Gameday preview: UNLV

The UNLV Rebels come to town trying to do something they were supposed to do frequently this year, and haven't: win multiple games in a row. This was the season the defense caught up with the offense, that Sanford would look like the slow-bake genius for hauling in a class of JUCO safeties and corners, that the d-line would finally reach its run-stopping potential.

Through the tough loss to Oregon State, the win over Hawaii, and the embarrassing loss at Wyoming, that train still looked like it was on the tracks, though wobbly at times. Then Nevada came to town, and blew the holy bejeebers out of the Rebels, who didn't recover until a trip to the very forgiving Lobos last week. Now this beleaguered squad comes to Fort Worth, where they have never won (and averaged 27-point losses!).

Have the Rebs any bright spots to focus on, during the coming beat down? Yes. D-end/ linebacker Jason Beauchamp and linebacker Starr Fuimaono are playing closer to 100% than they have in more than a month. Veterans right tackle Evan Marchal and left tackle Matt Murphy are better prepped to battle standout Frog DEs Jerry Hughes and Wayne Daniels than they were last year. And QB Omar Clayton is coming off one of his best performances, healthy and ready to search the Frog D for weaknesses. WR Ryan Wolfe (pictured) is at his- and the MWC's- best. Truth is, however, everybody has their best week against New Mexico, and worst against TCU. So, it remains to be seen if UNLV can find any more traction against the fearsome purple attack than the other teams that have failed to do so.

Look for a spirited first half, but a widening blowout at the hands of TCU's second and third teams. TCU 49, UNLV 17.

TCU 38, BYU 7

It's hard to sum up as stupendous a performance as TCU's thrashing of BYU in Provo on Saturday. But perhaps this stat will do some of the job: Max Hall was sacked five times, by four different Horned Frog defensive linemen. That kind of domination in the trenches bodes very well for TCU's hopes to win out and spend Christmas and New Year's Eve preparing for their last game.

Superlatives: Andy Dalton was clearly the better quarterback on the field Saturday. Found receivers in tight spaces, sometimes while scrambling (the long conversion to Bart Johnson while running from a blitzer was a thing of beauty). The line gave him room, and time, too. New starter Blaise Foltz gelled well with the other big men up front. Johnson, Kerley, Young, and Hicks were superb catching the ball-- Young somehow got a toe in while turned around to haul in a long bomb from Dalton, with a safety breathing down his jersey; Hicks pulled in the highlight 75-yarder from Dalton in the third quarter; and Kerley... was Kerley. He caught what came his way, and dished it out, too (see below).

Also noteworthy: the playcalling.

Once again, it's clear the Frogs held back during the first half of the season, waiting to pounce on BYU with new and devastating plays. This time it didn't almost cost the Frogs a loss early on (CSU last season being the almost-loss in '08), but it paid off just as handsomely. The OCs snuck a double-reverse pass in on a first down in the second quarter that blew the top off the game. Jeremy Kerley, dropping further and further back, threw off his back foot 40 yards to Bart Johnson. The Frogs went up 14-0 a few plays later.

Now comes the significantly less glamorous task of not biffing one, namely in tougher-than-advertized trips to San Diego and Laramie. Home games against UNLV and New Mexico really shouldn't challenge the Frogs much.

(Note the conspicuous absence of the Utah game above: that'll be the highest-intensity night in Fort Worth this season.)

Meanwhile, TCU needs to get to work and discover how Harvey Unga, and last week Leonard Mason, were able to run all over the Frogs. There's not an all-conference back on the Frogs' remaining schedule, but TCU is certain to meet a good one in a bowl game, if they continue their winning ways.

And what else for the Cougars, who're spending this off-week watching what credibility they'd preserved from their big win on opening day swish down the proverbial toilet? Number 25 said it best, on his eye-black during the game: R.I.P. May you rest in peace, reputation as the MWC boss, echoes of a national championship, Heisman buzz for Max Hall, and resolve to redeem yourselves for last year's football sins. BYU must reinvent itself, and in the meantime, TCU skates further ahead.


