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Thread: Smooth Pancakes' Coaching Carousel Career

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  1. #1321
    Heisman SCClassof93's Avatar
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    losing to a school that hired lame kiffen

  2. #1322
    Hall of Fame ram29jackson's Avatar
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    wondering..what sliders are you using now ? I want to try some

  3. #1323
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Game Eight





    Game Notes

    --- Continuing down the homestretch of our 2020 season, we returned home to take on another rival, the BYU Cougars, as we met up mid-season to play for the Old Wagon Wheel. While BYU entered the game at .500 on the year, and a more talented team than us on paper, it wasn’t translating into stats on the field. BYU statistically had the worst overall defense and worst passing defense in the entire nation. Their rushing defense wasn’t much better, ranked in the low 80s. Meanwhile, their offense was pedestrian, with all three offensive categories ranking either at #65 or #66. So while the Cougars had more talent, they had less success on the field. That was good news for our already dangerous passing game. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A 25 yard return on the kickoff gave BYU the ball at their 23 yard line to start the game. An incomplete pass from Raishaun Fontaine intended for Freddie Reid got the drive off to a less than stellar start for the Cougars. It wouldn’t take long for the Cougars to get some momentum going as William Hodges was able to pull down a pass for a gain of 13 and a first down at the 36. Hodges received the handoff on first down, but found nowhere to go, as he was quickly stretched toward the sideline, unable to turn up the field, and eventually brought down for no gain on the play. Fontaine would end up burning us as he took off on a scramble, gaining 31 yards on the play before we could finally bring him down at our 33 yard line. A quick pass to Hodges gained 5 yards to leave second and 5. The Cougars would end up going backwards as a heavy blitz by the defense broke through and got to Fontaine, sacking him for a 7 yard loss to leave third and 13. After avoiding a near sack, Fontaine managed to get a pass to Cedric Smith, complete for a gain of only 5 yards, setting up fourth and 8 from our 31. The 48 yard field goal by Phil Scott was good, giving BYU a 3-0 lead with 6:54 left in the first quarter.

    A 33 yard kickoff return by Preston Roberson got us lined up at our 29 yard line for our first drive. Roberson got our drive started, receiving the first down handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush to leave us with third and two. Taking our chances on the ground, Brian Paris took the ball outside the right tackle, picking up 8 yards and the first down at the 45 yard line. Roberson kept us moving on the ground with a 5 yard rush on first down. Coming out with a play action pass called on second down, it worked perfectly as the defense bit on the fake and the pass from Adam Powers to Dre Martin was complete for a 17 yard gain and a new set of downs at the BYU 33 yard line. Trying to hit Eric McGuire over the middle, the first error of the game was committed when middle linebacker Kenton Clemons intercepted the pass from Powers, returning it 6 yards before being tackled at the 31 yard line.

    Taking over after the interception, BYU got off to a sluggish start as Fontaine’s pass intended for Andre Manning was wide off the mark, landing incomplete to bring up second down. We caught a massive break on second down, as a blitz wasn’t able to get enough pressure, leaving the middle of the field wide open with only a safety to cover. Travis McDonald was able to get his hands on the pass from Fontaine, but as he turned to head up the field, the ball slipped out of his hands and dropped incomplete, saving us and bringing up third and 10. Despite Reid pulling in the third down pass right along the first down line, a quick and timely hit by the safety left him falling backwards and coming up short, BYU forced to punt on fourth and inches. A 12 yard return by McGuire on the 40 yard punt gave us the ball at our 30 yard line.

    Starting the drive off on the ground, Roberson never had a chance, as the linebackers came hard on first down, tackling him for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on second down, Powers ended up throwing his second interception in as many passes, a four yard interception return by safety Tavarious Powell giving BYU the ball right back at our 38 yard line.

    Heading straight into the air on first down, Fontaine’s pass intended for Dustin Porter was dropped to bring up second down. Our defense answered right back on second down, as Caleb McBride came in from left defensive end and sacked Fontaine before he could release the ball. As Fontaine was going to the ground, he fumbled the ball against the ground, the fumble promptly scooped up by right defensive end Pat Ashley, who managed to return it 8 yards before being tackled at the BYU 44 yard line. The booth reviewed the play, and we got completed screwed on the call. The replay showed that the ball came loose a half second before he knee was down, but the refs still reverse the call on the field, ruling that his knee was down. Instead of having possession at the BYU 44 yard line, it was still BYU’s ball, third and 18 at our 46, McBride credited with a sack for a loss of 8 yards. Pissed off at the horrible call by the refs, we brought the house once more on third down, outside linebacker Casey Hunter coming in from the blind side and smoking Fontaine from behind, sacking him for a 7 yard loss and forcing BYU to punt the ball on fourth and 26 from their 47 yard line. A four yard return by McGuire on the 34 yard punt gave us the ball at our 22 yard line.

    Starting the drive once more on the ground, Roberson found a little more success this time around, rushing up the middle for a 7 yard gain, followed by a four yard pickup, just enough to get the first down at the 33. Roberson kept pounding away on the ground, picking up three yards on the first down carry. Taking another shot at the play action pass, the defense bit once again, McGuire pulling down the pass from Powers for a 14 yard gain and a new set of downs at midfield. Returning to the ground, Roberson fought his way to a 10 yard gain and an immediate first down at the BYU 40. Paris came in on first down, rushing for a 9 yard gain on the play. Despite BYU bringing the blitz on second down, Roberson was just able to get one yard and a new set of downs at the 30 yard line. It would end up getting better than that, as middle linebacker Kenton Clemons was flagged for a facemask penalty on the tackle, the extra yards setting us up with a first down at the 15 yard line. That would be the final play of the first quarter as the clock ran out, BYU leading 3-0.

    Opening up the second quarter, Roberson was able to gain three yards on the first down carry. Another successful play action pass got the defense to bit once more, and got tight end Jack Long open near the right sideline, the pass complete for a 10 yard gain to set us up with first and goal at the two yard line. Roberson would do the honors on first down, punching it in for the two yard touchdown to give us a 7-3 lead with 8:13 left in the second quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff got BYU underway from their 25 yard line. Despite bringing the heat on first down, it didn’t take long for us to get torched, Fontaine finding Bryan Scott deep down the left sideline. A failed attempt to push him out of bounds only increased the damage, the play ending up as a 42 yard gain and a first down for the Cougars at our 33 yard line. Hodges took the ball on the ground for a 9 yard rush, followed by a 7 yard gain to get the first down at our 17. Fontaine completed a 6 yard pass to Reid, before being forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sack. That would leave the Cougars lining up with third and four from our 11 yard line, a third down play that would get converted with a 9 yard completion over the middle to Scott, giving BYU first and goal at our one yard line. BYU beat our entire defensive line off the snap, and Hodges would have all the time in the world to trot into the end zone for a one yard touchdown to give BYU a 10-7 lead with 6:40 left until halftime.

    A 25 yard kickoff return by Roberson gave us the ball at our 26 yard line to start the drive. Roberson received the handoff to get us started, plowing up the middle for a 9 yard gain, followed by a two yard gain by Paris to get the first down at the 38. A wingback dive by Paris on first down picked up 5 yards, before Roberson could only manage three yards on second down, leaving us with third and two. Taking a chance with Paris, he would end up getting the first down and then some, rushing for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the BYU 41 yard line. Calling another play action pass on first down, the defense was ready for us as the pass intended for Martin was nearly intercepted, leaving us with second down. The second down pass intended for David Douglas was way off the mark, and we faced third and long. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, the pass intended for McGuire was broken up, and we were forced to punt on fourth down. The ball bounced down at the BYU 10 yard line, but rolled into the end zone before we could down it, going for a 41 yard punt and a touchback to give BYU the ball at their 20 yard line.

    It would take BYU all of one play to rape our defense, as Fontaine connected with Scott for an 80 yard touchdown pass, giving BYU a 17-7 lead with 4:00 left in the second quarter.

    A huge 50 yard kickoff return by Roberson up the right sideline at least gave us some damn good field position, getting us lined up at our 49 yard line to start our next drive. Roberson got the drive started with a 6 yard rush up the middle, followed by an 8 yard dash by Paris to give us a first down at the BYU 37. Continuing on the ground, Roberson picked up four yard on the first down carry, followed by a three yard rush by Paris to leave third and three from the 30 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on third down, Brian James would keep us moving, hauling in a pass from Powers over the middle for a 10 yard gain to move the chains to the BYU 19 yard line. Handing the ball off to Paris on first down, he fought his way to a 6 yard gain on the play, before Roberson returned to the backfield, only able to gain two yards to leave us facing third and two. Taking a shot on the ground, Paris received the third down handoff, miraculously somehow avoiding the blitz and just gaining two yards to set us up with first and goal at the 9 yard line. Roberson kept us moving forward with a big 6 yard gain on first down. Lining up on second and goal from the three yard line, Roberson was unable to gain anything, tackled for no gain to leave third and goal. Calling our first timeout with 19 seconds left in the half, we came out passing on third down, Powers finally able to make a good pass and find Douglas in the end zone for a three yard touchdown, cutting BYU’s lead to 17-14 with 15 seconds left until halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. BYU sent some mixed signals on first down, as Hodges received the handoff, rushing for an 11 yard gain and a first down at their 36 yard line, before the Cougars called their first timeout to stop the clock with 12 seconds remaining. A deflected pass over the middle, intended for Scott, left BYU with second and 10, just 8 seconds to go. A screen pass to Hodges only gained 6 yards as he was tripped up from behind, leaving BYU with third and four from their 42 yard line, their second timeout taken with just three seconds to go before halftime. An incomplete Hail Mary pass brought the quarter to an end and took us into halftime, BYU lead 17-14.

    Opening up the second half, a 44 yard kickoff return by Roberson gave us the ball at our 40 yard line to start the third quarter. Picking up where we left off on first down, Paris took the ball on first down for a three yard gain. Lining up under center on second down, a quick pass over the middle to Tim Fields was complete for a 13 yard gain, giving us a quick first down at the BYU 44. Roberson received the handoff on first down, but was immediately brought down for a gain of only one, leaving us with second and 9. Turning back to the air on second down, we would only go backwards as Powers was sacked for a 9 yard loss, leaving us facing third and 19. The third down pass intended for Douglas was broken up, and our promising drive came to a sudden halt on fourth and 19. A 19 yard punt return on the 38 yard punt gave BYU the ball at their 33 yard line.

    A screen pass left us fooled, as Manning pulled in the ball from Fontaine and picked up 16 yards on the play, an ankle tackle saving us from further damage, but BYU still gained a first down at their 49 yard line. Hodges took the ball on first down, rushing for a four yard gain, before a pass to Smith was blown up, Smith tackled for a loss of one yard on the play to leave third and 7. Hodges never had a chance on third down, immediately tackled for a two yard loss to force BYU to punt on fourth and 9. The 50 yard punt would touch down at the 5 yard line and bounce into the end zone for a touchback, giving us the ball at our 20 yard line.

    Opening up our drive on first down, Roberson received the ball on first down, fighting his way to a four yard gain. Lining up under center on second down, Powers dropped back, squeezing a pass through the hands of the outside linebacker and into the hands of Fields, good for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 34. We finally started to find something on offense, McGuire breaking open across the middle for a 14 yard completion and a new set of downs at the 48. What would have been a sure gain of at least 20 yards, the pass to a wide open Ryan Conley bounced off his hands and incomplete, leaving us instead with second down and 10. Martin would thankfully come through and keep us moving, pulling in a pass from Powers for a gain of 21 yards and a first down at the BYU 31. Finally finding our mojo, Douglas pulled in a first down pass from Powers for a gain of 11 yards, moving the chains once more to the 21 yard line. Handing the ball off on first down, Roberson took the carry for a four yard gain, followed by a 6 yard rush to leave us with third and inches. Putting the ball into the hands of Paris, he was able to pound his way to a 7 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the four yard line. Taking a shot through the air, Powers hit Fields along the sideline for a three yard gain, leaving second and goal at the one yard line. Roberson would finish the drive off with a one yard touchdown, giving us a 21-17 lead with 1:58 left in the third quarter.

    An 18 yard kickoff return got BYU started from their 16 yard line for their next drive. BYU came out passing, a screen pass to Manning gaining four yards to leave second and 6. Barely avoid a sack, Fontaine hit Manning again, this time for a 5 yard gain to leave the Cougars with third and one. After shaking off a tackle in the backfield, Fontaine was able to get an option pitch off to Hodges, who gained four yards on the play to pick up the first down at the 29. Hit as he threw, Fontaine managed to get the pass off to Porter, good for a 7 yard completion to bring up second and three. Continuing to bring the blitz, it would pay off on second down, as Fontaine rushed to get rid of the ball, the bad pass hanging in the air and intercepted by cornerback Mike Moses, returned 6 yards to the BYU 31 yard line.

    Taking over at BYU’s 31 yard line after the interception, Roberson got our drive started on the ground with a 7 yard rush to leave second and three. That would be the last play of the third quarter as the clock ran out, our lead sitting at 21-17, but knocking on the door.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, Roberson received the handoff once more, finding a gaping hole for a 13 yard gain and a quick first down at the 11 yard line. Dropping back to pass on first down, the ball intended for Martin was broken up, leaving second down. Keeping through the air, a 10 yard completion to Douglas left us just short, facing third and inches from the one yard line. Despite being stood up at the goal line, Roberson was able to get those inches, giving us first and goal from just outside the goal line. Paris would come in on first down and finish off the drive in one play, rushing in for the one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 28-17 with 8:00 left in the game.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. The Cougars weren’t about to go quietly, Fontaine connecting with Reid for a 22 yard gain and a quick first down at the 47 yard line. Another screen pass was completed to Porter, gaining 18 yards and moving the chains once more to our 35 yard line. A 5 yard completion to Reid was followed with a by a thrown away pass, as Fontaine was forced to get rid of the ball before two defenders collapsed on him, leaving the Cougars with third and 5. An incomplete pass intended for Scott brought up fourth and 5 for BYU, the Cougars going for it from our 29 yard line. The blitz did its job, forcing Fontaine to try and scramble on the play. While he originally had a gap, by the time he was able to get to it, a defender was close enough to stick an arm out and trip Fontaine up, his momentum not mixing well with his lost balance, as he fell forward to the ground for a gain of only two yards, and BYU turned the ball over on downs at our 27 yard line with 7:04 left in the game.

    We came out passing on first down, looking to put this game to bed. A quick 9 yard completion to Douglas was followed with a three yard rush by Paris to get the first down at the 39. Martin kept us moving down the field with a 12 yard reception and a new set of downs at the BYU 49. Another pass to Douglas gained 9 yards, before a pass intended for Matt Leierer was intercepted by middle linebacker Joe Barry, returned 10 yards to the BYU 37 yard line.

    A quick pass to Erik Parker gained nothing for the Cougars, brought down immediately for no gain to bring up second and 10. Avoiding a sack, Fontaine found Hodges out of the backfield, but he was also hit immediately, tackled for a loss of two yards to leave third and 12. An incomplete pass intended for Porter over the middle left BYU punting the ball away on fourth down. A 5 yard return by McGuire on the 34 yard punt gave us the ball at our 36 yard line.

    Lining up in the shotgun on first down, the pass intended for Douglas was off the mark and incomplete, brining up second down. Conley tried to haul in a pass down the right sideline, but he was unable to come down with it, leaving third and 10. A poorly timed blitz by BYU took all of the linebackers out of the play, allowing Fields to get open from the tight end position, and taking advantage of the blown coverage, race down the field for a massive 64 yard touchdown, giving us a 35-17 lead with 4:12 left in the game.

    A touchback on the kickoff again gave BYU the ball at their 25 yard line. The Cougars again called for a screen pass, Hodges managing to break out of one tackle, power drive his way through a second tackle, and push the third tackle attempt backwards with his momentum before finally being driven out of bounds for a 5 yard gain. Fontaine dropped back to pass, but the pressure forced him to scramble, upon which he scrambled directly into the arms of a defender, ending up sacked for a three yard loss, bringing up third and 8. Yet another screen pass to Hodges ended up going for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the 47. The defense wasn’t about to make it easy, getting to and sacking Fontaine once more, this time for a loss of 7 yards to bring up second and 17. A quick pass over the middle to Daniel Frank gained 10 yards, setting BYU up with third and 7. We caught a break as the third down pass intended for Porter sailed on him and wound up behind the receiver, the ball landing incomplete to bring up fourth and 7. Going for it on fourth down, Fontaine would never have a chance, the pressure forcing him out of the pocket and sacking him for a four yard loss to force the turnover on downs at the BYU 46 yard line.

    Despite the lead and only two minutes left in the game, we came out in shotgun on first down, but Powers would end up sacked for an 8 yard loss to leave second and 18. Back to back completions to Douglas went for gain of 8 and 13 yards, getting us the first down at the BYU 33 yard line, just 1:09 left on the clock. Lining up on first down, Powers would take to a single knee to run out the clock and seal the win, 35-17 and take home the Old Wagon Wheel.

    With the win, we improve to 5-3, 3-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, BYU drops to 3-4 in Independent play. Up next, it’s back into conference action as we welcome Hawaii to town. The Warriors enter the game 4-4, 4-1 in Mountain West action. Hawaii opened their year with a three game losing streak, losing 41-17 to #9 USC, 48-17 at #20 Oregon State and 19-18 at Kent State. They finally got in the win column with a 26-21 win at Nevada and a 34-24 victory over Fresno State. They lost to San Jose State 27-17 before picking up a 42-14 win at UNLV and a 24-21 win over Colorado State.



    Final Score
    35, 17




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Utah State Offense - A very poor day by Powers. He did got 18-29 for 251 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions, including two in the first quarter that occurred on consecutive passes by him, and in turn allowed BYU to build an early lead. Rushing, Roberson led the way with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Paris had 72 yards and one touchdown on 13 rushes. Receiving, Fields ended up leading the way with 90 yards and a touchdown on four receptions out of the tight end position. Douglas also added 63 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. In all, a mostly quiet day as only six receivers caught a pass today, all six ending with double digit yards.

    Utah State Defense – Good, and bad. The good, five more sacks and an interception, plus what would have been a fumble recovery if not for the idiot refs, and also held BYU to officially only 31 yard rushing, though a lot of damage was done due to lost yardage on sacks. The bad, got torched constantly in the first half, including giving up an 80 yard touchdown pass. Ended up getting torched for 285 yards through the air today.

