Game 571: Blue Hens suppress rise of the Phoenix with a 28-16 upset

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Blue Hens suppress rise of the Phoenix with a 28-16 upset

Newark, DE – The Fighting Blue Hens (4-2,2-1 CAA) came back from deficits in both halves to take a big win over the Elon Phoenix for contention to an FCS playoff bid, 28-16.  Despite losing starting QB Davis Cheek early in the game, sub QB Jalen Greene filled in to give Elon an early lead. The tough Delaware defense led by the CAA’s leading tackler LB Troy Reeder’s 15 tackles held Elon to one TD.  Reeder accumulated eight solos, and the D shut the Phoenix down in the final period to regain the lead for the victory.  This outcome impacts the Colonial Athletic Association’s standings since Elon defeated this year’s leader and defending champion, James Madison, the Saturday before.

LB Colby Reeder (4) , not brother Troy, makes the stop for the Fighting Blue Hens.

Early Phoenix QB change

Cheek left the game to an injury on Elon’s second possession.  Later in the first, Greene completed a 52-yard pass to Cole Taylor at the UD ten.  RB Taylor Thomas took it in for the score from the nine-yard line for the first score of the game.  Elon led going into Q2, 7-0.

Elon QB Jalen Greene on the move ran for 36 yards and threw for 140 in his back-up role. 

A fumble by UD QB Pat Kehoe early in the second period turned the ball over to the Phoenix at the Delaware 23.  The Delaware defense buttoned down the Elon offense to settle for Skyler Davis’s 25-yard FG for a 10-0 lead.  Guest Game Analyst Dave Headden (Ohio Wesleyan) enjoyed the early lead as his son Christopher, a freshman, and his money now go to Elon.  Dave realized though that the Phoenix fans were outnumbered significantly among an enthusiastic crowd of 19,209 mostly looking for the Blue Hen program to figuratively rise from the ashes.  UD hired HC Danny Rocco  to bring their program back from there and to get back into a perennial playoff mode.

UD QB Pat Kehoe slides as he is caught from behind for a short gain. He totaled 33 yards rushing and 140 passing for three TDs.

Great time management

Elon started a late first half drive with 1:26 remaining from its own three.  Two tackles by Reeder and three UD time-outs later, the Blue Hens snapped the ball at their 47 with 1:02 left.  On Kehoe’s fifth pass attempt of the drive, TE Charles Scarff gathered in a seven-yard TD pass to close the score to 10-7 before going into half time.

Ascent of the Blue Hens

The Fighting Blue Hen Marching Band put on a great performance for their fans who came hoping to see a resurrection of its great and proud football program under its second year HC.  In his 12th season as an FCS Head Coach, according to today’s game program, Rocco remains the only HC with 12 years or more experience to never have suffered a losing season.  Last week, the UD win over Richmond marked his 100th career victory.  Prior to Delaware, he coached Richmond and before that, Liberty.  Rocco hales from Huntingdon, PA – home of the alma mater, Juniata College. He’s a Wake Forest grad.  His father coached at Penn State as an assistant during the Paterno years.

Fighting Blue Hen sideline.

Back to game action

Delaware’s D forced a Phoenix punt to start the third.  From the 31, the Hens started their drive. Kehoe’s 37-yard pass to Gene Coleman II (Montclair, NJ) put them on the 20.  Scarff (5 catches for 43 yards, 2 TDS) caught a six-yarder for a 14-10 Blue Hen lead.  Elon moved the ball again, but eventually settled for a 25-yard FG by Davis.  Elon drove into FG position again on its next possession, and with Davis converting from 38, the Phoenix regained a 16-14 advantage at the end of the third.

Fighting Blue Hen DE Frank Burton stops De’Sean McNair for a loss in early action.

Blue Hen comeback

With the ball in their possession starting the final period, Delaware didn’t respond on its next series.  Reeder continued to lead the Blue Hen defensive charge with his eight solos, four Tackles for losses, and a game-sealing sack.  After forcing an Elon punt, the UD offense started to drive from its 32.  This series culminated in a 23-yard TD to WR Vince Papale (four catches, 58 yards, one TD) to regain the lead 21-16 for the Blue Hens.  The defense held Elon to no yards during the next Elon possession that forced a punt from the 18.  Starting from its 47, the Fighting Blue Hens sustained a 53-yard touchdown drive as RB Kani Kane (19 carries for 124 yards, one TD) ran it over from the three to extend the lead, 28-16.  4:02 remained to play.

WR Vinnie Papale runs under Kehoe’s pass to take 21-16 Blue Hen lead

Sealing the victory

Elon (4-2, 2-1) started from its 33 and got to the Blue Hen 47.  On fourth and ten, Reeder sacked Greene for a seven-yard loss to end any hope for the Phoenix.  UD went into the victory formation and ran off the clock. The win marked UD’s first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2010.  Things are starting to look up for the Hens, now 5-2, 2-1 in the CAA.

Up next!

Ahead now for FCS, No.25 Delaware looms a struggling New Hampshire Wildcat team (1-5) next Saturday up in Durham before they return home against FCS No. 14 Towson.  Elon, now ranked at No. 11, hosts Richmond next week followed by No. 23 Rhode Island and No. 14 Towson respectively both at home.  Big games come up for both squads to position themselves in the FCS play-off picture.

UD cheerleaders may have to dress a little warmer up in New Hampshire next weekend. Darn! Hey, is that our pal Navy Al in the baseball cap?

We at CFF.com venture into another two-game weekend (possibly followed by two more) as we travel to Franklin Field in Philly on Friday night to see the Penn Quakers (4-1, 1-1) welcome the Yale Bulldogs (3-2, 2-1) in and Ivy League clash.  On Saturday, struggling Navy (2-4, 1-2) hosts American Athletic West rival Houston (5-1, 2-0).  Houston DT Ed Oliver and company will be looking to stymie Navy’s triple option.

Extra Points:

Speaking of Navy, the University of Delaware welcomed the crew of the Submarine USS Delaware who sat near beleaguered GGA Dave and ecstatic me in the east stands of Delaware Stadium.  The boat, still under construction, will be the first US Navy vessel in 100 years to be named after the First State.  The young enlisted crew and some of if officers were honored on Tubby Raymond field.  Go Navy!

CFF.com suffered an injury this past Saturday as our canopy got swept up by a strong gust of wind and hurdled over two vehicles bending a leg.  It has to be looked at still for repair so the leg will hopefully fit back into it carrying bag for transport to games.  Otherwise it may have t retire for duty on the home front only.

St. Laurie made the trek down for the game, but once our niece Kassie and her friend McKenzie showed up to tailgate, the temptation set in for all of them to stay in the parking lot to tailgate during the game.  No problems on this end. She had packed up our tailgate gear to head out after Dave and I returned after the end of the game.  We met up for brunch with Kassie the next morning at the Oyster House in Wilmington – Bloody Mary’s and a steak and egg bowl among their house specialties.

Disappointingly, RB Thomas Jefferson of Delaware whom we met last season has been relegated to the kickoff and kickoff return teams his senior year.  We did get to see him return the kickoff for 22 yards after Elon took a 10-0 lead.  He got a big cheer from the UD fans after his name was announced. He had some big game his first two years with the program.   We went over to the locker room to see if we if we could catch up, but we didn’t find him there.  Hopefully the Blue Hens can go far into the playoffs and we will try to catch up with him again, but it will probably be difficult for everything to work out right.

Click here to see our 2018 schedule for recent updates.

Blue Hen Marching Band performs during halftime.

 

Game 570: Wilkes Colonels race past FDU-Florham Red Devils, 31-16

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Wilkes Colonels race past FDU-Florham Red Devils, 31-16

Madison, NJ – Wilkes Colonels QB Jose Tabora passed for 313 yards and four TDs to score 31 first-half points to take an early, overwhelming lead to defeat the FDU-Florham Red Devils, 31-16, this past Friday night in a D-3 Middle Atlantic Conference clash.  Tabora threw for most of his yards and all four of his TDs in the first half.  He connected for three TDs with WR Jeff Steeber (nine catches, 127 yards).

