Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Week 8, 2015

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes workers lose productivity all across the nation, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 42- Utah 24: After all the turmoil at Heritage Hall over the last couple weeks and a tough loss at Notre Dame, the Trojans came home to host the undefeated  and #3 ranked Utah Utes who were  feeling pretty insulted at being installed as 6 1/2 point underdogs.  USC came out and staggered through the first quarter, then dominated the final three periods to scalp the Utes.  The absolute star of the game for the Trojans was true freshman LB Cameron Smith.  All he did was pickoff three passes, return one of those for a TD and was the key man in shutting down Utah's rushing attack as well.   As for the Trojan offense, the rushing game prospered with the use of Soma Vainuku at fullback.  He scored a TD going over the top from one-yard out, recovered a Trojan fumble to save a drive and handed out some devastating hits.  The RB tandem of Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis combined to lug the leather 34 times for 139 yards and two TDs.  QB Cody Kessler completed 21 of 28 passes for 264 yards a TD to lead the USC aerial attack. His favorite target was WR JuJu Smith Schuster who caught balls including Kessler's TD toss. He also called out and leveled Utah DB Dominique Hatfield with one of the best stiffarms of the year.  The unsung hero of this game is C Khaliel Rodgers.  Rodgers came in for the injured Toa Lobendahn who already was subbing at C for the injured Max Tuerk.  The kid came in and played a great game under the circumstances.  As for the Utes, their offense goes as QB Trevor Wilson goes, Wilson didn't go so good.  He threw four interceptions and made numerous errant throws thanks to Trojan defensive pressure.  He still finished with 254 yards passing and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 3 for 35;  Cameron Smith's three interceptions propelled USC to the win over Utah. 
Video: Bad JuJu for Hatfield

Colorado 17- Oregon State 13: 12:31 is a long time in a football game.  It's a long time to hold a lead and a long time to wait for a Pac 12 win greatly overdue for the Colorado program and their fans.  CU QB Sefo Luifau knifed his way into the end zone from four yards out to give CU a 17-10 lead over with 12:31 to play.  The Colorado defense rose to the occasion and held that lead for the final 12:31 to notch their first Pac 12 win since beating Cal, 42-14 in Boulder back in 2013.  It was also their first Pac 12 road win since they beat Wazzu, in 2012, 35-34.  After Liufau's go ahead score, the Buffs defense did stagger, but a pair of offensive penalties in the red zone forced OSU to kick a 34-yard field goal and draw to within four points at 17-13.  The CU defense then held OSU on their final three drives.  They held for downs once, forced a punt and intercepted OSU QB Nick Mitchell to to seal the victory with :24 left.  Liufau completed 16 of 23 passes for 140 yards and a TD to go with 44 yards rushing and another TD to lead the CU attack.  RB Ryan Nall gained 122 yards on 20 carries and scored OSU's only TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: 1; All that matters for the Buffs is that number 1 in the Pac 12 win column.
Video: Buffs finish it off

Stanford 31- Washington 14: Another week, another Stanford victory led by RB Christian McCaffrey. Yawn.  McCaffrey gained 300 all-purpose yards and scored two TDs as the spearhead of an offensive attack that held the ball for 40:05.  SU QB Kevin Hogan had another fine night in the air, completing 17 of 24 passes for 290 yards and a pair of scores.  UW QB K.J. Carta-Samuels filling in for starter Jake Browning completed only 9 of 21 passes for 118 yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: 40:05;  Stanford's TOP edge allowed them to put a stranglehold on this game and literally run away from the Huskies.
Video: UW-SU Highlights

Washington State 45- Arizona 42: The Wazzu connection of QB Luke Falk to WR Gabe Marks is on the road to legendary status as the Cougs outgunned the Wildcats in Tempe.  For Falk it was just another day at the office.  He completed 47 of 62 passes for 514 yards and five TDs.  Falk caught eight of those passes of 97 yards and four TDs.  Falk completed throws to 10 different receivers en route to running up 631 yards of offense on the Wildcats.  The Cougars never trailed in this shootout. However, Arizona did put themselves within striking distance of winning this game thanks to QB Jerrard Randall who completed 11 of 16 tosses for 137 yards and two TDs to go with 105 yards rushing on 10 carries.  RB Nick Wilson can't be overlooked here as he scored three TDs to keep the Wildcats in the game.  In the end though, it was Casey Skowron recovering UofA's onside kick with :41 left to finally let WSU put this one in the win column.  The Cougs are now 5-2 and riding a three game Pac 12 winning streak.  They haven't done that since 2003.
Telling Stat: Air Traffic Control;  Wazzu ran off 93 plays, made 34 first downs, gained 631 total yards and held the ball for 37:53 with their Air Raid offense to beat the Wildcats.
Video: Wazzu Highlight Reel

UCLA 40- California 24: After getting destroyed by one Bay Area school last week, the bRuins took out their frustrations on the other Bay Area school.  Cal's defense couldn't stop anybody in this game. UCLA QB and Country Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Josh Rosen outshined Cal QB Jered Goff, completing 34 of 47 passes for 399 yards and three TDs.  His favorite target was WR Thomas Duarte who caught 10 balls for 141 yards and one TD.  The bRuins did lose RB Paul Perkins in the second period, but backup Soso Jamabo filled in admirably rushing for 79 yards on 18 carries with a TD.  As for the Golden Bears offense, Goff did throw for  295 yards and three TDs. However, the Bears rushing attack was completely stuffed by UCLA. The Bears were held to just 131 yards on 35 carries.
Telling Stat: Defenseless Bears;  UCLA scored on their first seven possessions of the game, including a 60-yard field goal by PK Ka'imi Fairbairn to end this game early at the Rose Bowl.
Video: Fairbairn hits a 60

Observations

...Back to the past;  The creators of Back To The Future didn't hit on their prediction of the Cubs winning the World Series in 2015, but they did get the past correct.  In Back to the Future II when Old Biff from 2015 goes back to 1955 and finds Young Biff to give him the Sports Almanac, he uses a UCLA- Washington football game to prove that the book is real.  In the movie, Old Biff was truly correct on that score.   On November 12, 1955, UCLA's Jim Decker did kick a 35-yard field goal to to lift the bRuins over the Huskies, 19-17.

...Pac 12 nightmare= Big Sky Pride;  If Wazzu upsets Stanford this week, the top team in the Pac 12 North will be Washington State.  Yes, that Washington State. The team that lost in week one to Portland State.

