UTSA Finishes Inaugural Season With a 'W'; Longhorns Fall on Senior Day

It's been an entertaining inaugural season for the UTSA Football team and Saturday was no different.  The Roadrunners began the game off with a bang, as DE Jason Neill intercepted a pass on Minot State's first possession and returned it for a pick six.  The Roadrunners got the ball back after a Minot State punt and extended their lead on their fourth offensive play, a 77 yard run by RB Evans Okotcha.  By quarter's end, the Roadrunners held a 21-0 lead and were cruising to an easy victory.  A Beaver second quarter touchdown wouldn't prevent the Roadrunners from rolling to victory.  QB Eric Soza threw two second half touchdowns to set up their fourth victory of the season, a 49-7 victory in the season finale.  Although the Roadrunners finished their inaugural season with a 4-6 record, UTSA played in two overtimes and set two attendance records during the season.  Roadrunner fans set the single game attendance record (56,743) in the season opener and the average attendance record (35,521) for a start-up college football program.

In Austin, the #23 Longhorns faced a tough opponent as #13 Kansas State came to town.  Texas was coming off a tough 17-5 loss in Columbia the week before and needed to get back on track.  The Longhorn offense continued to struggle as the game began, but their defense kept them in the game, allowing only ten first half points to the Wildcats.  The Wildcats extended their lead to fourteen halfway through the third quarter on a 3 yard TD run by QB Collin Klein, but were done scoring after that play.  QB Case McCoy took over for the ineffective David Ash and kept the Longhorns in the game.  In the third quarter, he threw the first Texas touchdown pass in two weeks and set up Texas' second field goal in the fourth.  The once Kansas State fourteen point lead had shrunk to four with minutes to go in the game and the Texas 'D' gave Texas numerous opportunities to take the lead.  McCoy was unable to complete the comeback victory and the Wildcats held on to a 17-13 victory in Austin on Saturday.  Although the Longhorns lost their second consecutive game, the team's focus will be on their final conference match-up with the Aggies on Thanksgiving Night.

#1 UNC Prevails in First Carrier Classic; Season's First Upset

It was a special night off the coast of San Diego as the top ranked North Carolina Tar Heels faced off against the mighty Michigan State Spartans.   The two storied college basketball programs made Veterans Day a very special one for the thousands of veterans on board the USS Carl Vinson tonight.  Both teams wore camouflaged jerseys with "USA" printed on the back, and all three of the game's officials were military veterans.  Behind Forward Harrison Barnes' 17 points and 5 rebounds, the #1 Tar Heels escaped with a 67-55 victory over the Spartans in the inaugural college basketball game off land in the Carrier Classic.  The Carrier Classic returns next season as Arizona takes on Connecticut on November 9th.

As the Carrier Classic concluded, another fascinating match-up was about to begin 120 miles to the north in Los Angeles.  The Loyola Marymount Lions met up at the Los Angeles Sports Arena to face the #20 UCLA Bruins.  Behind 23 points from Forward Ashley Hamilton and 21 from Guard Anthony Ireland, the Lions began their 2011-2012 campaign with a 69-58 upset of the #20 UCLA Bruins tonight.

2011 NFL Mid-Season Report Part 2/2: NFC

East: Can the G-Men Survive Tough 2^nd Half of Season?

It’s been a surprise for many fans to see Eli and his Giants atop the NFC East through the first half of the season.  All the offseason talk regarding the “Dream Team” Eagles didn’t bother the Giants as they quietly took control of the division and currently hold the NFC’s third seed.  The next five games for the Giants will decide the season.  The ‘9ers, Saints, and Packers will certainly be tough opponents and their divisional games against the Cowboys and Eagles will certainly test the Giants’ stamina.

North: Will Anyone Prevent a Pack-fect Season?

The Green Bay Packers are certainly the best team in the NFL right now, but can the Pack become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to finish the season undefeated?  How many NFL teams have finished the season undefeated?  That’s right, one.  The Packers are a great team, but if the 4-5 Chargers could hang with the Pack for most of Sunday’s game, a much better team can prevent their perfect season.  As talented and deep as the Packers are, expect a slip-up or two towards the end of the season.  A 14-2 or 15-1 Green Bay team will still be a loaded team heading into January.

South: Ryan’s Birds or Brees’ Saints?

Another Great Battle between the Birds and Saints from the Good Ole NFC South!  For the second consecutive season, the Division Title is on the line and it’ll be as bloody as ever.  Their late season match-up on Monday Night Football should certainly determine the division champion as it did in 2010.  The chase for the division will come down to the wire, but look to the Saints to hang on for their third division championship since 2006.

