Conference USA Report: Week 8

Last week gave us some big time wins and heartbreaking losses in the Conference USA. 

East Carolina had a big win against the more talented NC State Wolfpack, 33-27 in OT.  The Pirates missed a field goal in OT, but sealed the win when true freshman safety Damon Magazu intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goaline. 

The Rice Owls jumped out to a huge lead on the Houston Cougars, leading 27-7 at one point.  Then the Cougs woke up and even took a 31-27 lead late in the 4th quarter.  That lead wouldn’t last as Rice QB Nick Fanuzzi hit Vance McDonald for the go ahead TD, Rice won 34-31.

The Southern Methodist Mustangs traveled to Annapolis for a showdown with the Navy Midshipmen.  SMU started off the game hot, leading 14-0 at halftime.  Kyle Padron was throwing and even running the football at will and the Mustang D was looking good.  Then the 3rd quarter started and it was a different story.  Three unanswered scores for Navy made it 21-14 in the 4th, until Kyle Padron threw his 3rd TD of the game.  The Midshipmen would strike back taking a 28-21 lead late in the 4th, but the Mustangs had a shot.  The game ended with an SMU Hook ‘n Ladder attempt.  Navy wins 28-21.  The game changed on 2 Padron turnovers, a fumble and INT, both converted into TD’s by Navy.

UAB pulled off a huge upset over the UTEP MIners, 21-6.  The Miners couldn’t do anything on the offensive side of the ball, while the Blazers did what they wanted on offense after halftime.  UTEP led 6-0, until the Blazers went on a scoring spree late in the 2nd half.  UAB QB Bryan Ellis threw for 272 yards and 3 TD’s.

Ranking the C-USA

1.  East Carolina Pirates They pulled off a huge win over NC State, now they get a little easier test when Marshall comes to Greenville.

2. Southern Miss Golden Eagles They get to the bye week after beating down Memphis.  UAB comes to town Oct 30.

3. SMU Mustangs How will they respond after the tough loss to Navy?  A win at home against Houston would push them to 4-0 in CUSA, that would help them get over it.

4. UCF Knights I continue to be impressed by the Knights defense.  They get a tough Rice team at home this week in what should be a good game.

5. Houston Cougars David Piland isn’t Case Keenum, but he filled in well last week.  If the Cougars can get Beall going on the ground, they have a good shot against SMU.

6. Tulsa Golden Hurricane The Golden Hurricane got back to their offensive ways against Tulane, and head into the bye week fresh off a win.  They head to Notre Dame on Oct 30 for a huge road game with the Fighting Irish.

7. UTEP Miners  After a tough loss to UAB, the Miners should put one in the W column this week when Tulane rolls into town.

8. UAB Blazers I hope the Blazers took time to enjoy their win over UTEP, because they travel to Mississippi St this week .  It won’t be pretty.

9. Rice Owls After the big win over Houston last week, they head to UCF for a battle with the Knights. 

10. Tulane Green Wave Tulane is a team I wouldn’t want to play if I were a contender.  They will always battle, regardless of the score.  They just need more talent on their roster.

11. Marshall Thundering Herd  They were over matched last week against UCF and I see more of the same this week when they travel to ECU.

12. Memphis Tigers This team needed a bye after getting destroyed the past few weeks.

Week 8 Picks

Rice @ UCF

The UCF defense should control this game like they have throughout the season.  Rice has some nice weapons in QB Nick Fanuzzi, RB Sam McGuffie and a handful of good WR.  The story of this game might be the season ending knee injury to UCF QB Rob Calabrese.  Jeff Godfrey will be the lone QB in the Knights QB rotation.  I still like the Knights to win 27-7.

Houston @ SMU

This game is going to fun to watch.  Offense will be king as the Mustangs and Cougars can score the ball in bunches.  The key to this game will be Cougs running backs Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes.  Get these 2 going and Houston has a great shot to win.  I’ll take my chances with the Mustangs though, 34-28.

Marshall @ ECU

ECU should dominate this game from start to finish.  The Pirates QB Dominique Davis had an enormous game last week and I expect more of the same.  He has been fun to watch this season.  ECU wins big, 40-17.

UAB @ Mississippi St

Miss State is going to roll in this game.  They are just too much for the Blazers to handle.  Miss State wins 52-10.

Tulane @ UTEP

I like UTEP to get back on track in this West division battle.  UTEP wins 31-20.

Written by Jason Madson.  Follow him on Twitter @isbnJMAD.

Around C-USA Week 6

Tulane traveled into New Jersey as a team that hadn’t won a road game since early last season, and left with a huge upset win.  I know Rutgers hasn’t been a force this season, but Tulane has been far from it.  The rest of the Conference played out as many expected it to.  SMU and Tulsa continue to put up points in bunches, Southern Miss looks like a dominant contender for the league title and North Carolina beat the Pirates of ECU soundly.  Lets take a look at some of last weeks Top Performances.

Week 5 Top Performances

Tulsa QB GJ Kinne continues his dual threat dominance.  He threw for 214 yards and 2 scores, while gaining another 34 yards on the ground and 1 TD.  He has really taken to the hurry up, no huddle offense this season.

The trio at SMU consisting of QB Kyle Padron and WR’s Cole Beasley and Aldrick Robinson had a monster game.  Padron threw for 371 yards and 3 scores, with a 75 % complection percentage.  He is good!  Beasley and Robinson combined for 14 receptions 306 receiving yards and 2 scores.  In this same game, Owls running back Sam McGuffie also had a pretty good day with 96 rushing yards and 45 yards receiving.

Austin Davis didn’t really fill up the stat book on Saturday for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, but the QB did have 4 total TD.  He threw for 1 score and rushed for 3 more in the blowout victory over Marshall.

