Countdown to Collegefootballfan.com Game #500: Game # 494

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Old Dominion TD passes in final period deck Charlotte for first C-USA win , 37-34

Norfolk, Virginia –Old Dominion quarterback David Washington to threw 16-yard and 11-yard touchdown passes to WR Zach Pascal in the final 9:46 to overcome a nine- point Charlotte 49er lead to win their first Conference USA game of the season, 37-34. It was an exciting game played between two of the newest FBS teams in the NCAA. A year ago Collegefootballfan.com vowed to come back to Foreman Field after watching ODU (3-3, 1-2) in its inaugural season get smacked down by a dominant Marshall team, 56-14, and figured welcoming this year’s FBS newcomer Charlotte into the FBS would make for a much more competitive game for the two newcomers. It definitely turned out that way, and Charlotte was added to our history as our 129th, and for now, final FBS team. We can precisely say once again, we’ve “seen ‘em all.”

49er defense reviews strategy early in the game.

49er defense reviews strategy early in the game.

Charlotte took a 24-22 lead into the last period as ODU scored the only ten points in the third quarter. Washington (25 for 43, 365 yards, 4 TDS, 1 INT) threw a TD pass that was tipped to Marquis Little who scored for a 33-yard TD pass. Following a field goal attempt by Charlotte’s Blake Brewer blocked by Rashaad Coward and returned to the Charlotte 37 by Marvin Branch, Chris Kirtley converted on a 45-yard FG attempt to close the 12-point gap at halftime.   Charlotte ran a no huddle offense successfully in the first half, but slowed down the tempo in the second half to come up empty on the scoreboard in the third period.

Kalif Phillips (with ball) looks for running room gaining 204 yards for a Charlotte school record.

Kalif Phillips (with ball) looks for running room gaining 204 yards for a Charlotte school record.

To start the last stanza, the 49ers got back on a scoring track finishing a 79-yard drive with QB Matt Johnson faking the hand off to RB Kalif Phillips ( 35 carries for 204 yards and 2 TDS) and going over from the one to widen the visitors’ lead, 31-22, looking for its first conference win in its sixth game of FBS play. Old Dominion’s comeback seemed to be sputtering as its next possession ended with a missed FG from 35 yards. Luck turned their way quickly though as Andrew Buie fumbled the ball on the Niners first play from the 20 where the Monarch’s Shadow Williams recovered at the Charlotte 17. Washington’s 15-yard pass into the end zone was caught by WR Zach Pascal ( 11 catches for 231 yards, 3 TDS) to get within two trailing, 31-29. Charlotte punted after its next possession after a three and out. With the clock running down, ODU faked a punt on its next possession, but Pascal’s rushing attempt came up short. Charlotte had the ball at ODU’s 33, but with 5:11 remaining, they settled for Brewer’s 20-yard FG to lead by five to force the Monarchs to come up with a TD to get the win.   Starting from the 25, Washington connected with Pascal for a 33-yard pass to the Charlotte 42. On third and seven, Washington ran to the 29 for the first. On two consecutive runs, Jeremy Cox stepping in for Ray Lawry brought the ball to the eleven. From there, Washington hooked up with Pascal in the end zone again to get the TD for the one-point lead. A two point conversion pass to Jonathan Duhart gave the Monarchs a 37-34 lead with 2:18 left. Guest Game Analyst Bernie Olszyk (King’s College, Pennsylvania) and I wondered if the home team had left too much time on the clock. Charlotte moved the ball to the Monarch 44, but on a fourth and 13, Lee McNeil’s pass attempt to TJ Ford fell incomplete. The Monarchs ran out the clock with :44 and took the first Conference USA win this year for either team. It was an exciting game with an exciting finish. Charlotte definitely gave us the best performance among all the teams we’ve seen in recent years who have just joined the FBS.

Zach Pascal hauls in game-winning TD pass for 35-34 ODU lead.

Zach Pascal hauls in game-winning TD pass for 35-34 ODU lead.

Next week, ODU goes on the road to face Eastern Division foe Florida International (3-4,1-2). Charlotte returns home to host Southern Miss of the Western Division (4-3, 2-1) looking to pull an upset for their first CUSA win. Collegefooballfan.com travels to Atlanta to attend a disappointing game we chose before the season that’s lost a lot of luster. We head to Bobby Dodd Stadium for the first time to attend a Georgia Tech (2-5 , 0-4) home game. There they will meet No. 9 Florida State (6-0, 4-0). To make the game not only memorable but significant, we’re looking for the Ramblin’ Wreck to pull off the upset. We’ll be there to let you know.

Let's hear it for Old Dominion sideline spirit!

Let’s hear it for Old Dominion sideline spirit!

Extra points: David Washington caught a pass early from his wide receiver position. He replaced original starting QB Shuler Bentley after the first series of the game and came up big with 365 passing yards and four TDs. Bernie reports that last year’s ODU QB Taylor Heinecke, who we were not impressed by in his game against Marshall, made the Minnesota Vikings roster.

Before the game, Bernie, a Jersey boy who now lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, met me at the Red Dog Saloon as outdoor tailgating at ODU is relatively limited to season ticket holders due to parking limitations. We had a great time and enjoyed the beers and appetizers at the Red Dog sports bar owned by a former Navy SEAL . It’s at 1421 Colley Avenue in Norfolk. Parking is tough, but it’s worth the short walk if you can’t park too close. Our tickets were compliments of Gary Gray who is not only an ODU grad, but sells scoreboards to various sports venues. I have to find out where I may have seen some of his other products. He gave Bernie and I front row seats, but we moved up higher in the second half as it was hard to see the action so low. We came away having enjoyed a great game. It doesn’t get any better than seeing two evenly matched teams play down to the wire no matter what their records or their ranking (or even lack thereof).

Stayed in Virginia Beach on Friday night. The sand on the beach was cold during the morning walk. The game started comfortably at 3:30 pm, but put the hoodies went on when the sun was down in the second half. Drove through some flurry action in Central Jersey Sunday on the way home. Still too early for that! And we plan to be at Colorado, West Point , and Ann Arbor in November?

Charlotte was keeping ODU off balance in the first half with their no huddle offense. McNeil moved the team through the air (23 of 33 for 219 yards) while Johnson picked up 42 yards on the ground running read options. Seemed to work well with two QBs, but not sure why they got away from the no-huddle in the second half.

Charlotte QB Lee McNeil winds up to throw a pass over the middle.

Charlotte QB Lee McNeil winds up to throw a pass over the middle.

Bush League band: When the home team band starts chanting “F___ __ , Charlotte”, no less the student body, there’s evidently something wrong with the leadership at the school. They did it several times in the first half before something must have definitely been said, but that was two too many. It shows no class and poor sportsmanship. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before from an organized perspective. I hope the admin will take some further action. It has no place in sports and reflects very poorly on the school.

The game was a sell-out with a total of 20,118 in attendance.

RB Raw Lawry of ODU attended his grandfather’s funeral on Thursday. He carried seven times for only 34 yards and fumbled twice before HC Bobby Wilder inserted Jeremey Cox to do some of the heavy lifting in the offensive backfield. Condolences to Ray. We looked forward to seeing him play again after being the one bright spot for ODU when we saw them get creamed by Marshall a year ago. He had 131 yards rushing in the 56-14 loss. I think he’s a soph, but my knowledge about the teams did not expand as we found no game programs available for today’s game. We hate when that happens

Bernie and I were impressed by the speed of skill position players for both teams. An avid Syracuse fan where his daughter went to school, and where he and I traveled together for several memorable trips, he’s been keeping track of ODU in particular seeing that the Monarchs are recruiting and getting players also being sought by the likes of Syracuse, Rutgers, and Temple among others. HC Bobby Wilder who came from the University of Maine still has ties to the northeast. By the way, last time Bernie and I attended a game together was in 2008 in Williamsburg where we saw William & Mary defeat VMI, 52-17.

Whoever does the scoreboard at Ballard Stadium for ODU is the quickest and most accurate keeper of a scoreboard I have ever seen. The downs and the yard marked were always updated as soon as any play was over. I was pretty amazed.

Senior ODU Guard Tyler Burns stood out on the field for his size.  The California native stand 6′-6″ and weighs 370 lbs.

QB David Washington picks up a key first down for ODU on the winning scoring drive.

QB David Washington picks up a key first down for ODU on the winning scoring drive. Note number 65 to the left.

Countdown to Collegefootballfan.com Game # 500: Game 493

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Spartans edge Scarlet Knights, 31-24; Drop three spots in AP

Spartan HC Mark D'Antoni leads his No. 4 Spartans into High Point solutions Stadium.

Spartan HC Mark D’Antoni leads his No. 4 Spartans into High Point Solutions Stadium.

