We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

[thesportsguru11]

(4) 28 --- 9-3 (7-2)

31 --- 4-8 (3-6)

"DISGUSTING"

UConn loses shot at CFP, falls out of ACC Title Game after getting outplayed by Wake Forest in the snow; Waters gashes UConn defense for 145 yards as Jordan Brown sacked twice in a row on final drive to seal upset




Wake Forest hurt UConn time and again on the ground. Chris Woodard (LEFT) scores on a QB keeper, while Anthony Waters (RIGHT) ran in a touchdown in addition to 145 yards.

Just as quickly as she came was just as quickly as she went.

UConn looked to be, somehow, in position to go into Charlotte for the ACC Title Game and have a de facto play-in game for the CFP in two weeks. Reasonably so, you all got excited. Cautiously excited, but excited nevertheless. I knew better, however. All year this UConn team has been inconsistent. They would crush a ranked team one week and then turn around to get crushed by a team with a sub-.500 record. As much as we all wanted to see a repeat, this UConn team simply is not good enough. It only took Wake Forest, of all teams, in the final week of the season, of all times, to expose that fact once and for all.

Wake came in at 3-8 with head coach Dave Clawson on the hot seat. Clawson showed why he may be deserving of another shot, as he put together a superb gameplan for UConn involving lots of blitzes and systematically picking apart the zone defense UConn has begun installing of late. More importantly, Clawson got his team more motivated than UConn, who was likely looking ahead to a Notre Dame rematch in two weeks. Led by running back Anthony Waters and his 145 yards on the ground, the Deacs pulled one of the more stunning upsets of the already wild college football season in a 31-28 instant classic.

In a game where Wake surprisingly outgained UConn by nearly 100 yards (462-377), UConn looked flat from the jump. Only one play went for over five yards in the entire first quarter, and they predictably scored no points. The only time they had good field position was after Marcus Rodgers returned a punt past midfield, and that was negated the very next play when Jordan Brown threw an interception to Ruben Stroughter.

On the other end, Wake came ready to play on their senior night. They converted three third downs en route to a Chris Woodard touchdown run from six yards out, and scored again on their very next possession, a four-yard touchdown run from Waters. Wake held a 14-0 lead after one quarter.

The script flipped in the second quarter, though, as UConn responded with three touchdowns. An Alex Brown interception of Woodard got the momentum swung in UConn’s favor, then Jordan Brown connected with Marcus Rodgers for a nine-yard touchdown pass to get on the board. Following a Wake three-and-out, UConn took advantage of good field position and tied up the game on a Jordan Brown touchdown scramble from nine yards out.

The teams traded touchdowns to close the half; Wake scored on Woodard’s first touchdown pass of the day, a beautifully thrown ball in the right side of the end zone from 16 yards out to Donovan Pangallo. The junior Pangallo appeared to fall on the slippery field, but made the catch anyway for a touchdown. On the other end, UConn punched in a one-yard run from star freshman Ashanti Swift. Swift could not make it 100 yards for the third straight game, but did look solid again, running for 95 yards on 22 touches plus the score.

You know you’re in trouble when everything breaks the other team’s way. Donovan Pangallo made a sensational sliding catch around Thorpe Award contender Kent Newton for a touchdown here.

In reality, a 21-21 tie at halftime was a welcome sight for UConn, considering how poorly they started the game. One could imagine that, just like Virginia or just like Louisville, UConn would have figure it out and have enough in the tank to pull away while Wake had used up everything too early.

But it didn’t work as expected this time.

Perhaps the writing was on the wall when Anthony Ricciardi missed another field goal, this time well within his range at 37 yards away. The miss puts the sophomore right at 50% for the season a continues a dreadful second half for the New Hampshire native, and even worse when we consider the field goal could have left the game tied at the end of regulation.

The trouble for UConn continued when a first down catch from Marcus Rodgers was brought back by a holding call on sophomore right guard Korey Davis-Love, and UConn was forced to punt a few plays later. Wake tallied a 39 yard field goal from Joey Hilliard shortly thereafter to retake the lead 24-21, and just when it looked as if UConn was about to at least tie the game up again, more disaster struck. Spelling Swift to get him ready for carries at the goalline, Mike Molden got stripped of the football by corner Cedric Berry in the red zone. Seconds later, Rashaad Gray recovered the fumble at the nine yard line to end UConn’s scoring threat.

Mike Molden’s second half fumble is one of the key moments UConn can look to as to why they lost.

Wake responded with a fourteen play, 91 yard touchdown drive capped off by a Waters run from four yards out. Multiple times UConn could have stopped the drive in its tracks, but were simply unable to. Waters broke off three runs of ten or more yards, while Devoreaux Monk broke a tackle at the sticks to push Wake into the red zone before Waters ran in his second score of the day from short. Wake suddenly held a 31-21 with time ticking away in the fourth quarter. In the past, UConn would have been able to overcome such a deficit. They have in exactly the same circumstances before.

This time, things were a little different. Molden pulled UConn within three after running in a touchdown on their next drive and, caught a break after Hilliard missed a 36 yard field goal wide right. But just like in the UCF and BC games, UConn couldn’t come through in money time. Trying to swing for the fences on a deep ball inside the final minute, Wake’s brilliant play was punctuated with two blitzes, and two sacks. Undersized defensive tackle Kyle Janich put UConn into 3rd and long while Daniel Ruffor finished off the Huskies on fourth down. As Jordan hit the ground that final time with Ruffor over top of him for the second time on the evening, UConn’s playoff and ACC title hopes came crashing down with it in an epic collapse.