Conference USA Top to Bottom

1. 1. Southern Miss (4-1)  I know they played Marshall, but they looked like the best team.
2. 2. East Carolina (2-2)  Had to drop them off the top after the blowout loss.
3. 3. Houston (3-1)  If they can keep the pressure off Broadway with the running game, they should be fine.
4. 4. SMU (3-2)  Offense is king here, and they have the weapons to compete.
5. 5. UTEP (4-1)  Trevor Vittatoe continues to lead this team to wins.
6. 6. UCF (2-2) After the tough loss to KState and a bye week, how will they respond?
7. 7. Tulsa (3-2) GJ Kinne is the real deal, but can they stop anybody on Defense?
8. 8. Rice (1-4)  We saw a glimpse of the potential offered by Sam McGuffie, will it continue?
9. 9. UAB (1-3) UAB has found a QB mix that works, UCF should be a good match up.
10. 10. Marshall (1-4) The bye week came at a good time for the struggling Herd.
11. 11. Memphis (1-4)  Heading to Lousville isn’t the best situation for the Tigers right now, especially after losing their starting QB to a concussion.

Week 6 Matchups and Picks

UAB @ UCF   Both teams will be using 2 quarterbacks in different fashions for tonight’s game, does that mean neither team has one?  I like the way the UCF defense has been playing, so I will take the Knights 27-10.

Memphis @ Louisville   Memphis just needs to hope they get some lucky bounces in this game.  The young Cardinals have more talent than do the Tigers, but experience is lacking.  I like the Cardinals at home 33-17

East Carolina @ Southern Miss  This is one game that every football fan should watch, or atleast DVR and watch later.  The top 2 teams in the East Division square off in what should decide the divisions champ.  This game is going to feature the 14th ranked ECU passing attack and the 16th ranked Southern Miss Defense.  Defense will prevail in the Golden Eagles Homecoming game, SoMiss wins 22-20.

Mississippi State @ Houston  Houston gets a big time test to come to their house on Saturday, and I don’t like their chances.  It’s not a CUSA game, so a loss won’t kill them.  I think the Bulldogs will be the more physical team and take this game from the Cougars easily.  I like Miss St, 28-17.

Army @ Tulane Army lost a tough game to Temple last week, but have been pefrect on the road so far this season.  Tulane is coming off a huge upset victory over Rutgers.  I like the Army option attack lead by QB Trent Steelman, who had a hand in all 5 Black Knight TD’s last week.  The Black Knights should take this game, 30-21.

Tulsa @ SMU   This game is going to be a good one, with 2 of the top QB’s in the C-USA with GJ Kinne and Kyle Padron.  Watch the scoreboard light up in this game, as I like SMU to take it 41-34.

Rice @ UTEP   UTEP should take this game easily at home, Rice just doesn’t have to firepower to keep up with Trevor Vittatoe and company.  I’ll take the Miners, 31-23.

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

Around C-USA:

 

Oh so close. Three near misses that would have been big wins for each program and the conference.

It started Friday night with SMU falling to TCU 41-24 in Dallas. But for at least 2 ½ quarters the game was much closer then the final score might indicate and SMU actually held a l7-14 lead in the 3^rd quarter. But #4 TCU responded with 3 straight td’s to take a 35-17 lead on their way to the 41-24 final. Not many people were giving UAB much of a chance when they ventured to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. They left with what has to be a dose of confidence after taking the Vol’s to double OT before falling 31-29.

One week after their Hail Mary win comeback win over Troy the UAB QB duo of Bryan Ellis and David Isabelle almost led the Blazers to another stunner. Ellis completed 29 of 55 for 373 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Isabelle ran 16 times for 73 yards and completed 4 of 5 for 56 yards and a touchdown. Ellis hit Pat Shed on a 14-yard pass to pick up a first down in the second overtime but his 7-yard pass to Patrick Hearn came up 4 yards short of the end zone, and Josh Zahn scored on a 21-yard field goal to put UAB up 29-26 before Matt Simms threw a 25-yard touchdown to Denarius Moore on Tennessee’s first play of double-overtime for the game winning td.

UCF battled thru two rain/lightning delays of 86 and 75 minutes and led the game for 59 minutes and 36 seconds before Carson Coffman ran in from seven yards out with twenty-four seconds remaining for the KSU winning score. UCF missed two field goals and had to settle for three points on two other deep drives, allowing Kansas State (4-0) to stay within striking distance. And when the Wildcats drove the length of the field and scored in the final minute, it left the Knights (2-2) with an empty feeling.

Even with the devastating loss of QB Case Keenum, Houston still has some potent offensive weapons as they demonstrated in their 42-23 win over Tulane. Bryce Beall rushed for 123 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as Houston held off a Tulane rally 42-23, Saturday. The Cougars (3-1, 2-0 C-USA) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half, but Tulane pulled within five, 28-23, in the fourth quarter before Beall put it away with his fourth touchdown, a 25-yard run with 3:58 remaining in the game. Freshmen Terrance Broadway, who was making his first career start finished 19 of 28 for 174 yards and one interception

One week after their big home win over Kansas, Southern Miss had to hold on for dear life at the end to preserve a 13-12 win over Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. The Golden Eagles (3-1) led 13-3 in the fourth quarter and appeared on their way to victory against a Bulldogs offense that struggled until late. Deron Wilson picked off Louisiana Tech quarterback Tarik Hakmi at the Southern Miss 20-yard line with 2:31 left on the clock to seal the win. Austin Davis threw for 233 yards and one score for Southern Miss.

Sophomore RB Zach Line is averaging 7.8 yards per carry for SMU and has 53 carries for 415 yards on the season.

