Stop stalling Smooth!!! I know you are fearing ASU. Remember what they did to you last year...
Jaymo's ASU 1 Smooths Tulsa 0 :D
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Stop stalling Smooth!!! I know you are fearing ASU. Remember what they did to you last year...
Jaymo's ASU 1 Smooths Tulsa 0 :D
Well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Currently playing some Spartan Ops in Halo 4 right now. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
MORE TABLES! :)) :clap: :rock: http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/x...es/e300873.gif http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/x...es/e133155.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
Two new tables have been added to my Awards and Accomplishments section in post #5. I spent the last few hours going back through all my seasons, clear back to 2011 with FIU, and creating comprehensive Game Records and Season Records tables.
I may consider a Career Records table at some point in the future, but since I'm jumping from team to team throughout the course of this dynasty, I'm not really gonna be around for full careers for a lot of kids, so things may end up skewed towards the schools that I spend the most time at, whereas Game and Season records are at least even for every player and every school in regards to potential record-holders.
So I officially have a butt load of tables. Between my Dynasty History, Coach Statistics and Awards and Accomplishments posts, I have 18 different tables (counting individual contracts hidden behind spoilers) in those three posts alone. :)
This is pretty amazing. Legendary dynasty, considering all the work that's been put in. Impressive.
I appreciate it man! This has been a blast to do for the last two years, and look forward to keeping it going for more years to come. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by packersfan4eva
I'm looking forward to your Central Indiana dynasty. Always great to see new dynasties and new blood showing up here in the dynasty section. Gets sort of lonely after a while when you're the only one in town. :D Best of luck with your dynasty and I'll be following it. It looks good already with just the opening posts, well done with the website layout, I like it!
Game Four
:Tulsa: :@: :Arizona_State:
Game Notes
--- Off to an undefeated start to the 2019 season, it was time for our first road test of the season, as we headed southwest to take on Arizona State. The Sun Devils were off to a bit of a rough 1-2 start to the year, with an abysmal offense (their rushing offense, ranked #98 with 148.0 yards/game was their highest offensive ranking) and a partially abysmal defense (the only ranking above 100 was rushing defense, ranked #34, giving up only 144.6 yards/game). While that boded well for us, whether or not our offense and defense would be able to keep it up would be another question. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
A 17 yard return on the opening kickoff got Arizona State lined up from their 15 yard line to start the game. The Sun Devils got the ball moving quickly as Justin Goolsby ran for 8 yards on first down, followed by a 5 yard rush from Deon Price to move the chains to the 29. Ira Shaw then dropped back on first down, throwing a 14 yard pass to Goolsby for another fresh set of downs at the 42. Our defense was able to strike back, tackling Shaw for a two yard loss, before Price took the handoff for a gain of 5 yards to leave third and 7 at the 45. Our defense would come through on its first challenge of the game, tackling Shaw for a one yard loss to bring out the punt team on fourth and 8. A 6 yard return by Eric Hayden on the 43 yard punt left us starting from our 19.
Coming out on first down, Will Oliver got us started on the ground with an 8 yard rush to begin the drive, followed with a gain of 6 outside the right tackle to pick up the first down at the 33. Keeping it on the ground, Oliver could find only little success on his third carry, stifled by the defense for a three yard gain. Looking to catch the defense sleeping, we came out passing on second down, the defense biting hook, line and sinker as Brad Stephens hooked up with Hayden along the right sideline, Hayden beating his man to the corner and racing down the field before being tackled for a 40 yard gain at the Arizona State 23 yard line. Returning to the ground on first down, Oliver fought his way to a two yard gain, followed by a rush for 5 yards to leave third and three from the 16. Putting our drive into the hands of Eric Silva, he was able to bust through the line and get the first down, making it as far as the ASU 10 yard line, before being stripped of the ball, Arizona State recovering the fumble at their 10 yard line.
Goolsby got the Sun Devils right back and running on offense with a 12 yard rush and an immediate first down at the 22. A three yard rush by Shaw was followed with a 10 yard rush by Goolsby and the chains were moved at the 34 yard line. Our defense then decided to help out with a 5 yard offside penalty, before Shaw dropped back and threw deep, connecting with Ernie Wilcox for a 32 yard strike and a first down at our 28 yard line. Shaw attempted to repeat the previous play, but Wilcox dropped the pass, bringing up second down. It quickly turned to third down as the pass intended Robert Cotton ended up incomplete. The drive would end up sputtering, as the third down pass intended for Wilcox was broken up by the safety, leaving Arizona State with fourth and long from the 28. Opting to not go for the field goal, Sparky decided to go for the fourth down conversion, Shaw dropping back to pass once more and this time able to connect with Jason Harrell for a 22 yard gain, giving Arizona State first and goal from our 6. A pass on first down was completed to Cotton for 5 yards, leaving second and goal at the one. Despite being only one yard out, the Sun Devils had themselves firmly in a pass first frame of mind, as Clinton Mason dropped the second down pass from Shaw to leave third and goal. Finally switching back to the running game, Goolsby finished off the drive by punching it in for a one yard touchdown, giving Arizona State a 7-0 lead with 3:00 left in the first quarter.
No return on the following kickoff left us lining up at our 25 yard line, looking to get back on track. Oliver started our drive with a rush for no gain, the Arizona defense suddenly going from kitten to lion. Dropping back to pass on second down, Stephens tried to connect with Joe Vaughn, but the pass sailed wide and incomplete, leaving third and long. A third down pass to Silva was initially complete, until a timely hit by the outside linebacker jarred the ball loose to bring up fourth down. We would catch our first major break of the game as Christian Johnson booted a booming 49 yard punt, the punt returned for close to 10 yards before our punt team was able to knock the ball loose on the return, the fumble recovered middle linebacker Danny Ray, giving us back possession, a new life and a new set of downs at the Arizona State 34 yard line. Calling an audible from run to pass at the line after the defense showed heavy blitz, Stephens tried to connect with Carl Barnes, but the outside linebacker was able to jump the pass and knock it down, leaving second down. Coming out straight passing on second down, Stephens was able to get another completion to Hayden, good for a 15 yard gain to move the sticks to the 19 yard line. Throwing to Barnes on first down, he was able to get his hands on the ball, before being hit and spun down by the outside linebacker to knock the ball loose. Coming out in the shotgun on second down, we would see our second straight drive die inside the red zone, as cornerback Mark Anderson intercepted the pass intended for Vaughn, returning it 6 yards to the 17 yard line.
Taking over on offense after the interception, Arizona State came out firing as Shaw tried to connect with Cotton through the air on first down, but one hand by our middle linebacker was able to break up the pass to bring up second down. That lasted all of one play as Shaw turned right around and firedx to Cotton a second time, completing the pass for 16 yards and a first down at the 33 yard line. Turning back to the ground, Goolsby rushed for three yards on first down, followed by an 8 yard rush to move the chains to the 45. Our defense finally found their backbone once again, sacking Shaw for a 9 yard loss to leave Arizona State with second and 19 from the 36. Running the ball on second down, Goolsby erased 5 yards from that sack, but an incomplete pass intended for Reggie Hall killed the drive as the Sun Devils faced fourth and 14 from the 41. A three yard return by Hayden on the 46 yard punt left us starting at our 15 yard line, only 16 seconds left in the first quarter.
Running the ball on first down, Oliver broke free up the middle, taking the handoff for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the 28 yard line. The clock would run out without another snap, bringing the first quarter to an end, Arizona State leading 7-0.
Opening up the second quarter, Oliver picked up right where he left off, taking the ball for a 7 yard gain on the ground, followed by a 5 yard rush to get the first down at the 40 yard line. Despite the defense trying to shut down the run, Oliver was still able to fight his way to a 5 yard gain, before Silva managed two yards on the second down carry to leave third and three. Switching things up this time, Stephens came out under center, but dropped back and fired off a quick pass to Robert Harper for an 8 yard gain and a first down at the Arizona State 45 yard line. Coming out in a run formation, we again got the Sun Devils to bite on defense, allowing Hayden to get separation down the right hash, hauling in the pass from Stephens and taking it to the house for a 45 yard touchdown, tying the game up at 7-7 with 6:51 left in the second quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff left Arizona State starting from their 25 yard line. It was a poor start to the drive as Shaw’s pass on first down was dropped by Price to bring up a quick second down. After an incomplete pass left third and long, Arizona State saw their punt team return after a 7 yard completion to Cotton left fourth and three on the scoreboard. A 5 yard return by Hayden on the 50 yard punt got us underway from our 22 yard line.
Coming out with a run play called, Stephens quickly called audible to a short pass as the defense stacked the box. While Marcus Mullins was able to get wide open cutting outside toward the left sideline, he was unable to get a grip on the ball and pull it in, the pass ending incomplete to bring up second down. The second down pass intended for Hayden ended up broken up by the cornerback, and we were left facing third and long. Ryan Lewis would make his first catch of the game a drive saver, hauling in the third down pass for a 16 yard gain and a first down at the 38 yard line. A rush by Oliver on first down netted 8 yards, followed by a stumbling 9 yard carry to move the chains to the Arizona State 45 yard line. Tossing the ball to the right, Silva was able to pick up three yards on the toss play, followed by a designed rush by Stephens to pick up four yards, leaving third and three. Lining up under center on third down, Stephens dropped back and launched a deep pass to Barnes, who had beaten the safety deep down the middle of the field, Barnes hauling the pass in before being dragged down by his ankles for a 36 yard gain, setting up first and goal at the two yard line. Some great blocking by the offensive line on first down opened up a gaping hole for Oliver to stroll through for a two yard touchdown, giving us a 14-7 lead with 3:37 left before halftime.
A 25 yard kickoff return got Arizona State lined up from their 23 yard line. It was a very poor start as Shaw’s pass on first down was dropped by Wilcox, followed by a two yard loss by Goolsby to leave the Sun Devils facing third and 12 from their 20. A dropped pass by Cotton on third down brought the drive to an uneventful conclusion. A 12 yard return by Hayden on the 50 yard punt got us set up on offense from our 41 yard line, 2:52 left in the quarter.
Coming out passing on first down, a quick throw to Harper resulted in a 12 yard completion and a quick first down at the ASU 47. Dropping back again on first down, Stephens was able to hook up with Hayden along the right sideline for a 26 yard strike and a new set of downs at the 21 yard line, the Sun Devils defense suddenly losing their swagger from the first quarter. Trying to dump the ball to Barnes on first down, the pass from Stephens was broken up by the middle linebacker, leaving second and 10. A pass to Vaughn on a comeback route left the cornerback with his ankles broken, Vaughn hauling in the pass for a 16 yard gain to set up first and goal at the 5 yard line. Returning to the ground, Oliver received the handoff from Stephens, rushing for a three yard gain to leave second and goal at the two. Trying to take it up the middle on second down, Oliver was stuffed for a loss of two yars, leaving us facing third and goal at the four yard line, just under one minute left on the clock. Throwing a quick pass into the end zone on third down, Hayden made his second touchdown catch of the day, diving to haul in the pass for a four yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 31 seconds left until halftime.
A 19 yard kickoff return got Arizona State started from their 18 yard line, just 20 seconds left on the clock. The Sun Devils were content to let the clock run out, Price rushing for a four yard gain to the 22 yard line as the final 15 seconds ran off the clock. The clock hit all zeroes without another snap of the ball, taking us into halftime with a 21-7 lead and getting the ball back to start the second half.
Opening up the second half, the kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback, getting us lined up at the 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Starting the second half on the ground, Oliver was able to break free outside the right tackle and pound his way to a 12 yard rush, giving us an instant first down at the 37. Another rush by Oliver resulted in a 7 yard gain, followed by a three yard carry to leave third and inches at the 47. Leaving our drive in the hands of Oliver, he was able to punch through the middle for three yards and a first down at midfield. Looking to fool the defense, we came out passing from the same formation, Vaughn able to pull down the pass from Stephens for a 13 yard gain and a first down at the ASU 37. Returning to the ground, Oliver took the handoff and fought his way up the middle for an 8 yard gain, before a pitch right to Oliver ended in disaster as Oliver was tackled for a four yard loss, leaving third and 6. Throwing over the middle on third down to Kyle Jones, he was able to pull down the pass for a 13 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 19 yard line. Oliver tried to gain some yards on the ground on first down, but was quickly stood up for a one yard gain. Turning back to the air on the next play, the pass intended for Barnes was broken up, leaving us with third and 9 from the 18. Throwing deep on third down to Hayden, the pass was ultimately broken up by the safety, leaving the field goal unit coming out. The 35 yard field goal by Derek Glover was good, increasing our lead to 24-7 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff left Arizona State starting from their 25 yard line. This time around, the Sun Devils were able to get off and moving to start their drive, as Shaw connected with Wilcox for a quick 15 yard gain and a first down at the 40. A pass to Harrell for two yards was quickly followed up with a 29 yard bomb to Price and Arizona State suddenly was knocking on the door with first down at our 29 yard line. The Sun Devils wasted no time picking up another first down as Wilcox pulled down a pass for a 13 yard gain, moving the chains to the 16 yard line. A two yard rush by Shaw was followed with a rush for a two yard loss by Price to leave third and 10. That third down would end up erased as Shaw found Wilcox yet again, this time for a 12 yard pickup to set up first and goal from our four yard line. After an incompletely pass by Shaw, Price took the ball on the ground on second and goal and finished off the drive with a four yard touchdown rush, cutting our lead to 24-14 with 2:59 left in the quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return by Hayden lined us up from our 19 yard line on our next drive. Changing things up, we came out firing on first down, the pass intended for Vaughn nearly intercepted to leave second down. Lining up in the shotgun on second down, the pass to Vaughn was broken up and knocked incomplete, leaving us with third and long. The third down throw to Lewis was again broken up to force the three and out and bring out the punt team. A 19 yard return on the 46 yard punt gave Arizona State incredible field position at our 46 yard line. Hall got the drive started with a 6 yard rush, before being tackled for a loss of four yards to leave third and 8. Our defense would hold on third down, as the pass from Shaw to Price only gained two yards, bringing out the ASU punt team on fourth and 7. The Sun Devils took a gamble on fourth down and went with a fake punt, the pass from punter Greg Payne was completed to Alex Mitchell, but our return team was able to limit the damage to just two yards, forcing the turnover on downs at our 41 yard line.
Oliver took the handoff on first down, fighting his way to a four yard gain as we at least got off to a positive start this drive. Oliver was quickly wrapped up for a two yard gain on the next carry, leaving third and four. Firing up a pass to Vaughn, the safety dove at the ball, either to intercept or bat it away, but missed, diving himself out of the play, as Vaughn hauled in the ball and with the safety on the ground, was able to turn up the field and race defense down the field before finally being tripped up just shy of the end zone for a 50 yard gain, leaving us with first and goal at the four yard line. Oliver took the ball on first down, quickly brought down for no gain to leave second and goal. That would be the final play as the clock ran out, bringing the third quarter to an end, our lead holding at 24-14.
Opening up the fourth quarter, Oliver received the handoff and went straight up the gut, driving his way forward into the defense and letting momentum carry him into the end zone for a four yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 31-14 and giving us some insurance with 8:58 left in the game.
A 20 yard kickoff return got Arizona State starting at their 24 yard line and looking to close the gap. The drive got off to a good start as Shaw was able to complete a pass to Hall for an 8 yard gain, but it all unraveled after that as an incomplete pass intended for Cotton and a dropped ball by Harrell left the Sun Devils staring at fourth and two from their 32. Arizona State elected to take their biggest risk of the game and go for it on fourth down well inside their territory, but it paid off as Price rushed for 5 yards and a first down at the 37. That gain was quickly erased however on the next play as Shaw was sacked for a 6 yard loss, bringing up second and 16 from the 31. Shaw was able to make up for the lost yardage with an 8 yard pass to Mason, but the Sun Devils still faced third and 7. Goolsby, after sitting out a quarter with an injury, came back in and wasted no time in bending our defense over as he took the third down handoff outside the right tackle, go around the corner of the defense and broke free up the right sideline all the way to the end zone for a 61 yard touchdown, cutting our lead down to 31-21 with 7:30 left in the game.