The Birthplace of College Football, NJ – The Michigan State Spartans (6-0, 2-0) battled it out with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in an intense, exciting game settled in the final minute of regulation as MSU nudged by RU, 31-24.  Spartan QB Connor Cook passed for 357 yards and two TDs completing 23 of 38 passes while the Spartan running game was held to 132 rushing yards.  However, credit Connor’s receiving corps with making many key acrobatic and difficult catches.  WR Aaron Burbridge led the passing attack with nine receptions for 146 yards.  Collegefootballfan.com enjoyed the tailgate with Rutgers fans and Michigan State fans parked nearby who came up from Philadelphia.  Award winning BBQ griller (New Paltz, NY BBQ Fest at the Ulster County Fairgrounds this past August) Frank Scarpa served a contingent of about 15 fans with his hand made, oven-baked style pizzas on his grill with a pizza oven hood. All his pizzas were great and enjoyed by everybody. Frank will be serving up his the BBQ fare (pork shoulder, I believe) at our Game 500 celebration on November 21. We all ambled over to High Point Solutions Stadium on the banks of the Old Raritan well-fed and looking forward to the Big Ten clash wondering if our feast was as good as the evening would get.  I hoped I would see a better game than the one just attended at West Point.  The Spartans wrecked the Knights the previous year, 40-3,  and this Knight team sported  inexperience in key positions replacing starters not playing due to suspensions and injuries. We were unsure I the Knights could mount a challenge against the AP’s No. 4 seed.

Would the Knights show up this evening to give the No. 4 Spartans a real challenge?

Would the Knights show up this evening to give the No. 4 Spartans a real challenge?

     The home team showed some spunk defensively from the start.  Rutgers’ special teams blocked a 35-yard FG by PK Michael Geiger and partially blocked a punt in the first period.  Before the opening period ended though, Cook completed a 25-yard pass on a fourth and ten to Burbridge who gathered it in to the nine.  From the eight, Connor connected with Macgarrett Kings, Jr. who made a diving catch in the end zone for a 7-0 MSU lead. Starting the ensuing series from the 27, RU RB Paul James took the handoff and ran 72 yards to the State six as the quarter ended.  Frank said, ” This doesn’t look like a No. 4 team.”   I questioned, “Who does?” We would find out on Sunday after the pollsters voted.

     One play into the second, QB Chris Laviano (15 for 24 passing, 208 yards, 3 TDs) connected with Leonte Caroo, on his first play back from his assault infraction that was dropped earlier in the week, for a five-yard TD caught at the back of the end zone.  Rutgers forced MSU to punt and took over from its 47.  Two consecutive completions by Laviano put the Knights at State’s 39.  From there, he connected with Caroo again to give the Knights a 14-7 lead.  On their following possession, the Spartans settled for Geiger’s 30-yard FG that hit the right upright and caromed through for three.  After forcing a Rutgers punt, State started a drive from its own 14-yard line advancing to the RU eight on a 28-yard completion to Burbridge. On first and goal ,Cook’s pass was tipped up and intercepted by CB Kiy Hester on a diving catch to kill the scoring threat.  The half ended with the underdog Knights leading the fourth-ranked Spartans, 14-10.

Burbridge (16) moves down field with one of his nine receptions.

Burbridge (16) moves down field with one of his nine receptions.

     In the third, Michigan State drove 73 yards the first time they had the ball for a one-yard score by Frosh RB LJ Scott to retake the lead. A nine-yard loss and a penalty forced RU to punt from its 18, and MSU started again at the Knights 49.  At the 25, Cook threw a pass to DeAnthony Arnett who scored for State again to extend the lead, 24-14.  The Knights got their offense clicking next series with RB Josh Hicks carrying the workload on the ground.  On a fourth and one at the 29, he moved the chains for a first down.  With that, Laviano threw to Caroo who scored taking it over as he hit the left pylon for their third TD pass of the evening.  RU trailed by three now heading into the final period.

LJ Scott scores for the Spartans from the one.

LJ Scott (3) scores for the Spartans from the one.

   After taking back a Spartan punt and starting from the five, RB Robert Martin took over as the Rutgers’ running game work horse. On fourth and six at the MSU 44, Laviano connected with wide open Justin Goodwin (Madison, NJ) who took the pass along the left sideline for 18 yards to the visitors’ 26.  Martin took the ball down to the nine.  On third and goal, Laviano attempted to connect with Caroo for their fourth score, but CB Arjen Coquhon knocked the ball down nearing Caroo’s hands.  Rutgers settled for Kyle Federico’s 22-yard FG to knot it at 24-all with 4:21 left in the game.  Starting a drive from the 24, LJ Scott ( 9 rushes, 42 yards, 2 TDs) was put to work on the ground while Cook connected with WR RJ Shelton for 26 yard to Rutgers’s 46.  On third and one at RU’s 19, Scott carried 16 yards to the three, and with :43 left, he took it over for a 31-24 lead. RU tried to mount a last-minute comeback starting from its 35 after the kickoff landed way out of bounds avoiding a threat by RU’s dangerous returner Janarion Grant. Laviano’s 25-yard completion to Andre Patton got them to the Spartan 40 with 00:24 left.  After two incompletes and a 10-yard sack by Malik McDowell, RU lost track of downs and spiked the football on fourth down. Game over with three seconds left. It was intense, exciting, and unexpectedly a fun football game to be at.  Rutgers showed up to play and didn’t back down to the fourth-ranked team in the country.  The return of Leonte Caroo gave the Knights a welcome weapon to wield to challenge the undefeated Spartans.

RU's Justin Goodwin picks up 18 yards on a catch to the MSU 26.

RU’s Justin Goodwin picks up 18 yards on a catch to the MSU 26.

   Rutgers (2-3, 0-2) next visits the Indiana Hoosiers (4-2, 0-2) who lost their last two games to Ohio State and even more convincingly last weekend to Penn State (29-7). Michigan State travels cross-state to Ann Arbor for a big test against Michigan in The Big House.  The Wolverines, now No. 12, have shut out BYU, Maryland, and Northwestern in its last three games.  This will be a big showdown at 3:30 EST this Saturday.  At the same time, CFF.com will be attending a game of non-epic proportions when we add our final team among the 129 FBS programs when we add the Charlotte 49ers as the 129th visiting the Old Dominion Monarchs in Norfolk, Virginia.  Both ConferenceUSA teams are 2-3.  ODU is 0-1 in conference play and Charlotte is 0-2.  Offensive output and defensive points allowed are comparable. At least it looks to be a competitive game between two of the latest teams to join the FBS.  ODU made their debut on our schedule last season with a 49-14 drubbing by Marshall.  We hope to see both teams lighting up the scoreboard in this one.

Frank Scarpa poses with his award-winning recipe.

Frank Scarpa poses with his award-winning recipe and portable pizza oven at Saturday night’s tailgate. Hmm-Hmm-good!

Countdown to Collegefootballfan.com Game #500: Game 492

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Duke bedevils Army, 44-3

The weather was good enough for the Army Parachute team to perform before the game. The video board in Michie Stadium shows the team aloft preparing to jump.

The weather was good enough for the Army Parachute team to perform before the game. The video board in Michie Stadium shows the team aloft preparing to jump.

Final Army Parachute Team Member arrives with Old Glory!

Final Army Parachute Team Member arrives with Old Glory before kick off!

 

West Point, NY – It was a classically, beautiful fall day along the banks of the Hudson River in West Point at the US Military Academy, but that’s about where the enjoyment of attending a college football game by myself to stay on track for Game # 500 on November 21 ended for both the Army football team and collegefootballfan.com.  The Duke Blue Devils totally dominated a very inept Black Knight football team, 44-3.  Except for one possession in the first half and the last one of the game, Duke scored every time it had the ball, and the Cadets turned it over deep in its territory four times enabling the Blue Devils (5-1,2-1) to take a 27-0 halftime lead.  As for collegefootballfan.com, the volume of traffic caused by a sell out crowd of 39,712  by combining Parents Weekend, Band Day, and Scout Day all on the same Saturday caused traffic frustrations for many converging early on West Point for a 12 noon kickoff.  The small, isolated town of Highland Falls and the bucolic roadways around it are not amenable to handling such a surge of traffic.  Luckily, we noted that the route to the bus lot near the ski slope is still the most efficient way to get parked and set up for an early tailgate.  We will be in good shape at Game 500 for our bus riders.  For those planning to join us, plan an early start and arrival to meet with us there on November 21.

Duke defense stops QB AJ Schurr for short gain early in the game.

Duke defense stops QB AJ Schurr (11) for short gain early in the game.

On top of traffic woes, my seat in section 16, row FF was horrible as fans continue to walk by throughout the game blocking views of everyone around the stadium at that level.  It’s not the fans’ faults, but the design of the old stadium is outdated for optimal viewing unlike many of the new facilities built in the last 30 years.  With scout groups and lots of first-time parents visiting Michie for the first time, there were many fans with tickets in U-16 (“U” for upper) looking throughout the lower section 16 for the wrong seats.  Of course I went  knowing that the plethora of media time-outs scheduled  by CBS-TV Sports makes a fan forget that he’s even there to watch a football game. At one point, mistiming or miscommunication seemed to extend a long media time out as the teams as well as the crowd watched a video board race among different cartoon characters.  Like others sports, other forms of entertainment take over the rhythm of the games so sponsors can bombard us with the same messages during every time out because they pay so much money to the schools. It’s to the point though that it’s truly overkill.  They wonder why college football attendance is dropping?

The non-competitive action on the field makes the experience the most frustrating, however, with all the other issues piled on top.  By the end of the half, I decided if there was not some drastic excitement added by Army during the course of this game, I was leaving at the end of the third period to partake in some tailgating down at Rutgers on such a beautiful day for the 8 pm kickoff there versus No. 4 Michigan State.  And I did! New rule: unless we are adding a new team for the very first time,  “If a team can’t compete, for me the game’s complete!” I hope the Black Knights will somehow vastly improve between now and November 21.  Hopefully they can beat some teams along the way that they can build some confidence on.