...And then there were four;  There are still four winless teams in the FBS,  They are Central Florida, Kansas, North Texas and New Mexico State.  Of these four, North Texas already fired their HC and UCF HC, George "Hey, check out my cool resume" O'leary, resigned.  Don't cry for O'leary though, UCF owes him 200K a year through 2020.

...Golden's Parachute;  The planes circling the Miami home games carrying banners that urged the firing of Miami HC Al Golden can stop now.  He's gone.  He's the seventh HC to be fired this season.

..New retirement plan;  1. Become the coach of an FBS school. 2. Run it into the ground.  3. Take my Golden Parachute and enjoy retirement and work as an analyst during the season for the Pac 12 Network.

...She's the Commish;  Conference USA named Judy MacLeod the first female commissioner of a major athletic conference.  To this news I have only one thing to say.  I didn't think C-USA actually had a commissioner.

...Their time of year; The Big XII backloads their schedules so that their teams get off to a good start and fill in the top 25 rankings in October. Then in November chaos ensues.  Big XII implosion now coming in 3-2-1...

...Oh Irony, you cruel comedian;  Anybody ease realize that Al Golden getting fired by Miami happened with the team used to coach, Temple, now 7-0?

...Not feeling it;  Miami's interim HC is named Larry Scott.  Don't get excited there Hurricane fans, our Larry Scott stinks.  Yours might too.

...Sign her up;  The ringer from the USC women's Soccer team that nailed that 25-yard field goal at halftime of the USC game kicked the best looking ball of the night.

...This just in;  Kansas still stinks.

...High School Stand-in;  At USC's practices last week, San Clemente grad and Trojan freshman QB Sam Darnold ran the Utah offense pretending to be Ute QB and fellow SCHS grad, Trevor Wilson.

...ESPN Gameday blows it... again;  Gameday will be at Temple for Temple- Notre Dame.  Wouldn't have been great if the Gameday crew finally made that trip to Pullman, for Wazzu-Stanford?  SMH.

...Memo to Pac 12 DBs;  Don't make JuJu Smith-Schuster mad.

...This just in; Utah WR Brian Covey is really fast and really good.

...Feels even better than it looked; Not only did Georgia DB Lance Austin return FSU's blocked field goal 78 yards for the TD to beat the Seminoles on the final play Saturday night.  He crossed the goal line with his twin brother blocking for him.  Lance and Lawrence Austin are dedicating this season to their grandmother who died earlier this year.

...No story here;  Clemson AD Dan Radakovich will most likely be recusing himself from voting on Clemson's ranking in the first CFP Selection Committee rankings that come out this coming Monday. The media is pumping this up like it's a big story.  It's not. Four different board members recused themselves last year during rankings discussions.

...No way, no how;  Anybody telling you that they thought that Pitt, Duke and North Carolina would be atop the ACC Coastal division standings at this point in the is lying.

...Not on the same page;  Iowa State HC Paul Rhoads fired OC Mark Mangino, yes former KU HC Mark Mangino, because he and Rhoads couldn't "get on the same page."  Hmmmm.  Coordinators are usually reassigned, not fired.  Mangino is known as very tough to work with in coaching circles. Nobody should be surprised by this move.

...Say it ain't so, Ancient Eight;  That last bastion of protection of student athlete football experience, good hygiene and virginity, the Ivy League, has caved in.  How? Well in case you haven't noticed, (and by the ratings for the games, you haven't), the Ivy League has been playing, (gasp!), Friday night games on NBC Sports Network.  I'm shocked, shocked to see TV money rear its' ugly head in college football.

...It's a lock;  Unless they have a major collapse against inferior competition, Iowa will be in the Big Ten title game.

...Memo to Fresno State fans;  The crack team here at Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard has checked for you. Pat Hill is still available.

...Apathy hurts the most; Do you know what separates USC and other schools?  No matter what happens at USC it's big news.  Other schools just fall off the map.  Just ask Oregon.

...They have an App for that;  The Sun Belt Conference has an App.  It's Appalachian Sate and they are 6-1 and 3-0 in Sun Belt play. Their only loss is a 31-point blowout by Clemson.  Which is 27 points less points than the 58 point loss that Miami suffered to the Tigers.

...A small time heart;  College football is a big business in the FBS, but the majority of college football is played in small towns in front of crowds that range from a couple of hundred folks, to maybe a couple of thousand.  There are over 400 NCAA and NAIA member schools that play the game this way.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: UCLA wins this week's award for this just miserable black ensemble.  You can't read the name on the helmets and the stripes are a joke.  Also, what's with the weird cross-hatch pattern?  It's just plain ugly.


 Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Valley City, ND- This week's game comes from the NAIA ranks. QB Kurtis Walls hit WR Colby Lum with an 8-yard TD pass with :17 left to give the Valley City State Vikings a 12-6 win over the Jamestown (ND) Jimmies.  The win means that the Paint Bucket Trophy stays in Valley City for another season.  It looked like it was an all-field goal day as the game stood 6-6 with 10:22 to play. Then with 2:13 left,  Jamestown gambled by going for it on 4th and 5 from the VCSU 39-yard line.  Jimmies QB Beau Erciskon had his 4th down pass attempt broken by up by DB Andre Peppers and the Vikings had held.  VCSU seized on the momentum shift and charged down the field four plays to notch the game-winning score.  Walls completed 17 of 37 passes for 193 yards and one big TD in the rivalry victory.

 Blowout of the Week: Sioux City, IA- This rout also comes from the NAIA, where the Morningside (IA) College Mustangs crushed the Briar Cliff University Chargers, 79-7.  The Mustangs' one-two punch combination of QB Ryan Kasdorf and RB Tyler Kavan couldn't be stopped by the Chargers.  Kasdorf completed 13 of 15 passes for 276 yards and four TDs, while Kavan ran the ball 12 times for 80 yards an three TDs.  The Mustangs led 56-0 at the half and emptied the benches the rest of the way. 18 different Mustangs handled the ball on offense in this laughter.

C.W. Post Press: West Haven, CT- The Universiy of New Haven Chargers charged up and down the field, building up a 35-3 halftime lead en rout to a 63-16 beatdown of the Pioneers.  Post found no way to contain the Chargers running game.  New Haven rushed for 401 yards with 255 of those yards and three TD coming form the RBs Andre Anderson and Trevor Officer.  QB Ajee Patterson got in the act too,  he completed 13 of 20 passes for 231 yards and four scores.  In the loss, Post QB Jeff Kidd threw for two second half TDs as part of a 27 for 41 227 yard performance. Up next for Post is a home date with Southern Connecticut State Owls.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

I like my new Honda Pilot.

