The Tally: 16-11 overall, 5-8 v. the cartel, 4-4 v. '08 bowl teams, 6-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 20-6 overall, 7-3 v. the cartel, 5-2 v. '07 bowl teams, 5-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 13-13 overall, 5-8 v. the cartel, 2-10 v. '06 bowl teams, 3-0 v. 2A teams.)
Air Force: 26-14 win v. SDSU. Although not yet well tested, it appears Colorado Springs is not going to be an easy place for visitors to win games. SDSU held the Falcons' usual-gaudy ground game to a pedestrian 243 yards and no TDs (both of AFA's 6-point scores came on defense), and penalty-ridden (-75 yards on 9 flags). But AFA's defense won the day, holding the Aztecs to an embarrassing 1.6 ypc, and touchdown-less until late in the fourth quarter. Reggie Rembert showed his value, getting a pick-six, and Connor Dietz got 60 minutes' experience as a starter in place of Tim Jefferson. AFA continues to show it can win with big pieces missing. Key stat: Asher Clark had only five carries for 20 yards.
BYU: 42-23 win v. Colorado State. Ah, the uptick. Few things are more sure for established college football programs than the heart-warming win following a thoroughly bewildering loss. Florida State further added bewildering to the loss, losing for its first time to USF this week, while CSU provided the fodder for the recovery-win in Provo. Good defense provided the spark, getting two takeaways in the opening frame, and in the end, the bigger, stronger Cougars exhausted the Rams. An under-appreciated win over an under-appreciated program. Key stat: BYU converted 11 of 16 third downs. That's not quite driving at will, but it's close.
Colorado State: 23-42 loss at BYU. There're silver linings here: Grant Stucker had a pretty good day, passing 30-50 for 372 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 interceptions; short Tyson Liggett came from backup to Rashaun Greer to shining star, hauling in 11 passes for 156 yards and a score. But a slew of turnovers in the game's first minutes, and a weak showing from the ground game doomed- but without embarassment- the Rams in the end. Key stat: five CSU receivers grabbed three or more passes.
New Mexico: 17-20 loss v. New Mexico State. It feels like the wheels are falling (have fallen?) off in Albuquerque. When the Lobos' running game finally showed signs of life (6 ypc, but only 3.5 without Demond Dennis's 62-yard scamper), its defense gave its rival a better day on the ground (113 yards on 31 carries for Aggie Sean Smith). When the Lobos' passing game finally showed signs of life (first TD pass this year), UNM gave up a last-second game-winning toss to NM State. Key stat: New Mexico converted only three of 12 third downs. That's moribund, and sadly, familiar. And to top it off, Coach Locksley added dark clouds to the general heaviness by punching one of his assistants in the face. It may not be mathematically possible for things to get any worse, but there's little reason to expect improvement soon.
San Diego State: 14-26 loss at Air Force. It's a simple formula, really: go minus-six in turnover margin, and manage only 1.6 ypc, and you'll lose. Every dang time. This was no exception, and until SDSU protects the ball better and gets more push for its runners, it'll keep competing with New Mexico for a long list of last places. Key stat: you've already read 'em, and probably wept. Here's another: SDSU sold less than 10,000 season tickets this season. The Aztecs have killed whatever buzz hiring Brady Hoke created.
TCU: 14-10 win at Clemson. In the end, probably the best analysis of the Frogs' win in Death Valley was that the Frogs' better array of weapons slowly overwhelmed the Tigers' reliance on the very remarkable C. J. Spiller. TCU stopped Spiller just enough to keep Clemson's tally at ten points, and fielded just enough fresh legs and brilliance in the air to tally 14 points. The difference was most obvious in the one scoreless quarter-- the third. TCU out-gained Clemson 98 yards to eight, while holding the ball for over ten minutes. Clemson's d-line never recovered. Key stat: Dalton ran for 62 yards and three first downs in the second half. His "inverted veer," run off audibles, was the x-factor, similar to Jeremy Kerley's Wild Frog plays against BYU last year. Clemson couldn't stop it, and now Frog fans are clamoring to know what else TCU has up its sleeve for tight games.
UNLV: 27-30 loss at Wyoming. UNLV lost its second game this season (see Oregon State) more by turnovers than bad performances elsewhere. The Rebels slightly bested the Cowboys in nearly every other phase of the game; but UNLV fumbled away its first possession, leading to Wyoming's first field goal, and Tashaun Gipson snagged an otherwise-UNLV-touchdown at the Wyoming one yard line early in the second half. Gipson got another INT later the game, leading to a Wyoming field-goal. Key stat: UNLV gave up two field goals to Wyoming off turned-over drives, and lost six more with the goal-line interception, and lost by three points. That's living too close to the edge.
Utah: 30-14 win v. Louisville. Utah hasn't lost at home since... since at least 2007. The Utes continued their winning ways at Rice-Eccles with a characteristic win over a shaky Big East team: forcing turnovers, good rush defense, and some striking pass plays. Terrence Cain was ultra-efficient (over 77% completion), and Eddie Wide filled most of the gap created by Matt Asiata's season-ending knee injury. The Utes will face much tougher defenses in conference play, and won't be able to depend on Cain as successfully as they could against the Cardinals. Key stat: even without his longest carry (25 yards), Eddie Wide still averaged 5.8 ypc. He's not an every-down back, but he'll carry the Utes further than dismayed Ute fans give him credit for.
Wyoming: 30-27 win v. UNLV. Are these green shoots? Three passing touchdowns and no interceptions for Carta-Samuels? Or is that the happy coincidence of a beleaguered offense and and equally-beleaguered UNLV "defense"? Because UNLV slowed Hawaii's defense appreciably last week, one may be forgiven for thinking Wyoming's reconstruction is proceeding with some visible result. Don't expect consistency in Laramie, however, for another year. Away from it: perhaps yet another year. Key stat: true freshman Alvester Alexander led the Cowboys on the ground, netting only 42 yards. Minus his longest run (10 yards) he averaged less than three per carry. Passing attacks need viable rushing correlatives, kids. Wyoming won't really fly until it can grind out a tough yards on command (or something like unto it). Wyoming has done neither for a long, long time.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
TCU 14, Clemson 10
It wasn't particularly pretty (TCU failed to convert 8 of 14 third- or fourth-downs, including a third down with about 60 seconds left in the game, giving Clemson another opportunity to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat), but it was on the road, in the pouring rain, against a credible BCS foe with TCU-level talent, and it came on a day when four top-10 teams lost. So TCU will take it, and ride this win at Death Valley right up to the edge of the top ten.
Dalton (at left) was tremendous, running a designed QB sneak with devastating effectiveness (64 yards in the second half), and finding receivers through tight coverage. Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker, and Joe Turner punished the tired Clemson D to start the fourth quarter (TCU held the ball more than 10 minutes in the third quarter), setting up a Dalton TD pass to Antoine Hicks with 28 rushing yards in three plays.
C. J. Spiller earned the unabashed love-fest that the ESPN announcers gave him, carrying Clemson on his shoulders (and injured turf toe), keeping the otherwise-overmatched Tigers in the game to the final seconds.
Having cleared this hurdle, the Frogs look to host SMU from their loftiest September ranking in generations, and have a chance to begin conference play both carrying the MWC banner, and doing so from the top ten. If Utah and BYU continue in their newfound winning ways, TCU likely will have two ranked opponents waiting in its conference schedule: a luxury Houston and Boise State cannot boast.
Here're the highlights.
Dalton (at left) was tremendous, running a designed QB sneak with devastating effectiveness (64 yards in the second half), and finding receivers through tight coverage. Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker, and Joe Turner punished the tired Clemson D to start the fourth quarter (TCU held the ball more than 10 minutes in the third quarter), setting up a Dalton TD pass to Antoine Hicks with 28 rushing yards in three plays.C. J. Spiller earned the unabashed love-fest that the ESPN announcers gave him, carrying Clemson on his shoulders (and injured turf toe), keeping the otherwise-overmatched Tigers in the game to the final seconds.
Having cleared this hurdle, the Frogs look to host SMU from their loftiest September ranking in generations, and have a chance to begin conference play both carrying the MWC banner, and doing so from the top ten. If Utah and BYU continue in their newfound winning ways, TCU likely will have two ranked opponents waiting in its conference schedule: a luxury Houston and Boise State cannot boast.
Here're the highlights.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
What we learned, week 3
The Tally: 14-10 overall, 3-8 v. the cartel, 3-4 v. '08 bowl teams, 6-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 17-5 overall, 6-3 v. the cartel, 4-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 5-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 9-12 overall, 5-8 v. the cartel, 1-9 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
Air Force: 37-13 win at New Mexico. AFA is glad to have safety and kick returner Reggie Rembert back-- and hopes it hasn't lost Tim Jefferson for too long. Suddenly Coach Calhoun looks more than brilliant for practicing Asher Clark at QB in the spring; how the Falcons respond to a new signal caller, be it Clark or Connor Dietz, is the critical issue in the Academy's immediate future. In Albuquerque, so be sure, AFA outclassed its hosts from the first whistle, holding the ball almost twice as long as the Lobos, and forcing three turnovers. Key stat: newbie QB Dietz was 2-4 through the air, including a touchdown pass to Kevin Fogler. As long as Dietz successfully runs both dimensions of the Falcons' attack, Jefferson's absence won't derail the Falcon's third run to a bowl in three years.
BYU: 28-54 loss v. Florida State. Words don't fail a blogger often, but this one is simply inexplicable. The answer is not that Florida State woke up Saturday and decided to run the ball all over BYU; nor is it that BYU is slow, or untalented. More likely the answer lies somewhere in the Cougars' misperception that the Seminoles that nearly lost to Jacksonville State were coming to Provo. Instead, a hungry, physical team tribe of Seminoles showed up, and played with more intensity and mental sharpness than the Cougars, controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing five turnovers. Key stat: Florida State converted 13 of 15 third downs. That, my friends, is how you put Boise State back ahead in the race to the BCS.
Colorado State: 35-20 win v. Nevada. Don't look now, but Colorado State has put together its second complete team in as many years. While yet unwilling to pronounce the Rams old-fashioned good, the Wimple recognizes that CSU is the conference's only 3-0 team, and rides a six-game winning streak. Yesterday's win over Nevada featured a late lead so large that the Rams put in their second and third teams, against which the Wolfpack promptly scored twice. CSU scored once on a lateral to WR Dion Morton, who then tossed the ball to TE Eric Peitz. Key stat: CSU forced five turnovers. DC Larry Kerr said, "Our guys play with confidence. What we added today is the guys played smart. They didn't make dumb mistakes."
