The Resurrection of Sonoma State

[SilverBullet19]

Breaking Even: Sonoma State Trounces FAU 77-45, improves to 2-2 on the Season



Willie Ross snags a 67 yard TD | Daniel McNeal beats double coverage for a TD

Boca Raton, FL -- Sonoma State continued their winning ways this week, dismantling the FAU defense for 77 points. With the win, the Seawolves improved to 2-2 on the year, while FAU has stumbled to 1-3.

After a pick-six on the opening drive, Brian Givens came back firing. He would lead a fast paced attack which saw HB #33 run it in from 6 yards out to tie the game. FAU and Sonoma would trade touchdowns again, leaving the score tied at 14 a piece. A quick stop by the Seawolves allowed the to take the lead as HB #33 ran it in from a yard out for his third rushing TD in the 1st quarter.

After holding FAU to a field goal, Brian Givens would hit Willie Ross on a 67 yard play action bomb for a TD. The score was 28-17 at that point, and Sonoma State never looked back. For the second straight game, they would do most of their damage in the first half, leading 56-24 at the break.

The game saw wild offensive numbers on both sides. Givens threw for 360 yards, but FAU's QB #4 went for 532. HB #33 set a new school record with 4 touchdown runs, but Sonoma State allowed multiple school receiving records for FAU. Coach Wright expressed that the Seawolves needed big improvements defensively.

"I don't like how were performing defensively. Obviously the offense has gelled, but we need the defense to do the same. You're supposed to win games by shutting a team down, not by relying on a high powered offense." - Sonoma State HC Scott Wright

Sonoma State will return home next week to face Florida Int'l. FIU narrowly lost to Alabama in their season opener, and could test the Seawolves. Sonoma State fans have shown excitement for the game, leading to the school bringing in extra temporary bleachers for the matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 P.M. EST. The game will not be televised except through the Sonoma State on campus channel.

Sonoma State Seawolves at Florida Atlantic Owls
Sep 24, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Sonoma State Seawolves (2-2) (1-0)	28	28	7	14	77
Florida Atlantic Owls (1-3) (0-1)	17	7	14	7	45

Team Stats Comparison
	SSU	FAU
Total Offense	663	588
Rushing Yards	303	56
Passing Yards	360	532
First Downs	29	23
Punt Return Yards	23	17
Kick Return Yards	210	303
Total Yards	896	908
Turnovers	1- 1 INT	1- 1 INT
3rd Down Converstion	4-6 (66%)	4-9 (44%)
4th Down Conversion	NA	NA
2-Point Conversion	NA	NA
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	9-9-0	5-3-1
Penalties	1-5	0-0
Posession Time	13:32	10:28

Sonoma State Seawolves PASSING C/A YDS TD INT B. Givens 21/29 360 4 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD HB #33 21 203 9.6 5 B. Givens 9 54 6.0 0 HB #6 5 25 5.0 0 J. Thomas 2 21 10.5 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD C. Browne 7 112 16.0 0 W. Ross 6 155 25.8 1 HB #33 4 42 10.5 0 TE #44 2 34 17.0 1 D. McNeal 1 10 10.0 1 J. Thomas 1 7 7.0 1

Florida Atlantic Owls PASSING C/A YDS TD INT QB #4 36/48 532 4 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD QB #4 9 48 5.3 1 HB #32 3 11 3.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD K. McNeil 13 202 15.5 0 HB #32 5 5 1.0 0 WR #85 5 156 31.2 1 WR #18 4 50 12.5 1 M. Mitchell 3 40 13.3 0

[DrGravyBoat]

This looks really good, can't wait to see where it goes

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrGravyBoat

This looks really good, can't wait to see where it goes

Thanks for checking in. I'm excited that the presentation will be much cleaner thanks to Cheese2121 showing me how to make the stat tables.

This year will be another strong season, I hope. Were in a weak conference and have a much improved team. 2017 could be our best, but I will have over 30 graduating seniors and will need to rebuild after that.

[SilverBullet19]

Seawolves Sit at .500 Through September

Rohnert Park, CA -- With the end of September, its time to fill in sports fans on how our Sonoma State Seawolves are doing. The Seawolves dropped their first two against tough competition. They lost their opener to then #5 Texas (now #2) and struggled mightily against a strong Fresno State team. Since then, however, they seem to have found their stride.

Sonoma State has won two in a row to reach the .500 mark. Both wins saw them score near or above 50 points in the first half. Although the wins were against Idaho and FAU, it showed they have a lot to build on. Heres a look at the good and the bad.

