Wednesday, November 18, 2009

November 21st Weekend


Big 12 This Week

Thursday November 19th
(3-7) Colorado @ (8-2) #12 Oklahoma State
The 12th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys will look to take advantage of the struggling Colorado Buffaloes this Thursday night, as the two Big 12 clubs clash in Stillwater. The Cowboys have enjoyed a terrific campaign up to this point and they are coming off another solid win, capturing a 24-17 victory over Texas Tech this past weekend.
The win was the team's second in a row following OSU's lone league loss to Texas back in late October. At 5-1, the Cowboys remain in sole possession of second place in the Big 12 standings, with only rival Oklahoma remaining on their regular season schedule.
As for the Buffs, their miserable campaign continued last weekend, when the team suffered a 17-10 loss at Iowa State. The loss was Colorado's 10th straight in true road games and its 12th in a row outside the state of Colorado, as the team was eliminated from postseason contention at just 3-7 overall.

Colorado does lead the head-to-head series with the Cowboys, 26-18-1, but OSU won last season's meeting by a 30-17 score.
Saturday November 21st
(5-5) Kansas @ (10-0) #3 Texas
The third-ranked Texas Longhorns aim for their 11th win of the season and a Big 12 South Division title, as they play host to the Kansas Jayhawks in conference action this weekend.
Mack Brown's Longhorns moved to 10-0 on the year with last week's 47-14 drubbing of Baylor in Waco. With the victory over the Bears, UT posted its ninth straight season with at least 10 victories, the longest streak in the nation. Texas seeks back-to-back 11-win campaigns for just the third time in school history and is closing in on the Big 12 South title, leading Oklahoma State by a game in the standings with two left on the docket.
Standing in UT's way is the struggling Kansas Jayhawks. It has been a tale of two seasons for Mark Mangino's team, which has spoiled a 5-0 start to the year, with five consecutive losses, including last week's 31-17 setback against Nebraska. It was just recently announced that Mangino is the subject of an internal review relating to a personnel matter, confirmed by Jayhawks Athletic Director Lew Perkins.These two teams have meeting for the 10th time, with Texas winning seven of the previous nine matchups, including seven straight entering this season.

(6-5) Kansas State @ (7-3) Nebraska
The Nebraska Cornhuskers play their final home game of 2009 this weekend as they entertain the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 Conference showdown in Lincoln. Currently sitting at 7-3, the Huskers are 4-2 in league action and will close out the regular season altogether with a trip to Colorado on November 27th. The team was on the road last weekend and turned that experience into a 31-17 triumph against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Nebraska scored in every quarter against Kansas last Saturday, but it wasn't until Roy Helu logged a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter that the Huskers could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Helu, who recovered a fumble for a touchdown in the first half, finished the outing with 28 carries for a game-high 156 yards and three touchdowns overall. The team's rushing attack accounted for 214 yards on 42 attempts, while Zac Lee converted 13- of-21 passes for another 196 yards as well.
Against a once-feared Kansas program, the Huskers held their ground and allowed just 99 rushing yards on 29 attempts. Better still, KU quarterback Todd Reesing was held in check as he completed just 19-of-41 passes for 236 yards and a score. Barry Turner accounted for four tackles for the visitors, with two of those coming up as stops behind the line of scrimmage for Nebraska. The 17 points allowed by Nebraska were actually the second-highest total of the campaign behind the 31 points produced by Texas Tech back in the middle of October. Because points have been hard to come by for the opposition, it should be understandable that the Huskers currently own the top scoring defense in the conference and the third-best squad in the nation this week, permitting a mere 11.0 ppg. Five times this squad has given up less than 10 points on the campaign, turning the trick three times in the first four games of the season. Leaders on the unit include Jared Crick (nine sacks, 14 TFLs) and Ndamukong Suh (five sacks, 13 TFLs, three blocked kicks).
As for Kansas State, it has alternated wins and losses over the last four outings as the 6-5 team approaches the end of the regular season. Last week, KSU was throttled by Missouri in a 38-12 final, leaving the hometown fans little to cheer about as the 'Cats dropped to 4-3 in conference.
The Huskers hold a significant lead in the all-time series with K-State at 76-15-2 entering play this season.

(6-5) Iowa State @ (6-4) Missouri
The Iowa State Cyclones will try to guarantee themselves a winning campaign this weekend, as they conclude their regular season slate against the Missouri Tigers in Big 12 play at Faurot Field.
The Cyclones have been a pleasant surprise under first-year head coach Paul Rhoads and last weekend they clinched bowl-eligibility with a 17-10 win over Colorado. The triumph snapped a two-game slide and pushed ISU to 6-5 overall, tripling its win total from last season and making the program eligible for the postseason for the first time since 2005. A win this weekend would secure a winning record as well as an even finish in the always tough Big 12.
As for the Tigers, they too earned bowl-eligibility last weekend, scoring a 38-12 win at Kansas State. With wins in two of its last three games, Missouri now sits at 6-4 and is eligible for the postseason for a school-record fifth straight season. The Tigers, though, would obviously like to wrap up their home slate on a high note this weekend, especially considering they have dropped three straight games Faurot Field. Missouri leads the head-to-head series with ISU, 58-34-9, and that takes into account a 52-20 route in last season's clash.
(4-6) Baylor @ (5-5) Texas A&M
The Aggies need just one more win to become bowl eligible, but have failed in their first two bids at it, falling in back-to-back games at Colorado (35-34) and most recently, at Oklahoma (65-10). With the two losses, Mike Sherman's squad is just 5-5 overall and a mere 2-4 in conference play.
The Bears are even worse, sitting with just one league win in six attempts. Art Briles' squad was able to end a four-game losing streak with a solid 40-32 victory at Missouri on November 7th, but this past week found the team back in the loss column, with a humbling 47-14 home loss to third-ranked Texas.
This contest marks the 106th all-time meeting in this series which dates back to 1899. The Bears won last year's matchup in Waco (41-21), but A&M has won the last eight meetings at Kyle Field and has not lost at home to Baylor since 1984. With talented QB Robert Griffin playing in just three games this season due to injury, the Bear offense has had to adapt to a new signal-caller and it hasn't always been a smooth transition. Quarterback Nick Florence has done his best to lead the way to victory each week, but he doesn't have the versatility that Griffin possesses. Florence has completed 61.3 percent of his passes in the eight games he has played, but has six TDs against seven INTs. The Aggie offense is more potent than Baylor's unit and has the ability to move the chains on just about anyone. In all, Texas A&M is averaging a respectable 33.0 ppg this year, on 452.4 yards of total offense. Jerrod Johnson has been solid under center, throwing for 2,722 yards and 22 TDs, with a mere five interceptions.
(6-4) Oklahoma @ (6-4) Texas Tech
The Texas Tech Red Raiders wrap up the home portion of their schedule this weekend, as they host the Oklahoma Sooners in Big 12 play at Jones A&T Stadium.
The Red Raiders have been dominant at home this season, aside from a loss to Texas A&M, sporting a 5-1 record at Jones A&T Stadium. All five wins have come by 20 or more points, all the more reason the team should be confident heading into this bout. Unfortunately, TTU played its most recent game on the road, falling at nationally-ranked Oklahoma State, 24-17, over the weekend. It was the lowest point total of the year for the Raiders, who dropped to 6-4 overall and 3-3 within the conference.
As for the Sooners, they jumped back into the win column this past weekend in a big way, trouncing Texas A&M by a 65-10 score. It was quite a turnaround for Oklahoma, which was coming off 10-3 loss at Nebraska. The Sooners are now 6-4 overall and 4-2 within the conference, but only one of their wins has come away from home. Oklahoma leads the all-time series with TTU, 12-4, but the Raiders have won the last two meetings in Lubbock. Last season in Norman, the Sooners handed TTU its first loss of the year, 65-21, knocking the Raiders out of the national title race.