A touchback on the kickoff lined us up at our 25 yard line, our insurance from the previous drive completely erased. While it was only a 10 point lead, we were going to do our damnedest to run off some of these 7 minutes left on the clock and force Arizona State into playing the rest of the game rushing their offense, and hopefully making mistakes as a result, as they play against the clock. Oliver got the drive started with a 6 yard rush, followed by a three yard gain by Silva to leave third and one. Silva was unable to get the job done, tackled for no gain on the third down play. Time for our biggest gamble of the game, we lined back up on fourth and one from our 36 yard line, Silva managing to get positive yards this time as he rushed for a gain of 6, picking up the first down at the 40 yard line, the clock nearly five minutes to play. Oliver came back into the huddle, receiving the first down handoff for a three yard gain, followed by a two yard rush to leave third and 5. Trying to throw a pass on third and 5, Stephens never had a chance to get the pass off as he was sacked for a 10 yard loss, leaving us punting on fourth and 15, though we were able to run nearly four minutes off the clock during the drive. A four yard return on the 47 yard punt got Arizona State back on the field at their 21 yard line, only 3:29 left in the game.
It was a poor start for the Sun Devils as the first down pass from Shaw was dropped by Cotton, followed by a two yard completion to Harrell that left Arizona State facing third and 8. Another pass to Harrell went for a bigger gain of 7 yards, but ASU was still short, left with fourth and one at their 30 yard line, the game essentially coming down to this one play. Wilcox would keep the Sun Devils breathing with a 9 yard rush, picking up the first down at the 39 yard line and leaving hopes of a victory slimly alive. Going back to the air, Shaw found Harrell again, this time for an 11 yard gain and a new set of downs at midfield with 2:50 left on the clock. A first down pass to Goolsby gained three yards, before an incomplete pass intended for Harrell brought up third and 7. Another incomplete pass, this time intended for Cotton, and Arizona State again was left with fourth down and the game once again essentially coming down to this one play. The fourth down pass by Shaw to Harrell was momentarily completed, before a vicious hit by Jonathan Chambers knocked the ball loose and incomplete, forcing the decisive turnover on downs and giving us possession at our 47 yard line with 2:!7 left in the game.
Oliver got us off and running from the start with a 7 yard gain, Arizona State calling their first timeout with 2:14 left. Another rush by Oliver picked up only one yard to bring up third and two at the ASU 46, the Sun Devils calling their second timeout with 2:11 remaining. Oliver was able to drive the dagger into the heart with a four yard rush, picking up a first down at the 41 yard line, Arizona State calling their third and final timeout with 2:08 left to play. Looking to really drive home the dagger, we came out in shotgun on first down, throwing up a bomb into the end zone to Hayden, who was able to initially get his hands on the ball before the cornerback knocked it incomplete to bring up second down. Returning to the ground on second down, Oliver took the ball for a one yard gain, leaving third and 9. Left with third and long, we came back out in shotgun, the pass over the middle to Vaughn complete for a 26 yard gain to give us a first down at the 15 yard line with 1:18 remaining. Despite only one minute remaining in the game, we went for the deathblow and the insult, a pass to Hayden on a slant route completed in the end zone for a 15 yard touchdown and a 38-21 lead with 1:03 remaining.
A touchback on the kickoff got Arizona State lined up at their 25 yard line, 55 seconds remaining in the game. Two quick incomplete passes by Shaw left Arizona State immediately facing third and long, before he was able to finally connect with Cotton for a big 27 yard gain and a first down at our 48 yard line with 37 seconds to go. After a dropped pass by Wilcox on first down, Shaw found Hall for a 13 yard pickup and a new set of downs at our 35, just 20 seconds left on the clock. A pass to Harrell went for another 13 yard gain and got the Sun Devils down to our 22 yard line with just 10 seconds remaining. Going back to Hall, Shaw was able to complete the pass for a 19 yard gain and leave Arizona State with first and goal from our three yard line, but just two seconds remaining on the clock. The Sun Devils wouldn’t be able to get the snap off from our two yard line before the clock ran out, sealing our 38-21 victory.
With the win, we improve to 4-0, 1-0 in Big East action. With the loss, Arizona State drops to 1-3, 0-1 in Pac-12 play. Up next, we continue our road trip with a visit to Oklahoma. The Sooners enter the game 1-1 on the year, beating #16 Wisconsin 42-34 to open their season before losing 26-23 to Rice.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 38, :Arizona_State: 21
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense - A pretty good day for Stephens, ending 15-29 for 335 yards passing, three touchdowns and one interception. Other than the interception, certainly can't argue with those numbers. Rushing, another great day by Oliver, ending with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. Receiving, it was a game record tying day for Hayden, who ended with 145 yards and three touchdowns on six receptions. Hayden makes his second entry into the records book with three receiving touchdowns in a game. Vaughn also had a good day with 105 yards on four receptions. Overall, six receivers caught a pass, all six ended with double digits yards or better, Hayden and Vaughn were the only ones to break the century mark.
Tulsa Defense – Good and bad. Held the Arizona State offense in check on quite a few drives, but also ended up giving up 423 yards of offense, three touchdowns and a 61 yard touchdown rush. The defense has some work to do if we're going to have any hope against Oklahoma.
Tulsa Kicking – Another perfect day for Glover, going 1-1 in field goals with a 35 yard kick, and going 5-5 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 0 21 3 14 38 :Arizona_State: 7 0 7 7 21
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 3:00 :Arizona_State: Touchdown J. Goolsby, 1 yard run (S. Willis kick) :Arizona_State: 7-0 Second Quarter 6:51 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 45 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) TIED 7-7 3:37 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-7 0:31 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 4 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 21-7 Third Quarter 4:54 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 35 yard field goal :Tulsa: 24-7 2:59 :Arizona_State: Touchdown D. Price, 4 yard run (S. Willis kick) :Tulsa: 24-14 Fourth Quarter 8:58 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 4 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 31-14 7:30 :Arizona_State: Touchdown J. Goolsby, 61 yard run (S. Willis kick) :Tulsa: 31-21 1:03 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 15 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 38-21
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Arizona State 38 Score 21 20 First Downs 20 486 Total Offense 423 41 - 151 - 2 Rushes - Yards - TD 21 - 141 - 3 15 - 29 - 3 Comp - Att - TD 23 - 43 - 0 335 Passing Yards 282 1 Times Sacked 2 9 - 15 (60%) 3rd Down Conversion 4 - 13 (30%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 3 - 5 (60%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 8 - 4 - 1 (62%) Red Zone - TD - FG 6 - 2 - 0 (33%) 2 Turnovers 1 1 Fumbles Lost 1 1 Intercepted 0 26 Punt Return Yards 18 20 Kick Return Yards 81 532 Total Yards 522 3 – 47.7 Punts - Average 4 - 47.8 2 - 20 Penalties 0 - 0 19:16 Time of Possession 16:44
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 42 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 4 :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 10 :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 1834 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 1834 :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
64%
Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Nebraska rolls along with a 42-23 win over Arkansas State. #2 Penn State holding on for a 54-48 double overtime victory over #21 Wisconsin. #3 Virginia Tech remains perfect and ruins the perfect season of Ohio with a 44-17 thrashing. #4 Auburn escapes South Caroline with a 33-28 win. #5 Notre Dame beats Purdue 45-20. #6 Arkansas gets a 42-24 win over Missouri. Ohio State gets an upset in The Shoe as they knock off #7 Iowa, 31-21. #20 LSU upsets #8 Texas 35-30.
#9 Miami picks up a 45-26 win over #11 Clemson, who is somehow ranked #11 despite dropping to 0-3 to start the season. #10 Georgia beats Vanderbilt 29-3. Maryland knocks off #12 West Virginia 34-31 in overtime. Michigan holds on to upset #13 Alabama 38-31. #14 Cincinnati steamrolls Akron 37-0. #15 NC State remains undefeated with a 42-21 win over Duke. Colorado shocks #16 Arizona 23-17. Rice shockingly improves to 4-0 with a 26-23 stunning of #17 Oklahoma.
#19 Oregon needs two field goals in double overtime to edge out Stanford and avoid the upset bid, beating the Cardinal 23-20. #22 San Diego State hangs onto their perfect record with a 20-16 win over Air Force. #24 Oklahoma State pulls out of a 17-10 win over TCU, and Troy remains perfect on the year as they edge out #25 Nevada 21-19.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss drops to 2-1 (0-0 C-USA) with a 52-27 loss to previously-winless Connecticut. Jaymo, Arizona State falls to 1-3 (0-1 Pac-12), with a 38-21 loss to yours truly. Payback is a bitch. :). Mors, #12 West Virginia drops to 2-2 (1-1 Big 12) with a 34-31 overtime loss to Maryland. Jeff, Ohio State improves to 2-2 (1-0 Big Ten) with a 31-21 upset of #7 Iowa. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State falls to 2-2 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 42-23 loss to #1 Nebraska.
In Big East action, Tulsa whoops Arizona State 38-21, Cincinnati blanks Akron 37-0, Connecticut breaks into the win column with a 52-27 thrashing of Southern Miss, SMU remains perfect as they beat Texas State 34-6, Houston stays perfect with a 38-24 win over Central Florida, Navy stays unbeaten with a 32-13 win over Memphis, East Carolina sees their perfect record destroyed as they lose 49-16 to Hawaii and Temple loses 31-28 to Eastern Michigan.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Nebraska (38 first place votes) remains #1, Penn State (21 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech (2 votes) remains #3, Auburn (1 vote) remains #4, and Notre Dame remains #5. Arkansas remains #6, Miami jumps two to #7, Georgia climbs two to #8, Cincinnati leaps five to #9 and NC State vaults five to #10. Texas drops three to #11, LSU leaps eight to #12, Iowa drops six to #13, Tennessee climbs four to #14 and Oregon moves up four to #15. Clemson (despite being 0-3) falls only five to #16, San Diego State jumps five to #17, Utah climbs five to #18, Oklahoma State jumps five to #19 and Alabama drops seven to #20. Rutgers enters the poll at #21, Texas Tech enters the poll at #22, West Virginia plummets eleven to #23, Ohio State enters the poll at #24 and Wisconsin (203 points) drops four to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Arizona (from #16), Oklahoma (from #17) and Nevada (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Florida (192 points) is #26, followed by Oklahoma (187), Michigan (75), Virginia (64) and Georgia Tech (42) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting votes this week is Arizona (37).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Nebraska (42 first place votes) remains #1, Penn State (21 votes) remains #2, Virginia Tech (1 vote) remains #3, Notre Dame (1 vote) remains #4 and Auburn climbs one to #5. Arkansas moves up one to #6, Georgia climbs two to #7, LSU jumps four to #8, Miami climbs one to #9 and Texas drops two to #10. Cincinnati leaped six to #11, Iowa fell seven to #12, Oregon climbed five to #13, NC State jumped six to #14 and Tennessee moved up four to #15. Clemson (despite being 0-3) falls only five to #16, Texas Tech jumps five to #17, Oklahoma State moves up five to #18, San Diego State climbs five to #19 and Alabama falls six to #20. Utah climbs four to #21, Ohio State enters the poll at #22, Florida enters the poll at #23, Oklahoma drops eight to #24 and Wisconsin (219 points) falls four to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Arizona (from #13) and West Virginia (from #15). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, West Virginia (188 points) is #26, followed by Pittsburgh (186), Arizona (153), Michigan (136) and Virginia (102) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes USC (66) and Arkansas State (62).
Taking a look at the Heisman race, Auburn QB J.J. Thomas is #1 (LW: #5), Notre Dame QB J.R. White is #2 (LW: NR), Iowa QB Drew Frederick is #3 (LW: #2), Arkansas QB John Rivera is #4 (LW: NR) and Nebraska HB Ronnie Mayfield is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off of the Heisman Watch list this week wereTexas HB Robert Young (LW: #1), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell (LW: #3) and Nebraska QB Robbie Allen (LW: #4).
Payback be a bitch. :) :nod:Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
That last, unnecessary, touchdown with 1:03 left was scored specially for you. :) :D
:D
That's just mean.
You should definitely keep track of the coach for that team and whatever team he moves to should be scheduled the next time you have room on your schedule.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by morsdraconis
Yeah, probably, but it was earned. :D
Yeah, that could be a fun little rivalry. And according to the 2016 Coaching Carousel (I already turned off the 360 so can't look it up right now), Arizona State's head coach is Mike Sabock (former Northern Illinois and Western Michigan OC) who came from WMU to Arizona State in the 2011 coaching carousel and then was promoted from their offensive coordinator when the previous head coach bolted for Mississippi State in 2016. To fill the then open OC spot, they hired Turner Gill who was freshly fired from Kansas.
I didn't see any Arizona State movements in the 2017 or 2018 Coaching Carousels, so Sabock and Gill should still be the head coach and OC. If Sabock remains head coach of Arizona State after this season, I might be tempted to add Arizona State back onto the schedule my first two years at whatever team I end up with. :)
Okay let's clear up a few things.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
First off, ASU QB Shaw was playing on a broken leg, had the flu, and was tired from having just given blood 20 minutes before the game in order to help end the suffering in Sudan.
Secondly, the ref, Mr. Joe Sully graduated from Tulsa, is married to a Tulsa professor and recently admitted he cheers for Tulsa every game
Thirdly, Breaking news... Stephens, Lewis and Oliver under investigation for using HGH!
:D Good game Smooth.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
I will say, Arizona State gave me the most statistically even game I've ever played. Dead even on first downs, 63 yard difference in total offense, 10 yard difference in rushing offense, 53 yard difference in passing offense, 10 yard difference in total yards, Arizona State had one more punt with a 0.1 yard higher average, and only a 2:16 difference in time of possession.
So statistically, it was one hell of a game. And without that last touchdown, only a 10 point margin of victory. I may need to look at possibly making Arizona State a semi-permanent name on my schedule. :)
Oh you know that in year two I am putting Tulsa on my sched (but I'm not sure which team I am going to be yet). ASU must be revenged! :PQuote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
Tulsa's gonna trounce you. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
Love the career! Can't wait to find out where you land after Tulsa!
I appreciate it! Glad to hear you're reading and enjoying it. Hope we'll see you stick around as a regular reader and poster. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by sublime
And I'm right there with you. The anticipation of where my career may take me next after Tulsa is killing me. We're getting closer though. One-third of the season is done, two-thirds still to go (no counting potential conference championship and bowl games) over the next week or two.
I'm gonna be firing up the 360 within the next half hour or so and get some more games in. Gonna try to avoid getting violated by Oklahoma, then I'm gonna try to fit in Connecticut afterwards so I can hit the midway point of the season before calling it a night.
You have got to be shitting me! I've spent the last three fucking hours playing Oklahoma, constantly playing catch up and finally in fourth quarter able to take a lead and win 41-27, only for the fucking game to freeze at the end of the game when showing the highlight pictures. I am beyond fucking pissed right now. Just pissed away three fucking hours for nothing, and unless I feel like sitting up until at least noon (I normally am hitting the sack around 10am since I'm on a third shift sleep cycle), there's no way in fuck I get both Oklahoma (replayed) and Connecticut in today.
I'm pretty much at the point that I have no desire to even WANT to fucking replay Oklahoma. That game was nothing but aggravation for three quarters until I finally managed to pull a lead out of my ass, only for it to be all pissed away by the first fucking freeze I have ever experienced in NCAA '13. It's one thing if that shit happens early in the game or around halftime, but I just spent three hours playing the entire goddamn game, it was FINAL and I just had to wait for the post game menus to come up, and the piece of shit freezes. That does nothing but piss me off.
I don't know why the hell I'm even considering it, but firing the Oklahoma game back up. I'm probably gonna keep the clock moving a lot in this one just to get it over with since I'm not exactly in the mood to play Oklahoma again, so it probably won't be as good. Since I'm still pissed off at wasting three hours, instead of just deleting everything I typed and letting it all go to waste, here's a Google Doc I created with the raw text from my word document, so you can read about what a hell of a game it was that I had against the Sooners.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing
Game Five
:Tulsa: :@: :Oklahoma:
Game Notes
--- Continuing our undefeated season and our three game road trip, it was time to head back west, though staying in-state this time, as we trekked down Interstate 44 to OKC and then on to Norman for a showdown with the Sooners of Oklahoma. The Sooners presented by far our toughest test of the season, with near equal ratings. Their rankings, albeit through only two games, also showed a tough opponent. The Sooners were putting up 32.5 points/game (#40 nationally), passing for over 252.5 yards/game (#36 nationally), which was 1.5 yards/game better than us. Defense was also an improvement over our previous opponents as the Sooners ranked in the mid-50s across the board defensively. We would no doubt have our hands full today. Turnovers would be a potential problem as well, as the rain poured out of the sky. Oklahoma won the coin toss and elected to kick, putting our offense to the test first.
