Ashes on the Confluence - Pittsburgh Panthers 2012

[Its Vanilla]

Pittsburgh Panthers 2009 - The Season

Just 3 seasons ago, we were on top of the college football world. We didn't get to the championship, but QB Drew Herring won the Heisman Trophy and we were poised to remain a contender.

Two years ago, we began our campaign with many question marks. Herring had graduated and George Strong, a QB with a completely different style of play inherited the offense. Also gone were HB Dustin Monroe and WR Tre Dalton. Things kept rolling and the Panthers finished 10-2. Strong finished as the runner up in Heisman voting.

Last season would be different. I guess you could say "the bottom fell out." The season started off promising, but a loss to Alabama ruined our title hopes. We would however, fight back to a 7-1 record. That's when our losses on the defensive line, defensive backfield, and skill positions finally did us in. We'd lose our final 4 games to West Virginia, Temple, Auburn, and Florida State. Only WVU and FSU had winning records.

Graduation will now tear apart the rest of what we have left. Can the Panthers return to prominance?

This is a simulation of the 2012 NCAA College Football season using NCAA 2005.

[Its Vanilla]

Head Coach Overview

Head Coach: Cody Myers - Pittsburgh Panthers(2004-present)

Overall Record: 78-21
Average Attendance: 65,717

Current Streak: Won 1
Winning Seasons: 9
Longest Winning Streak: 11 games
Record vs. Top 25: 12-8
Record vs. Rival(s): 11-5
Bowl Record: 5-3
Conference Championships: 2
National Championships: 0


2012 Panthers Schedule:

8/18 - Clemson
8/25 - Air Force
9/1 - @ Akron
9/8 - San Jose State

9/20 - @ #16 UConn
9/29 - @ Temple
10/6 - Boston College
10/13 - Rutgers

10/27 - @ Syracuse


11/15 - #9 West Virginia - Backyard Brawl
11/24 - Wyoming

[Its Vanilla]

Here are the 2012 Pittsburgh Panthers!

Offense:

#15 QB Ivan Weeks(So-RS) - Lewisville, Tx
5'11" 202 lbs. 84 Overall
-Ivan is the youngest starting QB we've had since Drew Herring took his first snap. Ivan is a Vick-like scrambler, much like his predecessor, George Strong.

#22 HB Jamie Andersen(Sr-RS) - Severna Park, MD - Offensive Team Captain
6' 201 lbs. 93 Overall
-Jamie has come a long way in his time at Pittsburgh. He's run for over 900 yards in each of the past 2 seasons and has been named to the All Big East team twice. He decided to come back for his senior season.

#28 HB Rob Bland(Jr-RS) - Pittston, Pa
6' 200 lbs. 89 Overall
-Rob is the other returning HB in my 2 RB scheme. He hasn't been on the field enough to show what he's capable of.

#48 FB Devon Godsey(Sr) - Newark, De
6' 256 lbs. 94 Overall
-Devon has been excellent in his 2 years as a starter. He's one of the top blocking fullbacks in college football.

#86 WR Tommie Sinclair(Jr) - Lebanon, Pa
6'3" 202 lbs. 94 Overall
-Tommie has caught 22 touchdowns in his 2 seasons with the Panthers. He's hoping to add some more this season.

#87 WR Willie Smith(So) - Norwich, Ct
6'2" 181 lbs. 87 Overall
-He caught 30 passes for just over 400 yards in his freshman season.

#81 TE Julian Fisher(So) - Morristown, NJ
6'4" 246 lbs. 85 Overall
-Julian is very inexperienced. He has 1 catch for 11 yards in his college career.

#70 LT Terrance Scott(Jr) - Kettering, Oh
6'7" 326 lbs. 91 Overall
-With huge losses on the offensive line, the new guys will have to step it up.

#77 LG D.J. Quinn(Jr) - Bryan, Tx
6'4" 279 lbs. 85 Overall
-D.J. replaces another of the 4 departing starters. Those 4 had an average rating of 97 overall.

#67 C Derick Gallagher(Sr) - Alexander City, Al
6'2" 290 lbs. 92 Overall
-Derick hasn't started, but I'm hoping the senior will be able to anchor the offensive line this year.

#75 RG Rob Williams(Jr) - Millburne, NJ
6'5" 330 lbs. 85 Overall
-Rob has seen some limited action in his 2 years. Now he gets the start.

#78 RT Teddy Falls(Sr) - Pottstown, Pa
6'8" 322 lbs. 95 Overall
-He's the only returning starter from last season. He's also an All Big East player.


Defense:

#96 LE D'Juan Petty(Fr) - Morristown, NJ
6'5" 240 lbs. 82 Overall
-Lack of depth on the defensive line leads to a true freshman starter. Our scouts say that he has tremendous potential.

#99 DT Reshard Moore(Jr) - Brunswick, Oh
6'1" 324 lbs. 82 Overall
-Moore is now the only DT in my 3-4 defense. Last season, he had 8 sacks.

#92 RE Tremaine Wilson(Jr) - Allen Park, Mi
6'5" 204 lbs. 85 Overall
-Tremaine is very undersized, but has started for 2 seasons.

#40 LOLB Michael Crockett(Jr) - Victoria, CN
6'3" 233 lbs. 90 Overall
-Michael started last year, but underperformed. He's hoping for a better season.

#42 MLB John McKnight(Sr) - Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
6' 234 lbs. 94 Overall
-John has been a bright spot on my defense. He's a 2 time All Big East Player.

#51 MLB Joey Spencer(Jr) - Plainfield, NJ
6'2" 224 lbs. 90 Overall
-Joey moved into the starting role last season when we switched to the 3-4.

#46 ROLB Albert McIntosh(Jr) - Sugarland Run, Va
6'3" 221 lbs. 89 Overall
-Albert's looking to rebound from an injury last season.

#8 CB Vince Flowers(Jr) - Newark, Oh
6' 187 lbs. 85 Overall
-Vince returns from the not-so-hot defensive backfield of last season. He's got the potential to be an All-American.

#3 CB Harry Stewart(So) - London, CN
5'9" 179 lbs. 82 Overall
-Harry was last season's nickelback and will move into the starting role this season.

#24 FS Kelley Wilcox(Sr) - Bradford, Pa - Defensive Team Captain
6'2" 213 lbs. 93 Overall
-Kelley has started since he was a true freshman. He has been rewarded by being named Defensive Captain.

#20 SS Jodie Bridges(Sr) - Seneca, SC
6'2" 189 lbs. 85 Overall
-Jodie was unexpectedly made starter due to lack of depth 2 seasons ago. Now he's been labeled as All-American, and All Big East.


Specialists:

#44 K Bob Northcutt(Jr) - Southglenn, Co
5'11" 179 lbs. 89 Overall
-He was the nation's top kicker when he was recruited, but hasn't passed the 70% mark in his career.

#45 P David Dalton(So) - Arbutus, Md
6'4" 214 lbs. 88 Overall
-David had an excellent freshman season.

[Its Vanilla]

The 2012 season is set to kick off this week. We are set to host the Clemson Tigers in a nationally televised game.

The main talk of this season so far is Texas. The Longhorn defense, led by senior MLB Daniel Felton, looks almost unstoppable. SI has picked them to run the table.

The Preseason 119 has Texas listed as the #1 team, followed by Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, and TCU. We are 18th.

The Heisman section is plastered with pictures of junior HB Anthony Atkins of Oklahoma. He ran for 1,036 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. Other players on the list include junior QB Matt Teague of Akron, who's passed for 49 touchdowns in 2 seasons, senior HB Pat Webb of Alabama, who broke the 1,200 yard barrier last year, senior WR Cris Smith of Florida, who pulled in 14 touchdowns last season, and Michigan senior QB Elliott Timmons, who threw 27 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions last year.

While the Panthers have no 1st team All-Americans this year, we do have a couple 2nd teamers. HB Jamie Andersen, RT Teddy Falls, and MLB John McKnight were selected.

We also have several All Big East players. Being selected to the 1st team were HB Jamie Andersen, WR Tommie Sinclair, RT Teddy Falls, DT Reshard Moore, and MLB John McKnight. Being selected to the 2nd team were HB Rob Bland, RG Rob Williams, LOLB Michael Crockett, CB Harry Stewart, and FS Kelley Wilcox.

SI doesn't think things look to good for us in the Big East this year. They've predicted us to finish 3rd.
1.) West Virginia
2.) UConn
3.) Pittsburgh
4.) Rutgers
5.) Temple
6.) Syracuse
7.) Boston College

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We kick off the season hosting the Clemson Tigers on national television.

It's a scorching 85 degree day as we take the field in our season opener. Many questions surround our squad this year. Will our misfortunes from last season carry over? Will I have a job at the end of the season? Is Ivan Weeks ready to start? Those questions would be answered by sunset.

