Seen 'em all – 136 FBS teams in action! In 2025, we added both the CFP Championship game, Indiana 27 Miami 21 and the FCS Championship, Montana State 35 Illinois State 34. We've now attended 740 games since 1979. Please order and review our book on Amazon.com: Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly to enjoy this great, unique lifetime adventure. We look forward to the 2026 season!
Nashville, TN – Auburn scored eight TDs on its first eight possessions and never looked back to defeat Purdue (6-7) in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl as it raced out to a 56-7 halftime lead. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham threw for five TDs and 373 yards to embarrass the Boilermakers early and often. The Tigers (8-5) needed only 11 minutes of ball control to build their first half lead for a bowl record of points in one half. Collegefootallfan.com decided to leave after the half and enjoy downtown Nashville with friends for our one-day stop in Nashville. The second half consisted of conservative play and substitute players in the second half as indicated by the final score.
Auburn came out smoking right from the start
Early and often
The Auburn scoring machine with Head Coach Gus Malzahn calling plays started off with a 63-yard TD on a short pass to wide-open JaTarvious Whitlow out of the backfield for a 66-yard score. He took it over for the next two scores after subsequent possessions on short runs from the wildcat formation. Purdue’s only response came on a 7-yard TD run by Rondale Moore to trail 21-7 in the first period. Thereafter, the Tigers poured it on. WR Darious Slayton caught three TD passes of 74, 52, and 34 yards each for a total of 160 yards. It was evident early on that the Boilermaker secondary could not match up with the speedy Auburn receiving corps.
Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham rears back to toss a 74-yard TD bomb to Darius Slayton.
Following Slayton’s first two scores, Auburn’s Big Kat Bryant scored on a 20-yard INT return and on Anthony Schwartz’s six-yard run. The Tiger’s final score of the half came on Slayton’s third TD reception. Two insignificant second half scores came on Stidham’s fifth TD pass to Ryan Davis on a five-yard route and on Purdue QB David Blough’s 22-yard run which we witnessed on television at the Benchmark right across the river from Nissan Stadium at 117 Second Ave. Guest Game analysts and our long-time Auburn connections Charlie and Lynda Murren and I spent the rest of the afternoon with Will the bartender. He usually tends bar on the second floor at the Benchmark on weekends. Auburn won, 63-14.
Anthony Schwartz (5) takes it around right end for Auburn’s 49-7 lead in the second period.
Coming up short
Auburn came up short on two bowl records set by Army only two weeks ago with their 70-14 win over Houston in the Armed Forces Services Bowl in Fort Worth. Army set the record for most points (tying West Virginia’s mark when we attended the 2012 Orange Bowl) and the widest margin of victory at 56. Auburn fans did not anticipate the final result as the Tigers played inconsistently during the course of the 2018 season. They started the season with a 21-16 win over Washington who finished at No. 9. A one-point victory over No. 19 Texas A&M late in the season was the only other victory of note. Losses to five other conference foes finished them at 3-5 in the SEC.
Auburn’s record-setting halftime lead.
Among 59,024 in attendance at Nissan Stadium, Purdue fans came out in good numbers despite their team losing three of its last four contests including this one. Upsets over Boston College, Iowa, and their 49-20 win over No. 6 Ohio State propelled them to into their second bowl in two years under Head Coach Jeff Brohm. In the aftermath, Brohm has made improvements in West Lafayette during his short stint there, but today’s game proved there’s a lot of work heading into next season. They will open the 2019 season at Nevada. Auburn will face the Oregon Ducks in their opener at Arlington, Texas.
Purdue’s season turned upside down.
Extra Points:
In the future, we will
try to avoid any further bowl contests between the SEC and the Big Ten West. Of course, we will always be tempted to come
back to the Music City where we always have a good time. This game is the fifth such conference
match-up we’ve attended in the past few years.
Basically the SEC dominated each time despite some of the inflated late scores
by the conquered. Other teams against the
SEC (except for Alabama; see game 585 review shortly) have competed equally in
most other bowls attended in recent years – Notre Dame over LSU, Georgia Tech over
Mississippi State, Penn State over Tennessee, and Wake Forest over Texas
A&M.
Our non-entertaining SEC vs. Big Ten West history:
Tennessee 45 Iowa 28
Missouri 33 Minnesota 17
Tennessee 45 Northwestern 6
Tennessee 38 Nebraska 24
Auburn 63 Purdue 14
Even cute, loveable Aubie, Auburn’s Tiger mascot, has to be careful with his come-ons these days!
Collegefootballfan.com enjoyed our 40th straight season of attending as many college football games as we could this season, and it’s not over. Bowl season is upon. But let’s recap some of highlights of our 40th year traveling to our record-tying season in which we will have attended 27 college football games around this great country of ours.
Maine rolled to a 35-7 win over New Hampshire in this season’s opener in Orono, Maine, home of the Black Bears.
Rack ’em up
Among the clashes we attended, we saw 37 different teams from among the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Football Championship Division, and Division 3. The teams represented 11 different conferences from the vaunted SEC down to the D-3 NEWMAC (New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference). Three FBS Independents joined our frays. We traveled to five different venues where we’d never seen game before among the 583 games attended since 1979. And to think, we have three bowl games coming up. We’ll add six more teams we haven’t seen this season and add another major conference to boot. Enough about numbers now. Let’s hit some highlights and some lowlights regretfully.
Like the Pilgrims
We started with three games in New England on Labor day weekend. We ventured to the state of Maine to see a game there for the first time. To our surprise, not only did the host Black Bears defeat perennial FCS power and bitter rival New Hampshire that evening, but who knew they would go on to a 10-4 season. They won the always tough Colonial Athletic Association title, and they made it to the FCS semi-finals where they fell to Eastern Washington. Maine is hockey country. Farthest they ever made it in football.
Our second stop took us to see Springfield of the aforementioned NEWMAC host crosstown rival Western New England. It marked our first time attending a game there at small but packed Benedum Field. The Pride (7-3) beat WNE that evening 42-21, but the Golden Bears(8-3) went on to win the Commonwealth Coastal football title and earned a D-3 playoff spot. We finished the weekend at a great tailgate party at Alumni Field in Chestnut Hill with our friend Bob “Pops” LeBlanc and his pals where his Alma mater, Boston College, dominated UMass at home, 55-21.
Nautical Miles
For the third year in a row, we purchased season tickets at the Naval Academy as we’ve enjoyed seeing the Mids play good football over the last 15 years, running the triple-option, challenging for the American Athletic title, enjoying down town Annapolis, bringing other guys down for great “Boyz weekends”, and tailgating with the likes of fellow Navy fans Brian Donnelly, his fiance Laurie, and our pal Navy Al. Well maybe running the triple option now against the same conference foes every year might be catching up with the Mids. The struggled this season to finish the season at 3-9. The good thing for us was that all three wins were played at home, and we saw all three. In the first one in retrospect resulted in an upset. The Mids came from behind 21-9 to defeat the Memphis Tigers in a driving rainstorm, 22-21. Most thought this win would vault teh Mids into position to take teh AAC west. teh the contratry, they went nowhere and mempphis went 8-5, 5-3 to win the West title. They lost to underfeated No. 6 Central Flrida in the conference final. RB Darrell Henderson compliled 1,909 rushing yards and 22 TDs on 214 carries this season. He placed second in the nation for rushing yards.
Navy stuck it top Memphis with a 22-21 win in the AAC West opener for both teams, but the Tigers won the 2019 division title.
The following week, we headed back to Annapolis to watch them play FCS Lehigh. We’ve followed the Mountain Hawks closely over the years. The usually have a good program and we love going to games at Goodman Stadium where we had season tickets for few years when Mike Groome, a player from our neighborhood starred for them at Linebacker. However, the Hawks have had a tough few years and this season turned into a low point finishing 3-8, 2-4 in the struggling ( except for Colgate) Patriot League. Navy decimated them, 51-21. We look forward to the day the Hawks will be back in top form to challenge for the Patriot League.
Later in the season, Houston came to town with a 5-1, 2-0 AAC record and scored 41 points or more in its last seven games. Cougar QB D’Eriq King exposed Navy’s slow secondary with four second half touchdowns. The visitors triumphed the only time we attended Navy – Marine Corps Stadium this season (we went to Delaware instead of the Temple-Navy game), 49-36.
At our last game at Annapolis this season, the Mids faced Tulsa who came in with the same identical records 2-8, 1-6 AAC. With Zach Abey at QB, the Mids got their triple-option going again to the tune of 389 yards on the ground. Abey completed only one of two passes for 15 yards while running for 128. The Mids defense played as best they did all year, but Tulsa struggled on offense all season long finishing the season at 2-10. They Mids won “liberty” for the entire Brigade that evening with a 37-29 victory.