A 19 yard kickoff return by Eric Hayden got us started from our 16 yard line. Oliver got us off to a great start, rushing straight up the middle for a 12 yard gain and a first down at the 28. Another rush by Oliver gained 8 yards, before being tackled for a one yard loss to leave third and three. Brad Stephens dropped back from under center on third down, managing to drop a pass to Hayden in between the cornerback and safety for a 25 yard gain and a first down at the Oklahoma 40. Heading back to the ground game on first down, Oliver continued to punish the defense with an 11 yard rush and a new set of downs at the 29. Oliver kept the spree of first downs going with a second straight 11 yard run to move the chains to the 18 yard line. Third time would not be the charm however as Oliver was stood up for a one yard loss to leave second and 11. Looking to catch the defense cheating, Stephens lined up under center in the same formation, but with a pass play called. The defense wasn’t fooled however as Stephens was sacked for a 7 yard loss to bring up third and 18. Taking a shot at the end zone, the pass intended for Joe Vaughn was broken up by the cornerback, ending our drive. It would only get worse as a false start penalty pushed us back to the 31 yard line with fourth and 23. As a potential hint of how horrible this day may end, the 48 yard field goal by Derek Glover was straight as an arrow. Too straight however as the four mile per hour winds failed to give it any hook, causing the kick to bounce straight off the left upright and back into the end zone for a missed kick.
Oklahoma took over on offense from their 31 yard line after the missed field goal, looking to jump on the opportunity. Claude Horn wasted little time in taking advantage of the twist of fate, rushing for gains of 5 and 7 yards to get an early first down at the 43. Another 7 yard rush by Horn was followed with a 6 yard gain to pick up another first down at our 44 yard line. David Alexander got in on the action on first down, throwing up a 13 yard pass to Pierre Smith, moving the chains further yet to our 31. Our defense was able to put up a fight however, tackling Horn for a four yard loss and forcing an incomplete pass from Alexander to bring up third and 14. It would all be for naught as Alexander dropped back on third down and lofted a bomb into the end zone to Ernest Rogers, completed for a 35 yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a 7-0 lead with 4:10 left in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got us lined up from our 25 yard line, looking to cut the deficit. Oliver received the handoff on first down, pounding his way to a 12 yard gain to move the ball to the 37. Oliver tried to repeat that gain, but he was quickly brought down for a mere two yard pickup to leave second and 8. Turning to the air to open up the defense, Stephens just barely released the ball before being drilled, the ball bouncing around in the air off a couple helmets before falling to the ground incomplete. Left with third and 8, Stephens came out in the shotgun, trying to connect with Vaughn deep over the middle, but Vaughn got held up on a defender and wasn’t in position in time as the ball sailed by and landed incomplete downfield to bring out the punt team. An 8 yard return on the 46 yard punt gave Oklahoma the ball at their 23 yard line.
Alexander tried to get the ball moving in the air to start the drive, but the Sooners had a temporary setback as Darius Lewis dropped the ball to bring up second and 10. The setback would be only very temporary as Smith was able to pull down a pass from Alexander for a 12 yard gain and a quick first down at the 35. A pair of rushes by Horn for gains of 5 and one yards set up third and four, but the Sooners would fail to convert the third down, Horn tackled behind the line of scrimmage for a two yard loss to leave fourth and 6. A 10 yard return by Hayden on the 44 yard punt got us back in action from our 26 yard line.
Oliver continued his best to put on a running demonstration, running for 8 yards on the first down carry, before being brought down for no gain to leave us facing third and two. Stephens tried to hook up with Hayden on a slant, but Hayden was unable to hold onto the ball, leaving our punt team making another appearance on fourth and short. A fair catch on the 49 yard punt gave Oklahoma possession from their 16 yard line.
The Sooners were able to come out strong this drive as Alexander chucked up a pass to Corey Bean for an 11 yard gain and a first down at the 27. The defense answered back by sacking Alexander two plays in a row, for minor losses of two yards and three yards to force Oklahoma into a third and 15 situation. The defense refused to go down without a fight, forcing Alexander into throwing an incomplete pass to bring up fourth and 15. A fair catch by Hayden on the 48 yard punt gave us the ball at our 29 yard line, just 7 seconds left in the first quarter.
A two yard rush by Oliver would bring the first quarter to an end, Oklahoma leading 7-0.
Opening up the second quarter, Stephens went into the air trying to connect with Hayden, but he was unable to hold onto the ball after a hit by the outside linebacker, leaving third and 8. The Oklahoma defense proved as difficult as ever, the third down pass intended for Ryan Lewis broken up by the safety to bring out our punt team once again. A fair catch on the 45 yard punt got Oklahoma lined up from their 23.
A pair of 6 yard rushes by Smith and Rashad Dixon got the drive started with a quick first down for the Oklahoma, moving the ball to their 36. Alexander followed that up with a 10 yard pass to Rogers to move the chains once more to the 46. After an incomplete pass intended for Bean, Rogers picked up four yards on the ground to give Oklahoma third and 6 from midfield. Our defense would win another battle, holding Alexander to just two yards on the third down scramble, bringing out the Oklahoma punt team on fourth and four. No return on the 43 yard punt left us in a very difficult position, as we came out to start from our own 5 yard line.
Oliver was able to start the drive with positive yardage, rushing for a 5 yard gain, followed by a 7 yard pickup to give us a first down at the 17 yard line and move us out of the shadows of our own goalposts. We kept pounding away on the ground, Oliver running for a four yard gain, followed by a three yard pickup by Silva, to leave third and three. Silva was able to get the first down and then some, busting through the hole and ending up with a gain of 15 yards and a first down at the 38 yard line. Oliver returned the backfield, picking up 6 yards on the first down carry, before Silva managed to get three yards to leave third and one. Oliver was able to pick up the first down on the ground, rushing for 8 yards to move the chains to the Oklahoma 45 yard line. Looking to catch the Sooners sleeping, we came out running play action pass on first down. The defense bit hook, line and sinker as Stephens fired off a pass to Kyle Jones, complete down the right sideline for a 24 yard gain and a first down at the 21 yard line. Coming out punching again on first down, we swung and missed as the pass intended for Vaughn was intercepted by middle linebacker Anthony Long, returned two yards to the 17 yard line.
Oklahoma took over at their 17 after the interception, their defense able to stem the tide of our drive. Oklahoma’s drive started nearly as poorly as ours ended, as two straight dropped passes by Smith and Bean left the Sooners suddenly looking at third and long. Smith would come through however with a 12 yard reception on the third down play, moving the chains to the 29 yard line and keeping the drive moving. A 5 yard rush by Horn was immediately erased due to a false start penalty, leaving second and 10. It would only be a minor setback as Alexander dropped back on the next play, firing up a pass to Bean for a 28 yard gain, giving Oklahoma a first down at our 43 yard line. A three yard rush by Horn and another incomplete pass again left Oklahoma with third and long, but again our defense would falter when it mattered most, Alexander completing an 18 yard pass to Rogers for a new set of downs from our 22. Horn took over on the ground again for an 8 yard gain, but he was unable to duplicate the results in the air, the second down pass intended for him falling incomplete to leave third and two. Our defense would catch a huge break as Smith dropped the third down pass in the end zone to bring up fourth and short from our 13. Our break would increase tenfold as the Sooners decided to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal, the pass by Alexander sailing long out the back of the end zone, turning the ball over on downs at our 13 yard line with 2:12 left before halftime.
Taking over at our 13 yard line after the turnover on downs, time was short with a lot of grass in front of us, forcing us into the air from the start. It would prove fatal as the first down pass intended for Hayden ended up intercepted by Long, his second interception of the game, returned 7 yards to give Oklahoma the ball at our 20 yard line with 2:07 remaining.
It didn’t take long for Oklahoma to take advantage of the interception. Despite an incomplete pass intended for Smith on first down, Alexander quickly found Bean for a 16 yard gain and the Sooners were knocking on our door once again with first and goal from the four yard line, Oklahoma calling their first timeout with 1:59 remaining Horn would punch it in on the next play for a four yard touchdown, giving Oklahoma a 14-0 lead with 1:50 left in the half.
A 21 yard kickoff return by Hayden got us set up at our 22 yard line, just 1:38 to go. Despite the last two drives, we had no choice but back into the air once more. This time we would strike gold as Vaughn managed to get the jump off the line of scrimmage and built up a 5 yard gain on both the cornerback and safety down the left sideline, jumping up to catch the pass from Stephens near midfield, causing the diving cornerback to miss him completely. Vaughn then managed to get his feet back under him and raced the safety deep into Oklahoma territory, finally tripped up by the safety at the last moment for a 71 yard reception to give us first and goal at the 8 yard line. Despite being only 8 yards out, with still limited time, even with three timeouts, running was not an option. We would finally get on the scoreboard on the first down play, Carl Barnes diving to the ground in the end zone for an 8 yard touchdown, cutting Oklahoma’s lead in half to 14-7 with 1:06 left in the half.
A touchback on the kickoff got Oklahoma started at their 25 yard line, 58 seconds remaining. It would be nowhere but backwards to start for the Sooners, as a holding penalty pushed them back to second and 20 from the 15 yard line. The Sooners weren’t ready to call it quits yet however, as Alexander heaved a deep pass downfield, caught by Smith for a 30 yard gain to give Oklahoma a first down at their 45 yard line, their second timeout stopping play with 48 seconds to go. It would only get worse as a pass interference penalty on our defense gave Oklahoma 15 free yards and a first down from our 40 yard line, 45 seconds remaining. Alexander got off a 5 yard pass to Smith, before an incomplete pass intended for Bean brought up third and 5. Our defense would fail to hold on third down, Horn rushing for 8 yards and the first down at our 28 yard line, 29 ticks left with the clock still running. Middle linebacker Anthony Clement would save our ass, intercepting Alexander at our 22 yard line to give us back the ball with 16 seconds to go.
A simple dive up the middle by Oliver for an 8 yard gain was the last play of the half as the clock ran out, taking us into halftime, Oklahoma leading 14-7.
Opening up the second half, no return on the kickoff gave Oklahoma the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Smith opened the drive with an 8 yard rush, followed by a 9 yard sprint by Dixon to pick up an early first down at the 42. A 7 yard rush by Rogers was followed with an incomplete pass from Alexander, leaving Oklahoma with third and three. It wouldn’t take long for the Sooners to convert, Alexander connecting with Bean for a 5 yard gain to move the chains to our 47 yard line. The Sooners offense continued to abuse our defense, as Alexander found Bean again, this time for 17 yards and a first down at our 29. It was D. Lewis’ turn to get in on the action, hauling in a 20 yard pass from Alexander, setting Oklahoma up with first and goal from our 10 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Horn opened up back up to double digits with a 10 yard touchdown rush, giving Oklahoma a 21-7 lead with 7:08 left in the third quarter.
No return on the kickoff gave us possession at our 25 yard line, looking to get back within striking distance of a tie game. We got off to a poor start to our drive, Oliver instantly stuffed for a loss of one yard to leave us with second and 11. Coming out in shotgun on second down, the pass intended for Hayden was broken up by the cornerback, as our offensive momentum fell apart. Trying to hit Vaughn down the right sideline on third down, the pass by Stephens sailed long, resulting in another appearance by the punt team. A fair catch on the 47 yard punt gave Oklahoma the ball at their 29 yard line.
Horn started the drive for the Sooners with a 5 yard rush, but the defense bit back on second down, tackling him for a loss of one yard to bring up third and 6. The momentum lasted all of one play as Alexander hit Rogers over the middle for a 15 yard completion and a new set of downs at the 47. After an incomplete pass, the defense managed to punch back again, tackling Alexander for a three yard loss, but again the celebration was short lived as Alexander torched us with a 21 yard strike to Rogers for a first down at our 35 yard line. A three yard rush by Smith was followed with a four yard rush by Horn. Alexander tried to convert third and three on his own, and did manage three yards on the rush, but he was marked short, leaving Oklahoma facing fourth and inches. Naturally the Sooners elected to go for it, Horn picking up 5 yards on the carry to move the chains to our 21 yard line. Horn continued to tear us apart with a four yard rush and a 9 yard rush, setting up first and goal at our 8. Alexander took back over with a two yard pass to William Smith, before finding Bean in the back of the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown, turning the game into a rout as Oklahoma took a 28-7 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got us lined up from our 25 yard line, looking for any way to claw ourselves back into this game. Coming out throwing, Stephens was able to get the first down pass into the hands of Hayden, but he was unable to hold on as he turned up the field, the incomplete pass bringing up second down. Stephens tried to find Barnes over the middle, but a vicious hit by the safety resulted in an incomplete pass and left Barnes sidelined for the rest of the game with a broken finger. Lining up on third and long, Stephens was able to get the ball off to Oliver for a 19 yard gain and a first down. A flag came out on the play, originally thought to be holding, but instead of it was roughing the passer on outside linebacker Maurice Newsome. With the extra 15 yards tacked on to the end of the play, we went from our own 44 yard line to the Oklahoma 41 yard line without a single snap of the ball. Looking to build on the momentum and advantage, Stephens tried to connect with Hayden, but the play was broken up by the cornerback. Throwing to Robert Harper over the middle on first down, the pass was completed for a gain of 15 yards and new set of downs at the 26. Stephens threw up a rainbow on first down into the back of the end zone for Vaughn, but the pass sailed too far and landed out of bounds incomplete, bringing up second down. Going right back to Vaughn, he made an incredible catch in the back of the end zone, turning around to catch the pass in his chest and get both feet in before falling backwards out of the back of the end zone, the pass completed for a 26 yard touchdown to cut Oklahoma’s lead down to 28-14 with 2:21 left in the third quarter.
No return on the kickoff gave Oklahoma the ball at their 25 yard line. Horn picked up where he left off with pair of rushes for gains of three and two yards. Horn would then convert third and 5 with a 6 yard rush to move the chains to the 36. Horn continued to pound at our defense, running for a 5 yard gain, followed by a two yard carry to leave third and three. We would catch a break when the Sooners decided to go into the air on third and short, the pass intended for Smith falling incomplete to bring up fourth down. A 7 yard return by Hayden on the 49 yard punt gave us the ball at our 15 yard line with 47 seconds left in the third quarter, our hopes of a comeback still alive.
Lining up in the shotgun, we continued our aerial assault on the Oklahoma defense, Silva pulling in a 6 yard pass from Stephens, followed by a 7 yard completion to Hayden for the first down at the 28 yard line. Stephens tried to throw deep on first down, but the pass to Vaughn was broken up to bring up second and 10. Going right back to Vaughn, on the opposite sideline as the previous play, Vaughn was able to get just enough height on his jump to get above the cornerback and come down with the pass above the corner’s head, hauling in the completion for a massive 50 yard gain and a first down at the Oklahoma 22 yard line. That would be the last play as the third quarter came to an end, Oklahoma still holding a 28-14 lead.
Opening up the fourth quarter, we kept chucking up passes, trying to hit Hayden in the corner of the end zone, but the pass was nearly intercepted by the corner to bring up second down. Another pass to Hayden was again nearly intercepted, and our drive was suddenly in trouble. Lewis would get us back into the promised land, an attempt to jump the pass by the cornerback resulting in him taking himself out of the play, allowing Lewis to catch the pass and run into the end zone unchallenged for a 22 yard touchdown, closing Oklahoma’s lead down to 28-21 with 8:45 remaining in the game.
A 15 yard return on the kickoff gave Oklahoma the ball from their 12 yard line, less than stellar positioning for the Sooners. Horn was a little shaken on the first play, tackled for a three yard loss to push Oklahoma closer to their goal line, but the positioning was short lived, Alexander connecting with Lewis for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 23. A second 14 yard pass, this time to Smith, moved the chains further out to the 37 yard line. Alexander kept shredding our defense through the air, completing a 9 yard throw to Smith, followed by a 16 yard strike to Bean to move the sticks into our territory at our 38 yard line. After a dropped pass by Horn on first down, he redeemed himself with an 8 yard rush, followed by a 7 yard gain on the ground to get the first down at the 23. After an incomplete pass, Horn was able to pick up four yards on the ground, before Alexander converted the third down with a 13 yard pass to Rogers, setting Oklahoma up with first and goal from our 6 yard line. Dixon came out to run the ball on first down, picking up 5 yards on the carry. He tried to punch it in again, but was instead stood up for a two yard loss, leaving the Sooners facing third and goal from the three yard line. Third time would prove to be a charm for Dixon however, as he managed to find his way into the end zone for a three yard touchdown, opening Oklahoma’s lead up 35-21 with 5:52 remaining in the game.