Houston and East Carolina both ran in the national top 10 in scoring offense. Houston is seventh with their average ppg of 44.3 and the Pirates check in at number nine with 42.3

Tulsa is 9^th in passing offense averaging 310 yards per game and 5^th in total offense at 523 total yards per game.

UAB is tied for tenth nationally in sacks with 12 team sacks

Best team win week 2:

Marshall survived a two point conversion attempt by Ohio with no time left on the clock to pick up their first win of the season. Ohio’s Boo Jackson connected with Terrence McCrae on a 36-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 24-23 with no time left. The Bobcats elected to go for the two-point conversion, but Jackson’s pass sailed through the back of the end zone to secure Marshall’s win.

Worst team loss week 2:

The UCF win at Kansas State would have been considered an upset nationally but it was still a heart breaking loss for the Knights. A loss they have to feel they let slip thru their grasp. UCF missed two field goals and had to settle for field goals on two other golden TD scoring opportunities. In addition, the winning KSU TD actually came on a busted play shovel pass.

C-USA Power rankings:

1. East Carolina (2-1) – Still number one after a bye week.
2. Southern Miss (3-1) – Dodged a bullet at Louisiana Tech.
3. UCF (2-2) – Time to move past the tough loss and focus on the C-USA race.
4. Houston (3-1) – Maybe not all is lost for this team.
5. SMU (2-2) – Looked good for 2 ½ quarters vs TCU.
6. Tulsa (2-2)– Got rid of some of the bad taste with a win over an overmatched opponent.
7. UTEP (3-1) – Held server at home vs Memphis. Barely
8. Memphis (1-3) – Tough loss at UTEP.
9. UAB (1-3) – Almost pulled off the stunner in Knoxville.
10. Rice (1-3) – Would have hoped for better showing at home vs Baylor
11. Marshall (1-3) -  First win under their belts by the skin of their teeth.
12. Tulane (1-2) – Couldn’t get past the Houston without Keenum.

Blind Squirrel’s C-USA picks for this week

Last week’s pick’s record (9-0) (17-3 overall)

Tulane at Rutgers: Another road game for Tulane that doesn’t look like a good match-up on paper. Will the QB change that seemed to spark Tulane vs Houston help?                                  My pick: Rutgers 27 – Tulane 17

East Carolina at North Carolina: The Pirates have taken to the new offensive system quickly with their only loss at Virginia Tech. UNC has played a brutal early schedule with losses to LSU and Georgia Tech. My pick: East Carolina 31 – UNC 24

UTEP at New Mexico: To say that New Mexico is struggling is an understatement. They are 0-4 and have been outscored by and average of 56 to 10 on the season. UNM has played a tougher schedule and they are playing at home. My pick: UTEP 31 – UNM 27

SMU at Rice: Although they are 1-3 win only a win over North Texas, Rice hasn’t been blown out in any of the losses to Texas, Northwestern or Baylor. SMU is starting to click in the passing and rushing game. My pick: SMU 35 – Rice 21

Tulsa at Memphis: Memphis got their only win in their only previous home game vs Middle Tennessee. Can they keep pace with the Tulsa offense? Possibly, the Tulsa offense is potent but the Golden Hurrican defense has given upt a ton of points. My pick: Tulsa 42 – Memphis 28

Marshall at Southern Miss: Marshall goes back on the road after getting their first win last week over Ohio. Southern Miss is back home where they are very tough. The Golden Eagles need to be careful not to get caught looking ahead to October 9^th matchup vs East Carolina.                          My pick: Southern Miss 31 – Marshall 17

Written by John Huber @Fort80 on Twitter

PGWU Podcast: Week 4

This week we discuss the legal troubles at Florida, talk about the big stories in each conference in The Breakdown, make our selections in the PGWU Pick’Em segment and finish the show off with the World Famous Prospect Quick Fire. Enjoy!

Around C-USA: Week 4

The big news around the conference this week is the season ending injury to Houston QB and Heisman candidate Case Keenum. The 5^th year senior suffered a torn ACL late in the second quarter of the Cougars loss at UCLA. To make matters worse late in the third quarter backup QB Cotton Turner was also lost for the season with a broken clavicle. Though not yet announced officially it is expected that Houston Head Coach Kevin Sumlin will name true freshman Terrance Broadway as the new starter.

UAB staged one of the most dramatic comebacks in their history in 34-33 win over Troy. With no timeouts, reserve QB Bryan Ellis engineered a 99-yard drive in the final 1:09 of the game, capping off the drive with a 44-yard `Hail Mary’ touchdown pass to freshman WR Jackie Williams. Ellis’ performance helped the Blazers overcome a 23-0 lead Troy had built through the midway point of the second period, and a 33-20 deficit in the final quarter. The comeback was the largest in UAB history. The previous largest deficit UAB had overcome was a 22-point deficit in a 51-34 win over Houston in 2002. The Blazers had trailed in that game, 28-6.

The SMU 35-21 win over Washington State was the first win against a BCS team since a win over Kansas (31-17) on Sept. 2, 2000, snapping a 17-game losing streak. Sophomore QB Kyle Padron was 19-of-34 for 280 yards and four scores. SMU has won five straight home games and is 7-2 in the last nine games, the best mark for any nine-game stretch since a stretch from the 1984 and 1985 seasons.

UCF true freshman QB Jeff Godfrey did nothing to temper the lofty expectations from Golden Knight fans in his first college start by going 15-of-24 for 130 yards passing and also ran for 44 yards.. With his 30 yard INT return fo a TD Senior DE Bruce Miller became the first UCF defensive lineman to return an INT for a TD since Jerry Nemethy on a 39-yard return against Alabama A&M on Oct. 17, 1981. UCF has scored on each of its last 14 red zone possessions dating back to Nov. 28, 2009.

