Louisville moved to the forefront of getting to the National Title game by knocking off #3 ranked W Virginia at home. Many folks point out that WV had a 540-470 yd edge in the game but keep in mind UL settled for 3 short FG's in the 1H or could have easily been up by more, and led 44-27 before allowing a 91 yd, 8 play drive for a garbage TD with 2:18 left. WV gained basically 100 yds on their final 2 drives and was outgained prior to that...
Boise St dominated even more than the final would indicate, as Fresno had a 93 yd KR for a TD and 56 yd IR for a TD. At the half Boise had a 242-53 yd edge yet led only 24-7. Fresno got 2 TD's in 2:38 thanks in part to the IR TD and actually got under the spread, 38 21 but Boise got a 53 yd drive for a TD with 5:57 left for the cover...
Tyler Palko was the nation's leader in pass efficiency but he hit just 11 of 23 for 159 yards. He had thrown just 3 int's in his first 8 games and had gone 118 pass att's without tossing one but had 3 vs USF...
Tulsa QB Paul Smith was avg'ing 210 ypg but had just 52 yds through 3Q's and only had 80 before 2:00 were left in the game and Tulsa gained 58 of its yds on a drive in the final 2:24. Tulsa's 2 scores came on a 1 play, 9 yd TD run after rec'ing a fmbl and a 5 yd drive after a 30 yd PR for a 41 yd FG as Houston had a 471-249 yd edge...
Amazingly in VT's 17 10 win over Miami, VT had just 139 yds offense while UM had 237. VT got a 37 yd drive for a TD after an int and after a tipped pass was picked off by a DL with 3:45 left, and drove 26 yds for the game winning TD...
Colt McCoy had a career high 346 yds passing on a 23 of 29 day vs Oklahoma St. He had 3 TD passes and broke the Texas mark for TD passes in a season (26) which was held by Vince Young and Chris Simms. He needs just 3 more to break the NCAA frosh season record of 29 held by Nevada's David Neal (1998). Oklahoma St QB Bobby Reid who came in #3 in the NCAA in pass efficiency hit just 11 of 28 for 123 yds with 2 int's and UT did not need a big comeback this year vs OSU as they led 20-3 at the half...
Kenny Cattouse rushed for a career high 172 yds in Troy's win over ULL keeping their SBC Title hopes alive...
Oregon St scored on their first 5 poss vs Arizona St showing no letdown after their upset of USC, and Reser Stadium is once again becoming a very tough home venue...
Auburn allowed just 86 yds and 4 FD's in the first 3Q's and then gave up 91 yds in the 4Q to Arkansas St with its backups in...
San Diego St led Wyoming 17-3 in the 2Q but could not hold on in a 27 24 loss on the road...
Georgia QB Matthew Stafford now has a 4-12 ratio this year and Kentucky's upset of UGA will likely find them in the post season as the Wildcats host Vanderbilt and ULM and have a shot at a 7 win year and are almost guaranteed a victory (and bowl eligibility) over ULM...
WM LB Ameer Ismail tied a school record with his 15th sack and WM rallied with a 21 yd FG with 1:16 left for a 27-24 win over Miami...
Sylvester Croom really wanted the Alabama HC job and is now 3-0 ATS vs the Tide. Last week they delivered us an Underdog Play of the Week winner in Power Sweep as Miss St upset a 6-3 Alabama team on the road. A key play was right before the half when Alabama had the ball at the 2 yd line but passed up a FG and was SOD as time expired and they trailed 24-10...
Iowa was thinking of Jan. bowl games but were stunned at home by Northwestern. There was nothing fluky about the results as NU had a 235-106 yd edge at the half in their 21-7 win...
Navy was our "almost" 5H selection this past week and the Middies actually gave up a TD to Duke on their opening drive of the game but dominated from there. In fact, Navy led 38-6 before Duke rec'd a fmbl at the Navy 22 and got a TD 4 plays later with 1:53 left to "only" lose 38 13...
Darren McFadden has had a lot of big games so it's surprising that the 219 yds that he rushed for vs S Carolina was a career high. WR Marcus Monk had a career best 192 yds in rec's. Arkansas had 267-51 yd rushing and 495-350 total yard edges in their win at SC. The Hogs need to win just 2 of their final 3 games to be in the SEC Title game...
BYU dominated Colorado St more than the final would indicate. CSU had just 7 FD's and BYU had a 1st & goal at the 9 but was int'd in the EZ and settled for a 25 yd FG and was never really threatened...
Dan McCarney has had some great years at Iowa St but is probably headed for his 2nd 0-8 conf finish in the L4Y as ISU had a horrible home performance vs a beatable Kansas team with just 213 yds offense while allowing 403...
Nebraska led Missouri by 21 pts for a good portion of the game as it was 27-6 at the half, 34-13 in the 4Q as they delivered our 2006 College Game of the Year winner...
