While most people wear Halloween costumes October 31st (or the surrounding weekends), evidently the Redskins 2011 outfit was as a playoff contender-- worn in September. Does anyone remember 3-1? Does anyone recall first place in the NFC East? Can anyone remember what it was like to be a Rex Grossman fumble away from defeating Dallas? No...I'm waking up to a 3-4 team that's losing altitude in the same vein as Steve Spurrier's second team that went from beating Super Bowl bound New England in September to getting a faxed resignation around New Year's. That's what's scary.
Beck Bland-- 20 of 33, 208 yards and two picks in his second start. Not completely awful (the 2 interceptions came in the fourth quarter when the Skins were in passorama mode) yet not what the team needed. Just two completions longer than 20 yards won't stretch defenses... although the record should show he had the highest yards per carry of any Redskin.
The Joy of Sacks-- of course it's very difficult to throw the football when you're lying down on your back (trust me, I've tried). Beck was dropped nine times (!) by a defense that had four sacks in six games entering yesterday's matchup. A patchwork line, covered receivers and a quarterback still feeling his way around the pocket all contribute-- but nine?
Running aground-- obviously not having Tim Hightower was going to hurt... but 26 yards on 12 carries? The Bills outgained the Skins for the day on the ground in the first quarter.
Byes are a bummer-- Sunday's plate was rather lacking for good football... but that's what you get with bye weeks. This past weekend saw more than a few compelling teams on the sidelines: all have winning records and three reached the conference championship round last year; even Oakland and Tampa Bay were playing relevant games in December. That left us with just two marquee matchups: Pittsburgh-New England and Dallas-Philadelphia. This next week looks front-loaded: Giants-New England, Green Bay-San Diego, Jets-Buffalo and Pittsburgh-Baltimore just to name a few. Couldn't the NFL have evened things out a bit?
Third and Forever-- when you can't run and your quarterback gets sacked twice per quarter, you're going to have quite a bit of trouble moving the chains. The Skins converted just 4 of 14 (29%) on the afternoon. For the season the team is ranked 23rd in the league-- with the entire NFC West behind them in that category. So glad I'm not following football in Phoenix.
Cardinals Clocked-- about Arizona. The Pacific Time Zone team struggled while playing a 1pm EDT game. Why couldn't they have flip-flopped that matchup with Redskins-Bills? Were they that wrapped up in how Central NY would split with the Giants game on CBS? This week there are two West Coast teams playing at 1. San Francisco at the Skins and Seattle at Dallas. Sluggishness as they kick off at 10am West Coast time? Set your clock to it.
Feeling Fredtastic... except for his foot-- eight more catches for 94 yards... pacing the team in both categories. #83's 36 catches for 517 yards translate into 82-1182 for the season... and with Santana Moss and Chris Cooley on the sidelines with injuries, once could expect that might increase. Unless as reported he was actually wearing a protective boot at Redskins Park Monday-- meaning he may be sidelined as well. At least he's playing better than Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly.
London Fog-- the Redskins linebacker tallied 12 solo stops and 8 assists to tally 20 tackles against the Bills. He also notched an interception. This was after he was a question mark for the contest. Even in a season turning sour, Mr. Fletcher's play is certainly sweet.
Dissecting the Division-- the New York Giant's close win over Miami gives them a two game cushion; and Philadelphia's win over Dallas means the Eagles own the second place tiebreaker and the Skins descent from first to worst only took three games. Now that is impressive. As of now the Giants would receive the NFC's #3 seed... Philly's 9th... Dallas is 10th and the Skins are 11th. But midseason is a volatile time: if Kansas City loses its Monday night matchup with San Diego, the Chiefs fall to 12th place in the AFC while a win moves them to 4th.
Divisional Highs and Lows-- the AFC North has a half game (19-10 to 19-11) lead over the NFC North. Six of the eight teams could conceivably make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the race for worst division has the AFC South percentage points behind the NFC West (in the topsy turvy race for last, that means the West is worst). And the Colts 0-8 has that four-pack weighed underwater like no tomorrow (11-19). The NFC west is 10-18 with a 5-1 San Francisco being complemented by a 5-17 everybody else. Smacks of the NFC Central circa 1986.
Past is present-- a few weeks ago, I remarked how similar the situation was to 2003. A second year coach, a 3-1 start... a tough loss to Philly... and then it all came down. Who did the Skins play in their seventh game of 2003? THE BILLS. I'm not saying things will end 5-11 with Shanahan faxing in a resignation from the golf course, but this is a strange start.
Monday, October 31, 2011
College Football Corner-- is your costume ready?
Halloween wraps up the month of October with people masquerading as someone else. Area schools may have tried to make us think they're something else in September-- but after 4 or 5 more games the snapshot becomes a portrait. While some enjoy a bagful of candy-- others are stuck with a rock.
Alma Mater Update-- thanks, SU for once again killing whatever football buzz that was built in a win over West Virginia by playing poorly in a 27-10 loss to Louisville. Four games remain for the 5-3 Orange to reach the magical 6 victory plateau and assure another low to mid-level bowl game. I'm just getting excited about which banner they'll unveil next year!
Conference Calamities-- the ACC lost its last unbeaten when Clemson collapsed in the October night... meaning no National Championship talk again in November for a league that swiped three football schools from the Big East a decade ago. While the Atlantic Division is down to a three team race (with Clemson currently holding all of the cards)... every team remains in contention in the Coastal (albeit a few by the skin of their teeth). While the Coastal barely has the better league record (15-14 to 15-16), the gap widens for all games: 33-18 to 26-23. And that's with Duke in their membership.
Maryland (2-6) fell behind early against Boston College, and despite a late rally came up short 28-17. Where the team began October hoping to right the ship after a surprise loss to Temple, they begin November needing to win four straight games against teams that are a combined 19-13 to qualify for postseason play. Terrapin Triumphs-- Davin Meggett rushed for 99 yards, and the team finished with just 3 penalties. Terrapin Troubles-- four takeaways resulting in zero points...372 yards allowed on the ground... multiple drops ending drives. Next up: Saturday against Virginia.
#15 Virginia Tech (8-1) started slowly against Duke with an interception in the endzone... before bouncing back to post a 14-10 victory over the Blue Devils. Style points taking the week off. Hokie Highlights-- 148 yards rushing by David Wilson... four takeaways by the defense... and holding the Blue Devils to 4 of 16 on third down. Hokie Humblings-- VT had problems moving the chains as well, converting just 5 of 14... nine (9! IX!) penalties... and thank goodness Duke couldn't kick straight (2 missed field goals in second quarter) or they would have trailed at intermission. Next Up: Thursday November 10th against Georgia Tech.
Virginia (5-3) all of a sudden is in the postseason conversation after a 28-21 win at Miami. The Cavaliers aren't supposed to win those games, weren't they informed? And UVa can take the Coastal Division if they win out. Easier said than done: after Maryland and Duke (5-11 composite record), coach Mike London's team takes on Florida State and Virginia Tech (combined 13-4 mark). For the record, Kippy and Buffy enjoyed a bottle of Colores Del Sol Malbec while feasting on multi-grain Rice Thins. And both collars were popped at all times. Cavalier Congrats-- a running game that pounded out 207 yards at 4.7 a clip... a defense that held the Hurricanes to 2 of 9 on third down... no turnovers and just three penalties. Cavalier Concerns-- moving the chains just 6 of 15 times... allowing over 70% completions and 347 passing yards... losing the kickoff return war by about 15 net yards per kick. Next Up: Saturday at Maryland.
Alma Mater Update-- thanks, SU for once again killing whatever football buzz that was built in a win over West Virginia by playing poorly in a 27-10 loss to Louisville. Four games remain for the 5-3 Orange to reach the magical 6 victory plateau and assure another low to mid-level bowl game. I'm just getting excited about which banner they'll unveil next year!
Conference Calamities-- the ACC lost its last unbeaten when Clemson collapsed in the October night... meaning no National Championship talk again in November for a league that swiped three football schools from the Big East a decade ago. While the Atlantic Division is down to a three team race (with Clemson currently holding all of the cards)... every team remains in contention in the Coastal (albeit a few by the skin of their teeth). While the Coastal barely has the better league record (15-14 to 15-16), the gap widens for all games: 33-18 to 26-23. And that's with Duke in their membership.
Maryland (2-6) fell behind early against Boston College, and despite a late rally came up short 28-17. Where the team began October hoping to right the ship after a surprise loss to Temple, they begin November needing to win four straight games against teams that are a combined 19-13 to qualify for postseason play. Terrapin Triumphs-- Davin Meggett rushed for 99 yards, and the team finished with just 3 penalties. Terrapin Troubles-- four takeaways resulting in zero points...372 yards allowed on the ground... multiple drops ending drives. Next up: Saturday against Virginia.
#15 Virginia Tech (8-1) started slowly against Duke with an interception in the endzone... before bouncing back to post a 14-10 victory over the Blue Devils. Style points taking the week off. Hokie Highlights-- 148 yards rushing by David Wilson... four takeaways by the defense... and holding the Blue Devils to 4 of 16 on third down. Hokie Humblings-- VT had problems moving the chains as well, converting just 5 of 14... nine (9! IX!) penalties... and thank goodness Duke couldn't kick straight (2 missed field goals in second quarter) or they would have trailed at intermission. Next Up: Thursday November 10th against Georgia Tech.