Duke’s Ross Martin booted a 40-yard FG the first time the ACC school had the ball.  Army’s Marcus Hyatt dropped the kickoff and the Cadets started on their own eight from where they subsequently punted.  After its next possession, Duke punted for its first, last, and only time putting Army back on its four. QB AJ Schurr converted a first down on a fourth and one from the 24.  He came up with the same situation at the 35, but at that point he left the game with a leg injury.  Sophomore Ahmad Bradshaw, the starter earlier in the season, stepped in and his awry pitch turned into a fumble that Duke recovered at the 17.  QB Tom Sirk (17 for 27 passing, 197 yards, 1 TD) lofted a five-yard TD pass over the middle to TE Eric Schneider who hauled it in over his shoulder for a 10-0 Devil lead.

Duke TE Eric Schneider awaits ball thrown by Sirk for the game's first touchdown.

Duke TE Eric Schneider (88) awaits ball thrown by Sirk for the game’s first touchdown.

In the second period, Army’s drive ended with another Bradshaw fumble. Duke’s 32-yard drive resulted in a three-yard TD by back-up QB Parker Boehme to open the margin, 17-0.  Duke’s next series covered 72 yards.  The last 43 came on a TD run right up the middle by Jela Duncan ( 8 rushes for 78 yards, 2 TDs).  By now I’m thinking it might be worthwhile to leave early. I got beers in the cooler out in the car, so why stay and watch a blow-out and battle the lines to the buses and the traffic on the way out of Highland Falls when there was plenty of time and reason for an evening tailgate party? Army punted the ball away and the half ended like it started.  With 00:06 left, Martin put up three more points with a 25-yard FG.  Duke commanded a 27-0 lead over the Army.

It was a beautiful day at West Point to watch a football game.

It was a beautiful day at West Point to watch a football game. Too bad the Army football team didn’t seem to feel that way.

I was committed now to leave by the end of the third if the Cadets showed no signs of sudden inspiration.  If the bus lines back to K Lot, site of the former West Point PX we had had a unique tailgating experience when we saw Army host New Mexico State, looked too long I decided I was going to hoof it all the way back down the hill. There was now a Subway® Sandwich shop there and I could grab a 6″ sub for the hour and 45 minute drive to The Birthplace of College Football.   In retrospect, I think Army should seriously consider playing football in the Patriot League in which all its other sports now compete.  They lost to last year’s league champ, Fordham, in its opener, 37-35.  They play Bucknell next week. They should continue to play Navy and Air Force in their prime rivalries and add some Ivies along with their current Patriot League membership.  They are on academic equality with all.  They just can’t recruit with the likes of the FBS in general. Evidently, they don’t have the attraction to FBS football athletes that its sister academies seem to have. However, they do recruit nationally and one of their goals is to send their football team against some of the best around the country.  However, maybe they should consider doing it at the FCS level.  When Army enjoyed its football heyday, they had the best players because they took the best from other schools to train them for military service during war time.  They will probably never be able to do that again.  Different world.  As for Michie Stadium, its design is very outdated for fan viewing.  Seats are below pedestrian level as fans walk across sections to and from their seats.  Most stadium designs have raised their seats above traffic aisles traversing seating sections .  We won’t have this problem when our Game 500 guests sit in the upper deck with us at the Rutgers game. There are no such aisle ways there.  I just plan to avoid sitting in this part of Michie again now that I’ve sat there.   Sitting in section 16, it was amazing how many people were confused looking for their seats in U-16 blocking walkways, staircases, and other fans’ views looking for seats in the lower level.  There is a shortage of ushers assigned at each section to help direct people to the correct seats.  That would help, too.

Army's offense started deep in its own territory on its first two possessions.

Army’s offense started deep in its own territory on its first two possessions.

 

Six minutes into the third period, Army finished its initial drive of the second half without a turnover.   Instead, this drive yielded a 22-yard FG by Dan Grochowski.   Maybe they had come out with at least a little more inspiration. Too little?  Too late? Duke matched it with 4:30 left in the third with Martin’s 25 yarder.  Army looked like it would actually challenge a little more.  RB Joe Walker ran for 32 yards to Duke’s 39, and then Bradshaw threw a pass down the middle to TE Kelvin White who made a diving catch to put Army on the two, first and goal. On third and goal, LB Dwayne Norman forced Bradshaw to fumble and S Jeremy Cash recovered at the 17. I saw where this was going as the quarter ended. I left my obstructed seat, left Michie, saw the long line of fans waiting for the blue bus route buses back to K Lot and others, and decided that it was a beautiful day for a long walk down the hill, and probably a quicker way to get there as I passed buses backed up for about half a mile along my walk.  I didn’t regret leaving early.

That's not a block attempt of Dan Grochowski's 22-yard FG by "The 50-foot Woman" of '50's movie fame. That's one of many fans who blocked our sight line watching today's game!

That’s not a block attempt of Dan Grochowski’s 22-yard FG by “The 50-foot Woman” of ’50’s movie fame. That’s one of many fans who blocked sight lines watching today’s game at the level where I sat!

Game summaries report in the fourth that Duke drove the length of the field after the fumble with Duncan scoring a touchdown on a one-yard run.  The Cadets’ next drive resulted in Bradshaw being intercepted by DB Corbin McCarthy, and the ensuing 30-yard drive resulted in a five-yard TD run by Boehme for his second making the final score, 44-3, as Duke inserted the second teamers and basically kept the ball on the ground as the clock ran out.  Duke looked very efficient in this game, but the competition it faced wasn’t posing any major challenge. It’s hard to gauge how good they really are, but Duke’s 5-1 record is a marked improvement under HC David Cutcliffe relative to Duke teams before he came on board at Durham, NC. On Sunday, Duke stepped up to No. 25 in the latest AP Poll.

Next week, Army invited the Bucknell Bison ( 3-2,0-1 Patriot) to come to play at its level in which the Black Knights should be more competitive.  Last Saturday, the Bison fell to fellow Patriot rival Lehigh, 21-10.  Duke has a week off before jumping into its ACC schedule facing Coastal Division competitor Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.  As you now know, I got in the car and headed to New Brunswick, NJ for tailgating and more to see Rutgers host No. 4 Michigan State in a game starting at 8 pm that we expected to be somewhat like the first.  We hoped that this wouldn’t be, but read on…

A shot of the Hudson taken on my walk to K Lot after the third period. Note the message on the roof. I've seen both teams play this season. That's not going to happen.

A shot of the Hudson taken on my walk to K Lot after the third period. Note the message on the roof. I’ve seen both teams play this season. That’s not going to happen.

Steveo’s Salvos – October 8, 2015

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This weekend is our first Double-Header Saturday of the 2015 season. And with the New York Mets headed into the National League Division Playoffs at 9:45 EST on Friday night for the first time since 2006, this could be a long, sleepless but exciting weekend for collegefootballfan.com. We will hang in for the late night game televised late from Las Angeles where knowing that we have plans to get going early to West Point on Saturday morning, our beloved Mets will probably play an extra inning game. We plan to get up early Saturday to beat a sell-out crowd to Michie Stadium for a 12 noon kick off. The Cadets (1-4) will be hosting Duke (4-1, 1-0). The Black Knights fell at Penn State last weekend, only 20-14. Their four losses have been by a total of 20 points. Junior LB and Captain Jeremy Timpf leads the Army defense. Duke enters this game with consecutive wins over Georgia Tech and Boston College at home after a 19-10 loss on the road to No. 23 Northwestern. The Blue Devils offense runs with QB Thomas Sirk who has thrown for 1,063 yards and six TDs while tied for the team lead in rushing with 272 yards and two TDs. Army, playing its 125th season of intercollegiate football will run its triple option averaging 287.8 yards per game. QB Ahmad Bradshaw leads the team in rushing with 341 yards. Last week, Senior QB AJ Schurr filled in for him at Penn State. We look for FB Matt Giachinta to be a key this week to make their running game more effective…

Hoping for clear skies this Saturday to get our college football DH off to a good start. Go Army!

Hoping for clear skies this Saturday to get our college football DH off to a good start. Go Army!

After this game, we will head south to New Brunswick, NJ for the 8 pm night cap between No. 4 Michigan State (5-0, 1-0) and host Rutgers (2-2,0-1) who will have WR Leonte Caroo back in the lineup after being exonerated for assault charges against a woman who was a Scarlet Knight hostess who decided not to press charges. The Newark Star Ledger reports that the University has hired a law firm specializing in NCAA lawsuits to investigate the numerous charges and scandals in their football program. Head coach Kyle Flood will be absent once again in his third and final game of his suspension. Norries Wilson will again serve as HC. Under him, they ‘ve lost to Penn State and beaten Kansas. RU did not play last week. MSU comes off an unimpressive 24-21 win over Purdue which knocked them out as the No. 2 team in the nation. The Spartan defense has 18 sacks and forced 11 turnovers so far this season. Its D is led by New Jersey native and DE Shilique Calhoun who has 4.5 sacks. QB Connor Cook brings in 977 passing yards for 10 TDs and only one INT. His primary receiver is Aaron Burbridge who has 25 receptions and four for scores…Of historical notes: we saw Michigan State defeat Rutgers, 34-10, on September 29, 1990 at The Meadowlands. On September 12, 2009, we ran a bus trip to West Point where we watched Duke defeat Army on a rainy day, 35-19. On October 25, 1986, we attended the Rutgers-Army game at Giants Stadium that afternoon where the Scarlet Knights defeated the Black Knights, 35-7. From East Rutherford we headed to Flushing, Queens, NY where we attended the most memorable game in NY Mets history when we watched a ground ball go through first baseman Bill Buckner’s legs as the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox in Game Six of the 1986 World Series. After the MSU-RU game this Saturday, we will probably catch the end of game two of the NLDS from LA on the radio and tv. We will have to recover from a second late night to write up two game reviews on Sunday, so they may be short! Of course on November 21, we will be back up at West Point to celebrate our 500th game where Knights of both colors will joust once again!…

MSU visits Rutgers Stadium Saturday night at 8 pm.