Guest Game Analyst Paul Fraley noted how well FDU shut down the Colonels’ running game during the first half.  Yet Tabora completed passes accurately to wide open receivers with ease.  Paul called for more d-backs to bring in more coverage against Tabora. That’s exactly what the Devils’ coaching staff did eventually, but not until the second half trailing by 24 points.  The FDU defense stepped up, but the offense averaging 38.6 point per game coming in struggled most of the night.

Colonels off to a fast start

Wilkes College (4-3, 3-2 MAC) took a 7-0 lead on Tabora’s first TD pass to Juan Salas-Negron for 49 yards.  DB Zac Weber intercepted Jagger Green’s pass to take over from his team’s 38.  Tabora fired his next scoring strike 20 yards to WR Jeff Steeber (MAC Offensive player of the Week).  The Red Devils cut the lead in half responding with 57-yard drive on a fourth down and six.  Green (20 for 32, 169 yards, one TD, two INTs) lofted a 19-yard pass in that situation to Khyrstan Camilo to trail, 14-7.

Jeff Steeber (18) races along sideline for 20-yard Wilkes Colonels TD in the first quarter.

In the second period, the Wilkes Colonels continued to dominate through the air.   On consecutive possessions, Tabora connected with Steeber for a 24-yard TD and for a 49-yard TD to race out to a 28-7 advantage.  Following Nahir Wood’s pick of Green, Wilkes drove starting from their 35 to set up David Kutteroff’s 31-yard FG.  As time expired, the Colonels led at halftime, 31-7.  The fans on the home side started to leave on the first cool, Friday night of the football season.

Nahir Woods (far right) picks off Green pass to set up Wilkes FG to finish first-half scoring.

Second half adjustments work

As GGA Paul Fraley suggested, the Devils came out in the second half changing to a three-man rush with five defenders behind them and three-deep.  The strategy paid off as the front three started to mount pressure up front.  Weakside backs would rush in to create havoc and sack the QB.  Tabora’s accuracy changed drastically.

Momentum shift

Forcing Wilkes to punt from the 13, the ball went through the punter’s fingers and he recovered in the end zone for an FDU safety.  Following the ensuing kick from the 20, the Devils drove to the Wilkes Colonel five.  With WR Mike Panzarino at QB in the Wildcat formation, he charged the line from the shotgun and dumped a pass over the middle to 290-lb. Jose Caceros who made sliding catch on a tackle eligible play.  With 7:49 remaining in the third and trailing by two scores, it looked like FDU could change this early runaway into a last-minute nail-biter.

FDU’s Khrystan Camilo (13) picks up a short gain on this reception

Finish with a whimper, not a bang 

Early in the fourth, a short punt out of bounds put the Red Devils at the Colonels’ 35. Green flipped the ball to WR Josh Rainey on an end around for an option pass. He went for the wrong option.  Rainey lofted a misguided pass toward the far-right pylon.  There, S Devin Fink intercepted and brought it out to the 26.  This play killed what was left of the momentum FDU carried into the last period.  Despite a fumble recovery on the next Wilkes possession, FDU ‘s offense failed to initiate any spark.  Game over, 31-16, Wilkes.

Wilkes S Devin Fink fields errant option pass to kill FDU momentum in fourth quarter.

Up next

The Red Devils next play 5-1,4-0 Misericordia in Dallas, PA next Saturday. Wilkes heads to Stevenson (5-2,4-1). Key MAC clashes during the last four weeks of the D-3 season will decide who will head on to the playoffs. Delaware Valley (5-1,4-0) ranked No. 23 and who won the MAC last year, still seems to have the inside track.   CFF.com traveled to Newark, DE the next morning to see Delaware battle No. 5 Elon in a key Colonial Athletic Conference FCS game. Our game review for that one is coming up next. Upset?

Extra Points:

FDU QB Jagger Green came into this game averaging 340 passing yards per game. His 169 today were results of deep drop backs thrown for what seemed like mid-range passes that generally found wide receivers near the line of scrimmage.  He had few effective long passes other than a few early in the game.

The last time we attended a Wilkes game, it was in the 2006 D-3 play-offs when they hosted Rowan University.  The Colonels fell that day, 21-14, finishing No. 14 in the nation that year.  GGA Paul Fraley also happened to be in attendance that day.  His nephew played for Wilkes that season.

Paid attendance was announced at 757, but it looked bigger to us. Maybe students and FDU athletes get in for free.  FDU seemed to be drawing more interest locally with an atypical 4-1 record.  Two wins were against NJAC teams, TCNJ and William Paterson.  The Jersey teams in that conference seem to be on a decline.

Five teams from among Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia joined the NJAC a few years ago, and the teams from NJ are getting beat up on.  It’s a sign of high school football in the state on the decline and the effects on these programs. Schools populations are getting smaller, demographics are changing, people are moving out, parents are starting to nix football for their kids, and there is a general drop in interest for other athletic pursuits in the Garden State.

FDU hosts Widener on Friday night, November 2.  We may add that to our schedule.  We’ll see how the Red Devils perform next week and against 0-5 Lebanon Valley the next.  The last time FDU won four games in a season was in 2005.  The last time it won five was back in 1999.  They could be going for a school record that evening.

Game 569: Late game turnovers blow Houston Cougars past Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane, 41-26

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Late game turnovers blow Houston Cougars past Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane, 41-26

Houston – A fitting ending to a sloppy but entertaining game seemed appropriate as the Houston Cougars scored three times, twice off turnovers, within 1:31 in the final period to topple the stubborn Golden Hurricane of Tulsa, 41-26.  In a game marred by 17 penalties, rapid-fire turnovers, easy catches dropped, fourth down failures, fourth down fantasies, boos directed at the home team, and some confusing penalties, the final result came about as much about one team’s mistakes more than the other team’s vast superiority.  For Collegefootballfan.com, the Cougars’ venue built in 2014 became our 61st FBS Stadium, 149th overall.  On the U of H campus, it will be remembered for some of its unique plays.

The statue of former Houston HC and veer offense creator Bill Yeoman guards the TDECU Stadium.  The Hall of Famer referred to me as “coach” once.  Quite an honor! 

Frantic First

Making his debut replacing Luke Skipper who started their last game we attended in their loss to Temple, Tulsa drew first blood with frosh QB Seth Boomer .  On fourth and four at the Houston 33, he targeted wide open WR Keenan Johnson on his way into the end zone for the game’s first score.  LB Cooper Edminston intercepted his third pass of the season including two we saw against Temple to put the Golden Hurricane back at the Houston 13.  However, Tulsa settled for Nate Walker’s 28-yard FG instead of six.

Freshman QB Seth Boomer rushes out of the pocket in his debut for a Tulsa gain.

The Cougars retaliated with a 32-yard pass from D’Eriq King (19 of 27, three TDs, 2 INTs) to Keith Corbin to cut the early Hurricane lead to 10-7.   On Houston’s next possession, on fourth down at the TU 33, King put the ball into Corbin’s hands once again. However,  the sure six points went right through his fingertips. Tulsa drove down to the 16 and Walker added three more to Tulsa’s lead.  The first quarter was frantic throughout.

Two was for Turnovers

Turnovers dominated the second quarter.  Houston fumbled the ball away at TU’s 48.  Tulsa fumbled it back at Houston’s 37.  Just when play became sloppy but entertaining to watch, WLB Zaven Collins picked off a King pass to take back over on his team’s 46.  An incomplete pass on fourth and four at the 40 put Houston back on offense on downs.  King put an end to the offensive ineptitude with a 19-yard QB draw play for a 19-yard touchdown up the middle to give U of H a 14-13 lead.  The Cougs got on track again on offense resulting in a 46-yard FG by Dalton Witherspoon to give U of H a 17-13 lead as time expired at halftime.

