Blazing a Trail - Coaching Legacy of Tyler McCray (NCAA 14)

[K0ZZ]

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

Hopefully you can come away with some learning point for the team, and start figuring out a few things that work. Because hey, if it works against the #2 team in the nation, it'll work against conference opponents lol. Do what you can to keep it tight, best of luck! They are stacked. Coach Petersen is a boss.

Well, Walter Dawn stepped up again, but that was one of the few learning points we took away from that!

[K0ZZ]

NCAA News

#21 Florida State Seminoles (1-2) 34 vs #17 Louisville Cardinals (2-1) 27

Lamar Jackson put on a show, piling up 284 yards with two touchdown passes while adding 37 more yards and another touchdown on the ground. It wouldn't be enough for the Louisville Cardinals to escape with a victory in this one, however. Deondre Francois had himself a game as well tossing for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns and adding 45 yards on the ground. It would, however, be Cam Akers who would get the final score for the Seminoles who managed to hold off a streaking Louisville side. The win puts the Seminoles back into the Top 25 despite a losing record, while the Cardinals drop 6 spots to #17 in the latest polls due to the loss.

#23 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-1) 34 vs #19 Georgia Bulldogs (2-1) 17

Arkansas stunned the Bulldogs on Saturday, routing the Bulldogs in a game that many expected to be heavily favored in the opposite direction. Austin Allen had himself a game, throwing for all four of the Razorbacks touchdowns while adding 251 yards through the air and not tossing a single interception. At the other end, Jacob Eason struggled, throwing for just 105 yards on 8-19 passing, and the dual-headed monster of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel didn't stand out, combining for 94 rushing yards on Saturday. The Razorbacks pick up their second victory and their first conference win, while the Bulldogs have only played conference foes thus far into the season and hope to rebound.

#9 Florida Gators (3-0) 28 vs Tennessee Volunteers (2-1) 25
Florida holds on to their victory, despite the Volunteers storming back in the fourth quarter. The Gators had a 21-10 lead heading into the final frame when the Volunteers came storming back. Quinten Dormady threw for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, connecting with Josh Smith for the score, and on their next drive, it would be Dormady connecting with Ty Chandler for the go-ahead score. The Gators weren't going to take that lightly, and with four minutes to remain, Feleipe Franks would punch the ball in on a keeper for a four yard score, he would run for three touchdowns and toss one more, though he did have three interceptions including one that was brought back for a Volunteer touchdown.

Texas Longhorns (2-1) 35 vs Kansas State Wildcats (1-2) 6

Texas remains undefeated in Big 12 play with their convincing smackdown of the Kansas State Wildcats. It wasn't enough to earn them a Top 25 spot this week, but Longhorn football is looking to finally start making a comeback. Forcing two interceptions, defensively and Shane Buechele overcame a rough start with a 41% completion percentage to throw for 237 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. He would also lead the team with 62 rushing yards. Garrett Gray had 104 receiving yards on 4 receptions and Collin Johnson added 2 touchdowns and 71 yards on 3 receptions.

Recruiting News

A quarterback revolution?

The top quarterbacks in this years recruiting class are seemingly taking the non-conventional route to their recruiting season. 3 of the 4 ranked within Sparq's top 100 rankings are currently listing mid-major programs as their top choice, and the lone major conference frontrunner is Northwestern which would be a significant boon for the Chicago area program.

Kyle Smith (4*) 6'3 195 lbs out of Jackson Alabama ran a 4.88 with a solid arm and good accuracy currently lists the Troy Trojans as his favorite and rumors are stating he is nearing signing a letter of intent to play for Troy. It would be a huge coup for the #1 rated quarterback to head to the Sunbelt of all places.

Sean Ryan (4*) 6'1 185 lbs out of Milwaukie, Oregon is spurning his home state Ducks and Beavers, in fact, he doesn't list either in his top teams. In fact, his top 3 stands with Northwestern leading the pack, followed by Texas A&M and Ole Miss rounding out the top 3. Ryan has given a verbal commitment to the Wildcats and many claim it's just a waiting game for him to sign his Letter of Intent. He ran a 4.72 and is a player that can beat teams with his legs as well as his arms. He isn't a gunslinger, but he has a capable arm and makes decent reads.

Kyle Cummings (4*) 6'0 197 lbs out of Reading Ohio currently ranks Eastern Michigan as his top program and has even given them a soft verbal commitment. Arkansas and Wisconsin lag far behind according to those close to Cummings. Cummings ran a 4.8, and has good arm strength, but his accuracy raised some question marks among scouts. He would be a likely four-year starter in Ypsilanti.