New Mexico: 13-37 loss at Air Force. The slide continues, although the Lobos did score their first offensive touchdown this season. AFA deliberately manhandled the bigger New Mexico: aside from James Wright's two long TD runs, New Mexico managed only 2.3 ypc. B. R. Holbrook played extensively, and performed lukewarmly, except for two interceptions. Key stat: New Mexico converted only three of 14 third or fourth downs. Until the Lobos can sustain drives, their season appears to be irredeemably in the tank, puddling as motivation for improvement in '10.
San Diego State: 20-34 loss at Idaho. San Diego State doesn't remember how to win on the road. They haven't done it in a few years, and now have given up their best chance to relearn in 2009. Air Force, Colorado State, Utah, and UNLV likely will be much ruder hosts than Idaho was. But their bigger problem may be in the trenches, where SDSU averaged only 2.4 ypc. Against Idaho. What'd they give up on the ground? 3.6 ypc. This team is just not physical enough, and will flounder until it becomes such. Add an early pick-six, and SDSU never recovered. Key stat: -85 yards on penalties. Sustaining drives has to begin somewhere, and not shooting oneself in the foot would be a good first step for the Aztecs.
TCU: 56-21 win v. Texas State. TCU played flat, but not too flat to win. At the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, TCU kept Texas State from scoring for 12 consecutive plays in the red zone, but collapsed on the 13th. They'd never have been there had Andy Dalton not thrown a bad-decision interception, attempting to avoid a sack. Good rushing (and Bart Johnson) saved the day; TCU averaged 6.2 ypc. Johnson had a career-best 7 catches for 70 yards. Hughes and the defense were usually dominant, except for a persistent soft spot in the secondary that Texas State exploited. Key stat: Dalton completed 75% of his passes. He'll need to be in synch with his receivers in a week; Clemson will be a much tougher test.
UNLV: 34-33 win v. Hawaii. This one meant a lot, for recruiting, for town pride (UNLV has a high Hawaiian and Polynesian population), for a fledgling winning program, and for a defense that caved on the final drive last week. This week it stopped a relentless offense on its final drive, preserving a victory. The (formerly Rainbow-) Warriors drove at will most of the game, but the Rebels never panicked. The Clayton-Wolfe connection was vibrant; the run defense stout; the run-offense servicable (Trotter talled 68 yards on 15 carries); and despite two costly interceptions, the Rebels proved themselves superior. Key stat: Hawaii pounded UNLV's secondary for almost 500 yards. Unless UNLV can figure out how to stop a pass attack, it will sit at home for (another!) bowl season.
Utah: 24-31 loss at Oregon. Three words: first-year quarterback. Terrence Cain, who will do very well later this season and next year for the Utes, played like the first-year quarterback he is when challenged: inconsistently. He had a "dead spot" midway through the first half, missing 11 consecutive passes, while Oregon scored 21 points. He got his game back after halftime, but was too far behind to pull off the upset. Key stat: Duck runner LaMichael James broke off 152 yards on 27 carries against the once-mighty Ute rush defense.
Wyoming: 0-24 loss at Colorado. Wyoming is fulfilling the Wimple's very dire predictions of an offense-less season in 2009. After being shut out in Boulder, Coach Christensen jettisoned hopes of a JUCO-jumpstart, and announced he'll start the true freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels against UNLV this weekend. Carta-Samuels had been getting the majority of the snaps anyway, so this isn't too big a change. Key stat: only David Leonard caught more than two passes against the Buffs. Until his receivers brethren start hauling in more passes, the Wyoming blizzard game plan will keep floundering.
(2008 tally: 17-5 overall, 6-3 v. the cartel, 4-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 5-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 9-12 overall, 5-8 v. the cartel, 1-9 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
Air Force: 37-13 win at New Mexico. AFA is glad to have safety and kick returner Reggie Rembert back-- and hopes it hasn't lost Tim Jefferson for too long. Suddenly Coach Calhoun looks more than brilliant for practicing Asher Clark at QB in the spring; how the Falcons respond to a new signal caller, be it Clark or Connor Dietz, is the critical issue in the Academy's immediate future. In Albuquerque, so be sure, AFA outclassed its hosts from the first whistle, holding the ball almost twice as long as the Lobos, and forcing three turnovers. Key stat: newbie QB Dietz was 2-4 through the air, including a touchdown pass to Kevin Fogler. As long as Dietz successfully runs both dimensions of the Falcons' attack, Jefferson's absence won't derail the Falcon's third run to a bowl in three years.
BYU: 28-54 loss v. Florida State. Words don't fail a blogger often, but this one is simply inexplicable. The answer is not that Florida State woke up Saturday and decided to run the ball all over BYU; nor is it that BYU is slow, or untalented. More likely the answer lies somewhere in the Cougars' misperception that the Seminoles that nearly lost to Jacksonville State were coming to Provo. Instead, a hungry, physical team tribe of Seminoles showed up, and played with more intensity and mental sharpness than the Cougars, controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing five turnovers. Key stat: Florida State converted 13 of 15 third downs. That, my friends, is how you put Boise State back ahead in the race to the BCS.
Colorado State: 35-20 win v. Nevada. Don't look now, but Colorado State has put together its second complete team in as many years. While yet unwilling to pronounce the Rams old-fashioned good, the Wimple recognizes that CSU is the conference's only 3-0 team, and rides a six-game winning streak. Yesterday's win over Nevada featured a late lead so large that the Rams put in their second and third teams, against which the Wolfpack promptly scored twice. CSU scored once on a lateral to WR Dion Morton, who then tossed the ball to TE Eric Peitz. Key stat: CSU forced five turnovers. DC Larry Kerr said, "Our guys play with confidence. What we added today is the guys played smart. They didn't make dumb mistakes."
New Mexico: 13-37 loss at Air Force. The slide continues, although the Lobos did score their first offensive touchdown this season. AFA deliberately manhandled the bigger New Mexico: aside from James Wright's two long TD runs, New Mexico managed only 2.3 ypc. B. R. Holbrook played extensively, and performed lukewarmly, except for two interceptions. Key stat: New Mexico converted only three of 14 third or fourth downs. Until the Lobos can sustain drives, their season appears to be irredeemably in the tank, puddling as motivation for improvement in '10.
San Diego State: 20-34 loss at Idaho. San Diego State doesn't remember how to win on the road. They haven't done it in a few years, and now have given up their best chance to relearn in 2009. Air Force, Colorado State, Utah, and UNLV likely will be much ruder hosts than Idaho was. But their bigger problem may be in the trenches, where SDSU averaged only 2.4 ypc. Against Idaho. What'd they give up on the ground? 3.6 ypc. This team is just not physical enough, and will flounder until it becomes such. Add an early pick-six, and SDSU never recovered. Key stat: -85 yards on penalties. Sustaining drives has to begin somewhere, and not shooting oneself in the foot would be a good first step for the Aztecs.
TCU: 56-21 win v. Texas State. TCU played flat, but not too flat to win. At the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, TCU kept Texas State from scoring for 12 consecutive plays in the red zone, but collapsed on the 13th. They'd never have been there had Andy Dalton not thrown a bad-decision interception, attempting to avoid a sack. Good rushing (and Bart Johnson) saved the day; TCU averaged 6.2 ypc. Johnson had a career-best 7 catches for 70 yards. Hughes and the defense were usually dominant, except for a persistent soft spot in the secondary that Texas State exploited. Key stat: Dalton completed 75% of his passes. He'll need to be in synch with his receivers in a week; Clemson will be a much tougher test.
UNLV: 34-33 win v. Hawaii. This one meant a lot, for recruiting, for town pride (UNLV has a high Hawaiian and Polynesian population), for a fledgling winning program, and for a defense that caved on the final drive last week. This week it stopped a relentless offense on its final drive, preserving a victory. The (formerly Rainbow-) Warriors drove at will most of the game, but the Rebels never panicked. The Clayton-Wolfe connection was vibrant; the run defense stout; the run-offense servicable (Trotter talled 68 yards on 15 carries); and despite two costly interceptions, the Rebels proved themselves superior. Key stat: Hawaii pounded UNLV's secondary for almost 500 yards. Unless UNLV can figure out how to stop a pass attack, it will sit at home for (another!) bowl season.
Utah: 24-31 loss at Oregon. Three words: first-year quarterback. Terrence Cain, who will do very well later this season and next year for the Utes, played like the first-year quarterback he is when challenged: inconsistently. He had a "dead spot" midway through the first half, missing 11 consecutive passes, while Oregon scored 21 points. He got his game back after halftime, but was too far behind to pull off the upset. Key stat: Duck runner LaMichael James broke off 152 yards on 27 carries against the once-mighty Ute rush defense.
Wyoming: 0-24 loss at Colorado. Wyoming is fulfilling the Wimple's very dire predictions of an offense-less season in 2009. After being shut out in Boulder, Coach Christensen jettisoned hopes of a JUCO-jumpstart, and announced he'll start the true freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels against UNLV this weekend. Carta-Samuels had been getting the majority of the snaps anyway, so this isn't too big a change. Key stat: only David Leonard caught more than two passes against the Buffs. Until his receivers brethren start hauling in more passes, the Wyoming blizzard game plan will keep floundering.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
TCU 56, Texas State 21
Despite a persistent lack of focus, the Frogs turned in a pretty good performance Saturday, knocking off one of the better 2A teams by a margin of five touchdowns. TCU played flat, giving up more points than they had to any team since the debacle in Norman early last season. Clearly the Horned Frogs have bigger things on their minds-- Clemson perhaps?Dalton looked good, but for one bad decision throw, which was intercepted, starting one of Texas State's touchdown drives. Joe Turned had a career night, running for 129 yards and three touchdowns. Four other frogs ran for touchdowns. Bart Johnson hauled in seven passes for 70 yards; Jimmy Young had another touchdown catch. The o-line play was as often uninspiring as not.
Defensively, the Frogs were mistake-prone in the secondary. Colin Jones got playing time, but Luttrell started another game at safety. Hughes racked up three more sacks, and Tank Carder looked good at linebacker. Washington was everywhere, and the line was dominating again.
Last, but nowhere near least, Ross Evans made all eight extra points.
Here're the highlights.