U of H QB D’Eriq King (4) heads to the end zone for his 19-yard score.

Tulsa Time

The third period turned into Tulsa Time.  The Golden Hurricane put together a sustainable drive for the first five minutes with a grinding ground game before settling for another Walker FG, this time from 27.  The Canes’ D forced Houston to punt from the 19.  On offense, they stayed on the ground.  Corey Taylor (33 for 152 yards, 1 TD) converted a first down on fourth at the Cougar 20.  He followed up to get seven on the board with his nine-yard TD run to give Tulsa the lead, 23-17.  The boos came loud from the 29,823 announced in the red-clad crowd totally dissatisfied with their team’s effort against the 1-3 Canes.

Corey Taylor (24) carried the workload at RB for the Golden Hurricane this evening.

Cougars climb back

Finally, the fourth period looked like the Hurricane had its sights set on putting the Cougars away on their home turf.  They concluded another drive with Walker’s 35-yard FG to extend their lead, 26-17.  King came up big though.  On a sweep right, he sped around right end and streaked up a straight seam along the sideline outracing the Hurricane secondary for a 61-yard touchdown jaunt. He narrowed the gap down to two.   With 7:51 remaining, Houston surpassed the TU lead by one on Witherspoon’s 33-yard FG. Plenty of time remained though for both teams to score more points,  so I thought.

King connects with hisTE Romello Brooker (82) on this pass play for a gainer.

Tulsa Turnover Time

However, Tulsa turnovers turned the tide against an anticipated see-saw battle down to the wire.  Starting from his 15, Boomer (13 for 31, 227 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) fumbled to put the Cougs in easy scoring position on the nine.  On the first play, King threw to TE Romello Booker for the quick score to post a 34-26 lead.  Overtime if Tulsa scores and goes for two with 6:48 remaining to go.  No such Golden Hurricane luck.  Boomer rolled right and got picked off by Deontay Anderson (Ole Miss transfer) to put Houston with the ball at the TU 23.  With 6:20 left, King rolled right and connected with Marquez Stevenson at the six to put the game out of reach, 41-26. The Golden Hurricane morphed into a mild breeze punting away late from its 30.

Cougar CB Deontay Anderson (2) covers Sam Crawford Jr. early in tonight’s contest.

Approaching the mid-season mark

The clash entertained throughout the evening.  Tulsa looked better than it did against Temple when they last played. Both teams made mistakes and played relatively even until the last seven minutes of the game.  Later this season, we will see both teams both play Navy in Annapolis in more West Division American Athletic competition.  Both teams return to action this upcoming weekend.  Tulsa (1-4, 0-2) returns home to play No. 23 South Florida (5-0, 1-0) on Friday night.  Houston visits East Carolina (2-3, 0-2 AAC) Saturday before its hitch a week later at Navy.

Houston cheer team strikes poses based on Cougar band drum play – a lot!

A two-fer weekend again for us

CFF.com will pick up after sitting out Saturday for a family wedding with some D-3 action on Friday night when the FDU Florham Red Devils (4-1, 2-1 MAC) host the Wilkes College Colonels (3-3,2-2) in a Middle Atlantic Conference battle in Madison, NJ.  The last time the Red Devils won four games was in 2005 with a 4-6 record.  The last time they won five was in 1999.  This is a record-setting pace at FDU. Offensively the Devils average 36.8 ppg. QB Jagger Green has passed for 1,611 yards and 20 TDs. Wilkes is 3-3, 2-2 MAC. Their losses have been by two, four, and 11 points.  They average 31.7 ppg.  QB Jose Tabora has passed for 1,710 yards and 15 TDs.  This should be a wild, high-scoring affair.

On Saturday at 3:30, we will be at Newark, DE for an FCS game between the 3-2, 1-1 CAA Delaware Fighting Blue Hens and the No. 6 4-1, 2-0 CAA Elon Phoenix.     Last week, Elon knocked off No. 2 James Madison on the road, 27-24.  Elon’s lone loss is to FBS No. 23 South Florida. Last year, the Dukes fell to North Dakota State in the FCS national championship game. Earlier this season, the Blue Hens lost at No. 1 NDSU, 38-10.   The Hens will be fighting for sure to win this to earn a shot at an FCS playoff bid.  Elon edged them out of the playoffs last year.  Curt Cignetti coaches the Phoenix in his second year after leading them to an 8-4 record last season.

Houston cheering squad performs during break for some end zone entertainment.

Extra points:

Tulsa HC Scott Montgomery has to be on the hot seat now in his forth season.  His charges seem to be heading in the wrong direction. He took them to 6-7 after taking over a 2-10 squad. The next year, his team won the Miami Beach Bowl with a 10-3 record.  They dropped off to 2-10 a year ago and are off to a paltry 1-4 this season.  The seat may be on fire if he continues to struggle in the win column.

Houston All-American DT Ed Oliver (10) did no stand out as much tonight as anticipated.

The Cougars have a lot of horsepower in their backfield with two Cars, Patrick and Mulbah, both juniors. Patrick  had 91 yards on 13 carries. Mulbah gained 74 yards on 11.  King led his backfield with 117 yards on ten carries that included two TDs.

U of H RB Mulbah Car

Great ad by Plucker’s Wings, a local establishment, on the TDECU video board: “If you don’t like our wings, we’ll give you the bird.”

The other Car, Patrick (11)

Game 568: No. 4 Ohio State edges No. 9 Penn State in late comeback, 27-26

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No. 4 Ohio State edges No. 9 Penn State in late comeback, 27-26

State College, PA – On a festive, sun-shiny day in the Happy Valley, Ohio State ended the long, emotional day for 110,889 mostly clad in white-out gear in Beaver Stadium as they overcame 13-point and 12-point deficits to upend the stately Nittany Lions threat to upset them, 27-26.  As a result, the Buckeyes moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll and the Lions fell to No. 11.  Penn State had several chances to put the game away, but poor tackling late in the game and some questionable last-minute play-calling combined to seal their fate in the end.

Lions started the way they needed to

The Lions started the scoring with Jake Pinegar’s 34-yard FG.  The Lion defense looked up to the task of shutting down the Buckeyes early forcing them to punt on every series into the second period.  That is up until DB Garrett Taylor picked off a Dwayne Haskins pass to put QB Trace McSorely and company in business at the Buckeye 28.  The OSU defense rose up to the occasion as well forcing the Lions to settle for anther Pinegar field goal from 39 yards.

PSU continued to stifle the high-scoring Buckeye defense, and then halted a drive before taking a punt to start from their two.  From the seven, McSorely fired a short pass to WR KJ Hamler slanting over the middle who headed straight downfield outracing the Bucks all the way for a 93-yard score to pull up, 13-0.  The two teams continued to trade punts in the second stanza until Miles Sanders’ fumble turned the ball over to Ohio State on their 25.  Two plays later, Haskins (22 for 39, 270 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) hit RB JK Dobbins with a screen pass to the right for a 26-yard score to cut the Lion lead, 13-7, before the half.

Ohio State roars in the third period

In the second half, PSU’s defense did not look the same as it had to start the game.   The seemingly refreshed Buckeyes offense drove 75 yards to pay dirt as Dobbins (57 yards rushing, 61 receiving, 2 TDs) ran it in from the four to give Ohio State a sudden 14-13 lead.  Neither offense scored again in the period. A key decision made by PSU HC James Franklin failed when the Lions tried to convert on a fourth and one at the Buckeye 24.  Pinegar seemed on today and available to add three, but the decision was evidently a forgone conclusion by the Penn State coaching staff.

Penn State breathes new life

Penn State’s offense came back to life in the final period.  They drove 73 yards resulting from a short pass where McSorely (461 yards of total offense – 286 passing and 175 rushing) ran toward the line drawing in the defense before his pop pass to TE Pat Freiermuth gave Penn State back the lead, 20-13.  OSU’s ensuing drive was halted on a fourth and one as DE Shareef Miller’s tackle for a loss gave PSU back the ball on their 48.  Sanders, held to 43 yards on 16 carries, took it over from the one.  With a 12-point lead, Franklin decided to go for two, but the pass attempt fell incomplete.  With eight minutes to go, it didn’t seem to be a bad call if the defense would play as it had early in the game.