The Good

Offense- After a rocky start, the offense has exploded in the last two games. They have taken care of the ball and put up big numbers, scoring 77 against FAU last week.

Brian Givens- Givens has had a strong start to the season. On top of throwing for over 900 yards, he has only given away two interceptions. So far, he has truly bounced back each time he threw one. He is on pace for another 3000 yard season if he keeps it up.

HB #33- The junior running back has amassed almost 500 yards in just four short games. He has also been making great catches out of the backfield. He seems to be holding this offense together, and is on pace for a very big season.

Willie Ross- The JUCO transfer wide receiver has been an integral part of the passing game. He has been a major deep threat going for almost 22 yards per catch, and seems to be fitting in.

Marcus Franklin- The junior middle linebacker is averaging one interception per game at this point, and has two defensive scores to show for it. He is faster than ever and has a keen ability to read the screen pass.

The Bad

Defense- As a whole, they have been struggling. Against FAU they gave up over 500 passing yards. They allowed over 30 points to Idaho, despite racking up six turnovers.

Pass Rush- Gone are the All American defensive tackles of Johnson and Chambers, and the Seawolves are feeling the pain. The pass rush is lacking, allowing opposing quarterbacks a lot of time in the pocket.

Secondary- Although they have shown sparks, the secondary is struggling to keep receivers in check. They are feast or famine, racking up interceptions but allowing big gains on a regular basis. Isaac Johnson appears to have regressed in his pass coverage.


Time will tell how the season will go. The Seawolves had a strong start in conference play, and appear to have a strong shot at running the C-USA table once again. Here's a look at the standings.

Standings

C-USA (West) Conference Standings - Updated: Oct 1, 2016
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STRK
Sonoma State	2-2	.500	1-0	174	152	W2
Louisiana Tech	3-1	.750	0-0	110	101	W3
Rice	2-2	.500	0-0	102	142	W1
UTSA	2-2	.500	0-2	128	129	L2
UTEP	1-2	.330	0-0	54	93	L1
North Texas	1-3	.250	0-1	91	166	L1
Southern Miss	1-3	.250	0-0	95	104	W1

C-USA (East) Conference Standings - Updated: Oct 1, 2016
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STRK
Western Kentucky	3-1	.750	2-0	155	110	W2
Old Dominion	1-3	.250	1-0	99	194	W1
Marshall	2-1	.660	0-0	91	51	L1
Mid Tenn State	2-2	.500	0-0	121	124	W2
FIU	1-2	.330	0-0	82	58	L1
Florida Atlantic	1-3	.250	0-1	94	184	L1
UAB	1-3	.250	0-0	102	98	W1

A Look Ahead

Sonoma State faces a strong FIU team this week, followed by a trip to North Texas. They'll return home to face Southern Miss the following week. Sonoma State beat all three teams last season.

Recruiting

Sonoma State Seawolves Recruiting - 2016
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Brandon Jefferson	QB	HS	Gardnerville, Nevada	6'2"	215
Jim Carter	SS	HS	Glendale, California	6'0"	205

Sonoma State landed their first out of state recruit in 2 years with Brandon Jefferson. Jefferson, a Nevada native, is a mobile quarterback who prefers to sit in the pocket instead of run. He should fit into the scheme at Sonoma very well, and will likely red shirt as Givens has one year left to give. It is clear the Seawolves are already looking to groom a replacement for Givens. Jefferson was considering BYU and Tulsa before committing to Sonoma.

Jim Carter is a very balanced strong safety who plays well against the run. He does not have lightning speed, so it is unlikely he will move to corner. He may make a move to free safety, however, depending on depth. Carter was considering Fresno State and Oregon State prior to committing to Sonoma.