Navy this Week
(8-3) Navy has the week off and will travel to Hawaii for a game on November 28th against the Hawaii Warriors.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Texas Bowl Weekend Games November 14th


Congratulations to The Naval Academy who accepted an invitation to The Texas Bowl last Sunday. Navy defeated Notre Dame 23-21 to earn their 7th win of the season. As for Navy’s Big 12 opposition in The Texas Bowl, that’s anyone’s guess at this point.


Big 12 This Week November 14th

(9-0) #3 Texas @ (4-5) Baylor

The second-ranked Texas Longhorns enter the homestretch of the 2009 regular season by heading to Waco this Saturday to tangle with the Baylor Bears in Big 12 Conference action.
Mack Brown's Texas club is 9-0 and in the driver's seat with respect to the Big 12 South Division, checking in at 5-0 with Oklahoma State right behind at 4-1. The Longhorns are coming off a 35-3 pasting of UCF, marking the third time this season they have allowed fewer than 10 points in a game. Going a bit deeper, Texas has held seven of its nine opponents to 14 points or less, including each of the last six. Win out, which includes the Big 12 title tilt, and the 'Horns will likely meet the SEC champ (either Florida or Alabama) in the BCS National Championship Game.

Baylor is a game below .500 on the year at 4-5, and the Bears have won just one of their five leagues games thus far. Coach Art Briles' team did manage to pick up its biggest win of the year last week, however, knocking off Missouri in Columbia, 40-32. The victory put the brakes on a four-game slide and leaves the Bears just two games shy of earning bowl eligibility. It was BU's first win over Missouri as Big 12 foes, and it also snapped the Bears' 11-game losing streak in conference road games.

This is the 99th meeting between these two Lone Star State institutions, with Texas leading the series, 72-22-4. The Longhorns won last year's clash, 45-21, and have won 11 in a row over the Bears. Baylor's last win in the series was a 23-21 decision in Waco on November 1, 1997.

(5-4) Missouri @ (6-4) Kansas State

The Kansas State Wildcats will try to wrap up a perfect home campaign and in the process remain atop the North Division standings, as they host the Missouri Tigers in Big 12 play this weekend at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats were an afterthought in the North Division title race, but coming down the stretch they hold a half-game lead over Nebraska at 4-2. KSU faces Nebraska in its regular season finale next weekend, making this game versus Missouri all that much more important. The Wildcats ran their home mark to 5-0 last weekend, as they picked up a 17-10 victory over rival Kansas. It was the third win in the last four games for KSU, which is now bowl eligible at 6-4.

As for Missouri, they won the last two North Division titles, but a three- peat is now out of the question with a 1-4 league ledger. The Tigers may have hit rock bottom last weekend, when the team suffered a shocking 40-32 loss to a struggling Baylor club. The Tigers are fading away themselves, losing four of their last five games, and their postseason aspirations are hanging by a thread.

Missouri had a big letdown on the defensive side of the ball last weekend, as it surrendered 465 total yards and five touchdowns to a struggling Baylor offense. The defense was exploited for 427 yards and three scores on 32-of-43 pass attempts and failed to come up with a single turnover.

Missouri leads the head-to-head series with KSU, 58-31-5, and it has won the past three encounters, including a 41-24 victory in Columbia last season.

(3-6) Colorado @ (5-5) Iowa State

The Iowa State Cyclones will try to make themselves eligible for the postseason with a win this weekend, as they entertain the Colorado Buffaloes in a Big 12 matchup at Jack Trice Stadium.
The Cyclones have already overachieved this season, as their five wins are the program's most since going 7-5 in 2005. That was also the last time ISU participated in a bowl game and it now has a chance to get back to the postseason with a victory in one of its final two games. The Cyclones have failed in their two prior attempts to secure the all important sixth win of a campaign, as they were defeated by Texas A&M (35-10) and most recently nationally-ranked Oklahoma State (34-8) this past weekend.


As for the Buffs, they kept their slim postseason hopes alive with a narrow 35-34 win over Texas A&M this past weekend. The win snapped a two-game slide and pushed Colorado to 3-6 overall, meaning it would have to win its last three games in order to become eligible for a bowl. Two of the team's final three games are on the road and that is a problem for the Buffs, who are 0-4 on foreign soil this season.