No return on the kickoff left us starting at our 25 yard line with limited time and lots of points to make up. With 5:44 left to play, there was no secret we were coming out passing, making our job of defeating the defense that much more difficult. It didn’t help matters that the first down pass intended for Vaughn was way off target and incomplete, bringing up second and long right off the bat. Throwing deep down the right sideline, Stephens was able to connect with Hayden over the shoulder of the safety, the pass complete for a massive 46 yard gain and a first down at the Oklahoma 29 yard line, our hopes still hanging on by a thread. Lewis was briefly able to haul in the pass from Stephens, but a hit to the back by the cornerback knocked the ball loose and incomplete. Going right back to Lewis on the opposite sideline, he was able to pull in the pass from Stephens and hang on this time, complete for a 16 yard gain and a first down at the 13 yard line as the clock neared 5 minutes to play. A quick pass to a wide open Silva, who came out of the backfield and into the flats, was completed for an 11 yard gain, but Silva couldn’t quite make it into the end zone, brought down at the two yard line to set up first and goal. Handing the ball off to Oliver on first down, he was able to punch it in on his first down for a two yard touchdown, again cutting into Oklahoma’s lead, 35-28, with 4:37 left to play.
A 16 yard return on the kickoff gave Oklahoma the ball at their 20 yard line as they looked to score some insurance points. The first down passes from Alexander didn’t give too much promise as the ball intended for Smith was nearly intercepted, ending up incomplete to bring up second down. It would only get worse for the Sooners as Horn was tackled for a two yard loss, before a pass intended for Rogers sailed long and incomplete to bring up fourth and 12 from the 18. A four yard return by Hayden on the 44 yard punt gave us excellent field position, starting us from our 42 yard line with 3:59 remaining.
Hayden came through for us right away on first down, getting the safety to shade inside on the flag route, cutting out right into the path of the already coming football, catching it at the Oklahoma 40 yard line then racing the safety an additional 18 yards down to the Oklahoma 22 yard line, tackled for a gain of 36 yards. Trying to connect with Marcus Mullins over the middle, the middle linebacker was able to disrupt the play, bringing up second down. Vaughn kept us moving forward, able to haul in the pass on the comeback route while being hit by the safety, the pass good for a 15 yard gain to give us first and goal at the 6 yard line. With 3:28 left on the clock, we turned to the ground game to try and run off a bit of clock left available for Oklahoma’s next drive while trying to drive it home. Oliver initially was only able to gain one yard on the play, but defensive tackle Mark Jackson drag Oliver down by his facemask, damn near ripping his head off in the motion, the facemask penalty resulting in half the distance to the goal, giving us first and goal from the three yard line. Oliver took the handoff on first down, but was quickly stuffed for no gain. Silva came in on second down, picking up three yards on the play but stopped just short, leaving third and goal just inches away from the goal line. Silva tried a second time to punch it in, but the middle linebacker was able to blitz through untouched and tackle him for a two yard loss. That brought the entire game down to this one play, fourth and goal from the two yard line, one minute left on the clock. Handing the ball to Silva, the defense was able to break through again, tackling Silva for a one yard loss, forcing the turnover on downs and giving Oklahoma the ball at their three yard line with 33 seconds remaining.
Horn took the ball on first down, rushing for three yards, our second timeout taken with 30 seconds to go, doing nothing but delaying the inevitable. A 29 yard rush by Dixon sealed our fate, giving Oklahoma a first down at the 35 yard line, our final timeout taken with 24 seconds to go. A false start on the first down play resulted in the Sooners moving back 5 yards, leaving first and 15. Alexander took to a knee and the Sooners ran out the final 20 seconds, securing the 35-28 victory.
With the loss, we drop to 4-1, 1-0 in Big East action. With the win, Oklahoma improves to 2-1, 0-0 in Big 12 play. Up next, we finish off our three game road trip with a visit to the east coast to take on Connecticut. The Huskies enter 1-4, 0-1 in Big East action. UConn started their year with a 35-27 loss to Texas Tech, a 31-28 loss at Rice and a 34-22 loss to BYU. They finally broke into the win column with a 52-27 dismantling of Southern Miss, before losing 38-31 at Houston.
Final Score
:Oklahoma: 35, :Tulsa: 28
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense - A rather bad day for Stephens. Went 16-36 (44%, bad) for 397 yards (good) and three touchdowns (also good), but threw two interceptions, one that killed a potentially scoring drive, and one that set Oklahoma up with the ball on our doorstep (double bad). Rushing, an okay day for Oliver, ending with 104 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. A bad day for Silva, ending with 20 yards on seven carries and failing three straight times to score from one yard out. Receiving, Vaughn led the way with 162 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Hayden also had a good day with 114 yards on four receptions. In all, eight receivers recorded a reception today, seven ended up with double digit yards, Vaughn and Hayden the only two to reach triple digits, Vaughn, Lewis and Barnes all recording a touchdown.
Tulsa Defense – God awful. They did manage to make Oklahoma punt 5 times, did force one turnover by way of interception and did force a turnover on downs, but giving up 35 points, 544 yards of total offense and 202 yards rushing, while allowing Oklahoma to build up leads of 28-7 and 35-21, completely erased the good those punts, the interception and the turnover on downs did.
Tulsa Kicking – No perfect day this time for Glover, going 0-1 in field goals, bouncing a 48 yard attempt off the left upright. While it ultimately wouldn't have mattered if he made it or not, as we still would have been down four at the end and forced to go for the touchdown, every field goal should be made, especially ones lined up in the middle or even with the uprights. The only bright spot today was the 4-4 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 0 7 7 14 28 :Oklahoma: 7 7 14 7 35
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 4:10 :Oklahoma: Touchdown E. Rogers, 35 yard pass from D. Alexander (K. Hines kick) :Oklahoma: 7-0 Second Quarter 1:50 :Oklahoma: Touchdown C. Horn, 4 yard run (K. Hines kick) :Oklahoma: 14-0 1:06 :Tulsa: Touchdown C. Barnes, 8 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Oklahoma: 14-7 Third Quarter 7:08 :Oklahoma: Touchdown C. Horn, 10 yard run (K. Hines kick) :Oklahoma: 21-7 3:19 :Oklahoma: Touchdown C. Bean, 6 yard pass from D. Alexander (K. Hines kick) :Oklahoma: 28-7 2:21 :Tulsa: Touchdown J. Vaughn, 26 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Oklahoma: 28-14 Fourth Quarter 8:45 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Lewis, 22 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Oklahoma: 28-21 5:52 :Oklahoma: Touchdown R. Dixon, 3 yard run (K. Hines kick) :Oklahoma: 35-21 4:37 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 2 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Oklahoma: 35-28
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Oklahoma 28 Score 35 20 First Downs 29 514 Total Offense 544 28 - 117 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 46 - 202 - 3 16 - 36 - 3 Comp - Att - TD 23 - 44 - 2 397 Passing Yards 342 1 Times Sacked 2 5 - 11 (45%) 3rd Down Conversion 11 - 18 (61%) 0 - 1 (0%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 2 (50%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 7 - 2 - 0 (28%) Red Zone - TD - FG 6 - 3 - 0 (50%) 2 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 0 2 Intercepted 1 21 Punt Return Yards 8 40 Kick Return Yards 31 575 Total Yards 583 4 – 47.3 Punts - Average 5 - 46.2 4 - 38 Penalties 5 - 38 18:08 Time of Possession 17:52
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 39 :6greenarrow: Win 10 games in one season 4 :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 11 :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2348 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2348 :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
64%
Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Nebraska finally meets their match, as the #24 Ohio State Buckeyes head into the cornfields and upset the Huskers 34-21. Nebraska led 21-10 midway through the third quarter, until Ohio State reeled of 24 straight points in the third and fourth quarters to get the win. #2 Penn State stakes their claim on the top ranking, beating Illinois 35-28. #3 Virginia Tech stays perfect with a 45-22 win over #16 Clemson, dropping the Tigers to 0-4.
#4 Auburn doubles up Florida 48-24. #5 Notre Dame embarrasses Massachusetts 49-0. #6 Arkansas tops Texas A&M 42-10. #7 Miami gets a 35-13 win over #10 NC State, handing the Wolfpack their first defeat. #8 Georgia escapes with a 24-21 win over #22 Texas Tech. South Florida hands #9 Cincinnati their first loss of the year, 24-10. #13 Iowa thrashes Minnesota 56-17. #15 Oregon steamrolls UCLA 51-17.
Colorado State knocks off #17 San Diego State 14-13, knocking another team from the ranks of the unbeaten. USC upsets #18 Utah, 28-21. #20 Alabama survives Ole Miss 38-31 in overtime. #23 West Virginia takes down Kansas 28-12. The Mountaineers were only winning 14-6 at halftime and 14-12 in the early fourth quarter, before scoring twice in the final 5 minutes to pull away. #25 Wisconsin fights off Michigan 39-35.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 3-1 (1-0 C-USA) with a 38-34 win over Tulane. Southern Miss needed two fourth quarter touchdowns to come from behind and get the win. Jaymo, Arizona State improves to 2-3 (1-1 Pac-12), with a 31-28 win over Colorado, scoring the game-winner with 1:16 left to play. Mors, #23 West Virginia improves to 3-2 (2-1 Big 12) with a 28-12 win over Kansas. Jeff, #24 Ohio State improves to 3-2 (2-0 Big Ten) with their second straight top 10 upset, this time 34-21 over #1 Nebraska. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State remains 2-2 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a bye week.
In Big East action, Oklahoma beats Tulsa 35-28, SMU beats TCU 38-21, Central Florida tops Navy 28-21, Houston edges out Connecticut 38-31, South Florida takes down #9 Cincinnati 24-10, East Carolina rolls Memphis 52-28, Fresno State beats Temple 24-17 and Southern Miss tops Tulane 38-34.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Penn State (34 first place votes) climbs one to #1, Virginia Tech (23 votes) climbs one to #2, Auburn (3 votes) climbs one to #3, Notre Dame (1 vote) jumps one to #4 and Arkansas moves up one to #5. Miami climbs one to #6, Georgia jumps one to #7, Nebraska drops seven to #8, Texas climbs two to #9 and LSU moves up two to #10. Iowa jumps two to #11, Tennessee climbs two to #12, Rutgers leaps eight to #13, Oregon moves up one to #14 and NC State drops five to #15. Oklahoma State climbs three to #16, Alabama moves up three to #17, Ohio State leaps six to #18, West Virginia climbs four to #19 and USC enters the poll at #20. Cincinnati plummets twelve to #21, Georgia Tech enters the poll at #22, Wisconsin moves up two to #23, Utah falls six to #24 and Texas Tech (247 points) drops three to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Clemson (from #16) (only took an 0-4 start for them to finally drop out) and San Diego State (from #17). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, San Diego State (233 points) is #26, followed by Oklahoma (182) Clemson (115) (0-4 on the season and still getting 115 points in the polls :fp:), SMU (92) and Eastern Michigan (44) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Florida (29).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Penn State (38 first place votes) moves up one to #1, Virginia Tech (21 votes) climbs one to #2, Notre Dame (5 votes) climbs one to #3, Auburn (1 vote) jumps one to #4 and Arkansas moves up one to #5. Georgia climbs one to #6, Miami jumps two to #7, LSU remains #8, Nebraska drops eight to #9 and Texas remains #10. Ohio State vaults eleven to #11, Iowa remains #12, Oregon remains #13, Tennessee jumps one to #14 and Oklahoma State climbs three to #15. NC State falls two to #16, Alabama climbs three to #17, Texas Tech drops one to #18, Rutgers enters the poll at #19 and USC enters the poll at #20. Oklahoma climbs three to #21, West Virginia enters the poll at #22, Cincinnati drops twelve to #23, Wisconsin climbs one to #24 and Utah (167 points) drops four to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Clemson (from #16), San Diego State (from #19) and Florida (from #23). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Georgia Tech (129 points) is #26, followed by San Diego State (123), Pittsburgh (38), Arizona (8) and Clemson (4) (0-4 on the season and still getting 4 points in the polls :fp:) to round out the Top 30.
Taking a look at the Heisman race, Iowa QB Drew Frederick is #1 (LW: #3), Notre Dame QB J.R. White is #2 (LW: #2), Auburn QB J.J. Thomas is #3 (LW: #1), Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell is #4 (LW: NR) and Arkansas QB John Rivera is #5 (LW: #4). Dropping off of the Heisman Watch list this week was Nebraska HB Ronnie Mayfield (LW: #5).
Frozen game, beat Oklahoma 41-27. Unfrozen game, lose to Oklahoma 35-28 after failing to punch it in four straight tries from inside the three yard line. :fp:
Also, god the polls are horrible this year.
#2 Clemson gets abused by #4 team, falls to 0-1, drops from #2 to #9.Quote:
In the game of the week, #4 Georgia picked up a 28-9 win over #2 Clemson.
...
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll...Clemson drops seven to #9
#9 Clemson loses to unranked Arizona by 14, falls to 0-2, drops from #9 to #15.Quote:
Arizona shocks #9 Clemson 31-17.
...
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll...Clemson drops six to #15.
#15 Clemson has a bye week, remains 0-2, climbs from #15 to #11 in the Coaches, starts #11 in the Media.Quote:
Bye week.
...
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll...Clemson climbs four to #11
...
Looking at the first Top 25 Media Poll...Clemson is #11
#11 Clemson gets rolled in a 19 point loss to the #9 team, falls to 0-3, drops from #11 to only #16 in both Coaches and Media polls.Quote:
#9 Miami picks up a 45-26 win over #11 Clemson
...
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll...Clemson (despite being 0-3) falls only five to #16
...
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll...Clemson (despite being 0-3) falls only five to #16
#16 Clemson gets whacked in a 23 point loss to the #3 team, falls to 0-4, finally drops out of the Top 25 polls, but is still picking up 145 points in the Coaches and 4 points in the Media polls.Quote:
#3 Virginia Tech stays perfect with a 45-22 win over #16 Clemson, dropping the Tigers to 0-4.
...
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll...Dropping out of the poll this week were Clemson (from #16)...Looking at Others Receiving Votes...Clemson (115) (0-4 on the season and still getting 115 points in the polls :fp:)
...
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll...Dropping out of the poll this week were Clemson (from #16)...Looking at Others Receiving Votes...and Clemson (4) (0-4 on the season and still getting 4 points in the polls :fp:) to round out the Top 30.
Now I understand that losing to the then-#4, then-#9 and then-#3 teams will give you some leeway, but starting the year 0-4 with 19, 14, 19 and 23 point losses, and it takes until week 6 for them to finally drop out of the polls, but while they do drop out, in the coaches poll, they're still getting 145 freaking points. I don't care if they lost to four different #1 teams, an 0-4 team has no business even receiving a single vote in any of the polls.
just seeing all those losses for that team makes me smile
oh....and good stuff here smooth. Nice to see you stick with it
Good read!Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...AMECOCKS/2.jpg
http://gamedayr.wpengine.netdna-cdn....sucks-meme.png
:D Yeah, it's been a rough year for them so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by texacotea
And appreciate it tex. It's been a lot of fun with the addition of coaching carousel. In the past, before the addition of coaching carousel, I'd just stay with one team the entire time or always play with Navy and playing for the team, making it difficult to keep going and stay interested after a while. But with coaching carousel now, I'm playing for the career of my coach, and while I try to do my best with each team, I'm not as tied to the wins and losses with them as I was in the past when playing with Navy.
So I've got the future of my coach, the unknown of what teams I'll end up at in the future seasons, and the fact that I know I'll be moving on to a new team after at least three or four seasons, it keeps me rolling, keeps me going playing.
Also the additions they've made to the game to make it more fun and with the right sliders, makes it more even and more of a challenge, and with the changes they've made to recruiting, while making it longer (at least in NCAA '13), also making it a bit more engaging and more fun, it keeps me going week after week, season after season.
So I have no plans of ending this dynasty for a long while. I may not get 5, 6, 10 seasons in with each edition of the game like I have with Tulsa, but even with work and life, I can still fit in at least three seasons a year/edition and plan on doing so for as long as I can keep myself coming back and firing up NCAA. And if a future edition of NCAA sucks, I'll just stick with the last good edition. If NCAA '15 blows because of the transition to next-gen (so next-gen ends up a bit bare and current gen ends up very untouched), then I'll just keep rolling with NCAA '14 and be good to go for another year.