As coach Clawson congratulated UConn on a great game, coach Stephen Belichick was off elsewhere in anger. “This loss is disgusting”, commented an obviously peeved Belichick. “We got too arrogant. We deserve what we get”. After simming through to champ week, UConn finished third in the ACC, meaning Miami jumped the Huskies after defeating NC State this week and the ‘Canes, not UConn, will face Notre Dame in Charlotte.

Where to place blame? Maybe on the offense. UConn couldn’t get the ball into the hands of their playmakers at wide receiver, with no one catching more than three passes and, notably, star sophomore Lonte’ Speier only made one catch, a week after making eleven. Jordan only completed 14 passes.

You could look to UConn’s pass defense, which once again looked weak despite adding Sam Barnett back into the lineup. Woodard finished with a sparkling 35 completions on 51 attempts for 294 yards and a score. Four receivers caught five or more passes, led by Devin Riley’s eleven catches. Anthony Waters led with 145 yards and two scores, including several runs late in the game to keep chains and clock moving, the ball out of UConn’s hands. Five Deacons defenders recorded sacks.

Blame, however, should not be placed in only one spot. It was a total and complete failure, which is why UConn will not repeat as national champions and sit home during the ACC Title Game, left to wonder what could have been.

The Deacs brought a great gameplan that included lots of pressure. It worked. Daniel Ruffor drags down Jordan Brown twice, including on a fourth down that ended UConn’s chances.


UConn scored a little, but couldn’t do enough in the end. Ashanti Swift continued his hot streak, while Marcus Rodgers caught another touchdown pass.

Connecticut Huskies at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Nov 26, 2022	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#4 Connecticut Huskies (9-3, 7-2)	0	21	0	7	28
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-8, 3-6)	14	7	3	7	31

Team Stats Comparison
	CONN	WAKE
Total Offense	377	462
Rushing Yards	121	168
Passing Yards	256	294
First Downs	19	25
Punt Return Yards	80	37
Kick Return Yards	114	83
Total Yards	571	582
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	8-16 (50%)	6-15 (40%)
4th Down Conversion	2-2	1-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	6-4-0 (66%)	5-4-0 (80%)
Penalties	3-20	2-10
Possession Time	19:59	16:01

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
3:45	(WAKE) Woodard 7 run (Hilliard kick)	0	7
1:23	(WAKE) Waters 1 run (Hilliard kick)	0	14
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
5:16	(CONN) Rodgers 9 pass from J. Brown (Ricciardi kick)	7	14
3:32	(CONN) J. Brown 9 run (Ricciardi kick)	14	14
2:27	(WAKE) Pangallo 18 pass from Woodard (Hilliard kick)	14	21
:16	(CONN) Swift 1 run (Ricciardi kick)	21	21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
1:03	(WAKE) Hilliard 39 FG	21	24
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		CONN	WAKE
5:17	(WAKE) Waters 4 run (Hilliard kick)	21	31
3:00	(CONN) Molden 4 run (Ricciardi kick)	28	31

Connecticut Huskies PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Jordan Brown 14-26 220 1 1 Linzell Tyson 1-2 36 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Ashanti Swift 22 95 4.3 1 Linzell Tyson 9 29 3.2 0 Mike Molden 4 7 1.7 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Devin Brown 3 81 27.0 0 Chamarkelle Byrom 3 78 26.0 0 Marcus Rodgers 3 41 13.6 1 Alex Paige 3 39 13.0 0 DEFENSE TACK (TFL) SACK INT TD Mike Hill 9 (1) 0 0 0 Tory Greening 8 0 0 0 A.J. Paxston 7 (3) 0 0 0 Alex Brown 3 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Anthony Ricciardi 0-1 4-4 4

Wake Forest Demon Deacons PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Chris Woodard 35-51 294 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Anthony Waters 25 145 5.7 2 Chris Woodard 5 21 4.2 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Devin Riley 11 96 8.7 0 Abdul Lawrence 6 55 9.1 0 Kenny Davidson 6 51 8.5 0 Donovan Pangallo 5 43 8.6 1 Anthony Waters 4 28 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK (TFL) SACK INT TD Emmanuel Terrell 10 (1) 0 0 0 Jervonte Barr 9 (3) 1 0 0 Daniel Ruffor 7 (3) 2 0 0 Marcus Garrett 6 (2) 1 0 0 Kyle Janich 4 (2) 1 0 0 Ruben Stroughter 1 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Joey Hilliard 1-3 4-4 7 39

Next: TBD (Bowl Week)

[thesportsguru11]

#1 Ole Miss 35, Mississippi State 10
D. McCullough (QB, MISS): 27-41, 413 yds, 3 TD

Baylor 34, TCU 31
I. Higdon (WR, BAY): 4 rec, 63 yds, 2 TD

Washington 45, #13 Washington State 28
T. Graves (QB, WASH): 23-36, 359 yds, 5 TD

#7 UCF 35, USF 23
J. Edwards (WR, UCF): 10 rec, 241 yds, 3 TD

Oregon State 37, #15 Oregon 24
K. Mock (QB, OSU): 24-37, 365 yds, 4 TD

Georgia Tech 34, Georgia 14
J. Nash (RB, GT): 16 rush, 104 yds, TD

Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 14
J. Fuqua (QB, VT): 24-42, 316 yds, 3 TD