Colorado holds a commanding 48-14-1 advantage in the all-time rivalry with ISU and that takes into account a 28-24 victory in last season's meeting in Boulder.

(6-3) Nebraska @ (5-4) Kansas

Nebraska has won its last two games to move to 6-3 overall, including 3-2 in league action. Last weekend's 10-3 triumph over Oklahoma was particularly impressive, as limiting the Sooners to three points in four quarters of football seems a near impossibility. The remaining schedule is quite favorable for head coach Bo Pelini and his Huskers, who have a chance to win nine games.

Nebraska has been one of the nation's premier defensive teams this season, and the effort against Oklahoma was tremendous. Sure, the Huskers did allow 325 total yards in the contest, including 245 yards through the air, but they came up with a staggering total of five interceptions and permitted fewer than half of the passes attempted by Oklahoma to be completed. The fact that opponents are only scoring 10.3 ppg against Nebraska is a telling statistic for a defense that permits only 274.0 total ypg. Stopping the run has clearly been a strength of the unit, as it yields a mere 94.4 ypg at a clip of 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. There have been 18 takeaways registered, including 12 interceptions, and 27 sacks have been posted. There are many standout performers on defense for Nebraska, but Jared Crick and Ndamukong Suh are the stars. Su may be the best defensive lineman in the nation, and he has 13 TFLs, five sacks, 17 hurries and three blocked kicks to his credit. As for Crick, who benefits from Su's presence, he leads the team in tackles (57), TFLs (14) and sacks (nine).

As for Kansas, it opened the season with five consecutive victories to generate excitement amongst its fan base. Unfortunately, four straight defeats since that point have silenced the buzz. The most recent setback occurred last weekend in a 17-10 final against rival Kansas State.

Nebraska beat Kansas, 45-35, last season to extend its dominant series advantage over the Jayhawks to 89-23-3.

(5-4) Texas A&M @ (5-4) Oklahoma

Unranked for the first time since 2005, the Oklahoma Sooners go in search of that elusive sixth win that would make them eligible for a bowl game. That quest continues this weekend when coach Bob Stoops' team plays host to the Aggies of Texas A&M at Memorial Stadium in Norman.

A season that started with so much promise has turned into a nightmare for the Sooners as they have dropped four of their nine games, including a 10-3 decision to rival Nebraska last Saturday. It was the first time since a 29-0 loss to Texas A&M back in 1998 that Oklahoma failed to score a touchdown.


The Aggies have had their ups and downs this season as well, opening the year with three straight wins before suffering through a three-game slide. The team rebounded to post back-to-back wins over Texas Tech and Iowa State, but a heartbreaking 35-34 loss to Colorado last Saturday saddled the team with its fourth loss of the campaign. Like Oklahoma, A&M also needs a win to gain bowl eligibility, and with bouts against the Sooners, Baylor and Texas left on the docket, it won't be easy.

Oklahoma owns a 17-10 lead in the all-time series with Texas A&M, and the Sooners have won six straight over the Aggies and nine of the last 10. Last year's encounter wound up in favor of OU, 66-28.

(6-3) Texas Tech @ (7-2) #19 Oklahoma State

Texas Tech has won four of its last five games to move to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders have been idle for two weeks, as they were last in action on Halloween when they knocked off Kansas by a 42-21 final. While Mike Leach and his Texas Tech squad are already eligible for a bowl game, they are just 1-2 on the road this season and need a victory over OSU to improve their postseason prospects.

Oklahoma State enters this contest with a 7-2 overall record, including a 4-1 mark against Big 12 foes. The Cowboys have won six of their last seven outings, including a 34-8 romp over Iowa State last weekend. In four of the seven wins thus far, Oklahoma State has allowed 10 or fewer points.

The Cowboys are coming off the first game in which they knew Bryant would not be back, running for a season-high 331 yards in a 34-8 win over Iowa State last Saturday.Oklahoma State has won the Big 12 rushing title the last three seasons, with Hunter gaining a league-best 1,555 yards in 2008, and they're first this year at 196.0 per game.

Texas Tech owns a 21-12-3 edge in the all-time series with Oklahoma State, including a 56-20 romp over the Cowboys last season.

Navy this Week

(6-3) Delaware @ (7-3) Navy

Two straight wins at Notre Dame for the Midshipmen means another winning season and a trip to Houston for the Texas Bowl. Navy always overachieves. This is the program that does more with less than any other Division One outfit. Ken Niumatalolo is proving to be just as good a coach as Paul Johnson, and the college football world knows just how good Georgia Tech’s coach is. Delaware is a 1-AA power. The Blue Hens produced a #1 draft pick at QB two years ago in Joe Flacco. This year they boast Penn State QB transfer Pat Devlin.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Texas Bowl November 7th Weekend

As the college football regular season enters its final month, the potential pairing for the Texas Bowl is becoming a little more clear as well. The Naval Academy needs just one more win in its final four games to wrap up a bowl bid, while Texas win over Oklahoma State last week likely ensures that only Texas will receive a BCS bowl bid. The Big 12 invitation for the Texas Bowl could go to any number of teams, most notably Nebraska who travels in droves and would be a huge boost to the hotels and restaurants in the Houston area.
Kudos to the sales staff of The Texas Bowl and the Houston area football fans for pushing the 45,000 seats sold threshold this week. It is hard work and support like this that will continue to build this great event.http://texasbowl.org/news/news_detail/tickets_on_sale

Onto this week’s action….

Big 12 This Week
Saturday November 7th
(5-3) Central Florida @ (8-0) #2 Texas
Texas moved past Alabama into second in the BCS standings after last week's 41-14 win over then-No. 13 Oklahoma State. The Longhorns picked the Cowboys off four times, nearly a year after their defense faltered in a stunning last-second loss at Texas Tech that cost them a shot at the national title. For the first time since their championship season, the Longhorns will play all of their November games in their home state. After hosting the Knights, they travel to Baylor, host Kansas and face Texas A&M on the road.
The Longhorns begin the month against a team that nearly upset them two seasons ago.In the only meeting between the schools, Texas pulled out a 35-32 road win Sept. 15, 2007, rallying after trailing by one in the fourth quarter. Central Florida scored a touchdown with 35 seconds left and forced Texas to recover the final onside kick.

