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Daily Blog • Tuesday, October 6th

As you have probably noticed that there has been a change to a new interactive blog which many feel is an upgrade with the technical advantages to it, although it does give a completely different look to the blog. What we’ll be doing from now on, is having two blogs up on the site, you can look at it in the interactive version, comment and interact and the old version as well, with just the text available. That will be listed on the home page with a “Looking for the Old Blog Format - CLICK HERE” link.

The San Diego St/New Mexico St game was closer than the final. While the Aztecs led 17-7 mid-3Q, New Mexico St tied it at 17 with 12:27 left. San Diego St threw incomplete on 4th & 1 but pass interference gave them a FD and they continued on a 78 yard, 9 play drive for a TD. New Mexico St’s punter fumbled the snap which led to an 18 yard FG for the Aztecs then after a 39 yd IR to the 5 two plays later with just 2:56 left, San Diego St punched in a TD on 2nd down.

Idaho survived a big play that went against them vs Colorado St. Idaho had a 1st & Goal at the CSU2 on their first drive but was not only intercepted by returned 58 yards which set up a CSU TD. After a 41 yard PR, CSU got another TD to lead 14-0 after 1Q and 20-10 at half. Idaho took the lead with 6:22 to go in the 3Q and they extended their lead to 8 with 14:25 left. CSU was SOD on 4th & 1 at the Idaho 12 but got a 39 yd TD pass with 1:41 left. Their 2 point try failed and Idaho recovered the onside kick. The Vandals punted with 1:14 left but CSU’s only play from their own 20 was intercepted at the 14.

Oregon’s blowout over Washington St was indeed dominant. They had 31-4 FD and 504-158 yard edges and led the game 42-0 at the half with a 402-51 yard edge. While Washington St scored a TD, it came on a 1 yard drive after Oregon fumbled a punt at its own 1.

Michigan St appeared in control vs Michigan leading 20-6 when they were SOD on 4th & 3 at the UM31 with 4:47 left. Forcier, on 3rd & 2, threw a short pass to Stonum who reversed field and outran defenders for a TD, 20-13. MSU punted with 2:53 left and Forcier looked like a hero guiding the Wolverines 92 yards in 12 plays and on 3rd & 8 hit a 9 yd TD pass with :02 left for OT. In the extra frame Forcier on 3rd & 4 from the 8 was intercepted in the endzone on a tipped pass. On 3rd & 9 looking for a FG and the win UM had the Spartans Caper trapped for a 2 yard gain but he broke a tackle and took off on a 24 yard TD run.

Houston took their opening two drives for 10 points but UTEP tied it at 17 at the half. Houston was also SOD at the UTEP 7 and missed a 30 yd FG and had a 374-212 yard edge. UTEP had the lead the rest of the game. A 74 yard TD pass by Vittatoe made it 30-20 (5:43 3Q). The teams traded scores with UTEP leading 51-34 with 5:38 left. UH got to the UTEP 19 but a bad shotgun snap was picked up by UTEP and returned 70 yards for a TD and a decisive 24 point lead. Houston got a 4th & 10, 19 yard TD pass with 1:40 left for the final margin.

Baylor with without backup QB Blake Syzmanski who was supposed to fill in for Robert Griffin as well as their top rusher Jay Findley. Kent St blew a lot of opportunities in the game. Kent St jumped out to a 7-0 lead but had a 26 yard FG blocked late 1Q. Baylor led 21-7 at the half and opened it to 28-7 on the first drive of the 3Q. Kent St got a 61 yd TD run but had the xp blocked and then went on a 15 play drive but had a 38 yard FG blocked. Kent gave up going for FG’s and on 4th & 2 was SOD at the Baylor 9 and on 4th & Goal at the 8 they were intercepted at the 1 (9:21 4Q). Baylor would tack on a FG with 2:39 left after roughing the punter kept one of their drives alive. Kent St had 424 yards to Baylor’s 374.

There could have been a lot more points scored in the Washington/Notre Dame game. In the 1H Notre Dame had a TD called back on a hold and they settled for FG’s from 34, 40 and 34 yards and led 9-7. Washington did take a backward pass which Notre Dame thought was incomplete and ran it back 17 yards for a TD and the lead, 14-9. UW led 17-16 at the half. In the 3Q the Irish had a 1st & Goal at the 2 but settled for a 21 yd FG. UW went on a 10 play drive but on 4th & Goal from the 1 was SOD. The Irish went 93 yards and had a 1st & Goal at the 7 but settled for a 24 yard FG. Washington went on a 19 play drive and had 6 snaps inside the 5 yard line but settled for a FG with 3:04 left and ND prevailed in OT.