“Living on Tulsa Time”
Speaking of Tulsa, not only did the Golden Hurricanes fall on our Navy season ticket schedule, but we just happened to catch them two other times this season. How does someone living in New Jersey get to catch on to see Tulsa play football three times in one season? First of all, we caught them on three road trips. Tulsa conveniently showed up on a Thursday night in Philly to play Temple as part of a double-header weekend plan for us. The plan included a flight to Nashville (where I think about retiring to) from Philadelphia the next morning on the way to see Vanderbilt play at home for the first time. The Owls scored twice defensively – once on a 36-yard pick six and on a 50-yard fumble return to give them their winning margin in their 31-17 victory. Temple went on to an 8-4,7-1 season in the AAC East. They play Duke in the Walk-on’s Independent Bowl on December 27.
Two weeks later on a business trip to Houston, it just so happened the that the Hurricanes were also in town to play a Thursday night game against the Houston Cougars. With a lead of 26-17 early in the final period, Tulsa could not stop D-Eriq King around the right end for a 61-yard touchdown jaunt. The Cougars added three on their next possession to take a one-point lead. However, once again turnovers did the Cane’s in despite plenty of time left. Frosh QB Seth Boomers’s fumble on his own nine and a subsequent pick by CB Deontay Anderson to give the Cougars possession on TU’s 23 both resulted in quick and decisive scores for Houston’s 41-26 win. Like Navy, Tulsa did not go bowling with their poor record. Houston headed to the Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl to play 10-2 Army in Fort Worth , Texas last Saturday. Army-West Point set a record margin of victory for all bowl games with a 70-14 victory.
“It’s Vanderbilt!”
I have an ambition right now to eventually retire in Nashville, Tennessee. St. Laurie doesn’t see eye to eye with me on this, yet. Friendly people, moderate weather compared to good, old Jersey (birthplace of college football), lower taxes, great music of course, part-time work opportunities to keep the mind and blood flowing, day-trips to most parts of the eastern US, historic sites, beautiful state and national parks, pro hockey, pro football, minor league baseball, and major college sports stir my desire to move to this great part of the country when the hustle and bustle is done.
When it comes to college sports, Middle Tennessee competes in Conference USA in nearby Murfreesboro. Of course, you can see Vanderbilt University host the rest of the SEC in basketball, baseball, and football. That last item is kind of the downer. The Commodores have gotten a little better, but generally when it comes to football, they are still a the bottom of the SEC pile. This season, I figured I would get back down there and experience a Vandy football game to check the atmosphere and add Vanderbilt Stadium to my growing list of FBS venues. Hosting my daughter Alex’s Alma mater, the University of South Carolina, I figured this would be a convenient time to go and see the Gamecocks play again since she had graduated.
Well first impression made me wonder if the Commodores had any fans. I picked a little road side beer garden a few blocks away from VU Stadium. All is saw were Gamecock fans at the the bar and along the street tailgating. I met one retired gentleman at the bar with a Vandy hat on, but he was possibly “future-me“. He was a casual Vandy fan, but in reality an Indiana Hoosier fan who settled down in Nashville. He had a season ticket, but he said he was one of very few.
Carolina fumbles at the ends of long drives kept Vandy in this game in one of many rain-soaked games we attended on 2018.
The parking lot near the stadium was sparsely populated as game time neared, and I ventured over to find a bargain ticket. Of course, one of the local ticket flippers approached me to inquire what I would be willing to pay for a ticket. I threw out a low-ball number knowing this drill. As usual, I was told I could get a 50-yard line seat at a price $10 less than the face value. I blurted out immediately, ” Are you kidding? It’s Vanderbilt!” I saw the lack of interest from the locals, and the Carolina fans primarily bought theirs from their school I imagined. I knew this was not the hottest ticket in Nashville today or any other day. Most people come to town to spend money here on the musical entertainment. I’m certainly the only person in town visiting besides Carolina fans that this vendor probably found coming to see this sideshow.
I’d also seen TV highlights when Vandy played Bama at home last season. One young VU fan was shown sticking it out all by himself in the Vanderbilt side during a 59-0 blow-out by The Tide. Coming in, the Commodores had a 3-0 record. Season over. They finished 5-7 in the end, though not bad for Vandy generally. My potential vendor and I agreed to disagree, but another local business rep approached me a few steps away, and we came up with an agreeable price. Damn, it turned out to be really on the 50 yard line as he said. The Carolina fan next to me asked what I had paid and disappointed to find out I had gotten mine for less than he did. It proved I knew my market.
Vandy trailed 20-14 in the third until a major thunderstorm came through to suspend play and for everyone to seek shelter. An hour later, play resumed. Two SC drives ended by fumbles kept the ‘Dores in the game until the Cocks finished them off with a 37-14 victory. It could have been worse. Same old Vanderbilt. Their 6-6 record got them into the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl against Baylor, also 6-6. The Gamecocks (7-5) play Virginia (6-6) in the Belk Bowl.
What did we at Collegefootballfan.com get out of this? If and when we retire to Nashville, most likely Vanderbilt home games will be back-ups to Middle Tennessee offerings and or any game we can attend in Atlanta, Memphis, Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville, parts of North Carolina, or any other trip to see a game we plan in advance somewhere near the eastern seaboard. I hope I can afford to do that this stage of my life. If not, I know I can find bargains in Nashville. “It’s Vanderbilt!”
Attendance at Vanderbilt Stadium typically wanes no matter who the Commodores play in the fanatical SEC.
Among the Ivies on Fridays
The Ivy League and ESPN have “partnered” on Friday nights to show the best of some traditional Ivy League clashes during the ten weeks of the shortest season of any sport played today. Ten games only. No championship game, tie breakers, or post season action of any sort after the staid League plays ten games only, seven against the same elite members of these prestigious institutions of higher academia.
We bit as teams among the Ivy League are within driving distances on Friday nights that allow us to plan to see them the evening before we venture on to another game the next morning. Our first took us to upper Manhattan (New York, not Kansas) where Princeton ripped Columbia, 45-10. The next day, we easily ventured out to State College, PA for an all-day tailgate before Penn State’s 8 pm White-out against Ohio State. However, watching Princeton play this year provided us the chance to see history in the making for the Tigers.
They went undefeated with a 10-0 record with an average score of 47-13 (easy to figure out when all you have to do is divide total points for and against by 10). PU QB John Lovett, who sat out the 2017 season with an injury, ran for two TDs and threw for two. Just as he had done in 2016, he won the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League’s MVP. The 470 points he led the offense to set an Ivy League record for most points ever scored in one season. The 10-0 record marked the first time since 1964 that the Tigers finished undefeated overall. He personally scored a touchdown rushing in 20 straight games he played in. Columbia finished their season at 6-4, 3-4.
At least the Columbia Cheerleaders’ placard reads, “Lions!” At one point, the Lion cheerleaders chanted “D-D-D-Defense!” when their team was on offense.
Princeton Head Coach Bob Surace earned Ivy League Coach of the Year honors. He’s led the Tigers to the Ivy League crown in three of the last six seasons. At the end of the regular FCS season, Princeton ranked at No. 8. Their most competitive Ivy foe, Dartmouth (9-1) , stands at No. 15. The Tigers fought them off to a 14-9 win late in the season. Next year in honor of their 150th start in the first game of college football ever played (against Rutgers in 1869), these two will meet on November 9 at Yankee Stadium.
Two weeks later, we attended the Yale at Penn game at Franklin Field in Philly on Friday night on our way to Navy vs. Houston in Annapolis the next day. Yale triumphed 23-10 on the wheels of RB Alan Lamar, who rushed for 179 yards and two TDs. The Bulldog defense held solidly. Yale QB Kurt Rawlings suffered a serious leg injury late in the game and was removed. He never played the rest of the season. The Bulldogs lost three of their last four games to finish 5-5, 3-4 in the Ivy. The Quakers finished 6-4, 3-4.
GGA Brian Donnelly and I were most disappointed to see the effects of Ivy League football on Friday night television as the attendance already hurt by media coverage saturation does not bode well for bodies in seats to add spirit to these games. Neither Ivy league game we attended attracted many. Princeton’s final win at home over rival Penn to win the Ivy and finish their historic 10-0 season only attracted, 7,749 fans. Heck , we saw more than that back in 1987 at Palmer Stadium in Princeton when the Tigers defeated Columbia for the Lions’ record-breaking 38th loss in a row. It’s a shame to see the dwindling interest in college football at historical universities such as the Ivy’s. A college football game always enticed such great social gatherings for students, their families, and the alumni. School spirit isn’t what it used to be at these campuses.
Alan Lamar follows his blocking through the Penn Quaker defense.
No. 22 Army defeats Navy for third consecutive rivalry win, 17-10
The Corps of Cadets hopped as President Trump sat among the Midshipman across from them during the second half.
Philadelphia – In front of President Donald Trump and 66,729 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, the Cadets of Army (10-2) sealed its third straight victory over Navy late in the fourth period for a 17-10 victory. The two teams, both very familiar with the common triple option offense they run, kept each other in check throughout most of the game. With wins over both Air Force and Navy (3-9) this season, Army keeps the Command-in-Chief’s Trophy for service academy supremacy for the second year in a row. For Collegefootballfan.com, we attended our 12th Army-Navy game of the 119 played to date with a host of friends who enjoyed great tailgating on a cold but sunny and comfortable afternoon in Philly. For us, this season’s game was the seventh consecutive game we’ve attended in this greatest of historic, college football rivalries.
