up four yards on the first down carry, followed by an 8 yard rush to get the first down at the LTU 46 yard line. Smith would end up slaughtering the drive on the next play, hit in the backfield and fumbling the ball, the fumble recovered by defensive end SteveLuke to give Louisiana Tech possession at our 42 yard line.

    After an incomplete pass on first down, Brothers finally found success through the air, connecting with Chad Brown for a 14 yard gain and a first down at our 28 yard line. After two incomplete passes intended for Hoffman, Humphrey pulled down a ball for a gain of 5 yards, leaving the Bulldogs with a decision to make, go for it on fourth and 5 or kick the field goal. Going for it on fourth down, the Bulldogs would end up pushed back, a holding penalty leaving them facing fourth and 15 at the 33. Apparently with a kicker unable to kicking a 50 yard field goal, the Bulldogs punted the ball for a touchback, giving us back the ball without an damage at the 20.

    An 8 yard gain on first down by Oliver was followed by a three yard gain to get the first down at the 31. Oliver tried to get outside the left tackle on the next play, but was tackled for a loss of one yard. Taking over for Oliver for second down, Smith committed his second fumble of the game, recovered thankfully by right guard Will Carter for a loss of 11 yards, leaving third and 22 and Smith getting benched in favor of sophomore Eric Silva. Dropping back to pass, Stephens was blasted as he went to throw, the ball going straight up and hanging perilously long in the air, nearly intercepted by the second defender involved in the sack. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt gave Louisiana Tech back the ball at their 34 yard line.

    The drive got off to a poor start thanks in part to a false start penalty, immediately putting the Bulldogs in a hole. Three incomplete passes would again see another drive come to an uneventful end, as the punt team came out on fourth and 15. A three yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt gave us back at our 31 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, picking up four yards, followed by a three yard rush by Newman to leave third and three. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last seconds ticked off the clock bringing the third quarter to an end, our lead still 24-7.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, we went into the air to get the first down, Barnes coming down with the pass for a 7 yard gain to move the chains to the 45. Keeping it going, Newman hauled in a pass for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches. Trying to get the first down on the ground Silva never had a chance on the handoff, tackled immediately for a four yard loss to bring up third and 5. Newman was able to pull down the third down pass from Stephens, just getting to the first down line before being tackled, picking up 5 yards and the first down at the LTU 45. A first down pass to Silva gained only one yard, followed by a 5 yard throw to Banks to leave third and four at the 39. Putting the ball into the hands of Smith, he could only get one yard on the play, leaving fourth and three at the 38. Attempting a 55 yard field goal, the kick by Glover just skirted underneath the crossbar and no good, giving Louisiana Tech the ball at their 38.

    After an incomplete pass on first down, we got tagged with a penalty that resulted in only 8 yards and a first down at the 45 yard line. Brothers used that new set of downs to hit Hoffman over the middle for an 8 yard gain, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and two. Brothers would keep the ball himself on third down, rushing for 5 yards to convert at our 41 yard line. After a dropped ball by Anderson and an incomplete pass on second down, Brothers connected with Brown for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the 24. The drive would come to an end, as Brothers took a shot at the end zone, middle linebacker Jermaine Clark intercepting the pass at the goal line and returning it 14 yards, giving us back at the ball at our 14.

    Taking over after the interception, Oliver picked up three yards up the middle, followed by a one yard gain to leave third and 6. Going to the air on third down, the pass intended for Barnes overshot him and landed incomplete, bringing out the punt team. We got new life on the punt, thanks to a roughing the punter penalty to give us 15 yards and a new set of downs at our 33. Shaking off one tackle, Silva couldn’t recover in time for the second defender, brought down for a one yard loss, followed by a four yard loss by Smith to leave third and 15. The defense would complete the whooping on this drive, sacking Stephens for a 9 yard loss before he could throw the ball, leaving the punt team returning to the field on fourth and 24. Carlos Wilcox was able to get the punt off this time, a fair catch on the 45 yard boot setting Louisiana Tech up at their 36.

    Coming out passing, Brothers completed two passes to Anderson for gains of 5 and 8 yards, getting a quick first down at the 49 yard line. With the clock dropping under two minutes to play, Brothers found Pearson for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 10 yard pass to Mark Rose for another first down at our 36. After two incomplete passes, Brothers connected with Hoffman for 10 yards, but the officials marked him short of the marker, leaving fourth and inches at the 26 yard line. Going for it on fourth down, Brothers found Hoffman for 17 yards to set up first and goal at our 9 yard line. The defense got to Brothers on the next play, sacking him for a loss of 7 yards, leaving second and goal at the 16. Brothers was able to recover the lost yardage, finding Pearson for an 8 yard gain, bringing up third and goal at the 8 yard line with just 1:02 left in the game. Louisiana Tech would finally get back into the end zone, as Humphrey pulled down the 8 yard touchdown pass from Brothers, cutting our lead to 24-14 with 53 seconds to go.

    Bobby Smith recovered the onside kick for us, sending the offense out at the LTU 46 yard line to kneel out the final 50 seconds. The Bulldogs apparently weren’t content with just throwing in the towel, calling their first timeout after the play to stop the clock with 49 seconds to go. Since they weren’t ready to give up, we came out passing on second down, which proved to be a mistake, as Stephens was once again sacked for a 9 yard loss, leaving third and 21 at the 43 yard line, LTU’s second timeout stopping play with 46 seconds to go. Oliver stuck the knife in the heart, hauling in deep pass from Stephens for a 28 yard gain and a first down at the LTU 29 yard line. The Bulldogs called their final timeout, stopping the clock with 41 seconds to go. With no timeouts remaining for Louisiana Tech, Stephens was finally able to take to a knee one time and run out the clock on our 24-14 win over the Bulldogs.

    With the win, we improve to 8-4, 5-3 in C-USA action. With the loss, Louisiana Tech falls to 3-9, 2-6 in C-USA play. Up next, the long wait to see how the remaining 5-win teams play out and then where we would go for a bowl game, if we manage to hold on to a bowl slot.




    Final Score
    24, 14




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Tulsa Offense - Ignoring yet another interception (his fifth in four games), it was actually a pretty good day for Stephens, who overcame a rough start passing to end 23-37 for 250 yards. He did get sacked three times though that killed our rushing numbers. Oliver led the way on the ground with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Unfortunately his numbers were torpedoed in the team stats thanks to negative 30 yards by Stephens in the three sacks, negative 5 yards by Silva, negative 7 yards by Newman, negative 11 yards by right guard Carter and negative 6 yards by fullback Robert Harper, those last two coming on recovered fumbles. Receiving, Jefferson was the top receiver, ending with 63 yards on four receptions. Banks at the most catches of the day, ending with five receptions for 52 yards. In all, we set a new team record, 10 different receivers caught at least one pass, seven of them ending with double digit yards for the game.

    Tulsa Defense – A bad start, no thanks to Stephens throwing the interception, but they settled down and other than the desperation drive by Louisiana Tech at the very, they held the Bulldogs virtually silent the whole day.

    Tulsa Kicking – Almost had a perfect day, but ended up 1-2 in field goal, hitting from 44 yards out, but missing from 55, a kick that needed just a hair more power to get it over the crossbar. Did end up a perfect 3-3 in PATs though.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    7 17 0 0 24
    7 0 0 7 14


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    7:20 Touchdown M. Anderson, 2 yard pass from T. Brothers (R. Moore kick) 7-0
    3:28 Touchdown W. Oliver, 9 yard run (D. Glover kick) TIED 7-7
    Second Quarter
    7:30 Touchdown R. Smith, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) 14-7
    3:16 Field Goal D. Glover, 44 yard field goal 17-7
    0:27 Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) 24-7
    Third Quarter
    --- --- --- --- ---
    Fourth Quarter
    0:53 Touchdown C. Humphrey, 7 yard pass from T. Brothers (R. Moore kick) 24-14




    Game Stats

    Tulsa Stat Louisiana Tech
    24 Score 14
    21 First Downs 10
    302 Total Offense 235
    40 - 52 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 7 - 21 - 0
    23 - 37 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 24 - 56 - 2
    250 Passing Yards 214
    3 Times Sacked 3
    8 - 17 (47%) 3rd Down Conversion 3 - 15 (20%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 3 (33%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    4 - 3 - 0 (75%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 2 - 0 (50%)
    2 Turnovers 1
    1 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 1
    21 Punt Return Yards 4
    46 Kick Return Yards 46
    369 Total Yards 285
    6 – 45.8 Punts - Average 8 - 42.8
    5 - 48 Penalties 6 - 55
    20:56 Time of Possession 15:04




    Tulsa Contract Goals Update

    Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact
    21+ points per game in each season 24
    Win 10 games in one season 8
    3300+ passing yards each season
    65% pass completions over the entire contract 58%
    Win 6 games in one season
    15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed
    3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed




    Job Security Status

    38%

  10. #990
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 Notre Dame clinches their spot in the title game with a dominating 55-31 win over #3 USC to capture the Jeweled Shillelagh. Notre Dame had a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, some back and forth scoring saw Notre Dame take a 24-10 halftime lead. USC was able to chip into it a little, as the Irish lead 34-24 after the third quarter. But a 21-7 fourth quarter scoring advantage won it for the Irish, as the Trojan couldn't keep it up. Meanwhile, #2 Arkansas State keeps their BCS title game hopes alive, scoring on a 5 yard run with 1:22 left in the game to hold off Troy, 24-17.

    Bedlam ends in bedlam, as #21 Oklahoma State whoops #4 Oklahoma 49-21. #5 Virginia Tech gets a 41-21 win over #15 Virginia. #6 Iowa holds off a late comeback, slipping past #12 Nebraska 21-19. It was #17 Auburn taking the Iron Bowl this year, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead and rolled to a 24-10 win over #7 Alabama. #8 Miami escapes with a 42-38 win over North Carolina, the Hurricanes scoring the 28 yard game-winning touchdown pass with 59 seconds left in the game. Western Kentucky scores a huge upset, taking out #9 BYU's BCS hopes with a 33-17 win. #10 Michigan State edges out Wisconsin 24-21.

    It was insanity at The Game, as #11 Ohio State an #19 Michigan went to double overtime after Ohio State knotted up the score with 1:42 left in the game. Ohio State had a 17-14 lead after one, it was tied up 24-24 at halftime, Michigan led 31-24 after three quarters, Ohio State tied it up midway through the fourth, Michigan retook the lead with 5 minutes to play, and then Ohio State had the touchdown at 1:42 to go to force overtime. Michigan opened up the OT period with a two yard touchdown run, to which Ohio State promptly answered with a 25 yard touchdown pass. The Buckeyes then turned around, drove down and scored with a two yard touchdown run, Michigan unable to punch in the equalizer, handing the Buckeyes the win in a 52-45 double OT thriller.