UTEP senior QB Trevor Vittatoe became the first quarterback in UTEP history to throw for five touchdowns in a game four times as he completed 19-of-30 passes for 246 yards in the Miner 42-10 win over New Mexico State.  He also rushed three times for a career-best 54 yards in finishing with 300 yards of total offense. Vittatoe now has 83 career touchdown passes, the fifth-best total in Conference USA history.

East Carolina scored on five of their first six possessions and led 24-21 at halftime before falling at Virginia Tech on Saturday, 49-27. Pirate Junior QB Dominique Davis finished the day 30-of-44 for 251 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Senior WR Dwayne Harris caught 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. He has now scored in seven consecutive games.

Ryan Williams became the first true freshman to start at QB for Memphis since 1986 in the Tigers 24-17 win over Middle Tennessee State.  All 24 Tigers points came following MTSU turnovers, as Memphis forced four miscues for the first time since the 2007 Middle Tennessee game.

UTEP RB Donald Buckram, who ran for almost 1,600 yards in 2009 could make his return this week versus Memphis. Buckram is the second leading returning rusher in the nation.

C-USA team records since conference realignment in 2005:

School                         C-USA            Overall

Houston                      30-11               44-25

East Carolina              30-12               40-28

Tulsa                           27-14               44-25

UCF                            26-14               36-31

Southern Miss            25-15               39-29

Rice                             19-21               24-39

UTEP                          17-23               28-35

Marshall                     17-23               23-38

Memphis                     17-24               25-37

SMU                           15-26               23-40

UAB                            13-28               20-42

Tulane                           8-32               15-46

Best team win week 2:

Going to call this one a draw between the UAB hail mary win over Troy and the Memphis win over MTSU. UAB Coach Neil Callaway REALLY needed this victory and Larry Porter got his first win as Memphis Head Coach.

Worst team loss week 2:

No doubt it was the Houston loss at UCLA. More so for the loss of Case Keenum to a season ending ACL injury then the loss on the field. This takes a team that had longshot BCS dreams and puts their season in an entirely different perspective.

CUSA Power rankings:

1. East Carolina (2-1) – Could not hold an early lead on the road at Virginia Tech.
2. Southern Miss (2-1) – Impressive win over mediocre BCS team(Kansas) at home.
3. UCF (2-1) – Good win and good things from young Mr. Godfrey
4. SMU (2-1) – Washington State isn’t a power but it shows SMU is making progress.
5. Houston (2-1) – A different team from one week ago. Young QB gets Tulane at home this week.
6. Tulsa (1-2)– Not much good to take from the basing at OSU.
7. Memphis (1-2) – Big win vs MTSU. Winnable game at UTEP this week.
8. UTEP (2-1) – New Mexico State may be the worst team in D1.
9. Rice (1-2) – Not a terrible loss to Northwestern but only win is a squeaker vs North Texas
10. Marshall (0-3) -  Still looking for first win. The West Virginia loss still hurts.
11. Tulane (1-1) - Get the first shot at the post Keenum Cougars this week.
12. UAB (1-2) – They won’t apologize for the win over Troy.

Blind Squirrel’s C-USA picks for this week

Last week’s pick’s record (8-3)

TCU at SMU:  SMU has won five straight home games but I’m not sure how much of a home field advantage they will have against TCU. So far SMU has beaten the teams they are supposed to beat and played Texas Tech tough. TCU has won its last six road games and 17 straight regular season games. Andy Dalton has been phenomenal at QB for TCU. My pick: TCU 34 – SMU 21

UCF at K-State: I think KSU is a little overrated. They are one dimensional on offense and have given up some points on defense. Still, that one deminsion is Daniel Thomas and he is tough to stop even when you know he’s going to get the ball. It’s also not easy to win in Manhattan Ks. A good test for the Knights to find out where then stand. My pick: Kansas St 23 – UCF 20.

Tulane at Houston: This is an interesting game considering the QB situation at Houston. They still have a lot of talent at the skill positions and should roll Tulane at home. If they don’t it won’t be a good sign for the rest of their season. Emotions should also be high for Houston in their first home game without Keenum. My pick: Houston 35  – Tulane 13

Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech: Ruston is not an easy place to play and this will be a tough game for the Golden Eagles. Still, Southern Miss is the better team and La Tech as not been impressive. My pick: Southern Miss 27 -  Louisiana Tech 17

Baylor at Rice: Baylor coming off a disappointing loss to TCU but Robert Griffin is very dangerous. The Owl defense will struggle to contain Griffin and the Baylor offense. Rice needs to control the ball offensively to keep the ball out of Griffins hands. It would be a good time for Rice to get RB Sam McGuffie untracked. My pick: Baylor 30 – Rice 17

Central Arkansas at Tulsa: We all know that FCS schools can’t be taken lightly and Central Arkansas is 3-0 and in some FCS Top 25 polls. Still, Tulsa is looking for a whipping boy after they filled that role themselves last week in Stillwater. My pick: Tulsa 49 – UCA 21

UAB at Tennessee: UT is coming off home losses to Florida and Oregon. It would be in the best interest of Derek Dooley’s future as head coach of the Vol’s not to let UAB stay close. Bryan Ellis will get the starting not for UAB. It won’t matter. Tennessee 49 – UAB 14.

Ohio at Marshall: Marshall still looking for their first win and this may be the best chance they’ll have for the next month. Marshall is tough in Huntington. Ohio is 1-2 with their only win over Wofford. Marshall 23 – Ohio 13

Memphis at UTEP:  UTEP is 0-3 all-time vs Memphis. The Tigers got a nice confidence boost last week in their win over Middle Tennessee. RB Donald Buckram is expected to make his season debut this week and if 100% could be a huge factor. My pick: UTEP 30 – Memphis 21

Week 3 CUSA Players of the week:

UAB junior QB Bryan Ellis was selected as the C-USA offensive player of the week. Ellis came off the bench in the second quarter and threw for 360 yards and three TD’s to lead UAB to a 34-33 come-from-behind win over Troy. Ellis led a 99 yard game winning drive  in the final 1:09.

