NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

[skitch]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

GREAT journal. . I love reading this man, keep it up.

Good luck in building Houston into a powerhouse. . I'm sure you can do it with time.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Thanks for the compliments. This is tougher than I figured it'd be. But it's very fun.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Thanks for the compliments. This is tougher than I figured it'd be. But it's very fun.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Thanks for the compliments. This is tougher than I figured it'd be. But it's very fun.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Houston (0-2) at ECU (2-1)

FIRST HALF
Earlier this week the head coach announced that this would be the first game in which there was a definitive starter at quarterback -- Aaron Anderson. The Houston Cougars defense was ranked #9 in the nation coming into the contest in yards allowed so far this year. ECU had no problem shredding apart the secondary, however, as they leapt to a 7-0 lead. The opening drive included a 4th & 4 conversion inside the red zone. On the Cougars opening drive, they faced a 4th & 4 as well. It was also converted, and set them up inside the ECU 30 yard line. My drive ended with Adam Varnado nailing a 30-yard field goal to make it 7-3. My FS helped me get the ball back by making an acrobatic interception. A brilliant drive by Anderson and Thorburn put the ball at the 3, and back-up RB Teddy Stewart was giving Thorburn a breather and took it to the house to give Houston a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter. It is Houston's first lead of the season. ( ) They then scored on a 68-yard pass to go up 14-10. I got the ball with 1:30 left in the half. I drove to the 22 and was about to get ready for a FG when Anderson threw an interception.

HALFTIME: ECU leads 14-10

SECOND HALF
I got the ball first in the second half. A couple of hard runs by John Thorburn kept the drive alive early and a long pass to my tight end got me inside the ECU 30 once more. Near the goaline, Thorburn needed a breather again, and the same thing happened -- Teddy Stewart took advantage and put the ball in the endzone. 17-14, Cougars get the lead back. In all, the drive was 12 plays, 79 yards, and lasted for 2:39. I stopped them and drove down again, but at the 3 yard line, Aaron Anderson went down to some sort of elbow injury and the drive stalled. Varnado's 26-yard field goal made it 20-14 in Houston's favor. On the ensuing ECU possession, they faced 3rd and 14 and the defense proved to be too strong, forcing a punt. This meant that the Cougars got the ball back to start the 4th quarter. Anderson came back out onto the field, much to the relief of the Houston head coach. I promptly went 3-and-out. My defense forced the same. They got the ball back and had a fast drive that stalled out at midfield. As soon as the Cougars offense is on the field, Anderson and Thorburn go to work. A couple of crucial 3rd down conversion kept the drive alive and got Houston close enough to the goal posts. As Adam Varnado's 33-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, Houston fans were filled with hope as they now had a 23-14 lead with just 1 minute left to play. With 40 seconds left, ECU's wide receiver makes a helluva catch off the tip and streaks away for the 81-yard TD. 40 ticks left. Onside kick time for ECU. 23-21. Houston recovers! Anderson kneels to end the game! The Cougars hang on to win it!

FINAL: Houston wins 23-21
Greatest Games Score: 344

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
The Cougars get the monkey off their backs and finally pull off a victory!

Game Ball
The game ball was given to #13 Aaron Anderson. Told that he was the full starter for the game gave him quite a confidence boost. He was 27/45 for 304 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He was huge in leading Houston to their first victory this year.

Other Mentionable Performances
- Adam Varnado made 3 crucial field goals in the 23-21 victory.

- The duo of John Thorburn and Teddy Stewart was somewhat solid today. Though Thorburn did most of the work running for over 50 yards, Stewart ran 6 times for a total of 16 yards and put up a pair of touchdowns.

COMMENTS
The Cougars finally were able to stay focused and put together a winning performance. It feels much better to be 1-2 than it would to be 0-3. The team got stronger with this game and hopefully it will give them some confidence going into the next few weeks as the conference battle starts to heat up.