What I'll probably do over the next year of NCAA, I'll play a season but then take a break (maybe a week, maybe two weeks, maybe a month) before starting up the next season, give myself a bit of time away from the game, recharge the batteries before diving into another 12-14 game season, get some time in with my other games, keep NCAA feeling fresh, and then come back after a little bit and jump right into the next full season. That's been my issue in the past, I'll play nothing but NCAA for a month or two straight, going from season right into the next season, only to end up burnt out and not come back to it for a month or two (or more). So gonna keep a pace this year so I don't end up burnt out at some point, and also so I can actually put some time in with other games.
:D Very nice pulls on the pictures.Quote:
Originally Posted by SCClassof93
And needless to say, UConn is gonna have to wait until maybe overnight tonight. It's 11am, I'm hitting the sack since I have to head into work for a couple hours tonight sometime around 6pm, so I'm getting some sleep.
Your lack of commitment to the cause is stunning :DQuote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
My desire to get some sleep (having been awake since 5pm yesterday evening) before heading into work tonight sometime around 6pm overrules the cause. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by SCClassof93
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4743428096/h538D6ED4/Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothPancakes
Yeah, that was pretty much how I was at the time. :D
UConn should be up sometime in the morning. I was gonna head back into work around 5am for a couple hours, but if I start a game now, between the time playing the game, typing up the post game stats, and compiling/posting the national stuff, showering and getting gas on the way in, it'd be a push to make it in by 5. So instead, I think I'm gonna shower in a little bit here, head out the door around 1:30-2am, by the time I get gas, get into work and get done what I need to get done, I should be home before 6am and can get UConn fired up then.
Game Six
:Tulsa: :@: :Connecticut:
Game Notes
--- Trying to get back on the winning path after our heart breaking defeat to Oklahoma, we wrapped up our three game road trip with a visit to Connecticut. Despite a 1-4 record, the Huskies were not to be taken lightly, as they surprisingly entered as the #1 team in the nation for passing offense, putting up 389.6 yards a game through the air. Their passing numbers were so good, that despite their horrendous ranking when it comes to rushing (117 yards/game, good for #116 in the country), UConn still sits as the #7 team in the nation for total offense with 506.6 yards/game average. With our defense already extremely susceptible against the pass, it could end up being a long day, and a shootout, for us.
On the flip side, UConn’s passing defense was on the complete opposite side of the scale, ranked #120 nationally, giving up over 306.4 yards/game. They did have one ace up their sleeve in being strong against the run, only giving up 152.2 yards rushing/game, good enough to come in at #33 in the nation. All signs pointed strongly to an all-aerial battle and a full-fledged shootout to determine the winner of this one. Connecticut won the coin toss and elected to receive.
A 24 yard kickoff return got the Huskies underway from their 22 yard line to begin the game. It was a poor start to the game for the UConn offense, as an incomplete pass from Donnie Wright to Eric Todd was batted incomplete, followed by a false start penalty to leave the offense facing second and 15. It looked like it was an be an early appearance by the punt unit, as an incomplete pass brought about third and very long. Instead, the Huskies showed why they’re ranked #1 in passing, as Wright connected with Todd for a 22 yard pickup and a first down at the 39 yard line. Unfortunately for UConn, their offense had to deal with our defense, and our defense came ready to play, as middle linebacker Anthony Clement intercepted Wright on first down, tackled immediately to give us the ball at the 50 yard line.
Taking over at midfield after the interception, we came out looking to put UConn’s rush defense to the test. Will Oliver received the first down handoff, managing to pick up 6 yards on the play, followed by a 7 yard gain to record an early first down at the 37. Two more carries by Oliver went for gains of 6 and two yards, leaving us facing third and two. Taking advantage of a cheating defense, Brad Stephens dropped back from under center, finding Eric Hayden open along the right sideline for a 16 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 14 yard line. We would need only one more play to cover the remaining distance, an all out blitz by the linebackers allowing Carl Barnes to cut across the middle of the field from the tight end position and be surrounded by nothing but grass, receiving the dump pass from Stephens and barreling his way into the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 6:10 remaining in the first quarter.
A 15 yard facemask penalty on the end of a 22 yard kickoff return left our defense with their backs against the wall, as UConn got their second drive underway from their 44 yard line. Luckily for us, the Huskies were still trying to get their offense in gear, as three straight incomplete passes to Erik Washington and Craig Rollins led to a three and out and a punt. A 7 yard return by Hayden on the 46 yard punt set us up from our 17 yard line.
Returning to the ground game, Oliver had a tough time on first down, only able to get three yards on the play, followed by a four yard rush to bring up third and four. Taking our chances on the ground on third down, Oliver was able to get the first down and then some, rushing for a gain of 8 yards to move the chains to the 31 yard line. With the defense again cheating towards the run, Kyle Jones was able to make it out of the backfield and into the flats on a play action pass, hauling in the ball for a 16 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 47. We tried to throw a little finesse into our offense on first down, throwing a bubble pass to Ryan Lewis, but the outside linebacker was anything but fooled, immediately crashing down and tackling Lewis for a one yard loss. Stephens was able to briefly connect with Jason Johnson on second down, but an immediate hit by the safety knocked the ball loose and incomplete to bring up third and 11. Lewis would get his revenge on third down, managing to get separation on an out route and catch the pass from Stephens for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the UConn 40 yard line. Continuing to swing at the defense, Joe Vaughn was able to snag in a pass for 11 yards, moving the ball to the 29. Returning to the run game on first down, Oliver was able to fight his way forward for 7 yards, before boogying his way to a four yard gain and a new set of downs at the 17. Another handoff to Oliver led to a pickup of 5 yards, before Eric Silva could only manage two yards during his shift to leave us with third and three. Dumping off the ball over the middle, Robert Harper was there to pull down the pass, fighting his way to the goal line before being tackled short for a 10 yard gain, setting up first and goal from inside the one yard line. Nearly bringing back memories of Oklahoma, the middle linebacker blitzed through the line virtually untouched and nearly blew the play up, but Oliver was able to shake off the tackle attempt and found a hole into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 14-0 with 42 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
A 21 yard kickoff return got UConn back in action from their 23 yard line, the Huskies already in a hole in the early goings. Turning to their ground game for the first time today, Justin Mathis received the handoff on first down, but could only pick up four yards on the play, which was followed by another incomplete pass by Wright, leaving UConn with third and 6. Wright was forced to scramble on the third down play, and almost succeeded on his own, but he was brought down short for a four yard gain, leaving the punt unit coming back out on fourth and two. A 5 yard return by Hayden on a 49 yard punt give us the ball at our 24 yard line as the first quarter came to a close, our lead 14-0.
Opening up the second quarter from our 24 yard line, Oliver had no chance on the first down carry, quickly swarmed for a one yard loss to bring up second and 11. Going into the air on second down, it took just one pass to light a torch on the UConn defense, the entire linebacker corps blitzing during the play, allowing Vaughn to cut across the middle of the field on a slant route without a soul near him. After making the catch, Vaughn was able split a large gap between both safeties, outrunning both despite their desperation dives, and take it all the way to the house for a 76 yard touchdown to expand our lead to 21-0 with 8:09 left in the second quarter.
No return on the kickoff gave UConn the ball at their 25 yard line, the hole getting deeper by the minute. The Huskies offense at least found a groove this time around, as Wright connected with Rollins on consecutive plays for gains of 5 and 12 yards to pick up a quick first down at the 42 yard line. Then the momentum was lost as a dropped pass by Rollins was followed with a holding penalty and an incomplete pass intended for Todd, leaving the Huskies suddenly facing third and 20. It would end just as poorly as Wright was sacked for a one yard loss, bringing up another punt on fourth and 21. A four yard return by Hayden on the 44 yard punt got us back on the field at our 30 yard line.
Returning to the ground on first down, Oliver was able to shake off a tackle on his way to a four yard gain, followed by a pickup of 8 yards to move the chains to the 42. Oliver kept trying to pound away on the ground, but was held up for a gain of only two yards. Lining up under center on second down, Stephens was able to keep the defense cheating towards run, allowing Barnes to get open on an out route for a 14 yard reception and a first down at the UConn 42. Looking to light up some fireworks, Stephens came out in the shotgun, firing off to a pass to Vaughn, who was running a comeback route, the pass complete for a 19 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 23 yard line as we kept marching downfield. Vaughn would bite the defense a second time, breaking free from the coverage on a slant route to pull in a 17 yard reception to give us first and goal at the 6 yard line. Handing the ball off on first down, Oliver was barely able to pick up one yard, leaving second and goal at the 5. Second time would prove a charm for Oliver, as he was able to follow the cheeks of the left tackle straight into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown. A missed extra point by Derek Glover would end our drive on a sour note, our lead only 27-0 with 3:08 left until halftime.
A 19 yard kickoff return on the ensuing kickoff gave Connecticut the ball at their 19 yard line, the Huskies looking for any good news to end the first half with. The drive started off right where the other one left off, as the first down pass intended for Todd was incomplete, but Wright would go right back to Todd on second down, able to complete the pass for a 6 yard gain to leave third and four. It would all be for naught however as an incomplete pass intended for Washington left UConn punting the ball away yet again. A fair catch by Hayden on the 43 yard punt got us underway at our 32 yard line with 2:29 remaining.
With limited clock, we came out passing on first down, the throw to Hayden complete for a 7 yard gain, followed by an 8 yard completion to Silva in the flats to give us a first down at the 46. Throwing to the left sideline, Lewis was able to pull in the pass from Stephens for a gain of 11 yard gain, moving the chains to the UConn 43 with 1:42 to go. A deep pass down the right hash to Hayden kept us moving methodically down the field with a 20 yard pickup and a first down at the 23. Trying to thread the needle to Lewis on first down, the pass was broken up to bring up second and 10, just 1:13 to go until halftime. Lewis would get us back into the end zone on second down, breaking free up the middle of the field, hauling in the pass at the 5 yard line and then beating the safety into the end zone for a 23 yard touchdown to give us a 34-0 lead with 1:09 to go in the quarter.
A 17 yard kickoff return left UConn starting at their 23 yard line, just one minute to go. It looked like more of the same after two incomplete passes intended for Craig Rogers, but a facemask penalty at the end of a 6 yard rush by Wright gave the Huskies new life at their 44 yard line, just 43 seconds remaining. Mathis took the ball on the ground for one yard, the Huskies using their first timeout with 39 seconds. Wright followed that up with a 10 yard completion to Rogers to our 44 yard line, Connecticut using their second timeout with 33 seconds to go. A 5 yard pass to Todd was followed with a 6 yard completion to Rollins, UConn with a new set of downs at our 33 yard line, but only 17 seconds on the clock. The Huskies wasted too much time without using their final timeout, an incomplete pass on first down, intended for Washington, left just four seconds on the clock. It wasn’t a touchdown, but Connecticut was finally able to get on the board, a 50 yard field goal by Ryan McDuffie as time expired putting points on the board and sending us into halftime with a 34-3 lead.
Opening up the second half, a 19 yard kickoff return by Johnson gave us ball at our 22 yard line to begin the third quarter. Oliver got us started on the ground, rushing for an 11 yard gain and quick first down at the 33, getting our drive started off on the right foot. A first down carry by Silva netted only two yards, followed by a one yard gain by Oliver, forcing us into the air on third and 7. Lewis would keep our drive alive, pulling down a pass from Stephens for a gain of 13 yards to move the chains to the 48. Returning to the ground, Oliver was quickly stuffed for no gain, the Huskies more than ready for our rushing attack. A pass to Vaughn on an out route ended up being a huge play, as Vaughn tight roped his way down the sideline, fighting way out of a tackle by the cornerback before finally being forced out of bounds by the safety at the UConn 13 yard line, the play resulting in a gain of 39 yards. A quickly fired pass to Hayden on first down caught the defense with their pants down, Hayden catching the pass at the two yard line and running into the end zone for a 13 yard touchdown and a 41-3 lead with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.
A 15 yard return on the kickoff gave UConn the ball at their 15 yard line, the Huskies pretty much playing for pride now with a 38 point comeback midway through the third quarter all but impossible. Connecticut would finally manage to find a rhythm on offense, as Wright found Rollins for a 5 yard gain, before connecting with Rogers for a 25 yard strike to move the ball to the 44 yard line. A pass to Todd went for 11 yards and a new set of downs at our 45. Continuing the sudden hot streak, Wright hit Rollins over the middle for 5 yards, before a dropped pass by Mathis ruined the momentum. An incomplete pass intended for Washington leaving UConn facing fourth and 5 at our 40 yard line, but the Huskies would go for it on fourth down, Wright completing a pass to Mathis for 14 yards and a first down at our 26. A 5 yard completion to Rogers was followed with a 10 yard rush by Mathis, and Connecticut was knocking on our doorstep with a first down from our 11 yard line. The Huskies would waste little time in taking advantage of the situation, Wright throwing up a pass to Rollins in the end zone for an 11 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 41-10 with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter.
A touchback on the following kickoff got us underway from our 25 yard line, looking to put the finishing touches on win number 5. Oliver tried to pick up some yardage on first down, but could only manage a gain of three as the defense brought the house. With the defense playing with a renewed vigor, we headed into the air on second down, Stephens connecting with Barnes for a gain of 15 yards and a first down at the 43. Stephens tried to hook up with Harper on first down, but a swat by the outside linebacker resulted in an incomplete pass. Stephens was able to thread the needle to Vaughn on second down, for what would have been at least a 12 yard gain, but Vaughn dropped the ball as he turned up the field, bringing up third and long. A third down pass to Lewis was initially caught, but a double hit by the safety and cornerback resulted in an incomplete pass, and we were forced to punt on fourth down. A 12 yard return on the 47 yard punt gave UConn the ball at their 21 yard line with 1:40 to go in the third quarter.
The Huskies likewise ended up stalling out on defense. After an incomplete pass intended for Washington on first down, Mathis ran for four yards to leave third and 6, but a third down pass to Mathis netted only a single yard, leaving Connecticut punting the ball right back on fourth and 5. A 7 yard return by Hayden on the 43 yard punt got us lined up at our 37 yard line with 1:03 to go in the third quarter, our second team offense coming in to close out the last quarter and change with a 31 point lead.
With Erik Wallace lining up under center, he handed the ball off to Silva, who was able to fight his way to a 9 yard gain, before being stood up for no gain, leaving third and one at the 46. The final 10 seconds would run off without another snap, bringing the third quarter to an end, our lead 41-10 with the second team offense trying to close things out.
Opening up the fourth quarter, the third try would be the money for Silva, busting through a hole for a gain of 8 yards and a first down at the UConn 46 yard line. Silva would end up putting the icing on the cake on first down, rushing straight up the middle while the linebackers blitzed the outside gaps, hitting the hole and getting a pair of downfield blocks to take the safeties out of the play, allowing him to weave his way through the defense and down the field for a 46 yard touchdown rush. Glover would again end the drive on a sour note with a second missed PAT, leaving us with a 47-10 lead with 8:25 remaining in the game.
A 16 yard return on the kickoff got UConn back on the field from their 23 yard line, the Huskies at this point just trying to save some face. They would fail in that endeavor as two dropped passes by Todd and Rollins was followed up with an incomplete pass over the middle intended for Todd, leaving UConn punting after a three and out. A 15 yard return by Hayden on the 42 yard punt gave us excellent field position, starting our next drive from midfield.
Silva had a chance to break another long run on first down as the linebackers and safeties blitzed outside, but a timely move by the nose tackle held Silva up long enough for reinforcements to bring him down after only a two yard gain. That didn’t mean Silva wasn’t going to keep trying, busting into the secondary and nearly bowling over the safety for a 16 yard gain and first down at the UConn 32. Another rush by Silva netted 5 yards, followed by a 6 yard carry to move the chains to the 22 with 5:59 remaining. Despite shaking off a tackle in the backfield, Silva could only manage a lone yard on the first down rush, leaving us with second and 9. Jones came in on second down to give Silva a breather, trying to make the most of his play time with a 6 yard rush to set up third and three from the 15. Silva would retake possession on third down, picking up 6 yards up the middle to get the first down, setting up first and goal from the 9 yard line, 4:04 remaining. Despite shaking off two tackles in the backfield, Silva again was stopped short for only a one yard gain to the 8 yard line. Silva would finish off the drive on the second down play, fighting his way through the tightest of holes before finally finding the goal line for an 8 yard touchdown and a 54-10 lead with 2:50 remaining in the game.