Finally, if it wasn't wild enough to have the Top 3 quarterbacks not going to historically dominant programs, the fourth quarterback is truly spurning convention. Sean Roberson (4*) 6'0 206lbs of Buena Park, California has given a soft verbal commitment to the UNLV Rebels. The Rebels had a strong basketball program a decade ago, and while their football program has significantly lagged behind in terms of talent, this signing could truly get them on the right page. He hasn't officially signed a letter of intent and Stanford, Washington and Oregon are all on the trail for his services.

With that said, this recruiting season for Quarterbacks may just be one of the wildest yet. If each player signs with their current favorite, it would be a major coup for mid-majors who could see a major bolstering of their quarterbacking core.

[K0ZZ]

Week 5 Game Preview

Matchup Preview | September 28, 2017
	@
Kansas Jayhawks (0-2, Away)		UTEP Miners (1-2, 1-1 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 215 Total Offensive Yards 311 120 Passing Yards 154 95 Rushing Yards 157 4.5 Points Per Game 18 Defensive Stats Comparison 420.5 Total Yards Allowed 500 224.5 Passing Yards Allowed 284.3 196 Rushing Yards Allowed 215.7 33 Points Allowed 36

Kansas Jayhawks Statistical Leaders
Passing: Carter Stanley RS-SO [74 OVR] (7-14) 112 PaYds 1 TD
Rushing: Khalil Herbert (HB) SO [80 OVR] 28 Carries for 143 Rushing Yards (5.1 YPC)
Receiving: Steven Sims Jr (WR) JR [84 OVR] 4 Receptions for 45 Yards and 1 TD

Defensive Leaders
Joe Dineen Jr (OLB) RS-JR [85 OVR] 16 Tackles 2 FL 0.5 Sacks FR
Denzel Feaster (OLB) JR [73 OVR] 12 Tackles 3 FL 0.5 Sacks FR
Josh Ehambe (DE) RS-JR [75 OVR] 12 Tackles 3 FL 1.5 Sacks FR

UTEP Miners Statistical Leaders
Passing: Ryan Metz RS-JR [78 OVR] (49-117) 474 PaYds 2 TD 2 INT
Rushing: Walter Dawn SO [70 OVR] 43 Carries for 213 Yards (4.9 YPC) 2 TD
Receiving: Kavika Johnson (WR) JR [72 OVR] 7 Receptions for 91 Yards

Defensive Leaders
Alvin Jones (ILB) RS-SR [88 OVR] 24 Tackles 9 FL 4 Sacks
Justin Rogers (CB) SO [70 OVR] 21 Tackles 2 FL 1 Sack 1 DEF
Nik Needham (CB) RS-JR [80 OVR] 15 Tackles 1 FL 1 INT 2 DEF 1 DTD

Kansas will travel to El-Paso looking to pick up their first win on the season, while the Miners who are hosting a couple of recruits this weekend will be looking to knot their record back up at .500. The Miners are actually favored in this game, as the Jayhawks offense has been nothing short of horrendous this season, having only scored one touchdown thus far. Their incumbent starting quarterback Peyton Bender started out the season throwing 12-45 for 78 yards with 4 interceptions before finally being benched for third year Sophomore Carter Stanley.

Both teams defenses rank in the bottom third of the league, but the Miners defense will finally get an opportunity for a statement game. The Jayhawks offense sits second to last in the entire NCAA for yardage and the worst for scoring at just 4.5 points per game! The big take away and ultimately what will determine this game is which offense will show up. The Miners offense has had two weeks of poor aerial attacks, and could be looking for a break out game this week.

The Jayhawks on the other hand had next to no success, even with Khalil Herbert being a good talent at the halfback position and Steven Sims is a good wide out, but has been underutilized thus far. If Carter Stanley is given the starting nod this week, it would be a tremendous boon for his squad in this one, looking back to Week 2 against New Mexico State, Tyler Rogers dominated on the ground and that opened up the passing attack for the Aggies.

Stanley is good on the ground and if he does that, it might open up the passing game to Sims. Nik Needham will need to have another big game opposite Sims and lock him down to prevent him from getting into a rhythm against the Miners in order for them to win. A 2-2 start to the season would be significantly better than the 0-4 start that was projected for them in the preseason.