Houston Cougars: 1-2
Next Game: vs Florida State (3-3)

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Houston (0-2) at ECU (2-1)

FIRST HALF
Earlier this week the head coach announced that this would be the first game in which there was a definitive starter at quarterback -- Aaron Anderson. The Houston Cougars defense was ranked #9 in the nation coming into the contest in yards allowed so far this year. ECU had no problem shredding apart the secondary, however, as they leapt to a 7-0 lead. The opening drive included a 4th & 4 conversion inside the red zone. On the Cougars opening drive, they faced a 4th & 4 as well. It was also converted, and set them up inside the ECU 30 yard line. My drive ended with Adam Varnado nailing a 30-yard field goal to make it 7-3. My FS helped me get the ball back by making an acrobatic interception. A brilliant drive by Anderson and Thorburn put the ball at the 3, and back-up RB Teddy Stewart was giving Thorburn a breather and took it to the house to give Houston a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter. It is Houston's first lead of the season. ( ) They then scored on a 68-yard pass to go up 14-10. I got the ball with 1:30 left in the half. I drove to the 22 and was about to get ready for a FG when Anderson threw an interception.

HALFTIME: ECU leads 14-10

SECOND HALF
I got the ball first in the second half. A couple of hard runs by John Thorburn kept the drive alive early and a long pass to my tight end got me inside the ECU 30 once more. Near the goaline, Thorburn needed a breather again, and the same thing happened -- Teddy Stewart took advantage and put the ball in the endzone. 17-14, Cougars get the lead back. In all, the drive was 12 plays, 79 yards, and lasted for 2:39. I stopped them and drove down again, but at the 3 yard line, Aaron Anderson went down to some sort of elbow injury and the drive stalled. Varnado's 26-yard field goal made it 20-14 in Houston's favor. On the ensuing ECU possession, they faced 3rd and 14 and the defense proved to be too strong, forcing a punt. This meant that the Cougars got the ball back to start the 4th quarter. Anderson came back out onto the field, much to the relief of the Houston head coach. I promptly went 3-and-out. My defense forced the same. They got the ball back and had a fast drive that stalled out at midfield. As soon as the Cougars offense is on the field, Anderson and Thorburn go to work. A couple of crucial 3rd down conversion kept the drive alive and got Houston close enough to the goal posts. As Adam Varnado's 33-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, Houston fans were filled with hope as they now had a 23-14 lead with just 1 minute left to play. With 40 seconds left, ECU's wide receiver makes a helluva catch off the tip and streaks away for the 81-yard TD. 40 ticks left. Onside kick time for ECU. 23-21. Houston recovers! Anderson kneels to end the game! The Cougars hang on to win it!

FINAL: Houston wins 23-21
Greatest Games Score: 344

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
The Cougars get the monkey off their backs and finally pull off a victory!

Game Ball
The game ball was given to #13 Aaron Anderson. Told that he was the full starter for the game gave him quite a confidence boost. He was 27/45 for 304 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He was huge in leading Houston to their first victory this year.

Other Mentionable Performances
- Adam Varnado made 3 crucial field goals in the 23-21 victory.

- The duo of John Thorburn and Teddy Stewart was somewhat solid today. Though Thorburn did most of the work running for over 50 yards, Stewart ran 6 times for a total of 16 yards and put up a pair of touchdowns.

COMMENTS
The Cougars finally were able to stay focused and put together a winning performance. It feels much better to be 1-2 than it would to be 0-3. The team got stronger with this game and hopefully it will give them some confidence going into the next few weeks as the conference battle starts to heat up.