It's what's for dinner
At least SDSU and Utah have the excuse of a road game. But really, BYU: what was that you laid in Provo Saturday? Really, Boise State couldn't be happier.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
What we learned: Week 2
The OOC Tally: 11-6 overall, 3-5 v. the cartel, 2-2 v. '08 bowl teams, 5-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 10-4 overall, 2-3 v. the cartel, 1-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 4-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 7-8 overall, 3-7 v. the cartel, 0-5 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
Air Force: 13-20 loss at Minnesota. The Falcons scared the bejeebers out of a larger Minnesota team, and lost in the face of a nearly flawless performance from Gopher QB Weber. The Falcons couldn't disrupt the Adam Weber-Eric Decker connection (10 receptions, 113 yards), including three key first down catches by Decker in the second half. AFA sunk its own boat when Minnesota returned a fumble for a touchdown late in the game. Key stat: AFA got zero touchdowns from 13 tries in the redzone.
BYU: 54-3 win at Tulane. Letdown? Who said anything about a letdown after the thriller at OU last week? Oh: the Wimple did? Well, not this week; not these Cougars. BYU got rolling slowly (the Cougars only led 3-0 starting the second quarter) but finished with 527 yards, giving up only 162. Probably the most important event of the day was another injury along BYU's offensive line. Braden Hansen (Jason Speredon's replacement) will miss up to a month rehabbing his ACL; sophomore Marco Thorson replaces him. Key stat: no one BYU receiver caught more than 3 passes, and eight receivers caught more than one.
Colorado State: 24-23 win v. Weber State. There may be no moral victories in football, but CSU came about as close as possible to giving one to Weber State. The 2A team converted 13 of 23 3rd and 4th downs, while CSU converted none; the 2A team held the ball fully sixteen minutes longer than CSU. How did Colorado State win? The Rams were +2 for turnovers, including a fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Key stat: 23 rush attempts for only 63 yards-- a measley 2.7 yards per carry. That's not going to cut it, and the Rams hope Shelley Smith's return (which is exactly when?) will be (a) soon, and (b) bolster that poor showing.
New Mexico: 10-44 loss v. Tulsa. It would be hard to imagine a worse start to this season than the Lobos particular version of 0-2. Fans had such high hopes for the many returners and new players. Instead they got another dose of ineffective quarterbacking from senior Donovan Porterie and young B. R. Holbrook. Demond Dennis looked very pedestrian at tailback, again. While Tulsa tore through the Lobos' D, the formerly proud New Mexico running game only managed 2.2 yards per carry. Key stat: zero offensive touchdowns in 2009. Still.
San Diego State: 35-19 win v. Southern Utah. That's more like it: Ryan Lindley, Vincent Brown, and Brandon Sullivan led the Aztecs to their first win under Brady Hoke. The offensive line was sharp, the defense swarming; next comes an incrementally more difficult test: doing the same on the road against a bottom-tier 1A team. Key stat: SDSU converted 8 of 14 third and fourth downs. Sustained drives cure a multitude of ills in football, and that medicine was sorely needed in San Diego.
TCU: 30-14 win at Virginia. The Frogs are not showing any more than they must so far, and didn't need to show much to beat the Cavaliers. Jerry Hughes was unstoppable, as were his three new starting brethren on the line (and their backups); after a slow start, Dalton was excellent, going 10-10 and four rushes for 28 yards to finish the game. Key stat: five different Frogs had seven or more rushes, and four had multiple receptions. That's spreading the ball around-- and not even showing off the new passing attack about which Frog fans have heard (but not seen) so much.
UNLV: 21-23 loss v. Jaquizz Rodgers. (OK, ok, "Oregon State.") As much as the Wimple loves UNLV, it appears to be time to narrow the eyes and admit that the Rebs' upgrade on defense failed. UNLV could not stop Jaquizz Rodgers. All Rodgers did was carry the ball 26 times for 166 yards and a TD, and catch it ten times for 65 more yards. And when it counted most-- up by one, third down, less than a minute left, the opponent deep in its own territory, the Rebs gave up a pass intereference penalty on that gave the aforementioned Mr. Rodgers the chance to get the Beavers into field goal range, which he promptly did. Key stat: backup QB Mike Clausen roared into the game after starter Omar Clayton nursed a hurt knee, and promptly led UNLV on two touchdown drives, taking the lead for the first time in the game. That said, the Wimple resigns from the Rebel fanclub until UNLV finds a run defense that can stop at least a Sunday school class.
Utah: 24-14 win at San Jose State. One expects a bumpy ride when breaking in a new QB, and Saturday was a stomach-turner for Ute fans. Utah didn't pull away until the fourth quarter, and may have lost Matt Asiata for a week or two in the process. Whether the offense has gelled enough to continue their nation-leading winning streak becomes a pointed question at Oregon this week. Key stat: SJSU managed only 1.0 yards per carry. Perhaps Koa M'isi's return was the spark the Ute D needed to reclamp opponents on the ground.
Wyoming: 10-41 loss v. Texas. It looked surprisingly even at halftime: Texas only up 13-10. But by then Colt McCoy and the Longhorns had adjusted to the altitude and reeled off the game's remaining 28 points. But green shoots abound in Wyoming. Eleven Cowboys caught passes; Carta-Samuels looked almost good as the backup true freshman. The defense, in a truly impossible situation, played manfully. Key stat: Wyoming complete 23 passes (out of 50). Improvement there is sure to happen, and will become lethal late this season.
(2008 tally: 10-4 overall, 2-3 v. the cartel, 1-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 4-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 7-8 overall, 3-7 v. the cartel, 0-5 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
Air Force: 13-20 loss at Minnesota. The Falcons scared the bejeebers out of a larger Minnesota team, and lost in the face of a nearly flawless performance from Gopher QB Weber. The Falcons couldn't disrupt the Adam Weber-Eric Decker connection (10 receptions, 113 yards), including three key first down catches by Decker in the second half. AFA sunk its own boat when Minnesota returned a fumble for a touchdown late in the game. Key stat: AFA got zero touchdowns from 13 tries in the redzone.
BYU: 54-3 win at Tulane. Letdown? Who said anything about a letdown after the thriller at OU last week? Oh: the Wimple did? Well, not this week; not these Cougars. BYU got rolling slowly (the Cougars only led 3-0 starting the second quarter) but finished with 527 yards, giving up only 162. Probably the most important event of the day was another injury along BYU's offensive line. Braden Hansen (Jason Speredon's replacement) will miss up to a month rehabbing his ACL; sophomore Marco Thorson replaces him. Key stat: no one BYU receiver caught more than 3 passes, and eight receivers caught more than one.
Colorado State: 24-23 win v. Weber State. There may be no moral victories in football, but CSU came about as close as possible to giving one to Weber State. The 2A team converted 13 of 23 3rd and 4th downs, while CSU converted none; the 2A team held the ball fully sixteen minutes longer than CSU. How did Colorado State win? The Rams were +2 for turnovers, including a fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Key stat: 23 rush attempts for only 63 yards-- a measley 2.7 yards per carry. That's not going to cut it, and the Rams hope Shelley Smith's return (which is exactly when?) will be (a) soon, and (b) bolster that poor showing.
New Mexico: 10-44 loss v. Tulsa. It would be hard to imagine a worse start to this season than the Lobos particular version of 0-2. Fans had such high hopes for the many returners and new players. Instead they got another dose of ineffective quarterbacking from senior Donovan Porterie and young B. R. Holbrook. Demond Dennis looked very pedestrian at tailback, again. While Tulsa tore through the Lobos' D, the formerly proud New Mexico running game only managed 2.2 yards per carry. Key stat: zero offensive touchdowns in 2009. Still.
San Diego State: 35-19 win v. Southern Utah. That's more like it: Ryan Lindley, Vincent Brown, and Brandon Sullivan led the Aztecs to their first win under Brady Hoke. The offensive line was sharp, the defense swarming; next comes an incrementally more difficult test: doing the same on the road against a bottom-tier 1A team. Key stat: SDSU converted 8 of 14 third and fourth downs. Sustained drives cure a multitude of ills in football, and that medicine was sorely needed in San Diego.
TCU: 30-14 win at Virginia. The Frogs are not showing any more than they must so far, and didn't need to show much to beat the Cavaliers. Jerry Hughes was unstoppable, as were his three new starting brethren on the line (and their backups); after a slow start, Dalton was excellent, going 10-10 and four rushes for 28 yards to finish the game. Key stat: five different Frogs had seven or more rushes, and four had multiple receptions. That's spreading the ball around-- and not even showing off the new passing attack about which Frog fans have heard (but not seen) so much.
UNLV: 21-23 loss v. Jaquizz Rodgers. (OK, ok, "Oregon State.") As much as the Wimple loves UNLV, it appears to be time to narrow the eyes and admit that the Rebs' upgrade on defense failed. UNLV could not stop Jaquizz Rodgers. All Rodgers did was carry the ball 26 times for 166 yards and a TD, and catch it ten times for 65 more yards. And when it counted most-- up by one, third down, less than a minute left, the opponent deep in its own territory, the Rebs gave up a pass intereference penalty on that gave the aforementioned Mr. Rodgers the chance to get the Beavers into field goal range, which he promptly did. Key stat: backup QB Mike Clausen roared into the game after starter Omar Clayton nursed a hurt knee, and promptly led UNLV on two touchdown drives, taking the lead for the first time in the game. That said, the Wimple resigns from the Rebel fanclub until UNLV finds a run defense that can stop at least a Sunday school class.
Utah: 24-14 win at San Jose State. One expects a bumpy ride when breaking in a new QB, and Saturday was a stomach-turner for Ute fans. Utah didn't pull away until the fourth quarter, and may have lost Matt Asiata for a week or two in the process. Whether the offense has gelled enough to continue their nation-leading winning streak becomes a pointed question at Oregon this week. Key stat: SJSU managed only 1.0 yards per carry. Perhaps Koa M'isi's return was the spark the Ute D needed to reclamp opponents on the ground.
Wyoming: 10-41 loss v. Texas. It looked surprisingly even at halftime: Texas only up 13-10. But by then Colt McCoy and the Longhorns had adjusted to the altitude and reeled off the game's remaining 28 points. But green shoots abound in Wyoming. Eleven Cowboys caught passes; Carta-Samuels looked almost good as the backup true freshman. The defense, in a truly impossible situation, played manfully. Key stat: Wyoming complete 23 passes (out of 50). Improvement there is sure to happen, and will become lethal late this season.