Virginia (5-3) all of a sudden is in the postseason conversation after a 28-21 win at Miami. The Cavaliers aren't supposed to win those games, weren't they informed? And UVa can take the Coastal Division if they win out. Easier said than done: after Maryland and Duke (5-11 composite record), coach Mike London's team takes on Florida State and Virginia Tech (combined 13-4 mark). For the record, Kippy and Buffy enjoyed a bottle of Colores Del Sol Malbec while feasting on multi-grain Rice Thins. And both collars were popped at all times. Cavalier Congrats-- a running game that pounded out 207 yards at 4.7 a clip... a defense that held the Hurricanes to 2 of 9 on third down... no turnovers and just three penalties. Cavalier Concerns-- moving the chains just 6 of 15 times... allowing over 70% completions and 347 passing yards... losing the kickoff return war by about 15 net yards per kick. Next Up: Saturday at Maryland.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Presto's Picks-- Looking out for #1.
Do you root for your league or your school? Clemson plays Georgia Tech tonight... and for those not with a rooting interest who follow the ACC-- you'd think they'd be pulling for Orange and Purple. Late October means in addition to anticipating the quickly arriving college basketball season one focuses on the slowly shrinking list of unbeaten teams... and for the first time in recent memory, there's an ACC team in the mix. To have an unbeaten in November gets additional attention towards your conference beyond the divisional races...and recently the likes of Virginia Tech have dominated the league after stumbling in September while former title picture fixtures Florida State and Miami have been spectators instead of participants in the November sprint. When the Big East gets pub for having an unbeaten Rutgers or Cincinnati or Louisville after Halloween (sorry, Syracuse-- the Orange haven't been unbeaten past Columbus Day since I think 1987)... you see how key it is for your favorites to stay unblemished late. That's why the best thing that could happen for the ACC is for the Tigers to triumph... and stay on the fringe of the conversation as other teams (Wisconsin, Oklahoma) in front of them stumble.
Alma Mater Update-- will there be a letdown? It's tough managing the emotional roller coaster of just one college student-- let alone 100. The Orange are fresh off blasting a ranked rival in West Virginia and now play the Cardinals-- who no matter how good they've been in recent years will never be in the pantheon of SU rivals on the gridiron. Word is the wing sauce at Sign of the Whale will have a tiny extra bit of Tabasco to get things going.
Maryland battles Boston College-- and the Eagles are the only team in the ACC without a league victory. BC ranks 11th in the ACC offensively... and last in the league in total defense. Obviously they're placing too much emphasis on moving the football. This will be a fulcrum game for the Terps-- win and there are still hopes (albeit slim) of reaching the postseason. Lose and they're on the precipice of elimination with four remaining opponents all possessing winning records. Terrapins triumph, 20-16.
#15 Virginia Tech visits Duke-- oh, to be in the ACC's Coastal Division. In the 7+ years of divisional play Duke has posted a 7-52 league mark-- by far the worst in the conference. For decent programs having the Blue Devils automatically on the schedule is an extra boost towards getting a better bowl (much like the SEC Least that gets Vanderbilt and Kentucky on its docket every fall). The question for the Hokies: can they avoid the first quarter blahs... and against Duke will it matter? Sean Renfree is off to a so-so season... but when he's on he can create a bunch of points quickly-- and VT isn't exactly Air Coryell. Hokies after allowing 2 first quarter scores grind out another victory... 34-21.
Navy slips to Notre Dame, Georgetown beats Holy Cross, Howard falls to South Carolina State, James Madison edges Old Dominion, William & Mary loses to Rhode Island, Richmond comes up short against Massachussetts.
Last Week: 5-3.
Overall: 41-21.
Alma Mater Update-- will there be a letdown? It's tough managing the emotional roller coaster of just one college student-- let alone 100. The Orange are fresh off blasting a ranked rival in West Virginia and now play the Cardinals-- who no matter how good they've been in recent years will never be in the pantheon of SU rivals on the gridiron. Word is the wing sauce at Sign of the Whale will have a tiny extra bit of Tabasco to get things going.
Yes, Virginia! There is a Thursday night-- Kippy and Buffy were so busy getting their Halloween costumes in gear, they didn't notice that the Cavaliers were playing in Miami Thursday night. (They're going as Captain John Smith and Pocahontas-- again) Still, they plan on enjoying the usual snacks while watching the Tivoed game. If you see them around and about, don't spoil the score-- although it's okay to joke about their popped collars.
Maryland battles Boston College-- and the Eagles are the only team in the ACC without a league victory. BC ranks 11th in the ACC offensively... and last in the league in total defense. Obviously they're placing too much emphasis on moving the football. This will be a fulcrum game for the Terps-- win and there are still hopes (albeit slim) of reaching the postseason. Lose and they're on the precipice of elimination with four remaining opponents all possessing winning records. Terrapins triumph, 20-16.
#15 Virginia Tech visits Duke-- oh, to be in the ACC's Coastal Division. In the 7+ years of divisional play Duke has posted a 7-52 league mark-- by far the worst in the conference. For decent programs having the Blue Devils automatically on the schedule is an extra boost towards getting a better bowl (much like the SEC Least that gets Vanderbilt and Kentucky on its docket every fall). The question for the Hokies: can they avoid the first quarter blahs... and against Duke will it matter? Sean Renfree is off to a so-so season... but when he's on he can create a bunch of points quickly-- and VT isn't exactly Air Coryell. Hokies after allowing 2 first quarter scores grind out another victory... 34-21.
Navy slips to Notre Dame, Georgetown beats Holy Cross, Howard falls to South Carolina State, James Madison edges Old Dominion, William & Mary loses to Rhode Island, Richmond comes up short against Massachussetts.
Last Week: 5-3.
Overall: 41-21.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Redskins Rehash-- Burgundy and Gold now Black and Blue after a beating...
Different starter, same finish. Reminds me of the early part of the sixth season of Beverly Hills, 90210 when they gave Luke Perry's character a story arc that would see him get married to the daughter of the man who killed his father-- only to see her get killed the next day (I called that twist 15 minutes away- like Mandy Moore having cancer in A Walk to Remember). The focus on this arc took one's attention away from other issues and B-plots that once Perry's character rode off into the sunset you couldn't help but avoid. The "Rex or Beck?" question was resolved, if only for the moment-- but now one can't help but notice the other deficiencies on the team. The shine of the 3-1 start is gone and we notice that the leap from rebuilder to pretender (let alone contender) may not happen until the leap year. It's not exactly Steve Sanders dating Claire Arnold, but it'll be an interesting ten games.
Beck's Debut, or the Temporary Longterm Solution-- the new starting quarterback threw for 279 yards and a touchdown while running for another score. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble...proving that losing the ball wasn't just a Rex thing. Just one three and out with reasonable movement on half of his drives (Skins had 11 possessions- we won't count his end of first half kneeldown). Not a bad first effort, but the NFL doesn't grade on a curve... and coach Mike Shanahan was asked in the postgame press conference if Beck would start against Buffalo. Can we give the guy a little bit more of a leash?
Running aground, or Injury Part I-- after tallying 83 yards on 18 carries in the first half, the Burgundy and Gold ran the ball just 5 times after intermission for 9 yards... and no rushing attempts in the fourth quarter. Part of the reason behind the move was Tim Hightower going down with a knee injury-- an MRI is pending with concerns it may be an ACL tear.
D earns one, or Injury Part II-- another reason why the Skins abandoned the run was the fact that they were trailing by double digits for most of the time they had the ball after halftime. The Panthers produced three touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half and had the ball for over 18 minutes. Cam Newton was tough to contain, passing for 256 yards and a touchdown while running for 59 yards and a score. It didn't help that defensive linchpin London Fletcher went down with a hamstring injury.
Feeling Fredtastic, or Injury Part III-- Mr. Davis represents the famed triumvirate in fine fashion (he's the only one to have a catch since 2009) with 6 grabs for 80 yards and a touchdown. Now he did get some flak for celebrating his score that made things 30-20... but claims he was trying to get his team pumped up-- and with the crazy comebacks we've seen this year, a ten point deficit with 5:05 left is by no means a hopeless cause. Don't look now, but #83 is slowly putting together a monster season-- his current numbers prorate to 75 catches for 1128 yards (he entered the season with 72 career catches for 853 yards). Good thing Davis is playing well... because Chris Cooley won't be back anytime soon and now Santana Moss has a broken hand. Moss is currently second on the team with 25 receptions... with Jabar Gaffney the only other WR to have more than 5 catches this fall. So much for single coverage from here on out..
Slipping into the Time Zone-- San Diego jumped out to an early lead before the New York Jets rallied in the second half. I was impressed that the Chargers played well at all. You see, the game was slated for 1pm Eastern Time-- meaning San Diego was playing at 10am local time. ESPN did a full fledged report in 2008 about how over time Pacific Time Zone teams don't do well when playing that early. My problem is you're expecting their fan base to get up and watch football at 10am. I've been to California. It's a fun state. There's a lot to do late out there-- and by having games kick off at 10am you're killing the guys who want to take their girfriends out to Sunday Brunch before ignoring them for the rest of the day. I know the league likes to have the Giants and Jets play at different times on Sunday (same with Baltimore and Washington as well as San Francisco and Oakland) to maximize viewership, but can't they just as a rule have Pacific Time Zone teams play no earlier than 4pm EST? How tough is this?