A 19 yard kickoff return gave UConn the ball at their 18 yard line, the Huskies now just trying to stop the hemorrhaging. They would be unable to do so. Kyle Jackson came in to take over at quarterback for the Huskies, his first pass of the game an incomplete throw intended for Washington. Jackson then tried to do the work himself on the ground, but only managed four yards on the rush, before another incomplete pass intended for Washington brought the drive to an uneventful end on fourth and 6. A 5 yard return by Johnson on the 44 yard punt gave us the ball at our 38 yard line, just 2:11 away from victory.
Silva took the ball on first down, only picking up one yard on the play as we got the clock running down. Silva was again stopped for a one yard gain, bringing up third and 8, just over a minute remaining. Calling a timeout at the last second, we stopped the clock with 46 seconds left, trying to run off as much time in our final two downs. A 6 yard run up the middle left us in prime position to close things out on offense, facing fourth and one from the 48 yard line, just a three second difference between the play clock and the game clock. Snapping the ball at the final second on the play clock, Silva was able to pick up the one yard needed with a two yard rush, but it mattered little as the clock hit all zeroes before the end of the play, sealing our 54-10 victory over Connecticut.
With the win, we improve to 5-1, 2-0 in Big East action. With the loss, Connecticut falls to 1-5, 0-2 in Big East play. Up next, it’s our mid-season bye week before our homecoming showdown with Cincinnati. The Bearcats will enter the game 5-1, 1-1 in Big East action. Cincinnati opened their year with a 38-35 upset victory over then-#11 Wisconsin, a 21-14 overtime win against Army and a 37-0 drubbing of Akron before getting knocked off by South Florida 24-10. The Bearcats then recovered with a 53-34 win over Miami University and a 28-21 win over Temple.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 54, :Connecticut: 10
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense - An almost perfect day for Stephens, going 20-25 for 355 yards and four touchdowns in just three quarters of action. Rushing, Silva ended up the big man of the day, ending with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, partially due to his 47 yard touchdown run. Oliver ended up with 84 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, Jones, in brief action had 6 yards on one rush. Receiving, it was a huge day for Vaughn, ending with 162 yards and one touchdown on five receptions. In total, seven receivers caught a pass today, six ended with double digits yards, Vaughn was the only one to reach triple digits. Vaughn, Lewis, Hayden and Barnes all scored one touchdown through the air today.
Tulsa Defense – An almost immaculate game. Going up against the #1 passing offense in the nation, the first team defense held them in check for almost all of three quarters, just a field goal and a brief successful drive resulting in a touchdown giving UConn some points. The second team defense then came in in the final quarter and shut the lid of the Huskies.
Tulsa Kicking – Glover never attempted a single field goal today, but in the end he couldn't even claim a perfect day today, going a rather sad 6-8 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Tulsa: 14 20 7 13 54 :Connecticut: 0 3 7 0 10
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 6:10 :Tulsa: Touchdown C. Barnes, 14 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 0:42 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-0 Second Quarter 8:09 :Tulsa: Touchdown J. Vaughn, 76 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 21-0 3:08 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 5 yard run (missed kick) :Tulsa: 27-0 1:09 :Tulsa: Touchdown R. Lewis, 23 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 34-0 0:00 :Connecticut: Field Goal R. McDuffie, 50 yard field goal :Tulsa: 34-3 Third Quarter 5:20 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 13 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 41-3 3:17 :Connecticut: Touchdown C. Rollins, 11 yard pass from D. Wright (R. McDuffie kick) :Tulsa: 41-10 Fourth Quarter 8:25 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Silva, 47 yard run (missed kick) :Tulsa: 47-10 2:50 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Silva, 8 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 54-10
Game Stats
Tulsa Stat Connecticut 54 Score 10 24 First Downs 9 566 Total Offense 176 40 - 211 - 4 Rushes - Yards - TD 7 - 33 - 0 20 - 25 - 4 Comp - Att - TD 15 - 37 - 1 355 Passing Yards 143 0 Times Sacked 1 7 - 9 (77%) 3rd Down Conversion 1 - 10 (10%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 0 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 6 - 5 - 0 (83%) Red Zone - TD - FG 3 - 1 - 0 (33%) 0 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 0 0 Intercepted 1 43 Punt Return Yards 12 19 Kick Return Yards 154 628 Total Yards 342 1 – 48.0 Punts - Average 7 - 44.7 2 - 29 Penalties 2 - 15 23:29 Time of Possession 12:31
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 41 :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 59% :5greenarrow: :5redarrow: Win 6 games in one season :check: :5greenarrow: :6redarrow: 15+ rushing TD in each season :check: :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season 2914 :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 2914 :2greenarrow:
Job Security Status
71%
Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, new #1 Penn State defended their ranking with a 55-28 win over Maryland. #2 Virginia Tech got all they could handle against Pittsburgh, needing three fourth quarter touchdowns to finally edge out the Panthers 45-35. #3 Auburn picked up an easy win over Arkansas State, 45-24. #4 Notre Dame needed 18 unanswered points to beat Mississippi State 38-24. #5 Arkansas used a big fourth quarter to pull away late and beat Northwestern 48-31. Virginia walloped #6 Miami to the tune of 52-17.
#12 Tennessee scored an upset over #7 Georgia 38-31. #8 Nebraska recovered from their loss last week by violating Indiana to the tune of 59-17. #9 Texas beat #25 Texas Tech 34-13. #10 LSU needed overtime to edge out Florida 27-24. #11 Iowa scored two unanswered fourth quarter touchdowns to comeback and ultimately edge out #23 Wisconsin 28-21. #18 Ohio State scored a third straight upset of a higher ranked opponent, beating #13 Rutgers 33-21 to ruin the Scarlet Knights' perfect season.
#14 Oregon fought off a very determined Arizona State squad to win 23-16. #15 NC State beat Syracuse 34-19. #16 Oklahoma State rolled Illinois 42-12. #17 Alabama fought off Missouri 34-28. #19 West Virginia beats Iowa State 28-7. #20 USC beat Colorado 49-26. #21 Cincinnati picked up a 53-34 win over Miami University. Clemson finally busts into the win column (after falling out of the top 25) by knocking off #22 Georgia Tech 44-38 in overtime. Stanford knocks off #24 Utah 38-33.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 4-1 (1-0 C-USA) after edging out UTEP 34-30, Southern Miss scoring the game-winning touchdown with 28 seconds left. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-4 (1-2 Pac-12), with a 23-16 loss to #14 Oregon. Mors, #19 West Virginia improves to 4-2 (3-1 Big 12) with a 28-7 win over Iowa State. Jeff, #18 Ohio State improves to 4-2 (3-0 Big Ten) with their third straight top 15 upset, this time 33-21 over #13 Rutgers. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State falls to 2-3 (0-0 Sun Belt) with a 45-24 loss to #3 Auburn.
In Big East action, Tulsa whooped Connecticut 54-10, Houston edged out South Florida 27-24, Temple got a 49-28 win over Tulane, SMU kept their undefeated record intact with a 21-17 victory over East Carolina, #21 Cincinnati beat Miami University 53-34, Central Florida picked up a 35-18 win over Marshall and Air Force beat Navy 38-14.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Temple (1-0) sits on top, followed by Navy (2-1) and East Carolina and South Florida (both 1-1). After that sits Central Florida (1-3) and Connecticut (0-2). In the West Division, Houston (3-0) holds a slim lead over both SMU and Tulsa (both 2-0). After that is Cincinnati (0-1) and Memphis and Tulane (both 0-2).
Looking at undefeated teams left, #13 Rutgers, #22 Georgia Tech and UNLV lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 11. #1 Penn State (5-0), #2 Virginia Tech (5-0), #3 Auburn (6-0), #4 Notre Dame (6-0), #5 Arkansas (6-0), #20 USC (4-0), Eastern Michigan (5-0), Houston (6-0), SMU (6-0), Troy (5-0) and Washington (5-0) 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: Akron (0-5), Buffalo (0-5), Louisiana-Monroe (0-5) and Utah State (0-5).
Teams getting their first win this week were: Clemson (44-38 OT over 4-1 #22 Georgia Tech), Kentucky (31-24 over 2-4 South Carolina) and Vanderbilt (39-17 over 1-4 Ole Miss).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Penn State (34 first place votes) remains #1, Virginia Tech (21 votes) remains #2, Auburn (5 votes) remains #3, Notre Dame (1 vote) remains #4 and Arkansas remains #5. Nebraska jumps two to #6, Texas climbs two to #7, Tennessee leaps four to #8, LSU moves up one to #9 and Iowa climbs one to #10. Oregon jumps three to #11, Georgia falls five to #12, NC State moves up two to #13, Ohio State climbs four to #14 and Oklahoma State moves up one to #15. USC leaped four to #16, Alabama remains #17, Miami dropped twelve to #18, West Virginia remains #19 and Rutgers fell seven to #20. Cincinnati remains #21, Virginia enters the poll at #22, San Diego State enters the poll at #23, SMU enters the poll at #24 and Eastern Michigan (250 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Georgia Tech (from #22), Wisconsin (from #23), Utah (from #24) and Texas Tech (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (243 points) is #26 (despite a 1-4 record), followed by Oklahoma (229), Georgia Tech (205), Texas Tech (136) and Troy (96) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Louisville (89), Washington (27) and Wisconsin (3).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Penn State (38 first place votes) remains #1, Virginia Tech (25 votes) remains #2, Notre Dame (1 votes) remains #3, Auburn (1 vote) remains #4 and Arkansas remains #5. Tennessee leaps eight spots to #6, Nebraska climbs two to #7, LSU remains #8, Texas moves up one to #9 and Iowa jumps two to #10. Oregon climbs two to #11, Ohio State falls one to #12, Georgia drops seven to #13, Oklahoma State climbs one to #14 and NC State moves up one to #15. USC jumps four to #16, Alabama remains #17, Miami drops eleven to #18, West Virginia climbs three to #19 and Rutgers drops one to #20. Virginia enters the poll at #21, Cincinnati climbs one to #22, Oklahoma falls two to #23, Texas Tech drops six to #24 and San Diego State (251 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Utah (from #24) and Wisconsin (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, SMU (223 points) is #26, followed by Clemson (149), Georgia Tech (106), Eastern Michigan (78) and Louisville (56) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting votes this week was Pittsburgh (7).
Taking a look at the Heisman race, Auburn QB J.J. Thomas is #1 (LW: #3), Iowa QB Drew Frederick is #2 (LW: #1), Notre Dame QB J.R. White is #3 (LW: #2), Georgia HB Justin Jones is #4 (LW: NR) and Arkansas QB John Rivera is #5 (LW: #5). Dropping off of the Heisman Watch list this week was Georgia Tech HB Brandon Terrell (LW: #4).
On a bye week so lets jump right into it. Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Penn State scored three times in the fourth quarter to fight off Michigan State 35-21. #2 Virginia Tech thrashed Duke 49-14. In the game of the week, #5 Arkansas trashes #3 Auburn's perfect record, beating the Tigers 48-27. In a slow start, #4 Notre Dame manages to pull away for a 21-7 win over Kentucky. #6 Nebraska beats down Purdue to the tune of 49-17. Oklahoma stunned #7 Texas in the Red River Shootout, beating the Longhorns 49-28. #8 Tennessee scores midway through the fourth quarter to edge out #9 LSU 35-28.
#10 Iowa rolled to a 42-10 win over #20 Rutgers. Washington pulls off the 32-16 upset of #11 Oregon to remain perfect on the year. #14 Ohio State blanks FCS East 56-0. Wisconsin knocked off #15 Oklahoma State 42-28. Cal stuns #16 USC 42-35. #17 Alabama picks up a 45-21 win over Florida. #18 Miami edges out Florida State 24-21. #19 West Virginia steamrolls Kansas State 49-14. #22 Virginia pulls out a 35-21 win over Georgia Tech. #25 Eastern Michigan saw their perfect record and top 25 ranking go down in flames with a 35-28 loss to rival Western Michigan.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss improves to 5-1 (2-0 C-USA) with a 41-24 win over Western Kentucky. Jaymo, Arizona State remains 2-4 (1-2 Pac-12) with a bye week. Mors, #19 West Virginia improves to 5-2 (4-1 Big 12) with a 49-14 dismantling of Kansas State. Jeff, #14 Ohio State improves to 5-2 (3-0 Big Ten) with a 56-0 thrashing of FCS East. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 3-3 (1-0 Sun Belt) with a 49-20 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
In Big East action, Cincinnati beat Temple 28-21, Tulane topped South Florida 27-24, Connecticut whooped Navy 41-14, Central Florida picked up a 33-17 win over East Carolina, Houston upset Stanford 49-17 and Pittsburgh beat Memphis 36-31.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Navy (2-2) holds the lead, with Temple (1-1) and Central Florida (2-3) right behind them, followed by Connecticut, East Carolina and South Florida (all 1-2). In the West Division, Houston (3-0) continues to reign supreme, with SMU and Tulsa (both 2-0) right behind. After that sits Cincinnati (1-1), Tulane (1-2) and Memphis (0-2). Houston and SMU have a huge showdown next week to set the front runner for the division lead for the remainder of the season.
Looking at undefeated teams left, #3 Auburn, #16 USC and #25 Eastern Michigan lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 8. #1 Penn State (6-0), #2 Virginia Tech (6-0), #4 Notre Dame (7-0), #5 Arkansas (7-0), Houston (7-0), SMU (6-0), Troy (6-0) and Washington (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: Akron (0-6), Buffalo (0-6), Louisiana-Monroe (0-6) and Utah State (0-6).
Teams getting their first win this week were: None.
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Penn State (33 first place votes) remains #1, Virginia Tech (23 votes) remains #2, Arkansas (4 votes) jumps two to #3, Notre Dame (1 vote) remains #4 and Tennessee climbs three to #5. Nebraska remains #6, Auburn falls four to #7, Iowa climbs two to #8, Georgia moves up three to #9 and NC State jumps three to #10. Ohio State climbs three to #11, LSU falls three to #12, Texas drops six to #13, Alabama moves up three to #14 and Miami climbs three to #15. West Virginia jumps up three to #16, SMU climbs seven to #17, Oregon drops seven to #18, Cincinnati climbs two to #19 and Washington enters the poll at #20. Virginia moves up one to #21, Oklahoma enters the poll at #22, San Diego State remains #23, Oklahoma State drops nine to #24 and Rutgers (268 points) falls five to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were USC (from #16) and Eastern Michigan (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Clemson (252 points) is #26 (despite being 2-4), followed by Wisconsin (229), USC (209), Troy (187) and Texas Tech (163) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week includes Houston (86), Colorado State (69) and Georgia Tech (13).
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Arkansas (39 first place votes) rockets up four to become the new #1, Penn State (24 votes) drops one to #2, Virginia Tech (1 vote) drops one to #3, Notre Dame (1 vote) falls one to #4 and Tennessee climbs one to #5. Nebraska moves up one to #6, Iowa climbs three to #7, Auburn drops four to #8, Georgia jumps four to #9 and Ohio State climbs two to #10. LSU falls three to #11, NC State moves up three to #12, Oklahoma leaps ten to #13, Alabama climbs three to #14 and Texas drops six to #15. Miami climbed two to #16, West Virginia moves up two to #17, Oregon falls six to #18, Virginia climbs two to #19 and SMU enters the poll at #20. Washington enters the poll at #21, Cincinnati remains #22, Oklahoma State falls nine to #23, San Diego State climbs one to #24 and Texas Tech (321 points) falls one to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were USC (from #16) and Rutgers (from #20). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, Rutgers (259 points) is #26, followed by Wisconsin (237), Clemson (213), USC (208) and Houston (172) to round out the Top 30. One other team getting votes this week is Troy (97).
In the first BCS rankings of the year: #1 Penn State (0.997), #2 Arkansas (0.995), #3 Virginia Tech (0.992), #4 Notre Dame (0.984, #5 Tennessee (0.978), #6 Nebraska (0.966), #7 Auburn (0.965), #8 Iowa (0.958), #9 Georgia (0.955) and #10 Ohio State (0.949).
Taking a look at the Heisman race, Auburn QB J.J. Thomas is #1 (LW: #1), Iowa QB Drew Frederick is #2 (LW: #2), Notre Dame QB J.R. White is #3 (LW: #3), Arkansas QB John Rivera is #4 (LW: #5) and Nebraska HB Ronnie Mayfield is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off of the Heisman Watch list this week was Georgia HB Justin Jones (LW: #4).
