The Mountain West Conference (MWC) landed a team in the BCS for the third straight year, but in a few short years, the MWC will be a shell of what it was this year. Conference expansion and losing Brady Hoke to Michigan make it impossible for the MWC to ever reach BCS AQ status. Those are off the field issues, let’s get to what happened on the field this year.
Showing posts with label Air Force. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Force. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday Musings: Air Force Wins the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
It was another great week of college football. It is weeks like these that make November the best month of the season. Everything is at stake and everything is possible.
1. Claiming the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Air Force beat Army 42-22 to win their first Commander-in-Chief's trophy since 2002. Navy had won the last 7. Air Force beat Navy 14-6 back on October 2.
2. Bad day to be a two loss team. Two loss Florida State, Northwestern, Syracuse, Maryland, and North Carolina State all lost to teams with a worse record. Baylor was crushed by Oklahoma State. Iowa struggled to beat Indiana. Hawaii was overwhelmed by Boise State, and Fresno State was challenged by Louisiana Tech.
3. Mirror image. Cam Newton and Denard Robinson took the dual threat QB label to a different level this year. On Saturday, they posted very similar stats with their similar style of play. Newton attempted 21 passes and averaged 15.1 yards per attempt. Robinson attempted 20 passes and averaged 15.3 yards per attempt. Newton averaged 3.0 yards per rush, and Robinson averaged 3.3 yards. They both left their respective games early, however, Robinson left early due to injury, while Newton went to the bench with a commanding lead.
4. New life in Ames, Iowa. Since the Utah and Oklahoma games that ended 68-27 and 52-0 respectively, Iowa State has been a much improved team. They are 2-1 since those two losses, which includes beating Texas in Austin. The loss was a heart breaker to Nebraska in overtime.
5. Make Room for the Non-AQs. Boise State and TCU deserve serious consideration for the BCS national championship game. These two teams have played so well the last three years it is an injustice to not give them a chance on the biggest stage.
6. Lucky Number 55. Three traditionally strong programs that are having down years all posted big wins by scoring 55 points. Florida beat Vanderbilt 55-14, Georgia beat Idaho State 55-7, and BYU beat UNLV 55-7.
7. Moore than you can handle. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore gave Hawaii more than they could handle. He reinserted himself in Heisman talk with a 30-37, 507 yards, and 3 TD performance against a good Hawaii team. Hawaii gave USC a competitive game (49-36) early this year, but Moore and company had the Warriors retreating all game long in a 42-7 blowout.
8. I am glad we're not in Kansas anymore. The Colorado Buffaloes saw a 28 point lead whisked away by a Kansas tornado. The Jayhawks scored 35 fourth quarter points to send the Buffaloes back to Colorado and helped blow them out of the Big 12.
9. Michigan needs a makeover. The mood in Michigan has been very gloomy the last two weeks. Rich Rodriguez was on the hot seat and no one thought the team was going in the right direction. By beating Illinois this week, the Wolverines are 6-3 on the season and will probably move to 7-3 with Purdue up next. They will go bowling and have a very good chance of finishing two, maybe three games improved from a year ago. There is only one problem in Ann Arbor: the defense. Fix that this offseason and Michigan can contend for the Big Ten title.
10. Wild, wild, East. The Big East Conference race is still wide open. While Pitt is 3-0 in the conference, no team has a conference record worse than 1-2. With so many conference games left to be played and all eight teams still in the running, things could get wild in the last month of the season.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Will Michgian win 6 games to be bowl eligible?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 10, 2010
Game of the Week: TCU Horned Frogs at Utah Utes
Game Predictions, Week 10, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Georgia Bulldogs Starting 4-5
Heisman Hopefuls: Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley Eliminated
1. Claiming the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Air Force beat Army 42-22 to win their first Commander-in-Chief's trophy since 2002. Navy had won the last 7. Air Force beat Navy 14-6 back on October 2.
2. Bad day to be a two loss team. Two loss Florida State, Northwestern, Syracuse, Maryland, and North Carolina State all lost to teams with a worse record. Baylor was crushed by Oklahoma State. Iowa struggled to beat Indiana. Hawaii was overwhelmed by Boise State, and Fresno State was challenged by Louisiana Tech.