Monday, September 14, 2009
TCU 30, Virginia 14
TCU blasted Virginia for 56 minutes Saturday, scoring 30 points while pitching a shutout and giving up under 100 yards. The Cavs could not move the ball against the Frogs' first team defense, but managed two face-saving touchdowns in the last four minutes of the game. TCU moved the ball through the air and on the ground, and out-possessed Virginia by almost ten minutes. Returning starter Joe Turner, redshirt freshman Ed Wesley, and true freshman Matthew Tucker gained 154 yards on ten carries each; eight different receivers caught passes (half of them multiple passes) for 177 yards. Kerley, Young, and Turner scored touchdowns (Kerley's is pictured at left).The defensive line had a very good day, tallying eight sacks, led by Jerry Hughes-- a one-man offense-wrecking machine. Hughes had a career best 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks; newcomer D.J. Yendrey pile-drove a Cavalier lineman into the QB for the day's most impressive sack. All told, the Frog D held Virginia to 57 yards rushing (and 65 negative yards); and 120 yards passing (all but 38 of those coming on the two last-minute TD passes).
The Horned Frogs looked very 2008, showing little, if any, of their upgraded passing attack. Look for more of the same in a week against 2A Texas State.
Here're the highlights.
Monday, September 7, 2009
What we learned:
Beginning a new tradition at The Wimple is this team-by-team breakdown of the weekend's MWC games, plus a snapshot of the conference performance in the last three opening weeks.
The Tally: 6-2 overall, 2-2 v. the cartel, 2-0 v. '08 bowl teams, 3-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 6-2 overall, 1-1 v. the cartel, 1-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 2-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 5-3 overall, 3-2 v. the cartel, 0-1 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
AFA: Troy Calhoun is sticking with his formula, which he revealed a few days prior to the opener, "I just think you’ve got to begin from scratch." Later he added, "We had a bunch of young ones that I think down the road are going to be good players, and yet what we’re going to do is we’re going to ask them to do it real soon." And so the coach sent in 15 freshmen during the Academy's first game. They joined about a dozen veteran sophomores, making AFA's performance Saturday even more intriguing: they absolutely dominated a 2A team. 72-0 was the final tally. Minnesota only has about 30 minutes' film on the first team, which largely sat out the second half. Key stat: Jefferson was 5-7 through the air for 102 yards and one touchdown, playing only about one half. If he can compliment Air Force's ground game with any semblance of a passing game, AFA will be very dangerous.
BYU: If there's fire where there's smoke, BYU is flaming hot. National title contender hot? Speculation to that effect has sprung up all over the sports chattersphere. This year's Cougars neatly pulled all of Boise State's spotlight onto themselves with the win over OU, and have a firm grasp on the MWC's banner. Max Hall was brilliant when it mattered: down by 6 in the fourth quarter, he led a Brian Johnson-like 8:38 minute, 16-play, 78-yard drive, converting five third or fourth downs, ending with a TD pass to a shockingly exposed McKay Jacobson. Key stat: Harvey Unga's backup, Bryan Kariya, rushed for 42 yards caught four passes for 76 yards. Mendenhall said he should be the player of the game.
If Florida State beats Miami tonight, and both teams meet undefeated in a few weeks, all eyes will be on Provo and the newly impressive BYU defense. The Wimple can't imagine a better showcase for the MWC. Meanwhile, Bronco Mendenhall is passing out earplugs to prevent any echos of '84 from reaching his team's ears...
CSU: The MWC's other upset of a cartel program came in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, in which the Rams beat the Buffaloes for the first time in most of the players' lifetimes. Fairchild's lines won the day, even without their star: Leonard Mason netted 107 yards in 23 carries, while all-MWC LG Shelley Smith sat out with an ankle injury. Defensive frontmen Macon, Morehead, Millerand, and Whittier led the Ram D that held CU to a TCU-esque 29 yards on the ground. Fifth-year senior QB Grant Stucker, starting for the first time, was adequate (10 of 17, 208 yds, 1 touchdown, 1 interception), while his receivers were very good.
New Mexico: the Lobos will want to forget this one. They went to College Station, lost two fumbles, gave up over 600 yards and 40 points. Demond Dennis ran like a freshman, Donovan Porterie couldn't turn redzone snaps into points, and safety Ian Clarke re-injured his shoulder. Key stat: UNM netted 0.9 yard per carry. Texas A&M's rush defense probably isn't as randy as TCU's, BYU's, Utah's, CSU's, AFA's. . . so until somebody lights a fire under the Lobos' line, Albuquerque is going to start talking about bowl-less streaks...
SDSU: The MWC's other unimpressive coaching debut came in the Rose Bowl, where Brady Hoke's Aztecs looked good for about twenty minutes, and then the wheels came off. SDSU gave up 33 unanswered points after scoring two quick touchdowns. Key stats: SDSU netted only 39 yards rushing, while Ryan Lindley and his receivers connected only eleven of 34 attempts after the first quarter. That kind of offense-less streak will make the few remaining Aztec fans pine for Chuck Long if it continues much longer.
TCU: bye
UNLV: Few coaches' seats are as hot as Mike Sanford's at UNLV, and the fifth-year leader of the Rebels did what he's done every year since his first: win the first game. This season, his troops did it convincingly, beating a 2A program 38-3. The offense looks very good: Clayton was flawless; UNLV had no turnovers; the running game was fine.
Stopping the 2A team's running game less fine for about a half, but in the second half, the defense rose up and that was that. If Sacramento State's Terrance Dailey netted over 100 yards on the ground; think what JaQuizz Rogers might get in a week... So the Rebels' run defense will continue to add gray hairs to Sanford's head for at least a week, and absent considerable improvement, much longer. Key stat: Channing Trotter also bested the century mark on the ground, netting 102 yards in 16 carries. For now, he's the Rebs' go-to back.
Utah: That giant whooshing sound you hear from the Wasatch Front in fact is not BYU fans' collective sigh of relief that they somehow escaped OU's clutches with a win, but instead is Utah fans' sigh of relief that they are going to be OK at quarterback this season. Terrence Cain performed very well against Utah State, as did new starting receivers David Reed and John Peel. The Utes' run defense may attract concern, giving up 3.8 ypc (not counting Robert Turbin's 96-yard touchdown scamper); clearly DE Koa Misi's absence matters.
Key stat: Jordan Wynn did not play. Whittingham is letting Cain garner all of the game experience so far; he'll need it for Oregon in two weeks. But if Cain goes down, the Utes'll find themselves in a scary place: Cain is presently the only quarterback on the team to have D-1 experience.
Wyoming: This may end up Wyoming's only win of the season, but barely beating a 2A team is better than losing to one. And there's good news amid the flotsam: the offense works some of the time. Robert Benjamin and Austyn Carta-Samuels will only get better, and they ran the scheme decently well, going 16 for 31 for 188 yards, and didn't throw any interceptions. The Cowboys could rely on their ground game to get points: Darius Terry and freshman Alvester Alexander proved adequate, combining for 180 yards and three touchdowns. The youth movement is underway in Laramie, and perhaps by this time next year, it'll net reasonable bowl hopes.
Key stat: David Leonard and Orlando Arnold combined for 11 catches and 134 yards. They are turning into the Cowboys' best weapons.
The Tally: 6-2 overall, 2-2 v. the cartel, 2-0 v. '08 bowl teams, 3-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 6-2 overall, 1-1 v. the cartel, 1-1 v. '07 bowl teams, 2-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 5-3 overall, 3-2 v. the cartel, 0-1 v. '06 bowl teams, 1-0 v. 2A teams.)
AFA: Troy Calhoun is sticking with his formula, which he revealed a few days prior to the opener, "I just think you’ve got to begin from scratch." Later he added, "We had a bunch of young ones that I think down the road are going to be good players, and yet what we’re going to do is we’re going to ask them to do it real soon." And so the coach sent in 15 freshmen during the Academy's first game. They joined about a dozen veteran sophomores, making AFA's performance Saturday even more intriguing: they absolutely dominated a 2A team. 72-0 was the final tally. Minnesota only has about 30 minutes' film on the first team, which largely sat out the second half. Key stat: Jefferson was 5-7 through the air for 102 yards and one touchdown, playing only about one half. If he can compliment Air Force's ground game with any semblance of a passing game, AFA will be very dangerous.
BYU: If there's fire where there's smoke, BYU is flaming hot. National title contender hot? Speculation to that effect has sprung up all over the sports chattersphere. This year's Cougars neatly pulled all of Boise State's spotlight onto themselves with the win over OU, and have a firm grasp on the MWC's banner. Max Hall was brilliant when it mattered: down by 6 in the fourth quarter, he led a Brian Johnson-like 8:38 minute, 16-play, 78-yard drive, converting five third or fourth downs, ending with a TD pass to a shockingly exposed McKay Jacobson. Key stat: Harvey Unga's backup, Bryan Kariya, rushed for 42 yards caught four passes for 76 yards. Mendenhall said he should be the player of the game.
If Florida State beats Miami tonight, and both teams meet undefeated in a few weeks, all eyes will be on Provo and the newly impressive BYU defense. The Wimple can't imagine a better showcase for the MWC. Meanwhile, Bronco Mendenhall is passing out earplugs to prevent any echos of '84 from reaching his team's ears...
CSU: The MWC's other upset of a cartel program came in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, in which the Rams beat the Buffaloes for the first time in most of the players' lifetimes. Fairchild's lines won the day, even without their star: Leonard Mason netted 107 yards in 23 carries, while all-MWC LG Shelley Smith sat out with an ankle injury. Defensive frontmen Macon, Morehead, Millerand, and Whittier led the Ram D that held CU to a TCU-esque 29 yards on the ground. Fifth-year senior QB Grant Stucker, starting for the first time, was adequate (10 of 17, 208 yds, 1 touchdown, 1 interception), while his receivers were very good.
New Mexico: the Lobos will want to forget this one. They went to College Station, lost two fumbles, gave up over 600 yards and 40 points. Demond Dennis ran like a freshman, Donovan Porterie couldn't turn redzone snaps into points, and safety Ian Clarke re-injured his shoulder. Key stat: UNM netted 0.9 yard per carry. Texas A&M's rush defense probably isn't as randy as TCU's, BYU's, Utah's, CSU's, AFA's. . . so until somebody lights a fire under the Lobos' line, Albuquerque is going to start talking about bowl-less streaks...