In a week or so the World Series be over and that means one thing; spring training is just a few months away!

How did I become so domestic lately?

Until next week folks remember winning the turnover battle determines who wins the game most of the time.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Week 7, 2015

Hey All,

The Commissioner has returned from a great time in Chicago and a tough loss at Notre Dame.  It's now time for another edition of that column you love, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mike Walden.

Summaries

Notre Dame 41- USC 31: It was a chilly night in South Bend for this latest edition of the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.  The teams traded blows all night long, but as has been the case this year, USC did not have enough in the tank for a strong fourth quarter and fell to the Fighting Irish. The Trojans did hold an early 10-7 lead, just to watch ND storm back to a 24-10 lead a shortly into the fourth quarter.  However the Trojans got off the deck when WR Jalen Greene took a short backwards pass from USC QB Cody Kessler and threw a perfect strike to WR JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 75-yard touchdown.  about a minute and a half later, Adoree Jackson took a short pass from Kessler and went 83-yards to the house for the game-tying score.  USC came out after the half and took the lead on a 4-yard TD pass from Kessler to TE Taylor McNamara.  Then, the fourth quarter happened.  The defense that really had a hard time pressuring ND QB DeShone Kizer and stopping RB C.J. Prosise didn't stop them at all in the final period.  The Irish scored 17 points on drives of 90, 91, and 52 yards while the defense shutout USC to notch the comeback win.  Kier finished the game completing 15 of 24 passes for 227b yards and two TDs.  Prosise gashed the Trojan defense for 143 yards on 19 carries and a pair of scores.  As for USC, Kessler finished the game with 365 yards passing, two TDs and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: They couldn't finish;  USC got outscored 17-0 by ND in the fourth quarter to lose this game.  In USC's three losses in 2015, they have been outscored 34-9 in the fourth quarter.

Washington State 52- Oregon State 31: The Cougars took on the Beavers and their the #1 ranked passing defense the Pac 12.  The Cougs put up 45 on that defense... in the first half.  Yes, Wazzu put up 45 first half points, then took the second half off up in Pullman.  Wazzu QB Luke Falk completed 39 of 50 passes for 407 yards and six TDs. WR Dom Williams was his favorite target.  He caught 11 balls for 158 yards and two scores.  The OSU defense did throw a second half shutout, as WSU's lone second half score was a pick six.  However, the game was already firmly in the win column for the Cougars at the intermission.  OSU true frosh QB Seth Collins continues had a solid game, throwing for 176 yards and a score and rushing for 124 yards and another TD. The win marked the first time in two years that Cougars won a home Pac 12 game and was also win 100 in the career of HC Mike Leach.
Telling Stat: 7 for 7;  Wazzu scored on all seven first half drives to snuff out OSU's hopes of victory early in the Palouse.

Arizona 38- Colorado 31: It was another night of revolving quarterbacks as the Wildcats outlasted the Buffaloes in Boulder.  UofA QB Anu Solomon staked the Cats to an early 17-7 lead after the first period.  Then, he lost his rhythm in the middle two quarters. CU mounted a comeback while this was going on and held a 24-17 lead going into the final period. UofA HC Rich Rodriguez, sent in Jerrard Randall to sub for Solomon.  He led the Cats on a 97-yard TD drive in six plays. The tying score on a 45-yard run by RB Jared Baker.  The Cats defense held and Randall then led team for most of a 94 yard scoring drive.  I say most because, Randall got the Cats all the way down to the CU 25 where he was injured on a 7-yard run.  Solomon then came back in and threw a 25-yard strike to Baker for the go ahead score.  Randall returned to the game after another stop by the Cats and led a short drive to score the game clinching TD with 4:40 to play.  CU scored one final time, but thats was as close as they would get to sending the game to overtime.  UFO's unsung offensive hero of the game was RB Jared Baker.  Baker filled in well for the injured Nick Wilson by rushing for 207 yards on 23 carries with two TDs.  CU QB Sefo Liufau had a big game, completing 28 of 43 aerials for 339 yards and two scores.  WR Shay Fields was the Liufau's favorite target catching eight passes for 168 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 226+ (-2)= W;  In an 11:14 span that covered the end of the third and most of the fourth quarter, Arizona outscored Colorado, 21-0 and out gained Colorado 226 yards to -2 to take control of the game. 

Stanford 56- UCLA 35: Don't let the score in this one fool you, folks.  Stanford was in complete control of their game with the bRuins from the opening kickoff.  The Cardinal started the game with a pick six of UCLA QB and Hobey Baker Award winner Josh Rosen.  Then, they let the their running game do the talking.  Cardinal RB Christian McCaffrey could not be stopped by UCLA.  He toted the rock 25 times for a school record 243 yards and four TDs before sitting out most of the fourth quarter.  Kevin Hogan had another quietly efficient night too.  He completed 8 of 15 passes for 131 yards and three TDs.  One of this TDs was a catch for the ages as WR Francis Owusu caught the ball with a bRuin defender all over him like a cheap suit. Rosen did finish with 325 yards passing, three TDs and two interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: Way too little, too late;  UCLA's final 15 points and 144 yards of offense came after Stanford had emptied the benches up 56-20.  

Oregon 26- Washington 20: QB Vernon Adams returned from his broken finger and led the Quack Attack to their 12th straight win over the Huskies.  Oregon never trailed in this one. Back form an NCAA drug suspension, UO WR Darrin Carrington put the Ducks up 6-0 when he hauled in a 35-yard TD pass from Adams.  Throw in an 8-yard TD run from RB Bralon Addison and a 28-yard FG from Aidan Schneider and the Ducks held a commanding 16-3 lead at the break.  UW never really got their offense untracked all night.  True Frosh QB Jake Browning threw for 199 yards and a TD in the loss.  As for the victorious Ducks, Adams completed 14 of 25 aerials for 272 yards and two TDs, while RB Royce Freeman lead all rushers with 138 yards on 27 carries.
Telling Stat: 1-0;  That's the most I'm important stat for the Ducks with Vernon Adams return to the lineup.

