Wednesday, October 31, 2007

C-USA Preview: Week Ten

If ESPN were trying to hype this week in the C-USA, what silly name would they give it? BorderWar Saturday? There are two border wars, and two in-state clashes…OK, that’s a stretch. Forget it, Week Ten needs no hype. Both the divisional leaders are looking to deliver another knock out punch, and the second place squads, Tulsa and UCF, are hanging on for dear life. What’s on tap? Wait no longer:

Game of the Week

East Carolina at Memphis – This has to be the game of the week, right? Surprising Memphis, who earlier this year I had all the way down at #10 in the power rankings, has a chance to seize the East with a win over visiting ECU. The Tigers have three C-USA wins by 7 points over bottom feeders Marshall, Rice and Tulane but nonetheless, control their own destiny in the title quest. ECU looks much better on paper, but Martin Hankins has this team turned over and looking surprisingly potent on offense (18th nationally in passing). It’s the C-USA, so when in doubt, pick overtime. ECU 35, Memphis 32 (OT)

Best of the Rest

Tulsa at Tulane – Tulsa has been one of the best C-USA stories of 2007, a team with a bunch of talent that can’t seem to put bad teams away yet always seems capable of dropping a 50 spot on an opposing D. Paul Smith is one of the conference’s premier players, but with the help he’s getting from the defense, would need to be Heisman-worthy to lead this team to a marquee season, and he hasn’t been that. Matt Forte is finally getting some national love, but it isn’t to half the degree he deserves. Every person in the building knows he’ll be carrying, and Forte’s still good for 190 a game. David Skehan will pick a Paul Smith pass, but the Golden Hurricane eeks another close one. Tulsa 34, Tulane 30.

UTEP at Rice – You know that friend you have who you’re not really sure what to make of, but you always call him to hang out because he turns every night in to a crazy party, even if it ends in disaster? That’s UTEP. 6 of the Miners’ 7 games against FBS opponents have been decided by 5 points or less, including the last four coming down to a field goal or less. Rice is back at the bottom of the standings after gagging at Marshall, but is there any reason to think this will be a blow out? UTEP is the master at “keeping both teams in the game,” and if Chase Clement can keep Rice in the game, UTEP certainly won’t stop him. UTEP 38, Rice 34

Ho Hum

Marshall at UCF – Fresh off the heels of their first win, the Herd travels to Orlando for a date with a UCF squad clamoring to get back in the East race. Bernard Morris is actually a pretty exciting dual threat QB for the Herd, but the offense will be no match for the Knights, who are just now fully recovered from the USF beat down. I’m saying Kyle Israel out dual-threats Morris, and the Knights have it on ice by the late third. Let’s hope Marshall at least gets an Epcot visit out of the deal. UCF 41, Marshall 17.

Boooooooooooooring

Southern Miss at UAB – The Blazers have been absolutely awful lately, delivering two out and out stink bombs against Houston and ECU. Southern Miss, on the other hand, has been a tough team to peg, what with the big win at ECU and the awful loss to Rice at home. This seems like a classic trap game, for some reason, what with the Eagles coming off UCF and looking ahead to Memphis and UTEP the next two weeks. I know I’ve spilled a lot of ink on the woes of UAB, but I’m playing the trap game card and expecting the Blazers to create a lot of turnovers and squeak out the home upset. UAB 29, So. Miss 21.

SMU at Houston – Raise your hand if you want to see a Cougar eat a Pony? That’s what you’ll get this Saturday in H-Town as SMU ushers in the post-Bennett era by playing sacrificial lamb at the hands of the Cougars. I guess the Ponies could come out with a loose and wild performance, but I’m not counting on it against a Houston team that now sports a top-15 offense nationally in both rushing and passing and seems to be clicking on all cylinders with three straight conference wins. Donnie Avery catches 2 TDs and Rocky Schwartz takes an INT to the house: Cougars by a lot. Houston 40, SMU 20.

C-USA Power Rankings: Week Ten

For the first time in a long time, we had a week without a bunch of movement among the top dogs. We’re one week closer to the finish line, though, so how will each team respond to the challenges in front of it?

Let’s take a look at how they’d stack up on a neutral field tomorrow:

1. East Carolina – The Pirates have been on top of the ladder for what seems like so long now, their feet ought to be checked for numbness. Any concerns that the NC State loss would wreck ECU’s confidence quickly eroded with the Pirates’ spanking of UAB. When you beat a team by 35, there are plenty of heroes, but Quentin Cotton was a beast on defense, nailing Blazer backs in the backfield three times. I’m still amazed that a team who looks so incredibly mediocre on paper is this solid on the field. But ECU leads the C-USA in one extremely important category: turnover margin.

2. Houston – Last month’s 37-35 loss to the Pirates looks more and more like a title game preview, with the Cougars 4-1 and getting dead beats SMU and Marshall at home in November. Ah, but wait – don’t forget Tulsa, who makes a last stand for the West title with a home date Houston next weekend. Unfortunately for the Golden Hurricane, their greatest strength is the Cougars’ as well. Houston’s 36th ranked pass defense is tops in the league, as is their total D, scoring D, rush O and scoring O.

3. UCF – Exxon Valdez-like ink has been spilled over the Golden Knights’ offense and RB Kevin Smith. So what’s left to say? The defensive front has stepped up in an unheralded role, and the Leger Douzable unit has UCF third in the league in sacks. DB Sha’reff Rashad looks like he might be regaining his form of last season, when he had 4 picks. Rashad has two in the last two games.

4. UTEP – The big homestand ended with a thud as the Miners lost 34-31 to Houston Saturday, effectively ending their inside track to the West title. Down a game and a half plus tiebreaker to the Cougs, and with three of four road dates to end the year, the Miners have awfully long heads of winning the division. Marcus Thomas is yet another top-flight C-USA back, but the nation’s 117th ranked pass defense hasn’t stopped anyone all year; it certainly won’t start doing so this week at Rice.

5. Tulsa – The boys from Oklahoma are C-USA’s best, last line of defense against an ECU/Houston title tilt, and you’d better believe that when Houston comes to town in two weeks, Tulsa will defend any chance they’ve got left like the Alamo. It was nice to see senior Chris Chamberlain post a 14-tackle game against SMU, and Chamberlain is just a few stops away from 250 career tackles now. Tulsa is a maddening outfit; they seem to boast so much potential, but have struggled against the better teams and beaten the C-USA’s bottom feeders by the skin of their collective teeth.

6. Memphis – The dark horse in all the title talk is Memphis, who is now getting some nifty QB play from Martin Hankins to go with a Jake Kasser-led defense that forces turnovers. Can the Tigers give ECU a run for its money this weekend? Vegas has made ECU a mere 5-point favorite, which might mean the upset is in the offing. Hankins is getting great protection from an offensive line allowing just 1 sack per game.

7. Southern Miss – The Golden Eagles had a big chance to make a statement Sunday against UCF, but didn’t, and now it’s a short week of prep for UAB, a team So. Miss should beat, but might not, given their recent history of struggling with weaker clubs. Like almost everyone else, the Eagles couldn’t slow Kevin Smith. Props to some defensive standouts: Martavius Prince still leads the C-USA in sacks, with 6.5, and Gerald McRate is the nation’s leading tackler, at 12.88 per game.

8. UAB – Halloween came early to Birmingham as UAB put up a frightful performance in the 41-6 loss to ECU. The Blazers haven’t been close at all in their last two outings against the C-USA big boys; will an extra day’s rest give them an edge over Southern Miss? Regardless how fresh the legs are, they’ve got to throw better. UAB’s just 116th nationally in pass efficiency, and Sam Hunt’s TD:INT ratio of 8:10 has been brutal.

9. Tulane – This team just cannot finish close games. Tulane is literally three plays from being 5-3 and in the hunt for a bowl bid, but has given up scores with 36 seconds left and no time left to lose two close ones, and couldn’t finish against UAB in a game it should have won. If the Wave were leading the East and headed for a bowl bid, Matt Forte would have a real shot to make it to New York as a Heisman finalist, but as is, he’ll be just another colorful story of the 2007 season.

10. Marshall – We are Marshall! Somehow, the Herd exploded in to the win column with a thunderous 34-21 win over Rice Saturday night in Huntington. Bernie Morris threw for 227 and ran for another 120 as Marshall jumped to a 17-0 lead at the half. C.J. Spillman, James Johnson and Maurice Kitchens all had at least 9 tackles in a solid all-around effort from the embattled D. Let’s enjoy this while it lasts, Marshall fans: UCF, ECU and Houston are next.