SDSU: The MWC's other unimpressive coaching debut came in the Rose Bowl, where Brady Hoke's Aztecs looked good for about twenty minutes, and then the wheels came off. SDSU gave up 33 unanswered points after scoring two quick touchdowns. Key stats: SDSU netted only 39 yards rushing, while Ryan Lindley and his receivers connected only eleven of 34 attempts after the first quarter. That kind of offense-less streak will make the few remaining Aztec fans pine for Chuck Long if it continues much longer.
TCU: bye
UNLV: Few coaches' seats are as hot as Mike Sanford's at UNLV, and the fifth-year leader of the Rebels did what he's done every year since his first: win the first game. This season, his troops did it convincingly, beating a 2A program 38-3. The offense looks very good: Clayton was flawless; UNLV had no turnovers; the running game was fine.
Stopping the 2A team's running game less fine for about a half, but in the second half, the defense rose up and that was that. If Sacramento State's Terrance Dailey netted over 100 yards on the ground; think what JaQuizz Rogers might get in a week... So the Rebels' run defense will continue to add gray hairs to Sanford's head for at least a week, and absent considerable improvement, much longer. Key stat: Channing Trotter also bested the century mark on the ground, netting 102 yards in 16 carries. For now, he's the Rebs' go-to back.
Utah: That giant whooshing sound you hear from the Wasatch Front in fact is not BYU fans' collective sigh of relief that they somehow escaped OU's clutches with a win, but instead is Utah fans' sigh of relief that they are going to be OK at quarterback this season. Terrence Cain performed very well against Utah State, as did new starting receivers David Reed and John Peel. The Utes' run defense may attract concern, giving up 3.8 ypc (not counting Robert Turbin's 96-yard touchdown scamper); clearly DE Koa Misi's absence matters.
Key stat: Jordan Wynn did not play. Whittingham is letting Cain garner all of the game experience so far; he'll need it for Oregon in two weeks. But if Cain goes down, the Utes'll find themselves in a scary place: Cain is presently the only quarterback on the team to have D-1 experience.
Wyoming: This may end up Wyoming's only win of the season, but barely beating a 2A team is better than losing to one. And there's good news amid the flotsam: the offense works some of the time. Robert Benjamin and Austyn Carta-Samuels will only get better, and they ran the scheme decently well, going 16 for 31 for 188 yards, and didn't throw any interceptions. The Cowboys could rely on their ground game to get points: Darius Terry and freshman Alvester Alexander proved adequate, combining for 180 yards and three touchdowns. The youth movement is underway in Laramie, and perhaps by this time next year, it'll net reasonable bowl hopes.
Key stat: David Leonard and Orlando Arnold combined for 11 catches and 134 yards. They are turning into the Cowboys' best weapons.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
BYU re-writes the script
What was that? Only a week ago The Wimple was predicting:TCU has the MWC's best chances of running the table... So what's the prognosis for BYU? The Wimple is tempted to downgrade the high expectations given them after spring; instability on the o-line is not a trifling weakness. But after a loss to OU, BYU remains as good, or better, than every remaining team on its schedule.And then BYU goes out there and kicks Oklahoma's butt. No, the score doesn't make it look like that's what happened, but considering the youth on BYU's o-line, and the supposed strength of OU's defense, one must conclude that BYU simply outperformed Oklahoma in the trenches. That's what butt-kicking is all about.
Consider now the rest of The Wimple's pre-season prediction for BYU:
Suddenly the road ahead for BYU looks lovely, and the Cougars aren't starting down it as a recovery project from a Dallas bruising.Getting Florida State, Colorado State, TCU, Air Force, and Utah at home has to be the best-breaking difficult schedule in the nation. BYU is the reasonable choice to win every one of those games-- even if only by a hair's breadth.
Is there a cloud in this sky? Yes: the season is 12 games long, and biffing an easy game takes away all the progress and poll capital you earn by winning the hard one. Witness: the last MWC team to beat OU in its home opener. TCU did just that in 2005, and then laid its biggest egg since 2000; the Frogs lost at SMU the following week. They didn't return to the polls for a month, but finished 14th, and would have auto-bid into the BCS under the present rules. Alas, those rules didn't take effect until the following year, giving us Boise State and Oklahoma in the best Fiesta Bowl since Penn State and Miami. (why is OU always lurking in non-cartel's BCS runs?)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Quest for perfection: TCU
Capping the preseason at The Purple Wimple are the TCU Horned Frogs-- and not just because the Wimple is unabashedly biased, but because TCU has the MWC's best chances of running the table and carrying the conference's banner in the post-season. The reasons for excitement about the '09 Frogs are legion.First, and foremost: few cartel-outsider teams have fielded more talent, experience, and as high a pre-season ranking as have this season's Frogs. (Perhaps only '09 Boise State and '08 BYU are/were similarly situated.) Second, TCU's schedule is pretty good. No Thursday night road games following shortly after a season-defining out-of-conference game; in fact, no weeknight games at all, for the first time in... in over a decade.
Third, east-coast media. The MWC has been an afterthought for the dominant media, in large part because those NY-based chatterers rarely get a chance to see the conference's teams play. When they do, the results have been very nice. Case in point: TCU v. BYU last season, on Thursday, televised on Versus. TCU, unranked going into the game, leveraged that win to a 15th place in the following week's polls. Case in point: Utah approached the Sugar Bowl a heavy underdog, and rode their victory to a 2nd place finish to the season. Thus the importance of TCU's games at Virginia and at Clemson.Looking more closely at the Frogs, the good news begins in the trenches. On offense, TCU returns the conference's most dominant pair of tackles and more talent at guard than ever in recent memory. (pictured: LT Marshall Newhouse) Very good words have filtered out of camp about the performance of new starter Jake Kirkpatrick at center. On defense, the stand-out performances of the three juniors at DT and RE have quelled fears that the Frogs may not have the horses up front to spread pressure away from all-world DE Jerry Hughes.
Other notable replacements for departed senior stars appear to be performing very well as new starters, Tank Carder and Daryl Washington at LB being most notable. The only question remaining for which Frog fans may yet have reason to grumble is at strong safety, where Colin Jones, Jurrell Thompson, and Malcolm Williams are competing.
TCU replaced its offensive coordinator, promoting two assistants, and brought in Rusty Burns to coach the WRs. These changes herald a higher emphasis on the passing game, for which the Frogs have the personnel to put on a real air show. Junior QB Andy Dalton, starts his third season, working behind the best line he's ever had. He will spread the ball to the conference's deepest corps of wideouts and tight ends. (pictured: WR, KR Jeremy Kerley)
On the ground, Gary Patterson took great pains to stock the proverbial cupboard against the possibility of repeating TCU's dismal showing in the redzone last year against Utah. Joe Turner returns at RB, this season trailed on the three-deep by at least two eye-popping performers in Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker. Waiting in the wings are three (yes, three!) game-changing runningbacks, who either will redshirt or sit out for the mandatory transfer year.Has this coin a flip side? Yes.
When TCU travels to Provo in October, it will take along a over-four-year long losing streak in the state of Utah. The Wimple believes this is a symptom of the Frogs' inability to carry sufficient intensity on the road to overmatch their foes. In conference games, this problem is nearly extinct; in non-conference games it usually doesn't manifest because TCU's OOC opponents tend to be either sugerpuffs or media darlings against which CGP has stoked the underdog mentality very successfully. TCU's success in the fight for the conference title, and as a BCS buster, depends, then, on how much intensity the Frogs muster while travelling. For sure BYU will be red-hot for its tilt with TCU; Air Force may be flying high as well when the Frogs come calling. These are traps into which TCU has never avoided falling for an entire season, at least not since the leather-helmet era. Witness: Utah '08, SMU '05, Southern Miss '03, San Jose State '00.
This year, however, there's simply no excuse. TCU at least matches its opponents man for man in terms of talent and experience. In most cases, it bests them. This is the season where only one loss will feel like too many; where perfection is an attainable goal (apologies to BYU for reminding it of its ill-fated quest; and to TCU for perhaps cursing it with such a description!) If Gary Patterson rouses his team's competitive fires to the uttermost for hostile crowds, TCU will enjoy the most successful season of any MWC team in the conference's short history.
Quest for redemption: BYU
Imagine a team that goes 32-7 over three seasons, never losing at home during that time, garnering a pair of conference championships, bowl victories, and miracle-finish wins over its cross-town rival, the nation's longest winning streak, and 42 three-star or better recruits along the way.
Those are all the ingredients for a juggernaut except one: hunger. Or call it want-to, or kick-your-can-up-one-side-of-the-field-and-down-the-other. BYU had it in '06 and '07, but lacked that final garnish in 2008. The difference? Coach Mendenhall said showed up when playing from behind, and that his staff hadn't coached the players on how to come from behind. "We were protecting last year, rather than pursuing what was next. And there's a huge difference."Very diplomatic; and very unsatisfying. DE Jan Jorgensen is more honest: "I was a lost soul when it came to football," he says. "Our whole team was lost. . . We were a team without an identity. . . It was like that for a lot of us. I had never felt that at BYU before." The Cougars had been on the top of the mountain for two years, and the enthusiastic expectations that they would top higher mountains wore on them. "Football was not fun," he says. "We played not to lose. There was so much pressure on us last year, so much of it self-created, that football wasn't what it should be -- a fun game."
So how does this downcast crew get its mojo back? Jorgensen says fun was the missing ingredient in 2008. Max Hall echoes the sentiment, when he explains the formula: "We're loose, having fun again."
Fun is the first step. Replacing key personnel is a less sexy answer, but is just as important. And not going as well, either, because of a remarkable string of injuries in Provo this fall. Four seniors graduated on the Cougars' offensive line, and one of their replacements will miss 2009 with an injury. The only returner, LT Matt Reynolds, missed most of practice with a broken finger. He'll get one week of practice before the first snap against Oklahoma. Cornerback is another question mark for the Cougars. Likely new starter Robbie Buckner missed most of fall camp with an injury; the other starter, Brandon Bradley, missed some of it injured.
Bright spots? There are many. Foremost, all indications point to a reinvigorated team spirit. No more pithy slogans, or blinding hype. It's a fun game, after all; remember? More specifically, DT Russell Tialeva won't leave on a mission until after the season. Vic So'oto is fitting in well as a LB-turned backup DE. The linebacking corps is deep, strong, and experienced. Max Hall is spreading the ball around better than last year. The Cougars have perhaps their best backfield this decade: Manase Tonga, pictured below, returns, joining Harvey Unga (occasionally injured this fall) and J. J. DiLuigi, all of whom have had good camps when playing. Tonga's return is particularly important given the questions at o-line; the returning runner is BYU's best backfield blocker.