Via con dios, Cougars. You'll need all the help you can get: TCU, Utah, Wyoming, SDSU, AFA, and CSU ain't waiting up for you. (UNM and UNLV might, though...)




Here're the highlights:

Next up:

It's here: the season's great road conference test for the Frogs. With butterflies in their stomachs, your Wimple correspondents dutifully will pile into a (far too small) sedan in just a few hours, headed northwest for about 20 hours, whereupon they'll crash with some friends (and BYU alums).

Necessaries: purple facepaint? Check.

Ostensibly illegal TCU flag? Check.

Pants wide enough to sneak said ostensibly illegal flag into the stadium? Check.

Posters & markers with which to harangue the kewgies? Check.

Megaphone? Check.

Apologies to nearby fans who wish to enjoy the game in anything resembling peace and quiet? Check.

Further reports will be from the visitor's section, on left edge of the far endzone section (click on the photo for a much larger visualization). From those seats the Wimple saw Jeff Ballard's grand debut in '05. Here's to Andy Dalton's first truly great road triumph, Saturday night!

BYU gameday preview

The Wimple goes to gameday format early this week, because the Wimples are driving to Provo for this one. TCU v. BYU isn't just another conference game: it has begun to feel like a rivalry. And only a few thousand TCU fans got tickets, the Wimple figures the Horned Frogs will need every screaming purple-painted supporter they can get. So, it's to the bleachers this weekend.

Since joining the conference, TCU and BYU have split the four decisions between them, one close and one blowout going to each team; both blowouts came in Fort Worth, while both close games were in Provo. The Wimples were in Provo for the first in the series, which still engenders controversy. Did Cory Rodgers cross the plane of the endzone before losing the football? (Gordon Monson, a SL-Tribune sports writer who stood at the goal line for that play thought so, see Gordon Monson, End of BYU Game Was No Photo Finish, Salt Lake Tribune, Sep. 27, 2005, p. C-1, article ID 10CFD8714B3CCCF0.) From the Wimples' seats were 110 yards away from the game's last play, but the day is fondly etched in the their memories. The weather was beautiful; the crowd was rowdy but dispersed with remarkable speed, tails tucked under. Jeff Ballard had his coming out party that day, leading the Frogs on five consecutive touchdown drives.

The 2006 rematch was as different as imaginable. TCU was high as a kite, having smothered Texas Tech in a touchdown-less grudge match two weeks before, for the nation-leading 13th straight win. BYU's John Beck converted ten third- or fourth-downs with clutch passes, building a 21-point lead before the game's finish. In 2007, first-year quarterbacks Max Hall and Andy Dalton battled to a close but second straight victory for BYU. Again, BYU beat the Frogs by converting seven third downs through the air, and also stopping the Frogs' rushing game.

TCU outmatched BYU thoroughly in '08, the second time in three years that a nation-leading winning streak ended in Fort Worth. This time it was BYU's eight-game streak that wouldn't become nine. The Frogs sacked Hall six times (Fonua gets one of them, pictured), and intercepted him twice (almost three times). Jeremy Kerley burst on the scene, running the Wild Frog for the first time in '08, with devastating effect. BYU eventually corralled Kerley, but too late. TCU's 26-point lead shortly after halftime was the largest lead either team had held in the series history.

The Cougars have bottled up the disappointment from that game, saving it for game prep this week. They have had a season of remarkable highs and lows, while TCU has quietly built an eight-game winning streak (stretching through last season's win against AFA). Max Hall and his backup run a little more this year; BYU has relied a lot more on its runningbacks generally, too. Hall is spreading the ball around better, and Dennis Pitta is making a good case for best tight end in the nation. The four new starters on the Cougar o-line have performed very well this season. Weak points? Max Hall was an interception machine until two games ago; and the Cougars have given up a lot more points thus far compared to last season. They're susceptible to a good ground game.