Houston Cougars: 1-2
Next Game: vs Florida State (3-3)

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Houston (0-2) at ECU (2-1)

FIRST HALF
Earlier this week the head coach announced that this would be the first game in which there was a definitive starter at quarterback -- Aaron Anderson. The Houston Cougars defense was ranked #9 in the nation coming into the contest in yards allowed so far this year. ECU had no problem shredding apart the secondary, however, as they leapt to a 7-0 lead. The opening drive included a 4th & 4 conversion inside the red zone. On the Cougars opening drive, they faced a 4th & 4 as well. It was also converted, and set them up inside the ECU 30 yard line. My drive ended with Adam Varnado nailing a 30-yard field goal to make it 7-3. My FS helped me get the ball back by making an acrobatic interception. A brilliant drive by Anderson and Thorburn put the ball at the 3, and back-up RB Teddy Stewart was giving Thorburn a breather and took it to the house to give Houston a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter. It is Houston's first lead of the season. ( ) They then scored on a 68-yard pass to go up 14-10. I got the ball with 1:30 left in the half. I drove to the 22 and was about to get ready for a FG when Anderson threw an interception.

HALFTIME: ECU leads 14-10

SECOND HALF
I got the ball first in the second half. A couple of hard runs by John Thorburn kept the drive alive early and a long pass to my tight end got me inside the ECU 30 once more. Near the goaline, Thorburn needed a breather again, and the same thing happened -- Teddy Stewart took advantage and put the ball in the endzone. 17-14, Cougars get the lead back. In all, the drive was 12 plays, 79 yards, and lasted for 2:39. I stopped them and drove down again, but at the 3 yard line, Aaron Anderson went down to some sort of elbow injury and the drive stalled. Varnado's 26-yard field goal made it 20-14 in Houston's favor. On the ensuing ECU possession, they faced 3rd and 14 and the defense proved to be too strong, forcing a punt. This meant that the Cougars got the ball back to start the 4th quarter. Anderson came back out onto the field, much to the relief of the Houston head coach. I promptly went 3-and-out. My defense forced the same. They got the ball back and had a fast drive that stalled out at midfield. As soon as the Cougars offense is on the field, Anderson and Thorburn go to work. A couple of crucial 3rd down conversion kept the drive alive and got Houston close enough to the goal posts. As Adam Varnado's 33-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, Houston fans were filled with hope as they now had a 23-14 lead with just 1 minute left to play. With 40 seconds left, ECU's wide receiver makes a helluva catch off the tip and streaks away for the 81-yard TD. 40 ticks left. Onside kick time for ECU. 23-21. Houston recovers! Anderson kneels to end the game! The Cougars hang on to win it!

FINAL: Houston wins 23-21
Greatest Games Score: 344

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
The Cougars get the monkey off their backs and finally pull off a victory!

Game Ball
The game ball was given to #13 Aaron Anderson. Told that he was the full starter for the game gave him quite a confidence boost. He was 27/45 for 304 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He was huge in leading Houston to their first victory this year.

Other Mentionable Performances
- Adam Varnado made 3 crucial field goals in the 23-21 victory.

- The duo of John Thorburn and Teddy Stewart was somewhat solid today. Though Thorburn did most of the work running for over 50 yards, Stewart ran 6 times for a total of 16 yards and put up a pair of touchdowns.

COMMENTS
The Cougars finally were able to stay focused and put together a winning performance. It feels much better to be 1-2 than it would to be 0-3. The team got stronger with this game and hopefully it will give them some confidence going into the next few weeks as the conference battle starts to heat up.

Houston Cougars: 1-2
Next Game: vs Florida State (3-3)

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Rumor News

It is rumored that in preparation for the upcoming game against Florida State, that the head coach is thinking of switching up his game plan. It is not a definite decision yet, just a mere consideration.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Rumor News

It is rumored that in preparation for the upcoming game against Florida State, that the head coach is thinking of switching up his game plan. It is not a definite decision yet, just a mere consideration.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Rumor News

It is rumored that in preparation for the upcoming game against Florida State, that the head coach is thinking of switching up his game plan. It is not a definite decision yet, just a mere consideration.

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Florida State (3-3) at Houston (1-2) Recap

The head coach knew that FSU posed a great challenge to the Cougars. A decision was made to try out a new playbook, in the hope that it would spark the offense and maybe give Houston a little better chance at pulling off a win. The defense was confident going into this game, as they ranked 8th in the NCAA in yards allowed.