#24 Houston 24, #21 Arkansas St. 10
B. Hope (RB, HOU): 28 rush, 200 yds, 2 TD

#2 Wisconsin 41, Maryland 23
C. Caveed (RB, WISC): 17 rush, 119 yds, TD

#10 Michigan State 35, #16 Rutgers 14
L. Puckett (WR, MSU): 13 rec, 268 yds, 4 TD

#18 Tennessee 49, Kentucky 42
V. Hawkins (QB, TENN): 22-33, 358 yds, 3 TD, rush TD

#3 Nebraska 49, #17 Iowa 20
M. Doler (RB, NEB): 19 rush, 142 yds, 2 TD

Ohio State 42, Michigan 28
K. Reed (RB, OSU): 17 rush, 172 yds, 3 TD

#5 UCLA 34, USC 27
S. Francis (QB, UCLA): 18-26, 214 yds, 3 TD

#8 Florida 52, Florida State 34
C. Browne (QB, UF): 12-16, 205 yds, 5 TD

Arkansas 31, #23 LSU 14
B. Porter (LB, ARK): 11 tckl, FF, 2 def

Alabama 52, Auburn 20
Z. Lock (QB, BAMA): 21-29, 370 yds, 5 TD, rush TD

#22 Western Kentucky 45, Old Dominion 35
B. Foster (QB, WKU): 21-32, 324 yds, 3 TD

Clemson 42, South Carolina 16
J. Crooks (RB, CLEM): 26 rush, 185 yds, TD

North Carolina 24, Duke 17
T. Watkins (RB, UNC): 19 rush, 132 yds, TD

Stanford 44, #6 Notre Dame 37
M. Goddard (QB, STAN): 24-32, 465 yds, 2 TD, rush TD

Florida Atlantic 14, FIU 12
V. McDowell (LB, FAU): 12 tckl (2 TFL), sack

Arizona 28, Arizona State 20
G. Reese (RB, ARIZ): 25 rush, 171 yds, 2 TD

Champ Week Slate

C-USA: Rice (8-4, 7-2) vs. #17 Western Kentucky (10-2, 8-1)
AAC: Navy (8-4, 6-3) vs. #5 UCF (10-2, 8-1)
SEC: #6 Florida (10-2, 7-1) vs. #1 Ole Miss (12-0, 8-0)
MWC: San Diego State (8-4, 5-3) vs. #11 Air Force (10-2, 8-0)
PAC-12: #19 Washington (8-4, 6-3) vs. #4 UCLA (10-2, 8-1)
ACC: #20 Miami (9-3, 7-2) vs. #12 Notre Dame (10-2, 8-1)
BIG TEN: #8 Michigan State (10-2, 8-1) vs. #2 Wisconsin (10-2, 8-1)
BIG 12: #9 Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2) vs. #18 Houston (8-3, 7-1)
MAC: Bowling Green (6-6, 5-4) vs. #16 Eastern Michigan (11-1, 8-1)

--------------------------------------------------

ACC Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 27, 2022
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	LAST WEEK
#11 Notre Dame	9-3	.750	8-1	455	263	L, 37-44 STAN
#20 Miami-FL	9-3	.750	7-2	406	354	W, 27-24 NCSU
#15 UConn	9-3	.750	7-2	449	285	L, 28-31 WF
#21 Pitt	8-4	.660	6-3	381	354	W, 30-14 UL
#22 North Carolina	8-4	.660	6-3	377	271	W, 24-17 DUKE
Syracuse	8-4	.660	6-3	383	279	W, 42-24 BC
Clemson	8-4	.660	5-4	411	358	W, 42-16 SCAR
Georgia Tech	7-5	.580	4-5	325	287	W, 34-14 UGA
Boston College	6-6	.500	4-5	406	406	L, 24-42 SYR
Florida State	5-7	.410	4-5	395	381	L, 34-52 UF
NC State	5-7	.410	4-5	324	350	L, 24-27 MIA
Virginia Tech	6-6	.500	3-6	343	328	W, 38-14 UVA
Wake Forest	4-8	.330	3-6	310	385	W, 31-28 UCONN
Louisville	2-10	.160	2-7	210	444	L, 14-30 PITT
Duke	2-10	.160	2-7	283	441	L, 17-24 UNC
Virginia	3-9	.250	1-8	247	415	L, 14-38 VT

ACC Players of the Week

Jay Fuqua (QB, VT): 24-42, 316 yds, 12 carries, 64 yds, 4 total TD
Wade Paolera (DT, PITT): 10 tckl (6 TFL), 3 sacks


ACC Title Game: #20 Miami-FL (9-3, 7-2) vs. #12 Notre Dame (9-3, 8-1)

[thesportsguru11]

Week 14/15 Headlines

Tough Week for CAC folk as Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan prep for battle in MAC Title Game; UCF, San Diego State, set to play in respective conference title tilts; Troy wins Sun Belt on tiebreaker in resurgent year for OC Gilbert

HC Quinn Shea (thesportsguru11): L (4-8, 2-7), 27-34 vs. #5 UCLA (10-2, 8-1)

C. MacLaughlan: 16-27, 263 yds, TD
S. Haynes: 26 rush, 125 yds, 2 TD
Q. Barrett: 3 rec, 97 yds, TD
R. McNitt: 8 tckl (4 TFL), 2 sacks

HC Dale Miller (glunsford): BYE (3-9, 1-7)

HC Bob Trebell (DrGravyBoat): L (7-4, 4-4), 24-31 vs. Utah State (5-7, 3-5)

M. Terrell: 15-28, 220 yds, 2 TD
K. Rock: 10 rush, 58 yds, TD
T. McDaniel: 8 rec, 150 yds, 2 TD

HC Sam Freday (RoundingThird): L (3-9, 3-6) 7-34 vs. San Diego State (8-4, 5-3) CAC LOSS!