3. Mirror image. Cam Newton and Denard Robinson took the dual threat QB label to a different level this year. On Saturday, they posted very similar stats with their similar style of play. Newton attempted 21 passes and averaged 15.1 yards per attempt. Robinson attempted 20 passes and averaged 15.3 yards per attempt. Newton averaged 3.0 yards per rush, and Robinson averaged 3.3 yards. They both left their respective games early, however, Robinson left early due to injury, while Newton went to the bench with a commanding lead.
4. New life in Ames, Iowa. Since the Utah and Oklahoma games that ended 68-27 and 52-0 respectively, Iowa State has been a much improved team. They are 2-1 since those two losses, which includes beating Texas in Austin. The loss was a heart breaker to Nebraska in overtime.
5. Make Room for the Non-AQs. Boise State and TCU deserve serious consideration for the BCS national championship game. These two teams have played so well the last three years it is an injustice to not give them a chance on the biggest stage.
6. Lucky Number 55. Three traditionally strong programs that are having down years all posted big wins by scoring 55 points. Florida beat Vanderbilt 55-14, Georgia beat Idaho State 55-7, and BYU beat UNLV 55-7.
7. Moore than you can handle. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore gave Hawaii more than they could handle. He reinserted himself in Heisman talk with a 30-37, 507 yards, and 3 TD performance against a good Hawaii team. Hawaii gave USC a competitive game (49-36) early this year, but Moore and company had the Warriors retreating all game long in a 42-7 blowout.
8. I am glad we're not in Kansas anymore. The Colorado Buffaloes saw a 28 point lead whisked away by a Kansas tornado. The Jayhawks scored 35 fourth quarter points to send the Buffaloes back to Colorado and helped blow them out of the Big 12.
9. Michigan needs a makeover. The mood in Michigan has been very gloomy the last two weeks. Rich Rodriguez was on the hot seat and no one thought the team was going in the right direction. By beating Illinois this week, the Wolverines are 6-3 on the season and will probably move to 7-3 with Purdue up next. They will go bowling and have a very good chance of finishing two, maybe three games improved from a year ago. There is only one problem in Ann Arbor: the defense. Fix that this offseason and Michigan can contend for the Big Ten title.
10. Wild, wild, East. The Big East Conference race is still wide open. While Pitt is 3-0 in the conference, no team has a conference record worse than 1-2. With so many conference games left to be played and all eight teams still in the running, things could get wild in the last month of the season.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Will Michgian win 6 games to be bowl eligible?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 10, 2010
Game of the Week: TCU Horned Frogs at Utah Utes
Game Predictions, Week 10, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Georgia Bulldogs Starting 4-5
Heisman Hopefuls: Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley Eliminated
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Mountain West Conference Has BCS Automatic Qualifying Hopes Detoured
In the latest (and last?) round of college football conference realignment, the Mountain West Conference (MWC) saw its hopes for BCS automatic qualifying (AQ) status take a detour. Reports surfaced two weeks ago that the Brigham Young Cougars would leave the MWC and become a football independent. The Cougars will made it offical August 31, 2010, and they are holding a press conference today at 12:00 PM (MDT).
The MWC didn't waste any time inviting Fresno State and Nevada as soon as the initial reports about BYU were published. While this might have been the best possible way for the MWC to react, the MWC had no way to offset the loss of BYU when it comes to the conference's goal for BCS AQ status. To briefly review, BCS AQ status is determined by conference performance over a four year period. The current evaluation period commenced in 2008. BYU was nationally ranked at the end of 2008 and 2009 (number 21 and 12, respectively). BYU was in the final BCS standings in 2008 and 2009 (16 and 14). How does this apply to the MWC? First, Fresno State and Nevada won't make it to the MWC in time for their play to count for the MWC in the current four year cycle. Second, once they get to the MWC, they don't bring anything to improve the MWC bottom line. Neither Fresno State nor Nevada has been ranked in either rankings the last two years. The end result is that the MWC will go from a 9 team conference with 3 aces to a 10 team league with 2 aces.