North Carolina moved to 2-0 ATS since Coach Bunting was fired. Generally teams rally around outgoing coaches. Notre Dame had another unimpressive performance only beating the outmanned Heels by 19.
WEATHER UPDATES ARE VERY IMPORTANT
This is the time of year where weather can play a major factor. The biggest edge goes to cold weather teams taking on teams who rarely play in the cold. Hawaii caught a huge break last week when they travelled to Utah St and caught a clear, mild day with temps in the 50's that allowed UH to simply crush the Aggies, 63-10. QB Brennan has thrown 182 passes without an int setting a school record and has the best passing stats in the country (#1 pass eff 190.0, 3347 yds, 39 TD, 6 int). THE WACKY ACC
Florida St is not your typical last place ACC team but that is where they stood last week. Even in their loss to Maryland the previous week, FSU had a 458-223 yd edge. They were at home looking up at Virginia in the standings and played a solid game getting their first shutout since 2003 and rolling to a 33-0 win. Xavier Lee hit 12 of 25 for 185 yds. UVA's post season hopes went out the window as they need to knock off both Miami and Virg Tech to gain bowl eligiblity...
There is a stunning tie on top of the ACC Atlantic and it is Maryland and Wake Forest with their season ending game, perhaps deciding the Div Title. The Terps stunned Clemson in Death Valley, 13-12 and WF got past Boston College at home in typical Demon Deacon fashion. They were outgained 430-280 and outFD'd 23-14 but led 21-7. They also notched an int in the EZ from the 25 with :57 left.. Maryland is one of the quietest 7-2 teams in the country this year and the Fridge in bowl years always has his squad playing its best down the stretch.
LEVEL OF COMPETITION MATTERS
Minnesota's rush offense had been greatly slowed the past few weeks but they had taken on Mich, Penn St, Wisconsin and Ohio St's D's. Even the IAA N Dakota St D which held them to under 100 yds rushing, came in #1 in Div IAA in rush D allowing just 33 ypg. They finally took on a weak rush D and rolled over Indiana with 544 yds offense in a 63-26 win. The game was crucial to both of their bowl hopes as UM cannot afford another loss, now needing to beat Mich St and Iowa while Indy must knock off either Michigan or rival Purdue. The dome was just half full on Homecoming.
MISLEADING FINALS, BACKDOOR AND FRONTDOOR COVERS
UAB had 4 drives into the redzone vs SMU but settled for 3 short FG's and missed a 40 yd FG. SMU had just 1 drive into the redzone and were forced to settle for a FG but UAB was offsides and they took the points off the board and got a TD, and UAB, despite a 4-1 edge in getting to the redzone, led just 9-7. SMU got ahead of the spread with 7:37 to go on a 43 yd TD drive with a 2 pt conversion and after UAB was SOD at the SMU 43 (3:53) got an 11 yd IR for a TD with 2:34 left for a very misleading 13 pt win...
BG led Akron 21-14 in the 3Q and UA got ahead of the spread for the first time with a 13 play drive for a TD with 6:27 left to lead 35-21. BG converted on 4th & 5 for a FD at the Akron 39 and then on 4th & goal got an 8 yd TD pass with 2:14 left for the backdoor cover. BG did recover the onside kick and got to the Akron 14 yd line and had a FD pass called back on offensive pass interference and on 4th & 18 took a sk with :10 left...
C Michigan led Temple 28-0 before allowing a TD with :06 left in the half and also led 42-13 after 3Q's but Temple got a TD with 14:44 left and then drove 58 yds in 7 plays for a TD with 4:14 left for the backdoor cover.
POINTSPREAD PLAYS OF THE GAME
USC whipped Stanford 42-0 but were -28' and they led 28 0 when SU went 65 yds in 11 plays and lined up for a 33 yd FG late 3Q. USC not only blk'd it they ret'd it 71 yds for a TD to get ahead of the spread. USC added a TD with 5:33 left on 4th & goal from the 4...
While Ohio did get a 22 yd drive for a TD after an int to go up 16-10 in the 3Q, the pointspread play of the game was a missed xp in the 2Q as OU was -6' and only won by 6. Also at the end of the game when OU was running the clock, Bobcat backers saw OU get 2 FD's in the final 4:13 then McRae ripped off a 45 yd run to the 7 yd line where they took a knee...
E Carolina opened at 6' over UCF which is where some folks played them. The line did finish at -4 which is where the majority of the action was. Those that laid the 6' were sweating it as out EC led by 6 with less than 1:00 left and UCF was driving for the go-ahead score. UCF was not only int'd but ret'd 51 yds for a TD and EC won by 13...
Florida Atlantic and Middle Tenn St scored 3 TD's in less than 2:28 sending the game Over the Total. It was 7 0 with 2:08 left before the half when MTSt rec'd a fmbl and drove 28 yds for a TD. FA then went 74 yds for a TD with :16 left 1H. MTSt then ret'd the opening KO of the 2H 94 yds for a TD and later added a 50 yd fumble ret for a TD in a big play game...