 Uh-Ohio

The Buckeyes came back quickly.   Haskins connected with WR Victor Binjimin on a short pass. He twisted, turned, changed directions several times, and broke poor arm tackles by the Lions to score from 47 yards out consuming only 1:18 of what was let on the clock.  OSU’s offense seemed to be picking up steam as PSU’s defense seemed to be wearing down.  It looked like the Nittanies could regain some defensive momentum as they put the Bucks back on offense after a punt starting from their four-yard line.  However, Dawkins started the drive with a completion to Dobbins for 35 yards to get the Buckeyes quickly out of the hole and also got them a surge in momentum.  Seven plays later, Haskins threw another scoring strike to HB KJ Hill for a 24-yard score.  A two-point conversion with 2:05 left failed. OSU held on to a one-point lead.

With 2:03 remaining, the PSU faithful had faith in McSorely to at least get them within field goal range.  Things looked good as he completed a 27-yard pass to Freiermuth out to the 48.  A sack by DE Chase Young set the Lions back four yards.  Next play, incomplete.  McSorely then rushed for nine.  With a fourth and five, Penn State called time-out.  OSU called time-out.  PSU called time-out again.  Surely Franklin and his staff had plenty of time to analyze and call a play to giving McSorely the option to run or pass.  They needed to get him a shot at a first down to regroup for at least a three-pointer.

Not what we expected

Instead, McSorely ran to the right toward the line meshing with Sanders for hand-off where FS Jordan Miller stuffed both of them dead in their tracks for a loss of yardage and the game.  For all that time to come up with a play to at least try to get the first down, it didn’t seem like a lot of thought was put into what the Lions had done successfully during this game. It came down to McSorely getting the time to decide whether to throw or run the football.  Handing off to Sanders who the Buckeyes kept in check the entire game didn’t seem the way to go,  especially approaching the line of scrimmage.

Game over.   The crowd in white quieted. The scarlet people in the upper deck of the north end zone made themselves heard.  The quieted crowd who had tailgated since early Saturday morning all left now at the same time backed up in parking lot traffic into the wee hours of Sunday morning. A long day turned into and even longer night for many including College footballfan.com as Guest Game Analyst and son Eric Koreivo, home on leave from the navy, hit our racks in our hotel room at 3:30 am before continuing home later that morning.

Up Next

OSU goes back to Columbus to take on Indiana next week.  PSU has a bye week before hosting Michigan State, the other loss PSU suffered last season, on October 13. CFF.com has a Thursday night game lined up to see Tulsa play Houston at TDECU Stadium, home of the Cougars in an AAC match-up for our first time visit there.

Bye Saturday

No Saturday game this week as our niece Maggie McGeehin gets married to her long-time boyfriend Kevin Rogers, a Penn State football fan who’s never attended a Nittany Lion game yet.  We’ll be bringing him to Beaver Stadium in November when the Lions meet Maryland.  Congratulations Kevin on your betrothal to Maggie, and for finally getting your butt up to Beaver Stadium!  With love, your new Uncle Steve.

Pictures to be added later

 

 

Game 567: Princeton Tigers tame Columbia Lions, 45-10

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Princeton Tigers tame Columbia Lions, 45-10

New York, NY – After an upstart 8-2 season and second place in the Ivy League in 2017 for Columbia, the Princeton Tigers showed the Lions who the “Big Cats” of the Ivy are in 2018 as they humbled Columbia in the Ivy opener for both programs, 45-10.  Last season, Columbia defeated Princeton, 28-24, but Princeton leads this all-time series now, 71-16-1.  PU QB John Lovett threw for two TDs and ran for two more to lead his team to its third lopsided victory in its first three games.

Tigers strike back quickly

Columbia (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) got off on a positive foot for a quick start as Will Allen returned the opening kickoff 91 yards to the Tiger seven.  However, PU stiffened and CU settled for Chris Alleyne’s 25-yard FG.  The lead was short-lived.  Lovett connected with WR Stephen Carlson (5 catches for 86 yards, 2 TDs) for a 37-yard TD pass.  On the next Tiger possession, Lovett raced through Columbia for a 22-yard TD run to take a 13-3 lead over the Lions.

Lions and Tigers ready to mix it up on Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium

In the second, Columbia QB Ty Lenhard ended a 75-yard drive with a two-yard TD run.  Lovett (12 of 22 passing, 135 yards. 2 TDs) went back to work later in the period scoring from the one on a QB draw.  After an INT by DB T.J.  Floyd putting the Tigers at the Lion 34, Lovett hooked up with Carlson again for a six-yard scoring strike. The Tigers closed the first half score with Nick Ramos’s 19-yard FG as time expired with the striped cats up, 30-10.

Tigers end the circus

The Tigers erupted to start the second half as RB Collin Eaddy (8 rushes, 102 yards, 1 TD) sped around the right side for a 67-yard touchdown jaunt.  After a Lion punt put in the Tigers play at the Columbia 49, RB Charlie Volker ran it in from the seven for a 45-10 lead with 9:05 left in the third.  PU HC Bob Surace worked in his second and third teamers as did CU HC Al Bagnoli.  Neither squad scored again, and the Tigers roared over the Lions to leave 1-0 among the Ivies.

Next week, Columbia hosts non-conference Marist (1-3) from the Pioneer League and Princeton hosts Patriot League foe Lehigh (1-3).  We at CFF.com will leave behind the big city where the game was played in front of 5,327 and head for greener pastures in State College, PA where the No. 9 Nittany Lions host the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes.  We predict the attendance will be a little bigger and a little more fired up!

When friends say they turned this game on and saw that there were only four people in the stands, well, here’s three of them: Frank, me, and Brian.

Extra Points:

Princeton QB John Lovett sat out last season with an injury. In 2016, he won the Bushnell Trophy as the MVP of the Ivy League.  He also ran 17 times in this game for 174 yards. PU has now outscored its three opponents to date, 146-26.

Columbia HC Al Bagnoli is in his fourth season here.  From 1992-2014, he had a very successful career at UPenn.  Prior to that, he was HC for D-3 Union College in upstate NY from 1982-91. Two weeks ago, his Lions topped Central Connecticut State, his Alma mater, for his 250th career win as a head coach.

The Columbia defense came into this contest against the Tigers with some impressive defensive statistics.  After two games (CCSU and Georgetown), they were No. 2 in rushing defense allowing only 35 yards per game.  They shut out seven of their last 12 opponents in the first half.   Lovett and the Tigers ended their defensive domination wiping out those stats in the first quarter.  Their total offense churned up 540 yards by end of the game.

To enhance their football pedigree, the Lions play their home games now on Robert K. Kraft Field (New England Patriots owner) at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium.

Ivy League football, in a class by itself

Only in the Ivy League, or maybe Columbia:  Guest Game analyst Frank Scarpa (Rutgers-Newark) headed to the concession stand in the third.  I wrote down some notes while our other GGA Brian Donnelly (Towson) whose Dad played at Columbia in the ’40s, stared watching the game in a daze.  The Columbia Lion cheerleaders chanted, “D-D-D, defense!  D-D-D, defense!”  until some astute young, female fan voice yelled out, “We’re on offense!” Brian and I both looked up, saw she was right, looked at each other, and laughed.  Where else would that happen?

At least the Columbia Cheerleaders’ placard reads, “Lions!”

It reminded me of the Princeton-Columbia game we attended in 1987 when CU was looking to set the NCAA record for its 35th straight loss.  Their fans showed up in pretty good numbers at old Palmer Stadium in Princeton with signs like, ”0-35. Go for it!” They were ecstatic when they did losing, 38-0.  The winning streak didn’t end until they defeated the Tigers a year later, 16-13,  right here at what was then Baker Field. The streak ended at 44 in all.