The MWC will not, however, give up on trying to gain AQ status. This chain of events is not necessarily a death blow. It is merely a detour delaying this dream. The collection of TCU, Boise State, Air Force, Fresno State, and Nevada has the potential of developing into a respected top half of the conference. If any of these teams fail to do their part, then Wyoming and San Diego State are poised to join that group. These two schools need to build on the progress they made last year under new head coaches, and find a way to keep those coaches from leaving. This could make 2016 the magic year for the MWC.
In the end, the MWC will land on its feet. Boise State is not running back to the WAC. TCU won't return to Conference USA. The only question that remains is will Senator Orrin Hatch give it a rest?
The MWC didn't waste any time inviting Fresno State and Nevada as soon as the initial reports about BYU were published. While this might have been the best possible way for the MWC to react, the MWC had no way to offset the loss of BYU when it comes to the conference's goal for BCS AQ status. To briefly review, BCS AQ status is determined by conference performance over a four year period. The current evaluation period commenced in 2008. BYU was nationally ranked at the end of 2008 and 2009 (number 21 and 12, respectively). BYU was in the final BCS standings in 2008 and 2009 (16 and 14). How does this apply to the MWC? First, Fresno State and Nevada won't make it to the MWC in time for their play to count for the MWC in the current four year cycle. Second, once they get to the MWC, they don't bring anything to improve the MWC bottom line. Neither Fresno State nor Nevada has been ranked in either rankings the last two years. The end result is that the MWC will go from a 9 team conference with 3 aces to a 10 team league with 2 aces.
The MWC will not, however, give up on trying to gain AQ status. This chain of events is not necessarily a death blow. It is merely a detour delaying this dream. The collection of TCU, Boise State, Air Force, Fresno State, and Nevada has the potential of developing into a respected top half of the conference. If any of these teams fail to do their part, then Wyoming and San Diego State are poised to join that group. These two schools need to build on the progress they made last year under new head coaches, and find a way to keep those coaches from leaving. This could make 2016 the magic year for the MWC.
In the end, the MWC will land on its feet. Boise State is not running back to the WAC. TCU won't return to Conference USA. The only question that remains is will Senator Orrin Hatch give it a rest?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
5 Step Drop: College Football Indepentents 2010
The three independents might have some company in 2011. However, for 2010, it is just the three regulars: Notre Dame, Army, and Navy.
1. Who will be the best team? Navy Midshipmen. The Middies have been consistent winners for seven years now. The loss of Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate at Notre Dame will keep the Naval Academy ahead of the Fighting Irish for at least one more year.
2. Who is the top returning player? Michael Floyd, Notre Dame. Despite missing five and a half games due to injury in 2009, Floyd totaled 795 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. In the seven games he did play, he had over 100 yards receiving five times.
3. Which team will be the most improved? Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After three years of sub par play, Brian Kelly will shake things up enough to get Notre Dame back to a bowl with momentum for greater things in 2011.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? Navy will not win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Like all good things, Navy's seven year run winning this award will come to an end. Air Force will win the award this year.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Rich Ellerson, Army. Ellerson is the de facto answer here. With Brian Kelly new at Notre Dame, and Ken Niumatalolo thriving at Navy, there is no other choice. Ellerson finished 5-7 in 2009, his first year on the job, which was a step up from 3-9 the year before.
1. Who will be the best team? Navy Midshipmen. The Middies have been consistent winners for seven years now. The loss of Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate at Notre Dame will keep the Naval Academy ahead of the Fighting Irish for at least one more year.
2. Who is the top returning player? Michael Floyd, Notre Dame. Despite missing five and a half games due to injury in 2009, Floyd totaled 795 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. In the seven games he did play, he had over 100 yards receiving five times.