11. Rice – The Rice Owls, spreading wins to all corners of the globe. Rice did Saturday what no team has found a way to do since 2006, and drove Marshall straight in to victory lane with a stinker of a performance on the road. Let’s play a game: you tell me which of these stats is more shocking. A. Rice’s leading rusher, C.J. Ugokwe, averages 28 yards per game, B. Rice is 118th or worse in the nation in 4 of the 5 major defensive statistical categories, or C. statistically, Rice looks about like Notre Dame?

12. SMU – The Ponies are coach-huntin’ after Phil Bennett got the old heave ho this week, and it’ll be hard to replace his…OK, maybe it won’t be that hard to replace Bennett. But for now, the team is in disarray, despite really not being that bad so far in the C-USA. Sure, the record is 0-4, but that’s two OT losses and a last minute Tulsa TD we’re talking about. However, that’s all immaterial now. 1-7 teams don’t replace their coach if the season ain’t over.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech Preview

Two Techs enter. One leaves victorious. That’s the guarantee against Georgia Tech, as the Hokies try to forget Boston College. Last Thursday, VA Tech snatched defeat from the jaws of victory; can they turn it around in the Tech Bowl? Let’s take a look at the opponent:

GEORGIA TECH (5-3, 2-3 ACC)

Offense

There aren’t a whole lot of offenses in the nation that rely on one player more than the Yellow Jackets with Tashard Choice. Coming in to this Thursday, GT’s rush offense is 13th in the nation, and the pass offense is 107th. Choice is by far the workhorse among the running backs, leading the ACC at 108 yards per game. That’s why the GT attack should be so benign without him. At press time, word on the e-street was that Choice would definitely miss this weekend’s contest. For some reason, I’m not convinced. The senior running back has never missed a game since he transferred to Atlanta from Oklahoma three years ago. Furthermore, despite his apparent absence, Las Vegas still has GT listed as a 2.5 point favorite, which would be almost inconceivable were he not in uniform. Confused? Me too.

Regardless, other offensive weapons will have to step up; as good as Choice has been, the 2-3 ACC record shows that he can’t carry Tech all by himself. One option is career backup, senior RB Rashaun Grant, who has shown promise this year, gaining 231 yards on just 39 carries. Grant is a fifth-year senior that, at the very least, will know where the holes are supposed to be, and shouldn’t make a ton of mental mistakes. He picked up 119 yards on just 11 carries against Army, so the explosiveness seems to be there. Freshmen Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt represent the backfield of the future, and both average over 25 yards per game.

Those Tech fans hoping the QB situation would dramatically improve with Reggie Ball moving on to greener pastures have been left wanting in 2008. GT is a startling 113th nationally in pass efficiency, and despite some good outings from Taylor Bennett, has been crippled offensively by its one way limitations. Bennett’s best game of the year was a 22-34 for 309 outing against Maryland, but even then, the junior couldn’t led his team to victory. Any running back that plays will be a better offensive option than Bennett and the passing game so, as usual, the key for Tech on defense is to swallow the run game and force Bennett to beat them. He can’t.

No GT receiver is in the ACC’s top 12 in receptions or yards per game, so there’s probably not a whole lot to fear here. Sophomore wideout Greg Smith and freshman WR Demaryius Thomas are the 1-2 punch, both averaging between 3-3.2 catches and 40-50 yards per game. The two young guns can hurt the Hokies, but they won’t beat them. Up front, Georgia Tech sports an impressive offensive line that has given Bennett every chance to succeed this year. The Ramblin’ Wreck is a killer across the front five; 4 of the 5 o-line starters began the year with 26 consecutive starts. Even though the unit has been beset my some injuries, including a recent one to right guard Nate McManus, they’re still great. The unit has allowed Bennett to be put on his back just six times in eight games, good for 3rd best nationally.

Defense

The Wreck defense has kept GT in games even when the offense wasn’t clicking, and is easily the strength of the team. There’s balance here, too; Tech boasts the nation’s 6th best rushing D and its 34th best passing D. GT is 1st in the ACC in both yards allowed and points allowed.

The defensive front four has been just as dominant as Tech’s offensive line. Opposing QBs have gone down in heaps this season, as the Yellow Jackets have sacked signal callers 3.63 times per game this year, good for 4th nationally. That’s a net gain of 3 sacks per game over their opponents; it’s a big number, and so is their 9.50 TFL average, 2nd nationally. VT absolutely must keep this swarming crew out of the backfield. Tech has three of the ACC’s top 12 sackmeisters; junior DL Vance Walker, senior LB Philip Wheeler and senior DL Darrell Robertson. All three are deadly in opposing backfields.

If VT can cross the line of scrimmage, there’s hope for success, but Tech boasts playmakers at several positions in the back 7 as well. At DB, freshman Morgan Burnett is looking like a possible future star; with 30 tackles on the year, and 3 picks in GT’s last five games, Burnett is quickly becoming a fixture on opposing coaches’ game plans. Shane Bowen is another young player with talent to burn. The sophomore LB is improving a lot on the job in his first starting year, with 4 TFL and 3 sacks. Senior LB Gary Guyton is a leader on the unit, with 45 tackles and 12 TFL; junior DL Darryl Richard has 4 sacks.

Special Teams

Senior Travis Bell will be an all-ACC kicker after the season is over. Bell has hit 17 of 20 FGs on the year for a smashing 85% accuracy mark. Bell has been doin’ it for four years in Atlanta, and if you throw out his awful sophomore slump, the career numbers are excellent: 44 of 55 on 3-pointers. If Choice is out, punter Durant Brooks will have to be a weapon and, to date, the senior has been up to the task. Brooks’ average is 45.22 yards per kick, good for 7th nationally.

Pick

The BC loss was such a gut-wrencher that it’ll take a very special week of focus, intensity and practice to exorcise the ghosts from that one. GT’s defense is every bit as solid as the Virginia Tech side, but without as many SportsCenter highlights. If Choice is out, how successful will the VT D be at completely crushing the GT run game so that Bennett has to beat them? It’ll be close either way, but I think Georgia Tech comes in rested off its bye week and secures a win. Yellow Jackets, by a nose. Georgia Tech 20, Virginia Tech 17.

Monday, October 29, 2007

SEC Power Rankings: Week Ten

In the West, LSU can effectively wrap it up with a win at ‘Bama this week. On the east side, Tennessee and Georgia are neck and neck with the Vols holding the tiebreaking head-to-head win. How do they all stack up on a neutral field? Let’s check it out.