McKay Jacobsen, pictured at middle, appears ready to meet the high expectations that greeted his return from a mission; Dennis Pitta, pictured at top, and Andrew George are sharp at TE.So what's the prognosis for BYU? The Wimple is tempted to downgrade the high expectations given them after spring; instability on the o-line is not a trifling weakness. But after a loss to OU, BYU remains as good, or better, than every remaining team on its schedule. Getting Florida State, Colorado State, TCU, Air Force, and Utah at home has to be the best-breaking difficult schedule in the nation. BYU is the reasonable choice to win every one of those games-- even if only by a hair's breadth.
The biggest condition is the least predictable: injuries. If the Cougars have exhausted the injury bug, look for BYU to remind the conference why it was so feared prior to October 16, 2008.
Friday, August 28, 2009
No victory lap: Utah
The Utes return only half of the starters that won a BCS bowl last season; they replace a program-defining quarterback, key coaching personnel, and take the new crew-- and an NCAA-leading winning streak-- on the road for critical games against BYU and TCU.That was the Utes' situation to open the 2005 season, and it's nearly identical to what they face this season. The difference?
Depth.
Kyle Whittingham's program has recruited very well since taking over the helm in Salt Lake. Rivals ranked six of Whitt's '05 recruits three stars or better; ten in '06; eight in '07; ten in '08; and a full 16 in '09, including a five-star DE. As crude as the Rivals ranking system may be, it clearly indicates the increase in the caliber of athletes Utah has attracted to its program in the last half-decade.So will all of that depth adequately fill in the holes in Utah's depth chart created by last year's critical graduating seniors? That's the $64,000 question. Whittingham says, "We're at a point where we shouldn't have a dip down," and as easy as it is to dismiss that as coachspeak, smart money must favor the Utes in all but its most challenging contests: road trips to Oregon, TCU, and BYU. Were it not for Whittingham's surprise flirtation with starting true freshman Jordan Wynn at QB, pictured above, while saying that five-star JUCO transfer Terrence Cain, pictured below, wasn't really doing any worse under center, smart money might favor the Utes in one or two of those games, too.
Coach W hasn't named a starter yet, but Wynn's surprising climb into the two-deep prompted returning backup Corbin Louks to transfer to Nevada. Neither Wynn nor Cain have ever taken a snap in D-1, so expecting either one to produce the kind of calm game-winning drives in pressure-cooked situations like Brian Johnson did repeatedly in 2008 is asking to have one's cake, and eating it, too. Simply put, Utah will downgrade at least slightly at QB this season.
And QB is just the first depth-question. Ben Vroman and Sean Sellwood replace Louie Sakoda as kicker and punter. Neither will be as good.Brandon Burton and speedy R.J. Stanford take over from CBs Sean Smith and Brice McCain.
The Utes must replace their right guard and tackle at least once: slated starters Caleb Schlauderaff and Walter Watts both missed practices with knee injuries in the fall.
Derrick Shelby replaces DE Paul Kruger and Nai Fotu replaces Koa Misi while Misi recovers from an injury
With so many new starters, the really remarkable story coming out of SLC this season will be how far the Utes don't fall. 2009 will not be an '05 redux, when the Utes barely managed bowl eligibility. Only a few programs in the conference-- and in the country, really-- can replace as star-studded a cast as graduated from the U after 2008. Despite all the new names penciled into starting spots for the '09 Utes, look for Utah to be just fine in 2009. Will they compete for the conference crown?
No.
But they'll win all their home games, and the easy road games. And look for the Utes to be favored for the MWC title next year, when they face BYU and TCU in SLC.
That's a mighty quick turnaround, all things considered.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Ready to Launch: Air Force
Progressing to the complete teams-- meaning, teams without glaring weaknesses. No program in the Mountain West has been as successful, but as underheralded, as the Air Force Academy's has been for the last two years. Troy Calhoun took over the helm from Fisher DeBerry, and led a senior-laden team to a bowl in '07. Calhoun put the conference on notice that the bar had risen in Colorado Springs when he repeated the feat in '08, with a freshman-heavy crew. Now those freshmen-- QB Tim Jefferson, RB Asher Clark, FB Jared Tew, OL A. J. Wallerstein, Ss Jon Davis, and Phil Ofili, CBs Anthony Wright and P.J. Adeji-Paul, K Erik Soderberg, WRs Zach Kauth and Jonathan Warzeka-- are sophomores with experience. This year they and their Falcon brethren will put Division I on notice: Navy isn't the only service academy of which to be wary when scheduling. Look for AFA to beat Minnesota, in Minneapolis, as well as Army, and possibly Navy. Air Force's success out of conference, and a strong showing in it, will propel the Falcons into the polls for the first time in years.
Media focus will be on the Falcons' steep ground attack. Jefferson, Clark, and the other skill players will work behind a senior-filled offensive line, led by decorated Nick Charles, pictured. This year's AFA will best last season's-- which was the Falcons' best in several years-- and may meet the production it saw during its 12-win season in 1998. If Jefferson and his receivers get in better synch than last season, the Falcons will rewrite the record book for offense, and may oust one of the conference's Big Three for the second year in three. On that note, however, one notable loss this fall was WR Kyle Halderman, who's in the first month of an anticipated two-month recovery from a broken collarbone.AFA's defense may not get as much recognition, but should. Calhoun has repeatedly had to tell his defense to back off a little in practice; in other words, they're just too good. The Falcons return only one d-lineman, Ben Garland; but Coach Calhoun has been impressed with new starting DE Rick Ricketts. Ken Lamendola leads a good linebacking corps in Colorado Springs. Star CB Reggie Rembert will miss the first few games while suspended, but Elliot Battle has not disappointed as Rembert's replacement. Anthony Wright- one of Calhoun's super sophomores- returns in strength at the other CB spot. Chris Thomas will be the star of the safeties.
AFA will miss kicker Ben Harrison, and hands kicking duties over to Erik Soderberg.
To sum up: Air Force fields the first complete team in this year's MWC preview lineup. They'll carry the conference's banner high early in the season, and if the machine clicks on all cylinders, will have much to say about which team hoists the banner at the season's end. Playing UNLV and TCU at home makes those two games much more interesting than they might be on the road. BYU, Utah, Navy, and Colorado State on the road is one very tough road schedule. This year's Falcons are up to the challenge, however, and probably will not have a losing road record. Drawing Navy on the road evens the odds AFA will bring the Commander-in-Chief trophy. AFA has potential for a double-digit win total in 2009, if it can stay healthy.
Monday, August 24, 2009
One piece shy: Colorado State, UNLV
Two teams in the MWC are only one piece shy of fielding very competitive units. Colorado State needs a consistently adequate quarterback, and UNLV needs a consistently adequate runningback. Both teams hoped newcomers would step in and fill those roles during the offseason; neither are quite sure they've found their men. Bowl eligibility likely turns on whether or not each team completes its respective personnel puzzles. Because they are both trying to fill one last position, the Wimple considers these teams to be just one piece shy of a clear path to the 2009 post-season.
Pop quiz: who had the second-best passing attack in the conference last season? Surprise: it was Colorado State, averaging over 242 yards per game in the air. While all of that team's receivers return, the Rams are fishing more and more desperately for a quarterback to sling the pigskin at the returners. Senior Grant Stucker and JUCO transfer Jon Eastman have the competition to themselves, mainly, because Klay Kubiak's recovery from shoulder surgery is progressing slower than hoped. Coach Fairchild isn't mincing words about his competitors under center. "I think our quarterbacks are letting our offensive development down," said the coach early in fall drills.
The prognosis hasn't improved. "I didn't have [consistency] in the spring, and I haven't gotten it yet here. I want somebody to be able to go through the whole practice without beating us, without just some sort of major error. We don't have to have great throws or any big-time plays. Just consistently doing what they're supposed to do. We're not there yet." After a later scrimmage, Fairchild said, "it was the absolute worst practice in my 30 years of coaching that I've seen at quarterback."
QB coach Daren Wilkinson hinted that Coach F's ire might be more motivational than accurate, but Rams fans probably ought to pare their expectations of improving on last season's passing numbers slightly downward. This time last year Billy Farris was pulling away with the starting job. That hasn't happened this year.
Elsewhere, the picture rosens significantly. The Rams return all five starting offensive linemen, and may not experience any dropoff at linebacker, contrary to expectations this spring. Mychal Sisson, pictured, Michael Kawulok, and Alex Williams will be a strength for the defense. The secondary will improve from it's dismal '08 performance, especially if the Rams gets full seasons out of safties Elijah-Blu Smith and healthy Klint Kubiak, who join two returning CBs.
Perhaps equally important with the development of a consistent quarterback is the Rams' search for an adequately productive backfield to replace Gartrell Johnson. John Mosure and Leonard Mason have filled that role enough to escape Coach Fairchild's wrath-- which is a notable change since the spring.
This spring, the Wimple disagreed with Phil Steele's rosy preview of this season's Rams. If CSU can't find a reliable QB to feed those great receivers the ball, you'll find CSU at home this Christmas, having come up just shy of a bowl berth in '09.
The missing piece in Las Vegas is a tad smaller than the one missing in Fort Collins. UNLV not only has its quarterback, but has perhaps the MWC's best tandem under center, with returning starter Omar Clayton, a junior, and sophomore Mike Clausen, who has some starting experience, and who pushed Clayton for the starting role in the spring. 
The Rebels' receivers, O-line, and defense are all improved over '08. The reason UNLV isn't a "two pieces shy" team is because the upgrade to its secondary appears to have succeeded in spades. JUCO transfers safety Alex De Giacomo, pictured, and corners Mike Grant and Warren Ziegler all have risen to the first team, and impressed.
The missing piece is in the backfield. UNLV had high hopes that true freshman Bradley Randle would enroll and sweep the defense off its feet and into the post-season for the first time in... in forever. But that isn't exactly how it's happened, so far. Randle enrolled, and had a good fall. But Randle has played like a true freshman, and the Rebel defense has played like a squad with its hair on fire. Returner C. J. Cox injured his hamstring, and Channing Trotter scampered up the depth chart, perhaps winning himself a tentative starting role come September 5. Don't look for closure in the battle for the Rebel backfield anytime soon.
