Every Kids Dream: An Option Run to The Top of College Football!

[TrophyKing80]

Quote: Originally Posted by parent22

Nice to see that defense hold Earnst to 8/24. Hopefully you guys can keep it up on the defensive side, and on offense at least you got 30 points. Definitely a lot of positives to work with.

I've made some adjustments. Hanging onto the ball for 2/3 of the game helps my defense out, but I'd actually like to see a bit more from the opposition. I hope my adjustments make for some more realistic gaming, and a greater challenge.

[TrophyKing80]

Matchup Preview *|* January 1,
	@
New Mexico Lobos (2-0, 1-0 Away)		Arizona Wildcats (2-0, 1-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 28.5 Points Per Game 33.0 332.0 Total Offensive Yards 458.0 107.5 Rushing Yards 274.0 224.5 Passing Yards 184.0 Defensive Stats Comparison 196.0 Total Yards Allowed 247.0 39.5 Rushing Yards Allowed 62.5 156.5 Passing Yards Allowed 184.5 Game Notes Hatred flares, as these two rivals clash in Tuscon, Arizona this Saturday night. It was 2008 the last time the Wildcats of Arizona tangled with the Lobos of New Mexico, with the Lobos winning, 36-28. The Wildcats bring in the 4th-best rushing attack, led by Junior Tailback, Drew Browne, who has 328 yards through 2 games this season. Their second-string back, Adam Lane, is yet another threat on the ground, accounting for 3 TDs through two games. Senior Outside Linebacker, Jermaine Nelson, leds the violent Cats defense with 18 tackles, with 4 of those being for a loss. The Lobos aren't too shabby on defense either, as they lead the nation in rush defense. It also helps that the Lobos Offense has been incredibly stingy with the ball, keeping the offense of their first two opponents off the field. Senior Middle Linebacker, Kelechi Smith needs to step up in a big way to stop the Arizona ground attack. Offensively, the Lobos have been a mystery. Their hopes of igniting an option run attack have seen minimal results so far, with the Lobos only averaging 107 yards on the ground per contest. The passing abilities of Sophomore Quarterback, John Williams, have been a huge lift to the Lobos, as well as those of back-up Quarterback, Junior, Sam Sisk, but Williams has shown to make bad passes when pressed, and the Wildcat defense will certainly be pressing. GameDay's Kirk Herbstreit has the Wildcats favored in this matchup.

[TrophyKing80]

Storyline Selection!

Rolled single die for number of stories: 2

Random Number Generator (1-99) to select which player is impacted: 68 & 90

#90 - Starting Right End, Danny Freeman (Yikes!)

No #68, so spin again.... 5

#5 - Starting Running Back, Desi Pittman (Oh C'mon!)

Spinning the Wheel of Doom https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?id=339998

Updates to be reported by Lobos Sports Writer, Paul Brown.

[TrophyKing80]

Albuquerque, NM
Lobos Football Sports Writer, Paul Brown



It is being reported that starting running back for the New Mexico Lobos, Desi Pittman, was rushed to the Emergency Room late last night following a dinner out with friends. Pittman reportedly arrived at the University Medical Center on Lomas Boulevard by a car driven by one of his fellow diners. The driver of that vehicle did not make himself available for comment, but did note that he was a student at the University of New Mexico and a close friend to Pittman.

Hospital officials have not released any details, as of this reporting, however, Head Coach Justin Simmons did announce that, "a Lobos player did have a medical event transpire last night. It appears to be a case of severe food poisoning, at this time, but we will let the medical experts do their due deligence and care for our young athlete."

When asked to identify if Pittman was said player, Simmons denied to confirm, but noted precautions are being made, "We'll have the next man up, ready to play against Arizona this Saturday night."

Pittman, a Senior, is off to a slow start in first-year Offensive Coordinator, Zach Moore's new option attack scheme, with just 129 yards on 31 carries. He does have 2 TDs on the ground, however, and has been active in the passing game, collecting 9 catches for 64 yards.