Utah 34- Arizona State 18: While Washington couldn't break their 11-gaem losing streak to Oregon, Utah broke their 11-game losing streak to the Sun Devils.  The defenses dominated the first part of  this game with the Utes holding a 14-10 edge at the half.  The third quarter wasn't much better as the Sun Devils took an 18-14 lead into the fourth quarter behind two field goals and a safety.  The Utah offense woke up in the fourth quarter.  Utah went on 20-0 run to finish the game thanks to RB Devontae Booker.  101 of his 118 yards rushing and both of his TDs came in the final period.  His TD runs of 32 and 67 yards plus a pair of field goals by PK Andy Phillips secured the win for the undefeated Utes.  As for the Utes aerial attack, QB Travis Wilson completed 26 of 36 passes for 297 yards and two scores.  ASU QB Mike Bercovici threw for 242 yards and an interception in the defeat.
Telling Stat: Highway 101 went through Salt Lake;  In a game where rushing yards came at a  premium, Utah RB Devontae Booker's 101 yards rushing in the final period won the game for the Utes. 

Observations

...USC X2;  Who thought both USC's would lose both their HCs on the same day?

...Air appeal;  Jalen Greene's trick pass TD to JuJu Smith-Schuster was the best looking ball thrown by a Trojan all year.

...Not impressed;  Baylor is 6-0, but the combined record of their opponents thus far is 12-22. Oh, and  three of those wins belong to Lamar, the FCS team the Bears whipped in week two.

...Gut punched;  That's what every Michigan fan has to feel like after Saturday's final play.

...That was heart I saw;  USC showed more heart and fire in the ND game than they showed in Steve Sarkisian's entire tenure.

...No front walls;  USC's offensive and defensive lines are the worst they've been since He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was the HC of the Trojans.

...Funny how that happens;  UCLA runs on a quarter system.  That means the bRuins didn't start class until September 21st.  Before class started, UCLA went 3-0.  After classes have started the bRuins are 1-2.  Funny how that happens.

...Just a rumor;  Even thought their defenses preform the same, there is no truth to the rumor that USC DC Justin Wilcox is former USC DC Keith Burns' long lost twin brother.

...A tough dumpster fire;  With all the players being arrested, the HC being suspended for three games and a number of other "character issues", Rutgers is 3-3 and could give TheeeOSU some real fits this week.

...And then there were four;  There are four winless teams in the FBS.  Central Florida, Kansas, North Texas and New Mexico State are all winless.  Central Florida hit the 0-7 mark on Saturday making them the first team this season play their way out of bowl eligibility in 2015.

...Realization about what I saw;  Heart and fire are great, but moral victories are for Vanderbilt.

...Chilly night;  While bundled up well and siting in the stands at Notre Dame in the fourth quarter, I heard this and started laughing.  A guy a couple of rows behind me said, " Dude it's freezing out here.  No, really! It's 32 degrees!"

...Quick quiz time; Name the last UCLA QB to beat Stanford.  It was Kevin Craft in 2008.  I had to google it.

...Much too long;  Wazzu's blowout of Oregon State was their first home Pac 12 win since they beat Utah, 49-37 back on November 23, 2013.

...Quick quiz time- part II;  Name the last Washington HC to lead his team to a win over Oregon.  It was Keith Gilbertson in 2003.

...Way Too Big Ten;  With 14 teams in the Big Ten and only eight conference games, that means that Iowa can get away with a league schedule where they won't face Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State in the regular season. The Hawkeyes are 7-0 and will most likely roll in undefeated into the Big Ten title game. SMH.

...No reason to worry;  Who cares who TheeeOSU's QB is?  They just keep winning with whoever is under center.

...A rare happening;  It was indeed a rare thing in Notre Dame Stadium to see the Cubs playoff score being flashed along with the college football results on the scoreboard. In fact, that was the only time in history those events have intersected.

...Pure Mike Leach;  Wazzu's win over Oregon State this weekend was the 100th win as a HC for Mike Leach.  Leach is always a bit off kilter and this quote sums up how he felt about his 100th win.  "They dump water all over you and you have to change your shirt."

...Could be an Aztec sky; San Diego State is 3-0 in Mountain West play and has a two game lead in the their division.  The Utah State- SDSU game this week could be well worth watching.

...Quietly undefeated;  Temple is 6-0.

And now a PSA from The Commissioner: It has come to my attention that some members of the media have not been staying to the end of football games to file their postgame reports.  Premature posting of postgame stories is a dangerous thing.  You can control premature reporting if you stay until the end of the game.  If you don't, this could happen to you.

Michigan Wins!

Conflicting Uniform of the Week: Ohio State's full black uniforms v. Penn State this week were troubling to me.  I loved the design and hated the uniform.  The uniform is a classic look.  No Oregon craziness going here.  However, the look isn't Ohio State.  Ohio State isn't the Scarlet and Black.  Ohio State is the Scarlet and Grey. They looked like Texas Tech.  These killed their tradition with this uniform.  Also, I think of all the money wasted on adding the Buckeye decals to these one use uniforms. The equipment guys at TheeeOSU had to apply 2,000 Buckeyes to the helmets for game day. SMH.



Departments

Blowout of the Week: Jacksonville, IL-  On a crisp Illinois afternoon, the Illinois College Blueboys  whipped the Grinnell College Pioneers, 83-10.  The Blueboys ran up 903 yards of offense on the afternoon with QB Brady Huber connecting on 12 of 17 passes for 194 yards and one TD.  Backup QB Blake Matson was a little more efficient completing 3 out 3 passes for 120 yards and two TDs.  The Blueboys also ran the ball well too.  RB's Greg Cross and Daniel Modelski combined to gain 231 yards on 15 carries and score four TDs.  10 different Blueboys carried the ball in this laugher.

Low Score Game of the Week: Indiana, PA- It was time for rivals to meet this week in western Pennsylvania. The Indiana (PA) Crimson Hawks defeated the California (PA) Vulcans, 20-15 in the Coal Bowl.  Indiana was nursing a 13-9 lead late in the third quarter when RB Chris Temple found paydirt from a yard out to extend the Crimson Hawks lead to 20-9.  Temple had a huge night, rushing for 255 yards on 37 carries and all three of his team's TDs.   The Vulcans did make a late charge, to come within five points, but QB James Harris' fourth down pass fell incomplete from the Indiana 7-yard line. Harris completed 15 of 30 passes for 185 yards and an interception in the loss.

