Brown and Gold Glory Revived: Wyoming TCY/FOF2K4 Dynasty

[Izulde]

Inspired by BYU14, I've decided to start a dynasty based on the University of Wyoming where I'll coach Wyoming and take some random sucktastic team in FOF 2K4, though said control of the sucktastic team may be in name only so I can focus on the Wyoming alums.

In real life, the Cowboys have had some very brief periods of football glory but in recent years have fallen on quite hard times. Although we made a bowl game and won in 2004 and 2005 started off promising, having an idiot under center (Yes, Cory Bramlet, we're looking at you) prone to throwing interceptions at the worst possible times, meant no bowl game for us and a disappointing 5-6 record in my man Jovon Bouknight's senior season.

In this particular iteration, the year is 2004 and the rosters are, quite obviously, fictional. This is good because if Bramlet was on the roster, I'd have to bench him, no matter how much better a QB he allegedly is.

After looking over the initial roster, I realize one thing.

Our team sucks.

We have one green guy in Current. Everyone else is light blue or dark blue. About the only good thing is Mr. Green is A) a TE and B) a junior, so he's mildly useful for a couple of years anyway.

There's some young guys who could be serviceable by the time they're in their senior year, but they're so ungodly raw, it hurts.

Nonetheless, after fixing some of the dumbass mistakes by my assistants, I've cobbled together a starting lineup. We're going with the I-Formation on offense, because it's a nice and simple basic offense, so it should be easy for people to learn. Normally I'd go with the Single-Back formation so I don't have to worry about FB, but realistically speaking, I'd prefer the I if I were a football coach, so that's what we're using.

QB Zach Coleman (SR) 21/32
RB Lenny Oliver (SR) 38/42
FB Jonathan Burnett (JR) 23/42
TE Fernando Grier (JR) 44/44
FL Duane Woo (RS JR) 34/55
SE Julio James (SO) 29/63
LT Matthew Nicols (RS JR) 38/38
LG Donny Monroe (RS SO) 29/36
C Brandon Wilson (RS SO) 24/41
RG Monty Dunn (SR) 30/30
RT Earnest Carr (RS JR) 27/27

We're not in all that bad a shape as I though on offense. Coleman sucks but he's got some semi-decent receivers to throw to. Woo is a lot better in bars than his number indicates, so I'm suspected him of being the Bouknight of this team. Oliver looks a decent RB, but we've a ton of last-year seniors there, so that's an area we're going to have to hit heavily in recruiting. Tackle is a problem area, too, as all four tackles are redshirt juniors, save for some underclass dope.

Critical Need Areas in Recruiting:
QB
RB
T
Talent infusion everywhere, pretty much

The defense is ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I prefer to run a 4-3 D, but our tackles are so piss poor that I may be forced to go with a 3-4 for a few years to have any hope of eking out wins. Sadly, a 3-4 is what I'll go with. The talent level is just that awful at DT and with only 7 scholarships, thanks to some totally hosed management on the part of the prior regime, we need to prioritize. So a 3-4 it is. Sigh.

LDE J.R. Newman (SR) 36/36
NT Russell Finch (RS SO) 17/17
RDE Hunter Bruner (SR) 34/34
LOLB Winfred Schneider (JR) 24/24
LILB Trevor Huffman (FR) 8/16
RILB Randall Hutton (RS JR) 25/38
ROLB Matt Spencer (FR) 21/46
LCB Leslie Stark (SR) 24/35
RCB Howie Pounds (SR) 33/33
FS Grady Horton (SO) 24/24
SS Neil Thornton (SO) 15/19

We do have a freshman NT and ILB I've taken the liberty of red-shirting since they have potential to be something someday but are real raw right now. Our DE situation is in peril after Newman and Bruner graduate. Ditto the situation with our CBs, where all of them except a promising frosh walk-on who I stupidly gave a scholarship to take us from 8 scholarships to 7, are last-year seniors. Spencer looks like he could become a decent talent someday, which is why I gave him the nod over an upperclassman who's probably better.

Critical Recruiting Needs:
DE
CB
Talent infusion everywhere pretty much

With this in mind, I don't even bother looking at the special teams. Suffice to say that they suck and let's just leave it at that. Fortunately in terms of bodies, I don't need to recruit a K or P.