Meanwhile, the Frogs also rely on a multi-headed running game, and spread the ball around better, too. Some questioned this year's TCU d-line, and they have answered. Griffin, Grant, and Daniels are having a stellar year as the sideshow to Jerry Hughes's second monster season in a row. Weak points? The Frogs have fumbled away dozens of points, often slowing themselves in the first half of games. A quick start-- or a quick falter-- at BYU may be a game-decider.

More likely, however, the game will turn on the intensity with with each team plays. There's no doubt BYU will be hitting hard and running fast this Saturday; they've had this game circled for 53 weeks. TCU, on the other hand, hasn't taken truly ferocious intensity with them to the state of Utah since joining the conference-- and probably much longer. Unless the Frogs' out-muscling of Clemson in Death Valley, and out-lasting of Air Force in polar conditions mean this team has learned to generate its own superior intensity on the road, TCU will not beat BYU. Noise and cold the Frogs have beaten this year; but altitude and a revenge-minded squad? That's a new test that the Wimple has always maintained the Frogs will not best, although it will be a heart-crushingly close try. BYU 33, TCU 32.

TCU 44, Colorado State 6

After a rocky start, wherein Leonard Mason sliced and diced the Frog D for 42 yards on seven carries before an injury, TCU put the screws to Colorado State and rolled off 44 unanswered points to set up the season's first Big Game.

Dalton was hot, passing over 65% for 2 TDs and no interceptions; but the Frogs did the real damage on the ground, where fourteen different players took turns toting the rock, scoring three TDs, and averaging 6.0 ypc. True freshman Skye Dawson made his debut as a ballcarrier, running a blazing option twice for 47 yards, and adding a new chapter to Bronco Mendenhall's (already large) book of Horned Frog Headaches. Kerley added another highlight reel performance, including his second punt return for a touchdown in three games.

After Mason's injury, the defense was superb. Colin Jones led the team with seven tackles; Hughes got three sacks (two in the official statistics); Sanders returned to the lineup; Daryl Washington brought the pain.

Now all eyes (including ESPN's Gameday) move to Provo, where the (#7 coaches, #8 BCS, #10 AP) Frogs face their biggest game since their last foray into the Beehive State. More on that in a couple days.

photo: Keith Robinson

Here're the highlights.

Hug your loved ones, the world's coming to a close.

Word has filtered out that ESPN Gameday is going to the TCU-BYU game in a week.

And that world hunger has been solved.

CSU gameday preview

The Frogs' second conference game comes against one of the four teams never to beat the Frogs in a conference game. Little suggests that will change Saturday.

CSU boasts the nation's most experienced line, all five of whom played TCU last season. Countering them, is a Frogs' defensive front that has proven itself nearly as fearsome as last season's seasoned four. The Rams could not generate a push against TCU last year for Gartrell Johnson, and will be no more successful this season for Leonard Mason and John Mosure. How's the Frogs' ground game? Very well, thank you. TCU averages 215 ypg, to CSU's 127. Maybe experience up front can be overplayed.

Colorado State has missed Gartrell Johnson, and while Leonard Mason progresses into running in fair replacement to Johnson, the Rams have a decent long passing game, and try to beat teams in the air. Here to, however, the Frogs are higher in the stack than the Rams. This season's Ram starting QB has been effective at replacing Billy Farris, who quietly led the second-most prolific passing attack in the conference. Grant Stucker is currently second to Max Hall among MWC QBs in passing yards. However, he's fifth in QB rating (Farris was one spot higher). TCU's Dalton rated fifth in the conference last season (Farris: fourth); this season he's second; who's fifth? Stucker.

How about defense? It's not close: TCU gives up half as many TDs and 130 ypg less than CSU. Las Vegas says TCU wins by about 22 points; it's hard to disagree.

TCU 20, Air Force 17

It was ugly (similar in many ways to the Colorado State game last season) but still a W, and in any good season there are some squeakers. Chalk this up in that category for now, and in a few weeks we'll know if it was merely a hiccup, or the signal for worse things.