C.W. Post Press: Pleasantville, NY- After every game on their schedule being a nail-biter, the Pioneers enjoyed a breather.  They beat the Pace Setters, 30-7.  The Pioneers held a 30-7 lead after three quarters and emptied the benches in the final period.  QB Jeff Kidd completed 12 of 27 tosses for 209 yards, two TDs and two picks for Post.  The running game was high gear for the Pioneers with RB's David White and Malik Pierre combing to gain 227 yards on 40 carries and one TD.  Up next for Post is a trip to West Haven, CT to take on the New Haven University Chargers.

And Now, Five Notes About Chicago...

Finally made it to the Twin Anchors on this ND trip.  An order of ribs with zesty sauce, wings with good bleu cheese on the side, some fries and a Great Lakes Eliot Ness Amber is a pretty hard combination to beat.

Car horns are the unofficial second language in the Windy City.

Murphy's Bleachers is my favorite Wrigleyville hangout.  It's the bleacher bum in me.

Eggsperience is a great breakfast place.  Wait, let's make that an epic breakfast place.  Why? because in addition to having pretty good food, the place is open on Fridays and Saturdays from midnight to 6 AM.  For weary Trojans making their way back from a night game in South Bend, it was a great thing to behold.

The views of Lake Michigan from Navy Pier are awesome.

Until next time folks, remember that man-to-man coverage only works when you have a good pass rush.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Week 6, 2015

Hey All,

It's Tuesday and that means another editor of the column that lets you know that anybody with a keyboard can write a blog, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

Washington 17- USC 12: This is where I speak about the problems on the field for USC. A Trojan team that looked totally unprepared took on a very well prepared Husky team last Thursday night at the Coliseum.  The late arriving crowd settled into an early malaise as USC stunk up the joint.  The fact the Trojans held a 6-3 lead at the half is amazing considering that the USC offense continually set up the Huskies deep in Trojan territory with turnovers.  UW made USC QB Cody Kessler's night a bad one by getting plenty of hard hits on him and forcing two interceptions.  Kessler finished the night completing 16 of 29 passes for 156 yards.  One thing that USC's offense could do was run the ball. Tre Madden and Ronald Jones II combined to carry the ball 25 times for 185 yards and a TD. Even with as bad as they played, the Trojans still has a shot to pull it out, but inexplicably bad play calling ended that last chance.  The Huskies played inspired football.  They were led by RB Myles Gaskin who gained 134 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.  The UW defense did a number on USC, forcing numerous three and outs to allow their offense control the clock.
Telling Stat: Couldn't move the chains;  The Washington defense held USC to just 1 for 13 on third downs to keep the Trojan offense on the sideline and off the scoreboard.

Arizona State 48- Colorado 23: The Sun Devils easily handled the Buffaloes down in the desert Saturday.  ASU QB Mike Bercovici tied his career high with five TD passes as part of performance that saw him complete 21 of 30 passes for 260 yards.  His favorite target was WR Tim White who caught a career high seven aerials for 144 yards and two TDs.  ASU's defense shut down CU's rushing attack and QB Sefo Liufau had to try and win it on his own.  Liufau completed 25 of 40 passes for 389 yards and one touchdown.
Telling Stat: They bent, but didn't break;  ASU's defense gave up 450 yards and 19 first downs to Colorado, but allowed the buffs to convert on only 6 of 16 third downs to control the game. 

Washington State 45- Oregon 38- 2OT: Despite the wind, the rain and a handful of blown calls by the officials, Washington State pulled off a stunner in Eugene.  Wazzu's game-winning TD in the second overtime came on one of the weirdest plays of the year.  WSU QB Luke Falk threw a short slant to WR River Cracraft who looked like he broke the plane of the goal.  However, as he was going down the ball popped out laterally.  Fellow Cougar WR Robert Lewis scooped the ball out of the air and charged into the end zone.  After a few seconds, the officials called the play a TD.  It was then up for review.  After several minutes of review, the call was upheld and the Cougars held the lead while Oregon had their turn to tie the game.  The Cougar defense stood their ground and picked off UO QB Jeff Lockie to end the game.  The Cougars took an early lead in this game and put the Ducks on notice it would not be an easy day.  Falk finished the game completing 50 of 74 passes for 505 yards and five TDs.  With starting QB Vernon Adams still injured, the Ducks offense revolved around the rushing game where RB Royce Freeman rushed for 246 yards on 27 carries and scored two TDs.  As a team the Quacks gashed WSU for 410 yards on the ground.
Telling Stat: A grand Cougar comeback;  Down 31-21 with 8:20 left, Wazzu outscored the Ducks 24-7 while also outgaining the Ducks 233 yards to 30 through the end of regulation and overtime to claim the upset win.

Arizona 44- Oregon State 7: The Wildcats took out a couple of weeks worth of frustrations on the Beavers.  QB Anu Solomon was back in the lineup for the Cats for the first time since being injured v. UCLA a couple of weeks ago.  All he did was complete 17 of 30 tosses for 276 yard before sitting out the fourth quarter.  UofA's rushing game returned as well with the Cats rushing the ball 58 times for 368 yards.  RB Jared Baker carried the ball 10 times for 123 yards, while backfield mate Orlando Bradford gained 83 yards on 19 carries with three TDs.  Not to be forgotten, RB Nick Wilson ran for 78 yards and two TDs of his own.   The Wildcat defense made a good showing as well, holding the Beavers to 249 total yards, with only 98 of those coming through the air.  QB Seth Collins provided the Beavers lone score on the day to go with 112 total yards.
Telling Stat: Dammed Beavers;  Arizona's defense never let the OSU offense get untracked.  OSU's average drive on this game lasted just 5 plays and covered 17 yards. 

Notre Dame 41- Navy 24:  A week isn't much time to prepare for Navy's triple option. ND's defense struggled at times. To be Prosise, it took a Kizer to sink Navy. ND QB DeShone Kizer cooly completed 22 of 30 passes for 281 yards and a TD.  He also ran for a score too to lead the Irish attack.  As for the rest of the rushing game, RB C.J. Prosise slashed through the Middies for 129 yards on  21 carries and three TDs. The ND defense did have its' problems with the Midshipmen, but gave up only a field goal in the second half to allow the offense to pull away. Navy RB Quentin Ezell ran for 75 yards on six carries and a pair of TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Hard to fight back;  Navy's offense is not a great one for mounting comebacks. With ND ahead and running the ball well in the second half, Navy only had three second half possessions.  Navy kicked a field goal, missed a field goal and threw an interception on those possessions.  