    Georgia Tech knocks off #13 Georgia 38-7. Clemson picks up a rivalry win, taking down #14 South Carolina 45-21. Texas scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, throwing the game-winning 9 yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds to go, to knock off #16 TCU. Florida gets to .500 and keeps their bowl hopes alive, knocking off rival #18 Florida State 34-24. #20 Mississippi State broke their three game losing streak, beating rival Ole Miss 30-13 to close out the regular season. #22 Southern Miss pulls out a 34-13 win over Marshall. Despite one hell of a fight by Sparky, #23 Arizona proved to be too much for Arizona State, as the Wildcats won 45-35 to extinguish ASU's bowl hopes. Eastern Michigan makes it to bowl eligibility, upsetting #25 Northern Illinois 20-17.

    For our readers, souljahbill, #22 Southern Miss improves to 11-1 (7-1 C-USA) with a 34-13 win over Marshall, clinching their spot in the C-USA title game. Jaymo, Arizona State put up a hell of a fight, but falls to 5-7 (4-5 Pac-12) with a 45-35 loss to #23 Arizona, eliminating the Sun Devils bowl hopes. Mors, West Virginia sees their bowl hopes end, falling to 4-7 (3-5 Big 12), with a 38-31 loss to Texas Tech. Jeff, #11 Ohio State closes out the regular season 11-1 (9-0 Big Ten) with one hell of a wild 52-45 double overtime win over #19 Michigan. Check out the Top 25 recap for the details. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 11-0 (6-0 Sun Belt) with a 24-17 win over Troy.

    In C-USA action, Tulsa beats Louisiana Tech 24-14, #22 Southern Miss beats Marshall 34-13, UTEP gets a 20-10 win over North Texas, Florida International goes 6-2 to end the year after a disastrous 0-4 start to get bowl eligible, beating Florida Atlantic 45-21, UAB beats MTSU 28-23, and in non-conference rivalry action, Texas State gets a 31-28 win over UTSA.

    With those results, in the East Division, #22 Southern Miss (7-1) claims the division over Marshall (6-2). In the West Division, UTEP (6-2) claims the division over Rice and Tulsa (both 5-3). That sets up the battle in the C-USA Championship Game, UTEP on the road at Southern Miss.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (12-0) and #2 Arkansas State (11-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (36 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (25 votes) remains #2. Virginia Tech moves up two to #3, Iowa jumps two to #4 and Miami climbs three to #5. USC falls three to #6, Ohio State jumps four to #7, Michigan State climbs two to #8, Oklahoma falls five to #9 and Auburn jumps seven to #10. Alabama falls four to #11, Oklahoma State leaps nine to #12, BYU drops four to #13, Mississippi State climbs six to #14 and Southern Miss jumps seven to #15. Virginia falls one to #16, Georgia Tech enters the poll this week at #17, Arizona jumps five to #18, Nebraska falls seven to #19 and San Diego State climbs four to #20. Georgia falls eight to #21, Oregon enters the poll at #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, TCU drops eight spots to #24 and Kansas State re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were South Carolina (from #14), Florida State (from #18), Michigan (from #19) and Northern Illinois (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan (228 votes) is #26, followed by LSU (202), Northwestern (143), Colorado State (85) and Houston (69).

    Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (38 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (27 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech climbs two to #3, Iowa moves up three to #4 and Miami jumps four to #5. USC falls three to #6, Michigan State climbs three to #7, Ohio State climbs three to #8, Auburn leaps eight to #9 and Oklahoma State vaults eleven spots to #10. Oklahoma drops seven spots to #11, Alabama falls six to #12, BYU drops five to #13, Mississippi State climbs five to #14 and Virginia drops three to #15. Southern Miss moves up six spots to #16, Arizona jumps six to #17, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #18, San Diego State climbs to #19 and Nebraska drops seven to #20. Oregon enters the poll at #21, Georgia drops eight spots to #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, Michigan falls six to #24 and TCU drops nine to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were South Carolina (from #14), Florida State (from #18) and Arkansas (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, LSU (243 votes) is #26, followed by Colorado State (194), Northwestern (189), Kansas State (186) and South Florida (106) to round out the Top 30. Others teams getting votes this week includes Air Force (78) and Houston (36).

    Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.989), #4 Iowa (0.984), #5 Miami (0.978), #6 USC (0.973), #7 Michigan State (0.965), #8 Auburn (0.954), #9 Ohio State (0.953) and #10 Alabama (0.943).

    Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #2), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #3 (LW: #5), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #3), USC HB Blake Cross at #5 (LW: #4) . No one fell off the Heisman Watch list this week.

    Looking at the bowl picture, 9 teams were knocked out this week as they hit 7 losses, but many more made it in. 72 teams have reached the 6 win plateau, 3 teams still have a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave as many as 75 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

    Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on #20 San Diego State (8-3, 5-3) out of the Mountain West. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl would feature #15 Southern Miss (11-1, 7-1 C-USA) matching up with Houston (8-4, 5-3 Big East). #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12).

    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) against #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has South Carolina (7-5, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #5 Miami (9-3, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #3 Virginia Tech (10-1, 8-1 ACC) matching up with #10 Auburn (9-3, 6-3 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #12 Oklahoma State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) and #4 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (11-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (12-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.

  11. #991
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    A bye week on the last week of the season, lets jump right into it. Starting in the Top 25, #2 Arkansas State punches their ticket to crash the BCS Championship game, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 34-10. #9 Oklahoma won the game of the week, beating #24 TCU 42-34 thanks to a 28-0 fourth quarter. #12 Oklahoma State held on for a 42-34 win over Texas Tech. #13 BYU barely edged out UMass, 38-35. Boise State knocked off #20 San Diego State 38-27. #23 Texas beat West Virginia 36-17 and #25 Kansas State beat Iowa State 31-24.

    For our readers, souljahbill, #22 Southern Miss remains 11-1 (7-1 C-USA) with a bye week ahead of the C-USA title game. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 5-7 (4-5 Pac-12) with a bye week, their season done. Mors, West Virginia falls to 4-8 (3-6 Big 12), with a 36-17 loss to #23 Texas. Jeff, #11 Ohio State remains 11-1 (9-0 Big Ten) with a bye week ahead of the Big Ten title game. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 11-0 (6-0 Sun Belt) with a 24-17 win over Troy.

    No C-USA action this week, the conference done for the season.

    In the conference race, in the East Division, #22 Southern Miss (7-1) claims the division over Marshall (6-2). In the West Division, UTEP (6-2) claims the division over Rice and Tulsa (both 5-3). That sets up the battle in the C-USA Championship Game, UTEP on the road at Southern Miss.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (12-0) and #2 Arkansas State (12-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (39 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (22 votes) remains #2. Virginia Tech remains #3, Iowa remains #4 and Miami remains #5. USC remains #6, Ohio State remains #7, Michigan State remains #8, Oklahoma remains #9 and Auburn remains #10. Alabama remains #11, Oklahoma State remains #12, BYU remains #13, Mississippi State remains #14 and Southern Miss remains #15. Virginia remains #16, Georgia Tech remains #17, Arizona remains #18, Nebraska remains #19 and Georgia climbs one to #20. Oregon climbs one to #21, Texas jumps one to #22, Kansas State climbs two to #23, Michigan re-enters the poll at #24 and LSU enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were San Diego State (from #20) and TCU (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northwestern (220 votes) is #26, followed by Houston (159), Air Force (139), South Florida (128) and Florida State (60) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Northern Illinois (48), Hawaii (25) and Texas State (19).

    Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (41 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (24 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech remains #3, Iowa
    remains #4 and Miami remains #5. USC remains #6, Michigan State remains #7, Ohio State remains #8, Auburn remains #9 and Oklahoma climbs one to #10. Oklahoma State falls one to #11, Alabama remains #12, BYU remains #13, Mississippi State remains #14 and Virginia remains #15. Southern Miss remains #16, Arizona remains #17, Georgia Tech remains #18, Nebraska climbs one to #19 and Oregon jumps on to #20. Georgia climbs one to #21, Texas jumps one to #22, Michigan moves up one to #23, LSU enters the poll at #24 and Kansas State enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were San Diego State (from #19) and TCU (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northwestern (235 votes) is #26, followed by Air Force (183), South Florida (169), Houston (96) and Texas State (50) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Hawaii (39) and Northern Illinois (12).

    Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.989), #4 Iowa (0.984), #5 Miami (0.978), #6 USC (0.973), #7 Michigan State (0.965), #8 Auburn (0.954), #9 Ohio State (0.953) and #10 Alabama (0.943).

    Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #2), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #3 (LW: #3), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #4) and USC HB Blake Cross at #5 (LW: #5) . No one fell off the Heisman Watch list this week.

    Looking at the bowl picture, 2 teams saw their bowl bids end, one made it in. 73 teams have reached the 6 win plateau to become bowl eligible, leaving 73 teams fighting for 68 bowl slots.

    Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on Boise State (8-4, 5-4) out of the Mountain West. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl would feature #15 Southern Miss (11-1, 7-1 C-USA) matching up with Houston (8-4, 5-3 Big East). #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12).

    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) against #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has South Carolina (7-5, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #5 Miami (9-3, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #3 Virginia Tech (11-1, 8-1 ACC) matching up with #10 Auburn (9-3, 6-3 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #12 Oklahoma State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) and #4 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (11-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (12-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 04-12-2013 at 06:27 AM.

  12. #992
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Conference Championship Week


    Conference Winning Team Record Score Losing Team Record
    (3) 12-1 (9-1) 32-28 8-5 (7-3)
    10-3 (9-0) 35-25 8-5 (5-4)
    (7) 12-1 (10-0) 42-14 (4) 10-3 (7-3)
    (15) 12-1 (8-1) 38-22 8-5 (6-3)
    8-5 (7-3) 42-35 9-4 (7-3)
    (6) 11-2 (10-0) 42-13 (21) 9-4 (6-4)
    (14) 10-3 (7-3) 31-7 7-6 (7-3)







  13. #993
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Man, just think of where Ohio State would be in the national title race right now if they hadn't gotten their asses whooped 42-0 by 6-6 Troy back in the third week of the season.

    As for who ended up where in the bowl games, you'll have to wait and see. Time for me to hit the sack. Later on this afternoon I'll get around to typing up the Pre-Bowl Games Update, the Conference Champions list and then the Bowl Season Rundown. Until then, keeping it all a mystery wrapped up in suspense.