Dissecting the Division-- the NY Giants' bye paired with Philadelphia's week off keeps the NFC East leader and cellardweller the same... and Dallas' win over St. Louis propels the Cowboys into second place ahead of the Skins. Big picture: the Redskins are currently 10th in the NFC... with the Cowboys, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Chicago standing in their way of the last playoff spot.
Norths Rise Again-- the bull market for the AFC and NFC North continues... heading into the Monday Night game Baltimore's bunch is 16-8 while Green Bay's gang is 17-11. With both divisions currently supplying both wildcards in their respective conferences. Now there's plenty of football to be played, but still...
Colts past is present-- Indianapolis' collapse reminds me of the late 70's when the Baltimore Colts were coming off three straight AFC East titles but a little wobbly and getting older...and needed help to make the 1977 playoffs. Then Bert Jones injured his shoulder and he missed 13 games in 1978... and the Colts collapsed, finishing 5-11. Move ahead to 2011-- and that's the end of the run we're witnessing in the Circle City. Take away a franchise quarterback, and blemishes become faulty cracks in the foundation. Franchise QB's are something special. That's why Mike Shanahan wanted to trade up to get Sam Bradford. That's why Vinny Cerrato wanted to trade up to get Marc Sanchez. And why 90210 completely blew once Dylan left.
Beck's Debut, or the Temporary Longterm Solution-- the new starting quarterback threw for 279 yards and a touchdown while running for another score. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble...proving that losing the ball wasn't just a Rex thing. Just one three and out with reasonable movement on half of his drives (Skins had 11 possessions- we won't count his end of first half kneeldown). Not a bad first effort, but the NFL doesn't grade on a curve... and coach Mike Shanahan was asked in the postgame press conference if Beck would start against Buffalo. Can we give the guy a little bit more of a leash?
Running aground, or Injury Part I-- after tallying 83 yards on 18 carries in the first half, the Burgundy and Gold ran the ball just 5 times after intermission for 9 yards... and no rushing attempts in the fourth quarter. Part of the reason behind the move was Tim Hightower going down with a knee injury-- an MRI is pending with concerns it may be an ACL tear.
D earns one, or Injury Part II-- another reason why the Skins abandoned the run was the fact that they were trailing by double digits for most of the time they had the ball after halftime. The Panthers produced three touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half and had the ball for over 18 minutes. Cam Newton was tough to contain, passing for 256 yards and a touchdown while running for 59 yards and a score. It didn't help that defensive linchpin London Fletcher went down with a hamstring injury.
Feeling Fredtastic, or Injury Part III-- Mr. Davis represents the famed triumvirate in fine fashion (he's the only one to have a catch since 2009) with 6 grabs for 80 yards and a touchdown. Now he did get some flak for celebrating his score that made things 30-20... but claims he was trying to get his team pumped up-- and with the crazy comebacks we've seen this year, a ten point deficit with 5:05 left is by no means a hopeless cause. Don't look now, but #83 is slowly putting together a monster season-- his current numbers prorate to 75 catches for 1128 yards (he entered the season with 72 career catches for 853 yards). Good thing Davis is playing well... because Chris Cooley won't be back anytime soon and now Santana Moss has a broken hand. Moss is currently second on the team with 25 receptions... with Jabar Gaffney the only other WR to have more than 5 catches this fall. So much for single coverage from here on out..
Slipping into the Time Zone-- San Diego jumped out to an early lead before the New York Jets rallied in the second half. I was impressed that the Chargers played well at all. You see, the game was slated for 1pm Eastern Time-- meaning San Diego was playing at 10am local time. ESPN did a full fledged report in 2008 about how over time Pacific Time Zone teams don't do well when playing that early. My problem is you're expecting their fan base to get up and watch football at 10am. I've been to California. It's a fun state. There's a lot to do late out there-- and by having games kick off at 10am you're killing the guys who want to take their girfriends out to Sunday Brunch before ignoring them for the rest of the day. I know the league likes to have the Giants and Jets play at different times on Sunday (same with Baltimore and Washington as well as San Francisco and Oakland) to maximize viewership, but can't they just as a rule have Pacific Time Zone teams play no earlier than 4pm EST? How tough is this?
Dissecting the Division-- the NY Giants' bye paired with Philadelphia's week off keeps the NFC East leader and cellardweller the same... and Dallas' win over St. Louis propels the Cowboys into second place ahead of the Skins. Big picture: the Redskins are currently 10th in the NFC... with the Cowboys, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Chicago standing in their way of the last playoff spot.
Norths Rise Again-- the bull market for the AFC and NFC North continues... heading into the Monday Night game Baltimore's bunch is 16-8 while Green Bay's gang is 17-11. With both divisions currently supplying both wildcards in their respective conferences. Now there's plenty of football to be played, but still...
Colts past is present-- Indianapolis' collapse reminds me of the late 70's when the Baltimore Colts were coming off three straight AFC East titles but a little wobbly and getting older...and needed help to make the 1977 playoffs. Then Bert Jones injured his shoulder and he missed 13 games in 1978... and the Colts collapsed, finishing 5-11. Move ahead to 2011-- and that's the end of the run we're witnessing in the Circle City. Take away a franchise quarterback, and blemishes become faulty cracks in the foundation. Franchise QB's are something special. That's why Mike Shanahan wanted to trade up to get Sam Bradford. That's why Vinny Cerrato wanted to trade up to get Marc Sanchez. And why 90210 completely blew once Dylan left.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
College Football Corner-- Perception and Connection...
“There is a destiny That makes us brothers: None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own.”-- (Edwin Markham).
College football is often a collage: a September victory changes over the course of the fall depending on how they play. Although the gridiron doesn't have an RPI per se; the transitive property of winning and losing takes different shades from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. A few recent examples? One week after allowing 56 points to Clemson, Maryland fans woke up to see the Tigers put 59 on the board against a 5-2 North Carolina team. Two weeks after coming oh so close to upsetting unbeaten Georgia Tech the Terps realize the Yellowjackets could be had bigtime after they lost to Virginia and Miami in less than stellar fashion. Virginia Tech's loss to Clemson doesn't seem that bad... while Virginia needing a missed extra point in overtime to nip a 1-6 Idaho team gives fans plenty of concern.
Alma Mater Update-- still basking in the afterglow of a serious smackdown of West Virginia. SU's 26-point victory over a ranked opponent comes after four wins by a combined 20 points over the likes of Wake Forest, Toledo, Rhode Island and Tulane. Unfortunately the Texas State Armadillos had to cancel? All of a sudden, the Orange find themselves thinking Big East championship (1-1 in league play does that to a school that hasn't been a factor for some time).
Maryland (2-5) fell behind early against Florida State... and after CJ Brown went down to injury rallied against the Seminoles behind Danny O'Brien before falling 41-16. The margin of error for reaching the postseason gets ever so smaller; three road games remain and the combined record of their final four opponents is 17-11. Terrapin Triumphs-- a turnover free day on offense... while two wide receivers had stellar Saturdays: Quentin McCree notched 9 catches for 177 yards, and freshman Marcus Leak tallied 8 grabs in his first career start. Terrapin Troubles-- seven penalties. The defense allowed 5 yards a carry and over 10 yards per pass attempt. Kickoff disparity (over 10 yards) between returns and coverage is a silent killer... 80 extra net yards for the Seminoles. Next Up: Saturday against 1-6 Boston College.
Virginia Tech (7-1) fell behind Boston College in the first quarter before rallying past the hapless Eagles 30-14. One wonders not so much how good VT will be this fall... but how low BC will fall. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson tallies 134 yards rushing while Danny Coale notches 8 catches for 118 yards. The defense holds the Eagles to 91 yards rushing and 13 of 30 passing. Plus two in the turnover margin. Hokie Humblings-- is anyone concerned about the slow starts the last two seasons? It's almost getting comical watching VT cough up early leads before rallying. Perhaps they should stay away from the smoked turkey leg as a pregame meal-- with that tryptophan thing and all. Next Up: Saturday at Duke.
Virginia (4-3) lost whatever momentum it gained from topping Georgia Tech by slipping at home to winless- in the ACC North Carolina State 28-14. Kippy and Buffy chose a bad week to make the switch to red wine for their tailgating... a Chateau O'Brien Cabernet Franc may be a local offering (exit 18 on I-66)-- but the brie was left outside and sadly went bad. Cavalier Congrats-- two interceptions by the defense and only three penalties on a less than stellar afternoon. And that's it. Cavalier Concerns-- four turnovers... 11 of 35 passing while averaging just over 11 yards per completion... 5 if 17 on third down...
Next Up: Thursday at Miami.
