With that, before I have to leave for work in 50 minutes, I'll just say a simple, WAY TO GO NAVY!
With that, before I have to leave for work in 50 minutes, I'll just say a simple, WAY TO GO NAVY!
Way too many upsets with the EA sim engine.
Of course, that's probably going to happen with any sim engine that uses a one-time simulation for a result.
Twitter: @3YardsandACloud
I can agree with you there. You only need look back through this dynasty and look the top 25 recaps to see a load of upsets (and just as many near upsets) each week.Originally Posted by JeffHCross
Way too many upsets with the EA sim engine.
Of course, that's probably going to happen with any sim engine that uses a one-time simulation for a result.
Obviously there will always been upsets to some extents, but they can get insane at times in this game.
Game Three
Game Notes
--- Back home after our surprisingly easy win over Toledo, it was time to take on another old opponent, the Lobos of New Mexico. Entering the game 0-2, New Mexico was a sort of mixed bag, coming in with offensive rankings all in the mid-50s in the nation, but defensive rankings all 91st or worse. Hopefully that would bode well for our very subpar rushing offense, and maybe give our poor passing defense a break. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
The opening kickoff went for a touchback, starting New Mexico at their 25. Nathan Lewis got the drive started for the Lobos with a four yard rush, before Will Robbins hit Roland Powell over the middle for an 8 yard gain and a first down. A rush by Danny Robinson went for a three yard loss, made up with a three yard rush by Robbins to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass would bring the drive to an end. A fair catch on the 49 yard punt gave our offense the ball at our 13 yard line to begin. Will Oliver got the drive started, fighting his way forward for a two yard gain, followed by a 5 yard rush to leave third and three at the 20. Pitching the ball right, Oliver never had a chance, as the cornerback and linebacker overwhelmed the tight end, followed by the rest of the defense to tackle him for a four yard loss, leaving us punting on fourth and 7. A fair catch on the 44 yard punt gave New Mexico the ball at their 39 yard line.
Robinson started things with a pair of four yard rushes to leave third and two, which was coverted with an 8 yard pass from Robbins to Wade Wilkerson for a first down at our 44 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Robinson broke a 7 yard rush to set up third and three, but an incomplete pass would stall things out at our 37 yard line. After a 5 yard false start penalty, the Lobos opted to skip the fourth down conversion and instead punt it, the punt sailing into the end zone for a touchback.
Starting from our 20 yard line, Oliver was able to find a hole up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by a rush of four yards to leave third and inches at the 30. Taking the third down rush up the gut, Oliver was stood up at the line, but able to get to the outside shoulder of the defensive tackle, was able to keep his legs driving and fall forward for a one yard gain and a first down at the 31. With the run game stuck in the mud, it was time to open up the air game, as Brad Stephens completed his first pass of the day, connecting with Eric Hayden for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 42 yard line. The second pass attempt ended much worse, as the defensive end beat his blocker, coming in from the right side to sack Stephens for a 9 yard loss. The offensive line was going to need an ass whooping at halftime, as Stephens was very nearly sacked for a second straight play, this time from the left side, as he was hit just as he tried to throw deep to Hayden, the ball knocked out and incomplete just yards away to leave third and 19. Just barely getting the throw off this time, Stephens was able to connect with Antonio Banks along the left sideline, a downfield block by Hayden taking the cornerback out of the picture, allowing Banks to scramble up the sideline before being pushed out of bounds by the outside linebacker at the New Mexico 47 yard line for a 20 yard gain and a new set of downs. Heading back to the ground game, Oliver was able to pick up 5 yards up the middle. A designed run for Stephens on the next play ended in no gain, leaving third and four from the 41 yard line. Coming over the middle, Banks was able to grab a quick pass from Stephens for a 5 yard gain, the defense unable to drive him back behind the first down line before forward momentum over the line had already been established, giving us a first down at the 37. Getting lucky on the next play, Stephens hit Hayden down the left hash mark for a 17 yard gain, the cornerback attempting to intercept the ball, but missing, allowing Hayden to turn up field for a couple extra yards to the 20 yard line. Chucking a ball up into the corner of the end zone for Conner Jefferson, the play was broken up by the cornerback, leaving second down. Diving for an off-target pass, Jefferson was able to redeem himself by hauling in a 10 yard pass over the middle from Stephens, leaving third and inches at the 10 yard line. Oliver would finish the job on the next play, breaking through a tackle attempt at the line by the defensive tackle, finding a hole up the middle, and then pushing through another tackle attempt at the two yard line, dragging the safety into the end zone with him for the 10 yard touchdown rush and a 7-0 lead with 45 seconds left in the quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff gave New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line. Robbins got their drive started with a 7 yard rush, before an incomplete pass left third and three. Robinson would keep the drive alive, breaking loose for a gain of 8 yards to get the first down at the 40 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Robinson would leave second and three from the 47, and that would be where the first quarter would come to a close, our lead 7-0.
Opening up the second quarter, Robinson picked up another first down for the Lobos with a four yard rush to move the chains to our 49. Two more rushes by Robinson for 7 and four yards gained yet another first down for New Mexico at our 38 yard line. Robinson continued putting on a rushing clinic, picking up four yards on the next play, before our defense finally responded back, tackling Robinson for a loss of three yards to leave the Lobos facing third and 9. An incomplete pass would stall out the drive. The punt would sail out of the end zone for a touchback, leaving us starting from our 20 yard line.
Oliver finally was able to break his first long run of the day, hitting the gap around the right tackle, turning up field after breaking off a tackle and initially having nothing but green and appearing to be headed for a long touchdown, but a quick move by the safety allowed him to tackle Oliver for only a 21 yard gain, setting us up with a first down at our 41. No gain on the following carry, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third down. Jefferson was able to keep our drive breathing, hauling in a bullet pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain, holding onto the ball while being hit immediately after, to set up the first down at the Lobos 49. A pass to Randy Newman picked up four yards, after which Oliver got us a new set of downs with an 11 yard rush down to the New Mexico 34 yard line. Oliver kept the momentum going, finally finding his gear, rushing for a 13 yard gain to the 21. A four yard gain by Oliver was followed with an 8 yard rush to leave us with first and goal at the 9 yard line. We seemed to finally break the backs of the defense, as Roy Smith took the handoff on first down, weaving his way up the middle, running into the end zone standing up for the 9 yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 4:46 left in the half.
The kickoff return nearly ended in disaster for New Mexico, as the ball was fumbled during the return, recovered by Dustin Stone at the 17 yard line to keep the Lobos from falling over the cliff. A pair of rushes by Robinson for gains of 8 and 5 yards gave the Lobos a first down at their 31 yard line. Two more rushes by Robinson, going for pickups of 7 and 8 yards gave another first down at the 45 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Robinson got New Mexico across midfield with a 7 yard rush, followed by a 6 yard rush by Wilkerson to get the first down at our 41 yard line. Robinson was tackled for a two yard loss on the next play, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 12 from the 43. Another incomplete pass would leave yet another New Mexico drive stalled out in our territory. The Lobos would attempt to go for the conversion, but the fourth down pass was batted incomplete, and our we took over on offense at our 43 yard line on the turnover on downs.
Taking the handoff, Oliver was able to pick up one yard on the first down carry. Rushing the pass on the next play to beat the blitz, Stephens was able to miraculously hook up with Jefferson over the right hash mark, who was able to get behind his man, hauling the pass in and racing 55 yards down field before being tripped up in a desperation attempt tackled by the safety at the one yard line, leaving us with first and goal with 1:45 left to play. Oliver would need only one play to finish the drive, fighting his way through a tackle and into the end zone for the one yard touchdown to increase our lead to 21-0 with 1:42 to play in the half.
No return on the following kickoff left New Mexico starting from their 25 yard line with 1:34 left to play. Robbins started the drive with a 5 yard scramble, the Lobos calling their first time out with 1:28 to go. After an incomplete pass, a 5 yard pass to Tyrell Cox left New Mexico with fourth and inches from their 35. Our defense would help them as a pass interference penalty gave New Mexico a first down at midfield. After a pair of incomplete passes, Robbins connected with Robinson for a 12 yard pass on third down, moving the chains to our 38 yard line, the second New Mexico timeout stopping play with 54 seconds to go. After another incomplete pass, Robbins hit Robinson again, this time for an 18 yard gain to our 20 yard line with 42 seconds remaining. An incomplete pass and a loss of two yards by Robinson left the Lobos facing third and 12 with only 28 seconds to go. Robbins was able to cut that distance down with a 9 yard pass to Lewis, but New Mexico was still left with fourth and three at our 13 yard line and 18 seconds left on the clock. The Lobos would try for a 30 yard field goal, but the kick was no good, wide left, and we headed into halftime with a 21-0 lead.