Game Seven
#19 :Cincinnati: :@: :Tulsa:
Game Notes
--- Fresh off a dominating victory over the Connecticut Huskies and a three game road trip, it was back home to face our second toughest opponent of the season, the #19 Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats entered with an equal 5-1 record on the season, and with an even across the board team. Their worst rating was Rush Defense, coming in at #52 in the nation, giving up 168.8 yards/game. Every other statistical category the Bearcats were no worse than the mid-30s, making for a dangerous opponent in every aspect of the game. Cincinnati won the coin toss and elected to kick.
An 18 yard return by Eric Hayden on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 15 yard line to begin the game. Will Oliver got us started on the ground with a 5 yard rush, followed by a gain of 6 yards to get a first down at the 26. Continuing to pound it on the ground, after a four yard rush by Oliver, the Cincinnati defense gave us a helping hand, as outside linebacker Jermaine Brown was flagged for a facemask penalty on the tackle, turning second and 6 at the 30 into first and 10 at the 45 yard line. Throwing up a play action pass to Eric Silva on first down, he was able to haul in the pass from Brad Stephens, picking up 15 yards on the play and a first down at the Cincinnati 40 yard line. After an incomplete pass intended for Hayden on first down, Stephens was able to hit Joe Vaughn over the top for a 10 yard gain to keep us moving at the 30. Returning to the ground, Oliver was able to pick up four yards on the carry. Silva came in on second down, but was quickly brought down at the line of scrimmage for no gain, leaving us with third and 6. An out route pass to Hayden would end up being striking first blood, as the cornerback turned towards the end zone before the cut outside and took himself out of position, allowing the pinpoint pass to be completed to Hayden who then raced at an angle toward the sideline, was able to turn the corner around the 10 yard line and dive towards the pylon for a 26 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 6:05 left in the first quarter.
An 18 yard kickoff return got Cincinnati underway from their 26 yard line. It was the Jermaine Davidson show as he took the ball on six straight plays to begin the drive. After opening with a one yard rush, Davidson broke off two straight 7 yard gains to get a first down at the 41 yard line. Consecutive 6 yard gains after that gave the Bearcats another first down our 48 yard line, followed by an 8 yard carry around the right tackle to leave second and two from the 40 yard line. It was then that Cincinnati decided to go into the air, the second and short pass from Jack Brown to Stephen Sims completed for a 20 yard gain and a new set of downs at our 20 yard line. It was then that things completely unraveled for the Bearcats, as outside linebacker Nick Harrison intercepted Brown, returning it 70 yards before being tripped up from behind at the Cincinnati 15 yard line.
Taking over after the interception sitting on Cincinnati’s doorstep, Stephens dropped back to pass on first down trying to connect with Oliver, but the middle linebacker was able to break the pass up, leaving second and long. Throwing up a pass on second down, the throw to Carl Barnes was complete for a 5 yard gain, leaving third and 5 from the 10. Stephens was able to connect with Robert Harper on third down, but Harper got stood up just short of the first down line, leaving fourth and inches at the 5 yard line. Taking a gamble on fourth down, Oliver was able to get across the line of scrimmage for a one yard gain to set up first and goal at the four yard line. Oliver would only need one more play to finish off the drive, weaving his way up the middle for a four yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 14-0 with 2:13 remaining in the first quarter.
A 21 yard kickoff return got Cincinnati back in action at their 20 yard line. A 12 yard rush by Davidson got the Bearcats a quick first down at the 32 yard line. Two more rushes by Davidson picked up gains of 5 and 6 yards to move the chains to the 43. After an incomplete pass intended for Steve Raymond, Davidson was stuff for a two yard loss, leaving Cincinnati facing third and 12. Another incomplete pass, again intended for Raymond, was batted incomplete, leaving Cincinnati punting on fourth and 12. A fair catch by Hayden on the 49 yard punt got us lined up from our 10 yard line.
Oliver got us started with a 7 yard rush, followed by a gain of 8 yards to move the ball to the 25 yard line. Trying to rush it up the middle on first down, Oliver was quickly brought down for a one yard loss to leave second and 11. That would be the last play as the clock ran out, bringing the first quarter to an end with our lead 14-0.
Opening up the second quarter, we came out passing on second down, Stephens connecting with Silva in the flats for a 14 yard gain and a first down at the 39 yard line, getting the quarter off to a positive start. Returning to the ground, Oliver was able to get 8 yards on the ground, followed by an 11 yard rush to get a first down at the Cincinnati 42 yard line. Firing into traffic over the middle, Stephens was able to connect with Barnes around the left hash, Barnes proceeding to break three tackles while plowing over defenders, finally brought down by both safeties for a 27 yard gain and a first down at the 15 yard line. Oliver took the first down handoff straight up the middle, hitting the hole on his way to a 9 yard gain to leave second and one from the 6. Another rush by Oliver gained 5 yards to set up first and goal from the one yard line. Coming in to finish off the drive, Silva took the handoff on first down and rushed straight into the end zone untouched for a one yard touchdown, giving us a 21-0 lead with 6:46 remaining.
A touchback on the kickoff got Cincinnati back in action from their 25 yard line, the Bearcats trying to claw their way out of the ever-deepening hole. It would only get worse for the Bearcats as safety Darnell Turner intercepted Brown on the first down pass attempt, giving us possession at the Cincinnati 43 yard line.
Taking over after the interception, we tried to go for the deathblow on first down, as Hayden was able to slip past the cornerback off the line of scrimmage, but the pass deep into the end zone was too long and just out of reach of Hayden, bringing up second down. Forced to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack, the pass intended for Ryan Lewis was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker, leaving third and 10. Trying to hit Hayden over the middle, the pass from Stephens was batted up into the air at the line of scrimmage, ultimately landing incomplete to leave us punting on fourth down. A touchback on the 47 yard punt gave Cincinnati the ball once more at their 20 yard line.
While the Bearcats would keep their drive going for longer than one play, it was still ultimately a fruitless drive as two dropped passes by Luke Bass and an incomplete pass intended for John Palmer led to a quick three and out. It would only get worse as false start penalty resulted in the Bearcats moving back 5 yards to punt on fourth and 15 from the 15. A 15 yard return by Hayden on the 48 yard punt got us back in action from the Cincinnati 49 yard line, looking to break this one wide open. A first down pass to Barnes was completed for a gain of 15 yards and a first down at the 34 yard line, getting us off to a quick start. Threading the needle between the cornerback and the safety, Stephens hit Vaughn mid-stride right in the number, allowing Vaughn to slip past the secondary and race all the way to the end zone for a 34 yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 5:28 to play until halftime.
No return on the kickoff gave Cincinnati the ball at their 25 yard line. Two incomplete passes and a 5 yard rush by Davidson again led to the Bearcats bringing out their punt team, as their potent offense from their opening drive of the game, went full face plant. A four yard return on the 42 yard punt got us lined up at our 32 yard line.
A pair of rushes by Oliver to start the drive went for gains of four and two yards, leaving us with third and four. A quick pass down the left sideline to Vaughn picked up 13 yards and moved the chains to the Cincinnati 49 yard line. A deep throw down the right sideline to Hayden was nearly intercepted by the cornerback, bringing up second down. Firing a pass over the middle, Stephens found Barnes for a 7 yard gain to leave third and three. A third down completion to Harper gained 7 yards, but a facemask penalty on the outside linebacker Robert White gave us 15 free yards, setting us up with first and 10 from the 20 yard line. Going back to the ground game, Oliver never had a chance, quickly brought down for no gain to leave second and long. Trying to connect with Hayden on second down, Stephens was again nearly intercepted, leaving third and long. A third down pass to Vaughn was again nearly intercepted to bring up fourth down. The 37 yard field goal by Derek Glover was good though, still increasing our lead, now to 31-0 with 1:49 left in the first half.
A 20 yard kickoff return gave Cincinnati the ball at their 19 yard line. The Bearcats were finally able to break out of their offensive slump, as Brown connected with Bass on first down for a 21 yard gain and a new set of downs at the 41. Another pass to Palmer went for 14 yards and another first down from our 46 yard line, our defense suddenly unable to slow them down. After a dropped ball by Bass, he came back on second down and hauled in a pass from Brown for 16 yards, moving the chains to our 30 yard line. Two incomplete passes intended for Bass and Davidson left Cincinnati facing another third down, but the passing game was able to overcome as Brown hit Chad Hawk over the middle for a 24 yard strike, setting up first and goal at our 6 yard line, the Bearcats taking their first timeout with 48 seconds to go. Sims tried to get the job done on the ground, but was quickly brought down for a one yard loss, leaving second and goal from the 7 yard, Cincinnati calling their second timeout with 45 seconds remaining. The air game would finish the drive off, Brown rifling a pass into the corner to Palmer for a 7 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 31-7 with 39 seconds until halftime.
A 23 yard kickoff return by Jason Johnson set us up at our 22 yard line with just 28 seconds to go, but with three timeouts to use, we decided to take a shot. The decision would quickly blow up in our faces, as the ball intended for Johnson was promptly intercepted by cornerback John Smith, returned 12 yards to give Cincinnati the ball at our 27 yard line with 22 seconds to go.
Going into the air right from the start, Brown was able to connect with Hawk for an 8 yard pass, but our defense would respond back as cornerback Allen Moore intercepted Brown in the end zone, returning it 22 yards out to our 20 yard line with 8 seconds to go. Oliver took the handoff on first down for a 13 yard gain, bringing the first half to an end, our lead 31-7.
Opening up the second half, a 24 yard return on the kickoff gave Cincinnati the ball at their 25 yard line to start the third quarter. Brown got the drive started with a three yard rush, before dropping back to firing a pass to Bass for 18 yards and a first down at the 46 yard line. A 10 yard penalty on our defense only aided the Bearcats as they were set up with a first down at our 44 yard line. Keeping in the air, Brown found Hawk for an 8 yard gain, before hitting Bass over the middle for 20 yards to move the chains to our 17. A 7 yard rush by Davidson got the ball down to our 10 yard line, followed by an 8 yard rush to set up first and goal from our two yard line. Cincinnati would try to get in the end zone through the air on first down, but it would only blow up in their faces as our defense sacked Brown for a 9 yard loss, leaving the Bearcats with second and goal from the 11. An incomplete pass intended for Sims turned that into third and goal and left the drive in danger of stalling. Brown would come through in the clutch moment, finding Hawk along the back of the end zone on third down for an 11 yard touchdown. The Bearcats took a chance at a two point conversion, but the pass intended for Davidson was knocked incomplete. However, the touchdown still further cut our lead down to 31-13 with 7:02 left in the third quarter.
A 22 yard kickoff return by Hayden got us started from our 21 yard line, trying to get our lead built back up. Oliver got us started with a three yard rush, followed by a gain of 9 yards to get the first down at the 33. Trying to go for a third play, Oliver never had a chance of getting out of the backfield as two defenders broke through and tackled him for a one yard loss. Hit as he threw, the pass from Stephens intended for Vaughn overshot Vaughn and landed incomplete, bringing up third and 11. A pass along the right hash to Lewis went for a gain of 16 yards and a first down at the 49 yard line, keeping our drive alive. A deep pass to Vaughn on first down sailed long and incomplete, bringing up second down. Throwing off his back foot, Stephens threw the second down pass intended for Harper into the dirt at his feet, leaving third and long. Threading a pass between the cornerback, safety and outside linebacker and into the hands of Vaughn, the throw from Stephens was complete for a 21 yard gain, keeping us breathing and moving the chains to the Cincy 30 yard line. An incomplete pass to Barnes over the middle left second and long. Dropping back from under center, Stephens chucked up a pass to Hayden, who was wide open in between the safety and cornerback, able to cover the final 12 yards and dive into the corner of the end zone for a 30 yard touchdown, increasing our lead to 38-13 with 4:28 to go in the third quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff gave Cincinnati the ball at their 25 yard line, the Bearcats once again back in a deep hole. Davidson started the drive with a three yard rush, followed by a 5 yard pass to Hawk to leave the Bearcats with third and two, but an incomplete pass on third down brought the drive screeching to a halt and Cincinnati was forced to punt away once more. A 9 yard return by Hayden on the 47 yard punt gave us the ball at our 28 yard line.
While the Cincinnati offense was hot and cold, the Cincinnati defense was more than ready for us, as Oliver was flattened for a one yard loss on first down. A quick pass over the middle to Barnes picked up 6 yards, leaving third and 5. Forced to roll out to avoid a sack, Stephens was able to plant his feet and fire off a pass in time, connecting with Hayden for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the 48 yard line. Another pass to Hayden gained us 15 yards and moved the chains to the Cincinnati 37. Hayden kept punishing the defense, hauling in his third straight reception for 11 yards and a first down at the 26. A pass to Oliver in the flats was nearly intercepted by the outside linebacker, leaving second down. Cutting across on a slant route, the pass to Hayden was initially bobbled and nearly dropped, but Hayden was able to somehow get his hands underneath the ball before it hit the ground, hanging on for an 11 yard completion and a first down at the 15 yard line. Changing it up and returning to the ground, Oliver gained four yards on the first down carry, followed by a one yard gain to leave third and three. Looking to catch the defense cheating, Stephens did a three step drop back from under center and fired off a pass to Barnes, who had to leap up to catch the high pass. That leap cost us a touchdown on that play, as the defense was able to recover and tackle Barnes just inches from the goal line for a 7 yard gain, leaving first and goal inside the one. Oliver would finish off the drive in one play, fighting his way through a tackle attempt at the line of scrimmage to fall forward into the end zone for a one yard touchdown, increasing our lead to a dominating 45-13 with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff gave Cincinnati the ball at their 25 yard line, just two seconds left on the clock. An incomplete pass intended for Hawk would bring the third quarter to an end, our lead a commanding 45-13.
Opening up the fourth quarter, an incomplete pass intended for Sims brought up third down once more. This time however, the Bearcats would convert as Brown connected with Hawk for a 13 yard strike and a first down at the 38. After an incomplete pass on first down, Brown scrambled for a four yard gain, leaving third and 6, where Brown again came through with a 12 yard completion to Raymond to move the chains to our 47. A 5 yard pass to Hawk was followed with a 26 yard bomb to Bass, moving the ball clear down to our 16 yard line. A pair of four yard rushes by Davidson left third and two from the 8 yard line, when the defense was able to bring Davidson down for a three yard loss, leaving Cincinnati facing fourth and 5 from the 11 yard line. The Bearcats would go for it on fourth down and would convert, Brown finding Davidson out of the backfield for an 8 yard gain to set up first and goal at the two yard line. Davidson would finish the drive off on the ground for a two yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 45-20 with 6:38 left in the game.
A 15 yard return by Hayden on the kickoff gave us the ball at our 18 yard line, just over 6 minutes away from victory. The first down play was blown up almost instantly as Oliver was forced to push outside to avoid a tackle, straight into the path of the blitzing outside linebacker. The hit by the outside linebacker knocked the ball loose, left tackle Jimmy Pope managing to beat three Cincinnati defenders to the fumble, recovering it for us for a four yard loss to avoid disaster and leave second and 14. A pass to Lewis was nearly intercepted as the safety jumped the ball, leaving third and 14, the defense playing aggressively and with renewed vigor. The drive would end with negative results every play, as Stephens was sacked on third down for a 7 yard loss, leaving us punting on fourth and 21 from our 7 yard line, our offense not even able to get the slightest rhythm built up. A fair catch on the 45 yard punt gave Cincinnati the ball at their 48 yard line, 5:23 left in the game.
After an incomplete pass on first down, our defense would bite us in the ass, a 15 yard facemask penalty tacked onto the end of a 16 yard completion to Davidson, giving Cincinnati a net total of 31 yards on the play and a first down at our 21 yard line, putting the Bearcats right back on our doorstep. A one yard rush by Davidson was followed with an incomplete pass to leave third and 9. Brown would again prove his mettle on third down, completing a pass to Spencer Chambers for a 12 yard gain to give the Bearcats first and goal at our 8 yard line. A first down pass to Raymond went for 6 yards to move the ball to our two yard line, where Brown completed a quick throw to Sims for a two yard touchdown, further cutting our lead down to 45-27 with 4:25 left in the game.