The first quarter went okay, with the teams exchanging punts. Weeks looked shakey in his first couple drives. He finally came around midway through the quarter, leading the team downfield. Our first points of the season would come on an 8 yard QB scramble.

We continued to hold the Tigers at bay in the 2nd quarter. Bob Northcutt booted a 35 yarder to increase our lead to 10-0. Just before the half ended, Weeks connected on a 5 yard pass to Jamie Andersen. We left the field with a 17-0 lead.

I am encouraged with the way the team looks. We are making mistakes, but it's expected in the season opener, especially with a new QB.

The only points of the 3rd quarter came on a 30 yard Weeks to Tommie Sinclair touchdown pass.

Things would get very real in the 4th quarter. Our shutout hopes ended as Tigers QB Richie Bearden made an 18 yard touchdown pass to Cody Hobbs. Exactly 2 minutes later, Bearden connected with Hobbs again, this time for 3 yards. Clemson's next drive ended with a 46 yard field goal by Gerard Smith. Our hearts sank, as just 24 seconds later, Bearden connected with WR Fred Banks on a 20 yard pass to tie the game. I didn't want a repeat of last season and screamed at the team to step it up. I guess they heard me. Rob Bland ran for a 10 yard touchdown on our ensuing drive to put us up 31-24. After a Harry Stewart interception, we'd finish the Tigers off with a 6 yard run by Devon Godsey. We had survived a scare, and came out on top, 38-24.

Stats:

Clemson starting QB Blane Garcia completed just 10/24 passes for 182 yards and threw 1 interception.
Clemson backup QB Richie Bearden completed 4/9 passes for 48 yards and threw 3 touchdowns.

Ivan Weeks looked shakey in his debut, completing 14/33 passes for 155 yards. He threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran 20 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Our leading rusher was Rob Bland, who ran 13 times for 115 yards and 1 touchdown.

Reshard Moore was a monster on defense, recording 16 tackles and 3 sacks.


The Week After:

LT Terrance Scott suffered a mild concussion in our win and will not play against Air Force. Filling in will be sophomore RT Bryan Fletcher.

The NCAA has a high interest in our team, but we committed no infractions this week. Looking throughout the division, I notice that Marshall has lost 15 scholarships for the next 3 years and is not allowed to be televised for the next 2.

This week's Sports Illustrated has Florida State redshirt senior QB Zach Sims on the cover. The Seminoles look to dominate Miami in their ACC opener.

We are featured in the Top 25 section with the tagline, "They all add up - Panthers get a W in non-conference action against Clemson."

Senior Florida WR Cris Smith is on the cover of this week's Heisman Watch. His amazing hands make him an early favorite for the trophy. The only change in the list is Panther DT Reshard Moore moving into 5th spot.

DT Reshard Moore is named Big East/NCAA Defensive Player of the Week.

Moore is also pictures on the cover of the Conference Standings section. It talks about our non-conference victory over Clemson getting us off on the right foot.

In other Big East action, #16 UConn defeated Marshall 38-14, and Syracuse fell to Kent State 31-27.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

This week, Preseason #30 Air Force(0-0) comes to town in a nationally televised matchup.

The game opens up slowly, like many Pitt games do. The first score would come 9:44 into the first quarter when Weeks completed a 6 yard pass to TE Julian Fisher to put us up 7-0. The Falcons answered back on their next drive with a 23 yard Jeremiah Harmon field goal.

Harmon would bring Air Force within 1 point of us with a 24 yard field goal at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. We hoped to answer back on our next drive, but those hopes were soon dashed. Weeks dropped back and fired a pass straight to Garland, who took it 53 yards for the touchdown. Unfortunately, Garland plays for Air Force. Weeks made up for it on our next drive, as he found Fisher for the 2nd time of the day, this time for 39 yards to put us back in the lead. A 4 yard run by Jamie Andersen put us up 21-13 at the half.

Our first drive of the 2nd half ended on another 4 yard run by Andersen to put us up 28-13. After an exchange of punts, the Falcons finally sustained another drive that ended with an 8 yard run by HB Marquise Blake. They would go for 2 and be successful, making the score 28-21.

The beginning of the 4th saw Air Force FB Matt Taylor tie the game on a 1 yard touchdown run. Things looked like they were beginning to fall apart all over again. After nearly 12 scoreless minutes, a 7 yard run by Kevin Cross put us up by a touchdown. With just under 3 minutes left on the clock, the Falcon offense took the field. They proceeded to march down, with us unable to stop them. With 1:22 left on the clock, and the Falcons threatening on our 19, I called a timeout. I guess it worked because on the next play, a 3rd and 4, CB Vince Flowers stepped in front of freshman QB Andre Hunter's pass and saw nothing but daylight, taking it back 81 yards for the touchdown. Air Force was grounded, and we'd take the win , 42-28.

Stats:

Falcons QB Andre Hunter completed 13/21 passes for 177 yards. He threw no touchdowns and 1 interception.

Ivan Weeks is still working on grasping the offense. He completed 12/24 passes for 218 yards. He threw 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Just about everyone on our team ran the ball. Rob Bland led the charge with 9 carries for 54 yards. Jamie Andersen ran 10 times for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. Devon Godsey ran 7 times for 49 yards, Kevin Cross had 5 runs for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Weeks ran 7 times for 19 yards.


The Week After:

No new injuries this week. LT Terrance Scott returns to action against Akron on Saturday.

This week's Sports Illustrated hypes up the matchup between #2 Oklahoma and #10 Wake Forest. Oklahoma looks to be a powerhouse this season and Wake is coming off a 31-14 victory over Clemson.

#20 Iowa's 42-21 loss to unranked Texas Tech makes news in the Top 25.

I'm a bit surprised to see a Big East player on the Heisman cover this week. He's UConn sophomore QB Pedro Little and he's got the Huskies talking about a Big East title. So far this season, he's completed 35/72 passes for 572 yards with 7 touchdowns and 1 interception. He's 4th on the list. QB Matt Teague of Akron is still #1, HB Pat Webb of Alabama is #2, WR Cris Smith of Florida is #3, and MLB Shaud Donovan is 5th.

Wake Forest sophomore HB Darren Hoffman is featured on the Conference Standings cover this week. The Demon Deacons defeated Clemson in their ACC opener. Hoffman ran for 1,300 yards last season as a redshirt freshman.

In Big East action, #9 West Virginia drops 10 spots following a 46-24 loss to #19 USC in their season opener. UConn moves up to #15 following a 59-27 thrashing of UL-Monroe. Syracuse defeats Ball State 21-19. Boston College falls to NC State 45-20. Temple is crushed by #17 Minnesota 31-3. Western Michigan defeats Rutgers 35-14.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

This week, we head to Akron to take on the Zips in their season opener. The game will be on regional television.

We win the toss and kick off. After an exchange of punts, the game gets going. Zips QB Matt Teague then proved why he's a Heisman candidate by leading his team down the field on their next drive. He capped it off with a 23 yard touchdown pass to WR Jonas Johnson. A few minutes later, we finally settled down and moved the ball downfield. Jamie Andersen plowed into the endzone from 6 yards out to tie up the game.

The 2nd quarter set the tone of a defensive battle as neither team could get anything going. Finally, with just 51 seconds left on the clock, Ivan Weeks found Willie Smith in the back of the endzone on an 8 yard pass to make the score 14-7 at the half.

Akron came fighting right out of the gate in the 2nd half. Backup QB Donte Valentine led yet another drive downfield and HB Rudy Peoples capped it off with a 1 yard dive to tie the game yet again. That's when Ivan went to the air. Weeks became money, passing for 3 touchdowns in the third quarter. His first was a 34 yarder to HB Rob Bland. His 2nd came on the next drive on a 10 yarder to Tommie Sinclair. He capped off the quarter with a 15 yarder to Smith.

Devon Godsey ended our little scoring outburst with a 5 yard run at the beginning of the 4th quarter. The Zips would get a 49 yard field goal from John Leon, but it was all for not. We came away with a 42-17 victory.

Stats:

Before coming out of the game on Akron's 2nd drive, Matt Teague completed 1/5 passes. His only completion was a 23 yard touchdown.

Ivan Weeks may have broken out of his shell today. He completed 14/18 passes for 247 yards. He threw 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Jamie Andersen had a great day as well, running 17 times for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Tommie Sinclair was our leading receiver, catching 5 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.


The Week After:

No new injuries this week. QB Matt Teague of Akron will be back in action for their next game.

UConn makes the cover of this week's SI. They are coming off a 31-24 overtime win against the rival Buffalo Bulls.