MSU visits Rutgers Stadium Saturday night for an 8 pm kickoff.

We have seven of this week’s Top 25 on our current schedule this season: 1.) Ohio State, 4.) Michigan State, 12. ) Florida State, 15.) Notre Dame, 17. ) USC, 18.) Michigan, 24.) Toledo. In addition, two other FBS teams already seen are undefeated, Temple (4-0) and Navy (4-0). This week, Navy will play at Notre Dame. On October 31, we will see Temple host ND at The Linc. In addition to Temple and Navy, two other American Athletic teams remain undefeated, Memphis and Houston. One of the four AAC’s has to get a shot at climbing into the Top 25 if they can finish the season unscathed after winning their championship game on December 5. If they can, they will be challenging Toledo and No. 25 Boise State for that non-Power Five Conference spot among the 12 major bowl bids… Instead of showcasing QB Christian Hackenberg for the NFL, maybe HC James Franklin should start developing Penn State’s future by inserting Freshman Trace McSorley at QB. PSU die-hard John Massimilla reported that it was frustrating once again to see “Hack” play again last Saturday… Here’s our take on the way the pollsters think, regretfully. Michigan State defeated 1-4 Purdue, 24-21, and fell two spots from No. 2 to No. 4, and rightly so. Had an undefeated No. 2 Ole Miss beaten a 1-4 Vanderbilt last week (instead of suffering a 38-10 loss at Florida) by the same score, not only would Ole Miss remained at No. 2, but Vanderbilt probably would’ve cracked the Top 25!..On Oct. 17, we will see the C-USA match-up between Old Dominion (2-3, 0-1) and our team # 129 Charlotte (2-3, 0-1) in Norfolk. They will both go in with exact records after this weekend because neither plays this Saturday…

We return to Foreman Field on October 17 to see Old Dominion play for the second year in a row.

We return to Foreman Field on October 17 to see Old Dominion play for the second year in a row.

Teams on our slate this season finished 15-9 last weekend. Only Rutgers did not play…If Philadelphia Eagle HC Chip Kelly keeps it up in the NFL, he will probably be one of the most sought after prospects for a college job next season at the level where his read-option offense works best as he’s proven at Oregon and New Hampshire… We’re surprised that some beleaguered program hasn’t called on Greg Schiano, formerly of Rutgers. It seems he could dig a downtrodden program up from the dregs, but just can’t get it to the top. RU may have given him too much time (5 years) before he started winning. Nobody else may want to wait that long…Talk about hot seats, Texas gave Charlie Strong a lot of money to turn the Long Horns into a stampede, but the 50-7 shellacking at the hands of TCU set him way back. He may not make it through year two of his contract. UT is one of the programs that can afford to pay him while he’s out of work… Mizzou dunked South Carolina last week while the rains flooded out the Gamecocks home back in Columbia, South Carolina. This Saturday’s game against LSU has been moved to Baton Rouge. Classes are cancelled at school, student’s cars are floating around in parking lots, railroad tracks are damaged, and water is not running on campus. Things are a mess down there. In their football program, too. I can’t see Spurrier talking about celebrating anything after this season like he said his team did after finishing 7-6 last year. I think the Old Ball Coach is finished as a HC…Big SEC East game this week when Mizzou (4-1) hosts No. 11 Florida (5-0)…

QB Maty Mauk who started for Mizzou last year ahs been suspended from the team and replaced by Frosh QB Drew Lock.

QB Maty Mauk (7) who started for Mizzou last year has been suspended from the team and replaced by Frosh QB Drew Lock.  They play Florida this weekend in a battle for the lead in the SEC East.

Utah State replaced injured QB Chuckie Heeton last week with Kent Myer and he led the Aggies to a 33-18 win over Colorado State. Myer threw for 137 yards and a score and rushed for 191 yards and another TD. We will see USU in action against Air Force on November 14 in Colorado Springs…Among our FCS teams, Delaware upset William and Mary … The top Five FCS schools are Jacksonville State (probably because of the OT loss to Auburn), Coastal Carolina (5-0), North Dakota State, Illinois State, and James Madison. Teams of note we see play often among the Top 25 include surprising No. 13 Fordham (4-1), No. 14 Villanova (2-2) , No. 21 New Hampshire (3-2) , and No. 24 Harvard, projected to win the Ivy league again. Dartmouth, Princeton and Stony Brook all received votes…Bo Pellini’s Youngstown State Penguins (3-1) are at No. 9…Former ND State HC Craig Bohls of three national FCS championships is now 0-5 at Wyoming this season losing last week to Appalachian State, 31-13. That was not expected after a 4-8 start last season…Princeton defeated Columbia, 10-5, in an Ivy League game played last Friday night. That’s got to be Al Bagnoli, former Penn coach, starting to show signs of improvement for the Lions. Let’s keep an eye on him…Last week we decided to plan to go to see Franklin and Marshall play at Johns Hopkins as one of our options for a game on November 7. We were hoping for a clash between two undefeated D3 teams playing for their Centennial Conference championship. Well, JHU remained unbeaten beating up The Alma Mater, Juniata, but F&M fell to Dickinson, 13-7. We may still go. It could be our best option that weekend… Wisconsin – Whitewater is still No. 1 in D-3 with 21 votes at 4-0 followed by No. 2 Mount Union at 4-0, as usual. Linfield (Ore), Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) , and Wesley of Delaware round out the Top Five in D3. Johns Hopkins is ranked at No. 10, Rowan is at No. 14, and Cortland State (5-0) is 15th. Wesley, now of the NJAC , hosts conference foe Kean this weekend followed by undefeated Rowan on October 24. Kean and Rowan will both be significant underdogs in these games, but if strange things do happen, we could see the two of them play one another on November 7. Our former Little League baseball player Matt Hill is a junior offensive tackle at Kean University this season…

Penn State (4-1,1-0) hosts Indiana (4-1, 0-1) in fifth starting game in Happy Valley this Saturday at noon.

Penn State (4-1,1-0) hosts Indiana (4-1, 0-1) in its fifth straight home game in Happy Valley this Saturday.  The kickoff is at noon.

Countdown to Collegefootballfan.com Game # 500; Game #491

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Navy takes charge in Commander-in-Chief competition grounding Air Force, 33-11

Annapolis, Maryland (Oct. 3) – The US Naval Academy (4-0) forced four turnovers and QB Keenan Reynolds totaled 300 yards in offense to take a 21-0 lead over C-I-C Trophy rival Air Force (2-2, 1-0)  by halftime to eventually win, 33-11, in its first of two games to win the coveted prize annually sought among the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies. Reynolds rushed for 183 yards and passed for 117 despite the Falcons keying on him during the entire game.  They did prevent him from crossing the goal line in his opportunity to surpass Wisconsin’s Montee Ball this season to become the leading scorer in FBS history with 500 points. He will have eight more regular season games after this one to top that mark.  He did throw a touchdown pass and teammates Chris Swain and Demond Brown carried the ball into the end zone to finish off drives set up by the opportunities by Navy’s defense. LB Daniel Gonzales led the D in tackles with 11. Both running the triple option offense, navy outgained Air Force 270 to 204 yards on the ground, but turnovers were the key to this victory for the Midshipman.  For collegefootballfan.com, it was the 25th Navy win that we’ve attended over the years.  As usual, we enjoyed our time in the great Capitol city of Annapolis along the Severn River despite the pending and subsequent rain storms that caused some flooding later in the evening.

Flyovers were cancelled, but the tradition of Navy and Air Force exchanging "prisoners" (exchange students) was not affected by the weather.

Flyovers were cancelled, but the tradition of Navy and Air Force exchanging “prisoners” (exchange students) was not affected by the weather.

     Navy thwarted Air Force’s triple option right away forcing a three and out, and then came back with their version of the same offensive scheme ending a 63-yard drive with FB Chris Swain (18 carries for 54 yards, two TDs) taking it in from the two-yard line for a quick 7-0 lead.  Air Force was in a retaliatory mode driving from its 34 down to the one-yard line, but they came up empty on a fourth and goal when DE Will Anthony and S Kwazel Bertrand stopped FB Shayne Davern short on the one to take over on downs.  The Mids couldn’t move far and punted.  The Falcons started from at the Navy 39, but a misplay on a pitch out recovered by Betrand gave Navy possession again from the 36.

Navy defense stops Air Force on a fourth and goal at the one in the first period.

Navy defense stops Air Force on a fourth and goal at the one in the first period.