College football is often a collage: a September victory changes over the course of the fall depending on how they play. Although the gridiron doesn't have an RPI per se; the transitive property of winning and losing takes different shades from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. A few recent examples? One week after allowing 56 points to Clemson, Maryland fans woke up to see the Tigers put 59 on the board against a 5-2 North Carolina team. Two weeks after coming oh so close to upsetting unbeaten Georgia Tech the Terps realize the Yellowjackets could be had bigtime after they lost to Virginia and Miami in less than stellar fashion. Virginia Tech's loss to Clemson doesn't seem that bad... while Virginia needing a missed extra point in overtime to nip a 1-6 Idaho team gives fans plenty of concern.
Alma Mater Update-- still basking in the afterglow of a serious smackdown of West Virginia. SU's 26-point victory over a ranked opponent comes after four wins by a combined 20 points over the likes of Wake Forest, Toledo, Rhode Island and Tulane. Unfortunately the Texas State Armadillos had to cancel? All of a sudden, the Orange find themselves thinking Big East championship (1-1 in league play does that to a school that hasn't been a factor for some time).
Maryland (2-5) fell behind early against Florida State... and after CJ Brown went down to injury rallied against the Seminoles behind Danny O'Brien before falling 41-16. The margin of error for reaching the postseason gets ever so smaller; three road games remain and the combined record of their final four opponents is 17-11. Terrapin Triumphs-- a turnover free day on offense... while two wide receivers had stellar Saturdays: Quentin McCree notched 9 catches for 177 yards, and freshman Marcus Leak tallied 8 grabs in his first career start. Terrapin Troubles-- seven penalties. The defense allowed 5 yards a carry and over 10 yards per pass attempt. Kickoff disparity (over 10 yards) between returns and coverage is a silent killer... 80 extra net yards for the Seminoles. Next Up: Saturday against 1-6 Boston College.
Virginia Tech (7-1) fell behind Boston College in the first quarter before rallying past the hapless Eagles 30-14. One wonders not so much how good VT will be this fall... but how low BC will fall. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson tallies 134 yards rushing while Danny Coale notches 8 catches for 118 yards. The defense holds the Eagles to 91 yards rushing and 13 of 30 passing. Plus two in the turnover margin. Hokie Humblings-- is anyone concerned about the slow starts the last two seasons? It's almost getting comical watching VT cough up early leads before rallying. Perhaps they should stay away from the smoked turkey leg as a pregame meal-- with that tryptophan thing and all. Next Up: Saturday at Duke.
Virginia (4-3) lost whatever momentum it gained from topping Georgia Tech by slipping at home to winless- in the ACC North Carolina State 28-14. Kippy and Buffy chose a bad week to make the switch to red wine for their tailgating... a Chateau O'Brien Cabernet Franc may be a local offering (exit 18 on I-66)-- but the brie was left outside and sadly went bad. Cavalier Congrats-- two interceptions by the defense and only three penalties on a less than stellar afternoon. And that's it. Cavalier Concerns-- four turnovers... 11 of 35 passing while averaging just over 11 yards per completion... 5 if 17 on third down...
Next Up: Thursday at Miami.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Presto's Picks-- Behave!
Thank goodness the NCAA has tightened up celebration policies. Did anyone see the melee at the end of the first half of Thursday's UCLA-Arizona game? I know there was a streaker disguised as a referee... and anytime that happens all bets are off... but that set the stage for a midfield scuffle between the Bruins and Wildcats? Ten players get suspensions from the fight. Meanwhile ESPN's College Gameday airs a feature on dirty play. I thought the excessive celebration penalties was supposed to end all of this, right?
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse left its paper tiger ways in the cage with a Friday night beatdown of #11 West Virginia. I never saw that coming. Nassib passing effectively? Special teams throwing an uppercut after the Mountaineers reached the endzone for the first time? A halftime order of 44 wings? We asked for more bleu cheese dressing and they gave us a vat...allowing one to let the next wing sit and soak. All ingredients to an excellent evening at Sign of the Whale.
Maryland at Florida State-- the Terps try to snap a two game losing streak by attempting to win in Tallahassee for the first time ever. A defense with a lot of issues (last in the ACC, three freshmen starting at linebacker) meets another mobile quarterback in E.J. Manuel. An offense in transition (CJ Brown starting at QB) takes on the team that leads the ACC in defense. And then there's that whole Chief Osceola riding a horse onto the field and throwing a spear into the turf. Terps come up short, 35-20 while Chief Osceola records a 7.8 for his dismount.
Virginia plays North Carolina State one week after scoring a major upset over Georgia Tech-- and the Wolfpack are one of two ACC teams that are winless in conference play. Turnovers could tell the tale-- UVa leads the league with 14 giveaways... and the Pack pace the conference with 18 takeaways. But the larger issue will be if this is the weekend Kippy and Buffy go from white to red at their tailgate... Cavaliers come through, 17-12.
#16 Virginia Tech tangles with Boston College-- the Eagles are the other winless team in ACC play... and at 1-5 have that "Maryland 2009" look about them where nothing goes right. David Wilson by ground and Jarrett Boykin by air... early and often. Hokies ground the Eagles, 38-14.
Navy edges East Carolina, Georgetown beats Colgate, Howard slips to North Carolina A&T, William & Mary tame Towson, Richmond slips to Maine.
Last Week: 5-2.
Overall: 36-18.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse left its paper tiger ways in the cage with a Friday night beatdown of #11 West Virginia. I never saw that coming. Nassib passing effectively? Special teams throwing an uppercut after the Mountaineers reached the endzone for the first time? A halftime order of 44 wings? We asked for more bleu cheese dressing and they gave us a vat...allowing one to let the next wing sit and soak. All ingredients to an excellent evening at Sign of the Whale.
Maryland at Florida State-- the Terps try to snap a two game losing streak by attempting to win in Tallahassee for the first time ever. A defense with a lot of issues (last in the ACC, three freshmen starting at linebacker) meets another mobile quarterback in E.J. Manuel. An offense in transition (CJ Brown starting at QB) takes on the team that leads the ACC in defense. And then there's that whole Chief Osceola riding a horse onto the field and throwing a spear into the turf. Terps come up short, 35-20 while Chief Osceola records a 7.8 for his dismount.
Virginia plays North Carolina State one week after scoring a major upset over Georgia Tech-- and the Wolfpack are one of two ACC teams that are winless in conference play. Turnovers could tell the tale-- UVa leads the league with 14 giveaways... and the Pack pace the conference with 18 takeaways. But the larger issue will be if this is the weekend Kippy and Buffy go from white to red at their tailgate... Cavaliers come through, 17-12.
#16 Virginia Tech tangles with Boston College-- the Eagles are the other winless team in ACC play... and at 1-5 have that "Maryland 2009" look about them where nothing goes right. David Wilson by ground and Jarrett Boykin by air... early and often. Hokies ground the Eagles, 38-14.
Navy edges East Carolina, Georgetown beats Colgate, Howard slips to North Carolina A&T, William & Mary tame Towson, Richmond slips to Maine.
Last Week: 5-2.
Overall: 36-18.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Redskins Rehash-- Bumpy Landing...
What, you expected a smooth ride this fall on Burgundy and Gold Airlines? A tough loss to a wounded division foe always brings one back to earth. And while the Skins are better than 2010... which was better than 2009... they remain a work in progress. Truth be told, I was a little sluggish coming out of the bye week myself... and needed extra editing as I'm the ultimate progress in work. Just keep the tray table up and your seat belt on until-- what...Buffalo's 4-2? San Francisco's 5-1? Flight Attendant? Can I have a top for my coffee cup?
Turnoverasaurus Rex-- FOUR INTERCEPTIONS. Mr. Grossman's 9 of 22 performance earned him a seat on the bench in the third quarter. One had a feeling a game like this was out there; and now it's up to #8 to prove that Sunday was an abberation as opposed to a growing trend.
Is Beck the Answer, or just the beginning of another question?-- the backup came in and directed the offense to a fourth quarter touchdown on a clock-consuming drive (Sonny Jurgensen was railing at the slow pace despite being down two scores). And while his wheels got him in the endzone for the team's only touchdown, naming him the starter for Carolina might be a little rash. But not unprecedented.
Ground to a halt-- of course, when your running game nets 42 yards on 14 carries it's going to be tough sledding. Ryan Torain two weeks after reaching the century mark averaged 2.2 yards a carry on 10 tries. Thank goodness John Beck was able to garner 14 yards on 2 tries.
Third and forever-- the Skins converted just 1 of 10 third downs... not moving the chains on that crucial down until the fourth quarter. Grossman's first INT came on 3rd and 16... and his final pick came on a 3rd and 9. While 7 of the 10 third down situations were long distance (3rd and 7 or more), the Burgundy and Gold went 0-3 on 3rd and 3 or less. Not good.
Feeling Fredtastic and the Cold Autumn of Mr. Cooley-- Mr. Davis led the Skins in receiving with 6 catches for 95 yards... increasing his total to 22 for 343. A 70-catch pace that used to be the norm for Chris Cooley, who after catching one pass for -1 yard finds himself banged up again. A broken hand will sideline #47 for six weeks, and a knee injury has limited him to 8 catches for 65 yards with a long of 17.