Central Florida could again prove to be a tough opponent. The Golden Knights boast the nation's seventh-best rush defense at 87.8 yards per game and are sixth with 3.3 sacks a contest. Two of their losses, road defeats to Southern Miss and East Carolina, came by a combined 12 points. Central Florida, though, needed a last-minute touchdown to beat Marshall 21-20 on Sunday night. Central Florida will face the top-scoring team in the nation and third-best defensive squad this week. Texas is averaging 41.0 points and giving up 240.8 yards per game. The Longhorns also own the country's best rush defense, giving up 52.9 yards a game on the ground.

(5-3) Kansas @ (5-3) Kansas State
Instate rivals face off in Manhattan this weekend, as the Kansas Jayhawks clash with the Kansas State Wildcats in Big 12 play at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Jayhawks enter the game mired in a slump, as they have dropped three straight decisions following a promising 5-0 start. It has been a far fall for a club that was nationally ranked for most of the season and Kansas is now out to avoid its first four-game slide since the middle of 2006. Most recently, the Jayhawks were handled by Texas Tech, 42-21, over the weekend, dropping them tot 1-3 in the Big 12 and keeping them from bowl eligibility.

As for KSU, it too is coming off a setback, falling 42-30 at nationally-ranked Oklahoma on Halloween. It was the fourth loss in as many road games for the Wildcats, who had their two-game win streak snapped. KSU however, sports a perfect 4-0 mark at home and its 3-2 league ledger is good enough for the top spot in the North Division standings.

This marks the 107th meeting between the instate foes, with the Jayhawks owning a 65-36-5 lead in the head-to-head series. Kansas has won three straight and four of the past five meetings, including a 51-21 trouncing in Lawrence last season.
(5-3) Texas A&M @ (2-6) Colorado

The Texas A&M Aggies have been rolling along over the past couple of weeks, and they'll look to keep it going this weekend when they head to Folsom Field for a Big 12 clash with the struggling Colorado Buffaloes. Texas A&M followed up its 22-point win over 21st-ranked Texas Tech two weeks ago with a thorough 35-10 triumph over Iowa State on Halloween. Coach Mike Sherman said after the game that he felt his team's confidence has been growing over the last few weeks. The Aggies will wrap up the road portion of their schedule at Oklahoma, before closing out the regular season at home against Baylor and Texas.

While the Aggies' confidence is soaring, the Buffaloes are still searching for answers after last week's 36-17 loss to Missouri. The loss was their second straight, and fourth over the last five games. The Buffs need to win out to become bowl eligible, and they'll head to Iowa State and Oklahoma State in the coming weeks, leading up to a home finale with Nebraska.

Colorado has a 5-3 edge in the head-to-head series, although Texas A&M won last year's meeting in College Station.

(3-5) Baylor @ (5-3) Missouri

The Missouri Tigers go for their second Big 12 win in a row this weekend, as they entertain the struggling Baylor Bears at Faurot Field in Columbia.

The Tigers finally snapped out of their funk and in the process captured their first Big 12 victory of the campaign, a 36-17 triumph at Colorado last weekend. The win put an end to a three-game slide, all against league foes, and pushed Missouri to 5-3 on the season. With one more victory, the two-time defending Big 12 North champs would become bowl eligible for a school record fifth consecutive season. A sixth win doesn't guarantee the Tigers of reaching a bowl, but it does put them in position to participate in the postseason.
As for the Bears, they come into the weekend riding the wave of a four-game losing skid, with each setback coming in Big 12 play. Last weekend, Baylor was defeated by Nebraska, 20-10, as it suffered its 10th straight loss in the series. The Bears, who haven't beaten Nebraska since 1956, are now just 3-5 on the season. The all-time series between Baylor and Missouri is led by the Tigers, 10-2, and they are a perfect 7-0 against the Bears since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996.

(6-2) #19 Oklahoma State @ (5-4) Iowa State

The home team has taken the last four meetings in this series, with Iowa State winning 28-14 in 2001 and 37-10 in 2005, the Cowboys' last two visits to Ames.
That may not bode well for Oklahoma State, which suffered its first conference loss last Saturday, 41-14 to then-No. 3 Texas. The Cowboys fell for the 12th straight time to the Longhorns, the only unbeaten team in the South Division. Robinson threw a career-high four interceptions and completed 15 of 28 passes for 143 yards. His lone touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

The Cowboys would like to see Robinson play like he did in last season's 59-17 rout of Iowa State in Stillwater. He threw for a career-high five scores and 395 yards.Robinson needs 75 yards passing to break coach Mike Gundy's school record of 7,997.
Iowa State leads the conference in rushing at more than 200 yards per game and returns starting QB Austin Arnaud (sprained wrist) for the 1st time in two weeks.
The Cyclones may have a better chance of reaching the Big 12 title game than the Cowboys do despite their losing record in the Big 12. Iowa State, trailing Kansas State by one game in the North, can become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2005 on Saturday
(5-3) #24 Oklahoma @ (5-3) Nebraska

The Battle of the Big Reds has been a bit unbalanced lately and Bob Stoops likes it that way. While Nebraska has been rebuilding, Stoops has been able to win four straight games in the series and keep the No. 20 Sooners among the nation's top teams headed into Saturday night's game with the Huskers.

Instead of the rivalry determining the conference champion -- as it did 31 times in 36 years in the Big Eight -- and even a national championship, the game has had less panache in recent years. There was the series' second "Game of the Century" in 2000 and the teams met for the Big 12 title in 2006, but it's been nothing like the days of Barry Switzer vs. Tom Osborne in the 1970s and '80s. This time, both teams are just trying to make up ground in the divisional standings. It's the fourth straight time Nebraska enters the rivalry unranked and, before that, Oklahoma was outside the Top 25 for six of eight meetings in the 1990s.

Oklahoma won 62-28 last year in Bo Pelini's debut in the rivalry. Franks intercepted Joe Ganz's first pass and returned it for a touchdown, and Oklahoma opened a 28-0 lead in the first 5 1/2 minutes. The Sooners' final point total was their highest ever in the series.