UCF Junior DE Darius Nall was named C-USA defensive player of the week after leading UCF with nine tackles, including three TFLs and two sacks, plus a pass-break up and a quarterback hurry in UCF’s 24-10 win at Buffalo.

Tom Hornsey of Memphis and Deron Wilson of Southern Miss share the C-USA Special Teams player of the week award. helped keep Hornsey kicked a career-high 10 punts in the game, averaging 41.7 yards per punt. He kicked a career-long 63-yard punt from the Memphis six-yard line late in the fourth quarter that helped keep MTSU in its own territory and go three-and-out in a critical defensive opportunity for the Tigers. Wilson recovered a block punt and went seven yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter of the Golden Eagles’ 31-16 win over Kansas on Friday night. It was the second-straight week that he was involved with a blocked punt, tallying one last week against Prairie View.

Written by John Huber @Fort80 on Twitter

Week 4 in the Pac 10

If you hear a rumbling, that’s the sound of everybody jumping off the Jake Locker bandwagon all at once. The biggest game of Week 3 for the Pac-10 was Nebraska vs Washington, and Locker’s 4 for 20 performance left a lot to be desired.

I wouldn’t be too alarmed for Locker, though. Yes, he was bad, but it’s not like everyone just missed the boat on him and he went from #1 overall pick to being a schlub. The Nebraska defense is really good, and the Huskie defense didn’t exactly do Locker any favors. I’ll wait to hold judgement, and the bye week should help Sarkisian and company refocus.

Then there was Arizona’s trouncing of Iowa. This was an odd game for a few reasons. Iowa’s first possession ended in a punt block, the end result being a Wildcat touchdown. Iowa’s next possession ended with a pick-six. After Iowa scored its first touchdown, the ensuing kickoff was returned for a score.Now, I give Arizona all the credit for being opportunistic and creating turnovers, but how much can you really gauge from this game? After those first few drives, were the Hawkeyes really that into it?

It was 27-7 at half time, with those three touchdowns resulting from a blocked punt, interception and kick return. The high powered Arizona offense, when having to face the Hawkeye defense with a long field, could only muster two field goals. I’m not completely sold on Arizona just yet.

Some quick notes on a few other games:

I continue to watch USC with an eye of skepticism. They just don’t seem to possess the ability to overwhelm inferior opponents. Winning is the name of the game, but I’m just not sure the Trojans have what it takes to knock a good team out. Still watching, still waiting for some signs.

Arizona State almost shocked the world by going on the road and coming within a blocked extra point of tying #11 Wisconsin late. I had this one nearly pegged last week, but I’m still surprised. Might not be the last time I say that about the Sun Devils this year.

I take nothing away from UCLA beating a Case Keenum-less Houston team. But you beat who is in front of you, so kudos to the Bruins. Now on to Week 4…

USC vs Washington State

Here you go, Lane. While most people won’t figure there is anything to learn from this game, I’ll be watching. I want to see the Trojans whoop up on somebody, and who better than the worst team (by far) in the Pac-10. This is the time to send a message.

Stanford vs Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are coming off two hard to swallow losses, and now they face one of the top quarterbacks in the country, Stanford’s Andrew Luck. I would be fearful of the Cardinal players being caught looking forward to next week’s Oregon matchup, but does anybody really look past Notre Dame?

I really don’t see the Irish stopping Luck. And by the way, the drinking game for this one will be all puns that include the words “Luck” and “Irish” by NBC commentators.

UCLA vs Texas

Texas might boast the best defense in the nation, and UCLA has serious offensive issues. You get blanked at home against Stanford, then what are you going to do on the road against Texas?

What they need to do is make sure the Longhorns don’t get any kind of running game going. Then take a page from Arizona’s book and look to special teams and turnovers early to knock the wind out of Texas’ sails. If this were a home game for the Bruins, I could see something like that happening, but a road game against a top ten team? I’d be surprised if the score didn’t end in double digits favoring Texas.

Oregon State vs Boise State

This week’s Pac-10 game of the week. Here’s something I find interesting: The Beavers painted their practice field blue this week to prepare for a trip to Boise. I find this very funny, but at the same time, a possibly genius move by Mike Reilly.

It also helps the Beavers that they are coming off a bye week. Then again, Boise State’s game last week against Wyoming might as well be considered a bye.

The Broncos are the better team, but the matchup favors Oregon State slightly. You want to run the ball on the Beavers, and Boise is a pass-happy team. However, OSU quarterback Ryan Katz cannot get into a shootout with Kellen Moore.

The Beavers have to make this a low-scoring game. Even if they are down, say, 17-3 at half, that’s better than having Moore and the Broncos start lighting up the scoreboard, even if OSU is keeping up early. They won’t be able to sustain that, and Boise will.

California vs Arizona

The Bears seem to be a team that does well when everybody counts them out and folds under pressure. Well, after getting mauled by Nevada last week, and Arizona picking up a signature win, the pressure is off.

The Wildcats jumped ten spots from #24 to #14 in the AP poll. Not sure if I agree with that kind of movement in the polls with the kind of game that went on last week. And really, that was the only real game Arizona has played so far, and it was over early. This is also the last game before the bye week for the Cats. I smell “trap”.

What Cal needs to do is run the ball with a vengeance. Shane Vereen needs about 25 carries for the Bears to win. Keep the ball, stop Arizona from airing it out, and you give yourself a chance. I think they will keep it close late, but Nick Foles and the Arizona passing attack will find seams against a questionable Cal secondary, and make enough big plays down the stretch to put the Bears away.