This game was a very sloppy game for the FSU quarterback. You'll see what I mean as we proceed. Houston got the ball first. They had a long drive, but they didn't get many yards and were stopped at their own 40 yard line. FSU then quickly made it within the 30 yard line, but were held to a field goal attempt which was missed mainly due to the wind. The wind was gusting up to 31 mph. The Cougars took control on their next drive, which ended with John Thorburn rushing it into the endzone. 7-0 Houston. After great defense, Houston gets the ball back and after converting a 4th down, Anderson hits the TE Barry for a touchdown -- 14-0. More solid D from the Cougars. Houston drives down again, and this time Teddy Stewart takes it in for 6. The PAT made it 21-0. FSU's fate darkened as an errant pass turned into a Zach Lane interception returned for a touchdown. 28-0, Houston was absolutely dominating. FSU's next drive: a pass bounced off a WR's helmet and Lane dove for his second interception of the game. The Cougars failed to get lucky on a hail marry and at halftime, the score was 28-0.

The second half didn't provide as much offense for Houston but there was more than plenty of defense. FSU got the ball first and were forced to go 3-and-out. On the punt, however, WR Tommy Austin fumbled on the return and FSU recovered at the Houston 28. They quickly scored a touchdown, but missed the extra point-- 28-6. Houston would punt. FSU would throw another bad pass, winding up in Lane's 3rd INT of the game. This was getting rediculous. Cougars failed to make anything of it, missing a 41 yard field goal attempt. On FSU's next drive, they hit a WR for 49 yards and a touchdown. The 2 pt failed-- 28-12. Same thing happened on FSU's next drive: Lane picked off his 4th pass. Cougars attempted to convert on 4th & inches from the 26, but the backup FB Lindsay failed to get it done. No worries though, Lane intercepted it for the 5th time in the game on the next drive. Here's a quick rundown of the next few series:

[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Webb[*]Houston: Throws an INT on first pass[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Howell[/list]

Houston's K Adam Varnado missed another FG. Late in the fourth, another John Thorburn touchdown run made it 35-12. FSU's quarterback threw a final ninth interception and Anderson kneeled to end the game.

Houston wins 35-12.

Houston's Record: 2-2

PLAYER of the GAME
It's got to be Zach Lane, who intercepted the ball 5 times, once for a touchdown, and had 4 tackles.

SURPRISE of the GAME
FSU turned it over so many times. Nine as a matter of fact, and all of them came as interceptions. It was incredible. Houston turned it over only twice.

Mentionable Performances
QB Aaron Anderson - 100.9, 26/48, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RB John Thorburn - 31 att, 74 yards, 2 TD - 5 rec, 32 yards
TE Derrick Barry - 12 rec, 113 yards, 1 TD

COMMENTS
2-2!! Alright! Now the Cougars really have some confidence as they get ready to go pay a visit to 3-3 Tulane.

Old School Report
This week saw an upset in the Top 25 involving the coach's former team-- Texas. #20 Kansas State knocked off #7 Texas. My former team fell 31-14.

REAL Comments
What the hell was with the interceptions? 10 altogether. It's on Heisman... should I actually be turning the INT sliders down?

Either way...

Houston is 2-2

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Florida State (3-3) at Houston (1-2) Recap

The head coach knew that FSU posed a great challenge to the Cougars. A decision was made to try out a new playbook, in the hope that it would spark the offense and maybe give Houston a little better chance at pulling off a win. The defense was confident going into this game, as they ranked 8th in the NCAA in yards allowed.

This game was a very sloppy game for the FSU quarterback. You'll see what I mean as we proceed. Houston got the ball first. They had a long drive, but they didn't get many yards and were stopped at their own 40 yard line. FSU then quickly made it within the 30 yard line, but were held to a field goal attempt which was missed mainly due to the wind. The wind was gusting up to 31 mph. The Cougars took control on their next drive, which ended with John Thorburn rushing it into the endzone. 7-0 Houston. After great defense, Houston gets the ball back and after converting a 4th down, Anderson hits the TE Barry for a touchdown -- 14-0. More solid D from the Cougars. Houston drives down again, and this time Teddy Stewart takes it in for 6. The PAT made it 21-0. FSU's fate darkened as an errant pass turned into a Zach Lane interception returned for a touchdown. 28-0, Houston was absolutely dominating. FSU's next drive: a pass bounced off a WR's helmet and Lane dove for his second interception of the game. The Cougars failed to get lucky on a hail marry and at halftime, the score was 28-0.