3. Which team will be the most improved? Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After three years of sub par play, Brian Kelly will shake things up enough to get Notre Dame back to a bowl with momentum for greater things in 2011.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? Navy will not win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Like all good things, Navy's seven year run winning this award will come to an end. Air Force will win the award this year.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Rich Ellerson, Army. Ellerson is the de facto answer here. With Brian Kelly new at Notre Dame, and Ken Niumatalolo thriving at Navy, there is no other choice. Ellerson finished 5-7 in 2009, his first year on the job, which was a step up from 3-9 the year before.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mountain West Conference Football Season Preview for 2010
The Mountain West Conference (MWC) has been on a roll the last few years with TCU and the Utah Utes going to BCS bowls. How do things look for 2010?
1. Who will win the conference? TCU Horned Frogs. Not only will TCU win the MWC, but they have a pretty clear path to another undefeated regular season and a second consecutive BCS bowl game. BYU and Utah will provide more of a challenge this year than last, but TCU should come out on top in the end.
2. Who is the top returning player? Carmen Messina, New Mexico. The Lobos linebacker led the nation in tackles (162) as a sophomore. He is going to give Brian Urlacher a run for his money as the best linebacker in New Mexico Lobos history if he posts similar numbers this year.
3. Which team will be the most improved? San Diego State Aztecs. Head Coach Brady Hoke brought competitiveness to San Diego last year, and this year they will take the next step and go bowling. They may even push Air Force for that number four spot in the conference.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? One of the "Big 3" (TCU, BYU, Utah) will lose to one of the other six members of the conference. No one has done it for a few years, but this year will be different. It could happen as early as September 11 when BYU and Air Force meet and Utah plays UNLV. Air Force usually plays Utah close, and the Cadets could trip up Utah on October 30 if the Utes are looking ahead to TCU the next week. Utah faces San Diego State after playing TCU and Notre Dame, back-to-back, and the week before rival BYU.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Mike Locksley, New Mexico. After the disaster on the field (1-11) and the distractions off the field, Locksley is on a short leash. Even if everything off the field is in check, another one win season and he can expect to be canned.
1. Who will win the conference? TCU Horned Frogs. Not only will TCU win the MWC, but they have a pretty clear path to another undefeated regular season and a second consecutive BCS bowl game. BYU and Utah will provide more of a challenge this year than last, but TCU should come out on top in the end.
2. Who is the top returning player? Carmen Messina, New Mexico. The Lobos linebacker led the nation in tackles (162) as a sophomore. He is going to give Brian Urlacher a run for his money as the best linebacker in New Mexico Lobos history if he posts similar numbers this year.
3. Which team will be the most improved? San Diego State Aztecs. Head Coach Brady Hoke brought competitiveness to San Diego last year, and this year they will take the next step and go bowling. They may even push Air Force for that number four spot in the conference.
4. What will be the biggest surprise? One of the "Big 3" (TCU, BYU, Utah) will lose to one of the other six members of the conference. No one has done it for a few years, but this year will be different. It could happen as early as September 11 when BYU and Air Force meet and Utah plays UNLV. Air Force usually plays Utah close, and the Cadets could trip up Utah on October 30 if the Utes are looking ahead to TCU the next week. Utah faces San Diego State after playing TCU and Notre Dame, back-to-back, and the week before rival BYU.
5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Mike Locksley, New Mexico. After the disaster on the field (1-11) and the distractions off the field, Locksley is on a short leash. Even if everything off the field is in check, another one win season and he can expect to be canned.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Big 12 Will Be Fine
Let's say Nebraska and Missouri leave the Big 12 for the Big 10. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado then follow suit and leave for the Pac-10. Now what? Well, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor, first of all, I can assure you that the sun will rise the next day, and when it does rise here is the plan for you.
The Big 12 leftovers will be in a favorable situation, for being leftovers. Being positioned in the middle of the country, they have the option now of picking and choosing from the strong schools on the west and east of them. Take your time, because you will have time, and look at the following candidates.