  1. LSU – The Tigers coast in to T-Town this Saturday, and hopefully their pulses have slowed after three consecutive down to the wire battles. LSU is an 8-point favorite at ‘Bama, and the defense has a lot at stake, after getting violated in three straight outings. They’ve lost their #1 spot in the nation’s rankings; don’t expect them to lose their top spot in the SEC East.
  2. Auburn – This Tiger D is easily a top-5 unit right now; after a slow start, Auburn’s stoppers are 8th nationally in yards and 9th in scoring. Watching them feast on Ole Miss this Saturday was like…well…watching a Tiger feast on an old rebel with a huge moustache. Raise your hand if you can’t wait for Auburn to visit Sanford.
  3. Georgia – The Bulldogs got a season-turning win over Florida Saturday in the Cocktail Party, and now it’s home for at three-game Sanford Stand before the season ender in Atlanta. Knowshon Moreno might finally get the national press he deserves after the huge outing vs. the Gators, and let’s hope he stays healthy. The depth chart looks bleak below the freshman sensation.
  4. Florida – Despite all the talent, what’s obvious now is that Florida has some big holes on defense and lacks the overall talent to fend off teams that are lying in wait. November 10th’s Spurrier Bowl is an elimination game in the East; do the Gators have the horses to handle the Gamecocks? Taking the nation’s 87th best pass defense in to Columbia is a big no-no.
  5. Alabama – Nick Saban: time to earn your keep. This weekend’s clash against LSU is the kind of game that ‘Bama fans are paying their multi-gazillion dollar coach to win. The Tide will need a very special effort to move the ball against a rested and hungry LSU defense. LSU’s weakness is their poor protection of Matt Flynn. At just 10th in the SEC in sacks, ‘Bama may not be able to capitalize.
  6. Tennessee – The Vols crack me up. Tennessee’s squeaker win over South Carolina was a classic example of why some folks in college football are absolutely insane. After UT got two chances on a last-minute field goal, and then SC’s Ryan Succop missed his try at glory, Philip Fulmer pounded his chest in a post game presser, saying: “Everybody who thought our season was over just doesn’t know what Tennessee football is all about.” If either of those two unlikely events don’t happen in the final seconds, both of which were totally out of his control, Fulmer might be getting a pink slip.
  7. South Carolina – The shine is off the Gamecocks a little bit, now that the Kentucky win doesn’t look so great and the offensive struggles at LSU look even worse. Seems like Blake Mitchell is back at QB…for now. Mitchell tossed for 290 at Knoxville, but this is Steve Spurrier and his gnat-like attention span we’re talking about. Chris Smelley better keep the helmet on. After the 14-catch, 151-yard game at UT, maybe Kenny McKinley will get some of the great press he deserves.
  8. Mississippi State – MSU got a landmark win over Kentucky Saturday, and now the Bulldogs are a win away from going bowling. I’ve beat the Sylvester Croom drum all year long, and the Bulldogs finally put it all together at Commonwealth Stadium, soundly beating a UK team that beat LSU just two weeks ago. Could this team go 8-4? Probably not, but with two weeks to prepare for Alabama, and then Arkansas and Ole Miss, the bar should definitely be set at 7-5.
  9. Kentucky – The ‘Cats have fallen hard and fast after beating LSU just two weeks ago. Andre Woodson won’t be going to New York, and the rush D is still getting handled, giving up 190+ rush yards a game (11th in SEC). Sometimes you don’t realize until a team loses a guy just how valuable he was. Woodson has gotten all the hype, but UK’s offense struggled with Rafael Little. The defense is now 11th in the conference in scoring, and 5th in the East is looking very likely.
  10. Arkansas – I’m sorry, but I’m singing the same tune with the Hawgs week after week. When will they beat a BCS team? Here are the five wins so far: Troy, N. Texas, Chattanooga, FIU and Ole Miss. This late in the year, when so many other teams have played the teeth of their schedules, this disparity renders Arkansas’ stats almost meaningless. All we have to go on is DMac’s highlight reel and the hope that maybe, just maybe, the weak schedule has Arkansas more rested than its upcoming opponents, South Carolina and Tennessee.
  11. Vanderbilt – The Vandy D is an unheralded unit, led by senior LBs Jonathan Goff and Marcus Buggs. The unit is 14th nationally in yards allowed, and continues to pick up an offense that has been plum awful at 105th nationally in yards and 111th in passing yards. Despite the big win over SC two weeks ago, the ‘Dores lineup with Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee the next three weeks, before getting Wake Forest at, in all likelihood, 5-6. The nation will be sick of the SEC, but if Vandy gets one more conference win and then plays Wake tough, they’ll deserve a bowl bid.
  12. Ole Miss – And, trailing the pack by 25 lengths: the Rebs. At 12th in the SEC in the following categories: rush O, scoring O, rush D, total D, punting, punt returns and turnover margin, and without even the future to look forward to (Ben Jarvus Green Ellis and Seth Green are both seniors), Kinko’s may be expecting a work order for resume printing from head coach Ed Orgeron and his staff very soon.

MAC Power Rankings: Week Ten

We’re heading full bore down the stretch in the 2007 MAC season, and the leaders are an even mix of surprises (Buffalo, Temple) and favorites (CMU, Ball State). Miami, Bowling Green, and E. Michigan are still in the mix, too. Will the real thoroughbreds please stand up?

How do I think these teams would fare if the played tomorrow on a neutral field? Let’s take a look:

1.Central Michigan – The Chips are still the clear cut MAC favorite, although I was a bit disappointed in their defense giving up 32 points to the Giorgio Martin-led Kent State attack. I’ll give CMU a pass, however – Martin is probably a better downfield thrower than Julian Edelman, and Eugene Jarvis is a load to bring down, no matter the circumstances. It’s going to take a major hiccup for the Chippewas to give away the MAC West to Ball State. No chance they lose to both WMU and EMU.

2.Ball State – The Cardinals were good against Illinois, but not good enough. The Cards led the Illini 10-7 early in the third quarter, courtesy of a Mike Dorulla INT return for a score, but ultimately couldn’t stop Rashard Mendenhall and got beat by the better team. No shame in that, and the oddsmakers see this week’s clash at Indiana as being much closer, with the Hoosiers opening as just a 6.5 point favorite. Is it too late to ship Nate Davis to Ypsilanti to help EMU beat the Chippewas?

3.Buffalo – I finally saw the Bulls in person this weekend and trust me, these Bulls are for real. Buffalo is playing tough, tackling hard, bringing emotion and finishing games right now. If every remaining contest were played on a neutral field, I have to think Buffalo should be the East favorite. Unfortunately, they head to Miami, where they’re a 7 point dog this weekend. The Bulls are 4-1 at UB Stadium and 0-4 on the road; a win this weekend clinches no worse than a tie for the East.

4.Miami – It’s go time for the Redhawks this Saturday. For all intents and purposes, they’re locked out of the East race with a loss, and the favorites with a win. Miami brought no running game whatsoever to Vanderbilt last Saturday, but Raudabaugh did throw for 200+ yards and a couple scores. How will the Miami D fare against the 1-2 punch of Starks and Henry? On a neutral field, I think Buffal wins by 3. In Oxford, Miami has to be the favorite.

5.Bowling Green – BGSU played itself clean out of the East title hunt with a disappointing outing against Ohio Saturday. Falcon defenders were allergic to Kalvin McRae, and the big back punished the D again and again to the tune of 200 yards on 42 carries. The East is still not mathematically out of reach, but the Falcons need a lot of help. They probably won’t get it, so now the focus turns to bowl eligibility and keeping the Willie Geter machine humming.

6.Temple – I’m rethinking last week’s call of Temple at 3C despite the Owls’ bye week this week. Adam DiMichele was just too monumental in Temple’s early season success for the Owls to keep getting wins at season’s end. However, beware of the Owls this weekend at Peden Stadium – Temple, on 13 days rest, gets a Bobcat squad on just 6 days rest since Kalvin McRae’s 42 carry performance Saturday.

7.Eastern Michigan – The Eagle defense, sick of getting no help from the offense, did the job all day long against WMU, and got EMU a big, big win against the in-state rival Broncos. The linebacking corps did a number on Brandon West and Mark Bonds while EMU’s Pierre Walker ran wild for 151 yards on 33 carries. Can EMU win the West? They’ve got to beat Toledo and CMU to earn a three-way tie for the division lead. It’s going to be very tough – can Walker keep it going?

8.Western Michigan – The Broncos had been a little overrated all year, and the bottom finally fell out at Eastern in an embarrassing 19-2 loss. What went wrong for the preseason West favorite? They’re still 106th nationally in turnover margin, and they haven’t protected Hiller (95th nationally in sacks allowed). Now, they get to play spoiler against the hated Chips next Tuesday at Waldo.

9.Toledo – 70 points? 70 freakin’ points? Aaron Opelt and the passing attack went positively berserk against Northern Illinois Saturday. Opelt threw 4 TDs and 387 yards, while two Rocket backs (DaJuane Collins and Jalen Parmele) topped the 100 yard mark. 430 yards passing, 382 yards rushing, three TDs in each of the first three quarters. Egads, what an outing.

10.Ohio – The Bobcat offense was All Day Kalvin McRae against Bowling Green Saturday, bringing some respectability back to a season that had fallen apart. Could Ohio still make a bowl game? At 4-5, it’ll take a sweep over Temple, Akron and Miami to get it done. But the Bobcats get 2 of those three at home, so 3 for 3 is possible. However, Akron will be the ‘Cats third game in 12 days; we’ll see how they hold up.

11.Akron – The Zips ran in to a buzzsaw in Buffalo, with the weather getting really nasty just as the Bulls iced a fourth quarter lead. The Zips defense is still capable (3rd in the MAC in total yards), but the offense just can’t get enough going on the ground, and Chris Jacquemain isn’t good enough to carry the load by himself. Oh well – Akron’s holding that Wagon Wheel for another year.

12.Kent State – Future met present in Kent Saturday as Giorgio Martin looked pretty doggone good in his first collegiate action, throwing for 247 yards and 3 scores against CMU. Neither defense really wanted to do anything; it was 21-13 at the end of the first quarter. KSU was in it late, trailing by just 6, but couldn’t get the ball rolling in the fourth quarter.

13.Northern Illinois – The Huskies got absolutely torched at Toledo to the tune of 70-21, and it’s really looking like this team lost some heart when they lost any hope of a winning season. Justin Anderson hasn’t gotten nearly enough praise in MAC circles this year for his rushing performance, but when you’re following Garrett Wolfe, I guess that’s bound to happen. Another bright spot continues to be Larry English, who had two more sacks on Aaron Opelt.