    Utah State Kicking – Burnette is perfect once more, going 0-0 in field goals and 5-5 in PATs.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    3 14 0 0 17
    0 14 7 14 35


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    6:54 Field Goal P. Scott, 48 yard field goal 3-0
    Second Quarter
    8:13 Touchdown P. Roberson, 2 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 7-3
    6:40 Touchdown W. Hodges, 1 yard run (P. Scott kick) 10-7
    4:00 Touchdown B. Scott, 80 yard pass from R. Fontaine (P. Scott kick) 17-7
    0:15 Touchdown D. Douglas, 3 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 17-14
    Third Quarter
    1:58 Touchdown P. Roberson, 1 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 21-17
    Fourth Quarter
    8:00 Touchdown B. Paris, 1 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 28-17
    4:12 Touchdown T. Fields, 64 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 35-17




    Game Stats

    BYU Stat Utah State
    17 Score 35
    12 First Downs 23
    316 Total Offense 413
    16 - 31 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 42 - 162 - 3
    22 - 34 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 18 - 29 - 2
    285 Passing Yards 251
    5 Times Sacked 2
    3 - 11 (27%) 3rd Down Conversion 9 - 11 (81%)
    0 - 2 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    1 - 1 - 0 (100%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 4 - 0 (100%)
    1 Turnovers 3
    0 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 3
    19 Punt Return Yards 20
    43 Kick Return Yards 149
    378 Total Yards 582
    4 – 40.0 Punts - Average 2 - 39.5
    1 - 15 Penalties 0 - 0
    18:27 Time of Possession 17:33




    Utah State Coach Goals

    Goal XP Reward Completed
    Win a Game 100 x1
    Score a Touchdown 25 x5
    Force a Turnover 25 x2
    Pass for 250 Yards 25 x1
    Rush for 100 Yards 25 x1
    Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead 10 x1
    3+ Sacks 50 x1
    Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards 50 x1
    Beat a Rival School 50 x1
    Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards 50 x1
    Pass Completion Over 50% 30 x1
    100% Red Zone Efficiency 50 x1
    Score 21 or More Points 50 x1
    350+ Offensive Yards 50 x1
    10+ First Downs 50 x1
    4+ 3rd Down Conversions 25 x1




    Utah State Contract Goals Update

    Goal Expectations Progress
    Target Wins Per Season 6 5




    Job Security Status

    100%
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 10-02-2013 at 07:56 AM.

  4. #1324
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Florida State gets a 35-13 win over NC State. #2 Kansas State doubles up West Virginia 40-20. #3 Ohio State tops Penn State 41-17. The game of the week goes to #5 Alabama, who smokes #11 Tennessee 52-20. #6 Florida beat FCS Southeast 28-9. #23 Texas upsets #7 TCU 27-14. #8 Virginia Tech edges out Duke 38-28. In the upset of the week, Boston College knocks off #9 Miami 35-19. #10 Notre Dame beats Air Force 29-14. #12 USC whoops Utah 44-7. Stanford shocks #13 Oregon State 30-27 in overtime. #14 Washington keeps rolling with a 30-0 shutout of California. #15 Wisconsin tops Michigan 37-10.

    Missouri goes on the road and knocks off #16 South Carolina, 34-31. The Gamecocks, at one point #3 in the nation, have now lost three straight. Virginia upends #17 Georgia Tech 38-21. #18 North Carolina escapes Army in overtime, 31-24. #19 LSU scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 40-34 win over FCS Southeast. #20 Oklahoma dismantles Texas Tech 44-21. #21 Texas A&M beats Vanderbilt 35-24. Troy goes on the road and upsets #22 Western Kentucky 13-10 in overtime, ruining the perfect season for the Hilltoppers. #24 Mississippi State survives Kentucky 21-14. Iowa State knocked off #25 Oklahoma State 30-29, the Cyclones moving to a shocking 3-1 in the Big 12.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #3 Ohio State improves to 7-0 (4-0 Big Ten) with 41-17 win over Penn State. Morsdraconis, West Virginia drops to 5-3 (2-3 Big 12) with a 40-20 loss to #2 Kansas State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 3-4 (2-1 C-USA) with a 17-13 win over North Texas. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 3-4 (2-2 Pac-12) with a bye week. LeeSO, Auburn remains 4-3 (3-1 SEC) with a bye week. SCClassof93, #16 South Carolina drops to 4-3 (3-3 SEC) after losing their third in a row to Missouri, 34-31. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 6-1 (3-0 Sun Belt) with a 14-7 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Florida International remains 6-1 (3-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Navy improves to 3-4 (3-3 American) with a 35-30 win over South Florida. Tulsa improves to 4-3 (3-1 American) with a 45-7 thumping of Tulane.

    In Mountain West action, Nevada edges out UNLV 24-23, Fresno State beats San Diego State 44-7, San Jose State whoops Wyoming 34-9, Hawaii tops Colorado State 24-21, Utah State dispatches BYU 35-17 and #10 Notre Dame beats Air Force 29-14.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (4-0) is top dog, followed by Utah State (3-1) and Wyoming (2-2). After that sits Air Force (1-4), Colorado State (0-3) and New Mexico (0-3), with Air Force, Colorado State and New Mexico all eliminated from the division race. In the West Division, Hawaii (4-1) sits on top, followed closely by San Jose State (3-1), San Diego State (2-1) and Fresno State (2-2). After that, sits Nevada (2-3) and UNLV (1-3).

    Looking at undefeated teams left, #22 Western Kentucky lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 4. #1 Florida State (7-0), #2 Kansas State (7-0), #3 Ohio State (7-0) and #4 Boise State (7-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: Idaho (0-6).

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Florida State (35 first place votes) remains #1, Kansas State (24 votes) remains #2, Ohio State (1 vote) remains #3, Boise State (1 vote) remains #4 and Alabama remains #5. Florida remains #6, Virginia Tech climbs one to #7, Notre Dame jumps two to #8, USC moves up three to #9 and Wisconsin jumps five to #10. Washington climbs three to #11, TCU drops five to #12, North Carolina jumps five to #13, LSU climbs five to #14 and Tennessee drops four to #15. Texas leaps seven to #16, Oklahoma climbs three to #17, Texas A&M jumps three to #18, Miami plummets ten to #19 and Oregon State drops seven to #20. Mississippi State climbs three to #21, South Carolina drops six to #22, Oregon enters the poll at #23, Missouri enters the poll at #24 and Nebraska (315 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #17), Western Kentucky (from #22) and Oklahoma State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia Tech (251 points) is #26, followed by Arizona (248), Michigan State (184), Arkansas State (109) and Auburn (103) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Washington State (73), Stanford (36), Western Kentucky (33) and Utah (30).

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Kansas State (45 first place votes) remains #1, Florida State (20 votes) remains #2, Ohio State remains #3, Boise State remains #4 and Alabama remains #5. Florida climbs one to #6, USC jumps one to #7, Virginia Tech jumps three to #8, Notre Dame climbs three to #9 and Washington leaps three to #10. Wisconsin climbs three to #11, TCU drops six to #12, Texas vaults ten to #13, LSU climbs one to #14 and North Carolina jumps three to #15. Tennessee drops seven to #16, Texas A&M climbs two to #17, Oklahoma moves up four to #18, Miami drops nine to #19 and Mississippi State climbs five to #20. Nebraska enters the poll at #21, South Carolina drops six to #22, Oregon State falls three to #23, Arizona enters the poll at #24 and Missouri (274 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #17), Western Kentucky (from #21) and Oklahoma State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia Tech (268 points) is #26, followed by Oregon (227), Auburn (224), Michigan State (172) and Arkansas State (141) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Western Kentucky (89), Utah (78), Washington State (51) and Louisiana-Lafayette (31).

    A look at the Heisman race, Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #1 (LW: #1), Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #2 (LW: #3), LSU HB Brett Miranda is #3 (LW: #5), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #4 (LW: #2) and TCU QB Sean Moore is #5 (LW: #4). No one dropped off the Heisman Watch list this week.

  5. #1325
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Jesus Christ. Throw three interceptions and we still manage to win by 18 points. I never would have believed that if someone had told me that before the game. When BYU went up 17-7 on that 80 yard touchdown pass, I thought that was it. I thought I was on my way to getting smoked by 20+. Still can't believe we actually managed to come back, pull ahead and win.

  6. #1326
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    Game Nine





    Game Notes

    --- Back on a winning streak and one game shy of becoming bowl eligible, it was back into conference play as we hosted Hawaii. While Hawaii came into the game with a 4-4 record, sitting at 4-1 in Mountain West play, that record was a bit inflated. While their record looks good, all four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 13-17, and two of their losses came to a 4-4 San Jose State and a 1-7 Kent State.

    Looking at their stats, to say they are a bad team statistically would be an understatement. The Warriors enter the game with an offense ranked #104 in the nation, only putting up 332.4 yards/game. They only manage 131.3 yards/game on the ground (rank: #90) and 201.1 yards/game through the air (rank: #85). On defense they’re just as bad, giving up over 396 yards/game (to rank #98 in the nation), giving up 151.5 yards/game on the ground (ranking #78 nationally) and giving up well over 244.5 yards/game passing (coming in with a ranking of #103 in the nation). That would certainly bode well for us on our home field, especially with multiple recruits making their official visit to campus during this game. Hawaii won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 25 yard line. Preston Roberson got the drive started with a 6 yard rush on first down, followed by an 8 yard gain to get an early first down at the 39 yard line. Contniuing to pound it away on the ground, Roberson took the ball on first down around the right tackle, fighting his way to a gain of 8 yards. Brian Paris took over on second down, picking up three yards on the play to move the chains to midfield. Roberson received the handoff on first down, but was quickly brought down for a gain of only one yard. Running a play action pass on second down, the pass intended for tight end Jake Long was incomplete, leaving us with third and 9. Lining up in the shotgun, Adam Powers dropped back and rifled a pass to David Douglas, good for an 11 yard reception and a first down at the Hawaii 39. Continuing through the air, Eric McGuire pulled down a pass for an 18 yard gain, moving the chains once more to the 22 yard line. Michael Smith was able to haul in a first down pass, good for a pickup of 8 yards, followed by a 9 yard completion to Brian James, giving us first and goal at the 5 yard line. Handing the ball off to Roberson on first down, he strolled straight up the middle for a 5 yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:19 left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Hawaii the ball at their 25 yard line to start their drive. The Warriors came out throwing as Travis Kearny pulled down a pass from Jose Sanders, good for a 12 yard gain and a quick first down at the 37. A 5 yard rush by Kalvin Banks was followed with a 19 yard completion to Randall Roth, Hawaii moving the chains to our 39 yard line. A 6 yard completion to Kearney was followed with an incomplete pass as Sanders was forced to throw the ball away, leaving the Warriors facing third and four. Cornelius Watson would keep the drive moving with a 13 yard reception, giving Hawaii a first down at our 20 yard line. No gain on the first down rush by Banks left Hawaii with second and long. On second down, despite what should have been THREE separate sacks on Sanders, he somehow managed to spin or just plain power through multiple tackles before finally sliding down for a 7 yard gain, leaving third and three. An 8 yard completion to Kearny would keep the drive moving with first and goal at our 6 yard line. A near interception on the first down pass intended for Eric Williams left second and goal. Banks received the second down handoff, picking up three yards on the play to set up third and goal from the three. A pitch right would defeat our blitz up the middle, giving Banks a free pass into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, tying the game up 7-7 with 2:07 left in the first quarter.

    A 27 yard kickoff return by Roberson left us starting at our 23 yard line. Roberson got the drive started with a four yard rush, before Powers dropped back from under center and connected with tight end Tim Fields for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the 45. A quick first down pass to Douglas was good for a gain of 12 yards and a new set of downs at the Hawaii 43, followed by a 17 yard completion to McGuire to further move the chains to the 26. Trying to keep the air attack going, the pass intended for McGuire was initially caught, until a hit from behind by the safety knocked the ball loose and incomplete, bringing up second down. Douglas kept us moving with a 14 yard reception, good for a first down at the 11 yard line. We would finish off the drive on the next play as Powers found McGuire over the middle for an 11 yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff got Hawaii underway at their 25 yard line. Banks got the drive started on the ground, breaking his way out of SIX tackles before finally being pushed out of bounds for an 18 yard gain and a first down at the 43 yard line. Sanders tried to take off on first down in the face of pressure, but never made it as the blitz would get to him, middle linebacker Lee Bradley sacking him for a three yard loss to leave second and 13. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead 14-7.

    Opening up the second quarter, a 17 yard rush by Banks, breaking yet two more tackles, would negate the sack on the previous play and move the chains to our 43 yard line. A deflected pass by safety Sam Vinson saved us on the first down pass by Sanders, leaving Hawaii with second and long. A screen pass on second down was blown up as Banks was hit and tackled the instant he caught the pass, brought down for a 5 yard loss to bring up third and 15. A 5 yard completion to Banks on third down would leave the Warriors short and bring out the Hawaii punt team on fourth and 10 from our 43. The 43 yard punt bounced down at the 7 yard line and went into the end zone for a touchback, starting our drive from our 20 yard line.

    Lining up on first down at our 20, Roberson was only able to gain one yard on the handoff, leaving second and 9. Dumping off a pass to Paris, he was able to pull it in for a 12 yard completion and a first down at the 33. Despite a blitz by Hawaii, Roberson was able to gain 7 yards on the first down rush, followed by a four yard rush to get the first down at the 44 yard line. Paris took over on first down, but was immediately brought down for no gain on the play, leaving second and 10. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Dre Martin landed incomplete as he got caught up in traffic over the middle, leaving us with third and 10. After doing it on the ground, Roberson would get it done through the air, pulling down a pass from Powers for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the Hawaii 39 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Paris found better success this time with a 5 yard rush up the middle, followed by a gain of 9 yards to get the first down at the 25 yard line. Roberson took over on first down, rushing for 8 yards around the right tackle, followed by a two yard rush that left us just short, setting up third and inches. Paris was able to get the job done with a four yard rush around the left guard, giving us a first down at the 11 yard line. Lining up under center on first down, Powers would drop back and hurl a pass to Fields out of the tight end slot, caught just inside the goal line for an 11 yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 3:47 left in the second quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Hawaii the ball at their 25 yard line once more. Avoid a sack on first down, Sanders was able to connect with Kearney along the right sideline, the pass good for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the 45 yard line. The pressure keeping after Sanders, he was able to dump off the ball just before being leveled, the pass caught by Justin Keyes off to the left, but he was immediately tackled for no gain on the play, leaving second and 10. Watson was able to pull in a pass from Sanders, good for a four yard gain to set up third and 6. Another screen pass to Banks was good for a 13 yard gain, giving Hawaii the first down at our 38 yard line. A near interception by Bradley left Hawaii with second and long, before a 9 yard reception by Watson left Hawaii lining up on third and one. A delayed pitch to Banks gained 6 yards and the first down at our 22 yard line. Again breaking out of three separate sack attempts, Sanders was able to keep on his feet long enough to gain one yard on the scramble, setting up second and 9, Hawaii calling their first timeout with 1:31 left in the half. Bradley wouldn’t be denied on second down, plowing through the line and sacking Sanders for an 8 yard loss to leave third and 17, our first timeout called with 1:27 left on the clock. A failed screen pass to Banks resulted in a loss of three yards, leaving fourth and 20 from our 32 yard line, our second timeout taken with 1:22 remaining. The 49 yard field goal attempt by Cory Leach was no good, the kick coming up just short as the ball inched underneath the cross bar, giving us the ball at our 32 yard line, 1:19 remaining.

    Taking over after the missed field goal, it was straight into the air on first down, as Martin pulled in a pass from Powers for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 46. Fields kept us moving with a 17 yard reception and a first down at the Hawaii 37 yard line. Rushing straight back to the line, Powers was able to connect with Douglas, good for a gain of 18 yards and a new set of downs at the 19 yard line. Rushing back to the line again, a pass intended for Martin in the end zone was broken up, leaving second down with 44 seconds left until halftime. The second down pass intended for McGuire was batted away, bringing up third and 10 with 41 seconds to go. Ryan Conley would keep us moving on third down, pulling down a pass from Powers for a 13 yard gain, setting up first and goal at the Hawaii 7 yard line. James would finish the drive off, catching a pass from Powers at the two yard line and then powering his way into the end zone for the 7 yard touchdown, giving us a 28-7 lead with 23 seconds remaining before halftime.

    Another touchback on the kickoff again left Hawaii starting at their 25 yard line. A screen pass to Banks netted Hawaii a 6 yard gain, their second timeout taken with 17 seconds left. An incomplete pass on second down, intended for Kearney, brought up third and four, 13 seconds remaining. A deflected pass at the line of scrimmage would up hanging in the air, nearly intercepted by defensive end Pat Ashley, but the left tackle kept him from being able to get his hands on the ball, the pass landing incomplete to bring up fourth and four with 5 seconds remaining. A 5 yard return by McGuire on the 36 yard punt would leave zeroes on the clock and take us into halftime with a 28-7 lead.

    Opening the second half, a touchback on the kickoff gave Hawaii the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Hawaii came out firing on first down, the deep pass down the left sideline intended for Randall Roth thankfully off the mark and incomplete, leaving second and 10. Pressure on second down forced a bad pass, intended for Banks, that left Hawaii facing third and long. Another incomplete pass, this time intended for Kearney, left the Hawaii drive stalling out and the punt team coming onto the field. A 14 yard return by McGuire on the 37 yard punt set us up with excellent field position, starting our drive at Hawaii’s 48 yard line.

    Lining up on first down, Roberson the drive started with a four yard rush up the middle, followed by a second four yard rush to leave us with third and two. A three yard rush by Paris would just get us the first down, moving the chains to the 37 yard line. Continuing to pound it away on the ground, Roberson could only manage three yards on the first down carry before being swarmed by defenders. Lining up on second down, Powers dropped back from under center and found Fields for an 11 yard gain to pick up another first down at the 24. Roberson took the ball on first down, but Hawaii was ready for him, tackling him for a gain of only one yard. Throwing out of the shotgun, the pass intended for Martin was broken up, leaving us with third and 9. Douglas would just manage to keep us going, pulling down a pass from Powers for a 9 yard gain, a generous spot by the refs giving us a first down at the 14 yard line. McGuire was initially able to get a hand on the first down pass into the end zone, but a hit from behind by the safety and from the side by the cornerback jarred the ball loose and incomplete, leaving second down. Martin was able to pull down a quick pass from Powers on second down, good for a gain of 8 yards to leave us with third and two. Putting the drive into the hands of Roberson, we handed it off on third down, but while he was able to gain two yards, the refs marked him short, leaving fourth and one from the four yard line. Settling for three points, the 21 yard field goal by Richard Burnette went right down the middle, giving us a 31-7 lead with 4:14 left in the third quarter.

    Another touchback led to another drive starting from the 25 yard line for Hawaii. An incomplete pass intended for Williams left Hawaii with second and 10. The pressure got to Sanders on second down, forcing him to throw away the ball to leave third and long. A 10 yard completion to Watson left the Warrior just short, forced to punt on fourth and inches from their 35. A 19 yard return by McGuire on the 35 yard punt got us started at our 49 yard line for our next drive.