Mountain West (MWC)
Air Force, BYU, TCU, and Utah
Big East
Cincinnati, Louisville
Conference USA
Houston, SMU, Southern Mississippi, and Tulsa
These schools provide two key ingredients: 1) An expanded conference footprint, while maintaining the traditional Big 12 footprint, and 2) A conference that could still be an automatic qualifyier in the BCS. You can pick your size, anywhere from 9 to 12 teams (5-8 in addition to the four leftovers). Here are some scenarios:
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
Iowa State
Houston
TCU or SMU
Cincinnati
BYU or Utah
Air Force
As long as you take TCU over SMU, this conference should be stong enough for a BCS AQ. The only problem is that long term, SMU might be better at getting attention in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Texas in general. :
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
Iowa State
Houston
TCU or SMU
Cincinnati
BYU
Utah
Air Force
Louisville
Southern Mississippi
This will give you 12 teams to hold a championship game. You are taking a chance on BCS AQ status with Louisville, but the basketball showdowns with Kansas could be too irresistable. Hopefully with both BYU and Utah, the conference will be strong enough to get AQ status.
The moral of this post is to keep your heads high Jayhawks, Wildcats, Bears, and Cyclones. The Big 12 has a future, and it might not be all that bad.
The Big 12 leftovers will be in a favorable situation, for being leftovers. Being positioned in the middle of the country, they have the option now of picking and choosing from the strong schools on the west and east of them. Take your time, because you will have time, and look at the following candidates.
Mountain West (MWC)
Air Force, BYU, TCU, and Utah
Big East
Cincinnati, Louisville
Conference USA
Houston, SMU, Southern Mississippi, and Tulsa
These schools provide two key ingredients: 1) An expanded conference footprint, while maintaining the traditional Big 12 footprint, and 2) A conference that could still be an automatic qualifyier in the BCS. You can pick your size, anywhere from 9 to 12 teams (5-8 in addition to the four leftovers). Here are some scenarios:
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
Iowa State
Houston
TCU or SMU
Cincinnati
BYU or Utah
Air Force
As long as you take TCU over SMU, this conference should be stong enough for a BCS AQ. The only problem is that long term, SMU might be better at getting attention in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Texas in general. :
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
Iowa State
Houston
TCU or SMU
Cincinnati
BYU
Utah
Air Force
Louisville
Southern Mississippi
This will give you 12 teams to hold a championship game. You are taking a chance on BCS AQ status with Louisville, but the basketball showdowns with Kansas could be too irresistable. Hopefully with both BYU and Utah, the conference will be strong enough to get AQ status.
The moral of this post is to keep your heads high Jayhawks, Wildcats, Bears, and Cyclones. The Big 12 has a future, and it might not be all that bad.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
WEEK IN REVIEW, Feb. 28-March 6
First, to follow up on last week's inquiry. The new excessive celebration penalty is still just a proposal. It was passed by the NCAA Rules Committee and will now go before the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. I am unable to find the date that that panel will consider this rule, but my guess is that the panel will support it and it will go into effect in 2011. To clarify the rule, the only change that it will bring is for "taunting gestures" on the way to the end zone. The penalty will be assessed from the spot of the foul and the points will be taken off of the board. Celebrations after a player crosses the goal line will still be dead ball fouls and assess on the extra point or kickoff. I agree with this proposed rule change, in principle. Any violation of the rules that happens in the field of play while the play is live should be charged that way. My problem with the rule is the language. What exactly is a taunting gesture? Some are obvious, but others are not. Can this rule be invoked if an official thinks that a player is taunting the fans? Are their rules of proximity and direction? If a player is 15 yards away from the nearest defender can any gesture really be interpreted as being directed at the defender? If the ball carrier has his back turned to the defender can any gesture by the ball carrier be interpreted as taunting the opposing player? The possibilities are endless. I am all for sportsmanship, but the language of this proposed rule needs to be clarified before it is implemented.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
GAME RECAP: BYU vs. Air Force
You can view the game recap for the BYU vs. Air Force game at: http://isportsweb.com/sport/college-football/mountain-west/byu-football/ Be sure to visit www.isportsweb.com regularly next week as I will make a special post each day in honor of the BYU vs. Utah rivalry with flashbacks for some of the rivalries greatest games.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Xs and Os: DIVISIONS
