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Damn. Not making things easy on myself. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
I need to try and keep dynasties straight better. :D I was looking back at souljahbill's post, about me becoming OC at Vanderbilt, then at your post, wondering when the hell I left Vanderbilt and become HC at San Jose State. :D For whatever reason, it didn't immediately click that it was your dynasty and not souljahbill's. :fp:
HC at Vanderbilt.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
It was head coach? Damn, I thought it was OC. See what I mean? It can get hard to keep track of. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by souljahbill
I've finally gotten around to getting back into my dynasty. I've been meaning to play a game or two since Monday, but ended up getting sidetracked with various things both days and never got the chance. I'm 3 minutes into the Oklahoma State game, and I'm wishing right now I had been sidetracked again today as well. :( Anybody got some spare lube? :smh: :fp:
Game Six
:Tulsa: :@: #20:Oklahoma_State:
Game Notes
--- Coming off the very difficult win over Marshall, where we faced an offensive ineptitude of epic proportions, it was back onto the road to face our toughest challenge yet, a visit to one of our rivals, #20 Oklahoma State. To say our defense was going to have its hands full would be a severe understatement. The Cowpokes enter the game with the #4 scoring offense in the nation, averaging just under 44 points per game, while racking up 462 yards of total offense, ranking #18 in the nation, and passing for 317 yards each contest, good enough for #9 in the country. This would be a far cry from the offenses of UNLV, New Mexico or UAB. Oklahoma State’s defense was mediocre, giving up over 350 yards per game, ranking 40th in the nation, but our offense would still have to find a way to overcome its incompetence from the Marshall game if we were to have any hope.
A contest was held in the week leading up to the game to determine a name for the previously unnamed rivalry. Many different names were submitted, including some simple ones like Okie-geddon, Tulstilly, The Red Dirt Apathy Bowl, The Highway 412 Shotgun Challenge, The Arkansas River Rivalry and The Old Money Rivalry. Some more colorful submissions were made, including The Arkansas River Fuckfest and the "Who The Fuck Has Seen A Hurricane In Oklahoma" Bowl. But the name that was selected as the winner in the end and will bear the name of the Oklahoma State-Tulsa rivalry going into the future, was The Golden Poke Bowl. Heading into the game, Oklahoma State won the coin toss and elected to kick, putting out offense to the test first.
A touchback on the opening kickoff started us at our 25 yard line for the first offensive drive of the game, and the Golden Poke Bowl was underway. Going on the ground to start the drive, Will Oliver was able to pick up four yards on the ground. Oliver kept the ball again on the next play, fighting his way forward before being tripped just before the first down line, picking up 5 yards on the carry to set up third and one at the 34. Third time proved to NOT be the charm, as Oliver was swallowed up quickly for no gain, and our punt team was forced to come out on fourth and one. Oklahoma State wasted little time in digging the knife into us, as the 51 yard punt was taken by Zac Williams at the Oklahoma State 15 yard line and taken all the way back to the house for an 85 yard punt return touchdown, giving Oklahoma State a very early 7-0 lead, with 7:18 left in the first quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return by Eric Hayden on the kickoff set us up at our 22 yard line for a second try on offense. Oliver took the handoff on first down, managing to get only two yards before being brought down by the middle linebacker, leaving second and 8. Going to the air for the first time today, the pass from Brad Stephens intended for Hayden was broken up by the safety, leaving third and long from the 23. The third down pass intended for Roy Smith was rushed under the pressure of the defense and the loud and hostile crowd, causing the pass from Stephens to carry long and overshoot Smith, bringing our punt team out for the second time today, only two and a half minutes into the contest. This time our punt team did its job, forcing Williams to call for a fair catch on the 43 yard punt, giving Oklahoma State the ball at their 33 yard line. Now it was time for our defense to be put to the test, our offense and special teams already having failed their previous tests.
It didn't take long for the defense to be overwhelmed by the Oklahoma State offense, as Nathan Gordon chucked up a deep pass to Chad Russ on first down, completed for a 29 yard gain to move the ball to our 37 yard line. We caught a minor break when the offense was flagged for false start, moving the ball back to leave first and 15. It was but a minor setback for the Cowboys, when Gordon connected with Kyle Cunningham on the next play for a 38 yards gain to set up first and goal at our four yard line. The Cowboys found the end zone for the second time today, as Gordon kept the ball himself with a pair of two yard sneaks to punch it into the end zone, giving Oklahoma State a 14-0 lead with 5:42 left in the quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left us starting from our 25 yard line and looking for an answer, any answer, to claw our way out of this quick and early hole. Oliver took the ball up the middle on the first down carry, but could only manage a single yard before being swarmed by multiple defenders. We were finally able to pick up our initial first down of the game, as Connor Jefferson hauled in a 14 yard pass from Stephens to advance the chains to the 40 yard line. Jefferson came through a second time, hauling in a bullet pass on an out route, catching the ball for a 12 yard gain just before running out of bounds to give us a first down at the Oklahoma State 48 yard line. Hoping that would be enough to open up the ground game, our run attempt proved futile, as Oliver was leveled in the backfield by the middle linebacker for a one yard loss, leaving second and 11. Hayden was able to get enough separation from the cornerback on the next play to haul in a pass for a gain of 8 yards, leaving us with third and three from the 41. Going back into the air on third down, Stephens was able to lob up a pass over the middle linebacker’s head and into the arms of Smith for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at the 28 yard line. The running game still proved near-worthless, as Smith could only fight his way forward for a three yard gain, leaving second and 7. Pitching the ball to the right, Oliver was able to get an early pair of blocks, allowing him to turn up field for a 6 yard gain before being tripped up, leaving third and one at the 19. Oliver would fail to convert the first down on the next play, wrapped up in the backfield for a loss of one yard, leaving fourth and two at the 21 yard line. The 38 yard field goal attempt by David Glover was good, finally getting us on the board and cutting the gap to 14-3 with 2:10 left in the quarter.
Z. Williams received the following kickoff, returning it 20 yards out to the 18 yard line for Oklahoma State’s next drive. Starting through the air, Gordon was able to connect with Tyler Reyes for an 8 yard gain, followed by a 6 yard rush by Cornelius Lane to pick up the first down at the 32 yard line. The Cowboys headed back into the air as Gordon connected with Russ for a 12 yard strike out to the 44. Oklahoma State experienced its first incomplete pass of the game, as Z. Williams dropped the ball from Gordon on first down, before the second down pass intended for Kyle Williams sailed long and incomplete, bringing up third down. Our defense actually proved to have a backbone, as the third down pass to K. Williams went for a gain of only 8 yards, leaving fourth and two for the Cowboys. That backbone quickly disappeared on the next play, as Lane broke up the middle for an 8 yard rush, converting fourth down and moving the ball to our 40 yard line. Gordon was forced to scramble on the next play, but made the most of it as he was able to pick up 9 yards, followed by a 10 yard rush by Z. Williams to get the first down at our 21 yard line. Keeping the domination going on the ground, Lane took the first down carry for a 7 yard rush, leaving second and three from our 13 yard line. As the final four seconds ticked off the clock, Gordon threw up a pass over the middle to K. Williams, completed for a 13 yard gain to leave the Cowboys with first and goal at the one foot line, bringing the first quarter to an end with a 14-3 Oklahoma State lead.
It took only two seconds into the second quarter for Oklahoma State to find the end zone again, as Lane punched it in on the ground for the one yard touchdown, opening the lead up to 21-3 with 8:58 left in the second quarter. A touchback on the following kickoff got our offense started at our 25 yard line, and looking for any sign of hope and life now. With our run game almost non-existent, it was directly to the passing game on first down, which paid off immediately as Jefferson was able to snag in a pass for a gain of 15 yards, giving us a first down at the 40 yard line. Keeping through the air, Oliver was able to haul in a quick pass from Stephens for a pick of up 8 yards, leaving second and two. Oliver tried to pick up the first down on the ground, but had no luck at all, as he was brought down for a one yard loss to leave third and three. The third down pass intended for Randy Newman was nearly intercepted by the cornerback (which would have been a guaranteed pick-six), bringing out our punt team on fourth and three.
A shanked punt gave Oklahoma State decent field position, as they started their next drive from their 29 yard line. Gordon went into the air on first down, finding Lane for a 9 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush by Lane to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Lane continued on the ground with a 7 yard rush to the 47 yard line, where the Cowboys made their first big strike of the drive, as Gordon threw a deep bomb to K. Cunningham for a 34 yard gain, setting up a first down at our 19 yard line. The Cowboys needed just one more play, as Gordon connected with K. Williams for the 19 yard touchdown to extended their lead to 28-3 with 6:14 left in the second quarter.
Jefferson brought out the kickoff for a 23 yard return, setting our offense up at our 25 yard line, the hole getting deeper and deeper every time. The first down pass intended for Hayden was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker, and our drive got off to a less than promising start. Jefferson continued to prove himself a go-to receiver this game, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 13 yard gain right before the cornerback made contact, giving us a first down at the 37 yard line. Taking a chance with a deep bomb to Hayden, the ball got hung up in the wind just long enough for the safety to close the distance and make a play on the ball, nearly intercepting it, but ultimately knocking it incomplete to leave second down. The second down pass intended for Carl Barnes was nearly completed along the right sideline, but a diving swat by the cornerback allowed him to get his hand in front of the ball, knocking it out of bounds and incomplete to leave third and long and our offense again teetering on the edge of the cliff. Stephens was finally able to complete a pass again, finding Marcus Mullins cutting over the middle of the field, but it wouldn’t be enough as Mullins could only gain 8 yards before being brought down, leaving us punting away once again on fourth and two.
We finally got our first big break on special teams, as Adrian Crosby was unable to return the 44 yard punt for any yards, burying the Oklahoma State offense at their own 10 yard line to start their next drive. Our defense also came through, tackling Lane on first down for a loss of four yards to push the Cowboys back to their 6 yard line and leave them facing second and 14. Gordon was able to cut that number in half as he connected with Cunningham for a 7 yard pass to leave third down from the 13, but an incomplete pass intended for K. Williams would bring about the first Oklahoma State punt of the day on fourth and 7. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 51 yard punt gave us the ball back at our 35 yard line. Going to the air on first down, Oliver was able to sneak out of the backfield without a defender on him, hauling in a pass from Stephens for an 8 yard gain to the 43 yard line. Going on the ground on second down, Oliver could only manage one yard, leaving us with third and one from the 44. Putting our faith in the run game, Oliver was able to pick up one yard on the carry, but a bad spot left us short with fourth and inches. Coach Ludwig wasn’t willing to go for it after being unable to get the first down on the previous play, and the punt team came out yet again. A fair catch was called by Z. Williams on the 44 yard punt, and the Cowboys began their next drive from their 11 yard line.
Our defense was finally seeming to catch some breaks, as the first down pass from Gordon was dropped by Russ, leaving second down. Lane took the ball on the ground the next two plays, but was unable to get enough yards, rushing for gains of 5 and four yards to leave the Cowboys facing fourth and one from the 20 yard line. A 9 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 46 yard punt continued our streak of improving field condition, as we began our next drive from the 43 yard line. Pitching the ball to the left to Oliver on first down proved disastrous, as Oliver was tackled for a 5 yard loss, immediately putting us in a hole on the drive. A pass attempt over the middle intended for Hayden was batted incomplete by the middle linebacker, leaving us with third and 15. Chucking up a prayer down the left sideline, Antoine Banks proved the savior of the drive, out-jumping the cornerback and beating him through the air to the ball, hauling it in for a 55 yard gain and getting us the deepest into Oklahoma State territory we had been all game, setting up first and goal at the 7 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, picking up two yards to leave second and goal at the five yard line. Taking the ball on the ground again, Oliver was able to push his way forward for a four yard gain, leaving third and goal at the one yard line. Smith came in on the third down play, but was unable to punch the ball in, met at the line of scrimmage by a pair of defender and tackled for no gain, bringing up fourth and goal on the one yard line. We were forced to call our first time out after the play, stopping the clock with just 6 seconds left before halftime. We were ultimately forced to settle for an 18 yard field goal by Glover, cutting the lead to 28-6 with four second to play. A touchback on the following kickoff would bring the first half to a merciful end, as it was all Oklahoma State early on, heading into halftime with a 28-6 lead.
No return on the kickoff to open up the second half, got the Oklahoma State offense lined up at its 25 yard line to begin. Lane took the ball on first down and was able to gain two yards, before the air strike campaign began again, as Gordon found K. Williams for a 21 yard pickup and a first down at the 48 yard line. Taking advantage of the pass-first defense, Lane was able to break loose for a 12 yard rush to our 39 yard line, followed by a 19 yard pass from Gordon to K. Williams to set up another first down at our 20 yard line. A pair of rushes by Lane for gains of 6 and four yards left the Cowboys looking at third and one, Z. Williams doing the honors with a 6 yard end-around rush to set up first and goal at our four yard line. Z. Williams would punch it in on the next play with a four yard rush, opening the lead up to 35-6 with 7:07 left in the third quarter.
A 24 yard kickoff return by Banks got our offense lined up at our 23 yard line. The Oklahoma State defense was re-energized after the touchdown, and it showed as Oliver was blasted and thrown like a rag doll for no gain by the middle linebacker on first down. It was nowhere but backwards on the next play, as a quick pass to Newman resulted in a loss of one yard, leaving us with third and 11, our offense once again proving impotent. A pass over the middle was completed to Barnes, but it wouldn’t be enough as he could only manage 8 yards on the play, leaving the punt team trotting out on fourth and three.
A fair catch by Z. Williams on the 46 yard punt gave Oklahoma State possession at their 24 yard line. The Cowboys wasted little time in moving the ball, as a 10 yard pass from Gordon to Lane left second and inches. Lane would convert the first down on the next play with a three yard rush to the 37 yard line. After a first down pass to Lane picked up zero yards, Gordon found K. Williams over the middle for a 9 yard strike to leave third and one. The Cowpokes would continue their air assault, as Gordon converted the third down with a 10 yard pass to Lane out to our 44 yard line. Returning to the ground game, Lane took the ball for a pair of carries, picking up gains of 5 and 7 yards to get the first down at our 33. Our defense won a minor battle, forcing Gordon to throw the ball away on first down, but it was a short lived victory as Gordon turned around the next play and threw a 24 yard strike to Reyes to set up first and goal at our 9 yard line. Lane rushed the ball for a 6 yard gain on the next play, before keeping the ball on second down and rushing it into the end zone for the three yard touchdown, giving Oklahoma State a 42-6 lead with 3:11 left in the third quarter.
Hayden received the following kickoff, returning it 19 yards out to our 25 yard line, our offense now just trying to find some sign of life and try to at least keep the score within a 40-point margin. Going into the air of first down, we were finally pushed over the cliff, as Nick Kennedy came over the from the safety position to intercept a pass intended for Hayden up the left sideline, returning it 14 yards to our 25 yard line, where the Cowboys’ offense took over. The offense wasted little time, as Gordon connected with K. Williams for a 13 yard gain to our 12 yard line. Lane then took the ball on the ground, rushing for a four yard gain, before being tackled for a loss of two yards to leave third and 8 at the 10 yard line. Our defense would save our asses, as Gordon’s pass intended for Russ was batted incomplete, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. We would get an even bigger break, as the 28 yard field goal by Marcus Williams sailed wide right and no good, our offense taking over at our 20 yard line with 2:02 left in the third quarter.
Going to the air on first down, Stephens almost committed his second straight turnover, as his pass intended for Banks was nearly intercepted by the safety, leaving second down. Forced to dump the ball to avoid a sack, the toss from Stephens to Hayden went for only a two yard completion, leaving our offense looking at third and 8 from the 22. The pass intended for Barnes was long and overshot the target, though there was a case made for a possible pass interference penalty as Barnes was held up by the outside linebacker, but no flag was thrown, bringing out our punt team on fourth down. A fair catch by Z. Williams on the 47 yard punt gave Oklahoma State the ball at their 30 yard line. Lane started the drive with a pair of rushes for two and 7 yards, leaving third and inches at the 40. A third straight rush by Lane would convert the third down with a three yard gain, moving the chains to the 44 yard line. Russ now took over with a three yard carry of his own, before a pass from Gordon intended for Lane fell incomplete, leaving the Cowboys with third and 7. They would manage to convert the third down as Gordon connected with K. Williams for a 13 yard strike, setting up first down at our 41 yard line. The third quarter would come to an end as Gordon threw a deep pass to Cunningham, completed for a 26 yard gain to set up first down at our 16 yard line. That would conclude the third quarter, as Oklahoma State held on to a 42-6 lead and in position to extend it even more.
Opening up the fourth quarter, Oklahoma State brought out their second team offense, as they felt their lead secure enough to pull the starters. Lane took the ball on the ground on first down, but was unable to find an opening, tackled by the defense for a loss of two yards. Throwing his first pass of the game, second-stringer Adam Wade completed a pass to K. Williams for a 13 yard strike, giving the Cowboys first and goal at our 5 yard line. Wade would stay perfect through the air with a 5 yard touchdown pass to David Tate, extending the Oklahoma State lead to 49-6 with 8:26 left in the game.
Jefferson received the following kickoff, returning it 24 yards out to our 27 yard line. The first down pass was more of the same, as the ball intended for Barnes was batted down by the cornerback, leaving second down. Pulling out everything, including the kitchen sink, Stephens threw up a deep bomb to Hayden, who was wide open after beating his man off the line. However, Hayden dropped what would have been either a 50+ yard gain or a 70+ yard touchdown pass, leaving our deflated offense facing third and long. The third down pass intended for Jefferson never had a chance, as Stephens was hit in the back as he went to pass, the ball flying backwards 15 yards, though thankfully ruled incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth and 10.
A fair catch by Z. Williams on the 50 yard punt gave Oklahoma State’s offense the ball at their 22 yard line. We caught an instant break, as the Cowboys were flagged for holding, pushing them back to the 12 yard line and left facing first and 20. Z. Williams took the ball on first down, rushing for a 7 yard gain, followed by a 5 yard scramble by Wade to leave third and 8. Wade would remain perfect through the air, connecting with Russ for a 9 yard pass and a first down at the 34 yard line. Wade finally threw his first incomplete pass, as the ball intended for Z. Williams was broken up, leaving second down. It didn’t take Wade long through to get back on the horse, as he found K. Williams for a 12 yard completion on the next play and a first down at the 46. After Wade threw the ball away on first down, Z. Williams took the handoff for a gain of three yards, leaving the Cowboys with third and 7. The third down pass intended for K. Williams was knocked incomplete, and the Oklahoma State punt team came out on fourth down.
No return by Jonathan Chambers on the 37 yard punt got our offense started from our 12 yard line with 6:30 left in the game. With any hope of a comeback long since extinguished, drowned, shot, hanged, drawn and quartered, our second team offense came out on the field to take over for the remainder of the game. Going into the air on first down, it was more of the same, as Erik Wallace’s first pass of the game, intended for Jefferson, was batted incomplete by the cornerback. The second team defense for Oklahoma State was not about to give us a break, as Wallace was sacked for a 12 yard loss on second down, nearly for a safety, leaving us facing third and 22 from inside our one yard line. The quick pass on third down intended for Smith was broken up by the outside linebacker, leaving our punt team buried in our end zone. The Oklahoma State punt return team took full advantage of that situation, as they broke through and blocked the punt on the fourth down play, Paul Chapman recovering it in the end zone for the touchdown, increasing the lead to 56-6 with 5:46 to play.
A 16 yard kickoff return by Hayden got our offense started at our 15 yard line, now just trying to end the game as quickly as possible. Oliver took the ball on first down, fighting his way forward for a three yard gain, when we got some help from the defense courtesy of a 15 yard facemask penalty, giving us a first down at the 34 yard line. Oliver kept the ball on first down for a 6 yard gain, followed by a three yard rush by Smith to leave third and one at the 42. Taking the ball on third down, Smith was unable to find anywhere to run, quickly brought down for a two yard loss to leave fourth and three. The 46 yard punt was returned for 5 yards by Z. Williams, leaving Oklahoma State starting at their 18 yard line. The drive last a whole whopping one play, as Z. Williams took the handoff, broke a pair of tackles and broke loose up the sideline, sprinting to the house for the 82 yard touchdown rush and a 63-6 lead with 3:03 left in the game.
No return on the following kickoff left us starting at our 25 yard line. Smith took the first down handoff for a two yard gain, as we tried to chew off as much clock as we could. The Oklahoma State defense sure had no intentions of letting up, as Smith was slapped around by both the middle linebacker and outside linebacker for no gain, leaving third and 8. Smith was finally able to make a positive gain, rushing for 8 yards, but stopped just shy of the first down line, leaving us punting away on fourth and inches. A fair catch by Z. Williams on the 45 yard punt gave Oklahoma State possession at their 20 yard line with 1:11 left on the clock. Z. Williams was tackled for a three yard loss on the first down carry, followed by a 9 yard rush to leave third and four at the 26, just 46 seconds to play. Wade kept the ball himself on third down, scrambling for one yard to leave fourth down and three with 29 seconds left. That would be the final play as the clock ran out without another snap being taken, bring the game to a merciful end, Oklahoma State easily walking out with a 63-6 victory to take home the Golden Poke Bowl trophy.
With the humiliating loss, we drop to 5-1, 2-0 in C-USA action. With the dominating win, #20 Oklahoma State improves to 4-0, 2-0 in Big 12 play. Up next, it's back to the friendly confines of home to take on Florida International, who enter the game 1-4, 1-1 in C-USA action. The Golden Panthers opened up their year rough, losing 31-27 to Northwestern, losing 35-28 at Washington State, losing 45-12 at #12 Iowa and losing 27-21 to UTEP. FIU finally got into the win column with a 38-20 win at North Texas, headed into their trip to Tulsa.
Final Score
#20 :Oklahoma_State: 63, :Tulsa: 6
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – A horrible day all-around. Stephens ended the game 13-26 for 163 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Oliver was our leading rusher with a whole 28 yards on 17 carries. Banks was the leading receiver in yards with his 55 yard reception, his lone reception of the game. Jefferson led receivers overall with 54 yards on four catches. In all, 8 players caught a ball today, 5 of them ending with double digit yards.
Tulsa Defense – No comment...
Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day by Glover, ending 2-2 in field goals with kicks of 18 and 38 yards.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 3 3 0 0 6 :Oklahoma_State: 14 14 14 21 63
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:41 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown Z. Williams, returned punt 85 yards (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 7-0 5:42 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown N. Gordon, 2 yard run (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 14-0 2:13 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 38 yard field goal :Oklahoma_State: 14-3 Second Quarter 8:58 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown C. Lane, 1 yard run (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 21-3 6:14 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown K. Williams, 18 yard pass from N. Gordon (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 28-3 0:04 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 18 yard field goal :Oklahoma_State: 28-6 Third Quarter 7:07 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown Z. Williams, 4 yard run (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 35-6 3:11 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown C. Lane, 3 yard run (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 42-6 Fourth Quarter 8:26 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown D. Tate, 5 yard pass form A. Wade (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 49-6 5:46 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown P. Chapman, blocked punt, fumble recovered in end zone (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 56-6 3:03 :Oklahoma_State: Touchdown Z. Williams, 82 yard run (M. Williams kick) :Oklahoma_State: 63-6
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Oklahoma State 6 Score 63 7 First Downs 24 192 Total Offense 596 25 - 29 - 0 Rushes - Yards - TD 38 - 235 - 5 13 - 28 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 24 - 34 - 2 163 Passing Yards 361 1 Times Sacked 0 2 - 15 (13%) 3rd Down Conversion 5 - 11 (45%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 8 - 0 - 2 (25%) Red Zone - TD - FG 8 - 6 - 0 (75%) 2 Turnovers 0 1 Fumbles Lost 0 1 Intercepted 0 9 Punt Return Yards 90 126 Kick Return Yards 20 327 Total Yards 706 10 – 46.0 Punts - Average 3 - 45.7 1 - 15 Penalties 3 - 30 18:49 Time of Possession 17:11
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 22 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 5 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 60% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 11 :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 1901 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 1901 :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
48%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame defended their throne with a 59-7 whooping of UCLA. IN the upset of the week, Kansas State (undefeated, but unranked), knocked off #2 Oklahoma 30-24, handing the Sooners their first loss of the year. Florida got back to .500 on the season as they knocked off previously undefeated #3 LSU, 24-17. #4 Nebraska pulled away late for a 33-17 win over Penn State, opening the door for a jump to #2 thanks to Oklahoma and LSU both losing.
#21 Virginia handed out a beatdown on #7 Miami (FL), easily winning 41-17. Arkansas handed #8 Arizona its first loss of the year, as the Razorbacks rolled to a 38-21 win. #9 USC held on for a 42-28 victory over one-win Colorado. #10 Virginia Tech needed a 16 point fourth quarter to pull away from Pittsburgh 37-23. #15 Arkansas State improved to 5-0 with a 49-23 thrashing of winless Memphis. #16 Iowa took home the game of the week as they knocked off #11 Wisconsin 42-35.
#17 Mississippi State escaped Nevada 30-27, kicking the game winning 30 yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to remain perfect for the season. #18 Oregon had some trouble early on, but eventually pulled away from Utah, 41-31. #19 Clemson knocked off #14 Georgia Tech 38-31. #22 Texas rolled to a 63-32 victory over rival Texas Tech. Syracuse got their first win of the year, knocking off #23 NC State 17-10, and Ohio State improved to 5-1 on the year, scoring a 35-26 upset of #25 Maryland.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 6-0 (2-0 C-USA) with a 27-7 rout of Rice. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 2-4 (1-2 Pac-12), winning 38-26 over Washington. Mors, West Virginia falls to 3-3 (2-2 Big 12) with a 27-17 loss to Iowa State. Jeff, Ohio State improves to 5-1 (3-0 Big Ten), picking up a 35-26 win over #25 Maryland. Other teams of interest, #15 Arkansas State improves to 5-0 with a 49-23 win over Memphis. On a personal note, Navy sets themselves up for the CIC Trophy this season with a 28-23 win over Air Force.
In C-USA action, Tulsa gets violated by #20 Oklahoma State, 63-6. Marshall whoops Central Florida 44-6. Southern Miss beats Rice 27-7. UTSA beats MTSU 31-21. Florida International gets their first win of the year, beating North Texas 38-20. UAB edges out Florida Atlantic 31-26. And Oregon State holds off UTEP 17-13.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Southern Miss (2-0) sits on top, followed by Marshall (2-1) and Florida International (1-1). Beyond that sit MTSU and UAB (both 1-2) and Florida Atlantic (0-2). In the West Division, it's a tie on top between Tulsa and UTEP (both at 2-0). Just behind us is Rice (1-1), followed by UTSA and North Texas (both at 1-2) and Louisiana Tech (0-1).
Looking at undefeated teams left, #2 Oklahoma, #3 LSU, #8 Arizona, #14 Georgia Tech, Texas State and Tulsa all lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 8. #1 Notre Dame (6-0), #10 Virginia Tech (5-0), #15 Arkansas State (5-0), #17 Mississippi State (6-0), #20 Oklahoma State (4-0), BYU (5-0), Kansas State (4-0) and Southern Miss (6-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 4 teams still looking for their first win: Memphis (0-6), New Mexico (0-5), Tulane (0-5) and UL Lafayette (0-4).
Teams getting their first win this week were: Ball State (34-31 over 2-3 Kent State), Florida International (38-20 over 1-4 North Texas), Syracuse (17-10 over 3-3 #23 NC State) and UMass (21-19 over 3-2 Western Kentucky).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (50 first place votes) remains #1. Nebraska jumps two to #2, Virginia Tech (11 first place votes) leaps seven to #3, Michigan State climbs one to #4 and Georgia moves up one to #5. USC climbs three to #6, Mississippi State leaps ten spots to #7, Florida State moves up four to #8, Arkansas State jumps six to #9 and Oklahoma falls eight to #10. Alabama jumps two to #11, Iowa moves up four to #12, Oklahoma State climbs seven to #13, Kansas State enters the poll at #14 and Miami falls eight to #15. LSU plummets thirteen spots to #16, Clemson climbs two to #17, Arizona falls ten to #18, Oregon drops one to #19 and Wisconsin drops nine spots to #20. Virginia remains #21, Georgia Tech falls eight spots to #22, Texas drops one to #23, BYU enters the poll at #24 and Michigan falls one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were NC State (from #23) and Maryland (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Southern Miss (263 votes) is #26, followed by Arkansas (257), Ohio State (167), Pittsburgh (118) and TCU (32) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Northwestern (29).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (40 first place votes) remains #1. Virginia Tech (24 votes) jumps seven spots to #2, Nebraska moves up one to #3, Michigan State climbs one to #4 and USC jumps one to #5. Georgia climbs one to #6, Virginia jumps six to #7, Arkansas State (1 vote) moves up four to #8, Mississippi State leaps eight to #9 and Oklahoma falls seven to #10. Oklahoma State jumps eight spots to #11, Florida State climbs three to #12, Iowa jumps five to #13, Kansas state enters the poll at #14 and Alabama moves up one to #15. LSU plummets fourteen spots to #16, Miami drops nine spots to #17, Clemson moves up two to #18, Wisconsin drops eight to #19 and Arizona falls ten to #20. Oregon remains at #21, Georgia Tech falls eight to #22, Texas remains #23, BYU enters the poll at #24 and Michigan drops one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Pittsburgh (from #22) and Maryland (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Southern Miss (284 votes) is #26, followed by Arkansas (263), Pittsburgh (233), Ohio State (163) and Northwestern (155) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include TCU (107), Maryland (32) and Stanford (29).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke climbs back to #1 (LW: #2), followed by Georgia HB Joel Nolan at #3 (LW: NR), LSU HB Steven McMillan at #3 (LW: #3), Arizona QB E.J. McCoy at #4 (LW: NR) and Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week were Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell (LW: #1) Michigan State QB Bo Wade (LW: #4) and Miami (FL) QB Jason Day at (LW: #5).
No comment on the Oklahoma State game. :( :smh: :fp: :fp: :fp:
Game Seven
:FIU: :@: :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- Fresh off our humiliating loss to Oklahoma State, it was back into conference action for the remainder of the season, as we tried to regroup after the last game and still try to shake off our offensive slump we’ve been in for two games now. The Golden Panthers of Florida International would be as good an opponent as any to do just that, entering the game with just one win on the season, coming in the previous week with an 18 points victory over North Texas. It would be a tough battle though as FIU entered with the #4 rushing defense in the nation, only giving up 112 yards per game on the ground, meaning our passing game would have to lead the way today if we were going to win. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
No return on the opening kickoff got the game started for the Golden Panthers at their 25 yard line. Our defense made an immediate statement to start the game, tackling Jeff Robinson for a four yard loss on the first down carry. A pair of incomplete passes, and our defense successfully ended the first FIU drive without giving up a yard. A fair catch by Connor Jefferson on the 47 yard punt left our offense in great field position, starting at our 31 yard line.
Testing the run game on first down, Will Oliver took the handoff up the middle for a 7 yard gain, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and one at the 40 yard line. Taking our chances on the ground, Oliver was able to plow across the line of scrimmage ahead of a diving defender for a 5 yard gain and the first down at our 45 yard line. Staying on the ground on the first down play, Oliver never had a chance as the defense quickly closed off the outside, forcing Oliver back towards the middle, with no holes open and no hope of escape, managing only two yards before being taken down by the ankles. Going through the air on second down, Eric Hayden was just barely able to get his hands on the pass from Brad Stephens before the outside linebacker could, picking up 5 yards on the play to leave third and two. Returning the ball to the hands of Oliver, he wasn’t able to push it over the first down line, only picking up one yard before the defense was able to wrestle him down, leaving us with fourth and one on the FIU 46 yard line. A pooch punt by Carlos Wilcox for 27 yards gave way to a return of only two yards, leaving Florida International beginning their next drive from their 19 yard line.
