Expanding In Colorado | Western Colorado Broncos (NCAA Football)

[Deuce2223]

I am not good with photo shop, so I am a text guy who loves to write and read good stories.

The only pictures I use are ones I find of my team on the web. I use to take time to download from the game in 2012, but then my posts ended up taking more time then actually playing the game. Now I just try to give my readers a idea of what happened in the game and some story lines to follow as well as updates on what is happening around the nation (Top-25, recruting ect...)

[mattynokes]

Deuce2223: I hear you on that! I've actually got a (better) logo and helmet request in the CAP Logo request in the NCAA forum. Hopefully someone can come through for me and give me some options to use. It seems like our posting styles are similar as well.
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2013 Western Colorado Broncos Defensive Preview

Defensive Ends

LE
1. Ricky Fowler (72) - Jr / 6-1 235
Fowler is a well balanced who recorded five sacks last year as a starter.

2. Jared Griffith (62) - Fr / 6-2 250
This run stuffing end has already earned himself a scholarship after being a preferred walk-on in camp this fall..

3. Brad Davis (56) - Fr / 6-1 265
Another walk-on, Davis was nearly redshirted, but due to depth issues, he’s penciled in on special teams.

RE
1. Isaiah Johnson (68) - Sr / 6-3 225
Aspirations were high on Johnson when he started as a true freshman, but he’s fallen down the depth chart the past two seasons. His lack of size allows him to get manhandled – his career two sacks shows it.

2. Jared Griffith (62) - Fr / 6-2 250

Defensive Tackles

DT
1. Antwan Gibson (78) - Sr / 6-3 300
Injured in the opener of 2012, he was awarded a medical hardship. He combines unusual quickness with his size and his leadership has earned him the defensive captain vote.

2. Roderick Sands (68) - Fr / 6-2 320
You’d think for a guy this size, he’d be strong, but sluggish. He’s actually quite the opposite. He’s probably both the faster interior lineman and the weakest. In time he could be very good if he improves his strength.

NT
1. Dan Porter (68) - Fr / 6-4 295
He’s very strong and has the body to grow into a great nose tackle once Gibson graduates.

2. Roderick Sands (68) - Fr / 6-2 320

Redshirting
Chris Lowery (52) - Fr / 6-1 290
Lowery doesn’t have much going for him, except he’s a sure tackler. He’s going to have to work hard to see significant playing time in the future.

Outside Linebackers

SLB
1. Greg Motley (74) - Sr / 5-11 225
He’s a speedy backer who’s bounced around from the starting lineup.

2. John Smith (62) - So / 6-1 220
Special Teams is a good place for Smith, who can’t exactly run well enough to lock down a starting position.

WLB
1. Alan Thomas (78) - Jr / 6-2 230
The most talented and trusted player on the defense is Thomas. He doesn’t do anything great, but he does a little bit of everything above average.

2. Manuel Wright (68) - RFr / 6-3 200
Just a lowly one-star prospect a season ago, Wright impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic, winning the “Off-Season Warrior” award – given by the coaches to the player they fell has the best off-season.

Middle Linebackers

1. Drew White (68) - Fr / 6-1 225
Coaches worry about how quickly he’ll adjust to actual college game speed. However, so far he’s done nothing but impress. From his speed to his strength to his sure-tackling ability. He’ll be a great one.

2. Cedric Davis (62) - Sr / 6-0 240
He’s made his living on special teams and even with an injury to White, Davis probably won’t see legitimate field time. The former walk-on has done well enough to stick with the program for now five years.

3. Clark Fraser (59) - RFr / 6-0 230
With White miles ahead of Fraser, he’ll have to make his living on specials, just like Cedric Davis.

Cornerbacks

RCB
1. Andrew McDaniel (74) - So / 5-11 185
Back for his second year of starting, this speedster can stick with most receivers – his 11 pass breakups a year ago speak for itself.

2. Cornelius Gaston (68) - Sr / 5-11 175
He started as a freshman, but quickly fell to obscurity. His lack of speed or fluid hips hinder his man to man cover abilities. However, he’s strong enough and a good enough of a tackler to hold down the nickel back position.

LCB
1. Michael Wade (70) - Sr / 6-0 175
Wade started his frosh and junior season, but gave way to a transfer during his soph year. He’s not the most physical corner, but his experience will make up for it.

2. Freddie Perry (68) - Fr / 6-0 190
Like Gaston, Perry isn’t all that fast. But he is athletically gifted overall and quite polished in coverage for his age. A starter next year, is a likely thing for him.

Safeties

FS
1. Keith Lowe (74) - Sr / 6-5 200
At 6-5, Lowe stands out in a crowd. He uses his good leaping ability and smarts to make up for his mediocre speed.