R. Garrett: 7-19, 82 yds, TD
Q. Terrell: 10 rush, 43 yds
L. Benson: Rec TD
R. Davis: 11 tckl (TFL), INT
D. Outlaw: 10 tckl (TFL)

HC Kaelyn Willingham (kswgrad2012): L (8-4, 6-3) 28-45 vs. Washington (8-4, 6-3)

D. Davane: 6-16, 58 yds
P. Tuivalea: 29 rush, 199 yds, 2 TD
L. Brown: 10 rush, 59 yds, TD
T. Grigsby: 8 tckl, 2 INT, FF

HC Connor Turley (convict38): W (10-2, 8-1), 35-23 vs. USF (4-8, 3-6)

A. Houston: 16-28, 313 yds, 3 TD
A. Holt: 12 rush, 95 yds, 2 TD
J. Edwards: 10 rec, 241 yds, 3 TD
M. Walden: 9 tckl (4 TFL), sack

HC William Brooks (TheOtherPotterGuy): L (7-5, 6-3), 24-38 vs. Rice (8-4, 7-2)

M. Walker: 9-19, 110 yds, TD
R. Williams: 32 rush, 169 yds, 2 TD
I. Meliloka: 5 rec, 23 yds, TD
J. Hawkins: 9 tckl (2 TFL), sack

OC Brian Woodard (mattynokes): L (2-10, 2-7), 14-30 vs. Pitt (8-4, 6-3)

B. Vinson: 11-36, 133 yds, TD
M. Smith: 13 rush, 34 yds
Y. Pither: 3 rec, 21 yds, TD, rush TD

OC Jordan James (HARLEE23): L (2-10, 0-9), 23-41 vs. #2 Wisconsin (11-1, 8-1)

Z. Levine: 17-28, 269 yds, TD
K. Jackson: 10 rush, 49 yds, TD
C. Flores: 7 rec, 134 yds, TD

OC Tyrell Coley (Knickerbocker91): L (8-4, 5-4), 14-35 vs. #10 Michigan State (10-2, 8-1)

A. Locker: 16-30, 244 yds, 2 TD
J. Wheelock: 17 rush, 83 yds
B. Tangier: 8 rec, 110 yds, TD

DC Brennan Smith (bryan3169) L (3-9, 2-7), 17-34 vs. #11 Minnesota (9-3, 6-3)

T. Edmunds: 10 tckl
K. Summers: 8 tckl (TFL)
C. Williams: 7 tkl (2 TFL), sack

OC Ricky Jacobsen (slicknick3822): L (4-8, 2-6), 17-28 vs. Kansas St. (3-9, 2-6) CAC LOSS!

G. Saulsberry: 5-19, 55 yds, 22 rush, 87 yds, TD
C. Townsend: 21 rush, 104 yds, TD
D. Jones: 9 rush, 50 yds

DC Bud Kilmer Jr. (xboxxerx): W (3-9, 2-6), 28-17 vs. Iowa State (4-8, 2-6) CAC WIN!

A. Freeney: 14 tckl (4 TFL), sack
A. Ford: 10 tckl (3 TFL), sack
G. Plunkett: 7 tckl (2 TFL), sack

OC Matthew King (ThaBoss18): L (7-5, 5-4), 24-27 OT vs. SMU (4-8, 3-6)

L. Armstrong: 14-25, 162 yds, INT, 13 rush, 33 yds
M. Kane: 13 rush, 60 yds, TD
L. Gordon: 3 rush, 51 yds

OC Emmett Nama (BookWork123): L (5-7, 4-5), 3-35 vs. Temple (7-5, 6-3) CAC LOSS!

M. Barger: 6-21, 31 yds
N. McCarthy: 15 rush, 71 yds
T. Berg: 2 rec

OC Ryan Sorbera (YaBoySorbs): W (7-5, 6-3), 35-3 vs. Cincinnati (5-7, 4-5) CAC WIN!

J. Dunn: 5-18, 85 yds, 15 rush, 96 yds, 2 TD
G. Clarke: 20 rush, 144 yds, TD
M. Mason: 19 rush, 126 yds, 2 TD

OC Equanimeous St. Brown Sr. (TheRosterMaster): L (2-10, 1-9), 20-48 vs. Louisiana Tech (6-6, 4-5)

W. Morris: 4-9, 124 yds, TD
K. Trotter: 11-22, 94 yds, TD
R. Scott: 20 rush, 125 yds
S. Tyson: 7 rec, 162 yds, TD

OC J.J. Mac (RedRaider10): L (6-6, 4-5), 21-42 vs. UTSA (4-8, 2-7)

F. Garcia: 12-23, 100 yds
I. Langford: 22 rush, 109 yds, TD
P. Robinson: 2 rush TD
A. Scott: 7 rec, 71 yds

OC Trent Davis (UKWildcat999): W (8-4, 5-4), 34-20 vs. North Texas (5-7, 4-5)

B. Carter: 13-33, 185 yds, TD
M. Harper: 17 rush, 117 yds, TD
J. Garrett: 3 rec, 87 yds, TD

OC Frankie Francisco (BigPlayJ1220): BYE (2-9)

OC Brian Grant (LadiesAndEdelman): W (5-7, 3-6), 42-24 vs. Buffalo (3-9, 2-7) CAC WIN!