Hail to the Chief
The tailgating festivities started early in the parking lot. With President Trump attending, security slowed our entry into the stadium. We missed the pre-game activities inside “The Linc” and caught up with the action six minutes into the first period. Before Guest Game Analysts (GGA’s) Scott Mitchell, USNR Master Chief recently retired after 26 years, Frank Scarpa (Rutgers), and Les DiVite (Seton Hall) settled into our seats in section 129 right next to the Brigade of Midshipman, Army already led, 7-0.
While still waiting to pass through the turnstiles, we watched the US Army Helicopter flyover before kickoff.
Quick-start Cadets
On their first possession, Cadet QB Kelvin Hopkins scored on a one-yard plunge capping an 82-yard drive on five plays. Kell Walker’s 51-yard jaunt to the Navy 10 keyed the scoring drive. Neither team could score for the balance of the half. By games’ end, the Mids totaled only 208 yards of offense to the Cadets 283. For the first three quarters, USNA gained only 64 yards on the ground 7 and no passing yards.
Army Junior LB Amadeo West (52) puts stop on Navy ball carrier.
Presidents present
Trump, the tenth sitting President to attendthis storied rivalry, switched sidelines from the Army side to the Navy side athalftime. We at collegefootballfan.com haveattended Army-Navy games previously presided over by President Gerald Ford (1974)and by President Bill Clinton (1996).
President Donald Trump sits among Navy brass, fans, and Mids during second half of Army-Navy game.
A battle to the very end
Army started the second half marching 80 yards on its first possession. The Cadets methodically moved the football to Navy’s 26-yard line. PK John Abercrombie put up a 33-yard FG to build Army’s lead, 10-0. The Army offense chewed up 8:19 during this drive. Army regained possession late in the third period on DB Mike Reynold’s INT of Zach Abey.
In the final period,Navy stopped the Cadet drive short on a fourth and two to take back the ball at Amy’s 42. Garrett Lewis replaced Abey at QB for the Mids. On first and ten at the Army 16, Lewis picked up 10 yards, but DB Jaylon McClinton’s tackle forced a fumble and James Gibson recovered for the Black Knights on their three.
Jacob Springer (1) returns punt for four yards in Q3 for Navy.
Navy forced Army to punt from the 12 and started with good field position at the 48. Malcolm Perry raced 43 yards to the Cadet five. Lewis put the Mids on the board finally with a one-yard TD to close within 10-7 as 7:01 remained in the game. Navy took possession again later from their 34. On fourth and twelve, Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo re-inserted Abey. Back to pass, LB Ken Brinson jarred the football loose and then recovered to put Army in possession at Navy’s 22 with 3:02 remaining. Three plays later, Army put the ball at the one. Hopkins scored his second TD of the game from there to extend Army’s lead, 17-7.
Navy FB Anthony Gargiulo bulls to one-yard line to set up Navy score by Lewis.
Navy got rolling from its 25 to Army’s 28. They elected to get three with Bennett Moehring’s 46-yard FG to trail 17-10 with only :29 to play. Army’s Jordan Asberry recovered the ensuing onsides kick on Navy’s 43. Game 119 of this historic rivalry came to an end. Navy, who won 14 consecutive games before Army’s current streak continues to lead this series, 60-52-7. We’ll all be back again next season in Philadelphia on December 14, 2019 for the 120th clash between Army and Navy.
With the loss, the Midshipman sang “Navy Blue and Gold” before the Cadets sang their alma mater.
And then there is one
Army’s successful season continues at the Armed Forces Services Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas on December 22. The Cadets play Houston (8-4) who defeated the Mids in Annapolis this season, 49-36. Navy finished the 2018 season a disappointing 3-9. This marks the first season since 2011 and only the second since 2002 that the Midshipman did not earn a trip to a bowl game. Next season,they kick off the 2019 season in Annapolis against Holy Cross.
AAC Defensive player of the Week LB Austin Robinson (22) shown here against Navy and the rest of the Houston Cougars D will be prepping for Army’s triple-option for the Armed Forces Services Bowl in two weeks.
Bye-bye
Collegefootballfan.com faces two bye weekends in a row, one planned and one unplanned encountering earlier than anticipated “football withdrawal.” Next weekend, there are no games at any level within traveling distance to attend. We’ll watch the team we opened our season with, eight-seeded FCS Colonial Athletic Association champ Maine, on television against Eastern Washington on that irritating, red turf, play in the FCS national semi-final game. Then after the following weekend and a relaxing Christmas holiday with the family, we go bowling! Three times in four days.
Time to go bowling
On Friday, December
28, we start in Nashville at our fifth Music City Bowl. Auburn (7-5) faces off
with Purdue (6-6), the only team to knock off No. 6 Ohio State this season,
49-20. The next day, we travel to attend
the big one, the Orange Bowl CFP semi-final in Miami Lakes, Florida. It kicks off
at 8 pm. No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4
Oklahoma with newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray at QB. Alabama’s QB Tua Tagovailoa finished second
in the balloting. With Bama’s DL Quinnen Williams finishing eighth in the balloting,
Collegefootballfan.com will have seen eight of the of ten Heisman vote-getters
in 2018 play in person during the last two seasons. For us, this will be our fifth Orange Bowl
game. Winner of this game heads to Santa
Clarita, California for the FBS title game on January 7.
We wrap up our 2018 season back in Annapolis on New Year’s Eve day at noon without Navy in a game. This year the Military Bowl features Cincinnati (10-2) of the American Athletic taking on 6-6 Virginia Tech of the ACC. Other Five against Power Five. The visit to Annapolis makes this our eighth venture to what starts as the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, D.C.and morphed into the Military Bowl in the capitol of Maryland.
Three bowl games in four days. It’ll be a great finish to an already memorable college football season for us at CFF.com. We finish off a record-tying season with 27 games attended in 2018, just as we did in 2017 and 2014. Despite all the great game action attended, the college football season always seems to go way too fast!
Retired USNR Chief Scott Mitchell’s eyes were popping prior in anticipation of his first Army-Navy game this past Saturday.Why Guest Game Analyst Frank Scarpa forgot his Army jersey and wore this instead, we don’t understand. He admits his 1-11 Knight football team is pitiful, but he tried to tell us how well other Scarlet Knight teams are doing in the Big Ten. An article in The Sunday Newark Star Ledger confirmed that Rutgers overall record in all sports against Big Ten schools in 2017-18 shows his Alma mater has only won 23.4% of the time.Our third GGA for today’s game got good news after. Les’s Alma mater, Seton Hall, defeated No. 8 Kentucky in basketball in OT, 84-83.
Colgate defeats James Madison advancing to FCS Quarterfinals as time expires, 23-20
The Village of Hamilton, NY – Colgate PK Chris Puzzi converted a 38-yard FG as time expired to defeat James Madison (9-4) in a second round FCS playoff game, 23-20. The Red Raider defense stopped a fake JMU punt with 2:49 left to start their game-winning drive from their 39. Colgate’s vaunted defense intercepted five passes on the day to keep the visiting Dukes in check.
Big Day at small school
The eighth-seeded Red Raiders (10-1), champions of the Patriot League, travel to Fargo, ND next Saturday to play defending FCS champ and winner of five of the last six FCS titles, No. 1 North Dakota State. Collegefootballfan.com attended this playoff with Guest Game Analyst Sam Cooper (Potsdam State), avid Colgate fan and booster. Sam enjoyed seeing a great turnout of students and alum despite the cold and snow-covered landscape surrounding Andrew Kerr Stadium. The 6,418 in attendance exceeds most crowds at the 2,800-student campus in this small, upstate village surrounded by farmlands. We found some roads taken on the way up don’t even show up on a GPS.
Colgate students came out to support their 9-1 football team in the FCS playoffs.
Rare start for Red Raiders
Things did not start as anticipated for the Red Raiders who outscored all opponents this season in the first period, 67-0. In five of seven games in which they did not allow a touchdown, they recorded shutouts. The Dukes returned the opening kickoff 37 yards out to the 43. They made scoring look easy. Six plays from scrimmage later, RB Cordon Johnson ran it in from the two for a very shocking and early 7-0 lead in front of the home fans. Though many knew, the Dukes, finalists in last season’s championship, far exceeded the talent of other FCS opponents ‘Gate faced this season. JMU’s next drive in the first ended more accordingly to expectations as CB Abu Duramy-Swaray intercepted a pass resulting in a 37-yard FG by Nuzzi.
JMU RB Cardon Johnson (25) finishes off an easy TD drive for an early Q1 score.