SEC Review: Week Nine

Georgia stole the spotlight from Mississippi State and Tennessee with a big ole’ win in the Cocktail Party to deal Florida its third SEC loss. The eight point dogs got a twelve point win for their third win over the Gators in eighteen tries. What happened around the rest of the league? Check it:

Game of the Week

Georgia 42, Florida 30 – The ‘Dawgs opened a can on Florida with great execution and passion, using a bye week’s fresh legs to outlast the Gators late in the game, outscoring UF in the second half 21-13. Knowshon Moreno was enormous, earning 188 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries and bursting full-force on to the national stage. The Bulldogs looked pretty sharp in all facets, and pounding Tebow to the tune of negative 15 yards rushing. Percy Harvin got free out of the Florida backfield for some nice gains, but Tebow is the key, and Tebow didn’t beat UGA. Huge gameballs to Mark Richt and the entire Georgia team for yet another major league win away from Sanford.

Best of the Rest

Tennessee 27, South Carolina 24 – If this weren’t the UGASports website, this one could easily be game of the week. The Vols surrendered a 21-point halftime lead and got outgained by nearly 200 yards on its home turf, but somehow squeaked out an OT win when kicker Daniel Lincoln outdueled SC booter Ryan Succop in OT. Succop thought he had it won with a FG under 90 seconds to play, but Lincoln answered with just five minutes to go to send it to OT.

Ho Hum

Mississippi State 31, Kentucky 14 – It was a great day for SEC Bulldogs, with Mississippi State getting a landmark road win at Commonwealth and, probably, knocking Andre Woodson out of any Heisman consideration. This is MSU’s third road win of the year, and they got it by forcing 6 UK turnovers, including three Woodson INTs and three Wildcat fumbles. Sophomore Christian Ducre cut loose for 119 rushing yards and freshman Wesley Carroll played very well, with 158 passing yards and two scores against no picks. If MSU goes bowling, and they’re one game away from doing so, this will be the landmark win of the Sylvester Croom era to date.

Vanderbilt 24, Miami 13 – If you want to hold a beauty pageant, ask the Vandy student body, not the football team. It wasn’t glamorous, as the Commodores trailed Miami with five minutes left in the third when Chris Nickson got in from two yards out to give Vandy a four point lead. It wasn’t really over, though, until Jackson-Garrison scored from 15 to give Vanderbilt an 11 point edge with 6 minutes to go. To Vandy’s credit, the front line was dominant, outrushing the Commodores 290-26, but the back end gave up 212 passing yards and got no picks from a struggling Daniel Raudabaugh and the Redhawk passing game. Still, this is Vandy, and a win’s a win; one more, and they’re bowl eligible.

Auburn 17, Ole Miss 3 – This wasn’t quite as close as the score made it look, with Auburn winning the yardage battle by almost 250 yards, and surrendering only a 51-yard field goal at the first half gun to prevent the shut out. The Auburn defense is just so good – 123 passing yards on 28 attempts, 70 yards on 29 carries. Dominant. Auburn was great on third down, perfect on fourth down, and only committed one turnover. Despite the losses, this team is playing like a top 10 squad right now.

Boooooring

Arkansas 58, Florida International 10 – Big deal. Big freaking deal. You’re the SEC West champs, you have two of the best five running backs in the country, you’re an SEC team, BEAT A REAL TEAM. Arkansas beat FIU by 48. Darren McFadden looked fairly average yet again, and even Felix Jones struggled to go in to liftoff, but the Hogs spread it around to several backs and actually got competent passing from Springdale product Nathan Emert. It’s Halloween, and the defending West champs have beaten one BCS football team.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

C-USA Review: Week 9

Three out of six games decided by less than a touchdown, a 250 yard passing day, a couple 350 yard passing outings…just par for the course in the C-USA. Let’s take a look at the weekend action.

Game of the Week
Tulsa 29, SMU 23 – The Ponies didn’t look like much on paper, but they just kept plugging away, getting a 52-yard field goal to take the lead with over ten minutes to go. After a Paul Smith fumble and another Tulsa punt, SMU drove to the Tulsa 2-yard line with second and goal. But the Golden Hurricane defense made its biggest goal line stand of the year, stuffing SMU and giving Paul Smith and the offense the ball back, 99 yards from victory. Smith found Charles Clay for a 51 yard score just under minute to go, and Tulsa survived. I thought this one might be closer than the experts thought, but certainly wasn’t prepared for Tulsa to need a 99-yard drive with the game on the line. Golden Hurricane fans have to be pleased that the defense stood up for a big play, but this wasn’t nearly the performance Tulsa needed to build momentum for the stretch drive.

Best of the Rest

Memphis 28, Tulane 27 – Oh, Tulane. Up my six at the Memphis 5, Green Wave kicker Ross Thevenot missed a 22-yard field goal. Memphis took over with five minutes to go, and drove 80 yards down the field, converting three straight third downs as Martin Hankins found Duke Calhoun for a 5-yard score with 36 seconds to play, and an extra point gave the Tigers a win. The Wave lost its third heartbreaker in four weeks while Matt Forte put up another gargantuan outing, getting 278 yards on 44 carries. Forte now leads UCF’s Kevin Smith for the national rushing lead by a whopping 37 yards a game, but it hasn’t been enough to help Tulane win close games. The Tigers got their second straight gutty performance from Martin Hankins, who chucked for 355 and two scores, including the winner.


Houston 34, UTEP 31 – The total score wasn’t quite as high as we would have guessed, but the outcome was just as close. Houston held off UTEP’s late charge to win another barn burner in El Paso, and leaves west Texas the clear-cut division leader. The Miner offense looked like it might post another heroic late drive, but Lorne Sam couldn’t corral a sideline pass on 4th and 1 from the 36 and Houston took over for the W. The Cougars’ QB carousel swung to Case Keenum, who paced UH with a 13-20, 116 yard day. Anthony Aldridge was as great as he’s been all year, topping the 200 yard mark on just 27 carries.

Ho Hum

Marshall 34, Rice 21 – Marshall plowed its way in to the win column with an emphatic 34-21 over Rice, riding a monster dual-threat day from QB Bernard Morris (223 passing yards, 120 rushing yards) and a great start by the defense, which gave Marshall a chance to build a 17-0 lead and get some breathing room. Don’t ask me how Vegas saw this one coming: the Herd was a 9-point favorite despite a rough early season that saw them start 0-7. Now, it’s the Owls looking up at the rest of the C-USA, sitting at 1-7 themselves and ranked 118th nationally in almost every single defensive category. Ouch. Owls fans: Hoo’s looking forward to next year?

UCF 34, Southern Miss 17 – The Knights sent a little message to the East that they aren’t dead yet, winning an easy Sunday night victory over the sometimes-great sometimes-brutal Golden Eagles. Kevin Smith got yards, but QB Kyle Israel is the linchpin to UCF’s late season success, and with very solid outings in his last three C-USA outings, the signal-caller is starting to hit peak form. If the defense plays like it did tonight, forcing four turnovers and making life easier for Israel and the offense. Southern Miss has potential, but when they turn the ball over, like they did tonight, the Eagles are really, really bad.

Boooooooooooooooring

East Carolina 41, UAB 6 – The Pirates now boast what is easily the most impressive bowl resume of any C-USA squad, with wins over North Carolina, UTEP, Houston, UCF and UAB. Get a load of Patrick Pinkney’s QB rating: 370.8. Egads. Pinkney was 6 of 7 for 159 yards and 2TD and the running game rolled to the tune of 216 yards on 35 carries. The bright spot for UAB was…the final gun?

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Buffalo 26, Akron 10

The term “icing a game” has never been so literal.

As dark clouds turned to rain and the brisk wind whipped a frigid autumn cold, Buffalo stayed red hot, getting a 35-yard field goal from A.J. Principe with 3:12 to go to ice their fourth MAC win of the year, 26-10 over Akron.

Under a bleak sky, Buffalo (3-0, 4-1, 4-5) got 125 passing yards and three passing TDs from Drew Willy to snatch its third MAC East win and secure a winning record at home for the first time in Division I.

In eight MAC campaigns, the Bulls have posted a record of just 8-56, but this year stand 4-1 and control their own destiny in the East division.

Coming off a bye week which followed two straight contests decided in the final seconds, Akron (1-2, 2-2, 3-5) opened the scoring with a 13-play, 80-yard TD drive to grab a 7-0 lead.

But Buffalo promptly answered, marching 55 yards in just 8 plays, and getting a key completion from Willy to TE Jesse Rack on 3rd and 4 from the Zips’ 39. Three plays later, Willy found Ernest Jackson for an 11 yard TD toss.

The Bulls’ junior quarterback finished 11 of 14 passing with the three scores, which tied a career high.

After forcing an Akron punt, Buffalo went back to work, and thanks to a 34-yard run by Naaman Roosevelt, quickly found itself in scoring position again. On the play, the versatile sophomore lined up at quarterback.

“When coach calls that kind of play, it’s pretty much just go in there and try to execute it,” Roosevelt says. “I give coach tons of credit for calling those plays at the right time.”

According to the Buffalo pre-game radio show, Turner Gill is one of only 11 Division-I head coaches known to call his team’s offensive plays.

Roosevelt had three catches for 34 yards, and capped the Bulls’ second scoring drive with a 9-yard TD catch in traffic, giving Buffalo a 13-7 lead it would not relinquish.

From there, the scoring pace slowed, with each team fighting the harsh winds, which reached 35 miles per hour, and a misty rain that began in the second half and became a pounding sideways drizzle by game’s end.

“We had the wind in the fourth quarter, so I wouldn’t say the weather bothered us much until the rain started,” Akron Head Coach J.D. Brookhart said afterward. “And that made things difficult for us, for sure.”

Brookhart may have understated the weather’s impact. Only 125 of Akron’s 327 yards came after halftime, as the Zips fought both the elements and a tenacious Buffalo defensive front that asserted more and more pressure as the game progressed.

For Buffalo, the win was just another in a season of firsts. The Bulls logged their first win in nine tries against Akron, and gained momentum heading in to next week’s showdown against the MAC East’s second place squad, the Miami Redhawks. Akron had won the schools’ first eight meetings by an average score of 32-14.

With a win, the Bulls will clinch no worse than a tie for the East title, a remarkable feat for a program that ESPN.com ranked the worst in college football prior to the season.

Sophomore James Starks led the Bulls’ ground game with 91 yards on 24 carries. Akron freshman Bryan Williams paced the Zips with 21 carries for 87 yards.

Akron is at Bowling Green next Friday, while Buffalo plays Miami on Saturday afternoon.

Friday, October 26, 2007

MAC Ridiculously Irrelevant Predictions

As we approach Halloween, the puzzle that is the 2007 MAC season is beginning to come together. In some cases, the pieces fit together nicely; defending champ CMU is leading the West, trailed by preseason favorite WMU and dangerous Ball State. Makes sense. Over in the East, Buffalo is on top, Temple is within striking distance, and preseason picks Ohio and Kent State are in dead last. Wha happened???

So with the finish line starting to come in to view, I’ve decided to take on the completely ridiculous and pointless exercise of predicting every game the rest of the season, with how I think it might go down, and seeing how things shake down at the end. Now commencing with an exercise in total ridiculousness, the results of every MAC game for the rest of the season….Enjoy!

Week Nine.

CMU (3-0, 3-0, 4-4) at Kent State (1-3, 1-3, 3-5) – Golden Flashes coach Doug Martin refuses to name a QB starter until kickoff, hoping to gain any edge possible over CMU. On KSU’s first series, freshman Giorgio Morgan is under center to the delight of the 10,000 strong at Dix Field. Morgan struggles with two first quarter picks, enabling the Chips to take a 14-0 lead. Morgan is pulled in favor of third-string QB Jon Brown, who serves as the architect of two scoring drives, bringing KSU to within 14-10 at half. But CMU milks the clock with two backbreaking TD drives in the third quarter, and Dan LeFevour caps each drive with QB sneaks from inside the 1. CMU 33, Kent State 20.

Ball State (2-1, 3-2, 5-3) at IllinoisThe Cardinals are 16 point dogs by kickoff, and they sit down the Memorial Stadium crowd with a 61-yard pass from Nate Davis to Dante Hill on their third play. Davis has a sparkling first half, going 12 of 19 in the half for 161 yards and two scores. The teams are knotted at 14 headed to the locker room, but the Cardinals let another one slip away, with the defensive line unable to provide resistance to the power running game of Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall in the second half. The Cards are still in it, trailing 31-20 late in the fourth, but Illinois tackle machine drills Davis, forcing a fumble deep in Ball State territory. One more Mendenhall TD finishes it off. Illinois 38, Ball State 20.

NIU (0-3, 0-4, 1-7) at Toledo (0-2, 1-3, 3-5) – In a predictably wild game at Toledo’s Glass Bowl, Justin Anderson runs wild over the Rocket defense for most of the first quarter, tallying two TD runs of 40+ yards on his way to a whopping 121 yard quarter, putting the Huskies up 17-3 at the end of the first. But the Rockets mount yet another Glass Bowl come back, chipping away with dink and dunk passes until the teams are tied at 24 at half. Inexplicably, nobody scores in the third, then Aaron Opelt tosses a screen pass to Jalen Parmele, which the big back takes 74 yards to the house, giving Toledo a lead it never relinquishes. Toledo 37, NIU 31.

WMU (2-1, 2-2, 3-5) at EMU (1-1, 1-2, 2-6) – Sandwiched in between critical clashes with Ball State and Central, this smells like a trap game for Western, but it doesn’t play like it early, with Mark Bonds hammering home a 14 yard TD run on the first drive, giving the Broncos a 7-0 edge, which they build to 13-0 at half. But the Eagle D gets a big play from its stud LB, Daniel Holtzclaw, who picks off a Tim Hiller slant pass and takes it to the house just after half. Later in the third, EMU’s other big playmaker, Jason Jones, forces a Hiller fumble deep in Western territory, which the offense quickly turns in to a score, giving EMU a stunning 14-13 lead after three. The teams trade scores on their first drives of the 4th, leaving the Broncos trailing 21-20 with just over 3 minutes to play. EMU gets the ball, but can’t move it, and faced with 4th and 1 at midfield, Coach Jeff Genyk puts the faith in his playmaking defense to hold off the Broncos’ last drive. Hiller is on, leading WMU to the EMU 34 in just a minute ten. But Mike Jones’ 51 yard boot is short, and the Eagles get a big, big upset. EMU 21, WMU 20.

Akron (1-1, 2-1, 3-4) at Buffalo (2-0, 3-0, 3-5) – If we’d told you preseason that Akron at Buffalo might be a trap game, you’d say “Sure, for Akron.” But the shoe’s on the other foot, with the Bulls in sole possession of the MAC East lead. Chris Jacquemain has a great first half as the Zips get great execution honed by their bye week. James Starks can’t get loose and the Bulls offense sputters in the first half. At the break, its Akron leading, 24-10, and the magic isn’t there for Buffalo. But the Bulls go back to the drawing board at half, and QB Drew Willy takes over, leading two long scoring drives to get all square at 24 after three. After Igor Ivelijic drains a 40-yard kick with 3 minutes to go, the Bulls take over down 3. With every game in divisional play sacred, this could be their East title hopes on the line. Akron LB Brion Stokes has shadowed Starks all day, but the super sophomore finally gets free for a big gain thanks to a crushing downfield block by TE Jesse Rack. The Bulls equalize with 42 seconds left, and we’re headed to OT tied at 27. Buffalo gets a 14 yard score from Willy to Ernest Jackson, and the Zips get the ball. After a couple first downs, Akron has first and goal from the Buffalo 4, but the Bulls defense stiffens forcing a 4th and goal from the 2. Jacquemain fakes the handoff and rolls right, but is met by a blitzing Larry Hutchinson, and UB Stadium erupts. Buffalo 34, Akron 27 (OT).

Miami (2-1, 3-1, 4-4) at Vanderbilt – One week after one they’d like to forget, a loss at Temple, Miami heads to Commodore Country and the SEC squad works the Redhawks over, picking three Daniel Raudabaugh passes in the first half to build a 21-0 lead. Miami can’t get anything going offensively, as the big, fast defense just tears in to the Miami O-line, and only a 34-yard field goal from Nathan Parshegian in the third quarter getting Miami on the board. To make things worse, for the first time all year, the Redhawks play a school that might have a more attractive student population than theirs. Vandy 28, Miami 3.

Ohio (0-2, 1-3, 3-5) at Bowling Green (2-1, 2-1, 4-3) – One week after vaulting in to the spotlight with a 200 yard performance against Kent State, freshman back Willie Geter one ups himself with a 4-TD, 213 yard outing against the Bobcats. Geter gets all four scores in the first half, and looks a whole lot like the MAC’s next great feature back. Kalvin McRae does his part for Ohio, getting 171 yards and three touchdowns of his own, but the BGSU passing game is better than Ohio’s, helping the Falcons roll up another big offensive day and keep pace with (gulp) Buffalo. Bowling Green 40, Ohio 28.

Week Ten.

Temple (2-2, 3-2, 3-5) at Ohio (0-4, 1-4, 3-6) – Temple is still within striking distance in the East, but the loss of Adam DiMichele has made things dire, and Vaughn Charlton doesn’t get the job done in his first MAC road test. The Owls have no answer for Ohio’s McRae, who with the 165 yard day is all the way up to 1198 for the year. Theo Scott gets in on the action with two second quarter TD tosses as Ohio builds a 27-10 lead by the end of three. Charlton has some success late against Ohio’s prevent defense, getting two fourth quarter TDs to Dy’onne Crudup, but an onside kick with 14 seconds to go proves unsuccessful, as Ohio gets their first East win of the year and knocks Temple out of the race. Ohio 27, Temple 24.

Akron (1-2, 2-2, 3-5) at Bowling Green (3-1, 3-1, 5-3) – The Zips are on the road again, but show no hangover effect after the heartbreaking loss at Buffalo. Akron jumps to a 17-7 lead at half on the heels of Jabari Arthur’s monster first half line of 11 catches, 103 yards and two scores. But BGSU Coach Gregg Brandon stirs a big pot of whoop-ass in the locker room, and the Falcons come out of the locker room dialed in, as Willie Geter dashes 41 yards for a score, followed by LB Erique Dozier’s scoop and score off a Jacquemain fumble. From there, it’s back and forth, with each team getting TDs in the early fourth, putting the margin at 28-24, BGSU. With a little over four to play, Akron has the ball at its own 35, when Arthur takes the ball on an end around….no, it’s a pass! The former QB hums a perfect lob pass up the sideline to the seldom used junior wide out Brandon Williams. Williams goes to the house for a 65 yard score, but PK Ivelijic misses the point after, leaving the dial at 30-28. But Roger Williams, BGSU’s young kick returner, outdoes the other Williams, taking the ensuing kick back 93 yards, giving the Falcons a 34-30 lead that will stand up. BGSU 34, Akron 30.

Ball State (2-1, 3-2, 5-4) at Indiana – The Hoosiers lost to Illinois early in the year, but they can do things on offense the Illini can’t, and they show it, rolling up the points early and often on BSU’s undermanned defense. Kellen Lewis runs left, right, and straight over the Cardinal defense. But unlike most running QBs, Lewis can throw too, and he does, finding WR James Hardy for two red zone fade routes on the way to a big Indiana win. Indiana 44, Ball State 16.

Buffalo (3-0, 4-0, 4-5) at Miami (2-1, 3-1, 4-5) – The East’s two front runners meet on a dark, rainy day in Oxford. Miami has to have this one to stay in the title hunt, and the Redhawk defense answers the bell, forcing several Buffalo turnovers in the inclement weather. Daniel Raudabaugh isn’t amazing, but he holds on to the ball, and Miami leads 17-0 late in the third when Drew Willy finally gets the Bulls on the board, as Naaman Roosevelt takes a bubble screen 29 yards to the end zone. But Miami answers, going 78 yards in 16 plays, never having to throw the ball once, milking 8 minutes of clock and icing it with an Austin Sykes 4 yard sweep. Miami 24, Buffalo 14.

EMU (2-1, 2-2, 3-6) at Toledo (1-2, 2-3, 4-5) – On the heels of the program’s biggest win in awhile, EMU travels to the Glass Bowl where the Rockets wait. Toledo can’t win the West, but EMU can, and the Rocket fans turn out in droves to see their team go for its 5th win and increase their chances at finding the postseason. This one is about as evenly matched as a football game can be, with each team trading TDs through out the first three quarters. First, its Aaron Opelt, then Pierre Walker, then Parmele, then a pick-six from EMU’s Ryan Downard. On and on it goes, until the squads are knotted at 35 after regulation. Another wild game in the Glass Bowl ends when Alex Steigerwald drills a 39-yard FG right down the middle in Toledo’s half of overtime. EMU can’t move the ball, and a kick misses badly on 4th and 16 from the 31, giving Toledo its fifth home win of the year. Toledo 38, EMU 35 (OT).

Week Eleven.

Central Michigan (3-0, 4-0, 5-4) at Western Michigan (2-2, 2-3, 3-6) – The West title hangs in the balance at Waldo Stadium when the MAC’s best rivalry kicks off on a Tuesday night. Western fires up the crowd by striking first, getting a 31-yard hookup from Tim Hiller to WR Jamarko Simmons to take a 7-0 lead. After CMU’s punt, Bronco return man Schneider Julien takes the kick 71 yards to paydirt and the Waldo Stadium crowd erupts. After a quarter, the scoreboard still reads 14-nil Western, but Dan LeFevour and the CMU offense finally starts to go to work, putting together two efficient drives that both end in Justin Hoskins scoring runs. With the score still knotted at 14, the teams trade punts and when WMU sets up to return, Julien, who’s had a great game so far, calls for a fair catch. A CMU player drills Julien after his arm is in the air, and the refs totally miss the call. WMU’s sideline erupts, and the teams scuffle on the field for almost five minutes before the referees break up the fight. Julien and CMU’s Red Keith are ejected, and both teams head to the locker room without one of their big playmakers. LeFevour and the Central offense grabs bull by horns to start the second half, as a 30-yard reverse by Antonio Brown gives CMU a 28-14 lead with 3 to play in the third. Western makes a valiant attempt to get back in it, but every time the Broncos score, the Chips answer. Central wins, the Chips clinch, and these two teams hate each other even more than they did before the game. CMU 41, WMU 30.

Ohio (1-4, 2-4, 4-6) at Akron (1-3, 2-3, 3-6) – Theo Scott is firmly entrenched now as the Bobcats’ starting QB, and he kicks off the scoring with a 7-yard scramble on Ohio’s first drive. The Akron defense stiffens, and when the deadly Andre Jones takes a punt back 64 yards, the Zips lead 14-7. Ohio keeps kicking field goals, and by the end of the third, its 17-16 Akron after one Ivelijic boot and three kicks from Ohio’s Michael Braunstein. With eight minutes to play, Kalvin McRae rips off a couple nice gains to get third down conversions, but the drive stalls with five to play and Braunstein adds a fourth FG for a 19-17 lead. The Zips have one drive left in them, and work their way down the field methodically…inevitability grips the air in the Rubber Bowl, as Ivelijic drills a 31 yard boot as time expires to give Akron a 1-point won on their fifth straight game decided in the final minute. Akron 20, Ohio 19

BGSU (4-1, 4-1, 6-3) at EMU (2-2, 2-3, 3-7) – The Eagles come in with high hopes, but the Falcons fly higher, racing to a 28-0 first half lead on the heels of four Tyler Sheehan TD tosses. With CMU’s Dan LeFevour struggling, Sheehan is making a late play for conference player of the year honors, and today’s 4-score, 310 yard performance intensifies his candidacy. The Eagles score a bit late, but the Falcons’ early lead proves insurmountable, and the Falcons are a major front runner in the West race…BG 37, EMU 20

Penn State at Temple (2-3, 3-3, 3-6) – Temple is hoping for a let down from the peaking Nittany Lions, but a sold out Link crowd is mostly PSU fans, and the Owls get Penn State’s A-game. The Nittany Lion D terrorizes the ravaged Temple offense, and QB Vaughn Charlton gets a third quarter touchdown on a scramble, but by then its too late. Rodney Kinlaw already has 125 rushing yards and Anthony Morelli has three touchdown tosses. It’s a 31-0 lead before the Owls score, and by then, its far too late. Penn State 39, Temple 14

Kent State (1-4, 1-4, 3-6) at NIU (0-4, 0-5, 1-8) – This is the Huskies best chance yet for a first MAC victory, and the defense plays like it, keeping the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard for the first half. NIU has a hard time scoring themselves, but it’s a 10-0 margin at half. Kent State QB Jon Brown does his best work yet in an 80-yard drive to start the second half, but the extra point goes no good, and it’s 10-6 Huskies. NIU’s Justin Anderson crosses the 100-yard mark in the third, but NIU continues their red zone struggles, fumbling once, and being stopped on 4th down again. With seven minutes to go, Brown leads another TD drive, capped by Eugene Jarvis’ 12 yard run. It’s 12-10, and KSU goes for 2 to make up the missed extra point from earlier. Brown is flushed out of the pocket, scrambles, but is pulled down short of the goal line by NIU’s sack machine Larry English. With the score still 12-10, NIU puts it all on Anderson, feeding the beast 8 straight times on their way to Kent’s 27 yard line. On the game’s final play, Chris Nendick knocks home a 44-yarder that sneaks over the cross bar, and the Huskies have their first MAC win. NIU 13, Kent 12

Week Twelve.

Toledo (2-2, 3-3, 5-5) at Ball State (2-1, 3-2, 5-5) – Remarkably, the Rockets are on the cusp of bowl eligibility with five home wins by a combined 14 points. Ball State puts them in their place, turning the keys over to Nate Davis, who rips through the Rocket’s ravaged secondary for three first quarter scores. Dante Love catches one, Dante Hill catches one, and since BSU is out of Dante’s, Frank Edmonds catches one too. Once they’re up 28-7, the Cards get a bit sloppy, letting Toledo sneak to within 31-17, but Davis strikes quickly, zipping BSU down the field with passes to every Dante in sight. Edmonds catches it with a one-yard dive late in the third, and the Cardinals coast from there, becoming bowl eligible. Ball State 48, Toledo 20

Akron (2-3, 3-3, 4-6) at Miami (3-1, 4-1, 5-5) – With the win over Buffalo, the Redhawks are in the East driver’s seat now, needing wins over the Zips and Bobcats to wrap the title. Once again, the mostly unheralded Miami D comes to play, forcing two first quarter Akron turnovers, and converting both in to Nate Parshegian field goals. Down 6-0, Akron’s Jabari Arthur breaks free on a slant pass and outruns the entire Redhawk nation for an 82-yard score to give Akron a 7-6 lead. But the Miami offense stays efficient, mixing in Austin Sykes runs with short passes from Raudabaugh to Dustin Woods and Armand Robinson, for two more second quarter scores. By the half, it’s 20-7, and then the rain comes to Oxford, and with the second half played in a near flood, both offenses struggle. Miami wins, and they’re one win away from the East title. Miami 27, Akron 14.

EMU (2-2, 2-4, 3-8) at CMU (4-0, 5-0, 6-4) – The Chips already have the West title wrapped up, and now they’re playing for a perfect MAC slate. The CMU offense is inexplicably absent in the first half, as Dan LeFevour is uncharacteristically unsharp; the Eagles’ Jason Jones registers three first half sacks to bring his season total for tackles for loss to 25, just one short of the EMU record for TFL. The Eagle defense is a stone wall in the first half, and the Chips go to the locker room down a shocking 20-3. But CMU comes out gunning in the second half, with Dan LeFevour starting the scoring on a 22-yard scramble. Later in the third, LeFevour catches a pass from Antonio Brown on a little trickeration to bring the Chips within 3. EMU adds a FG, and Central gets the ball with five to go. LeFevour orchestrates a sterling drive, getting an 18 yard gallop from Justin Hoskins on 3rd and 4 to move the ball in to Eagle territory. With under a minute to go, the Chips move the ball to the EMU 5. A couple Hoskins runs get the ball to the 2 with just 16 seconds left. LeFevour drops back and is flushed out of the pocket by Jones, who’s going for both the sack and the EMU record. Jones extends an arm, but LeFevour is just out of reach, and turns the corner over the pylon for the score! CMU adds the extra point and escapes alive…barely.CMU 24, EMU 23

Kent State (1-5, 1-5, 3-7) at Temple (2-3, 3-3, 3-7) – The Owls have felt the ire of misfortune this year, getting bit by the injury bug like no team in recent memory. On the otherside of the coin, Kent State is almost lifeless, down a starting QB as well, but bearing the weight of failed expectations. Both teams start sluggish in the November snow, and head to the locker room tied 9-9. A third quarter scoring run by Temple’s Jason Harper gives the Owls a temporary edge before a 18-yard scamper by Eugen Jarvis ties it at 16. Neither team can do anything on offense from there on out, and the game heads to overtime, where the fireworks start en masse. Each squad gets a TD run from their feature back in the first OT, and when Jarvis scores on a 13-yard burst in the second, we’re headed for 3 tied at 30. Kent gets to the Temple 5, but stalls, getting a 22-yard kick from Nate Reed. On Temple’s first play of the triple, Kent doesn’t seem quite ready, and a quick count from QB Vaughn Charlton catches the Flashes secondary off guard. 25-yards later, it’s a touchdown to Bruce Francis, and Temple’s 4th league win.Temple 36, Kent 33 (3 OT)

Bowling Green (4-1, 5-1, 7-3) at Buffalo (3-1, 4-1, 4-6) – Both teams can still win the East if Miami falls next week at Ohio. The Bulls have had two weeks to prepare and unlike most MAC squads, they’re still pretty healthy. Turner Gill has pulled out all the stops to rear up the home crowd, and a record UB stadium turnout comes out in c classic, 15-degree, light snowy Buffalo day. On the game’s first offensive play, James Starks takes a pitch to the right and heads around end…until he pitches back to Naaman Roosevelt coming the other direction! Roosevelt burns past the Falcon secondary 83 yards for a score, and the tone is set for a wild shoot out. Each team is in the 20s by half, and Buffalo ends the third with Starks’ second TD run of the day, giving them a 35-24 lead. Sheehan and the Falcons strike back with a quick scoring drive to get within 4. Both teams trade punts, and when Drew Willy throws a rare, rare INT in his own territory with about three minutes left, BGSU is within range. The UB Stadium gets on their feet to help out the defense…and it works. On 3rd and 11 from the 28, freshman Davonte Shannon comes barreling in one a corner blitz, and Sheehan never sees him…until he’s picked up Sheehan’s fumble and is racing the other direction for a 65 yard score. The crowd goes berserk, and the Bulls will head to Kent next week with five MAC wins and an outside chance to make the title game. Buffalo 42, BGSU 31

WMU (2-3, 2-4, 3-7) at IowaOn senior day in Iowa City, the Hawks need a win to make a bowl, so the oddsmakers have them a 13 point favorite. But the Broncos have none of it, spreading out the awful Iowa secondary like so many squads have done this year, and leaping to a 10-0 first quarter lead. The D-line wears down a bit against Iowa’s big o-line, but the WMU D comes up with one big stop after another, ending Hawkeye drives inside their own 40 three times in the first half. 13-7 at half, 16-7 after three, the Hawks get a 20-yard run from Damien Sims to get it within two with 44 seconds left. But the Bronco hands team snags the onside kick, and Western spoils Iowa’s big day with a huge road win. WMU 16, Iowa 14

NIU (0-4, 1-5, 2-8) at Navy – The season ended awhile ago for the Huskies, who just can’t get enough passing going to compete with teams. The win last week was nice, but there’s no chance against a Navy squad needing a win to up their bowl stock. Navy scores early, often, and then some more, racking up 367 rushing yards in a big win. Justin Anderson crosses the 100-yard barrier for the eighth time this year. Navy 42, NIU 7

Week Thirteen.

CMU (5-0, 6-0, 7-4) at Akron (2-4, 3-4, 4-7) – The Chips haven’t looked sharp since they wrapped up the West in Kalamazoo, and the trend continues this week against the Zips. It’s senior day in the Rubber Bowl, and the Akron class of ’07 delivers; Jabari Arthur catches his MAC-best 15th TD, Brion Stokes brings down Justin Hoskins in the Chip end zone for a safety, and DB Reggie Corner takes an errant LeFevour pass to the house for a 16-7 half-time lead. The Zips don’t let CMU off the hook like Eastern did, however, and LeFevour’s two late passes aren’t to win it, as the Zips prevail and send their seniors off winners. Akron 23, CMU 21

Toledo (2-3, 3-4, 5-6) at Bowling Green (4-2, 5-2, 7-4) – The Peace Pipe is on the line and Toledo is fighting for a .500 season, to boot. No shocker here, it’s a shootout, with Willie Geter pacing the Falcons with 112 first half rushing yards, and three scores. 14-14 after the first, 21-21 at half, 28-28 after three, and 35-up with six minutes remaining, Toledo gets the ball with a chance to win it. With two and a half to go, and facing fourth and 3 at the BGSU 44, Tom Amstutz rolls the dice and goes for it. Jalen Parmele is met by Falcon LB Adrian Baker at the line of scrimmage, and the Falcons take over and instantly get to work, with Sheehan dinking and dunking under loose coverage. A few first downs later, BGSU is at the Rocket 14 with a handful of ticks on the clock. Falcon kicker Sinisa Vrvilo leaves no doubt, hammering home a kick from 30 that would have been good from 55. Peace Pipe – Falcons. BGSU 38, Toledo 35

Temple (3-3, 4-3, 4-7) at WMU (2-3, 2-4, 4-7) – The Owls and Broncos are on opposite ends of expectation this year, with Temple shocking everyone to get to 4 wins, and Western the big West disappointment at just 4-7. It’s apparent early in this contest that the Owls are simply out of gas. WMU gets touchdowns from Mark Bonds, Brandon West, Branden Ledbetter and Jamarko Simmons in the first half, and gets a chance to clear the benches and play all the seniors on an easy breezy day in the ‘Zoo. WMU 40, Temple 17

Ball State (3-1, 4-1, 6-5) at NIU (0-4, 1-5, 2-9) – Ball State’s been cruising since the CMU loss, and they’ll be shaking their heads wondering how they let that one get away for a long time. It’s not a glorious, glamorous win, but a workmanlike victory in a hard, driving rain that makes passing hard on both teams. Frank Edmonds matches Justin Anderson carry for carry as both backs lug 25 times for 140+ yards, but the Cards practice better ball security, capitalizing on five Huskie turnovers. The Cardinals are solidly bowl eligible now, and will wait and see when the invites came out. The year is over, finally, for NIU and Joe Novak. Ball State 28, NIU 10

Buffalo (4-1, 5-1, 5-6) at Kent State (1-6, 1-6, 3-8) – The Bulls kickoff an hour before the Redhawks, needing a win and a Miami loss to make it to Detroit. Kent State is at the end of one of the most disappointing in school history, given the high preseason expectations. With rumors that coach Doug Martin’s job is in jeopardy, the Flashes come out inspired, and on the back of Eugene Jarvis, KSU is up 14-0 after a quarter. The Bulls have been bad on the road all season, and this starts out looking like another clunker. But Turner Gill huddles the team on the Buffalo sideline and lights in to his bunch; the next drive shows progress, with Drew Willy completing all 6 passes on a 9 play, 78 yard drive that leads to a touchdown from Starks. Only field goals for twenty minutes make the score 20-13 by the mid-third. With the Bulls driving late in the third, Starks is popped at the goal line and fumbles…senior DB Jack Williams recovers for the Flashes, and on the next series the Buffalo defense plays deflated, giving up another Jarvis TD on a 28-yard score. But the Bulls are undaunted, heading right back down the field, and this time when Starks gets the pig, he makes good, getting a 3-yard touchdown with 7 minutes to play to bring the Bulls within 7. Kent starts up on a nice drive, but the Bull D stiffens behind senior Larry Hutchinson’s big third down hit on Andre Flowers. Willy and Starks get the ball back with 3 and a half to play on their own 15, 85 yards from a chance at history. The Bulls convert a couple key third downs until confronted with a fourth and 2 at the KSU 42 with 65 ticks remaining. Turner Gill reaches deep in to the memory banks and conjures up a little Nebraska-style option. Willy runs right, and pitches…no, he keeps it, and the Flashes don’t bring him down until he’s lumbered all the way to the KSU 16. With 15 seconds left, Starks finds pay dirt on a third down draw play, leaving the Buffs down 1. For the second time in a minute, Gill rolls the dice, deciding he wants a chance to win the ball game right here. Willy runs right again, but this time he pitches to Naaman Roosevelt heading the other direction. Roosevelt’s in a foot race with Flashes LB Cedrick Maxwell…Roosevelt turns the corner, reaches for the pylon, and…is he in? The call on the field is no dice, but after a ten-minute review, the replay official rules that Roosevelt got the ball across the plain, and the Buffs go crazy in front of a tiny Dix Stadium crowd. After the celebration, Buffalo heads to the locker room to catch the finale from Athens Buffalo 28, Kent State 27

Miami (4-1, 5-1, 6-5) at Ohio (1-5, 2-5, 4-7) – Win, and they’re in. That’s all the Redhawks have to do to make it to Detroit, and it should be easy against an Ohio team with nothing to play for, right? Wrong. We’ve seen it too many times in season finales over the last few years – the team with nothing to play for comes out nasty, desperate to play the spoiler card and head to December on a positive note. Sloppy weather is mirrored by the teams’ play, as nobody scores for the first fifteen minutes. Early in the second period, Kalvin McRae finally sneaks in to the Miami secondary for an 18 yard touchdown run. Down 7-0, the Redhawks get two Parshegian field goals before half time to make it 7-6. In the locker room, Coach Shane Armstrong gets word that Buffalo has just knocked off Kent State. Armstrong puts a gag order on the coaches so the players won’t know that Miami must win to reach Detroit. Things look good to start the second half, as Raudabaugh scrambles for a 14-yard touchdown run to give the Redhawks a 13-7 lead. But Ohio plays like a team with nothing to lose, running a nifty reverse pass from sophomore WR Taylor Price to TE Andrew Mooney, seizing the lead back 14-13. The Redhawks get another Parshegian field goal at the third quarter gun to lead 16-14. But once again, the Bobcats are undaunted, ripping down the field in 9 plays and getting a Theo Scott QB draw to take the lead back 21-16. Urgency is starting to set in on the Miami sideline, and the Redhawks receivers drop a couple passes on third downs, forcing Miami to punt. Finally, with four minutes to go, the ‘Hawks get the ball back on their own 31, needing a touchdown to win. The passing game starts clicking, with Raudabaugh finding young guns Dustin Woods and Eugene Harris to move the ball to the Bobcat 22 with 1:14 to go. Austin Sykes carries twice to the 14, but Raudabaugh is stopped for no gain on 3rd and 2, giving the Redhawks 4th and 2 at the 14 with 21 seconds left. It’s Detroit or bust for Miami. Raudabaugh takes the shotgun snap, rolls left from the pocket, sees an open Armand Robinson in the corner of the end zone! Raudabaugh rears back to throw, but at the last second Ohio LB Taj Henley shakes his block and tears the Miami QB to the ground. Ohio springs the upset and sends Buffalo to the Marathon MAC championship game Ohio 21, Miami 16

Final Standings.

WEST

  1. C. Michigan (5-0, 6-1, 7-5)
  2. Ball State (4-1, 5-2, 7-5)
  3. W. Michigan (2-3, 3-4, 5-7)
  4. Toledo (2-3, 3-5, 5-7)
  5. E. Michigan (2-3, 2-5, 3-9)
  6. N. Illinois (0-5, 1-6, 2-10)

EAST

  1. Buffalo (5-1, 6-2, 6-6)
  2. Miami (4-2, 5-2, 6-6)
  3. Bowling Green (4-2, 6-2, 8-4)
  4. Temple (3-3, 4-4, 4-8)
  5. Akron (2-4, 4-4, 5-7)
  6. Ohio (2-4, 3-5, 5-7)
  7. Kent State (1-5, 1-7, 3-9)

MAC Championship.

Buffalo (5-1, 6-2, 6-6) vs. Central Michigan (5-0, 6-1, 7-5) – Talk about your Cinderella stories. Buffalo, the worst program in D-I before the year according to ESPN, will battle CMU, the defending MAC champ, for the title. To make things even better, the Bulls can’t make a bowl if they lose at 6-7. The Bulls strike first with a James Starks TD run, and the huge Buffalo contingent in the Motor City erupts. Buffalo leads 7-0 after a quarter, but Dan LeFevour buckles down in the second, engineering three scoring drives to send CMU to the locker room up 17-7. Buffalo strikes back though, getting a Drew Willy touchdown toss to Naaman Roosevelt to bring the Bulls back to 17-14. CMU goes on the move again, though, sparked by a Justin Hoskins 21-yard run to the Buffalo 14. Another Hoskins run gets the Chips to the Buffalo 2, but on first and goal, Trevor Scott gets his 12th sack of the year; except this one jars the ball loose from LeFevour’s grasp, and Scott falls on it to give Buffalo the ball back. It’s not quick and easy, but 15 plays and 84 yards later, the Bulls are at the CMU 10, and and A.J. Principe field goal ties it with 13 minutes to play. CMU hasn’t won 13 MAC games in two years by shying away from a challenge, and LeFevour needs another great drive, completing 6 passes and running 4 times, the last of which is an 7-yard TD score, giving the Chips a 24-17 lead with 8 minutes to go. After the teams trade punts, Buffalo gets the ball at midfield with 3 minutes left. But again, the CMU D gets the big sticks and Turner Gill opts to punt on 4th and 8 from the 47. Buffalo punter Ben Woods drops a brilliant coffin-corner boot to the CMU 4. On 3rd and 8 from the 6, LeFevour gets caught down by Trevor Scott again at CMU’s 2. Gill gets a quick time out, and with 32 seconds left CMU has to punt. Buffalo brings the house, and they get the punt! The ball skitters around in the end zone for what seems like forever, and a huge pile takes what seems like ten minutes to unfurl If CMU has it, its just a safety, but if the Bulls have the ball, it’s a touchdown! After all the unpiling, the Bulls have the ball and the touchdown with just 24 seconds to go! Now Buffalo is down by 1, and for the second time in two weeks, Turner Gill decides to go for the deuce and win the game right now. This time, however, James Starks gets the call on a sweep around right tackle. Starks has some daylight, but CMU LB Red Keith meets him hard and stands him up at the 2. Starks wiggles for extra yardage, but Keith tears him down. CMU perseveres, and Buffalo’s dream season ends on Ford Field’s two yard line. CMU 24, Buffalo 23.