[TrophyKing80]

'Keep Away Ball' Keeps Wildcats At Bay

Tuscon, AZ
Lobos Football Sports Writer, Paul Brown

With starting running back, Desi Pittman out of the lineup, New Mexico Head Coach, Justin Simmons wasn't sure how his team would respond without one of their leaders. "Getting off the bus here in Tuscon, I still didn't know if the guys were going to let this be a detriment to how they handled themselves tonight", Simmons stated.

Earlier this week, Pittman was rushed to the Emergency Room, suffering from severe food poisoning. His prognosis is good, however, he would miss the rivalry game against the Wildcats of Arizona. When asked over the phone about his health and his thoughts on the game, Pittman had this to say, "It's tough. It's my senior year, and I worked hard to stay injury-free and then this happens. Missing the game in Tuscon is huge for me, but I have faith in the guys behind me." The guy behind him is Sophomore, Keith Wallace, who entered the game with only 3 carries for 1 yard on the season. Wallace would had 16 more carries to his total, along with 60 yards and a score in a critcal win for the Lobos at Arizona tonight, with the final being 20-7.

The game's MVP was actually Lobos kicker, Josh Brown, who was 2 of 2 on field-goal attempts and 2 of 2 on extra points. It should tell you something that the kicker was named MVP, especially when his longest kick of the day was only from 27 yards out. However, at first, it appeared that the Lobos would score a huge blow out, with the stats to support it, as the Lobos took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at the break, along with a 250 to 35 yards gained advantage.

"We really dominated that first half. Our ground game was still struggling, but Wallace gave us some good hard runs here and there, as did Billy (Fields, fullback). Our guys continued to work the clock, which has been our strategy all season; maintain possession, snap it late, and keep the opponents offense off the field", Offensive Coordinator, Zach Moore said. And they did just that in the first half, possessing the ball for a mind-boggling 12:34 to Arizona's mere 1:30.

The offense hummed along, picking up first downs on its opening drive, before a false start and a sack on Quarterback, John Williams, forced the Lobos to try for 3. Brown's first kick was good from 24 yards away. Arizona responded with a 3 and out, punting right before the 1st quarter was to end, illustrating how methodical the Lobos first drive had been.

New Mexico's next drive would consume more clock, using 11 plays to work their way down the field, with the biggest play occuring on a 3rd and 10 near midfield, when Wallace scampered left out of the backfield on an off-tackle run play and picked up the needed ten yards to convert. Soon after, running back, Alex Williams, was snagging a pass from quarterback, Williams, for a 4-yard score. It was the Junior's first receiving TD of his career.

Arizona would respond with a couple of first downs, but then a sack forced the Wildcats to punt the ball back to the Lobos with time running down in the first half.

Starting their third drive from their own 4 yard line, the Lobos, one would figure, would simply run out the clock, but a couple of long runs, one of which was a scramble by the quarterback, Williams, for nearly15 yards, encouraged Offensive Coordinator, Moore, to up the tempo. Using 7 plays, the Lobos flooded down the field, with a key play coming when Williams audibled out of the called play and found Tight End, Matt Nicholson streaking down the left hash. "I recognized their defensive coverage immediately and I knew if I checked, Matty would be open", Williams would say afterwards. Wallace would score on a 9-yard run right up the gut, as the Lobos took a surprising 17-0 lead into halftime.

"If we could have kept playing like that, we would have been golden. Heck, I wanted to give Johnny (Williams, Quarterback) player of the week honors at halftime", Senior Right Tackle, Darren Campbell said regarding the Lobos' domniance in the first half.

But just like against UTEP last week, the Lobos offense couldn't find the right gear in the second half.

Arizona took the ball to start the second half, collected a couple of first downs, but then was forced to punt. Two plays into the Lobos next drive, Williams would throw a deep out toward slot reciever, Cliff Hagen, only Arizona Freshman Cornerback, Sidney Parrish, was there to make a leaping grab to pick it off, giving Parrish his first collegiate interception.

Arizona, starting with great field position, would pick up three first downs, but then Senior Linebacker, Kelechi Smith would introduce himself to Wildcat quarterback, Stephen Jones, sacking him for a loss. A 4th and 14 attempt by the Wildcats would fail at the Lobos 27.