Feeling Defensive-- after forcing a three and out on the Eagles' first possession, the Skins D allowed three straight drives of 10 plays for 69 yards or longer... resulting in a 17-0 deficit. On the two touchdown drives, the Eagles faced four third downs: converting 3rd and 1, two 3rd and 2's and a 3rd and goal from the 7.
Safety in numbers?-- Oshiomogho notched 6 tackles with 2 assists while tallying an interception as well as a sack. Laron Landry led the team with 8 solo tackles. Many a coach will tell you it's never ideal when your safeties are leading the team in solo stops.
Hoping Past isn't Present-- a second year Redskins coach had the chance to bury a 1 win Eagle team and create some distance in the division with his NFC East leading 3-1 squad... only to come up short. I'm talking about 2003, when a Patrick Ramsey incompletion on a two point conversion sealed a two point loss that would have made Donovan McNabb and company 1-4... and Steve Spurrier's bunch 4-1. Instead, the Eagles would wind up winning the division and the Skins would finish the Ballcoach Era on a 2-10 run that wrapped up with resigning via fax from a golf course. But that was then, right? This is a much different organization with a lot more sanity in charge, right? Buckle up.
Aint Missing You At All-- it could be said that Rex Grossman didn't have as bad a day as his two predecessors: Donovan McNabb was benched in Minnesota's loss to Chicago after completing 19 of 24 passes for 177 yards while getting sacked 5 times. And Jason Campbell? A broken collarbone in Oakland's win over Cleveland.
Really Not Missing You-- Albert Haynesworth's autumn in New England continues at an amazingly nonproductive pace. No tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries or interceptions tallied against Dallas this past Sunday... leaving his total at 2 tackles for 2011. He hasn't made a play of note since tallying two stops over a month ago on Monday Night Football against Miami.
Dissecting the Division-- the Giants' win over Buffalo propels Eli Manning and company into first place by a half game. Dallas remains a half game ahead of Philadelphia for third place (although the Cowboys are 2-3, they're 2-1 in the NFC).
Go North-- In the early division scramble, the NFC and AFC North Divisions have established superiority. Green Bay's gang is 15-9 while Baltimore's bunch is 14-8. Again, a major caveat: last year the NFC South boasted the best record in the league yet New Orleans and Atlanta went 0-2... both getting blown out of the postseason.
Turnoverasaurus Rex-- FOUR INTERCEPTIONS. Mr. Grossman's 9 of 22 performance earned him a seat on the bench in the third quarter. One had a feeling a game like this was out there; and now it's up to #8 to prove that Sunday was an abberation as opposed to a growing trend.
Is Beck the Answer, or just the beginning of another question?-- the backup came in and directed the offense to a fourth quarter touchdown on a clock-consuming drive (Sonny Jurgensen was railing at the slow pace despite being down two scores). And while his wheels got him in the endzone for the team's only touchdown, naming him the starter for Carolina might be a little rash. But not unprecedented.
Ground to a halt-- of course, when your running game nets 42 yards on 14 carries it's going to be tough sledding. Ryan Torain two weeks after reaching the century mark averaged 2.2 yards a carry on 10 tries. Thank goodness John Beck was able to garner 14 yards on 2 tries.
Third and forever-- the Skins converted just 1 of 10 third downs... not moving the chains on that crucial down until the fourth quarter. Grossman's first INT came on 3rd and 16... and his final pick came on a 3rd and 9. While 7 of the 10 third down situations were long distance (3rd and 7 or more), the Burgundy and Gold went 0-3 on 3rd and 3 or less. Not good.
Feeling Fredtastic and the Cold Autumn of Mr. Cooley-- Mr. Davis led the Skins in receiving with 6 catches for 95 yards... increasing his total to 22 for 343. A 70-catch pace that used to be the norm for Chris Cooley, who after catching one pass for -1 yard finds himself banged up again. A broken hand will sideline #47 for six weeks, and a knee injury has limited him to 8 catches for 65 yards with a long of 17.
Feeling Defensive-- after forcing a three and out on the Eagles' first possession, the Skins D allowed three straight drives of 10 plays for 69 yards or longer... resulting in a 17-0 deficit. On the two touchdown drives, the Eagles faced four third downs: converting 3rd and 1, two 3rd and 2's and a 3rd and goal from the 7.
Safety in numbers?-- Oshiomogho notched 6 tackles with 2 assists while tallying an interception as well as a sack. Laron Landry led the team with 8 solo tackles. Many a coach will tell you it's never ideal when your safeties are leading the team in solo stops.
Hoping Past isn't Present-- a second year Redskins coach had the chance to bury a 1 win Eagle team and create some distance in the division with his NFC East leading 3-1 squad... only to come up short. I'm talking about 2003, when a Patrick Ramsey incompletion on a two point conversion sealed a two point loss that would have made Donovan McNabb and company 1-4... and Steve Spurrier's bunch 4-1. Instead, the Eagles would wind up winning the division and the Skins would finish the Ballcoach Era on a 2-10 run that wrapped up with resigning via fax from a golf course. But that was then, right? This is a much different organization with a lot more sanity in charge, right? Buckle up.
Aint Missing You At All-- it could be said that Rex Grossman didn't have as bad a day as his two predecessors: Donovan McNabb was benched in Minnesota's loss to Chicago after completing 19 of 24 passes for 177 yards while getting sacked 5 times. And Jason Campbell? A broken collarbone in Oakland's win over Cleveland.
Really Not Missing You-- Albert Haynesworth's autumn in New England continues at an amazingly nonproductive pace. No tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries or interceptions tallied against Dallas this past Sunday... leaving his total at 2 tackles for 2011. He hasn't made a play of note since tallying two stops over a month ago on Monday Night Football against Miami.
Dissecting the Division-- the Giants' win over Buffalo propels Eli Manning and company into first place by a half game. Dallas remains a half game ahead of Philadelphia for third place (although the Cowboys are 2-3, they're 2-1 in the NFC).
Go North-- In the early division scramble, the NFC and AFC North Divisions have established superiority. Green Bay's gang is 15-9 while Baltimore's bunch is 14-8. Again, a major caveat: last year the NFC South boasted the best record in the league yet New Orleans and Atlanta went 0-2... both getting blown out of the postseason.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
College Football Corner-- what a sack of...
I follow both college and pro football. And while I can appreciate some differences, a few have aggravated me for some time. One such difference is how colleges compute sack yardage. In the NFL, it's taken away from the net passing yards because you are attempting to pass the football. In college, it's taken away from the net rushing yards total. Which would be okay, except that there are a lot more running quarterbacks who pass a lot in today's college game. And rushing totals should reflect how one runs-- instead of how one runs and avoids getting sacked. Say Tyrod Taylor last year ran the ball 5 times for 40 yards but was sacked 3 times for 25 yards... all of a sudden his "rushing totals" become 8 for 15. A complete misrepresentation of how he actually played. This change won't happen anytime soon... but stat-junkies, make the adjustment at home.
Alma Mater Update-- the Orange took the week off from their Paper Tiger run through 2011... and even in an off week they managed to make things interesting by having just enough detergent to wash the uniforms and just enough bleu cheese dressing for wing night. Somehow these are related. SU plays West Virginia Friday night... and that means a big night at Sign of the Whale in DC, before said location turns into "Club W" where neck-chains for men and hairspray for women are required.
Maryland (2-4) jumped out early against #8 Clemson... leading the unbeaten Tigers 35-17 early in the third quarter before the Tigers used a CJ Brown interception to jumpstart a ridiculous second half where the Orange and Purple paws put 39 points on the board... topping the Terps 56-45. Terrapin Triumphs-- CJ Brown passed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while running for 162 yards and a score... Matt Furstenburg emerged as a a major threat with 5 catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns... and two first half takeaways led to 14 points (a muffed punt and a pick six). Terrapin Troubles-- Missed tackles contributed to the 576 yards allowed while dropped passes and holding penalties stalled second half drives. Next Up: Saturday at Florida State.
#19 Virginia Tech (6-1) spotted Wake Forest an early double-digit lead before rallying to rout the Demon Deacons 38-17. Beamer's bunch has a few tuneups on tap before a Thursday night showdown against Georgia Tech. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rumbled for 136 yards and a touchdown while Logan Thomas ran two two scores while throwing for two more... the defense held Wake to 59 yards rushing on 31 tries (but how many sacks?). Hokie Humblings-- have the first quarter blahs of 2010 come back? Better to start slow than finish slow. Next Up: Saturday against Boston College.
Virginia (4-2) held on for dear life in the fourth quarter against #12 Georgia Tech... escaping with a 24-21 win. The Cavaliers first ACC win since last October... and to celebrate Kippy and Buffy popped open a bottle of Conundrum (incredible white blend with 11 grapes in the mix) with Muenster on toast points. Cavalier Congrats-- holding the Yellowjackets to 24 yards passing was a key... while UVa ran at will (272 yards on 47 carries) and controlled the ball for the final six minues of the game. Cavalier Concerns-- the passing game was somewhat flat (9-19, 135 yards with a touchdown and a pick-six). And I'm running out of wines and cheeses to give my pals each week. Next Up: Saturday against North Carolina State.
