SB Nation - Florida Atlantic Owls

UK Football: Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe Breakdown

Ken Howlett — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:41:30 -0000

Kentucky enters tonight's 7:00 EST home tilt with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks looking to push their record over the .500 mark for the first time in a month. Coming off an inspiring 21-14 come-from-behind road victory at Auburn last weekend, UK (3-3, 1-3) figures to have confidence and momentum on their side. The Warhawks, though, aren't exactly Miami (OH). They enter tonight's Commonwealth Stadium contest at 4-2, and a league-leading 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.

With UK heading into a stretch of four straight games they should be favored (the 'Cats are favored tonight by 14 points), it's obviously important that the 'Cats continue to maintain focus, but for those battling the demons of complacency, a come-to-Jesus talk with a Wildcat possessing a long memory will result in a history lesson on UK's 42-40 near disastrous defeat to this same Warhawk team in 2006. Yeah, that team: Andre Woodson', Keenan Burton, Wesley Woodyard, Rafael Little, etc, etc. So, taking lightly this Sun Belt Conference member will very likely translate into a game similar to last season's nerve-rattling win over Middle Tennessee ... yet another Sun Belt Conference member.

Over the last three season's, Charlie Weatherbie, the Warhawks veteran coach, has competed very nicely with ULM's SEC opponents -- In 2007 ULM beat Alabama 21-14 (temporarily causing the state to enter into a period of mourning). And to go along with the near win at UK in 2006, last year ULM lost only 28-27 at Arkansas.

In ULM's offense, Kentucky will encounter an attack based on the spread-option ... with a twist; ULM presents the offense with lots of misdirection and motion. Rich Brooks had this to say about the unusual Warhawk offense:

"Offensively they totally mess with your mind. They false key. The pull linemen and run the ball away from where they're pulling them to. All your principles that you teach on defense are out the window in a game like this."

Adding additional question marks to the UK's defensive decision-makers is the absence of ULM starting quarterback Trey Revell. Revell injured his thumb in ULM's 16-10 victory against Arkansas State 11 days ago. He'll be replaced by redshirt freshman Cody Wells.

So without further time-wasting, here is the Warhawk team that UK must put away early:

Warhawk Offensive Personnel

Cody Wells: 6'0", 190 lb redshirt freshman quarterback -- Wells has played in only two games this season, completing seven of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. After replacing Revell in the Warhawks' game versus Arkansas State, Wells was 5-9 for 67 yards.

In the first five-and-half games of 2009, Revell orchestrated the ULM offense by throwing for 1,124 and eight touchdowns on 81-140 passing (57.9%). He's also proved to be an exceptionally talented runner, rushing 50 times for 194 yards (3.9 yards per carry), and three touchdowns. Wells played well in his relief effort last week, so he comes into Commonwealth with some confidence. He's highly mobile, which fits nicely into the offensive schemes the Warhawks employ.

Frank Goodin: 5'9", 203 lb junior running back -- The Warhawks top ball-carrier, Goodin has rushed 110 times of 558 yards (5.1 ypc), and nine touchdowns. He's also caught six passes for 48 yards (8.0 yards per reception).

Versus Florida International earlier in the year, Goodin ran 19 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He's a dangerous runner, possessing both speed and power.

Rodney Lovett: 5'9", 200 lb junior running back -- Lovett has carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards (3.9 ypc), and one touchdown.

Last season against Arkansas Lovett rushed 17 times for 66 yards.

Darrell McNeal: 6'0", 220 lb senior wide receiver -- McNeal has made 24 catches for 360 yards (15.0 yards per reception) and four touchdowns. He also returns punts for the Warhawks; 14 returns for 52 yards (3.7 yards per return).

McNeal has accumulated over 1,600 receiving yards in his career, and he will at times be called upon to take the direct snap out of the "Wildcat" formation. He recorded four rushing touchdowns last season out of the "Wildcat," but has yet to score on the ground this season. Earlier in the year versus Florida International, McNeal made six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

LaGregory Sapp: 6'3", 209 lb fifth-year senior wide receiver -- Sapp has 18 catches for 336 yards (18.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

The deep threat receiver made seven catches for 96 yards earlier this year in a game versus Florida Atlantic.