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    Pre-Bowl Games Update




    Final BCS Standings


    Spoiler: show
    Rank LW Team Wins Losses Points
    1 1 Notre Dame 12 0 1.000
    2 2 Arkansas State 12 0 .995
    3 3 Virginia Tech 12 1 .986
    4 9 Ohio State 12 1 .986
    5 5 Miami (FL) 9 3 .978
    6 6 USC 11 2 .973
    7 7 Michigan State 9 3 .967
    8 8 Auburn 9 3 .959
    9 10 Alabama 9 3 .949
    10 11 Oklahoma 10 2 .948
    11 12 Oklahoma State 10 2 .935
    12 4 Iowa 10 3 .934
    13 13 Mississippi State 19 3 .923
    14 14 BYU 10 2 .911
    15 15 Virginia 9 3 .899
    16 16 Georgia Tech 8 4 .894
    17 17 Southern Miss 12 1 .891
    18 18 Nebraska 8 4 .884
    19 19 Arizona 9 3 .880
    20 20 Georgia 8 4 .875
    21 21 Michigan 8 4 .856
    22 23 Texas 8 4 .853
    23 24 LSU 8 4 .842
    24 25 Kansas State 8 4 .839
    25 --- Northwestern 8 4 .827










    Conference Standings


    Spoiler: show
    * - Played in Conference Championship Game


    ACC


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    Atlantic Division
    #1 Florida State* 8-5 .610 7-3 406 365 6-0
    #2 Wake Forest 7-5 .580 5-4 384 304 4-2
    #3 Clemson 7-5 .580 4-5 420 264 3-3
    #4 Boston College 5-7 .410 4-5 317 362 3-3
    #5 Syracuse 5-7 .410 3-6 275 332 3-3
    #6 NC State 5-7 .410 3-6 298 308 2-4
    #7 Louisville 4-8 .330 1-8 338 414 0-6
    Coastal Division
    #1 (3) Virginia Tech* 12-1 .920 9-1 447 225 5-1
    #2 (5) Miami (FL) 9-3 .750 7-2 383 278 4-2
    #3 (15) Virginia 9-3 .750 6-3 416 297 4-2
    #4 (16) Georgia Tech 8-4 .660 5-4 335 246 3-3
    #5 Pittsburgh 6-6 .500 5-4 333 297 2-4
    #6 North Carolina 6-6 .500 4-5 420 381 3-3
    #7 Duke 2-10 .160 1-8 258 445 0-6








    Big 12


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against
    #1 (11) Oklahoma State 10-2 .830 7-2 488 271
    #2 (10) Oklahoma 10-2 .830 7-2 441 295
    #3 (22) Texas 8-4 .660 7-2 466 307
    #4 (24) Kansas State 8-4 .660 5-4 379 349
    #5 Texas Tech 7-5 .580 5-4 429 394
    #6 TCU 7-5 .580 5-4 399 371
    #7 Iowa State 4-8 .330 3-6 329 351
    #8 West Virginia 4-8 .330 3-6 311 321
    #9 Baylor 4-8 .330 3-6 363 362
    #10 Kansas 1-11 .080 0-9 261 479








    Big East

    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    American Division
    #1 Cincinnati 8-4 .660 5-3 341 206 2-3
    #2 Connecticut 6-6 .500 5-3 355 327 4-1
    #3 Houston* 8-5 .610 504 416 349 4-1
    #4 Navy 6-6 .500 4-4 309 345 2-3
    #5 East Carolina 5-7 .410 4-4 338 341 2-3
    #6 Central Florida 4-8 .330 2-6 232 306 1-4
    National Division
    #1 South Florida 10-3 .760 9-0 425 265 5-0
    #2 SMU 8-4 .660 6-2 377 359 4-1
    #3 Temple 6-6 .500 4-4 280 266 2-3
    #4 Army 4-8 .330 3-5 273 344 2-3
    #5 Tulane 1-11 .080 1-7 271 383 1-4
    #6 Memphis 1-11 .080 1-7 217 458 1-4







    Big Ten


    Spoiler: show

    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    Leaders Division
    #1 (4) Ohio State* 12-1 .920 10-0 369 243 6-0
    #2 Penn State 6-6 .500 5-4 288 322 4-2
    #3 Rutgers 4-8 .360 4-5 278 305 3-3
    #4 Maryland 6-6 .500 3-6 284 316 2-4
    #5 Illinois 5-7 .410 3-6 319 372 3-3
    #6 Indiana 4-8 .330 2-7 287 339 2-4
    #7 Purdue 4-8 .330 2-7 271 317 1-5
    Legends Division
    #1 (7) Michigan State 9-3 .750 7-2 341 253 4-2
    #2 (12) Iowa* 10-3 .760 7-3 405 306 5-1
    #3 (21) Michigan 8-4 .660 6-3 400 358 4-2
    #4 (25) Northwestern 8-4 .660 6-3 347 381 3-3
    #5 (18) Nebraska 8-4 .660 6-3 381 237 3-3
    #6 Wisconsin 5-7 .410 3-6 378 329 2-4
    #7 Minnesota 2-10 .160 0-9 239 449 0-6








    Conference USA


    Spoiler: show

    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    East Division
    #1 (17) Southern Miss* 12-1 .920 8-1 466 259 4-1
    #2 Marshall 8-4 .660 6-2 377 209 4-1
    #3 Florida International 6-6 .500 5-3 365 358 3-2
    #4 UAB 3-9 .250 2-6 292 417 2-3
    #5 Florida Atlantic 3-9 .250 2-6 261 377 1-4
    #6 Middle Tennessee State 3-9 .250 2-6 235 385 1-4
    West Division
    #1 UTEP 8-5 .610 6-3 379 317 4-1
    #2 Rice 7-5 .580 5-3 285 306 3-2
    #3 Tulsa 8-4 .660 5-3 292 234 3-2
    #4 North Texas 4-8 .330 3-5 214 278 2-3
    #5 UTSA 4-8 .330 3-5 292 369 2-3
    #6 Louisiana Tech 3-9 .250 2-6 291 374 1-4








    Independents


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against
    #1 (1) Notre Dame 12-0 1.000 --- 500 192








    MAC


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    East Division
    #1 Kent State* 8-5 .610 7-3 380 347 4-1
    #2 Ohio 7-5 .580 6-3 311 253 4-1
    #3 Akron 6-6 .500 5-4 304 379 3-2
    #4 Bowling Green 5-7 .410 3-6 333 338 2-3
    #5 Buffalo 3-9 .250 3-6 311 391 1-4
    #6 Miami University 3-9 .250 2-7 268 376 1-4
    West Division
    #1 Northern Illinois* 9-4 .690 7-3 402 297 4-1
    #2 Toledo 7-5 .580 6-3 361 280 4-1
    #3 Eastern Michigan 6-6 .500 5-4 296 310 3-2
    #4 Western Michigan 5-7 .410 5-4 286 340 2-3
    #5 Central Michigan 4-8 .330 3-6 335 416 1-4
    #6 Ball State 3-9 .250 3-6 270 430 1-4








    Mountain West


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against
    #1 Air Force 9-3 .750 8-1 373 275
    #2 Hawaii 8-4 .660 7-2 349 282
    #3 Colorado State 8-4 .660 6-3 389 263
    #4 Boise State 8-4 .660 5-4 404 248
    #5 San Diego State 8-4 .660 5-4 365 288
    #6 Fresno State 7-5 .580 5-4 416 243
    #7 Nevada 5-7 .410 5-4 311 327
    #8 UNLV 3-9 .250 2-7 243 343
    #9 San Jose State 2-10 .160 1-8 185 420
    #10 Utah State 2-10 .160 1-8 222 416








    Pac-12


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    North Division
    #1 Oregon* 9-4 .690 6-4 451 379 4-1
    #2 Cal 7-5 .580 5-4 421 379 5-0
    #3 Stanford 6-6 .500 4-5 354 339 2-3
    #4 Oregon State 5-7 .410 4-5 294 356 2-3
    #5 Washington 5-7 .410 3-6 345 386 2-3
    #6 Washington State 2-10 .160 1-8 268 454 0-5
    South Division
    #1 (6) USC* 11-2 .840 10-0 600 301 5-0
    #2 (19) Arizona 9-3 .750 7-2 410 331 3-2
    #3 Utah 9-3 .750 6-3 406 315 3-2
    #4 Arizona State 5-7 .410 4-5 445 437 1-4
    #5 Colorado 4-8 .330 3-6 322 380 3-2
    #6 UCLA 3-9 .250 2-7 287 453 0-5









    SEC


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against Division Record
    East Division
    #1 (20) Georgia 8-4 .660 7-2 380 264 5-1
    #2 South Carolina* 7-6 .530 7-3 352 373 6-0
    #3 Missouri 5-7 .410 4-5 401 387 4-2
    #4 Tennessee 6-6 .500 4-5 283 243 3-3
    #5 Kentucky 6-6 .500 4-5 314 387 1-5
    #6 Florida 6-6 .500 3-6 329 285 1-5
    #7 Vanderbilt 5-7 .410 2-7 286 335 1-5
    West Division
    #1 (13) Mississippi State* 10-3 .760 7-3 378 287 4-2
    #2 (8) Auburn 9-3 .750 6-3 398 248 4-2
    #3 (9) Alabama 9-3 .750 6-3 385 253 5-1
    #4 (23) LSU 8-4 .660 5-4 375 310 3-3
    #5 Arkansas 7-5 .580 4-5 409 341 3-3
    #6 Texas A&M 6-6 .500 4-5 413 407 2-4
    #7 Ole Miss 2-10 .160 1-8 292 404 0-6








    Sun Belt


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against
    #1 Arkansas State 12-0 1.000 7-0 409 257
    #2 (14) BYU 10-2 .840 5-2 373 203
    #3 Texas State 9-3 .750 4-3 395 297
    #4 Western Kentucky 7-5 .580 4-3 326 238
    #5 Troy 6-6 .500 3-4 365 208
    #6 UL Lafayette 3-9 .250 3-4 239 369
    #7 UMass 2-10 .160 2-5 213 472
    #8 UL Monroe 1-11 .080 0-7 224 440








    WAC


    Spoiler: show
    Rank Team Record Percentage Conference Record Points For Points Against
    #1 Idaho 9-3 .750 2-1 306 259
    #2 Wyoming 8-4 .660 2-1 355 266
    #3 New Mexico 5-7 .410 1-2 334 296
    #4 New Mexico State 3-9 .250 1-2 228 371