The biggest story in the Top 25 is Tennessee defeating #8 Cal 31-26. Wake Forest defeated Oklahoma 34-24. We move up to #17 after our win.

Junior HB Mario Vickers of UConn is the talk of this week's Heisman Watch. He's run for 383 yards and 5 touchdowns so far and is 4th on the list. Matt Teague of Akron is still 1st. Pat Webb of Alabama is still holding on to the 2nd spot. Longhorns junior QB Serge Marshall(great name) moves up into 3rd. Rounding out the list is UConn WR Branden Walton.

The Conference Standings section features LSU FB Mike Jeromin as his team prepares to face Mississippi State in their SEC opener.

In Big East action, UConn moves up to #13 following a 31-24 overtime win against Buffalo. WVU is now 16th, following a 38-13 win over #9 Georgia. Fresh off a loss, Temple crushes Arkansas 45-7. Syracuse loses a heartbreaker to South Florida, 27-24. Rutgers loses in similar fashion to Oregon State, falling 33-31. Finally, Memphis simply blows Boston College out of the water, 70-10.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

The PreSeason #53 Spartans of San Jose State(1-0) come to town to face us on national television.

We received the opening kick. I had a good feeling about the game, as our receivers totally outmatched the Spartans defensive backs. Unfortunately, as I would see, today was just not the day. On our opening drive, Ivan Weeks bobbled the snap, which eventually ended up in the hands of OLB Wesley Lott, who took it 23 yards to the endzone. Luckily on our next drive, things went a bit better and Jamie Andersen tied the game with a 3 yard run. The Spartans answered back a couple drives later with a 44 yard Bacon to Dickerson touchdown pass.

The 2nd quarter didn't go much better for us. A 41 yard field goal by Quincy Davis put San Jose State up 17-7. Our next drive ended on a 7 yard Rob Bland touchdown run and the score would remain the same until the half. We went into the locker room trailing 17-14.

After a few words at halftime, we took the field again. We had much better results. Backup QB Darrion Darby connected with Willie Smith to give us our first lead of the game. But several drives later, HB Marcellus Abrams punched it in from 2 yards out to put the Spartans back on top, 24-21.

The see-saw swung back in our favor at the beginning of the 4th quarter, when HB Jamie Andersen got his 2nd TD of the game, this time from 8 yards out. It was short-lived however, as a 40 yard Bacon-Dickerson connection put us behind yet again. Darby played his heart out, but just didn't have the experience needed to lead the team. A 1 yard run by David Valentine with 17 seconds left sealed the deal. We had fallen, 38-28.

Stats:

QB Marquise Bacon of the Spartans was brilliant in leading his team, completing 21/35 for 326 yards. He threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Weeks was less than stellar today, completing just 5/16 passes for 102 yards. He threw 2 interceptions. Darby wasn't much better, going 6/10 for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Jamie Andersen carried the offense, running 19 times for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Omari Dickerson shredded our defense apart, catching 11 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns.


The Week After:

No new injuries this week.

UConn makes the cover of this week's SI. They are coming off a 31-24 overtime win against the rival Buffalo Bulls.

North Texas is the talk of the Top 25. With most predicting them to win the Sun Belt and garner BCS attention, the Mean Green was ranked 9th. However a 34-14 shalacking at the hands of Iowa State has dashed their hopes. They are now 23rd in the polls.

Another UConn player has been mentioned in the Heisman race. This time it's junior WR Pierre Greer. In his first 2 seasons, he amassed a total of over 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. So far this year, he's added 214 yards and 6 more touchdowns. Mario Vickers, UConn's HB, is 2nd, QB Matt Teague of Akron is 3rd, Pedro Little, UConn's QB, is 4th, and MLB Shaud Donovan, UConn's leader on defense, is 5th.

The Conference Standings section features the #20 Stanford Cardinal. They won their season opener against Cincinnatti. They open up Pac 10 play next week against Oregon.

In Big East action, UConn moves is now #12 after destroying Boston College 69-21 in a Big East matchup. WVU is now 25th, following a 34-13 loss to rival Maryland. Temple is shocking the world after a 35-30 win over Miami improves them to 2-1. Syracuse is crushed by #24 Iowa, 42-10. Rutgers loses to Penn State 34-24.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We have a bye before heading to Connecticut to take on the #11 Huskies in our Big East opener.

The Week After:

No new injuries or problems this week.

The Florida-Tennessee game makes the cover of this week's SI.

That game is also the major story of the Top 25. The #8 Volunteers came ready to play against the #2 Gators and walked away with a 35-26 victory. Tennessee moves up to #4 and Florida falls to 7th.

UConn's aerial assault is the major talk of this week's Heisman Watch. No change in the top 2 spots as it is still Greer and Vickers. UConn QB moves up a spot to make it a 1-2-3 combo for the Huskies. Junior HB Garry McNeal of Georgia is the new face on the list this week. In his first year starting, he's run for nearly 300 yards and 5 touchdowns. Matt Teague of Akron rounds out the list.

The Conference Standings has yet another story on the Florida-Tennessee game.

In Big East action, UConn moves is up to 11th after a bye week. Temple remains 2-1 after a bye. WVU also had a bye and sits at 1-2. Syracuse and Rutgers also didn't play and are 1-3 and 0-3 respectively. Boston College defeated North Carolina 27-21 for their first win of the season. They are now 1-3.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We travel north to face the undefeated, #11 Huskies in our Big East opener. The game is on regional TV.

The first quarter was highly contested. UConn struck first when Pedro Little found TE Logan King for a 7 yard touchdown pass. On the ensuing drive, we marched down the field and scored a touchdown of our own on a 2 yard Jamie Andersen run. Field goals of 18 and 29 yards by Terrance Lane put the Huskies up 13-7.

UConn used the 2nd quarter to pull away. Lane netted another 29 yarder. A 3 yard run by FB Fabian Dunn gave the Huskies a comfortable lead. We were blanked as the Huskie defense crashed down on our young team. We went into the locker rooms behind 23-7.

After a little pep talk, we received the opening kick in the 2nd half and marched the ball right downfield. The drive ended when Kevin Cross took the ball in from 9 yards out to cut into the UConn lead. We finally managed to stop them on defense and got the ball back a few minutes later. Weeks led the team down the field again and Andersen capped off the drive with his 2nd TD of the game, a run of 6 yards. That made the score 23-21 UConn. The Huskies could only manage a 37 yard field goal.

The 4th quarter started with the score 26-21 in favor of the Huskies. That's when their team stepped up and ours didn't. We still have a long way to go before we can contend for the Big East again. Pedro Little connected with TE Chris Houston from 2 yards out to put the game away. We came out with our 2nd loss in 3 weeks. UConn remains undefeated with a 33-21 victory.

Stats:

Weeks definately looked like a first year starter. He completed 6/13 passes for 167 yards.
Pedro Little, on the other hand, completed 19/32 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Andersen and Cross split duties at runningback, each carrying 10 times. Andersen had 76 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cross had 52 yards and 1 touchdown.
Mario Vickers of UConn ran 26 times for 138 yards. We did manage to keep him out of the endzone.

The Week After:

Things continued to get worse after an MRI on freshman OLB Omari Pryce revealed a torn shoulder muscle. His season is over.

SI did a cover story on Pierre Greer of UConn this week. We managed to contain him, but he's still a main contender for the Heisman.

#17 Stanford couldn't overcome the fierce crowd in Seattle and dropped their first game of the year to Washington.

Once again, there's no change in the top 2 Heisman contenders. Greer and Vickers have somewhat cemented themselves in. Senior HB Pat Webb of Alabama, now with 653 yards and 6 touchdowns, has moved into 3rd on the list. UConn QB Pedro Little is down to 4th this week. Following a win over Michigan State, Iowa junior HB Jamal Brandt has moved up to 5th.

The Conference Standings previews the upcoming LSU-Florida matchup.

In Big East action, UConn moves up to 10th following their win. They are now 5-0. We are 3-2. Syracuse defeats Rutgers 33-27 in a Big East matchup to improve to 2-3. The Scarlet Knights are now 0-4. Temple is now a surprising 3-1 after defeating Tulane 49-17. We play the Owls next week. West Virginia came out on top of the Hokies in 23-20 in their rivalry game and move up to #21. Boston College is now 1-4 after losing 42-29 to Bowling Green.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

This week, we head to Philadelphia to take on Temple in a Big East rivalry game on Regional TV. Temple defeated us last season.

Last season's loss was fresh on everyone's mind at the beginning of the game. The 3-2 Owls were upset minded again and on the first posession of the game, they drove down the field. On 2nd and goal from the 6, QB Brandon Garrison found WR Gaylon Duncan for the touchdown. We would respond, but it would take some time. 7 minutes later, we'd get 7 on the board on a 7 yard run by FB Devon Godsey. A 45 yard field goal by Bob Northcutt would put us up 10-7 at the end of the first.