James Madison, a cut above the rest
Early in the second period, JMU scored three more with a 34-yard FG by Ethan Radtke. Later in the second, ‘Gate took over on the 50. Puzzi added three later with his 23-yard FG. Throughout the period, Sam noted that Colgate displayed a very basic offense with little deception. No motion among their talented wide receivers. Most plays called for 5’9” 210-lb TB James Holland (25 carries for 90 yards) to pound for yards up the middle. His longest run of the day netted 10 yards. From that perspective, the Red Raiders never went with play action to set up their passing game. QB Grant Breneman (14 of 23, 190 yards, 1 TD) seemed content to stay in the pocket. When would the Red Raiders pull out the stops to put points on the board to defeat the best team on their schedule all season?
JMU WR makes a reception on first quarter drive.
Colgate defense steps up
An INT by CB Tyler Castillo and a second by S Marquise Bruce in the end zone on the last play of the first half thwarted any further scoring by JMU. The Colgate defense performed up to their reputation after allowing early scores. DE Nick Wheeler came up with two sacks. He applied pressure with a three-man front throughout the game to hurry Duke QB Matt DeNucci (19 of 32, 193 yards, 5 INTs). The Colgate offense would need to make some adjustments in the second half to overcome their 10-6 halftime deficit.
School in the “Village”
At intermission, Sam and I took advantage of Colgate’s tailgate policy and went back to his car for hot tomato soup and sandwiches. We figured to get out of the slush-covered bleachers to thaw out a little. On the road into the Village of Hamilton, home of Colgate University, several small jets landed nearby. Sam attested they have an airfield with a 5,400-foot runway that could handle the aircraft used by some of its distinguished CEO/Alumni grads coming back to Gate’s first playoff game at Andrew Kerr Stadium in 15 years. According to Sam, the only other time more aircraft land at the local Hamilton air field occurs during Baseball Hall of Fame inductions ceremonies in Cooperstown, about an hour away. After the game, Sam took me in to see the two-year old Class of 1965 Hockey Arena built adjacent to the football facility. Quite impressive. About 30-framed NHL jerseys of former Colgate alum who went on to play at that level adorned one of the walls above the 2,500-seat arena.
The snow cover around the Hamilton area limited nearby parking areas for the biggest game to be played there in more than a decade.
Second half turn-around
We returned to our seats to find out that the second period did not start off well for the Red Raiders either. JMU forced Breneman to fumble on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and recovered at the Colgate 11. An offensive pass interference call set them back 15 yards. As expected, the Red Raider defense stepped up to the task and only allowed four more yards. JMU settled for Radtke’s 38-yard FG to lead by seven.
The Colgate offense finally got on track on its next possession after its defense picked them back up. Starting from the 25, they drove to the 32. A little deception helped on the next play as Breneman faked a handoff to Holland on a dive. After the fake, he proceeded 32 yards around right end for a touchdown to tie the score, 13-13. ‘Gate’s next possession following a JMU punt to put them back at their ten. On a third and five from their 15, the Soph QB connected with WR Owen Rocket (5 catches, 104 yards, one TD) for a 39-yard pass play. At the JMU 14, Breneman rolled right out of the pocket and connected with Rocket again for 14-yard TD pass to take a 20-13 Colgate lead, their first of the game.
WR Owen Rocket grabs a Colgate TD pass from Grant Breneman to take the lead, 20-13.
JMU fights back
A touchback and a personal foul on the ensuing kickoff started the Dukes at their 12. Cutting in front of the intended receiver and capturing his second pick of the day, Castillo halted this drive. Starting Q4, JMU’s next series resulted with a similar ending as LB TJ Holl picked off DeNucci for Colgate’s fifth INT. Holl played outstanding defense this day making key stops among 11 tackles, nine solo. He returned this pick 29 yards to the James Madison 19.
The Colgate offense went conservative again picking up nine yards on three carries. At the ten, Head Coach Dan Hunt decided to forgo three points to take a ten-point lead. Again Holland tried the middle instead. The JMU defense stopped him for no gain and turned the ball over on downs. JMU Head Coach Mike Houston replaced DeNucci with Frosh QB Gage Moloney. His offense retreated eight yards before punting. DeNucci returned at QB after ‘Gate’s next punt and seemed to swing momentum back JMU’s way. After their two consecutive defensive stops, he finished off a 44-yard drive with a seven-yard option run right to tie the score again, 20-20.
JMU QB Ben Denucci sprints past Colgate defenders for a big game.
Coming down to the wire
Going back on offense again following another Colgate three-and-out, JMU moved to the Colgate 41. There, they went into punt formation on fourth and five. The fake was on! P Harry O’Kelly looked for running room around the right side. However, the Red Raider defense stopped him short by three yards. They took over on their 39 with 2:46 left on the game clock. A 26-yard pass from Breneman to Rocket put them at the Duke’s 35. Three carries by Holland got them a first down at the 25 to force JMU to use its time-outs. At the 21, Puzzi booted his game winner as time expired to win it for the Red Raiders, 23-20. Time to make travel arrangements to Fargo, ND. The Patriot League champs celebrated with their fans.
Colgate fans empty stands to celebrate first home FCS win in 15 years!
JMU finished their season at 9-4. Among the strong Colonial Athletic Association that sent six teams to the FCS playoffs, only two made it to the second round. Only CAA champion Maine (9-3, 7-1) remains now. They throttled Jacksonville State, 55-27. They face No. 2 Weber State in Utah next Saturday.
JMU DL Ron Dell Carter prevents CU RB James Holland from converting a first down at the ten on a fourth and one.
For Colgate, a big challenge lies ahead against No. 1 NDSU, no doubt. It will be time for the Red Raider offense to pull out some more stops if they want to advance past the defending champs to get to the title game. As Sam pointed out, James Madison posed the toughest competition the Raiders have faced all year. When you get this far, it doesn’t get any easier at this stage of the season.
As for collegefootballfan.com, we head to Philly to for our seventh consecutive Army-Navy Game since 2012, our 12th over all. The Cadets have already clinched the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy having won the hardware last season and in defeating Air Force who’s already defeated Navy. Upset in the air? No one expects Navy to win. In this rivalry, that is when the least expected happens. Go Navy!
Grant Breneman (15) carries closer to the JMU goal line on a scoring drive.
PSU Nittany Lions dominate Maryland Terps on Senior day, 38-3
State College – On Senior Day in Happy (Icy, Cold, Wet) Valley, Senior QB Trace McSorely scored two first quarter TDs to take an early lead while the Lion defense dominated the Terps for the second year in a row for a 38-3 victory. Last season in the season finale at College Park, PSU triumphed, 66-3. After losing in OT last week to Ohio State, 52-51, the Terp offense displayed no such effectiveness against the improving Lion defense.
Cold, rainy weather and the long Thanksgiving weekend cut back on attendance for this Penn State Senior Day.
Honoring the past and hopes for the future
On a cold, rainy day with an icy mix thrown down early in the day, the Penn State crowd in half full Beaver Stadium celebrated the final performances of 21 seniors. However, the crowd watched the Lions not only outperform the Terps with outgoing seniors, but they also watched promising underclassmen boding well for the future of Penn State football. First-time Guest Game Analyst Kevin Rogers (Manhattan College Jasper), a long-time PSU football fan who had not seen a game at Beaver Stadium since it was half the size of what it is today, enjoyed what he saw despite the elements he drove through and sat in. He plans to definitely return to Beaver Stadium again in the near future.
LB Micah Parsons (11) puts hit on Terps Anthony McFarland. Parsons saw a lot of playing time at LB during his Frosh year for the Lions.
Bing, bing, bing!
The No. 12 Nittany Lions (9-3, 6-3) followed the opening kickoff with just three plays that put them into the end zone. McSorely (12 for 22 passing, 230 yards, 1 TD; 11 carries for 64 yards, 2 TDS) completed his first pass on the first play to Frosh KJ Hamler for 34 yards. Miles Sanders (14 carries for 128 yards) advanced the next play 35 yards on his first run before McSorely ran it in for a 10-yard TD.
Later in the period, Terp PK Joe Petrino put Maryland on the scoreboard with his 26-yard FG already matching the total point his team scored against PSU the previous season. The Lions came right back as McSorely carried the ball over again for his second score in the first from the 20-yard line. The Lions led 14-3 at the end of the first and never looked back as the Terp offense could not break through the tough Nittany Lion defense who stopped UMD 15 times this day behind the line of scrimmage. DE Yetur Gross Matos led with 3.5 TFLs. Keith Givens added two sacks.
McSorely (9) rushes against Maryland Terrapins during Q2 drive.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Only Jake Pinegar’s 25-yard FG added three points in the second to increase the Penn State lead. Kevin noted a particular PSU weakness, however, along the way. Punt returner DeAndre Thompkins avoided fielding any punts even if evidently catchable. By not fielding any by signaling fair catch, he constantly put the Lions in worse field position than they could have had giving up five to ten yards at least each time. PSU started drives from the 14, 6, and 15 yard-line because of this in the second period. Later in the game, KJ Hamler fielded a punt with a fair catch to start the Lions from their 28 that later resulted in a score. On the final Terp punt, Thompkins set up to receive the punt and it bounced out at the PSU eight. Thompkins graduates this year. Hamler will be returning for his second season in 2019.