Navy This Week

(6-3) Navy @ (6-2) #22 Notre Dame

Historically, the match up with Navy has been all but a guaranteed win for the Irish, who had a 43-game winning streak in the series before the last meeting at Notre Dame Stadium. On Nov. 3, 2007, the Midshipmen broke the skid with a 46-44, three-overtime win in South Bend. Notre Dame answered with a 27-21 road win last Nov. 15, but almost lost a 20-point lead in the final two minutes after Navy recovered a pair of onside kicks.

The undersized Midshipmen enter the 83rd meeting with Notre Dame on the brink of another bowl berth behind coach Ken Niumatalolo's triple-option offense, which ranks third nationally in rushing with 279.8 yards per game.

Junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs has thrown just 66 passes all season, and without him Oct. 24 against Wake Forest, Navy did not attempt a pass. Dobbs saw only limited action against Temple as he returns from a knee injury, but he still leads the team with 170 carries and has scored more touchdowns -- 16 -- than any other player in the nation.
Last year, the Irish bottled up Dobbs for 27 yards on 13 carries.

Coming off its most productive offensive performance in four seasons, Notre Dame now welcomes back one of its most important weapons. Wide Receiver Michael Floyd will provide QB Jimmy Claussen with another big target as the 19th-ranked Fighting Irish continue their quest for a BCS bowl appearance Saturday against visiting Navy.

Notre Dame left little doubt in a 40-14 drubbing of lowly Washington State in San Antonio last Saturday. Clausen was 22 of 27 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, guiding an offense that rolled up 592 total yards -- the program's most since gaining 663 in a 38-31 win at Stanford on Nov. 26, 2005.



Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Texas Bowl Blog


Big 12 This Week

Saturday October 31st


(4-3) Nebraska @ (3-4) Baylor

A couple of reeling Big 12 teams lock horns in Waco this weekend, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers face off against the Baylor Bears at Floyd Casey Stadium.
Once highly ranked, the Huskers' promising 2009 campaign has started to crumble following back-to-back home losses. After being knocked out of the Top 25 with a loss to Texas Tech (31-10) on October 17th, Nebraska was stunned last weekend, dropping a 9-7 decision to Iowa State. It was the team's first loss at home to Iowa State since 1977, as the Huskers fell to 1-2 within the conference.

Nebraska's defense did its part last weekend and held Iowa State to just nine points, all of which came in the first half. The unit gave up only 239 yards of offense and has now held its last six opponents to fewer than 280 yards. That is quite an accomplishment for one of the nation's top defenses, which is surrendering a mere 11.4 ppg and only 266.4 total ypg on the season. The defense, however, hasn't made many big plays in terms turnovers, forcing just 10 through seven games. The unit was obviously stout last weekend, but failed to create any turnovers, while the Huskers' offense committed eight. Ndamukong Suh guided Nebraska in defeat with eight stops and a sack. He has been a big factor in the success of this defense, leading the way with 44 stops, 10 TFLs and four sacks.

As for the Bears, their season took a big hit when star quarterback Robert Griffin III was lost for the year with a torn ACL in late September. Baylor now brings a three-game losing skid into this weekend's game, with all three losses coming versus league foes. Most recently, the team hosted Oklahoma State only to fall 34-7 last weekend. With the setback, the Bears dropped under .500 for the first time this season at 3-4.

Baylor's offense has really sputtered during the team's current losing streak, averaging just 8.0 ppg over its last three games. Last weekend, the Bears gained only 284 total yards, including a measly 43 rushing, and one touchdown in a loss to OSU. Nick Florence received a majority of the snaps under center and he completed 21-of-35 tosses for 235 yards, with one score against one pick. Blake Szymanski also saw some time at quarterback, but he threw for just six yards on 3-of-4 tosses. The duo have been filling in for Griffin III, who was lost for the year as mentioned earlier, but neither has had much success and they have combined for just three touchdown passes against six picks. Kendall Wright is the top threat through the air and he paces the Bears with 36 catches and 399 receiving yards.

Nebraska holds a 10-1 lead over Baylor and that includes a perfect 7-0 mark in Big 12 play.

(4-3) Missouri @ (2-5) Colorado
The Missouri Tigers are still in search of their first Big 12 win, and they will try to corral that victory this Saturday afternoon when the team travels to Boulder to battle the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.

The Tigers opened the season with four consecutive wins, but since then the team has struggled, losing three straight matchups. All three losses came against ranked teams, and that includes a 41-7 setback to Texas on Saturday. Over the two previous seasons, Missouri tallied a 12-6 mark in league play, but this year the team is winless in three Big 12 matchups. As for the Buffaloes, they are coming off a 20-6 setback to Kansas State on Saturday. It was the third loss in the last four games for Colorado, which now has five setbacks on the year. Although it has been a losing season thus far for the Buffs, there is one bright spot and that is the team's play at home, as Colorado's two wins have come at Folsom Field.

The Tigers have won the last three matchups against Colorado and now hold a 39-31-3 edge over the Buffaloes in the all-time series. Although Colorado is on the losing end of the series, the team still holds a 20-15-1 edge at home against Missouri.

(5-3) Iowa State @ (4-3) Texas A&M

Iowa State stunned Nebraska 9-7 in Lincoln last week with eight takeaways including four inside the Cyclone five. Nebraska, as poorly as it played, still had a chance late, but Zac Lee was picked off. Iowa State LB Jesse Smith made 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, forced a fumble and picked off a pass in the win. Iowa State was without two of its top playmakers against Nebraska. Dual-threat quarterback Austen Arnaud was unavailable due to a hand injury suffered a week earlier. Alexander Robinson, who entered the week as the Big 12's leading rusher (105.3 ypg), was also out because of a groin injury.

Texas A&M is coming off their own stunning win, going into Lubbock and annihilating Texas Tech 52-30. The Aggies amassed 321 yards on the ground and 6 touchdowns. For the Aggie defense, it has been a decidedly different story. They enter this week ranked 98th in the nation in total defense (411.6 ypg) and 104th in scoring (32.9 ppg).