S. Young: 29-51, 334 yds, 2 TD, 20 rush, 95 yds, 2 TD
T. Wallace: 14 rush, 85 yds, TD
J. Simmons: 14 rec, 167 yds

OC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): W (4-8, 3-6), 36-24 vs. Toledo (7-5, 5-4)

T. Kelly: 24-39, 280 yds, 2 TD
C. Watson: 16 rush, 111 yds, 2 TD
A. Winston: 18 rec, 206 yds

OC Max Crenshaw (whughes): W (6-6, 6-3), 24-21 vs. Ball State (6-6, 5-4) CAC WIN!

M. Fordinal: 7-25, 139 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
D. Johnson: 19 rush, 115 yds
J. Salandan: 2 rec, 79 yds, TD

OC Jerome Baumann (RaiderAid89): L (6-6, 5-4), 21-24 vs. Central Michigan (6-6, 6-3) CAC LOSS!

V. Roberson: 11-26, 142 yds, 2 TD
B. Johnson: 21 rush, 109 yds
L. Hopkins: 5 rec, 59 yds, TD
J. Dean: 4 rec, 30 yds, TD

OC Ryan Malloy (FootballFanatik): L (3-9, 2-7), 24-42 vs. Kent State (5-7, 3-6) CAC LOSS!

K. Lamoreaux: 19-43, 256 yds, 2 TD
K. Rodriguez: 8 rush, 69 yds, TD
S. Rogers: 6 rec, 109 yds, TD

OC Caleb Henderson (NewscasterNews4): W (11-1, 8-1), 35-31 vs. Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-3)

J. Bryant: 20-31,227 yds, 5 TD
D. Byland: 21 rush, 119 yds
D. Daniels: 6 rec, 71 yds, 2 TD
C. Hundley: 4 rec, 58 yds, 2 TD

OC Theron Sorensen (ronnysauce): W (6-6, 5-4), 31-3 vs. Akron (6-6, 5-4)

A. Jafar: 5-17, 36 yds, TD
K. Momoh: 23 rush, 133 yds, TD
S. Bolen: 22 rush, 140 yds
S. Maxwell: Rec TD

OC Foxke Brihay (nofx94): W (8-4, 5-3), 34-7 vs. UNLV (3-9, 2-6) CAC WIN!

B. Horton: 29-44, 268 yds, 2 TD
C. Farris: 25 rush, 120 yds, TD
C. Collier: 8 rec, 68 yds
L. Bell: 7 rec, 33 yds, TD

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): L (6-5, 4-2), 24-27 vs. New Mexico State (6-5, 4-2)

G. Moran: 13-26, 213 yds, 3 TD
S. Bonner: 11 rush, 46 yds
A. Holland: 7 rec, 97 yds, TD

Next Week: vs. Idaho (3-8, 1-5)

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): W (4-7, 3-3), 28-21 vs. Idaho (3-8, 1-5)

G. Brooks: 13-29, 201 yds, 3 TD, 5 INT, 17 rush ,75 yds
D. Murphy: 16 rush, 89 yds, TD
D. Godfrey: 5 rec, 85 yds, TD

Next Week: @ New Mexico State (6-5, 4-2)

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): W (6-5, 5-1), 34-3 vs. Louisiana (5-6, 2-4)

C. Brown: 16-37, 215 yds, TD
J. Newberry: 21 rush, 163 yds, 3 TD
C. Scott: 9 rec, 117 yds, TD

Next Week: vs. Georgia State (6-5, 3-3)

WEEK 15

OC Brett Favre (hudso3): W (7-5, 5-2), 40-33 OT vs. Idaho (3-9, 1-6)

G. Moran: 19-50, 230 yds, TD, 2 INT, 65 rush yds
B. Jackson: 12 rush, 50 yds
P. Hill: 8 rec, 91 yds
V. Haley: 5 rec, 77 yds, TD

OC Spanky Westside (Trevor3_2009): L (4-8, 3-4), 10-35 vs. New Mexico State (7-5, 5-2)

G. Brooks: 13-35, 127 yds
D. Murphy: 16 rush, 103 yds
D. Godfrey: 6 rec, 49 yds

OC Laurence Gilbert (Mike7Vinas): L (6-6, 5-2), 28-45 vs. Georgia State (7-5, 4-3)

C. Brown: 14-22, 170 yds, 3 TD
J. Newberry: 16 rush, 105 yds
C. Scott: 7 rec, 92 yds, TD
B. Reyes: 3 rec, 33 yds, 2 TD

[dfsJunkie]

Heartbreaking loss to say the least. Riding high off an emotional win, your guys fell victim to the trap that was Wake Forest. There’s always next year I guess.

Must have been crushing for you.

[SilverBullet19]

I knew they could be a trap! Their defense was really strong, holding you to under 400 total yards. It looks like the mismatches in the passing game didn't materialize.

It's a really disappointing end to the regular season. A bowl game is just a small prize compared to a conference championship or a title run.

[young22]

Now that's tough. Bullet called it, pretty sure it was him that said they could be a trap. Sucks to end the season like that, but let's hope you can still win a bowl.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Operation Sports mobile app

[thesportsguru11]

This will be kind of a random stuff post, I apologize for that.