Lion defenders Kevin Givens (30) and Shareef Miller (48) pressure Terp QB Tyrell Pigrome.
Records not made to be broken
Fourteen inches of snow the past week and the wettest summer on record in State College and the second wettest fall on record cut down on the typical, stirring pre-game activities prior to the game on Senior Day. Prohibited parking in grass lots, icy Central Pennsylvania roads, a wet, rainy forecast and the holiday weekend cut down the prepaid crowd of 98,000. Many decided to remain in the comforts of their homes to watch on TV. Pregame traditions were relegated to the sidelines and stands to preserve the playing field even after tarps were removed. The Penn State Blue Band did get to perform at halftime despite the on-again and off-again precipitation. The decimated but dedicated crowd in Beaver Stadium still vociferously cheered their team and honored their outgoing Seniors despite the setbacks of the elements.
Breakfast Lion RG Connor McGovern (323 lbs) “pancakes” Terp DT Keiron Howard (290 Lbs) after Miles Sanders moves past line.
Lions roar!
After forcing a punt to start the third, PSU put some younger talent on display. Frosh RB Ricky Slade (11 carries for 64 yards, two TDs) ran the ball five times during the next series for 34 yards finishing the drive with an eight-yard TD run. The score stood 24-3 to end the third.
Frosh RB Ricky Slade (4) bounces off Terrapin tackler to get to goal line.
Terp PK Joe Petrino failed to add the Terp score when he missed a 31-yard FG to start the fourth period. The Lion defensed continued to dominate Maryland (5-7, 3-6) on offense holding them to 259 yards of total offense, only 74 on the ground. On PSU’s next series, McSorely finished off a scoring drive with a five-yard TD pass to Frosh TE Pat Freiermuth. Hamler’s fair catch on the 28 started another TD drive, but not before Head Coach James Franklin installed back-up QB Tommy Stevens for McSorely after the first play.
Miles Sanders (24) bursts through Terp line for gain in third period.
He received a standing ovation from an appreciative crowd. Most had been on hand the past four years to see McSorely and his classmates put together a 25-3 recorded at Beaver Stadium while they played here for PSU. Stevens, entering his fifth and final year of eligibility, looms as next year’s stating QB for the Nittany Lions. On this series, he ran for some yardage, handed off to Slade for more gains on the ground, and passed to Hamler to set up Slade’s final run of the series for a one-yard TD to finalize the score, 38-3. The Lions and their fellow students and fans celebrated in the South end zone and sang the Penn State alma mater. Many others of us including Kevin and me left the confines of Beaver Stadium looking for buses back to parking lots to start our journeys home in the cold and the dark to celebrate.
McSorely (9) leaves Maryland Terps in his wake. After this game, he also leaves with a career completion mark of 703 to lead all PSU QBs.
Regular season ends for some, not all
For the Terps, their season is over. Chances are slim with a 5-7 record to get to a bowl game. The Lions wait to see what happens after the Big Ten Championship game between Ohio State and Northwestern next Saturday. Generally, the feeling is that with their strong, loyal fan following, they’ll most likely get into a New Year’s Day Bowl against an SEC team in Florida.
CFF.com still looks forward to five more games this season. Our next venture takes us up north to another, expectedly cold venue to attend a second round FCS playoff game in Hamilton, NY where No. 8 seed Colgate hosts 2017 FCS runner up James Madison University. We look forward to seeing how the Red Raider defense with five shutouts (seven games in which they allowed no TDs) in 2018 against mostly Patriot League foes stand up against a Colonial Athletic team from a tougher conference that averaged 35 ppg this season. Should be fun as we catch up with friends we made in Hamilton last season when we saw Colgate defeat Fordham at our first game ever at Colgate’s Stadium.
Abey, Smith lead Mids rushing attack through Golden Hurricane, 37-29
Our last tailgate of the year in Annapolis. Feasting and fun with good food and good friends as usual.
Annapolis – Senior QB Zach Abey rushed for 128 yards and both he and FB Nelson Smith scored two rushing TDs to lead the Mids of Navy to their third victory of 2018 to defeat Tulsa, 37-29. In typical Navy fashion, Abey attempted only two passes and completed one for 15 yards. Both teams entered the game with identical records of 2-8, 1-5 in the American Athletic West.
With Abey at QB for the third game in a row, the Mids looked more like Navy teams of recent years effectively running the triple option. They accumulated 389 yards on the ground. For Collegefootballfan.com, we witnessed Tulsa lose its third game of a 2-9, 1-6 season. On the other hand, we watched Navy win for the third time this season at home against one loss. We will see them play again in three weeks against arch-rival Army on December 8 in Philadelphia.
Tulsa RB Corey Taylor races around the left side for one of his three TDs versus Navy.
Early scores
Tulsa scored first on a two-yard run capping a 49-yard drive with a two-yard run by Corey Taylor (15 carries, 45 yards, three TDs). Navy retaliated with a 79-yard drive finished off by Smith (5 carries for 48 yards, 2 TDs) with a 10-yard TD run.
Navy’s Nelson Smith (43) on his way for his ten-yard TD run against Tulsa in the first quarter.
Early in the second, the Mids took the lead with Smith’s 26-yard TD run. With the PAT blocked by Tulsa CB Reggie Robinson, he picked up the ball and returned it the length of the field for two points. Navy led, 13-9. Tulsa got pinned at the three on the ensuing kickoff. Punting from their five, the Mids took over at the TU 31. USNA drove to the one and Abey took it over from there to extend USNA’s lead, 20-9.
QB Zach Abey (9) cuts behind FB Anthony Gargiulo’s (38) block for a Navy score .
Review this rule
Tulsa started its next drive from its 39 benefiting from a controversial targeting call in our estimation. Guest Game Analyst Vince Gallo and I agreed that the hit by LB Austin Talbert-Loving was unavoidable and unintentional. The ball carrier lowered his head and momentum of the tackler caused the head-on hit by the defender. Despite what we saw, the officials ejected him from the game. That rule needs to be re-analyzed.
The scoring continues
The ensuing Hurricane possession resulted in a 19-yard TD run by Keylon Stokes to cut Navy’s lead. However, the Mids got back on track full speed ahead. They drove the ball on the ground 70 yards finished off by Abey’s two-yard TD with 1:28 left in Q2. The Mids led going into the locker rooms up at halftime, 27-16.
Tulsa WR Keylon Stokes finds a big hole in the Navy secondary on a Hurricane touchdown drive.
An Annapolis first
Halftime highlights featured a very colorful Cheerleader of America performance and the Naval Academy Silent Drill team consisting of 14 Mids. Very well done. One tribute paid between quarters honored the officers and crew of the Navy’s newest ship, the USS Sioux City, LCS 11. Our nation’s sixth Littoral combat ship, the commissioning took place on Saturday in Annapolis, the first time such an event took place there. The ship’s hull is comprised of aluminum skin. It features high-tech capabilities and can cruise up to 40 knots (46 mph). The Navy designed it for coastal combat support. Named in honor of Sioux City, Iowa, news reports stated many of the 4,000 in attendance came out from that area to attend the ceremony. Crew members and families toured the town while we were there for breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s and for Bloody Mary’s at Fran O’Brien’s Anthony House, CFF.com traditions. Congrats to Sioux City, Iowa, and the US Navy. Smooth sailing!
Go Navy!
Only three in Q3
To start the third period, Tulsa threatened to score on a sustained drive until DT Jackson Pittman forced a fumble by Corey Taylor near the goal line. Marcus Edwards recovered for the Mids on the three. Navy’s O drove down to the ten on two long runs. Malcolm Perry booked for 52 yards to the Golden Hurricane 45. Tre Walker followed with a 35-yard jaunt to the TU ten. Despite the momentum, Navy instead settled for Bennet Moehring’s 21-yard FG.
As he does at every Navy game, except sans his No. 72 jersey at this game, “First Down Freddie” leads a cheer to celebrate another for the Mids!
Turnover time
GGA Mike Pitch noted that despite Tulsa QB Seth Boomer’s passing stats (19 for 28, 206 yards, 1 INT), he had all day to throw as the Mids applied little pressure all day. Tulsa still had a chance to win. I noted as I have all season, the lack of speed in the Midshipman’s secondary. Though under no hard rush by the Navy line, an interception return of 54 yards by S Micah Farrar for the Mids to the Tulsa 23 went for naught. FB Mike Martin fumbled and Tulsa recovered taking possession on their 23. With only a field goal to show for a score in the third quarter, Navy’s 30-16 lead still seemed shaky entering Q4.
Hurricane QB Seth Boomer (12) had plenty of time most of the day to throw against the Mids, but only tallied 206 passing yards.