Observations

...Incoming!; This season in college football has one bombshell after another dropping all over the landscape.

...Hard to fathom;  So, what were odds that both USCs would lose their HCs on the same day?  Happy trails, Steve Spurrier.  Get to rehab, Sark.

...They got the axe too;  Without much fanfare, Dan McCarney got fired from the North Texas job, while Randy Edsall was shown the door at Maryland.  No drama firings, what a concept!

...Thank you note; (insert Jimmy Fallon here)  Dear Bob Stoops, thank your for failing to have your team prepared for another big game.  We love all love you at Choke-lahoma.  Sincerely, Charlie Strong.

...That natural high;  North Carolina is the only FBS teams that will play all its' games on natural grass this season.

...Cold be an omen;  While starting to write this week and contemplating the rest of USC's season, I heard something hit the floor in the living room.  When I investigated, it was my USC schedule poster that fell off the wall.  Hmmmm

...The game has changed;  If you need to a stat to show just how the passing game has taken over the college game, here's the stat for you.  63 times QBs that have thrown for over 4,000 yards in a season in college football.  51 of those 63 times have happened since the year 2000.

...This just in; Kansas still stinks.

...The Altitude Bowl;  Air Force beat Wyoming, 31-17 in the matchup of teams that play at the highest altitude in the FBS.

...Great company;  LSU's Leonard Fournette is just the 10th RB in FBS history to have rushed for over 1,000 yards through five games.  Some of the real notables in this group are Barry Sanders, Ricky Williams, Marcus Allen, Ricky Bell, and Ed Marinaro. Oh, and Troy Davis did it twice in 1995 and 1996.

...And then there were still five;  There are five winless teams in the FBS.  They are Central Florida, Kansas, North Texas, Wyoming and New Mexico State.

...If an upset happens on the Pac 12 Network, did it really happen?  Being down in San Juan Capistrano last Saturday, I was one of the sixteen people that get the Pac 12 Network.  I saw it folks, Wazzu did beat Oregon.

...Better late than never;  As he left the Coliseum on Thursday, one of the disgruntled Trojan fans leaving the Coliseum shouted in reference to then USC HC Steve Sarkisian, "He better be fired by the time I get to my car!"  Even though it happened a few days later, I think that guy is in a better mood now.

...Money, it's about the shoes;  In a rivalry that is only important to The Commissioner, Occidental pounded Whittier, 62-15 to claim the trophy known as "The Shoes." Go Tigers!

...59 minutes; That's how long everyone involved with Nebraska wishes their games were.  The Cornhuskers are 2-4, with all four losses coming after 59 minutes of play.  That's just painful.

It only hurts when I laugh;  It was just one of those sports week's that tests your faith as a fan for The Commissioner.  Last Sunday, the Angels were eliminated from the playoffs in game 162.  Then, USC looks horrible in a loss to Washington on Thursday,  That was followed by SC's season going from bad to worse when the HC is fired.  Cap that off with the fact that the LA Kings started the hockey season at 0-2.  Ouch.

... Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that Oregon will wear a uniform depicting the disappearance of D.B. Cooper to celebrate the fact that their Pac 12 title hopes disappeared last Saturday.

...Trying not to kill the buzz;  A note to the folks in Ann Arbor, remember that Jim Harbaugh has a shelf life.   Just ask Stanford and San Francisco.

...Epic Gameday Sign Fail at Utah;  If you're gonna make fun of anther school's entrance requirements, at least make sure your sign is grammatically correct. SMH.



Special Section: The Sarknado, USC and the Frailty of Being Human

So, all of us Trojan fans have been through the ringer again in regards to our football team.  So, this intrepid reporter will look at this mess from a few angles.

...Sark needs help;  The big thing here is that a man has hit rock bottom.  He's in the middle of a nasty, nasty divorce.  He's lost custody of his kids and his dream job in about a year. As far as Steve Sarkisian, the person, I hope the man gets the help needs and can turn things around in his life and work back towards a happy and productive existence.

...With Sark being fired, who will be the next HC at USC?  I'm not speaking of Clay Helton being the interim HC to finish the year, but rather who will be the man who leads this team over the next several seasons?  Many names will be bandied about in the media and on message boards throughout the land.  However, only the list of names that the folks at Heritage Hall have matters.  So, until that braintrust emerges with a name, I see not much use in speculating as to who the next HC will be.

...Who at Heritage Hall will make that call as to who gets the job?  It's safe to say folks that Pat Haden doesn't have a stellar record in picking coaches at USC.  Yes, we know he didn't hire Lane Kiffin, but the fact that he kept him too long bothers us all. Oh, and don't get me started on K.O. and Andy Enfield.

...The money hinging on this next HC hire is staggering.  This isn't just basic donor money we're talking about here.  USC needs a national caliber team to be able to raise the money to upgrade the Coliseum.  The average guy on the street, big donors, and businesses don't donate to mediocre teams.  USC being average is a nightmare of epic proportions for the administration. USC's inability to raise cash could also hinder LA's Olympic bid.

 Tweet of the Week:

After pulling the 45-38 upset Oregon in double overtime on Saturday, Washington State tweeted this to celebrate their win and poke fun at Oregon's lousy Oregon Trail themed uniforms at the same time.  For all those Millenials and their parents and relatives who watched their kids play the game based on the Oregon Trail in elementary school, this tweet is really funny.





Ugly Uniform of the Week:  Oregon wins for their hyped yet very dull and plain looking Oregon Trail uniforms that looked like prison togs.  So, I now ask who wore it best, Oregon or the Texas State Penitentiary squad from the movie Necessary Roughness.




I'll take Randy White, Dick Butkus and the Texas State Penitentiary team.  At least I know they didn't have to sell their souls to Nike to wear such an ugly thing.

Departments

Low Score game of the Week: FBS games usually don't make this section of the blog, but how could Wake Forest's 3-0 win at Boston College not get picked?  Wake PK Mike Weaver's 25-yard field goal was all the Demon Deacons needed to win.  Well, that and a little slow defense at the end.  BC had a first and goal on the Deacons one-yard line with 29 seconds left with no timeouts.  BC then ran the ball.  RB Tyler Rouse didn't get in the end zone and Wake's defenders were in no hurry to get up.  As the refs unscrambled the pile, time just ticked away.  BC lined up and spiked the ball to kill the clock, but it was too late. Replay confirmed the clock had run out and Wake Forest had won.  The unsuccessful run call by BC begged the following questions.  One, why did they run instead of pass, where they could have several plays on the goal line? Two, why didn't they just kick it and force overtime? This BC loss is firmly on the coaches and their poor clock management.