    Roberson got the drive started on the ground, picking up three yards on the carry, followed by a 7 yard rush by Paris to leave us with third and inches. Roberson got the ball on third down, and just barely got the first down, hit at the line of scrimmage but twisting and falling forward for a two yard gain to get the first down at the Hawaii 40 yard line. Another rush by Roberson gained three yards on first down, before Paris was able to fight his way through a pile of bodies for a 6 yard gain to leave us with third and one. Our drive would end up stalling out as Roberson was held to just a one yard gain, leaving us facing fourth and inches from the 30 yard line. The 47 yard field goal attempt by Burnette would come up short, giving Hawaii the ball at their 30 yard line, 50 seconds left in the third quarter.

    An incomplete pass on first down, intended for Kearney, got the drive off to a poor start for Hawaii, the Warriors stuck in the middle of an offensive slump. Another incomplete pass, thrown wide of Kearney, the intended receiver, brought up another third and long for Hawaii. We would get our biggest break of the game on third down, as Luis Ramsey somehow was left uncovered on the play. He pulled down the pass from Sanders near the sideline, but instead of a major gain and a first down, his momentum carried him out of bounds for only a 5 yard gain, leaving the punt team trotting out on fourth and 5. A fair catch by McGuire on the 35 yard punt gave us the ball at our 29 yard line.

    Starting the drive once more on the ground, Roberson received the first down handoff for a four yard gain. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 31-7.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, Roberson fought his way to a three yard gain, setting up third and three. Roberson would fail to get the job down, tackled for a one yard gain to leave us punting on fourth and two. An 11 yard return on the 42 yard punt set Hawaii up at their 32 yard line.

    The drive got off to another poor start, as Sanders was forced to throw the ball away, leaving second down. The Warriors started to find some life on second down, as Sanders found Banks over the middle for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the 48 yard line. The defense wasn’t about to go down without a fight, as defensive tackle Marcus Garrett sacked Sanders for a 7 yard loss to leave second and 17. A 6 yard pass over the middle to Watson set up third and 11. It would take one play for our defense to get burned, failed coverage allowing Ramsey to pull down a pass down the right sideline from Sanders and take it to the house for a 52 yard touchdown. The Warriors went for the two-point conversion, the pass from Sanders to Williams good, cutting our lead to 31-15 with 6:15 left in the game

    A 5 yard return on a shanked kickoff gave us the ball at our 23 yard line to start our drive. Roberson received the handoff on first down, fighting his way to a three yard gain, followed by a huge 16 yard rush by Paris to get us the first down at the 42 yard line. Another rush by Paris gained 8 yards, before fighting his way to a pickup of four yards and the first down at the 46 yard line. Lining up in the shotgun on first down, Powers was able to hook up with McGuire for a 12 yard gain, moving the chains down to the Hawaii 34 yard line. An incomplete pass intended for McGuire sailed long and incomplete, bringing up second down. Dropping back out of the shotgun on second down, Powers was forced to scramble from the pressure, chased down from behind and sacked for a loss of two yards to leave us with third and 12. A pass to Douglas on third down would go for a gain 10 yards, but leave us short, trying for a field goal on fourth and two. The 43 yard field goal by Burnette curved wide left, giving Hawaii the ball at their 26 yard line.

    Hawaii came out in the shotgun to start their drive, but our defense would be the winner of the play, as defensive end Caleb McBride sacked Sanders for a 5 yard loss, leaving second and 15. The Warriors would come back strong on second down, as Sanders connected with Kearney for a 19 yard gain and a first down at the 40, followed by a 26 yard completion to Ramsey to move the chains once more to our 34 yard line, Hawaii calling their first timeout with 2:40 left in the game. Launching up a pass on first down, Williams was able to get behind the secondary and pull in the ball for a 34 yard touchdown. A successful two point conversion pass to Watson further cut our lead to 31-23 with 2:35 left in the game.

    Hawaii going for the onside kick, we were able to recover the kick, giving us a first down at the Hawaii 40 yard line. Handing the ball off on first down, Paris was immediately brought down for no gain to leave second and 10. Trying to chew up the clock, Paris took the ball on second down for a 6 yard carry, setting up third and four, Hawaii calling their second timeout with 1:39 left in the game. Paris was unable to get the job done on third down, tackled for a gain of only three yards to leave fourth and one at the 30 yard line, Hawaii’s final timeout called with 1:33 remaining. Burnette would again fail us, kicking the 47 yard field goal attempt wide right, giving Hawaii the ball back at their 30 yard line with 1:29 to go.

    Taking over after the missed field goal, the drive couldn’t have gotten off to a poorer start for the Warriors, as McBride got his second sack of the day, bringing Sanders down for a 5 yard loss to leave second and 15 and the clock ticking. Hawaii wasn’t ready to call it quits though, Sanders finding Roth down the left sideline for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the 40 yard line, Roth just getting out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:07 remaining. A pass to Williams on an out route was good for a 21 yard gain and a first down at our 38 yard line, Williams tackled out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:02 to go. Sanders found Kearney near the left sideline for a 13 yard gain and a first down at our 25 yard line. Rushing to the line, Sanders tried to connect with Williams over the middle on first down, but an interception by outside linebacker Al Washington at our 14 yard line, returned 17 yards out to our 31 yard line, would put the comeback on ice with 47 seconds left in the game. Powers would kneel twice to run out the clock and seal the 31-23 win to get us bowl eligible for the 2020 season.

    With the win, we improve to 6-3, 4-1 in Mountain West action and become bowl eligible. With the loss, Hawaii drops to 4-4, 4-2 in Mountain West play. Up next, we hit the road for our final road game of the year, a trip to UNLV. The Rebels enter the game at 4-5, 2-3 in Mountain West action. UNLV opened their year rough, losing 24-0 at Minnesota and 49-3 to #24 Arizona. They finally got in the win column with three straight victories, beating Central Michigan 24-21 in overtime, beating FCS Northwest 24-10 and getting a 27-21 win at New Mexico. The fell off the wagon after that, losing three in a row, 42-14 to Hawaii, 34-24 at Fresno State and 34-23 at Nevada, before recovering with a 24-21 win over San Jose State heading into our game.



    Final Score
    31, 23




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Utah State Offense - A good day (and rebound) by Powers, going 22-30 for 273 yards and three touchdowns. Rushing, Roberson led the way with 89 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. Paris ended with 75 yards on 14 catches. Receiving, Douglas was the top receiver with 73 yards on six receptions. For those scoring touchdowns, McGuire ended with 58 yards and one touchdown on four catches, Fields ended his day with 55 yards and one touchdown on four receptions and James had 16 yards and one touchdown on two catches. In total, nine different receivers caught a pass today, eight of them ending with double digit yards. On the negative side, McGuire ended the day with two drops, Martin ending with one dropped pass.

    Utah State Defense – Good and bad once more. Hawaii's first drive, awful. Rest of the first quarter and all of the second and third quarters, great. Fourth quarter, terrible. The fourth quarter alone nearly blew the game for us. Thankfully, the lone turnover, an interception with 47 seconds left, sealed the win for us, and the defense did manage to get five sacks.

    Utah State Kicking – Absolutely freaking awful. Thank god Burnette is a senior, because I don't think I could put up with another season of so much suck. Burnette ends the game 1-4 in field goals, drilling a 21 yard kick from the middle of the field, but missing wide left on a 47 yard try, missing wide left on a 43 yard try and missing wide right on a 47 yard try. Douchebag McGee did at least manage to go 4-4 in PATs. But he nearly screwed us. One more touchdown and successful two-point conversion by Hawaii, and we were going to be tied up. One of those three missed field goals by Burnette would have never put us in that situation with less than a minute left.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    7 0 0 16 23
    14 14 3 0 31


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    5:19 Touchdown P. Roberson, 6 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 7-0
    2:07 Touchdown K. Banks, 3 yard run (C. Leach kick) TIED 7-7
    0:27 Touchdown E. McGuire, 11 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 14-7
    Second Quarter
    3:47 Touchdown T. Fields, 11 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 21-7
    0:23 Touchdown B. James, 7 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 28-7
    Third Quarter
    4:14 Field Goal R. Burnette, 21 yard field goal 31-7
    Fourth Quarter
    6:15 Touchdown L. Ramsey, 52 yard pass from J. Sanders (2-point conversion good) 31-15
    2:35 Touchdown E. Williams, 34 yard pass from J. Sanders (2-point conversion good) 31-23




    Game Stats

    Hawaii Stat Utah State
    23 Score 31
    15 First Downs 25
    356 Total Offense 431
    14 - 32 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 41 - 158 - 1
    25 - 40 - 2 Comp - Att - TD 22 - 30 - 3
    324 Passing Yards 273
    5 Times Sacked 1
    6 - 12 (50%) 3rd Down Conversion 7 - 12 (58%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%)
    2 - 2 (100%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    1 - 1 - 0 (100%) Red Zone - TD - FG 5 - 4 - 1 (100%)
    1 Turnovers 0
    0 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 0
    10 Punt Return Yards 37
    0 Kick Return Yards 30
    366 Total Yards 498
    5 – 37.6 Punts - Average 1 - 42.0
    0 - 0 Penalties 0 - 0
    13:46 Time of Possession 22:14




    Utah State Coach Goals

    Goal XP Reward Completed
    Win a Game 100 x1
    Score a Touchdown 25 x4
    3 Consecutive Wins 150 x1
    Force a Turnover 25 x1
    Pass for 250 Yards 25 x1
    Rush for 100 Yards 25 x1
    Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead 10 x1
    3+ Sacks 50 x1
    Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards 50 x1
    Pass Completion Over 50% 30 x1
    100% Red Zone Efficiency 50 x1
    Score 21 or More Points 50 x1
    350+ Offensive Yards 50 x1
    10+ First Downs 50 x1
    4+ 3rd Down Conversions 25 x1




    Utah State Contract Goals Update

    Goal Expectations Progress
    Target Wins Per Season 6 6




    Job Security Status

    100%

  7. #1327
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week and the upset of the week, #19 Miami demolishes #1 Florida State 38-7 to crush the national title dreams of the Seminoles. #2 Kansas State stakes their claim on the top ranking, beating Iowa State 35-7. #3 Ohio State stays perfect, beating Purdue 31-9. #4 Boise State stays flawless, beating Colorado State 38-20 behind a 5 touchdown day by Mark Concepcion. #5 Alabama destroys FCS East 59-7. #6 Florida edges out Georgia 31-23.

    #7 Virginia Tech beats Boston College 38-28. #8 Notre Dame whoops Navy 41-17. #9 USC topped #20 Oregon State 16-6. Iowa knocks off #10 Wisconsin 27-17. #12 TCU holds on to beat West Virginia 34-23. #13 North Carolina edges out rival NC State 26-20. #24 Missouri knocks off #15 Tennessee 37-20. #16 Texas beat Kansas 31-14. #18 Texas A&m beats Kentucky 31-21. #22 South Carolina finally breaks their three game losing streak, knocking off #21 Mississippi State 42-24. #25 Nebraska fights off Northwestern 41-31.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #3 Ohio State improves to 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten) with 31-9 win over Purdue. Morsdraconis, West Virginia drops to 5-4 (2-4 Big 12) with a 34-23 loss to #12 TCU. Souljahbill, Southern Miss falls to 3-5 (2-2 C-USA) with a 20-15 loss to Marshall. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 4-4 (3-2 Pac-12) with a 24-17 win over Washington State. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 5-3 (4-1 SEC) with a 29-17 win over Arkansas. SCClassof93, #22 South Carolina improves to 5-3 (4-3 SEC), finally breaking their three game losing streak with a 42-24 win over #21 Mississippi State. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State falls to 6-2 (3-1 Sun Belt), losing a stunner, 37-34 in double overtime to South Alabama. Florida International improves to 7-1 (4-0 C-USA) with a 45-10 win over Old Dominion. Navy drops to 3-5 (3-3 American) with a 41-17 loss to #8 Notre Dame. Tulsa improves to 5-3 (4-1 American) with a 45-6 thumping of SMU.

    In Mountain West action, #4 Boise State tops Colorado State 38-20, Utah State outlasts Hawaii 31-23, Fresno State dominated Nevada 28-3, San Diego State tops New Mexico 31-10, UNLV knocks off San Jose State 24-21 and Air Force wins the Commander-in-Chief's trophy for 2020, edging out Army 10-7.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (5-0) remains top dog, followed by Utah State (4-1) and Wyoming (2-2). After that sits Air Force (1-4), Colorado State (0-4) and New Mexico (0-4), with Air Force, Colorado State and New Mexico all eliminated from the division race. In the West Division, San Diego State (3-1) sits on top, followed closely by Hawaii (4-2), San Jose State (3-2) and Fresno State (3-2). After that, sits UNLV (2-3) and Nevada (2-4).

    Looking at undefeated teams left, #1 Florida State lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 3. #2 Kansas State (8-0), #3 Ohio State (8-0) and #4 Boise State (8-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: Idaho (0-6).

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Kansas State (40 first place votes) climbs one to #1, Ohio State (21 votes) climbs one to #2, Boise State jumps one to #3, Alabama climbs one to #4 and Florida moves up one to #5. Virginia Tech climbs one to #6, Notre Dame jumps one to #7, USC moves up one to #8, Florida State drops eight to #9 and Washington climbs one to #10. TCU jumps one to #11, North Carolina climbs one to #12, LSU moves up one to #13, Miami leaps five to #14 and Texas climbs one to #15. Oklahoma climbs one to #16, Texas A&M jumps one to #17, Wisconsin drops eight to #18, South Carolina climbs three to #19 and Missouri jumps four to #20. Oregon climbs two to #21, Nebraska jumps three to #22, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #23, Arizona enters the poll at #24 and Oregon State (222 points) drops five to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Tennessee (from #15) and Mississippi State (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan State (219 points) is #26, followed by Tennessee (134), Mississippi State (115), Iowa (103) and Auburn (102) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Arizona State (4) and Western Kentucky (2).

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Kansas State (39 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (23 votes) jumps one to #2, Boise State (3 votes) climbs one to #3, Alabama moves up one to #4 and Florida climbs one to #5. USC jumps one to #6, Virginia Tech climbs one to #8, Miami pole vaults eleven to #8, Notre Dame remains #9 and Washington remains #10. Florida State drops nine to #11, TCU remains #12, LSU climbs one to #13, Texas drops one to #14 and North Carolina remains #15. Texas A&M climbs one to #16, Oklahoma moves up one to #17, South Carolina jumps four to #18, Wisconsin drops eight to #19 and Missouri jumps five to #20. Nebraska remains #21, Arizona jumps two to #22, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #23, Oregon enters the poll at #24 and Oregon State (177 points) drops two to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Tennessee (from #16) and Mississippi State (from #20). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan State (173 points) is #26, followed by Auburn (163), Mississippi State (162), Iowa (101) and Tennessee (97) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Western Kentucky (61).

    In the first BCS rankings of the year: #1 Kansas State (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Boise State (0.989), #4 Alabama (0.982), #5 Florida (0.978), #6 Virginia Tech (0.971), #7 USC (0.968), #8 Notre Dame (0.963), #9 Washington (0.952) and #10 Miami (0.947).

    A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #1 (LW: #2), Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #2 (LW: #1), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #3 (LW: #4), Arizona HB Kevin Simpson is #4 (LW: NR) and LSU HB Brett Miranda is #5 (LW: #3). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was TCU QB Sean Moore is (LW: #5).

  8. #1328
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    UNLV shall be coming sometime this weekend. I ended up playing GTA Online with Punter and some others until 3:45 AM Friday morning (too late to fire up a game of NCAA). It might be sometime tonight overnight, or maybe Sunday sometime. I suppose that's the one good thing with the NCAA series being suspended/cancelled. I'm no longer in a rush to try and constantly plow through games and seasons, trying to squeeze as many out before the next game arrives each July. I can just cruise and take my time now, since I'm going to be rolling with NCAA '14 for at least the next two years (and possibly forever).

  9. #1329
    Heisman jaymo76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
    UNLV shall be coming sometime this weekend. I ended up playing GTA Online with Punter and some others until 3:45 AM Friday morning (too late to fire up a game of NCAA). It might be sometime tonight overnight, or maybe Sunday sometime. I suppose that's the one good thing with the NCAA series being suspended/cancelled. I'm no longer in a rush to try and constantly plow through games and seasons, trying to squeeze as many out before the next game arrives each July. I can just cruise and take my time now, since I'm going to be rolling with NCAA '14 for at least the next two years (and possibly forever).
    I'm using UNLV this season. They have some talent in my dynasty. I will be interested to see how they play against you in your world. Looking forward to the update.

    As to your discussion of not needing to rush a game due to no 15, I was actually thinking that for sake of staying in an NCAA mindset that I am going to create my own thread (though no way as detailed as yours) and tell the story of my dynasty. I think it would be great for everyone on this site to do this. It would be a way to truly keep the game alive IMO.

  10. #1330
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
    I'm using UNLV this season. They have some talent in my dynasty. I will be interested to see how they play against you in your world. Looking forward to the update.

    As to your discussion of not needing to rush a game due to no 15, I was actually thinking that for sake of staying in an NCAA mindset that I am going to create my own thread (though no way as detailed as yours) and tell the story of my dynasty. I think it would be great for everyone on this site to do this. It would be a way to truly keep the game alive IMO.
    Nice! I'm looking forward to your dynasty.

    Yeah, I would love to see this section come back to life. There's not really anything holding anyone back anymore. It's not like busy schedules will limit the playing and dynasty posting time people have before the next edition release.

    I know I'm going to be keeping this dynasty going well into the future. My main issue will be when to decide to leave for a new team. I made my move from FIU to Tulsa when '13 came out. I made my move from Tulsa to Utah State when '14 came out. Now I'll have to decide when to move on since there's no new edition to plan around.

  11. #1331
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Game Ten





    Game Notes

    --- One week after reaching bowl eligibility with a young Utah State squad, it was back onto the road for our final time this season, with a trip to take on UNLV. Despite entering with a 4-5 record, UNLV didn’t have any real bad losses. The worst losses would be to a 4-5 Hawaii and a 4-4 Nevada. The rest came against 5-4 Minnesota, 6-2 Arizona and 6-3 Fresno State, so they won when they were supposed to and for the most part lost when they were supposed to.