Jefferson got the second half started with a 24 yard kickoff return, giving us the ball at our 23 yard line. Oliver kept the ground game going, taking the ball on first down for a gain of 8 yards, followed by a rush of 5 yards and a first down at the 36. After a loss of one yard by Oliver, in a little trickeration, Oliver took the direct snap and threw to Jefferson down the right sideline for a 24 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 41 yard line and leaving the defense confused. Three straight incomplete passes would bring our drive to an end, as the punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Robbins connected with Robinson for a 9 yard gain to leave New Mexico with third and one from the 29. The drive would stall out there as an incomplete pass on third down left the punt team coming out. A 5 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt gave us the ball at our 31 yard line. Oliver took the ball to start the drive, breaking off a pair of rushes for gains of four and 5 yards, leaving third and one, before busting up the middle for a 14 yard carry and a first down at the New Mexico 46. Smith took the handoff on the next play, fighting his way forward for a four yard gain. Going with a play action pass on second down, Oliver was able to haul in a pass from Stephens down the left sideline for a 17 yard gain down to the Lobos 25 yard line. A screen pass to Jefferson on first down picked up 5 yards, followed by a loss of two yards by Stephens to leave us with third and 7. An incomplete pass would leave us with fourth down and the field goal unit coming out. The 39 yard field goal attempt by David Glover was no good, the ball just missing the crossbar. A pair of incomplete passes and a 6 yard rush by Robinson would likewise limit the drive of the Lobos, leaving them punting on fourth and four. A fair catch on the 44 yard punt set our offense up at our 28 yard line.
A first down pass to Carl Barnes was completed for a 15 yard gain, quickly moving us and giving a first down at the 43 yard line. Oliver kept it going with a 13 yard rush up the middle, giving us another first down at the New Mexico 44 yard line, as the Lobos defense started to show more and more signs of tiredness. After a 5 yard rush by Oliver on first down, he was tackled for a loss of two yards on the next play, leaving us with third and 5. The pass intended for Hayden was batted down incomplete, leaving our punt team coming out. A bad snap on the punt left Carlos Wilcox scrambling on the play, tackled for a three yard loss, giving New Mexico possession at their 44 yard line. After two incomplete passes, the Lobos finally got moving, as Robbins connected with Robinson for a 15 yard gain to our 41 yard line. After another incomplete pass, another pass to Robinson gained 10 yards to leave second and inches, Robbins keeping the ball himself and rushing for three yards to get the first down at our 29. Three incomplete passes would seemingly bring yet another drive to an end for New Mexico. But instead of trying a long field goal, the Lobos opted to go for it on fourth down, Robbins finding Cox over the middle for 10 yards and a first down at our 19 yard line. A false start penalty would push the offense backwards, leaving them facing first and 15. An incomplete pass on first down would bring the third quarter to a close, our lead 21-0.
Opening up the fourth quarter, two more incomplete passes left New Mexico with fourth and 15 from our 24 yard line. The Lobos again opted to go for it on fourth down, but the pass intended for Lewis was broken up, and with the turnover on downs, we took over at our 24 yard line. Oliver got the drive started with a pair of rushes for gains 7 and 10 yards to pick up the first down at the 41 yard line. A 16 yard pass from Stephens to Hayden got us into Lobos territory with a first down at the New Mexico 43. Stephens then kept the ball himself, rushing around the right tackle for a 16 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 27. Forced to scramble two plays in a row, Stephens was able to gain 7 yards the first time and three yards the second time to leave us looking at third and inches from the 17 yard line. Stephens never had a chance on the third down play, as the outside linebacker blitzed through untouched, sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss before he had even completed his full drop back. Left with fourth and 8 from the 25 yard line, the 42 yard field goal by Glover was good, giving us a 24-0 lead with 6:51 to play in the game.
No return on the following kickoff gave New Mexico the ball at their 25 yard line and still looking for an answer. They wouldn’t find it this drive, as two incomplete pass and a three yard scramble by Robbins left the Lobos punting away on fourth and 7. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt set our offense up at our 26 yard line. Oliver got us rolling with a two rushes for 5 and 8 yards to get a first down at the 39 yard line, before breaking off another run for 8 yards. Smith would pick up the first down on the next play, breaking up the middle for a 16 yard gain to the New Mexico 37. A 6 yard rush by Oliver was followed up with a rush for no gain by Smith to leave third and four. Stephens tried to get the first down himself, but never made it, as the middle linebacker blitzed through and tackled him for a loss of three yards. Taking a shot deep, the 52 yard field goal by Glover split the uprights, extending our lead to 27-0 with 3:14 left in the game.
A touchback on the kickoff left New Mexico once again starting from their 25 yard line. After two incomplete passes to start the drive, Robbins connected with Powell for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 38 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Robinson took the ball on the ground for two consecutive plays, picking up gains of four and 8 yards to get the first down at midfield. Another incomplete passes was followed with a three yard rush by Robinson to leave third and 7, before Robbins connected with Robinson through the air for a 15 yard strike and a first down at our 32. A 6 yard pass to Powell was followed with a three yard rush by Wilkerson to leave third and one. Robinson would keep the drive moving with a 6 yard rush to move the chains down to our 18 yard line. An 8 yard pass from Robbins to Mike Hall got the Lobos the closest they had been all game to our end zone, leaving second and two at our 10 yard line with 1:11 left to play. A two yard rush by Robbins moved the ball down to the 8 yard line, leaving third and inches, New Mexico’s first timeout stopping the clock with 59 seconds. A 5 yard rush by Andrew Davis would get the conversion, setting up first and goal from our three yard line, the Lobos second timeout stopping the clock with 52 seconds to go. Robinson was able to get one yard on the first down carry, before finally punching the Lobos into the end zone for the first time in the game with a two yard rush up the middle. The extra point by Adrian Johnson was no good, sailing wide left, only cutting our lead to 27-6 with 38 seconds left on the clock.
The Lobos attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by our hands team, giving us a first down at the New Mexico 42 yard line with only 33 seconds to go. A single kneel down by Stephens was all that was needed, sealing the 27-6 victory to stay perfect on the year.
With the win, we improve to 3-0 ahead of our conference opener. With the loss, New Mexico continues searching for their first win of the year, dropping to 0-3 on the season. Up next, it's back on the road as we open up conference play with a trip to UAB. The Blazers enter the game 1-2 on the year, opening with a 28-19 loss at Washington and a 38-17 loss against Indiana, before picking up their first win of the season, 38-7 against Memphis.
Final Score
27,
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – A good day for Stephen, ending 13-20 for 192 yards and one touchdown. Oliver led the way on the ground, rushing for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Through the air, Jefferson ended up our go to guy, with 104 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. In all, six guys caught a pass today.
- Tulsa Defense – Bent all to hell, but didn't break. New Mexico made a number of drives down inside our 20, 30 or 40 yard lines, but the defense never let them get a thing until the garbage time touchdown in the final seconds.
- Tulsa Kicking – Glover was nearly perfect today, going 2-3 in field goals, making kicks from 42 and 52 yards out, but missing a 39 yard attempt. Also went 3-3 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score 0 0 0 6 6 7 14 0 6 27
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 0:45 Touchdown W. Oliver, 10 yard run (D. Glover kick) Second Quarter 4:46 Touchdown R. Smith, 9 yard run (D. Glover kick) 1:42 Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) Third Quarter --- --- --- --- --- Fourth Quarter 6:51 Field Goal D. Glover, 42 yard field goal 3:14 Field Goal D. Glover, 52 yard field goal 0:38 Touchdown D. Robinson, 2 yard run (missed kick)
Game Stats
New Mexico Stat Tulsa 6 Score 27 19 First Downs 22 291 Total Offense 421 35 - 145 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 44 - 205 - 3 14 - 48 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 14 - 22 - 1 146 Passing Yards 216 0 Times Sacked 2 11 - 22 (50%) 3rd Down Conversion 6 - 12 (50%) 1 - 3 (33%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 1 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 4 - 1 - 0 (25%) Red Zone - TD - FG 5 - 3 - 1 (80%) 0 Turnovers 0 0 Fumbles Lost 0 0 Intercepted 0 0 Punt Return Yards 5 18 Kick Return Yards 24 309 Total Yards 450 6 – 43.7 Punts - Average 2 - 43.0 2 - 10 Penalties 1 - 15 13:56 Time of Possession 22:04
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact 21+ points per game in each season 26 Win 10 games in one season 3 3300+ passing yards each season 65% pass completions over the entire contract 61% Win 6 games in one season 15+ rushing TD in each season 6 3200+ total offensive yards each season 1127 3400+ total offensive yards each season 1127
Job Security Status
48%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 Notre Dame pulls out a 37-20 win over #3 Michigan State. #2 Nebraska had to sweat out a 20-10 win over Air Force, trailing 10-6 after three quarters, scoring the final 14 points of the game in the fourth quarter to get the win. Florida International held a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter, but #8 Iowa turned it on from their, coasting to a 45-12 win. #9 Oregon picks up an easy 42-17 win over #20 Ole Miss. In the upset shocker of the week, Texas Tech takes #11 TCU behind the woodshed to the tune of 52-35.
Navy tried to pull off a second straight upset, trailing only 7-6 after one quarter, but it wasn't meant to be as #13 LSU went on for the 49-23 win. #15 NC State barely remains perfect on the year, handing Louisville their first loss of the season, 26-24. #16 Wisconsin barely escaped Temple at home with a 38-30 victory. #21 Florida State needed double overtime to escape #22 Virginia, 30-27. #24 Rutgers trips up #18 Maryland, 20-17, in overtime.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 3-0 with a 24-21 win over Colorado State. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 1-2 (0-1 Pac-12), losing 42-35 to Washington State. Mors, West Virginia improves to 2-1 (1-1 Big 12) with a 31-14 win over Baylor. Jeff, Ohio State falls to 2-1, getting slapped around like a rag doll, losing 42-0 to Troy. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 2-0 with a 27-7 win over MTSU.
In C-USA action, Tulsa beats New Mexico 27-6, UAB gets a 38-7 win over Memphis, Florida Atlantic downs Utah State 30-6, Southern Miss escapes Colorado State 24-21, Marshall obliterates Louisiana Tech 45-10, UTEP eases to a win, 35-7, over New Mexico State, Mid Tennessee State loses 27-7 to Arkansas State, Rice falls to Toledo 30-7, and Florida International gets blasted by #8 Iowa 45-12. One week after going 2-10 as a conference, we turn around with a 6-4 mark.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (36 first place votes) remains #1, Nebraska (22 votes) remains #2, Clemson (1 vote) moves up one to #3, USC (1 vote) moves up one to #4, and Oklahoma (1 vote) moves up one to #5. Miami, Iowa and Oregon all jump one to #6, #7 and #8, Michigan State falls six to #9 and Alabama remains #10. Georgia and LSU both climb one to #11 and #12, NC State jumps two to #13, Texas remains #14 and Wisconsin moves up one to #15. Arizona climbs one to #16, Boise State jumps two to #17, Florida State moves up three to #18, Rutgers leaps five to #19 and Virginia Tech climbs three to #20. Maryland falls three to #21, Texas A&M climbs two to #23, TCU plummets twelve to #23, Ole Miss drops four to #24 and Michigan enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was Virginia (from #22). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Virginia (186 votes) is #26, followed by Georgia Tech (145), Mississippi State (116), Arkansas State (64) and Southern Miss (9) to round out the Top 30.
Looking at the first Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (43 first place votes) is #1, Nebraska (21 votes) is #2, Clemson (1 vote) is #3, USC is #4 and Oklahoma is #5. Miami and Iowa are #6 and #7, Alabama is #8, Michigan State is #9 and Oregon is #10. LSU is #11, Texas #12, Georgia #13, Wisconsin is #14 and Arizona is #15. NC State and Virginia Tech are #16 and #17, Florida State is #18, Texas A&M #19 and Boise State #20. Rutgers is #21, Maryland #22, TCU #23, Virginia #24 and Michigan #25. Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Ole Miss (275 votes) is #26, followed by Georgia Tech (251), Mississippi State (220), Southern Miss (174) and Louisville (122) to round out the top 30. Also getting votes are Arkansas State (97) and Houston (48).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke remains #1, followed by Miami (FL) QB Jason Day at #2, Oregon QB David Lewis at #3, Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #4 and Georgia HB Joel Nolan at #5.
Game Four
Game Notes
--- Fresh off our win over New Mexico, it was back onto the road to start our conference slate, with a trip to take on UAB. While UAB entered the game with a less than impressive offense and defense, our own offense wasn’t turning many heads, with total offense and rushing offense rankings flirting with the 100s for national ranking. Even our passing stats were pedestrian compared to seasons past. Hopefully we’d be able to start the conference portion of the season on a positive note. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A 15 yard kickoff return got the Blazers starting, albeit poorly, from their 14 yard line. Tim Beck took the ball on the first play of the game, picking up two yards on the ground, before Adam Gardner threw up a 9 yard pass to Clayton Harris to get a first down at the 25. That fast start to the drive for UAB would implode on the next play, as Gardner was intercepted by cornerback Tyler Fountain, setting our offense up at the UAB 27 yard line for our first drive of the game. Oliver got the drive off to a great start with a 12 yard run up the middle to get a first down at the 15. Another rush by Oliver went around the left tackle for a second 12 yard gain, and we were looking at first and goal from the three yard line. Oliver would punch it in on the next play, taking up the middle for the three yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.
UAB got better field position the second time around, as a 19 yard kickoff return set the Blazers up at their 21 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Beck took the ball up the middle for a 7 yard rush. The Blazers would convert third and three as Gardner connected with Harvey Sullivan for a 9 yard gain to get the first down at the 37 yard line. After another incomplete pass on first down, Beck took the handoff for three yards, before an 8 yard pass from Gardner to Sullivan got another first down at the 47. Another incomplete pass was followed with a 7 yard rush by Beck, before the defense made a stand on third down, tackling Gardner for a three yard loss, leaving UAB punting away on fourth and 6. The punt sailed 49 yards into the end zone for a touchback, setting us up at our 20 yard line.
Oliver was quickly turning into a one man show, taking the handoff up the middle for a 14 yard gain and a first down. Two more rushes by Oliver went for gains of 7 and 5 yards, giving us a first down at the 46 yard line. Plowing his way over the safety, Roy Smith took the ball up the middle on first down for a 10 yard gain, setting up second and inches. Oliver would get the first down and then some, rumbling his way for 11 yards down to the 33 yard line, where UAB would make their second mistake of the day, a 15 yard facemask penalty tacked on to the end of the play, giving us a first down instead at the 18 yard line. Keeping the school lesson in running going, a four yard carry by Oliver was backed up with a 6 yard rush by Smith, giving us first and goal at the UAB 8 yard line. Backed up into a corner, the UAB defense finally started to make their presence known, as Oliver was only able to get two yards on the first down carry. A 5 yard gain on the next play by Oliver left us with third and goal from the two yard line, as the clock ticked under one minute left in the quarter. The defense never had a chance as Oliver forced his way into the end zone, giving us a 14-0 lead with 15 seconds left.
A touchback on the kickoff left UAB starting from their 25 yard line. Three straight incomplete passes by Gardner would bring the punt team out for the Blazers, and bring the first quarter to an end, our lead at 14-0.
Starting the second quarter, Connor Jefferson called for a fair catch on the 44 yard punt, leaving our offense to start at our 31 yard line. Oliver started our drive with a 7 yard run over the left tackle, before being brought down by the middle linebacker for no gain on the next play, leaving us with third and three. Continuing the domination on the ground, Oliver picked up the first down with a 5 yard rush to the 43. Smith got back into the rushing action, taking a handoff up the middle for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the UAB 46. Oliver was able to pick up 7 yards on the first down carry before being drug down from behind by the middle linebacker. Oliver got the first down on the next play, and then some, finding a massive gap between the left guard and tackle, riding that hole all the way for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 25. Keeping the ball on first down, Brad Stephens was able to pick up three yards on the ground, followed by a 9 yard rush by Oliver to get a new set of downs at the 13 yard line. Oliver continued to punish the Blazers, going straight up the middle for a 10 yard gain to set up first and goal at the three yard line. Smith came in to give Oliver a breather, but was only able to pick up one yard on the first down carry. Returning to the backfield, Oliver took the ball on second down, punching in the two yard touchdown for his third score of the day, making it 21-0 with 3:49 left in the second quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left UAB starting from their 25 yard line and looking for any kind of response now. They would find one, but not the one they wanted, as Gardner was sacked for an 8 yard loss on the first down play. A pair of scrambles by Gardner was only able to pick up three yards and one yard, leaving the Blazers punting away on fourth and 14. Our defense was feeling generous and got flagged for offside, moving the ball up 5 yards and leaving UAB looking at fourth and 9. Finally getting the ball off, Jefferson returned the 41 yard punt for four yards, setting us up at our 37 yard line with 2:50 left on the clock.
Oliver continued putting on a rushing exhibition, taking it up the middle for a 13 yard gain to get the first down at midfield. Two more rushes by Oliver went for gains of 7 and 8 yards, moving the chains to the UAB 35 yard line as the clock neared two minutes remaining. Shaking off a pair of tackles during the play, Oliver was nearly able to break loose for the touchdown, brought down by the ankles for only an 18 yard gain by the outside linebacker, giving a first down at the UAB 17. Coming in to give Oliver a break, Smith kept the ground domination going, taking the ball around the right tackle for a 12 yard gain to set up first and goal at the 5 yard line. Smith fought forward for a four yard gain on the first down play, leaving second and goal from the one. Back in the game, Oliver punched in the one yard touchdown for his fourth score of the day, increasing our lead to 28-0 with 1:25 left before halftime.
A 17 yard kickoff return set UAB up at their 19 yard line for their next drive. It was once again off to a poor start, as the defense sacked Gardner for a 10 yard loss, immediately putting the Blazers into a second and 20 hole. The Blazers wouldn’t recover from that hole, as Jared Witherspoon dropped a pass from Gardner, and Beck was tackled for a loss of three yards, leaving the punt teaming coming out on fourth and 23. A 6 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 47 yard punt got us starting from the UAB 48 yard line with only 53 seconds to go. UAB made their first true defensive play of the game, smacking Oliver in the backfield for a one yard loss, forcing us to call our second timeout of the half, left with only two to start the drive after the defense used the first. Just when all seemed lost, as Oliver was stopped for no gain to leave third and 11, Stephens proved the savior of the hour. We rushed to the line in no huddle, coming out in triple option to the right. Multiple great and successful blocks allowed Stephens and Oliver to get to the right sideline and turn the corner up the field. There, Stephens decided to keep the ball, turning on the afterburners and racing the outside linebacker and one of the safeties up the sideline, seemingly going in for a touchdown before the second safety came sprinting in from out of the picture, shoving Stephens out of bounds at the two yard line to leave first and goal with 27 seconds to go before halftime. Smith came in on the next play, but found nothing going, as he was tackled for a loss of one yard. Oliver would again finish the job, rushing in for the three yard touchdown, his fifth score of the day, increasing our lead to 35-0 with 19 seconds left in the quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff gave UAB the ball at their 25 yard line with 11 seconds to go. A rush by Beck for a loss of three yards would bring the first half to a merciful end for UAB, as we headed into the half with a dominating 35-0 lead.
Opening up the third quarter, Eric Hayden returned the kickoff 18 yards out to our 20 yard line to set up the offense. Figuring why change a successful thing, we kept it going on the ground, as what would have been only a three yard gain by Oliver turned into an 18 yard gain courtesy of a 15 yard facemask penalty by the middle linebacker, giving us a first down at the 38 yard line. The UAB defense was finally showing signs of being tired of getting slapped around, as Oliver was wrapped up for a one yard loss on the first down carry. Trying the triple option a second time proved decidedly less successful, as Stephens was hit for a two yard loss, leaving third and 13. Keeping the ball himself on third down, Stephens had a chance of breaking open after shaking off one tackle, but he wasn’t able to recover fast enough, as the safety swooped in to tackle him for only a one yard gain near the right sideline. With that, we were forced to punt for the first time today on fourth and 12. A 9 yard return by Witherspoon on the 52 yard punt set UAB up at their 21 yard line.
This time the Blazers found life on offense, as Gardner connected with Witherspoon for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the 41 yard line. After two straight dropped passes by Witherspoon, Harris hauled in a deep pass from Gardner for a 30 yard gain, and UAB found themselves with a first down at our 29 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Gardner connected with Sullivan for an 8 yard gain to leave third and two, but the Blazers would fail to convert, as Beck was tackled for a loss of 5 yards, leaving fourth and 7. Opting to go for it on fourth down, the Blazers would get that conversion, as Gardner hit Witherspoon over the middle for a 24 yard gain, setting up first and goal from our two yard line. Beck would finish the drive off on the next play with a rush up the middle for the two yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 35-7 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.
Jefferson returned the following kickoff for 22 yards, leaving us the ball at our 19 yard line. Our running game suddenly seemed in danger as Oliver was again tackled for no gain. He would get us into good position however on the next play, as the rush around the left tackle went for a gain of 9 yards, leaving third and inches from the 29. A two yard rush by Oliver would get the job done, giving us a first down at the 31 yard line. Fighting his way through a pile of players, Smith took the first down handoff for a 5 yard gain, before a one yard rush by Oliver left third and four. A pitch right to Oliver ended in failure, as he was tackled for a two yard loss, our punt team coming out a second time on fourth and 6. A fair catch by Witherspoon on the 49 yard punt left UAB starting from their 16 yard line.
After a dropped pass on first down, Beck hauled in a pass from Gardner for a gain of 9 yards, leaving the Blazers with third and one. A 6 yard rush by Beck would complete the conversion, moving the chains to the 31 yard line. A pass to Witherspoon on the next play went for 11 yards, followed by a 21 yard bomb to Sullivan to give UAB a first down at our 37. Another pass to Witherspoon went for an additional 11 yards to the 26. After an incomplete pass on first down, Harris was able to haul in a pass from Gardner for a pickup of 10 yards and a first down at our 16 yard line. Beck took the ball on the ground on the next play, fighting his way forward for a four gain, followed by a 6 yard rush to set up first and goal from our 6 yard line. That would be where the third quarter would come to an end, our lead holding at 35-7, but UAB knocking on the door.
Opening up the fourth quarter, Beck continued pounding it up the middle on the ground, getting four yards on the first down carry down to our two yard line. The Blazers would go through the air on the next play, as Gardner connected with Beck for the two yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 35-14 with 8:42 left in the game.
A 19 yard kickoff return by Hayden started us off from our 27 yard line, looking to stave off the comeback attempt. Oliver started the drive off with a four yard rush up the middle, followed by a 5 yard scamper to leave third and one. Oliver was able to just barely get across the first down line on the next play before being drug back by the outside linebacker, limited to only a one yard gain, but enough to get the first down at the 37 yard line. Stumbling his way forward through a pair of tackle attempts, Smith fought his way to a 9 yard gain. We received bad news after the play, finding out that Oliver had suffered an abdominal strain and would be out for the rest of the game. Busting up the middle on second down, Smith was able to break open for an 11 yard rush, moving the chains to the UAB 43 yard line as the clock ticked under 6 minutes. Smith picked up 5 yards on the first down carry, followed by a two yard rush from Eric Silva to leave third down and three. Smith kept the drive moving, fighting his way ahead for a four yard gain and a first down at the 33 yard line. Smith kept punching the ball up the middle, picking up 7 yards on the first down rush, followed by a three yard gain to leave third and inches. Silva would get the job done, rushing into the pile for a one yard gain and first down at the 22 yard line with three minutes left in the game. Smith was only able to pick up three yards on first down, followed by a 6 yard rush by Silva to leave third and one. Smith converted the third down, fighting his way through a pair of tackles to gain 5 yards, leaving us with first and goal from the 8 yard line. Silva came in to take the ball on first down, picking up three yards up the middle to get us to the 5 yard line. Smith took the ball on second down, gaining four yards on the rush to leave third and goal from the one yard line with less than a minute to play. Silva wasn’t able to punch it in, despite his best efforts, tackled for no gain at the goal line, leaving fourth and goal with 27 seconds left in the game. We settled for a 17 yard field goal by David Glover, expanding our lead to 38-14 with 16 seconds left to play.
A touchback on the kickoff left UAB with only 9 seconds to go, starting from their 25 yard line. A pair of rushes by Harris for 5 yards and four yards would put the cap on the bottle, as the final two seconds ran off the clock on our 38-14 victory.
With the win, we improve to 4-0, 1-0 in C-USA action. With the loss, UAB drops to 1-3, 0-1 in C-USA play. Up next, it's back home for a showdown with Marshall. The Thundering Herd enter the game with a 2-2 record, 2-0 in C-USA action. The Herd started their year with a 40-28 loss to #13 Florida State, followed by a 13-12 loss to Idaho. They then spanked Louisiana Tech 45-10 before getting a 45-21 win at UTSA.
Final Score
14
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – Pretty much no day for Stephens outside of four rushes for 49 yards, of which 48 of those yards came on one play. Oliver was by far the king today, rushing for 200 yards and 5 touchdowns on 37 carries. Smith came a distant second, with 96 yards on 17 carries. Receiving? What receiving?
Tulsa Defense – A fantastic first half, rather pathetic second half. About the only reason UAB didn't score more points than they did, was because our run game was killing so much clock, it should be considered genocide.
Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day by Glover, ending 1-1 in field goals with the 17 yard kick at the end of the game, and ending 5-5 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score 14 21 0 3 38 0 0 7 7 14
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:18 Touchdown W. Oliver, 3 yard run (D. Glover kick) 0:15 Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) Second Quarter 3:49 Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) 1:25 Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) 0:19 Touchdown W. Oliver, 3 yard run (D. Glover kick) Third Quarter 5:05 Touchdown T. Beck, 1 yard run (M. Kent kick) Fourth Quarter 8:42 Touchdown T. Beck, 2 yard pass from A. Gardner (M. Kent kick) 0:19 Field Goal D. Glover, 17 yard field goal
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat UAB 38 Score 14 23 First Downs 12 358 Total Offense 212 63 - 358 - 5 Rushes - Yards - TD 17 - 40 - 1 0 - 0 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 13 - 26 - 1 0 Passing Yards 172 0 Times Sacked 2 8 - 11 (72%) 3rd Down Conversion 4 - 9 (44%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 8 - 5 - 1 (75%) Red Zone - TD - FG 1 - 1 - 0 (100%) 0 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 0 0 Intercepted 1 10 Punt Return Yards 9 59 Kick Return Yards 51 427 Total Yards 272 2 – 51.0 Punts - Average 4 - 45.3 3 - 33 Penalties 2 - 30 23:51 Time of Possession 12:09
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact 21+ points per game in each season 29 Win 10 games in one season 4 3300+ passing yards each season 65% pass completions over the entire contract 61% Win 6 games in one season 15+ rushing TD in each season 11 3200+ total offensive yards each season 1485 3400+ total offensive yards each season 1485
Job Security Status
46%
Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 03-01-2013 at 06:53 AM.
Now THAT is a game that would make Navy proud!
Edit: Oh yeah, and welcome to post #1000 of this thread. The first of many more thousands of posts to come!
Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 03-01-2013 at 04:36 AM.
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, a HORRIBLE day for top 25 teams, #1 Notre Dame wins their battle of the unbeatens over Purdue, whooping the Boilermakers 56-21. #12 LSU proves the power and might of the SEC, as they edge out #2 Nebraska in the game of the week, 45-38. Virginia proved to be too much for the Tigers, as #3 Clemson fell in defeat this week, 30-25. In the upset of the week, Arkansas State stays perfect on the year, handing #4 USC their first loss of the season with a 42-38 defeat, the Red Wolves scoring twice in the final three minutes of the game, including the game winning touchdown with 38 seconds to go, to get the upset win.
#5 Oklahoma has some trouble early on, but poured on the points and pulled away in the second half to beat Nevada 34-13. #6 Miami barely escapes Wake Forest, winning 31-28 in overtime. Previously winless Penn State keeps the upsets rolling, knocking off previously unbeaten #7 Iowa, 30-17. Cal trips up #8 Oregon, knocking the ducks from the ranks of the unbeaten, 48-38. #9 Michigan State has their way with #19 Rutgers, whooping them to the tune of 55-27. South Carolina gets their first win of the season, while handing #10 Alabama their first loss of the season, with a 38-27 upset of the Tide.
#11 Georgia scores the game winner with 7 minutes left in the game to hand Vanderbilt their first loss of the year, 35-28. Georgia Tech wins a second battle of the unbeatens, improving to 4-0 and dropping #13 NC State to 3-1 with a 28-16 upset of the Wolfpack. #15 Wisconsin fights off a comeback bid by Illinois, to hold on for the 42-35 victory. #16 Arizona escapes and stays perfect on the year with a 37-34 overtime win at Washington. #17 Boise State suffered their first loss of the year as Colorado State abused the Broncos, 42-14. Another battle of the unbeatens results in upset, as Mississippi State stays flawless, knocking off #22 Texas A&M 35-30. Oklahoma State stays perfect on the season while knocking #23 TCU to 1-3 for the year (and without a doubt out of the top 25), in a 42-20 thrashing. And Wyoming scores an upset over #24 Ole Miss, 21-10.
In all, the #2, #3, #4, #7, #8, #10, #13, #17, #18, #22, #23 and #24 teams all lost this week. Additionally, #5 Oklahoma had trouble in the first half, #6 Miami needed overtime to win, #11 Georgia had to score the game winning with 7 minutes left, #15 Wisconsin had to fight off a 14 point comeback by Illinois, and #16 Arizona needed overtime to win their game. On top of that, 11 teams suffered their first loss today in games involving top 25 teams.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 4-0 with a 47-27 rout of Connecticut. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 1-3 (0-1 Pac-12), losing 31-24 to Hawaii. Mors, West Virginia drops to 2-2 (1-1 Big 12) with a 31-17 loss to #21 Maryland. Jeff, Ohio State improves to 3-1 (1-0 Big Ten), picking up a 45-21 win over Minnesota. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 3-0 with a 42-38 shocker of #4 USC.
In C-USA action, Tulsa beats UAB 38-14, Southern Miss gets a 47-27 win over Connecticut, Rice smacks Tulane 35-17, Marshall shellacks UTSA 45-21, MTSU edges out North Texas 31-24, UTEP takes down Florida International 27-21 (dropping FIU to 0-4 for the year), Louisiana Tech loses to Louisiana-Monroe 20-14 and Texas State slaps that ass against Florida Atlantic, 49-10.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (35 first place votes) remains #1, Oklahoma (23 votes) jumps three to #2, Miami (2 votes) jumps three to #3, Nebraska falls two to #4, Michigan State climbs four to #5, LSU (1 vote) leaps six to #6, Georgia moves up four to #7, Clemson drops five to #8, USC falls five to #9 and Texas climbs four to #10. Wisconsin and Arizona both jump four to #11 and #12, Florida State moves up five to #13, Alabama falls four to #14 and Virginia Tech jumps five to #15. NC State drops three to #16, Iowa plummets ten to #17, Maryland jumps three to #18, Oregon falls eleven to #19 and Arkansas State enters the poll at #20. Georgia Tech enters the poll at #21, Virginia enters this week at #22, Mississippii State enters at #23, Michigan climbs one to #24 and South Carolina enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Boise State (from #17), Rutgers (from #19), Texas A&M (from #22), TCU (from #23) and Ole Miss (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Oklahoma State (253 votes) is #26, followed by Rutgers (190), Boise State (179), Texas A&M (175), Southern Miss (125) to round out the Top 30.
Looking at the first Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (45 first place votes) remains #1, LSU (20 votes) pole vaults nine spots to #2, Oklahoma climbs two ranks to #3, Miami jumps to #4 and Nebraska falls three to #5. Michigan State climbs three to #6, Clemson falls four to #7, USC falls four to #8, Georgia jumps four to #9 and Virginia pole vaults fourteen to #10. Texas moves up one to #11, Wisconsin and Arizona both jump two to #12 and #13, Arkansas State debuts in the poll this week at #14 and Virginia Tech climbs two to #15. Florida State jumps two to #16, Alabama falls nine to #17, Iowa tumbles eleven to #18, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #19 and Maryland climbs two to #20. NC State drops five to #21, Mississippi State enters the poll at #22, Oregon free falls thirteen to #23, Michigan climbs one to #24 and Oklahoma State enters the poll this week at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Texas A&M (from #19), Boise State (from #20), Rutgers (from #21) and TCU (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas A&M (283 votes) is #26, followed by South Carolina (236), Southern Miss (211), Rutgers (151) and Boise State (142) to round out the Top 30. Also receiving votes this week are: Tulsa (81), BYU (32), Stanford (30) and TCU (14).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell leapfrogs four spots to become the new #1 in the Heisman Watch, followed by Miami (FL) QB Jason Day at #2 (LW: #2), Georgia HB Joel Nolan at #3 (LW: #5), Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #4 (LW: #1), and Arizona QB E.J. McCoy at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Oregon QB David Lewis (LW: #3).
Jesus man! Not one pass?!
Good game. Looks like you're off to a good start again. Hopefully it continues for ya.
Jesus man! Not one pass?!
Good game. Looks like you're off to a good start again. Hopefully it continues for ya.
And we'll find out. I've played the cupcake portion of the schedule so far. Despite playing me tough, UNLV was pretty much a cupcake from day one, and New Mexico definitely was a cupcake. Toledo I got by with a win because they couldn't hold onto the ball. And UAB just plain sucks. The schedule starts getting interesting, with Marshall, Oklahoma State and FIU in the next three weeks alone.
Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 03-01-2013 at 07:29 AM.
Game Five
Game Notes
--- Headed back home still perfect on the year, it was time for our next test of the season, as the Marshall Thundering Herd came to town. While sporting a 2-2 record, the Herd had a better passing offense, total offense and scored more points per game than us, while ranking just 10 spots behind us nationally in rushing. It would take another flawless performance and a day of domination by our superior defense to hold off any potential upset bid. A win today would also give us a chance to put a dent into Marshall’s 2-0 conference record and their East Division title hopes. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A 15 yard kickoff return left the Herd starting at their 13 yard line for their first drive of the game. It was a rough start as Brian Baker was tackled for a four yard loss on first down, before recovering those lost yards with a 6 yard gain to leave third and 9. An incomplete pass would bring the Marshall drive to an early end. Marshall’s misfortune was our gain, as a 9 yard punt return by Connor Jefferson on the 43 yard punt gave us possession for our first drive at the Marshall 48 yard line. Will Oliver flashed signs of the previous game, as he immediately took the ball up the middle for a 9 yard gain on first down. A four yard rush on second down got the job done, moving the chains to the Marshall 35 yard line. Coming out throwing on the first down play, Brad Stephens connected with Jefferson for a 12 yard gain and another first down at the 23. Hauling in the pass just before the safety could make a play on it, Eric Hayden was able to hold onto the pass from Stephens for a 15 yard gain, setting us up with first and goal at the 8 yard line. Marshall wasn’t about to just hand over the touchdown, as Oliver could only manage a single yard on two rushes, leaving us with third and goal from the 6 yard line. The third down pass to Carl Barnes went for a gain of 5 yards, but it wasn’t enough, as we faced fourth and goal at the one yard line. Choosing to go for the safe points this early on, we elected to kick the field goal, Derek Glover booting the 19 yard kick through the uprights from the right hash mark, giving us a 3-0 lead with 4:09 left in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff left Marshall beginning from their 25 yard line for their next drive. Baker started the drive with a three yard run, before Thomas Wright completed a pass to Matt Archer for a one yard gain to leave third and 6. The Herd would end up going backwards on the next play as the defense sacked Wright for a 9 yard loss, leaving Marshall punting away on fourth and 15. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 41 yard punt gave us the ball at our 43 to start our next drive. A first down pass from Stephens to Barnes was broken up by the cornerback, followed by a broken up pass intended for Marcus Mullins, leaving us stuck with third and 10. Taking a shot deep on third down, the deep ball intended for Hayden was broken up by the safety, leaving us punting without a single yard gained on the drive. A fair catch on the 43 yard punt left Marshall starting from their 13 yard line.
Marshall got some early yards to start the drive, as a 5 yard facemask penalty was tacked onto the end of a 6 yard run by Baker, giving Marshall a first down at their 25 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Wright and a four yard rush by Baker left Marshall looking at third and one from their 34 yard line. Wright would get the first down on the next play with a three yard rush to the 37, and Marshall finally had some momentum built up. Baker kept it going on the next play with a three yard rush, before Wright was brought down in the backfield for a loss of three yards to suddenly leave Marshall with their backs against the wall, facing third and 10. A third down pass from Wright was dropped by Lance Rose, and all that momentum stopped in its tracks, as Marshall’s punt unit came out once again. Some fortune for Marshall at least, a fair catch on their 46 yard punt left us pinned back at our 16 yard line to start our next drive with 1:32 remaining in the quarter.
Coming out throwing on first down, the pass intended for Jefferson was rushed to avoid a sack, resulting in the ball going off target and ended up nearly intercepted by both the safety and the cornerback. Trying a pitch to the left on second down ended in pure failure, as multiple defense came plowing through the left side of the line, tackling Oliver immediately for a 5 yard loss, leaving third and 15. Stephens was able to hook up with Hayden for an 11 yard gain, but it wasn’t enough and the punt team came out on fourth and four. The Marshall punt return team chose to make their first major mistake of the day, as the defense was flagged for roughing the punter, giving us 15 free yards and an automatic first down at our 37 yard line and keeping our drive alive. The first place of our continued drive didn’t go well, as Stephens was hit as he tried to throw the ball, it landing like a wounded duck 5 yards away and incomplete. Throwing a screen pass on second down, Hayden was able to haul in the pass from a scrambling Stephens and turn it up field for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the Marshall 46 yard line. That would bring the first quarter to an end, our lead at 3-0, but our offense driving.
Opening up the second quarter, Oliver took the handoff up the middle on first down, shaking of a tackle on the line of scrimmage, but only for minor gain, as he could only pick up two yards. Throwing the kitchen sink at the Marshall defense now, Stephens kept the ball on a power option to the right, picking up 9 yards before being swarmed, enough to get the first down at the Herd 35 yard line. A pair of rushes by Oliver picked up gains of 6 and three yards to leave us looking at third and inches from the 25. Roy Smith was given the duty of picking up the first down on the next play, but he failed to do so, instead tackled for a two yard loss to leave us with fourth and three at the 27. Glover’s second field goal of the day, a 44 yard boot, extended our lead to 6-0 with 5:51 left in the first half.
No return on the kickoff left Marshall again starting from their 25 yard line. This time the Herd started finding success through the air, as Wright connected with Rose for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard pass to James Watts to get the first down at the 37. Marshall suffered a slight setback when Wright was sacked for a one yard loss. The setback would only grow as Rose dropped two straight passes, earning himself chants from the hostile home crowd of “butterfingers”, forcing Marshall to punt away on fourth and 11. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 41 yard punt got us started from our 23 yard line. Oliver attempted to take the ball up the middle on first down, but found nothing going, only managing one yard before being tripped up. Bouncing outside the right tackle on second down, Oliver found better luck, nearly breaking open for the first down but was brought down by the linebacker on a shoestring tackle at the 33 yard line, leaving us with third and inches. Oliver never had a chance on third down, as he was quickly hounded by multiple defenders. Despite cutting back and up to dive for the first down line, Oliver was engaged in a tackle and brought down, officially, for a one yard loss, leaving us punting on fourth and one. A 6 yard return on the 51 yard punt set Marshall up at their 22 yard line.
Marshall opened up their drive through the air as Wright connected with Archer on consecutive plays, for gains of 5 and 13 yards to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Wright continued to one-up himself, finding Watts deep down the right sideline for a 23 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 37. Wright was forced to scramble on the next play, managing three yards before being forced out of bounds, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 7. The offense would end up moving backwards from there, as a false start penalty left the Herd looking at third and 12 from our 39 yard line. Marshall would rise up to the challenge, as Wright hit Wesley Anderson over the middle for a 15 yard gain and a first down at our 24 yard line. Two incomplete passes and another false start penalty again left Marshall staring into a hole, as they faced third and 15. This time they would fail to meet the challenge, as the pass intended for Watts was knocked incomplete. The 46 yard field goal attempt by Jason Hicks was no good, sailing wide right, turning the ball over to us at our 29 yard line with only 1:28 left in the half.
Starting with so limited time on the clock, it was immediately into the air from the word go. Jefferson was able to get wide open over the middle of the field, but a well timed hit on Stephens right as he went to throw the ball resulted in an incomplete pass into the ass of the center. A pass from Stephens to Barnes went for a 10 yard gain, leaving us with third and inches, but an end around sweep by Hayden resulted in us going backwards, as he was tackled for a four yard loss and we were forced to punt on fourth and 5. A fair catch on the 42 yard punt gave Marshall the ball at their 23 yard line with 56 seconds remaining and two timeouts. Wright got the drive started with a quick 18 yard strike to Baker for a first down at the 40 yard line. After an incomplete pass, our defense pushed back, sacking Wright for a loss of 9 yards, leaving Marshall with third and 19 and forcing them to use their second timeout with 38 seconds to go. A third down pass from Wright to Baker ended up gaining one yard, bringing out the punt unit on fourth and 18. Jefferson called for a fair catch on the 41 yard punt, giving us the ball at our 25 yard line with 21 seconds to go. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a 12 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 37 yard line, as the final 15 seconds ticked off the clock, our lead holding at 6-0 headed into halftime.