Around the NCAA: Playoff Watch

As a reminder, here's the Champ Week Slate:

C-USA: Rice (8-4, 7-2) vs. #17 Western Kentucky (10-2, 8-1)
AAC: Navy (8-4, 6-3) vs. #5 UCF (10-2, 8-1)
SEC: #6 Florida (10-2, 7-1) vs. #1 Ole Miss (12-0, 8-0)
MWC: San Diego State (8-4, 5-3) vs. #11 Air Force (10-2, 8-0)
PAC-12: #19 Washington (8-4, 6-3) vs. #4 UCLA (10-2, 8-1)
ACC: #20 Miami (9-3, 7-2) vs. #12 Notre Dame (10-2, 8-1)
BIG TEN: #8 Michigan State (10-2, 8-1) vs. #2 Wisconsin (10-2, 8-1)
BIG 12: #9 Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2) vs. #18 Houston (8-3, 7-1)
MAC: Bowling Green (6-6, 5-4) vs. #16 Eastern Michigan (11-1, 8-1)

And here's where we stand:

VIRTUAL LOCK
#1 Ole Miss (12-0)

WIN AND IN
#2 Wisconsin (11-1)/#8 Michigan State (10-2)
#3 UCLA (10-2)
#6 Florida (10-2)

WAIT AND SEE
#9 Oklahoma (10-2)
#5 UCF (10-2)
#4 Nebraska (10-2) - Idle

IF ALL ELSE FAILS
#7 Texas (10-2) - Idle
#10 Air Force (11-1)
Winner of #12 Notre Dame/#20 Miami (9-3)

After two straight playoffs featuring almost the exact same teams, the playoff race this year features some new blood, which excites me. Further, there is a lot of chaos potential as several results could change the top four during champ week.

What we do know is that the SEC and Big Ten are guaranteed to get at least one team in. We know that Ole Miss, the nation’s only undefeated team, is likely to get in regardless of the results of the SEC Champ Game. We also know that the ACC will likely not get a team in this year.


BEST CASE: If Florida and UCLA win, the only work for me to do is seeding, and that would likely be easy. We’d take the two SEC teams, the Bruins as Pac-12 Champs and the Big 10 winner.

WORST CASE: Ole Miss and Wisconsin win, coupled with losses by UCLA, Oklahoma and UCF. At that point, we’re looking at a three-loss ACC champ or a team that didn’t play in their conference title game, such as Nebraska and Texas, or a mid-major team like Air Force if they win the Mountain West title.

OTHER NOTES: Wisconsin, despite having one loss fewer than everyone else, is in a do or die situation. I don’t think their resume will be enough to snag them a wild card spot if they lose; they played a poor out of conference slate and had a loss to Illinois that was good at the time (they were ranked for a few weeks), but not anymore considering the Illini slumped to 5-7.

While UCF is mathematically still in contention, they’ll need a lot of help. Despite an impressive win on the road against UConn, they have bad losses to .500 Texas A&M and Tulsa teams.

Don’t get distracted by Oklahoma’s number nine ranking. They are very much in the race and are effectively the five seed right now. They need help, but have been good all year and have a Heisman finalist in QB Justyce Tryson. They'll still need help, though: A win coupled with a loss from either UCLA or Florida.

If a team that sat idle enters the conversation, it’s Nebraska. They played a crazy schedule, beating Florida on the road and losing to Oklahoma by three points in September. Their loss to Wisconsin kept them out of the Big 10 title game, but they navigated a very tough schedule with lots of success and are still firmly in the mix with a 10-2 record, their two losses to top ten teams and by a combined two touchdowns. However, sitting home this week might not help their case and they’ll likely need a UCLA loss and an Ole Miss win to have a chance.

Full 2022 Conference Standings

BOLD = CAC Team

Notre Dame (9-3, 7-1)
Miami-FL (9-3, 6-2)
UConn (9-3, 6-2)
Pitt (8-4, 6-3)
Syracuse (8-4, 6-3)
North Carolina (8-4, 6-3)
Clemson (8-4, 5-4)
Florida State (5-7, 4-5)
Georgia Tech (7-5, 4-5)
Boston College (6-6, 4-5)
NC State (5-7, 4-5)
Virginia Tech (6-6, 3-6)
Wake Forest (4-8, 3-6)
Louisville (2-10, 2-7)
Duke (2-10, 2-7)
Virginia (3-9, 1-8)

EAST:
UCF (10-2, 8-1)
Army West Point (8-4, 6-3)
Temple (7-5, 6-3)
ECU (7-5, 6-3)
Cincinnati (5-7, 4-5)
USF (4-8, 3-6)

WEST:
Navy (8-4, 6-3)
Memphis (7-5, 5-4)
Marshall (5-7, 3-6)
Tulsa (6-6, 3-6)
SMU (4-8, 3-6)
Tulane (1-11, 1-8)

EAST:
Houston (8-3, 7-1)
Arkansas State (8-4, 6-2)
West Virginia (7-4, 5-3)
Kansas (6-5, 4-4)
Kansas State (3-9, 2-6)
Iowa State (4-8, 2-6)

WEST:
Oklahoma (10-2, 6-2)
Texas (10-2, 6-2)
Oklahoma St. (4-8, 3-5)
Baylor (5-7, 3-5)
TCU (4-8, 2-6)
Texas Tech (5-7, 2-6)

EAST:
Michigan St. (10-2, 8-1)
Rutgers (8-4, 5-4)
Ohio St. (7-5, 5-4)
Michigan (7-5, 4-5)
Indiana (6-6, 4-5)
Penn St. (4-8, 2-7)
Maryland (2-10, 0-9)