The first down pass by Kevin Holt, intended for Brian Davidson fell incomplete, getting the Golden Panthers off to a bad start. Robinson took the ball up the middle on second down, but was only able to gain two yards before being overwhelmed by the defense, leaving third and 8. As if things couldn’t get any worse for FIU, a false start penalty pushed the offense back 5 yards, leaving them now facing third and 13. Holt’s third down pass was nowhere near the intended target, and the punt team came out for the second time today. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt improved our field position even more, starting this time from our own 40 yard line.
Shaking off a tackled that would have resulted in a loss of multiple yards, Oliver somehow recovered and was able to pound his way up field on the heels of the left tackle for a gain of 9 yards, getting our drive off to a quick promising start. The FIU defense wasn’t about to make it easy however, as Oliver managed only a single yard on the next play, leaving us faced with third and inches at midfield. It was a close call on the third down play, as Oliver got swung sideways by a diving tackle attempt and would have potentially ended up with no gain, but a secondary tackle made the difference, as it pushed Oliver over the first down line for a two yard gain and moved the chains to the FIU 48 yard line. Going through the air on first down, Stephens was forced to immediately dump the pass off to Oliver to avoid a sack from the overwhelming blitz. Oliver was able to shake off one tackle with a juke, but was hit by a second defender almost instantly afterwards, tackled for no gain to leave second and long. Hayden came through with our first big play of the day, as he cut over the middle and dove for an off-target pass, hauling the ball in for a 14 yard gain to give us a first down at the 33 yard line. Hayden kept it going on first down, cutting out at the last second to leave the cornerback trailing behind, hauling in the pass from Stephens for a 12 yard gain just before running out of bounds, moving the ball down to the 21. Taking a shot at the corner of the end zone, the first down ball intended for Marcus Mullins was batted incomplete by the safety, leaving second down. Hayden kept us going on offense, getting enough separation from the cornerback to grab the pass from Stephens for a 9 yard gain, leaving third and one at the 12 yard line. The Golden Panthers proved more than ready for us on the ground, as Oliver was quickly brought down for a loss of one yard, bringing out the field goal unit, as our offensive woes continued to keep us out of the end zone. The 30 yard field goal by Derek Glover was good, and we took a 3-0 lead with 1:09 left in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff left Florida International starting from their 25 yard line, looking to equalize or take the lead. Robinson did his best to make sure that happened, as a pair of 7 yard rushes gave the Golden Panthers a quick first down at their 39 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Holt was forced to scramble for a three yard gain, leaving the offense with third and 7. An incomplete pass on third down, intended for Joey Ginn, brought the drive screeching to a halt, as we weren’t the only team on this field suffering from a completely inept offense. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 46 yard punt left us buried deep in our territory, starting our next drive from our 11 yard line with two seconds left in the quarter. A one yard rush by Oliver brought the first quarter to an end, our lead holding at 3-0.
Opening up the second quarter, it was back into the air, hoping to find some more success through that method. That success was not meant to be, as the pass deep down the left sideline intended for Hayden was intercepted by cornerback Mark Thomas, giving Florida International the ball at their 44 yard line. After throwing away the ball on first down, Holt was finally able to complete a pass, finding David Lee open over the middle for a 12 yard gain, advancing the chains to our 44 yard line. After a loss of two yard by Robinson and an incomplete pass, it looked like another doomed drive for FIU, until Robinson kept the wheels moving with a 16 yard reception and a first down at our 31 yard line. A quick pass to Cole Phillips for two yards was followed with a 19 yard strike to Jermaine West, giving FIU a first down at our 10 yard line. Robinson took the ball on first down, rushing up the middle for a gain of 9 yards, setting up second down from our one yard line. Robinson would then finish the job, punching it in from one yard out, giving FIU a 7-3 lead with 7:16 left in the second quarter.
Hayden returned the following kickoff 19 yards to set our offense up at our 19 yard line. It was back into the saddle for Stephens, as he connected with Jefferson on a post route for a 17 yard gain and a first down at our 36. Pulling out everything under the sun now to find a spark for our offense, a pass to a wide open Antoine Banks over the middle was unfortunately broken up by the middle linebacker, prematurely ending what would have been a large gain. Rolling with the play action fake, we kept the chains moving as Carl Barnes was able to break loose heading toward the left sideline, jumping up and coming down with the high pass just before his momentum carried him out of bounds for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the FIU 44 yard line. Another pass over the middle to Banks kept up chugging right along for a gain of 21 yards down to the FIU 23 yard line. Unfortunately all that positive momentum came crashing down as Stephens was sacked for a 6 yard loss on the next play, leaving us with second and 16 from the 29 yard line. Proving that all momentum was lost, a perfect pass to a wide open Hayden over the middle was dropped and fell incomplete, leaving third and 16. Trying to get off a pass to Jefferson, Stephens never had a chance as he was hit from behind during the throw, causing the ball to go skipping along the field 10 yards down field. Left facing fourth and 16, the field goal unit came out to try and tack another three points on the board. The 46 yard field goal by Glover was good, cutting FIU’s lead to 7-6 with 5:16 left in the second quarter.
No return on the kickoff left the Golden Panthers starting from their 25 yard line and clinging to a one point lead. Robinson got the drive started with a four yard rush, but that was as far as FIU would make it. Holt was tackled for a one yard loss on the next play, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Ginn, to leave the Golden Panthers punting on fourth and 7. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 49 yard punt gave us possession from our 22 yard line.
Returning to the ground game, we finally found some success rushing the ball, as Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a 14 yard gain and a first down at our 36. Keeping it going on the ground, Oliver was able to shake off a tackled attempt by the defensive end, breaking outside the left tackle and racing the outside linebacker for a 10 yard gain to get the first down at the 46. Receiving a pitch to the right, Oliver scampered toward the far sideline, pushed out of bounds by the outside linebacker for a 6 yard gain. Returning the air on second down, the pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving us facing third and four just inside FIU territory. Third down provided the most heartbreaking play of the game, as Jefferson was able to beat his man down the right sideline, nothing within 10 yards of him and nothing but green grass and the end zone ahead of him. The pass from Stephens appeared on target, but ended up carrying long, landing incomplete in the back of the end zone just out of the reach of Jefferson’s outstretched arms, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth down. The punt sailed 49 yards into the end zone for a touchback, leaving FIU starting from their 20 yard line with 2:45 to go.
The drive started poorly for the Golden Panthers, as Holt was tackled for a loss of one yard, followed by a 5 yard false start penalty to leave FIU facing second and 16. Robinson took the ball on second down, but could only manage two yards, setting up third and 14. The Golden Panthers would do their best, as Holt connected with Davidson for a 12 yard gain, but it wasn’t enough as the punt team came out on fourth and two. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt gave us back the ball at our 29 yard line with two minutes left before half.
The first down pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the middle linebacker, bringing up second down. Roy Smith was able to give us forward progression, hauling in a pass for a gain of 5 yards, leaving third and 5. The third down pass intended for Banks never had a chance, as three defenders broke through the line, hitting Stephens as he went to through, leaving the ball dangerously tossed up in the air, though thankfully no defender could come down with it. A fair catch on the 48 yard punt gave FIU back the ball at their 18 yard line. After an incomplete pass intended for Ginn, Holt was able to find Davidson down the right sideline for a 22 yard gain, moving the chains to the FIU 41 yard line with one minute left. We finally caught our big break, as Ginn hauled in a pass from Holt at our 40 yard line, but was stripped of the ball, the fumble recovered by free safety Clay Weiss, giving us back possession at our 40 yard line with 27 seconds to play.
We caught a big break as Jefferson brought down a pass from Stephens for an 11 yard gain, then received a gift courtesy of a facemask penalty on cornerback John Everett, giving us a first down at the FIU 34 yard line. Going through the air on first down, we took a shot deep at the end zone, but the cornerback was able to make a play, breaking up the pass intended for Hayden. Trying our luck over the middle, the pass intended for Banks overshot the target, sailing incomplete and brought up third and long as the clock stopped at 12 seconds. Just trying to get a first down now, the pass intended for Jefferson never had a chance as it was swatted down at the line of scrimmage, bringing up fourth and long with 5 seconds to go. Glover nailed the 51 yard field goal right down the middle, giving us a 9-7 lead with two seconds left on the clock. No return on the following kickoff brought the second quarter to an end, as we headed into halftime hanging onto a two point lead.
Starting the third quarter, we got a huge boost right off the bat as Jefferson returned the kickoff 32 yards out to our 31 yard line. Again trying our luck on the ground, Oliver was able to escape outside for a 6 yard gain, leaving second and four. There would be no such success on the next play, as Oliver was hit in the backfield for a loss of one yard, bringing up third and 5. Smith kept us breathing as he hauled in a pass along the right hash, picking up a gain of 9 yards and the first down at the 44 yard line. Firing off a pass to avoid a sack, the throw from Stephens intended for Jefferson fell incomplete, bringing up second down. Jefferson was able to haul in the next pass thrown to him, but it only gained 5 yards when all was said and done, leaving us facing third and 5 at our 49 yard line. It was Randy Newman’s turn to play savior, cutting over the middle from the tight end position, diving for the wayward pass and coming down with it for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the FIU 39 yard line. The next play turned out to be the biggest of the game, as Stephens chucked up a prayer toward the end zone, Hayden reaching over the head of the cornerback and grabbing the ball just before he fell down out the back of the end zone for the 39 yard touchdown pass, finally ending our streak of futility after 12 straight quarters without a touchdown, dating back to halftime of the UAB game. The extra point by Glover gave us a 16-7 lead with 5:59 left in the quarter.
No return on the kickoff left FIU starting from their 25 yard line and now staring at a 9 point deficit. Robinson was unable to find anything going on first down, tackled for a loss of one yard, before our defense decided to assist, getting flagged for pass interference to give the Golden Panthers 15 free yards and a first down at their 39 yard line. Our defense was able to recover, tackling Robinson for a loss of three yards before forcing a pair of incomplete passes, bringing out the FIU punt team on fourth and 13. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt left us starting from our 19 yard line.
Turning back to the run game to start our next drive, Oliver was quickly brought down by the defensive end for a one yard loss. Going back into the air on second down, it would only get worse as Stephens was sacked for a four yard loss, leaving us with third and 15. Forced to scramble to avoid the blitz, the third down pass down the left sideline intended for Smith was off target, nearly intercepted by the cornerback but thankfully dropped incomplete, bringing out the punt team. A three yard return on the 44 yard punt gave FIU possession at their 43 yard line. This time the Golden Panthers got immediate momentum, as Robinson rushed for 6 yards on first down, before Holt connected with Davidson for an 11 yard gain and a first down at our 39 yard line. We would get lucky as the momentum would stop there, Robinson getting tackled for a loss of three yards and a pair of incomplete passes leaving their drive stalled out with fourth and 13 from our 43 yard line. The punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback, starting our drive again from the 20.
Coming out in play action, the defense continued to bruise up Stephens, as he was almost instantly sacked for a three yard loss, immediately putting us in a hole. A second down pass to Smith went for no gain, unable to shake off the outside linebacker, leaving us looking at third and 13. The defense continued their domination on third down, as Stephens tried to take off and scramble, only to immediately met by a spying linebacker, sacked for a two yard loss and leaving us punting on fourth and 15. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt left FIU beginning their next drive from their 38 yard line. It was the Robinson show to start the drive, as three straight rushes for gains of 6, three and four yards gave FIU a quick first down at our 49 yard line. Robinson kept the ball moving on first down with a 7 yard rush, followed by an 8 yard pass from Holt to Lee to advance the ball down to our 35 yard line with a new set of downs. After Robinson was tackled for a two yard loss, Holt was able to make up those yards with a four yard scramble to leave third and 8 from the 33, as the third quarter came to a conclusion, our lead holding at 16-7.
Opening up the fourth quarter, it appeared the drive was going to end at our 33 yard line after an incomplete pass on third down, but the Golden Panthers were not going to be denied, as they went for it on fourth down, Holt completing the pass to Ginn for 12 yards and new life at our 21 yard line. Robinson tried to take the ball on the ground, but was met by our defense for a loss of two yards to leave second and 12. Holt would then take over, throwing a pass to the corner of the end zone to Davidson, completed for the 23 yard touchdown to cut our lead to 16-14 with 8:21 to play.
A 19 yard kickoff return by Hayden got us started from our 24 yard line, as we had to find a way to pad our lead. Going on the ground on first down, Oliver was able to break up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by an 8 yard gain to get the first down at our 37 yard line. Riding that horse for as long as it would trot, Oliver was able to get 6 yards on the first down carry. The good news would however quickly be killed with bad news, as the training staff had to go out and help Oliver off the field after the play, diagnosed with elbow bursitis, benching him for the remainder of the game. Taking over the rushing duties, Smith took the second down handoff for a 9 yard gain and a first down at the FIU 48 yard line. Keeping the ball pounding on the ground, Smith broke free for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 38 yard line. Going outside the left tackle, Smith was unable to find an opening, stretched all the way to the sideline and ultimately tackled for no gain. Going back to the air on second down, Stephens was able to find Eric Silva for a 10 yard gain to leave third and one. Putting our first down hopes in the hands of Smith, it was not meant to be as he was quickly met in the backfield and pushed back for a four yard loss, leaving fourth and 5 from the 33 yard line. Attempting a 50 yard field goal, the kick from Glover was pushed to the left by the wind, ending up wide left and no good, giving FIU the ball back at their 33 yard line with 3:56 to play.
Holt started the drive with a three yard rush, followed by a pass to Davidson for 5 yards, leaving FIU with third and two. Jason Jackson was able to pick up the first down with a three yard carry, moving the chains to the 45 yard line. A two yard rush by Holt was undone with a loss of three yards by Robinson, leaving the Golden Panthers staring down the barrel of third and 11. FIU was unable to convert the third down, as Holt’s pass to Robinson went for only a gain of two yards, leaving fourth and 9. The 52 yard punt spelled all sorts of bad news for us, as we were pinned deep at our two yard line, leaving us in horrible position. Trying to find some breathing room, the first down carry by Smith ended up in a loss of one yard, pushing us back to our one yard line. With nowhere to go, we were forced into the air. An instant blitz forced Stephens to run for his life, picking up three yards on the scramble to get us out to the four yard line. What yards we were able to gain were quickly erased, as the both outside linebackers blitzed in around the guards completely untouched before Stephens could even try and make a move with the ball, sacking him one yard in the end zone for the safety, knotting the game up at 16-all with 1:55 left in the game.
A 24 yard return on the safety punt gave FIU the ball back at their 42 yard line with 1:44 left to find the go-ahead score. That go-ahead score would never come. After an incomplete pass on first down, cornerback Chad Wheeler killed Florida International’s drive with an interception, giving us the ball back at the FIU 47 yard line and 1:35 left to work. Hayden was able to haul in the first down pass from Stephens, but was instantly hit by both the cornerback and middle linebacker, knocking the ball loose and incomplete. Throwing up a pass intended for Smith, the ball was nearly intercepted by the cornerback, batted incomplete to bring up third and long. Throwing a quick pass to Mullins to avoid a sack, the completion went for only two yards, leaving us with fourth and 8 from the 45 yard line. The punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback, giving FIU the ball at their 20 yard line.
Taking over from the 20 with 1:12 to play, the first down pass from Holt to Davidson was dropped, getting the FIU drive off to a poor start. After another incomplete pass, this time intended for Lee, our defense helped out a little, getting flagged for a spot of the foul facemask, giving FIU 5 yards and a new set of downs at their 25. After another incomplete pass, Holt found West for an 8 yard gain, leaving third and two from the 32 yard line with 49 seconds remaining. The third down pass from Holt intended for Lee sailed long and incomplete. An 8 yard return by Jefferson on the 49 yard punt gave us the bal back at our 27 yard line with 38 seconds to play.
Throwing deep, the first down pass intended for Hayden was nearly intercepted by the cornerback, bringing up second down. Jefferson got us moving with a 14 yard reception along the left sideline to the 41 yard line, getting out of bounds to stop the clock with 30 seconds to go. Mullins was able to haul in the first down pass from Stephens, but was quickly tackled for a gain of only 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 26 seconds to go. Jefferson kept us moving again, hauling in an 11 yard pass from Stephens to give us a first down at the 41 yard line, our second timeout stopping play with 22 seconds to go. Left with only one timeout and 22 seconds, we had to take some shots closer to the end zone. The first down pass intended for Banks sailed long and out of bounds, bringing up second down with 18 seconds to go. The defense delivered a deathblow to our hopes, as the outside linebacker blitzed through untouched, sacking Stephens for a 7 yard loss to bring up third and 17 at the 48 yard line. Our third and final timeout stopped the clock with 14 seconds to go. We caught a huge break as Hayden was able to slip past his man down the left sideline, hauling in the deep pass for a 44 yard gain to give us first and goal at the three yard line. Unfortunately it proved to be a double edged sword, as the final 7 seconds ran off the clock before we could get lined up for a field goal, bringing regulation to an end in a 16-16 tie.
Opening up the first overtime, Florida International won the coin toss and elected to go on defense first, putting us immediately to the test. Taking the first down handoff up the middle, Smith was able to pick up 7 yards, leaving second and three at the 18 yard line. Trying to go around the left tackle on second down, Smith never had a chance, met in the backfield for a 5 yard loss to bring up third and 8. Stephens dropped back to pass on third down, the outside linebacker blitzing through untouched, hitting Stephens as he went to pass, knocking the ball loose. defensive end Khalid Mason broke off his blocker and dove for the ball, scooping up the fumble for Florida International and sticking the knife in the wound.
Our defense wasn’t about to just give up however, as they were able to break through and sack Holt for a 7 yard loss on first down, putting the Golden Panthers into a hole of their own. That hole lasted all of one play, as Holt connected with Robinson on second down for 16 yards, leaving third and one at the 16 yard line. Our defense at least refused to back down though, tackling Robinson for no gain to bring up fourth and one. We would catch an even bigger break, as the 33 yard field goal by Jordan Vaughn was no good, sailing wide right, taking us into a second overtime still tied at 16.
Opening up the second overtime, Smith got us started with a 9 yard rush to bring up second and one at the 16. Smith was able to get the first down this time around, rushing up the middle for three yards to get us to the 13 yard line. Staring off the new set of downs, Smith picked up three yards on the ground, followed by a one yard rush to leave third and 6 at the 9 yard line. The third down pass intended for Jefferson in the back of the end zone was batted incomplete, bringing out the field goal unit on fourth down. As if fate herself were twisting the knife in our wound, Glover’s 26 yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright and fell no good, giving the ball back to FIU with the score still knotted up.
It was another rough start for the Golden Panthers, as Robinson was tackled for a loss of three yards, before Lee was able to pick up four yards on the ground to leave third and 9 at the 24 yard line. Our defense all but pretty much sealed our fate, when they were flagged for pass interference on third down, giving FIU 15 free yards and first and goal at the 9 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Robinson was able to pick up 5 yards up the middle, leaving third and goal at the 6 yard line. Another rush by Robinson on third down went for a gain of four yards, advancing the ball to the two yard for fourth and goal. Vaughn would complete the job this time, kicking the 18 yard field goal through the middle of the uprights, giving Florida International the 19-16 double overtime victory.
With our second straight loss, we drop to 5-2 on the year, 2-1 in C-USA action. With the win, Florida International wins their second game in a row, improving to 2-4 for the season, 2-1 in C-USA play. Up next, it's back onto the road as we make a trip to UTSA, who enter the game 2-4 on the year, 1-3 in C-USA action. The Roadrunners started their year with a 42-10 win at Memphis, before going into a three game slide, losing 38-35 at Louisville, 45-21 to Marshall and 48-14 at Southern Miss. They finally got back in the win column with a 31-21 win over MTSU before losing 42-28 at UTEP coming into our game.
Final Score
:FIU: 19, :Tulsa: 16 – 2OT
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – Stephens was off and on. Some good passes, other horrible passes. Ended 21-36 for 267 yards, threw for one touchdown (our first since halftime of the UAB game, spanning 12 quarters without one) but also threw one interception and got sacked seven times. Oliver led the way on the ground with 83 yards on 20 attempts. Receiving, we set a new team record with nine different receivers catching at least one pass, Hayden by far was king of the hill with 123 yards and one touchdown on six receptions. Seven receivers caught passes for double digit yards.
- Tulsa Defense – Actually did rather good. For the most part held FIU in check and forced two turnovers. The offense just didn't do enough to take advantage of the defense's performance.
- Tulsa Kicking – Glover had a so-so game. Ended up 3 for 5 in field goals, connecting from 31, 46 and 51 yards out. Also went 1-1 in PATs. But missed on kicks of 26 and 50 yards, the 26 yard kick potentially being enough to force a third overtime.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter 2OT Final Score :FIU: 0 7 0 9 3 19 :Tulsa: 3 6 7 0 0 16
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 1:09 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 31 yard field goal :Tulsa: 3-0 Second Quarter 7:16 :FIU: Touchdown J. Robinson, 1 yard run (J. Vaughn kick) :FIU: 7-3 5:19 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 46 yard field goal :FIU: 7-6 0:02 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 51 yard field goal :Tulsa: 9-7 Third Quarter 5:59 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 39 yard pass from B.Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 16-7 Fourth Quarter 8:21 :FIU: Touchdown B. Davidson, 22 yard pass from K. Holt (J. Vaughn kick) :Tulsa: 16-14 1:55 :FIU: Safety Tulsa Safety TIED 16-16 Overtime --- --- --- --- --- Second Overtime --- :FIU: Field Goal J. Vaughn, 18 yard field goal :FIU: 19-16
Game Stats
Florida International Stat Tulsa 19 Score 16 12 First Downs 20 244 Total Offense 333 33 - 56 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 39 - 66 - 0 15 - 37 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 21 - 36 - 1 188 Passing Yards 267 1 Times Sacked 7 3 - 15 (20%) 3rd Down Conversion 5 - 16 (31%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 0 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 7 - 2 - 1 (42%) Red Zone - TD - FG 5 - 0 - 1 (20%) 2 Turnovers 2 1 Fumbles Lost 1 1 Intercepted 1 4 Punt Return Yards 8 24 Kick Return Yards 70 272 Total Yards 411 9 – 46.8 Punts - Average 6 - 41.0 4 - 40 Penalties 5 - 45 16:20 Time of Possession 19:40
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 21 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 5 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 60% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 11 :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2234 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2234 :2greenarrow: Penalty :2redarrow: Lost to a lower ranked team
Job Security Status
45%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame needed 17 second-half points to pull away from Baylor, 24-10. The game of the week went to #2 Nebraska, who easily beat #4 Michigan State 24-7. Despite trailing at halftime, #5 Georgia came back and held on for a 28-13 win over #11 Alabama. #6 USC had their way with Arizona State, slapping the Sun Devils around 66-21. #7 Mississippi State pulled a win out of their ass courtesy of a touchdown with 50 seconds left to beat Tennessee 27-24. #9 Arkansas State got a lot of luck to keep climbing the rankings with a 28-21 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
#10 Oklahoma won the Red River Shootout in a 41-35 shootout over #23 Texas. #12 Iowa pulled away late to beat Purdue 34-24. West Virginia shocked the nation as they went on the road and handed #14 Kansas State its first loss of the year in dominating fashion, 45-24. #15 Miami (FL) scored a rivalry upset as they knocked off #8 Florida State 37-28. #18 Arizona held on for a 20-17 win over NC State. #19 Oregon escaped Colorado 31-17. Ohio State held on to knock off #20 Wisconsin 19-14. #21 Virginia edged out #22 Georgia Tech 38-35. And #24 BYU needed a late field goal to edge out Troy 17-16 and stay unbeaten.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss remains 6-0 (2-0 C-USA) with a bye week. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-5 (1-3 Pac-12), after getting abused 66-21 by #6 USC. Mors, West Virginia improves to 4-3 (3-2 Big 12) by shocking previously unbeaten #14 Kansas State 45-24. Jeff, Ohio State improves to 6-1 (4-0 Big Ten), picking up a 19-14 win over #20 Wisconsin. Other teams of interest, #9 Arkansas State improves to 6-0 (1-0 Sun Belt) with a 28-21 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
In C-USA action, Florida International beats Tulsa 19-16 in double overtime. UTEP whoops UTSA 42-28. Louisiana Tech beats UAB 45-35. Marshall picks up a win over Florida Atlantic 34-17. Rice edges out North Texas 23-17. And Wake Forest dominates MTSU 59-14.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Southern Miss (2-0) sits on top, followed by Marshall (3-1) and Florida International (2-1). Beyond that sit MTSU (1-2), followed by UAB (1-3) and Florida Atlantic (0-3). In the West Division, UTEP (3-0) takes over the top spot, followed by Tulsa and Rice (both 2-1). Just behind us is Louisiana Tech (1-1), followed by UTSA and North Texas (both at 1-3).
Looking at undefeated teams left, with #14 Kansas State losing this week, that drops our number of undefeated teams to 7. #1 Notre Dame (7-0), #3 Virginia Tech (6-0), #7 Mississippi State (7-0), #9 Arkansas State (6-0), #13 Oklahoma State (5-0), #24 BYU (6-0) and Southern Miss (6-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 3 teams still looking for their first win: Memphis (0-7), New Mexico (0-5) and Tulane (0-6).
Teams getting their first win this week were: Louisiana-Lafayette (30-14 over 1-5 UMass).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (36 first place votes) remains #1. Virginia Tech (23 votes) moves up one to #2, Nebraska falls one to #3, Mississippi State (1 vote) jumps three to #4 and Georgia remains #5. Arkansas State (1 vote) climbs three to #6, USC falls one to #7, Oklahoma leaps five to #8, Oklahoma moves up one to #9 and Michigan State drops six to #10. Iowa moves up one to #11, Miami climbs three to #12, Florida State falls five to #13, LSU just two to #14 and Alabama drops four to #15. Clemson climbs one to #16, Arizona and Oregon both climb one to #17 and #18, Virginia jumps two to #19 and BYU moves up four to #20. Southern Miss enters the poll at #21, Ohio State enters the poll at #22, Michigan climbs two to #23, Kansas State falls ten to #24 and Georgia Tech drops three to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Wisconsin (from #20) and Texas (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Pittsburgh (129 votes) is #26, followed by Wisconsin (124), Texas (97), TCU (94) and Northwestern (76) to round out the Top 30.
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (44 first place votes) remains #1. Virginia Tech (21 votes) remains #2, Nebraska remains #3, Mississippi State jumps five spots to #4, and Arkansas State climbs three to #5. USC drops one to #6, Georgia falls one to #7, Oklahoma State jumps three to #8, Oklahoma climbs one to #9 and Virginia drops three to #10. Michigan State falls seven to #11, Iowa climbs one to #12, Miami jumps four to #13, LSU moves up two to #14 and Florida State drops three to #15. Clemson climbs two to #16, Arizona jumps three to #17, Alabama drops three to #18, BYU climbs five to #19 and Oregon moves up one to #20. Southern Miss enters the poll at #21, Michigan climbs three to #22, Ohio State enters the poll at #23, Georgia Tech drops two to #24 and Kansas State tumbles eleven spots to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Wisconsin (from #20) and Texas (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Pittsburgh (247 votes) is #26, followed by Wisconsin (230), Northwestern (201), Texas (188) and TCU (160) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Maryland (131), Stanford (107) Auburn (100) and Texas Tech (67).
Looking at the first BCS standings of the year: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Virginia Tech (0.995), #3 Nebraska (0.989), #4 Mississippi State (0.984), #5 Georgia (0.973), #6 USC (0.970), #7 Arkansas State (0.968), #8 Oklahoma State (0.956), #9 Michigan State (0.947) and #10 Oklahoma (0.946).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan retakes #1 (LW: #2), followed by Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #2 (LW: #5), Notre Dame HB Larue Barnes at #3 (LW: NR), LSU HB Steven McMillan at #4 (LW: #3), and Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell re-entering the list at #5 (LW: NR) to give us an all HB Heisman Watch list. Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week were Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke (LW: #1) and Arizona QB E.J. McCoy (LW: #4).
Wow! I hope you had some Vaseline... that looks like it hurt a lot :D I don't think I have had a loss that bad and I suspect if I did I would need a new TV and a new controller as the two would make contact for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
There were a couple times I came close to throwing it. I think by halftime, I was sort of desensitized to the abuse I was receiving and just trying to get it over with. The first half I was pissed off at the way the game was going, but second half I was calmer, just trying to end it, which ended up taking even longer.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
The FIU game was probably more aggravating because we got down in their territory a bunch of times, but couldn't do a damn thing once we got close. Then to give up the safety right at the end that tied the game up, then to fumble the ball in the first OT and then miss the field goal in the second OT, ugh... :fp:
Thankfully UTSA sucks absolute ass so my next game will hopefully end better, but with as badly as the offense has been sucking (12 straight quarters without a touchdown until the third quarter of the FIU game), UTSA might not even be an easy game now.
Tulsa Announces Move to Big East
By Staff Reports on Oct 25, 2017, at 10:42 AM
TULSA – It's official: Tulsa is a member of the Big East Conference. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane will join the current Big East Conference in all sports in 2018, commissioner Michael Aresco announced today.
The announcement came during a press conference Tuesday morning with new Tulsa athletic director Derrick Gragg and Tulsa President Steadman Upham. There has been speculation about the Tulsa-Big East possibility since December.
Tulsa’s Big East affiliation becomes official July 1, 2018 and is for all sports. “That was one of the things that we felt very strongly about,” Upham said. “If we change conferences, we want to do it as a university.”
Beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, the conference will consist of the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Connecticut, East Carolina University, the University of Houston, the University of Memphis, Southern Methodist University, the University of South Florida, Temple University, Tulane University, the University of Tulsa and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Tulsa becomes the seventh member of Conference USA to accept a Big East membership invitation. The others are Memphis, SMU, Houston, Tulane, East Carolina and Central Florida.
The new conference affiliation is the sixth home to University of Tulsa athletic teams. Tulsa’s first league membership came in the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference from 1914-28, the Big Four Conference (1929-32), the Missouri Valley Conference (1935-96, football affiliation ended after 1985 season), the Western Athletic Conference (1996-2004) and Conference USA (2005-present). They won the C-USA Championship in 2005, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and claimed the West Division title 7 times.
Tulsa’s switch to the Big East is expected to result in a substantial revenue spike for the athletic department.
In Conference USA, it is expected that TU’s 2017-18 media-rights payment will amount to about $1.5 million.
In the Big East, which recently concluded negotiations with CBS and ESPN on new television contracts, the annual media-rights revenue should be in the $3.5 million-$4.5 million range annually, a source told the Tulsa World in January.
Tulsa competes in 18 sports. The school fields men’s teams in basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field. Women’s teams compete in basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball.
Tulsa’s enrollment of 3,160 undergraduate students is the smallest in the FBS Division of the NCAA.
Meanwhile, Conference USA has already replaced Tulsa by luring Western Kentucky from the Sun Belt.
Tulsa Adds Home-and-Home Series with Arizona State, Boise State and Vanderbilt
By Staff Reports on Oct 26, 2017, at 2:25 PM
TULSA — One day after announcing that the future of Tulsa sports would reside in the new Big East at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, it was announced that Tulsa had agreed to new home-and-home series on the gridiron with Arizona State, Boise State and Vanderbilt.
With the new additions to the future schedule, Arizona State will visit Tulsa in 2018, with the Golden Hurricane visiting Sun Devil Stadium in 2019. Both Boise State and Vanderbilt will come to Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium in the 2019 season, with Tulsa traveling to Boise and Nashville in 2020.
