2011 NCAA FOOTBALL WEEK 6 RECAP

HUSKERS WIN IN HISTORIC FASHION

Four minutes into the third quarter and down 27-6 to the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Nebraska Cornhuskers looked as it would suffer its second straight crushing defeat in its new conference.

But the Huskers kept on fighting en route to a 34-27 victory.

Nebraska sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez had a rough game against Wisconsin a week earlier and things did start well for him in this one. However, he was able to shake things off and amass 293 total yards and three total touchdowns.

“He kept fighting,” Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said. “He led the team, and I was proud of how we played. That’s why he’s the starting quarterback right now.”

Martinez started the comeback after running for an 18-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 14.

As the Nebraska defense finally shut down the Buckeyes, the Concord, Calif. native threw for two touchdowns and the game was tied at 27-27 with 7:35 remaining.

Ohio St. tried to regain momentum on their next drive, but Joe Bauserman’s pass would be picked off. Four plays and 78 yards later, Rex Burkhead would score his second touchdown of the night to give the Huskers the lead.

Nebraska will take on Minnesota this week, while Ohio State plays No. 16 Illinois.

THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM FOR THE AGGIES

After two straight weeks of blowing just as many three-possession leads at halftime, Texas A&M’s 31-20 lead over Texas Tech did not look safe.

But unlike games against Oklahoma St. and Arkansas, the Aggies held on to win, 45-40.

In a game where the Red Raiders were rowdy—some in more ways than others—the game was all about the offense.

Aggies senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill scored three total touchdowns in the game and became the first player in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) with 3000 passing yards and 1500 receiving yards in a career.

Texas Tech was fueled early by junior running back Eric Stephens, but he went down with a season-ending injury to his left knee in the third quarter. He would finish with 102 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

The Red Raiders would still show fight without Stephens thanks to quarterback Seth Doege.

Down 45-33 with 2:55 left, Doege led Texas Tech on a nine-play, 91-yard drive capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alex Torres to put the Red Raiders only down by five.

But the ensuing onside kick would not go their way and Texas A&M came away with a win.

A relieved Mike Sherman said, “It seems like it’s been forever since we’ve had this feeling.”

WEEK 6 PREDICTIONS
Oklahoma 24, Texas 17
LSU 31, Florida 10
Auburn 45, Arkansas 38

WEEK: 2-1 (.667)
SEASON: 14-6 (.700)

PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 7
No. 11 Michigan 24, No. 23 Michigan St. 23
No. 21 Texas A&M 38, No. 20 Baylor 35
No. 6 Oklahoma St. 30, No. 22 Texas 13
No. 9 Oregon 42, No. 18 Arizona St. 28

2011 NCAA FOOTBALL WEEK 5 RECAP

NAVY FORCES OVERTIME BUT LOSES DUE TO CELEBRATION RULE, BLOCKED KICK

Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson scored the
game-winning touchdown against Navy, but
what happened before was the main story.
(Photo by Luis M. Alvarez/AP Photo)

The Navy Midshipmen were on a roll after coming back from 18 points down in the fourth quarter and a 28-17 with just over two minutes in regulation to force overtime in its game against the Air Force Falcons.

Navy senior quarterback Kriss Proctor scored his third rushing touchdown of the day in the first overtime and things seemed normal until Proctor seemed to taunt Air Force player Nick DeJulio and Jon Davis afterwards.

The referees had no choice but to penalize the Midshipmen for an unsportsmanlike conduct call moving the extra point attempt from the 3-yard line to the 18.

Navy kicker Jon Teague tried to get the extra point attempt through, but Falcons linebacker Alex Means blocked the try. Five plays later, Falcons quarterback Tim Jefferson punched it in from a yard out and Parker Harrington made the extra point giving Air Force a 35-34 win.

However, the focus remained on Navy’s celebration penalty.

“The Navy player got in the face of an Air Force player right after the play,” referee Mike Defee stated on why the penalty was called.

Proctor offered his explanation and maintained that he did no wrong.

“I got up and I was trying to run to our sideline,” Proctor said. “Some guy got in my way and I just told him to move explicitly and he called it. It’s unfortunate that the refs made a call like that, but it’s football.”

On Sept. 6, 2008, nearly the same exact situation came up in a game between Washington and BYU, when Jake Locker scored to bring the Huskies to an extra point of tying the game, but he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing the ball up in the air.

As a result, Washington also had to attempt a PAT from the 18, and the Cougars blocked it giving them a 28-27 win.

A&M GETS A SAMPLE OF SEC PLAY…AND BLOWS ANOTHER SECOND HALF LEAD

Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman looks on
as the Aggies suffer their second straight second
half collapse. (Photo by John F. Rhodes/AP Photo)

This time, Texas A&M could not catch a break from its soon-to-be new conference.

In the game before, the Aggies blew a 17-point halftime lead to Oklahoma State. This game, an 18-point halftime lead was not safe as Arkansas defeated Texas A&M 42-38 in Arlington, Texas.

For Arkansas, it was a career day junior quarterback Tyler Wilson as he threw for a school record 510 yards. His favorite target of the day was Jarius Wright, who also had a school record of 281 receiving yards on 13 catches.

The duo picked apart the Aggies’ defense as the Razorbacks give Texas A&M its second heartbreaker in as many weeks.

Down 35-17 at halftime, Arkansas only needed 19 minutes to tie the game up when Wright recovered as fumble and Wilson converted the two-pointer to make it 35-35.

Texas A&M would make a field goal, but Broderick Green’s score from three yards out gave the ‘Hogs a 42-38 lead with just 1:41 left.

The Aggies will hope to keep a lead for the whole game against Texas Tech this week.