The second half didn't provide as much offense for Houston but there was more than plenty of defense. FSU got the ball first and were forced to go 3-and-out. On the punt, however, WR Tommy Austin fumbled on the return and FSU recovered at the Houston 28. They quickly scored a touchdown, but missed the extra point-- 28-6. Houston would punt. FSU would throw another bad pass, winding up in Lane's 3rd INT of the game. This was getting rediculous. Cougars failed to make anything of it, missing a 41 yard field goal attempt. On FSU's next drive, they hit a WR for 49 yards and a touchdown. The 2 pt failed-- 28-12. Same thing happened on FSU's next drive: Lane picked off his 4th pass. Cougars attempted to convert on 4th & inches from the 26, but the backup FB Lindsay failed to get it done. No worries though, Lane intercepted it for the 5th time in the game on the next drive. Here's a quick rundown of the next few series:

[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Webb[*]Houston: Throws an INT on first pass[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Howell[/list]

Houston's K Adam Varnado missed another FG. Late in the fourth, another John Thorburn touchdown run made it 35-12. FSU's quarterback threw a final ninth interception and Anderson kneeled to end the game.

Houston wins 35-12.

Houston's Record: 2-2

PLAYER of the GAME
It's got to be Zach Lane, who intercepted the ball 5 times, once for a touchdown, and had 4 tackles.

SURPRISE of the GAME
FSU turned it over so many times. Nine as a matter of fact, and all of them came as interceptions. It was incredible. Houston turned it over only twice.

Mentionable Performances
QB Aaron Anderson - 100.9, 26/48, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RB John Thorburn - 31 att, 74 yards, 2 TD - 5 rec, 32 yards
TE Derrick Barry - 12 rec, 113 yards, 1 TD

COMMENTS
2-2!! Alright! Now the Cougars really have some confidence as they get ready to go pay a visit to 3-3 Tulane.

Old School Report
This week saw an upset in the Top 25 involving the coach's former team-- Texas. #20 Kansas State knocked off #7 Texas. My former team fell 31-14.

REAL Comments
What the hell was with the interceptions? 10 altogether. It's on Heisman... should I actually be turning the INT sliders down?

Either way...

Houston is 2-2

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Florida State (3-3) at Houston (1-2) Recap

The head coach knew that FSU posed a great challenge to the Cougars. A decision was made to try out a new playbook, in the hope that it would spark the offense and maybe give Houston a little better chance at pulling off a win. The defense was confident going into this game, as they ranked 8th in the NCAA in yards allowed.

This game was a very sloppy game for the FSU quarterback. You'll see what I mean as we proceed. Houston got the ball first. They had a long drive, but they didn't get many yards and were stopped at their own 40 yard line. FSU then quickly made it within the 30 yard line, but were held to a field goal attempt which was missed mainly due to the wind. The wind was gusting up to 31 mph. The Cougars took control on their next drive, which ended with John Thorburn rushing it into the endzone. 7-0 Houston. After great defense, Houston gets the ball back and after converting a 4th down, Anderson hits the TE Barry for a touchdown -- 14-0. More solid D from the Cougars. Houston drives down again, and this time Teddy Stewart takes it in for 6. The PAT made it 21-0. FSU's fate darkened as an errant pass turned into a Zach Lane interception returned for a touchdown. 28-0, Houston was absolutely dominating. FSU's next drive: a pass bounced off a WR's helmet and Lane dove for his second interception of the game. The Cougars failed to get lucky on a hail marry and at halftime, the score was 28-0.