The addition of Arizona State rounds out the 2018 schedule, with road trips to Texas State and UNLV, to go along with home contests against Arizona State and the Oklahoma Sooners. The Boise State and Vanderbilt additions complete the 2019 schedule along with road contests at Arizona State and Oklahoma, while Tulsa will host Boise State and Vanderbilt.
The new series with Arizona State, Boise State and Vanderbilt extends the list of highly competitive non-conference opponents on the future schedules of the Golden Hurricanes that have seen Tulsa in recent years play the likes of Fresno State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Utah.
With the addition of Arizona State, Boise State and Vanderbilt, the Golden Hurricanes have filled out their 2018 and 2019 non-conference schedules and set the ground work for the 2020 season. Listed below are the upcoming and future non-conference schedules for Tulsa:
2018
Oklahoma
at Texas State
at UNLV
Arizona State
2019
at Oklahoma
at Arizona State
Boise State
Vanderbilt
2020
at Boise State
at Vanderbilt
Nice! Looking forward to the game updates. PS... nice touch with the newspaper-like articles.
Thanks. Yeah, I sort of flirted with newspaper-like articles when mentioning updated schedules in the past, so wanted to keep that flow. And I'm looking forward to those Arizona State games, scheduled at your requests. :) I made certain to get them schedule during the next two seasons while I'm still at Tulsa. I would like to play Boise State and Vanderbilt more than once, but unless I sign a contract extension with Tulsa and stay around even longer than I've already been there, I'll be moving on at the end of the current contract, starting at my team on NCAA '14 like I did with Tulsa and '13.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
And there should hopefully be some new game updates posted sometime late Tuesday or else Wednesday. I've been plowing the hell out of some stuff on my blu-ray player most of the days Sunday and Monday, so never got a chance to get any games in, opting instead to make my future posts regarding schedules and Tulsa's transition to the Big East.
Game Eight
:Tulsa: :@: :UTSA:
Game Notes
--- Heading onto the road on a painful two game losing streak, we would try to get the monkey off our back, and get our offense back to shape, with a trip to UTSA. The couple games played hell with our stats and rankings, as our offense tumbled clear down into the 100s in all categories this week, ranked #116 for total offense, #102 for rush offense and #106 for pass offense, with our 21.5 points per game good enough for only #106 in the nation. Those rankings resulted in UTSA entering the game with a statistically superior offense and a higher ranking nationally. Our saving grace was that despite the Oklahoma State game, our defense was still highly ranked, giving us an edge over the Roadrunners. Their rush defense was the highest ranked category, coming in 45th in the nation. However, our offense had been inept for multiple games now, we were on a losing streak, and we were entering the Alamo Dome, UTSA’s home stadium. Anything could happen. UTSA won the coin toss and elected to kick.
No return on the opening kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line to begin the game. Will Oliver took the handoff on first down, managing to pick up three yards on the carry. Keeping it on the ground on second down, Oliver was met in the backfield by the middle linebacker, tackled for a loss of one yard to bring up third and 8. Avoiding a sack, Brad Stephens was able to get the ball off to Randy Newman, but Newman was quickly hit and brought down for a gain of only four yards, leaving our punt team coming out on fourth and four. A fair catch on the 43 yard punt gave UTSA the ball at their 25 yard line. Brandon Gilliam got the drive started with a 9 yard rush, followed by a two yard gain for the first down. That would be all the Roadrunners would get however, as cornerback Chad Wheeler intercepted a deep bomb first down pass from Adam Moss, giving us back possession at our 37 yard line.
It was clear our woes were no behind us yet, as Stephens was quickly sacked by the defensive end for an 8 yard loss, bringing up second and 18. Antoine Banks got us finally moving in the right direction, as he was able to get behind the linebackers and haul in a pass for a gain of 24 yards, giving us a first down at the UTSA 46 yard line. The defensive end nearly sacked Stephens for a second time this drive, but Stephens was hit as he was throwing the ball, resulting in an incomplete pass in the dirt a couple yards away. Trying to find Conner Jefferson along the left sideline, the pass from Stephens was broken up by the cornerback, batted into the chest of the safety and nearly intercepted, bringing up third and long. Just getting the ball off before being hit by the defensive end, Stephens was able to complete the pass to Carl Barnes for a 9 yard gain, leaving fourth and one at the 37 yard line. Instead of trying the 54 yard field goal, Coach Ludwig, for whatever reason, called out the punt team, the punt sailing into the end zone for a touchback.
Starting on the 20 yard line, the drive got off to a rough start for UTSA, as Moss was sacked for a three yard loss on first down. Gilliam was able to make up those yards with a three yard rush, before an incomplete pass intended forGuy McCauley brought the drive to an end. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt gave us the ball back at our 37 yard line. Marcus Mullins was able to get his hands on the first down pass from Stephens, but the middle linebacker made a quick hit on Mullins to break the play up and cause the ball to fall incomplete. The defense continued to make Stephens their bitch, the defensive tackle breaking through and sacking him for an 11 yard loss, bringing up third and 21. Stephens was slow to get up after the play, helped off the field by the trainers. He was diagnosed with a concussion, knocking him out for the rest of the game, putting second stringer and sophomore Erik Wallace in the game at QB. Coming out throwing deep in his first snap under center, the deep bomb down the left sideline intended for Eric Hayden was broken up by the cornerback, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth down. A 5 yard return on the 52 yard punt got UTSA started at their 26 yard line for their next drive.
Moss started the drive for the Roadrunners with a four yard rush, before completing a dump pass to Shannon Sullivan for only a two yard gain, bringing up third and four. The third down pass from Moss was off-target and batted incomplete by the safety, leaving the Roadrunners punting the ball right back. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 42 yard boot found us starting from our 25 yard line for our next drive. With the passing game essentially beheaded, encased in concrete, wrapped in chains and thrown into the ocean, it was back to the running game to start this drive. Oliver was able to shake ‘n bake his way to a 6 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard rush to get the first down at the 39 yard line. Another rush by Oliver gained four yards, followed by a 6 yard dash to get another first down on the ground at our 49 yard line. Roy Smith kept the action going on the ground with a 5 yard rush, with Oliver following up with a 7 yard gain to get yet another first down at the UTSA 38. The Roadrunners finally managed to slow down our run game, as Oliver was tackled on the next play by the defensive tackle for a loss of one yard, bringing up second and 11. Coming out in play action, the pass intended for Smith was broken up by the safety, leaving third down and 11 from the 39. It wouldn’t get any better, as the pass intended for Hayden was nearly intercepted by the middle linebacker, who wasn’t able to hang on as he fell backwards to the ground after jumping to grab the ball. The ensuing punt sailed 48 yards and into the end zone for a touchback.
Taking over at the 20 yard line, UTSA got some help from our defense, who was flagged for a 12 yard spot of the foul penalty, giving the Roadrunners a new set of downs at their 32 yard line. The defense at least managed to get some revenge on the next play, sacking Moss for a four yard loss. The defense got an even bigger measure of revenge, sacking Moss again, this time for a loss of 11 yards, leaving UTSA facing third and 25 from their 17 yard line. The third down desperation heave by Moss sailed out of bounds and incomplete, bringing out the punt team. Jefferson called for a fair catch on the 41 yard punt, giving our offense the ball on our 41 yard line with three seconds left on the clock. The UTSA defense got the last laugh of the quarter, tackling Oliver for a loss of one yard, as the first quarter came to an end, still scoreless.
Starting the second quarter, Bobby Smith got us moving as he hauled in a pass from Wallace for an 8 yard gain to leave third and three. Trying our luck on the ground worked out for a change, as Oliver rumbled ahead for 10 yards and the first down at the UTSA 41 yard line. Oliver made the first big play of the day, getting a huge hole to run through, juking away from one tackler, and then breaking out of a second tackle attempt on his way to a 31 yard rush, finally brought down from behind at the UTSA 11 yard line. Smith finally got us on the board, driving straight up the middle for the 11 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 7:48 left in the second quarter.
A 19 yard kickoff return got the Roadrunners started at their 21 yard line for their next drive, looking for an answer. They wouldn’t find that answer as three straight incomplete passes, two intended for Steve Bright and one intended for Sullivan brought the drive to a quick conclusion. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt got us the ball back at our 35 yard line and looking to add to the score. Oliver initially had a hole to run through, but was slow getting there, instead brought down by the middle linebacker for a gain of only three yards. Going into the air on second down, Wallace was able to connect with Hayden for a 12 yard gain, giving us a first down at midfield to keep the drive moving. Taking our chances through the air again, Jefferson was able to pull in the pass from Wallace just before the cornerback could make a move on the ball, good for a gain of 15 yards and another first down at the UTSA 35 yard line. Finally finding success through the air, Wallace just beat the pass rush and got a pass off to Banks for a 28 yard gain, setting up first and goal from the 7 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, carrying it for 6 yards down to the one yard line. We unfortunately took another hit, as Oliver didn’t get right up after the play, After being helped to the sidelines, it was determined he was suffering from back spasms, leaving him sidelined for a little while. With Oliver injured on the bench, Smith would be required to finish off the job again. He would do exactly that, punching it in for the one yard touchdown rush, giving us a 14-0 lead with 5:24 to play before halftime.
No return on the following kickoff left the Roadrunners starting again at their 25 yard line. Two incomplete passes, both intended for Gilliam got this drive off to an equally unproductive start, followed by a pass complete to Bright for only a two yard gain, leaving UTSA once again punting the ball away. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 46 yard punt advanced the ball to our 31 yard line for our next offensive drive. Keeping the pistons driving on the ground game, Smith took the first down handoff up the middle for an 11 yard gain, getting our drive off to an immediate success. Going around the left tackle on the next play, Smith was able to pick up four yards, followed by a 6 yard rush around the right tackle by Oliver, stretched all the way to the far sideline as Oliver fought for every yard he could down to the UTSA 47 yard line. Keeping the ball on first down, Wallace was unable to gain any yards, leaving second and long. We nearly had a first down on the next play, as Hayden cut across the field and was able to break wide open, but the pass from Wallace hit Hayden directly in the hands and bounced out, falling to the ground incomplete. Smith was able to keep us moving, coming out of the backfield and hauling in a pass from Wallace for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the UTSA 36. Going back to the ground game, Oliver was able to pick up one yard on the play, but a flag came out on the play, seemingly for a facemask penalty. We instead got a punch to the gut as the flag was for holding, leaving us with first and 20 from the 46 yard line. Forced into the air, Wallace was able to thread the needle between the middle and outside linebackers, completing an 11 yard pass to Jefferson to leave second and 9. The second down pass intended for Jefferson was nearly completed, but got broken up by the cornerback at the last moment to leave third and 9. Hayden came through for us on the third down play, beating the safety the linebacker to the ball for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the 20 yard line. Trying to keep the defense honest, it was back to the ground game on first down, as Oliver took it straight up the middle for a 14 yard gain. It wasn’t meant to be however as a flag came out, hit with a second holding penalty this drive, leaving us with first and 20 from the 30 yard line and only 1:32 left on the clock. Forced to dig ourselves out of another hole, we again had to abandon the run game. Jefferson gave us a huge play, sacrificing his body to make the catch for a 15 yard gain, getting laid out by the safety immediately after. The play left us with only second and 5 at the 15 yard line, able to get back to business with the clock continuing to tick. The second down pass to Newman was completed for a gain of 9 yards, setting up first and goal at the 7 yard line with 1:02 left before halftime. Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, picking up three yards to the four yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 49 seconds. Oliver would need only one more play, fighting his way up the middle before being tackled forward by the linebacker, their momentum carrying Oliver into the end zone for the four yard touchdown rush. The extra point by Derek Glover was no good, blocked by the defense, leaving our lead 20-0 with 47 seconds left before halftime.
A 21 yard kickoff return set UTSA up at their 26 yard line, but it cost them some major time, as only 36 seconds remained after the play. Moss attempted to throw deep to Bright, but the pass was broken up by our safeties, resulting in nothing but wasted time on the play. Our defense did lend a hand, flagged for a 5 yard facemask penalty, giving the Roadrunners a first down at their 31 yard line. UTSA started to now find some success, as Moss connected on a pass to Brock Bennett for 12 yards and a first down at the 43. The first timeout by the Roadrunners stopped the clock with 21 seconds left. After an incomplete pass on first down, our defense struck a deathblow, sacking Moss for an 8 yard loss, leaving UTSA facing third and 18 from their 35 yard line, their second timeout stopping the clock with just 12 seconds to go. Another incomplete pass, intended again for Bennett, brought their drive to an end, as they punted away on fourth and 18 with only 9 seconds to go. An 8 yard return by Jefferson on the 47 yard punt gave us the ball at our 26 yard line, just two ticks left on the clock. Oliver took the handoff on the final play of the half, tackled for no gain by both the outside and middle linebackers, taking us into halftime with a 20-0 lead.
Opening up the third quarter, the kickoff sailed long and into the end zone for a touchback, starting UTSA at their 25 yard line to begin the second half. It was a very poor start for the Roadrunners, as a holding penalty left them facing first and 20 from their 15 yard line. An incomplete pass and a ball dropped by a Gilliam left the Roadrunners facing third and 20. They made a great attempt to keep the drive alive, as Moss was able to finally connect with Bennett on third down, but the pass went for a gain of only 18 yards, ultimately bringing out the punt team on fourth and two. A fair catch by Jefferson gave us the ball at our 25 yard line for our first drive of the second half.
Oliver continued to add to his rushing total, as he took the first down handoff between the left tackle and guard for a 9 yard gain. Oliver gained the first down on the next play, spinning off of a tackle attempt and fighting ahead for a 6 yard rush to the 41 yard line. Fighting his way through a pile of bodies, Smith was able to find his way to the 47 yard line for a 6 yard gain. Despite being hit by the defensive tackle and middle linebacker in the backfield on the next play, Oliver’s momentum carried the pile forward for a three yard gain to leave us with third and one. The defense was ready however on third down, stopping Oliver just short of the first down line, bringing up fourth and inches at midfield. Added punishment to the wound, Oliver again failed to get up after the play, suffering from a strained bicep that would again keep him sidelined for a while. The punt on fourth down landed at the 5 yard line and bounced into the end zone for a touchback.
Taking over at the 20 yard line, UTSA continued to have little luck in the starts of their drives, as the first down pass from Moss was batted down at the line of scrimmage. Two more incomplete passes and it was another wasted drive for the Roadrunners. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got our next drive underway at our 41 yard line. Smith was able to shake off a defender on his way to a 6 yard rush, followed by a short battle for a 7 yard gain to get the first down at the UTSA 46 yard line. A first down pitch to the left to Smith resulted in only a two yard gain, leaving second and 8. Keeping the ball himself on second down, Wallace was able to get a couple of key blocks and turn up the field outside the right tackle for a 7 yard rush that caught the defense by surprise. Oliver was finally cleared to return to action, coming in to convert on third and one. The conversion wouldn’t happen though, as the defense broke through to tackle Oliver in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and two. The punt bounced down at the one yard line and rolled over into the end zone, starting UTSA from their 20 yard line.
It was another rough start for the Roadrunners, as Moss had his pass on first down deflected, before Gilliam dropped the ball on the next play to bring up third and long. They finally got something going their way on third down, as Jake Williams hauled in a pass from Moss for a 22 yard gain and a first down at the 42 yard line. Gilliam tried to take the ball up the gut on first down, but was caught with his pants down in the backfield, tackled for a two yard loss, before managing to recover those lost yards on the next play with a 6 yard rush, bringing up third and 7. Gilliam tried to be the hero of the hour, but failed, tackled for a gain of only four yards, leaving the Roadrunners facing fourth and two at midfield. After being the goat on the previous play, Gilliam succeeded in filling the hero role this play, taking the fourth down handoff up the middle for a 5 yard gain, giving UTSA new life at our 45 yard line. The Roadrunners then struck a blow to our defense, as McCauley came down with a pass from Moss down the right sideline for a 24 yard gain and a first down at our 21 yard line. After two incomplete passes, both intended for Sullivan, he somewhat redeemed himself, catching a third down pass from Moss for a 7 yard gain, though not enough as UTSA was left with fourth and three at our 14 yard line. The Roadrunners would ultimately settle for a 31 yard field goal by Richard Young, cutting our lead to 20-3 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
A 17 yard kickoff return by Jefferson got us started in our worst field position of the game, beginning at our 15 yard line. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a four yard gain, before fighting off a pair of tackles around the right tackle to get 6 yards and the first down at our 25 yard line, bringing the third quarter to an end, our lead 20-3.
Opening up the fourth quarter, we went into the air on first down, Hayden making a huge play, cutting across the middle of the field, beating the cornerback and safety to the ball and then cutting up field at an angle to escape the other cornerback following Jefferson across. Jefferson picked off the second safety, allowing Hayden to break free angling toward the sideline, racing both cornerbacks and a safety down the field, making it all the way down to the UTSA 32 yard line before getting tripped up from behind by the safety, a 43 yard gain in all and putting us in great position to expand on our lead. Oliver tried to take the ball up between the right guard and tackle, but could only manage two yards before being swarmed by defenders. Heading out around the left tackle, the middle linebacker made a great move to cut over and stand Oliver up just across the line for only another two yard gain, leaving third and 6. Wallace nearly completed a pass to Newman, who would have been able to get inside the 20 yard line, but the middle linebacker made another great play, swatting the ball incomplete to bring up fourth down. Glover came out and coolly connected on the 45 yard field goal to extend our lead to 23-3 with 7:16 left in the game.
A touchback on the kickoff left UTSA starting again from their 25 yard line, hoping to add on to what they accomplished the previous drive. It wasn’t meant to be however. Bright dropped the first down pass from Moss, before managing to hold onto the ball on second down for a 7 yard gain. After another incomplete pass intended for Bright on third down, the Roadrunners, puzzlingly went for it on fourth down from their own 32 yard line, the pass intended for Sullivan falling incomplete, turning it over on downs to start our next drive at UTSA’s 32. With the Roadrunners all but defeated and demoralized, we brought out the run game to start the drive, looking to chew up some of the remaining six and a half minutes left in the game. Despite being able to shake off the tackle of a blitzing outside linebacker, the middle linebacker was also able to blitz through, finishing off the job and tackling Oliver for a two yard loss to leave third and 9. Jefferson hauled in the third down pass from Wallace for a four yard gain, leaving us with fourth and 5. Glover came back out and drilled the 44 yard field goal attempt through the uprights, expanding our lead to 26-3 with 4:43 left to play.
A touchback on the kickoff got UTSA starting once again at their 25 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Gilliam took the ball up the middle, managing to fight his way ahead for a three yard gain. This time the Roadrunners were able to move the ball, as Bright actually held on to the third down pass from Moss for an 11 yard pickup and a first down at the 39. That was the only success they would find though, as a dropped pass by McCauley and two more incomplete passes left the drive stopped on fourth and 10. The Roadrunners would once again attempt to go for it, and would once again fail, the fourth down pass falling to the ground incomplete in the secondary, our offense taking over at the UTSA 39 yard line after the turnover on downs, 3:41 remaining on the clock.
Oliver continued to have some trouble gaining yards, only able to pick up two yards on the first down carry. Oliver tried to get up the middle on second down, but was stopped for no gain, leaving third and 8. Trying to rush it up the middle again, Oliver was only able to get one yard, leaving fourth and 7. The fourth down punt sailed out of the back of the end zone, giving UTSA possession at their 20 yard line with 1:57 remaining.
It was another failed drive for the Roadrunners, as two incomplete passes and a dropped ball by Gilliam brought about yet another fourth and long. This time UTSA elected to punt instead of convert the fourth down, Jefferson returning the 46 yard punt 7 yards to our 40 yard line, with 1:32 left to go. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a 6 yard gain, followed by another pickup of 6 yards to get the first down at the UTSA 48 yard line with just 50 seconds remaining. Wallace would take a single knee to run out the clock and clinch our 26-3 victory over the Roadrunners, breaking our two game losing streak.
With the win, we improve to 6-2, 3-1 in C-USA action and become bowl eligible. With the loss, UTSA falls to 2-5, 1-4 in C-USA play. Up next, it's back home for the start of our final two home games of the year, hosting Rice. The Owls enter the game 5-3, 3-1 in C-USA action. Rice started their year with a 20-17 upset of Duke, before losing 41-34 to Minnesota and 30-7 to Toledo. The Owls then picked up a pair of wins, 35-17 at Tulane and 35-14 at MTSU, before losing 27-7 to Southern Miss. Shaking off the loss, Rice has since gotten a 23-17 win at North Texas and a 34-24 win at Florida Atlantic heading into their trip to Tulsa. With both of us 3-1 in the conference and a half-game behind UTEP, next week's game will essentially decide the front-runner to challenge UTEP for first place in the division.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 26, :UTSA: 3
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – Stephens, in his very limited action before being injured, went 3-6 for 37 yards and two sacks. Wallace had his best passing day of his career, going 11-17 for 167 yards. Rushing, Oliver was finally a beast, rushing for 141 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries. Smith had a decent day, with 52 yards and two scores on 9 carries. Receiving, Hayden led the way with 70 yards on three receptions, thanks in part to his 43 yard catch. Jefferson had the most catches, hauling in four passes for 41 yards receiving. Banks also had a great day, with 52 yards on two catches. In all, seven receivers caught a ball, five of them for double digit yards.
Tulsa Defense – An absolutely dominating day, holding UTSA to three points and 139 yards of offense. Sacked Moss four times and got one interception. The defense continues to be the clear star of the show, although the offense is finally showing signs of life and may give the defense a run for their money in future contests.
Tulsa Kicking – A nearly perfect day for Glover. Went 2 for 2 in field goals, connecting from 44 and 45 yards out. But went 2 for 3 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 0 20 0 6 26 :UTSA: 0 0 3 0 3
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter --- --- --- --- --- Second Quarter 7:48 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Smith, 11 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 5:24 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Smith, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-0 0:47 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 4 yard run (missed kick) :Tulsa: 20-0 Third Quarter 0:34 :UTSA: Field Goal R. Young, 31 yard field goal :Tulsa: 20-3 Fourth Quarter 7:20 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 45 yard field goal :Tulsa: 23-3 4:47 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 44 yard field goal :Tulsa: 26-3
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat UTSA 26 Score 6 19 First Downs 6 383 Total Offense 139 47 - 179 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 9 - 34 - 0 14 - 23 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 9 - 41 - 0 204 Passing Yards 105 2 Times Sacked 4 3 - 12 (25%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 15 (13%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 3 (33%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 3 - 3 - 0 (100%) Red Zone - TD - FG 2 - 0 - 1 (50%) 0 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 0 0 Intercepted 1 30 Punt Return Yards 5 17 Kick Return Yards 40 430 Total Yards 184 7 – 42.4 Punts - Average 9 - 44.8 4 - 37 Penalties 1 - 10 22:52 Time of Possession 13:08
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 22 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 6 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 60% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 14 :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2617 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2617 :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
45%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the upset of the week, #2 Virginia Tech becomes the latest team to fall from perfection, as North Carolina deep fries the Hokies, 45-21. #4 Mississippi State stayed perfect with a 31-6 win over #14 LSU. #5 Georgia scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away from Missouri late, 42-28. #6 Arkansas State kept their incredible year rolling, escaping with a 31-24 win over one-win UMass. #7 USC used a 2:1 second half scoring advantage to down #18 Oregon 56-42. #8 Oklahoma State suffered their first loss in dominating fashion, as Baylor improved to 2-4 with a 45-17 thrashing of the Cowpokes.
#9 Oklahoma scores a late fourth quarter touchdown to escape one-win Kansas 24-17. #10 Michigan State came out on top in their battle with #23 Michigan, winning 35-16. #15 Alabama manages to hold on for a 30-20 win over Tennessee. NC State scored a 24-16 rivalry upset of #16 Clemson. #17 Arizona needed a late miracle to comeback and beat Oregon State 28-24. #20 BYU kept their perfect record alive, beating Louisiana-Monroe 38-14. #21 Southern Miss barely kept their spotless record intact, needing an overtime field goal to escape Louisiana Tech, 41-38. #22 Ohio State pulled away late to beat Penn State 23-10. #24 Kansas State will be making a quick exit from the polls, losing their second straight game, 49-21 to TCU.
For our readers, souljahbill, #21 Southern Miss improves to 7-0 (3-0 C-USA) with a 41-38 overtime win over Louisiana Tech. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-6 (1-4 Pac-12) after a 28-23 loss to Utah. Mors, West Virginia remains 4-3 (3-2 Big 12), on a bye week this week. Jeff, #22 Ohio State improves to 7-1 (5-0 Big Ten), picking up a 23-10 win over Penn State. Other teams of interest, #6 Arkansas State improves to 7-0 (2-0 Sun Belt) with a 31-24 win over UMass.
In C-USA action, Tulsa steamrolls UTSA 26-3, #21 Southern Miss hangs on to beat Louisiana Tech 41-38 in OT, Marshall whoops UAB 35-16, Florida International whoops MTSU 41-17, Rice downs Florida Atlantic 34-24 and North Texas wins a non-conference battle over Louisiana-Lafayette 38-23.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, #21 Southern Miss (3-0) sits on top, followed by Marshall (4-1) and Florida International (3-1). Still technically in it, but essentially eliminated are MTSU (1-3), UAB (1-4) and Florida Atlantic (0-4). Over in the West Division, UTEP (3-0) continues to lead the division, with Tulsa and Rice (both 3-1) sitting right on UTEP's heels. Behind that is Louisiana Tech (1-2), North Texas (1-3) and UTSA (1-4). The October 31st game between Rice and Tulsa will essentially line up the marbles for the winner to make a challenge at UTEP for the division lead, as Tulsa plays UTEP on one week later on November 7th, and Rice plays UTEP two weeks later on November 14th.
Looking at undefeated teams left, with #2 Virginia Tech and #8 Oklahoma State losing this week, that drops our number of undefeated teams to 5. #1 Notre Dame (7-0), #4 Mississippi State (8-0), #6 Arkansas State (7-0), #20 BYU (7-0) and #21 Southern Miss (7-0) all remain with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. There remains 2 teams still looking for their first win: New Mexico (0-6) and Tulane (0-7).
Teams getting their first win this week were: Memphis (14-7 over 2-6 Army).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (32 first place votes) remains #1. Mississippi State (25 votes) jumps two to #2. Arkansas State (4 votes) climbs three to #3. Nebraska falls one to #4 and Georgia remains stuck at #5. USC climbs one to #6, Oklahoma jumps two to #7, Michigan State moves up two to #8, Iowa jumps two to #9 and Miami climbs two to #10. Florida State jumps two to #11, Virgniia Tech drops ten to #12, Alabama jumps two to #13, BYU leaps six to #14 and Arizona climbs two to #15. Virginia jumps three to #16, LSU falls three to #17, Southern Miss jumps three to #18, Ohio State climbs three to #19 and Oklahoma State tumbles twelve spots to #20. Oregon falls three spots to #21, Georgia Tech climbs three places to #22, TCU enters the poll this week at #23, Wisconsin enters the poll at #24 and Clemson drops nine spots to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Michigan (from #23) and Kansas State (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan (234 votes) is #26, followed by Texas (226), North Carolina (212), Kansas State (104) and Texas Tech (73) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Auburn (53), South Carolina (5) and Stanford (1).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (37 first place votes) remains #1. Mississippi State (27 votes) jumps two to #2. Arkansas State (1) climbs two to #3. Nebraska falls one spot to #4 and USC climbs one to #5. Georgia moves up one to #6, Oklahoma jumps two to #7, Michigan State climbs three to #8, Virginia moves up one to #9 and Iowa climbs two to #10. Miami jumps two to #11, Virginia Tech drops ten to #12, Florida State climbs two to #13, BYU leaps five to #14 and Arizona jumps two to #15. Alabama moves up two to #16, Southern Miss climbs four to #17, LSU drops four to #18, Oklahoma State plummets eleven to #19 and Ohio State jumps three to #20. Georgia Tech moves up three to #21, Oregon drops two to #22, Wisconsin enters the poll this week at #23, TCU enters the poll at #24 and Michigan falls three to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Clemson (from #16) and Kansas State (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (264 votes) is #26, followed by North Carolina (238), Texas (208), Kansas State (72) and Auburn (70) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Stanford (56), Houston (27), Texas Tech (23) and South Carolina (20).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Mississippi (0.995), #3 Arkansas State (0.988), #4 Nebraska (0.984), #5 Georgia (0.976), #6 USC (0.976), #7 Michigan State (0.962), #8 Oklahoma (0.958), #9 Miami (0.949) and #10 Florida State (0.940).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by TCU QB Robert Henderson at #2 (LW: NR), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #3 (LW: #5), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #4 (LW: #2) and Ohio State QB Ryan Fraser at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week were Notre Dame HB Larue Barnes (LW: #3) and LSU HB Steven McMillan (LW: #4)
Game Nine
:Rice: :@: :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- With the losing streak finally over, and our offense rediscovered against UTSA, it was back to Tulsa for the first of our last two home games this season. Two home games that would potentially decide who would win the West Division as ourselves, Rice and UTEP all play each other over a three week period. With UTEP leading the way in the division, and ourselves and Rice just a half game behind, the winner between ourselves and Rice would set the stage for a showdown with UTEP for the division lead.
It wasn’t going to be easy to get there, as Rice entered as a very much improved team over their 1-11 record last season. Besides entering the game with a 5-3 record, Rice comes into the contest with a highly rated pass offense and defense. The Owls rank #38 in the nation in pass offense, putting up 246.6 yards a game through the air. On defense, Rice has the #32 defense in the country, giving up 346.6 yards a contest, the #46 rush defense in the nation, giving up 161.7 yards a game and the #26 pass offense, giving up 184.8 yards a game. With our offense still lacking, despite the numbers put up against UTSA, leaving us ranked #111 for total offense (327.1 yards/game), #96 for rush offense (142.5 yards/game) and #103 for pass offense (184.6 yards/game), it looked to be shaping up to be one hell of a Battle for the Williams Trophy. Rice won the coin toss and elected to receive.
A 16 yard kickoff return by Mark White got the Owls started off at their 16 yard line to open the game. It was a rough start for Rice, as D'Juan Gray was tackled for a two yard loss on the first play, leaving the Owls facing second and 12. Gray took the ball a second time, picking up three yards on the ground to leave third and 9. The next play proved that our defense would be challenged today, as Gray dropped back to pass on third down, connecting with Jon Mitchell for a 26 yard gain over the middle to get the first down at the 43 yard line. Finding a rhythm now, Braylon Elliott took the first down handoff for a 6 yard gain, before hauling in a pass from Gray for a pickup of 12 yards and another set of downs at our 39 yard line. Gray kept the ball on first down, rushing for three yards, followed by a 7 yard rush by Tim Schneider, leaving third and one from the 30. The Owls would see their momentum come to an end, as Gray was tackled for a loss of two yards, bringing up fourth and three from the 32 yard line. The Owls opted to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking the field goal, looking to strike an early blow, but our defense proved the victor, tackling Schneider for a three yard loss, forcing the turnover on downs and giving us the ball at our 35 yard line.