2. Jovon Franklin (68) - Fr / 6-3 185
Another DB who shows a lot of promise. He’s a good enough tackler that if he gained about 25 pounds, he could move to linebacker.

SS
1. Xavier Jackson (72) - Sr / 6-0 190
Jackson has always played second fiddle to someone else. He’s well balanced defensively and his efforts have finally won him first chair.

2. Joseph Pauly (65) - So / 6-1 205
He’s not quite the kind of tackler you’d expect from a free safety, but he does a lot of other things well and should be in line for two years of starting time.

Redshirting
Chris Davis (59) - Fr / 6-0 215
In the mold of more of a Strong Safety, but with knowing the talent there, you'll see why he's at Free Safety.

Specialists

K
1. Evan Morales (70) - So / 5-11 215
He was very inconsistent last year, but he has the leg to hit from 50 yards.

P
1. Jason Fitch (59) - Fr / 6-4 195
Many wondered if Morales would earn double duties, but Fitch has shown well enough to earn the punting duties.

KR
1. Brian Brittain WR - So / 6-1 195

2. Corey Brothers TB - Sr / 6-0 215

3. Mike Williams TB - So / 6-0 210

PR
1. Brian Brittain WR - So / 6-1 195

2. Mike Williams TB - So / 6-0 210

[mattynokes]

ESPN College Football Preseason Preview

#78 - Western Colorado Broncos

Independent
Program Prestige: 2
Academic Prestige: 4
Strength-of-Schedule: 90

Unit Grades
Offense: D+
Defense: D
Special Teams: C-
Overall: D+

Preseason All-Americans
None

Key Returning Players
TB Mike Williams
WR Brian Brittain
RT Kevin Clemens
OC Kyle Groover
DT Antwan Gibson
LB Alan Thomas

Key Games
At Colorado
At BYU
At TCU
At Kansas State

Analysis
With only 21 juniors and seniors, the Broncos have a very young core. Their youth development over the course of the season will be instrumental as they face four tough opponents on the road. Even with a bottom quarter strength-of-schedule, there's enough of a challenge to test this team's grit.

Projected Finish: 5-7

NCAA News

Preseason Top 25 Poll
01. Virginia Tech (41)
02. Missouri (20)
03. Georgia Tech
04. Nebraska
05. Ohio State
06. Michigan
07. Notre Dame
08. Texas
09. Oklahoma
10. Texas A&M
11. Arizona State
12. Wisconsin
13. South Carolina
14. Auburn
15. Georgia
16. Tennessee
17. Penn State
18. Florida State
19. Southern California
20. Alabama
21. Purdue
22. Indiana
23. Arkansas
24. Mississippi
25. Maryland

Heisman Watch

2012 Stats
Sr QB Michael Faga (South Carolina): 293-443 Passing 3638 Yards 43 TDs 10 INTs
Sr WR Jonathan Gunn (Wisconsin): 73 Catches 1083 Yards 16 TDs
Jr QB Michael Dunn (Texas): 292-464 Passing 4044 Yards 39 TDs 17 INTs
Sr WR Joe Mitchell (Oklahoma): 78 Catches 1119 Yards 16 TDs
Jr QB Ryan Smith (Ohio State): 208-353 Passing 3032 Yards 39 TDs 24 INTs

[mattynokes]

Expanding In Colorado


2013 Western Colorado Broncos Schedule

Week 01: At Utah Utes L 19-20
Week 02: At Colorado Buffaloes L 35-77
Week 03: Vs Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels W 30-22
Week 04: Vs Kansas Jayhawks L 10-24
Week 05: At Utah State Aggies W 24-0
Week 07: Vs Nevada Wolf Pack L 16-31
Week 08: At Brigham Young Cougars L 23-55
Week 09: Vs Wyoming Cowboys W 21-17
Week 10: Vs New Mexico Lobos W 24-21
Week 12: At #14 Texas Christian Horned Frogs L 14-80
Week 13: At #25 Kansas State Wildcats L 0-37
Week 14: Vs Colorado State Rams L 31-33

[mattynokes]

Western Colorado Broncos

2013 Western Colorado Broncos Prospect Profiles

Interest Levels
Top 3 = Red
Top 5 = Green
Top 8 = Blue

OT Will Meadows
Lufkin, TX
6-3 320
40 Time: 5.25
Bench: 460
Squat: 655

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 7
He's concerned about his ability to play right away at WCU
Top 5

WR Mike Collier
Kingman, AZ
5-11 180
40 Time: 4.51
Bench: 215
Squat: 385

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 7
Top 5

C Aaron Lindsey
Omaha, NE
6-4 290
40 Time: 5.03
Bench: 420
Squat: 585

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 8
Top 5

TB Jason Johnson
Pleasant Hill, CA
5-8 190
40 Time: 4.45
Bench: 360
Squat: 535

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 8
Top 5

CB Reggie Marrquardt
Salida, CO
6-2 185
40 Time: 4.34
Bench: 215
Squat: 280

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 3
Failed to make Top 5

DE Bryant Williams
Longview, TX
6-2 245
40 Time: 4.80
Bench: 325
Squat: 535

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 8
Top 5
He doesn't think too highly of coach Nokes