The 2nd quarter is when the game went into overdrive. Week's found the endzone on a 7 yard scramble to give us a 10 point lead. Temple would answer back on their next drive with a 39 yard Joe Lavin field goal. Things looked like they'd settle down before the half, as neither team could get anything going on their next drives. But, with just over 2 minutes left, Weeks found Smith in the back of the endzone from 11 yards out to put us up 24-10. The Owls would get the ball back and go 3 and out. An amazing punt return by Tommie Sinclair would take us down inside the 5 yard line. Kevin Cross would dive in from the 1 to make it 31-10. We thought everything would be done with, but it wasn't. The half ended on a 33 yard pass to Gaylon Duncan to make the score 31-17.

Knowing that anything can happen in a rivalry game, and knowing that the Owls came back last year, I put the emphasis for the 2nd half on defense. The team responded well, keeping Temple out of the end zone in the 3rd quarter. The same couldn't be said about our offense. Weeks found Smith from 5 yards out for the score and a few drives later, Bob Northcutt made it look easy from 50 yards out.

The 4th quarter was more of the same. Devon Godsey caught a 4 yard pass from Weeks to make it 48-17. An 11 yard run by Rob Bland ended our scoring for the day. Temple would get a late field goal by Joe Lavin to make the final score 55-20.

Stats:

We outgained the Owls 515-257.

Weeks did a bit better than last week, but still struggled in the passing game, completing 9/20 for 185 yards. He threw 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Backup Darrion Darby didn't do much better, completing 1/3 for 14 yards.

Running the ball is how we got the job done today. Rob Bland led the charge, running 12 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. Weeks ran 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Jamie Andersen ran 10 times for 56 yards. Kevin Cross ran 9 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Backup QB Darrion Darby ran 3 times for 29 yards. Devon Godsey ran 3 times for 27 yards, and even WR Willie Smith ran once for 12 yards.

Tommie Sinclair was our leading receiver, catching 4 passes for 91 yards. Willie Smith made his presence known, catching 2 passes for 16 yards. Both were touchdowns.

The Week After:

MLB John McKnight needs 2 weeks to heal from a broken finger.

I get a letter in my mailbox from the athletic director notifying me about HB Rob Bland. Apparently, he falsified information on some paperwork. I tell him that he won't be suiting up against Boston College.

I get yet another report, but this time from the Channel 4 news. Kicker Bob Northcutt was involved in an altercation in his apartment after we got back. I normally wouldn't do anything because it was off the field, but the NCAA is breathing down my neck. I tell him that he will not be active against BC.

SI's cover features the wild scorefest between #5 Wisconsin and upset minded Ohio State. The Badgers would prevail, 43-36.

#4 Tennessee has a different story to tell. The Vols are now ranked 16th after being crushed by Mississippi State 41-17.

We are now ranked 25th in the nation.

Mario Vickers, UConn's dominating HB is now atop the Heisman list. Sophomore HB Bernard Bishop of Wisconsin throws himself into the mix this week. He's got 790 yards and 9 touchdowns for the #3 Badgers. WR Pedro Little of UConn falls to #3 this week, while QB Pierre Greer stays at #4. HB Garry NcNeal of the #11 Georgia Bulldogs rounds out the top 5.

Panther junior CB J.C. Houston is named Big East Defensive Player of the Week. In our win, he recorded 5 tackles. He also forced and recovered 2 fumbles.

LSU's victory over Florida in the Swamp is the talk of the Conference Standings section.

In Big East action, UConn is now ranked 6th after edging #21 West Virginia 30-27. Syracuse defeats Rutgers 33-27 in their conference opener.

[CraigSca]

This has been a great dynasty, Vanilla, and a very enjoyable read. I had forgotten what a great game NCAA 2005 is.

One question for you - what position do you usually play on defense?

[Its Vanilla]

When I do play, I play either Left Defensive Tackle or Nose Tackle(3-4). I just got used to it in the early days of Madden and have yet to change.

But for this dynasty, I sim all of the games. I use the box scores to come up with a game summary. I find that it is a lot harder when you sim. You have no effect on how that awesome QB from Texas you recruited performs; It's all up to the game. That's probably the reason I don't have a national championship under my belt.

BTW, thanks for your comments.

[CraigSca]

Oh, that's very interesting. I never thought about doing a "coach-only" version of the game. So, you don't even watch the games - you just sim through?

The reason I asked about the position you play - I usually play the middle linebacker and I've found that you can cheat a little by lining him up on the outside. The AI is smart enough to start running up the middle and calling for pass plays to his location, so I occasionally get burned. However, I find that in most games I can pick up 3-4 sacks and thus easily break the NCAA record. For me, I'm not a big fan of taking advantage of things that wouldn't necessarily happen in a real game - but when it comes to crunch time, I find myself doing it. 9 times out of 10 if I play middle linebacker likes it supposed to be played, I find that I'm a liability.

By simming, I guess you also don't hit the issues regarding quarterback performance (low completion percentages). I was wondering what sliders you used to get around that.

[Its Vanilla]

Ever since NCAA 2002, I've been a fan of the "Zeroed Out" sliders. I play on All-American(whatever level is below Heisman) with the sliders all down to zero, with the exception of the special teams ones.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

1-4 Boston College comes to Pittsburgh in a Big East matchup.

Jamie Andersen got things going for us early in the game. Our first drive ended in the endzone following a 14 yard run. We'd get the ball back after a punt and drive down the field again. This time, Andersen dove in from the 1 to put us up 14-0. A 3 yard run by Neal London would get the Eagles onto the scoreboard before the first quarter ended.

In the second quarter, we decided to go to Kevin Cross. At the beginning of the quarter, he got into the endzone on a 3 yard run. No one would see paydirt again until there was 20 seconds left. That's when Cross dove in again from the 3 yard line to make the score 28-7 at the half.

A safety in the middle of the 3rd quarter would make the score 30-7. Our next big play would come as the clock ticked down in the 3rd. Ivan Weeks launched a 28 yard bomb to Willie Smith to make it 37-7.

The 4th was pretty much about running down the clock. BC HB Neal London got his 2nd TD of the game on a 4 yard run. We answered back with a time consuming drive that ended on a 2 yard touchdown run by Kevin Cross. A 44 yard field goal by Eagles kicker David Berry would end the game. The final score was 44-17.

Stats:

Ivan Weeks continues to struggle with his accuracy. He completed 10/26 passes for 158 yards. He threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

The big story of the day was Kevin Cross. He ran 22 times for 118 yards and 3 touchdowns. Starting HB Jamie Andersen was no slouch either. He ran 12 times for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns.

We did not attempt a single field goal in the game. David Dalton did make all 6 of his extra point attempts.

The Week After:

No new injuries to report this week.

After last week's flurry of activity, I'm glad to see that I have no incidents this week.

SI's big story this week is #4 TCU's loss to 1-3 UAB. After falling to the Blazers 34-31, the Horned Frogs fell in the rankings, to 17th.

UConn's wild ride seems to be over. They lost handily to the Bruins of UCLA 42-20.

The first BCS Standings were released this week and Wake Forest is on top. They are followed by LSU, Wisconsin, USC, and 1 loss Michigan.

Vickers and Bishop still occupy the top 2 spots in the Heisman race. Maryland sophomore HB Jerry Frye is beginning to make a name for himself. He has nearly 1,700 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. Another new face is senior Michigan QB Elliott Timmons. He's in his 3rd year starting and has passed for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. LSU senior QB Jess Bonner has had a turbulant career, but has finally made the list. Unfortunately, he's suspended for the next 2 games for a team rules violation.

After losing at home to LSU last week, Florida uses homefield to it's advantage to defeat South Carolina.

In other Big East action, Temple defeats Rutgers 45-20. UConn lost to UCLA, we beat BC, and Syracuse and West Virginia had the week off.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

1-5 Rutgers comes to Pittsburgh in a Big East matchup.

On paper, it looks like we should crush the Scarlet Knights. The game began somewhat differently. We couldn't get anything going on our opening drive and were forced to punt. After getting the ball back several minutes later, Ivan Weeks led us downfield on a drive that was capped by a 1 yard Kevin Cross touchdown. Rutgers got the ball back and went on a drive of their own. 4 minutes later, a 21 yard touchdown pass from QB Richard Martinez to WR Harold Hodge tied the game.

The Knights would take the lead a few moments later on a 1 yard Josh Sims touchdown run. Our offense continued to fall flat. Luckily, our defense kept us in the game. Before halftime, we managed to net a 53 yard field goal from Bob Northcutt to make the score 14-10.