So with 7 scholarships, we're looking at the following positions:
QB
RB
T
DE
CB

Five areas we need to get at least one guy in. RB and CB will probably get the extra scholarship.

The following house rules are in effect:

1. Only Blue/Green guys
2. One phone call/visit per week
3. If a player from my alma mater of Park High in Racine, WI is available in the Blue/Green scheme, I have to recruit him, no matter how much it costs and no matter how much he sucks.

And that's where I'm going to end this first post, because recruiting is always the most difficult part of this for me.

Oh yes, one more thing: Game plans and block times will be decided by my assistants, because I'm too damn lazy to want to deal with the hassle of that stuff by myself and I suck at them anyway.

[Peregrine]

Good luck with this Izulde, somehow I don't think you'll be winning the title quite as fast as BYU did, with that roster. Let me know if you need a hand with this, I'm running a lot of FOF with my dynasty these days.

[BYU 14]

Good luck Izulde, now I may definitetly have to revive Cougar blue so we can so we can talk trash across dynasties You do have your work cut out for you with the Pokes though.....I will be following along!

[Izulde]

Thanks, guys. This is indeed an ugly ducking team on so many levels. The challenge should be a good one. Fortunately, I turned off hire/fire coaches because if I got fired, then I'd have to end this dynasty and that'd suck.

So, going into recruiting, I discover I actually have 31 scholarships, not 7. Um, yeah, okay. I'll take that, except for the small fact that we can have a max recruiting class of 16. You know what that means. 15 walk-ons who are likely to be as bad as what we got now. Then again, given how horrible a squad we are, even walk-ons may be an improvement.

I've decided to make for one exception to the no black/red rule. Because UWyo is the only four-year university in the state, I'm free to recruit any player in Wyoming. This is not as big an advantage as it seems, as we're ranked dead last in state population and the quality of recruits isn't the greatest most years.

In real life, the Pokes get their players in football and basketball through pipelines. From what I remember, they tend to focus on California, Colorado (or maybe it's Utah; whoever they have a reciprocity agreement with), and a couple of high schools out in the Midwest and East.

I'm going to try and do the same thing in building this team; to build pipelines to specific high schools. This means that I'll be focusing on high schools that have a modicum of athletic and academic preparation and the closer to Wyoming, the better.

Week 1 Recruits:
QB Louie Collier Santa Rita HS, Tucson AZ (#840 national)
C Scottie Wynn Rock Springs HS, Rock Springs, WY (#306 national)
RB Bo Webb Montgomery HS, Santa Rosa, CA
DE Julio Richard Woodlake HS, Woodlake, CA
T Kendrick Hudson Hinkley HS, Aurora, CO

No game for Week 1, so obviously nothing to report there! I'm also going to be brief on the info for recruits unless I actually land them.

[BYU 14]

They don't fire Coaches in Wyoming, they canonize them for staying

[Izulde]

Wonder if Coach Mason will become St. Glenn then. The thing is, Wyoming does have a rich football tradition and the thin mountain air that's on the campus means opposing teams often have a harder time of it because they're not used to the lower oxygen levels. I know when I went to school out there, it took me about a week before I adjusted. So it's like having an even better home field advantage.

Week 2 Recruiting Notes:

QB Louie Collier has been contacted by Kansas
C Scottie Wynn has a scholarship offer/visit request from Iowa State and been contacted by a couple other schools.

I remain the only one in pursuit of the others, so Louie and Scottie both get a call and a visit from me.

New recruits are:
DE Steve Nelson Pasadena HS, Pasadena, CA (#391 nationally)
CB Thurman Donakowski Chandler HS, Chandler, AZ
CB Artie Weber Crested Butte Community HS, Crested Butte, CO
DT Blaine Smithnosky William S. Hart HS, Newhall, CA
ILB Damon Tatum Wahoo HS, Wahoo, NE

Opening Game: At North Carolina

The Tar Heels are favoured by 7 and looking over their roster, they deserve to be. Almost half their team is green and they're playing at home. There's a huge talent disparity here.