Before and after

The three of us met at the Crow’s Nest in Hackensack before the game for beer and apps to ride over together.  Only about nine miles from there.  We headed back for a few more beers after.  Since I was going out to PSU Saturday, and Frank had some BBQ responsibilities to attend to next day, Brian had kicked around the idea of going to Indiana at RU the next day.  I told him he was crazy for wasting his time.

I suggested Shippensburg at West Chester for him in a D-2 PSAC contest convenient on his way back home.  He went and watched 5-0 West Chester beat The Shipp (2-3), 28-21.  RU lost to IU, 24-17, but one die-hard RU fan at work told me it was played in front of about 35 people (The Star-Ledger reported over 35,000 paid), and IU got the lead and toyed with the Knights.  I feel sorry for them for once.  I wonder if Rutgers will extend Chris Ash’s contract another year for a close loss?   What a tough spot for him.

 

Game 566: South Carolina Gamecocks continue to dominate Vandy Commodores, 37-14

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South Carolina Gamecocks continue to dominate Vandy Commodores, 37-14

Nashville – For the 17th time in 19 years of SEC play and for the tenth straight game, the USC Gamecocks defeated Vandy, this time  by a score of 37-14,  in what was expected to be a more closely contested game.  After a five-point loss on the road at Notre Dame, Vandy trailed SC at halftime but kept it close down, 20-14.  A balanced rushing and passing attack by the Cocks along with a solid defense allowed them to increase their lead to 30-14 with 4:34 left in the third before officials suspended play due to a threatening storm system tracking over Vanderbilt Stadium.

DB Jaycee Horn (7) and SC defense held Kyle Shurmur to 180 passing yards and one TD.

For Collegefootballfan.com, this SEC East contest marked our first game ever at Vandy’s home field, and the suspended play was the first ever in our 566-game history. The game resumed about an hour later.  The Gamecocks continued to dominate defensively, but their two fumbles terminated drives at the Vandy two and at the 25 before the final TD by Tyson Williams with 2:04 remaining punctuated the 37-14 win for Carolina.

At first glance, I thought I was in Annapolis for my third weekend in a row. No! This is Vanderbilt where they say, “Anchor down!” instead of “Anchors aweigh!” 

Fast Start!

South Carolina covered 75 yards in less than one minute on the opening drive for their first score when Jake Bentley fired a 38-yard pass to Shi Smith (5 catches for 119 yards, 1 TD). The Cocks put up three more on their next possession with Parker White’s 33-yard FG.  An INT by DB Rashad Fenton halted a Vandy drive on the Carolina 18.

Gamecock QB Jake Bentley unloaded 19 completions for 261 yards and one TD to help USC beat Vandy for the tenth year in a row.

 Pick for a pick

In the second period, the Commodores’ DE Dare Odeyingbo returned the favor with a pick of his own putting the ball in play for Vandy at SC’s 23.  VU converted on a fourth and one at the 14 on Kyle Shurmur’s QB sneak.  Ke’Shawn Vaughn followed up with a TD run over right tackle at the three to cut the Gamecock lead.  Rico Dowdle returned the ensuing kick out to the 35-yard line.  Bentley’s 52-yard pass to Smith put his team at the VU two where Dowdle finished the drive he started with a two-yard run for another score.

Rico Dowdle carried 20 times for Carolina for 112 yards and a TD.

The Commodores countered with a75-yard drive ending with a diving catch near the sideline in the end zone by WR Kalija Lipscomb. The play went under review where the thought was that his butt landed out of bounds before his foot did while he had control.  The play stood to cut Carolina’s lead to three. However, on the last play of the first half, White made good on his 35-yard FG to give the Cocks a 20-14 lead.

Vandy WR Kalija Lipscomb hauled this one in for VU’s second score, and we had a better camera angle than did the people with the sideline passes.

And the thunder roared…

To start the second half, SC forced a punt and drove to the 19 where White converted a 36-yarder.  Dark clouds loomed nearby at the time and the weather system map appeared on the stadium’s big screen.  Shurmur (son of the NY Giants new HC) got sacked, fumbled, and Carolina recovered at Vandy’s six.  Mon Denson took it over from one-yard out to go up, 30-14.  Vandy started from the 24 after the subsequent kickoff.  However, the announcement came over the public address system that play needed to be suspended and that all should seek shelter.  The announcer directed everyone to get under the stadium bleachers, or to go into the adjacent gym, or head back to their vehicles for adequate cover.

Mon Denson (34) carries for a few yards for South Carolina before his TD run later on.

And the Lightning struck!

The gym was directly behind section S where I had negotiated for a seat right on the 50-yard line.  The rain began slowly.  The entry into the building was stifling and muggy. The AC had not yet been turned on throughout the building.  Attendants directed me and others to the farthest reaches of a practice gym where the AC had already powered up.  I seated myself against a padded wall when a few hundred other fans joined into the comfortable air conditioning.  We waited it out.   I checked out the latest scores on my cell and got live reports from fellow fans at games around the country.

After lightning and thunder passed through the immediate area, we were invited back into Vanderbilt Stadium where play would resume at 6:08.  I appreciated the fact that this wasn’t a long drawn out suspension similar to Penn State – Michigan State a year ago.  I didn’t think this one would be worth the wait, but I felt obligated to stay the entire game to be sure this one “officially“ counted for Collegefootballfan.com.

Vanderbilt cheerleaders help keep Commodore spirit high during the first half.

Most of the crowd dispersed since the suspension had started.  More SC fans than Vandy fans remained.  Instead of resuming a position at my seat on the visitor side of the stadium where I originally sat, I decided to roam from portal to portal checking out various vision lines while staying as dry as possible. The best view came on the end zone where I could see all the replays on the scoreboard opposite from me.  I’ve had enough rain already this early in the season.

Gamecocks stopped themselves

SC drove to the two where Dowdle fumbled the ball away.  The Commodores could not sustain any long drives against the Gamecock defense at this point.  Carolina drove again, but turned the ball over again on the ground where Vandy took over on its 25.  Late in the game with 2:04 left, Williams sealed the score with his TD to retain Gamecock dominance over Vandy with its 17th SEC victory over the home team in 19 years.

Bentley led the Cocks to a touchdown less than a minute into the game.

  

Same old Vandy, Same old SEC

Vandy played like the Vandy everybody who follows college football expects them to play.  Very unimpressed. SC looked to right itself after its big loss to Georgia two weeks ago and after its cancellation of the previous game versus Marshall.  Basically, things remain status quo in the SEC. Alabama sits at the top, Vandy dwells at the bottom, and everybody else shuffles around in between.

 Next!

USC (2-1, 1-1 SEC) takes on Kentucky in Lexington to try to end its four-game losing streak to the Wildcats (4-0, 2-0).  Vandy hosts its next-door neighbor, FCS Tennessee State (2-0) of the Ohio Valley Conference.  We at CFF.com gear up for another two-game weekend.  All four teams are undefeated.  Friday night, we cross the George Washington Bridge into upper Manhattan to see the awakened Columbia Lions (2-0) under HC Al Bagnoli host the 2-0 Princeton Tigers in their traditional Ivy League opener.  CU posted wins over Central Connecticut and Georgetown.  PU has already outscored its two non-conference opponents, Butler and Monmouth, 101-16.

On Saturday, it’s the best we got all season.  No. 9 Penn State (4-0, 1-0) hosts No. 4 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0) in a White-out at Beaver stadium at 7:30 pm.  The Lions have started slowly in its last three wins and won big.  They most likely can’t do that against Ohio State. They’ll have to get off to a better start defensively to upend the Buckeyes with Urban Meyer back on the sideline.  We’ve been looking forward to this one since the beginning.  It’s finally here!

I thought the purpose of this clock was to minimize the length of commercial time-outs. Maybe it was to see how fast this ref could chug his water bottle.