Texas A&M holds an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series, although Iowa State's lone win was in 2005 when the teams last met at Kyle Field. Iowa State becomes bowl eligible for the 1st time in 4 years with a victory.

(5-2) Kansas @ (5-3) Texas Tech

The Jayhawks enter the contest unranked for the first time this season, as the have dropped back-to-back games following a 5-0 start to the campaign. Kansas was recently topped by Oklahoma, 35-13, this past weekend, dropping its sixth straight decision to the Sooners. It was a disappointing effort by the Jayhawks, who were upset at Colorado (34-30) the prior week.
As for TTU, it too was knocked out of the Top 25 last weekend, suffering a surprising 52-30 loss to Texas A&M. It was the Aggies' first win in Lubbock since 1993, as the Raiders saw their 12-game home win streak come to an end. Now at 5-3 overall, TTU will once again try to deliver head coach Mike Leach his 82nd career victory and that would tie him with Spike Dykes as the school's all-time wins leader.
TTU has owned Kansas over the years, winning 10 of the 11 all-time meetings between the two schools, including the last three.
(5-3) Kansas State @ (4-3) Oklahoma

The post-Sam Bradford era begins against Kansas State , the North's surprise leader which has dropped three straight to Oklahoma since a 35-7 win at Norman on Dec. 6, 2003. Road dates against Nebraska and Texas Tech, plus home games versus Texas A&M and No. 13 Oklahoma State follow on the Sooners' schedule. Third in the Big 12 South, Oklahoma moves on with improving freshman quarterback Landry Jones, who's thrown for 1,363 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions in six games.

After allowing 739 yards in a 66-14 loss at Texas Tech on Oct. 10, Kansas State has dominated the first half the past two weeks, leading Texas A&M and Colorado by a combined 58-6. The Wildcats have forced 10 turnovers and recorded nine sacks in those contests after getting six the first six games. Kansas State's running game has been a big part of its recent success. The Wildcats are second in league averaging 186.5 yards on the ground and 218.0 in their last two games.

(7-0) #3 Texas @ (6-1) #14 Oklahoma State

The lone remaining teams with perfect Big 12 records meet with first place in the South Division on the line when McCoy and the third-ranked Longhorns try to extend their 11-game winning streak over the 13th-ranked Cowboys on Saturday night in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State will be without All American WR Dez Bryant who has officially been suspended for the remainder of the season for lieing to the NCAA about contact with Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Cowboys running back Kendall Hunter, an all-Big 12 selection as the league's leading rusher a season ago, has missed the last five games with a sprained ankle and is expected to have a limited role if he plays Saturday. Hunter ran for 161 yards on 18 carries at Texas last year. Keith Toston has replaced Hunter the last five games, averaging 97.0 yards on the ground.

Although Texas lost three defensive starters in the first three rounds of the NFL draft in April, its current defense is ranked second in the nation. Three of the last four Texas opponents have managed fewer than 175 yards of offense, and the last five have averaged 0.8 yards per carry.
Texas hasn't lost to Oklahoma State since a 42-16 defeat Oct. 4, 1997, and leads the all-time series 21-2. Colt McCoy has been exceptional against the Cowboys, completing 79.4 percent for 1,019 yards to go 3-0. In his lone visit to Boone-Pickens Stadium on Nov. 3, 2007, McCoy was 20 of 28 for 282 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He helped engineer a comeback from a 21-point deficit entering the fourth quarter in a 38-35 victory.

Navy This Week

(5-2) Temple @ (6-2) Navy

Temple has been the surprise story in the Mid-American Conference this season, racing out to a perfect 4-0 start in league play. The days of the Owls being the NCAA's doormat are long gone. Under fourth-year head coach Al Golden, they've reeled off five straight wins for the first time since 1979. Last week, they notched a 40-24 triumph over Toledo to take over sole possession of first place in the MAC's East Division.

The Owls face a stiff test playing on the road at Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, where Navy is unbeaten through four games this year. Overall, the Midshipmen have also won five straight, including last week's 13-10 triumph over Wake Forest. Their last two wins, and three of the last four have come by a three-point margin. Navy won last week despite not attempting a single pass

Navy has won four straight meetings with Temple to take a 5-4 lead in the all- time series. The Midshipmen can clinch a birth in the Texas Bowl with a win over Temple.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

October 24th Weekend Games


Big 12 This Week


Saturday October 24th

(4-3) Iowa State @ (4-2) Nebraska
Freshman Cody Green (A Houston Native) could make his 1st collegiate start for Nebraska on Saturday. Green came off the bench during the 4th quarter of the Huskers 31-10 loss to Texas Tech. Outside of a wild fourth quarter against Missouri, the offense hasn’t produced against a BCS team this year. It couldn't’t get into the end zone against Virginia Tech, it struggled for most of the game against Mizzou, and it was a disaster against Texas Tech and its pass rush. The Husker defense did its job against Tech keeping the Red Raiders to just 259 yards, but the offense did not pick up the slack with no big pass plays down the field.
Iowa State could easily be 3-0 in the conference. The Cyclones lost in the last two minutes to both Kansas State and Kansas.

(5-1) #15 Oklahoma State @ (3-3) Baylor

With Dez Bryant missing his third straight game and Kendall Hunter sidelined for his fourth game in a row with a sprained right ankle, Oklahoma State (5-1) defeated Missouri 33-17 on Saturday. The Cowboys are averaging 41.5 points during their four-game winning streak and eighth among Football Bowl Subdivision teams at 37.5 points per game overall. Baylor has not been able to get much going offensively without star QB Robert Griffin. Griffin’s replacement, Blake Szymanski, completed 23 of 38 for 223 yards and was intercepted three times in Saturday's 24-10 loss at Iowa State. Baylor, though, has lost 19 straight to ranked foes since a 35-34 overtime win over then-No. 16 Texas A&M on Oct. 30, 2004. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Baylor 15-12, winning 12 of the last 13.