Dalton had a hard time finding receivers with warm enough fingers to catch balls; Jimmy Young proved the softest-handed, and finshed the night with six grabs and 113 yards. Andy also ran for crucial yards, again using the "slice" play. Joe Turner and Jeremy Kerley combined for three fumbles (AFA jumped on two of 'em, Turner's turnover coming at the AFA 7, stopping a 68 yard TCU drive).

The o-line was flat, allowing three sacks; Newhouse played but did not start for the second week in a row. Jerry Hughes got credit for all of one tackle.

On the bright side, Ross Evans was flawless, hitting 2 points after and 2 field goals. In the end, it was a mirror image of TCU's 2007 three point loss at AFA; this time TCU grounded the Falcons and flew away winners (after a de-icing delay at the airport).

photo: AP

Here're the highlights.

What we learned, week 6

Air Force: 17-20 loss v. TCU. Gotta hand it to the Falcons here-- they played gutsy football, and were admirably unrelenting. TCU pushed them around pretty consistently until the last quarter, but AFA hung in there, clearly wanting it more. The Falcons, led by backup QB Connor Dietz, forced three turnovers, which kept the game close. Two of those came in the redzone, preventing TCU drives of 58 and 68 yards from turning into 14 points for the Frogs. But in the end, Air Force's lines were brilliant. AFA sacked Andy Dalton three times, and in conjunction with a remarkably inhospitable Mother Nature, demoralized the Horned Frogs. Key stat: AFA completed 7 of 18 passes, including one halfback pass for a TD. When AFA's passes keep a defense honest, its running game can excel. AFA ran for 287 yards, or 240 more than TCU's average allowed in the season's first four games.

BYU: 59-21 win at UNLV. It's still not the pass-first, pass-second, and pass-third BYU that we've all grown to know and love/hate, but it certainly was efficient. The Cougars ran well over half the time, garnering almost seven ypc. Hall didn't throw any interceptions, and completed 75% of his passes. The defense was stout and opportunistic, grabbing three UNLV passes and holding the Rebs for under three ypc. Key stat: seven Cougars grabbed multiple passes. BYU is on cruise control, looking world-class against the dregs of its schedule.

Colorado State: 17-24 loss v. Utah. This one has to hurt just a smidge more than an average conference loss. CSU gave up 14 points on turnovers and seven more on a 47-yard TD pass in the last 19 minutes of the game. In the end, it was a shootout and Utah has better horses than CSU for that kind of game. The Utes outgained CSU only 0.4 ypc on average; CSU didn't convert nearly as many third downs as Utah, but that may not have mattered were it not for the interceptions. Key stat: Leonard Mason has broken out; he ran for 130 yards on 24 carries against the Utes' formerly-fearsome rush defense. Colorado State, despite its three-game skid, is a rising threat in the conference. Expect another loss at TCU this week, before the win-loss column turns again toward the Rams' favor.

New Mexico: 37-13 loss at Wyoming. Well, maybe those breakthrough hopes that accompanied the Lobos solid performance against Texas Tech last week might have come with a force majeure clause; snow, ice, wind, and cold weather dogged New Mexico in Laramie, icing the southern team's ground game (UNM couldn't best 2 ypc). Add critical penalties (8 for 64 yards), and a couple interceptions, and suddenly New Mexico is staring at 0-6. Key stat: again the Lobos were abysmal on 3rd or 4th down, converting only 4 of 17. This week's performance, notwithstanding the elements, was the very picture of uninspired football. Coach L had better light a fire under his players in a hurry, or he'll become easier and easier to replace, much sooner than expected.

San Diego State: bye.

TCU: 20-17 win at Air Force. The Wimple acknowledges ignorance about how inclement (in this case extremely cold) weather affects football players and plays. It was 19 degrees, with a wind and drizzle at 5:30 PM gametime in Colorado Springs on Saturday. Add a sour week in practice previously, and probably TCU is lucky have escaped with a win and only a two-spot drop in the AP poll (the Frogs rose a spot in the coaches' poll). Key stat: TCU's o-line allowed three sacks. That hasn't happened since... since... (still checking). The Frogs need to bounce back into dominant form: for example, not allowing three sacks, and not fumbling in the red zone. If TCU indeed does bounce back, this win will end up looking like the CSU win last season. If not, it'll look like BYU's New Mexico win last season: prelude to the fall.