The 3rd quarter is when we needed to step it up on offense. We found inspiration in an unlikely place, FB Devon Godsey. On a 3rd and 8 from the Rutgers 14, Weeks found Godsey standing all alone in the endzone and launched a rocket. His catch put us up 17-14. After a decent return of a Rutgers punt, it took only 3 plays to get back into the endzone. It was Godsey again, running in from 6 yards out to make the score 24-14. That's when it began to fall apart, just as quickly as it came together. Pinned deep in our own territory after another Rutgers punt, I decided to play it conservative and run the ball. It turned out to be a huge mistake. Kevin Cross caughed up the ball. Rutgers DE Jerry Johnson picked it up and went untouched for a 14 yard touchdown.

The 4th began with us leading 24-21, however it wouldn't stay that way for long. Martinez and Hodge hooked up for the 2nd time in the game, this time for a 22 yard touchdown pass to put the Scarlet Knights on top. A 47 yard field goal by Chris Johnson made the score 31-24 in favor of Rutgers with just under 5 minutes to play. We got the ball back. That's when Ivan Weeks, showing the composure of a senior, led us down field. On the Rutgers 15, Weeks handed the ball to Rob Bland and he did the rest, making the score 31-30. I was faced with a dilemma, tie it up and play for overtime or go for the win. After looking at the faces of my players, I knew exactly what play to call. We sent our offense back out onto the field. With the entire capacity of Heinz Field on their feet, Weeks handed the ball to Devon Godsey, who plowed into the endzone. Heinz Field erupted as we jumped back on top, 32-31. It wasn't over yet. Rutgers got the ball back with just over 2 minutes on the clock. They marched down the field. On 2nd and goal from the 8 yard line and with just 2 seconds left on the clock, Martinez threw the ball toward the endzone. Kelley Wilcox was there to knock the pass down. We escaped with a narrow victory.

Stats:

Ivan Weeks had another sub-par outing, going 15/24 for 212 yards. He threw 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Trying to make up for the picks, Weeks ran 14 times for 82 yards.

The Week After:

HB Jamie Andersen tore a bicep on his 1st run against the Scarlet Knights. He has played in his last collegiate game. Devon Godsey will replace him as the offensive captain for the remainder of the season.

RT Teddy Falls needs 6 weeks to recover from a borken tailbone.

There are no incidents to report this week.

SI's cover features the crazy Tennessee-Alabama game. It looked like Alabama had pulled off the upset, but the Vols rallied in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 27 at the end of regulation. 4 touchdowns and 2 overtimes later, the game was still tied. Tennessee scored another touchdown and made the 2 point conversion. Alabama answered the touchdown, but the Crimson Tide couldn't make the 2. Tennessee won 49-47.

5 Undefeated teams are vying for the 2 spots in the national championship game. Wake Forest, LSU, USC, and Wisconsin all have a shot. Virginia is undefeated, but is 10th in the BCS.

There is a very interesting story in the top 25 section this week. Indiana upset #15 Ohio State to move ahead of the Buckeyes in the Big Ten. The interesting part is that Hoosiers HB Nolan Ryan was originally recruited by Ohio State. He left the team due to lack of playing time and now starts for Indiana.

LSU's QB Jess Bonner is pretty much out of the Heisman race. He still has 1 game left on his suspension. Maryland's sophomore HB Jerry Frye is now #1 in the race as he nears 2,000 all-purpose yards. Wisconsin HB Bernard Bishop stays in 2nd place as he is now 6 yards from breaking the 1,000 yard mark. Junior Longhorn QB Serge Marshall is 3rd on the list after leading Texas to a huge win over Texas Tech. Junior USC QB Shawn Washington is now 4th, with his Pac 10 leading QB rating of 180.3. In 5th place is Oklahoma HB Henry Jensen. The freshman has run for 9 touchdowns so far.

The Conference Standings section has another story on Indiana HB Nolan Ryan and how he led the Hoosiers to a big win over his former team.

In Big East news, we are now ranked 17th and are tied with #22 UConn for the lead in the conference. They beat us head-to-head and hold the tiebreaker. Temple at 5-2(2-1) is 3rd. #18 West Virginia is 4th with a record of 3-3(1-1). 5th is Syracuse at 2-4(1-1), who we play after a bye week. Boston College sits at 1-5(0-2) in 5th place and Rutgers, with a record of 1-6(0-3) is last.

[CraigSca]

I started one of these last night using Maryland. How are you figuring the per game statistics? Just looking at season totals and figuring out the deltas?

[CraigSca]

Well...after running 3 seasons at Maryland, I went 8-4, 7-5 and 5-6, and have promptly been fired . Oh well...apparently the Wyoming Comboys think I can bring glory back to their squad. I doubt it, but it pays the bills

[Its Vanilla]

Lol. Well, you could always find a way to get Wyoming into the Pac 10.

After you sim each game, a box score comes up with how scoring went and game statistics.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We have a bye week before travelling to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse.

The Week After:

There are no incidents to report this week.

SI's big story this week was in the Pac 10. Washington travelled to Los Angeles to face the Trojans of USC. USC was undefeated and a big contender for the national championship. Notice the use of the word "was". The Huskies simply demolished the Trojans and walked away with a 49-30 victory.

Wake Forest still sits at #1 in the BCS. LSU is #2 and undefeated Wisconsin is looking in from the outside. Virginia moves up to 6th after a win over #7 Georgia.

The reality of the situation hits you when you look at the Top 25 section. LSU is #1 in both polls. In the Coaches Poll, Wisconsin is #2 and Wake Forest is #3. The Media Poll has it the other way around. Virginia moved from 11th to 6th after their victory.

Freshman Henry Jensen is the new favorite for the Heisman after Oklahoma defeated rival Oklahoma State. Jerry Frye of Maryland falls to 2nd after leading his team to a win over Fresno State. Elliott Timmons of Michigan is back in the hunt after winning over Michigan State in an offensive scorefest. Bernard Bishop of Wisconsin and Serge Marshall of Texas round out the top 5.

The Awards Semifinalists are named this week. Mario Vickers of UConn is up for the Doak Walker Award, but says he's more concerned about team goals and winning the Big East. Jamie Andersen is also a finalist for the Walker, but is out for the rest of the season. RT Teddy Falls is a finalist for the Best OL award, but is out for 5 weeks with a broken tailbone. C Derick Gallagher is up for the Rimmington Award. David Dalton is up for the Best P Award.


In Big East news, UConn defeats Syracuse 31-21. West Virginia defeats Rutgers, 29-23. The rest of the conference was off.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We travel to Syracuse to take on the 2-5 Orangemen.

I didn't know what to expect. If you look at the matchup, we should blow Syracuse away. But in my tenure, we've had trouble with this team every season. After a quarter of play, we were up 7-0 on a 4 yard Kevin Cross run.

The first play of the 2nd quarter put me a little more at ease. I watched as Ivan Weeks scrambled 27 yards for a touchdown. A 9 yard pass from Spencer Carr to FB Derek Curry ended Syracuse's drive and made the score 14-7. On our final drive of the half, Weeks ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The first half ended with us up 21-7.

During the 3rd quarter, Weeks proved that he could actually throw the ball as well as he ran it. He hit TE Julian Fisher from 1 yard out, Rob Bland from 1 yard out, and WR Jeff Mitchell from 4 yards out to make the score 42-7.

I was finally feeling at ease. Perhaps too at ease. Orange QB Spencer Carr found WR Tyler Farmer for a 38 yard touchdown pass. Daniel Day connected on a 41 yard field goal. Carr found Farmer again for 5 yards. Ronald Sanders ran it in from 1 yard out. Luckily they missed the 2 point conversion. And even more luckily, we had amassed too much of a lead for Syracuse to overcome. Despite a 23 point rally, we won 42-30.

Stats:

Weeks showed flashes of brilliance, completing 15/20 passes for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also ran 16 times for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kevin Cross did well in his first career start. He ran 15 times for 81 yards and a touchdown.

The Week After:

Unfortunately, DT Reshard Moore, who leads the team in sacks, pinched a nerve and will miss 3 weeks.

SI's story this week is about the growing controversy among the top 3 undefeated teams in the country and who really belongs in the title game. To make matters worse, Virginia is still undefeated and up to 5th.

Just a week after toppling USC, Washington falls to Oregon State in Pac 10 play.

Freshman Henry Jensen is now even more entrenched in the #1 spot in the Heisman race. He ran for 272 yards against Texas A&M. Bernard Bishop is now back up to 2nd following a 44-10 Badger win against Minnesota. QB Shawn Washington of USC is now 3rd after throwing for over 300 yards against Stanford. HB Jerry Frye of Maryland falls to 4th after a loss to Virginia. Serge Marshall of Texas is still 5th.