Oliver got our drive off to a great start, finding a huge hole up the middle and nearly breaking loose, ending up tackled for a 9 yard gain to bring up second and one. The next play, Oliver was able to break loose through the hole and get into the secondary, brought down by the safety for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the Rice 44 yard line, their rushing defense not quite up to snuff. Hitting another hole and getting into the secondary, Oliver had a chance to take it to the house, plowing over top of the safety, but was tripped up as the safety held onto his ankles for dear life, bringing Oliver down for only a 12 yard gain and a first down at the 32 yard line. Oliver continued his punishment of the apparently overrated and over-ranked Rice rushing defense, picking up 9 yards around the right tackle on first down. The Owls were unable to stop Oliver on second down, the outside linebacker unable to hold on to his tackle attempt in the backfield, allowing Oliver to get across the line of scrimmage for a three yard gain and the first down at the Rice 20 yard line. It started to look like 6 straight rushes would be enough for the Rice defense to stiffen up, as Roy Smith was brought down for only a one yard gain on the first down carry. Throwing some play action at the defense, the pass from Brad Stephens intended for Connor Jefferson was off-target, thrown into the back of the cornerback to bring up third and 9. Stephens threw up a pass to a wide open Jefferson on third down, but the safety was able to drop down in time and make a play on the ball, dropping it incomplete to bring up fourth down. Despite the great drive, we would fail to put up any points as the 36 yard field goal attempt by Derek Glover was no good, just missing wide right of the uprights.
Taking over at their 20 yard line, Rice looked to improve upon their previous drive. It was going to be tough after the start to this drive, as Schneider was tackled for a two yard loss on first down. Gray was able to make up those lost yards, rushing for a gain of two to leave third and 10. The drive would fail to match the success of the previous drive, as Gray’s pass intended for Elliott fell incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. A four yard return by Jefferson on the 45 yard punt got our offense set up at our 39 yard line.
Coming out rushing the ball, the defense nearly trapped Oliver in the backfield, but a missed tackle by the middle linebacker allowed Oliver to escape up the middle, once again nearly breaking loose, eventually getting tripped up by the safety, the last defender between Oliver at the end zone, for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the Rice 49 yard line. The defense was starting to key on the run game again, as Oliver could only manage three yards on the first down carry. They weren’t keying enough however, as an off-tackle play by Oliver picked up 9 yards to get us yet another first down at the Rice 37. Changing it up on first down, Stephens completed a pass to Eric Hayden for a 16 yard gain, getting us back down to the Rice 20 yard line with a new set of downs. Running an option around the right side, Stephens kept the ball and was able to pick up 6 yards to set up second and four. Taking the handoff around the left tackle, a diving tackle by the middle linebacker limited Oliver to only a one yard gain, leaving third and three from the 13. Going straight up the middle on third down, Oliver got some huge help from the defense, a tackle by the defensive end carried both players forward across the line of scrimmage, officially a four yard rush by Oliver, giving us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Oliver never had a chance on first down, as multiple defenders broke through on a blitz, tackling Oliver for a loss of one yard to push us back to the 10 yard line. Going with a stretch play to the left on second down, Oliver could only pick up one yard before being brought down at the 9 yard line, bringing up third and goal. Hayden would complete the drive for us on the third down play, running along the back edge of the end zone, hauling in the 9 yard touchdown pass from Stephens with no time remaining on the clock. The extra point by Glover gave us a 7-0 lead as the first quarter came to an end.
Opening up the second quarter, a 20 yard kickoff return gave Rice the ball at their 31 yard line to start their next drive. Gray kept the ball on first down for a two yard gain, before a dropped pass by Schneider left the Owls facing third and 8. It would be another failed drive, as Elliott dropped the third down pass from Gray, bringing the punt team back out. The drive ended in disaster for the Owls, as our defense blocked the punt, middle linebacker Danny Ray recovering the fumble clear back at the Rice 8 yard line to set up an immediate first and goal for our offense. Hayden doubled our score, hauling in his second touchdown reception of the day on the 8 yard pass, giving us a 14-0 lead with 8:19 left in the second quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return got the Owls started at their 21 yard line for their next drive, looking for any success this time around. They got exactly that as a pass interference penalty on our defense gave Rice 15 free yards and a first down at the 36 yard line. It was backwards from there however, as Schneider was tackled twice for a four yard loss, leaving Rice facing third and 18. The third down pass from Gray intended for Elliott was batted incomplete, bringing yet another drive to an early conclusion. The Owls were able to get the punt off this time, Jefferson returning the 48 yard punt 5 yards to our 29 yard line.
Oliver took the ball on first down, able to avoid the blitzing middle linebacker and pick up an 8 yard gain, followed by a four yard rush to get the first down at the 41 yard line. Going into the air on first down, the pass intended for Hayden was nearly intercepted first by the middle linebacker and then by the safety, diving for the deflected pass. The second down play nearly ended in a ridiculous catch Antoine Banks, the outside linebacker getting hand up and one the ball, deflecting it up and into the hands of Banks, who was unable to hold onto it. As the ball fell towards the ground, with Banks’ momentum carrying him away from the ball, he spun around and tried to grab the ball just before it hit the ground, the ball bouncing off his finger tips and falling incomplete. Throwing it up on third down, we came up just short of the first down, as Marcus Mullins hauled in the pass from Stephens, but was tackled for only an 8 yard gain, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and two. In an unusual play call for Coach Ludwig, we came out and run a fake punt, the pass from Carlos Wilcox intended for outside linebacker Graham Minor falling incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at our 49 yard line.
The Owls were ready to take advantage of the incredible field position this time around. After a short hiccup in the form of a three yard loss by Gray on first down, he turned around and fired off a pass to Elliott for a 26 yard gain and a first down at our 26 yard line. Keeping the ball on the ground on first down, Gray rushed for two yards, followed by a 6 yard gain by Schneider to set up third and two. The Owls would see yet another close drive stall, as Elliott dropped the third down pass from Gray to bring up fourth and two from the 18 yard line. The Owls would also walk away with no points, as the 35 yard field goal by Lawrence Ferguson was no good, giving us the ball back at our 20 yard line.
The Rice defense was more than ready for our ground game this time around, tackling Oliver for a one yard gain. Going into the air, the second down pass from Stephens to Smith was batted out of bounds incomplete, bringing up third and 9. Dropping back on third down, Stephens was able to shake off a sack attempt, but was forced to roll out to the right and scramble as the pocket imploded. Trying to make a dash toward the right sideline, the outside linebacker moved up and met Stephens well behind the line of scrimmage, knocking the ball loose during the tackle. We got very lucky as left tackle Marlon Smith dove for the loose ball, managing to beat the defensive tackle to it to recover the ball. Officially it went down as a sack on Stephens for an 8 yard loss, with the fumble adding an additional four yards to the deficit, but the result was essentially the same. A large loss and the punt team coming out on fourth and 21 from our 9 yard line. A fair catch by Rice on the 48 yard punt set the Owls up from their 43 yard line.
This time the Owls would fail to take advantage of the good field position, as Gray was tackled on consecutive plays for losses of three and two yards, before throwing an incomplete pass on third down, bringing out the punt team on fourth and 15 from their 38 yard line. A 7 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt got us underway from our 26 yard line for our next drive with 3:22 left on the clock. The defense never gave Stephens a chance on first down, as our passing attempt ended in failure by way of a sack for a loss of two yards. The defense continued to attempt to make Stephens a human piñata, nearly sacking him a second time, forcing Stephens to take off scrambling, picking up two yards before being gang tackled at the 26 yard line to bring up third and long. Lining up on third down, Rice used their first timeout of the half before we could snap the ball, stopping the clock with two minutes remaining before halftime. The defense, with a new found ferocity, were able to get a second sack on Stephens, the outside linebacker blitzing through an open gap and flattening Stephens before he was able to even complete his drop back, sacking him for a 9 yard loss to bring up fourth and 19, Rice’s second timeout stopping the clock with 1:58 to go. A fair catch on a poor 36 yard punt, gave Rice the ball at their 47 yard line with 1:52 to play.
This time around the Owls were able to get the ball moving quickly, as Gray connected with Elliott for a 12 yard gain, followed by a 12 yard pass to White for another first down at our 29 yard line, the clock down to 1:37. Gray found White again, this time for a 7 yard pickup, before an incomplete pass brought up third and three with 1:14 left to play. The Owls were able to successfully convert third time this time around, Elliott hauling in the pass from Gray for an 11 yard gain to get to our 11 yard line, 1:07 remaining on the clock. After a two yard rush by Gray, he threw a pass over the middle to Schneider for an 8 yard gain, leaving third and one at our one yard line, 50 seconds to go before halftime. Our defense refused to go down without a fight, sacking Gray for a one yard loss, leaving the Owls facing a tough decision, left with fourth and two from our two yard line and 38 seconds on the clock. Rice would opt to kick the field goal, Ferguson again botching any chance for Rice to put points on the board, his 20 yard field goal going wide left and no good.
With the missed field goal, we took over on offense from our 20 yard line with 21 seconds left on the clock. Planning to handoff to Oliver and run out the clock, he finally managed to break the defense’s back, getting into the secondary and cutting loose, racing down the field for a 35 yard gain before being tripped up from behind, giving us a first down at the Rice 45 yard line with 14 seconds to go. Deciding to try and build on that great run, it was into the air on first down, Hayden hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 35 yard line, our second timeout stopping the clock with 10 seconds to go. Trying to take a shot at the end zone, Stephens was just barely able to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack from the blitzing linebacker, leaving second down with 7 seconds remaining. Taking another shot at the end zone, the pass intended for Hayden was just off the mark, Hayden unable to come down with it, bringing up third down from the 35 yard line and three seconds to go. Glover came through for us right at the end, curving a 52 yard field goal attempt through the wind and right down the middle of the uprights to extend our lead to 17-0 as we headed into halftime.
Opening up the second half, a touchback on the kickoff got our offense started at our 25 yard line, looking to add to our lead. Oliver took the handoff up the middle getting about 6 yards on the run before being flattened on his back by the safety. Keeping it going on the ground, Oliver tried to sneak through a hole outside the right guard, but got quickly wrapped up by multiple defenders for no gain to leave third and four. Going to the air, Stephens threw up a pass over the middle on third down, intended for Hayden, but both Jefferson and Hayden got driven into each other by their defenders, leaving defensive end Gary Stewart free to jump up and intercept the pass, returning it 5 yards to set up Rice at our 34 yard line.
Going to the air to start the drive, Gray connected with White for a 7 yard gain, followed with a 5 yard pass to Elliott to give the Owls a first down at the 22. Another drive would seemingly stall for Rice, as three straight incomplete passes brought up fourth and long. With two missed field goals already, the Owls opted to go for it on fourth down, our defense failing to defend as Gray connected with Elliott on a 21 yard pass down the right sideline, setting up first and goal from our one yard line. Gray would do the honors on the next play, rushing it in from one yard out to cut our lead to 17-7 with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter.
A touchback once again got us started at our 25 yard line, hoping for better results this time around. Oliver was able to spin off an initial tackle attempt, before dragging two defenders forward with him for a 5 yard gain on first down. Trying to go around the right tackle on second down, Oliver was quickly brought down for a one yard loss, leaving third and 6. Dropping back to pass, Stephens never had a chance, as the left defensive end broke off his block at the same time the outside linebacker came blitzing in through a hole, both combining to sack Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave us punting on fourth and 14. A fair catch called on the 48 yard punt got Rice underway from their 31 yard line.
It looked to be a short drive, as Gray’s pass on first down was broken up, followed by a rush from Schneider for a loss of three yards to bring up third and 13. But Gray was able to connect with White and convert the third down on a 24 yard pass, moving the chains to our 48 yard line. After a dropped pass by James Harmon, Schneider picked up two yards on the ground to leave third and 8. This time the Owls would fall short, Gray’s pass to Elliott complete for only a 5 yard gain, leaving fourth and three at the 41 yard line. The Owls attempted to go for it on fourth down, but cornerback Jonathan Chambers ended the drive with an interception, giving us the ball at our 35 yard line.
Taking the handoff on first down, Oliver was able to somehow spin off of a tackle attempt and pick up three yards. Looking to avoid the blitz, Stephens threw away the ball on second down, but ended up getting flagged for intentional grounding, double screwing us with the 10 yard penalty and a loss of down leaving us facing third and 17. Throwing up a deep bomb to Hayden, the Rice defense returned the favor, cornerback Mike Washington intercepting the pass from Stephens and returning it 24 yards to give the Owls the ball at their 43 yard line. It was an uneventful start to the drive as Schneider was tackled for a three yard loss, before catching a pass from Gray for a mere two yard gain to leave third and 11. The Owls were able to get the first down as Elliott hauled in a pass from Gray for a 15 yard gain, moving the ball to our 43 yard line. After a dropped ball by White and an incomplete pass, Elliott was again able to haul in a pass from Gray, but only for a 5 yard gain this time around, leaving the Owls facing fourth and 5 from our 38 yard line. Rice attempted to go for it, but the ball was dropped by a wide open Derek Carter, turning the ball over on downs at our 38 yard line with 1:49 left in the third quarter.
Going to the air on first down, the pass intended for Hayden was nearly intercepted, bringing up second and long. Trying to hit Jefferson down the right sideline, the pass from Stephens was off-target, sailing out of bounds incomplete, leaving third down, as our offensive woes returned with a vengeance. The third down pass over the middle was broken up by the middle linebacker, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. A 6 yard return on the 50 yard punt gave Rice the ball at their 17 yard line.
Gray started the drive with a four yard rush, that was then partially erased with a rush by Schneider for a loss of two yards. Going through the air on third and 8, the pass from Gray was swatted down at the line of scrimmage, bringing another drive to a young end. A 7 yard return by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt gave us the ball at our 41 yard line, 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
Proving that our offensive woes were back and worse than ever, Oliver took the handoff on first down, rushing around the right tackle, only to get the crap smacked out of him by the outside linebacker, fumbling the ball in the process. Despite two of our players diving for the ball, cornerback Bobby Christian came sprinting in and scooped up the fumble and was off to the races before anyone to make a tackle attempt, returning the fumble 40 yards for a touchdown, cutting our lead to 17-14 with 34 seconds to go in the third quarter.
A 16 yard kickoff return by Jefferson set our offense up at our 22 yard line, looking for any sign of life after the last three drives. Taking another chance on Oliver, he took the first down handoff, but could only manage a single yard, leaving second and 8 as the final seconds ticked off the clock, bringing the third quarter to an end with our lead now down to three points, 17-14.
Opening up the fourth quarter, an incomplete pass intended for Hayden got us off to a sour start, leaving third and 9 at the 23. The defense rose up to the occasion on third down, the outside linebacker swinging around the right tackle and coming in to sack Stephens for a 7 yard loss, ending our drive with little success as the punt team came out on fourth and 16. A fair catch on the 43 yard punt set up Rice up in good position, starting their next drive at their 41 yard line. The Owls likewise ended up with an unsuccessful drive, as two incomplete passes and a sack for a four yard loss brought out the Rice punt team on fourth and 14. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 50 yard punt saved us from poor field position, getting us started at our 22 yard line.
It was another drive of offensive failure, as two incomplete passes, both intended for Hayden, left third down. Stephens dropped back to pass on the third down play, but a late blitz by the middle linebacker flushed him out of the pocket, forcing Stephens to scramble towards the right sideline, managing to get four yards before being driven out of bounds by 5 different defenders. That left fourth and 6 on the scoreboard and another appearance by the punt team as our offense continued to face-plant in the second half. A 7 yard return on the 45 yard punt got the Rice offense started at their 36 yard line for the next drive. The Owls looked to take advantage of our offensive woes, as Gray connected with White on first down for a 20 yard gain to move the chains to our 44 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Gray was forced to scramble for a two yard gain, leaving the Owls with third and 8. Schneider would come through to keep the drive moving, hauling in a pass from Gray for a 12 yard gain and a first down at our 30 yard line. Schneider rushed the ball on first down, picking up four yards, but had that success partially erased on the next play, tackled for a two yard loss to leave third and 8 once again. It would be White saving the drive this time, pulling down a deep pass from Gray for 27 yards to set up first and goal at our two yard line. The Owls this time went through the air for the score, as Gray connected with Bryan Foster for the two yard touchdown pass, giving Rice a 21-17 lead with 5:53 left in the game.
A 23 yard kickoff return by Hayden got our offense set up at our 25 yard line, looking for anything now. The first down pass over the middle intended for Hayden was batted down incomplete, nearly intercepted by both the outside linebacker and the safety in the process. Finally managing to get some positive yards, Oliver hauled in a pass from Stephens for a 7 yard gain, leaving third and three. The defense continued to make Stephens a plaything, sacking him for a 6 yard loss, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 9. A four yard return on the 43 yard punt got Rice started at their 35 yard line with 4:41 left in the game.
Rice was clearly ready to run out the clock, as Schneider took the ball on the ground three straight plays, picking up gains of 5 and three yards, before converting third and two with a 5 yard rush to get to the 48 yard line. Having established the run, Rice went back into the air, as Gray connected with Elliott for a 19 yard gain and a first down at our 33 yard line. After a dropped pass by Ricky Parker, Schneider tried to take the ball up the middle, but was stood up for no gain, leaving the Owls with third and long. It was clear our defense had been broken, as Gray completed the third down pass to an open White for a pickup of 24 yards to set up first and goal at our 8 yard line. A three yard rush by Schneider was followed with a four yard rush by Gray to leave third and goal from our one yard line. Fullback Ed Williams did the honors this time around, rushing in the one yard touchdown, extending Rice’s lead to 28-17 with 2:26 left in the game.
A 16 yard kickoff return by Hayden left our offense starting at our 16 yard line, only 2:16 left on the clock and trying to find a way to make up 11 points. Not only was our defense broken, but so was our offense, as multiple defenders blitzed through on first down, sacking Stephens for a 7 yard loss and putting us in an immediate hole. Throwing up a bomb on second down, the pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the cornerback, leaving third and 17 from our 9 yard line. We finally found some success, as Stephens completed the third down pass to Banks for 17 yards, leaving fourth and one at the 25. With no choice but to go for it, Stephens finally was able to hook up with Hayden, who was nearly able to break loose and take it to the house, but a diving tackle by the safety ended the play for a gain of only 17 yards, giving us a first down at our 42 yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:21 left to play. Heaving a pass deep down the right sideline, Jefferson made the biggest play of the day, hauling in the pass for a 46 yard gain to give us a first down at the Rice 11 yard line. A pass to Banks on first down went for a 10 yard gain, setting up first and goal at the one. Oliver would finish off the job on the next play, rushing it in for the one yard touchdown. Going for the two point conversion, the pass to Oliver was completed, cutting the score to 28-25 with 1:02 left on the clock.
We attempted the onside kick, but Rice was able to recover it, taking over at midfield with 59 seconds on the clock and our defense with only two timeouts to use. Schneider took the ball up the middle on first down for a 7 yard gain, our second timeout stopping the clock with 52 seconds. Gray kept the ball on second down, our defense making a stand and holding him to only two yards, leaving third and one at our 41 yard line, our last timeout stopping the clock with 46 seconds. Our defense then made its biggest play of the game, tackling Schneider for a two yard loss, leaving fourth and three at our 43 yard line, 41 seconds left on the clock. The Owls brought the punt team out, the ball sailing into the end zone for a touchback with 22 seconds left to play.
Starting from our 20 yard line and only 22 seconds to go, it was all deep bombs from here on out. Launching up a rocket on first down, Hayden was somehow able to come down with the pass over the top of the cornerback’s head, complete for a 41 yard gain. A quick spike by Stephens stopped the clock with 15 seconds to go, leaving second and 10 from the Rice 39 yard line. Throwing the ball toward the right sideline, the pass was completed to Jefferson, but he was unable to turn up field or get out of bounds, instead tackled inbound for a two yard gain. Trying to rush to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball, we were able to get lined up but couldn’t get the snap off in time as the final second ticked off the clock, sealing the 28-25 win for Rice.
With the loss, we drop to 6-3 on the year, 3-2 in C-USA action. With the win, Rice improves to 6-3 for the season, 4-1 in C-USA play and takes over the driver’s seat to challenge UTEP for the division lead. Up next, it's our last home game of the year, as the UTEP Miners come to town, entering with a 5-3 record on the year, 3-1 in C-USA action. UTEP got their season started with a 37-19 win over Youngstown State, before losing 48-14 to Wake Forest. They shook off the loss with a 35-7 win at New Mexico State, a 27-21 win at Florida International and a 42-24 win at UAB. Their three game win streak came to an end with a 17-13 loss at Oregon State, before rebounding with a 42-28 win over UTSA. They then fell flat on their faces, losing 31-23 to 2-7 Florida Atlantic.
Final Score
:Rice: 28, :Tulsa: 25
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – A horrible day for Stephens. At one point he was 5-20 for a whopping 55 yards. He at least semi-redeemed himself, ending the day 12-29 for 192 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions and was sacked seven times. He keeps chucking up interceptions or has another piss-poor day passing like that, and he may just end up getting benched and hand the reigns over to backup Erik Wallace. Rushing was the bright spot of the day, as Oliver ended with 137 yards rushing and one touchdown on 24 carries, to go along with seven yards receiving on one reception. Receiving, only five players caught a pass today, Hayden leading the way with 101 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. Only three players had double digit receiving yards.
- Tulsa Defense – A tale of two halves. Fantastic in the first half, utterly atrocious in the second half. They can bend and either give very little or give nothing at all. But when they break, they BREAK and the floodgate open (See: Oklahoma State, Rice). They did manage to recover a fumble and intercept a pass, but it didn't help too much in the end.
- Tulsa Kicking – Glover potentially cost us the game. He went 1-2 in field goal, connecting from 52 yards out, but missing from 36 yards. That 36 yard field goal very well may have meant our two-point conversion would have been for the tie rather than to get within three. The one area he was perfect was PATs, ending 2-2.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Rice: 0 0 14 14 28 :Tulsa: 7 10 0 8 25
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 0:00 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 9 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 Second Quarter 8:19 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 8 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-0 0:00 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 52 yard field goal :Tulsa: 17-0 Third Quarter 6:31 :Rice: Touchdown D. Gray, 1 yard run (L. Ferguson kick) :Tulsa: 17-7 0:34 :Rice: Touchdown B. Christian, returned fumble 40 yards (L. Ferguson kick) :Tulsa: 17-14 Fourth Quarter 5:53 :Rice: Touchdown B. Foster, 1 yard pass from D. Gray (L. Ferguson kick) :Rice: 21-14 2:26 :Rice: Touchdown E. Williams, 1 yard run (L. Ferguson kick) :Rice: 28-14 1:02 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (Two-point conversion good) :Rice: 28-25
Game Stats
Rice Stat Tulsa 28 Score 25 17 First Downs 14 353 Total Offense 295 37 - 40 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 35 - 103 - 1 23 - 44 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 12 - 30 - 2 313 Passing Yards 192 2 Times Sacked 7 9 - 22 (40%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 14 (14%) 1 - 4 (25%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 2 (50%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 1 - 1 (100%) 6 - 2 - 0 (33%) Red Zone - TD - FG 5 - 3 - 0 (60%) 2 Turnovers 3 1 Fumbles Lost 1 1 Intercepted 2 17 Punt Return Yards 33 54 Kick Return Yards 55 424 Total Yards 383 6 – 46.2 Punts - Average 7 - 46.9 1 - 10 Penalties 5 - 45 16:30 Time of Possession 19:30
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 22 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 6 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 59% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2912 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2912 :2greenarrow: Penalty :2redarrow: Lost to a lower ranked team
Job Security Status
42%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame continues to defend their #1 ranking, beating Stanford 34-13. In candidate for upset of the week, Kentucky improves to 6-3 on the year with a 51-28 thrashing of #2 Mississippi State. In the game of the week, #3 Arkansas State keeps their BCS hopes alive, handing #14 BYU their first loss of the season, 38-31. Another candidate for upset of the week goes to 6-2 Michigan, who knocked off #4 Nebraska 31-24 in overtime. #7 Oklahoma had a bunch of trouble, needing 21 points in the fourth quarter to beat Iowa State 45-35. Northwestern knocks off #9 Iowa in overtime, 38-31.
#10 Miami fights off Pittsburgh 28-21. #11 Florida State edges out Wake Forest 28-21. #12 Virginia Tech scores a late touchdown to escape Boston College 34-27. #15 Arizona State had trouble in the first half, but pulled away for a 55-24 thumping of Washington State. #17 LSU holds on against Auburn 24-17. The winner of the upset of the week goes to 3-6 MTSU, who knocks off #18 Southern Miss 17-12, ruining the perfect season for the Golden Eagles. #19 Ohio State gets the job done against Indiana, 24-10. #20 Oklahoma State gets a 41-21 win over one-win Kansas. Arizona State wallops #21 Oregon 45-28. #22 Georgia Tech holds off Duke 20-13.
For our readers, souljahbill, #18 Southern Miss sees their perfect season implode, dropping to 7-1 (3-1 C-USA) with a 17-12 loss to 3-6 MTSU, the Golden Eagles only able to manage four field goals. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 3-6 (2-4 Pac-12) with a big 45-28 upset of #21 Oregon. Mors, West Virginia drops to 4-4 (3-2 Big 12), with a 31-30 loss to SMU, the Mustangs scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, including the game winner with 52 seconds left in the game. Jeff, #19 Ohio State improves to 8-1 (6-0 Big Ten), picking up a 24-10 win over Indiana. Other teams of interest, #3 Arkansas State improves to 8-0 (3-0 Sun Belt) with a 38-31 win over previously unbeaten #14 BYU.
In C-USA action, Rice edges out Tulsa 28-25, Florida Atlantic improves to 2-7 with a shocking 31-23 upset of UTEP. Florida International wins a 49-42 shootout over UAB. UTSA gets a 38-21 win over Louisiana Tech, and MTSU pulls off one of the biggest upset of the week, stunning #18 Southern Miss 17-12.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall and Florida International (both 4-1) claim the top spot in the division, followed by #18 Southern Miss (3-1) and MTSU (2-3). Eliminate from contention are Florida Atlantic (1-4) and UAB (1-5). Over in the West Division, with FAU's uspet, Rice (4-1) is the new division leader, followed by UTEP (3-1) and Tulsa (3-2). Eliminated from contention are UTSA (2-4) and North Texas and Louisiana Tech (both 1-3).
Looking at undefeated teams left, with #2 Mississippi State, #14 BYU and #18 Southern Miss losing this week, that drops our number of undefeated teams to 2. #1 Notre Dame (8-0) and #3 Arkansas State (8-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Teams getting their first win this week were: New Mexico (38-14 over Western Carolina) and Tulane (42-28 over 1-8 Memphis).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (33 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (28 votes) climbs one to #2. Georgia jumps two to #3, USC climbs two to #4 and Oklahoma moves up two to #5. Michigan State jumps two to #6, Miami climbs three to #7, Florida State moves up three to #8, Virginia Tech jumps three to #9 and Mississippi State falls eight to #10. Nebraska drops seven to #11, Alabama moves up one to #12, Arizona jumps two to #13, Virginia climbs two to #14 and LSU moves up two to #15. Despite losing, BYU only drops two to #16, Iowa falls eight to #17, Ohio State jumps one to #18, Oklahoma State moves up one to #19 and Kentucky enters the poll this week at #20. Georgia Tech climbs one to #21, Michigan re-enters the poll at #22, TCU remains #23, Northwestern enters the poll at #24 and Wisconsin drops one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Southern Miss (from #18), Oregon (from #21) and Clemson (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (339 votes) is #26, followed by Texas (284), North Carolina (249), Texas Tech (197) and South Carolina (133) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Southern Miss (97), Houston (88), NC State (83) and Kansas State (2).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (42 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (23 votes) climbs one to #2, USC jumps two to #3, Georgia moves up two to #4 and Oklahoma climbs two to #5. Michigan State moves up two to #6, Virginia jumps two to #7, Miami climbs three to #8, Virginia Tech jumps three to #9 and Mississippi State falls eight to #10. Nebraska drops seven to #11, Florida State moves up one to #12, Arizona jumps two to #13, Alabama climbs two to #14 and Michigan leaps ten to #15. BYU drops two to #16, LSU moves up one to #17, Oklahoma State jumps one to #18, Iowa falls nine to #19 and Ohio State remains stuck at #20. Georgia Tech remains #21, Kentucky enters the poll this week at #22, Wisconsin remains #23, TCU remains #24 and Northwestern enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Southern Miss (from #18) and Oregon (from #21). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (324 votes) is #26, followed by North Carolina (292), Texas (256), Texas Tech (142) and Southern Miss (116) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Houston (112), South Carolina (74) and NC State (25).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 Georgia (0.986), #4 USC (0.986), #5 Michigan State (0.973), #6 Oklahoma State (0.973), #7 Miami (0.965), #8 Mississippi State (0.951), #9 Florida State (0.951) and #10 Virginia (0.949).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #2 (LW: #3), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #3 (LW: #4), Arizona QB E.J. McCoy at #4 (LW: NR) and Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week were TCU QB Robert Henderson (LW: #2), and Ohio State QB Ryan Fraser (LW: #5).
:fp:
:D I had a feeling you'd have something to say about the week's results.
Damn Smooth... you better get that approval rating up or you won't be around for the Arizona St series. You may be in tough with some of your goals. Good luck brother!
I'm trying. :( All these damn goals are length of the contract or each season goals, so I can't gain crap for bumps in approval rating. And while they hand out penalties for losing to a lower ranked team like candy, like hell they'll give anything for knocking off a better team. I think I'm gonna end up riding by the seat of my pants the next two off-seasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
Game Ten
:UTEP: :@: :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- Heading into Senior Night off the loss to Rice, our hopes of another West Division title rested in this game against rival UTEP. With Rice and UTEP both with only one conference loss, a third loss in the conference would eliminate us from contention. As is customary, the fans filled the stadium to bid farewell to the outgoing seniors in their last home game, including: HB Roy Smith, FB Randy Newman, WR Connor Jefferson, WR Antoine Banks, WR Bobby Smith, LT Marlon Smith, LG Dennis Moody, C Travis Hearn, RT Cameron Powers, LE Greg Wilkerson, RE Tyrone Haynes, DT Chris Peoples, MLB Jermaine Clark, CB Tyler Fountain, CB Chad Wheeler, FS Clay Weiss and P Carlos Wilcox.
It looked to be another battle, as UTEP with similar numbers as Rice. The Miners enter putting up 29.1 points/game (#59 nationally), with 400.2 yards of offense (#59), 124.6 yards rushing (#109) and 275.6 yards passing (#18). On defense, they give up 373.6 yards/game (#49 nationally), with 148.2 yards rushing (#29) and 225.3 yards passing (#70). To go along with a strong rated defense, they enter with a +7 turnover differential, good enough for #15 in the nation. Coming off our turnover-fest last week against Rice, that number could be trouble. UTEP won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A touchback on the opening kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line. Testing out the run game, Will Oliver took the handoff on first down and fought his way to a three yard gain. A second rush by Oliver went for a gain of four yards, leaving third and three. Continuing to feel out of the defense, Oliver took the ball and bounced outside the left tackle, able to pick up 7 yards and a first down at the 39 yard line before being taken down by the defense. Oliver took the next play up the middle, able to gain one yard, but he didn’t get up after the play, having to be helped off the field, dealing a big blow to our run game against a tough run defense. Oliver was thankfully only diagnosed with a strained bicep, keeping him out of action for a little while. Lining up on second down, both the right guard and right tackle jumped the snap, pushing us back 5 yards to leave second and 14. Throwing up a pass on second down, Jefferson was able to get the ball into his arms, but a vicious hit by the safety jarred the ball loose and incomplete, bringing up third and 14. Trying to thread the needle to Eric Hayden, the pass from Brad Stephens was wildly off-target and intercepted by safety Danny Holmes, who returned it 31 yards down the sideline before being pushed out of bounds by Stephens at our 20 yard line.