    Their numbers however didn’t reflect the record. UNLV entered the game as a total abomination on offense, ranked #119 in points per game (18.1 point/game), #112 in total offense (314.1 yards/game) and #119 in pass offense (156.2 yards/game). The only decent offensive stat for UNLV was their rushing game, ranked #61 (157.9 yards/game). Defense was much better, their rush defense their worst rated at #80 (153.3 yards/game), with total defense coming in at #43 (336.9 yards/game) and pass defense sitting at #26 (183.6 yards/game). One stat that would potentially decide this game would be turnovers. We entered the game with a turnover differential of negative two (ranked #82), while UNLV entered at negative seven (ranked #113). With two semi-decent defenses colliding in this game, turnovers very well could be what decides who carries the day. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A touchback on the opening kickoff gave UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line to start the game. A screen pass from Gary Alvarez to Antonio Matthews on first down picked up only three yards for the Rebels, leaving second and 7. Alvarez kept it on the option play on second down, but a blitz by the defense left him with nowhere to run, brought down for a loss of one yard to set up third and 8. The Rebels would keep going backwards, as outside linebacker Casey Hunter came blitzing in from the blind side, sacking Alvarez from behind for a 6 yard loss to leave UNLV punting on fourth and 14. A 20 yard return by Eric McGuire on the short 33 yard punt left us with incredible field position, starting our first drive at the UNLV 34 yard line.

    Lining up at the Rebels 34 to start our first drive of the game, Preston Roberson started the drive on the ground with a 7 yard rush, followed by a gain of 6 to move the chains to the 21. Continuing to pound away on the ground, Roberson fought his way to a 6 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush by Brian Paris to leave us with third and one. Roberson would come through for us with a three yard gain, giving us first and goal from the UNLV 9 yard line. Paris took over on first down, gaining three yards on the play, followed by a big 5 yard rush by Roberson to set up third and goal from the one yard line. Paris would get the call on third down, punching it in for a one yard touchdown, giving us a 7-0 lead with 5:06 left in the first quarter.

    A 34 yard kickoff return gave UNLV the ball at their 33 yard line. Forced to rush the first down pass, the throw from Alvarez down the middle of the fields was wide of the receiver and fell incomplete. A 28 yard rush by Alvarez on the option keeper gave UNLV life on offense and a first down at our 39 yard line. Going no huddle, Alvarez connected with Jamie Boone for a quick 12 yard completion and a new set of downs at our 26 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Alvarez found Joe Triplett for a gain of 5 yard to leave third and 5. An incomplete pass, intended again for Triplett, left the Rebels facing fourth down at our 22. A field goal wouldn’t be enough, as Alvarez dropped back and found Triplett over the middle for a 21 yard completion, giving the Rebels first and goal at our one yard line. Triplett, targeted for the fourth play in a row, would pull in the quick pass on first down and fall into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, tying the game up at 7-7 with 4:09 left in the first quarter.

    A 16 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us started at our 22 yard line. Roberson started the drive on the ground with a three yard rush, the UNLV defense ready for the run that time. A play action pass on second down ended in utter failure, as Adam Powers pitched the ball to Paris for the HB pass, the throw from Paris intended for McGuire nothing but a wounded duck that landed incomplete 7 yards downfield, leaving us with third and 7. Dre Martin would keep the driving moving, pulling in the third down pass from Powers for a 17 yard completion and a first down at the 42. Looking to take advantage of UNLV’s less than stellar pass defense, we came right back at them on first down, Powers finding James along the right hash for a 13 yard strike, moving the chains to the UNLV 45 yard line. A 9 yard completion to McGuire was followed by a 12 yard strike to David Douglas, giving us a new set of downs at the 24. McGuire would end the drive for us on the next play, streaking down the left sideline while Martin and Douglas took the cornerback and outside linebacker out of the play, allowing McGuire to pull in the pass from Powers at the two yard line and beat the safety into the end zone for a 24 yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 1:59 left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line. Erick Parrish got the drive started with a three yard rush, before being tackled for no gain to leave third and 7. Forced to rush his pass in the face of a blitz, Alvarez’s third down throw intended for Jacob Hudson was well off-target and incomplete, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 7. A 16 yard return by McGuire on the 37 yard punt gave us the ball at the UNLV 49 yard line.

    Roberson got our drive started on the ground with a 5 yard rush to the right side, before diving up the middle for a gain of four to leave third and inches. Roberson would just barely get the first down, rushing for one yard to move the sticks to the UNLV 38 yard line. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead 14-7 over the Rebels.

    Opening up the second quarter, Roberson received the handoff on first down, only able to gain two yards on the play. The second down play action pass intended for tight end Jack Long was intercepted by outside linebacker Darren Morris, returned one yard to give UNLV the ball at their 32 yard line.

    Taking over after the interception, the Rebels handed the ball off to Parrish on first down, the blitz by the defense leaving Parrish nowhere to run and resulting in the play ending in a four yard loss to leave second and 14. Alvarez dropped back on second down and dumped the ball off to Parrish, but the defense limited the damage to only two yards to bring up third and 12. Alvarez never had a chance to find an open receiver on the third down play, as cornerback Mike Moses came blitzing in from the blind side, sacking Alvarez for a 5 yard loss to leave UNLV punting on fourth and 17. A 16 yard return by McGuire on the 38 yard punt gave us possession at the UNLV 48 yard line.

    Coming out passing on first down, Powers shook off his previous interception and connected with Martin over the middle for a 17 yard completion, instantly moving the chains to the 31 yard line. Paris kept us moving with a 13 yard reception for a first down at the 18. Ryan Conley would finish off the drive on the next play, pulling in a pass from Powers over the middle for an 18 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 21-7 with 6:29 left in the second quarter.

    A 19 yard return on the kickoff gave UNLV the ball at their 20 yard line. Parrish received the handoff on first down, but was quickly brought down for a loss of one yard on the play. Alvarez was hit as he threw on second down, the pass landing incomplete to bring up third and 11. A screen pass to Parrish gained 8 yards, but it wasn’t enough, forcing the punt team to come out on fourth and three. A 13 yard return by McGuire on the 43 yard punt got us back in action from our 43 yard line.

    Coming out passing again on first down, Michael Smith pulled down a first down pass from Powers for a 9 yard gain, before the quick pass intended for Conley was broken up, nearly intercepted, to leave us with third and one. Roberson came in to take the ball on third down, picking up three yards on the ground to move the chains to the UNLV 45 yard line. Keeping on the ground, Roberson received the handoff on first down, fighting his way to an 8 yard gain, before safety Devon White tackled him by his facemask at the end of the run, the 15 yard penalty giving us a first down and a big boost at the Rebels 22 yard line. Continuing to move the ball on the ground, Roberson plowed up the middle for a pair of 7 yard gains, setting us up with first and goal from the 8 yard line when all was said and done. Keeping the ball himself on first down, Powers tried to go off the right tackle, only managing a single yard on the play. A second down pass to Tim Fields resulted in a gain of only one yard, leaving third and goal at the 6 yard line. Douglas would come through for us on third down, getting open in the corner of the end zone and hauling in the pass from Powers for a 6 yard touchdown to increase our lead to 28-7 with 2:10 left in the second quarter.

    A 22 yard kickoff return gave UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line. Parrish received the handoff on first down, gaining one yard on the play, the Rebels calling their first timeout with 2:01 to go. An incomplete pass on second down, intended for Hudson, left the Rebels facing third and 9. Alvarez’s throw on third down, intended for Boone, was far off the mark and incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. A 15 yard return by McGuire on the 40 yard punt got us back on the field at our 48 yard line.

    Coming out passing on first down, the pass from Powers, initially intended for Martin, incidentally got broken up by McGuire, who was cutting past on his route. The ball bounced off of McGuire’s pads and up into the air, giving McGuire the chance to pull in the ball, somehow the pass ending up complete for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the UNLV 41 yard line. The first down pass intended for Douglas would end up an utter failure, the ball intercepted by safety Tony Johnson, who returned it 14 yards to the UNLV 39 yard line with 1:23 left until halftime.

    Taking over after the interception, the Rebels started their drive on the ground, Parrish rushing for a 6 yard gain on the play. An incomplete screen pass on second down would bring about third and four for the Rebels. Despite the blitz forcing a rushed pass, Alvarez was able to get the ball off to Triplett for a gain of 9 yards and a first down at our 46 yard line, Triplett tackled out of bounds to stop the clock with 56 seconds remaining. Alvarez threw up a 7 yard completion to Michael Neal on first down, the Rebels calling their second timeout with 50 seconds to go. The second down pass intended for Boone was off the mark and incomplete, forcing UNLV into a third and three situation. A heavy blitz on third down paid off, Parrish receiving the handoff and only able to pick up two yards on the play, leaving the Rebels with fourth and one. We called our first timeout of the half with 42 seconds remaining. Going for it on fourth down, Alvarez never had a chance to get the pass off, as nearly the entire defense came blitzing after him, sacking him for a four yard loss and forcing the turnover on downs at our 42 yard line, 38 seconds remaining.

    Taking over after the turnover on downs, a first down pass to Roberson ended up knocked incomplete, followed by an incomplete pass intended for McGuire. Douglas would keep our drive alive on third down, pulling in a pass from Powers and shouldering his way through a defender for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the UNLV 46 yard line. Rushing to the line, Fields would make the next big play, managing to slip behind the middle linebacker out of the tight end slot from the right side, pulling in the pass for a 30 yard gain and a first down at the 16 yard line, our second timeout called with 11 seconds left in the half. We received some bad news after the play, as we found out Douglas had strained his back during his previous reception, the injury leaving him sidelined for two quarters. A first down pass over the middle intended for Martin was briefly caught, but contact by the safety knocked the ball loose and incomplete, leaving second down with 8 seconds to go. McGuire would finish the job on second down, going one and one with cornerback and pulling on the pass first for a 16 yard touchdown, giving us a 35-7 lead with four seconds on the clock.

    A 15 yard kickoff return gave UNLV the ball at their 42 yard line, just one second left on the clock. The pass deep down the right sideline was broken up, and we headed into halftime with a 35-7 lead.

    Opening up the second half, McGuire returned the kickoff 19 yards to our 21 yard line to start the third quarter. Starting the drive on the ground, Roberson fought his way to barely a two yard gain on first down. Keeping on the ground, Roberson was quickly tripped up for a gain of only three yards, leaving third and 5. Dropping back on third down, Powers tried to connect with Martin, but the pass was broken up by the outside linebacker, and we were forced to punt on fourth down. A 16 yard return on the 40 yard punt gave UNLV the ball at their 49 yard line.

    The Rebels got their drive off to a disappointing start, as the first down pass intended for Kasey Ryan was broken up, leaving second down. Hudson got the drive moving with a 13 yard reception and a first down at our 38 yard line, followed by a 10 yard completion to Ryan to leave second and inches. Hudson would get the first down with a 7 yard completion, moving the chains to our 22 yard line. A four yard completion to Hudson was followed by an incomplete pass, intended for John Williams, leaving third and 6 at our 18, UNLV’s no-huddle ripping our defense to shreds. We would catch a major break on third down, as the pass intended for Hudson would have been a sure first down, but he was unable to hold onto the ball, dropping it incomplete to leave fourth down. The 35 yard field goal by Kalvin Merritt cut our lead to 35-10 with 6:49 left in the third quarter.

    A 15 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us lined up at our 19 yard line. Roberson took the handoff on first down, but found nowhere to run, tackled for no gain on the play. Going into the air on second down, Powers tried to connect with McGuire, but the pass was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving third and 10. Everything would continue to go downhill for us in the second half, as Powers threw his third interception of the game, the pass picked off by cornerback Scott McKenzie, who then returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, further cutting our lead to 35-17 with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter.

    We weren’t about to go down without a fight as McGuire received the kickoff, finding a hole and breaking free up the left sideline. He had a chance to take it to the house, but was caught up from behind, tackled for a 59 yard return, getting our offense started at the UNLV 34 yard line. Paris got our drive started on the ground with a 5 yard rush, followed by a gain of 8 to get the first down at the 20. Roberson came back in on first down, taking the ball up the middle for a 5 yard gain. However, a flag came out during the tackle, a facemask penalty called on cornerback Marcus Nance. The half the distance to the goal penalty gaining up 7 yards and giving us a first down and goal at the 8 yard line. Roberson kept pounding away on the ground, picking up three yards on the first down carry. Paris would take the ball on second down and finish off the drive, punching it in for a 5 yard touchdown to increase our lead to 42-17 with 4:33 left in the third quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave UNLV the ball at their 25 yard line to start their next drive. A screen pass to Parrish on first down resulted in no gain on the play. Parrish would still get the last laugh, taking the ball on second down and burning us for a 24 yard gain on the ground and a first down at the 49 yard line. Going no huddle on first down, Alvarez tried to connect with Antonio Matthews over the middle, but the pass was broken up to leave second and 10. Bringing the blitz on second down, Alvarez was forced to throw the ball away, bringing up third and 10. On a ridiculous third down conversion, Alvarez chucked up a pass down the left sideline for Ryan, who jumped up and dove for the pass, pulling it in for a 20 yard completion and a first down at our 32 yard line. Our defense would then proceed to shoot itself in the foot, defensive end Caleb McBride getting flagged for encroachment, giving UNLV first and 5 at our 27. Bringing the blitz again on first down, Alvarez dropped back for a screen pass, but was unable to make the throw, instead try to get rid of the ball as he was gang tackled. It nearly ended in disaster for the Rebels, as the ball merely rose up into the air and hung there. It was nearly intercepted by two different defenders, but they were unable to come down with it, the ball landing incomplete to bring up second and 5. The second down pass intended for Parrish was dropped incomplete, and the Rebels faced third down. It would be only downhill from there as another attempted screen pass resulted in Alvarez being sacked for a 9 yard loss, bringing up fourth and 14 from our 36 yard line. The 36 yard punt bounced into the end zone for a touchback, giving us the ball at our 20 yard line.

    Lining up at our 20 yard line, Roberson got the drive started with a 7 yard rush, followed by a two yard rush by Powers that left us with third and one. Paris would take the ball on first down, rumbling his way to a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 42 yard line. A pair of rushes by Paris went for gains of four and 5 yards, setting up third and one. Brian James took the ball on third down, tackled for a loss of one yard on the play, forcing us to punt on fourth and two from midfield. In our best punt of the entire season, the 47 yard boot by EdAllen landed at the UNLV 7 yard line and bounced down to the two yard line, where a sprinting Moses came diving in to down it at the UNLV two yard line and leave the Rebels buried.

    Taking over at their own two yard line after the punt, the first down pass intended for Michael Neal was broken up at the one yard line, leaving second and 10. Only our defense would find a way to screw up that positioning, allowing an 11 yard rush by Parrish and a first down at the 13 yard line. An incomplete pass intended for Neal was followed by a dropped pass by Boone to bring up third and 10. A third straight incomplete pass, intended for Boone, would bring the third quarter to an end, our lead sitting at 42-17.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, UNLV lined up for a punt on fourth and 10 from their 13 yard line. We nearly blocked the punt, but the Rebels were just barely able to get it off, a fair catch by McGuire on the 37 yard kick giving us the ball at our 49 yard line.

    Paris took the ball on first down, rushing for a 6 yard gain, followed by a 14 yard rush and a first down at the UNLV 30. Paris continued to pound the ball away on the ground, picking up 7 yards on first down. James took over on second down, just managing to gain three yards and get the first down at the 20 yard line. A play action pass to Fields was complete as the defense bit the fake, the completion going for a 15 yard gain to give us first and goal at the 5 yard line. Conley would get us back to the end zone on the next play, pulling in the pass from Powers for a 5 yard touchdown to expand our lead to 49-17 with 6:54 left in the game.

    A 22 yard kickoff return got the Rebels back in action from their 21 yard line. The Rebels started right where they left off, as the first down pass from Alvarez to Boone fell incomplete to bring up second down. UNLV would finally get positive yards again, as Hudson pulled in a pass from Alvarez for a 26 yard gain and a first down at the 47 yard line. The Rebels would then double down on the passing game, Alvarez launching a bomb to Williams, who hauled in the pass and beat our secondary to the end zone for a 53 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 49-24 with 6:29 left in the game.

    A 28 yard kickoff return by Buck Castillo got us back on the field at our 25 yard line. Paris started our drive with a 5 yard rush, followed by a gain of 10 to get the first down at the 40 yard line. James took the ball on first down for three yards. Our drive would come crashing to an end on second down, as Paris initially had gained about 6 yards on the play, seemingly just short of the first down. Then during the tackle, the ball popped loose and ended up on the ground behind the pile of bodies, the fumble recovered by defensive end Chad Riggs, returned two yards to give UNLV the ball at our 46 yard line. Despite trying to challenge the fumble, we were not allowed to, and UNLV got to keep possession of the ball.

    The Rebels got the drive started with a one yard completion to Ryan, before Neal hauled in a pass down the left sideline and shredded us for a 22 yard gain and a first down at our 23 yard line. Dumping off a first down pass to Parrish, our defense was ready this time, tackling him out of bounds for a two yard loss to leave second and 12. A 12 yard completion to Matthews kept the sticks moving to our 13 yard line. Alvarez kept the ball on an option play on first down, gaining one yard on the rush, before our defense blitzed through and tackled Parrish for a three yard loss to leave third and 12. Our defense would hold, forcing a bad pass that landed in the end zone incomplete, bringing up fourth and 12. Down by 25 with under four minutes to play, UNLV lined up to go for it on fourth down, essentially needing a touchdown or bust on this play. A deflected pass by middle linebacker Lee Bradley would end those hopes for the home crowd, forcing the turnover on downs with 3:41 left in the game.

    Taking over at our 15 yard line after the turnover on downs, Paris started our drive with a three yard rush around the right tackle, before being brought down for no gain to leave us with third and 7. Martin would keep our drive moving, pulling in a pass from Powers for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 32 yard line with 2:23 left in the game. Paris received the handoff on first down, fighting his way to a 5 yard gain on the play, followed by a carry for no gain by James, setting up third and 5 with one minute left to go. With the clock low enough, Powers took to a knee with 32 seconds left in the game, the clock running out without another snap needing to be taken, sealing our 49-24 win over the Rebels.

    With the win, we improve to 7-3, 5-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, UNLV drops to 4-6, 2-4 in Mountain West play. Up next, we have a bye week before returning home for our final two games of the year, starting with a visit from Colorado State. The Rams enter the game 2-8, 1-5 in Mountain West action. Colorado State opened their year with a 29-14 loss to rival Colorado, a 33-10 loss at Arizona State and a 38-3 whooping at #4 Alabama. They finally got in the win column with a 31-24 win over UTEP, before going back on a 5 game slide. They lose 38-17 to San Jose State, 31-21 at Wyoming, 24-21 at Hawaii, 38-20 to #3 Boise State, 28-3 to Nevada. The Rams would finally recover with a 21-20 upset of New Mexico heading into our game.