Alma Mater Update-- the Orange took the week off from their Paper Tiger run through 2011... and even in an off week they managed to make things interesting by having just enough detergent to wash the uniforms and just enough bleu cheese dressing for wing night. Somehow these are related. SU plays West Virginia Friday night... and that means a big night at Sign of the Whale in DC, before said location turns into "Club W" where neck-chains for men and hairspray for women are required.
Maryland (2-4) jumped out early against #8 Clemson... leading the unbeaten Tigers 35-17 early in the third quarter before the Tigers used a CJ Brown interception to jumpstart a ridiculous second half where the Orange and Purple paws put 39 points on the board... topping the Terps 56-45. Terrapin Triumphs-- CJ Brown passed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while running for 162 yards and a score... Matt Furstenburg emerged as a a major threat with 5 catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns... and two first half takeaways led to 14 points (a muffed punt and a pick six). Terrapin Troubles-- Missed tackles contributed to the 576 yards allowed while dropped passes and holding penalties stalled second half drives. Next Up: Saturday at Florida State.
#19 Virginia Tech (6-1) spotted Wake Forest an early double-digit lead before rallying to rout the Demon Deacons 38-17. Beamer's bunch has a few tuneups on tap before a Thursday night showdown against Georgia Tech. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rumbled for 136 yards and a touchdown while Logan Thomas ran two two scores while throwing for two more... the defense held Wake to 59 yards rushing on 31 tries (but how many sacks?). Hokie Humblings-- have the first quarter blahs of 2010 come back? Better to start slow than finish slow. Next Up: Saturday against Boston College.
Virginia (4-2) held on for dear life in the fourth quarter against #12 Georgia Tech... escaping with a 24-21 win. The Cavaliers first ACC win since last October... and to celebrate Kippy and Buffy popped open a bottle of Conundrum (incredible white blend with 11 grapes in the mix) with Muenster on toast points. Cavalier Congrats-- holding the Yellowjackets to 24 yards passing was a key... while UVa ran at will (272 yards on 47 carries) and controlled the ball for the final six minues of the game. Cavalier Concerns-- the passing game was somewhat flat (9-19, 135 yards with a touchdown and a pick-six). And I'm running out of wines and cheeses to give my pals each week. Next Up: Saturday against North Carolina State.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Presto's Picks-- dissecting the divisions...
They've been around for 20 years... but divisional play remains a fairly new animal in the college football kingdom. Some conferences do it right... and others need help dividing their schools into halves that make sense. The SEC and Big XII (when it had 12 schools) set the standard by splitting up east-west and north-south; unfortunately the ACC decided to name its divisions "Atlantic" and "Coastal" and instead of splitting north-south went with a hodge-podge. With Pitt and Syracuse joining the league, a north-south alignment should have the two new schools with Boston College, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest in the north: and everybody else in the south (splitting up the Carolina schools but keeping the research triangle intact). But it could be worse: The Big Ten begins its first season of divisional play with the "Leaders" and "Legends" Divisions, both of which sound "Lackluster".
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse continues its reign as Division I's paper tiger with an off week... preparing for next weekend's Friday night clash with nationally ranked West Virginia. If there was ill will from Rutgers regarding SU's departure to the ACC-- just wait: the Mountaineers have been spurned by the SEC and ACC... although we don't know if they've tried to go Big Ten. And on the divisional thing... at least the ACC named its divisions-- for a while the Big East went with "Big East 7" and "Big East 6". Although unlike the Big Ten, the number actually matched the membership.
Maryland entertains #8 Clemson. For some reason over the years the Terps always play the Tigers tough-- even in their 2-10 season Maryland's one league victory came against the Atlantic Division Champion Tigers. Last year the despite dominating the stats Maryland was mauled 31-7. This week the buzz around College Park is all about a quarterback question: Danny O'Brien's the better passer but has been shaky this fall (6 interceptions after being picked off just 8 times in 2010)... while CJ Brown can motor (77 yard touchdown run sparked a second half rally against Georgia Tech) he isn't the best pure passer (41% this fall). They say if you have two starting quarterbacks, you have no starting quarterback. Terrapins tumble, 31-16.
Virginia hosts #12 Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets triple-option was slowed down in the second half last week by Maryland... and one can be sure the Cavalier coaches have looked at that gamefilm early and often this past week. Do the Cavs have a Joe Vellano though to make 20 tackles? Meanwhile the offense that staggered to 14 regulation points against Idaho doesn't will have problems producing against a Georgia Tech defense that held Maryland to 6 of 24 passing. At least Kippy and Buffy are back at Scott Stadium after closing the Hilton Head cottage last weekend. Cavaliers crumble, 34-14.
#19 Virginia Tech visits Wake Forest. While the Hokies have staggered to a 1-1 ACC mark the Demon Deacons are 3-0 in league play. But like everything Wake's strong start comes with a few caveats: 1--they blew a double digit lead and lost to Syracuse... the Orange being the Paper Tiger of Paper Tigers this fall. 2-- three conference wins by a total of 20 points come against three schools that are a combined 0-7 in the ACC. Logan Thomas played out of his mind against Miami-- was that an aberration or the beginning of something special? Wake's a team that has trouble running the ball... and that might let the Hokie D tee up on WF QB Tanner Price. This has the feel of one of those grinding games where BEAMER BALL! generates the necessary winning points. Hokies hang on, 24-21.
Navy sinks at Rutgers, Georgetown handles Howard, James Madison tops Villanova, William & Mary falls to New Hampshire.
Last Week: 5-3.
Overall: 31-16.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse continues its reign as Division I's paper tiger with an off week... preparing for next weekend's Friday night clash with nationally ranked West Virginia. If there was ill will from Rutgers regarding SU's departure to the ACC-- just wait: the Mountaineers have been spurned by the SEC and ACC... although we don't know if they've tried to go Big Ten. And on the divisional thing... at least the ACC named its divisions-- for a while the Big East went with "Big East 7" and "Big East 6". Although unlike the Big Ten, the number actually matched the membership.
Maryland entertains #8 Clemson. For some reason over the years the Terps always play the Tigers tough-- even in their 2-10 season Maryland's one league victory came against the Atlantic Division Champion Tigers. Last year the despite dominating the stats Maryland was mauled 31-7. This week the buzz around College Park is all about a quarterback question: Danny O'Brien's the better passer but has been shaky this fall (6 interceptions after being picked off just 8 times in 2010)... while CJ Brown can motor (77 yard touchdown run sparked a second half rally against Georgia Tech) he isn't the best pure passer (41% this fall). They say if you have two starting quarterbacks, you have no starting quarterback. Terrapins tumble, 31-16.
Virginia hosts #12 Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets triple-option was slowed down in the second half last week by Maryland... and one can be sure the Cavalier coaches have looked at that gamefilm early and often this past week. Do the Cavs have a Joe Vellano though to make 20 tackles? Meanwhile the offense that staggered to 14 regulation points against Idaho doesn't will have problems producing against a Georgia Tech defense that held Maryland to 6 of 24 passing. At least Kippy and Buffy are back at Scott Stadium after closing the Hilton Head cottage last weekend. Cavaliers crumble, 34-14.
#19 Virginia Tech visits Wake Forest. While the Hokies have staggered to a 1-1 ACC mark the Demon Deacons are 3-0 in league play. But like everything Wake's strong start comes with a few caveats: 1--they blew a double digit lead and lost to Syracuse... the Orange being the Paper Tiger of Paper Tigers this fall. 2-- three conference wins by a total of 20 points come against three schools that are a combined 0-7 in the ACC. Logan Thomas played out of his mind against Miami-- was that an aberration or the beginning of something special? Wake's a team that has trouble running the ball... and that might let the Hokie D tee up on WF QB Tanner Price. This has the feel of one of those grinding games where BEAMER BALL! generates the necessary winning points. Hokies hang on, 24-21.
Navy sinks at Rutgers, Georgetown handles Howard, James Madison tops Villanova, William & Mary falls to New Hampshire.
Last Week: 5-3.
Overall: 31-16.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
College Football Corner-- Moving Month...
If September is college football's "Show Me Month", then October qualifies as "Moving Month". Contenders are exposed as pretenders... and suspect schools emerge as participants in conference races. Even though Georgia Tech and Clemson have established themselves as division favorites, anybody with the exception of Boston College could play their way into contention.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse somehow escaped New Orleans with a 37-34 victory over Tulane. So the Orange have won four games this year by 7, 7, 3 and 3 points... with two coming in overtime. The reign of the paper tiger continues!
Maryland (2-3) rallied at #13 Georgia Tech but couldn't get past the Yellowjackets, falling 21-16. And now there's a quarterback question in College Park. Terrapin Triumphs- Joe Vellano notched 20 tackles. 20 TACKLES! CJ Brown ran for 124 yards and a touchdown to give the Terps a second half spark... and just one penalty. Terrapin Troubles- 6 of 24 passing... combine that with Georgia Tech's 6-21 and you've been placed in a time machine bound for the 1970's Big Ten. Allowing the Yellowjackets to convert 13 of 20 third downs. And I just can't get past the failing passing game. Next Up: Florida State.