So the jury's still out; will a lack of a backfield keep UNLV out of the post season? Or is the Rebel run defense finally throwing its (considerable) weight around, stifling what will be a productive running game? The latter may well be the case. UNLV's d-line is improving: monstrous d-lineman Isaako Aaitui has moved inside to his more natural role as a run-stuffing tackle, and all-conference lineman Malo Tuamua has moved outside. Jason Beauchamp plays as much end as linebacker. The Rebels' linebacking corps doesn't miss Beauchamp much, partly because Starr Fuimaono is back and healthy.
In sum, the MWC is fielding a much more complete team in Las Vegas. Coach Sanford's assessment captures the idea: "A year ago, I think the offense was definitely ahead. . . I think there's a lot more competition between offense and defense this year. . . The defense has improved, and I don't think our offense has taken a step back." If the Rebels can find the back to take them a step forward, they'll make Las Vegas a difficult place to win in, for the first time in MWC history.
Pop quiz: who had the second-best passing attack in the conference last season? Surprise: it was Colorado State, averaging over 242 yards per game in the air. While all of that team's receivers return, the Rams are fishing more and more desperately for a quarterback to sling the pigskin at the returners. Senior Grant Stucker and JUCO transfer Jon Eastman have the competition to themselves, mainly, because Klay Kubiak's recovery from shoulder surgery is progressing slower than hoped. Coach Fairchild isn't mincing words about his competitors under center. "I think our quarterbacks are letting our offensive development down," said the coach early in fall drills.The prognosis hasn't improved. "I didn't have [consistency] in the spring, and I haven't gotten it yet here. I want somebody to be able to go through the whole practice without beating us, without just some sort of major error. We don't have to have great throws or any big-time plays. Just consistently doing what they're supposed to do. We're not there yet." After a later scrimmage, Fairchild said, "it was the absolute worst practice in my 30 years of coaching that I've seen at quarterback."
QB coach Daren Wilkinson hinted that Coach F's ire might be more motivational than accurate, but Rams fans probably ought to pare their expectations of improving on last season's passing numbers slightly downward. This time last year Billy Farris was pulling away with the starting job. That hasn't happened this year.Elsewhere, the picture rosens significantly. The Rams return all five starting offensive linemen, and may not experience any dropoff at linebacker, contrary to expectations this spring. Mychal Sisson, pictured, Michael Kawulok, and Alex Williams will be a strength for the defense. The secondary will improve from it's dismal '08 performance, especially if the Rams gets full seasons out of safties Elijah-Blu Smith and healthy Klint Kubiak, who join two returning CBs.
Perhaps equally important with the development of a consistent quarterback is the Rams' search for an adequately productive backfield to replace Gartrell Johnson. John Mosure and Leonard Mason have filled that role enough to escape Coach Fairchild's wrath-- which is a notable change since the spring.
This spring, the Wimple disagreed with Phil Steele's rosy preview of this season's Rams. If CSU can't find a reliable QB to feed those great receivers the ball, you'll find CSU at home this Christmas, having come up just shy of a bowl berth in '09.
The missing piece in Las Vegas is a tad smaller than the one missing in Fort Collins. UNLV not only has its quarterback, but has perhaps the MWC's best tandem under center, with returning starter Omar Clayton, a junior, and sophomore Mike Clausen, who has some starting experience, and who pushed Clayton for the starting role in the spring. 
The Rebels' receivers, O-line, and defense are all improved over '08. The reason UNLV isn't a "two pieces shy" team is because the upgrade to its secondary appears to have succeeded in spades. JUCO transfers safety Alex De Giacomo, pictured, and corners Mike Grant and Warren Ziegler all have risen to the first team, and impressed.The missing piece is in the backfield. UNLV had high hopes that true freshman Bradley Randle would enroll and sweep the defense off its feet and into the post-season for the first time in... in forever. But that isn't exactly how it's happened, so far. Randle enrolled, and had a good fall. But Randle has played like a true freshman, and the Rebel defense has played like a squad with its hair on fire. Returner C. J. Cox injured his hamstring, and Channing Trotter scampered up the depth chart, perhaps winning himself a tentative starting role come September 5. Don't look for closure in the battle for the Rebel backfield anytime soon.
So the jury's still out; will a lack of a backfield keep UNLV out of the post season? Or is the Rebel run defense finally throwing its (considerable) weight around, stifling what will be a productive running game? The latter may well be the case. UNLV's d-line is improving: monstrous d-lineman Isaako Aaitui has moved inside to his more natural role as a run-stuffing tackle, and all-conference lineman Malo Tuamua has moved outside. Jason Beauchamp plays as much end as linebacker. The Rebels' linebacking corps doesn't miss Beauchamp much, partly because Starr Fuimaono is back and healthy.
In sum, the MWC is fielding a much more complete team in Las Vegas. Coach Sanford's assessment captures the idea: "A year ago, I think the offense was definitely ahead. . . I think there's a lot more competition between offense and defense this year. . . The defense has improved, and I don't think our offense has taken a step back." If the Rebels can find the back to take them a step forward, they'll make Las Vegas a difficult place to win in, for the first time in MWC history.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Unreadables: SDSU and New Mexico
Next in the Wimple's pre-season parade come two teams that defy confident prognostication: the New Mexico Lobos, and the San Diego State Aztecs. Both sport new coaches and coordinators (the twists: UNM's former leader is now the DC at SDSU, and every single Lobo coach is new to the program this year).
New Mexico wasn't really a team in distress like Wyoming or SDSU were; and early indications are that the change from run to spread won't be as traumatic as one usually expects. Locksley's spreads feature more running than Missouri/Wyoming's, for example. Further, it's easier mentally. "We as coaches are making the checks," the coach explains. "If we see blitz and we don't want to run the play, we check out as opposed to teaching the quarterback . . . and saying, 'If you see this, this or this, run that play, that play or that play. . .' We've got coaches paid to know all that. [For the QB,] you're taking the thinking out of it."
So who'll be running this new attack? Donovan Porterie, now in his 11th (it seems) year under center in Albuquerque, and redshirt freshman B. R. Holbrook have risen to the top of the depth chart. Holbrook has the Lobo's fan sites twitter-painted. (Heralded freshman QB Emmanuel Yeager quit the team shortly after enrolling.)
Look for Roland Bruno, Bryant Williams, and Nick Willhelm to be UNM's go-to receivers. All-MWC center Eric Cook and his now-experienced brethren on the offensive line appear capable of opening holes for freshman Demond Dennis, pictured, who has blown passed Terrence Brown, Kasey Carrier, and A. J. Butler in the backfield depth chart.
The only concern on the defense might be safety Ian Clark's sore shoulder, which kept him out of most practices. But Bubba Forrest played very well Clark's place. If the offense hums along as good as it could, the Lobos may make the MWC's biggest waves out of conference, beating Texas A&M and scaring Texas Tech.
But New Mexico still baffles predictors. Phil Steele relegated them to the conference's second-worst, which seems too low, considering the Lobos' strong returning lines, QB experience, and general good performance and expectations. The Wimple predicted a mushy-middle finish for them this spring, but if the Lobos' own Year One of the spread proves as difficult as Years One usually do, that may be too high. Thus the retreat to professed ignorance: New Mexico is Unreadable in 2009.
The other unreadable, San Diego State, has the most returning experience in the conference, but the least institutional memory of success. New headcoach Brady Hoke worries about both of his lines. He does have experienced returners in both sides of the trenches, however. Jonathan Soto and B.J. Williams are one of the conference's better pairs of DEs, as are Tommie Draheim and Peter Nelson at OT.
Where the Aztecs excel on defense is at linebacker, where Jerry Milling, Luke Laolagi, and Miles Burress will shine in Rocky Long's 3-3-5. Nick Sanford appears to have sewn up the role of inaugural "Aztec" back. Toss in a few good WRs (Brown, Sampson, and Wallace), and more returners on the lines than... than probably any team in the NCAA, and you have a first-class condundrum. How will SDSU perform in '09? The answer probably lies with the Mountain West's most undervalued quarterback, sophomore Ryan Lindley.
Lindley (pictured) has impressed his position coach with the speed that he's learned Hoke's west coast attack. OC Al Borges adds further praise, "[Lindley]'s taken to heart some of the things we've talked about, particularly regarding some of the footwork issues we're trying to get him to do. There were growing pains in the spring, but they're really not showing up much in the fall.” This should hearten Aztec fans immeasurably, because Lindley was able to make even last year's humble offense run pretty well. Add a much healthier supporting cast, and any life at all in the running game, and this year's Lindley may command an offense that is . . . really good.
Questions remain for the ground attack, however. Attiyyah Henderson, another seemingly 11th-year starter, cracked a bone in his upper back, and has ceded the backfield to Brandon Sullivan, and freshmen Anthony Miller and Ronnie Hillman. Hoke fingers Sullivan to carry the running game with more focus and health this year. Further furrowing the forecaster's brow is SDSU's lines, which, for all their experience, don't have any experience being good.
Consider further these football Rules: (1) the first year of a new scheme always disappoints; (2) thou shalt have strong lines; (3) success is learned; and (4) college teams in pro-sports towns suffer. San Diego State must break all four of these rules in order to excel, and to date it remembers no success doing so. But the Aztecs may hit conference play with three or four skins on its wall; they will begin the season in much better shape physically than they're used to being (note the lighter tans this season, perhaps signalling fewer hours at the beach). How this season's SDSU shakes out is requires too much speculating to give a numbers, or ranking, figure. Something better than last year is the best one can do.
New Mexico wasn't really a team in distress like Wyoming or SDSU were; and early indications are that the change from run to spread won't be as traumatic as one usually expects. Locksley's spreads feature more running than Missouri/Wyoming's, for example. Further, it's easier mentally. "We as coaches are making the checks," the coach explains. "If we see blitz and we don't want to run the play, we check out as opposed to teaching the quarterback . . . and saying, 'If you see this, this or this, run that play, that play or that play. . .' We've got coaches paid to know all that. [For the QB,] you're taking the thinking out of it."
So who'll be running this new attack? Donovan Porterie, now in his 11th (it seems) year under center in Albuquerque, and redshirt freshman B. R. Holbrook have risen to the top of the depth chart. Holbrook has the Lobo's fan sites twitter-painted. (Heralded freshman QB Emmanuel Yeager quit the team shortly after enrolling.)Look for Roland Bruno, Bryant Williams, and Nick Willhelm to be UNM's go-to receivers. All-MWC center Eric Cook and his now-experienced brethren on the offensive line appear capable of opening holes for freshman Demond Dennis, pictured, who has blown passed Terrence Brown, Kasey Carrier, and A. J. Butler in the backfield depth chart.