UTEP wasted no time at all cashing in on the interception, as Rich Livingston connected with Ben Robertson over the middle for a 20 yard touchdown pass, giving UTEP an immediate 7-0 lead with 6:37 to play in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got us again started at our 25 yard line, Stephens’ position under center on the hot seat. Stephens was able to actually hook up with Hayden this time, completing the pass down the left hash for a 21 yard gain and a first down at the 46 yard line. Jefferson got in on the action, catching a pass from Stephens for a 13 yard pickup and first down at the UTEP 41. Going back to the run game now that Oliver had returned, we never got the play off, as we were flagged for false start, pushed back to the 46 and left facing first and 15. Stephens was just barely able to get rid of the ball to avoid the sack, leaving second and very long. Getting separation from the defender on an out route, Jefferson was able to haul in the ball for a 22 yard gain and a first down at the 24 yard line, keeping the drive moving. Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, able to get 7 yards on the play, followed by a gain of 6 to get the first down at the UTEP 11 yard line. Going outside the left tackle, Oliver was able to pound his way down to the two yard line for a gain of 9. Oliver tried to take it up the middle on second down, but could only get maybe a yard, left with third and inches from the two. Taking the handoff and leaping over the pile, Roy Smith jumping into the end zone for the two yard touchdown rush to even up the score at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, their offense now getting its first true action of the game. The Miners seemed more than ready, as Brandon Johnson took the ball on the ground for a four yard rush, followed by a 10 yard pass to Robertson to get the first down at the 39 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Martin Ward got tackled for a loss of two yards, leaving UTEP facing third and 12. We caught a break as the third down pass intended for Johnson fell incomplete, bringing out the punt team on fourth and long. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got us set up at our 24 yard line for the next drive.
Hit from behind, helping his momentum to carry him forward, Oliver was able to get 9 yards on the first down carry, followed by a 5 yard rush to get the first down at the 38. Going into the air on first down, Jefferson went up and was able to bring down the pass from Stephens for a gain of 12 yards and a new set of downs at the 49 yard line. Oliver again went out of the game, suffering from bruised ribs that would again keep him sidelined for a little while. Trying our luck with Smith running the ground game, it ended in complete and total disaster, as Smith was hit and fumbled the ball at the line of scrimmage, the fumble picked up by defensive end Nick Cole. It was almost like looking at a replay of last week’s disaster, as Cole scooped up the fumble and could have returned it to the house, but he got tripped up at the last moment and could only return it four yards before falling down at our 42 yard line.
Taking over after the turnover, Livingston connecting with Lance Cunningham for a 9 yard gain, followed by a four yard rush from Johnson to get the first down at our 28. After two dropped passes by Robertson and Ward, Livingston threw up a deep bomb in the end zone, caught by Robertson for the 28 yard touchdown, giving UTEP a 14-7 lead with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. A touchback on the kickoff left us starting again from our 25 yard line. A two yard gain up the middle by Oliver was the last play of the quarter, as the final two seconds ran off the clock, bringing the first quarter to an end, UTEP leading 14-7.
Opening up the second quarter, Oliver shook off a tackle attempt in the backfield and was able to pick up three yards on the second down play, leaving third and 5 from the 30 yard line. The third down pass intended for Hayden fell incomplete, bringing out the punt team. A 7 yard return by Robertson on the 46 yard punt gave UTEP the ball at their 30 yard line. Johnson got the drive started with a 5 yard rush, but that would be the only success for the Miners, as two incomplete passes brought the drive to an end on fourth and 5. Jefferson called for a fair catch on the 42 yard punt, setting us up at our 23 yard line for our next drive.
Taking the handoff around the right tackle, Oliver was able to hit the next level, only the safety saving the day and tackling him for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 33 yard line. A rush around the other end, Oliver was able to pick up 6 yards, followed by a three yard rush to leave third and one at the 42. Living and dying by the ground game, Oliver was nearly brought down by the ankles in the backfield, but broke loose, hit a hole in the second level and broke free for a 16 yard gain before being brought down from behind at the UTEP 42. Trying to trick the defense with a play action pass, they weren’t fooled by it as the pass intended for Randy Newman was broken up, nearly intercepted by the safety, leaving second down. Reading a heavy blitz coming, Stephens quickly dumped off the ball to Hayden, complete for a gain of 6 yards to leave third and four at the 37. With another all-out blitz by the linebackers, Stephens quickly launched a pass down the middle of the field, brought down by Hayden, who then, thanks a double pick block by Jefferson that took both the cornerback and safety out of position, Hayden was able race downfield for a 37 yard touchdown to knot the game up at 14-14 with 5:19 left in the second quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, looking to recapture the lead. That plan would never come to fruition, as a rush by Johnson for a loss of three yards and two incomplete passes left the punt team quickly coming out on fourth and 13. A 10 yard return by Jefferson on the 42 yard punt gave us amazing field position, starting from our 46 yard line. Oliver tried to find a hole on first down, but was quickly brought down for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on the next play, the pass intended for Jefferson was nearly intercepted by the safety, who had it in his hands for a moment before stumbling and tripping over his own feet, losing control of the ball to bring up third and 9. Much like UTEP’s drive, ours ended with little fanfare, as the third down pass intended for Hayden was batted away by the outside linebacker, bringing out the punt team on fourth down. We did catch one huge break, as UTEP was unable to return the 46 yard punt, leaving them trapped at their own 7 yard line to start their next drive.
The Miners tried to take a shot deep downfield on first down, and nearly were successful, but Jake Moore was unable to hold onto the ball, dropping it incomplete. Johnson kept the ball on the ground on the next play, picking up four yards on the play to leave third and 6 at the 11. The Miners would convert third down this time around, Cunningham leaping up to catch the pass from Livingston for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 24 yard line. Another pass to Cunningham went for 22 yards and immediate fresh seto f downs at the 46 yard line, UTEP starting to find some momentum. Johnson kept the ball on first down, picking up two yards, before the second down pass intended for Ward fell incomplete to leave third and 8. The Miners were able to get another third down conversion, Moore holding on to the ball this time for a 10 yard completion, moving the chains to our 42 yard line. Livingston followed that up with a 12 yard completion to Ward, picking up yet another set of downs at our 30 yard line, our defense unable to keep up. Johnson ran the ball on the next play, getting one yard for his troubles, followed by a 6 yard gain to set up third and three at the 23. UTEP needed only one more play to conclude the drive, as Livingston connected with Cunningham yet again, this time for a 23 yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead with 1:48 left before halftime.
A touchback on the kickoff got us started at our 25 yard line, only 1:40 to work with on our drive. Going into the air over the middle, Jefferson got us started with a 10 yard reception and a first down at the 35. Throwing deep down the left sideline on the next play, Hayden was able to come down with the pass, and nearly broke free, but the safety was able to get a hand on his ankle, bringing him down for a 26 yard gain and a first down at the UTEP 38 yard line, 1:23 left on the clock. Throwing to Smith out of the backfield, he was able to get three yards, followed by a 10 yard pass to Newman for a first down at the 25 yard line. Rushing up the ball, Stephens connected with Newman for a second play in a row, this time for an 8 yard gain, setting up second and two at the 17 yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 34 seconds to play. Throwing up over the middle on the next play, Hayden was able to come down with the ball for a 12 yard gain, giving us first and goal at the 6 yard line. Rushing up to the line, we took a chance at pounding it in, but Smith was tackled for a two yard loss, leaving second and goal at the 8 yard line, calling our second timeout with 27 seconds left. Throwing to Hayden on a short slant, the pass from Stephens was complete for a 5 yard gain, leaving the clock running. Sprinting back to the line, Stephens threw up a ball intended for Antoine Banks in the back of the end zone, but the middle linebacker was able to get a hand on the ball, knocking it incomplete, leaving fourth and goal with 8 seconds to go. The 20 yard field goal attempt by David Glover was good, cutting UTEP’s lead to 21-17 with 5 seconds to go. A 27 yard kickoff return by Johnson ran out the remainder of the clock, as we headed into halftime trailing UTEP 21-17.
Opening up the second half, no return on the kickoff gave UTEP the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Jason Taylor got the drive started with a pair of rushes for 8 and 6 yards, picking up a quick first down at the 39 yard line. Another 6 yard rush by Taylor was followed with a 6 yard rush by Cunningham, and the Miners had a first down at our 49 yard line. UTEP headed into the air on first down and second down, but both times Cunningham dropped the ball, bringing up third and long. Opting to take the deep bal chance instead of just getting the first down, the ploy worked out for UTEP, as Livingston connected with Moore for a gain of 22 yard and a first down at our 27 yard line. After throwing the ball away on first down, Livingston found Ward over the middle for an 11 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 16 yard line, our defense unable to find an answer to the UTEP offense. After an incomplete pass intended for Ward, Taylor took the ball around the left tackle, gaining 7 yards on the ground to leave third and three. Our defense finally won a battle, tackling Alvin Powers for a two yard loss, leaving UTEP with fourth and 5 from our 11 yard line. We won a second battle, when the 28 yard field goal attempt by Joel Hill was no good, sailing wide right, to give us back the ball at our 20 yard line with no new damage taken.
Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, rumbling this way to an 11 yard carry and a first down at the 31 yard line. Keeping it going on the ground, Oliver was able to get 5 yards on the rush, leaving second and 5. Keeping the ball himself on a designed run, Stephens was able to get multiple block and broke free down the right sideline for a 28 yard rush clear down to the UTEP 36 yard line. Taking the ball up the hole on first down, Oliver got 6 yards on the play, followed by a loss of two yards while attempting to go around the right tackle, leaving third and 6. The third down pass intended for Newman was off the target, flying into the shin of a UTEP defender and incomplete. Attempting a 48 yard field goal on fourth down, the kick by Glover easily had the distance, but he didn’t get enough counter push by the wind, the ball clanking into the left upright and falling into the end zone no good, giving UTEP back the ball at their 31 yard line.
Coming out throwing on first down, the pass intended for Ward was dropped, leaving the Miners with a quick second and long. After Livingston scrambled for a three yard gain, he found Ward again, who was able to hang on this time for an 8 yard pickup and a first down at the 43 yard line. A two yard rush by Livingston was followed with yet another dropped pass by Ward, leaving third and 8. The Miners would be unable to convert this time around, as the third down pass fell incomplete, bringing out the punt unit on fourth and long.
It was our turn this time to get pinned deep, as no return by Antonio McKinney on the 48 yard punt left our offense starting at our 7 yard line. A blitz by the middle linebacker limited Oliver to only a single yard, bringing up second and 9 at the 8. Trying to circle around the outside of the left tackle, Oliver was brought down in the backfield, for a three yard loss, leaving us with third and 12 at the 6 yard line and in danger. Stephens made a great play initially to avoid a sack, scrambling through a gap and trying to make the first down line at the sideline, but when multiple defenders closed off the route, Stephens tried to turn back to his left and find another place to run. While trying to escape back to the left, the far cornerback, who had come all the way across the field from the left sideline, hit Stephens from behind and stripped the ball loose. With nothing but five white jerseys around, defensive end Steve Jones scooped up the ball and practically moon walked unopposed 5 yards into the end zone for the touchdown, giving UTEP a 28-17 lead with 1:59 left in the third quarter.
A 25 yard kickoff return by Jefferson got us started out at our 30 yard line, looking for any sign of life support now as the third quarter slowly drew to a close. Going up to get a high pass, Hayden was able to come down with the ball for a 9 yard reception at the 39 yard line. Oliver took the second down handoff up the middle, just barely getting one yard to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Stephens had a wide open target in Jefferson, who broke free of coverage on a comeback route, but Stephens was unable to get the pass off, hit as he threw, causing the ball to rocket into the ground and incomplete. Stephens was able to connect with Hayden on the second down play for a 7 yard gain, but the third down pass to Marcus Mullins came up short, picking up only two yards to leave fourth and one at the 49. No return on the 48 yard punt set a new best in the game for pinning deep, leaving UTEP starting from their three yard line for their next drive.
The Miners didn’t remain there for long, as Moore took the ball on first down and picked up four yards on the ground, followed by a 20 yard pass from Livingston to Taylor to get a first down at the 27 yard line. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last seconds ticked off the clock, bringing the third quarter to an end, UTEP leading 28-17.
Opening up the fourth quarter, Taylor took the ball on the ground but could only manage a single yard. Cunningham then took his turn in the ground game, fighting forward for a 7 yard rush to leave third and two at the 35. Livingston would convert the third down, getting a 6 yard rush out to the 41 yard line. Livingston then turned around on the next play and threw up an 18 yard pass to Taylor for a first down at our 41 yard line, our defense almost completely helpless to stop the drive. If they hadn’t already, our defense finally broke on the next play, as Ward pulled in a deep pass from Livingston for a 29 yard gain, set UTEP up with a first down at our 12 yard line. A first down pass to Mike Howell picked up 9 yards, down to the three yard line, before Howell caught a second pass from Livingston, this time for the three yard touchdown, giving UTEP a 35-17 lead with 7:26 to play in the game, putting us in an extremely deep hole.
Jefferson tried his best to get our comeback efforts off to a good start, returning the kickoff 21 yards out to our 26 yard line for our next drive. The defense was more than energized, as Stephens was blasted as he tried to throw on first down, the ball falling incomplete and leaving second down. Hayden was able to beat the cornerback off the line on the next play and get extremely wide open down the left sideline, Stephens sailing the pass down the field, but he a bit too much air under it, the ball falling just out of the reach of Hayden, in what was a guaranteed touchdown pass, leaving third and long and our offense deflated at the missed opportunity. Stephens was at least able to recover on the next play, connecting with Banks along the right sideline for a 23 yard gain and a first down at midfield to keep the drive alive. A pass to Jefferson along the right hash went for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches at the 40. Stephens was able to get the ball off to Hayden, who was breaking open over the middle, but the safety cut across at the last minute and was able to get a hand on the ball, knocking it incomplete to bring up third and inches. In desperate need of a first down, it was back to the ground game temporarily as Oliver rumbled ahead for an 8 yard gain, advancing the chains to the 33 yard line. Returning to the air game, we took another gamble at the end zone, this time Stephens not putting too much air on it, and Hayden was able to come down with the ball along the back edge of the end zone for the 33 yard touchdown pass. Going for the two-point conversion, Stephens was able to get the ball off and into the hands of Smith, successfully completing the conversion to cut the score to 35-25 with exactly six minutes left in the game.
No return on the ensuing kickoff left UTEP starting at their 25 yard line, looking to put the game on ice. Our defense put up a great effort on first down, batting down the pass intended for Moore, but they had no answer on second down, as Livingston connected with Howell for 27 yards and a first down at our 48 yard line. Another pass, this time to Cunningham, was completed for a 12 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 37, UTEP looking to respond to our previous score and seal their win. After an incomplete pass on first down, Taylor took the ball up the middle for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 9 yard pass along the right sideline to Joe Carlton to reset the downs at our 23 yard line. The Livingston to Cunningham connection screwed us again, as the first down pass resulted in a 23 yard touchdown pass and a 42-25 lead for UTEP with 4:40 left to play.
Jefferson returned the kickoff 18 yards out to our 17 yard line, and trailing by 17 points with only 4:30 left in the game, it was starting to look hopeless. Stephens tried to throw to Banks deep down the middle of the field on first down, but the safety was able to break off his block nearby and make a play on the ball, knocking it incomplete. The second down pass wasn’t much better, as the ball intended for Carl Barnes was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving third and long. The third down pass attempt, intended for Banks, never had a chance as Stephens was hit as he threw, the ball landing a couple yards away incomplete. All but waving the white flag, the punt team came out on fourth down, a 10 yard return on the 47 yard punt giving UTEP the ball at their 45 yard line.
Starting the drive with 4:10 to go, Taylor took the handoff on first down for a four yard gain, followed by a three yard rush from Livingston to leave third and three at our 48 yard line. Our defense finally decided to make a stand, tackling Taylor for a four yard loss, bringing out UTEP’s punt unit on fourth and 7. That quickly turned into fourth and two as we got flagged for offside. Courtesy of those extra 5 yards that UTEP got, McKinney was unable to return the 44 yard punt, matching the Miners for deepest starting position of the game, coming out on offense at our three yard line. Putting the ball in the hands of Oliver, he was able to get up the middle of the pile for a 6 yard gain, giving us some breathing room. Threading the needle between the cornerback and safety, Stephens was able to complete the second down pass to Jefferson for a 16 yard gain and a first down at our 25. Banks nearly made a huge play on first down, going up over the safety and outside linebacker to get his hands on the ball, but was unable o hold on as he fell back to earth, the incomplete pass leaving second down. Trying to find Banks again on the next play, the pass never had a chance as the safety dropped down from on top, breaking up the play and leaving third and long. A bad third down pass, intended for Hayden but thrown into the hands of the middle linebacker, was thankfully dropped incomplete, but resulted in fourth and long with 2:25 to play. Going for it on fourth down, the pass intended for Smith sailed long and fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at our 25 yard line.
Taylor took the handoff on first down, picking up 6 yards for UTEP, followed by an off-target pass intended for Ward at the front corner of the end zone, the ball sailing out of bounds and incomplete, the Miners apparently intent to run up the score as much as they can. We avoided allowing that to happen, as Taylor was stripped of the ball on the next play, the fumble on third down recovered by defensive end Tyrone Haynes, giving us back the ball at our 21 yard line with 1:48 left on the clock. Throwing up a deep bomb down the left sideline, putting a Tulsa spin on the Immaculate Reception, Hayden went up, behind both the safety and outside linebacker who had dropped back to cover him, and somehow, between five hands all trying to make a play on the ball, snagged it out of the air. The momentum of both the safety and linebacker carried them a couple yards further downfield, allowing Hayden the time to land, turn around, and cut towards the sideline. Both defenders turned to chase after him, but Hayden had already gotten enough of a head start on both of them, racing both players, and the second safety who had since come racing over from across the other side of the field, avoiding the diving tackle attempt by the linebacker and diving into the end zone for 79 yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 42-32 with 1:37 to play.
We unfortunately were unable to parley that ungodly completion into a bigger advantage, as UTEP recovered the onside kick, taking over at our 41 yard line with 1:33 to go. Taylor took the ball on first down and picked up 5 yards on the ground, our first timeout freezing the clock with 1:29 left. Another 5 yard rush left us just barely hanging onto hope, as Taylor was stopped short to leave third and inches, our second timeout stopping the clock with 1:22 remaining. We caught an even bigger break, as Livingston threw up a pass into the end zone on third down, the ball intended for Howell batted incomplete, stopping the clock with 1:19 left and saving our third timeout. Any extremely slim hopes we had all depending on if UTEP would go for it on fourth and short or kick a field goal. The Miners opted to go for the field goal, the 48 yard kick by Hill splitting the uprights, giving UTEP a 45-32 lead with 1:15 to go.
A touchback on the following kickoff left just 1:07 left on the clock as we took over at our 25 yard line. Needing another Tulsa Miracle reception, the deep bomb intended for Jefferson, in man coverage, sailed too long and fell incomplete, leaving second down and 1:02 on the clock. Not even faking that it was going to be a short pass, Stephens was able to just barely avoid the pass rush and launch a 34 yard pass to Oliver, giving us first down at the UTEP 41. Racing to the line, throwing to Oliver again, the play was broken up by the outside linebacker, stopping the clock with 53 seconds to go. Getting favorable coverage again, Hayden was unable to make the miraculous catch this time, the cornerback and safety playing volleyball for a few seconds before the ball landed incomplete in the end zone. With third down and 46 seconds to go, Stephens had Hayden wide open down the right sideline, but never got the chance to release the ball, sacked for a 9 yard loss to bring up fourth and 19 at the UTEP 49, our final timeout stopping the clock with 43 seconds to go. The defense again turned Stephens into a piñata, sacking him for another 9 yard loss and forcing the turnover on downs at our 42 yard line with 41 seconds left to play.
The offense trotted out onto the field, Livingston taking a knee twice to run out the clock and secure the 45-32 win for UTEP, all but eliminating us from contention for the C-USA West Division title.
With the loss, we drop to 6-4 on the year, 3-3 in C-USA action. With the win, UTEP improves to 6-3 for the season, 4-1 in C-USA play, setting up the Rice-UTEP showdown next week for the West Division driver’s seat as the season winds down. Up next,, we head into a bye week, before it's back onto the road, the start of a two game road trip to end the season, as we visit North Texas. The Mean Green will enter the game with a 4-5 record, 3-3 in C-USA action. North Texas started the year with a 44-21 loss at USC, followed with a 27-7 loss to NC State and a 31-24 loss to MTSU. They finally got in the win column with a 20-3 victory at Florida Atlantic, before losing 38-20 to Florida International and 23-17 to Rice. They then went on a three game win streak, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 38-23, getting a 22-14 win at UTSA and picking up a 28-21 overtime win over Louisiana Tech ahead of our trip to Denton.
Final Score
:UTEP: 45, :Tulsa: 32
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – Stephens had a better day this week, ending 22-45 for 398 yards and three touchdowns (though 79 yards and one TD came on the "Tulsa Miracle" play), but he did have one interception, that very nearly got him benched the rest of the game, if he had ended up throwing one more INT. Rushing, it was again the Oliver show, ending with 122 yards on 25 carries. Smith had the lone rushing touchdown, to go with just 6 yards on four rushes. Receiving, without a doubt a career day for Hayden, ending the game with 235 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 10 receptions. Next closest was Jefferson with 83 yards on six receptions. In all, seven receivers caught a ball during the game, five receivers making it into double digit yards, Hayden the lone receiver to hit triple digits in yards for the game.
- Tulsa Defense – As stated during the Rice game, when the defense breaks, and floodgates open. UTEP broke the defense early on, and we were left playing catch-up the entire game. A couple horribly timed turnovers padded their lead and we could never keep up, just as the defense had trouble keeping up with the UTEP passing game.
- Tulsa Kicking – Another non-perfect game for Glover, ending 1-2 in field goals, successfully making a 20 yard kick, but missing the 48 yard kick that clanked of the upright in the third quarter. Ultimately, it would have made little difference, us losing only by 10 instead of 13, but without that UTEP field goal at the end, we could have had a chance to tie if Glover had converted. He at least was perfect in PATs this time around, ending 3-3.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :UTEP: 14 7 7 17 45 :Tulsa: 7 10 0 15 32
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 6:37 :UTEP: Touchdown B. Robertson, 19 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 7-0 3:28 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Smith, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) TIED 7-7 0:10 :UTEP: Touchdown B. Robertson, 28 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 14-7 Second Quarter 5:19 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 37 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) TIED 14-14 1:48 :UTEP: Touchdown L. Cunningham, 23 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 21-14 0:05 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 20 yard field goal :UTEP: 21-17 Third Quarter 1:59 :UTEP: Touchdown S. Jones, returned fumble 5 yards (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 28-17 Fourth Quarter 7:26 :UTEP: Touchdown M. Howell, 3 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 35-17 6:00 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 33 yard pass from B. Stephens (Two-point conversion good) :UTEP: 35-25 4:40 :UTEP: Touchdown L. Cunningham, 23 yard pass from R. Livingston (J. Hill kick) :UTEP: 42-25 1:37 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 79 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :UTEP: 42-32 1:15 :UTEP: Field Goal J. Hill, 48 yard field goal :UTEP: 45-32
Game Stats
UTEP Stat Tulsa 45 Score 32 18 First Downs 20 432 Total Offense 535 31 - 94 - 0 Rushes - Yards - TD 33 - 137 - 1 21 - 42 - 5 Comp - Att - TD 22 - 45 - 3 338 Passing Yards 398 0 Times Sacked 3 8 - 16 (50%) 3rd Down Conversion 6 - 16 (37%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 0 - 2 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 1 - 1 (100%) 6 - 1 - 0 (16%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 1 - 1 (50%) 1 Turnovers 3 1 Fumbles Lost 2 0 Intercepted 1 17 Punt Return Yards 20 27 Kick Return Yards 64 476 Total Yards 619 5 – 45.0 Punts - Average 4 - 47.5 0 - 0 Penalties 3 - 15 14:34 Time of Possession 21:26
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 23 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 6 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 58% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :2greenarrow: Penalty :2redarrow: Lost to a lower ranked team
Job Security Status
38%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame just barely held onto their seat at the top, trailing Navy 7-0 after one, leading 10-7 at halftime, trailing 14-10 after the third quarter, and then losing 21-17 halfway through the fourth quarter, only finally getting the win with a 42 yard touchdown pass with 4:43 to go to pull out the 24-21 win over Navy.
#2 Arkansas State faced the toughest test of the week, quickly falling behind Texas State 21-7 after the first quarter. The Red Wolves managed to pull within 28-21 at halftime, and trailed 35-28 at the end of the third quarter. It was starting to look dismal for Arkansas State, as a Texas State field goal in the early fourth gave the Bobcats a 38-28 lead. But the Red Wolves fought back, scoring a pair of touchdowns, the second one coming with 3:28 left to play, to pull out the 42-38 win over Texas State.
South Carolina becomes bowl eligible thanks to a 24-20 upset of #3 Georgia, ruining the hopes of the Bulldogs for a title game appearance. #5 Oklahoma received all they could handle from West Virginia. A 7-7 tie after one, a 10-10 tie at halftime, a 17-10 West Virginia lead after three quarters and a 24-10 West Virginia lead in the early fourth quarter, the Sooners reeled off 21 fourth quarter points, scoring the game winner on a 13 yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining to beat the Mountaineers 31-24.
The game of the week sees #9 Virginia Tech knock off #7 Miami 31-17 in a battle for ACC supremacy. #8 Florida State fights off a late comeback by NC State to beat the Wolfpack 49-42. #24 Northwestern raced out to a 24-7 lead over #11 Nebraska, gave up 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to end up tied, before scoring with 20 seconds to play to down the Huskers 31-24. #12 Alabama wins the SEC battle of the week, beating #15 LSU 23-7. Utah shocked the home Wildcat crowd, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, and 24 straight going back to the end of the third quarter to knock off #13 Arizona, 38-24. Pittsburgh defended their home turf with a 48-45 overtime upset of #14 Virginia.
One week after losing to Arkansas State and seeing their perfect record unraveled, #16 BYU recovers with a 42-10 thrasing of UL-Lafayette. #18 Ohio State had a hell of a time with Purdue. Despite leading 20-7 at halftime and 23-10 after the third quarter, Purdue made a comeback in the fourth quarter to take a 24-23 lead, Ohio State scoring a field goal with 3:34 remaining to retake the lead 26-24, and then adding another field goal with 14 seconds left in the game to seal the 29-24 win over the Boilermakers.
#19 Oklahoma State pulls out a late 28-23 win over Kansas State (now losers of four straight since starting 4-0). Vanderbilt scores a 38-21 upset of #20 Kentucky to get to 5-5 on the year. #21 Georgia Tech held on to beat North Carolina 38-20. #22 Michigan downs #25 Wisconsin 39-35, thanks to a 22 point fourth quarter comeback, and 25 unanswered points going back to a field goal with 2 minutes left in the third and #23 TCU escaped Kansas with a 27-21 win over the Jayhawks.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss, one week after an embarrassing loss, improves to 8-1 (4-1 C-USA) with a 42-13 thumping of Florida Atlantic to stay alive in the East Division race. Jaymo, where the hell has this team been? Arizona State improves to 4-6 (3-4 Pac-12), knocking off Cal 48-31. Mors, West Virginia put up a hell of a fight (see the Top 25 recap for details), but drops to 4-5 (3-3 Big 12), with a 31-24 loss to #5 Oklahoma. Jeff, #18 Ohio State themselves had a hell of a battle (also see Top 25 recap for details), but improve to 9-1 (7-0 Big Ten), with a 29-24 win at Purdue. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State barely improves to 9-0 (4-0 Sun Belt) with a 42-38 win over Texas State (again, see Top 25 recap for details)
In C-USA action, UTEP beats Tulsa 45-32, Rice pulls out a 31-24 win over Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss thumps Florida Atlantic 42-13, Marshall downs Florida International 24-12, North Texas picks up a 22-14 win over UTSA, and in non-conference action, San Diego State beats UAB 34-14.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall (5-1) now claims sole possession of the top spot, followed closely by Southern Miss (4-1) and Florida International (4-2). MTSU (2-3) and UAB and Florida Atlantic (both 1-5) are all eliminated. Some showdowns will decide the division. Southern Miss travels to FIU next week, and then Southern Miss travels to Marshall in the last game of the season for both teams, so the East Division is very much still alive. Over in the West Division, Rice (5-1) remains top dog, followed by UTEP (4-1). Tulsa (3-3) and North Texas (2-3) trail behind, but we're pretty much all but eliminated now. UTSA (2-5) and Louisiana Tech (1-5) are officially eliminated. That sets up the UTEP at Rice showdown next week to decide the front runner (and most likely winner) of the division.
Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2, though both teams were seriously tested. #1 Notre Dame (9-0) and #2 Arkansas State (9-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (33 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (28 votes) remains #2. USC moves up one to #3, Oklahoma climbs one to #4 and Michigan State climbs one to #5. Virginia Tech jumps three to #6, Florida State climbs one to #7, Mississippi State jumps two to #8, Georgia drops six to #9 and Alabama moves up two to #10. Miami drops four to #11, BYU climbs four to #12, Iowa jumps four to #13, Ohio State moves up four to #14 and Oklahoma State jumps four to #15. Nebraska drops five to #16, Georgia Tech jumps four to #17, Northwestern leaps six to #18, Michigan climbs three to #19 and South Carolina enters the poll at #20. Virginia drops seven spots to #21, TCU moves up one to #22, LSU falls eight to #23, Arizona tumbles eleven to #24 and Clemson re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kentucky (from #20) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas (271 votes) is #26, followed by Texas Tech (204), Southern Miss (137), Houston (88) and San Diego State (51) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Wyoming (29) and Pittsburgh (15).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (42 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (23 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma climbs one to #4 and Virginia Tech jumps four to #5. Michigan State remains #6, Mississippi State moves up three to #7, Florida State jumps four to #8, Georgia falls five to #9 and Alabama climbs four to #10. BYU vaults five to #11, Miami drops four to #12, Michigan climbs two to #13, Oklahoma State moves up four to #14 and Virginia falls eight to #15. Iowa climbs three to #16, Ohio State moves up three to #17, Northwestern leaps seven spots to #18, Nebraska falls eight places to #19 and Georgia Tech climbs one to #20. South Carolina enters the poll this week at #21, Arizona falls nine to #22, TCU moves up one to #23, LSU tumbles seven to #24 and Clemson re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Kentucky (from #20) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Texas (246 votes) is #26, followed by Texas Tech (215), Pittsburgh (189), Southern Miss (185), and Houston (133) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Wyoming (66), San Diego State (15) and Auburn (6).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.981), #5 Michigan State (0.976), #6 Virginia Tech (0.976), #7 Mississippi State (0.965), #8 Florida State (0.965), #9 Georgia (0.957) and #10 Alabama (0.951).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #2 (LW: #2), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #3 (LW: #3), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #5) and Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke re-entering the list at #5 (LW: NR). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Arizona QB E.J. McCoy (LW: #4).
On a bye week so lets jump right into it. Starting in the Top 25, after last week's close call, #1 Notre Dame costs to a 35-7 win over Boston College to defend the #1 ranking. #3 USC barely escapes #24 Arizona 31-24. #4 Oklahoma scores the game-winning touchdown with 1:42 to play to defeat Baylor 38-31. #13 Iowa slays #5 Michigan State 31-28. #6 Virginia Tech escapes, thanks to two fourth quarter touchdowns, with a 21-14 win over #17 Georgia Tech. #7 Florida State escapes #25 Clemson with a 38-35 overtime win.