The Lobos next drive was their only 3 and out of the day, and it was prompted by a sack by Arizona's Eddie Morse. Arizona, once again with decent field position, would quickly pick up two first downs through the air, then connect on a 34-yard bomb to wideout, Brandon Seymour, on the second play from scrimmage in the 4th quarter, for the Wildcat's lone score of the day. Defensive Coordinator, Antoine Irvin, "That passing score was on me. I set our boys up out of position. Benny (Ben Mitchell, Strong Safety) tried to recover, but he couldn't make it in time. Give that 'Zona QB credit for recognizing our poor alignment and making a heck of a throw down field."

On the Lobos 6th possesion, up 17 - 7, there would be only one first down, followed by a punt. Unease grew on the Lobos bench, as it seemed Moore's offense would again try to give the game away. "The beauty about playing 'keep away ball' is that when it works, it's unstoppable. It's almost a mind-bender to the opposition, as they can't get off the field, and their offense can only watch from the bench. It also wears their athletes out. Fast. But when it doesn't work, you start putting pressure on your own defense, as well as your own offensive players", Moore stated.

Arizona, taking possesion at their own 18, would move quickly to midfield, where they'd convert a crucial 4th and 2 on a beautiful running play right up the middle. However, they'd face yet another 4th down; this time with 14 yards to make up. Jones would drop back to pass, but Sophomore Defensive End, Nathan Keller, would come up with his first tackle of the season, which also happened to be his first sack of the season, effectively ending Arizona's hopes of a comeback.

New Mexico, sensing the defeat in the Wildcat defense, would quickly move downfield, setting up Brown's final FG try, ending the game at 20-7.

Head Coach Simmons said after the game, "We improved a little on our ground game, and Williams made better decisions out there. He still needs to cut down on the bad passes. I joked with him, 'you don't have to throw a pick for every TD you throw'." On the season, Williams has 4 TD passes, along with 4 interceptions.

Up next for the Lobos is UNLV in Albuquerque.

"I'm excited for our fans that we defeated two of our rivals in back-to-back games. I'm excited for our university that we're 3-0. It's new territory for these players and this program desparately needed it", Simmons said before boarding the bus for home. The Lobos have not started a season 3-0 since prior to the birth of all their current players.


Arizona Wildcat, Sidney Parrish, picks off a pass from Lobos' QB, John Williams



New Mexico Defensive End, Nathan Keller, celebrates a sack on Arizona QB, Stephen Jones on a 4th and 14 play



The Akal Security's Players of the Game:

New Mexico Lobos at Arizona Wildcats
Sep 14, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New Mexico Lobos (3-0)	3	14	0	3	20
Arizona Wildcats (2-1)	0	0	0	7	7

Team Stats Comparison
	UNM	ARIZ
Total Offense	328	215
Rushing Yards	121	62
Passing Yards	207	153
First Downs	17	11
Punt Return Yards	0	7
Kick Return Yards	39	22
Total Yards	367	244
Turnovers	1	0
3rd Down Conversion	3/7	4/10
4th Down Conversion	--	1/3
2-Point Conversion	--	--
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-2-2	1-0-0
Penalties	3-15	0-0
Possession Time	20:42	7:18

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		UNM	ARIZ
	(UNM) 24-yard FG by Brown	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		UNM	ARIZ
	(UNM) Williams snags a pass out of the backfield for a 4-yard TD	10	0
	(UNM) Wallace takes a hand-off up the middle for a 9-yard score	17	0
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		UNM	ARIZ
	(ARIZ) 33-yard bomb connects with Seymour for the score	17	7
	(UNM) 27-yard FG try is good for Brown	20	7

New Mexico Lobos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT John Williams 15/20 207 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Keith Wallace 16 60 3.7 1 Billy Fields 7 36 5.1 John Williams 4 7 1.7 Alex Williams 3 12 4.0 Adam Pruitt 1 6 6.0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Adam Pruitt 4 84 21.0 Keith Wallace 3 11 3.6 Darrell Fuller 3 30 10.0 Matt Nicholson 3 57 19.0 Alex Williams 2 25 12.5 1 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Jeff Hendrix 1 Tony Barrett 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Sean Doyle 5 Kelechi Smith 4 1 Danny Freeman 3 1 Wayne Scott 3 Brandon Britt 2 Billy Sims 2 Tyler Roberson 2 Mike Burks 2 Josh Williams 1 Matt Nicholson 1 Ben Mitchell 1 Jason Perry 1 Brian Parsons 1 Nathan Keller 1 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Josh Brown 2/2 2/2 8 27 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Ed Hart 2 95 47.5 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Pete Clark 1 22 22.0 Mike Burns 1 17 17.0