(2-4) Colorado @ (3-3) Kansas State
The Buffalo offense appears reborn after Coach Dan Hawkins replaced his son Cody with Tyler Hansen. Hanson, a more mobile signal-caller can get on the perimeter on bootleg plays which makes the Buffs between the tackles running game more effective. The Colorado defense also had a decent outing sacking Kansas QB Todd Reesing six times.

Kansas State is coming off its most impressive performance of the season, a 62-14 win over Texas A&M. The Kansas State defense came up with six sacks, forced five turnovers, and ended Jerrod Johnson’s Big 12-record streak of 242 passes without throwing an interception, but it was the offense that made it a blowout. Daniel Thomas ran for four first half scores on the way to a 38-0 lead, and Brandon Banks kept the scoring going by taking the second half kickoff 97 yards for a score. With Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri all coming to Manhattan, it’s not insane to think that KSU can be a major player in the North race.

(3-3) Oklahoma @ (5-1) Kansas

Oklahoma’s running game was non-existent against Texas totaling -16 yards. Now the Sooners will likely play the remainder of the season without QB Sam Bradford. Sooners DL Jeremy Beal leads a group of pass rushers that have made OU No. 1 in the Big 12 and fourth in the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. Their run defense is just as good. OU has only allowed 410 yards on the ground through the 1st 6 games of the season.

(3-3) Texas A&M @ (5-2) Texas Tech

This is a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. Tech is coming off its most impressive victory of the season, a 31-10 win in Lincoln over then-No. 15 Nebraska. The Red Raiders unsung defense held the Cornhuskers to their lowest point total since 2007. Senior defensive end Brandon Sharpe had four of Texas Tech's five sacks -- increasing his season total to eight -- and also batted down a pass.

The Aggies may have hit bottom last Saturday, turning the ball over five times and falling behind 59-0 en route to a 62-14 defeat at Kansas State, their worst loss since a 77-0 rout by then-No. 1 Oklahoma in 2003. Jerrod Johnson threw his first 3 INT’s of the season while the Aggie defense was gouged for 232 yards on the ground by the Wildcats.
The Red Raiders will start Taylor Potts at QB this week for the injured Steven Sheffield who will sit with a foot injury. Potts has not played since suffering a concussion on October 3rd at New Mexico.

Texas Tech has won 12 straight games at Jones Stadium. That is one short of setting a new school record which has stood since 1939-41. The Red Raiders have also won seven in a row in Lubbock against A&M and four straight overall over the Aggies.

(6-0) #3 Texas @ (4-2) Missouri

Cold Weather is expected in Columbia where the Longhorns hope to complete the second third of a challenging October schedule. Game time temperature is predicted around 38 degrees. Missouri has lost two straight games. The Tiger offensive line has struggled to block for QB Blaine Gabbert which is a huge reason why the QB is no walking around with a sprained ankle. Texas has thrived in October and especially after playing the Sooners. The Longhorns are 21-1 in the month since beating the Tigers on Oct. 16, 2004, and haven't lost the week after playing the Sooners since 1997, when they fell 37-29 at Missouri in former coach John Mackovic's final season. The Longhorns have won five straight over the Tigers since then and 14 of 15.

Navy This Week

(4-3) Wake Forest @ (5-2) Navy

The Midshipmen are two wins away from writing their ticket for Houston, Texas. Behind Ricky Dobbs and its powerful ground game, Navy scored on four straight possessions and rushed for 247 yards after halftime to overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit to SMU. These two teams played twice last season with Wake Forest winning both games. Wake Forest has a tendency to turn the ball over, so Navy definitely has a shot to win this game.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Texas Bowl: The New Frontier!


Great news for the Texas Bowl this week as it announced new conference affiliations beginning the 2010 season. The Big 12 and Big 10 will send teams to Houston beginning with the 2010 Bowl Game. Just as an example of what an upgrade this should turn out to be, if the agreement was in place for the 2009 season, the current game could pit Michigan and Oklahoma. This year’s game should be outstanding, but 2010 shapes up to be better than anyone could hope when the Bowl was 1st founded.


Big 12 This Week

Saturday October 17th

(3-2) #20 Oklahoma vs. (5-0) #3 Texas


The 104th edition of the Red River Shootout commences in Dallas this weekend with the Longhorns holding a 58-40-5 series edge. Both teams are seeking revenge after last year’s strange circumstances which saw the Longhorns win the actual game 45-35 at the Cotton Bowl, but the Sooners represent the Big 12 South in the Conference Title game due to a strange league tie-breaking system. This game figures to be much more defensive in nature with the defensive lines of both teams emerging as standout units. The Sooners have played much better competition having played likely bowl teams Miami, BYU, and Tulsa. It may take Texas a quarter or so to adjust to the Sooners speed on defense.

(4-2) Texas Tech @ (4-1) #15 Nebraska


Chalk up another example to Mike Leach’s fantastic offensive system. Junior QB Steven Sheffield made his 1st start ever in Lubbock and destroyed Kansas State completing 33-41 passes for 490 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Red Raiders figure to find success more difficult against the best defensive line in college football. Ndamukong Suh is a likely top 5 NFL draft pick this Spring. Nebraska is one of the few teams in the country that can produce a pass rush with just the down linemen.

(5-0) #17 Kansas @ (1-4) Colorado


Kansas has a chance for another big game against Colorado, which is last in the conference allowing 30.0 points per game and 11th by giving up 389.6 yards per contest.Todd Reesing has thrown for 515 yards and four touchdowns in three games against the Buffaloes.

(3-2) Baylor @ (3-3) Iowa State


Baylor’s defense deserved a better fate than a 33-7 loss to Oklahoma last weekend. Four times the Bears stuffed the Sooners inside the ten yard line and made them settle for field goals. The Bears have been unable to generate a ground game without injured QB Robert Griffin. Freshman QB Nick Florence played pretty well under the circumstances of never having faced a legit top 5 defense. Iowa State played great football for 58 minutes last Saturday before bowing down the aerial assault of Kansas Jayhawk Senior Savant Todd Reesing. The Cyclones allowed 551 yards of total offense spoiling their own fireworks led by QB Austin Arnaud (293 yards passing, 67 yards rushing, 3 TD’s) and RB Alexander Robinson (152 yards, 2 TD’s). This is probably the most winnable game remaining on the schedule for both the Bears and the Cyclones, so it would behoove each squad to snag a “W” if they intend to go bowling.