Corey Taylor hit pay dirt at the end of a 76-yard drive with a three-yard TD run. DE Jarvis Polu added some relief to the threat though blocking the point after to maintain their lead by eight, 30-22, with 11:54 left. USNA advanced on their following 10-play drive starting from the 26 when Tre Walker sped around the end for a 33-yard touchdown burst. Tulsa responded with a return out to the 45. Taylor capped the drive with his third score at the one to close the gap, 37-29.
Navy S Sean Williams breaks up a pass on a Hurricane drive in Q3.
Decisions, decisions
With 4:46 left to play and three time-outs, Tulsa kicked deep instead of going for an onsides kick surprising all the GGAs including Bob Brauer, joining us at a Navy game for the second year in a row and bringing Kielbasa for our post game tailgate in the dark. Navy foiled the Tulsa plan converting two first downs. The Mids caused the Hurricanes to burn all three timeouts until 1:09 remained. At that point, the Mids went into the victory formation. Game 580 went into the annals of CFF.com history with Navy’s 37-29 victory.
Navy Al’s granddaughter Sophia joined our pregame tailgate this weekend and demonstrated a new concept of “tailgating” here. It worked well for her though as the fifth-grader lasted through the entire game even as it got colder and darker. She really enjoyed her day she told us before she nodded off and Grandpa whisked her away.
Turkey time
Next Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Mids travel to New Orleans to face the improved Tulane Green Wave (5-6,4-2). Tulane has impressive wins over Memphis and South Florida. They lead Navy by two wins in the West Division. Tulsa returns home to host SMU (5-6, 4-3 AAC west). Collegefootballfan.com goes back to State College to see struggling No. 14 Penn State (8-3, 5-3) host Maryland (5-6, 3-5) in a Big Ten East clash. Last Saturday, they fell at home to Ohio State, 52-51, in OT. After a 66-3 loss to PSU last season and a hobbled Trace McSorely playing QB for the Lions, the Terps could be primed to pull the upset. We expect a hard-fought, close game in cold (and possible wet) Happy Valley. Rain and snow gear at the ready -what the 2018 season will be remembered for!
Remember those serving our country this weekend as we give thanks and celebrate Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our fans, friends, and family!!!
Sanders and McSorely lead Penn State past Wisconsin, 22-10
State College- Still showing lingering signs of a sore right knee, Trace McSorely handed the ball off to Miles Sanders 23 times and Sanders revitalized the Penn State running game with 159 yards and a TD run to lead the Nittany Lions to a 22-19 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. Though McSorely played hobbled and sat out some plays escorted off by the medical staff. A red-shirt junior, Tommy Stevens filled in for him. John and I expect to see Stevens get a lot of action in the 2019 spring game. Wisconsin played again without their QB Alex Hornibrook. Their med staff has sidelined him with a concussion.
On a sore right knee, Wisconsin held PSU QB Trace McSorely to only nine yards on 11 carries.
Leading rushers, banged up QBs
While Penn State relied on the legs of Sanders, the Badgers tried to do the same with Jonathan Taylor, the leading rusher in the FBS. Without the services of Hornibrook, however, backup QB Jack Coan could not effectively put together an effective passing game (9 of 20 for 60 yard and two INTs). The Nittany Lion defense led by DE Shareef Miller and DT Robert Windsor applied the primary pressure on Coan this afternoon as both registered two sacks each.
DTs Robert Windsor (54) and Kevin Givens (30) “badger” Wisconsin QB Jack Coan (17).
Time and Weather
For Collegefootballfan.com and many other fans, the day started out bitterly cold and very early. Temperatures in Happy Valley dropped into the 30s and gusting winds brought the wind chill down into the teens. The cold, crazy, wet weather over the past few weeks forced us to come over-prepared with lots of rain and cold weather gear to withstand the icy blasts. Luckily, the noon time kickoff started under clear, sunny skies despite the cold temperatures.
Clear, but chilling winds prevailed at noon for kick off in Happy Valley at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.
As for the early part, the school had announced early this week that all grass parking areas (most of PSU’s parking facility) would be closed due to the very wet weather that has prevailed in Happy Valley over the past few weeks. Satellite parking arrangements in paved offsite areas compensated throughout the area so most fans could board buses to get over to Beaver Stadium. Our regular Penn State Guest Game Analyst John Massimilla and friends were able to get a parking pass from other friends which literally put us in the shadows of Beaver Stadium in the north lot. My arrival at 9 AM in the parking lot of the Nittany Mall after a three-hour haul still gave us time to enjoy some libations and sandwiches before heading in. I even had a ride after the game back to the Nittany Mall to beat the long bus lines back.
BANG!
Wisconsin started off with a bang as Jonathan Taylor (20 for 185, 1 TD) broke through the right side of the scrimmage line for a 71-yard TD. Penn State responded with a 75-yard scoring drive of its own when McSorely (19 of 25, 160 yards, 1 TD) connected with DeAndre Thompkins on a 14-yard scoring pass. A botched snap on the Badgers next possession put PSU back on offense. The Lions took the lead on Jake Pinegar’s 49-yard FG to put Penn State up 10-7 at the end of the first.
Badger RB Jonathan Taylor (23) breezes downfield for his 71-yard TD romp.
Lions score and shut down Badgers
In the second period, Sanders picked up a key first down on third and seven to get to the UW 17. Four plays later, he took it over from the one. Pinegar missed the mark on the PAT for a 16-7 PSU lead. CB Amano Oruwariye picked off a Coan pass to set the Lions up for another score before the half. Badger DE Isaiahh Loudermilk foiled that opportunity as he blocked Pinegar’s 44-yard attempt to keep the score intact at halftime.
Miles Sander (24) picks up yards during this Penn State scoring drive in the first period.
Win sets record
Wisconsin started off the scoring in the second half as it had done in the first. PK Rafael Gagalianone’s 28-yard field goal put the Badgers to win six. The Lions offset that margin as Pinegar booted a 44-yarder to reclaim the difference later in the period. In the final quarter, he finished the scoring for the day from 23 to finalize the score, 22-10, the put the Penn State record at 7-3, 3-3 in the Big Ten with two games remaining. With the win, McSorely, who rushed for only nine yards on 11 carries on a sore leg, tied the Penn State record for wins as a QB tying Todd Blackledge and Tony Sacca with his 29th. Three more games should help put him on top if he stays healthy.
McSorely (9) gets rid of ball under pressure for a completion.
Sanders eclipsed the 1000-yard rushing mark for the season. Leading the FBS, Jonathan Taylor (Salem, NJ) has racked up 1,548 rushing yards this season.
Next:
Penn State travels to the Birthplace of College Football next week to take on Rutgers (1-9,0-7). Since its start back in 1869, RU is again trying to master the art of the forward pass. Wisconsin (6-4, 5-3) travels to Purdue. The Boilermakers have beaten the likes of Boston College and Ohio state, but the struggle with lesser teams. CFF.com heads back down to Annapolis for a Boys weekend to see if the Midshipman of Navy (2-8, 1-5) can salvage a win at home against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes match both of Navy’s records.
DeAndre Thompkins (3) scored a touchdown reception in first quarter and returned punts for the Lions as well.
Extra Points:
PSU alum and 91-year old football player wally Triplett was remembered after his passing last week. He was one of the first two African-Americans to play football at Penn State and the first African American drafted by the NFL where he played for the Detroit Lions.
Word has it that the loser of this game today would most likely get invited to play in the Pin Stripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium against an ACC opponent.
James Franklin’s college coach at East Stroudsburg University, Denny Douds, announced his retirement from that school recently at the end of this season. Two weeks ago at a game against Ohio Dominican when he called a time-out, he made his official announcement. We saw him coach several times including back in 1994 in a game won against Southern Connecticut State when Franklin started at QB for the Warriors. Douds will leave the school where he has been Head Coach since 1975. Including his last victory this past week over Clarion State, he retires with 265 wins. He’ll remain at the school in an administrative position, and he will continue to teach in its sports management program. Another former QB who won the Harland Hill Award for best player in D-2, Jimmy Terwilliger, will take over the head coaching position at ESU. We wish Denny Douds the best of everything!
S Nick Scott (4) picks off Coan’s pass near the goal line to halt a scoring drive.
NIU Huskies defuse Toledo Rockets one step closer to MAC West title, 38-16
Dekalb, ILL – The Toledo Rockets taunted and challenged the Mid-American Conference leading the NIU Huskies (now 7-3, 6-0) early on Wednesday evening. However, NIU DE Sutton Smith blocked a punt late in Q2 for a special team’s score to catapult his team to a 38-16 victory. Two touchdown drives in the third period capped by QB Marcus Childers runs extended the Huskies’ lead until both teams scored again late in the fourth.
NIU QB Marcus Childers passed for 131 yards and a TD, but he also scored twice rushing for 58 yards.