The second half didn't provide as much offense for Houston but there was more than plenty of defense. FSU got the ball first and were forced to go 3-and-out. On the punt, however, WR Tommy Austin fumbled on the return and FSU recovered at the Houston 28. They quickly scored a touchdown, but missed the extra point-- 28-6. Houston would punt. FSU would throw another bad pass, winding up in Lane's 3rd INT of the game. This was getting rediculous. Cougars failed to make anything of it, missing a 41 yard field goal attempt. On FSU's next drive, they hit a WR for 49 yards and a touchdown. The 2 pt failed-- 28-12. Same thing happened on FSU's next drive: Lane picked off his 4th pass. Cougars attempted to convert on 4th & inches from the 26, but the backup FB Lindsay failed to get it done. No worries though, Lane intercepted it for the 5th time in the game on the next drive. Here's a quick rundown of the next few series:

[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Webb[*]Houston: Throws an INT on first pass[*]FSU: Throws an INT to Howell[/list]

Houston's K Adam Varnado missed another FG. Late in the fourth, another John Thorburn touchdown run made it 35-12. FSU's quarterback threw a final ninth interception and Anderson kneeled to end the game.

Houston wins 35-12.

Houston's Record: 2-2

PLAYER of the GAME
It's got to be Zach Lane, who intercepted the ball 5 times, once for a touchdown, and had 4 tackles.

SURPRISE of the GAME
FSU turned it over so many times. Nine as a matter of fact, and all of them came as interceptions. It was incredible. Houston turned it over only twice.

Mentionable Performances
QB Aaron Anderson - 100.9, 26/48, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RB John Thorburn - 31 att, 74 yards, 2 TD - 5 rec, 32 yards
TE Derrick Barry - 12 rec, 113 yards, 1 TD

COMMENTS
2-2!! Alright! Now the Cougars really have some confidence as they get ready to go pay a visit to 3-3 Tulane.

Old School Report
This week saw an upset in the Top 25 involving the coach's former team-- Texas. #20 Kansas State knocked off #7 Texas. My former team fell 31-14.

REAL Comments
What the hell was with the interceptions? 10 altogether. It's on Heisman... should I actually be turning the INT sliders down?

Either way...

Houston is 2-2

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Playbook UPDATE!

Switching to the playbook the coach used back in Texas worked like a charm, and he says that he'll stick with it as long as it works.

Straight From the Coach
"I was really impressed with the way these bunch of kids played against Florida State. Zach Lane was a monster on defense. Five interceptions and a touchdown? That's talent right there. This team is really starting to come together, and after two big wins, the confidence is growing. Aaron Anderson continues to play fairly well, although his 2/10 TD/INT ratio is a little on the depressing side. John Thorburn is another kid we are really excited about. He's got some speed and each week he seems to be learning and developing. With this team rolling the way it is and with the confidence building, Tulane should be advised to watch out. They're next on our list."

RECOGNITION!!
The NCAA recognized Zach Lane (4 Tackles, 5 INT, 1 TD) as their Defensive Player of the Week. Congratulations Lane!

[Bonez420]

Re: NCAA 2004: Prestige to Challenge

Playbook UPDATE!

Switching to the playbook the coach used back in Texas worked like a charm, and he says that he'll stick with it as long as it works.

Straight From the Coach
"I was really impressed with the way these bunch of kids played against Florida State. Zach Lane was a monster on defense. Five interceptions and a touchdown? That's talent right there. This team is really starting to come together, and after two big wins, the confidence is growing. Aaron Anderson continues to play fairly well, although his 2/10 TD/INT ratio is a little on the depressing side. John Thorburn is another kid we are really excited about. He's got some speed and each week he seems to be learning and developing. With this team rolling the way it is and with the confidence building, Tulane should be advised to watch out. They're next on our list."

RECOGNITION!!
The NCAA recognized Zach Lane (4 Tackles, 5 INT, 1 TD) as their Defensive Player of the Week. Congratulations Lane!