Virginia Tech (5-1) watched a double digit lead dissolve before squeaking out a 38-35 win over Miami. Still, barely beating a 2-3 Hurrican team just isn't what it used to be... and Show Me Month may have been inflated by the opposition (or lack thereof). Hokie Highlights-- Logan Thomas completed 23 of 25 passes while throwing three touchdown passes and running for two more scores. David Wilson ran for 128 yards while Jarrett Boykin caught 7 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Hokie Humblings- 519 yards allowed is no way to chart a course for the ACC title. Next Up: Wake Forest.
Virginia (3-2) had the week off, and although the Cavaliers face Georgia Tech this Saturday, they won't play a team with a winning record for another month-- and that'll be against Duke. Kippy and Buffy are already getting the Cab Franc and Malbec ready for a late season run.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse somehow escaped New Orleans with a 37-34 victory over Tulane. So the Orange have won four games this year by 7, 7, 3 and 3 points... with two coming in overtime. The reign of the paper tiger continues!
Maryland (2-3) rallied at #13 Georgia Tech but couldn't get past the Yellowjackets, falling 21-16. And now there's a quarterback question in College Park. Terrapin Triumphs- Joe Vellano notched 20 tackles. 20 TACKLES! CJ Brown ran for 124 yards and a touchdown to give the Terps a second half spark... and just one penalty. Terrapin Troubles- 6 of 24 passing... combine that with Georgia Tech's 6-21 and you've been placed in a time machine bound for the 1970's Big Ten. Allowing the Yellowjackets to convert 13 of 20 third downs. And I just can't get past the failing passing game. Next Up: Florida State.
Virginia Tech (5-1) watched a double digit lead dissolve before squeaking out a 38-35 win over Miami. Still, barely beating a 2-3 Hurrican team just isn't what it used to be... and Show Me Month may have been inflated by the opposition (or lack thereof). Hokie Highlights-- Logan Thomas completed 23 of 25 passes while throwing three touchdown passes and running for two more scores. David Wilson ran for 128 yards while Jarrett Boykin caught 7 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Hokie Humblings- 519 yards allowed is no way to chart a course for the ACC title. Next Up: Wake Forest.
Virginia (3-2) had the week off, and although the Cavaliers face Georgia Tech this Saturday, they won't play a team with a winning record for another month-- and that'll be against Duke. Kippy and Buffy are already getting the Cab Franc and Malbec ready for a late season run.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Presto's Picks-- Pumpkin Patch Potential...
Who doesn't like pumpkin? During October and November we're bombarded by pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte (trademarked by Starbucks), pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin ale...and the best thing about pumpkin is that it's in limited form. One only has to deal with it for two months and then mercifully it's gone. College football's conference season in earnest lasts just eight weeks and for some teams it's over right after it begins.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse visits New Orleans to take on Tulane. Now from what I understand the Crescent City is a happening place... my concern is the Orange continue to slide towards the level of Big East bottom feeder with a tough road loss to the Green Wave. Even good SU teams lose to Tulane (homecoming 1990). SU tries to bounce back from a home overtime loss to Rutgers-- not enjoyable any way you look at it. Well... there's always the Sign of the Whale Buffalo Wings- which, next to pumpkin, has been the only thing worth looking forward to in November as a SU football fan.
Maryland visits Georgia Tech-- the Yellowjackets lead the ACC in scoring and the nation in rushing. They have a quarterback with off the chart numbers who averages over 15 yards per attempt... and two of their runningbacks average over 10 yards a carry. Meanwhile, the Terps have a small defensive line... their best player is banged up (Kenny Tate) and may get even younger in the secondary if freshman safety Titus Till isn't 100%. Offensively Maryland appears to have one heck of a runningback rotation now that Justus Pickett has found his groove... but can they keep pace? Terps tumble, 38-24.
#21 Virginia Tech meets Miami in a matchup of ex-Big East brethren: one that's adapted well to its new league (Hokies have more than their share of ACC titles) and another that's been stuck in neutral (Hurricanes haven't even reached the championship game). Logan Thomas has a lot to learn at quarterback... but how good is a Hurricane defense that coughed up 28 points to Kansas State and 14 to Bethune-Cookman? Miami actually hasn't been that bad of a road team lately (8-5 since 2009)... but can you go against Beamer's bunch in Blacksburg? Hokies handle the Hurricanes, 23-11.
Virginia has the weekend off... and that leaves Kippy and Buffy the opportunity to head down to Hilton Head to shutter up the cottage. Traditionally they open and close the summer getaway with a nice bottle of Piper-Heisdick champagne... accompanied by Cambozola (a combination of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola).
Navy slips to Southern Miss, Georgetown rips Wagner, Howard falls to Florida A&M,
James Madison edges Maine, William & Mary defeats Delaware, Richmond loses to Towson.
Last Week: 6-2.
Season: 26-13.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse visits New Orleans to take on Tulane. Now from what I understand the Crescent City is a happening place... my concern is the Orange continue to slide towards the level of Big East bottom feeder with a tough road loss to the Green Wave. Even good SU teams lose to Tulane (homecoming 1990). SU tries to bounce back from a home overtime loss to Rutgers-- not enjoyable any way you look at it. Well... there's always the Sign of the Whale Buffalo Wings- which, next to pumpkin, has been the only thing worth looking forward to in November as a SU football fan.
Maryland visits Georgia Tech-- the Yellowjackets lead the ACC in scoring and the nation in rushing. They have a quarterback with off the chart numbers who averages over 15 yards per attempt... and two of their runningbacks average over 10 yards a carry. Meanwhile, the Terps have a small defensive line... their best player is banged up (Kenny Tate) and may get even younger in the secondary if freshman safety Titus Till isn't 100%. Offensively Maryland appears to have one heck of a runningback rotation now that Justus Pickett has found his groove... but can they keep pace? Terps tumble, 38-24.
#21 Virginia Tech meets Miami in a matchup of ex-Big East brethren: one that's adapted well to its new league (Hokies have more than their share of ACC titles) and another that's been stuck in neutral (Hurricanes haven't even reached the championship game). Logan Thomas has a lot to learn at quarterback... but how good is a Hurricane defense that coughed up 28 points to Kansas State and 14 to Bethune-Cookman? Miami actually hasn't been that bad of a road team lately (8-5 since 2009)... but can you go against Beamer's bunch in Blacksburg? Hokies handle the Hurricanes, 23-11.
Virginia has the weekend off... and that leaves Kippy and Buffy the opportunity to head down to Hilton Head to shutter up the cottage. Traditionally they open and close the summer getaway with a nice bottle of Piper-Heisdick champagne... accompanied by Cambozola (a combination of French Camembert and Italian Gorgonzola).
Navy slips to Southern Miss, Georgetown rips Wagner, Howard falls to Florida A&M,
James Madison edges Maine, William & Mary defeats Delaware, Richmond loses to Towson.
Last Week: 6-2.
Season: 26-13.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Redskins Rehash-- Ramming into the Bye...
There are hot and cold ways to enter one's bye week. This was kind of lukewarm. Yes, the Redskins beat St. Louis 17-10. But they got a lot of help from the Rams in this one. After three quarters of dominant play they tried to politely hand back their blowout-in-progress victory with a sad sack fourth quarter. But somehow the early Christmas gift offered by Skins was turned back. This teaches us two things: the Rams are really bad, and the Redskins are really fortunate. But the third thing we need to know is "fortunate wins" count as much as "deserved wins" in the standings-- and the Skins are 3-1.
Defense the Difference-- the Skins D earned an A and set the tone in the first half: holding the Rams to 103 total yards, 3.0 yards a carry, Sam Bradford to under 50% passing while sacking him three times. The third quarter then yielded two three and outs-- and minus four yards. Even with prime opportunities in the fourth quarter (average starting position of a Rams drive was the Redskins 45) the D kept the Rams at bay. Of the 13 Ram possessions, only 2 netted 25 yards or more.
Turnoverasaurus Rex Lives-- Mr. Grossman began the game with a bang (a six yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on their second possession) but ended the game on a major whimper (1-5 in the fourth quarter with 2 interceptions). And this was against a Rams defense that came into the game allowing 32 points a contest. Thankfully there were no lost fumbles.
Third and maybe-- after a Washington Post article focused on the Skins 18th place ranking on third down efficiency, the team converted half of their third down opportunities Sunday (9-18)
with Grossman converting more than a few third and longs (5-9 on third and 6 or longer). Unfortunately, just 1 of 4 in the crucial fourth quarter when moving the chains became more of a priority against a rallying Rams team.
Taking the Torain-- this time the running game was in the hands of Ryan Torain... who responded with 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. It's nice to have a rotation with the bulk of the carries going to the hot hand (or perhaps it should be hot legs). Shades of Shanahan football at its finest.
Unbeaten and Winless-- Buffalo slips from the ranks of the unbeaten... 23-20 at Cincinnati. Three of the Bills' four games have been decided by a field goal. While Green Bay seemed in control for most of their 49-23 rout of Denver, Detroit's 34-30 rally past Dallas was the stuff of legends. In the winless world, Kansas City leaves the club with a 22-17 victory (if you will) over now 0-4 Minnesota. St. Louis and Miami are also 0-4: while the Rams are getting routed by an average score of 28-12 the Dolphins are falling by a much more respectable 25-17 count. And Indianapolis aims for its first win of the season Monday against Tampa Bay. Curtis Painter helped end the Colts unbeaten run in 2009-- can Painter end their winless 2011?