Opening up the third quarter, a 19 yard kickoff return by Jefferson got us started at our 20 yard line to begin the second half. Oliver found yards hard to gain early on, only managing gains of four and two yards to leave us with third and four. Jefferson kept our drive alive and moving, hauling in a pass right over the head of the cornerback for a 16 yard gain and a first down at the 42 yard line. Going off the left tackle on first down, Oliver could only pick up one yard, as the Marshall defense was no longer allowing anything on the ground. Coming out with play action, the defense bit as Eric Silva came out of the backfield toward the right sideline uncovered, hauling in the pass from Stephens for a 16 yard gain and a first down at the Marshall 41. We received word after the play that Will Oliver would be sidelined for a couple plays due to a bruised knee, the high re-injury risk not worth keeping him in the game. Coming out shooting the gap on his first carry this drive, Smith picked up 7 yards up the middle to leave second and three. He would end up reversing that on the next play, tackled for a one yard loss to leave our drive facing third and four at the 35 yard line. Finding nobody open and feeling the pressure, Stephens scrambled for the first down himself, spinning his way out of a pair of tackles and stumbling forward for a 6 yard gain to the 29 yard line. Taking a shot deep into the end zone, the pass intended for Jefferson was broken up by the safety, leaving second down. Stephens was able to find Hayden over the middle for an 8 yard gain, leaving third and two from the 20. Smith never had a chance on third down, tackled for a two yard loss to leave fourth and four from the 22. The 39 yard field goal by Glover was good, increasing our lead to 9-0 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
No return on the following kickoff got Marshall started from their 25 yard line, as Baker took the first down handoff up the middle for a four yard gain. An incomplete pass to Watts and a dropped pass by Anderson left Marshall again bringing out the punt unit on fourth down. A 9 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt set us up at our 38 yard line for our next drive. Back in the backfield, Oliver was able to grab three yards on the first down carry, followed by a gain of only one yard to leave third and 6. Forced to scramble, Stephens was able to get the first down and then some, getting all the way to the Marshall 44 yard line before the ball was jarred loose, recovered by outside linebacker Charlie Parker to give Marshall possession of the ball at their 42 yard line.
Wright got the drive started with a designed run that resulted in a three yard loss, before recovering to find Anderson in the flats for a 7 yard gain to set up third and 6. The Thundering Herd were able to convert the third down with a 10 yard pass from Wright to Archer, moving the chains to our 44 yard line. Another pass to Anderson went this time for a 24 yard gain, and Marshall found themselves with a first down at our 20. An incomplete pass was followed with a 9 yard completion to Rose, setting up third and one at the 11 yard line. The incomplete pass intended for Archer left Marshall with a decision to make, facing fourth and one from our 11 yard line, down 9 with 1:07 left in the third quarter. The Herd made their decision, and conquered, as Baker rumbled up the middle for a 5 yard gain to set up first and goal at our 6 yard line. Baker picked up four yards on first down to advance the ball to our two yard line, before an incomplete pass intended for Anderson left Marshall with third and goal. Baker would punch it in on the next play from two yards out, cutting our lead to 9-7 with 29 seconds left to play in the third quarter.
Hayden returned the following kickoff 23 yards out to our 24 yard line. Despite only leading by two points, the fact of the matter was that we were still leading, and only 9 minutes away from victory. Going to the ground on first down, Oliver took the ball up the middle for an 8 yard gain, leaving second and two as the final seconds ticked off the clock, bring the third quarter to an end with our lead cut down to 9-7.
Starting the fourth quarter, we kept the ground game going as Oliver rushed forward for a 7 yard gain and a first down at the 38. Trying to cut back to avoid a closing gap on first down cost Oliver some yards, as he was instead brought down sooner, only able to gain two yards before being tackled. The Marshall defense refused to give any budge to our run game, as Smith was brought down for a two yard loss on the next play, leaving us facing third and 10 and forcing us into the air. That ended up proving fatal, as the third down pass intended for Jefferson was jumped and intercepted by cornerback Ryan Barron, returned three yards to our 43 yard line where Marshall took over.
Baker started the drive for Marshall with a 5 yard rush, before being tackled for a loss of two yards to leave third and 7 at our 40 yard line. An incomplete pass for Archer averted disaster from that interception, our defense saving the asses of our offense. The defense however nearly broke out the champagne a little too early, as Marshall went for it on fourth down, nearly completing a 30 yard strike downfield, but the pass was dropped by Baker inside our 10 yard line to turn the ball over on downs, our offense taking over at our 40 yard line.
Oliver was only able to pick up a single yard on the first down carry, Marshall still not letting anything go on the ground. Coming out in power option, it ended up going nowhere but backwards, as Oliver received the pitch from Stephens, only to be tackled for a loss of 6 yards, leaving us with third and 15 and again forced into the air. With plenty of time to pass, Stephens made the most of the play, sniping in a pass to Hayden over the middle for an 18 yard gain, followed by a 15 yard facemask penalty tagged on courtesy of cornerback Bernard Jones, giving us a first down at the Marshall 32 yard line, as the clock kept ticking towards 5 minutes to play. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle 6 yard gain, leaving us in good shape on second down, for a change. Smith got to within one yard of the first down, but a holding penalty on right tackle Cameron Powers spoiled what good shape we were in, leaving us stuck with second and 13. The second down pass to a WIDE open Hayden overshoot its target and sailed incomplete, leaving us with third down. Throwing up to Hayden in the end zone, the cornerback jumped the pass and batted it incomplete, leaving us with fourth and 13 from the 35. Instead of trying the field goal, the punt unit ended up coming out, the ball bouncing into the end zone for a touchback to leave Marshall starting from their 20 yard line with 3:51 left to play.
It was no go for Marshall, as two incomplete passes and a dropped ball by Baker left the Herd looking at fourth and 10. A 6 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 49 yard punt set our offense up at our 37 yard line, just 3:37 away from another victory. A designed rush by Stephens ended up going nowhere but backwards, as nearly the entire defense broke through on a blitz, resulting in a loss of 6 yards. Oliver took the ball on second down, but never had any chance, as three different defenders broke through to tackle him for a one yard loss, leaving us with third and 17. Running the play clock all the way down to zero, we called our first timeout with 2:16 left to play, Throwing over the middle to Jefferson, the pass from Stephens only picked up 11 yards, leaving fourth and 6 from the 41 yard line with 2:12 to go. A fair catch on the 36 yard punt left Marshall starting from their 23 yard line.
The Thundering Herd ended up going backwards, as they were tagged with a false start penalty, leaving first and 15. A pair of dropped passes, and it would get worse for Marshall, as a holding penalty tacked on another 15 yards, leaving them facing third and 25 from the 8 yard line. Marshall was able to make nearly all of that up, as Wright connected deep with Rose for a 23 yard gain to leave fourth and two at the 31. The fourth down rush by Baker ended in failure as he was tackled for a loss of four yards, turning the ball over on downs at their 28 yard line. Looking to run down as much clock as possible, Oliver took the ball up the middle for a one yard gain, Marshall’s first timeout stopping the clock with 1:41 to go. The drive nearly ended in disaster as Oliver fumbled the ball in the crowded line of scrimmage, center Travis Hearn jumping on the loose ball to recover it for our offense, leaving third and 6 and Marshall’s second timeout stopping the clock with 1:33 to play. Oliver took the ball up the middle for a one yard run on the next play, leaving fourth and 5 from the 23 yard line, Marshall’s third and final timeout stopping play with 1:26 to go. Forcing Marshall into a do or die touchdown situation, Glover booted a 40 yard field goal through the uprights to increase our lead to 12-7 with 1:23 to play.
No return on the kickoff left Marshall starting from their 25 yard line, no timeouts remaining and only 1:15 in which to cross 75 yards. Two incomplete passes left Marshall in a dire situation, facing third and 10 and in danger of sealing their fate. Wright was able to find Archer on the next play for a 7 yard gain, but the Herd would still need to find three yards just for the simple first down with only one minute exact left on the clock. An incomplete pass on fourth down would put the dagger in the heart of the comeback chances for Marshall, our offense taking over on the turnover on downs at the Marshall 32 yard line with 48 seconds to go. A pair of kneel downs by Stephens was all that was required to finish off the very difficult 12-7 victory over Marshall.
With the win, we improve to 5-0 on the year, 2-0 in C-USA action. With the loss, Marshall falls back under .500, dropping to 2-3 for the season, 2-1 in C-USA play. Up next, it's back onto the road to close out our non-conference schedule with a trip to #20 Oklahoma State. The Cowpokes enter the game 3-0, 2-0 in Big-12 action. Oklahoma State started the year with a 59-20 win over FCS Southeast, followed by a 30-20 win at West Virginia and a 42-20 dismantling of TCU.
Final Score
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – A rather bad day for Stephens. Completed just over half of his throws, only ended with 133 yards passing, had no touchdowns and threw an interception, along with committing a fumble. Oliver led the way on the ground with 77 yards on 26 carries. Receiving, Hayden was the go to guy, hauling in 5 passes for 69 yards.
- Tulsa Defense – Other than the one drive in the third quarter, did a pretty damn good job. Bent a couple times (the drive that ended in a missed field goal), but overall had a great day that gave us a win with our snoozing offense.