    Final Score
    49, 24




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Utah State Offense - Good and bad today by Powers when it came to passing. The good, 18-27 for 241 yards and 5 touchdowns. The bad, three interceptions. Rushing, Paris ended up being the best on the ground, ending with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, though he did have one fumble. Roberson ended with 87 yards rushing on 20 carries. Receiving, McGuire led the way with 60 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. Douglas had 30 yards and one touchdown on three catches. And Conley ended with 23 yards and two touchdowns on two receptions. In all, eight receivers caught a pass today, seven ended with double digit yards.

    Utah State Defense – First half, incredible. Dominating. Shut down defense. Second half? Ugh. UNLV started to shred our defense in the second half, especially when going no-huddle. Thankfully we already had such a large lead by then that we were able to stop the blood loss and keep our lead.

    Utah State Kicking – Burnette went perfect today, 0-0 in field goals, 7-7 in PATs.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    14 21 7 7 49
    7 0 10 7 24


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    5:06 Touchdown B. Paris, 1 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 7-0
    4:09 Touchdown J. Triplett, 1 yard pass from G. Alvarez (K. Merritt kick) TIED 7-7
    1:59 Touchdown E. McGuire, 24 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 14-7
    Second Quarter
    6:29 Touchdown R. Conley, 18 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 21-7
    2:10 Touchdown D. Douglas, 6 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 28-7
    0:04 Touchdown E. McGuire, 16 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 35-7
    Third Quarter
    6:53 Field Goal K. Merritt, 34 yard field goal 35-10
    6:10 Touchdown S. McKenzie, returned interception 23 yards (K. Merritt kick) 35-17
    4:33 Touchdown B. Paris, 5 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 42-17
    Fourth Quarter
    6:54 Touchdown R. Conley, 5 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 49-17
    6:29 Touchdown J. Williams, 53 yard pass from G. Alvarez (K. Merritt kick) 49-24




    Game Stats

    Utah State Stat UNLV
    49 Score 24
    22 First Downs 12
    437 Total Offense 276
    45 - 196 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 17 - 42 - 0
    18 - 28 - 5 Comp - Att - TD 21 - 45 - 2
    241 Passing Yards 234
    0 Times Sacked 4
    9 - 13 (69%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 13 (15%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 3 (33%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    6 - 6 - 0 (100%) Red Zone - TD - FG 3 - 1 - 1 (66%)
    4 Turnovers 0
    1 Fumbles Lost 0
    3 Intercepted 0
    79 Punt Return Yards 15
    134 Kick Return Yards 111
    650 Total Yards 402
    2 – 44.0 Punts - Average 7 - 38.3
    1 - 5 Penalties 2 - 23
    25:18 Time of Possession 10:42




    Utah State Coach Goals

    Goal XP Reward Completed
    Win a Game 100 x1
    Score a Touchdown 25 x7
    Rush for 100 Yards 25 x1
    Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead 10 x1
    3+ Sacks 50 x1
    Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards 50 x1
    Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards 50 x1
    Pass Completion over 50% 30 x1
    100% Red Zone Efficiency 50 x1
    Score 21 or More Points 50 x1
    350+ Offensive Yards 50 x1
    10+ First Downs 50 x1
    4+ 3rd Down Conversions 25 x1
    School Record: Pass TD/Game (5) 200 x1




    Utah State Contract Goals Update

    Goal Expectations Progress
    Target Wins Per Season 6 (7)




    Job Security Status

    100%

  12. #1332
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Kansas State blanked Texas Tech 23-0. #2 Ohio State rolled over Michigan State 41-16. #3 Boise State doubled up Army 38-17. In the game of the week, #4 Alabama topped #13 LSU 41-23. In the upset of the week, Vanderbilt knocked off #5 Florida 27-20. #6 Virginia Tech defeated #14 Miami 28-7. #7 Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 35-7. #8 USC topped Cal 20-7. #9 Florida State beat Wake Forest 31-21. #10 Washington demolished Colorado 42-10

    #11 TCU beat Iowa State 43-40 in triple overtime. #12 North Carolina beat Virginia 27-17. #15 Texas topped West Virginia 34-10. #16 Oklahoma beat Baylor 55-21. #17 Texas A&M held off Mississippi State 31-24. BYU knocked off #18 Wisconsin 21-19. #19 South Carolina beat FCS East 41-22. Kentucky knocked off #20 Missouri 17-13. #21 Oregon topped Stanford 28-21. #23 Georgia Tech defeated Boston College 24-10. And UCLA knocked off #24 Arizona 28-19.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 9-0 (6-0 Big Ten) with 41-16 win over Michigan State. Morsdraconis, West Virginia drops to 5-5 (2-5 Big 12) with a 34-10 loss to #15 Texas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 4-5 (3-2 C-USA) with a 34-7 win over Old Dominion. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 5-4 (4-2 Pac-12) with a 27-21 win over Utah. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 6-3 (5-1 SEC) with a 35-24 win over Tennessee. SCClassof93, #19 South Carolina improves to 6-3 (4-3 SEC), beating FCS East 41-22. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State falls to 6-3 (3-2 Sun Belt), losing 28-27 to Louisiana-Monroe. Florida International improves to 8-1 (5-0 C-USA) with a 24-17 win over Massachusetts. Navy drops to 4-5 (4-3 American) with a 27-21 win over Connecticut. Tulsa falls to 5-4 (4-2 American) with a 34-14 loss to East Carolina.

    In Mountain West action, Utah State beat UNLV 49-24, Nevada topped Colorado State 28-3, New Mexico knocked off Air Force 33-17, Fresno State beat Wyoming 30-21, San Diego State came from behind to beat San Jose State 31-24, and #3 Boise State beat Army 38-17.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (5-0) remains top dog, followed by Utah State (5-1). After that sits Wyoming (2-3), New Mexico (1-4), Air Force (1-5) and Colorado State (0-5), with all four teams eliminated from the division race. In the West Division, San Diego State (4-1) sits on top, followed closely by Hawaii (4-2) and Fresno State (4-2). After that, sits San Jose State (3-3), Nevada (3-4) and UNLV (2-4), with San Jose State, Nevada and UNLV all eliminated.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, nobody lost this week, leaving our number of undefeated teams at 3. #1 Kansas State (9-0), #2 Ohio State (9-0) and #3 Boise State (9-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: Idaho (0-8).

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Kansas State (34 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (26 votes) remains #2, Boise State (1 vote) remains #3, Alabama remains #4 and Virginia Tech climbs one to #5. Notre Dame jumps one to #6, USC climbs one to #7, Florida State moves up one to #8, Washington climbs one to #9 and TCU jumps one to #10. North Carolina climbs one to #11, Texas jumps three to #12, Oklahoma climbs three to #13, Florida drops nine to #14 and Texas A&M climbs two to #15. South Carolina climbs three to #16, Oregon jumps four to #17, Miami drops four to #18, Nebraska climbs three to #19 and Georgia Tech moves up three to #20. LSU drops eight to #21, Oregon State climbs three to #22, Iowa enters the poll at #23, Auburn enters the poll at #24 and Wisconsin (216 points) drops seven to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Missouri (from #20) and Arizona (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arizona State (185 points) is #26, followed by Western Kentucky (175), Michigan State (148), Florida International (107) and Arizona (85) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting votes this week is UCLA (38).

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Kansas State (37 first place votes) remains #1, Ohio State (25 votes) remains #2, Boise State (3 votes) remains #3, Alabama remains #4 and Virginia Tech jumps two to #5. USC remains #6, Notre Dame climbs two to #7, Washington jumps two to #8, Florida State moves up two to #9 and TCU climbs two to #10. North Carolina leaps four to #11, Texas jumps two to #12, Texas A&M climbs three to #13, Oklahoma jumps three to #14 and Florida drops ten to #15. South Carolina climbs two to #16, Miami drops nine to #17, Nebraska jumps three to #18, Georgia Tech climbs four to #19 and Oregon jumps four to #20. Oregon State jumps four to #21, LSU falls nine to #22, Auburn enters the poll at #23, Iowa enters the poll at #24 and Western Kentucky (199 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Wisconsin (from #19), Missouri (from #20) and Arizona (from #22). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Wisconsin (180 points) is #26, followed by Florida International (126), Michigan State (120), Arizona State (117) and Arizona (82) to round out the Top 30.

    In the new BCS rankings: #1 Kansas State (1.000), #2 Ohio State (0.995), #3 Boise State (0.989), #4 Alabama (0.982), #5 Virginia Tech (0.979), #6 Notre Dame (0.971), #7 USC (0.971), #8 Washington (0.960), #9 North Carolina (0.947) and #10 Florida State (0.947).

    A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Matt Cowan is #1 (LW: NR), Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #2 (LW: #2), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #3 (LW: #3), Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #4 (LW: #1) and Arizona HB Kevin Simpson is #5 (LW: #4). Dropping off the Heisman Watch list this week was LSU HB Brett Miranda (LW: #5).

  13. #1333
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    On a bye week this week, so lets get right to it.

    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, in the game of the week and the upset of the week, #10 TCU knocked off #1 Kansas State 27-13. #2 Ohio State topped Illinois 55-10. #3 Boise State whooped Wyoming 52-14. #4 Alabama beat Mississippi State 34-13. #5 Virginia Tech escaped FCS Midwest 45-39 in triple overtime. FCS Midwest led 26-14 in the early fourth, the Hokies scored 15 to take the lead, FCS tied up with a field goal at the end to force overtime. #6 Notre Dame blanked North Texas 48-0.

    Stanford knocked off #7 USC 45-35. Syracuse upset #8 Florida State 20-14. #9 Washington beat UCLA 34-21. #11 North Carolina escaped Pittsburgh 23-17. #12 Texas beat Oklahoma State 35-19. #13 Oklahoma topped Iowa State 41-21. #14 Florida doubled up0 #16 South Carolina 28-14. Utah knocked off #17 Oregon 49-13. #18 Miami beat Duke 38-7. #19 Nebraska fought off #25 Wisconsin 38-26. #20 Georgia Tech held off Clemson 33-21. #22 Oregon State fought off Arizona State 42-35. Georgia upset #24 Auburn 38-24.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #2 Ohio State improves to 10-0 (7-0 Big Ten) with 55-10 win over Illinois. Morsdraconis, West Virginia improves to 6-5 (3-5 Big 12) with a 14-11 win over Kansas. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 5-5 (4-2 C-USA) with a 9-3 win over Florida Atlantic. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 5-5 (4-3 Pac-12) with a 42-35 loss to #22 Oregon State. LeeSO, #24 Auburn drops to 6-4 (5-2 SEC) with a 38-24 loss to Georgia. SCClassof93, #16 South Carolina falls to 6-4 (4-4 SEC), losing 28-14 to #14 Florida. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 7-3 (4-2 Sun Belt), with a 29-20 win over Texas State. Florida International improves to 9-1 (6-0 C-USA) with a 20-14 win over UTEP. Navy improves to 5-5 (5-3 American) with a 35-16 win over Memphis. Tulsa falls to 5-5 (4-3 American) with a 32-27 loss to Houston.

    In Mountain West action, #3 Boise State beat Wyoming 52-14, Colorado State knocked off New Mexico 21-20, San Jose State topped Nevada 45-24 and San Diego State blanked Hawaii 26-0.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (6-0) remains top dog, followed by Utah State (5-1). After that sits Wyoming (2-4), New Mexico (1-5), Air Force (1-5) and Colorado State (1-5), with all four teams eliminated from the division race. In the West Division, San Diego State (5-1) sits on top, followed closely by Fresno State (4-2). After that, sits Hawaii (4-3), San Jose State (4-3), Nevada (3-5) and UNLV (2-4), with all four teams eliminated.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, #1 Kansas State lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 2. #2 Ohio State (10-0) and #3 Boise State (10-0) are all that remain with an unblemished record this season.

    Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 1 team still looking for their first win: Idaho (0-9).

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (36 votes) climbs one to #1, Boise State (25 votes) jumps one to #2, Alabama climbs one to #3, Virginia Tech climbs one to #4 and Notre Dame jumps one to #5. Kansas State drops five to #6, TCU climbs three to #7, Washington moves up one to #8, North Carolina jumps two to #9 and Texas climbs two to #10. Oklahoma climbs two to #11, Florida jumps two to #12, Texas A&M moves up two to #13, USC drops seven to #14 and Miami climbs three to #15. Nebraska jumps three to #16, Georgia Tech climbs three to #17, Florida State drops ten to #18, LSU climbs two to #19 and Oregon State jumps two to #20. Iowa climbs two to #21, Western Kentucky enters the poll at #22, Michigan State enters the poll at #23, South Carolina drops eight to #24, and Florida International (222 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Oregon (from #17), Auburn (from #24) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arizona (165 points) is #26, followed by Utah (111), Stanford (68), Vanderbilt (28) and Oregon (27) to round out the Top 30.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (43 votes) climbs one to #1, Boise State (22 votes) jumps one to #2, TCU leap seven to #3, Alabama remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Kansas State drops five to #6, Notre Dame remains #7, Washington remains #8, North Carolina climbs two to #9 and Texas climbs two to #10. Oklahoma leaps three to #11, Texas A&M climbs one to #12, Florida jumps two to #13, Miami moves up three to #14 and USC drops nine to #15. Nebraska moves up two to #16, Georgia Tech climbs two to #17, Oregon State leaps three to #18, Florida State drops ten to #19 and LSU climbs two to #20. Iowa climbs three to #21, Western Kentucky jumps three to #22, Florida International enters the poll at #23, Michigan State enters the poll at #24 and South Carolina (252 points) drops nine to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Oregon (from #20) and Auburn (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arizona (219 points) is #26, followed by Utah (157), Virginia (115), NC State (74) and Vanderbilt (36) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include BYU (35), Oregon (12) and Missouri (3).

    In the new BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Boise State (0.995), #3 Alabama (0.987), #4 Virginia Tech (0.981), #5 TCU (0.979), #6 Kansas State (0.974), #7 Notre Dame (0.974), #8 Washington (0.963), #9 North Carolina (0.958) and #10 Texas (0.952).

    A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Matt Cowan is #1 (LW: #1), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #2 (LW: #3),Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #3 (LW: #2), Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #4 (LW: #4) and Arizona HB Kevin Simpson is #5 (LW: #5). No one dropped off the Heisman Watch list this week.

  14. #1334
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    Game Eleven





    Game Notes

    --- Returning home for our final two games of the season, first up was a visit from the Colorado State Rams. There wasn’t much to be said about this game other than how big the margin of victory would be. Terrible doesn’t even sum up the Rams. They entered the game ranked #123 in points/game (16.1), #117 in total offense (301.8 yards/game), #105 in rush offense (115.0 yards/game), #104 in pass offense (186.8 yards/game), #112 in total defense (419.8 yards/game), #113 in rush defense (170.1 yards/game) and #109 in pass defense (249.7 yards/game). The only ranking they avoided a 100+ ranking on was turnover differential, their negative two differential giving them a ranking of #73. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.

    A touchback on the kickoff got Colorado State started at their 25 yard line. The drive got off to a poor start as Ryan Buchanan’s pass on first down, intended for Bryce Gallagher, landed incomplete. A second down rush by James Nichols ended up going backwards, Nichols tackled for a one yard loss, and the Rams were left facing third and 11. Adam Wade would keep the drive alive for the Rams, getting open down the left sideline and pulling in the pass from Buchanan for an 18 yard gain, just getting both toes down before falling out of bounds, picking up the first down at the 42 yard line. Tevita Wilson initially bobbled the first down pass from Buchanan, but was able to catch it on the second attempt. Unfortunately for him, the defense was already on him by that point, as Wilson ended up tackled for no gain on the play, setting up second and 10. The blitz came through for us on second down, Buchanan almost escaping a pair of defenders, but ending up tripped up at the last second and sacked for a 6 yard loss, leaving third and 16 for the Rams. Nichols took the handoff on third down, but had nowhere to run, brought down for no gain on the play to bring out the Colorado State punt team on fourth and 16. A 17 yard return by Eric McGuire on the 36 yard punt gave us the ball to start at our 44 yard line.

    Preston Roberson got our drive started on the ground, busting his way up the middle for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches. The Rams would bring the blitz on second down, but Roberson was still able to gain two yards on the play, picking up a first down at the Colorado State 44 yard line. Roberson kept pounding away with a pair of four yard rushes, leaving us with third and two. Brian Paris would fail to come through, only gaining one yard on the play to bring up fourth and one from the 35. The 52 yard field goal by Richard Burnette was good, giving us a 3-0 lead with 4:26 left in the first quarter.

    A 28 yard kickoff return gave the Rams the ball at their 27 yard line. Nichols got the drive started with a one yard rush, followed by a 16 yard pass from Buchanan to Wade, picking up a first down at the 44 yard line. We caught a break on first down as the Rams got flagged for a false start, pushing the offense back into first and 15. Nichols took the ball on first down for a gain of four yards, before an incomplete pass intended for Roger Martinez left the Rams facing third and 11. A deep bomb down the left sideline on third down, intended for Martinez, was thankfully broken up by our cornerback at our 10 yard line, saving what would have been a Rams touchdown. That incomplete pass brought another drive to an end, Colorado State bringing their punt team back out on fourth and 11. A 27 yard return by Roberson on the 40 yard punt got us back in action at our 42 yard line.

    Roberson got our drive started on the ground with a 6 yard rush, followed by a three yard rush by Paris to leave us with third and one. We would again fail to convert on third down, Roberson stood up at the line of scrimmage for no gain, forcing us to bring out our punt team for the first time today on fourth and one from the Rams 49 yard line. The 49 yard punt bounced down at the 5 yard line and rolled into the end zone for a touchback, giving the Rams the ball at their 20 yard line.

    Buchanan was forced to throw the ball early on first down, the pass sailing incomplete. Going back into the air on second down, Buchanan’s throw intended for Gallagher was off the mark, and the Rams were left facing third and 10. The Rams would commit the first error of the game, Buchanan throw the ball up to avoid a sack, the hanging duck over the middle of the field promptly intercepted by safety Sam Vinson, who returned it 10 yards to the Colorado State 17 yard line.

    Lining up at the Rams 17 yard line after the interception, Roberson got our drive started with a 6 yard rush up the middle, before being brought down in the backfield for a loss of one yard, leaving us facing third and 5. Dropping back in the shotgun on third down, Adam Powers rifled a pass over the middle to McGuire, but the pass was likewise intercepted by middle linebacker Kyle Kerr, who was immediately tackled, giving Colorado State the ball back at their three yard line.

    The Rams came out on offense from their three yard line after the interception, and Nichols was ready this time, breaking outside the right tackle for an 8 yard gain on the first down carry. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead still just 3-0.