Oregon vs Arizona State

While the loss was painful, Arizona State should feel pretty good about their performance against Wisconsin. This is also Oregon’s first real game. Kind of smell an upset here, as it has all the ingredients, but there’s only one problem: Oregon is really, really good.

And should be good enough to blow the Sun Devils out. Perhaps the game will remain close in the first half, as the Ducks get up to speed, but Oregon is the best team nobody is talking about, and ASU still has a ways to go before they can be seriously thought of as a threat.

Written by Jay Fisher @jfishsports on Twitter

PGWU Weekend Review

As most of you were watching college football on Saturday, I was enjoying my bachelor party.  I didn’t get to watch much college football, so I spent yesterday and this morning watching the games I recorded.  Here is my version of how the past weekend in college football played out.

Nebraska crushed the Huskies and embarrassed Jake Locker, 56-21.  20% completion percentage is a joke.  If I were playing the Huskers, my gameplan would be to run the football, a lot.  This is the first time I have seen Jared Crick this year and I think he is good, but not the great player everyone is making him out to be. Taylor Martinez is extremely fast around the corner, I would put one of my safties as a spy on him every play, prove you can beat me with your arm.  Nebraska has a Dallas Clark clone in WR/TE Mike McNeill, he is a threat all over the field. 

Houston’s chances of being a BCS buster were crushed by UCLA this week, 31-13 Bruins win.  Case Keenum played in this game, after having concussion symptons during the week, and might be out for quite a while longer now.  He was injured trying to make a tackle on an INT return by UCLA LB Akeem Ayers.  He injured his right leg, but that is all we know at this point.  Keep your eye on freshman QB Terrance Broadway, who stepped in after Keenum’s backup was hurt as well.  He is going to be a good one.  UCLA shored up their rush defense for this week atleast, holding Houston to a little over 100 yards this week.  Bruin RB Johnathan Franklin had a huge game with 158 yards and 3 scores.

Ohio State did what they were supposed to do against Ohio, 43-7 was the final.  Terrelle Pryor had a good game, but 2 INT worries me a little.  The combo of Daniel Herron and Brandon Saine provide a good punch for the Buckeyes.  Add in the rushing ability of Pryor and they have the makings of a very good running game.  I love the Buckeye defense,  they are solid from front to back.

Wisconsin struggled withe the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, but get the win 20-19.  Jay Valai is a hero this week after blocking the game tying extra point.  This raises some questions about the legitimacy of Wisconsin being ranked this high.  The Sun Devils are a team they should lined up and out muscled on every play, especially at home.  Scott Tolzien was his usual accurate self for the Badgers, connecting on 76% of his passes.  

Oregon State holds on to beat the Louisville Cardinals, 35-28.  The Beavers have an offense that is loaded with play makers, but a horrible defense.  Quizz Rodgers had a great game on the ground, gaining 132 yards and 2 scores.  He also caught a pass for a score.  The Beavers were saved by a late INT by Sr. CB James Dockery. 

Arizona proved the doubters wrong this week, beating Iowa 34-27.  Nick Foles threw for 303 yards and distributed the ball to 11 different targets last week.  They made Iowa’s defense look silly in the first half.  Big play’s helped the Wildcats out as well, an INT  return for a TD by Trevin Wade and a KR for a TD by Travis Cobb and a blocked punt helped Arizona out tremendously.  I am very impressed with Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi though, he looks like a better decision maker this season.  Iowa RB Adam Robinson was a non-factor the whole game.

Missouri gets an ugly win, beating San Diego State late 27-24.  This game was one to forget for Mizzou fans, and Blaine Gabbert for that matter.  The Tigers did get the win, but Gabbert threw 2 costly INT’s in the games final quarter.  He did connect with WR TJ Moe on a game winning 68 yard TD with 51 seconds left in the game.  Aztecs RB Ronnie Hillman had a very memorable game.  He rushed for 228 yards and 2 scores, one a 75 yard run, the other for 93.  The Tigers had a big time injury in this game when star DE Aldon Smith suffered a broken fibula, he hopes to be back for the Big 12 conference opener against Colorado.

Oklahoma barely slipped by Air Force,  27-24.  The Falcons gashed the Sooners with their running game, gaining 357 yards on the ground.  They averaged close to 6 yards per rush.  Landry Jones was solid in this game, throwing for 254 yards and a TD.  The Sooners leaned on RB DeMarco Murray, and he didn’t let them down.  Murray had 148 total yards and 3 scores.  Sooners WR Ryan Broyles had a solid receiving game as well.

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

This Week in the Pac-10

 

 Week 2 was a good week to be a Pac 10 team. The conference swept every game, with the lone exception being Stanford’s beat down of UCLA, where a Pac 10 team had to lose. This looks to be a much stronger conference than is being nationally perceived.

Granted, the wins were piled up against less than formidable opponents, but only to teams won by single digits. One of those teams is the consensus basement dweller or the conference, Washington State. Yes, it was against FCS team Montana State, and yes, it took a fourth quarter rally to eek out the victory, but any win the Cougars can get is fine by them.

Then there is USC. The Trojans struggled offensively, a week after the defense was an issue against Hawaii. I’m starting to doubt whether or not Lane Kiffin will be able to give this team an identity. There is talent on the team, we know that. But I find their play inconsistent and rough. They surely haven’t played like a top 25 team thus far, despite the fact they are 2-0.

Some other notes from Week 2. Oregon continues to look like a team not only competing for a Pac-10 title, but possibly looking for a BCS title. The conference schedule will be tough in terms of going undefeated, but the Ducks administered another thrashing, this time at Tennessee. We’re all waiting for that matchup against Stanford.