They strike quickly, scoring on the opening drive following some sensational throws by QB Matthew Wayne, a fifth-year senior. 7-0 UNC.

I'm gritting my teeth when Duane Woo fumbles the ensuing kickoff and North Carolina recovers the ball on our 45. Fortunately, some stupid mental mistakes on the part of the Tar Heels results in only a 32 yard FG attempt that's shanked to the left. Yay for sucky kickers!

Unfortunately after a series of exchanged three-and-outs, they get the FG back and make it with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. 10-0 UNC and I'm thinking we're done for, despite the sloppy, sloppy Tar Heels play, including multiple penalties and dropped passes.

But then on the drive following, sophomore backup RB Calvin Starks, whose bars look a hell of a lot better than his ratings, rewards me for my faith in putting him as the #2 back by rumbling down the field for 51 yards and a few plays later, Zach Coleman hits starting RB Lenny Oliver for 9 yards and the TD! An XP later and it's 10-7 UNC and we're back in it!

Another round of exchanged punting drives takes over much of the second quarter until Oliver bursts through a hole and races down midfield for 73 yards, taking us all the way from the coffin-corner of our own 2 yard line down to the North Carolina 25. Just thirty-five seconds left on the clock till halftime... here's the next series of plays:

00:35 Starks 0 yard run UWYO TO
00:26 Starks 10 yard run, KRB by Wilson UWYO TO
00:15 Oliver 15 yard run for a TD!, KRB by Carr!

Halftime Score: Wyoming 14, UNC 10!

Our lead holds up until close to the end of the third quarter, after the Tar Heels put together a grinding drive of many plays for short yardage, culminating in a six-yard TD run. UNC 17 Wyoming 14

We answer with a drawn-out drive of our own and score midway through the fourth quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Coleman to my man Julio James. 21-17 Cowboys!

And that's the final score.

We pull off the 21-17 upset win to open my coaching tenure in Laramie!

Passing Leaders:
QB Zach Coleman 19-29 182 yards 2 TDs 0 INTs

Rushing Leaders:
RB Chris Starks: 14 rushes for 101 yards
RB Lenny Oliver: 12 rushes for 90 yards and a TD (Player of the Game)

Receiving Leaders
SE Julio James: 6 catches for 70 yards and a TD
TE Fernando Grier: 5 catches for 63 yards
RB Lenny Oliver: 3 catches for 18 yards a TD
(Note: There were people with more yardage than Lenny, but all TD receptions automatically go in the Receiving Leaders list)

Defensive Leaders
RCB Howie Pounds: 9 tackles, 2 passes defensed
LOLB Winifred Schneider: 5 tackles, 5 assists, 1 pass defensed
NT Ernest Davies: 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks

Injury Report:
NT Russell Finch: Pulled Groin (Questionable: 2 weeks)

All in all, I have to say this season-opening win is a huge morale booster and gives me the confidence that we'll manage to get a few victories this year. Time for me to go and savour the deliciousness of this upset.

[Izulde]

Week 3 Recruiting Notes:
T Kendrick Houston is visiting us, the only school to recruit him. I suddenly notice I haven't visited him yet, so he's probably a steaming pile of suck. Oops.
QB Louie Collier has a scholarship offer from Kansas.
DE Steven Nelson has been contacted by Michigan State and UCLA
ILB Damon Tatum has been contacted by West Virginia
CB Artie Weber has a scholarship offer from a Sol-8 school (Alaska the state)
CB Thurman Donakowski has a scholarship offer from Idaho

Maxed Out Calls/Visits:
QB Louie Collier
C Scottie Wynn

New Recruits:
OLB Brent Givens Prescott HS, Prescott, AZ
OLB Ian Cook Cortez HS, Phoenix, AZ

Week 3 Game: At #17 Texas A&M (1-0) on ESPN3

We should get our asses handed to us. Texas A&M is a very good team whose emphasis is on a fantastic defense and a damn fine running game. While their receivers are their weakest point, they'd still be starters on our sack of crap squad. Naturally the Aggies are favoured by 12. About the only good thing to come out of this game is that we'll get television exposure for our program.