    Opening up the second quarter of this surprising defensive battle, Nichols was able to get three yards on the second down carry, picking up a first down at the 14 yard line. A 23 yard rush by Buchanan on the QB read picked up another quick first down at the 37 yard line, our defense suddenly struggling. A 7 yard rush by Nichols was followed with a 6 yard gain by Matt Schneider, moving the chains to midfield. Another rush by Nichols picked up 14 yards, finally pushed out of bounds for a first down at our 36. A QB read on first down finally ended in a win for our defense, Buchanan hit immediately in the backfield for a four yard loss to leave second and 14. Nichols tried to take the ball on second down, but likewise met the defense for an instant four yard loss, setting the Rams back into a third and 18 situation. Those previous plays would only briefly stop the bleeding, before it turned into full on hemorrhaging, as Martinez pulled down a third down pass from Buchanan along the left sideline for a 44 yard gain, a desperation tackle bringing him down at our one yard line to give the Rams first and goal. Nichols would punch it in on first down for the one yard touchdown, and Colorado State took a 7-3 lead with 6:34 left in the second quarter.

    A 24 yard kickoff return by McGuire left us starting at our 28 yard line. Roberson got the drive started with a three yard rush. Calling a play action pass on second down, the pass intended for tight end Jack Long left us with third and 7. David Douglas would get our offense finally picking up some momentum, pulling in a 10 yard pass from Powers for a first down at the 42. Dre Martin kept us moving with a 16 yard reception, moving the chains again to the Colorado State 43 yard line. Keeping the aerial attack going, Brian James pulled in an 8 yard pass, followed by a 10 yard completion to Michael Smith, giving us a first down at the 25. A diving catch by Ryan Conley went for a big 21 yard gain, and set us up with first and goal at the four yard line. Roberson received the handoff on first down and bowled his way over a pair of defender, forcing his way into the end zone for a four yard touchdown, giving us a 10-7 lead with 4:21 left until halftime.

    A touchback on the kickoff got Colorado State back on offense at their 25 yard line. Wade got the drive started with an 11 yard completion and a first down at the 36 yard line. Nichols took over on first down, managing only two yards on the carry, followed by a gain of three yards to bring up third and 5. Buchanan dropped back to pass on third down, but a diving sack by defensive end Caleb McBride brought Buchanan down for a 9 yard loss, nipping this drive in the bud and forcing the Rams to punt on fourth and 14. An 18 yard return by Roberson on the 41 yard punt gave us the ball at our 46 yard line. The field position came at a price however as Roberson limped off the field after the tackle, diagnosed with a hip pointer that would leave him sidelined until after halftime.

    Lining up on first down, Paris took the ball on first down, but could only manage a two yard gain on the play. Going into the air on second down, Martin kept us moving with a 14 yard reception and a first down at the Rams 38 yard line. A dump pass on first down to Matt Leierer gained us 7 yards on the play. We then got a helping hand from the defense, as a facemask penalty on the tackle by safety Cody Brooks gave us the ball and a first down at the Rams 16 yard line. Paris took the handoff on first down for a four yard gain, followed by a 9 yard completion from Powers to James, setting us up with first and goal at the two yard line. Paris received the handoff on first down, but was brought down for a three yard loss on the play, leaving second and goal from the five yard line, our first timeout called with 53 seconds left on the clock. Paris was able to gain those two yards back, but we were still left facing third and goal at the three. A quick pass over the middle to McGuire was caught right on the goal line, good for a three yard touchdown to give us a 17-7 lead with 8 seconds left in the half.

    A 13 yard return on the squibbed kickoff left Colorado State starting at their 48 yard line with 5 yards left on the clock. The Hail Mary pass was batted down at our 15 yard line, and with no time left on the clock, we headed into halftime with a 17-7 lead.

    Opening up the second half, a 21 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us started at our 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Beginning on the ground, Roberson received the handoff for a gain of only two yards. Running an option play on second down, the successful pitch to Paris gained us 9 yards and a first down at the 37. Roberson took the ball again on first down, but could only gain one yard on the carry. Running a play action pass on first down, the halfback pass trick play failed as Roberson’s throw intended for McGuire was way off target, leaving third and 9. Martin would again come through for us with a 17 yard reception and a first down at the Colorado State 45 yard line. A dive by Roberson on first down only gained three yards, before Powers was brought down for a three yard loss, leaving us lining up on third and 10. Douglas would save the drive on third down, pulling in a pass from Powers for gain of 18 yards, moving the chains to the Rams 26 yard line. Another rush by Roberson resulted in no gain on the play, leaving second and 10. Tim Fields would get in on the action on second down, pulling in a pass from Powers out of the tight end position for a 17 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the 10 yard line. Another shot on the ground by Roberson finally netted good yardage, gaining 6 yards up the middle to leave second and goal at the four. Paris took over on second down, gaining two yards outside the left guard, before Roberson was stood up at the goal line for a one yard gain, leaving fourth and goal at the one. Going for it all on fourth down, the play almost ended in disaster as Paris was hit at the goal line and fumbled the ball forward into the end zone. Tight end Maurice Martin was able to dive on top of the loose ball before the defense and recover it for the one yard touchdown, giving us a 24-7 lead with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Colorado State the ball at their 25 yard line. A first down pass to Henry Watkins went for no gain on the play, followed by an 18 yard rush by Nichols that kept the drive moving with a first down at the 42 yard line. Shaking off three tackles, Nichols fought his way to a 5 yard gain on first down, before being dragged down for a gain of four yards, leaving the Rams with third and one. The Rams would continue to pound our defense, Schneider taking the third down handoff for a gain of 7 yards and a first down at our 42 yard line. Going into the air on first down, Wade pulled a pass from Buchanan for a 10 yard gain and another quick first down at our 32. Nichols took the ball on first down for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard scramble by Buchanan to get the first down at our 20 yard line. Nichols kept plugging away at our defense, but was limited to a gain of only two yards on first down, before rushing for a 5 yard pickup to leave third and three. Wilson would get the Rams back on the board, pulling in a pass from Buchanan for a 13 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 24-14 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

    It would take us just mere seconds to re-expand our lead, as McGuire received the kickoff at our four yard line, found a hole to the right side of the kickoff team and turned up the right sideline, sprinting all the way to the end zone for a 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, putting us up 31-14 with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Colorado State the ball at their 25 yard line. Tyler Adams got the drive started with an 11 yard reception from Buchanan, moving the chains to the 36 yard line. Nichols received the handoff on first down, but was quickly tackled in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving the Rams facing second and 11. That would be the last play of the third quarter, the clock hitting zeros on our 31-14 lead.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, the Rams lined up facing second and 11, where Watkins pulled down a pass from Buchanan for a 9 yard gain to leave third and two. Nichols would keep the drive alive with an 18 yard rush, giving the Rams a first down at our 38 yard line. Our defense nearly sacked Buchanan on the first down pass, but he was able to throw the ball away at the last second, bringing up second and 10. A bad second down pass intended for Wade suddenly threatened the drive, the Rams facing third and long. Schneider was able to pull in the screen pass from Buchanan, but a diving tackle tripped him up and limited the gain to only 6 yards, leaving fourth and four from our 32. The Rams kept their offense on the field, going for it on fourth down, and they would convert as Wilson pulled in a pass from Buchanan for a 12 yard gain and a first down at our 19 yard line. A quick 10 yard completion to Wade set Colorado State up with first and goal at our 9 yard line. Buchanan kept the ball on a QB read, but was quickly brought down in the backfield for a two yard loss, leaving second and goal from the 11. We caught a huge break on second down as a wide open Gallagher got his hands on the pass from Buchanan at the 5 yards line, but dropped the ball as he went to turn towards the end zone, the dropped pass bringing up third and goal. Buchanan was able to connect with Adams over the middle of the field on third down, but the defense kept him short of the end zone, spinning him down for a 10 yard gain to leave fourth and goal at the one yard line. The Rams lined up again to go for it on fourth down, but Nichols never had a chance, as the pitch right was blown up by multiple defenders, pushing Nichols back and finally tackling him for a 7 yard loss on the play, forcing the turnover on downs at our 8 yard line with 6:26 left in the game.

    Taking over on offense after the turnover, Roberson took the ball on first down for a three yard gain, looking to run down some clock during the drive. Roberson kept at it on second down, fighting his way to an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 20 yard line. Another rush by Roberson picked up 7 yards, followed by a four yard gain by Paris to get the first down at our 30 yard line. Roberson took the ball on first down, picking up 6 yards on the play, before Paris managed to squeak his way to a two yard gain, leaving third and two. Roberson was just able to get the first down, gaining three yards on the carry to move the sticks to our 41 yard line. A rush by Paris gained three yards on first down, followed by a four yard rush to bring up third and three. Roberson came in on third down, but was stopped short for a gain of only two yards, leaving us with fourth and one from midfield. Punting the ball with 2:28 on the clock, an 18 yard return on the 38 yard punt left Colorado State starting their drive at their 29 yard line, just 2:18 remaining in the game.

    The Rams came out firing on first down as Wilson pulled in a pass for a 19 yard gain and a first down at the 48 yard line. We got our biggest break of the game on first down, as Wade managed to slip past the secondary and was wide open for a sure touchdown at our 15 yard line, but as he jumped up to haul in the pass from Buchanan, the ball hit his fingertips and he dropped the pass, the incompletion leaving second and 10, 2:05 to go. Another dropped pass by a wide open Mike Smith, and the Rams were left facing third and 10. A screen pass on third down ended in utter disaster for us as Nichols pulled in the pass from Buchanan, and while a wall of blockers, took it all the way to the house for a 52 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 31-21 with 1:51 left in the game.

    Charles Noble was able to recover the onside kick, giving us the ball at the Colorado State 41 yard line with 1:47 to go. Roberson took the ball for a one yard gain, the Rams calling their first timeout with 1:44 remaining. Another rush by Roberson picked up four yards, leaving third and 5, the second Colorado State timeout taken with 1:41 to go. Roberson could only gain one yard on the third down carry, Colorado State taking their final timeout with 1:37 left, as we lined up on fourth and four from the 35 yard line. The 52 yard field goal by Burnette was no good, hooking just wide left, giving Colorado State the ball back at their 35 yard line with 1:33 to go in the game.

    Taking over after the missed field goal, the Rams came out throwing deep on first down, but dropped passes would continue to plague the offense, as Wade was unable to come down with the ball at our 30 yard line, leaving second down. The blitz on second down forced Buchanan to throw away the ball, bringing up third and 10. Another screen pass to Nichols went for a 27 yard completion, Nichols getting out of bounds to give the Rams a first down at our 38 yard line, the clock stopped with 1:17 to go. An overshot pass by Buchanan, intended for Wade, left second down for the Rams, four less seconds on the clock. Right when it mattered most, the offense would collapse under the pressure, as outside linebacker Casey Hunter broke through the line on the blind side, hitting Buchanan from behind, and knocking the ball loose during the sack. McBride was there to immediately scoop up the ball and return the fumble four yards before losing his balance at the 50 yard line.

    With the recovered fumble, we took over on first down at midfield with 1:09 left in the game, Powers twice dropping to a knee to run out the clock and seal our very hard fought 31-21 win over the surprising Colorado State Rams.

    With the win, we improve to 8-3, 6-1 in Mountain West action. With the loss, Colorado State drops to 2-9, 1-6 in Mountain West play. Up next, we close out our 2020 schedule with a home showdown against rival Wyoming. The Cowboys enter the game 5-6, 3-4 in Mountain West action. Wyoming opened their year rough, losing 45-14 at #13 Nebraska and 44-7 to #10 Washington. They finally got in the win column with a 59-14 trouncing of FCS Midwest, before falling 42-21 at Air Force. Sitting at 1-4, Wyoming then went on a three game winning streak, picking up a 28-21 win at Texas State, a 34-31 win over New Mexico and a 31-21 win against Colorado State. After that, they went on a three game slide, losing 34-9 at San Jose State, 30-21 to Fresno State and 52-14 at #8 Boise State. The Cowboys got back on track with a 38-20 win over Hawaii heading into their showdown in The Rodeo with us.



    Final Score
    31, 21




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Utah State Offense - A rather quiet day from Powers, going only 12-14 for 150 yards and one touchdown, but also threw one interception. Roberson was 0-1 in his only pass of the game. Rushing, Roberson led the way with 87 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Paris had only 34 yards on 13 carries. Receiving, Martin led the way with 47 yards on three receptions. McGuire had three yards and the only receiving touchdown on his one reception of the day. In all, eight receivers caught a pass today, six ended with double digit yards.

    Utah State Defense – Played great shutdown defense in the first quarter and part of the second quarter. From then on to the end of the game, it was try your luck on whether our defense would stop the Rams or just roll over from drive to drive. They did do some good with an interception in the first quarter, the recovered fumble at the end of the game and three sacks in between.

    Utah State Kicking – So-so. Burnette went 1-2 in field goals, making one from 52 yards out, and then missing one from 52 yards out. He did manage to go 4-4 in PATs.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score
    0 7 7 7 21
    3 14 14 0 31


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    4:26 Field Goal R. Burnette, 52 yard field goal 3-0
    Second Quarter
    6:34 Touchdown J. Nichols, 1 yard run (A. Love kick) 7-3
    4:21 Touchdown P. Roberson, 4 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 10-7
    0:08 Touchdown E. McGuire, 3 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 17-7
    Third Quarter
    3:58 Touchdown M. Martin, fumble recovery in end zone (R. Burnette kick) 24-7
    0:34 Touchdown T. Wilson, 13 yard pass from R. Buchanan (A. Love kick) 24-14
    0:21 Touchdown E. McGuire, returned kickoff 96 yards (R. Burnette kick) 31-14
    Fourth Quarter
    1:51 Touchdown J. Nichols, 52 yard pass from R. Buchanan (A. Love kick) 31-21




    Game Stats

    Colorado State Stat Utah State
    21 Score 31
    18 First Downs 15
    369 Total Offense 264
    30 - 101 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 41 - 114 - 1
    17 - 32 - 2 Comp - Att - TD 12 - 15 - 1
    268 Passing Yards 150
    3 Times Sacked 0
    7 - 13 (53%) 3rd Down Conversion 5 - 11 (45%)
    1 - 2 (50%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    3 - 2 - 0 (66%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 2 - 0 (50%)
    2 Turnovers 1
    1 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 1
    18 Punt Return Yards 62
    41 Kick Return Yards 144
    428 Total Yards 470
    3 – 39.7 Punts - Average 2 - 43.5
    2 - 20 Penalties 0 - 0
    15:05 Time of Possession 20:55




    Utah State Coach Goals

    Goal XP Reward Completed
    Win a Game 100 x1
    Score a Touchdown 25 x4
    Kick/Punt Return Touchdown 50 x1
    Force a Turnover 25 x2
    5 Consecutive Wins 250 x1
    45+ Yard Field Goal 10 x1
    Rush for 100 Yards 25 x1
    Kneel Last Minute Q4 While Ahead 10 x1
    3+ Sacks 50 x1
    Opponent Under 150 Rush Yards 50 x1
    Opponent Under 300 Pass Yards 50 x1
    Pass Completion Over 50% 30 x1
    Score 21 or More Points 50 x1
    10+ First Downs 50 x1
    4+ 3rd Down Conversions 25 x1




    Utah State Contract Goals Update

    Goal Expectations Progress
    Target Wins Per Season 6 (8)




    Job Security Status

    100%
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 10-14-2013 at 07:14 PM.

  15. #1335
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State shutout Indiana 35-0. In the upset of the week, San Diego State stuns #2 Boise State 24-16. #3 Alabama trounces Missouri 55-21. #5 Notre Dame beat BYU 16-6. In the game of the week, #6 Kansas State edges out #11 Oklahoma 34-31. #20 Oregon State knocked off #8 Washington 36-24. #18 Florida State upset #9 North Carolina 33-13. Auburn knocked off #12 Florida 37-21.

    #19 LSU shocked #13 Texas A&M 42-25. #14 USC whooped Colorado 38-14. #15 Miami beat Virginia 34-24. #16 Nebraska topped Penn State 35-10. #17 Georgia Tech destroyed FCS Southeast 49-13. #21 Iowa beat Michigan 35-23. UTEP knocks off #22 Western Kentucky 45-24. Northwestern upsets #23 Michigan State 48-42 in overtime. Ole Miss knocks off #24 South Carolina 34-20. Marshall shocks #25 Florida International 35-16.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State improves to 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten) with 35-0 win over Indiana. Morsdraconis, West Virginia remains to 6-5 (3-5 Big 12) with a bye week. Souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 6-5 (5-2 C-USA) with a 52-29 win over MTSU. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 6-5 (5-3 Pac-12) with a 21-17 win over UCLA. LeeSO, Auburn improves to 7-4 (6-2 SEC) with a 37-21 upset of #12 Florida. SCClassof93, #24 South Carolina falls to 6-5 (4-5 SEC), losing 34-20 to Ole Miss. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 8-3 (5-2 Sun Belt), with a 33-7 win over Georgia State. Florida International falls to 9-2 (6-1 C-USA) with a 35-16 loss to Marshall. Navy remains 5-5 (5-3 American) with a bye week. Tulsa improves to 6-5 (5-3 American) with a 42-25 win over Memphis.

    In Mountain West action, San Diego State shocks #2 Boise State 24-16, Utah State edges out Colorado State 31-21, Wyoming beats Hawaii 38-20, Air Force knocks off UNLV 38-19, Fresno State upended New Mexico 56-17 and Nevada beats Army 41-17.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (6-1) remains top dog, followed by Utah State (6-1), the race going down to the final week. After that sits Wyoming (3-4), Air Force (2-5), New Mexico (1-6) and Colorado State (1-6), with all four teams eliminated from the division race. In the West Division, San Diego State (6-1) sits on top, followed closely by Fresno State (5-2). After that, sits Hawaii (4-4), San Jose State (4-3), Nevada (3-5) and UNLV (2-5), with all four teams eliminated.

    That sets up some major games in week 14 to decide the division races. Wyoming visits Utah State, New Mexico is at Boise State, Fresno State hits the road to play San Jose State and San Diego State is at UNLV.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, #2 Boise State lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 1. #1 Ohio State (11-0) is all that remains with an unblemished record this season.