Speaking of Stanford, their win against UCLA marks the first in-conference game of the season, in which the Cardinal cruised 35-0. I admit, this is a team that is looking better than I expected them to, even if I am low on UCLA.

Oregon State was on a bye in Week 2.

Alright, let’s move on to Week 3.

California vs Nevada

This Friday night game is an interesting one. Both teams are looking to move into the top 25 with a win here, but the Bears are the favorite despite being on the road in a short week.

When playing Nevada, you must guard against the run. It’s not that I don’t think Cal can defend, but can the offense, and most importantly QB Kevin Riley, get out in front early to force Nevada to play from behind. I think Cal is the better team, but Nevada may have the matchup they want.

USC vs Minnesota

The Trojans shouldn’t have a problem winning this game. I’m looking to see how they win. They have shown two different personalities in as many games, so perhaps game three can provide a glimpse on what this team will be like going into Pac-10 play. If they struggle, you can officially put a red flag on USC and Lane Kiffin.

Nebraska vs Washington

This is my Pac-10 game of the week. I want to see Jake Locker against this Cornhusker defense, and I’m sure many NFL scouts will be in attendance to see the same. Locker must be brilliant if the Huskies have any chance to win. I don’t expect Chris Polk to do much in the running game.

Defensively speaking, it’s not like Nebraska is an offensive juggernaut. Washington has to kill the run, kill the run, and oh, did I mention, kill the run? What happens here will be very eye-opening on just how good Washington can be this year.

Arizona State vs Wisconsin

Ex-Michigan quarterback and current Sun Devil Steven Threet has beaten a ranked Wisconsin team before, one of only two of Threet’s Ann Arbor victories. Arizona State has looked good enough to repeat Threet’s past, but the Badgers are going to be a much harder team to beat than the cupcakes presented to them so far.

I’ve been trying to talk myself into a Sun Devil win here, since Big Ten matchups seem favorable to their style of play, but with no experience this year playing tough competition, and going on the road against a hard-nosed team, they should just be happy keeping it close, which I do expect. Gamblers might want to look at the point spread in this one.

Washington State vs Southern Methodist

I’m not going to say this very often this year, but the Cougars are coming off a win. I don’t foresee me typing the same thing next week. This team is building, folks, and the losses will come in bunches, even to teams with problems such as SMU. The best case scenario here is keeping it close early and seeing any signs of progress.

Louisville vs Oregon State

I would not want to be Louisville this week. The Cardinals problem so far has been stopping the ground attack, and Oregon State is a team looking to run it down opponents’ throats. Add into the mix that the Beavers have had two weeks to stomach their loss against top-5 TCU, and yeah, I don’t see this being too close a game.

But you have to mention that the Beavers face Boise State next week, and the fear of overlooking a lesser opponent is out there. Louisville needs to hope for just that, and perhaps get an early lead and force Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz to make some plays. Otherwise, it will be a long day for the Cardinals.

Portland State vs Oregon

The Ducks’ last tune-up before conference play. Portland State is an FCS school, and they will likely get pounded. Not much to see here.

Iowa vs Arizona

The only game this week featuring two top-25 schools. I hate this matchup for Arizona, who come equipped with a high octane offense but face a tough Big Ten defense. I favor the defense in battles like these, and the Hawkeyes are the better team. Plus, I worry about the defensive line against Iowa’s offense, and if the Wildcats can supply any pressure.

Being at home obviously helps, and Arizona has what it takes to rally if they find themselves behind, but Iowa to me is bigger and stronger and should win the all too important line of scrimmage battle. The Wildcats must force a shootout to be successful. I don’t see it playing out that way, but either way, it will be a great test, and should be a great game.

Houston vs UCLA

The good news: Houston quarterback Case Keenum may not play. The bad news: pretty much everything else. We can start with the fact that the Bruins can’t stop the run. Then we move on to their lack of ground control on offense. I’m a fan of what they’re doing, or more precisely, what they’re trying to do, but Houston, with or without Keenum is simply better at what they are doing.

UCLA needs to pray for a Keenum-less game. It’s really their only chance in this one.

Wake Forest vs Stanford

Okay, Stanford is better than I thought. Andrew Luck, who I already loved, is better than I thought. As for Wake, when Duke puts up 48 points on you, what do you expect one of the nation’s top quarterbacks to do?

Stanford wins easily here. The only concern is whether or not the defense can play as well as it has thus far, especially the run defense, but I don’t see it becoming a huge issue.

Written by Jay Fisher @jfishsports on Twitter

Around CUSA:

 

Houston entered both major polls following its 54-24 win over UTEP. The Cougars appear in both polls this week at No. 23…..the Cougars ran up 309 yards on the ground and scored six rushing touchdowns in a 54-24 win over UTEP on Friday night in a departure from their typical pass heavy offense. Heisman candidate Case Keenum had a nice game but failed to throw a td pass for the first time in 31 games.

Tulsa junior QB GJ Kinne is off to a very nice start in 2010. The Texas transfer struggled at times in 2009 mainly to poor pass protection but Kinne leads all FBS quarterbacks with 755 passing yards in the first two games of the season.

East Carolina fans have to be very happy with the way the Ruffin McNeill era has started. The 100 points(51 vs Tulsa, 49 vs Memphis) scored in the first two games are the most scored in back-to-back opening games in program history. The catalyst of the Pirates attack has been junior QB Dominique Davis. After throwing five touchdowns vs. Tulsa, he accounted for five scores against Memphis, throwing three TD passes and running for two more. He completed 27-of-38 passes for 244 yards.