     To start the second period after introducing the 1960 USNA Cotton Bowl team, the Mids continued to drive. Reynolds (4 for 10 passes for 117 yards, 1 TD) fired to WR Thomas Wilson for his only reception of the game and a 27-yard touchdown.  Navy led, 14-0.  After the kick return to the 33, Air Force QB Karson Roberts  (9 carries for 45 yards and 5 for 12 passing for 73 yards) fumbled at the 16 and the ubiquitous Bertrand recovered the ball once again to take over at the 16.  After another Navy punt, LB Zach Hester tipped the ball and CB Brendon Clements picked off a pass by Roberts.  The Navy D had the Air Force Falcons stymied offensively.  Not able to capitalize again though, Navy once again took over the ball on a fumble by USAFA WR Garrett Brown, recovered by LB DJ Palmore. From the 32, Reynolds went around right end for 67 yards before being taken out at the one.  SB Demond Brown took it over from the one for the 21-0 halftime lead.

Demond Brown (25) scores Navy's third TD of the first half.

Demond Brown (25) scores Navy’s third TD of the first half.

     The rain covering the east coast most of the weekend started around halftime after the skies around Annapolis had remained cloud covered since the morning after a driving rain storm we travelled through the night before.  Guest Game Analyst Frank Lorito and I came well prepared to stay dry as well as warm.  The two flyovers scheduled before kickoff were regretfully  cancelled due to the weather.  The Cotton Bowl team introduced before the second period finished 9-2 that season losing in the bowl game to Missouri, 21-14. They beat 10-1 Washington and 6-3-1 Army that season. Duke was their only other loss that year. Villanova and Penn who they rarely play any more and a 2-8 Notre Dame team were defeated.  Navy beat SMU in Norfolk, bested Air Force in Baltimore, and ND and Army games were won in Philly.  Heisman winner Joe Bellino was a member of the team and Hall of Fame Coach Wayne Hardin was their HC.  The Navy and Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps performed together at the half playing “God Bless America”, “Wild Blue Yonder”, “Anchors Aweigh!” and the “Marine Corps Hymn.”  During the game, the scoreboard video featured clips by Mids of how “Chair Force Cadets” were striving to qualify as Midshipman while performing various feats with folding chairs attached to their butts. They could not qualify the rigorous testing, of course.  All in good fun, for the home team Mids, of course. By the way, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium offers the best college football  score updates compared to many other sites we’ve been to.  It goes beyond scores of the Top 25 or conference foes. With fans and a student body from throughout the country, they do a good job of keeping everyone there informed about all the games of interest, even FCS game updates.

The 1960 Navy Cotton Bowl team was honored between after the first period of the Air Force game.

The 1960 Navy Cotton Bowl team was honored between after the first period of the Air Force game.

    To start the third period Navy poured it on. They drove from the 75 to a first and goal at the four where it took them four attempts until Chris Swain scored from the one.  The missed PAT made it, 27-0.  A questionable forward pass call reversed another Air Force fumble that could have increased the Navy margin even more, but the Falcons put three points up with Drew Oeherle’s 39 yard FG late in the third to nix the Navy shutout, 27-3.

   In the fourth, the Air Force continued to march 53 yards with Roberts going over the right side for a one-yard TD run, and also brought it in on  two-point conversion to trail Navy, 27-11. On the next Navy drive, a 33-yard pass to WR Craig Scott was a key play resulting in Austin Grebe’s 37-yard FG.  Navy forced another USAFA punt and a 40-yard run by Reynolds to the three set up another Grebe FG, this time for 24 yards, to give the Mids a 33-11 lead with 1:56 left.  The game was over and the teams gathered on the field in front of their respective Corps and Brigade to sing the alma maters before the Brigade of Midshipman was granted ‘special liberty” for the weekend for spirit the week before the game and for beating Air Force. Some USNA alum nearby lamented, “Hey, we never got that.” The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is still a top football priority in “Crab Town.” Beating Army by far comes in at first.

Air Force QB Roberts stopped for no gain.

Air Force QB Roberts (16)  stopped for no gain.

   Next up for Air Force (2-2, 1-0) is 0-5 Wyoming at home in a Mountain West Conference game. We look forward to seeing the Falcons play for the first time in Colorado Springs when we go out there on November 14 to see them host Utah State.  The Mids take their 4-0 record to South Bend next Saturday to play the 4-1 Fighting Irish who fell to Clemson, 24-22, in very wet conditions down in South Carolina where it continues to flood.  Collegefootballfan.com pulls off our first double header weekend of the season next Saturday when we head first to West Point for a noon kickoff between Duke (4-1, 2-0) and Army (1-4) who comes off a 20-14 loss to Penn State.  After that game, we will hustle down to the Birthplace of College Football, NJ to see Rutgers (2-2) host No. 4 Michigan State who just got by Purdue, 24-21. We will catch up on some pregame tailgating down there.

And the winner is...NAVY!

And the winner is…NAVY!

Extra points: Frank and I headed to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Saturday to park at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church across from the Stadium. On the way down, I we stopped at a parking lot to get on the phone to do our radio interview with Pete Spadora on “Spadora on Sports” on his program on WNER in Watertown, NY.  From the church, we walked downtown to O’Brien’s for some Bloody Mary’s and to watch some non games meeting other fans catching up on some action, too.  We walked back up to tailgate little before meeting up with season ticket holders Brian Donnelly, “Navy Al”, Navy vet Jay, and their token Air Force fan/friend Jim to hang out before the 3:30 kickoff game to share some tales around the tailgate.  It was good to see them, and we plan to catch up again at Army game and at the Military Bowl to be played in Annapolis.

Navy’s overall record in our attendance is 25-34.  It’s improved vastly over the last few years  with the success they’ve had as they’ve won seven of the last eight we’ve seen them play. We see the next few years’ schedules and it looks like Navy (and Army) are giving their fellow Patriot league foes a shot to play football on TV with them in front of some good crowds (Army and Navy are Patriot League members in most sports, but not football). This year, Army opened with Colgate. Next year they open by hosting Fordham and two years later against Lehigh.  Army opened with Fordham this year losing 37-35 and they will play Bucknell in a few weeks. Georgetown, Holy Cross, and Lafayette are other Patriot League football teams.  With Navy now playing eight American Athletic Conference football games and committed to playing Army, Air Force, and Notre Dame every year, there is only room to play one other non-conference opponent during a 112-game season.  In 2017, they open against Florida International. In 2018, they are able to add a 13th game by playing at Hawaii before opening at home against Lehigh.

We’re glad to see Navy starting the games again with “Danger Zone” with clips from the movie, “Top Gun.”

Looking at rosters of both teams, it seems Navy recruits more side spread throughout he county than does Air Force.  USAFA seems to recruit primarily west of the Mississippi and down in Georgia. We’re surprised at this knowing that all the academies get appointments through Congressional reps from all 50 states. Kids from all over seem to express interest in flying.  I’m surprised USAFA can’t or doesn’t recruit better from other regions than what they do now.

After the game, Frank and I had dinner at the packed Federal House Restaurant downtown where we watched the early evening games.  We went to walk off some of our dinner and tailgating libations by heading to the Annapolis city pier. However, the high tide had rolled in and with all the rain the drains started backing up casing parking lots to flood. Patrons of the restaurants there were surprised to come out and find knee -deep water where they had parked their cars within the hour. Now the couldn’t open car doors without the water rushing in. Boats docked along the sea walls had been removed as it was feared that the tide might come over and carry the boats over. Their big boat show start next Thursday there.  We headed over to the Annapolis Cigar Factory store to smoke some Stogies, have few drinks, and watch the Notre Dame -Clemson game. It’s become an Annapolis tradition for us.  We watched the game with a nice guy who recently retired from the city of Annapolis and we talked about sports and good times growing up as kid when we did. We just reminisced about how growing up in our days was so different than today. We’re glad we were kids when we were. A trio of Air Force pilots, two brothers and a wife, came in  a little later and oblivious to everything around them.  The Chair Force couldn’t handle their liquor as well as we do.

Go Navy!

Go Navy!

Steveo’s Salvos – September 30, 2015

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Last week, teams on our schedule this year won 13 and lost 5.  Five did not play. We decided to drop our Nov. 7 game plan to see either Lafayette or Lehigh based on who had the more competitive game that day against Colgate or Holy Cross respectively. Both teams are looking feeble thus far as are their guests. Lehigh is 2-2 while the other three are 1-3 and going nowhere. Fordham (3-1) looks like the cream of the Patriot League this year. The last two Saturdays, Princeton defeated Lafayette, 40-7, and Lehigh, 52-26. Neither team is going anywhere. We may decide to go to a D-3 game that could feature two undefeated teams vying for a conference championship and an automatic playoff if we see Franklin and Marshall at Johns Hopkins. New venue and more competitive contest than other higher division games we’re contemplating…

Since Lafayette and Lehigh have already stumbled this season, we don't have any plans to see them this year. Last year we saw them play the 150th game against one another at Yankee Stadium.

Since Lafayette and Lehigh have both already taken too many tumbles this season, we cancelled plans to see them this year. Last year we saw them play the 150th game against one another at Yankee Stadium.

This week’s game is under the duress of Hurricane Joachim crawling up the east coast. We’re keeping a close eye on it. This would be a huge disappointment to miss as it’s our only weekend planned in Annapolis which we love to go to every year. Besides, it’s undefeated Navy (3-0) hosting archrival Air Force (2-1). Don’t think this game means anything to these schools? In preseason practice interviews, Navy co-captains NT Bernard Sarra and QB Keenan Reynolds were asked by pundits if the new membership in the American Athletic Conference meant that their priority now was winning the conference. Both, interviewed separately, answered that the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy was still their team’s top priority. Supremacy over the other two academies still takes precedence for Navy, Air Force, and Army. Not only will it be a great game, but Keenan Reynolds has already scored nine TDS in the first three games. That brings him to a total of 422 career points, 78 short of Wisconsin RB Montee Ball’s all-time record of 500. He’s still got nine regular season games ahead of him and possibly two more with a conference championship game and a bowl game. Maybe Navy can send some ships to sea to escort Joachim away from the east coast this weekend…

Junior Toneo Gulley (22) returns among a stable of slotbacks in Navy's offense this year.