The Verdict:

The emergence of Walter Dawn and a suspected revitalization of the passing attack against a weak secondary will spell victory for the Miners in this contest. The Jayhawks will keep it close, but ultimately the Miners will secure the victory and improve to 2-2, Walter Dawn will break 100 yards again and Ryan Metz will pass for over 200 with two touchdowns. 24-17 UTEP.

[R1zzo23]

I think we all had a feeling that Washington was going to have their way with you. Just collect the check and move on to the next one. Crazy to see all the top QB recruits going to small schools. This game always keeps you on your toes!

[SilverBullet19]

Agreed with Rizzo, we knew how it would end lol. It would be great to take down Kansas though. For some reason, they always gave me a big fight. Best of luck!

[K0ZZ]

Quote: Originally Posted by R1zzo23

I think we all had a feeling that Washington was going to have their way with you. Just collect the check and move on to the next one. Crazy to see all the top QB recruits going to small schools. This game always keeps you on your toes!

Yep, just a paycheck game! I've never seen this game do that, and to be honest I don't remember the last time I've seen a team like EMU getting a high ranked recruit like that!

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

Agreed with Rizzo, we knew how it would end lol. It would be great to take down Kansas though. For some reason, they always gave me a big fight. Best of luck!

Yeah, Kansas historically is a game I struggle against too, can't really explain it!

[K0ZZ]

Terry Juniel broke open the scoring in this one, scoring on a big touchdown reception to give the Miners an early 10-0 lead

22 @ 27

Ryan Metz and Walter Dawn both eclipse the century mark on an afternoon where the Miner's offense seemed to fully show life on both ends of the ball, Ryan Metz adding 200 passing yards through the air as well in the Miner's victory over the winless Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday. The Miners were in control throughout, and held off a late Jayhawks surge to improve to .500 on the season and stun a major conference program, admittedly one that came in as an underdog simply because they have been that awful.

This victory was big for the Miners, though. It gives the program momentum it desperately needs, especially as it looks towards it's conference schedule. Especially with how this team started this matchup, they definitely can look to that as a building block for future contests. The Miners truly looked in control, and though their offense took a little bit of time to truly come to life, once they did it was an impressive display.

The Miner's aerial attack hadn't been very good thus far, Ryan Metz struggling in his past two starts. He showed off an impressive slinging performance in completing over 60% of his passes on Saturday, and with the score in their favor they were able to limit his passing. The defense bent but didn't break and it would pay off in a big way for the Miners, as their offense was given every opportunity to flourish. The first quarter's first points would come off a field goal for the Miners, but they would come right back, adding a touchdown pass to Terry Juniel, the first touchdown reception for the junior wideout who had a season best performance for himself, finishing with 4 receptions and sixty yards to go along with his touchdown.

Things wouldn't get better for the Jayhawks in the second quarter, Peyton Bender would have the Jayhawks cruising downfield, only to have a route jumped by Justin Rogers and he would be off, breaking the NCAA record for longest interception return when he would run it back 86 yards for a huge touchdown, swinging momentum squarely back in the favor of the Miners, who would jump out to a 17-0 lead and the fans inside the Sun Bowl were loud.

The shutout would remain in tact for most of the second quarter, though a few good Khalil Herbert rushes would set them up in field goal position for their first three points. The Miners would try burning out the clock with a rush up the middle by Walter Dawn, the sophomore speedster would take a punishing hit and the ball would be recovered by the Jayhawks, who would kick another field goal before time expired in the half, sending the game to halftime at 17-6.

The Jayhawks didn't plan on going down without a fight.

Kansas had one touchdown coming into this game, from their backup quarterback none the less. Their offense has been in short, terrible. Khalil Herbert did his part to change that particular fact, though he would continue to be shut out of the endzone, he broke off four runs of over twenty yards. Including a 26 yard run on third and short that brought the ball into the Miner's end of the field.

Daylon Charlot would have himself a great game out of the slot, the Jayhawks were able to exploit this matchup to huge effect, as the wideout had a career day with 145 receiving yards on 10 catches, leading the team on both accounts. Including a big touchdown reception, early in the third quarter that saw the Jayhawks finally get on the board and narrow their deficit, to a 17-13 affair, the Jayhawks not going for two oddly enough which kept the Miners ahead by four.

Though that lead would only continue to grow for the Miners, who after allowing the touchdown drive would come right back on offense and push the ball downfield, Walter Dawn taking a run to the outside and going untouched into the endzone for a 17 yard score, Dawn had a terrific game breaking the century mark and proving the starting job should remain his.