MAC “firsts”
The MAC game between these two teams set the stage for our first MAC conference game in 13 years, our first regular season Wednesday night game, and our first game ever in Dekalb, Illinois, heartland of the American farmland. The 30-degree temperatures seemed fitting for real Huskies instead of humans – as indicated by the 5,887 of us in attendance. Most of us showed up on a work/school night to see the home team advance another win closer to the MAC Championship. The big MAC game is scheduled for Friday, November 30 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Talk is cheap
Before kickoff, the Rocket players “invaded” the NIU sideline taunting the Huskies. Game officials and coaches turned them back to their side of the field. “Bush league” if you ask us! Head Coach Jason Candle evidently lacks discipline on what usually exemplifies a class Toledo program. The Rockets must have carried some of their emotions on their first drive resulting in a 25-yard FG by Jameson Vest to take an early lead. Would the emotions carry the Rockets throughout this game? They certainly didn’t after a fumble recovery by LB Jordan Fisher at the Husky 47. Vest missed a chance to score again on a 36-yard attempt. Late in the first, NIU got on the board with TE Corey Lesch catching a short pass to the left side and breaking a tackle immediately to ramble 33 yards into the end zone to take the lead for the Huskies, 7-3.
Hey Toledo! Shut up and go back to your sideline. It’s time to play football!
Early in the second, the Huskies first drive started from the seven leading to Andrew Gantz’s 49-yard FG. Starting the Rockets’ next possession from the 25, QB Eli Peters (26 for 47, 264 yards, 1 TD) hooked up with WR Jon’Vea Johnson for a 23-yard TD play. The extra point was missed, and NIU held on to a 10-9 lead. The Rockets looked poised to make a game out of this though their kicking game seemed suspect.
Toledo’s Eli Peters fires pass downfield in the first.
Game Changer
NIU forced the Rockets to punt later on fourth and two from their 38. P Bailey Flint took the snap and rolled right looking to possibly pass for the first. Last second, he attempted a rugby-style punt and Smith smacked it down to the ground, chased it down to catch it on the bounce, and continued to weave around several would-be tacklers to dive in over the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown. It turned out to be the momentum breaker for the Rockets. On a fourth and four at the NIU 40 on the next TU possession, their drive died with an incomplete pass. NIU fans looked for HC Rod Carey to take out the dagger after one play with twenty seconds remaining in the half, However to their chagrin, he let time run out with the lead at 17-9.
NIU TE Corey Lesch stopped for a sort gain.
After forcing a Rocket punt on their first possession of the third, the Huskies put together an 82-yard TD drive. Childers faked a handoff on a dive to TB Marcus Jones who carried three consecutive plays prior for 29 yards to the one. Childers put six more on the scoreboard from there. Leading 24-9, the Husky defense held the Rockets in check. Starting a subsequent drive from their 31, Childers finished off the scoring again breaking tackles on a 23-yard TD run.
Desperate measures
Toledo had no choice in the fourth but to keep any drive alive, trailing now by 22 points. On fourth and three at the NIU 49, Smith’s speed rush caused Peters to hurry for an incompletion to turn it back over on downs. However, the Rockets pulled it all together next time with an 80-yard scoring drive. Frosh RB Bryant Koback carried over from the one. The two-point conversion failed. The Huskies went back on the trail to victory after recovering an onsides kick at the Rocket 44. On the first play from scrimmage, Marcus Jones bolted the length of the field to put the game away for the Huskies. NIU stands undefeated atop the MAC West at 6-0, 38-15. The Rocket record stands now at 5-5, 3-3 in the MAC.
The worst thing about college football in 30 degree temps – cheerleader uniforms.
Up Next
Next week, the Huskies host another Wednesday night game against Miami (O.), 4-4, 4-2 and in second place in the MAC East. With a win, NIU clinches the Western Division to go to Detroit. The following week, they play Western Michigan (6-4, 4-2) who trails them second in the West. If NIU wins the West, they will most likely play Buffalo (9-1, 6-0) of the East. The Bulls play under HC Lance Leipold in his fourth season. He led Wisconsin-Whitewater to six D-3 national titles during his tenure there.
DE Sutton Smith (15) in pursuit of Eli Peters here, had a sack, a big hurry, a blocked punt, and a touchdown this evening.
For CFF.com
On Saturday, CFF.com heads out to watch Penn State (6-3, 3-3) host Wisconsin (6-3,4-2) in an evenly matched but disappointing game as neither will be challenging for the CFP as originally hoped for this season. The No. 20 Lions can play spoilers by beating the Badgers looking to gain on first place Northwestern in the Big Ten West.
Grass parking lots are closed at PSU and the weather could be a low as 13 degrees with the wind chill factor. Traffic will be horrendous for a 12-noon kickoff as everyone converges on State College within a few hours. Looking forward to fun in Happy Valley despite some negative factors. Speaking of negative factors, it looks like this will be our last two-game week of the regular season as we plan to attend only one game on each of the next four or five Saturdays before bowl season rolls around. We’ve been on a good roll with multiple games the last four weeks. This sped us up to Game # 600 next season.
Toledo WR Desmond Phillips stopped short of a first down by NIU Safety Mykelti Williams.
Extra points
In our history, Toledo is now 2-1 with wins in the past over the Navy and the Air Force (Eagle Bank Bowl) . NIU is 1-1 with its previous loss in a competitive game at Maryland in 2004, losing 23-20.
NIU’s three losses this season were early at Iowa, home against Utah, and at Florida State. They went to BYU and beat them, 7-6. This shows Rod Carey is not opposed to putting his team against top-notch non-conference FBS teams. Most of the names featured here are underclassmen returning next season. Look for NIU to make some moves up. Next season, they go on the road against Utah, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt. Keep an eye on them as a MAC upset candidate for a couple of these contests.
The NIU drum line, part of a solid and entertaining Husky Marching Band, hopes to perform in Detroit at Ford Field on November 30.
With INT and FG in third OT, UMass finally extinguishes Liberty Flame in game of Independents, 62-59
Amherst, MASS – UMass overcame a 14-point deficit in Q4 and tied Liberty with 25 seconds left before playing three overtimes to win with our record-setting score, 62-59. LB Jarell Addo picked off Stephen Calvert’s pass in the end zone to kill the Flames scoring threat in the third OT. Cooper Garcia then kicked a 22-yard FG for the Minutemen’s fourth victory of the 2018 season. The total of 121 points scored eclipsed our Collegefootballfan.com record of 111 total point. That final score came in a two OT game back in 1998 won by Army over Louisville at West Point, 59-52.
The UMass game started out sunny and cold, but temps fell as did the sun later in the game.
Setting the records straight
On a blustery day that got colder as the sun went down after a 3:30 pm kickoff, the two offenses heated up the first half. UMass (4-6) did it mostly through the air as QB Ross Comis lit up the airwaves with 540 passing yards and four TDS. He also rushed for two scores. UMass WR Andy Isabella broke Victor Cruz’s school record (262 yards versus James Madison in 2008) with nine receptions for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Marquis Young led the UMass ground attack with 148 yards, two TDs, and a costly fumble on 23 carries.
Liberty QB Stephen Calvert (16 for 35, 272 yards, two TDS, four INTs) used 6’4” WR Antonio Gandy-Golden’s height advantage on numerous occasions (9 catches for 205 yards, two TDs) to beat shorter DBs on sideline passing routes. The Flame’s (4-4) running game was well balanced with Frankie Hickson and Frank Boyd compiling 135 yards and two TDs and 83 yards and three TDs respectively. We expected a high-scoring game, and we got our highest ever!
Hot start!
UMass QB Ross Comis lets fly from the eleven…
The first half went down to the wire to end in a tie, 24-24. Comis threw two bombs that went to Isabella for 89 and 61 yards. Comis ran one in from the seven. Calvert threw a 15-yard score to Gandy-Golden for the first score by Liberty. Hickson scored on an 11-yard run in the second period followed by WR Khaleb Coleman’s fumble recovery of CB Lee Moses’ interception. That marked the second time on two consecutive Saturdays that we saw this happen. Along with Alex Roberts’s 21-yard FG, Liberty led, 24-21. As time expired in the first half, Garcia converted a 28-yard three pointer to complete a seven-play, 58-yard drive to end the half all even at 24-24.
…and Andy Isabella catches it for an 89-yard touchdown!
Minutemen and Minutewomen Homecoming
The 10,388 in attendance at the UMass Homecoming at McGuirk Stadium could probably not envision what was to follow a great halftime show. The always great-sounding UMass Marching band that the University takes great pride in paid a tribute to the memory of the late Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul. They finished with a 40-year tradition of ending their performance leading the stands with Jersey boy Frank Sinatra’s popular song, “I did it my way.”
Happy Homecoming, UMass!
Whose way?
Things did not seem to go either team’s way early in the third after the high-scoring first half. Threatening to end a possession with a long bomb of his own for a score, Calvert went deep to the end zone. DB Isaiah Rodgers at 5’9” who got taken advantage of on several plays by Gandy-Golden made a nice over the shoulder running catch and raced to the opposite side of the end zone. He brought it out to his 35 to put the ball back on offense for UMass. They finally jumped ahead with 3:00 left in the third when Marquis Young completed a 65-yard scoring drive with a four-yard TD run for a brief Minuteman lead.