Lineup changes:
Earnest Davies starts at NT for the injured Russell Finch, but Finch will still play, just as a backup.

Once again, Duane Woo fumbles the first kickoff he receives, this time the opening one and just like last week, the opposing team recovers and a 23 yard-strike goes for a TD. 7-0 Aggies.

Naturally we can't get anything going against this tough A&M D, and towards the end of the first quarter, they score again following a long pass, a long run, a stupid unneccessary roughness penalty on our part, and a few short runs. 14-0 Texas A&M.

Despite my lecturing the defense on the sideline, they get nailed for three more penalties during the Aggies' next drive as part of a leisurely grind to yet another TD midway through the second quarter. 21-0 Texas A&M.

A gorgeous 40 yard pass from Zach Coleman to our #3 receiver, senior Victor Fishman is the only highlight of our next drive that culminates in a missed field goal. Oh yeah, we got an offensive holding penalty during that series too. Either the refs are being bribed or we're making mental mistakes out the ass.

Texas A&M mixes up the run and the pass and gets help from yet another UWyo penalty to score again with just over three minutes remaining in the half. 28-0 Texas A&M. We're getting embarassed on national television. Maybe my guys just aren't used to the media spotlight.

Coleman completes a 43 yard pass to Woo to open the ensuing drive, but ends up intercepted in the endzone a few plays later. Sigh. We just can't get anything consistently going this game.

Fortunately the half ends without any further damage.

But that doesn't last long, as the Aggies batter us with their running game to open the third and after wearing down our front seven with short to moderate gains, one of their backs rips off a 40 yard run for a TD. 35-0 Texas A&M.

After we punt out and a different Aggie back tears through us for a 33 yard run, I'm expecting to see it flash 42-0 before too long, but then freshman safety Kim Prescott, only playing because it's a blowout, intercepts the A&M QB at our 26. No, he won't be starting any time soon or even getting moved up the depth chart. It's a fluke. Naturally we fail to do anything with it.

Everyone's got their backups in now and the Aggies score again as the third quarter's winding down, making the score 42-0 Texas A&M a drive later than I expected it to be.

Senior reserve cornerback Dana Weaver intercepts the Aggies' backup QB following our impotent drive to open the fourth, but after another penalty, this one offensive holding, our own substitute QB, redshirt sophomore Dean Money, doesn't live up to his name and returns the interception favour. Just like us though, the Aggies don't do anything with it. That's the only time they've been just like us all game.

Then all of a sudden, Money gets well, money, as he completes three straight passes to set up a 24 yard touchdown run by senior third-string RB Tommie Petway. Yay for avoiding the shutout! 42-7 Texas A&M.

This inspires the defense, who sacks A&M's third-string QB, forces a fumble, and recovers at the Aggie 20 yard line. Chris Starks takes advantage of the opportunity to rumble for all twenty of those yards and the touchdown. 42-14 Texas A&M. I have to admit, I've been extremely pleased with how Starks has turned out and I'm glad I've been paying attention to bars more than actual scouted ratings.

And that's the ballgame as both teams play Puntball after that.

We got embarassed on national television, but we looked improved in the second half at least. We've a long way to go before we're even close to being a good time, so for now I'll just happily take the TV revenue and examine the lessons learned from the game.

Passing Leaders:
QB Zach Coleman: 8-15 126 yards 0 TDs 1 INT
QB Dean Money: 6-10 67 yards 0 TDs 1 INT

Rushing Leaders:
RB Chris Starks: 6 rushes 26 yards 1 TD
RB Tommie Pettway: 6 rushes 22 yards 1 TD

Receiving Leaders:
WR Victor Fishman: 4 catches 75 yards
FL Duane Woo: 2 catches 57 yards

Defensive Leaders:
CB Edward Sullivan: 9 tackles, 1 assist
WOLB Winifred Schneider: 7 tackles, 2 assists
NT Russell Finch: 3 tackles, 1 sack
CB Kim Prescott: 3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 interception

Injury Report:
NT Russell Finch: Pulled Groin: Questionable (2 weeks)

[Izulde]

Week 4 is a bye, so our boys get to rest up and enjoy Walmart and K-Mart, the only two major chains in Laramie. Think they're doing that? Nah, they're taking the hour drive down the mountain to Cheyenne and having fun there or, if they're stuck in Laramie, partying at one of the umpteen bars downtown.