Extra points:

Enjoyed Nashville as always. Some new places along with the old.  Friend of friends, Randy McCallister, introduced me to the Stillery, nice eatery right next to the good old Benchmark.  Honky-tonked around Broadway most of Friday afternoon to enjoy the sights and sounds coming from all over.

Before the game on Saturday, I parked a few blocks from the stadium for probably too much money (I made up for that with my 50-yard line seat price though). However right around the corner I found a bar called The Local.  Turned out to be a Gamecock pre-game party headquarters. Sat at the bar and watched other games, good food, and drink and a band. Being an SC Dad and thus financial out-of-state contributor, I regretted not wearing my Gamecock tailgate cap in honor of my daughter, the proud USC graduate.  I’ll plan better next time.

Heard a rumor at the Benchmark that the cancelled game South Carolina had with Marshall may be made up with West Virginia whose game with NC State also got nixed.  Both have an open date on October 20, but WVU hosts Baylor the following Thursday.  Unless the TV powers are willing to slide that one back to Saturday, I don’t see that happening. I also don’t believe South Carolina will want to take on that good a non-conference game that late in the season.  I’ll believe it when I see it.

Too bad if they don’t put this one together though.  There were a few good upsets this weekend and a few close games. However, if you check out all the scores,  the vast majority resulted in blow-outs.  Call them mismatches, creative scheduling, teams with off years, there are just too many lop-sided games this year.  They are all on TV, too.  I think and eight game playoff withe five (maybe six) automatic conference winners would entice some more games between better non-conference competition.  Wins in those kinds of game could get the winners one of the remaining at-large bids.

The result of this week’s game gave the Gamecocks a 9-3 record in the annals of our history.  Vandy fell to 1-2. I can say that though this was my first game at Vanderbilt Stadium, I’ve been to Nashville for four other football games. All of them were at Nissan Stadium, however, for four Music City Bowls.  I love Nashville! 

The Gamecocks brought a lot of fans to Nashville for a good time. and their team showed them one.

 

Game # 565: Temple Owl takeaways turn back Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, 31-17

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Temple Owl takeaways turn back Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, 31-17

Philadelphia – In front of a sparse crowd on Thursday evening at Lincoln Financial Field, the Temple Owls soared past the Golden Hurricanes of Tulsa with the aid of two defensive touchdowns in somewhat of a breeze, 31-17.  The Canes stuck pretty much to a short pass and running game never really challenging the Owls for big yards offensively.  Guest Game Analysts Brian Donnelly (Towson), Bill Reilly (Juniata) and his nephew Joey (DT for his middle school team) were befuddled late in the game when the Owls stalled the clock with a lead by throwing the ball while the Golden Hurricanes kept running while playing catch-up.  Neither team seemed to understand how to win this game without any solid clock management strategy.

Grand entrance for both teams in front of a small Thursday night crowd.

 Pick for pick

A tip and an interception of an Anthony Russo pass by LB Cooper Edmiston halted Temple’s initial drive.  However, the Owls got on the board first with Ty Mason’s pick six for 36 yards to give his team the 7-0 lead.  Tulsa recoiled right away with a 75-yard drive ending with Corey Taylor’s three-yard score.  Russo led the Owls after a kick return to the Golden Hurricanes 42 with a 41-yard bomb to Ventell Bryant followed by his one-yard TD scamper.  The Owls drove again from 65 yards away with Ryquell Armstead (24 for 108, 1 TD) speeding around right end for a 22-yard score.  Tulsa struggled to score a TD to get closer before settling for Nate Walker’s 18-yard FG as time expired at the half to favor Temple, 21-10.

Ryquell Armstead (7) races around the right side of Golden Hurricane defense.

Halftime topics

The Temple marching band performed at the half and all night to a Star Wars theme.  That band always comes to have a good time.  Supposedly talks continue for Temple to build a stadium of its own near campus off Broad Street in Philly.  Bill Reilly says he can’t understand where they would have any room for parking. I’m not sure what the advantage will before Temple.  Whatever the decision is it will come down to someone’s analysis regarding what will make the most money.

Temple’s marching units always seem to enjoy putting on a performance during their halftime shows.

 Too many Golden Hurricane Turnovers

The Temple defense struck again in the third period.  DT Michael Dogbe’s sack of Golden Hurricane QB Luke Skipper (22 of 41,195 yards, 3 INTs) forced a fumble.  His fellow DT Karano Dioubate scooped it up and rumbled 50 yards for an Owl score to go up, 28-10.

This Luke Skipper pass went beyond the long reach of TE Cole Neph in the end zone in early action.

Putting it away

In the final period, Edmiston picked off another tipped Russo (7 of 20, 112, 2 INTs) pass to give Tulsa the ball from the 47.  Corey Taylor (23 for 96 yards, 2 TDs) turned this Temple turnover into points with a five-yard TD run.  The Golden Hurricanes forced Temple to punt from its seven and started in great field position at the 31.  Just when it looked like Tulsa could cut the lead down to four, Skipper fumbled again.  LB Chapelle Russell put Temple back on offense from their 49.  Tulsa held to force a punt, but a short snap to blocking back Shaun Bradley resulted in a long run to the Golden Hurricane 15 for a fresh set of downs.  Tulsa’s defense held the Owls to Will Mobely’s 33-yard FG with 4:24 left to play.  The Owls sealed the 31-17 lead for the victory when S Benny Walls came up with his team’s third INT of the game.  Overall, it seemed like a very lackadaisical game played by both teams.

Tulsa WR Jarion Anderson was met by a host of Temple defenders after this short reception.

Next!

Temple (2-2) heads to Boston College who lost it first game of the season to Purdue on Saturday.  Tulsa (1-3) doesn’t play again until another Thursday in Houston on October 4.  We will just happen to be in the neighborhood that night, so we are going.  Of course, we have a few other games we will be attending before then.  Next stop, Nashville for South Carolina at Vanderbilt in an SEC contest.  The weekend before Houston, an Ivy League clash and a big game in the Big Ten.  Stay tuned.

 

Game 564: QB Malcolm Perry leads Navy ground game over out-manned Lehigh, 51-21

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QB Malcolm Perry leads Navy ground game over out-manned Lehigh, 51-21

Annapolis – In a mismatch, Navy led by QB Malcolm Perry who rushed for 223 yards and three TDs, mauled the FCS Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 51-21.  On the other hand, Perry’s passing, two for 29 for 65 yards, left a lot to be desired.  It indicated that the Mids will be in a lot of trouble against better competition if in the future when it needs to throw the football.  Most of his errant passes misfired far from the clutches of his open receivers.

Navy battle flags.

Unexpected start

Perry scored from the five on the seventh play of Navy’s first possession.  Surprisingly, with leading rusher Dom Bragalone out with a head injury, Lehigh scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 75-yard bounce out to the left side by Frosh RB Rashawn Allen. It marked the seventh time that a Navy opponent scored from 30 yards or more in their first three games.  After the sudden tie, the Navy defense got into a take-away mode.  The offense got on track reeling off five more TDs and two field goals before Lehigh got on the board again in the fourth on a 26-yard ramble by Allen (16 carries 142 yards, two TDs).

Jacob Springer’s interception on the Lehigh 28 set up Perry’s next TD run from the 24.  The Navy defense stopped Lehigh on downs at their own 27.  Short yardage QB Zach Abey finished off a run for a Navy 21-7 lead after a Perry completion of 48 yards to SB C.J. Williams to the two.

Navy QB Zach Abey (9) bulls his way for a few tough yards against the Mountain Hawks.

And the beat down goes on for Lehigh

In the second, sophomore Myles Fells torched the Mountain Hawks for his first career TD with a 52-yard jaunt.  Following DE Jarvis Polu’s fumble recovery at the Lehigh 44, PK Bennet Moehring nailed a 29-yard FG.  Later in the period, CB Jarid Ryan intercepted and Moehring converted a 37-yard FG with six seconds left in the half to give Navy a comfortable 34-7 lead going into the halftime show.