Liberty WR Antonio Gandy-Golden makes one of his sideline catches here against Isaiah Rodgers.
To start the fourth, the game definitely did not go UMass’s way when Liberty scored three touchdowns within 3:14. Gandy-Golden caught a 14-yard pass for a TD. Hickson set up a one-yard TD by Boyd with his 38-yard run before getting tackled a yard short of the goal-line. Young fumbled on UMass’s next possession. LB Solomon Ajayi returned it to the Minutemen four. Boyd took it in again for the 45-31 Flame lead.
Liberty’s Frankie Hickson (23) carries for a gain early in the first period.
The sun had set, the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and 11:01 remained on the clock. Liberty had momentum. Most UMass fans could not bear to watch any longer. They began slowly abandoning McGuirk. One longtime, die-hard sitting to my left the entire game, wrapped himself in blanket, passed me on the way out, looked me in the eye, and said, “I’ve had enough.”
And then there is Collegefootballfan.com
I, of course, persevered to stay. However, like many others who showed up on a sunny, but windy afternoon, I did not come prepared with heavy clothing for the cold, bone-chilling evening. It was! However, I also didn’t drive three and a half hours to Amherst to miss the last 11 minutes of any game with a 14-point margin. The scores of previous games played by both these teams indicated both could score lot of points and give up a lot of points, depending on who they played. Too much time remained for both not to score against the other one’s defense. I knew that this could not be the final score. Two touchdown-margin? Overtime? I wondered.
Some defense was played in this game by evidence of this nice pass break-up near the end zone.
Liberty kicked for a touchback. Seventy-five yards later with 6:42 left, Comis finished the UMass drive with a six-yard TD after faking a dive hand-off and taking it in himself. Isabella gimped around. On third and two, a bad snap by the Liberty center sent the Flames back on their 34 with a fourth and 11. Isabella fielded the punt, and UMass had possession at their 25 again with 2:57 left. After losing four yards on a sack and five-yards on an illegal motion call, UMass got back to the 31 with a fourth and four. Comis hooked up with Sadiq Palmer for a 15-yard gain and a new set of downs. Young carried the ball four times on the next five plays. On the final carry, he ran it in from the nine with 25 seconds left. Garcia connected on the PAT to knot it, 45-45. We have Overtime!
PK Cooper Garcia (37) had a great day for the Minutemen. He converted all eight PATs, he kicked the game-winner in OT, and he booted this FG to tie as time expired in the first half.
Home?
First OT – Liberty scored a TD on Boyd’s five-yard run. Comis responded with a seven-yard TD pass to Samuel Emilus. PATs both good, 52-52.
Second OT – For UMass first, Comis connected quickly this time with Emilus for a 23-yard TD pass. PAT good. Liberty ran the ball seven straight times with Hickson going in from the two. PAT good, 59-59.
Third OT – “I wanna go home!!!” yelled a 20-something UMass stalwart a few rows down. He got his happy wish. Addo intercepted Calvert in the end zone, and Garcia kicked the winning score, 62-59, for a new CFF.com single game scoring record. The weather turned cold for people with sweatshirts and/or light windbreakers. I gladly got out of windy, cold McGuirk to get in my car, turned on the heat, and headed, not home, but to my sister Mary Kay’s house less than two hours away in Cumberland, RI.
Marquis Young picks up tough yards for UMass.
New England nostalgia
I got to see three pretty good games in New England these past two weekends. For CFF.com, our history started with her and her now husband Gunther when we started all this while they were students at URI. On that game back in 1979, Delaware defeated Rhody, 49-14 on their way to the D-2 national championship. Who knew, here we are, 577 games later.
Safe travels to all
Liberty stays on the road the next two weeks at Virginia and then at Auburn. Welcome Flames to your first FBS season as Independents. The Minutemen will face the BYU Cougars next weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, home of the Patriots. A week later, they visit No. 5 Georgia down in Athens. The SEC sure knows how to pick non-conference games late in the season, don’t they?
Dekalb, Illinois welcomes CFF.com where we’ll take a little side trip while on business in Chicago. Our first time there, we will attend our first Mid-American Conference game where Northern Illinois’ Huskies (6-3,5-0, 1st in MAC West) will host Toledo’s Rockets (5-4, 3-2, 3rd in MAC West) in a Western Division contest. Hope it’s not too cold!
Homecoming parties at UMass before kickoff.
Extra points:
In our fifth game seeing UMass struggle…I meant compete…at the FBS level, this is their first win in five games we’ve attended. We saw them play at the FCS level against URI (twice), at Delaware, and against Fordham in the FCS playoffs.
Today, Liberty became the 130th FBS team we have seen play in person. In 2011, we saw them compete as an FCS program when we watched them fall to No. 5 Lehigh, 27-24. We also saw their HC Turner Gill play QB for Nebraska in the 1984 Kickoff Classic at The Meadowlands when they trounced Penn State 44-6 on their way to a national championship.
Time to update our record book. Click on Milestones.
Rainey’s romp through rain sends FDU-Florham past Widener Pride, 21-17
Madison, NJ – A 59-yard TD burst a minute into the final period by Widener RB Johnny Bauer (24 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD) got bested by FDU on its next possession when WR Josh Rainey went “wildcat” and scampered 74 yards through the left side for the game-winning touchdown. HC Brian Surace pulled QB Jagger Green (11 of 31, 142 yards, one TD) out after an ineffective play and inserted Rainey with three wide-outs to the right to open up the left side for the long jaunt. Through the rain-soaked Friday night game, the two teams battled toe-to-toe. Most formidable for the Red Devils rose LB Isaiah Turner (Rockaway, NJ, Morris Hills HS). His 16 tackles including 10 solos, 3.5 for losses, two sacks, and an interception garnered him Middle Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week recognition.
Records fall along with the rain
Some slips, slides, and dropped balls by for both teams paid a price in the pouring rain. In the end, the Red Devils came up with their sixth win of the season. In 44 years of FDU football, this mark was recorded for only the third time at Robert T. Shields Field on the Florham Park campus at Fairleigh Dickinson University. One game still remains to complete their season (6-3, 4-3 MAC). The victory also marked the first win by the Devils over the Pride in their 19th meeting. WR Mike Panzarino (Fairfield, NJ West Essex HS) became FDU’s career-leader in both receptions (251) and receiving yards (2,991), as well as in his single-season receptions (92). He tallied six receptions for 75 yards against the Pride in this game.
Pouring it on?
With ease, Widener scored on it’s first possession looking as if they could dominate through the air. QB Mitch Vierling (13 for 25, 189 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) completed a 45-yard pass to Pat Downey at the FDU 14. The next play resulted in a score between the same combo. Later in the first, FDU tied it with a 31-yard pass from Jagger Green to Frank DiMattina. The two teams exchanged punts after that, but Widener PK Larry Eimer impressed Guest Game Analyst Paul Fraley and me with a 52-yard FG. On a windless but rainy night, he converted the score with ease. He looked like a lock to sew up a Pride victory if called upon later in this game. The 10-7 Pride lead sustained through halftime.
Seesaw! Seesaw!
In the third period, Widener drove to the FDU 19 for what looked like an easy 36-yard attempt for Eimer once again. Paul and I could not believe Surace declined a holding call to push back a possible attempt by Eimer again. Blocked! FDU recovered at their 42. For that block and three tackles, DT Jose Caceres was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week. After three downs, the Devils punted. On a very wet night, Bauer fumbled the punt away and FDU recovered at the Widener 11. With Rainey under center (seven carries 113 yards, two TDS), he carried it across for the Devils from the one to take a 14-10 lead.
Bauer’s subsequent burst and Rainey’s long run to retake the lead ended the scoring for the evening. Neither offense seriously threatened to score again. Widener (4-5,4-3 MAC) took possession wit 2:25 and no time-outs left starting from their 38. Eimer’s leg was of no consequence down by four. S Ryan Wilson, one of two Devil DBs who had dropped easy pick-offs earlier in this game, intercepted Vierling’s pass with 1:42 remaining. FDU went into the victory formation to seal their sixth win of the season and a 3-2 home record for 2018. The Devils prevailed, 21-17.
One week of regular season left in Division 3 football
Next Saturday, the last of the regular season for D-3, Widener travels to play No. 15 Delaware Valley (7-0, 8-1 MAC). The Aggies lost to the Wesley Wolverines, 34-7, in their season opener. FDU visits Stevenson seeking the program’s elusive chance at winning their seventh game in one season. Stevenson, also a MAC member, boasts a 7-2, 6-1 MAC record. Stevenson, a program that only started in 2011, fell to Del Val and No. 6 Frostburg State. On Sunday, November 11, the parings for the “Mount Union Invitational” (D-3 championship) will be announced.
Next for CFF.com
CFF.com planned to travel to Amherst, Massachusetts the next morning to see the UMass Minutemen host the Liberty Flame. Liberty joined the FBS this season as its 130th member. Once again, we’ll have “seen ‘em all”.