San Jose St snapped an 18 game road losing streak thanks to a couple of key plays. Trailing by 3 with 12:57 left, they blk'd a punt and ret'd it for a TD to get the lead. NMSt went for it on 4th down near midfield in the final minutes and was stopped and SJSt tacked on the spread winning TD 8 plays later with 2:35 left...
Wisconsin was clinging to a 10-3 lead vs Penn St when back-to-back plays turned the game around. First, Penn St S Donnie Johnson dropped an int which would have gone for a TD and the tie. UW punted and PSU fmbl'd the punt on their own 20 and the Badgers got a 20 yd FG to go up by 10...
Cal led UCLA 35-10. UCLA faced a 4th & 1 at its own 30 and got a huge 70 yd TD run by Markey with 9:56 left. Cal still led 38-17 and got an int in the EZ to clinch the win but a pers foul on Cal overturned the int, gave UCLA a 1st & goal at the 7 and they got a TD for the backdoor cover with 1:19 left.
CLOSE CALLS FOR THE BIG BOYS
Ball St was actually within one score of tying Michigan as they had a 1st & goal at the 6 and on 4th & goal from the 7 with 2:46 left their pass fell incomplete on a play in which pass interference could have been called. Ball St also had a Hail Mary pass on the final play but it was int'd in the EZ. UM did have a 507-297 yd edge but former Michigan asst. Brady Hoke and his Cardinals almost pulled off the stunning upset...
Illinois held Ohio St to just 224 yds offense and shut them out in the 2H. IL almost came away with the miracle win nearly rec'ing an onside kick in the final minutes after pulling within 17-10...
Vanderbilt outrushed Florida 93-88, outpassed them 290-242 and had a 3-1 TO advantage. The only place they came up short was on the scoreboard where they lost by 6. The Gators yielded a season high 391 yds with Chris Nickson throwing for a career high 298.
TURNOVERS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Shaun Carney was quoted in the Army newspaper as saying Air Force would beat Army 49-7 and that forecast was plastered on every single Army players locker prior to the game. Carney proved to be clairvoyant as AF rolled to a 43-7 lead with a blowout mostly due to turnovers. The key play of the game happened early when Army on a 44 yd, 8 play drive with a 2nd & goal at the 1, fumbled. Zanotti ret'd it 98 yds for a TD. Army imploded with 5 TO's in the 1H and AF had TD drives of 46, 1, 26 and 36 yds following those TO's and led 43-0 at the half in the Friday night game...
Kent St was in command over Buffalo leading 14-0 with :23 left in the half but TO's did them in for the 2H. Leading 14-10 they fmbl'd on consecutive poss and Buffalo added 21 and 32 yd drives for TD's to lead 24-14. Kent was int'd at the Buff 4 and then int'd at the Buff 25 and ret'd 59 yds to the 16 where the Bulls got a 16 yd TD run with 8:58 left. A desperate Kent St went for it on 4th & 19 and was sk'd at their own 4 with 2:25 left and Buffalo tacked on a garbage TD.
INJURIES OF NOTE
Baylor Blake Szymanski made his first collegiate start and while the Bears led 14-7 in the 1H vs Texas Tech, that was misleading. TT had a 372-82 yd edge at the half and BU's TD's came on a 1 play, 56 yd pass after TT was SOD and a 3 yd TD drive after a 25 yd IR. TT gained a season high 682 yds in the rout...
Arizona got QB Willie Tuitama back from injury and he hit 10 of 17 for 159 yds and the threat of him in the backfield opened up the running game as Chris Henry rushed 94 and UA stunned #25 ranked Wash St on the road, 27-17. WSU was without its top 2 receivers in Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus. Bumpus suffered an ankle inj in the 1H and missed the 2H...
Auburn TB Kenny Irons played just the opening series vs Arkansas St and continues to rest his inj'd ankle...
Michigan's Mario Manningham played for the first time in over 3 games but saw little action and did not have a rec...
Florida Sr T Marcus Thomas was dismissed from the team and it was not announced until the 4Q of the game...
Marshall QB Bernard Morris hurt his leg in the 3Q and backup Jimmy Skinner threw three 4Q TD passes in MU's 21 pt win over Tulane. It was a warm weather dome team playing in a cold weather city and Lester Ricard was held to 262 yds passing with 2 int's...
Jonathan Crompton hit 11 of 24 for 183 yds and played a good game. Erik Ainge started for Tennessee and hit just 1 of 6 for 3 yds but had 3 dropped passes. LSU did get a 4th & 8 FD pass with 1:53 left and on 3rd & goal at the 4 with :09 left, got the TD to pull out a 21-17 win over UT, the 2nd time this year the Vols had blown a 4Q lead in a home loss.