Defense the Difference-- the Skins D earned an A and set the tone in the first half: holding the Rams to 103 total yards, 3.0 yards a carry, Sam Bradford to under 50% passing while sacking him three times. The third quarter then yielded two three and outs-- and minus four yards. Even with prime opportunities in the fourth quarter (average starting position of a Rams drive was the Redskins 45) the D kept the Rams at bay. Of the 13 Ram possessions, only 2 netted 25 yards or more.
Turnoverasaurus Rex Lives-- Mr. Grossman began the game with a bang (a six yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss on their second possession) but ended the game on a major whimper (1-5 in the fourth quarter with 2 interceptions). And this was against a Rams defense that came into the game allowing 32 points a contest. Thankfully there were no lost fumbles.
Third and maybe-- after a Washington Post article focused on the Skins 18th place ranking on third down efficiency, the team converted half of their third down opportunities Sunday (9-18)
with Grossman converting more than a few third and longs (5-9 on third and 6 or longer). Unfortunately, just 1 of 4 in the crucial fourth quarter when moving the chains became more of a priority against a rallying Rams team.
Taking the Torain-- this time the running game was in the hands of Ryan Torain... who responded with 135 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. It's nice to have a rotation with the bulk of the carries going to the hot hand (or perhaps it should be hot legs). Shades of Shanahan football at its finest.
Selling Short-- it was a day of checkdowns as the Skins averaged under 10 yards per completed pass... with a long of 20. This coming one week after the Rams were roasted by the Ravens and Torrey Smith (5-152 with 3 td's). So maybe St. Louis worked overtime to lock down the deep passing game. Or maybe Santana Moss may be losing a step-- each year since 2004 he's averaged less yards per catch than the year before; so far this season he's tallied 11.7 yards per reception.
Feeling Fredtastic-- Mr. Davis caught 4 passes for 34 yards against the Rams...increasing his total to 16-248 with one touchdown (only five catches away from matching last season's tally). Meanwhile, Chris Cooley caught a four yard pass and has less than half the receptions Davis has this fall. While there's no official changing of the tight end, it certainly seems that way as Cooley was targeted just twice Sunday.
Rookie on the rise-- Ryan Kerrigan continues his impressive autumn with five tackles, one assist, one sack and a forced fumble... increasing his early numbers to 12-6-2.5-1. And that doesn't include his interception return for a touchdown in week one. Each game he's provided one "impact defensive play" (sack-interception-fumble forced or recovered)... and it's nice to have a defensive difference maker. This from a Big Ten defensive end. Drafting has been called both science and art... but the idea is to see things in players nobody else does. And for the Skins braintrust to anticipate they could have this kid change positions and be the impact player he is has been a major plus.
I aint Missing You at all... since you've been gone, away-- Donovan McNabb completed 18 of 30 passes for 202 yards plus two touchdowns and an interception in Minnesota's 22-17 loss against Kansas City. McNabb's season numbers: 58%, 170 yards per game, 4 touchdowns with 2 interceptions and an 0-4 record. Meanwhile, Albert Haynesworth was inactive for the second straight week-- keeping his line for the Patriots at 2 tackles.
Unbeaten and Winless-- Buffalo slips from the ranks of the unbeaten... 23-20 at Cincinnati. Three of the Bills' four games have been decided by a field goal. While Green Bay seemed in control for most of their 49-23 rout of Denver, Detroit's 34-30 rally past Dallas was the stuff of legends. In the winless world, Kansas City leaves the club with a 22-17 victory (if you will) over now 0-4 Minnesota. St. Louis and Miami are also 0-4: while the Rams are getting routed by an average score of 28-12 the Dolphins are falling by a much more respectable 25-17 count. And Indianapolis aims for its first win of the season Monday against Tampa Bay. Curtis Painter helped end the Colts unbeaten run in 2009-- can Painter end their winless 2011?
College Football Corner-- Underwhelming exposures.
Moving month in college football began with conference clashes... and more than a few schools getting exposed as less knocking a few schools from the ranks of the unbeatens. Number eight Nebraska? Welcome to the Big Ten, buddy (48-17 loss at Wisconsin). Tenth rated South Carolina? Be thankful you play in the SEC Least (16-13 defeat to unranked Auburn). And #14 Texas A&M? Arkansas is probably the fourth strongest program in your future division (42-38 loss to the Razorbacks). Saturday was a less than ideal day for the area schools... as even those that won didn't look impressive. Thankfully, there's only one October.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse began a Napoleonesque 27-month retreat out of the Big East by dropping its conference opener to Rutgers 19-16 in overtime. Ryan Nassib proves to be more Billy Scharr than superstar with three interceptions. A fourth quarter collapse kicks off a conference season against schools that outright hate SU's guts for jumping to the ACC. Prepare for a fun fall, Orange brethren. At least we have Sign of the Whale wings.
Maryland (2-2) was outgained by 114 yards in the first half of their game with Towson... but bounced back and topped the Tigers 28-3. The two game losing streak is snapped-- but which half does this team resemble more? Terrapin Triumphs-- the defense forced three turnovers while the kickoff team recovered a fumble in the second half. Davin Meggett rumbled for 102 yards while Justus Pickett rumbled for 79 yards and a score after intermission. Joe Vellano continues to fly all over the field, notching 9 tackles plus a sack and a half. Terrapin Troubles-- how do you let Towson control the clock for 21+ minutes in the first half? How do you not score on two of four second half takeaways? Next up: Saturday at #13 Georgia Tech.
Virginia (3-2) needed a missed-two point conversion to seal a 21-20 victory over Idaho. Kippy and Buffy almost coughed up their Canyon Road Chardonnay and bleu cheese on melba toast. Cavalier Congrats-- Perry Jones rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown while adding 7 catches for 41 yards and a score. The defense notched two interceptions. Cavalier Concerns-- up 14-0 after one quarter UVa turned on their reverse lights for the game's final 45 minutes. Three turnovers and seven penalties. A special team breakdown that allowed the Vandals to return a blocked punt for a touchdown. Next up: October 15th against Georgia Tech.
Virginia Tech (4-1) learned a soft September maybe didn't mean much against a top 20 team, even if it was Clemson (longtime friend and South Carolina grad Steve Rohan claims the "N" stands for "knowledge"). A 23-3 loss has the Hokies wondering exactly how good they are. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rushed for 123 yards...and the turkey legs were pretty good in Blacksburg as always. Sixty return yards (BEAMER BALL!). Hokie Humblings-- Beamer's bunch converts just 4 of 16 third downs. Two turnovers. Getting burned by the big play (Tigers tally touchdowns from 31 and 32 yards out). Logan Thomas averaged under 10 yards per completion. Next up: Saturday against Miami.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse began a Napoleonesque 27-month retreat out of the Big East by dropping its conference opener to Rutgers 19-16 in overtime. Ryan Nassib proves to be more Billy Scharr than superstar with three interceptions. A fourth quarter collapse kicks off a conference season against schools that outright hate SU's guts for jumping to the ACC. Prepare for a fun fall, Orange brethren. At least we have Sign of the Whale wings.
Maryland (2-2) was outgained by 114 yards in the first half of their game with Towson... but bounced back and topped the Tigers 28-3. The two game losing streak is snapped-- but which half does this team resemble more? Terrapin Triumphs-- the defense forced three turnovers while the kickoff team recovered a fumble in the second half. Davin Meggett rumbled for 102 yards while Justus Pickett rumbled for 79 yards and a score after intermission. Joe Vellano continues to fly all over the field, notching 9 tackles plus a sack and a half. Terrapin Troubles-- how do you let Towson control the clock for 21+ minutes in the first half? How do you not score on two of four second half takeaways? Next up: Saturday at #13 Georgia Tech.
Virginia (3-2) needed a missed-two point conversion to seal a 21-20 victory over Idaho. Kippy and Buffy almost coughed up their Canyon Road Chardonnay and bleu cheese on melba toast. Cavalier Congrats-- Perry Jones rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown while adding 7 catches for 41 yards and a score. The defense notched two interceptions. Cavalier Concerns-- up 14-0 after one quarter UVa turned on their reverse lights for the game's final 45 minutes. Three turnovers and seven penalties. A special team breakdown that allowed the Vandals to return a blocked punt for a touchdown. Next up: October 15th against Georgia Tech.
Virginia Tech (4-1) learned a soft September maybe didn't mean much against a top 20 team, even if it was Clemson (longtime friend and South Carolina grad Steve Rohan claims the "N" stands for "knowledge"). A 23-3 loss has the Hokies wondering exactly how good they are. Hokie Highlights-- David Wilson rushed for 123 yards...and the turkey legs were pretty good in Blacksburg as always. Sixty return yards (BEAMER BALL!). Hokie Humblings-- Beamer's bunch converts just 4 of 16 third downs. Two turnovers. Getting burned by the big play (Tigers tally touchdowns from 31 and 32 yards out). Logan Thomas averaged under 10 yards per completion. Next up: Saturday against Miami.
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