West: The ‘9ers Easy Road to First Round Bye

Can Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis, who are a combined 5-19 through the first half of the season, make San Francisco’s ride to the playoffs any easier?  The only thing the cellar teams are competing for are draft positions.  It helps that the ‘9ers are currently the league’s second best team, but who would have thought that Alex Smith would be playing the best ball of his career.  My preseason pick for the teams to battle for the division championship were the Rams and Cardinals, so Smith and his San Francisco teammates were certainly a surprise.  This year’s team is probably the best 49ers team since the Jeff Garcia days.

Wild Card Story: The Cowboys’ Identity Crisis

Who really knows who this season’s Dallas Cowboys are?  Through Week 3, the Cowboys were playing as good ball as anyone and no one could blame Romo for his toughness, but an unexpected change came a week later against the Lions.  Romo and the Cowboys blew their 27-3 lead in the second half and never recovered in October, finishing with a 1-3 record in the month, and getting embarrassed on national television by division rival-Philadelphia to conclude the month.  Now a 4-4 team, the Cowboys could be the most questionable 4-4 team in NFL history.  Is this team on the rise and headed to the playoffs, or should Cowboys’ fans expect a second consecutive losing season?  Expect the Cowboys to put up a fight towards the end of the season for a playoff spot, but don’t expect a division title this season.   

Wild Card Story 2: Dead Dream Team?

Vince Young might have cursed the Eagles’ 2011 Season when he called his team a “Dream Team” during the offseason.  The team has three victories through the first half of the season and continues to struggle.  They have also held a 4^th quarter lead in four of the five games they’ve lost.  Expect the team to win up to four more games to end the season, but it’ll take Hell to Freeze over for the Eagles to clinch a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season.

2011 NFL Mid-Season Report Part 1/2: AFC

East: Upstart Bills or Old Fashioned Pats

After six consecutive seasons with a losing record, the Buffalo Bills are currently tied with the Patriots and Jets atop the AFC East.  But is this really the year the Bills break through and make it to the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season?  This race will be the most intriguing race for the second half as we discover the true identity of the three franchises this season.  The Patriots haven’t been the same this season, as their defense is one of the worst in the league and lost their first home game in three years last Sunday.  The Jets, like the Cowboys, have been a disappointment this season and have no true identity.  The Bills, on the other hand, are playing their best ball since the ‘90s and are certainly a true playoff contender.  Expect the Bills and Patriots to represent the division as playoff contenders and the Jets to falter off as the season progresses.

North: Dalton and the Division Champion Bengals?

Quarterback Andy Dalton’s rookie season is headed in the direction as Sam Bradford’s last season: Offensive Rookie of the Year.  But can Dalton and his Bengals outdue Bradford’s rookie season with a playoff berth or district title?  Don’t expect one.  Dalton will continue to make his spectacular plays, but the Bengals will eventually break down.  The team is lacking in talent and is not a deep team, and has to play both the Ravens and Steelers twice.  An 8-8 or 9-7 record this season would be a stepping stone for the Bengals and their young quarterback as they continue to improve.  For the 3^rd time in the past 5 seasons, both the Ravens and Steelers will clinch playoff berths, and the Bengals will miss the postseason for the second consecutive season.

South: Texans in the Playoffs: A Guarantee

Houston’s division rivals are making what looks to be the Texans’ first playoff season a joy ride.  The team has their best first half record and is on track to win at least 10 games for the first time in franchise history.  This may be the best team in the Texans’ 10 year history.  Quarterback Matt Schaub continues to excel in the Bayou City, Tight End Owen Daniels and Receiver Andre [the Giant] Johnson are two of the league’s best playmakers, and behind yet another productive season from Arian Foster, the Texans have become the third best running team in the league.  The Texans should continue to put up big numbers as they become a force throughout the playoffs.

West: Anyone Here [In the AFC West]?