FS Jeremy Hurst
Cloverleaf, TX
6-1 190
40 Time: 4.47
Bench: 340
Squat: 495

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 4
Notes

TB David Meeks
Pueblo, CO
6-1 205
40 Time: 4.47
Bench: 325
Squat: 535

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 3
Dropped due to discipline

DT Shannon Burnette
Brighton, CO
6-3 290
40 Time: 5.03
Bench: 405
Squat: 520

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 9
He's not impressed with coach Nokes' resume
Top 5

G Micah Long
Nogales, AZ
6-4 275
40 Time: 5.33
Bench: 445
Squat: 680

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 9
Top 5

CB Rob Washington
Redlands, CO
6-2 175
40 Time: 4.45
Bench: 215
Squat: 315

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 3
Failed to make Top 5

TE Franklin White
Applewood, CO
6-6 250
40 Time: 4.55
Bench: 370
Squat: 415

Interest Level: Dropped After Week 7
Not a fan of Coach Nokes

OLB Jonathan Cronin Visited Week 7 vs Nevada
Louisville, CO
6-2 210
40 Time: 4.67
Bench: 325
Squat: 495

Interest Level: Committed After Week 10
Top 5
Top 3
Soft Commit After Week 7

[mattynokes]

Week 1: At Utah Utes

Matchup At A Glance

Team       WCU   Utah
Offense     D+    C-
Defense     D     C+
Overall     D+    C

Quarterback
Alex Foreman (78) is a solid QB, but nothing sticks out as a threat to watch out for.

Running Backs
They have good depth at tailback and an All-MWC pick in Robert Sullivan (80).

Receivers
They don't have much speed, but WR Greg Johnson (78) and TE Williams Davis (86) are very reliable targets.

Offensive Line
The Utes feature a quality offensive line with no one under 74, including two 80+ tackles.

Defensive Line
The defensive line is their strong point, led by sophomores RE Patrick Scales (82) and DT Jermaine Jones 80.

Linebackers
Very good backers, led by star senior Matt Henley (89, 92 Awr) who can do it all and knows the game very well. Also have to watch out for speedster WLB Joe Lundy (84, 85 Spd).

Secondary
They have good depth at corner, led by senior Ron Harrison (78). As if they needed more play makers, Chip White (82) will main centerfield like a hawk.

Specialists
The kicking game is their weak point. Utah features two true freshman kickers and neither have very good legs.

Game Plan

Defense

• They'll rely on Robert Sullivan to control the clock.
• With a top notch tight end, key on him on third downs.
• A quality line means it'll be tough to get pressure. We'll have to disguise our blitzes and give them a lot of different looks.

Offense

• Stay away from the left side with SLB Lundy and RE Scales.
• Their only weak link is their nose tackle, which will featire a 65 rated lineman.
• Be prepared for them to stack the box early. Play action passes might open up the option ground attack.

[mattynokes]

Stolen, Broncos Searching For Answers

@

Pre-Game Info

Date: 8/31/2013
Game Time: 6:00 PM
Weather: Warm / 16-25 MPH Wind NE / Clear Skies
Herbstreit Picks: N/A
Corso Picks: N/A

Western Colorado Broncos Starters
QB - Mark Dorsey........LDE - Ricky Fowler
TB - Mike Williams.......NT - Dan Porter
WB - Corey Brothers......DT - Antwan Gibson
FB - C.J. Blake.........RDE - Isaiah Johnson
SE - Brian Brittain.....SLB - Greg Motley
TE - Dillon Hayes.......MLB - Drew White
LT - Andy Fitzpatrick...WLB - Alan Thomas
LG - Gene Wilcox........LCB - Michael Wade
OC - Kyle Groover.......RCB - Andrew McDaniel
RG - Terrence Merritt....FS - Keith Lowe
RT - Kevin Clemens.......SS - Xavier Jackson

Injury Report
So CB Andrew McDaniel - Elbow ~ Out For Game (1st Quarter)

Team Stats________WCU__________Utah
Total Offense.....261...........217
Rushing Yards.....166...........55
Passing Yards.....95............162
3rd Down Conv.....4-14(28%).....5-14(35%)
Turnovers.........1.............0

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
None

2nd Quarter
WCU - Morales 50 Yard Field Goal
WCU - Williams 38 Yard Run (Morales Kick)
WCU - Morales 50 Yard Field Goal

3rd Quarter
WCU - Morales 41 Yard Field Goal
Utah - Sullivan 92 Yard Kick Return (Cox Kick)
Utah - Sullivan 76 Yard Punt Return (Cox Kick)