That run would deflate the Jayhawks whose offense wouldn't be able to account for much the rest of the game, a field goal at the midway point by the Jayhawks would be erased by one from the Miners which made the game 27-16, which would hold until the final few minutes of the game. The Jayhawks showed some life, as Charlot would once again exploit the defense to help move the ball downfield, before setting up a huge Steven Sims touchdown reception that would bring the game within a single score.

The only problem was the Jayhawks couldn't stop the ground game from the other end, and on a crucial third and short, Walter Dawn would fight for the first down and lead to the victory formation coming out for the Miners, a formation many didn't expect to see even once this season.

"It felt good. Obviously, there's a lot we have to work on, our defense is giving up yards at a rate that isn't sustainable, but our offense fought hard, and our defense made the stops when we needed them. Justin [Rogers] was huge for us, and that pick six really drove home to the Jayhawks that we weren't going to go down without a fight, and while they rallied and almost stole this one from us, we persevered. I'm proud of this team, we can celebrate tonight, and get to work on Monday" Spoke Tyler McCray, who has now won two more games than expected in his first year at UTEP.

The Miners improve to 2-2 and are off next week before heading Northeast, to Tennessee, where they will take on the 2-2 Volunteers. While the Jayhawks fall to 0-3 on the season and in their one, winnable game. The Jayhawks have Nebraska next week which will open up a brutal schedule that sees them taking on four of six ranked teams.

(1)Walter Dawn lays out for his touchdown, making sure the score was good. His touchdown was huge in preventing a Jayhawk comeback.
(2) Peyton Bender had himself a game, tossing for 328 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but it was his two interceptions that stole the show in the Jayhawks loss


(3)Steven Sims Jr reels in a beautiful touchdown reception, after having a huge day for the Jayhawks, his late touchdown would bring the game within a single score, but the Jayhawks wouldn't touch the ball again.
(4)Justin Rogers pulled in two interceptions on the day, including this one in the redzone, it would be a difference maker for the Miners

Kansas Jayhawks at UTEP Miners
Sep 28, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Kansas Jayhawks (0-3)	0	6	7	9	22
UTEP Miners (2-2)	10	7	7	3	27

Team Stats Comparison
	KU	UTEP
Total Offense	543	421
Rushing Yards	215	215
Passing Yards	328	206
First Downs	25	21
Punt Return Yards	14	14
Kick Return Yards	80	73
Total Yards	637	508
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	4-12	6-13
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0-1	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	(2-2)/8	(1-2)/4
Penalties	1-15	0-0
Possession Time	13:45	22:15

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		KU	UTEP
2:59	(UTEP) B.Viles, 24 yd FG	0	3
0:05	(UTEP) T.Juniel, 33 yd pass from R.Metz	0	10
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		KU	UTEP
7:54	(UTEP) J.Rogers, returned interception 86 yds	0	17
1:11	(KU) G.R u i, 20 Yd FG	3	17
0:00	(KU) G. R u i, 26 Yd FG	6	17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		KU	UTEP
8:10	(KU) D.Charlot, 11 yd pass from P.Bender	13	17
6:17	(UTEP) W.Dawn, 17 yd run	13	24
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		KU	UTEP
5:08	(KU) G. R u i, 41 yd fg	16	24
3:37	(UTEP) B.Viles, 24 yd fg	16	27
2:54	(KU) S.Sims Jr., 17 yd pass from P.Bender (2-PT failed)	22	27

Kansas Jayhawks PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Peyton Bender 20/40 328 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Khalil Herbert 19 156 8.2 0 Peyton Bender 12 60 5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Daylon Charlot 10 145 14.5 1 Steven Sims Jr 5 140 28 1 Jeremiah Booker 2 19 9.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Mike Lee 11 0 0 0 Derrick Neal 9 0 0 0 Antonio Cole 0 0 1 0

UTEP Miners PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Ryan Metz 19/31 206 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Walter Dawn 27 102 3.7 1 Ryan Metz 11 104 9.4 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Tyler Batson 4 69 17.2 0 Terry Juniel 4 60 15 1 Kavika Johnson 4 56 14 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Nik Needham 8 0 0 0 Alvin Jones 7 0 0 0 Justin Rogers 7 0 2 1

[SilverBullet19]

Solid win. The early start definitely helped as they came on strong in the second half, but way to hang on for a victory. Don't discount it, that's a power 5 opponent!