Navy’s C.J. Williams (20) off on his 51-yard pass play. He had three catches for 104 yards.

The Real Ring of Honor

For halftime entertainment, the Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps performed.  The highlight of their performance honored 44 Medal of Honor recipients in attendance today from all services to actions going back from WWII to the present.  A standing ovation was given by the remnants of 30,011 in attendance while the D&B finished up traditionally with “Anchors Aweigh” and “The Marine Corps Hymn”.

Some of the distinguished Medal of Honor winners in blue watching the action at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Navy QBs maintained the scoring barrage against Lehigh in the third period.  Perry scored on a 30-yard run to polish off an 85-yard drive.  The next Lehigh drive resulted in a forced fumble and recovery by Navy OLB Walter Little.  Third string QB Garrett Lewis, Navy’s best passer, completed a 39-yard pass to C.J. Williams and eventually ran in for the score with a four-yard touchdown to make the score 48-7 at the end of three.

Final Act

With second and third teams getting reps in the final period, Allen scored his second TD for Lehigh.  Moehring booted his third field goal from 45 yards out.  Lehigh finished the scoring in the waning seconds when Tyler Monaco tossed a two-yard pass to Cam Richardson to settle the score at 51-21, in favor of the Naval Academy.

CB Jarid Ryan (2) breaks up a Lehigh pass attempt from QB Brad Mayes who completed 19 of 31 for 158 yards. Navy had three picks off him. 

 CFF.com Navy Scouting Report

This game was truly a case of Navy’s superior athleticism with FBS talent over a sister Patriot League FCS football program.  The Mids dominated others in the past such as Fordham and Colgate from the Patriot as well.  This game made sense as an opener for both as it was originally scheduled to be, but with three games each now under both team’s belts, they prep now for conference play.  Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo looked to find out what he could get from Malcolm Perry when he airs out the football.

GGA Brian Donnelly (Towson) and I didn’t like what we saw.  If Navy’s defense can’t stop an effective passing attack like Hawaii’s and can’t play ball control with its triple option, there will be some long days ahead when they can’t offset those kinds of offenses with a passing game of their own.  These challenges truly lie ahead.  The Mids will find out next week when they travel to SMU (1-2).  They got by the Mustangs, 43-40, a year ago as Perry ran wild.  However, now against conference foes that Navy plays year after year, these teams start planning well in advance for their vaunted triple-option.

Malcolm Perry launches one of his nine pass attempts against Lehigh. He completed two for 65 yards on the day.

CFF.com Lehigh Scouting Report

Lehigh (1-2) heads to Franklin Field in Philly to face non-conference foe Penn in the Ivy League’s first week of the football season.  We will see the Mountain Hawks play on the road again later this season on October 27 when they visit The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts for our first game ever attended there.  If Bragalone and Allen both stay healthy, they could become a dynamic rushing duo for Lehigh in their quest for the Patriot League championship.  Colgate will have something to say about that however.  They loom 2-0 after their game in South Carolina against Furman was cancelled. Lehigh hosts them on November 10.  The winner most likely wins the Patriot League FCS bid.

Extra Points:

While the Carolina coasts got battered by wind and rain on this day, the weather in Annapolis to the north was calm and clear.  During our tailgate, we raised the dried-out canopy from a week ago for cooler shade instead of for dryness from the rain.  Sub sandwiches, Old Bay Chicken wings, and Fred’s brownies and Doritos’ along with various pumpkin ales brought by Navy Al got us ready before and after the game.

This game marked milestones for both teams in our Collegefootballfan.com history. For the Naval Academy, we attended our 75th game.  Their record over the years is now 38-37.  For the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, formerly Engineers whens we started, this was our 25th game.  They stand 16-9 in the annals of our history. We will see both teams play again later this season and hopefully for many more years ahead.

“St. Laurie” and I enjoyed dinner at The Federal House afterward.  We strolled the Annapolis dock which indicated some flooding that had come over the sea wall, but nothing significant to the likes of what was pummeling the Carolina coasts.  “Pappy’s Toy” out of Nashville remained docked along the seawall since last weekend.  Annapolis was a good place to stay away from Hurricane Florence.  Four games scheduled with teams from North Carolina were postponed. The South Carolina vs. Marshall game got cancelled.

Brian, Navy Al, Fred, “St. Laurie”, and I at our pregame tailgate before Lehigh dismantling.

 Collegefootballfan.com remembers

This week, we look forward to two games.  Thursday night, Temple (1-2) hosts Tulsa (1-2) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.  The Owls come off their 35-14 upset win over Maryland while Tulsa recovers from their 29-20 loss at home against Arkansas State.

On Saturday, we will attend our first game ever at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville.  There, we will see the improved Commodores (2-1) after their 22-17 loss at Notre Dame host the South Carolina Gamecocks who are now itching to play after last Saturday’s cancellation.  Twenty-three years ago, we saw both of these team play for the first time against one another in the annals of our history in Columbia, SC.  The Gamecocks thrashed Vandy, 52-14. You can read all about that in my book, Tales from the Tailgate.   Last season, SC beat Vandy at home, 34-27.  We expect more of a challenge from the Commodores this time than we did back in 1995. Looking forward to seeing both teams play and visiting Nashville, the Music City,once again.

Game 563: Navy overcomes Memphis lead late in a driving rainstorm, 22-21

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Navy overcomes Memphis lead late in driving rainstorm, 22-21

Annapolis – The US Naval Academy, not known for late comebacks with their vaunted, triple-option, overcame a 21-9 Memphis lead with two scores in the final period to edge the Tigers, 22-21.  The first American Athletic Conference West Division game for both gave the Midshipman a leg up on the Tigers as the two teams have claimed three division titles since Navy joined the conference in 2015.  Both offenses struggled though a driving rainstorm limiting the anticipated firepower brought by both teams to light up the scoreboard.

Navy QB Malcolm Perry (10) surrounded by Tigers.

Henderson runs away, twice

Navy led at the half, 9-7, as their defense focused on improving after the previous week’s loss at Hawaii, 59-41.  In the second half, Memphis RB Darrell Henderson (13 carries, 214 yards, two TDs) exposed a Navy defensive weakness as he sprinted past the slower secondary on a 78-yard burst.  Later in the period, Memphis extended the lead on Henderson’s 58-yard jaunt to put the visitors up, 21-9.

Malcolm Perry in the middle.

In the final period, the Mids took advantage of the third Memphis fumble of the game. S Juan Hailey forced a Patrick Taylor fumble and DE Jarvis Polu recovered at the Tiger 27.  At the 19, Navy QB Malcolm Perry (166 yards, two TDs) zig-zagged and broke tackles around right end and all the way across the field to cross the goal line for dazzling score with 11:06 remaining.

Malcolm in the end zone.

The Grand Finale

The Navy D forced Memphis to punt after three and out to put the offense in good field position from their 44.  Back up QB Zach Abey, used for his toughness in short yardage situations, (six yards, five carries, one TD) converted a two-yard run on fourth and one at the Memphis 18.  With 2:39 left, he ran over the right side unscathed standing up for a three-yard TD.  A two-point conversion failed and it was up to the defense to stop the Memphis team that scored 66 points the previous week in their win over FCS Mercer.  The Tigers got on the move and looked like they could be within field goal range as Henderson carried six yards to the Mids 34.  Under pressure, QB Brady White misfired on his next two pass attempts to get within range.

Ring the Victory Bell

On fourth down, DE Anthony Villalobos dropped White for a one-yard loss as he scrambled to seal the Navy victory to even their record at 1-1, 1-0 in the AAC. It was a great come from behind victory for the Mids as the Brigade happily sang their alma mater, “Navy Blue and Gold” before heading back to Bancroft Hall and on to “liberty” granted by the Superintendent.

Despite the rain, Navy has something to cheer about!

Next week the Mids return to face Patriot League foe Lehigh (1-1) and we will be back, weather permitting,  based on what Hurricane Florence brings up the Chesapeake.   Memphis (1-1, 0-1 AAC) looks to get back on a winning note at home when they face Georgia State.