Stats

Sonoma State Seawolves Stats - 2016
Passing	C/ATT	YDS	AVG	YDS/G	LONG	TD	INT	RAT
Brian Givens	65/102	908	13.9	227.0	67	9	2	163.7
Rushing	ATT	YDS	AVG	LONG	20+	TD	YDS/G	FUM
HB #33	62	449	7.2	37	6	8	112.2	1
Brian Givens	55	213	3.8	36	1	2	53.2	2
HB #6	24	81	3.4	10	0	1	20.3	0
Jeremy Thomas	9	62	6.9	21	1	1	15.5	0
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	DROPS	YDS/G	YAC
TE #44	17	208	12.2	3	36	1	52.0	83
Chase Browne	14	214	15.2	1	26	0	53.5	40
HB #33	12	139	11.5	1	26	1	34.7	63
Willie Ross	10	219	21.9	1	67	1	54.7	60
Daniel McNeal	8	83	10.3	2	20	0	27.6	4
	Tackles			Sacks		Interceptions
Defense	SOLO	AST	TOT	SACK	TLOSS	PD	INT	TD
Lukas Williams	16	7	23	1.0	2	0	0	0
Marcus Franklin	15	8	23	0	2	0	4	2
Tyrone Steele	15	5	20	1.0	4	1	1	0
Isaac Johnson	11	7	18	0	0	1	1	0
Deandre Cade	11	6	17	3.0	5	0	0	0
Deon Harper	11	5	16	2.0	4	0	0	0
Skip Pollock	9	6	15	2.0	6	0	0	0
James Williams	8	5	13	0	0	0	0	0
Bruce Macklin	9	1	10	0	0	0	0	0
Zach Williams	6	3	9	1.0	2	0	0	0
	Kickoffs					Punts
Returning	ATT	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD	RET	AVG	TD
Isaac Johnson	16	466	29.1	75	0	7	4.5	0
	Field Goals				Extra Points
Kicking	FGM	FGA	PCT	LONG	XPM	XPA	PCT	PTS
Sean Bentley	4	5	80	52	22	22	100	34
Punting	PUNTS	YDS	LONG	AVG	NET	BP	IN20	TB
Sean Bentley	11	456	63	41.4	35.8	0	2	0

[SilverBullet19]

Top 25 at End of September

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Oct 1, 2016
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	Clemson (37)	4	0	1501
2	2	Texas (22)	4	0	1438
3	3	Oregon (1)	4	0	1394
4	4	Arizona (1)	3	0	1368
5	5	UCLA	5	0	1256
6	9	Ohio State	4	0	1028
7	10	West Virginia	3	0	990
8	11	Virginia Tech	3	0	990
9	12	Nebraska	4	0	869
10	14	Notre Dame	4	0	761
11	6	Washington State	3	1	757
12	15	Miami	3	1	695
13	16	Michigan	4	0	672
14	7	Alabama	4	1	652
15	17	Florida State	4	0	639
16	21	Wisconsin	2	2	557
17	18	Texas A&M	2	2	535
18	19	TCU	3	1	527
19	20	South Carolina	4	0	492
20	13	Kentucky	4	1	475
21	22	Oklahoma	4	1	382
22	NR	Ole Miss	2	1	369
23	25	Florida	4	1	369
24	24	USC	3	1	311
25	8	LSU	3	2	282

[SilverBullet19]

I'm still deciding on format here, based on the poll. Its pretty even that some people want an article for every game, and some want quick stat lines. I may go with articles for any game I find to be meaningful, somewhat like I did for 2015. All other games that are more "ho hum" get a quick stat line. Meaningful games like this include:
-Wins over power 5/ranked opponents
-"clinching" wins, such as a win to become bowl eligible or secure division champion spot
-Conference championship games and bowl games
-Rivalry games
-Anything else that seems relevant (I.E. major comeback win, overtime games, record setting games, etc)

My thought process is that it speeds up everyone's reading, so you don't need to read 12-14 articles per season to keep up. It also allows me to get through games much more quickly, and finish a season faster.

I'm also making an attempt to cover a bit more of the NCAA with my monthly update section (see Top 25 in last post).

Thoughts?

[whughes]

I personally like the full game write ups. It's definitely more to read, but it helps with the immersion of your dynasty. Same with adding in the top 25 and other things. It takes more time for you to write up, but it's a must to become fully immersed in your dynasty. Look at the great writers here like Cheese, Ksw, and Sportsguru (and many others) all of those guys give you updates about other things happening around the league.

Ultimately it comes down to what you like more. If you just want to put quick stat lines and move on then by all means do that. If you don't enjoy doing the long write ups then don't do them. You have to make sure that you're enjoying your dynasty, otherwise it won't matter what other people think. Because if you're not enjoying it, it won't last

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

I personally like the full game write ups. It's definitely more to read, but it helps with the immersion of your dynasty. Same with adding in the top 25 and other things. It takes more time for you to write up, but it's a must to become fully immersed in your dynasty. Look at the great writers here like Cheese, Ksw, and Sportsguru (and many others) all of those guys give you updates about other things happening around the league. Ultimately it comes down to what you like more. If you just want to put quick stat lines and move on then by all means do that. If you don't enjoy doing the long write ups then don't do them. You have to make sure that you're enjoying your dynasty, otherwise it won't matter what other people think. Because if you're not enjoying it, it won't last

I appreciate the feedback as always bud. I think you convinced me, I'll put out a good true update for each game and around the league news every few weeks (maybe like a monthly thing). Near the end Heisman updated will come often. It will take more time, but as you said its much more in depth.