QB Ivan Weeks was named Big East Offensive Player of the Week.

In Big East news, UConn(7-2) had the week off, but moves up to #18. We are now ranked 15th. West Virginia is now 5-3 and ranked 16th following a 29-17 win over Temple(5-3). Rutgers(2-7) defeats Boston College(1-6) 41-20.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We have 2 weeks off before facing West Virginia.

The Week After:

We will be controversy-less for a week or 2, according to SI. The Crimson Tide upset LSU 34-31. Oddly enough, this was senior QB Jared Bonner's first game since being suspended for a violation of team rules. This leaves Wake Forest and Wisconsin in the top 2 spots. Something may be looming on the horizon though. Virginia is up to 4th.

Freshman Henry adds another 173 yards to his total in a win over Nebraska. QB Shawn Washington of USC threw for 5 touchdowns against Oregon State, keeping him at #2 in the race. Victor Crenshaw, a 5th year senior QB from Idaho jumps onto the list. He has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading the Vandals to a 9-1 record. QB Serge Marshall of Texas is 4th after completing 23/28 for 360 yards and 5 TDs against Kansas. Bernard Bishop os Wisconsin rounds out the top 5.

Awards Finalists are named this week. Henry Jensen, Oklahoma's freshman sensation, is the leading candidate for the Maxwell. David Dalton is a finalist for Best P.

The first Bowl Projections have us facing Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

In Big East news, West Virginia defeats Boston College 24-22. Syracuse defeats Temple 27-24.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

We have a week off before the Backyard Brawl.

The Week After:

SI's prediction of no controversy is now out the window. We have gone from 3 undefeated teams to 1. Miami upset Wake Forest 44-38 and Iowa upset Wisconsin 25-22. Virginia is now the lone team at the top of the rankings. Oklahoma, with 2 losses is 2nd. Texas, who only has 1 loss and who beat Oklahoma is 3rd. USC and LSU round out the top 5. We are 9th and WVU is 10th. UConn, the Big East leader, is 13th.

There is no change in the Heisman race.

We are now projected to face Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl.

In Big East news, Temple becomes bowl eligible, defeating Boston College 55-45.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

2 weeks ago, this Backyard Brawl seemed to be lacking. Just a few years ago, this was one of the top 5 games of the year in the whole country. 2 weeks ago, it looked like it wouldn't mean much. That has changed. With the top teams falling and UConn coming off 2 weeks of inactivity, this game is huge. #11 WVU(6-3) comes into town to face us on National Television. We are #9 in the country at 7-2. This is for a potential Big East Title and a BCS berth, at large or otherwise. We are both tied with UConn at 4-1 in the conference. The game will be decided on the ground. We are both in the top 10 in the nation in rushing offense. On defense, we rank 3rd against the run and WVU ranks 42nd.

This game would eventually go down as one of the best Backyard Brawls ever. It deceivingly opened up very slowly. The game would be a defensive battle for most of the day in a driving snowstorm. 10 minutes into the game, Weeks showed his brilliance, launching a 33 yard bomb to Willie Smith to put us up 7-0. After a great Mountaineer punt, we were pinned inside our own 5. This is when Weeks showed that he's still very inexperienced. He was sacked for a safety.

The second quarter continued to be a defense struggle. West Virginia QB Tim Tyson got his Mountaineers offense on the scoreboard, tossing a 15 yard TD pass to WR Alvin Kramer. The score would stay the same until halftime, as WVU went into the lockerroom with a 9-7 lead.

Both defenses remained solid for most of the 3rd quarter. A 49 yard field goal by Troy Cross increased the Mountaineers lead to 12-7. On our ensuing drive, we had a Cross of our own net some points. Kevin Cross ran into the endzone from 25 yards out to make the score 13-12. I decided to go for 2, to make it a field goal game. On the play, Weeks was sacked, and we held on to a 1 point lead.

Defense continued to be the main theme of the game throughout the 4th quarter. With just over 4 minutes left, Weeks found freshman WR Jeff Mitchell on a play action fake for a 1 yard touchdown. I hastily decided to go for 1. We would increase our lead to 20-12. WVU got the ball back with 3:44 left on the clock. Sophomore Tim Tyson looked like a young John Elway as he guided his team down the field. On 3rd and goal from the 10 yard line, the whole sellout crowd and I expected a last ditch toss to the endzone. There was only 3 seconds left. Tyson dropped back, and to my dismay, handed the ball off to HB Teddy Fredrickson. Fredrickson galloped into the endzone as time expired, making the score 20-18. My 2 point attempt had come back to haunt me. As WVU lined up for a 2 point attempt of their own, the stadium held their breath. Dyson took the snap and handed off to Fredrickson again. That's when DT Curtis Helms, a sophomore who had been a backup to Reshard Moore in my 3-4 defense and was only starting because of injury, busted through the line and drilled Fredrickson in the backfield. As Fredrickson hit the grass, the stadium jumped into the air. We had won. Pitt students swarmed the field and the goal posts came down. The only thing I could do was apologize to the Steelers. I mean, it is their stadium.

Stats:

QBs on both sides of the ball were attacked all day.

WVU's Tyson completed 9/19 passes for 167 yards. He threw 1 TD and 1 INT.
Weeks didn't fare much better, completing 12/29 passes for 158 yards. He threw 2 TD and 2 INT.

They did a better job stopping the run than we did, but we stopped it when it counted.

WVU had 2 guys go over the 100 yard mark. Teddy Fredrickson ran 29 times for 115 yards and a touchdown. Ted McGill ran 19 times for 107 yards.

Kevin Cross carried the bulk of our load, running 19 times for 126 yards and a touchdown.

West Virginia kicker Troy Cross missed a field goal in the 2nd quarter. He was 1/2 on the day.

The Week After:

The excitement wasn't over. As our game ended, we all crowded into the lockerroom. The UConn-Rutgers game was well underway. If the Scarlet Knights could somehow pull off the upset, we would be Big East Champions. Unfortunately, Rutgers didn't have enough left in the tank and lost 38-24.

SI's main story was the Virginia Tech-Virginia game. The Cavaliers survived a rally in Blacksburg to win 34-27 and remain the only undefeated team in the country. They are #2 in the BCS. Texas(9-1) is #1, following a win over #8 Texas A&M.

USCs hopes for a possible national championship are gone. They were still in the hunt, but rival Notre Dame pulled one out and defeated the Trojans 35-27.

Henry Jensen of Oklahoma is still #1 in the Heisman race, following a 171 yard outing against UCLA. Despite a loss to Notre Dame, USC's Shawn Washington is still #2. A big win over Texas A&M moves Texas QB Serge Marshall up to 3rd. Bernard Bishop of Wisconsin ranks 4th. Vincent Crenshaw of Idaho's stock is quickly falling. Even though he leads the NCAA in passing yards, Idaho had a bye week. Before that, the Vandals played Montana and Vince only played sparingly, completing 4/4 passes for 91 yards.

A story about us possibly facing Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl is the main attraction of the Bowl Projections section.

In Big East news, Boston College defeats Syracuse 27-14 and Temple is roasted by Utah State 51-35.

[Its Vanilla]

Our Game:

Wyoming(2-8) comes to town to end our regular season.

This game would go pretty much as expected for us. We opened the game with a 1 yard Kevin Cross touchdown run. A 3 yard run by Ramone Scott and a 36 yard field goal by Marvin Thomas put the Cowboys up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter is when we put the game away. Weeks found senior WR Gabe Benton from 1 yard out for his first touchdown of the season. Bland got a rushing touchdown from 3 yards out. Bob Northcutt netted a 22 yard field goal. Finally, a HB Screen to Kevin Cross turned into a 60 yard touchdown pass. At halftime, the score was 31-10.

The only score of the 3rd quarter came on a 1 yard Thomas run for Wyoming.

A 5 yard pass from Quincy Vickers to Doug Garcia made the score 31-24 and I began to feel uneasy. I told my offense to get out there and finish. That's what they did. Weeks found Benton from 44 yards out for his 2nd touchdown of the game and season. Northcutt ended the scoring on a 38 yard field goal. We won 41-31.

Stats:

Weeks completed 13/26 for 300 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 inteceptions.

Gabe Benton had been quiet all season. It was his senior year and he was the 3rd receiver on a primarily running team. Today, he had one of his best games, catching 4 passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Week After:

We quickly went to the TV, just like last week. If #5 TCU(9-1) loses to Stanford(6-4), we'd get an at large bid. Oklahoma has clinched the other one. They lost to Texas and will not play in the Big XII championship. Their season is over, unless Texas loses to Louisiana Tech. We still aren't sure what a Virginia loss would do for us.