WEST:
Wisconsin (10-2, 8-1)
Nebraska (10-2, 8-1)
Iowa (8-4, 6-3)
Minnesota (9-3, 6-3)
Illinois (5-7, 3-6)
Purdue (3-9, 2-7)
Northwestern (3-9, 2-7)

EAST:
Western Kentucky (10-2, 8-1)
Old Dominion (7-5, 6-3)
Florida Atlantic (4-8, 4-5)
Louisiana Tech (6-6, 4-5)
FIU (4-8, 3-6)
Middle Tennessee St. (2-10, 1-8)

WEST:
Rice (8-4, 7-3)
Texas State (7-5, 6-3)
Southern Miss (8-4, 5-4)
UTEP (6-6, 4-5)
North Texas (5-7, 4-5)
UTSA (4-8, 2-7)

INDEPENDENTS

BYU (8-3)
UMass (2-9)

EAST:
Bowling Green (6-6, 5-4)
Akron (6-6, 5-4)
Miami-OH (5-7, 4-5)
Kent State (5-7, 3-6)
Ohio (2-10, 2-7)
Buffalo (3-9, 2-7)

WEST:
Eastern Michigan (11-1, 8-1)
Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-3)
Central Michigan (6-6, 6-3)
Toledo (7-5, 5-4)
Ball St. (6-6, 5-4)
Western Michigan (4-8, 3-6)

MOUNTAIN:
Air Force (11-1, 8-0)
Wyoming (6-6, 5-3)
Boise St. (6-6, 5-3)
Utah St. (5-7, 3-5)
Colorado St. (5-7, 3-5)
New Mexico (4-7, 2-6)

WEST:
San Diego State (8-4, 5-3)
Hawai’i (7-4, 4-4)
San Jose St. (6-6, 4-4)
Fresno St. (6-6, 4-4)
Nevada (5-7, 3-5)
UNLV (3-9, 2-6)

NORTH:
Washington (8-4, 6-3)
Washington State (8-4, 6-3)
Stanford (7-5, 5-4)
Cal (8-4, 5-4)
Oregon State (6-6, 5-4)
Oregon (7-5, 4-5)

SOUTH:
UCLA (10-2, 8-1)
Utah (6-6, 5-4)
Arizona (4-8, 4-5)
Colorado (5-7, 3-6)
USC (4-8, 2-7)
Arizona St. (3-9, 1-8)

EAST:
Florida (10-2, 7-1)
Tennessee (9-3, 7-1)
Georgia (7-5, 5-3)
Kentucky (5-7, 4-4)
Missouri (6-6, 3-5)
South Carolina (4-8, 2-6)
Vanderbilt (3-9, 1-7)

WEST:
Ole Miss (12-0, 8-0)
Alabama (7-5, 5-3)
Texas A&M (6-6, 4-4)
LSU (7-5, 4-4)
Auburn (5-7, 2-6)
Arkansas (5-7, 2-6)
Mississippi St. (3-9, 2-6)

Troy (6-6, 5-2)
New Mexico St. (7-5, 5-2)
South Alabama (7-5, 5-2)
Georgia St. (7-5, 4-3)
UAB (4-8, 3-4)
UL-Lafayette (6-6, 3-4)
ULM (3-9, 2-5)
Idaho (3-9, 1-6)

UConn defenders Hill, Newton, Mandrell up for national awards

Some good news into an otherwise disappointing second half of the season, as three UConn defenders are up for national awards. Linebacker Mike Hill, currently leading the nation with 108 tackles, is nominated for the Bednarik and Nagurski Awards for the best defensive player in the nation, as well as the Butkus Award for best linebacker. Though Hill's other statistics aren't eye-popping (just one sack and one interception), Hill has been the anchor for a very strong unit most of the season.

Defensive end James Mandrell, currently third in the nation in sacks at eleven, is a Lombardi Award finalist. Though quiet at times this season, the Michigan native, grad student and third-year starter has continued to be a steady force in opposing backfields. Winning may be tricky for Mandrell, however, as Iowa State's Dan Glover is ahead of him with 11.5 sacks and has had a better season overall.

Finally, senior Kent Newton is up for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back, and an award won by the best in UConn history, Jamar Summers and Kent Newton. Newton's seven interceptions are tied for the national lead, despite him opening the year as the number-two corner. Newton blossomed into one of UConn's best defenders throughout the season, assuming command of the top corner spot after injury to classmate Sam Barnett. Like Mandrell, Newton has to contend with Pitt's star corner Tyjuan Monroe, who, despite just five interceptions, has had a better season statistically (20 more tackles and 18 pass breakups compared to Newton's eight).

Finally, wideout/return man Marcus Rodgers is up for the Jet Rodgers award (apt, I know). The junior has returned both a punt and kickoff for a score this year, stabilizing a position long in flux with inconsistencies of Carlton Parker and Jeff McNeal in years past.