    Heisman Memorial Trophy


    Spoiler: show



    Rank Player Position Team 1st 2nd 3rd Total
    #1 Joel Nolan HB Georgia 402 234 118 1792
    #2 Jordan Cooke QB Notre Dame 222 284 207 1441
    #3 Blake Cross HB USC 111 177 281 968
    #4 Brandon Terrell HB Georgia Tech 32 44 106 290
    #5 Jay Smith HB Virginia Tech 13 32 49 152










    Award Winners


    Spoiler: show
    Award Player Position Team Year
    Joel Nolan HB Georgia Senior
    Maxwell Jordan Cooke QB Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    Walter Camp Joel Nolan HB Georgia Senior
    Bednarik Kevin Hall ROLB Arizona Senior (RS)
    Nagurski Charlie Parker LOLB Marshall Senior
    O'Brien Jordan Cooke QB Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    Walker Joel Nolan HB Georgia Senior
    Biletnikoff McKinley Thornton WR Texas Senior
    Mackey Eric Cummings TE Northern Illinois Junior (RS)
    Outland Zac Hollis LG Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    Rimington Adam Lewis C USC Senior (RS)
    Lombardi Aaron Perkinds RE Virginia Tech Senior (RS)
    Best LB Charlie Parker LOLB Marshall Senior
    Thorpe Scott Lambert CB Arizona Junior (RS)
    Groza Jarvis Williams K Nebraska Senior (RS)
    Guy Brian Washington P Texas Senior (RS)
    Best Returner Joel McCoy WR Oregon Senior (RS)










    All Americans


    Spoiler: show
    All-NCAA


    1st Team


    Spoiler: show
    Position Player Team Year
    Offense
    QB Jordan Cooke Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    HB Joel Nolan Georgia Senior
    HB Blake Cross USC Senior (RS)
    WR Andrew Moss Florida State Senior (RS)
    WR Marcus Owns Texas State Senior (RS)
    TE Eric Cummings Northern Illinois Junior (RS)
    LT Maurice Randolph Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    LG Evan Jones Ohio State Senior (RS)
    LG Zac Hollis Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    C Adam Lewis USC Senior (RS)
    RT Stephen Richardson USC Senior
    Defense
    LE Dane Malone Virginia Tech Junior (RS)
    RE Aaron Perkins Virginia Tech Senior (RS)
    DT Antonio Hayes Virginia Senior (RS)
    DT Corey Johnson Ohio State Sophomore (RS)
    LOLB Kyler Smith USC Senior (RS)
    LOLB Charlie Parker Marshall Senior
    MLB Troy Simmons Georgia Tech Senior (RS)
    CB Doug Horne Iowa Senior (RS)
    CB Dan Hickman Oregon Senior (RS)
    FS Matt Neal Ohio State Junior (RS)
    SS Corey Taylor Georgia Junior
    K Jarvis Williams Nebraska Senior (RS)
    P Vernon Barnett Ohio State Sophomore (RS)
    Returner Demetrius Carlson Texas Tech Senior (RS)








    2nd Team


    Spoiler: show
    Position Player Team Year
    Offense
    QB Bo Wade Michigan State Senior (RS)
    HB Brandon Terrell Georgia Tech Sophomore (RS)
    HB Jay Smith Virginia Tech Senior (RS)
    WR McKinley Thornton Texas Senior
    WR Brandon Bailey Cal Senior
    TE Greg Flowers South Florida Junior (RS)
    LT Kevin Galloway Oregon Senior (RS)
    C Terrance Rodgers Michigan State Senior (RS)
    RG Marcus Holley Notre Dame Senior (RS)
    RG Adrian Webb Ohio State Senior
    RT Akeem Pace Ohio State Junior
    Defense
    LE Anthony Walker Iowa Senior (RS)
    RE Spencer Jackson Ohio State Sophomore (RS)
    DT John Stephens Iowa Senior (RS)
    DT Carl Landrum BYU Junior
    LOLB Gerard Goss Mississippi State Senior (RS)
    MLB Travis Hamilton Oklahoma Senior (RS)
    ROLB Nate Smith Texas Tech Junior (RS)
    CB Tom Smith Oklahoma State Senior (RS)
    CB Charles Mansfield USC Senior (RS)
    FS Andrew Keyes Notre Dame Junior
    SS Glenn Woods Nebraska Sophomore (RS)
    K Roger Simmons Auburn Sophomore
    P Willie Merrick Alabama Sophomore
    Returner Joel McCoy Oregon Senior (RS)








    Freshman Team


    Spoiler: show
    Position Player Team Year
    Offense
    QB Andy Sampson Texas A&M Freshman
    HB Will Oliver Tulsa Freshman (RS)
    HB Justin Jones Georgia Freshman
    WR Lamar Mathis Air Force Freshman
    WR Stephen Stewart Utah Freshman
    TE Shane Weber East Carolina Freshman
    LT Mike Landry Ohio State Freshman (RS)
    LT Maurice Love USC Freshman (RS)
    LG J.J. Baker Notre Dame Freshman
    LG Courtney Baker Oklahoma Freshman (RS)
    C Pat Fine Auburn Freshman (RS)
    Defense
    RE Tom Perez Tennessee Freshman
    RE Will Lewis Notre Dame Freshman
    DT Corey Tucker Auburn Freshman
    DT Jon Nelson Nebraska Freshman
    LOLB Joe Davenport Oregon Freshman (RS)
    LOLB C.J. Lundy Wyoming Freshman
    MLB Antonio Parker Texas Freshman
    CB Brian Cook Virginia Freshman
    CB Patrick Thomas Ohio State Freshman
    FS Eric Moore Northern Illinois Freshman
    SS Colby Siegel TCU Freshman (RS)
    K Terrell Hansen Southern Miss Freshman
    P Rickey Lewis Michigan State Freshman
    Returner Spencer Sullivan Western Michigan Freshman












    All-Conference USA


    1st Team


    Spoiler: show
    Position Player Team Year
    Offense
    QB Desmond Concepcion Southern Miss Senior (RS)
    HB Jeff Robinson Florida International Junior (RS)
    HB Will Oliver Tulsa Freshman (RS)
    WR Steve Kelley Southern Miss Junior (RS)
    WR Brett Pearson Louisiana Tech Junior (RS)
    TE Mike Howell UTEP Sophomore
    LT Joe Jenson Southern Miss Junior
    LG Shedrick Taylor Southern Miss Junior (RS)
    C Travis Hearn Tulsa Senior (RS)
    RG Darrell Washington Southern Miss Junior (RS)
    RT Cameron Powers Tulsa Senior (RS)
    Defense
    RE Dennis Dudley Southern Miss Senior (RS)
    RE Gary Steward Rice Junior (RS)
    DT Anthony McRae Southern Miss Senior
    DT Anthony Christian Rice Senior (RS)
    LOLB Charlie Parker Marshall Senior
    LOLB Shannon Harrell UTEP Junior
    MLB Adam Livingston UTEP Freshman
    CB Bernard Jones Marshall Senior
    CB Brad Jackson Louisiana Tech Senior (RS)
    FS Danny Holmes UTEP Junior
    SS Brad Sullivan Southern Miss Junior (RS)
    K Terrell Hansen Southern Miss Freshman
    P Carlos Wilcox Tulsa Senior (RS)
    Returner David Lee Florida International Senior (RS)








    2nd Team


    Spoiler: show
    Position Player Team Year
    Offense
    QB Rich Livingston UTEP Sophomore
    HB Frank Wagner Southern Miss Senior (RS)
    HB Brian Baker Marshall Sophomore
    WR Rich Callahan Southern Miss Senior (RS)
    WR Ben Robertson UTEP Senior (RS)
    TE Joey Ginn Florida International Sophomore (RS)
    LT Matt O'Neal Marshall Senior (RS)
    LG Dennis Moody Tulsa Senior (RS)
    LG Chris Greene UTEP Junior
    C Landon Moody Florida International Junior (RS)
    RT Bryan Bryant Southern Miss Junior
    Defense
    LE Greg Wilkerson Tulsa Senior (RS)
    RE Steve Jones UTEP Junior
    DT Kevin Williams Louisiana Tech Junior (RS)
    DT Chris Peoples Tulsa Senior (RS)
    MLB Albert Lowe Marshall Junior (RS)
    ROLB Dustin Petty Southern Miss Senior
    ROLB Cedric Sampson Florida International Junior (RS)
    CB Chad Williams Southern Miss Sophomore (RS)
    CB Bobby Christian Rice Junior
    FS Maurice Tate Florida Atlantic Senior (RS)
    SS Ryan Sullivan Rice Sophomore (RS)
    K David Glover Tulsa Freshman
    P James Carter Marshall Senior (RS)
    Returner Kris Scott Florida Atlantic Senior






  15. #995
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    What in the hell are they putting in the water in Georgia? A Georgia HB wins the Heisman Trophy for the third year in a row, to go along with three straight Walter Camps and three straight Walkers. Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke meanwhile ends up runner-up in the Heisman voting for a second year in a row.

  16. #996
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    2017 Conference Champions


    Conference Team Record Conference Record CCG Loser Record Conference Record
    12-1 9-1 8-5 7-3
    10-2 7-2
    10-3 9-0 8-5 5-4
    12-1 10-0 10-3 7-3
    12-1 8-1 8-5 6-3
    8-5 7-3 9-4 7-3
    9-3 8-1
    11-2 10-0 9-4 6-4
    10-3 7-3 7-6 7-3
    12-0 7-0
    9-3 2-1




  17. #997
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    2017 Bowl Season Rundown