Blowout of the Week: Hickory, NC-  Well, it has finally happened.  An online school has a football team.  The University of Faith, in its' second year of existence as a school and a team visited the Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears and were beaten like in a video game, 92-0.  The Bears ran up 838 yards of total offense on the Glory Eagles with 763 of those yards coming on ground.  RB Robbie Hooks led all rushers with 10 carries for 145 yards and three touchdowns.  15 different Bears carries the ball in the game.  This game also featured 23 penalties and 16 kickoffs.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- It was homecoming at C.W. Post and the Pioneers sent the home crowd home happy with a 27-24 win over the Merrimack College Bulldogs.  The Pioneers trailed 3-0 at the half, but scored the 20 straight points in the third quarter to take control of the game.  Merrimack mounted good comeback, but Post managed to escape overtime when Bulldog PK Stephen Camarro's 51-yard field goal attempt fell short with :02 on the clock.  Post QB Jeff Kidd completed 15 of 31 passes for 172 yards and three TDs en route to the win.  Up next for Post is a trip to Pleasantville, NY and a date with the Pace University Setters.


This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Cineflix is a really good game.

Shopping for a new vehicle is as lame as it has always been.

I still love banana pancakes.

Until next time folks, don't drink and coach.
-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Week 5, 2015

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes your Tuesdays better than your Mondays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Chris Schenkel.

Summaries

California 34- Washington State 28: Cal QB Jered Goff is great, but the Golden Bears defense is why they are now 5-0.  The defense forced four turnovers and tallied seven sacks to go with some special teams magic to notch the comeback win over the Cougars.  The first special teams play was early in the third quarter when Wazzu attempted a fake punt. Punter Zach Charme fumbled and Cal's Stefan McClure stopped it up and took it 45 yards to the house to put the Golden Bears within striking distance.  The second special teams play was an onside kick.  The Bears had just scored to close the gap to 28-26 late in the same period.  The kick worked and Cal was in business again.  They took the ball and marched down the field for the winning TD with Goff hitting WR Maurice Harris for a 24-yad TD.  Each team's defense then took over to produce a scoreless fourth quarter and Cal claimed the win.  Goff finished the day by completing 33 of 45 passes for 390 yards and four TDs.  Wazzu's Luke Falk completed 35 of 49 passes for 389 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: It's all about the ball;  In a game that was essentially even in every statistical category, turnovers did in the Cougars.  They lost the turnover battle, 4-2.  That cost Wazzu the game.

Arizona State 38- UCLA 23: With their season circling the drain in the Pac 12, Arizona State rebounded from a drubbing by USC last week to beat the bRuins at the Rose Bowl.  Through three quarters ASU built up a 29-10 lead behind a defense that never let the bRuins get their running game going.  The Sun Devils also made 1973 Tony Award Winner Josh Rosen look like a rattled freshman with their blitzes.  However, with the lead ASU went into a shell offensively and the bRuins came roaring back to within a score, trailing just 29-23  midway through the fourth period.  The Sun  Devils offense then sputtered. but a great punt pinned UCLA within the shadow of their goal. UCLA didn't move the ball and was forced to punt.  Instead of punting though, bRuin HC Jim Mora had his team take an intentional safety in an effort to get the ball back with better field position.  The strategy backfired as ASU's offense was unstoppable, ripping off a 9 play, 70-yard TD drive that was capped off RB Kalen Ballage's 23-yard rumble to paydirt in a sea of blockers to seal the victory.   ASU QB Mike Bercovici threw for 273 yards and two TDs in the win.  He also ran for a score too.  As for UCLA, Rosen threw for 280 yards and a pair of scores in the loss. The Sun Devils also turned bRuin RB Paul Perkins into a non-factor in the game allowing him to rush for just 62 yards on 18 carries and one score.
Telling Stat: They ran, they didn't;  ASU out rushed UCLA 192 to 62. ASU's ability to win the rushing battle won this game for the Sun Devils.  

Oregon 41- Colorado 24: Oregon came into Boulder trying to get off the deck after being embarrassed at home by Utah last week.  Colorado came in smelling blood and went after the Ducks with all they had.  Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, the Ducks still had a huge edge in the rushing game and that was what won the game.  UO QB Vernon Adams was dressed, but didn't play because of his broken finger.  That left a QB rotation of Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie to contend with the CU defense.  This game stood tied 17-17 at the half as UO's QB shuffle had their problems and the Buffaloes offense had the Duck defense on their heels a bit behind the rushing of RB Christian Powell and the arm of QB Sefo Luifau.  Then, Oregon came out for the third quarter having made a key realization.  They simplified the offense and ran the heck out of the ball.  The Duck RB combo of Royce Freeman and Taj Grifin carried the Ducks to the win.  Freeman gained 163 yards on 27 carries and scored twice, while Griffin gained 110 yards on 11 carries and crossed the double stripe once. Colorado kept it close, but their best chance in the second half ended in a Liufau fumble that handed the momentum to Oregon.  Liufau threw for 231 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: If not by air, then by land;  The Ducks ran the ball on 38 of their 42 second half plays to beat the Buffs.

Stanford 55- Arizona 17: UCLA ran all over Arizona last week and this week it was Stanford's turn.  The Cardinal held the ball for 37:16 and racked up 314 rushing yards.  RB Christian McCaffrey had the bulk of those yards by toting the rock 17 times for 156 yards and a TD.  His backfield mates Barry Sanders, Jr. and Remound Wright combined to carry the ball 14 times for 105 yards and three TDs.  Oh, and QB Kevin Hogan was nearly perfect too.  He only threw the ball 19 times, but completed 17 of those for 217 yards and two TDs. As for the Wildcats, who were minus QB Anu Solomon due to a concussion he suffered v. UCLA, never got much going against a Stanford defense that dared backup QB Jerrard Randall to beat them.  Randall never got untracked and was benched for third stringer Brandon Dawkins to start the fourth quarter.
Telling Stat: Theres is no D in Arizona;  Stanford scored on their first eight drives of the game to crush the Wildcats.  Stanford had the ball 11 times and scored nine times. Oh, and the only reason it wasn't 10 for 11 was that on their final possession, they just rammed the ball into the line four times to run out the clock. 

Observations

...Stanford's virtual reality training device will go down as the most revolutionary training method to hit football since the invention of the playbook.  Check it out here...