Over the past decade, the NFC West, not the AFC West, was the NFL’s worst division.  Are the Super Chargers, who have won 5 division titles over the past decade, done?  After a disappointing season last year and missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, the Chargers were expected to rebound this season with their sixth division championship of the decade.  The team started the season fast, with a 4-1 record to start the season, but have lost four consecutive games.  The Chargers are certainly not done because they compete in the football’s weakest division, but they’ve struggled over the past month and have a tough second half.  The Raiders are surprisingly leading the division at 5-4 and appear to be headed for their first playoff appearance since their 2002 Super Bowl team.  The Chiefs, although currently a ½ game out of the division lead and were last year’s division champs, are very similar to the Chargers because not a lot has gone right for them this season.  And of course, there is the Who-Knows-Who-The-QB-is-Broncos.  Tim Tebow, named the official starter after the Broncos’ 1-4 start under Kyle Orton, is 2-1 as a starter this season, but doesn’t have a lot of weapons around him.  Expect a close race as the teams compete for the year’s division title (and possibly the second consecutive postseason with a division champ under the .500 mark).

Wild Card Story: Jets: AFC Championship Game Streak Ends

Don’t expect the New York Jets to compete for their third consecutive AFC Championship this January.  The team is currently tied atop the AFC East with the Bills and Patriots, but does it help to have Rex Ryan’s attention on participating in a future Adam Sandler film instead of on his team?  The answer is certainly “No” and his team is playing like it.  Their feared defense hasn’t been as effective and Ryan is the main cause.  The Jets are currently on a three game winning streak, but where will the season take them?  The Jets have difficult matchups against the Patriots, improved Bills, and cross-town rival Giants, so it’ll be tough for the team to make their third consecutive trip to the playoffs and the AFC Championship.     

Wild Card Story 2: The Lucky Manning Colts

Does anyone question the fact that the Colts will end up with the #1 overall pick in next April’s draft?  The team’s quarterback scenario has not worked this season as Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter have struggled in relief of Peyton’s normal role.  The Colts are the last winless team this season and have the league’s worst point differential.  As horrific as this season has been, the future of the Colts is bright.  The team is headed for the draft’s #1 overall pick and Stanford’s Andrew Luck could be the future face of the franchise.  Peyton intends to retire a Colt and would be a great mentor for Luck.  If Peyton can play next season, or the season after, he will definitely be the Colts’ quarterback.  Luck can mature and grow under Peyton and be prepared to take control when Peyton finally retires.  Although this has been a disappointing season for Colts fans, this could be the best thing to happen to them since they drafted Peyton in 1998.  Look at the 1996-1997 San Antonio Spurs. They finished the season 20-68, drafted Tim Duncan with the #1 overall pick, and went on to win four championships from 1999-2007.

#1 LSU Prevails in non-TD "Game of the Century"

Who would have thought that the first meeting of a #1 vs. #2 this season would result in only field goals?  That's what happened tonight in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  The Tigers of LSU and Crimson Tide of Alabama came into tonight's highly-anticipated game as the nation's top two teams.  The Crimson Tide expected an explosive performance from star running back Trent Richardson in the game, but ended up as a no-show with only 89 yards on the ground.  Along with a poor performance from their star running back, Alabama was only 2 of 6 on field goals in the game, including a missed field goal on their lone possession of overtime.  While Alabama was struggling in front of a home crowd, LSU struggled to find a consistent quarterback.  Starter Jarrett Lee finished the game 3 of 7 for 24 yards and 2 interceptions, and was replaced by Jordan Jefferson early in the first half.  Although he didn't improve the waining quarterback system, Jefferson helped the Tigers stay competitive throughout the game.  The true star of the "Game of the Century" was LSU Kicker Drew Alleman, who finished the night 3 of 3 on field goals and had the game-winning kick in overtime.  The #1 Tigers escaped with a 9-6 victory in Tuscaloosa tonight and maintained its status as the nation's top team.

Big East Invites 6 Schools; Intends to Keep Automatic BCS Bid

Over the past few weeks, the Big East Conference has looked at times to be in danger of losing it's automatic BCS bid with the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse, TCU, and West Virginia.  It has also negotiated with schools from both Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference to rebuild the struggling conference.  Today, it was announced Air Force, Boise State, Central Florida, Houston, Navy, and SMU were invited to join the Big East.  Air Force, Boise State, and Navy would become football-only members, while Central Florida, Houston, and SMU would become full-time members.  The Big East is also interested in Temple and Memphis as a 12th member so the conference can institute two divisions and a conference championship game for their football playing schools.  The proposed divisions would include Air Force, Boise State, Houston, SMU, Cincinnati, and Louisville in the Western Division, and Connecticut, Central Florida, Navy, South Florida, Rutgers, and either Temple or Memphis in the Eastern Division.  The move should strengthen the conference and establish the conference as an all-sport conference, instead of only as a powerhouse basketball conference.