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

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (61 votes) remains #1, Alabama climbs one to #2, Virginia Tech jumps one to #3, Notre Dame moves up one to #4 and Kansas State climbs one to #5. TCU jumps one to #6, Texas leaps three to #7, Boise State drops six to #8, USC climbs five to #9 and Washington drops two to #10. Florida State leaps seven to #11, Miami jumps three to #12, Nebraska climbs three to #13, LSU jumps five to #14 and Georgia Tech moves up two to #15. Oregon State climbs four to #16, North Carolina drops eight to #17, Oklahoma falls seven to #18, Iowa climbs two to #19 and Texas A&M drops seven to #20. San Diego State enters the poll at #21, Florida plummets ten to #22, Utah enters the poll at #23, Oregon enters the poll at #24 and Auburn (257 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Western Kentucky (from #22), Michigan State (from #23), South Carolina (from #24) and Florida International (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Stanford (252 points) is #26, followed by Northwestern (164), NC State (107), Wisconsin (63) and Louisiana-Lafayette (21) to round out the Top 30.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (65 votes) remains #1, Alabama jumps two to #2, TCU remains #3, Virginia Tech climbs one to #4 and Kansas State climbs one to #5. Notre Dame moves up one to #6, Texas climbs three to #7, Boise State drops six to #8, Oregon State leaps nine to #9 and Florida state vaults nine to #10. Miami climbs three to #11, Washington falls four to #12, USC climbs two to #13, Nebraska jumps two to #14 and Georgia Tech moves up two to #15. LSU jumps four to #16, Oklahoma drops six to #17, North Carolina falls nine to #18, Iowa rises two to #19 and Texas A&M falls eight to #20. San Diego State enters the poll at #21, Florida drops nine to #22, Utah enters the poll at #23, Auburn enters the poll at #24, and Oregon (253 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Western Kentucky (from #22), Florida International (from #23), Michigan State (from #24) and South Carolina (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northwestern (241 points) is #26, followed by NC State (240), Fresno State (158), Stanford (137) and Wisconsin (109) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Louisiana-Lafayette (94), Florida International (82), Tennessee (50), and Utah State (15).

    In the new BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Alabama (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.987), #4 TCU (0.981), #5 Notre Dame (0.979), #6 Kansas State (0.979), #7 Texas (0.968), #8 Boise State (0.963), #9 USC (0.947) and #10 Washington (0.945).

    A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Matt Cowan is #1 (LW: #1), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #2 (LW: #2),Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #3 (LW: #3), Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #4 (LW: #4) and Arizona HB Kevin Simpson is #5 (LW: #5). No one dropped off the Heisman Watch list this week.

    Looking at Awards Finalists, defensive tackle Marcus Garrett somehow qualified as a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy, though he is currently ranked #10 on the list.

    Looking at the bowl picture, 15 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 72 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 11 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 17 teams still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 89 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.

    Looking at the first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl for Utah State fans, taking on #24 Oregon (7-4, 5-3) out of the Pac-12. The New Orleans Bowl would feature Southern Miss (6-5, 5-2 C-USA) matching up with Troy (7-4, 6-1 Sun Belt). #1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) would meet up with #2 Alabama (10-1, 7-1 SEC) in the National Championship game.. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl would be a showdown between Arizona State (6-5, 5-3 Pac-12) and Louisiana-Lafayette (7-3, 4-2 Sun Belt).

    The Holiday Bowl would have West Virginia (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) matching up with #23 Utah (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12). The Meineke Car Care Bowl would feature South Carolina (6-5, 4-5 SEC) vs. Michigan State (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten). The BBVA Compass Bowl would feature Navy (5-5, 5-3 American) vs. North Texas (7-4, 4-3 C-USA). The GoDaddy.com Bowl would have Arkansas State (8-3, 5-2 Sun Belt) vs. Toledo (8-3, 7-1 MAC). And the Hawaii Bowl would have Florida International (9-2, 6-1 C-USA) taking on Nevada (6-5, 3-5 Mountain West).


    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #6 TCU (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) against #10 Washington (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #5 Kansas State (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) matching up with Houston (8-3, 7-1 American). The Sugar Bowl has #4 Notre Dame (9-2) matching up with San Diego State (8-3, 6-1 Mountain West). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #3 Virginia Tech (10-1, 7-1 ACC) and #8 Boise State (10-1, 6-1 Mountain West). And in the national championship game, #2 Alabama (10-1, 7-1 SEC) takes on #1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten).

  16. #1336
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Nearing the end of the third quarter against Wyoming, all I'm going to say for now is fuck Wyoming and their goddamn no-huddle.

  17. #1337
    Heisman jaymo76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes View Post
    Nearing the end of the third quarter against Wyoming, all I'm going to say for now is fuck Wyoming and their goddamn no-huddle.
    Oh man don't I know it. The darn no huddle in this game is just a killer. Good luck!

  18. #1338
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Game Twelve





    Game Notes

    --- This was it. The end of the 2020 season and a showdown with rival Wyoming in "Bridger's Battle" on Senior Night. As if this being a rivalry game wasn’t going to already make it a bitter battle, Wyoming entered the game sitting at 5-6 on the year and needing one more win to reach bowl eligibility, which meant they’d be fighting all the harder, while we entered the game tied with #8 Boise State for first place in the Mountain Division. A win today and a Boise State loss, would send us into the Mountain West Championship Game against either San Diego State or Fresno State.

    The home crowd said farewell to our seniors tonight, including: Halfback John Harrington, fullback Brian James, wide receiver Michael Smith, tight end Tim Fields, left tackle Paul Huffman, center Brad Edwards, right guard Chaz Sanders, right tackle Johnny Henderson, defensive end Pat Ashley, defensive end Erik Clark, defensive tackle Marcus Garrett, middle linebacker Lee Bradley, middle linebacker Thomas Harris, middle linebacker Steve Goins, free safety Carlton Herring and kicker Richard Burnette,

    Entering the game, the Cowboys were a mixed bag. They ranked #86 in total offense (352.8 yards/game), a horrid rush offense (#99 at 120.7 yards/game), but a decent pass offense (#49 at 232.1 yards/game). On the flip side, their defense was just plain awful, total defense ranked #114 (421.4 yards/game), rush defense ranked #116 (171.8 yards/game) and pass defense ranked #108 (249.5 yards/game).

    This was most likely going to be a battle through the air, as our #31 pass offense (249.8 yards/game) matched up with their #108 pass defense (249.5 yards/game), while their #49 pass offense (232.1 yards/game) matched up with our #103 pass defense (244.5 yards/game). Who would be able to throw the ball better and more accurate, and who would be able to limit the turnovers, would likely decide this battle. We won the coin toss and elected to kick. As if this game wasn’t already going to be tough, we would have to deal with a 13 MPH crosswind all game, making any field goal attempts today extremely difficult, and essentially eliminating any field goal attempts from outside 30-35 yards.

    A 25 yard kickoff return gave Wyoming the ball at their 22 yard line. This could be a long game as Sean Pittman kept the ball on a QB read, breaking into the open for a massive 40 yard gain on the play, giving Wyoming a first down at our 38 yard line. The defense wasn’t about to make it easy however, as they broke through on first down and sacked Pittman for a 5 yard loss, bringing up second and 15. The Cowboys would get on the board in just three plays, as our defense bit hook, line and sinker on a screen pass, allowing Brad Thomas to pull in the pass from Pittman and take it to the house for a 43 yard touchdown, giving Wyoming a 7-0 lead with 8:10 left in the first quarter.

    A 24 yard kickoff return by Eric McGuire got us start at our 25 yard line. Preston Roberson got us started on the ground, but the defense got to him quickly for a gain of only one yard on the play. A second rush by Roberson went better, gaining 6 yards on the play, leaving us with third and four. Going into the air on third down, the pass intended for Dre Martin was deflected by the defensive line, forcing us to punt on fourth and four. A 20 yard return on the 38 yard punt gave Wyoming the ball at midfield.

    An 11 yard completion to Vincent Pope got the Cowboys off and running on their drive, followed by a 10 yard pass to Andrew Hill and a first down at our 29 yard line. P.J. Williams got in on the action on first down, diving for a 21 yard completion to give Wyoming first and goal at our 8 yard line, the no-huddle offense by the Cowboys just ripping our defense to shreds. Hill came back on first down and pulled in a pass from Pittman for a 6 yard gain, before an incomplete pass intended for Williams, batted out of the back of the end zone, left Wyoming with third and goal from our two yard line. Our defense would come through as Thomas was brought down for a one yard loss on the carry, leaving the Cowboys kicking on fourth and goal. The 20 yard field goal by Daniel Young put Wyoming up 10-0 with 5:47 left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 25 yard line. Coming out passing on first down, Tim Fields got us moving on first down with a 17 yard completion from Adam Powers, giving us a new set of downs at the 42. A pass over the middle to McGuire gained us 17 more yards and another first down at the Wyoming 41. Dropping back into the shotgun on first down, the pass intended for Martin fell incomplete, leaving second down. A 12 yard completion to Brian Paris kept our offense moving with a new set of downs at the 29. Powers was forced to throw the ball away on first down to avoid the sack, leaving second and 10. David Douglas pulled in an 8 yard reception on second down, leaving us with third and two. Brian James would keep us moving forward with a 12 yard completion, setting up first and goal from the 8 yard line. The first down pass intended for McGuire was nearly intercepted in the end zone, leaving second and goal. Douglas would get us on the board on second down, pulling in the pass from Powers for an 8 yard touchdown, cutting Wyoming’s lead to 10-7 with 4:08 left in the first quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. A rush by Pittman on first down resulted in a two yard loss, leaving second and 12. Williams pulled in a pass on second down for an 8 yard gain, leaving third and four at the 31. The defense would rise to the occasion on third down, as safety Sam Vinson came in on the delayed blitz and sacked Pittman for an 8 yard loss, forcing Wyoming to punt on fourth and 12. A 10 yard return by McGuire on the 38 yard punt gave us the ball at our 49 yard line.

    Lining up under center on first down, the first down pass intended for Fields ended in disaster as it was intercepted by outside linebacker Mike Kramer, returned four yards to set Wyoming up on offense at their 44 yard line.

    Taking over after the interception, Wyoming came out passing with a four yard completion to Pope, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Michael Davis to leave third and 6. Williams would keep the drive moving with an 11 yard reception and a first down at our 41 yard line. Another four yard completion to Pope was followed by a loss of four yards on the ground by Thomas, leaving third and 10 for the Cowboys. A deflected pass by Vinson at our 10 yard line brought the drive to an end. A touchback on the 41 yard punt got us back in action from our 20 yard line.

    Starting from the shotgun this drive, Powers was hit as he threw, the ball landing incomplete to bring up second down. A 9 yard completion to Douglas at least got us some yards and left us with third and one. Turning to Roberson on third down, he was able to pick up 5 yards on the ground and a first down at the 34. Running a play action pass on first down, the ball was batted away incomplete. A 9 yard completion to Martin set us up with another third and one. Roberson would again convert with an 8 yard rush, moving the chains to the Wyoming 49 yard line. We would take our first lead of the game on the next play, as two crossing routes near the right sideline caused the outside linebacker and cornerback to collide and take each other out of the play, while a downfield block by McGuire sealed off the safety, allowing Ryan Conley to pull in the pass from Powers and sprint up the sideline for a 49 yard touchdown, giving us a 14-10 lead with 15 seconds left in the first quarter.

    A 22 yard kickoff return got Wyoming back in action from their 22 yard line. Pittman kept the ball on first down, rushing for two yards on the play. That would be the final play of the first quarter, our lead over Wyoming standing at 14-10.

    Opening up the second quarter, Thomas took the ball on second down, but was instantly stopped for a one yard loss, leaving third and 9. The defense would come through once more on third down, as five defenders combined to bring down and sack Pittman for a 9 yard loss, forcing Wyoming to punt once more on fourth and 18 from their 14 yard line. A 9 yard return by McGuire on the 41 yard punt got our drive started from the Wyoming 47 yard line.

    Lining up on first down, a quick pass to Martin on a comeback route netted us a fast 15 yard pickup and a first down at the 31 yard line. Dropping back into the shotgun on first down, a pass over the middle to McGuire gained 17 yards and moved the chains once more to the 15 yard line. Bringing the running game back into things, Roberson took the handoff for a four yard gain, followed by a gain of 6 to leave us with third and inches. Roberson would convert yet again with a two yard rush, giving us first and goal at the three yard line. A little misdirection caught the defense sleeping, allowing Roberson to punch it in on first down for the three yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 21-10 with 6:24 left in the second quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. The Cowboys got off to a poor start, as a pass over the middle sailed incomplete, landing nowhere near a receiver on the play, to bring up second down. Pope pulled down a 13 yard completion on second down, picking up a first down at the 38 yard line. The rushing game then burned us, as an option play resulted in Pittman pitching the ball to Williams, who raced down the sideline for a 37 yard gain and a first down at our 25 yard line. Williams then came back on first down and pulled in a pass from Pittman along the left sideline for a gain of 7 yards, before our defense finally managed to briefly stop the no-huddle bleeding thanks to middle linebacker Lee Bradley sacking Pittman for a four yard loss to bring up third and 7. Pressure by the defense forced Pittman to throw the ball away to avoid a guaranteed sack, leaving fourth and 7 from our 22 yard line. But the Cowboys weren’t about to kick the field goal, leaving the offense out to go for it on fourth down. That attempt on fourth down would end up biting Wyoming in the butt, as the defense was able to get pressure on Pittman and force him to hurry a pass to Williams, the ball floating in the air and allowing cornerback Buck Castillo to jump up and intercept the pass. Castillo was able to get separation from Williams as he came back down from the jump and proceeded to return it all the way to the house for an 81 yard interception return for a touchdown, giving us a 28-10 lead with 5:11 left in the second quarter.

    A touchback on the kickoff left Wyoming starting at their 25 yard line once more. It would take Wyoming all of one whole play to return the score, as a missed tackle during the reception over the middle by Nathan Jenkins left him wide open with no one between him and the end zone, allowing him to outrun those chasing him all the way to the end zone for a 75 yard touchdown, pulling Wyoming back to within 28-17 with 5:00 left in the second quarter.

    A 19 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us started from our 21 yard line for our next drive. Starting the drive on the ground, Roberson received the handoff for a 5 yard gain, followed by a four yard carry by Paris to leave us with third and one. Keeping the ball in Roberson’s hands, he was able to pick up 5 yards and get the first down at the 35 yard line. Running a play action pass on first down, Powers was unable to get rid of the ball before the defense got to him, sacking him for a 5 yard loss to leave us with second and 15. Dropping back in the shotgun on second down, Martin was able to pull in a 14 yard reception from Powers to set up third and one. Putting the ball into the hands of Roberson once more, he was able to fight his way to a four yard gain, moving the chains to the 47 yard line. Paris took over on first down, picking up four yards on the play, followed by a quick pass over the middle to Fields that was broken up by the middle linebacker, the incomplete pass leaving third and 6. Douglas kept us moving with an 11 yard reception, moving the sticks to the Wyoming 38 yard line. A quick fade route by McGuire gained us 16 yards and another first down, moving us to the 22 yard line. The first down pass intended for McGuire was nearly intercepted, leaving us facing second and 10. Going over the middle to Paris picked up 11 yards and the first down at the 11 yard line. Dumping off the ball to Smith, he was able to pull the pass in for a gain of 6 yards, leaving second and four from the 5 yard line. Roberson took the handoff up the middle for a four yard gain, setting up third and one at the two. Roberson tried to punch it in on third down, but was stood up in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving fourth and two from the three yard line. Lining up for the 20 yard field goal, Richard Burnette nailed the kick through the uprights, increasing our lead to 31-17 with one second left before halftime.

    A 12 yard return on the squibbed kickoff ran out the clock and took us into halftime with a 31-17 lead.

    A quick look at the halftime stats of this battle, Wyoming entered half with 212 yards passing, 46 yards rushing, 258 yards of total offense. Utah State had 231 yards passing, 56 yards rushing, and 287 yards of total offense. Including special teams, Wyoming had 336 total yards, Utah State had 347 total yards. Both teams had thrown for two touchdowns as well as one interception, Utah State had one rushing touchdown whereas Wyoming had none.

    Opening up the second half, a 28 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us started at our 27 yard line to begin the third quarter. Roberson started our drive on the ground with a 7 yard rush, followed by a 6 yard rush by Paris to get the first down at the 41. Another rush by Paris picked up 5 yards on the play, before Roberson returned to the backfield, fighting his way to a four yard gain to leave third and one. Paris did the honors on third down, diving for a four yard gain and the first down at the Wyoming 45 yard line. Despite the blitz by the defense, Roberson was able to pick up 9 yards on the first down carry, followed by a three yard dive by Paris to move the chains to the 34. Calling a play action pass on first down, Jack Long was able to get open from the tight end slot, hauling in the pass from Powers for a 15 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 19 yard line. Taking off on first down, Powers was able to catch the defense sleeping and race his way to a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal from the 6 yard line. The first down pass intended for Martin was nearly intercepted in the end zone, leaving second and goal. Handing the ball off to Roberson, he was brought down for no gain on the play, leaving third and goal at the 6. The defense would win the battle, sacking Powers for a 7 yard loss, leaving us with fourth and goal from the 13 yard line. The 30 yard field goal by Burnette was good, increasing our lead to 34-17 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

    A 21 yard kickoff return gave Wyoming the ball at their 18 yard line. A 10 yard completion to Williams left second and inches. Our defense would again end up scorched to a crisp as an option play left us sucking our thumbs, multiple missed tackles allowing Thomas to race down the left sideline for a 72 yard touchdown, closing our lead to 34-24 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.

    A 38 yard kickoff return by Roberson got us underway from our 40 yard line. The first down pass intended for Conley was broken up over the middle leaving second and 10. Forced to scramble from the pressure, Powers would be unable to evade the defense, ultimately sacked for a 10 yard loss to leave us facing third and 20. The third down pass intended for Douglas would end up incomplete, forcing us to pass on fourth and very long. A fair catch on the 41 yard punt gave Wyoming the ball at their 28 yard line.

    Lining up on first down, Williams got the Cowboys going with a 14 yard reception and a first down at the 42 yard line. Thomas took the ball on first down for a 6 yard gain, followed by a QB read by Pittman for a 24 yard gain and a first down at our 28 yard line. Davis pulled in a pass for a 13 yard gain, moving the chains to our 16. Keeping the ball on the option keeper, Pittman gained two yards, before a QB read play gained 11 yards, setting up first and goal from our two yard line. Pittman had nowhere to go on first down, as the blitz instantly brought him down for a four yard loss, leaving second and goal at the 7 yard line. Another rush by Pittman resulted in a two yard loss, setting up third and goal at the 9. A third down screen pass to Thomas ended in failure, as the defense brought him down for no gain, leaving Wyoming attempting a field goal on fourth down. The 25 yard field goal by Young cut our lead to one possession, 34-27 with 1:03 left in the third quarter.

    A 49 yard kickoff return by Roberson got our next drive started in Wyoming territory, lining up at the Cowboys 48 yard line. Paris took the ball on first down, rushing for a four yard gain on the play. Lining up under center on second down, Martin dropped the pass from Powers, leaving third and 6. Roberson would make the defense pay through the air for a change, sneaking out of the backfield and hauling in the rifle pass from Powers, then racing down the field before being tripped up for a 35 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the 8 yard line. An 8 yard rush up the middle by Paris would leave us with second and goal at the one yard line. That would be the final play of the third quarter, our lead standing at 34-27.