Southern Miss junior WR DeAndre Brown has NFL written all over him when it comes to athletic ability and talent. The question that has arisen with Brown is consistent effort. Through the first two games of the season Brown has 9 receptions for 165 yards and 2tds. All while being called out publicly by Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora for his effort on some plays following a season opening loss to South Carolina. “If you look at his game from the other night there was nothing special on his part. It wasn’t even an average performance to be honest with you”, Fedora stated in the Monday press conference following the opener.

UCF coach George O’Leary is battling a QB controversy with junior Rob Calabrese and true freshman Jeff Godfrey at the center of the storm. O’Leary is set to name a starter on Friday with most thinking Godfrey will get the starting nod following a late game entrance and impressive performance last Saturday in a 28-21 loss to NC St.

There has been a lot of anticipation at Rice since Sam McGuffie announced he was transferring from Michigan following the 2008 season. He has had mixed success in the first two games rushing for 80 yards in two game at 2.3 yards per carry. He has also caught 5 passes for 84 yards and 1 TD.

83 players from CUSA schools appeared on the opening day rosters of NFL teams this past weekend. All 12 C-USA schools are represented, with at least four or more players appearing from nine of the schools. UCF has the most former players on current NFL rosters with 12, while Memphis has 11 and Marshall has nine. Included are 12 players that have made at least one Pro Bowl appearance in their careers.

Best Team win week 2:

I’m going with the 32-31 Rice win over North Texas. It might not have been the most impressive win but not losing this game was huge for the Owl’s. Coming off a 2-10 2009 they did not want to start 2010 0-2.

Worst team loss week 2:

Although certainly not a terrible performance the Marshall loss to West Virginia was a heartbreaker. It would have been a huge win for Doc Holliday in his second game as head coach at Marshall in front of a record setting home crowd in Huntington.  To blow a 15 point 4^th quarter lead made it even more painful.

CUSA Power rankings:

1. East Carolina – Two good CUSA wins to start the season.
2. Houston – Number two so far based on a slightly weaker schedule.
3. Tulsa – Nice win over Bowling Green and a close loss at East Carolina
4. SMU – Close loss at Texas Tech and convincing home win over UAB.
5. UCF – Close loss at home to NC St
6. Rice – Respectable loss vs Texas and road win at North Texas
7. Southern Miss – Bounced back from loss at South Carolina with win over Prairie View.
8. UTEP – Big loss at Houston.
9. Marshall -  No wins yet but a brutal schedule and heartbreaker vs West Virginia.
10. Tulane – Non impressive home win vs SE Louisiana and home loss to Ole Miss.
11. Memphis – No wins but both losses on the road.
12.  UAB – No wins so far and tough schedule stretch ahead.

 Ranking the CSUA games for Week 3:

1. East Carolina at Virginia Tech – Playing 0-2 VT in Blacksburg isn’t good timing but the Tech defense is giving up 27ppg through the first two games. VT 30 – ECU 23
2. Tulsa at Oklahoma State – Tulsa can score points but also give them up. Not a prescription for success playing Okie St. in Stillwater.  OSU 40 – Tulsa 30
3. Kansas at Southern Miss – A pivotal game for both teams. KU looked terrible in their opener but much better vs a possibly overrated Georgia Tech. Hattiesburg will be rocking for a national TV audience on Friday night. Southern Miss 24 – KU 17
4. Houston at UCLA – UCLA has struggled mightily on offense and they have yet to face an offense as high powered as the Cougars.  Houston 38  -  UCLA 17
5. Washington State at SMU – Washington St beat Montana St by one point at home and opponents are averaging almost 6 yards per play. At home Kyle Padron and company should have a good day. SMU 31 – Washington State 21
6. Northwestern at Rice  – Northwestern plays their typically tough defense and QB Dan Persa has completed 86% of his passes through two games. Rice will have to improve on a 2.4 yards per rush average but should be able to keep it close at home. Northwestern 26 – Rice 19
7. Marshall at Bowling Green – How will Marshall bounce back from the brutal loss to West Virginia? Both teams need a win to avoid an 0-3 start. Home opener for Bowling Green after road losses at Troy and Tulsa. Bowling Green 28 – Marshall 21
8. UCF at Buffalo – Frosh QB Jeff Godfrey could get the starting nod after an impressive performance in the loss to NC St. Buffalo isn’t the toughest road  UCF 24  – Buffalo 16
9. Middle Tennessee at Memphis – Memphis opponents have averaged almost five yards per rush. MTSU has averaged six yards per rush. MTSU 28 – Memphis 17
10. Troy at UAB – Troy scared Oklahoma St to death last week in Stillwater. UAB needs a win badly this week before hitting the road at Tennessee and UCF in the next two weeks. Freshman QB Corey Robinson is doing a nice job or Troy. UAB will need a big game from QB David Isabelle. Troy 24 – UAB 17.
11. New Mexico State at UTEP – NMSU has lost eight straight games going back to last season. Look for UTEP to bounce back big from their loss to Houston. UTEP 38 – NMSU 10

Week 3 CUSA Players of the week:

Houston junior RB  Bryce Beall was named CUSA offensive player of the week . Beall rushed for his career-best 195 yards on 19 carries for a 10.3 yard average. He scored three touchdowns, tying a career best. Beall scored on runs of 43, 35 and 31 yards in helping Houston to a 54-24 win over UTEP in the conference opener.

Marshall senior DE Vinny Curry earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after a big performance in the Herd’s game vs. No. 22 West Virginia. Curry had 11 tackles, three for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles in Marshall’s near upset of No. 22 West Virginia on Friday night. Curry led a Marshall defensive effort that did not allow a West Virginia touchdown until the fourth quarter.

Special Teams player of the week was Tulsa junior K Kevin Fitzpatrick, who had four field goals in Tulsa’s 33-20 victory over Bowling Green.

Written by John Huber @Fort80 on Twitter