(3-2) Texas A&M @ (3-3) Kansas State


The Aggies let a great opportunity slip by last weekend losing to an Oklahoma State team that was missing both WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter. The Aggies fell to 0-5 against ranked teams under Mike Sherman. The Aggies need to search for more balance, they were out gained on the ground by nearly 60 yards and the lack of a running attack likely did not help QB Jerrod Johnson who completed just a shade over 50% of his passes. If the Aggies play mistake free football on the road, they are clearly the more talented team in this game.

(4-1) Missouri @ (4-1) #16 Oklahoma State


Last year, Missouri came into this game ranked #3 in the country and were behind from the opening whistle falling to the Cowboys 28-23 in Columbia. This year it is a reversal of fortune with Oklahoma State carrying the burden of raised expectations. The Cowboys are likely to be without All-American WR Dez Bryant who is still seeking re-instatement from the NCAA after lying to investigators about a Summer meeting with former NFL Superstar Deion Sanders. Cowboy RB Kendall Hunter is also out with a possible foot fracture. His understudy, Keith Toston filled in admirably last week rushing for 130 yards in the win over Texas A&M. The Tigers are coming off a 27-12 loss to then-No. 21 Nebraska on Oct. 8 -- the first of three consecutive games against ranked opponents. The Tigers led 12-0 before collapsing in the final period. Two of their fourth-quarter drives ended in interceptions that eventually led to Cornhusker scores. I’m calling for the upset here with Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert out-dueling the suddenly inaccurate Zach Robinson.

Navy This Week

(4-2) Navy @ (3-2) SMU


Two very good offenses that score in totally opposite fashion square off in Dallas, Saturday night. The Midshipmen triple option was on fire last weekend accumulating close to 500 yards on the ground during a 63-14 thrashing of Rice. June Jones’ Ponies prefer the air. His infamous “Run and Shoot” offense tends to churn between the 20 yard lines, but the Ponies have struggled to convert enough of these scoring chances. Bo Levi Mitchell continues to make mistakes as his 10 TD 10 INT ratio would suggest.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

This Weekend October 8th-10th Games


Oklahoma’s 2nd loss of the season to Miami, is good news for the Texas Bowl. Unless Kansas or Missouri runs the table to the Big 12 Title game, there is a decent chance that only one Big 12 team would make a BCS game.

Big 12 This Week

Thursday October 8th

(3-1) #21 Nebraska @ (4-0) #24 MissouriThe Tigers handed Nebraska one of its worst losses in school history last season (52-17).While the Missouri offense has continued to produce points, its running game has been less consistent. The burden clearly falls to the surprisingly effective Blaine Gabbert to pick apart a shaky Husker secondary. Nebraska has an advantage on both lines, but has gotten poor QB play out of Zac Lee. Look for Nebraska to force a couple of turnovers and create a short field for its offense.

Saturday October 10th


(3-1) #15 Oklahoma State @ (3-1) Texas A&MBoth teams failed their only tests against legit competition(UH and Arkansas respectively). The Cowboys defense has been shaky against the pass. They will see the bullets flying early and often against Jerrod Johnson and the Aggie offense. Texas A&M’s defense was assaulted by the pigs last week and does not have an answer for a mobile QB like Zach Robinson. Expect this game to be in the high 30’s or low 40’s scoring wise and likely decided on the final possession of the game.

(3-2) Iowa State @ (4-0) #16 KansasThe Jayhawks offense, led by senior QB Todd Reesing has been exceptional averaging over 500 yards per contest. Reesing has thrown for 572 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception in two starts against the Cyclones. He helped the Jayhawks rack up 343 second-half yards as they rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit in last season's 35-33 win in Ames. Kansas has not lost to a Big 12 North opponent at home in nearly 5 years. Iowa State suffered a heart breaking loss last week against Kansas State when its extra point on an apparent game tieing TD was blocked with 32 seconds remaining. Iowa State has dropped 34 consecutive regular-season road games against Top 25 opponents since a 33-31 win over Oklahoma on Oct. 20, 1990. The Cyclones have lost four straight to the Jayhawks and eight of nine in Lawrence.


(3-1) Baylor @ (2-2) #19 OklahomaThe Sooners have suffered two defeats to ranked opponents by 1 point each. QB Sam Bradford still may not take another snap this season. In fact, Bradford may need to have shoulder surgery before next year’s NFL draft to clean out loose cartilage. The Sooners do not need him this week against the Robert Griffin-less Bears, but would like to get Bradford in game action if he is going to start next week against Texas.

(3-2) Kansas State @ (3-2) Texas TechTech is likely to be without QB Taylor Potts who suffered a concussion in last week’s win over New Mexico. Backup Steven Sheffield, playing in only his second game, threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns off the bench for Tech and will start on Saturday.


(1-3) Colorado @ (4-0) #2 Texas The disastrous season for Colorado is likely to continue against a Longhorn defense which has annihilated its competition. Colorado Head Coach Dan Hawkins introduced a team motto this season, “10 wins, no excuses”. The Buffs will have to win out at this point to get to 10 wins. Colorado’s turnover numbers have been awful as well, with starting QB Cody Hawkins responsible for 7 INT’s and 3 fumbles. On paper this should be about a 35 point win for the Longhorns. Only looking ahead to Oklahoma keeps the Buffs in this game for more than a quarter. Look for Colt McCoy to pass the Horns to an early lead and give Offensive Coordinator Greg Davis ample time to look for the right RB to lead the Horns’ ground game the rest of the season.

Navy This Week


(3-2) Navy @ (0-5) RiceThe Owls offense has been non-existent this season ranking 108th in the nation in yardage and 110th in scoring. The Owls will once again be without projected starting QB Nick Fanuzzi. Meanwhile defensively, the Owls have only 6 days to switch from the spread, passing attack of Tulsa, to the triple option of the Naval Academy.