We do have recruiting, though!

Week 4 Recruiting Notes:
C Scottie Wynn has a scholarship offer from Oklahoma State
RB Bo Webb has a scholarship offer from UAB
DE Steven Nelson has scholarship offers from UCLA, his dream school, and Cal.
OLB Brent Givens has a scholarship offer from a Sol-8 school
OLB Ian Cook has a scholarship offer from a Sol-8 school
DT Blaine Smithnosky has a scholarship offer from Arizona State

Maxed Out Calls/Visits:
CB Artie Weber

New Recruits:
DE Carlton Sanderson Highlands HS, North Highlands, CA
S Robbie Hughes Fowler HS, Fowler, CO

[Izulde]

Week 5 Recruiting Notes:
S Robbie Hughes is visiting us. He's another one I haven't visited so he probably sucks, but he's a scholar, so he'll bring the old team GPA and school standards up (I hope).
CB Thurman Donawski has a scholarship offer from Ohio.
C Scottie Wynn has a scholarship offer from Marshall.
OLB Brent Givens has a scholarship offer from Baylor
DE Steven Nelson is visiting Cal and UCLA. We're pretty much lost on him, I think.
DT Blaine Smithnosky is also visiting Cal, who just offered him a scholarship, and Arizona State. Once again, I think we're lost.
DE Carlton Sanderson has a scholarship offer from a Sol 8 school and Nevada.

Maxed Out Calls/Visits:
CB Thurman Donawski

New Recruits:
DE Ryan Flynn East Union HS, Manteca, CA
DT Harvey Poling Agoura HS, Agoura, CA
QB Todd Kelly Southern Wells HS, Poneto, IN

Note: I've decided to abandon focusing on modicum of athletic and academic development in recruits unless the athletic preparation score is below 10. We need the talented players here, darn it.

Game #3: At Home vs. #44 Mississippi (2-1)

Ole Miss boasts an extremely tough defense, featuring a scary front line and a pair of linebackers equally frightening. Their offense is highlighted by senior RB Leonard Rhodes, who's averaging almost 100 yards a game and a pair of great TEs that allow the Rebels to run extremely effective two tight-end sets. My guess is we'll get clobbered in this one.

We actually start off with managing to stop an opposing team on the first series for once, highlighted by Winifried Schneider's sack. He's quickly establishing himself as the leader of the defense in this early season. Even better, we get a blocked punt! A series of runs and a short pass from Coleman to Woo later and we've got a TD! 7-0 Wyoming and War Memorial Stadium is going crazy.

Inspired, our defense comes up big again, with Schneider slamming Spicer for his second sack, actually a half sack shared with Randle El, forcing a fumble that gets recovered by our man on our 40 yard line. Unfortunately, we can't do anything with it and the Rebels' return man races back 70 yards for a tying TD. The momentum we had is gone. 7-7 tie.

Coleman comes unglued after that, getting sacked and unable to complete any kinds of passes. A couple series later, he throws for an interception that Ole Miss turns into a field goal shortly after the start of the second quarter. 10-7 Ole Miss.

Midway through the second, they put together back-to-back 35 yard plays, one a pass by Spicer, the other a TD run by Rhodes to make it 17-7 Rebels and we're fast losing control of this game.

Despite a fumble by Starks, who I don't understand as to why he's getting all the carries, we escape halftime by just that 10 point margin and we can still make something happen in the second.

We spent most of the third quarter exchanging a pair of interceptions and punt after punt until Coleman scrambles for 29 yards and Oliver adds a 10 yard run of his own en route to a 5 yard rumble by Pettway for a TD. 17-14 Ole Miss and we're officially back in this one.

Except we're not. Using a combination of Spicer passes and Rhode runs, they tack on another TD early in the 4th and use the same recipe to grind out a drive late in the fourth quarter for yet another TD with just under a minute left to make it 31-14 Rebels and that's how it ends.