If you are new to college football, you might be asking: How does a team win 72-0 (Air Force) or 54-0 (Boston College) and not be ranked in the Top 25? That is a good question with a simple answer: Not all teams are created equal. Maybe it is better said that not all divisions are created equal. Schools that participate in college athletics governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are divided into three divisions: Division I, II and III. For college football, Division I is subdivided into the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). A wide valley separates the level of competition between each division, and even between the division I subdivisions. The FBS teams are significantly better than the FCS teams. To clarify my answer to the original question, Air Force plays in the better subdivision in the best division of college football (FBS) while its opponent Nicholls State is from the FCS. Boston College is a member of the FBS, too, and it played Northeastern—another FCS school. It is similar to the high school varsity team playing the junior varsity team. Therefore, such a lopsided score can be more indicative of an inferior opponent and not a superior ball club. These cross-divisional and cross-subdivisional match ups are not uncommon in the first three weeks of the college football season.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
ABOUT ME: THE EDITOR
I have followed college football for over two decades. I still remember attending my first game in 1988: Brigham Young University (BYU) vs. Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was even lucky enough to get Ty Detmer’s autograph after the game! My second game came the following year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, BYU vs. New Mexico. The image of BYU cornerback Brian Mitchell racing down the sideline on a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown is still fresh in my mind.
First, and foremost, I am a BYU Cougars fan. I attended BYU, my parents attended BYU, and both sets of my grandparents attended BYU. Therefore, I have an affinity for stories related to BYU, the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and Bowl Championship Series (BCS) reform. However, I am still a fan of college football. My other favorite teams (since the 1990s) include the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Florida State Seminoles, and the Florida Gators. More recently, I have enjoyed watching the resurgence of Penn State, the emergence of Boise State—although they present competition to BYU in some ways, the dominance of the University of Southern California (USC), and the superhuman performance of Tim Tebow on and off the field.
I was born in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, so football is in my blood. After about seven years there, my family moved to Colorado Springs, and five years after that we relocated again to South Jordan, Utah. While in South Jordan, I played three years on the Bingham High School football team as a quarterback; I also played a little bit of safety. I was sophomore team captain on the “best sophomore team in school history” according to our coaches. We were ranked number 2 in the state my senior year as we compiled an 8-2 record.
During my playing career, I was associated with the following prominent players:
Enjoy.
(Feedback is always appreciated and will be taken into consideration for the future development of this site.)
First, and foremost, I am a BYU Cougars fan. I attended BYU, my parents attended BYU, and both sets of my grandparents attended BYU. Therefore, I have an affinity for stories related to BYU, the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and Bowl Championship Series (BCS) reform. However, I am still a fan of college football. My other favorite teams (since the 1990s) include the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Florida State Seminoles, and the Florida Gators. More recently, I have enjoyed watching the resurgence of Penn State, the emergence of Boise State—although they present competition to BYU in some ways, the dominance of the University of Southern California (USC), and the superhuman performance of Tim Tebow on and off the field.
I was born in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, so football is in my blood. After about seven years there, my family moved to Colorado Springs, and five years after that we relocated again to South Jordan, Utah. While in South Jordan, I played three years on the Bingham High School football team as a quarterback; I also played a little bit of safety. I was sophomore team captain on the “best sophomore team in school history” according to our coaches. We were ranked number 2 in the state my senior year as we compiled an 8-2 record.
During my playing career, I was associated with the following prominent players:
I have created this blog to share my passion for college football, and to, hopefully, enhance others' participation in the sport as a fan, student, or player.1. Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, asked me to
do passing drills with him as he prepared for the upcoming football season in
1999.2. Paul Peterson, former Boston College quarterback
and 2004 Continental Tire Bowl MVP, was my teammate in high school.3. Reno “Junior” Mahe, Philadelphia Eagles running back/punt
returner (led the NFL in punt returns in 2005), played with him at BYU football
summer camps and played against him twice during the 1997 football season.4. Bryan Kehl, New York Giants Linebacker, played against
him in high school during the 1998 football season.
Enjoy.
(Feedback is always appreciated and will be taken into consideration for the future development of this site.)
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