Extra Points:

Navy S Sean Williams earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week with nine tackles and two forced fumbles.

A lot of fans decided enough was enough regarding the rain by halftime, but Jim and Brian decided we had better seats and joined us in the front row for a better view of the Navy victory.

Despite the rain, our first time Guest Game Analysts at Annapolis, Les Di Vite (Seton Hall) and Bill Serafin (Montclair State) along with veteran GGA Steve Ciesla (Juniata/ Montclair State), vowed that they had such a fantastic time at the game and in Annapolis, that they will be back again.  As usual, we had a great tailgate, luckily before the skies opened up, with Brian “Old Bay Spice wings” Donnelly, his fiancé Laurie, and our friend and navy vet, “Navy Al” (USS Seattle).

Annapolis in the morning

After a dark drive down on Friday through heavy thunder storms and traffic delays, we headed downtown next morning for breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s. We checked out the fantastic boats down at the Annapolis dock (I gotta meet someone named “Pappy” from Nashville before I retire there after I saw Pappy’s Boat looking like a great place to tailgate).  We walked over to the academy and toured around checking out the sailing center, T-Court, the Crypt of John Paul Jones below the chapel, and Preble Hall, housing the great Navy museum there.  It’s a great place to spend a few hours. Different displays every year when we go there.  Back in town, we did the traditional Bloody Mary at The Anthony House before riding out to meet our fellow tailgaters and heading over to our parking lot at Gate 1.

Annapolis at night

After the game, since our postgame tailgate got washed out, we went downtown and had dinner at Buddy’s Ribs and Claws so we could catch up on Penn State-Pitt.  We skipped our traditional cigars at the Annapolis Cigar Factory since hot showers and dry clothes seemed like the better options to watch the late games back at the hotel.  Three more treks to Annapolis this season. Always a good time and in recent years, great football!

Bill the Goat salutes his team for winning and their fans for staying till the end.

 

 

 

Game 562: Boston College Eagles soar over UMass “Minutemen”, 55-21

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Boston College Eagles soar over UMass “Minutemen”, 55-21

Chestnut Hill, MA – Boston College opened its 120th gridiron season honoring America and its Veterans throughout and proceeded to maul the Massachusetts “Minutemen”, 55-21.  The score does not indicate what truly happened.  The Eagles soared to a 48-7 lead as the first half ended.  The Minutemen under substitute QBs filling in for overwhelmed Andrew Ford late in the game led UMass to two insignificant touchdowns.

QB Anthony Brown on the mend and leading the Eagles to another score.

Boston College came out flying as QB Anthony Brown, returning from his late season leg injury in 2017, passed for 279 yards and four TDS finishing 15 of 21 through the air.  His first TD pass connected with RB AJ Dillon for 15 yards.  The ACC Rookie of the Year last season tallied 98 yards on 20 carries during the first half before sitting out the second.

Fool us once

UMass fooled me and my Guest Analysts Mike Ford (Providence College) and his son Connor (Marist) into thinking they were going to make a game of it.  UMass QB Ford (no relation) led the retaliation with a 72-yard scoring drive capped by Marquis Young’s three-yard into the end zone to knot the score.

The Ford Boys next to Rick’s Chevy Silverado where we tailgated next to BC’s Alumni Stadium.

However, Young would lead his team into the end zone seven times among their nine drives in the first half. The next resulted in a 34-yard pass to Kobay White. RB Davon Jones entered the end zone from one and from two yards on their next two possessions.  Young threw a 33-yarder to TE Ray Marten to make it 34-0 following a missed extra point.  He went back to White (four catches, 102 yards, two TDs) from 27 yards out. Finally, DB Denis Lukas capped the first half scoring with a 59-yard interception return picking up blockers running from the left sideline all the way across the field toward the BC locker room as time expired in the first half.  Extra point was good. Game over, 48-7 – not!

Eagle HC Steve Addazio doesn’t look happy, but he likes what he has to like what he sees on the scoreboard late in the first half.

Break out the practice uniforms

Neither team scored during the third quarter in what seemed more like a scrimmage in uniforms.  The clock continuously wound down.  In the final period, RB David Bailey ran in from the eight to up the Boston College lead, 55-7.  UMass made the score more respectable than what it was as back-up QB Ross Comis threw 16 yards to Jordan Fredericks for a score.  Next QB Michael Curtis scored from the two for UMass with 1:27 remaining while the Ford boys and I had already determined we wanted more beer on this hot summer day.  We headed out of Alumni Stadium back to Bob LeBlanc’s tailgate right outside Alumni Stadium’s main gate.  We waited with our cooler in his truck while he and his other BC die-hards watched until the annihilation was officially over.

Eagle defense takes down WR Anthony Isabella led by LB Connor Strachan.

Next week, too

Boston College will be untested again at home next week by another Massachusetts school, its former longtime Catholic college rival, Holy Cross.  The two last met in their ancient rivalry back in 1986. After winning that one, 56-26 , and after nine straight dominant wins by BC, the two schools parted football ways. Boston College went big time while Holy Cross stayed small.  The Eagles will first get tested on Thursday, October 13, in the ACC at Wake Forest.  UMass heads down to Statesboro next week to meet Georgia Southern (1-0). Collegefootballfan.com head down to Annapolis for a key AAC match between Memphis (1-0) and Navy (0-1). First of five regular season games we’ll see the Mids play in this year.  Good offense as usual for USNA  and struggling defense.  We expect a high-scoring game in this one.

The other Ford, UMass QB Andrew, did not have as much fun as the other Ford boys on this day.

Extra Points:

“Minutemen”?  The name always stood for “Patriotism”. Yet on a day when Boston College continually honored America’s Veterans throughout, the “Minutemen” did not even stand outside along the sideline when the national anthem played.  Glad they got trounced by Boston College who all stood along their sideline for that reason alone.   UMass should change their name to something else if they are not going to emulate what their proud mascot should stand for – Paul Revere, “One if by land, two if by sea”, Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, etc.

Now these are how Minutemen are supposed to act as seen at UMass’s first FBS game ever at Gillette Stadium versus U. of Indiana.

Bob “Pops” LeBlanc, a Boston College alum, hosted our tailgate party as mentioned.  He got us great seats 18 rows up behind the BC bench.  Can’t thank him enough.  He and his friends Rick, Nick (Wentworth), John and their wives among others have their BC tailgating down to a detailed great time!   We plan to be back up in Chestnut Hill again when Boston College hosts the Miami Hurricane on Friday October 26.  We plan to catch up with them again.

Through a connection met on an Alaskan Cruise back in May, I got put in touch with a former grammar school and high school classmate originally from Boonton, NJ.  Lynn (formerly Ventrice) Kish lives up in New Hampshire now.  She and her husband Kevin,  a UMass grad, came by and tailgated with us.  It was great to see Lynn and to meet Kevin who is a great sports fan and avid golfer.  Lynn hopes to get revenge now for Kevin’s alma mater later this season when her alma mater, Virginia Tech, hosts the Eagles down in Blacksburg!

WR Kobay White (9) scores one of two TD catches on the day for Boston College.

Time to step down?

I asked Kevin if there was any inkling that UMass would step back into the FCS.  Like myself, he thinks it would be good fit and revitalize the interest in the program playing in the Colonial Athletic again with likes of New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, James Madison, etc.  However, he thinks they have too much invested already in going into the FBS.  I think it will be reconsidered.  UMass can’t find a conference, scheduling is difficult, they haven’t invested an inordinate amount in their home stadium, they aren’t drawing big crowds, they have no major TV contract, and a few more pastings like this will set them back. They could lose a lot of money, and let’s not kid ourselves. That is what a move like this is all about.  Their HC Mark Whipple led them to then 1-AA championship back in 1998.   I think they will follow the lead of Idaho and march back into a level of football that makes more sense (cents?) for this program.  They’re biting off more than they can chew in the FBS.

BC band at the half.