    Opening up the fourth quarter, we lined up facing second and goal from the one yard line. Paris took the handoff, fighting his way into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 41-27 with 8:58 left in the game.

    A touchback on the kickoff gave Wyoming the ball at their 25 yard line. The QB read by Pittman on first down gained 7 yards, before a dropped pass by a wide open Pope left Wyoming with third and three. Despite shaking off three tackles, we were able to somehow stop Thomas short of the first down, limiting him to just two yards to leave Wyoming facing fourth and one from their 34 yard line. Going for it on fourth down, the Cowboys would get it with an 11 yard rush by Thomas. Going no huddle on first down, the pressure by the defense forced a hurried pass intended for Davis, that fell well incomplete to bring up second down. A 9 yard completion to Brandon McDonald was followed by another screw up by our defense, as our secondary either took each other out or got blocked out of the play, allowing Jonathan Horner to pull in the pass from Pittman and take it to the house for a 47 yard touchdown, cutting our lead once more to 41-34 with 7:34 left in the game.

    A 19 yard kickoff return by Castillo got us started at our 20 yard line. Paris took the handoff on first down, but was quickly brought down for a one yard gain. Dropping back into the shotgun on second down, Powers found Douglas for an 11 yard gain, getting the first down at the 32. Another rush by Paris gained 5 yards, followed by a 9 yard gain to get the first down at the 46. Continuing to pound away on the ground, James took the ball on first down for a 5 yard rush. Paris returned on second down, picking up 6 yards on the play to get another first down at the Wyoming 43 yard line. Paris kept plugging away on the ground with a three yard rush, as we continued to work the clock down to four minutes and ticking. Another big rush by Paris gained 8 yards and moved the chains once more to the 32 yard line. James took over on first down, picking up three yards on the play, followed by a 6 yard rush to leave third and one. It was then we got some bad news, Paris would be sideline for the remainder of the quarter with bruised ribs, leaving James to carry on the running duties. James took the handoff on third down, but the defense was ready and waiting for him, bringing him down for no gain to leave us facing fourth and one from the 23 yard line, Wyoming calling their first timeout with 2:05 left in the game. Attempting a 40 yard field goal, the wind pushed the kick by Burnette wide left and no good, leaving our lead at just seven points and giving Wyoming the ball at their 23 yard line with 2:01 left to play.

    Taking over after the missed field goal, Wyoming came out running Wildcat, as a pair of rushes by Thomas from the QB position went for gains of one and 10 yards, giving Wyoming a first down at their 34 yard line. Another rush by Thomas went for two yards, before fighting his way to a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 47 yard line. Another rush by Thomas went for no gain, before a facemask penalty on defensive end Pat Ashley during the second down rush gave Wyoming a first down at our 36 yard line with 57 left in the game. Pittman returned to the backfield on first down, a diving reception by Jenkins going for a 17 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 19 yard line, Wyoming calling their second timeout with 51 seconds left to play. McBride would come through huge on first down, sacking Pittman for an 8 yard loss. Pittman would spike the ball on second down, bringing up third and 18 from the 27 yard line, 35 seconds left to go. We caught a huge break as a dropped pass by Williams left Wyoming with fourth and 18, 29 seconds to go, the game on the line. A 24 yard pass to Pope would get the conversion, giving Wyoming first and goal at our three yard line. Wyoming tried to punch it in on first down on the ground, but we stopped Williams for only a gain of two yards and just short of the end zone, forcing Wyoming to call their last timeout with just three seconds left on the clock, facing second and goal from just outside the goal line. Going into the air instead of trying on the ground, Pittman would find Williams on the goal line for a one yard touchdown pass, tying the game up at 41-41 with no time left on the clock, sending us into overtime.

    We won the coin toss and elected to go on defense first. The Cowboys got off to a rough start as Thomas dropped the pass from Pittman, leaving second and 10. Going five wide on second down, Pittman found Thomas for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 12 yard line. The first down play would leave our secondary tripping over themselves, allowing Thomas to pull in the pass from Pittman and race up the sideline for the 12 yard touchdown, giving Wyoming a 48-41 lead.

    Starting our drive on the ground, James took the ball on first down, rushing his way to a 5 yard gain, followed by a huge 10 yard carry to get the first down at the 10 yard line. That run would get even bigger, as a facemask penalty on cornerback Charles Foster set us up with first and goal from the 5 yard line. James would receive the handoff on first down, keep the legs pumping and drive his way into the end zone for the 5 yard touchdown. Proving that God hates us, Burnette’s PAT bounced off the left upright and fell back into the end zone, costing us the tie and a second overtime, instead handing Wyoming a 48-47 overtime victory. Partial blame goes to the announcers for jinxing us by mentioning what a big kick it was and how even a simple PAT could be missed in such a big moment of the game.

    With the depressing loss, we drop to 8-4, 6-2 in Mountain West action and lose any shot we had at the division title. With the win, Wyoming improves to 6-6, 4-4 in Mountain West play, the Cowboys become bowl eligible and they win the first ever "Bridger's Battle" game. Up next, we wait to see what bowl game we’ll end up in and who we’ll face.



    Final Score
    48, 47




    Stat(s) of the Game:
    Utah State Offense - An alright day by Powers. He wasn't as accurate by still managed to go 19-32 for 292 yards and two touchdowns, but also had one interception and got sacked three times. Rushing, Roberson led the way with 73 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Paris had 71 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, and James ended with 35 yards and one touchdown on 8 carries. Receiving, McGuire led the way with 50 yards on three receptions. Douglas ended with 47 yards and one touchdown on five catches. Conley had 49 yards and one touchdown on one reception. In all, a season high ten different receivers caught a pass today, nine ending with double digit yards. An eleventh receiver, tight end Maurice Martin, ended with no catches but dropped one pass.

    Utah State Defense – Awful, awful and more awful. Got absolutely slaughtered by Wyoming's no-huddle offense in the first quarter, allowing the Cowboys to jump out to a quick 10-0 lead. The defense did make some stops through the game, sacked Pittman five times, and Castillo did return an interception an NCAA record 81 yards for a touchdown. But they kept folding when it mattered most, especially in the fourth quarter, blowing a two touchdown lead, including the game-tying score with no time left. They weren't any better in overtime either, essentially letting Wyoming trot into the end zone.

    Utah State Kicking – Started off good, ending horribly. Burnette went 2-3 in field goals, making from 20 and 30 yards out, but missed a 40 yard kick that would have given us a 10 point lead with two minutes left. He also ended up less than perfect on PATs, going 5-6 in extra points, the lone miss being the costliest, as he bounced the game-tying PAT off the left upright in overtime, handing Wyoming the one point win. Thank god he is a senior and I never have to see him again after the bowl game.




    Scoring Summary

    Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Overtime Final Score
    10 7 10 14 7 48
    14 17 3 7 6 47


    Time Team Result Play Score
    First Quarter
    8:10 Touchdown B. Thomas, 43 yard pass from S. Pittman (D. Young kick) 7-0
    5:47 Field Goal D. Young, 20 yard field goal 10-0
    4:08 Touchdown D. Douglas, 8 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 10-7
    0:15 Touchdown R. Conley, 49 yard pass from A. Powers (R. Burnette kick) 14-10
    Second Quarter
    6:24 Touchdown P. Roberson, 3 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 21-10
    5:11 Touchdown B. Castillo, returned interception 81 yards (R. Burnette kick) 28-10
    5:00 Touchdown N. Jenkins, 75 yard pass from S. Pittman (D. Young kick) 28-17
    0:01 Field Goal R. Burnette, 20 yard field goal 31-17
    Third Quarter
    4:48 Field Goal R. Burnette, 30 yard field goal 34-17
    4:14 Touchdown B. Thomas, 72 yard run (D. Young kick) 34-24
    1:03 Field Goal D. Young, 26 yard field goal 34-27
    Fourth Quarter
    8:58 Touchdown B. Paris, 1 yard run (R. Burnette kick) 41-27
    7:34 Touchdown J. Horner, 47 yard pass from S. Pittman (D. Young kick) 41-34
    0:00 Touchdown P. Williams, 1 yard pass from S. Pittman (D. Young kick) TIED 41-41
    Overtime
    --- Touchdown B. Thomas, 12 yard pass from S. Pittman (D. Young kick) 48-41
    --- Touchdown B. James, 5 yard run (missed kick) 48-47




    Game Stats

    Wyoming Stat Utah State
    48 Score 47
    18 First Downs 25
    562 Total Offense 462
    26 - 190 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 44 - 170 - 3
    25 - 37 - 5 Comp - Att - TD 19 - 32 - 2
    372 Passing Yards 292
    5 Times Sacked 3
    2 - 11 (18%) 3rd Down Conversion 9 - 14 (64%)
    2 - 4 (50%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%)
    0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%)
    6 - 2 - 2 (66%) Red Zone - TD - FG 6 - 4 - 2 (100%)
    1 Turnovers 1
    0 Fumbles Lost 0
    1 Intercepted 1
    20 Punt Return Yards 19
    78 Kick Return Yards 171
    660 Total Yards 652
    3 – 40.7 Punts - Average 2 - 40.0
    1 - 5 Penalties 1 - 15
    12:36 Time of Possession 23:24




    Utah State Coach Goals

    Goal XP Reward Completed
    Score a Touchdown 25 x6
    Defensive Touchdown 50 x1
    Force a Turnover 25 x1
    Pass for 250 Yards 25 x1
    Rush for 100 Yards 25 x1
    NCAA Record: Longest INT Return (81 Yards) 300 x1
    3+ Sacks 50 x1
    Play in an ESPN Classic Game 75 x1
    Pass Completion Over 50% 30 x1
    100% Red Zone Efficiency 50 x1
    Score 21 or More Points 50 x1
    350+ Offensive Yards 50 x1
    10+ First Downs 50 x1
    50 Touchdowns (Season) 250 x1
    4+ 3rd Down Conversions 25 x1




    Utah State Contract Goals Update

    Goal Expectations Progress
    Target Wins Per Season 6 (8)




    Job Security Status

    100%
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 12-01-2013 at 06:52 PM.

  19. #1339
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Ohio State wins twice, beating rival Michigan 35-16, and keeps Michigan home for the holidays as the Wolverines end the year 5-7. #2 Alabama thrashes #25 Auburn 56-10. #3 Virginia Tech escapes Virginia 31-21. #4 Notre Dame blanks Stanford 30-0. #5 Kansas State fights off Kansas 28-21. Baylor stuns #6 TCU 35-21. Texas Tech shocks #7 Texas 27-24 in overtime. #8 Boise State escapes New Mexico 24-21 in overtime.

    UCLA knocks off #9 USC 27-20. Washington State stuns #10 Washington 18-15. #22 Florida upsets #11 Florida State 21-14. Pittsburgh shocks #12 Miami 27-24. #13 Nebraska tops #19 Iowa 45-17. #14 LSU beats Arkansas 33-14. #15 Georgia Tech beats Georgia 24-10. #24 Oregon knocks off #16 Oregon State 35-23. #17 North Carolina beats Duke 37-7. #20 Texas A&M tops Missouri 38-21. #21 San Diego State beats UNLV 30-17. Colorado knocks off #23 Utah 27-21.

    For our readers, JeffHCross, #1 Ohio State finishes 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) with 35-16 win over Michigan, ending Michigan's year at 5-7. Morsdraconis, West Virginia finishes 7-5 (4-5 Big 12) with a 23-21 win over Iowa State. Souljahbill, Southern Miss finishes 7-5 (6-2 C-USA) with a 20-17 win over UAB. Jaymo, Arizona State finishes 6-6 (5-4 Pac-12) with a 42-28 loss to Arizona. LeeSO, Auburn finishes 7-5 (6-3 SEC) with a 56-10 thumping from #2 Alabama. SCClassof93, South Carolina finishes 7-5 (4-5 SEC), beating Clemson 34-17. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 8-3 (5-2 Sun Belt) with a bye week. Florida International finishes 10-2 (7-1 C-USA) with a 34-31 win over Florida Atlantic. Navy improves to 6-5 (6-3 American) with a 34-17 win over Tulane. Tulsa finishes 7-5 (6-3 American) with a 35-14 win over Cincinnati.

    In Mountain West action, #8 Boise State escapes New Mexico 24-21 in overtime, #21 San Diego State tops UNLV 30-17, Wyoming stuns Utah State 48-47 in overtime, Colorado State beats Air Force 13-10, Fresno State beats San Jose State 35-19, Army defeats Hawaii 35-28 and BYU knocks off Nevada 24-20.

    With those results, looking at the current standings, in the Mountain Division, Boise State (7-1) wins the division, followed by Utah State (6-2), Wyoming (4-4), Air Force (2-6), Colorado State (2-6) and New Mexico (1-7). In the West Division, San Diego State (7-1) wins the division, followed by Fresno State (6-2), Hawaii (4-4), San Jose State (4-4), Nevada (3-5) and UNLV (2-6). That sets up the Conference Championship rematch from last week, week 13, when San Diego State shocked then-#2 Boise State 24-16 and cost them their perfect record and their national title hopes.

    Looking at undefeated teams left, no one lost this week, leaving our number of undefeated teams at 1. #1 Ohio State (12-0) is all that remains with an unblemished record this season.

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

    Teams getting their first win this week were: None.

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Ohio State (61 votes) remains #1, Alabama remains #2, Virginia Tech remains #3, Notre Dame remains #4 and Kansas State remains #5. Boise State climbs two to #6, Nebraska leaps six to #7, LSU climbs six to #8, Georgia Tech jumps six to #9 and North Carolina vaults seven to #10. Oklahoma jumps seven to #11, Florida leaps ten to #12, Florida State drops two to #13, TCU falls eight to #14 and Texas A&M climbs five to #15. San Diego State jumps five to #16, Oregon leaps seven to #17, USC drops nine to #19, Washington falls nine to #19 and Texas plummets thirteen to #20. Oregon State drops five to #21, Wisconsin enters the poll at #22, Louisiana-Lafayette enters the poll at #23, Fresno State enters the poll at #24 and Illinois (193 points) enters the poll at #25). Dropping out of the poll this week were Miami (from #12), Iowa (from #19), Utah (from #23) and Auburn (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Iowa (181 points) is #26, followed by Florida International (147), Miami (93), Western Kentucky (89) and Tennessee (71) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting points this week is Michigan State (27).

    Taking a look at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Ohio State (65 votes) remains #1, Alabama remains #2, Virginia Tech climbs one to #3, Kansas State jumps one to #4 and Notre Dame moves up one to #5. Boise State climbs two to #6, Nebraska jumps seven to #7, Georgia Tech jumps seven to #8, LSU climbs seven to #9 and Florida leaps twelve to #10. Oklahoma leaps six to #11, North Carolina jumps six to #12, TCU drops ten to #13, Oregon vaults eleven to #14 and Florida State falls five to #15. Texas A&M climbs four to #16, San Diego State jumps four to #17, USC drops five to #18, Oregon State falls ten to #19 and Washington drops eight to #20. Texas plummets fourteen to #21, Fresno State enters the poll at #22, Wisconsin enters the poll at #23, Illinois enters the poll at #24 and Louisiana-Lafayette (296 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Miami (from #11), Iowa (from #19, Utah (from #23) and Auburn (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida International (269 points) is #26, followed by Iowa (259), Miami (248), Western Kentucky (231) and Tennessee (219) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting points this week include Michigan State (157), Arkansas State (145), Arizona (101) and Troy (9).

    In the new BCS rankings: #1 Ohio State (1.000), #2 Alabama (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.989), #4 Notre Dame (0.981), #5 Kansas State (0.981), #6 Boise State (0.974), #7 Nebraska (0.968), #8 LSU (0.960), #9 Georgia Tech (0.953) and #10 North Carolina (0.947).

    A look at the Heisman race, Ohio State QB Matt Cowan is #1 (LW: #1), Boise State QB Mark Concepcion is #2 (LW: #2), Arizona HB Kevin Simpson is #3 (LW: #5), Ohio State HB Ron Branch is #4 (LW: #4) and Vanderbilt HB Jason Massey is #5 (LW: #3). No one dropped off the Heisman Watch list this week.

    Looking at Awards Finalists, defensive tackle Marcus Garrett somehow qualified as a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy, though he is currently ranked #10 on the list.

    Looking at the bowl picture, 6 teams punched their tickets this week, giving us 78 teams that have reached the 6 win plateau. 10 teams saw their bowl hopes end, leaving 1 team (Army) still having a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 79 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots. Either 10 or 11 teams (depending on what Army does vs. Navy) will be missing a bowl game this year.

    Looking at the newest bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Poinsettia Bowl for Utah State fans for a rematch, taking on rival BYU (7-5). The New Orleans Bowl would feature Southern Miss (7-5, 6-2 C-USA) matching up with Troy (8-4, 7-1 Sun Belt). #1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) would meet up with #2 Alabama (11-1, 8-1 SEC) in the National Championship game.. The New Mexico Bowl would be a showdown between Arizona State (6-6, 5-4 Pac-12) and Connecticut (8-4, 6-3 American).

    The Meineke Car Care Bowl would have West Virginia (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) matching up with #25 Illinois (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten). The Russell Athletic Bowl would feature South Carolina (7-5, 4-5 SEC) vs. #13 Florida State (9-3, 7-2 ACC). The Belk Bowl would feature Navy (6-5, 6-3 American) vs. Virginia (7-5, 6-3 ACC). The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl would have Arkansas State (8-3, 5-2 Sun Belt) vs. Buffalo (8-4, 6-3 MAC). And the AutoZone Liberty Bowl would have Florida International (10-2, 7-1 C-USA) taking on Ole Miss (6-6, 4-5 SEC).


    Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #4 Notre Dame (10-2) against #19 Washington (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12). The Fiesta Bowl has #5 Kansas State (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) matching up with Houston (9-3, 8-1 American). The Sugar Bowl has an all-Mountain West showdown as #6 Boise State (11-1, 7-1 Mountain West) matches up with #16 San Diego State (9-3, 7-1 Mountain West). The Orange Bowl features a battle between #3 Virginia Tech (11-1, 8-1 ACC) and #7 Nebraska (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Alabama (11-1, 8-1 SEC) takes on #1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten).
    Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 10-15-2013 at 12:17 AM.

  20. #1340
    Hall of Fame SmoothPancakes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaymo76 View Post
    Oh man don't I know it. The darn no huddle in this game is just a killer. Good luck!
    Yeah, I officially hate Wyoming now. From now on, to hell with the run, I am passing every down and running up the score against Wyoming. Screw them and that damn no-huddle.

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