Cincinnati attempted the onside kick, but we were able to recover the ball, giving us possession starting at the Cincinnati 41 yard line. Looking to kill some clock, Oliver took the first down handoff, picking up four yards on the play, followed by a 5 yard gain to leave third and one. Oliver was able to shed a tackle in the backfield and let his momentum carry him across the line of scrimmage for a 5 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 27 yard line, the clock down to three minutes and ticking. Oliver was tripped up for no gain on first down, before Silva was able to break free for a 9 yard gain to set up third and one. Silva was unable to get the job done, tackled for a two yard loss to leave fourth and three. Glover at least got us points on the board, kicking the 38 yard field goal through the uprights to extend our lead to 48-27 with 1:22 left to play.
A 19 yard kickoff return gave Cincinnati the ball at their 23 yard line, trailing by 21 with 1:12 to play and all three timeouts. After an incomplete pass on first down, Brown was able to connect with Davidson for a 14 yard gain, but Cincinnati had to use their first timeout with one minute to go. The next play would break the backs of the Bearcats, outside linebacker Graham Minor intercepting Brown at our 49 yard line to give us possession with 54 seconds left in the game.
Oliver took the handoff on first down, rushing for an 8 yard gain. Cincinnati knew it was defeated, not even bothering to use one of its two remaining timeouts. With the clock running down to just 10 seconds left, Stephens took to a knee to run off the final seconds and seal our 48-27 victory.
With the win, we improve to 6-1, 3-0 in Big East action. With the loss, #19 Cincinnati drops to 5-2, 1-2 in Big East play. Up next, we conclude our two game home swing with visit from Memphis. The Tigers enter the game 1-6, 0-3 in Big East action. Memphis got started with a 38-17 win over FCS Northwest, before spiraling down into a 6 game losing streak with a 38-10 loss at Kansas State, a 35-20 loss at MTSU, a 32-13 loss to Navy, a 52-28 loss at East Carolina, a 36-31 loss at Pittsburgh and a 38-12 loss at Temple ahead of our game.
Final Score
:Tulsa: 48, #19 :Cincinnati: 27
Stat(s) of the Game:
- Tulsa Offense – For the most part, a good day by Stephens, going 21-36 for 311 yards and three touchdowns. Only sour note was the lone interception. Rushing, It was all Oliver today as he ended with 126 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. Silva, in very limited action, had seven yards and one touchdown on four carries. Receiving, Hayden was the top receiver today with 108 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. In all, six receivers caught a pass today, all had at least double digit yard, Hayden was the only to reach triple digits. Vaughn was the only over receiver to score a touchdown.
- Tulsa Defense – For the most part, outstanding. Nearly completely shutdown defense in the first three quarters and ended with four interceptions. Fourth quarter was a little rougher, but they still got the job done to limit Cincinnati's points and keep our lead secure.
- Tulsa Kicking – A perfect day for Glover, going 2-2 in field goals, kicking 37 and 38 yard field goals while going 6-6 in PATs.
Scoring Summary
Team 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Final Score :Cincinnati: 0 7 6 14 27 :Tulsa: 14 17 14 3 48
Time Team Result Play Score First Quarter 6:05 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden, 26 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 7-0 2:13 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 4 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 14-0 Second Quarter 6:46 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Silva, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 21-0 5:28 :Tulsa: Touchdown J. Vaughn, 34 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 28-0 1:49 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 37 yard field goal :Tulsa: 31-0 0:39 :Cincinnati: Touchdown J. Palmer, 7 yard pass from J. Brown (G. Rouse kick) :Tulsa: 31-7 Third Quarter 7:02 :Cincinnati: Touchdown C. Hawk, 11 yard pass from J. Brown (2-point conversion failed) :Tulsa: 31-13 4:28 :Tulsa: Touchdown E. Hayden 30 yard pass from B. Stephens (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 38-13 0:10 :Tulsa: Touchdown W. Oliver, 1 yard run (D. Glover kick) :Tulsa: 45-13 Fourth Quarter 6:38 :Cincinnati: Touchdown J. Davidson, 2 yard run (G. Rouse kick) :Tulsa: 45-20 4:25 :Cincinnati: Touchdown S. Sims, 2 yard pass from J. Brown (G. Rouse kick) :Tulsa: 45-27 1:22 :Tulsa: Field Goal D. Glover, 38 yard field goal :Tulsa: 48-27
Game Stats
Cincinnati Stat Tulsa 27 Score 48 18 First Downs 23 373 Total Offense 435 22 - 87 - 1 Rushes - Yards - TD 36 - 124 - 3 22 - 44 - 3 Comp - Att - TD 21 - 36 - 3 286 Passing Yards 311 1 Times Sacked 1 6 - 11 (54%) 3rd Down Conversion 8 - 13 (61%) 1 - 1 (100%) 4th Down Conversion 1 - 1 (100%) 0 - 1 (0%) 2-Point Conv 0 - 0 (0%) 6 - 4 - 0 (66%) Red Zone - TD - FG 6 - 3 - 2 (83%) 4 Turnovers 1 0 Fumbles Lost 0 4 Intercepted 1 0 Punt Return Yards 28 102 Kick Return Yards 78 475 Total Yards 541 4 – 47.0 Punts - Average 2 - 44.0 4 - 40 Penalties 4 - 45 13:59 Time of Possession 22:01
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact Goal Progress Pass Impact :6redarrow: 21+ points per game in each season 42 :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 :check: :5greenarrow: :4redarrow: 3200+ total offensive yards each season :check: :3greenarrow: :5redarrow: 3400+ total offensive yards each season 3349 :2greenarrow: Bonus Beat a higher ranked team :1greenarrow:
Job Security Status
76%
Taking a look around the nation, in the Top 25, #1 Penn State beat FCS West 51-0. #2 Virginia Tech kept rolling with a 41-24 win over North Carolina. #3 Arkansas gets an easy win over Kentucky, 41-13. In the upset of the week, 3-4 Florida goes into South Bend and not only knocks off, but drops a 52-35 beat down on #4 Notre Dame. In the SEC game of the week, #14 Alabama dominates #5 Tennessee 48-24. #6 Nebraska easily beat Wisconsin 49-21. #7 Auburn whoops Ole Miss 49-13.
#8 Iowa escaped Illinois 30-21. #9 Georgia held on to beat Missouri 38-28. #10 NC State needs a 36 yard field goal with 7 seconds left to edge out Clemson 30-27. #11 Ohio State beat down Maryland 41-13. #12 LSU whooped Mississippi State 41-7. #13 Texas beats Iowa State 39-17. #16 West Virginia escaped with a 31-24 win over Minnesota. Houston improves to 8-0, winning the battle of unbeatens with a 38-17 shocking of previously-undefeated #17 SMU.
#18 Oregon thrashed Washington State 56-14. Tulsa knocked off #19 Cincinnati 48-27. Oregon State scored a last second 27-24 upset of #20 Washington, ruining the Huskies perfect season. #21 Virginia fought off Syracuse 38-24. #22 Oklahoma embarrasses Kansas 63-21. Hawaii stuns #23 San Diego State 38-17. #24 Oklahoma State rolled Baylor 41-14. Indiana shocked #25 Rutgers 27-21, the Hoosiers scoring twice in the fourth quarter to steal the win.
For our readers, souljahbill, Southern Miss barely improves to 6-1 (3-0 C-USA) with a 23-22 win over Louisiana Tech. Both teams scored in the fourth quarter, both teams failed on a two-point conversion attempt, Southern Miss gets the one point win. The difference came on three field goals and two touchdowns (with one missed 2-point try) for LTU, and one field and three touchdowns (with one missed 2-point try) for USM. Jaymo, Arizona State drops to 2-5 (1-3 Pac-12) with a 38-24 loss to Utah. Mors, #16 West Virginia improves to 6-2 (4-1 Big 12) with a 31-24 victory against Minnesota. Jeff, #11 Ohio State improves to 6-2 (4-0 Big Ten) with a 41-13 win over Maryland. Other teams of interest, Arkansas State improves to 4-3 (2-0 Sun Belt) with a 28-24 win over Army.
In Big East action, Tulsa upsets #19 Cincinnati 48-27, Houston knocks off #17 SMU 38-17 to win the battle of unbeatens, Temple beats Memphis 38-12, South Florida defeats Navy 10-6, East Carolina pulls out a 28-24 win over Connecticut, Central Florida wins over Colorado 31-3 and Duke beats Tulane 45-21.
With those results, looking at the current standings, in the East Division, Temple (2-1) claims the top spots, followed by East Carolina and South Florida (both 2-2) and Central Florida and Navy (both 2-3) with Connecticut (1-3) bringing up the rear. In the West Division, Houston (4-0) sits on top of the division, followed by Tulsa (3-0) and SMU (2-1). Beyond that sits Cincinnati and Tulane (both 1-2) and Memphis (0-3).
Looking at undefeated teams left, #4 Notre Dame, #17 SMU and #20 Washington lost this week, dropping our number of undefeated teams to 5. #1 Penn State (7-0), #2 Virginia Tech (7-0), #3 Arkansas (8-0), Houston (8-0) and Troy (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: Akron (0-7), Buffalo (0-7) and Utah State (0-7).
Teams getting their first win this week were: Louisiana Monroe (38-10 over 1-7 Massachusetts).
Taking a look at the new Top 25 Coaches Poll, Penn State (37 first place votes) remains #1, Virginia Tech (22 votes) remains #2, Arkansas (2 votes) remains #3, Nebraska jumps two to #4 and Auburn jumps two to #5. Iowa climbs two to #6, Georgia moves up two to #7, NC State climbs two to #8, Ohio State jumps two to #9 and Alabama leaps four to #10. LSU moves up one to #11, Tennessee drops seven to #12, Texas remains #13, Notre Dame plummets ten to #14 and Miami remains #15. West Virginia remains #16, Oregon climbs one to #17, Virginia jumps three to #18, Oklahoma climbs three to #19 and Houston enters the poll at #20. SMU drops four to #21, Oklahoma State jumps two to #22, Troy enters the poll at #23, Tulsa enters the poll at #24 and Cincinnati (205 points) falls six to #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Washington (from #20), San Diego State (from #23) and Rutgers (from #25). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, USC (203 points) is #26, followed by Washington (200), Florida (189), Texas Tech (106) and Air Force (26) to round out the Top 30.
Looking at the new Top 25 Media Poll, Penn State (40 first place votes) climbs one to reclaim #1, Arkansas (24 votes) drops one to #2, Virginia Tech (1 vote) remains #3, Nebraska climbs two to #4 and Alabama rockets nine to #5. Iowa climbs one to #6, Auburn jumps one to #7, Georgia moves up one to #8, Ohio State climbs one to #9 and LSU climbs one to #10. NC State moves up one to #11, Tennessee drops seven to #12, Notre Dame plummets nine to #13, Oklahoma falls one to #14 and Texas remains #15. Miami remains #16, West Virginia remains #17, Oregon remains #18, Virginia remains #19 and Houston enters the poll at #20. Oklahoma State climbs two to #21, SMU drops two to #22, Texas Tech jumps two to #23, Tulsa enters the poll at #24 and Troy (237 points) enters the poll at #25. Dropping out of the poll this week were Washington (from #21), Cincinnati (from #22) and San Diego State (from #24). Looking at Others Receiving Votes, USC (230 points) is #26, followed by Washington (223), Cincinnati (199), Florida (196) and Georgia Tech (119) to round out the Top 30. Other teams getting votes this week include Utah (104), Nevada (102), Air Force (54) and San Diego State (35).
In the new BCS rankings #1 Penn State (1.000), #2 Arkansas (0.992), #3 Virginia Tech (0.992), #4 Nebraska (0.984), #5 Auburn (0.973), #6 Iowa (0.969), #7 Georgia (0.965), #8 Alabama (0.965), #9 Ohio State (0.957) and #10 NC State (0.944).
Taking a look at the Heisman race, Auburn QB J.J. Thomas is #1 (LW: #1), Iowa QB Drew Frederick is #2 (LW: #2), Notre Dame QB J.R. White is #3 (LW: #3),Arkansas QB John Rivera is #4 (LW: #4) and Georgia HB Justin Jones is #5 (LW: NR). Dropping off of the Heisman Watch list this week was Nebraska HB Ronnie Mayfield (LW: #5).
Dat win doe :)
What an upset. Impressive work.
Appreciate it. :)
I'm really surprised how the Cincinnati game turned out. When they drove down to our 20 yard line almost at will on their first drive, I thought I was gonna be in for a long day. Then they threw that interception that was returned 70 yards back to the Cincy 15 yard line and it all went downhill from there for the Bearcats. Four interceptions are not going to help you keep it close throughout the game.
I'm planning on firing up Memphis sometime here in a bit, maybe in an hour, hour and a half. Gonna get Memphis played, take a break for an hour or two while I take care of a couple things here, run to the store real quick and figure out what the hell I'm gonna do for dinner before possibly firing up Tulane, if I'm able to stay awake long enough.
I haven't eaten an actual dinner since Friday night. Was too tired after work Saturday that I fell asleep around 3pm, woke up around 10pm just long enough to take a piss and briefly catch a show on TV, and then rolled back over and fell sleep until 4am. Finally ate something at 4am Sunday. Sunday night, didn't feel like making anything or going out to get anything as I was still tired as shit and had no energy, so just slapped some deli meat on bread and that was it. Last night, I was again tired as shit, dozed off around 7pm, woke up briefly around 10pm or 11pm, said fuck it, rolled back over and slept until around 5:30am this morning. So since I haven't actually eaten a meal for dinner since Friday, I'm gonna try to actually eat a meal for dinner tonight.
Also, just to make note, as I am heading down the homestretch of this season, I'm gonna try to wrap it up this week, but I'm not going out of my way rushing to have the season wrapped up before NCAA '14 drops. I did that last year, and then ended up sitting here unable to start my seasons at Tulsa because I had to wait until August 15th for a patch to drop to fix some of the big issues in '13. Rushed to finish the final season at Florida International in NCAA '12, then sat there for over a month waiting on patches. Not repeating that again this year.
So I'm avoiding rushing this year. I'm gonna get Memphis this afternoon, maybe Tulane tonight. Tomorrow I'm gonna try to get Tulane (if I don't get them played tonight)/Houston played and maybe East Carolina if I can. How much I can get done tomorrow will depend on if I go in for work tomorrow night to get the weekend shows and church programs done that I'm responsible for preparing to put on air each week, or if I decide to say fuck it and just go in sometime after 6 or 7pm on the Fourth of July, since Thursdays are usually the days I go in to work on them anyways.
So I'd at least like to be done through East Carolina or SMU by Friday, try to have all the Pre-Bowl Games Update stuff typed up and posted by end of day Friday if I can.
Alright Smooth, I have come to the conclusion that you must be rigging the ASU games. Not once have they been to a bowl game and every season they are awful. This year they may be their worst. :fp:
Anyways brother, keep up the good work. You are running out of time to finish the season before 14. Good luck!
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by jaymo76
Damn, you caught on to my secret, sinister plan to keep Arizona State among the trash of NCAA. :D ;)
Yeah, not sure what has been the problem with Arizona State. They've had one or two years where it could have been something special, then they crap the bed and go over a waterfall. Maybe it'll change in '14.
As for finishing the season before '14, like I said in my post above, I'm gonna try, but I'm not gonna rush it like last summer. Rushed to finish my last season at FIU, then couldn't start my dynasty until a patch came out on August 15th. Instead of just sitting there waiting for a (probably necessary) patch to come out between next Tuesday and whenever in July or August to fix some issue that might cause issues in my dynasty, I'm just gonna move at whatever pace I can to finish out this season and when I finally get it done, then I'll jump over to '14.
I'll probably do some "labbing" this weekend with the NCAA '14 season ticket to get familiarized with the changes and try out the changes to recruiting and the coach skills stuff, so I have a solid gameplan when I start up my dynasty in '14, but I'm not gonna sit there with the games on 5 minutes and Varsity (or whatever I did those last couple games at FIU last year) and just plow through the games to be done before Friday or Tuesday. I'll just keep going as I can on this so I can keep my last season at Tulsa legitimate instead of changing things for the final couple games to just blow through them before '14 drops.
Besides, even if I get done before Friday, it'd be at least a couple days before I fired up my dynasty on '14 (if I could even fire it up right away and not have to wait for a patch) due to having to type down all the current coaches and their Alma Maters at the start of the 2020 season into an excel file so I can copy all of that data over into the coaches file on NCAA '14.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
WOW! Memphis is terrible, just terrible! There's still 21 seconds left in the first quarter, and I could already bring in my second team offense and defense for the rest of the game if I wanted to. :D