The game of the week goes to #10 Alabama, who takes down #8 Mississippi State 42-35. #9 Georgia falls down and goes boom for the second week in a row, losing 20-17 in overtime to Auburn. #14 Ohio State continued to pull close wins out of their ass, using two touchdowns and two field goals to beat Illinois 20-7. Iowa State (3-6) scores a huge upset of #15 Oklahoma State, 34-31. #16 Nebraska uses a 20-0 second half advantage to beat Wisconsin 34-14. #19 Michigan knocks off #18 Northwestern 37-21. Texas A&M gets back to .500 on the year, knocking off #23 LSU 34-31.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss, improves to 9-1 (5-1 C-USA) with a 45-28 win over Florida Atlantic. Jaymo, Arizona State wins their third in a row, improving to 5-6 (4-4 Pac-12), scoring twice in the last 4:44 of the game, including the game-winning 30 yard field goal with 13 seconds to play to knock off UCLA 45-42. Mors, West Virginia remains 4-5 (3-3 Big 12), with a bye week. Jeff, #14 Ohio State improves to 10-1 (8-0 Big Ten), pulling out a 20-7 win over Illinois. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State remains 9-0 (4-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week.
In C-USA action, Southern Miss beats Florida International 45-28, Marshall thumps UMass 45-7, UTEP pimp slaps Rice 49-14, North Texas edges out Louisiana Tech 28-21 in overtime, Florida Atlantic pulls out a 24-21 win over MTSU, and in non-conference action, Syracuse whoops UTSA 48-17.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall and Southern Miss (both 5-1) are tied for the division lead, making November 28th (barring any upsets the week before) in Marshall the showdown for the division. Florida International (4-3), MTSU (2-4), Florida Atlantic (2-5) and UAB (1-5) are all eliminated. In the West Division, UTEP (5-1) takes over control of the top with Rice (5-2) trailing behind. Tulsa and North Texas (both 3-3), UTSA (2-5) and Louisiana Tech (1-5) are all eliminated. Rice just has UTSA left, UTEP plays Louisiana Tech and North Texas, so the division will come down to Rice winning their last game, and then whether or not UTEP finishes with two wins, a win and a loss or two losses.
Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (10-0) and #2 Arkansas State (9-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (37 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (24 votes) remains #2. USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech moves up one to #5. Florida State climbs one to #6, Alabama jumps three to #7, Iowa moves up five to #8, Miami climbs two to #9 and BYU jumps two to #10. Michigan State falls six to #11, Mississippi State drops four to #12, Ohio State moves up one to #13, Nebraska climbs two to #14 and Michigan leaps four to #15. Georgia falls seven to #16, South Carolina moves up three to #17, Virginia climbs three to #18, TCU jumps three to #19 and Georgia Tech drops three to #20. Auburn enters the poll this week at #21, Northwestern falls four to #22, Texas enters the poll at 23, Southern Miss re-enters at #24 and Houston enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Oklahoma State (from #15), LSU (from #23), Arizona (from #24) and Clemson (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Oklahoma State (215 votes) is #26, followed by Arizona (198), San Diego State (183), Wyoming (113) and Northern Illinois (113) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Utah (81) and Oregon (38).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (40 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (25 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Alabama jumps four to #6, Florida State climbs one to #7, Iowa leaps eight to #8, BYU jumps two to #9 and Miami moves up two to #10. Mississippi State falls four to #11, Michigan climbs one to #12, Michigan State drops seven to #13, Ohio State climbs three to #14 and Virginia remains #15. Nebraska moves up three to #16, Georgia drops eight to #17, South Carolina climbs three to #18, TCU jumps four to #19 and Georgia Tech remains #20. Auburn enters the poll this week at #21, Northwestern falls four to #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, Oklahoma State falls ten to #24 and Southern Miss re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Arizona (from #22), LSU (#24) and Clemson (#25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arizona (241 votes) is #26, followed by Houston (202), Wyoming (162), San Diego State (118) and Oregon (44) to round out the Top 30. Other teams also getting votes this week include Utah (3) and Northern Illinois (3).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.980), #5 Virginia Tech (0.978), #6 Alabama (0.970), #7 Florida State (0.970), #8 Iowa (0.955), #9 Miami (0.954) and #10 BYU (0.943).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #2 (LW: #2), Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith at #3 (LW: #3), Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #4 (LW: #5) and Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #5 (LW: #4). No one fell off the list this week.
Looking at the very first bowl projections of the year, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Hawaii Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on 5-4 (3-3) Temple out of the Big East. The AutZone Liberty Bowl would feature #24 Southern Miss (9-1, 5-1 C-USA) matching up with #25 Houston (7-2, 4-2 Big East). #13 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #3 USC (9-1, 8-0 Pac-12).
Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #13 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) against #3 USC (9-1, 8-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has #17 South Carolina (6-4, 6-2 SEC) matching up with #6 Florida State (8-2, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #5 Virginia Tech (9-1, 7-1 ACC) matching up with #8 Iowa (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #4 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) and #7 Alabama (8-2, 5-2). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (9-0, 4-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (10-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
Game Eleven
:Tulsa: :@: :North_Texas:
Game Notes
--- Stuck on yet another two game losing streak, and eliminated from the C-USA West Division race, we were left wondering where it all went wrong. A 5-0 start to the season, the year was full of promise, only to then end up stuck in a 1-4 slide over our last five games. Not only was the OC coaching seat getting warmer with each passing week, but our hopes of a bowl game also could be in jeopardy. Officially, only 56 teams, including ourselves, made it to bowl eligibility by this week, but another 35 teams still had hopes (however slim some of those hopes might be) of getting to 6 wins. With only 68 bowl slots up for contention, if even half of those teams are able to obtain that elusive 6th win, a potential 6-6 record may end up not being enough and we could end up on the outside looking in.
It wasn’t going to get any easier, as we seemed to still be running the gauntlet of good defensive teams. North Texas may only be 4-5 on the year, but they entered with the #37 defense in the nation, giving up only 359.8 yards/game. They ranked even better against the run, coming in at #20 (142.4 yards/game) and were still in the top 50% in pass defense at #59 (217.4 yards/game). While we had a better offense, going by the number, turning the ball over six times (three interceptions, three fumbles) in our last two games, and giving up 10 sacks on those same two games, whatever success we do manage on offense often gets reversed with the damage caused from the turnovers and sacks. We had to find a way to stop the flood of sacks and turnovers, and keep our defense from breaking to avoid our current slide going further downhill. North Texas won the coin toss and elected to kick.
The opening kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback, and we got our first drive of the game started at our 25 yard line. Breaking away from our usual pattern of establishing the run first, we came out firing, trying to set the tone of the game, and set the tone we did. In a very slow developing play, Brad Stephens dropped back and waited and waited and waited until Connor Jefferson was the first receiver to finally get open, cutting across the middle on a slant. The pass was on-target, Jefferson hauling in the ball and turning up the field for a 28 yard gain and an immediate first down at the North Texas 47 yard line. Throwing up the ball to avoid a sack, the pass intended for Eric Hayden was broken up by the outside linebacker, bringing up second down. Jefferson made his second catch of the game on the next play, tight-roping the right sideline to haul in an overthrown pass from Stephens, complete for a 30 yard gain and a first down at the 17. Taking advantage of the pass-first defense, Will Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, picking up 6 yards on the play. Going off the left tackle on second down, Oliver got hit by the defensive end at the 6 yard line, spinning clockwise through the air will falling forward, able to cover the last 5 yards in the air and get the ball over the goal line before landing on the ground to get the 11 yard touchdown and give us a 7-0 lead with 7:34 to go in the first quarter.
A 16 yard kickoff return left the Mean Green starting from their 17 yard line, looking to respond. That response would have to wait, as a rush for a three yard loss by Andrew Cooper, followed by two incomplete passes from Brian Sanchez left North Texas bringing out the punt team. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt set us up at our 36 yard line, in a rare occasion, playing with the lead.
Leading off with the ground game this time around, Oliver took the ball on first down for a gain of 6 yards, followed by a 7 yard rush to get the first down at the 49 yard line. Oliver took his third handoff of the drive on third down, finding a large hole and busting into the secondary. While trying to break out of a tackle attempt, the safety came diving in, jarring the ball loose. Despite multiple attempts by North Texas players to dive on the loose football, we got a huge break as Carl Barnes was able to recover the fumble, Barnes ending up credited in the books with a 13 yard rush that had most of the work done by Oliver. Either way, we were able to end up with a first down at the 38 yard line after the play, though narrowly. Despite not recovering the fumble, just the fact that a fumble was caused energized the North Texas defense, as Oliver was quickly brought down for a one yard gain on the first down play. Trying to find Hayden over the middle on second down, the play was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving us facing third and 9. Dumping off the ball to avoid a sack, Roy Smith came down with the pass, but could only pick up 7 yards before being tackled, leaving fourth and two. The 47 yard field goal attempt by Derek Glover split the uprights, extending our lead to 10-0 with 3:55 left in the first quarter.
No return on the kickoff left North Texas again starting at the 25. This time the Mean Green were able to find offensive success, as Sanchez connected with Rob Moss over the middle for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 35. Cooper took the ball on first down, picking up three yards on the play, but then promptly lost them, tackled for a three yard loss on the next down to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass from Sanchez sealed the fate on another drive, the North Texas punt team coming out again. A 7 yard return by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt saved some field position for us, giving us the ball at our 24 yard line.
Oliver kept the rushing show going, taking the first down handoff straight up the middle for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches at the 34. North Texas was more than ready for the second down play, the outside linebacker blitzing in to meet Oliver in the backfield for a one yard loss, leaving third and one. The Mean Green would get the job done, blitzing hard on the left side and able to break through and cut Oliver down for a one yard loss, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and two. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt got North Texas underway at their 20 yard line.
It was a very rough start for the Green, as a 10 yard holding penalty quickly pushed them back, leaving first and 20 from the 10 yard line. They were able to make up those yards though, as Sanchez found Cooper for an 8 yard gain, followed by a 9 yard pass to E.J. Jackson to leave third and three. The third down pass was less than successful, complete to Deshawn Banks for a single yard to leave fourth and two. The 46 yard punt was returned for four yards by Jefferson, and our offense came back out at our 29 yard line. Oliver took the first down handoff around the right tackle, the defense still refusing to give up anything as he was tackled for no gain. That would bring the first quarter to an end, our lead holding at 10-0.
Opening up the second quarter, with the running game effectively neutralized, it was into the air on second down. That proved to be a mistake, as the pass over the middle intended for Hayden ended up directly in the hands of middle linebacker Steve Prince for the interception, giving North Texas back the ball at our 40 yard line. Cooper got the drive started with a three yard rush, followed by a 5 yard gain by Sanchez to leave third and two. Our defense rose to the occasion on third down, sacking Sanchez for a loss of two yards, leaving the Mean Green with fourth and four at our 34 yard line. Apparently not trusting their kicker, North Texas opted to go for it on fourth down instead of attempt the field goal, the pass intended for Mark Coleman broken up to force the turnover on downs.
Returning to the field on offense, it was turning into a “pick your poison” moment, with a running game that was, at the moment, being shut down, and a passing game led by a quarterback who had just thrown his fourth interception in three games. Choosing the poison of the running game, Oliver was able to prove the less deadly option, finding a way to get 6 yards on the first down carry. Oliver tried to stretch the second down play toward the far sideline, but was quickly run down by the outside linebacker for a gain of one yard, leaving third and three. Pitching the ball to the left on third down, Oliver tried his best, but couldn’t make it, tackled for a two yard gain to leave fourth and one. No return on the 45 yard punt left North Texas starting at their 13 yard line for the next drive.
It seemed like another short drive was in store, as the first down pass by Sanchez fell woefully incomplete, but he was able to connect with Brandon Carroll on the next play for a 19 yard gain, getting the Mean Green moving with a first down at the 32. The drive would come to a end three plays later, as two incomplete passes and a four yard rush by Cooper left the punt team trotting out on fourth and 6. A 6 yard return by Jefferson on the 46 yard punt and we were back in action at our 24 yard line. Oliver was able to avoid a tackle in the backfield, racing toward the left sideline and managing a 7 yard gain to the 31. Heading back to the right on second down, Oliver tried to turn it up around the right hash to avoid the cornerback, but was quickly pushed by the safety who had quickly crashed down, only getting two yards on the play to leave third and one. Smith never had a chance to convert on third and short, tackled for a two yard loss to leave fourth and three. A fair catch on the 45 yard punt and North Texas was back on the field at their 24.
North Texas again showed some signs of life on offense, as Sanchez found Carroll over the middle for an 8 yard gain. But two incomplete passes would doom yet another drive, as the punt team came back out on fourth and two. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt, and it was back in to action at our 23 yard line. Leaving the run game in the back of the playbook this drive, the results quickly paid off as Jefferson broke open deep over the middle, hauling in the pass from Stephens for a 25 yard gain and a first down at the 49. Trying to hit Hayden on the post route, the ball was broken up (thankfully not intercepted) by the safety, leaving second and long. Antoine Banks was able to haul in a pass from Stephens for a 7 yard gain, leaving third and three at the NT 44. Keeping the passing attack going, the pass intended for Barnes was batted down by the middle linebacker, leaving fourth and three. The punt landed at the 5 yard line, bouncing into the end zone for a touchback.
North Texas came out firing this drive, and it paid off, as Sanchez found Jackson for a big 26 yard gain and an immediate first down at the 46 yard line. Another pass, this time to Coleman for 16 yards, and North Texas had a new set of downs at our 38. After an incomplete pass on first down, our defense struck back with a vengeance, sacking Sanchez for an 11 yard loss, leaving the Mean Green facing third and 21 from the 49 yard line. They would only go backwards, as Cooper was tackled for a two yard loss, ending a drive that held massive potential and promise with the punt team trotting out on fourth and 23. North Texas would get the last laugh, as no return on the 41 yard punt left our offense to start our next drive at the 10 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, but was gobbled up in the backfield for a one yard loss. The next play would end in disaster, as Oliver plowed up the middle of the line, getting about four yards before he was stripped of the ball, the fumble recovered by outside linebacker Anthony Brant to give North Texas the ball at our 12 yard line with 46 seconds left before halftime.
Our defense wasn’t going to make it easy on the Mean Green, sacking Sanchez for a three yard loss on first down, the first timeout by the offense stopping the clock with 42 seconds. They were able to make up the lost yards as Sanchez found Carroll for a 9 yard gain, leaving third and four at our 7 yard line, the second timeout stopping the clock with 36 seconds to go. An incomplete pass intended for Jackson left the North Texas coaching staff with a decision to make, as they faced fourth and four from our 7 yard line. The Mean Green came out in field goal formation, but it ended up being a ballsy fake field goal, as backup quarterback and holder Tim Bush hit David Jackson in the end zone for the 7 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 10-7 with 26 seconds left on the clock. A touchback on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 25 yard line, Oliver taking the handoff up the middle for no gain, running the final 15 seconds off the clock to bring the second quarter to an end, as we headed into halftime with a 10-7 lead.
Opening up the third quarter, a touchback on the kickoff gave North Texas the ball at their 25 yard line to begin the second half. It was looking like another short drive for the green faithful, as two dropped passes by Jackson left North Texas facing third and long. It ended up being a short drive on the next play, as cornerback Chad Wheeler intercepted a pass from Sanchez near midfield, returning it 38 yards before being tackled at the North Texas 10 yard line to give us first and goal. The first down rush by Oliver picked up 7 yards, leaving second and goal at the three. Oliver would punch it in on the next play, plowing into the mass of bodies ahead of him and driving and pushing forward into the end zone for the three yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead with 7:59 left in the third quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left North Texas again trailing by double digits, as they began their drive at their 25 yard line. Our defense gave them some major help, as a 15 yard facemask penalty at the end of a two yard run set North Texas up with a first down at the 42 yard line. Cooper took the handoff on first down, but found nowhere to go, tackled for a three yard loss. Trying his luck a second time, Cooper was able to gain 7 yards on the ground, leaving third and 6 from the 46. That third and 6 turned into third and 11 courtesy of a false start penalty, turning a molehill into a mountain for the offense. North Texas nearly converted third down, as Sanchez found Moss over the middle for an 11 yard gain, but the refs marked him short, leaving fourth and inches at our 48 yard line. Cooper would get the job done, converting fourth and short with a 5 yard rush to get the fresh set of downs at our 44. After an incomplete pass on first down, Cooper took the ball around the left tackle, fighting his way to a four yard gain, followed by a four yard gain by Sanchez on a scramble to bring up fourth and two at the 36. North Texas would again try to convert fourth down, failing this time as Ryan Morales was tackled for a two yard loss, turning the ball over on downs at our 38 yard line.
Taking over at the 38, Oliver took the ball on first down, but found no success at all on the ground, quickly brought down for no gain. Going into the air on second down, the pass intended for Jefferson was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker but thankfully dropped, leaving third and long. Stephens was able to hook up with Smith along the right hash on third down, but it wouldn’t be enough as Smith was tackled for a gain of only 8 yards, leaving the punt unit coming out on fourth and two. No return on the 51 yard punt gave us top rank in the punting war, leaving North Texas buried at their three yard line.
North Texas wouldn’t remain there for long however, as a pair of rushes by Cooper for gains of three and 8 yards got a quick first down at the 14 yard line. A two yard rush by Sanchez was followed with a pass to Jackson for a 13 yard gain and first down at the 29. Our defense again screwed us, flagged for another facemask on a four yard carry, giving North Texas 19 free yards and a first down at the 48 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Carroll was followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 5. Sanchez was able to complete the third down pass to Carroll, but the defense quickly brought him down for only a one yard gain, leaving fourth and four at our 46, North Texas once again failing to parlay a facemask penalty (and a bunch of free yards) by the defense into points. The punt sailed 49 yards into the end zone for a touchback, giving us back the ball at our 20 yard line.
Giving the run game a chance, Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle, fighting his way to a three yard gain. On second down, Oliver was a supposed to go between the left tackle and guard, but finding the hole closed, bounced outside. With the safety crashing down to make a play, Oliver stretched out toward the sideline, getting a small edge and able to get 12 yards on the play before being wrestled down at the 35 yard line, thought it came at a price as Oliver was sidelined for a couple plays with back spasms. Following his blockers on first down, Smith was able to break into the second level around the right tackle, turning up at the last second to cut off the cornerback, tackled forward from behind by the safety for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 45 yard line. Shaking off one tackle in the backfield, Smith was unable to break free from the defensive tackle, brought down for no gain to leave second and long. Countering to the left on second down, Eric Silva could only manage three yards, leaving third and 8 at the 47. Going into the air on third down, Stephens was able to hook up with Randy Newman for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the North Texas 45 yard line. That would bring the third quarter to an end as the final 10 seconds ran off the clock, our lead holding at 17-7.
Starting the fourth quarter, Stephens kept the ball himself, going off the right tackle, but could only get three yards before all the holes closed up and the defense surrounded him. Taking a chance with an option play, Stephens was able to get the pitch off at the last second to Smith, who picked up four yards on the play to leave third and three. Silva made the play of the drive, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 27. Smith hauled in a first down pass from Stephens, juking away from a diving tackler and picking up 6 yards on the play, though it too came at a price, Smith sidelined after the play with a bruised elbow, keeping him out for a while. Barely avoiding a sack, Stephens got the ball off to Banks for a 6 yard gain and a first down at the 15 yard line, keeping the drive moving. A quick pass to Kyle Jones was complete for four yards, followed by a 10 yard pass to Oliver to set up first and goal at the one yard line. Despite being hit in the backfield by two defenders, Oliver was able to keep the legs pumping and carry all three of them into the end zone for the one yard touchdown, giving us a 24-7 lead and all but sealing the victory with 5:30 left on the clock.
A touchback on the kickoff gave North Texas the ball at their 25 yard line, any hopes the Mean Green had of getting back in this game nearly all vaporized. Cooper got the drive started with an 8 yard rush, followed by an 8 yard pass from Sanchez to Banks, setting up a first down at the 40 yard line. Sanchez connected with Banks a second time, this one a 19 yard gain to move the chains to our 41 yard line. Cooper took the ball on first down, but was tackled for a loss of three yards, followed by an incomplete pass from Sanchez to bring up third and 13. The third down pass intended for Cooper fell incomplete, and North Texas was left facing fourth and very long at our 44 yard line. The Mean Green went for it on fourth down, but the pass from Sanchez was batted down at the line of scrimmage, forcing the turnover on downs at our 44 with 4:15 left in the game.
Oliver took the handoff on first down, plowing his way up the middle for a 10 yard gain, with an extra 15 yards tacked on thanks to a facemask penalty on safety Rodney Cronin on the tackle, giving us a first down at the North Texas 31 yard line. Oliver had a chance at breaking through a hole on first down, but a quick tackle by the defensive tackle saved the big gain, taking Oliver down for just three yards to leave second and 7. Taking a shot through the air, the pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the safety, leaving third and 7. Hayden was able to haul in the pass the second time around, good for a gain of 8 yards and the first down at the 20 yard line. Keeping it in the air, Stephens was able to get off the pass to Banks for a 13 yard pickup, giving us first and goal at the 7 yard line. Throwing on first down, the pass intended for Newman was broken up. Threading the needle between both cornerbacks and both safeties, Stephens was able to hook up with Jefferson for the 7 yard touchdown, giving us a 31-7 lead with 3:04 left in the game. Some people make call our pass heavy drive nothing but running up the score, and they would be correct, as we took out many of our frustrations from our current 1-4 slide on the North Texas defense.
A 21 yard kickoff return got North Texas set up at their 23 yard line for their next drive. It looked to be a short drive, as two dropped passes by Cooper left the Mean Green facing third and long. Sanchez finally completed a pass to Coleman on the third down play, good for a 10 yard gain, but an unfavorable spot by the refs left North Texas stuck with fourth and inches at the 33 yard line. The Mean Green attempted to go for it on fourth down, but Cooper never had a chance on the carry, tackled for a three yard loss to force the turnover on downs at the 30 yard line with 2:29 left to play.
If we were accused of running up the score last drive, the North Texas fans were screaming bloody murder this drive, as we came out throwing from the start. Unfortunately, the defense refused to give us anything, three straight incomplete passes to Oliver, Banks and Newman leaving us facing fourth and 10 at the 30 yard line. We were still able to put some points on the board, as Glover nailed a 47 yard field goal down the middle to extend our lead to 34-7 with 2:15 left to play.
A 15 yard kickoff return left North Texas beginning at their 16 yard line. It was straight backwards as Cooper was tackled for a four yard loss, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and 14. The third down pass, intended for Coleman, was broken up by the safety, leaving the punt team coming out at their 12 yard line. A 13 yard return on a 38 yard punt gave us back the ball at the North Texas 37 yard line, just 1:40 remaining. Calling off the dogs, Oliver took the first down handoff up the middle for a three yard gain, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and 5 with 45 seconds to go. On the final play of the game, Oliver was tackled for a one yard gain, as the last 10 seconds ticked off the clock, giving us the 34-7 victory to claim only our second win in the last six games.
With the win, we improve to 7-4, 4-3 in C-USA action. With the loss, North Texas falls to 4-6, 3-4 in C-USA play. Up next, it’s back onto the road to wrap up our regular season, with a trip to Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs enter the game at 3-8 on the year, 2-5 in C-USA action. Louisiana Tech opened their season with a 38-9 win over Jacksonville State, before going on a four game losing streak, losing 45-28 at Central Florida, 45-10 at Marshall, 20-14 at Louisiana-Monroe and 48-10 at Oklahoma. They got back in the win column with a 45-35 win over UAB. It was then right back into a second four game losing streak, starting with a 41-38 overtime loss at Southern Miss, a 38-21 loss to UTSA, a 31-24 defeat at Rice and a 28-21 overtime loss to North Texas. Louisiana Tech then got their biggest win of the season, going on the road and knocking off UTEP 28-10 to give them a giant morale boost heading into our regular season ending contest.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 34, :North_Texas: 7
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense – A fairly decent day for Stephens, ending 15-26 for 177 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw an interception, his fourth in three games. Thankfully it didn't screw us. Rushing, it was all Oliver, ending with 110 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. Only black marks were the two fumbles, one lost, that Oliver coughed up. Receiving, Jefferson led the way today, ending with 90 yards and the lone receiving touchdown of the game on four receptions. In all, eight receivers caught a pass today, and five receivers ended the game with double digit receiving yards.
Tulsa Defense – A great day by the defense, holding North Texas to 7 points, sacking the QB three times and ending with one interception. Need more games like that.
Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day for Glover, ending 2-2 in field goal, both from 47 yards out, and 4-4 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 10 0 7 17 34 :North_Texas: 0 7 0 0 7
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:34 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 11 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 3:55 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 47 yard field goal :Tulsa: 10-0 Second Quarter 0:26 :North_Texas: Touchdown D. Jackson, 6 yard pass from T. Bush (R. Woods kick) :Tulsa: 10-7 Third Quarter 7:59 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 3 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 17-7 Fourth Quarter 5:30 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 24-7 3:04 :Tulsa: Touchdown C. Jefferson, 7 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 31-7 2:15 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 47 yard field goal :Tulsa: 34-7
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat North Texas 34 Score 7 15 First Downs 10 307 Total Offense 229 35 - 130 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 22 - 42 - 0 15 - 26 - 1 Comp - Att - TD 17 - 40 - 1 177 Passing Yards 187 0 Times Sacked 3 3 - 11 (27%) 3rd Down Conversion 0 - 15 (0%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 2 - 6 (33%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 6 - 4 - 0 (66%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 1 - 0 (25%) 2 Turnovers 1 1 Fumbles Lost 0 1 Intercepted 1 17 Punt Return Yards 0 0 Kick Return Yards 52 324 Total Yards 281 5 – 46.6 Punts - Average 8 - 45.4 2 - 30 Penalties 4 - 45 24:49 Time of Possession 11:11
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 24 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 7 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 58% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
38%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, #1 Notre Dame moves one game away from another perfect regular season and a second straight title game berth with a 45-10 thrashing of UMass. #2 Arkansas State manages to keep their BCS dream alive with a 29-17 victory over Western Kentucky. #3 USC rolls over UCLA 59-7, ending the hopes of a bowl game for Bruins fans. #4 Oklahoma thumps Texas Tech 45-17. Maryland keeps their bowl hopes alive, stunning #6 Florida State 20-14. #7 Alabama fights off Texas A&M 35-21. #8 Iowa downs #15 Michigan 35-14. #9 Miami scores 17 straight points between the third and fourth quarters to come back and fight off #20 Georgia Tech, 20-16.
#11 Michigan State beats down #22 Northwestern 55-21. Arkansas sends #12 Mississippi State to their third straight loss, 18-10. #14 Nebraska steamrolls Minnesota 48-6. #16 Georgia whoops Kentucky 48-17. #17 South Carolina holds off Florida 20-13. #18 Virginia scores 17 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winner with 1:25 left to comeback and beat Duke 34-27. #19 TCU holds on to beat West Virginia 35-25. Oklahoma State makes a case for re-entry to the top 25, with a 27-17 upset of #23 Texas. #24 Southern Miss rolls to a 52-14 beating of UAB. Connecticut whoops #25 Houston 45-14.
For our readers, souljahbill, #24 Southern Miss, improves to 10-1 (6-1 C-USA) with a 52-14 win over UAB. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 5-6 (4-4 Pac-12) with a bye week ahead of the Duel in the Desert. Mors, West Virginia falls to 4-6 (3-4 Big 12), with a 35-24 loss to #19 TCU. Jeff, #13 Ohio State remains 10-1 (8-0 Big Ten) with a bye week ahead of The Game. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 10-0 (5-0 Sun Belt) with a 29-17 win over Western Kentucky. On a personal note, Navy improves to 6-5 (4-3 Big East) with a 38-17 win over Army to claim the C-I-C Trophy.
In C-USA action, Tulsa beats North Texas 34-7, #24 Southern Miss smacks UAB 52-14, in the upset of the week, Louisiana Tech knocks off UTEP 28-10, Marshall beats MTSU 45-21, UTSA matches Louisiana Tech and knocks off Rice 21-17, and in non-conference action, Florida International knocks off Missouri 45-35 to keep their bowl hopes alive.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Marshall and Southern Miss (both 6-1) remain tied for the division and set up the major showdown next week in Marshall with the division and a C-USA Championship Game spot on the line. In the West Division, both UTEP and Rice lose this week, which costs Rice a huge opportunity to even things up. As it stands, UTEP (5-2) remains #1, followed by Rice (5-3) and technically Tulsa (4-3), but we would lose out on any tiebreakers so we're out. Rice is done for the year, UTEP has one last game at home with North Texas. Even if UTEP were to lose, they still hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Rice (thanks to that 49-14 thrashing last week) and should have the West Division now sealed up.
Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (11-0) and #2 Arkansas State (10-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (33 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (28 votes) remains #2. USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Iowa climbs two to #6, Alabama remains #7, Miami moves up one to #8, BYU jumps one to #9 and Michigan State climbs one to #10. Ohio State jumps two to #11, Nebraska climbs two to #12, Georgia moves up three to #13, South Carolina climbs three to #14 and Virginia jumps three to #15. TCU climbs three to #16, Auburn moves up four to #17, Florida State tumbles twelve to #18, Michigan falls four to #19 and Mississippi State drops eight to #20. Oklahoma State re-enters the poll at #21, Southern Miss jumps two to #22, Arizona enters the poll at #23, San Diego State enters the poll at #24 and Northern Illinois enters the poll this week at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #20), Northwestern (from #22), Texas (from #23) and Houston (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Arkansas (204 votes) is #26, followed by Georgia Tech (181), Utah (179), Oregon (151) and Kansas State (102) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include SMU (90), Northwestern (78), Colorado State (37) and Texas (30).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (45 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (20 votes) remains #2, USC remains #3, Oklahoma remains #4 and Virginia Tech remains #5. Alabama remains #6, Iowa climbs one to #7, BYU jumps one to #8, Miami moves up one to #9 and Michigan State climbs three to #10. Ohio State jumps three to #11, Virginia climbs three to #12, Nebraska moves up three to #13, Georgia climbs three to #14 and South Carolina jumps three to #15. TCU climbs three spots to #16, Auburn jumps four to #17, Michigan falls six spots to #18, Mississippi State drops eight to #19 and Florida State plummets thirteen ranks to #20. Oklahoma State moves up three to #21, Southern Miss jumps three to #22, Arizona enters the poll at #23, San Diego State enters the poll this week at #24 and Arkansas enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #20), Northwestern (from #22) and Texas (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northern Illinois (175 votes) is #26, followed by Oregon (168), Georgia Tech (154), Utah (135) and SMU (62) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Colorado State (19).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 USC (0.989), #4 Oklahoma (0.982), #5 Virginia Tech (0.978), #6 Iowa (0.970), #7 Alabama (0.970), #8 Miami (0.959), #9 Michigan State (0.951) and #10 BYU (0.951).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #4), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #3 (LW: #5), USC HB Blake Cross at #4 (LW: NR) and Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #5 (LW: #2). Falling off the Heisman Watch list this week was Virginia Tech HB Jay Smith (LW: #3).
Looking at the bowl picture, 5 teams were knocked out this week as they hit 7 losses. 62 teams have reached the 6 win plateau, 25 teams still have a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave 87 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.
Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Hawaii Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on Wyoming (7-3, 1-1) out of the WAC. The AutZone Liberty Bowl would feature #22 Southern Miss (10-1, 6-1 C-USA) matching up with Connecticut (6-4, 5-2 Big East). #11 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #3 USC (10-1, 9-0 Pac-12).
Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #11 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) against #3 USC (10-1, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has #14 South Carolina (7-4, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #8 Miami (8-3, 6-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #5 Virginia Tech (9-1, 7-1 ACC) matching up with #7 Alabama (9-2, 6-2 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #4 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) and #6 Iowa (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (10-0, 5-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (11-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
Game Twelve
:Tulsa: :@: :Louisiana_Tech:
Game Notes
--- With our second two game losing streak history, it was back onto the road to conclude the regular season, and our last C-USA game, at Louisiana Tech. We would finally catch a break, as the Bulldogs entered the game with a less than stellar defense, their highest ranking coming in at #80 nationally in pass defense (231.2 yards/game). However, on the other side of the coin, the Bulldogs entered with the #14 passing offense, throwing for over 277.8 yards a game. That would be the only saving grace for them, as their running game was an abomination, ranked #118, gaining only 87.9 yards/game on the ground. If we could finally put an end to the turnovers and our defense shut down the passing game, we would be able to end the regular season on a high note. But, we couldn’t afford to overlook the Bulldogs. After all, at 3-8 on the season, they had nothing to lose, playing for honor and memories in front of their home crowd and trying to send their seniors out on top. Louisiana Tech won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A 21 yard kickoff return by Eric Hayden got the game opened up, as our offense came out to start at the 20 yard line. Leading with the running game this time around, the Bulldogs were more than ready for us, as Will Oliver was quickly tackled for no gain. Going into the air on second down to try and shut up the fans, they would only roar louder when middle linebacker Chad Palmer intercepted the pass intended for Hayden, returning it two yards to set Louisiana Tech up at our 27 yard line. Titus Brothers took the ball on first down, picking up four yards on the ground, before dropping back to pass, his throw intended for Brett Pearson falling incomplete to bring up third and 6. Our defense struck back, sacking Brothers for a 10 yard loss, leaving Louisiana Tech with fourth and 16 at the 32. Our dumbass defense then gave those yards right back, slapped with roughing the kicker, giving Louisiana Tech 15 free yards and a first down at the 17. The Bulldogs took full advantage of our defense’s gift, as Brothers connected with Nick Jenkins for a 15 yard gain, leaving first and goal at the two yard line. Louisiana Tech would get on the board on the next play, as Brothers hit Matthew Anderson in the back of the end zone for the two yard touchdown, going up 7-0 with 7:20 left in the first quarter.
Conner Jefferson got us off to a much better start this time around, returning the kickoff 25 yards out to our 33 yard line. Throwing up a pass to Jefferson, it was away off-target, sailing over Jefferson’s head and nearly intercepted by the safety. Trying to hit Roy Smith on the next, the middle linebacker batted down the ball, leaving third down, still not single offensive yard gained. Taking a shot down the right sideline, the pass intended for Jefferson was broken up by the cornerback, leaving the punt team coming out. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt got Louisiana Tech back on offense at their 20 yard line.
It was looking like a long day for our defense, as Brothers came out firing, hitting Ray Hoffman for a 22 yard pass and an immediate first down at the 41. After an incomplete pass, Jenkins got tackled for a two yard loss, leaving third and 12. The Bulldogs were nearly able to convert, Hoffman pulling in a second pass for a 9 yard gain, but they were left with fourth and four. Louisiana Tech came out in punt formation but ran a fake punt, the pass from Ryan Moore intended for Mike Valentine falling incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at the Bulldogs’ 48 yard line.
Trying to prove that our passing game could do something, the first down pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the middle linebacker, and we still were held without a completion or any offensive yards gained. Antoine Banks would be the savior of our offense, hauling in a pass from Stephens along the right sideline for a 12 yard gain, giving us our first completed pass, our first offensive yards and first down number one with 5:48 left in the quarter. Turning that completion into some momentum, Jefferson reeled in a 7 yard pass to leave second and three. Jefferson tried to get the first down on the play, but the pass intended for him was batted away by the outside linebacker, leaving third and short. Randy Newman would keep the drive alive, catching a pass from Stephens for a 6 yard pickup to move the chains to the 23 yard line. Returning to the run game, Oliver made the most of it, breaking up the middle for a 10 yard gain to leave second and inches. Keeping the ball on second down, Oliver fought his way forward for a four yard gain, setting up first and goal at the 10 yard line. A heavy blitz on first down limited Oliver to just a single yard, bringing up second and goal at the 9. Pulling out the option play, the Bulldogs never had a chance, as Stephens turned the corner outside the right tackle, got up field and pitched the ball to Oliver at the last moment, Oliver rumbling over a defender for the 9 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got Louisiana Tech started at their 25. It was more of the same head banging on wall inducing play, as Brothers connected with Hoffman for a 7 yard gain, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and three. Our defense then continued to slit their own throats, a 15 yard pass interference penalty giving Louisiana Tech a first down at their 47. Brothers found Jenkins on first down for a 7 yard gain, before the Bulldogs suffered a setback from a false start penalty, leaving second and 8. After an incomplete pass to force third down, it got even worse, as a holding penalty on the offense pushed them back ever further, leaving third and 18 at the 39 yard line. Louisiana Tech very nearly still managed to convert it, as Anderson broke free down the left sideline, but the pass from Brothers was dropped, bringing out the punt team on fourth and 18. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt got us back on the field at our 18 yard line.
Oliver did his damnedest to break free on the first down carry, fighting all the way into the secondary for a 14 yard rush and a first down at the 32. Tossing the ball to the right, Oliver never had any hope, receiving the ball only to have to break free of a tackle right away, and then get swarmed before he could recover, tackled for a 5 yard loss. Looking to recover the lost yards, it was into the air, as the pass from Stephens hit Jefferson right in the hands, but he was unable to hang on during contact from the cornerback and safety, bringing up third and 15. Banks was able to get his hands on the third down pass, but timely contact by the outside linebacker broke the play up, the ball dropped incomplete to bring out the punt team. A fair catch on the 48 yard punt gave Louisiana Tech the ball at the 25.
Hoffman started the drive with a two yard rush, followed by an incomplete pass intended for Jenkins to bring up third and 8. The Bulldogs got very close to converting, Brothers finding Anderson open over the middle, but the defense was able to bring him down for only a 7 yard gain, leaving the Bulldogs punting on fourth and one. A 10 yard punt return by Jefferson on the 39 yard punt and we were back in action at our 36 yard line. Abandoning any fancy running plays, Oliver took a pair of handoffs for gains of 5 and two yards, leaving third and three at the 43 yard line. That would be where the first quarter would come to an end, as the clock hit all zeroes, still a 7-7 tie.
Opening up the second quarter, facing third and three, we came out in a run play designed for Oliver, but with the linebackers sneaking up to the line, Stephens quickly checked off to a pass play, Marcus Mullins coming out of the tight end position to grab a 9 yard pass from Stephens for the first down at the Louisiana Tech 48 yard line. Getting a big hole thanks to the blitzing linebackers, and a timely block, Oliver took the first down carry for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 37. Trying to keep the defense guessing, we came out passing on first down, Smith catching a pass from out of the backfield, and thanks to a great block by Hayden, was able to race down the sideline for a 30 yard gain, finally brought down by the safety at the LTU 7 yard line to set up first and goal. Thanks to a couple blocks, Oliver was able to pick up 5 yards on the first down carry, leaving second and goal at the two. Receiving the handoff on second down and leaping into the air, Smith dove up and over the mass of bodies in front of him and into the end zone for the two yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 7:30 left in the second quarter.
A 22 yard kickoff return got Louisiana Tech back on the field at their 21 yard line, looking for a response. They wouldn’t find one as three straight incomplete pass, two of them dropped, brought the drive to a sudden end. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 44 yard punt got us back in action at our 35 yard line. Putting the ball back into the hands of Oliver, he was able to weave his way past a couple different blocks on his way to an 11 yard rush and a first down at the 46. The next carry was decidedly less successful, as Oliver was tackled for no gain to bring up second and long. Returning to the pass attack, the defense struck blood, sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave us with third and 18. The third down pass intended for Oliver fell incomplete, and a drive that started with promise ended in disaster, as the punt team came out on fourth down. Just to rub our faces in it even more, we got tagged with a false start penalty on the punt, pushing us back 5 yards to fourth and 23. Finally getting the punt off, a four yard return on the 46 yard kick set Louisiana Tech up at their 25.
The Bulldogs came out firing short passes, as Brothers connected with both Pearsonand Anderson for 5 yard gains to get the first down at the 35 yard line. The drive would stall out there, as two incomplete passes and a completion to Jenkins for one yard left the Bulldogs punting on fourth and 9, this game suddenly turning into a defensive battle after the early offensive displays. A three yard return by Jefferson on the 45 yard punt left us at our 21 yard line.
Coming out firing through the air on first down, it paid off as Jefferson was able to get enough separation from his man to haul in the pass and pick up some extra yards, finally tackled at the 49 yard line for a 28 yard gain. Continuing through the air on second down, Stephens connected with Bobby Smith along the right sideline for a 19 yard pickup and a first down at the Louisiana Tech 32. We got some back news after the play, Jefferson suffering from back spams, keeping him sidelined for at least the rest of the drive. The pass intended for R. Smith was no good, batted incomplete to bring up second down. A quick pass to Carl Barnes went for 5 yards, leaving third and 5. Trying to find Hayden along the left sideline, the pass was broken up by the outside linebacker, nearly intercepted in the process. Left with fourth and 5 from the 27 yard line, the 44 yard field goal by David Glover split the uprights, extending our lead to 17-7 with 3:16 left before halftime.
A touchback on the following kickoff gave Louisiana Tech the ball at their 25 yard line, looking for any points here. It was a good start for the Bulldogs, as Chaz Humphrey pulled down a pass from Brothers for 8 yards. Our defense helped out again, tagged with a 5 yard facemask penalty at the end of an 11 yard rush by Brothers, setting up first down at the 49 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, the Bulldogs crossed midfield on a 6 yard rush by Jenkins to leave third and four. The drive would stall at our 45 after an incomplete pass on third down. The Bulldogs again came out running a fake punt, but the pass by Moore fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs at our 45 yard line with 2:20 left before half.
Throwing on first down, Banks hauled in a pass from Stephens for a 10 yard gain, giving us a quick first down at the LTU 44 yard line. Welcoming Jefferson back to the field, Stephens threw up a pass to him along the right sideline, complete for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at the 25 yard line. Handing off the ball on first down, Oliver spun off an initial tackle attempt in the backfield, fighting for two yards to bring up second and 8. Returning to the pass, Barnes was able to beat the middle linebacker to the ball, turning up field and running down to the 7 yard line for a 16 yard completion to give us first and goal. Giving the ball to Smith, he was able to pick up three yards on the play, setting up second and goal at the four. Oliver took the ball on second down, picking up two yards to leave third and goal at the two yard line, our first timeout stopping the clock with 29 seconds to go. Oliver would get the job done on the next play, following his blocker straight up the middle for the two yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead with 27 seconds left until halftime.
A touchback on the kickoff left Louisiana Tech started from their 25. The Bulldogs waived the white flag on the first half, Robbie Washington taking the ball up the middle for a three yard gain, running out the final seconds and taking us into halftime with a 24-7 lead.
Opening up the third quarter, Brad Jackson returned the kickoff 24 yards to set Louisiana Tech up at their 26 yard to start the third quarter. Our defense continued to play their asses off, sacking Brothers for a three yard loss on first down. Brothers was able to get those yards back on the next play, scrambling for a gain of three, leaving third and long. An incomplete pass intended for Hoffman brought the drive to an end exactly where it started. A fair catch called by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt gave us our first possession of the second half at our 26 yard line.
Receiving the pitched ball to the left, Oliver never had a chance, as a blitz by the defense left him nowhere to go, tackled for a 6 yard loss to leave second and 16. Hayden was able to make up the lost yards, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 7 yard gain, giving us third and 9. A pass along the right sideline to Banks reeled in 11 yards and a first down at the 38 yard line. Oliver took the handoff on first down, unable to find anywhere to go, tackled for no gain. Returning to the passing game, a diving catch by Jefferson picked up 8 yards to leave third and two. Smith was able to get the third down conversion, rumbling ahead for a gain of four yards to move the chains to midfield. Dumping the ball to avoid a sack, the pass was complete to Oliver, but he was quickly tackled in the backfield, resulting in a 5 yard loss to leave second and 15. Hit as he threw, the pass from Stephens intended for Newman was a wounded duck, landing at the heels of the right tackle to bring up third down. Banks was able to get his hands on the third down pass, but came up short, picking up only 14 yards to leave us punting away on fourth and one. The punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback.
Taking over at their 20 yard line, Louisiana Tech still couldn’t get their passing game restarted, as three straight incomplete passes brought another drive to an end without any gain. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt, and we were back in action at our 42. Oliver was able to pick up four yards on the first down carry, followed by an 8 yard rush to get the first down at the LTU 46 yard line. Smith would end up slaughtering the drive on the next play, hit in the backfield and fumbling the ball, the fumble recovered by defensive end SteveLuke to give Louisiana Tech possession at our 42 yard line.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Brothers finally found success through the air, connecting with Chad Brown for a 14 yard gain and a first down at our 28 yard line. After two incomplete passes intended for Hoffman, Humphrey pulled down a ball for a gain of 5 yards, leaving the Bulldogs with a decision to make, go for it on fourth and 5 or kick the field goal. Going for it on fourth down, the Bulldogs would end up pushed back, a holding penalty leaving them facing fourth and 15 at the 33. Apparently with a kicker unable to kicking a 50 yard field goal, the Bulldogs punted the ball for a touchback, giving us back the ball without an damage at the 20.
An 8 yard gain on first down by Oliver was followed by a three yard gain to get the first down at the 31. Oliver tried to get outside the left tackle on the next play, but was tackled for a loss of one yard. Taking over for Oliver for second down, Smith committed his second fumble of the game, recovered thankfully by right guard Will Carter for a loss of 11 yards, leaving third and 22 and Smith getting benched in favor of sophomore Eric Silva. Dropping back to pass, Stephens was blasted as he went to throw, the ball going straight up and hanging perilously long in the air, nearly intercepted by the second defender involved in the sack. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt gave Louisiana Tech back the ball at their 34 yard line.
The drive got off to a poor start thanks in part to a false start penalty, immediately putting the Bulldogs in a hole. Three incomplete passes would again see another drive come to an uneventful end, as the punt team came out on fourth and 15. A three yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt gave us back at our 31 yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, picking up four yards, followed by a three yard rush by Newman to leave third and three. That would be the final play of the quarter, as the last seconds ticked off the clock bringing the third quarter to an end, our lead still 24-7.
Opening up the fourth quarter, we went into the air to get the first down, Barnes coming down with the pass for a 7 yard gain to move the chains to the 45. Keeping it going, Newman hauled in a pass for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches. Trying to get the first down on the ground Silva never had a chance on the handoff, tackled immediately for a four yard loss to bring up third and 5. Newman was able to pull down the third down pass from Stephens, just getting to the first down line before being tackled, picking up 5 yards and the first down at the LTU 45. A first down pass to Silva gained only one yard, followed by a 5 yard throw to Banks to leave third and four at the 39. Putting the ball into the hands of Smith, he could only get one yard on the play, leaving fourth and three at the 38. Attempting a 55 yard field goal, the kick by Glover just skirted underneath the crossbar and no good, giving Louisiana Tech the ball at their 38.
After an incomplete pass on first down, we got tagged with a penalty that resulted in only 8 yards and a first down at the 45 yard line. Brothers used that new set of downs to hit Hoffman over the middle for an 8 yard gain, followed by an incomplete pass to leave third and two. Brothers would keep the ball himself on third down, rushing for 5 yards to convert at our 41 yard line. After a dropped ball by Anderson and an incomplete pass on second down, Brothers connected with Brown for a 17 yard gain and a first down at the 24. The drive would come to an end, as Brothers took a shot at the end zone, middle linebacker Jermaine Clark intercepting the pass at the goal line and returning it 14 yards, giving us back at the ball at our 14.
Taking over after the interception, Oliver picked up three yards up the middle, followed by a one yard gain to leave third and 6. Going to the air on third down, the pass intended for Barnes overshot him and landed incomplete, bringing out the punt team. We got new life on the punt, thanks to a roughing the punter penalty to give us 15 yards and a new set of downs at our 33. Shaking off one tackle, Silva couldn’t recover in time for the second defender, brought down for a one yard loss, followed by a four yard loss by Smith to leave third and 15. The defense would complete the whooping on this drive, sacking Stephens for a 9 yard loss before he could throw the ball, leaving the punt team returning to the field on fourth and 24. Carlos Wilcox was able to get the punt off this time, a fair catch on the 45 yard boot setting Louisiana Tech up at their 36.
Coming out passing, Brothers completed two passes to Anderson for gains of 5 and 8 yards, getting a quick first down at the 49 yard line. With the clock dropping under two minutes to play, Brothers found Pearson for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 10 yard pass to Mark Rose for another first down at our 36. After two incomplete passes, Brothers connected with Hoffman for 10 yards, but the officials marked him short of the marker, leaving fourth and inches at the 26 yard line. Going for it on fourth down, Brothers found Hoffman for 17 yards to set up first and goal at our 9 yard line. The defense got to Brothers on the next play, sacking him for a loss of 7 yards, leaving second and goal at the 16. Brothers was able to recover the lost yardage, finding Pearson for an 8 yard gain, bringing up third and goal at the 8 yard line with just 1:02 left in the game. Louisiana Tech would finally get back into the end zone, as Humphrey pulled down the 8 yard touchdown pass from Brothers, cutting our lead to 24-14 with 53 seconds to go.
Bobby Smith recovered the onside kick for us, sending the offense out at the LTU 46 yard line to kneel out the final 50 seconds. The Bulldogs apparently weren’t content with just throwing in the towel, calling their first timeout after the play to stop the clock with 49 seconds to go. Since they weren’t ready to give up, we came out passing on second down, which proved to be a mistake, as Stephens was once again sacked for a 9 yard loss, leaving third and 21 at the 43 yard line, LTU’s second timeout stopping play with 46 seconds to go. Oliver stuck the knife in the heart, hauling in deep pass from Stephens for a 28 yard gain and a first down at the LTU 29 yard line. The Bulldogs called their final timeout, stopping the clock with 41 seconds to go. With no timeouts remaining for Louisiana Tech, Stephens was finally able to take to a knee one time and run out the clock on our 24-14 win over the Bulldogs.
With the win, we improve to 8-4, 5-3 in C-USA action. With the loss, Louisiana Tech falls to 3-9, 2-6 in C-USA play. Up next, the long wait to see how the remaining 5-win teams play out and then where we would go for a bowl game, if we manage to hold on to a bowl slot.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 24, :Louisiana_Tech: 14
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense - Ignoring yet another interception (his fifth in four games), it was actually a pretty good day for Stephens, who overcame a rough start passing to end 23-37 for 250 yards. He did get sacked three times though that killed our rushing numbers. Oliver led the way on the ground with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Unfortunately his numbers were torpedoed in the team stats thanks to negative 30 yards by Stephens in the three sacks, negative 5 yards by Silva, negative 7 yards by Newman, negative 11 yards by right guard Carter and negative 6 yards by fullback Robert Harper, those last two coming on recovered fumbles. Receiving, Jefferson was the top receiver, ending with 63 yards on four receptions. Banks at the most catches of the day, ending with five receptions for 52 yards. In all, we set a new team record, 10 different receivers caught at least one pass, seven of them ending with double digit yards for the game.
Tulsa Defense – A bad start, no thanks to Stephens throwing the interception, but they settled down and other than the desperation drive by Louisiana Tech at the very, they held the Bulldogs virtually silent the whole day.
Tulsa Kicking – Almost had a perfect day, but ended up 1-2 in field goal, hitting from 44 yards out, but missing from 55, a kick that needed just a hair more power to get it over the crossbar. Did end up a perfect 3-3 in PATs though.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 7 17 0 0 24 :Louisiana_Tech: 7 0 0 7 14
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 7:20 :Louisiana_Tech: Touchdown M. Anderson, 2 yard pass from T. Brothers (R. Moore kick) :Louisiana_Tech: 7-0 3:28 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 9 yard run (D. Glover kick) TIED 7-7 Second Quarter 7:30 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Smith, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-7 3:16 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 44 yard field goal :Tulsa: 17-7 0:27 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 24-7 Third Quarter --- --- --- --- --- Fourth Quarter 0:53 :Louisiana_Tech: Touchdown C. Humphrey, 7 yard pass from T. Brothers (R. Moore kick) :Tulsa: 24-14
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Louisiana Tech 24 Score 14 21 First Downs 10 302 Total Offense 235 40 - 52 - 3 Rushes - Yards - TD 7 - 21 - 0 23 - 37 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 24 - 56 - 2 250 Passing Yards 214 3 Times Sacked 3 8 - 17 (47%) 3rd Down Conversion 3 - 15 (20%) 0 - 0 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 3 (33%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 4 - 3 - 0 (75%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 2 - 0 (50%) 2 Turnovers 1 1 Fumbles Lost 0 1 Intercepted 1 21 Punt Return Yards 4 46 Kick Return Yards 46 369 Total Yards 285 6 – 45.8 Punts - Average 8 - 42.8 5 - 48 Penalties 6 - 55 20:56 Time of Possession 15:04
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 24 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 8 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 58% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
38%
Time for another look around the nation. Starting in the Top 25, in the game of the week, #1 Notre Dame clinches their spot in the title game with a dominating 55-31 win over #3 USC to capture the Jeweled Shillelagh. Notre Dame had a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, some back and forth scoring saw Notre Dame take a 24-10 halftime lead. USC was able to chip into it a little, as the Irish lead 34-24 after the third quarter. But a 21-7 fourth quarter scoring advantage won it for the Irish, as the Trojan couldn't keep it up. Meanwhile, #2 Arkansas State keeps their BCS title game hopes alive, scoring on a 5 yard run with 1:22 left in the game to hold off Troy, 24-17.
Bedlam ends in bedlam, as #21 Oklahoma State whoops #4 Oklahoma 49-21. #5 Virginia Tech gets a 41-21 win over #15 Virginia. #6 Iowa holds off a late comeback, slipping past #12 Nebraska 21-19. It was #17 Auburn taking the Iron Bowl this year, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead and rolled to a 24-10 win over #7 Alabama. #8 Miami escapes with a 42-38 win over North Carolina, the Hurricanes scoring the 28 yard game-winning touchdown pass with 59 seconds left in the game. Western Kentucky scores a huge upset, taking out #9 BYU's BCS hopes with a 33-17 win. #10 Michigan State edges out Wisconsin 24-21.
It was insanity at The Game, as #11 Ohio State an #19 Michigan went to double overtime after Ohio State knotted up the score with 1:42 left in the game. Ohio State had a 17-14 lead after one, it was tied up 24-24 at halftime, Michigan led 31-24 after three quarters, Ohio State tied it up midway through the fourth, Michigan retook the lead with 5 minutes to play, and then Ohio State had the touchdown at 1:42 to go to force overtime. Michigan opened up the OT period with a two yard touchdown run, to which Ohio State promptly answered with a 25 yard touchdown pass. The Buckeyes then turned around, drove down and scored with a two yard touchdown run, Michigan unable to punch in the equalizer, handing the Buckeyes the win in a 52-45 double OT thriller.
Georgia Tech knocks off #13 Georgia 38-7. Clemson picks up a rivalry win, taking down #14 South Carolina 45-21. Texas scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, throwing the game-winning 9 yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds to go, to knock off #16 TCU. Florida gets to .500 and keeps their bowl hopes alive, knocking off rival #18 Florida State 34-24. #20 Mississippi State broke their three game losing streak, beating rival Ole Miss 30-13 to close out the regular season. #22 Southern Miss pulls out a 34-13 win over Marshall. Despite one hell of a fight by Sparky, #23 Arizona proved to be too much for Arizona State, as the Wildcats won 45-35 to extinguish ASU's bowl hopes. Eastern Michigan makes it to bowl eligibility, upsetting #25 Northern Illinois 20-17.
For our readers, souljahbill, #22 Southern Miss improves to 11-1 (7-1 C-USA) with a 34-13 win over Marshall, clinching their spot in the C-USA title game. Jaymo, Arizona State put up a hell of a fight, but falls to 5-7 (4-5 Pac-12) with a 45-35 loss to #23 Arizona, eliminating the Sun Devils bowl hopes. Mors, West Virginia sees their bowl hopes end, falling to 4-7 (3-5 Big 12), with a 38-31 loss to Texas Tech. Jeff, #11 Ohio State closes out the regular season 11-1 (9-0 Big Ten) with one hell of a wild 52-45 double overtime win over #19 Michigan. Check out the Top 25 recap for the details. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 11-0 (6-0 Sun Belt) with a 24-17 win over Troy.
In C-USA action, Tulsa beats Louisiana Tech 24-14, #22 Southern Miss beats Marshall 34-13, UTEP gets a 20-10 win over North Texas, Florida International goes 6-2 to end the year after a disastrous 0-4 start to get bowl eligible, beating Florida Atlantic 45-21, UAB beats MTSU 28-23, and in non-conference rivalry action, Texas State gets a 31-28 win over UTSA.
With those results, in the East Division, #22 Southern Miss (7-1) claims the division over Marshall (6-2). In the West Division, UTEP (6-2) claims the division over Rice and Tulsa (both 5-3). That sets up the battle in the C-USA Championship Game, UTEP on the road at Southern Miss.
Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (12-0) and #2 Arkansas State (11-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (36 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (25 votes) remains #2. Virginia Tech moves up two to #3, Iowa jumps two to #4 and Miami climbs three to #5. USC falls three to #6, Ohio State jumps four to #7, Michigan State climbs two to #8, Oklahoma falls five to #9 and Auburn jumps seven to #10. Alabama falls four to #11, Oklahoma State leaps nine to #12, BYU drops four to #13, Mississippi State climbs six to #14 and Southern Miss jumps seven to #15. Virginia falls one to #16, Georgia Tech enters the poll this week at #17, Arizona jumps five to #18, Nebraska falls seven to #19 and San Diego State climbs four to #20. Georgia falls eight to #21, Oregon enters the poll at #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, TCU drops eight spots to #24 and Kansas State re-enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were South Carolina (from #14), Florida State (from #18), Michigan (from #19) and Northern Illinois (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Michigan (228 votes) is #26, followed by LSU (202), Northwestern (143), Colorado State (85) and Houston (69).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (38 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (27 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech climbs two to #3, Iowa moves up three to #4 and Miami jumps four to #5. USC falls three to #6, Michigan State climbs three to #7, Ohio State climbs three to #8, Auburn leaps eight to #9 and Oklahoma State vaults eleven spots to #10. Oklahoma drops seven spots to #11, Alabama falls six to #12, BYU drops five to #13, Mississippi State climbs five to #14 and Virginia drops three to #15. Southern Miss moves up six spots to #16, Arizona jumps six to #17, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #18, San Diego State climbs to #19 and Nebraska drops seven to #20. Oregon enters the poll at #21, Georgia drops eight spots to #22, Texas enters the poll at #23, Michigan falls six to #24 and TCU drops nine to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were South Carolina (from #14), Florida State (from #18) and Arkansas (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, LSU (243 votes) is #26, followed by Colorado State (194), Northwestern (189), Kansas State (186) and South Florida (106) to round out the Top 30. Others teams getting votes this week includes Air Force (78) and Houston (36).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.989), #4 Iowa (0.984), #5 Miami (0.978), #6 USC (0.973), #7 Michigan State (0.965), #8 Auburn (0.954), #9 Ohio State (0.953) and #10 Alabama (0.943).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #2), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #3 (LW: #5), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #3), USC HB Blake Cross at #5 (LW: #4) . No one fell off the Heisman Watch list this week.
Looking at the bowl picture, 9 teams were knocked out this week as they hit 7 losses, but many more made it in. 72 teams have reached the 6 win plateau, 3 teams still have a chance (however small it may be) of getting there, to leave as many as 75 teams total fighting for 68 bowl slots.
Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on #20 San Diego State (8-3, 5-3) out of the Mountain West. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl would feature #15 Southern Miss (11-1, 7-1 C-USA) matching up with Houston (8-4, 5-3 Big East). #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12).
Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) against #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has South Carolina (7-5, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #5 Miami (9-3, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #3 Virginia Tech (10-1, 8-1 ACC) matching up with #10 Auburn (9-3, 6-3 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #12 Oklahoma State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) and #4 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (11-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (12-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
A bye week on the last week of the season, lets jump right into it. Starting in the Top 25, #2 Arkansas State punches their ticket to crash the BCS Championship game, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 34-10. #9 Oklahoma won the game of the week, beating #24 TCU 42-34 thanks to a 28-0 fourth quarter. #12 Oklahoma State held on for a 42-34 win over Texas Tech. #13 BYU barely edged out UMass, 38-35. Boise State knocked off #20 San Diego State 38-27. #23 Texas beat West Virginia 36-17 and #25 Kansas State beat Iowa State 31-24.
For our readers, souljahbill, #22 Southern Miss remains 11-1 (7-1 C-USA) with a bye week ahead of the C-USA title game. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 5-7 (4-5 Pac-12) with a bye week, their season done. Mors, West Virginia falls to 4-8 (3-6 Big 12), with a 36-17 loss to #23 Texas. Jeff, #11 Ohio State remains 11-1 (9-0 Big Ten) with a bye week ahead of the Big Ten title game. Other teams of interest, #2 Arkansas State improves to 11-0 (6-0 Sun Belt) with a 24-17 win over Troy.
No C-USA action this week, the conference done for the season.
In the conference race, in the East Division, #22 Southern Miss (7-1) claims the division over Marshall (6-2). In the West Division, UTEP (6-2) claims the division over Rice and Tulsa (both 5-3). That sets up the battle in the C-USA Championship Game, UTEP on the road at Southern Miss.
Looking at undefeated teams left, no new teams lost this week, keeping our number of undefeated teams at 2. #1 Notre Dame (12-0) and #2 Arkansas State (12-0) are the only teams remaining with an unblemished record this season.
Turning to a more sadistic watch, who is still winless. No more teams are searching for that first win, everyone will end the year with at least one victory.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Notre Dame (39 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (22 votes) remains #2. Virginia Tech remains #3, Iowa remains #4 and Miami remains #5. USC remains #6, Ohio State remains #7, Michigan State remains #8, Oklahoma remains #9 and Auburn remains #10. Alabama remains #11, Oklahoma State remains #12, BYU remains #13, Mississippi State remains #14 and Southern Miss remains #15. Virginia remains #16, Georgia Tech remains #17, Arizona remains #18, Nebraska remains #19 and Georgia climbs one to #20. Oregon climbs one to #21, Texas jumps one to #22, Kansas State climbs two to #23, Michigan re-enters the poll at #24 and LSU enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were San Diego State (from #20) and TCU (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northwestern (220 votes) is #26, followed by Houston (159), Air Force (139), South Florida (128) and Florida State (60) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Northern Illinois (48), Hawaii (25) and Texas State (19).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll of the season, Notre Dame (41 first place votes) remains #1. Arkansas State (24 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech remains #3, Iowa remains #4 and Miami remains #5. USC remains #6, Michigan State remains #7, Ohio State remains #8, Auburn remains #9 and Oklahoma climbs one to #10. Oklahoma State falls one to #11, Alabama remains #12, BYU remains #13, Mississippi State remains #14 and Virginia remains #15. Southern Miss remains #16, Arizona remains #17, Georgia Tech remains #18, Nebraska climbs one to #19 and Oregon jumps on to #20. Georgia climbs one to #21, Texas jumps one to #22, Michigan moves up one to #23, LSU enters the poll at #24 and Kansas State enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were San Diego State (from #19) and TCU (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Northwestern (235 votes) is #26, followed by Air Force (183), South Florida (169), Houston (96) and Texas State (50) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Hawaii (39) and Northern Illinois (12).