    Bowl Game Conference Record Team Team Record Conference Date/Result
    7-5 (5-4) vs. 6-6 (4-4) 12/15 - 3:00PM
    7-5 (6-3) vs. 7-5 (4-3) 12/17 - 2:00PM
    7-5 (5-3) vs. (14) 10-2 (5-2) 12/17 - 8:30PM
    8-5 (6-3) vs. 6-6 (5-3) 12/20 - 8:00PM
    6-6 (5-4) vs. 8-4 (7-2) 12/21 - 5:00PM
    7-5 (5-4) vs. 9-3 (8-1) 12/22 - 8:00PM
    6-6 (5-3) vs. 6-6 (4-5) 12/24 - 3:00PM
    8-4 (6-3) vs. 7-5 (4-5) 12/26 - 4:30PM
    6-6 (3-6) vs. 8-5 (7-3) 12/27 - 2:00PM
    7-5 (5-4) vs. 8-4 (6-2) 12/27 - 4:30PM
    7-5 (6-3) vs. 6-6 (4-5) 12/28 - 4:30PM
    7-5 (5-4) vs. 9-3 (6-3) 12/28 - 5:00PM
    8-4 (5-4) (24) vs. (19) 9-3 (7-2) 12/29 - 8:00PM
    10-3 (9-0) vs. (15) 9-3 (6-3) 12/29 - 8:00PM
    7-5 (5-4) vs. (18) 8-4 (6-3) 12/30 - 6:00PM
    7-5 (4-5) vs. 6-6 (5-4) 12/30 - 8:30PM
    9-4 (6-4) vs. (16) 8-4 (5-4) 12/31 - 12:00PM
    8-4 (5-3) vs. 8-4 (5-4) 12/31 - 12:00PM
    8-4 (5-3) vs. (17) 12-1 (8-1) 12/31 - 2:00PM
    6-6 (5-4) vs. 6-6 (4-5) 12/31 - 2:00PM
    9-3 (6-3) (9) vs. 8-5 (7-3) 12/31 - 7:30PM
    8-4 (5-4) vs. 6-6 (4-5) 12/31 - 8:00PM
    7-6 (7-3) vs. (21) 8-4 (6-3) 1/1 - 11:00AM
    8-4 (7-2) (20) vs. (12) 10-3 (7-3) 1/1 - 1:00PM
    :TaxSlayer_Gator: 8-4 (5-4) (23) vs. (25) 8-4 (6-3) 1/1 - 1:00PM
    8-4 (6-2) vs. 6-6 (3-6) 1/1 - 3:30PM
    9-3 (6-3) (8) vs. (22) 8-4 (7-2) 1/4 - 8:00PM
    8-4 (5-4) vs. 6-6 (4-5) 1/6 - 2:00PM
    9-4 (7-3) vs. 9-3 (4-3) 1/6 - 6:00PM





    2017 BCS Bowls


    Bowl Game Conference Record Team Team Record Conference Date/Result
    12-1 (10-0) (4) vs. (6) 11-2 (10-0) 1/1 - 5:00PM
    10-3 (7-3) (13) vs. (10) 10-2 (7-2) 1/2 - 8:00PM
    12-1 (9-1) (3) vs. (7) 9-3 (7-2) 1/3 - 8:00PM
    10-2 (7-2) (11) vs. (5) 9-3 (7-2) 1/4 - 8:00PM
    12-0 (7-0) (2) vs. (1) 12-0 (0-0) Independent 1/7 - 8:00PM


    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 04-12-2013 at 11:20 PM.

  18. #998
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    So there you have it. Tulsa makes a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl to take on Boise State, giving fans an early preview of the 2019/2020 match-ups. Southern Miss takes on Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl, Ohio State meets up with USC in the Rose Bowl.

    #1 Notre Dame takes on #2 Arkansas State in the National Championship Game.

    Looking through the standings, 73 teams made it bowl eligible with only 68 slots. Five teams got screwed this year.

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

    Big East

    - (6-6)


    MAC

    - (6-6)


    Sun Belt

    - (6-6)


    WAC

    - (9-3)
    - (8-4)


    So, there you go. Navy, Idaho and Wyoming all get screwed out of a bowl game for a second straight year. Despite picking up 3 wins in their last 5 games, a 24-21 loss to Bowling Green in the last game of the year screws Akron out of a bowl game with their 6-6 record (I'm very disappointed in this, I was rooting for Akron to get to 6 wins and get a bowl berth, but the bowl gods screw them over in the end). Navy also gets screwed out of a bowl game thanks to a 38-31 season-ending loss to East Carolina.

  19. #999
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    Armed Forces Bowl

    VS



    Game Notes

    --- Here we were once again, the conclusion of another season. A rough ending to the season saw us end up third in the West Division and drop down into the Armed Forces Bowl and a matchup with Boise State. This game would set the tone for the 2019 and 2020 home and home between the Broncos and Golden Hurricane.

    To put it simply, we were going to have our hands full! Boise State entered the game #25 in points per game (33.6 points/game), #11 in total offense (454.5 yards/game), #19 in rush offense (210.4 yards/game) and #39 in pass offense (244.0 yards/game). On the other side of the ball, the Broncos ranked #2 in the nation in total defense (314.1 yards/game), #33 in rush defense (151.8 yards/game) and #3 in the nation in pass defense (162.3 yards/game).

    As if all that didn’t already give us a sinking feeling, Boise State was ranked #1 in the nation for turnover differential, with a +19. With our offense unable to avoid fumbling the ball or throwing interceptions in the last 6 games, that number alone spelled potential disaster in the four quarters ahead. We would have to play a perfect game if we were going to win this one. We won the coin toss and elected to kick, putting our defense out and into the fire first.

    A touchback on the opening kickoff got the game underway, as Boise State started at their 25 yard line. The Broncos got the ball moving quickly, with a four yard rush by Greg Johnson, followed by an 11 yard pass from Lionel Howard to Pat Rodgers to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Our defense grew a backbone, tackling Howard for a three yard loss, then forcing an incomplete pass to leave third and 13. We would win the first battle of the game, as Howard was sacked for a 7 yard loss, leaving the Boise punt team coming out on fourth and 20. A 9 yard return by Connor Jefferson on the 44 yard punt gave us our first possession at our 36 yard line.

    Will Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, only about to get one yard on the play. Tossing the ball to the right, a couple key blocks and a slow outside linebacker allowed Oliver to get to the sideline and turn the corner, racing down the field for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the Boise State 40 yard line. Oliver never had a chance on first down, overrun by defenders for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on second down, Brad Stephens never got the ball off, the defensive end tearing through his block and sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave third and 17 at the 47. Eric Hayden would save the drive on third down, getting just enough separation from the cornerback to haul in the ball for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the 24. Returning to the ground, we still had no luck whatsoever, Oliver tackled for no gain. Returning to the air, Eric Silva made a ridiculous catch along the right hash, the throw from Stephens off-target, bouncing off the facemask of the outside linebacker. Silva didn’t give up on the play however, diving to the ground for the ball and coming up with the catch for a 7 yard gain to leave second and three. The third down pass to Randy Newman was complete, but not enough, only picking up two yards to leave fourth and two. We would end up with nothing to show for the drive, as the 33 yard field goal by Derek Glover went wide and no good, giving Boise State back the ball at their 20 yard line.

    Our defense was actually putting on a good show for a change, as Johnson was tackled for a loss of one yard on first down, followed by a pair of incomplete passes to bring out the punt team again on fourth and 11. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 50 yard punt and we were back in action at the 35. Taking the handoff on first down, Oliver was somehow able to avoid a tackled at the line of scrimmage, fighting his way forward for an 8 yard gain to leave second and two. Oliver would get the first down on the next play with a gain of four yards to the 47 yard line. Throwing a curveball at the defense, we came out running option, a play that ended up successful as a late pitch to Oliver picked up 17 yards and a first down at the Boise State 36 yard line. The success came with a penalty though, as Oliver was slow to get up after the play, diagnosed with elbow bursitis, leaving him on the bench for at least the rest of the drive. Looking to take advantage of the run, we came out in play action, but we ended up losing yards on the play, Roy Smith catching the pass from Stephens, but quickly tackled for a loss of three yards to leave second and 13. Coming out in the shotgun, a pass that was intended for Antonio Banks was off the target, but still completed as Jefferson happened to be in the right position, reaching back to grab the pass then turning and hauling ass up the sideline for a 29 yard gain and a first down at the 11 yard line. Smith had no hope on the first down carry, the defensive tackle breaking through at the snap of the ball and tackling Smith right after the handoff for a loss of three yards. Returning to the air, Carl Barnes was able to get open over the middle from the tight end spot, catching the pass from Stephens at the three yard line and diving for the end zone. He would ultimately be marked down at the one yard line for a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal on the doorstep. Coming back from his injury earlier in the drive, Oliver was met at the line of scrimmage for no gain, bringing up second and goal. Trying our luck again on the ground, Oliver was again met at the line of scrimmage, but this time was able to turn and fall forward across the goal line to strike first blood with the one yard touchdown and give us a 7-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

    A 20 yard kickoff return left Boise State starting at their 19 yard line, just 9 seconds on the clock. A 15 yard pass from Howard to Clay Scott would give the Broncos a quick first down at the 34 yard line, bringing the first quarter to a end, our lead 7-0.

    Starting the second quarter, Boise State tried to go through the air again, but the pass was batted incomplete, leaving second down. That didn’t deter the Broncos though, as Howard came right back firing on the next play, connecting with Johnson for a 24 yard gain and a first down at our 43 yard line, our touchdown awakening the sleeping giant in Boise State. A 5 yard pass to Rodgers was followed up with a two yard rush by Johnson to set up third and three. We would catch a huge break, as the third down pass intended for Sean Johnson was dropped, bringing up fourth and three at the 36. That wouldn’t stop us from shooting ourselves in the foot, as a 5 yard facemask penalty on a three yard fourth down rush gave Boise State a fresh set of downs at our 28. The defense continued to put up a fight however, tackling Johnson for a loss of three yards, before he regained those yards with a three yard rush to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass would bring up fourth and long. That didn’t stop or faze the Broncos however, as they came out firing away on fourth down, Howard connecting with Rodgers for a 21 yard gain to set up first and goal at our 7 yard line. An incomplete pass on first down was followed with a three yard rush by Howard to leave third and goal at the four. Rodgers would finish the drive off with a four yard touchdown rush, tying up the game at 7-7 with 6:46 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25. Handing off the ball on first down, Oliver picked up three yards on the play, followed by an 8 yard run to give a first down at the 37. Keeping the ball on first down, Stephens had nowhere to go as a blitz left him on his back for a three yard loss. Trying to hit Barnes over the middle on second down, the safety dropped down to bat away the ball, leaving third and 13. Trying to find Banks on third down, Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck landing incomplete to bring out the punt team. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 21.

    Howard started off the drive with a 5 yard rush, followed by an offside penalty on the defense to give Boise a free first down at their 31. The defense struck back on the next play however, sacking Howard for a 10 yard loss to leave second and 20. A dropped pass by Rodgers brought up third and very long. Howard was able to complete the third down pass to Khalif Newell, but it went for only a gain of 8 yards, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 12. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got us back on the field at the 23. Hitting the hole between the left tackle and guard, Oliver was able to bust outside and up the left sideline, picking up 24 yards on the carry before being ran down from behind at the 47 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, Oliver gained four yards, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and four. The third down pass to Newman was complete, but he got ran out of bounds for only a two yard gain, leaving fourth and two at the Boise 45. Softly booting a 34 yard punt on fourth down, Johnson called for a fair catch to leave Boise State starting at their 10 yard line with 2:40 left before half.

    Our defense couldn’t wait to screw themselves over this drive, instantly getting tagged with pass interference, the 15 free yards giving Boise a first down at the 25 yard line. Howard followed that up with a 12 yard pass to Newell, and then a 22 yard pass to Rodgers, very quickly giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Johnson took the ball on first down for a 5 yard rush and then hauled in a pass from Howard for a gain of 15 yard, setting up a first down at our 21. Howard kept the ball on the first down play, picking up 5 yards to leave second and 5. Johnson would the finish off the drive on second down, breaking outside the right tackle and taking it to the house for the 16 yard touchdown to give Boise State a 14-7 lead with 1:35 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25 yard line, just 1:27 to work with. Banks was able to pull down the first down pass from Stephens, the ball thrown just in time to avoid the rush, gaining 13 yards on the play and getting out of bounds at the 38 yard line to stop the clock with 1:22 to go. A pass to Smith picked up 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:12 to play. Firing up a pass over the middle, the ball intended for Hayden was batted down, leaving third and three at the 45. The third down pass intended for Banks was underthrown, dropping into the grass incomplete in front of Banks to bring out the punt team on fourth down. No return on the booming 50 yard punt left Boise State at their 5 yard line, just one minute to play. A three yard rush by Nick Keller, a 6 yard rush by Johnson and a dropped ball by Terry Wall left Boise State with fourth and one at their 13 yard line, just 28 seconds on the clock. A 16 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt set us up at the Boise State 41 yard line, 19 seconds left on the clock and at least a chance to get a field goal if anything.

    The first down pass intended for Jefferson was again underthrown, leaving second down, just 14 seconds to go. Throwing over the middle on second down, Newman pulled down the pass in front of the middle linebacker, able to cut up field fast enough to gain 19 yards on the play, tackled at the 22 yard line. Our last timeout stopped the clock with 9 seconds to go, just enough time for one shot at the end zone. The pass intended for Banks was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit with 5 seconds left. Glover kicked the 39 yard field goal through the uprights, cutting Boise State’s lead to 14-10 with one second left. A touchback on the kickoff brought the first half to an end, Boise State leading 14-10.

    Opening up the second half, a 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden got the third quarter started, our offense coming out at our 13 yard line. A diving tackle by the defensive end tripped up Oliver on first down, only picking up four yards on the play to leave second and 6. Keeping the ball again on second down, Oliver could only get two yards to bring up third and four. Jefferson would keep the drive alive, jumping up and pulling down the third down pass for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 28. A four yard run by Oliver on first down was followed with a 5 yard gain to bring up third and one. Oliver needed helped off the field after the play, suffering a mild concussion that would bench him for the rest of the game and end his season. Taking over for the injured Oliver, Smith took the handoff on third and one, fighting ahead for a gain of 5 and a first down at the 42. Coming out passing on first down, Jefferson was able to get the ball in his hands, but contact in the back by the cornerback jarred the ball loose, the ball nearly intercepted by the safety while falling to the ground, leaving second and long. Hayden was able to pull down a pass from Stephens for a 9 yard gain, leaving us looking at third and one. Going for it on the ground, Smith was able to convert with a four yard rush and a first down at the Boise State 45 yard line. Coming out passing, the ball originally intended for Banks ended up in the hands of Smith, as Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck grabbed out of the air by Smith and run for a 7 yard gain to set up second and three. Trying to get the first down on the ground, Smith was hit for a two yard gain, leaving third and one. Breaking up the middle of the pile, Smith rumbled ahead for a 6 yard gain, getting another first down at the Broncos 31. Passing on first down, Stephens connected with Eric Silva for a huge gain of 30 yards, setting up first and goal at the one yard line. Silva took the first down handoff, getting to the goal line before being smeared by multiple defenders to leave second down. Smith would get the job done on the next play, getting across the goal line for the one yard touchdown, taking a 17-14 lead with 3:40 left in the third quarter, the long 15 play drive chewing up nearly two-thirds of the quarter.

    A 16 yard kickoff return got Boise State lined up at their 21 yard line, looking for a response. They would fail to find one, as two incomplete passes and a 5 yard rush by Johnson brought the drive to a premature end on fourth and 5. A fair catch called by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt gave us the ball at our 26 yard line. Smith got the drive started with a 6 yard rush, followed by a rush for no gain to leave third and four. Going into the air on third down, Newman was able to haul in the pass from Stephens, but a quick tackle by the outside linebacker left a gain of just a single yard on the play, our punt team coming out on fourth and three. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 22 yard line.

    The Broncos came out firing as Howard found Quinton Moore for a 7 yard gain, but an incomplete pass and a one yard rush by Johnson would again leave Boise short, punting away on fourth and two. We caught a massive break on the punt return, as Jefferson fumbled the catch, promptly diving on the ball to recover the fumble and leave our offense starting at our 27 yard line. Smith could only get three yards on the first down carry, followed by an option play that saw Stephens immediately hit in the backfield for a loss of three yards to bring up third and long. Barely avoiding a sack, Stephens was able to get the ball off to Banks for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at the 38. That would be the last play of the quarter as the final 8 seconds ticked off the clock to bring the third quarter to end, our lead holding at 17-14.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, Smith carried the rock up the middle for a 6 yard gain before breaking loose and taking it to the house for a 56 yard touchdown. But just when we thought we had increased our lead to double digits, we got punched right in the gut, the officials calling off the play due to a holding penalty, going from a 24-14 lead to second and 13 at the 35 yard line. Passing over the middle, we were able to at least reverse the damage, the pass completed to Kyle Jones for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 49. Coming out throwing on first down, Silva made another massive play, hauling in a deep pass from Stephens and racing the safety down to the Boise State 11 yard line for a 40 yard gain. Rushing up the middle, Jones picked up four yards on the first down play, followed by a one yard loss by Smith to leave third and 7. The third down pass intended for Silva was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit on fourth down. Glover kicked the 25 yard field goal down the middle, extending our lead to 20-14 with 6:49 left in the game.

    A 16 yard kickoff return set Boise State up at their 18 yard line for their next drive. That drive would last all of one play, as cornerback Tyler Fountain stripped Johnson of the ball, promptly recovering the fumble he had just caused to give us a first down at the Boise State 19 yard line. Smith took the first down carry for a gain of 7 yards, then picked up four yards outside the right tackled to give us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Receiving the pitch from Stephens, Silva never had a chance as the defense closed off every escape route, tackling him for a loss of three yards to push us back to the 12. A second down rush by Smith resulted in a two yard gain, leaving third and goal at the 10 yard line. Going into the air, the third down pass to Jefferson went for only a three yard gain, leaving fourth and goal. Going for it on fourth down to put the game away, Silva was quickly tackled for no gain on the play, turning the ball over on downs at the Boise State 8 yard line.

    After an incomplete pass on first down, Johnson took the ball on the ground for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 18. Howard finally got back into his rhythm, connecting with Scott for a 22 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 40. Our defense again felt the need to help them out, flagged for a 15 yard facemask penalty at the end of a four yard run by Johnson, giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Keller took the ball next, picking up 7 yards on the carry, followed by a 17 yard strike from Howard to Moore to set up first down at our 16 yard line. Continuing with the air assault, Howard found Kyle Hill for a 7 yard gain, followed by an incomplete passes intended for Johnson, leaving third and three at our 9 yard line. Johnson would convert the third down, breaking free up the middle for a 9 yard rush to set up first and goal at the one. The Broncos, abandoning the run for whatever reason, found themselves facing third down after two dropped passes by Rodgers. They would then go backwards, Johnson tackled for a loss of two yards to leave fourth and goal at the three yard line. Going for it on fourth down, Johnson would redeem himself, punching through the hole outside the right guard and scoring the three yard touchdown, giving Boise State a 21-20 lead with 2:32 left in the game.

    A 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden left us buried deep, starting at our 11 yard line and limited time. The defense would make one of their biggest plays of the game on first down, getting into the backfield and sacking Stephens for a 7 yard loss before he could get the ball off to Newman. Left with second and 17, Smith would get us out of the jam, hauling in the pass for a 22 yard gain to the 26 yard line. Rushing to the line, Stephens connected with Banks for a gain of 14 and another first down at the 39. Lining right back up, Stephens hit Smith cutting across the middle for a gain of 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:22 to go. Keeping through the air, Stephens found Newman for a three yard gain and a first down, rushing back to the line. Throwing up a first down pass, Silva brought down the ball for a gain of 8 yards, leaving second and two at the 42 yard line, our second timeout called to stop play with 1:06 to go. Forced to dump the ball to avoid a sack, the pass to Silva ended up going for a loss of two yards, leaving the clock ticking. Racing back to the line, Stephens quickly snapped the ball, rifling a pass to Jones for a four yard gain and a first down, Jones getting out of bounds at the 41 yard line. Throwing a pass to Robert Harper on first down, Harper was able to pick up 5 yards on the play, but was brought down just inches away from the out of bounds line, leaving the clock ticking. Quickly spiking the ball to stop the clock, we were left facing third and 5 at the 36 yard line, just 25 seconds left on the clock. Dropping back to pass on third down, the defense brought the entire linebackers corps, sacking Stephens for a loss of 9 yards, leaving us facing fourth and 14 at the 44 yard line, our last timeout stopping the clock with 15 seconds to go. Stephens dropped back to pass on fourth down, hitting Banks along the left sideline. Banks made a cut to try and get past the cornerback and safety, but was wrapped up and rolled over just shy of the first down line for a gain of only 13 yards, turning the ball over on downs at the 31 yard line with 10 seconds to go.

    Howard took a single knee to run out the final seconds, and Boise State celebrated a 21-20 Armed Forces Bowl victory.

    With the loss, we end our 2017 season at 8-5, 5-3 in C-USA action. With the win, Boise State’s year comes to a close at 9-4, 5-4 in Mountain West play.


    Final Score
    21, 20



    Stat(s) of the Game:
    - Tulsa Offense – Finally a day with no turnovers, but we still couldn't get the win. Overall a decent day for Stephens, ending 28-36 for 308 yards. Rushing, Oliver led the way with 113 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, despite spending half the game out with a concussion. Receiving, Silva was the star of the day, ending with 83 yards on five receptions. Banks was next in line with 51 yards on four receptions. In all, 10 players caught a pass today, 8 players ending with double digit yards receiving.

    - Tulsa Defense – Hot and cold. About sums it up. Great defense in the first and third quarter. Horrible defense in the second quarter and blew it right at the end of the fourth quarter.

    - Tulsa Kicking – Glover ended 2-3 in field goals, connecting on kicks of 25 and 39 yards, but missed from 33 yards out. He did end 2-2 in PATs.



    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    7 3 7 3 20
    0 14 0 7 21


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    0:21 Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 7-0
    Second Quarter
    6:46 Touchdown P. Rogers, 4 yard run (B. Means kick) TIED 7-7
    1:35 Touchdown G. Johnson, 16 yard run (B. Means kick) 14-7
    0:01 Field Goal D. Glover, 39 yard field goal 14-10
    Third Quarter
    3:40 Touchdown R. Smith, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 17-14
    Fourth Quarter
    6:49 Field Goal D. Glover, 25 yard field goal 20-14
    2:32 Touchdown G. Johnson, 2 yard run (B. Means kick) 21-20




    Game Stats

    Tulsa Stat Boise State
    20 Score 21
    23 First Downs 13
    435 Total Offense 275
    41 - 127 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 24 - 84 - 3
    28 - 36 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 14 - 30 - 0
    308 Passing Yards 191
    3 Times Sacked 2
    7 - 15 (46%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 11 (18%)
    0 - 2 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 2 - 2 (100%)
    0 - 1 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    6 - 2 - 1 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 3 - 0 (75%)
    0 Turnovers 1
    0 Fumbles Lost 1
    0 Intercepted 0
    37 Punt Return Yards 0
    28 Kick Return Yards 52
    500 Total Yards 327
    4 – 44.5 Punts - Average 6 – 47.7
    5 - 52 Penalties 0 - 0
    19:48 Time of Possession 16:12




    Tulsa Contract Goals Update

    Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact
    21+ points per game in each season 24
    Win 10 games in one season 8
    3300+ passing yards each season
    65% pass completions over the entire contract 59%
    Win 6 games in one season
    15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed
    3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed



    Job Security Status

    38%

  20. #1000
    Heisman souljahbill's Avatar
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    Jun 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
    Armed Forces Bowl

    VS



    Game Notes

    --- Here we were once again, the conclusion of another season. A rough ending to the season saw us end up third in the West Division and drop down into the Armed Forces Bowl and a matchup with Boise State. This game would set the tone for the 2019 and 2020 home and home between the Broncos and Golden Hurricane.

    To put it simply, we were going to have our hands full! Boise State entered the game #25 in points per game (33.6 points/game), #11 in total offense (454.5 yards/game), #19 in rush offense (210.4 yards/game) and #39 in pass offense (244.0 yards/game). On the other side of the ball, the Broncos ranked #2 in the nation in total defense (314.1 yards/game), #33 in rush defense (151.8 yards/game) and #3 in the nation in pass defense (162.3 yards/game).

    As if all that didn’t already give us a sinking feeling, Boise State was ranked #1 in the nation for turnover differential, with a +19. With our offense unable to avoid fumbling the ball or throwing interceptions in the last 6 games, that number alone spelled potential disaster in the four quarters ahead. We would have to play a perfect game if we were going to win this one. We won the coin toss and elected to kick, putting our defense out and into the fire first.

    A touchback on the opening kickoff got the game underway, as Boise State started at their 25 yard line. The Broncos got the ball moving quickly, with a four yard rush by Greg Johnson, followed by an 11 yard pass from Lionel Howard to Pat Rodgers to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Our defense grew a backbone, tackling Howard for a three yard loss, then forcing an incomplete pass to leave third and 13. We would win the first battle of the game, as Howard was sacked for a 7 yard loss, leaving the Boise punt team coming out on fourth and 20. A 9 yard return by Connor Jefferson on the 44 yard punt gave us our first possession at our 36 yard line.

    Will Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, only about to get one yard on the play. Tossing the ball to the right, a couple key blocks and a slow outside linebacker allowed Oliver to get to the sideline and turn the corner, racing down the field for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the Boise State 40 yard line. Oliver never had a chance on first down, overrun by defenders for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on second down, Brad Stephens never got the ball off, the defensive end tearing through his block and sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave third and 17 at the 47. Eric Hayden would save the drive on third down, getting just enough separation from the cornerback to haul in the ball for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the 24. Returning to the ground, we still had no luck whatsoever, Oliver tackled for no gain. Returning to the air, Eric Silva made a ridiculous catch along the right hash, the throw from Stephens off-target, bouncing off the facemask of the outside linebacker. Silva didn’t give up on the play however, diving to the ground for the ball and coming up with the catch for a 7 yard gain to leave second and three. The third down pass to Randy Newman was complete, but not enough, only picking up two yards to leave fourth and two. We would end up with nothing to show for the drive, as the 33 yard field goal by Derek Glover went wide and no good, giving Boise State back the ball at their 20 yard line.

    Our defense was actually putting on a good show for a change, as Johnson was tackled for a loss of one yard on first down, followed by a pair of incomplete passes to bring out the punt team again on fourth and 11. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 50 yard punt and we were back in action at the 35. Taking the handoff on first down, Oliver was somehow able to avoid a tackled at the line of scrimmage, fighting his way forward for an 8 yard gain to leave second and two. Oliver would get the first down on the next play with a gain of four yards to the 47 yard line. Throwing a curveball at the defense, we came out running option, a play that ended up successful as a late pitch to Oliver picked up 17 yards and a first down at the Boise State 36 yard line. The success came with a penalty though, as Oliver was slow to get up after the play, diagnosed with elbow bursitis, leaving him on the bench for at least the rest of the drive. Looking to take advantage of the run, we came out in play action, but we ended up losing yards on the play, Roy Smith catching the pass from Stephens, but quickly tackled for a loss of three yards to leave second and 13. Coming out in the shotgun, a pass that was intended for Antonio Banks was off the target, but still completed as Jefferson happened to be in the right position, reaching back to grab the pass then turning and hauling ass up the sideline for a 29 yard gain and a first down at the 11 yard line. Smith had no hope on the first down carry, the defensive tackle breaking through at the snap of the ball and tackling Smith right after the handoff for a loss of three yards. Returning to the air, Carl Barnes was able to get open over the middle from the tight end spot, catching the pass from Stephens at the three yard line and diving for the end zone. He would ultimately be marked down at the one yard line for a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal on the doorstep. Coming back from his injury earlier in the drive, Oliver was met at the line of scrimmage for no gain, bringing up second and goal. Trying our luck again on the ground, Oliver was again met at the line of scrimmage, but this time was able to turn and fall forward across the goal line to strike first blood with the one yard touchdown and give us a 7-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

    A 20 yard kickoff return left Boise State starting at their 19 yard line, just 9 seconds on the clock. A 15 yard pass from Howard to Clay Scott would give the Broncos a quick first down at the 34 yard line, bringing the first quarter to a end, our lead 7-0.

    Starting the second quarter, Boise State tried to go through the air again, but the pass was batted incomplete, leaving second down. That didn’t deter the Broncos though, as Howard came right back firing on the next play, connecting with Johnson for a 24 yard gain and a first down at our 43 yard line, our touchdown awakening the sleeping giant in Boise State. A 5 yard pass to Rodgers was followed up with a two yard rush by Johnson to set up third and three. We would catch a huge break, as the third down pass intended for Sean Johnson was dropped, bringing up fourth and three at the 36. That wouldn’t stop us from shooting ourselves in the foot, as a 5 yard facemask penalty on a three yard fourth down rush gave Boise State a fresh set of downs at our 28. The defense continued to put up a fight however, tackling Johnson for a loss of three yards, before he regained those yards with a three yard rush to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass would bring up fourth and long. That didn’t stop or faze the Broncos however, as they came out firing away on fourth down, Howard connecting with Rodgers for a 21 yard gain to set up first and goal at our 7 yard line. An incomplete pass on first down was followed with a three yard rush by Howard to leave third and goal at the four. Rodgers would finish the drive off with a four yard touchdown rush, tying up the game at 7-7 with 6:46 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25. Handing off the ball on first down, Oliver picked up three yards on the play, followed by an 8 yard run to give a first down at the 37. Keeping the ball on first down, Stephens had nowhere to go as a blitz left him on his back for a three yard loss. Trying to hit Barnes over the middle on second down, the safety dropped down to bat away the ball, leaving third and 13. Trying to find Banks on third down, Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck landing incomplete to bring out the punt team. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 21.

    Howard started off the drive with a 5 yard rush, followed by an offside penalty on the defense to give Boise a free first down at their 31. The defense struck back on the next play however, sacking Howard for a 10 yard loss to leave second and 20. A dropped pass by Rodgers brought up third and very long. Howard was able to complete the third down pass to Khalif Newell, but it went for only a gain of 8 yards, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 12. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got us back on the field at the 23. Hitting the hole between the left tackle and guard, Oliver was able to bust outside and up the left sideline, picking up 24 yards on the carry before being ran down from behind at the 47 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, Oliver gained four yards, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and four. The third down pass to Newman was complete, but he got ran out of bounds for only a two yard gain, leaving fourth and two at the Boise 45. Softly booting a 34 yard punt on fourth down, Johnson called for a fair catch to leave Boise State starting at their 10 yard line with 2:40 left before half.

    Our defense couldn’t wait to screw themselves over this drive, instantly getting tagged with pass interference, the 15 free yards giving Boise a first down at the 25 yard line. Howard followed that up with a 12 yard pass to Newell, and then a 22 yard pass to Rodgers, very quickly giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Johnson took the ball on first down for a 5 yard rush and then hauled in a pass from Howard for a gain of 15 yard, setting up a first down at our 21. Howard kept the ball on the first down play, picking up 5 yards to leave second and 5. Johnson would the finish off the drive on second down, breaking outside the right tackle and taking it to the house for the 16 yard touchdown to give Boise State a 14-7 lead with 1:35 left before halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25 yard line, just 1:27 to work with. Banks was able to pull down the first down pass from Stephens, the ball thrown just in time to avoid the rush, gaining 13 yards on the play and getting out of bounds at the 38 yard line to stop the clock with 1:22 to go. A pass to Smith picked up 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:12 to play. Firing up a pass over the middle, the ball intended for Hayden was batted down, leaving third and three at the 45. The third down pass intended for Banks was underthrown, dropping into the grass incomplete in front of Banks to bring out the punt team on fourth down. No return on the booming 50 yard punt left Boise State at their 5 yard line, just one minute to play. A three yard rush by Nick Keller, a 6 yard rush by Johnson and a dropped ball by Terry Wall left Boise State with fourth and one at their 13 yard line, just 28 seconds on the clock. A 16 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt set us up at the Boise State 41 yard line, 19 seconds left on the clock and at least a chance to get a field goal if anything.

    The first down pass intended for Jefferson was again underthrown, leaving second down, just 14 seconds to go. Throwing over the middle on second down, Newman pulled down the pass in front of the middle linebacker, able to cut up field fast enough to gain 19 yards on the play, tackled at the 22 yard line. Our last timeout stopped the clock with 9 seconds to go, just enough time for one shot at the end zone. The pass intended for Banks was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit with 5 seconds left. Glover kicked the 39 yard field goal through the uprights, cutting Boise State’s lead to 14-10 with one second left. A touchback on the kickoff brought the first half to an end, Boise State leading 14-10.