Luther Ambrose: 5'10", 175 lb sophomore wide receiver -- A triple-threat in every sense of the term, Ambrose has make 14 catches, good for 207 yards (14.8 ypr) and one touchdown, to go along with 13 carries for 121 yards (9.3 ypc) and another touchdown. Not satisfied with double-duty, Ambrose also returns kick-offs; 19 returns for 425 yards (22.4 yards per return).

In ULM's first game of the year versus then-No. 2 Texas, Ambrose recorded 207 all-purpose yards (receptions, rushes, returns). Ambrose is another weapon utilized in an unorthodox manner; UK must be ready for him to receive the ball both through the air and on the ground.

Alvin Jordan: 6'2", 253 lb junior tight end -- Jordan has made 13 catches for 100 yards (7.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Warhawk Defensive Personnel

Cardia Jackson: 6'2", 230 lb senior linebacker -- The Warhawks leading tackler with 52 on the year (34 solo), the First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member is regarded as ULM's defensive stalwart. He's also recorded two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.

In 2008, Jackson averaged 10.6 tackles per game, racking up 18 against Ole Miss. In 2006 versus UK, he made nine tackles.

Aaron Morgan: 6'4", 235 lb senior defensive end -- The Second Team All-Sun Belt performer has made 30 tackles (25 solo) with a team-leading 9.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He's also had six quarterback hurries.

This season, Morgan has two, two sack games, versus Arizona State and Texas Southern.

Darius Prelow: 6'1", 205 lb sophomore defensive back -- Prelow has made 38 tackles (31 solo), one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.

Josh Thomas: 6'2", 228 lb senior cornerback -- Thomas has 38 tackles (30 solo), two tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups.

Thomas, who has started 30 straight games in his college career, recorded a season-high six tackles versus UK in 2006.

Troy Evans: 6'2", 252 lb sophomore defensive end -- Evans in 2009 has made 16 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries.

Evans is the reigning SBC Player of the Week after forcing two fumbles late in ULM's 16-10 victory over Arkansas State 11 days ago.

Grant Clayton: 5'7", 160 lb freshman kicker -- Clayton, who handles the kick-off duties, has kicked-off 32 times, recording only one touchback, but opponents are averaging only 20.5 yards per return.

Warhawk Vitals

Louisiana-Monroe boasts the 12th ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing only 93.3 yards rushing per game ... Last week versus Arkansas State, ULM held ASU to a .9 yards per carry average ... In a 38-14 loss to Arizona State, the Warhawks held the Sun Devils to only 3.1 yards per carry ... ULM is a plus 2 on the season in turnover margin, but were a minus 3 in their loss to Arizona State ... ULM beat Texas Southern 58-0 in the seasons second game ... The Warhawks average 30.7 points per game, but give up 27.8 points ... ULM has more than doubled their opponents rush yards; 1,167 (4.6 ypc) to 560 (2.8 ypc) ... ULM converts 42% of their third down opportunities, but their opponents convert 43% ... In red zone chances, ULM has scored 83% of the time (24-29), but their opponents have scored 91% of the time (20-22) ... The Warhawks have also given up a high number of touchdowns in the red zone, 17 of 22 (77%) ... ULM is off to their best start since 1993 ... ULM quarterbacks have been sacked only five times all year ... The Warhawks have recorded a healthy 34 pass breakups.

Charlie Weatherbie

In his seventh year at Louisiana-Monroe, Weatherbie (29-44) has done what he's done twice before: Turn around a moribund football program -- As coach at Utah State, he took the Aggies to their first bowl game in 15 years. In his first season as head coach at Navy, Weatherbie went 9-3 with an Aloha Bowl win. This, coming on the heels of 15 straight losing season for the Midshipmen. He's also the first coach in Navy history to record back-to-back winning seasons --Weatherbie took over a ULM program in 1993 coming off a one win season, and in 2005 won the Sun Belt Conference championship, the Warhawks' first conference title since 1992.