Junior Toneo Gulley (22) returns among a stable of Slotbacks playing for Navy’s offense this year.

Just when we thought pollsters were waking up to reality, they fooled us again. When will they learn? Auburn drops out of the polls with an overtime win over FCS Jacksonville State, a loss to LSU, and a loss of confidence in their QB Jeremy Johnson who was all their rage before the season. He got benched against Mississippi State. State had been bounced the previous week from the Top 25. A loss to LSU and a waste of a blowout against FCS Northwestern State dropped them. So they beat Auburn 17-9. Not only do they climb back in, but they leap past teams with more impressive resumes like Michigan, Cal, and yes, even SEC foe Florida. This week they play No. 14 Texas A&M. They win and they both stay in. They lose, who knows what the pollsters will do? This SEC love affair is sickening. Half of the teams in the American Athletic Conference already have more impressive wins than MSU does, and they are only in the “also receiving votes” category. That may change soon… Last week, Rutgers defeated Kansas at home in what many considered a game between the two worst teams among the Power Five conferences. Luckily for RU, it was home game as KU continued on a 32-game road losing streak. Unluckily for Rutgers that now has seven players suspended for various criminal activities, their upcoming schedule looks like this starting on October 10: No. 2 Michigan State, at Indiana (4-0 now and facing reality this week against Ohio State), No. 1 Ohio State, at No. 19 Wisconsin, at No. 22 Michigan, at Nebraska. Talk about losing streaks…Then they meet in our Game 500 against Army at West Point. Army (1-3) won last Saturday at Eastern Michigan, 58-36. The Black Knight defense was playing better up until this one. By the time Rutgers shows up, they could be slightly dinged up coming into Michie Stadium. The Black Knights with their triple option may be more formidable than RU thinks. They rushed for 566 yards and seven TDS against the Eagles (1-3)…We decided to keep our DH Saturday of October 10 intact. In a noon start, we will see Army host Duke who had a key win over Georgia Tech last week, 38-22. The Blue Devils (3-1, 1-0) face Boston College this weekend and could take a second significant step to challenge for the Coastal Division title. QB Thomas Sirk mixes up the run and pass well. After this game is over, we head down to Jersey on I-287 expecting to see No. 2 Sparty thrash around Rutgers…

Army practiced hand-to-hand combat in their spring game to get ready for the likes of Duke, Rutgers, andNavy, who we will see them all play this season.

Army practiced hand-to-hand combat in their spring game to get ready for the likes of Duke, Rutgers, and Navy, who we will see them all play this season.

The alma mater, Juniata College, faltered this last week to 1-3,0-3 with a 24-7 loss to Franklin and Marshall. Next up for them is D-3 No. 10 Johns Hopkins averaging 52 points per game. It made us note both F&M and JHU are undefeated and could be on a collision course for the Centennial Conference Championship. The game is at Hopkins which we hear has top rate facilities based on funding from its D-1 Lacrosse program…My move to get Ohio State at Michigan tickets this year looks better than I thought. Jim Harbaugh’s got the Wolverines at 3-1 with a 31-0 win over BYU who was ranked last week. He’s got them playing nasty again. That’s going to be some game at Ann Arbor. I picked the right year for that rivalry! Kicking around USC vs. UCLA next year…Charlotte and Old Dominion both are coming down to earth now at 2-2. We see them play in Norfolk on October 17. We see that Appalachian State whipped ODU, 49-0. What scares us is that we saw Appy beat Georgia State a year ago, 44-0. We thought the Monarchs would be much better than GSU this year. GSU fell to the 49ers, 23-20. The lost to Middle Tennessee, 73-14! As we suspect, there will be lot of points scored by these two teams when we see them play at Foreman Field. We go with the primary intention as adding Charlotte as our 129th team to maintain our goal “to see ’em all!”…Notre Dame (4-0) stomped struggling UMass last week, 62-27. Now the Irish visit 4-0 Clemson in what some people consider a playoff game into the CFP. Even if the Irish win, they have Navy and USC after the Tigers, but we look forward to October 31 now as we plan to see the Irish visit Temple in The Linc in Philly where both teams could be undefeated. TU only beat UMass by two points two weeks ago. After a bye last week, it was probably a good time to have off to reflect on where they are now. Their schedule leading up to the Irish is not as formidable starting at Charlotte, Tulane, UCF, and then at ECU. The game in Philly is already close to sold out. Temple fans showed up faithfully for their win over Penn State. It should be raucous if both show up undefeated…

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ND’s defense suffered many injuries prior to last season’s Music City Bowl victory, but they are healthier and better this season to take on Clemson this weekend.

No one in the AAC is ranked yet, but among Houston, Memphis, Navy, and Temple, we might see one of these challenging for that non-Power Five team in the CFP this year. Also, look for some of their head coaches to become hot items when Power Five schools are looking to replace their fired Head Coaches at the end of this season –particularly Justin Fuente of Memphis and Tom Herman of Houston…Colorado (3-1) defeated Colorado State to finish 3-1 in very weak non-conference games. Now the fun begins before we see them host USC on November 13. Picked to finish last in the PAC 12 South, they next play Oregon, at Arizona State, Arizona, at Oregon State, at UCLA, and Stanford. I say there are a few upsets in that mix…Other scores of note: after a 17-10 loss to Ohio State, Northern Illinois fell at Boston College, 17-14. NIU is no slouch when it comes to competing with Power Five teams. QB Troy Flutie threw a TD pass for BC…Buffalo is 2-2 after a loss to Nevada. John Massimilla saw the Bulls loss to Penn State, 27-10. He said to me last week, “Watch out for Buffalo.” We said this from the beginning. New HC Lance Leipold looks like he will do wonders there after winning six D3 championships at Wisconsin-Whitewater. He’s hardly had a chance to recruit yet. Success this season will prove he can coach. Next up for the Bulls is 2-2 Bowling Green. The two wins came over Big Ten Bottom feeders Maryland, 48-27, and Purdue, 35-28. We think Leipold will eventually find a home in the Big Ten and do great things…East Carolina had a big non–con win for the AAC beating Virginia Tech for the second year in a row, 35-28…Central Florida is struggling at 0-4 including one-point losses to Florida International and to FCS Furman. George O’Leary’s squad has nothing but AAC games left including Temple, Houston, Cincinnati, and ECU…In D3, No. 2 Mt. Union marinated Marietta, 61-0 while UW Whitewater got by D-2 NAIA Morningside, 33-30. The Mustangs of Sioux City, Iowa were 3-0 with an average score of 70-9 coming in before it fell to the defending D-3 national champ. They were selected as the preseason Top NAIA team by The Sporting News. Wesley College in Delaware ,now of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, defeated North Central of Illinois in a battle of perennial Top 25 teams (64-6 in ten years 10 conference play), 50-49. On the opposite end of the spectrum, two other new schools in the NJAC met, Salisbury State thrashed Southern Virginia, 91-3. It just doesn’t seem right. Craig Bohl is taking his lumps in his second year at Wyoming after three straight FCS championships at North Dakota State. New Mexico beat his Cowboys, 38-28, to fall to 0-4… In the FCS, our plans to see Villanova or New Hampshire in this year’s playoffs look sketchy. Both are unexpectedly 2-2. Last week, Nova was beaten for the first time in 14 tries by the Penn Quakers, 24-13. The Wildcats got stoned at Stony Brook by the Seawolves, 31-6. The good news though is that the James Madison Dukes look to sit atop the Colonial Athletic Conference. If we attend the D-3 Championship on Friday night, December 18 in Salem, VA, we may be able to see the Dukes play in a semi-final the next day in Harrisonburg right up I-81…Who’ll stop the rain, Joachim? Blow out to sea as we have an appointment for a big game in Annapolis this Saturday. Go Navy!

Despite the return QB Sean Goldrich at UNH, the Wildcats have struggled early this season.

Despite the return of Senior QB Sean Goldrich at UNH, the Wildcats have struggled early this season.

 

 

Count down to Collegefootballfan.com Game # 500; Game #490

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71-yard fumble return puts Penn State past San Diego State,  37-21

State College, PA – Penn State’s 323-lb DT Austin Johnson picked up a fumble by San Diego State QB Max Smith forced by DE Carl Nassib and rambled, somewhat slowly, for a 71-yard TD run to give the Lions a 13-point cushion to hold off the SDSU Aztecs (1-3) for a 37-21 win.  Despite continued accuracy problems by PSU QB Christian Hackenberg (21 for 35, 296 yards, 3 TDs), he connected for some long passes and three TDs all in the first half.  A personal highlight for CFF.com was to meet our good friend and the all-time No. 1 fan of San Diego State football, Tom Ables and his son Ken, right before the game.  Tom was attending his 761st SDSU game ever. The last Aztec game he missed was back in 1964.  Today was his 591st SDSU game in a row since then! He’s still travelling wherever his team goes, and he’s battled the elements including snow storms in Wyoming to get to see them on several occasions.  Now that’s dedication.