    Opening up the second half, a 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden got the third quarter started, our offense coming out at our 13 yard line. A diving tackle by the defensive end tripped up Oliver on first down, only picking up four yards on the play to leave second and 6. Keeping the ball again on second down, Oliver could only get two yards to bring up third and four. Jefferson would keep the drive alive, jumping up and pulling down the third down pass for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 28. A four yard run by Oliver on first down was followed with a 5 yard gain to bring up third and one. Oliver needed helped off the field after the play, suffering a mild concussion that would bench him for the rest of the game and end his season. Taking over for the injured Oliver, Smith took the handoff on third and one, fighting ahead for a gain of 5 and a first down at the 42. Coming out passing on first down, Jefferson was able to get the ball in his hands, but contact in the back by the cornerback jarred the ball loose, the ball nearly intercepted by the safety while falling to the ground, leaving second and long. Hayden was able to pull down a pass from Stephens for a 9 yard gain, leaving us looking at third and one. Going for it on the ground, Smith was able to convert with a four yard rush and a first down at the Boise State 45 yard line. Coming out passing, the ball originally intended for Banks ended up in the hands of Smith, as Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck grabbed out of the air by Smith and run for a 7 yard gain to set up second and three. Trying to get the first down on the ground, Smith was hit for a two yard gain, leaving third and one. Breaking up the middle of the pile, Smith rumbled ahead for a 6 yard gain, getting another first down at the Broncos 31. Passing on first down, Stephens connected with Eric Silva for a huge gain of 30 yards, setting up first and goal at the one yard line. Silva took the first down handoff, getting to the goal line before being smeared by multiple defenders to leave second down. Smith would get the job done on the next play, getting across the goal line for the one yard touchdown, taking a 17-14 lead with 3:40 left in the third quarter, the long 15 play drive chewing up nearly two-thirds of the quarter.

    A 16 yard kickoff return got Boise State lined up at their 21 yard line, looking for a response. They would fail to find one, as two incomplete passes and a 5 yard rush by Johnson brought the drive to a premature end on fourth and 5. A fair catch called by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt gave us the ball at our 26 yard line. Smith got the drive started with a 6 yard rush, followed by a rush for no gain to leave third and four. Going into the air on third down, Newman was able to haul in the pass from Stephens, but a quick tackle by the outside linebacker left a gain of just a single yard on the play, our punt team coming out on fourth and three. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 22 yard line.

    The Broncos came out firing as Howard found Quinton Moore for a 7 yard gain, but an incomplete pass and a one yard rush by Johnson would again leave Boise short, punting away on fourth and two. We caught a massive break on the punt return, as Jefferson fumbled the catch, promptly diving on the ball to recover the fumble and leave our offense starting at our 27 yard line. Smith could only get three yards on the first down carry, followed by an option play that saw Stephens immediately hit in the backfield for a loss of three yards to bring up third and long. Barely avoiding a sack, Stephens was able to get the ball off to Banks for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at the 38. That would be the last play of the quarter as the final 8 seconds ticked off the clock to bring the third quarter to end, our lead holding at 17-14.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, Smith carried the rock up the middle for a 6 yard gain before breaking loose and taking it to the house for a 56 yard touchdown. But just when we thought we had increased our lead to double digits, we got punched right in the gut, the officials calling off the play due to a holding penalty, going from a 24-14 lead to second and 13 at the 35 yard line. Passing over the middle, we were able to at least reverse the damage, the pass completed to Kyle Jones for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 49. Coming out throwing on first down, Silva made another massive play, hauling in a deep pass from Stephens and racing the safety down to the Boise State 11 yard line for a 40 yard gain. Rushing up the middle, Jones picked up four yards on the first down play, followed by a one yard loss by Smith to leave third and 7. The third down pass intended for Silva was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit on fourth down. Glover kicked the 25 yard field goal down the middle, extending our lead to 20-14 with 6:49 left in the game.

    A 16 yard kickoff return set Boise State up at their 18 yard line for their next drive. That drive would last all of one play, as cornerback Tyler Fountain stripped Johnson of the ball, promptly recovering the fumble he had just caused to give us a first down at the Boise State 19 yard line. Smith took the first down carry for a gain of 7 yards, then picked up four yards outside the right tackled to give us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Receiving the pitch from Stephens, Silva never had a chance as the defense closed off every escape route, tackling him for a loss of three yards to push us back to the 12. A second down rush by Smith resulted in a two yard gain, leaving third and goal at the 10 yard line. Going into the air, the third down pass to Jefferson went for only a three yard gain, leaving fourth and goal. Going for it on fourth down to put the game away, Silva was quickly tackled for no gain on the play, turning the ball over on downs at the Boise State 8 yard line.

    After an incomplete pass on first down, Johnson took the ball on the ground for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 18. Howard finally got back into his rhythm, connecting with Scott for a 22 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 40. Our defense again felt the need to help them out, flagged for a 15 yard facemask penalty at the end of a four yard run by Johnson, giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Keller took the ball next, picking up 7 yards on the carry, followed by a 17 yard strike from Howard to Moore to set up first down at our 16 yard line. Continuing with the air assault, Howard found Kyle Hill for a 7 yard gain, followed by an incomplete passes intended for Johnson, leaving third and three at our 9 yard line. Johnson would convert the third down, breaking free up the middle for a 9 yard rush to set up first and goal at the one. The Broncos, abandoning the run for whatever reason, found themselves facing third down after two dropped passes by Rodgers. They would then go backwards, Johnson tackled for a loss of two yards to leave fourth and goal at the three yard line. Going for it on fourth down, Johnson would redeem himself, punching through the hole outside the right guard and scoring the three yard touchdown, giving Boise State a 21-20 lead with 2:32 left in the game.

    A 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden left us buried deep, starting at our 11 yard line and limited time. The defense would make one of their biggest plays of the game on first down, getting into the backfield and sacking Stephens for a 7 yard loss before he could get the ball off to Newman. Left with second and 17, Smith would get us out of the jam, hauling in the pass for a 22 yard gain to the 26 yard line. Rushing to the line, Stephens connected with Banks for a gain of 14 and another first down at the 39. Lining right back up, Stephens hit Smith cutting across the middle for a gain of 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:22 to go. Keeping through the air, Stephens found Newman for a three yard gain and a first down, rushing back to the line. Throwing up a first down pass, Silva brought down the ball for a gain of 8 yards, leaving second and two at the 42 yard line, our second timeout called to stop play with 1:06 to go. Forced to dump the ball to avoid a sack, the pass to Silva ended up going for a loss of two yards, leaving the clock ticking. Racing back to the line, Stephens quickly snapped the ball, rifling a pass to Jones for a four yard gain and a first down, Jones getting out of bounds at the 41 yard line. Throwing a pass to Robert Harper on first down, Harper was able to pick up 5 yards on the play, but was brought down just inches away from the out of bounds line, leaving the clock ticking. Quickly spiking the ball to stop the clock, we were left facing third and 5 at the 36 yard line, just 25 seconds left on the clock. Dropping back to pass on third down, the defense brought the entire linebackers corps, sacking Stephens for a loss of 9 yards, leaving us facing fourth and 14 at the 44 yard line, our last timeout stopping the clock with 15 seconds to go. Stephens dropped back to pass on fourth down, hitting Banks along the left sideline. Banks made a cut to try and get past the cornerback and safety, but was wrapped up and rolled over just shy of the first down line for a gain of only 13 yards, turning the ball over on downs at the 31 yard line with 10 seconds to go.

    Howard took a single knee to run out the final seconds, and Boise State celebrated a 21-20 Armed Forces Bowl victory.

    With the loss, we end our 2017 season at 8-5, 5-3 in C-USA action. With the win, Boise State’s year comes to a close at 9-4, 5-4 in Mountain West play.


    Final Score
    21, 20



    Stat(s) of the Game:
    - Tulsa Offense – Finally a day with no turnovers, but we still couldn't get the win. Overall a decent day for Stephens, ending 28-36 for 308 yards. Rushing, Oliver led the way with 113 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, despite spending half the game out with a concussion. Receiving, Silva was the star of the day, ending with 83 yards on five receptions. Banks was next in line with 51 yards on four receptions. In all, 10 players caught a pass today, 8 players ending with double digit yards receiving.

    - Tulsa Defense – Hot and cold. About sums it up. Great defense in the first and third quarter. Horrible defense in the second quarter and blew it right at the end of the fourth quarter.

    - Tulsa Kicking – Glover ended 2-3 in field goals, connecting on kicks of 25 and 39 yards, but missed from 33 yards out. He did end 2-2 in PATs.



    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    7 3 7 3 20
    0 14 0 7 21


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    0:21 Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 7-0
    Second Quarter
    6:46 Touchdown P. Rogers, 4 yard run (B. Means kick) TIED 7-7
    1:35 Touchdown G. Johnson, 16 yard run (B. Means kick) 14-7
    0:01 Field Goal D. Glover, 39 yard field goal 14-10
    Third Quarter
    3:40 Touchdown R. Smith, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 17-14
    Fourth Quarter
    6:49 Field Goal D. Glover, 25 yard field goal 20-14
    2:32 Touchdown G. Johnson, 2 yard run (B. Means kick) 21-20




    Game Stats

    Tulsa Stat Boise State
    20 Score 21
    23 First Downs 13
    435 Total Offense 275
    41 - 127 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 24 - 84 - 3
    28 - 36 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 14 - 30 - 0
    308 Passing Yards 191
    3 Times Sacked 2
    7 - 15 (46%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 11 (18%)
    0 - 2 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 2 - 2 (100%)
    0 - 1 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    6 - 2 - 1 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 3 - 0 (75%)
    0 Turnovers 1
    0 Fumbles Lost 1
    0 Intercepted 0
    37 Punt Return Yards 0
    28 Kick Return Yards 52
    500 Total Yards 327
    4 – 44.5 Punts - Average 6 – 47.7
    5 - 52 Penalties 0 - 0
    19:48 Time of Possession 16:12




    Tulsa Contract Goals Update

    Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact
    21+ points per game in each season 24
    Win 10 games in one season 8
    3300+ passing yards each season
    65% pass completions over the entire contract 59%
    Win 6 games in one season
    15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed
    3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed
    3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed



    Job Security Status

    38%
    Ouch! 1-yd shy and 1 point away. That hurts. Sorry for your loss.

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