Arizona Wildcats PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Stephen Jones 10/25 153 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Drew Browne 10 51 5.1 Stephen Jones 7 11 1.5 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Michael Osborn 3 36 12.0 Drew Browne 2 10 5.0 Brandon Seymour 2 56 28.0 1 Wesley Stephens 1 29 29.0 Michael Hall 1 10 10.0 Bryant Brooks 1 12 12.0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK Joe Cameron 3 1 Cory Vincent 2 1 Eddie Morse 2 1 Ken Whitaker 1 Akeem Guillory 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD Jermaine Nelson 8 Don Nichols 6 Brandon Weber 5 Sergio Johnson 5 Jon Simmons 4 1 Marcus Simmons 3 Eddie Jones 3 1 Ken Wilson 3 Nick Wallace 2 Joe Johnson 2 Brandon Barrett 1 Cameron Freund 1 Sidney Parrish 1 1 Willie Wright 1 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Brandon Gonzalez 1/1 1 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 J.J. Conley 3 134 44.6 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Broderick Greco 1 22 22.0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD Bryan Gordan 1 7 7.0

[young22]

Nice win. Wasn't expecting you guys to beat Arizona, but a really good job controlling the game, should be even better when Desi is back.

Sent from my SM-A102W using Operation Sports mobile app

[TrophyKing80]

Quote: Originally Posted by young22

Nice win. Wasn't expecting you guys to beat Arizona, but a really good job controlling the game, should be even better when Desi is back. Sent from my SM-A102W using Operation Sports mobile app

Thanks. I wasn't expecting it either.

Honestly, my rushing attack hasn't been all that impressive, even with Desi in the lineup. It's been just enough to maintain the ball, which has helped keep the opposing teams off the board. I plan to adjust (again) the settings to try to create a more-challenging/realistic experience. Sure, I enjoy winning, but I want it to be more legit. If I crank up the ratings and still squeak out a victory, then that's just what it is, but for now, I can adjust and make it more challenging.

[TrophyKing80]

Albuquerque, NM
Lobos Football Sports Writer, Paul Brown

The New Mexico Lobos enter Week 4 with a 3-0 record, pulling off defeats of two rivals, including last week's win over Arizona. The Lobos have a bye this week before hosting UNLV in Week 5. The Lobos should be favored in that match-up, and if they pull out a win, they will have matched the number of victories from last season.

Despite the unblemished record thus far, the Lobos are actually near the back of the pack in terms of offensive produciton, though they are 7th in the Mountain West Conference in terms of total yards, 5th in passing yards and 8th in rushing yards. The 25.6 points per game ranks 6th in the conference, but not surpisingly, their number of first downs (57) ranks 4th in the league, evidence of their ability to maintain possession, keeping their opponent's offense off the field.

Defensively, there are few teams performing better, as the Lobos are 9th in the country in regards to yards given up, including being number one in the nation against the run. The 33 points surrendered through 3 games is good enough for the top 30 in the nation and second in the conference, behind Colorado State's 29 points, which is through 2 games. They also lead the conference in fumble recoveries (6), but are tied for second-to-last for interceptions (1).

Player Update:

Senior Defensive End, Danny Freeman, has utilized his off-season and downtime well, as he coordinated with a nutritionist to enhance his performance on the field. Through targeted meal prep and maintaining a balanced diet, Danny announced he had reduced his body fat by 7%. Team trainer, Rick Allen, noted an improvement in Freeman's performance and can tell he has increased his stamina while also decreasing his body's susceptibility to injury. "Any well-maintained and monitored meal plan can have extraordinary impact on an athlete, including reducing downtime due to muscle fatigue and/or injury. Danny's dedicated to improving, especially in his final season, and I'm happy to see that he took the initiative to explore ways to further his abilities", Allen said.