- Tulsa Kicking – Glover ended up the player of the game, going a perfect 4-4 in field goals, with successful kicks from 19, 39, 40 and 44 yards out.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score 0 0 7 0 7 3 3 3 3 12
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 4:09 Field Goal D. Glover, 19 yard field goal Second Quarter 5:51 Field Goal D. Glover, 44 yard field goal Third Quarter 4:10 Field Goal D. Glover, 39 yard field goal 0:29 Touchdown B. Baker, 2 yard run (J. Hicks kick) Fourth Quarter 1:23 Field Goal D. Glover, 40 yard field goal
Game Stats
Marshall Stat Tulsa 7 Score 12 9 First Downs 12 194 Total Offense 224 17 - 30 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 38 - 91 - 0 15 - 39 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 12 - 22 - 0 164 Passing Yards 133 3 Times Sacked 0 4 - 16 (25%) 3rd Down Conversion 3 - 15 (20%) 1 - 4 (25%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 2 - 1 - 0 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 5 - 0 - 1 (20%) 0 Turnovers 2 0 Fumbles Lost 1 0 Intercepted 1 23 Punt Return Yards 29 15 Kick Return Yards 42 232 Total Yards 295 7 – 43.7 Punts - Average 5 - 45.0 6 - 55 Penalties 3 - 26 15:30 Time of Possession 20:30
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact 21+ points per game in each season 25 Win 10 games in one season 5 3300+ passing yards each season 65% pass completions over the entire contract 60% Win 6 games in one season 15+ rushing TD in each season 11 3200+ total offensive yards each season 1709 3400+ total offensive yards each season 1709
Job Security Status
48%
Last edited by SmoothPancakes; 03-05-2013 at 12:08 PM.
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 Notre Dame scores the game winning touchdown with 8 seconds left to play, defeating #3 Miami (FL) 31-24, knocking the Hurricanes from the ranks of the unbeaten. Pittsburgh shakes up the polls, handing #8 Clemson its second loss, 34-14. Kentucky got a taste of blood, scoring with 1:22 left in the game to knock off #10 Texas 28-24. #12 Arizona holds on late to stay perfect and beat Stanford, 42-35. #13 Florida State escapes winless Syracuse 27-24. #14 Alabama barely holds on against Ole Miss, winning 31-29. #15 Virginia Tech stayed perfect on the year, absolutely abusing and violating #16 NC State to the tune of 39-7.
#17 Iowa wins their Big Ten battle against #18 Maryland, dropping the Terps 28-14. #19 Oregon needed a 13 point fourth quarter to avoid upset at the hands of winless Louisiana-Lafayette, the Ducks hanging on for a 37-21 win. #20 Arkansas State keeps their perfect season rolling along with a 31-17 win at Missouri. #22 Virginia holds on for a 42-27 win over North Carolina. #23 Mississippi State keeps their perfect record intact, doubling up Florida 28-14. Western Kentucky leaves the Palmetto State stunned, as the Hilltoppers score 22 points in the fourth quarter to topple #25 South Carolina 35-34.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 5-0 (1-0 C-USA) with a 48-14 rout of UTSA. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 1-4 (0-2 Pac-12), losing a 36-35 heartbreaker to Colorado. Mors, West Virginia improves to 3-2 (2-1 Big 12) with a 16-10 loss win at Kansas. Jeff, Ohio State improves to 4-1 (2-0 Big Ten), picking up a 28-7 win over Rutgers. Other teams of interest, #20 Arkansas State improves to 4-0 with a 31-17 win at Missouri.
In C-USA action, Tulsa beats Marshall 12-7, Southern Miss beats UTSA 48-14, UTEP whoops UAB 42-24, Rice takes down MTSU 35-14, North Texas gets a 20-3 win over Florida Atlantic, and #2 Oklahoma utterly destroys Louisiana Tech 48-10.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (38 first place votes) remains #1, Oklahoma (22 votes) remains #2, LSU (1 vote) jumps three to #3, Nebraska remains #4 and Michigan State remains #5. Georgia jumps one to #6, Miami falls four to #7, Arizona climbs four to #8, USC remains #9 and Virginia Tech leaps five to #10. Wisconsin remains #11, Florida State moves up one to #12, Alabama climbs one to #13, Georgia Tech leaps seven to #14 and Arkansas State climbs five to #15. Iowa climbs one to #16, Mississippi State jumps six to #17, Oregon moves up one to #18, Clemson tumbles eleven to #19 and Oklahoma State enters the poll at #20. Virginia moves up one to #21, Texas falls twelve to #22, NC State drops seven to #23, Michigan remains #24 and Maryland falls seven to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week as South Carolina (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Pittsburgh (323 votes) is #26, followed by BYU (258), Southern Miss (184), Tulsa (119) and Texas Tech (65) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Colorado State (16) and Ohio State (14).
Looking at the first Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (36 first place votes) remains #1, LSU (24 votes) remains #2, Oklahoma (4 votes) remains #3, Nebraska climbs one to #4 and Michigan STate climbs one to #5. USC jumps two to #6, Georgia climbs two to #7, Miami drops four to #8, Virginia Tech (1 vote) leaps six to #9 and Arizona jumps three to #10. Wisconsin climbs one to #11, Arkansas State jumps two to #12, Virginia falls three to #13, Georgia Tech jumps five to #14 and Florida State moves up one to #15. Alabama jumps one to #16, Mississippi State climbs five to #17, Iowa remains #18, Oklahoma State moves up six to #19 and Clemson drops thirteen to #20. Oregon climbs two to #21, Pittsburgh enters the poll at #22, Texas falls eleven spots to #23, Michigan remains #24 and Maryland falls five to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week was NC State (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, NC State (285 votes) is #26, followed by BYU (284), Southern Miss (277), Tulsa (219) and Northwestern (119) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include TCU (87), Texas Tech (79), Colorado State (69) and Ohio State (66).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell remains #1 in the Heisman Watch, followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #4), LSU HB Steven McMillan at #3 (LW: NR), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: NR) and Miami (FL) QB Jason Day at #5 (LW: #2). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Georgia HB Joel Nolan (LW: #3) and Arizona QB E.J. McCoy (LW: #5).
Disclaimer: This post is not a part of Smooth's dynasty. It's a part of mine.
Check this out:
Sweet! Ramius going to the big time!
As for this dynasty, it's going to be coming back to life. After being without it for the past two weeks, I finally got by laptop back yesterday evening from getting the CPU fan replaced. So updates will be coming again now that I actually have access to my various dynasty documents, word files and spreadsheets again.
The good thing is I'm not in so much a rush this year to get done before NCAA '14 releases. After having to wait on patches that delayed me from being able to even start my dynasty in '13 until mid-August, I'm not going to make the jump to NCAA '14 until I'm sure it's fine and ready for me to jump immediately into my dynasty on it. So I pretty much have until August or whenever to get through the remaining two and a half seasons on my contract at Tulsa. Which is good because my time is gonna be getting split between FIFA 13, NCAA 13 and SimCity, so updates won't be quite so often or fast-paced as they have been, as I give the two other games some play time as well.
Well, it's all but official, Tulsa is heading to the Big East. The only thing left to be done is the Big East presidents to vote on it. With the move to be happening in 2014 in real life, I'll be moving Tulsa to the Big East immediately at the end of the next off-season. So there you go Jeff, no more dominating Conference USA for me.
Woohoo!!! C-USA is all aboutagain!
Come on Smooth.. step up and schedule Arizona State next season. Enough of these "cupcakes." I dare you to take on one of the worst teams in the PAC 12
Woohoo!!! C-USA is all about
Come on Smooth.. step up and schedule Arizona State next season. Enough of these "cupcakes." I dare you to take on one of the worst teams in the PAC 12
Smooth this is an FYI post. I recently started playing my dynasty again and as I was reminded, you are still the HC at San Jose St. You went 4-7 this season and now after two seasons you have a record of 8-16 with an approval rating of 49%. You are in year two of three but you are in tough to keep your job. With a D- prestige you are second lowest behind Lary Coker at UTSA.
I am about to play the NC game as BYU versus my old team. I will let you know your fate in my dynasty at the end.
As a follow up to the above, in year 7, BYU goes 13-0 and beats Rice (my former oc team) 38-6 to win the BCS. As for the fate of coach pancakes... you were spared. You will get a third season at San Jose after-all. Your rating is now 40% and you need to win 8 games next season and beat 75% of your rivals if you wish to stay HC at San Jose St.
Okay back to your dynasty now... just thought I would share to see how different dynasties progress.
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