Lot of sacks given up by our line today. I'm really hoping Wynn decides to stay in-state and come to Laramie. We desperately need him.

Passing Leaders:
QB Zach Coleman: 18-37 207 yards 1 TD, 2 INT 6 sacks

Rushing Leaders:
RB Chris Starks: 10 rushes, 17 yards
RB Lenny Oliver: 9 rushes, 15 yards

Receiving Leaders:
WR Victor Fishman: 6 catches, 101 yards
FL Duane Woo: 2 catches, 20 yards, 1 TD

Defensive Leaders:
FS Grady Horton: 7 tackles
WOLB Winifred Schneider: 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks
RDE Hunter Bruner: 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks
CB Dana Weaver: 3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 INT

[Izulde]

Week 5 Post-Game Injury Report:
NT Russell Finch: Pulled Groin (Questionable 2 weeks)
TE Fernando Grier: Abdominal Strain (Doubtful 4 weeks)

Grier's injury just about kills our offense, but we'll have to try and slog through it.

Week 6 Recruiting Notes:
QB Todd Kelly has a scholarship offer from Ball State
C Scottie Wynn has a scholarship offer from Boston College
DE Ryan Flynn has a scholarship offer from Fresno State
CB Artie Weber has a scholarship offer from Kent State

Maxed Calls/Visits:
RB Bo Webb
OLB Brent Givens

New Recruits:
WR Nicky Criswell Northwestern HS, Flint, MI
CB Howard Scott Southeast HS, Springfield, IL
S Shawn Kemp Pella HS, Pella, IA
QB Myron Madison, Central HS, Crookston, MN

Game #4: At Home vs. UL-Monroe (1-2)

We should win this one, as we're favoured by 9 points. We need every win that we can get, so I'm keeping Grier in, no matter if he totally wrecks himself.

On the opening drive we use a running back by committee paired by with some excellent throws by Coleman to score a TD and give us a 7-0 lead. But then, we've had leads before and blown them.

Our defense feeds off the momentum, forcing a sack of the Indians QB that leads to a short punt. A few more Coleman passes and a couple shared runs later, the last a 2 yard burst by Oliver and we're up 14-0 and rolling, War Memorial Stadium rocking.

On our next series, one play is all we need to score, a lovely 55 yard pass from Coleman to Woo. 21-0 Wyoming! It feels so great to dominate so much in this game.

We end the first quarter without any scoring, thanks to a Starks fumble and an interception on behalf of our guys. In the early going in the second quarter, Coleman irritates me by throwing two interceptions. I'm considering a switch to Money. But then Zach throws another couple of nice strikes, including hitting Woo for a 10 yarder TD. 28-0 Cowboys!

After a 16 yard punt, Coleman completes three straight passes, the last one for another TD and we're up 35-0 and it's not even halftime. The Indians have that terrible a punter and it's costing them this game bigtime.

Naturally my defense lets down, allowing big, big plays with only 2 minutes left, so that ULM scores at the end of the half to make it 35-7. We score again midway through the third to make it 42-7 and that closes out the scoring for the game.

All in all, it was a win that wasn't really as dominating as the scoreboard indicated. Still, I'll take the victory. Anything to help build our prestige (which sits at 64 at the moment).

Passing Leaders:
QB Zach Coleman: 22-29 294 yards 4 TD, 3 INT
QB Dean Money: 11-14 126 yards 0 TD 1 INT

Rushing Leaders:
RB Chris Starks: 12 rushes, 47 yards
RB Lenny Oliver: 10 rushes, 38 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving Leaders:
SE Julio James: 8 catches, 95 yards, 2 TDs
FL Duane Woo: 5 catches, 119 yards, 2 TDs

Defensive Leaders:
CB Edward Sullivan: 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1 pass defense

Injury Report
NT Russell Finch: Pulled Groin (Probable 1 weeks)
TE Fernando Grier: Abdominal Strain (Doubtful 3 weeks)
WOLB Winifred Schneider: Tobacco Withdrawal Syndrome (Out 13 Weeks)

Uhhh... right. A stupid fucking injury to our best damn defender, one that's going to take him out for the entire rest of the year.

Ugh. I'm pissed now.