UNLV: 21-59 loss v. BYU. This is getting awfully repetitive: UNLV gave away the crown jewels, or the line of scrimmage, and lost by a ton. BYU outgained UNLV on average 4.4 more ypc., and held the ball ten more minutes than the Rebels. And that's not as bad as it's been for the Rebels this season! Hopes for a turnaround in Las Vegas under Coach Sanford have fled. Key stat: BYU scored 14 points off drives it began by intercepting the Rebels. This would have been a close game had those points gone to UNLV instead.

Utah: 24-17 win at Colorado State. Utah looked fairly flat for about 40 minutes, and then turned on its jets. Terrance Cain connected with David Reed for a 47-yard TD pass 4 minutes before the fourth quarter, and it was all Utah from then until the end. Robert Johnson picked off three Grant Stucker passes, ending each of CSU's remaining drives. Cain engineered touchdowns off two of those INTs, leading Utah to his most impressive victory this season. Key stat: Eddie Wide ran for just over 100 yards on 17 tries. The Utes may not miss Matt Asiata as much as they'd feared.

Wyoming: 37-13 win v. New Mexico. The Cowboys proved an inhospitable host to the Lobos, forcing New Mexico to play one-dimensionally. UNM couldn't manage 2 ypc, while Wyoming executed a very balanced attack. Carta-Samuels led the snowy show, passing adequately (only 50%, but 3 TDs, 0 INTs) but running well. He tallied 54 yards on 10 carries, while freshman Alvester Alexander and Brandon Stewart chugged for 128 yards on 29 carries, and 2 TDs. Key stat: again the Lobos were abysmal on 3rd or 4th down, converting only 4 of 17. Key stat: Wyoming converted almost half of its third and fourth downs (45%). Add stiff run defense, and it appears Wyoming has vacated the conference's basement about a year sooner than expected.

AFA gameday preview

The Frogs begin conference play in chilly Colorado Springs, facing a depleted version of one of the trickiest offenses in the nation, and a much fuller-strength version of a national top defense. Air Force's triple-option ground attack was brought nigh unto perfection last season with Tim Jefferson, Asher Clarke, and a young offensive line. Almost the entire offense returned this year, but seems to be suffering a collective sophomore slump. The Academy's starting QB and TB have both been playing under subpar physical condition, while their best receiver is just beginning to take snaps again in practice, after breaking a leg during the summer. Emotionally, the cadets have got to be reeling from the narrow overtime miss last week against Navy, (and missing their best linebacker, injured in that game) and the brooding threat of facing the MWC's best team this week.

Were that the entire list of bad news about this game, the Frogs' prognosis would be very good indeed. But all is not peaches coming out of Fort Worth, either. Mother Nature seems to have adopted the Academy's mood following the loss to Navy, and has a frigid, windy, wet night in store. One very reliable source says the Frog players were unfocused this week, and practiced very poorly. There are some foes for which poor practices may not bode too ill, but AFA is a team that will exploit mistakes: they're +13 in turnovers so far this season (leading the nation on average average), and have scored five defensive TDs in that span. Offensively, the Frogs simply cannot afford to make mistakes.

Defensively, TCU faces the same imperative. AFA converts a slightly higher percentage of third downs than TCU (44% to 41%), but does so largely on the ground. TCU has the best rush-defense in the nation, but has not played an option-based attack this season. While expected ground leaders Tim Jefferson and Asher Clarke have been playing injured, Savier Stevens (pictured) has picked up some of the slack, and leads the Falcons' so far in ground yards. The Academy's star lineman, Nick Charles, is back on the field.

Is there good news to take some of the "trap" out of this conference opener? Much of it. Most of the defensive players for TCU have prepared for the AFA attack three or four times already. Only Tank Carder has less experience with it, among the starters (Carder has seen it twice). Dalton and the offense take to Colorado Springs the bitter memory of the '07 overtime loss, (the frustration of that loss is evident in the photo from it at left) and a vast store of experience acquired since then. If the Frogs will focus and be assignment sound, they'll keep the ball to themselves. On the flip side, Air Force has had difficulty scoring more than field goals; their offense hasn't found the endzone in its last two games. Little about the TCU defense suggests they'll rediscover it frequently this weekend. Surely they'll run plays TCU hasn't seen, but if the Frogs play to most of their potential, AFA's innovation simply won't matter.

And that's the big if. TCU has shown only glimpses of its potential this season. The Frogs must show a lot more of it today if they're going to keep this game uninteresting, and be able to leverage it into a rise in the polls. The Wimple sees the Frogs pull away after haltime tomorrow, and win unsatisfyingly by about two scores. Otherwise, it may come down to giving Ross Evans a chance to redeem his reputation for prowess at high-pressure field goals. Let's hope Evans (and all of Frogdom) is spared that ordeal. TCU 27, AFA 14.

For further reading: Spitblood; AP; Colorado Springs Gazette; KFC's David May; BleacherReport; SportingNews.

What we learned: week 5

The Tally: 19-15 overall, 5-9 v. the cartel, 5-7 v. '08 bowl teams, 6-0 v. 2A teams.
(2008 tally: 23-10 overall, 7-5 v. the cartel, 6-5 v. '07 bowl teams, 5-1 v. 2A teams;
2007 tally: 14-16 overall, 5-9 v. the cartel, 2-13 v. '06 bowl teams, 3-0 v. 2A teams.)

Air Force: 13-16 OT loss at Navy. The hex continues-- AFA has dropped seven contests in a row to Navy, most of them by just a few points. As with all narrowly decided games, one could point to just one mistake (usually one of many) and say, "But for that error, the outcome would have been..." And how tempting, but incorrect. One cannot separate one mistake from all the others-- and from the opponent's mistakes, etc. So, for Air Force: its futility converting third downs (just three of 16), and kicking crucial field goals, and play calling, etc... it all haunts in Colorado Springs this week. And what worse time to haunt could there be? TCU comes calling in a few days. Tim Jefferson played some and sat out some, and Asher Clark again wasn't a ground-eating machine. Key stat: Jefferson and Clark combined for only 49 yards on 13 carries. AFA is a wounded bird, when it can least afford it.

BYU: 35-17 win v. Utah State. Question: when does BYU rush twice as many times as it passes? Answer: when Max Hall's TD:INT ratio is 1:1! Or perhaps that's just how it seemed Friday. It appears even Bronco Mendenhall sees the wisdom in the old football saying, "Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of 'em are bad." Hall threw three TDs and two more INTs, but the Cougars' lines overpowered the Aggie lines. Harvey Unga ran all over the Aggies, tallying 118 in 21 carries. Utah State managed less than three ypc. Key stat: Luke Ashworth filled in for the injured McKay Jacobson very nicely, netting five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. The cupboard in Provo is deep, and well stocked.

Colorado State: 29-31 loss at Idaho. Who would have told you, five weeks ago, that this post would include the second "loss at Idaho" for the conference? SDSU's loss was marginally excusable, as a bad habit. But Colorado State? Shelley Smith was back at LG; Grant Stucker had a pretty good game; his receivers were OK (19-35 for just under 300 yards and 4 TDs), his rushers decent (Mosure and Mason ran for 4.6 ypc). CSU's rush defense was good (2.1 ypc allowed). Pass defense was weak-- the top two Vandal receivers turned 18 catches into 282 yards and three TDs. Key stat: Idaho blocked a PAT and kept Leonard Mason inches away from the endzone in a two-point conversion attempt in the game's final minutes that would have evened the score. In the end, it appears CSU hasn't learned to take sufficient intensity with it to win close games on the road.

New Mexico: 28-48 loss at Texas Tech. This fifth loss for 2009 has genuinely redeeming features-- the first of the year. New Mexico held Tech to 7 points for 29:59; third-string runningback A.J. Butler ran for over 100 yards; the offense produced three TDs; UNM was +3 in turnovers. Maybe Mike Locksley has turned the ship around to face winning again. Key stat: ten different Lobos caught passes, six of them multiple times. The spread requires completed passes, and this is New Mexico's first showing that all of its players can do that.

San Diego State: 34-17 win v. New Mexico State. Don't look now, (and apparently nobody in San Diego is) but SDSU is developing a home winning streak. This makes three in a row, for still-dwindling crowds. Ryan Lindley didn't have much to do with it (26% completions); chalk this one up to the o-line (3.5 ypc) and defense: it forced five turnovers and held NMSU to less than 2 ypc. Key stat: Walter Kazee's debut: 22 carries, 101 yards. Brady Hoke has needed somebody to step up on the ground, and Kazee shows he's a winning card in Hoke's yet-too-small deck.

TCU: 39-14 win v. SMU. The Horned Frogs began the game like an unranked, unmotivated, rainy-day squad, giving up the ball twice in the game's first ten minutes (although the first of those is forgivable: the ballcarrier was knocked out cold in the fumble-forcing tackle!) Senior Joe Turner rallied the troops, though, and the tables turned. SMU held the ball less than eight minutes in the second half, and let the Frogs' three-prong ground attack (Turner, Wesley, Tucker) get over 5 ypc. Dalton had his worst game, completing only 60% of his passes and an INT. He threw two TDs, however. Key stat: the Frogs won the field position battle consistently, starting only one drive behind their own 30 yard line, and six of 13 drives in SMU territory. Another key stat: safety Alex Ibiloye led the team in tackles, with eight. His step-up is a key to settling a secondary is still searching for its identity in the wake of personel losses this offseason.

UNLV: 23-68 loss at Nevada. Did anything go right Saturday in Reno? UNLV's alleged defense, which has been highly suspect (at best!) all year, went on strike for the second half against Nevada, giving up 42 points in 30 minutes. The Wolpack averaged over ten ypc. on the night, and despite four turnovers, failed to catch only three of 19 passes. Key stat: UNLV managed only 2.6 ypc. This was a one-sided shootout, and perhaps the lowest of many lows in Mike Sanford's tenous career in Las Vegas.

Utah: bye.

Wyoming: 30-28 win at Florida Atlantic. It is tempting to say Wyoming's ship is turning around-- winning with their new scheme is a critical step the Cowboys took Saturday. But prudence requires one mind the inconsistency that will certainly dog Wyoming this season, and perhaps next. But green shoots clearly were in evidence; Wyoming held the ball ten minutes longer than the Owls; they ran it well and often. But best is this week's Key stat: Cowboys caught twelve of Austyn Carta-Samuels first thirteen passes, and 17 of the remaining 25: verily a solid performance. This is more than a green shoot; it is notice to the MWC: Wyoming is already out of the MWC's basement (see UNLV), and will even be dangerous soon enough. Intermittently, for now, but there is hope in Laramie.

TCU 39, SMU 14

Despite two turnovers, and playing over ten minutes on defense in the first frame, and only a five-point lead at halftime, TCU slowly roused itself and dominated SMU in the very rainy second half, scoring twice in third and fourth quarters each.

Jeremy Kerley was unstoppable, tacking up 175 return yards, including the Frogs' first punt-return for a touchdown in six years. He also caught four passes for 48 yards.

Ibiloye, Hughes, Washington, and Daniels had banner nights on D. The safety tallied eight solo tackles; the seniors combined for 13 tackles (four for losses), an interception, and 3.5 sacks; Daniels had two PBUs (the official stats miss one).

Even with a so-so (for him) night, Dalton still leads the conference, rated over 160. TCU tops the MWC in points-per-game (34.8).

Ryan Christian and Tanner Brock knocked themselves out, Christian's hit coming accidentally, and Brock's coming off a block with his (bare!) head during Kerley's 71-yard touchdown punt return, earning him ESPN lauds. Both left the field on their own legs.

Here're the highlights.

What we learned, week 4

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.