Here's a full breakdown of awards finalists (excluding the Heisman, and not writing out stats):

MAXWELL
Justyce Tryson (QB, rSR, Oklahoma)
Stephen Francis (QB, rJR, UCLA)
Devon McCullough (QB, rSR, Ole Miss)

CAMP
Patrick Tuivalea (RB, SR, Washington St.)
Justyce Tryson (QB, rSR, Oklahoma)
Stephen Francis (QB, rJR, UCLA)

BEDNARIK
Dan Glover (DE, SR, Iowa St.)
Mike Hill (LB, rSR, UConn)
Michael Riley (DE, rSR, Ole Miss)

NAGURSKI
Dan Glover (DE, SR, Iowa St.)
Michael Riley (DE, SR, Ole Miss)
Mike Hill (LB, rSR, UConn)

O’BRIEN
Justyce Tryson (QB, rSR, Oklahoma)
Stephen Francis (QB, rJR, UCLA)
Devon McCullough (QB, rSR, Ole Miss)

WALKER
Patrick Tuivalea (RB, SR, Washington St.)
Chris Caveed (RB, SR, Wisconsin)
Steven Kent (RB, SR, Army West Point)

BILETNIKOFF
Landon Puckett (WR, SO, Michigan St.)
Doug McClain (WR, rSR, Western Kentucky)
Kevin Porter (WR, rJR, Oklahoma)

MACKEY
Brendan Tangier (TE, FR, Rutgers)
Justin Slaughter (TE, rSR, Stanford)
Rian Walton (TE, rSR, BYU)

OUTLAND
James Hill (G, rSR, Florida)
James Peters (C, rSR, Florida)
Champ Phillips (C, rJR, Texas)

RIMINGTON
James Peters (C, rSR, Florida)
Champ Phillips (C, rJR, Texas)
Micah Evans (C, rSR, LSU)

LOMBARDI
James Mandrell (DE, rSR, UConn)
Michael Riley (DE, rSR, Ole Miss)
Dan Glover (DE, SR, Iowa St.)

BUTKUS
Mike Hill (LB, rSR, UConn)
Gaylan Riley (LB, rJR, Oregon)
Kaleem King (LB, FR, South Carolina)

THORPE
Kent Newton (CB, rSR, UConn)
Tyjuan Monroe (CB, SR, Pitt)
Paul Evans (CB, rJR, Cal)

GROZA
Parker Standridge (K, SR, Notre Dame)
Carter Pardon (K, SR, Southern Miss)
Adam Fine (K, SR, N.C. State)

GUY
Chad Mills (P, FR, Ole Miss)
Alex Daffer (P, JR, LSU)
Alex Stallings (P, SR, Notre Dame)

JET RODGERS (Best RET)
Marcus Rodgers (WR, rJR, UConn)
Chase Weldon (RB, rFR, Ohio State)
Adam Benjamin (WR, rJR, Western Kentucky)

COACH OF THE YEAR
Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss)
Chris Creighton (Eastern Michigan)
Mark Dantonio (Michigan St.)


....and the most important award of all....

Foxke Brihay (OC, San Diego State, nofx94)
Laurence Gilbert (OC, Troy, Mike7Vinas)
Caleb Henderson (OC, Eastern Michigan, NewscasterNews4)
Connor Turley (HC, UCF, convict38)
Kaelyn Willingham (HC, Washington State, kswgrad2012)

Quote: Originally Posted by dfsJunkie

Heartbreaking loss to say the least. Riding high off an emotional win, your guys fell victim to the trap that was Wake Forest. There’s always next year I guess. Must have been crushing for you.

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

I knew they could be a trap! Their defense was really strong, holding you to under 400 total yards. It looks like the mismatches in the passing game didn't materialize. It's a really disappointing end to the regular season. A bowl game is just a small prize compared to a conference championship or a title run.

Quote: Originally Posted by young22

Now that's tough. Bullet called it, pretty sure it was him that said they could be a trap. Sucks to end the season like that, but let's hope you can still win a bowl.

Thanks guys, certainly a tough pill to swallow. We got so excited, then it all came crashing down in front of us. They came to ready to play, played TREMENDOUS team defense and exploited our fatigued defense with a heavy dose of running Waters in the end, along with some great blitzing. They used a similar gameplan as UCF did, and it worked to perfection.

You can absolutely say that we got caught napping, I didn't expect Wake to put up much of a fight and only realized we were in for a game when it was 14-0. I took their statistics lightly when I should have heeded the advice of you all. What else can I say other than it happens sometimes, I've thought for several weeks that this team wasn't good/consistent enough to be a playoff team, and that proved accurate. I've come to like not winning every year as it keeps things fresh and motivating to fire up games. Besides, with the very young team we've had this season (only eight seniors), we'll be better next year with most of the key contributors returning on offense, at the very least. There are several possible transfer candidates in my eyes as well as possibilities for early declarees (J.P. Byers, Vic Castalanetta, Jevon Sapp, Devin Brown, etc.), but if we can dodge them we should be right back in playoff contention next year.

I'll also take a second to say that as talented a player as Jordan is, he just can't seem to make it translate to the field all the time for some reason - today's game case in point. It may be just the purist, straight line, I-form offense I run, but his season has been a bit disappointing. I'm looking at some lineup changes for the bowl game, so we'll see if we can't give Jordan some momentum entering the offseason. His improvement will be key to our chances at returning to the CFP next year.

Considering our ranking inside the top 20, we should still get a nice bowl game either in low tier-1 or high tier-2; something like the Cigar Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl), the Citrus Bowl (formerly the Capital One Bowl), the Fidelity Bowl (formerly the Gator Bowl), something like that. The season isn't a total loss (yet), but a win against another solid, top 25 opponent could help salvage the disappointing second half a bit. We haven't finished under ten wins in about five years, so that would be nice to try and avoid.

[huskerfan01]

Heartbreaking loss. The CFP is now blown wide open with only one lock going into champ week. SEC + B1G seem to both have quarterfinal matchups. Will be an interesting Championship week