As we watch the scores come in, #4 LSU defeats #8 Michigan. No help for us. Texas wipes the floor with Louisiana Tech, as expected. We finally find the TCU game on ESPN. We join in the action midway through the 3rd quarter. TCU is on the Stanford 2 yard line.

"The Horned Frogs line up in the goal line stance. There's the snap, the ball goes to Roach. Touchdown TCU!" The extra point put TCU up 22-21. Our prayers may have been heard, as Stanford would net 2 field goals before the end of the 3rd to make the score 27-22 Stanford.

Then the 4th quarter began, and soon touchdowns would be raining down upon us. The Cardinal shreded the Horned Frog defense apart 3 times. Twice getting into the endzone, and netting a field goal on the other drive. TCU would add on a late touchdown, but it was over. Stanford had pulled it off, winning 44-28.

SI's main story blindsides us this week. #6 Wisconsin had lost to #25 Bowling Green 35-31, further helping our cause.

Virginia also falls this week, losing to South Carolina 37-32. Apparently, God is a Pitt fan as 5 of the top 10 teams in the nation lost. This moves us up to 4th.

The only change in the Heisman race is in 5th place. Vincent Crenshaw is replaced by sophomore Washington QB Bobby Swann, after his team upset Wake Forest.

We are now predicted to face Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

In Big East play, #10 UConn was upset by UL Lafayette and lost 30-18. This does not affect their conference standing. #18 West Virginia defeated Kansas 38-16. Syracuse defeated UTEP 31-21. Rutgers beat SMU 28-14. Finally, Boston College defeated Illinois 33-28.

Here are the final Big East Standings:
1.) UConn - 8-3(5-1)
2.) #4 Pittsburgh - 9-2(5-1)
3.) #18 West Virginia - 7-4(4-2)
4.) Temple - 6-5(3-3)
5.) Syracuse - 4-7(2-4)
6.) Rutgers - 3-8(1-5)
7.) Boston College - 3-8(1-5)

[Its Vanilla]

The Week:

With everyone's season over, the nation is captivated as Florida Atlantic(1-9) defeats Marshall(0-10) 49-7.

SI's cover features the Big XII Championship game between Texas and Kansas State.

If Texas and LSU both lose, it is possible for us to play for the national championship against Oklahoma.

[Its Vanilla]

The Games:

Kent State(10-2) defeats Northern Illinois(6-5) to win the MAC Title.

#6 Georgia(8-3) defeats #3 LSU(10-1) 38-35 to win the SEC Title.

#1 Texas(10-1) defeats #17 Kansas State(9-2) 42-31 to win the Big XII Title.

The Week After:

The NCAA Awards Ceremony is held. The Panthers are shut out.

The Heisman Ceremony is also held. Heisman voters were faced with a choice. Give the award to an upper-classman and continue with tradition, or give the award to a freshman. In the end, seniority won out. Garnering 1,556 points, junior QB Shawn Washington of USC wins the Heisman Trophy. He completed 196/321 passes for 3,198 yards. He had 40 total touchdowns.

2nd place was freshman HB Henry Jensen of Oklahoma, getting 1,375 votes. In 3rd was Texas QB Serge Marshall, with 911 votes. Bernard Bishop of Wisconsin came in 4th with 353 votes and Bobby Swann of Washington got 305 votes and ended up in 5th.

In a nice change of pace from previous BCS selection shows, we get the luck of the draw and will play #6 Virginia in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Georgia leap-frogged us to #3. Texas will play Oklahoma in the national championship.

1st Team All Americans:
None

2nd Team All Americans:
None

Freshman Team All Americans:
LE D'Juan Petty

1st Team All Big East:
WR Willie Smith
LG D.J. Quinn
RG Rob Williams
RT Teddy Falls
LE D'Juan Petty
DT Reshard Moore
ROLB Albert McIntosh
FS Kelley Wilcox
P David Dalton

2nd Team Big East:
QB Ivan Weeks
TE Julian Fisher
DT Curtis Helms
CB Vince Flowers


Conference Champions:
ACC - #6 Virginia(10-1)
Big Ten - #10 Wisconsin(9-2)
Big XII - #1 Texas(11-1)
Big East - UConn(8-3)
C-USA - #16 TCU(9-2)
MAC - Kent State(10-2)
MtnWest - Air Force(6-5)
Pac-10 - #7 USC(9-2)
SEC - #3 Georgia(9-3)
Sun Belt - #15 Idaho(10-1)
WAC - Rice(8-3)

[Its Vanilla]

The Week:

We run some extra practices in preparation for our first BCS bowl game in some time. I've been waiting patiently, and don't want to miss this opportunity.

I do however, give my guys the chance to watch Vincent Crenshaw lead his #15 Idaho Vandals(10-1) to a 34-27 victory over Memphis(7-4) in the New Orleans Bowl.

Sports Illustrated continues to hype up the big rematch between Texas and Oklahoma.

[Its Vanilla]

The Week:

Practice continues for our appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. Other Bowl games continue also.

In the Tangerine Bowl, #13 North Texas(9-2) defeats #12 Florida State(8-3) 27-24.

In the GMAC Bowl, #21 Bowling Green(9-2) defeats East Carolina(6-5) 34-21.

In the Fort Worth Bowl, Navy(8-3) defeats Southern Miss(8-3) 34-24.

In the Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico(7-4) defeats #24 Washington(7-4) 34-29.

In the Hawaii Bowl, Tulane(6-5) defeats UTEP(6-5) 31-17.

This week's SI talks about how this year's national championship could be one for the ages.

[Its Vanilla]

The Week(Prior to our Game):

In the MPC Computers Bowl, Rice(8-3) defeats Western Michigan(8-4) 42-17.

In the Motor City Bowl, Kent State(10-2) defeats #22 Ohio State(7-4) 20-17.

In the Independence Bowl, Tennessee(7-4) defeats Missouri(7-4) 37-34 in overtime.

In the Insight Bowl, #18 West Virginia(7-4) defeats Oregon State(6-5) 24-17.

In the Mastercard Alamo Bowl, #23 Iowa(7-4) defeats Texas Tech(6-5) 34-17.

In the Silicon Valley Classic, Fresno State(6-5) defeats Akron(6-5) 17-12.

In the Continental Tire Bowl, Temple(6-5) defeats N.C. State(6-5) 45-24.

In the Houston Bowl, Utah State(7-4) defeats Eastern Michigan(7-4) 23-13.

In the Emerald Bowl, Stanford(7-4) defeats Colorado State(7-4) 31-28.

In the Holiday Bowl, #9 Texas A&M(8-3) defeats #5 Oregon(9-2) 38-9.

In the Music City Bowl, #25 Penn State(7-4) defeats Ohio(7-4) 34-24.

In the Sun Bowl, Minnesota(6-5) defeats Arizona State(6-5) 34-31.

In the Autozone Liberty Bowl, #16 TCU(9-2) defeats Air Force(6-5) 35-19.

In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Arkansas(6-5) defeats Virginia Tech(6-5) 21-16.

In the Outback Bowl, Auburn(6-5) defeats #20 Indiana(8-3) 25-20.

In the SBC Cotton Bowl, #17 Kansas State(9-3) defeats #19 Florida(7-4) 35-30.

In the Toyota Gator Bowl, #14 Wake Forest(9-2) defeats Notre Dame(6-5) 34-27.

In the Captital One Bowl, #8 LSU(10-2) defeats #11 Michigan(8-3) 45-36.

In the Rose Bowl, #7 USC(9-2) defeats #10 Wisconsin(9-2) 27-20.


Our Game:

We are pitted against the #6 Cavaliers of Virginia(10-1) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. At the beginning of this season, I didn't think that in my wildest dreams we'd be in a BCS bowl. Kirk predicts that Ivan Weeks' ablilty to make big plays will win us the ballgame. Lee, however, raises questions about our inexperienced secondary and think Virgina will win a close game. On a side note, Virginia starting QB, sophomore Darrius Robbins went down with a season ending injury in the Cavaliers 1st game.

The game started off very slowly. For more than 12 minutes, neither team could get anything going. That's when both announcer's points were addressed. Ivan Weeks showed his ability to be a playmaker when he found Devon Godsey all alone in the endzone from 17 yards out. On Virginia's ensuing drive, Senior FS Kelley Wilcox answered Lee about our "inexperienced" secondary. He picked off a Noah Stallings pass and returned it 31 yards for the touchdown. The first quarter ended with us up 14-0.

The Cavaliers got on the scoreboard in the beginning of the 2nd quarter. QB Noah Stallings found WR Matt Franklin from the 7 yard line. Soloman Blackwell would miss the extra point. Ivan Weeks answered back on our next drive with a 6 yard touchdown pass to Tommie Sinclair. A few minutes later, Virginia would go on another scoring drive. HB James Maxwell dove in from 3 yards out and after getting the 2 point conversion, the score was 21-14. The half would end on a 35 yard field goal by Bob Northcutt, making the score 24-14.