Tom and I meet before the game as his son Ken and Mike Ford, next to me, look on.

Tom and I meet before the game as his son Ken and Mike Ford, next to me, look on.

Penn State (3-1,1-0) drew first blood as RB Saquon Barkley took a middle screen pass and dove over the goal line for a 22-yard score.  The lead was quickly knotted at seven all when Rashaad Perry of the Aztecs returned the kick off starting from his end zone to the center of the field, picking up some blockers, and racing untouched down the right sideline for a 100-yard score.  On a 34-yard run by Barkley and two consecutive completions by Hackenberg, the Lions got into position to tack on three more points on a 40-yard FG by frosh Joey Julius to lead, 10-7, going into the second quarter.

After a three-and-out by the Aztecs, the Lions got into field goal range again with key plays on a 42-yard completion to Saeed Blacknall and a 21-yard run by Barkley. Jones made his kick good from the 24 to lead, 13-7.  A 55-yard run by Perry brought SDSU to the 20. QB Max Smith fired to WR Mikah Holder in back of the end zone in the left corner for a great catch to give the visitors a 14-13 advantage. The Tec’s defense next blocked a 55-yard FG attempt by Jones and took over at their own 38 but could not capitalize.  They forced the Lions to punt from the 29, but returner Lloyd Mills fumbled and Chris Goodwin recovered to set up a new drive for the Lions at SDSU’s 27.  At the 13, “Hack” hit RB Mark Allen in the left flat and he crossed the goal line for a 20-13 lead with 1:03 left in the second.  The Aztecs took over and DE Garrett Sickels forced a fumble by Donnel Pumphrey that was recovered by PSU DT Anthony Zettel.  Penn State took advantage as Hackenberg threw his third TD pass of the first half from 11 yards to Chris Godwin for a 27-14 halftime lead.

It was a great day for tailgating. Besides Tom and Ken Ables coming out to State College from San Diego for the first time, I also brought along a couple of other first-timers to Beaver Stadium as well.  Dave Headden ( Ohio Wesleyan) and Mike Ford (Providence College) came to enjoy great weather and great tailgate food including beef brisket served  up by John and Kelle Massimilla as part of the pre-game tailgate festivities. My daughter, Alex, a disappointed South Carolina Gamecock graduate with her alma mater struggling so far this season, also joined up as she had enjoyed many visits to State College since she was a little kid. Also meeting up with us a little while before the game was long-time CFF fan “Seton (Hall)” Fred Bacchetta and his sons Mark (Delaware) and Stephen (Montclair State).  Living in Roxbury, NJ, they’d come to see their good friend Angelo Mangiro start at center for the Nittany Lions. “Evan Williams” and “Jeremiah Weed” also made guest appearances.  It was a great time and a good game with a lot of memorable plays according to Mike Ford.  He and Dave said they’d like to do it again and possibly see the Lions play a Big Ten opponent in the future.  Mike wants to still try to figure a way he can bring down some lobsters from Rhode Island next time he joins to add to our tailgate.  We convinced him this time that it would be too difficult to get a boiling pot to cook them right this time. Mike couldn’t leave after the game without finding a PSU “Happy Valley” shirt that he purchased after the game to wear back in his native Rhode Island.  He remembers way back when Penn State defeated Texas in the 1971 Cotton Bowl.  It made his late father very happy that a team from the east was making a mark for itself showing that a program from out here could beat the best from anywhere else.

John, me, Dave, Mike, and Alex with Mound Nittany in the background.

John, me, Dave, Mike, and Alex with Mount Nittany in the background.

Like PSU in the first half, San Diego State punted and PSU fumbled where the Aztec’s Luke Bussey recovered at the Lions’ 21.  Donnel Pumphrey (18 carries for 56 yards, 1 TD) brought SDSU to within 27-21 on a one-yard TD run.

In the final period, Nassib’s tackle and Johnson’s rumble gave the Lions a 34-21 lead for more cushion with 13:44 remaining.  The next PSU possession resulted in Jones’s 26 -yard FG to finalize the days’ scoring and neither team mounted any sustainable drives afterward.  The Lions made the valley happy, 37-21.

The Lions will host their fourth of five consecutive home games when Army (1-3) off their first victory of the season this past Saturday when they defeated Eastern Michigan, 58-36. The Cadets and Lions will be playing each other for the first time since 1979 when PSU triumphed at Beaver Stadium when it had a much smaller capacity of about 60,000, 24-3.  It is sold out and it will be appropriately celebrated as Military Day.  The Aztecs with Super fan Tom Ables return to Qualcomm Stadium to start Mountain West Conference play against Fresno State (1-3,0-1). Collegefootballfan.com will be having a Military day of our own when we head to Annapolis, Maryland to see Air Force (2-1) visit Navy (3-0, 2-0) for the first round of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Last season, Air Force won the hardware starting with a 30-21 win over the Mids in Colorado Springs.  This should be a classic in the series.  Navy QB Keenan Reynolds has nine TDS this year already.  The Air Force gave No. 2 Michigan State a pretty good game two weeks ago falling, 35-21.

Extra points : Our condolences to PSU DT Anthony Zettel (7 tackles yesterday) and his family who lost their father, Terry, after a long battle with cancer. He was only 46. God bless him.

Official attendance recorded 95,107 seats sold.  15,000-20,000 of those sold were empty.  Many PSU fans including  students took a break for a weekend sandwiched between four other home games.  Tom and I would never do that!

This was our 96th Penn State game ( our last regular season game for this year). Under our watch, the Lions are 74-22. This was our second San Diego State game. They are 0-2. We saw them lose to UTEP the first time back in 2006. Only 759 games behind Tom!

Post game with the Penn State Blue Band.

Post game with the Penn State Blue Band.

 

Steveo’s Salvos – September 24, 2015

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Aztec super fan Tom Ables’ assessment of his San Diego State team visiting the Nittany Loins in Happy Valley this Saturday: “We are a better team overall than we have shown, but our new QBs just are not getting it done, and opponents have stacked the line to stop Donnel Pumphrey. When we get our passing game going, we will be tough.”  A lot of the same can be said about Penn State’s season thus far.  No long passing game because the O-line can’t pass block.  The short game could work if Christian Hackenberg could throw the ball more accurately. Right now he can’t hit the broad side of the barn 50% of the time.  The good news is that the line is opening holes big enough for frosh phenom Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch to run through.  Also, the defense is good and improving.  Tom thinks the betting line is a little short this weekend.  We’re not saying the passing game for the Lions will improve, but if they focus on what they can do well, they should be able to score on the ground and stop the SDSU offense on the ground and through the air…And then there were five – SEC Top 25 teams that is.  It’s not surprising to us that five have fallen out and should have,  but that the voters could actually identify teams outside the SEC to replace them is as astonishing.  Surprisingly,  Mississippi State trounced Northwestern State, 62-13, but the voters didn’t bite.  Maybe they are catching on to the SEC scheduling strategy…

Mizzou hangs on at No. 25 with a paltry 9-6 win over UConn.  Let’s see what the Huskies do against Navy’s triple option in East Hartford this week.  The Mids made their American Athletic debut over an East Carolina team that challenged the Florida Gators the week before losing, 31-24.  Just ask Gator HC Jim McElwain who was upset about his team for several reasons (and rightfully so)…We’re in for Notre Dame at Temple on Oct. 31.  We just have to figure what game we’re going to skip to make sure we are on course for Game No. 500 on November 21.  We have to wait for a game time announcement to think about axing Duke at Army on a DH weekend on Oct 10, or skipping USF at Navy in a noon time start on Oct 31.  If TV sets the time between 7-8 pm, we may make it a DH weekend…Temple just squeaked by UMass, 25-23. Mark Whipple’s squad started making some improvements losing so many close games last season.  They are still trying to build on what he’s putting together there up in Amherst where they are actually playing home games again. Temple’s next three games are quite winnable – at Charlotte, Tulane, and Central Florida.  ECU on the road could be a challenge. They could possibly face the Irish undefeated.  Notre Dame stepped up against s big challenge, as we had thought, last week with a solid 30-22 win over Georgia Tech.  The Irish face a few challenges ahead of Temple with UMass, at Clemson, Navy, and USC. It will be our second of three games now at the Linc in Philly this season…Like a lot of years, Rutgers fans like to count their wins before they happen.  They look at Kansas (0-2) coming in for homecoming this week and they not be too confident even about this one.  On the other hand, Army is plodding along at 0-3 with three close losses (Fordham, UConn, Wake Forest). QB Ahmad Bradshaw, as RU fan Frank Scarpa witnessed says that he was impressed, runs the triple option effectively. Army’s defense, like most defenses in college football this year, has a lot of room for improvement according to Frank. He saw them lose to Fordham, 37-35, but their last two games they held their foes to 22 and 17 respectively. If RU doesn’t win this week, the battle between the Black Knights of the Hudson and the Scarlet Knights of the Raritan is going to be much more competitive than we thought when we booked this game as our 500th!…Frank reported Army’s Bradshaw looks as good as Navy’s Keenan Reynolds.  That is saying a lot, but he’s got a long way to go.  Reynolds scored five TDs last weekend in the win over ECU.  That’s 30 points in two games so far bringing him up to 398 career points.  He’s got at least ten more games to challenge Wisconsin’s Montee Ball’s career record of 500 points…Speaking of the Badgers, they are ranked No. 22 at 2-1.  Will they stay ranked for long? Wonder how former HC Bert Bielema feels about his move to Arkansas where his 1-2 Razorbacks are one of those hyped up SEC teams fallen from the ranks…Colorado (2-1) beat rival Colorado State in OT, 27-24, last week.  In two weeks they start PAC-12 play with Oregon followed by Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, and Stanford before we see them play USC who is also 2-1 now after falling to Stanford, 41-31. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the Buffs make this a game. We certainly hope so!…Air Force didn’t wilt against now No. 2 Michigan State last week falling to 35-21.  We will see them play Navy the week after next. They are off this week.  This game will be big. Glad we’re going.  We will see the Falcons again on our Colorado DH weekend when the host Utah State (1-2) out in Colorado Springs…Memphis just beat Cincinnati, 53-46. Cincy QB Gunner Kiel left the game early with a head injury.  Hope that he will be alright. However, what does it say for college football when a second teamer can come off the bench and keep his team in a game like this.  Good for the back up and his teammates, but it still says something about a lot of development of the offenses and the lack of good, tough, heads up play by the defenses…Happy Tailgating this weekend! Supposedly our first time Guest Game Analyst Mike Ford is coming down from Rhode Island and bringing us up some lobsters.  That’ll be a first for any tailgate we’ve been to!…Check out our Penn State-San Diego State Game Review on Sunday night.