PRIMETIME DUDS

Last Saturday, two games between ranked opponents (Wisconsin/Nebraska on ABC and Alabama/Florida on CBS) came on as marquee games of Week 5. While both showed some promise early, Wisconsin and Alabama quickly gained stream and blew out their unfortunate opponents. So here’s a look at both games.

Badgers give Huskers an inhospitable welcome to the Big Ten: Wisconsin rolled out the red carpet of the Big Ten for Nebraska last week and then proceeded to thump the Cornhuskers 48-17. Badgers senior quarterback Russell Wilson continues to impress and show why he is a Heisman candidate after throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns and 14-for-20 passing. Wilson even added a rushing touchdown as Wisconsin overcame its slow start. The Huskers led 14-7 just 20 minutes into the game but could not keep up after committing three turnovers and allowing Montee Ball to score four touchdowns on the ground. Nebraska’s Big Ten home opener is against Ohio St. this week.

Nebraska had a hard time containing Montee Ball (center) last Saturday.
Ball ran for 151 yards and four touchdowns in Wisconsin's 48-17 win.
(Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/US Presswire)

Tide washes away Gators: Just like in Madison, the scene in Gainesville turned from competitive to a blowout as Alabama crushed Florida, 38-10. With a 10-10 tie at the end of the first quarter, the Crimson Tide quickly did work on the Gators, who lost John Brantley in the second quarter. Junior Trent Richardson ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, while Alabama’s defense kept Florida’s running game in check. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps were held to four rushing yards each and neither had an impact. As for Brantley, he is listed as out this week as Florida takes on LSU in Baton Rouge.

WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS

Texas A&M 20, Arkansas 17
Clemson 31, Virginia Tech 29
Alabama 28, Florida 21
Wisconsin 17, Nebraska 10

WEEK: 3-1 (.750)
SEASON: 12-5 (.706)

PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 6

No. 3 Oklahoma 24, No. 11 Texas 17 (in Dallas)
No. 1 LSU 31, No. 17 Florida 10
No. 15 Auburn 45, No. 10 Arkansas 38

2011 NCAA FOOTBALL WEEK 4 RECAP

BAYOU BENGALS CONTINUE TO RUN THE GAUNTLET

Morris Claiborne (17) returns a kickoff 99 yards giving LSU
a 34-21 lead over West Virginia. (Photo by Jeff Gentner/AP Photo)

Beating three ranked teams in the first month of the season is impressive. However, beating all of those teams away from home is even amazing.

The LSU Tigers continue to impress everyone this season and after defeating West Virginia, 47-21.

In terms of yards, the Tigers gave up 533 total yards and allowed Geno Smith to carve them up for 463 passing yards. However, LSU got the Mountaineers where it counted most—the turnover battle.

LSU’s defense forced four turnovers, while the offense did not commit any.

The Tigers led by double-digits for most of the game, but when Mountaineers freshman running back Dustin Garrison scored to cut the deficit to six points, LSU needed a spark.

On the ensuing kickoff, Morris Claiborne provided it on a 99-yard return for a touchdown that shifted momentum back to LSU’s side.

Of the return LSU head coach Les Miles said, “Morris Claiborne’s return was right on time, and we were able to finish it off. We made some mistakes, but we overcame that adversity. We have a real strong road personality, but no matter the environment, we are capable of playing.”

Combined with the wins earlier in the season to Oregon and Mississippi State, the Tigers were voted in as the No. 1 team of the Associated Press Top 25 media poll and moved into a tie for second with Alabama in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW…

Jacory Harris was ruled down at the 1-yard line and it changed a possible Miami Hurricanes win to the Kansas State Wildcats preserving a 28-24 victory.

Jacory Harris winds up a yard short from giving Miami a victory.
(Photo by J Pat Carter/AP Photo)

The exciting play was the climax in a game that got better as it went along.

The Wildcats led at halftime and held a 21-10 advantage with 3:40 left in the third quarter, but Harris and Miami did not give up.

Nearly a minute later, Lamar Miller’s 59-yard touchdown run cut the deficit down to four and Harris found Travis Benjamin to give the Hurricanes the lead early in the fourth.

Kansas State reclaimed the lead when sophomore running back John Hubert scored from two yards out with 10 minutes remaining.

Despite the very close loss, Harris passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns. However, the story was the near touchdown.

“We have no one to blame but ourselves,” Miami head coach Al Golden said. “We have to execute. That’s on us. We didn’t get it done.”

Miami will play Bethune-Cookman this week.

COWBOYS GIVE AGGIES A PARTING GIFT TO REMEMBER

Even though, Texas A&M will be going to the SEC next season, Oklahoma State wanted to give the Big 12 departing member something to remember first.

The Cowboys trailed by 17 at halftime and stormed back with a 21-point third quarter to defeat the Aggies, in front of a stunned audience at College Station.

In the second half even when things went wrong (such as Justin Blackmon’s fumble that would have sealed the game), Oklahoma State found ways to battle out of it.

Brandon Weeden set three Oklahoma State passing records
against Texas A&M. (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman)

Senior quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 438 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cowboys, and Blackmon caught 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown despite the embarrassing gaffe.

The Aggies sealed their fate after committing four turnovers in the second half and will have to put that performance behind them this week in Arlington against Arkansas.

WEEK 4 PREDICTIONS

Alabama 37, Arkansas 27
Oklahoma St. 38, Texas A&M 35
Florida St. 21, Clemson 17
LSU 24, West Virginia 10

WEEK: 3-1 (.750)
SEASON: 9-4 (.692)

PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 5

No. 14 Texas A&M 20, No. 18 Arkansas 17 (in Arlington, Texas)
No. 13 Clemson 31, No. 11 Virginia Tech 29
No. 3 Alabama 28, No. 12 Florida 21
No. 7 Wisconsin 17, No. 8 Nebraska  10