10 minutes into the 3rd, scoring would finally start back up. Ivan Weeks would sneak it in from 3 yards out. Virginia started on a drive downfield, but stalled out and settled for a 30 yard Blackwell field goal.

In the beginning of the 4th, Virginia QB Casey Brantley dove into the endzone from 2 yards out, bringing the Cavaliers to within a touchdown. Weeks would find Kevin Cross out of the backfield and Cross would scamper 16 yards for the touchdown, giving us a 38-24 lead. Virginia would strike again, from Brantley to WR Jon Ashley. Blackwell, however, would miss his 2nd extra point of the game. From there, it was cake, as we ran out the clock. We are your 2013 Fiesta Bowl Champions with a 38-30 win over Virginia.

Stats:

Weeks performed alright in the spotlight, completing 11/22 passes for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Lee may have been right about our secondary. Virginia's QBs toasted us pretty much all day.

QB Noah Stallings completed 12/18 for 163 yards, throwing 1 TD and 1 INT. Casey Brantley did just as well, completing 8/11 for 94 yards and a touchdown.

K Bob Northcut was 1/1 on field goals and 5/5 on extra points.
K Soloman Blackwell was 1/1 on field goals and 1/3 on extra points.


The Week(After our game):

In the Nokia Sugar Bowl, #3 Georgia(9-3) defeats UConn(8-3) 21-11.

The Orange Bowl continues to get hype from Sports Illustrated.

[Its Vanilla]

The Week:

In the FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship, #1 Texas(11-1) destroys #2 Oklahoma(9-2) 38-3 to win the National Title.


School News:

For the 2nd time in the past 6 years, we are placed on probation by the NCAA. We have 10 fewer scholarships for the next 2 years.

Coach News:

Texas Christian and West Virginia offer me head coaching positions. I decline both offers.


Final Top 25:
1.) Texas
2.) Georgia
3.) Pittsburgh
4.) Southern California
5.) Texas A&M
6.) Louisiana State
7.) Oklahoma
8.) Virginia
9.) North Texas
10.) Oregon
11.) Wake Forest
12.) Idaho
13.) Texas Christian
14.) Wisconsin
15.) Kansas State
16.) West Virginia
17.) Michigan
18.) Florida State
19.) Bowling Green
20.) Iowa
21.) Kent State
22.) Penn State
23.) Stanford
24.) Florida
25.) Indiana

[Its Vanilla]

Pittsburgh Panthers 2012-2013 Statistical Analysis

Team Offense:

Total Yards: 6,753(3-BE, 25-NCAA)
Total Offense: 5,145(1-BE, 15-NCAA)
Total Passing: 2,484(4-BE, 64-NCAA)
Total Rushing: 2,661(2-BE, 10-NCAA)
Points/Game: 36.9(1-BE, 14-NCAA)
Passing TD: 26(3-BE, 39-NCAA)
Rushing TD: 32(1-BE, 5-NCAA)
First Downs: 266(2-BE, 19-NCAA)
Sacks Allowed: 36(2-BE, 31-NCAA)

Team Defense:

Total Yards: 4,056(2-BE, 31-NCAA)
Passing Yards: 2,660(6-BE, 77-NCAA)
Rushing Yards: 1,396(1-BE, 5-NCAA)
Points/Game: 25.8(2-BE, 23-NCAA)
Sacks: 44(3-BE, 48-NCAA)
Interceptions: 12(6-BE, 79-NCAA)
Fumble Rec: 15(1-BE, 15-NCAA)

Team Efficiency:

3rd Down Conv: 63(6-BE, 97-NCAA)
3rd Down Att: 142(6-BE, 112-NCAA)
3rd Down %: 44(3-BE, 61-NCAA)
4th Down Conv: 5(6-BE, 73-NCAA)
4th Down Att: 11(2-BE, 45-NCAA)
4th Down %: 45(6-BE, 94-NCAA)
Off. Redzone Att: 62(1-BE, 15-NCAA)
Off. Redzone TD: 45(1-BE, 4-NCAA)
Off. Redzone FG: 4(7-BE, 109-NCAA)
Off. Redzone Scoring %: 79(3-BE, 37-NCAA)
Def. Redzone Att: 44(1-BE, 16-NCAA)
Def. Redzone TD: 26(2-BE, 23-NCAA)
Def. Redzone FG: 9(4-BE, 64-NCAA)
Def. Redzone Scoring %: 79(6-BE, 75-NCAA)
2 Point Conv: 1(3-BE, 48-NCAA)
2 Point Att: 2(5-BE, 63-NCAA)
2 Point %: 50(3-BE, 41-NCAA)
Penalties: 85(2-BE, 24-NCAA)
Penalty Yards: 711(4-BE, 56-NCAA)

Team Turnovers:

Int Thrown: 19(5-BE, 87-NCAA)
Fum Lost: 10(2-BE,41-NCAA)
Giveaways: 29(2-BE, 31-NCAA)
Def Int: 12(6-BE, 79-NCAA)
Fum Rec: 15(1-BE, 15-NCAA)
Takeaways: 27(3-BE, 40-NCAA)
Turnover Diff: -2(4-BE, 62-NCAA)

Individual Stats:

Passing:    
            Rat.   Att/Com  Yds.   TD/INT Skd.
I.Weeks     138.0  136/271  2280   25/18   35
D.Darby     116.4   13/27    204    1/1     1


Rushing:
              Att.  Yds.   Avg.   TD
K.Cross       129   742    5.7     8
R. Bland      101   554    5.4     6
J.Andersen     84   536    6.3     9
I.Weeks       142   455    3.2     5
D.Godsey       49   230    4.6     4
D.Darby        17    82    4.8     0
G.Benton        4    13    3.2     0
T.Sinclair      2    13    6.5     0
J.Hurst         1    12   12.0     0
W.Smith         1    12   12.0     0
M.Eubanks       2     7    3.5     0
J.Mitchell      1     5    5.0     0


Receiving:
              Rec.  Yds.   Avg.   TD
W.Smith        33   584   17.6     7
T.Sinclair     29   562   19.3     4
J.Fisher       22   318   14.4     3
J.Andersen     17   207   17.2     1
G.Benton       15   247   16.4     2
K.Cross        13   200   15.3     2
J.Mitchell     11    87    7.9     2
D.Godsey        8   134   16.7     3
R.Bland         6   145   24.1     2


Blocking:
              Pancakes  Sacks
T.Falls          31       8
D.Gallagher      26      11
D.Quinn          23       5
R.Williams       22       5
B.Fletcher       17       3
T.Scott          15       4
R.Davis           5       0
T.Yates           2       0
J.Washington      1       0


Defense:    
               Tak   Sacks  INT   FF   FR    TD
M.Crockett      82     1     0     2    2     0
A.McIntosh      80     7     0     3    2     0
J.McKnight      72     2     0     1    0     0
R.Moore         58     9     0     0    0     0
J.Spencer       52     4     0     3    0     0
D.Petty         44     3     0     2    2     0
C.Helms         42     7     0     0    0     0
J.Bridges       33     2     2     1    3     0
T.Wilson        29     1     0     1    0     0
J.Houston       28     0     0     3    1     0
V.Flowers       26     0     3     0    1     1
K.Wilcox        25     0     3     1    3     1
H.Stewart       23     0     3     0    1     0
D.Simms         19     1     0     1    0     0
O.Pryce         14     1     0     0    0     0
R.Handy         13     2     0     1    0     0
T.Miller        11     1     0     0    0     0
T.Talton        10     0     0     1    0     0
T.Shipley        8     1     0     0    0     0
R.Archer         7     0     1     1    0     0
E.Gardner        6     1     0     0    0     0
M.Barker         6     0     0     1    0     0
C.Lane           4     1     0     0    0     0
C.Payton         3     0     0     0    0     0
S.Connor         2     0     0     0    0     0


Kicking:
             FGM  FGA  FG%  FGLong  XPM  XPA  XP%   KO  KOTB
B.Northcutt    7    9   77    53     52   52  100   73   10
D.Dalton       0    0    0     0      6    6  100    7    1


Punting:
             Punts   Avg.  In20  TB
D.Dalton      53     45.0   15   10


Kick Returning:
              Ret.  Yds.   Avg.   TD   Long
T.Sinclair     37   804   21.7     0    44
J.Mitchell     12   257   21.4     0    28
R.Bland         5   133   26.6     0    50
C.Payton        1    19   19.0     0    19


Punt Returning:
              Ret.  Yds.   Avg.   TD   Long
T.Sinclair     39   376    9.6     0    48
J.Mitchell      2    19    9.5     0    11