Going back to see Penn State do some twirling again this weekend!

Going back to see Penn State do some twirling again this weekend!

Tom Ables coming Penn State game, his 761st

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Our friend Tom Ables is traveling out from San Diego to see his alma mater/favorite team meet the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium.  We are planning to catch up with him for a visit, but we’re not sure if we can ever catch up with his record-setting game pace!

When San Diego State meets Penn State Saturday, it will be the first time they’ve ever met. But it sure won’t be a first game for Aztec fan Tom Ables, who will be on the sideline with the team to see his 761st Aztec football game.
The 89-year-old alum saw his first game as a freshman in 1946, when he was just one month out of the main engine room of the battleship USS Alabama BB-60. Since then, he has missed only two games, home or away, and it’s been 51 years since he missed a road trip in 1964 — 591 in a row.

We're hoping to catch up in State College with San Diego State's No. 1 fan, Tom Ables, who has only missed two Aztec games since 1946!

We’re hoping to catch up in State College with San Diego State’s No. 1 fan, Tom Ables, who has only missed two Aztec games since 1946!

Last year, when the Aztecs played at North Carolina, an inquisitive sports writer did some research and found that among active longtime college football fans, Ables is now #1 in America.

Trips have taken the Aztecs many places, but none farther or more unique than the trip to Japan in 1981. They played Air Force in what was called the Mirage Bowl in Olympic Stadium with a crowd of 80,000 watching.
With his unique perspective, Ables has written a book about the history of Aztec football since World War II. An updated, second edition of GO AZTECS! has just been published at the start of the new season.

 

Countdown to Collegefootballfan.com’s Game # 500; Game 489

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Penn State runs past “rival” Rutgers, 28-3

State College, PA – Penn State freshman RB Saquon Barkley rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, and fellow senior running mate Akeel Lynch added 120 yards and a TD on 10 carries to lead the Nittany Lions, 28-3, in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Rutgers insists that this is their “rivalry” while Penn Staters evidently don’t see it that way. A review of the game’s final statistics would be misleading upon first glance. Rutgers amassed 20 first downs compared to 17, 251 passing yards to 141, and they led time of possession 32:39 to 27:41, but long gains of 75 and 54 yards by Lynch and Barkley respectively paced the Lions to shorter times of possession and a dominant ground game of 330 yards to RU’s meager 43. The Penn State line opened some huge holes through the RU defensive front which Barkley hit particularly quick. His QB Christian Hackenberg (10 of 19 for 141 yards and 1 INT) continued to misfire on multiple occasions with little pressure applied as he had done when we saw him play against Temple in this year’s opener. He was not sacked as the Knight defense was nowhere as quick or as dynamic as Temple’s. Aside from “Hack”, however, the Lions seem to be headed in the right direction with the insertion of Barkley in their backfield since.

Saquon Barkley (26)amassed 195 rushing yards against Rutgers.

Saquon Barkley (26)amassed 195 rushing yards against Rutgers.

Penn State got off to an inept start during its first series with two false starts and a chop block impeding their progress and forcing a punt. The defense played aggressively and held the RU offense in check forcing punts on their first five possessions of the first half.

Early in the second period, the Lions drove 80 yards with WR DeAndre Thompkins taking a hand off on a sweep from the right all the way around left end for its initial lead of 7-0. Like the Temple game, PSU confirmed it was conceding that it could not protect Hackenberg adequately to implement a long passing game. It relied solely on short out passes mostly into the flats, but his accuracy has a lot to be desired. Guest Game analyst Frank Scarpa (Rutgers –Newark) noted the Scarlet Knight secondary was allowing some big cushions for the Lion receivers. Eventually, PSU noted the same and took advantage from its own ten as Hack connected with WR DaeSean Hamilton on a quick slant out for a 48-yard gain to the Scarlet 42. Moving down to the 15, Barkley avoided several tackles after hitting a hole quickly for a 15-yard TD run to extend the home team lead, 14-0, with 2:00 left in the first. The Lions took over after an RU punt with 1:04 remaining. A huge hole opened on the left side and Lynch burst through to take it all the way for a 75-yard TD run for a 21-0 lead. The Lion ground game looked as it had early against Temple when it had a 10-0 lead in the opener, but as this game progressed, the running game looked to be building some more momentum. Going into this game, the expectation was that PSU would be able to take advantage of replacements in the Knight secondary filling in for starters kicked off the team recently for criminal activities, but instead the Lions’ O-line seemed to be able to dominate along the front to give the Lion running game the push that they needed. An interception by Lion CB Grant Haley finished the first half shut out by the Nittany Lion D.

DT Anthony Zettel (98) defends against a Chris Laviano pass.

DT Anthony Zettel (98) defends against a Chris Laviano pass.

In the third period, the teams exchanged punts, and State thwarted the next RU drive on a tipped pass intercepted by CB John Reid who returned it to the Rutgers 35. Some offensive ineptitude by PSU turned this one over on downs. After a sideline interference penalty to start the drive at the 50, on a third and one at the RU 41, Hackenberg threw a pass into the ground on a long pass left at the feet of his intended receiver Saeed Blacknall. On the ensuing fourth down, Hack made a futile attempt on a QB sneak. Instead of surging forward, he seemed to go straight down to come up significantly short of the first to turn the ball over. The score remained unchanged entering the final period. The Scarlet Knights were on the move entering the final period with a drive starting from its 13.

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PSU picks up yards on a short out pass.

The Knights drove to PSU’s 11 before a delay of game penalty set them back five more yards. Temporary HC Norries Wilson, former Columbia HC now Associate HC at Rutgers, taking over for suspended HC Kyle Flood for not adhering to university guidelines regarding contacts with professors, decided to settle for three points. Kyle Federico converted to avoid the shutout, 21-3. The Lions’ next drive into Scarlet Knight territory ended in futility with Hackenberg floating a pass well beyond his intended receiver that was picked by S Anthony Cioffi with a leaping catch. RU’s next possession was stopped by three consecutive PSU sacks of Laviano by DE Carl Nassib, SS Jordan Lucas, and DT Austin Johnson for a total of -29 yards. Around this time, the “striped” Blue and White stands led by the student PSU section had begun chanting, “We’re not rivals…We’re not rivals…” indicating their disdain for another program that thinks this is a rivalry and only defeated the Lions twice in  their sporadic history, the last win back in 1988 (does PSU consider Temple a rival now?). Even RU fan and GGA Frank Scarpa said that if the Knights want to make this a rivalry, they should start winning some games to show they are worthy of being considered one. PSU took over from their 30. Barkley bolted for a 54 yard gain before being forced out of bounds, and he carried again for the 16-yard TD to finish the scoring for the day, 28-3. Penn State takes a 2-1, 1-0 record into next week while RU falls for the second week in a row to 1-2, 0-1.

"We're not rivals!...We're not rivals!..."

“We’re not rivals!…We’re not rivals!…”

Next week Rutgers hosts Kansas (0-2) in a game that was scheduled during Charlie Weiss’s tenure in Lawrence in a game that was probably arranged to help the NJ native do some potential recruiting in the Garden State. He’s no longer coaching at KU since he was released last September. We’re unaware if he’s moved on to some other coaching position yet. The Jayhawks are 0-2 with losses to FCS South Dakota and up and coming Memphis. The winner of this one will be taking home one of a few they have a chance if winning for the balance of this season. We return to State College this Saturday for our last trip there this season to see the Lions face San Diego State (1-2) for a 3:30 pm kick off. We look forward for a chance to catch up with our good Aztec friend Tom Ables, the greatest Aztec fan of all time. Tom’s has missed only two SDSU football games since 1946! He’s our idol. Tom tells us that RB Donnel Pumphrey is the key to the San Diego State offense. On 68 carries thus far, he has 249 yards and two TDs – not as good as had been hoped for.

Customized tailgate Ambulance - our new tailgate friend, Josh, customized this ambulance as his newfangled tailgate transport. He'll transport your favorite libations in, and he'll transport you out if necessary.

Customized tailgate Ambulance – our new tailgate friend, Josh, customized this ambulance as his newfangled tailgate transport. He’ll transport your favorite libations in, and he’ll transport you out if necessary.