4th Quarter
WCU - Morales 47 Yard Field Goal
Utah - P. Vogelpohl 1 Yard Run (Conversion Failed)

Final Score: Utah 20 Western Colorado 19

Broncos Stats
Passing: (Att-Cmp-Yds-Int) Dorsey 7-12-95-1

Rushing: Blake 9-83 Williams 18-70 Brothers 5-13 Dorsey 6-2 Dean 4-(-2)

Receiving: Brittain 5-90 Williams 1-5 Dean 1-0

Defense: (Tkl-Sk-Int-FF) Gibson 4-2-0-0 Thomas 4-0-0-0 Perry 4-0-0-0

Utes Leaders
Foreman: 17-35 Passing 173 Yards
Sullivan: 14 Rushes 70 Yards
Davis: 6 Catches 63 Yards
Hensley: 4 Tackles 1 INT

Players of the Game
Western Colorado: So K Evan Morales
Utah: Sr TB Robert Sullivan
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Editor's Note: This game was played on 9 minute quarters. Even though I'm running the option, Utah passed a lot and considering it was a defensive struggle more plays should've been ran than just 110 from scrimmage. I will start playing at 11 minute quarters, which should get closer to 130-135 plays from scrimmage.

[mattynokes]

Updated Recruiting: http://www.operationsports.com/forum...post2045690435

Western Colorado Broncos

Coach's Corner: Week 1
September 2, 2013

"Stolen."

What a great title for our game recap. That's the way that game felt. For the first two quarters we outplayed Utah in every aspect of the game. We were able to get Alex Foreman out of rhythmn and limit Robert Sullivan.

Evan Morales had one heck of a game. Sure, the ~25 MPH wind helped on the 50 yarders, but he was accurate and in a zone. Four field goals is very impressive.

We were able to get some things going late in the 2nd quarter on a quick, two play drive. C.J. Blake took the give up the middle for 36 yards, before Mike Williams punched it in on the very next play from 38 yards out. That's the kind of explosion I want to continue to see from our offense.

However, it was a tail of two halves if you will. Our defense was still solid to open the second half, but it was the coverage units that let us down. After getting another field goal on our opening possession Sullivan returned the kickoff 92 yards to paydirt. And to compound matters, he took the punt 76 yards after our next possession to make it 16-14. That's where things fell apart.

Foreman started finding receivers left and right while Sullivan saw some holes open up. I also question my own playcalling. I played it too close to the vest in the fourth quarter - Tresselball if you will. I played not to lose, settling for a field goal, instead of trusting our offense. We also made it too obvious we were trying to get the ball to Williams. When we were mixing things up, giving the ball to any of our three backs, it kept them guessing. That's something we'll improve going forward.

As if things couldn't have gotten any worse after they took the one point lead, we were able to stop them on third down with just over a minute left to play. Only for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to be called. Are you kidding me? Our guys just stopped a third down conversion late in the game, of course they're gonna be excited! Was the celebration excessive? I don't think so. There wasn't any taunting. I'm not upset at Michael Wade for being flagged, I'm upset for it even happening. The officials sealed our fate.

Today I was informed about the extent of Andrew McDaniel's injury. He has a dislocated elbow and likely won't be back until November. We're already pretty thin at cornerback and this puts us in a real tough position. Luckily Wade and Cornelius Gaston have started on the same field together before. Senior leadearship shouldn't be an issue. Now this means true freshman Freddie Perry will be pressed in to duty a lot sooner than expected.

On the recruiting front it's overall good news. No one has jumped off the bandwagon just yet. In fact each of our targets insisted their interest is either gaining in WCU or it's stabilizing. We're still the frontrunners (and by a sizable margin) for defensive linemen Shannon Burnette and Bryant Williams. In the next few weeks our assistants hope to get in contact with guidance counselors to get ahold of transcripts and find out some unbiased opinions of their personality. The only prospect to trim his list down to five was our lone two-star target, Jonathan Cronin. The in-state linebacker has always dreamed of playing for Southern Cal, but says we're quickly rising on his list. He's a 3.9 GPA student in the class room and volunteers his time to habitat for humanity on the weekends when he isn't playing football. His parents have also mentioned how they'd rather he stay close to home. Maybe that will play well in our favor, but it could also help out Nebraska's case.

Next week we make the trip to Boulder to take on the Buffaloes. And honestly, I like it. This is a perfect opponent for a team that can't dwell too long after coming off of a heart breaking loss.

Comments or questions to the coach are always welcomed.
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Editor's Note: If you read the Utah game preview before the game recap was posted, you may have read the wrong preview. I accidently gave a run through of Utah State. The correct preview is with QB Foreman, not Pearman.

Also, I will be updated the "Reserved" posts shortly and adding program history/records and a year-by-year recap.