Stanford Goes Virtual

...Could not go the distance;  After spending a good 15 hours watching games, I just couldn't make it to the end of the Colorado-Oregon game.  When UO went up 41-24 I hit the rack.  Need to work on that stamina.

...Running the ball;  Have you ever noticed that in this era of incredible QBs that we have in college football, that teams that run the ball well and stop the run are the ones that win consistently?  Some things never change.

...That's the guy;  QB Taylor Alie should be the staring QB at Oregon.

...And the Sun Belt Trojan Bowl winner is; Arkansas State.  The Red Wolves defeated Idaho, 49-35.

...Not when it matters;  Georgia HC Mark Richt has the worst asterisk of all attached to his coaching career. *He can't win the big one.

...Paint it red;  UNLV beat Nevada, 23-17 to snap the Wolfpack's eight game win streak in the series and claim the Fremont Cannon.  The cannon is the largest rivalry trophy in college football weighing in at 545 pounds.  The cannon is a replica of a cannon found in the Sierra Nevada mountains that belonged to John C. Fremont's expedition to Nevada in the mid 19th century.

...A little help;  ASU's last TD against UCLA was the biggest case of an uncalled penalty for aiding the runner since the Bush Push.  However, since it happened to UCLA, who cares?

...Can't believe they are in the same league;  How is it that Alabama's trip to Georgia was only their fifth trip to Athens in the last 30 years?

...Short term memory; Remember, two weeks ago, when Arizona was a ranked contender for the Pac 12 title?

...Burning orange;  The Texas football program is a dumpster fire. They've become the all-almost team.  They almost make tackles. They almost make catches. They almost make blocks.  They almost score points, etc.

...Temperature rising;  As if Tennessee HC Butch Jones' place on the hot seat wasn't hot enough already, losing at home to Arkansas cranked it up a few more notches.

...Quielty making noise;  If it's possible to quietly make noise in the SEC, Texas A&M is cruising along at 5-0 with the meat of their schedule ahead.

...Reminded me of bluegrass;  So many Indiana players went down with ankle injuries v. Ohio State I thought I was across the border watching the races at Churchill Downs.

...Note to Fresno State;  I hear Pat Hill is available.

...They flew under the radar;  ASU punter Matt Haack's punts went mostly unnoticed v. UCLA, but his kicks flipped the field several times on the bRuins.  He's ASU's unsung hero.

...He got the axe instead;  An unnamed Texas Rangers employee, and obviously a Texas Longhorn fan, got fired after using the official Rangers twitter account to vent his frustrations over the Longhorns 50-7 loss to TCU.  The tweet "Fire Charlie. #bye" got him canned.  So the two morals of the story are don't tweet on the company account and don't watch Texas football.

...Not feeling it; Mike Riley in Cornhusker Red just doesn't look right.

...They deserve respect;  Did anybody think Illinois would have any kind of decent season after their HC was fired in week one?  The Illini are 4-1 and playing their hearts out.

...They didn't and they did;  Clemson almost "Clemsoned" their game v. Notre Dame, while Wazzu did "Coug it" v. Cal.

...And then there were four;  There are four winless teams left in the FBS.  Kansas, North Texas, Wyoming, and New Mexico State.

...Can't make this up;  While doing some research on the UNLV-Nevada rivalry I came across this tidbit from that oracle of the internet, Wikipedia. "UNLV students see Nevada as an overrated, stodgy institution in an uncultured part of the state."  I drew two things from this statement.  One, a UNLV grad wrote this article.  Two, the statement implies that there is a cultured part of Nevada.

...Feeling nostalgic;  With the poor level of announcers that we have today calling games, I really miss Keith Jackson.  With that said, I do realize that with the sheer number of games being broadcast, not every announcer is gonna be good, much less great.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Here we have a culture clash. We see Michigan's classic road white jersey in the same frame with whatever garbage Under Armour gave Maryland.  From the Ghosted Maryland flag on the helmet to the obnoxious numbers, the Terps win for ugly uniform.


Cool Uniform of the Week:  Colorado's Black, Grey and Gold is a really good look.




Really Tough Trivia or Stuff Only The Commissioner Looks Up: After UCLA's intentional safety debacle, I was looking up some info on intentional safeties and found that in the 1965 Grey Cup, Winnipeg HC Bud Grant (yes, that Bud Grant) gave up three intentional safeties rather than punt into 40 MPH winds.  Winnipeg lost the Grey Cup, 22-16. Ouch.

Departments

Crazy Game of the Week: East Stroudsburg, PA- In a five-overtime classic, the Shippensburg State Raiders pulled off a come-from-behind 69-67 win over the East Stroudsburg Warriors.  The Raiders trailed 41-38 heading into the fourth quarter.  The Raiders won the game when QB Ryan Zapoticky hit RB Jordan Haro with a two-point conversion pass.  Zapoticky finished the game completing 28 of 50 passes for 320 yards and 6 TDs.  ESU QB completed 40 of 70 passes for 594 yards and 9 TDs in the crushing loss.

Low Score Game of the Week: Durant, OK- It was Homecoming at Southeastern Oklahoma State and the crowd went home happy as the Savage Storm defeated the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs, 8-0.  The Savage Storm did it with defense. They held the Bulldogs to only 177 total yards, while allowing only three drives to penetrate into their territory.  PK Joel Carlos hit on field goals of 24 and 30 yards in the second quarter to give SEOSU a 6-0 lead.  The Savage Storm defense sealed the victory when LB Jaden Moore nailed Bulldog RB Karitrell Henderson for a safety with 11:29 to play.

C.W. Post Press: Springfiled, MA- The Pioneers got whipped by the American International Yellow Jackets, 44-17.  The Hornets picked off a pair of passes from Post QB Jeff Kidd and returned them both for TDs as part of a 24-point second quarter.  The Hornets took a 30-6 lead into the half. The Yellow Jackets tallied two long TD runs of 62 and 79 yards to cruise to the win.  Post had no answer for AIC RB Matt Easterling who gashed them for 185 yards on 16 carries and two scores.  Kidd threw for 216 yards, 2 TDs and 4  big interceptions in the loss.  Up next for Post is Homecoming v. Merrimack College.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Sunday was the first day it felt like fall around here this year.  It felt good.

Waiting for UPS is a soul-sucking torture

Baked grilled cheeses rock.

Until next time folks, remember that you have to run the ball to win.
-The Commissioner