Looking at the new BCS standings: #1 Notre Dame (1.000), #2 Arkansas State (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.989), #4 Iowa (0.984), #5 Miami (0.978), #6 USC (0.973), #7 Michigan State (0.965), #8 Auburn (0.954), #9 Ohio State (0.953) and #10 Alabama (0.943).
Looking at the new Heisman watch, Georgia HB Joel Nolan remains #1 (LW: #1), followed by Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke at #2 (LW: #2), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell at #3 (LW: #3), Michigan State QB Bo Wade at #4 (LW: #4) and USC HB Blake Cross at #5 (LW: #5) . No one fell off the Heisman Watch list this week.
Looking at the bowl picture, 2 teams saw their bowl bids end, one made it in. 73 teams have reached the 6 win plateau to become bowl eligible, leaving 73 teams fighting for 68 bowl slots.
Looking at the newest bowl projections, if they hold out, it's a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl for Tulsa fans, taking on Boise State (8-4, 5-4) out of the Mountain West. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl would feature #15 Southern Miss (11-1, 7-1 C-USA) matching up with Houston (8-4, 5-3 Big East). #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) would head out west to the Rose Bowl and a showdown with #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12).
Looking at the BCS projections, the Rose Bowl would feature #7 Ohio State (11-1, 9-0 Big Ten) against #6 USC (10-2, 9-0 Pac-12). The Sugar Bowl has South Carolina (7-5, 7-2 SEC) matching up with #5 Miami (9-3, 7-2 ACC). The Orange Bowl has #3 Virginia Tech (11-1, 8-1 ACC) matching up with #10 Auburn (9-3, 6-3 SEC). The Fiesta Bowl features a battle between #12 Oklahoma State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) and #4 Iowa (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten). And in the national championship game, #2 Arkansas State (11-0, 6-0 Sun Belt) takes on #1 Notre Dame (12-0), the Irish looking for their second straight title.
Conference Championship Week
Conference Winning Team Record Score Losing Team Record :ACC_Championship: (3) :Virginia_Tech: 12-1 (9-1) 32-28 :Florida_State: 8-5 (7-3) :Big_East: :USF: 10-3 (9-0) 35-25 :Houston: 8-5 (5-4) :B1G_Championship: (7) :Ohio_State: 12-1 (10-0) 42-14 (4) :Iowa: 10-3 (7-3) :CUSA: (15) :Southern_Miss: 12-1 (8-1) 38-22 :UTEP: 8-5 (6-3) :MAC_Championship: :Kent_State: 8-5 (7-3) 42-35 :Northern_Illinois: 9-4 (7-3) :Pac_12: (6) :USC: 11-2 (10-0) 42-13 (21) :Oregon: 9-4 (6-4) :SEC_Championship: (14) :Mississippi_State: 10-3 (7-3) 31-7 :South_Carolina: 7-6 (7-3)
Man, just think of where Ohio State would be in the national title race right now if they hadn't gotten their asses whooped 42-0 by 6-6 Troy back in the third week of the season. :smh:
As for who ended up where in the bowl games, you'll have to wait and see. Time for me to hit the sack. Later on this afternoon I'll get around to typing up the Pre-Bowl Games Update, the Conference Champions list and then the Bowl Season Rundown. Until then, keeping it all a mystery wrapped up in suspense. :)
What in the hell are they putting in the water in Georgia? A Georgia HB wins the Heisman Trophy for the third year in a row, to go along with three straight Walter Camps and three straight Walkers. Notre Dame QB Jordan Cooke meanwhile ends up runner-up in the Heisman voting for a second year in a row.
2017 Conference Champions
Conference Team Record Conference Record CCG Loser Record Conference Record :ACC: :Virginia_Tech: 12-1 9-1 :Florida_State: 8-5 7-3 :Big_12: :Oklahoma_State: 10-2 7-2 :Big_East: :USF: 10-3 9-0 :Houston: 8-5 5-4 :Big_Ten: :Ohio_State: 12-1 10-0 :Iowa: 10-3 7-3 :CUSA: :Southern_Miss: 12-1 8-1 :UTEP: 8-5 6-3 :MAC: :Kent_State: 8-5 7-3 :Northern_Illinois: 9-4 7-3 :Mountain_West: :Air_Force: 9-3 8-1 :Pac_12: :USC: 11-2 10-0 :Oregon: 9-4 6-4 :SEC: :Mississippi_State: 10-3 7-3 :South_Carolina: 7-6 7-3 :Sun_Belt: :Arkansas_State: 12-0 7-0 :WAC: :Idaho: 9-3 2-1
2017 Bowl Season Rundown
Bowl Game Conference Record Team Team Record Conference Date/Result :New_Mexico_Bowl: :Mountain_West: 7-5 (5-4) :Fresno_State: vs. :Temple: 6-6 (4-4) :Big_East: 12/15 - 3:00PM :Famous_Idaho_Bowl: :MAC: 7-5 (6-3) :Ohio: vs. :Western_Kentucky: 7-5 (4-3) :Sun_Belt: 12/17 - 2:00PM :New_Orleans_Bowl: :CUSA: 7-5 (5-3) :Rice: vs. (14) :BYU: 10-2 (5-2) :Sun_Belt: 12/17 - 8:30PM :Beef_O_Bradys_Bowl: :CUSA: 8-5 (6-3) :UTEP: vs. :Connecticut: 6-6 (5-3) :Big_East: 12/20 - 8:00PM :Poinsettia_Bowl: :MAC: 6-6 (5-4) :Eastern_Michigan: vs. :Hawaii: 8-4 (7-2) :Mountain_West: 12/21 - 5:00PM :Las_Vegas_Bowl: :Pac_12: 7-5 (5-4) :Cal: vs. :Air_Force: 9-3 (8-1) :Mountain_West: 12/22 - 8:00PM :Hawaii_Bowl: :CUSA: 6-6 (5-3) :FIU: vs. :Kentucky: 6-6 (4-5) :SEC: 12/24 - 3:00PM :Independence_Bowl: :Mountain_West: 8-4 (6-3) :Colorado_State: vs. :Clemson: 7-5 (4-5) :ACC: 12/26 - 4:30PM :LittleCaesars_Bowl: :SEC: 6-6 (3-6) :Florida: vs. :Kent_State: 8-5 (7-3) :MAC: 12/27 - 2:00PM :Belk_Bowl: :ACC: 7-5 (5-4) :Wake_Forest: vs. :SMU: 8-4 (6-2) :Big_East: 12/27 - 4:30PM :Military_Bowl: :MAC: 7-5 (6-3) :Toledo: vs. :North_Carolina: 6-6 (4-5) :ACC: 12/28 - 4:30PM :Holiday_Bowl: :Big_12: 7-5 (5-4) :TCU: vs. :Utah: 9-3 (6-3) :Pac_12: 12/28 - 5:00PM :Alamo_Bowl: :Big_12: 8-4 (5-4) (24) :Kansas_State: vs. (19) :Arizona: 9-3 (7-2) :Pac_12: 12/29 - 8:00PM :Champs_Sports_Bowl: :Big_East: 10-3 (9-0) :USF: vs. (15) :Virginia: 9-3 (6-3) :ACC: 12/29 - 8:00PM :Insight_Bowl: :Big_12: 7-5 (5-4) :Texas_Tech: vs. (18) :Nebraska: 8-4 (6-3) :Big_Ten: 12/30 - 6:00PM :Music_City_Bowl: :SEC: 7-5 (4-5) :Arkansas: vs. :Pitt: 6-6 (5-4) :ACC: 12/30 - 8:30PM :Sun_Bowl: :Pac_12: 9-4 (6-4) :Oregon: vs. (16) :Georgia_Tech: 8-4 (5-4) :ACC: 12/31 - 12:00PM :Armed_Forces_Bowl: :CUSA: 8-4 (5-3) :Tulsa: vs. :Boise_State: 8-4 (5-4) :Mountain_West: 12/31 - 12:00PM :Liberty_Bowl: :Big_East: 8-4 (5-3) :Cincinnati: vs. (17) :Southern_Miss: 12-1 (8-1) :CUSA: 12/31 - 2:00PM :Meineke_Texas_Bowl: :Big_Ten: 6-6 (5-4) :Penn_State: vs. :Texas_A&M: 6-6 (4-5) :SEC: 12/31 - 2:00PM :Chick_fil_A_Bowl: :SEC: 9-3 (6-3) (9) :Alabama: vs. :Florida_State: 8-5 (7-3) :ACC: 12/31 - 7:30PM :Fight_Hunger_Bowl: :Mountain_West: 8-4 (5-4) :San_Diego_State: vs. :Stanford: 6-6 (4-5) :Pac_12: 12/31 - 8:00PM :Outback_Bowl: :SEC: 7-6 (7-3) :South_Carolina: vs. (21) :Michigan: 8-4 (6-3) :Big_Ten: 1/1 - 11:00AM :Capital_One_Bowl: :SEC: 8-4 (7-2) (20) :Georgia: vs. (12) :Iowa: 10-3 (7-3) :Big_Ten: 1/1 - 1:00PM :TaxSlayer_Gator: :SEC: 8-4 (5-4) (23) :LSU: vs. (25) :Northwestern: 8-4 (6-3) :Big_Ten: 1/1 - 1:00PM :TicketCity_Bowl: :CUSA: 8-4 (6-2) :Marshall: vs. :Maryland: 6-6 (3-6) :Big_Ten: 1/1 - 3:30PM :Cotton_Bowl: :SEC: 9-3 (6-3) (8) :Auburn: vs. (22) :Texas: 8-4 (7-2) :Big_12: 1/4 - 8:00PM :BBVA_Compass_Bowl: :Big_East: 8-4 (5-4) :Houston: vs. :Tennessee: 6-6 (4-5) :SEC: 1/6 - 2:00PM :GoDaddycom_Bowl: :MAC: 9-4 (7-3) :Northern_Illinois: vs. :Texas_State: 9-3 (4-3) :Sun_Belt: 1/6 - 6:00PM
2017 BCS Bowls
Bowl Game Conference Record Team Team Record Conference Date/Result :Rose_Bowl: :Big_Ten: 12-1 (10-0) (4) :Ohio_State: vs. (6) :USC: 11-2 (10-0) :Pac_12: 1/1 - 5:00PM :Sugar_Bowl: :SEC: 10-3 (7-3) (13) :Mississippi_State: vs. (10) :Oklahoma: 10-2 (7-2) :Big_12: 1/2 - 8:00PM :Orange_Bowl: :ACC: 12-1 (9-1) (3) :Virginia_Tech: vs. (7) :Michigan_State: 9-3 (7-2) :Big_Ten: 1/3 - 8:00PM :Fiesta_Bowl: :Big_12: 10-2 (7-2) (11) :Oklahoma_State: vs. (5) :Miami: 9-3 (7-2) :ACC: 1/4 - 8:00PM :BCS_Trophy: :Sun_Belt: 12-0 (7-0) (2) :Arkansas_State: vs. (1) :Notre_Dame: 12-0 (0-0) Independent 1/7 - 8:00PM
So there you have it. Tulsa makes a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl to take on Boise State, giving fans an early preview of the 2019/2020 match-ups. Southern Miss takes on Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl, Ohio State meets up with USC in the Rose Bowl.
#1 Notre Dame takes on #2 Arkansas State in the National Championship Game.
Looking through the standings, 73 teams made it bowl eligible with only 68 slots. Five teams got screwed this year.
And a look at who got screwed out of a bowl game this year:
Big East
:Navy: - (6-6)
MAC
:Akron: - (6-6)
Sun Belt
:Troy: - (6-6)
WAC
:Idaho: - (9-3)
:Wyoming: - (8-4)
So, there you go. Navy, Idaho and Wyoming all get screwed out of a bowl game for a second straight year. Despite picking up 3 wins in their last 5 games, a 24-21 loss to Bowling Green in the last game of the year screws Akron out of a bowl game with their 6-6 record (I'm very disappointed in this, I was rooting for Akron to get to 6 wins and get a bowl berth, but the bowl gods screw them over in the end). Navy also gets screwed out of a bowl game thanks to a 38-31 season-ending loss to East Carolina.
Armed Forces Bowl
:Tulsa: VS :Boise_State:
Game Notes
--- Here we were once again, the conclusion of another season. A rough ending to the season saw us end up third in the West Division and drop down into the Armed Forces Bowl and a matchup with Boise State. This game would set the tone for the 2019 and 2020 home and home between the Broncos and Golden Hurricane.
To put it simply, we were going to have our hands full! Boise State entered the game #25 in points per game (33.6 points/game), #11 in total offense (454.5 yards/game), #19 in rush offense (210.4 yards/game) and #39 in pass offense (244.0 yards/game). On the other side of the ball, the Broncos ranked #2 in the nation in total defense (314.1 yards/game), #33 in rush defense (151.8 yards/game) and #3 in the nation in pass defense (162.3 yards/game).
As if all that didn’t already give us a sinking feeling, Boise State was ranked #1 in the nation for turnover differential, with a +19. With our offense unable to avoid fumbling the ball or throwing interceptions in the last 6 games, that number alone spelled potential disaster in the four quarters ahead. We would have to play a perfect game if we were going to win this one. We won the coin toss and elected to kick, putting our defense out and into the fire first.
A touchback on the opening kickoff got the game underway, as Boise State started at their 25 yard line. The Broncos got the ball moving quickly, with a four yard rush by Greg Johnson, followed by an 11 yard pass from Lionel Howard to Pat Rodgers to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Our defense grew a backbone, tackling Howard for a three yard loss, then forcing an incomplete pass to leave third and 13. We would win the first battle of the game, as Howard was sacked for a 7 yard loss, leaving the Boise punt team coming out on fourth and 20. A 9 yard return by Connor Jefferson on the 44 yard punt gave us our first possession at our 36 yard line.
Will Oliver took the ball up the middle on first down, only about to get one yard on the play. Tossing the ball to the right, a couple key blocks and a slow outside linebacker allowed Oliver to get to the sideline and turn the corner, racing down the field for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the Boise State 40 yard line. Oliver never had a chance on first down, overrun by defenders for only a one yard gain. Going into the air on second down, Brad Stephens never got the ball off, the defensive end tearing through his block and sacking Stephens for an 8 yard loss to leave third and 17 at the 47. Eric Hayden would save the drive on third down, getting just enough separation from the cornerback to haul in the ball for a 23 yard gain and a first down at the 24. Returning to the ground, we still had no luck whatsoever, Oliver tackled for no gain. Returning to the air, Eric Silva made a ridiculous catch along the right hash, the throw from Stephens off-target, bouncing off the facemask of the outside linebacker. Silva didn’t give up on the play however, diving to the ground for the ball and coming up with the catch for a 7 yard gain to leave second and three. The third down pass to Randy Newman was complete, but not enough, only picking up two yards to leave fourth and two. We would end up with nothing to show for the drive, as the 33 yard field goal by Derek Glover went wide and no good, giving Boise State back the ball at their 20 yard line.
Our defense was actually putting on a good show for a change, as Johnson was tackled for a loss of one yard on first down, followed by a pair of incomplete passes to bring out the punt team again on fourth and 11. A 5 yard return by Jefferson on the 50 yard punt and we were back in action at the 35. Taking the handoff on first down, Oliver was somehow able to avoid a tackled at the line of scrimmage, fighting his way forward for an 8 yard gain to leave second and two. Oliver would get the first down on the next play with a gain of four yards to the 47 yard line. Throwing a curveball at the defense, we came out running option, a play that ended up successful as a late pitch to Oliver picked up 17 yards and a first down at the Boise State 36 yard line. The success came with a penalty though, as Oliver was slow to get up after the play, diagnosed with elbow bursitis, leaving him on the bench for at least the rest of the drive. Looking to take advantage of the run, we came out in play action, but we ended up losing yards on the play, Roy Smith catching the pass from Stephens, but quickly tackled for a loss of three yards to leave second and 13. Coming out in the shotgun, a pass that was intended for Antonio Banks was off the target, but still completed as Jefferson happened to be in the right position, reaching back to grab the pass then turning and hauling ass up the sideline for a 29 yard gain and a first down at the 11 yard line. Smith had no hope on the first down carry, the defensive tackle breaking through at the snap of the ball and tackling Smith right after the handoff for a loss of three yards. Returning to the air, Carl Barnes was able to get open over the middle from the tight end spot, catching the pass from Stephens at the three yard line and diving for the end zone. He would ultimately be marked down at the one yard line for a 13 yard gain, giving us first and goal on the doorstep. Coming back from his injury earlier in the drive, Oliver was met at the line of scrimmage for no gain, bringing up second and goal. Trying our luck again on the ground, Oliver was again met at the line of scrimmage, but this time was able to turn and fall forward across the goal line to strike first blood with the one yard touchdown and give us a 7-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return left Boise State starting at their 19 yard line, just 9 seconds on the clock. A 15 yard pass from Howard to Clay Scott would give the Broncos a quick first down at the 34 yard line, bringing the first quarter to a end, our lead 7-0.
Starting the second quarter, Boise State tried to go through the air again, but the pass was batted incomplete, leaving second down. That didn’t deter the Broncos though, as Howard came right back firing on the next play, connecting with Johnson for a 24 yard gain and a first down at our 43 yard line, our touchdown awakening the sleeping giant in Boise State. A 5 yard pass to Rodgers was followed up with a two yard rush by Johnson to set up third and three. We would catch a huge break, as the third down pass intended for Sean Johnson was dropped, bringing up fourth and three at the 36. That wouldn’t stop us from shooting ourselves in the foot, as a 5 yard facemask penalty on a three yard fourth down rush gave Boise State a fresh set of downs at our 28. The defense continued to put up a fight however, tackling Johnson for a loss of three yards, before he regained those yards with a three yard rush to leave third and 10. An incomplete pass would bring up fourth and long. That didn’t stop or faze the Broncos however, as they came out firing away on fourth down, Howard connecting with Rodgers for a 21 yard gain to set up first and goal at our 7 yard line. An incomplete pass on first down was followed with a three yard rush by Howard to leave third and goal at the four. Rodgers would finish the drive off with a four yard touchdown rush, tying up the game at 7-7 with 6:46 left before halftime.
A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25. Handing off the ball on first down, Oliver picked up three yards on the play, followed by an 8 yard run to give a first down at the 37. Keeping the ball on first down, Stephens had nowhere to go as a blitz left him on his back for a three yard loss. Trying to hit Barnes over the middle on second down, the safety dropped down to bat away the ball, leaving third and 13. Trying to find Banks on third down, Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck landing incomplete to bring out the punt team. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 21.
Howard started off the drive with a 5 yard rush, followed by an offside penalty on the defense to give Boise a free first down at their 31. The defense struck back on the next play however, sacking Howard for a 10 yard loss to leave second and 20. A dropped pass by Rodgers brought up third and very long. Howard was able to complete the third down pass to Khalif Newell, but it went for only a gain of 8 yards, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 12. A fair catch by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt got us back on the field at the 23. Hitting the hole between the left tackle and guard, Oliver was able to bust outside and up the left sideline, picking up 24 yards on the carry before being ran down from behind at the 47 yard line. Keeping it on the ground on first down, Oliver gained four yards, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and four. The third down pass to Newman was complete, but he got ran out of bounds for only a two yard gain, leaving fourth and two at the Boise 45. Softly booting a 34 yard punt on fourth down, Johnson called for a fair catch to leave Boise State starting at their 10 yard line with 2:40 left before half.
Our defense couldn’t wait to screw themselves over this drive, instantly getting tagged with pass interference, the 15 free yards giving Boise a first down at the 25 yard line. Howard followed that up with a 12 yard pass to Newell, and then a 22 yard pass to Rodgers, very quickly giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Johnson took the ball on first down for a 5 yard rush and then hauled in a pass from Howard for a gain of 15 yard, setting up a first down at our 21. Howard kept the ball on the first down play, picking up 5 yards to leave second and 5. Johnson would the finish off the drive on second down, breaking outside the right tackle and taking it to the house for the 16 yard touchdown to give Boise State a 14-7 lead with 1:35 left before halftime.
A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25 yard line, just 1:27 to work with. Banks was able to pull down the first down pass from Stephens, the ball thrown just in time to avoid the rush, gaining 13 yards on the play and getting out of bounds at the 38 yard line to stop the clock with 1:22 to go. A pass to Smith picked up 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:12 to play. Firing up a pass over the middle, the ball intended for Hayden was batted down, leaving third and three at the 45. The third down pass intended for Banks was underthrown, dropping into the grass incomplete in front of Banks to bring out the punt team on fourth down. No return on the booming 50 yard punt left Boise State at their 5 yard line, just one minute to play. A three yard rush by Nick Keller, a 6 yard rush by Johnson and a dropped ball by Terry Wall left Boise State with fourth and one at their 13 yard line, just 28 seconds on the clock. A 16 yard return by Jefferson on the 43 yard punt set us up at the Boise State 41 yard line, 19 seconds left on the clock and at least a chance to get a field goal if anything.
The first down pass intended for Jefferson was again underthrown, leaving second down, just 14 seconds to go. Throwing over the middle on second down, Newman pulled down the pass in front of the middle linebacker, able to cut up field fast enough to gain 19 yards on the play, tackled at the 22 yard line. Our last timeout stopped the clock with 9 seconds to go, just enough time for one shot at the end zone. The pass intended for Banks was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit with 5 seconds left. Glover kicked the 39 yard field goal through the uprights, cutting Boise State’s lead to 14-10 with one second left. A touchback on the kickoff brought the first half to an end, Boise State leading 14-10.
Opening up the second half, a 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden got the third quarter started, our offense coming out at our 13 yard line. A diving tackle by the defensive end tripped up Oliver on first down, only picking up four yards on the play to leave second and 6. Keeping the ball again on second down, Oliver could only get two yards to bring up third and four. Jefferson would keep the drive alive, jumping up and pulling down the third down pass for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the 28. A four yard run by Oliver on first down was followed with a 5 yard gain to bring up third and one. Oliver needed helped off the field after the play, suffering a mild concussion that would bench him for the rest of the game and end his season. Taking over for the injured Oliver, Smith took the handoff on third and one, fighting ahead for a gain of 5 and a first down at the 42. Coming out passing on first down, Jefferson was able to get the ball in his hands, but contact in the back by the cornerback jarred the ball loose, the ball nearly intercepted by the safety while falling to the ground, leaving second and long. Hayden was able to pull down a pass from Stephens for a 9 yard gain, leaving us looking at third and one. Going for it on the ground, Smith was able to convert with a four yard rush and a first down at the Boise State 45 yard line. Coming out passing, the ball originally intended for Banks ended up in the hands of Smith, as Stephens was hit as he threw, the wounded duck grabbed out of the air by Smith and run for a 7 yard gain to set up second and three. Trying to get the first down on the ground, Smith was hit for a two yard gain, leaving third and one. Breaking up the middle of the pile, Smith rumbled ahead for a 6 yard gain, getting another first down at the Broncos 31. Passing on first down, Stephens connected with Eric Silva for a huge gain of 30 yards, setting up first and goal at the one yard line. Silva took the first down handoff, getting to the goal line before being smeared by multiple defenders to leave second down. Smith would get the job done on the next play, getting across the goal line for the one yard touchdown, taking a 17-14 lead with 3:40 left in the third quarter, the long 15 play drive chewing up nearly two-thirds of the quarter.
A 16 yard kickoff return got Boise State lined up at their 21 yard line, looking for a response. They would fail to find one, as two incomplete passes and a 5 yard rush by Johnson brought the drive to a premature end on fourth and 5. A fair catch called by Jefferson on the 48 yard punt gave us the ball at our 26 yard line. Smith got the drive started with a 6 yard rush, followed by a rush for no gain to leave third and four. Going into the air on third down, Newman was able to haul in the pass from Stephens, but a quick tackle by the outside linebacker left a gain of just a single yard on the play, our punt team coming out on fourth and three. A fair catch on the 46 yard punt got Boise State back in action at their 22 yard line.
The Broncos came out firing as Howard found Quinton Moore for a 7 yard gain, but an incomplete pass and a one yard rush by Johnson would again leave Boise short, punting away on fourth and two. We caught a massive break on the punt return, as Jefferson fumbled the catch, promptly diving on the ball to recover the fumble and leave our offense starting at our 27 yard line. Smith could only get three yards on the first down carry, followed by an option play that saw Stephens immediately hit in the backfield for a loss of three yards to bring up third and long. Barely avoiding a sack, Stephens was able to get the ball off to Banks for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at the 38. That would be the last play of the quarter as the final 8 seconds ticked off the clock to bring the third quarter to end, our lead holding at 17-14.
Opening up the fourth quarter, Smith carried the rock up the middle for a 6 yard gain before breaking loose and taking it to the house for a 56 yard touchdown. But just when we thought we had increased our lead to double digits, we got punched right in the gut, the officials calling off the play due to a holding penalty, going from a 24-14 lead to second and 13 at the 35 yard line. Passing over the middle, we were able to at least reverse the damage, the pass completed to Kyle Jones for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 49. Coming out throwing on first down, Silva made another massive play, hauling in a deep pass from Stephens and racing the safety down to the Boise State 11 yard line for a 40 yard gain. Rushing up the middle, Jones picked up four yards on the first down play, followed by a one yard loss by Smith to leave third and 7. The third down pass intended for Silva was broken up by the safety, bringing out the field goal unit on fourth down. Glover kicked the 25 yard field goal down the middle, extending our lead to 20-14 with 6:49 left in the game.
A 16 yard kickoff return set Boise State up at their 18 yard line for their next drive. That drive would last all of one play, as cornerback Tyler Fountain stripped Johnson of the ball, promptly recovering the fumble he had just caused to give us a first down at the Boise State 19 yard line. Smith took the first down carry for a gain of 7 yards, then picked up four yards outside the right tackled to give us first and goal at the 9 yard line. Receiving the pitch from Stephens, Silva never had a chance as the defense closed off every escape route, tackling him for a loss of three yards to push us back to the 12. A second down rush by Smith resulted in a two yard gain, leaving third and goal at the 10 yard line. Going into the air, the third down pass to Jefferson went for only a three yard gain, leaving fourth and goal. Going for it on fourth down to put the game away, Silva was quickly tackled for no gain on the play, turning the ball over on downs at the Boise State 8 yard line.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Johnson took the ball on the ground for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 18. Howard finally got back into his rhythm, connecting with Scott for a 22 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 40. Our defense again felt the need to help them out, flagged for a 15 yard facemask penalty at the end of a four yard run by Johnson, giving the Broncos a first down at our 41 yard line. Keller took the ball next, picking up 7 yards on the carry, followed by a 17 yard strike from Howard to Moore to set up first down at our 16 yard line. Continuing with the air assault, Howard found Kyle Hill for a 7 yard gain, followed by an incomplete passes intended for Johnson, leaving third and three at our 9 yard line. Johnson would convert the third down, breaking free up the middle for a 9 yard rush to set up first and goal at the one. The Broncos, abandoning the run for whatever reason, found themselves facing third down after two dropped passes by Rodgers. They would then go backwards, Johnson tackled for a loss of two yards to leave fourth and goal at the three yard line. Going for it on fourth down, Johnson would redeem himself, punching through the hole outside the right guard and scoring the three yard touchdown, giving Boise State a 21-20 lead with 2:32 left in the game.
A 14 yard kickoff return by Hayden left us buried deep, starting at our 11 yard line and limited time. The defense would make one of their biggest plays of the game on first down, getting into the backfield and sacking Stephens for a 7 yard loss before he could get the ball off to Newman. Left with second and 17, Smith would get us out of the jam, hauling in the pass for a 22 yard gain to the 26 yard line. Rushing to the line, Stephens connected with Banks for a gain of 14 and another first down at the 39. Lining right back up, Stephens hit Smith cutting across the middle for a gain of 7 yards, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:22 to go. Keeping through the air, Stephens found Newman for a three yard gain and a first down, rushing back to the line. Throwing up a first down pass, Silva brought down the ball for a gain of 8 yards, leaving second and two at the 42 yard line, our second timeout called to stop play with 1:06 to go. Forced to dump the ball to avoid a sack, the pass to Silva ended up going for a loss of two yards, leaving the clock ticking. Racing back to the line, Stephens quickly snapped the ball, rifling a pass to Jones for a four yard gain and a first down, Jones getting out of bounds at the 41 yard line. Throwing a pass to Robert Harper on first down, Harper was able to pick up 5 yards on the play, but was brought down just inches away from the out of bounds line, leaving the clock ticking. Quickly spiking the ball to stop the clock, we were left facing third and 5 at the 36 yard line, just 25 seconds left on the clock. Dropping back to pass on third down, the defense brought the entire linebackers corps, sacking Stephens for a loss of 9 yards, leaving us facing fourth and 14 at the 44 yard line, our last timeout stopping the clock with 15 seconds to go. Stephens dropped back to pass on fourth down, hitting Banks along the left sideline. Banks made a cut to try and get past the cornerback and safety, but was wrapped up and rolled over just shy of the first down line for a gain of only 13 yards, turning the ball over on downs at the 31 yard line with 10 seconds to go.
Howard took a single knee to run out the final seconds, and Boise State celebrated a 21-20 Armed Forces Bowl victory.
With the loss, we end our 2017 season at 8-5, 5-3 in C-USA action. With the win, Boise State’s year comes to a close at 9-4, 5-4 in Mountain West play.
Final Score
:Boise_State: 21, :Tulsa: 20
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – Finally a day with no turnovers, but we still couldn't get the win. Overall a decent day for Stephens, ending 28-36 for 308 yards. Rushing, Oliver led the way with 113 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, despite spending half the game out with a concussion. Receiving, Silva was the star of the day, ending with 83 yards on five receptions. Banks was next in line with 51 yards on four receptions. In all, 10 players caught a pass today, 8 players ending with double digit yards receiving.
- Tulsa Defense – Hot and cold. About sums it up. Great defense in the first and third quarter. Horrible defense in the second quarter and blew it right at the end of the fourth quarter.
- Tulsa Kicking – Glover ended 2-3 in field goals, connecting on kicks of 25 and 39 yards, but missed from 33 yards out. He did end 2-2 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 7 3 7 3 20 :Boise_State: 0 14 0 7 21
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 0:21 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 Second Quarter 6:46 :Boise_State: Touchdown P. Rogers, 4 yard run (B. Means kick) TIED 7-7 1:35 :Boise_State: Touchdown G. Johnson, 16 yard run (B. Means kick) :Boise_State: 14-7 0:01 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 39 yard field goal :Boise_State: 14-10 Third Quarter 3:40 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Smith, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 17-14 Fourth Quarter 6:49 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 25 yard field goal :Tulsa: 20-14 2:32 :Boise_State: Touchdown G. Johnson, 2 yard run (B. Means kick) :Boise_State: 21-20
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Boise State 20 Score 21 23 First Downs 13 435 Total Offense 275 41 - 127 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 24 - 84 - 3 28 - 36 - 0 Comp - Att - TD 14 - 30 - 0 308 Passing Yards 191 3 Times Sacked 2 7 - 15 (46%) 3rd Down Conversion 2 - 11 (18%) 0 - 2 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 2 - 2 (100%) 0 - 1 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 6 - 2 - 1 (50%) Red Zone - TD - FG 4 - 3 - 0 (75%) 0 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 1 0 Intercepted 0 37 Punt Return Yards 0 28 Kick Return Yards 52 500 Total Yards 327 4 – 44.5 Punts - Average 6 – 47.7 5 - 52 Penalties 0 - 0 19:48 Time of Possession 16:12
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 24 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 8 :6greenarrow: 3300+ passing yards each season :red-x: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 65% pass completions over the entire contract 59% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season 2/4 Completed :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2/4 Completed :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
38%
Ouch! 1-yd shy and 1 point away. That hurts. Sorry for your loss.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes