Hey All,
It's time for the column that makes you love Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.
USC Flashback Summary
September 25, 1976: USC 31- Purdue 13: The Trojans came into this contest at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN with something to prove. They had lost their opener, John Robinson's first game at the helm at SC, 46-25 to Missouri then went to Eugene and spanked the Ducks, 53-0. The Trojans had to prove that they could keep the winning ways of the previous week going and they did against a pesky bunch of Boilermakers. The Trojans ran their way to victory on the legs of Ricky Bell and the arm of QB Vince Evans. Evans had been pretty lousy as SC's QB in 1975 completing a paltry 31.3 % of his passes. However, in 1976 he shined. In this game he competed 13 of 16 passes for 168 yards. That was the balance the Trojans needed to go with Bell's 177 yards on 31 carries to get the road win. FB Mosi Tatupu had a stellar game, rushing for 75 yards on just seven carries. His fourth quarter, 27-yard rumble into the end zone extended the Trojans lead to 28-13 and gave him two TDs on the day. Purdue's offense was led by RB Scott Dierking who rushed for 94 yards on 25 carries and a TD in the loss.
Fun Fact; Purdue would go just 5-6 in 1976, but their biggest win was a 16-14 upset of then #1 Michigan at West Lafayette on November 6th.
Observations
...The Pac is back; Well, at least they said they will be. The Pac 12 voted to return to the gridiron this fall after previously canceling the season due to COVID. Plenty of infighting still going on in the league along with a great deal of consternation between the ADs, university presidents and Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott and his cronies. This article by John Canzano of the Oregonian brings up some questions that a restart of the season begs and also shows us the fact the Scott just stinks as a commissioner. Go back to tennis, Larry
...Left holding the bag; HC Lane Kiffin, and oh and maybe anybody else with half a brain at Ole Miss might have thought about how their version of a turnover chain looks. A burlap sack with a huge dollar sign on it might get the folks at NCAA headquarters wondering as what else that bag may also mean. Facepalm.
...Just an NFL rumor; There's no truth to the rumor that the Atlanta Falcons have petitioned the NFL's competition committee to shorten games to just three quarters.
...This just in; Florida State stinks. They are generationally bad. Seriously, they are. The Seminoles are off to their worst start Bobby Bowden's first year at the helm, 1976.
...Slouching towards Norman; I bet there are a whole lot of Sooner fans are wishing that football hadn't been played this year.
...Bad memories; When Florida racked up 51 points and torched the Ole Miss defense for 642 yards, I flashed back to when Lane KIffin had hired his dad Monte to be the defensive coordinator at USC. Bad bad memories there.
...He announced his presence with authority; HC Mike Leach's Mississippi State Bulldogs went into Baton Rouge and threw all over LSU for a 44-34 upset win over the defending national champs. Here's Leach's post game reaction. The Pirate Speaks
...Useless USC fact; USC is 1-0 v. the University of San Francisco. The Trojans walloped the Dons, 34-0 at Kezar Stadium in 1943.
...The Transitive Theory of Football; Arkansas State beat Kansas State who beat Oklahoma, therefore Arkansas State is better than Oklahoma.
...Memo to ESPN's Joe Tessitore; Just because you're calling an SEC game, it doesn't mean that you are contractually obligated to heap praise on the conference after every other play.
...A good start; With a 31-6 road win over Louisiana-Monroe, the UTEP Miners are 3-1 for the first time since 2010 when Mike Price was the HC.
...They haven't started; The University of Houston had five games scheduled for September. They haven't played any. Here's how the month got away from them Lost Month
...He can sling it; Stanford grad transfer and now Mississippi State QB K.J. Costello had himself a whale of a first day in the SEC. All he did was shatter the SEC single passing record by 79 yards. He threw for 623 yards on LSU. Oh, he also set the league record of passing attempts in a game with 60. Wow.
...Five yards on me; Packer QB Aaron Rogers' hard count is so good, it made me jump on my couch.
...23 and a W; Va Tech took on North Carolina State down 23 players including their starting QB due to COVID and still whipped the Wolfpack, 45-24. Whoa.
...Still cracks me up; I've posted this before, but it just also shows me that you can never take anything for granted in football. You have to coach your team in every facet of the game. Pop Warner Fail
A Baseball Note
Or really just deep boxscore oddities that only SABR members like me love;
This year in MLB when games go to extra innings a runner is placed on second base to start each half of each extra inning played. So when a team comes to the plate, there is already a runner in scoring position. On 8/1/2020 something happened that had never happened before in MLB history. Here's what transpired. The Tampa Bay Rays were playing at the Baltimore Orioles. The teams remained tied at the top of 11th inning. Rays C, Mike Zunino Struck out to start the top of the 11th inning. With one out CF Manuel Margot came up and lined out to Orioles 1B Bryan Holaday who then turned and threw to 2B Hanser Alberto where the baserunner Kevin Kiermaier was caught off the bag for a double play. So what? Double plays happen all the time. Well folks this one was special. The double play ended what is now the first Two Up/Three Down inning in MLB history. I said it was an oddity only guys like me love. lol
Ugly Uniform of the Week
So, can you name this week's winner? Can you tell who this school is by this photo? The team in the uniform stolen from an old black and white movie is Pitt. If I cannot tell who you are from the uniform, it's a fail. If you want some background on how Nike created this mess, here it is in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Forge The Future
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Fayette, MO- Once again we go the NAIA, where the Eagles of Central Methodist University rode their defense to a 14-12 victory over the William Penn University Statesmen. The Eagles broke the seal on scoreless tie in the third quarter when LB Jory Maddox picked up fumble by WPU QB Alex Crehan and rumbled 15 yards for a TD an a 7-0 lead. At the end of the period, The Eagles took a 14-0 lead on a 12-yard TD pass from QB Jaen Brown to WR Kataviuos Taylor. The fourth quarter saw William Penn rally for two TDs, but the Eagles defense blocked a PAT, a field goal, and then stopped a two point conversion with no time left ton the clock to claim victory.
Blowout Game of the Week: Forest City, IA- The Warriors of Waldorf University turned a 9-0 first quarter lead into a 36-0 halftime lead en route to a 58-7 blowout victory over the Presentation College Saints. QB Taylor Alexander completed only nine of 19 passes, but he did throw for 172 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score too. The Warriors also scored on a punt return and an interception return in this NAIA laugher.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Georgia came into Razorback-land with a big question mark at the QB position. USC Transfer J.T Daniels was not medically cleared to play and D'Wan Mathis was not getting the job done. The Hogs held a 7-0 lead on the Bulldogs in the second quarter and 7-5 lead at the half only to see Georgia right the ship after they benched Mathis and sent in Stetson Bennett to call the signals. Bennett's 20 of 29, 211 yard and two TD day lead the Bulldogs to a comeback 37-10 win. It was a win that kept Georgia form feeling like LSU and sent the Hogs down to their 20th straight SEC loss. This Arkansas team has some talent, but not enough to compete in the SEC right now. New Razorback QB and Florida transfer QB Felipe Franks threw for 200 yards, a TD and two interceptions in the loss. HC Sam Pittman definitely has his work cut out for him in Fayetteville. Up next for the Hogs is a trip to see the Pirate in Starkville.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
This is one definition of what Home means to me; it's a good meal cooking on the stove, a comfortable spot on the couch and a good game on the TV.
I had no idea that one of my wife's favorite candies at Halloween are flavored Tootsie Rolls.
Mini pumpkins are cool.
Until next time, remember that wining games ugly still count as W's on your schedule.
-The Commissioner