The only concern on the defense might be safety Ian Clark's sore shoulder, which kept him out of most practices. But Bubba Forrest played very well Clark's place. If the offense hums along as good as it could, the Lobos may make the MWC's biggest waves out of conference, beating Texas A&M and scaring Texas Tech.
But New Mexico still baffles predictors. Phil Steele relegated them to the conference's second-worst, which seems too low, considering the Lobos' strong returning lines, QB experience, and general good performance and expectations. The Wimple predicted a mushy-middle finish for them this spring, but if the Lobos' own Year One of the spread proves as difficult as Years One usually do, that may be too high. Thus the retreat to professed ignorance: New Mexico is Unreadable in 2009.
The other unreadable, San Diego State, has the most returning experience in the conference, but the least institutional memory of success. New headcoach Brady Hoke worries about both of his lines. He does have experienced returners in both sides of the trenches, however. Jonathan Soto and B.J. Williams are one of the conference's better pairs of DEs, as are Tommie Draheim and Peter Nelson at OT.Where the Aztecs excel on defense is at linebacker, where Jerry Milling, Luke Laolagi, and Miles Burress will shine in Rocky Long's 3-3-5. Nick Sanford appears to have sewn up the role of inaugural "Aztec" back. Toss in a few good WRs (Brown, Sampson, and Wallace), and more returners on the lines than... than probably any team in the NCAA, and you have a first-class condundrum. How will SDSU perform in '09? The answer probably lies with the Mountain West's most undervalued quarterback, sophomore Ryan Lindley.
Lindley (pictured) has impressed his position coach with the speed that he's learned Hoke's west coast attack. OC Al Borges adds further praise, "[Lindley]'s taken to heart some of the things we've talked about, particularly regarding some of the footwork issues we're trying to get him to do. There were growing pains in the spring, but they're really not showing up much in the fall.” This should hearten Aztec fans immeasurably, because Lindley was able to make even last year's humble offense run pretty well. Add a much healthier supporting cast, and any life at all in the running game, and this year's Lindley may command an offense that is . . . really good.Questions remain for the ground attack, however. Attiyyah Henderson, another seemingly 11th-year starter, cracked a bone in his upper back, and has ceded the backfield to Brandon Sullivan, and freshmen Anthony Miller and Ronnie Hillman. Hoke fingers Sullivan to carry the running game with more focus and health this year. Further furrowing the forecaster's brow is SDSU's lines, which, for all their experience, don't have any experience being good.
Consider further these football Rules: (1) the first year of a new scheme always disappoints; (2) thou shalt have strong lines; (3) success is learned; and (4) college teams in pro-sports towns suffer. San Diego State must break all four of these rules in order to excel, and to date it remembers no success doing so. But the Aztecs may hit conference play with three or four skins on its wall; they will begin the season in much better shape physically than they're used to being (note the lighter tans this season, perhaps signalling fewer hours at the beach). How this season's SDSU shakes out is requires too much speculating to give a numbers, or ranking, figure. Something better than last year is the best one can do.
Into the abyss: Wyoming
The Wimple begins its bottom-to-top pre-season review of the Mountain West in Laramie, because if the old saying offense wins game, but defense wins championships is true, then the 2009 Wyoming Cowboys are in deep trouble. They have a fine defense, but how ever will they get that crew into any championship-portending contest without an offense to win the necessary games leading to it?
The simple fact is: they won't. At least not this year. The Wimple's spring prognostication was that
Robert Benjamin, pictured, a JUCO transfer, is capable of running the offense both with his arm, and with his feet. . . (you know this is coming) when he throws the ball to the correct team.
The 35 pounds senior TE and JUCO transfer Orlando Arnold shed this offseason aren't his biggest loss; Arnold is the first Cowboy to shake off the bad case of dropsies that plagues the rest of the team. Christensen calls him the team's most-improved player. Senior TE Jesson Salyards is also working with the first team, and is a consistent ball-catcher. Darius Terry and Brandon Stewart are running an option play from the WildFrog formation successfully. Stewart and David Leonard are emerging as the top WRs on the team.
Across the trench, senior DE Mike Neuhaus has performed well in place of slightly-injured John Fletcher on the line. Mitch Unrein, Fletcher, and Fred Givens continue to impress on the D line. Brothers and CB tandem Marcell and Tashaun Gipson look sharp in the secondary. Freshman Shamiel Gray has rocketed up the depth chart, joining Chris Prosinski, Jamichael Hall, and Keith Lewis in the two-deep at safety.
If you're partial to Laramie and its brown and gold, buckle in, keep your eyes on the horizon, and if you must pay close attention to your Cowboys this season, focus on the defense and recruiting. The on-field product this year will fast fade into a footnote: a tweeny year of programmatic puberty. And say to yourself: 2010...
Repeat that. It's theraputic.
The simple fact is: they won't. At least not this year. The Wimple's spring prognostication was thatthere is exactly a 100% chance the Cowboys are going to spend a season in the wilderness, learning this newfangled high-tempo pass-happy offense. Wyoming is filled with power running players, and even though Karten Sween ran a spread in high school, he's going to work behind a subpar o-line, with receivers who, let's face it, signed with a power running school.
After nearly all of the fall drills, it appears the Wimple was correct. Until Coach C. gets players who are accustomed to (and recruited for) his dizzying spread attack, Wyoming's offense is going to s-t-i-n-k. It stunk in the spring, when dozens of Cowboys were out with injuries. It stunk in the summer, as the players grew into their more rigorous conditioning. It stunk in fall drills, when JUCO transfer Robert Benjamin and senior Karsten Sween got the two-deep to themselves. And it'll stink in the first six, eight, or even ten games this season, as the Cowboys go live in Year One of the spread.
About his broken offense, coach Christensen sounds like a broken record, "we don't catch the ball very well. I don't think there's any secret there." A few days later, “right now, we’re a poor catching football team . . . right now, we are pathetic catching the football." A few days later, "I was very, very disappointed in our mechanics of running the spread offense, the communication, lining up, mental errors -- I thought the offense took a huge step backwards and that's something we've got to get corrected. . . It's not all the quarterbacks. Shoot, it was the line and the receivers, running backs not running hard enough -- you can just name any position and they didn't play very well on offense." A few days later, “the bottom line is you have to catch the ball and were not very good at that right now on a consistent basis.”
And that's just half the bad news. The other half? The same other half that always accompanies teams switching from run-first to pass-first: turnovers. "I'm not going to be pleased until we stop turning the football over," said Christensen about halfway through fall drills. Turnovers dampen even the good news coming out of Laramie. Top-two QB Robert Benjamin's successes all seem to come with the that fateful caveat. Defensive linemen John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein both forced turnovers in one scrimmage, one an interception, the other a forced fumble. But wait: aren't turnovers good for the defense? Not if they only signal an inept offense, which is clearly the issue here.
Is there any good news in Laramie. Yes, there is.
About his broken offense, coach Christensen sounds like a broken record, "we don't catch the ball very well. I don't think there's any secret there." A few days later, “right now, we’re a poor catching football team . . . right now, we are pathetic catching the football." A few days later, "I was very, very disappointed in our mechanics of running the spread offense, the communication, lining up, mental errors -- I thought the offense took a huge step backwards and that's something we've got to get corrected. . . It's not all the quarterbacks. Shoot, it was the line and the receivers, running backs not running hard enough -- you can just name any position and they didn't play very well on offense." A few days later, “the bottom line is you have to catch the ball and were not very good at that right now on a consistent basis.”
And that's just half the bad news. The other half? The same other half that always accompanies teams switching from run-first to pass-first: turnovers. "I'm not going to be pleased until we stop turning the football over," said Christensen about halfway through fall drills. Turnovers dampen even the good news coming out of Laramie. Top-two QB Robert Benjamin's successes all seem to come with the that fateful caveat. Defensive linemen John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein both forced turnovers in one scrimmage, one an interception, the other a forced fumble. But wait: aren't turnovers good for the defense? Not if they only signal an inept offense, which is clearly the issue here.
Is there any good news in Laramie. Yes, there is.
Robert Benjamin, pictured, a JUCO transfer, is capable of running the offense both with his arm, and with his feet. . . (you know this is coming) when he throws the ball to the correct team.The 35 pounds senior TE and JUCO transfer Orlando Arnold shed this offseason aren't his biggest loss; Arnold is the first Cowboy to shake off the bad case of dropsies that plagues the rest of the team. Christensen calls him the team's most-improved player. Senior TE Jesson Salyards is also working with the first team, and is a consistent ball-catcher. Darius Terry and Brandon Stewart are running an option play from the WildFrog formation successfully. Stewart and David Leonard are emerging as the top WRs on the team.
Across the trench, senior DE Mike Neuhaus has performed well in place of slightly-injured John Fletcher on the line. Mitch Unrein, Fletcher, and Fred Givens continue to impress on the D line. Brothers and CB tandem Marcell and Tashaun Gipson look sharp in the secondary. Freshman Shamiel Gray has rocketed up the depth chart, joining Chris Prosinski, Jamichael Hall, and Keith Lewis in the two-deep at safety.
If you're partial to Laramie and its brown and gold, buckle in, keep your eyes on the horizon, and if you must pay close attention to your Cowboys this season, focus on the defense and recruiting. The on-field product this year will fast fade into a footnote: a tweeny year of programmatic puberty. And say to yourself: 2010...
Repeat that. It's theraputic.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
watch this movie
It's a documentary about Boise State's dream season (2006), with a heavy and proper focus on the Bronco's Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. Link is in the title of this post.
The epitaph for the BCS will begin, "When BSU beat OU in the '07 Fiesta Bowl..."
The epitaph for the BCS will begin, "When BSU beat OU in the '07 Fiesta Bowl..."
Friday, August 7, 2009
Howdy, Dr. Saturday readers
The Wimple was tickled to be linked from SMQ's new digs, Dr. Saturday. The Purple Wimple is the best place to bone up on TCU and the Mountain West. Take a gander, and come back in a few weeks for a feast of rare bird: insight-filled pre-season previews of those teams. The Wimple doesn't do insight-free previews, which (sadly) are the norm for cartel-outsiders.
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