Oregon St got an 18 yard TD drive after Arizona St’s punter fumbled the snap. The Beavers added a 41 yard, 2 play drive after a 33 yard PR and then drove 77 yards in 8 plays for a TD to lead 21-3. ASU was intercepted at the OSU48, fumbled at the OSU22 and were SOD at the OSU29 in the 1H and trailed by 18. It was 21-10 when OSU went on a 72 yard, 7 play drive for a TD with 7:07 left, 28-10. Arizona St converted on 4th & 2, 4th & 8, 4th & 10 and their TD came on 4th & 2 on a 95 yard, 22 play drive for a garbage TD with :11 left. ASU only had a slight yardage edge prior to that drive.

Auburn pretty much controlled their game versus Tennessee. Auburn had 224 yards rushing and 235 passing. Auburn missed a 46 yard FG with 1:30 left in the 1H leading 13-0 and Tennessee went 70 yards in 7 plays for a TD with 0:21 left in the half to make it 13-6. Auburn led 23-6 early 4Q then Tennessee would go 62 yards in 7 plays for a TD and then 72 yards in 18 plays for a 26 yard FG to make it 23-16. Auburn recovered the onside kick and went 35 yards for a 22 yard FG with :39 left to clinch it. Down by 10, Tennessee went 79/5pl and on the last play of the game got a 32 yard TD pass but due to league rules, did not even attempt the xp as the game was over.

I know I talked about the SMU/TCU game yesterday but I had not gone through the play-by-play yet. There were a couple of key plays in this game. First of all, it was just 12-7 at the half with TCU getting their first PR TD since 2002 (71 yards to give them the lead). A key play happened in the 3Q. TCU fumbled and SMU returned it to the 1 yard line. The ruling on the field was a fumble and the review took 10 minutes to overturn the call. As SMU Coach June Jones appropriately pointed out that it has to be conclusive to overturn a call on the field and if it was so conclusive, why did it take 10 minutes? The game was still 25-14 after 3Q’s when TCU scored TD’s on their next 2 drives and then after an interception, as I pointed out yesterday, got down to the 1 yard line trying to punch it in at the end of the game.

Miami’s Jacory Harris’ day vs Oklahoma did not start out well. Each of UM’s first 2 drives ended with Harris lofting the ball down the middle of the field deep and both were intercepted at the 5 and 7. Oklahoma led the game 10-0. Trailing 10-7 at the half, Miami sacked Landry Jones which caused him to fumble and on the 3rd play of the 3Q Harris got a 17 yard TD pass to take the lead. UM appeared in control up 21-10 when OU’s punter landed on a skidding Miami player and flopped to the ground. Amazingly on 4th & 10 the referee called roughing the punter and OU’s punter was laughing on the sidelines telling his team about his “fake job”. Two plays later Oklahoma got a TD to get back in the game at 21-17. Oklahoma got a 51 yard PR to the Miami 48 but they settled for a 39 yard FG on 4th & 8 with 4:18 left. Miami started on their 27 and Harris completed 2 key passes which allowed the ‘Canes to run out the clock. Harris threw a 12 yard pass on the first play out to the 39 and on 3rd & 6 a play action pass down to the 28. Miami finished the game at the Oklahoma 14 yard line taking a knee.

Tulsa had a commanding 385-191 yard edge vs Rice as they woke up in the 2H. In the 1H, Rice, after a Tulsa fumble at their own 33, got a 42 yard FG to lead 10-7 with :47 left in the 2Q. Tulsa got a 75 yard KR which set up a 24 yd FG and it was tied at the half, 10-10. Surprisingly the yards were just 112-104. In the 2H Tulsa would have a 273-87 yard edge and went on three consecutive drives of 76/10pl, 40/5pl, 91/9pl getting two TD’s and settling for a 28 yard FG to lead 27-10 with 14:18 left. Tulsa punted from their own 43 and Rice’s 45 yd line on their last 2 possessions. Rice did get to the Tulsa 20 on a garbage drive at the end of the game but Shepherd’s pass was intercepted at the 5.

A couple of interesting notes from the South Carolina/South Carolina St game. It was 3-0 when South Carolina got a TD with 2:23 left in the 1H to lead 10-0. SCSt went 75 yards in 9 plays for a TD to trail just 10-7 at the half with a 159-149 yard edge. South Carolina scored TD’s on their first three 3Q possession to lead 31-7 and scored a TD with 5:39 left. SCSt went 69 yards in 11 plays and got a 4th & Goal, 1 yard TD run with :04 left.

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