Weatherby will be a formidable adversary for Rich Brooks tonight, and with the uncertainty surrounding the ULM quarterback situation, look for some out-of-the-box strategy from the cagey veteran coach.

Derrick Locke

Kentucky's top running threat is expected to play tonight. Locke, coming off an MCL strain suffered last week at Auburn, practiced lightly this week. Alfonso Smith, coming off a thumb, injury appears to be near 100%. UK will need both backs healthy in their effort to quash any confidence surges from the visiting Warhawks.

Ideally, Locke will rest in the second half of tonight's game, with Smith and Moncell Allen taking over the ball-carrying duties.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Defensively, UK must "stay home," and stay true to their assignments. ULM will use a variety of offensive sets, mixing in the spread-option with the "Wildcat." But, UK has the better athletes, and if the 'Cats attack and wrap-up the way they did last week, holding the Warhawks well below their season scoring average should be an attainable goal.

Offensively, it's the immovable object (ULM rush D) against a surging 'Cat ground attack. After posting the highest team rush total (282 yards) since Bill Curry was calling the plays, UK looks to continue its ground dominance, utilizing Randall Cobb out of the "Wildcat." But, with freshman quarterback Morgan Newton once again earning the start, look for UK to open up the passing game against a Warhawk team that allows 262.5 yards passing per game.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 34 ULM 17

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Don't Bet On It!: National Game of Disinterest

T Kyle King — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:54:43 -0000

Your patience is about to be rewarded, faithful reader. You have reviewed the national games of interest and followed me around the SEC, so just one stop remains on our tour of the weekend’s college football action. It is now time to take a look at tomorrow’s least compelling matchup, to which we here at Dawg Sports refer as the national game of disinterest.

It was tough to find this week’s least worthy contest. Dishonorable mention goes to the Indiana Hoosiers’ visit to the home of the Northwestern Wildcats for a game pitting a pair of 4-3 teams sporting 1-2 records in Big Ten play. Consideration was given to recognizing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ face-off with the Army Black Knights, which is going on even as I write and which does not feature jousting, despite the names of the contestants.

State University of New Jersey alumna Kristin Davis was not pleased by the preceding dig at her alma mater, but, as a professional actress, she was able to hide her outrage effectively.

At the end of the day, though, there could be only one choice for the national game of disinterest:

Florida Atlantic Owls at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

Honestly, this would be more intriguing if you took the college football teams out of it altogether and just went with the mascots. I was a "Twin Peaks" fan and I saw "Southern Comfort," so I can tell you with absolute certainty that a fight between large fierce birds embodying evil spirits and rural Louisianans inebriated to the point of anger on homemade alcoholic beverages would be much more fun to watch than a Sun Belt Conference outing.

The real problem with this game, though, is that I, like 98 per cent of all college football fans, can’t tell either of these teams from their in-state rivals.

Be honest. If I’d just said it was the Owls, you wouldn’t have known for sure whether we were talking about FAU or FIU. At this very moment, you’re giving serious consideration to running a surreptitious Google search to see whether the Owls are the ones who are coached by Howard Schnellenberger.

Having one team like that in a game is bad enough, but you had the same reaction to the other competitor. If I’d just said it was the Ragin’ Cajuns, you wouldn’t have known for sure whether we were talking about Louisiana-Lafayette or Louisiana-Monroe. At this very moment, you’re giving serious consideration to running a surreptitious Google search to see whether the Ragin’ Cajuns are the ones who used to be the Indians until they changed their mascot to something more politically correct. (Hey, "Ragin’ Cajuns" is just as politically correct as "Warhawks," which is to say, not.)

When knowledgeable college football fans don’t know for sure who either team is, you have all the ingredients of the national game of disinterest. All that’s missing, really, is pervasive doubt over whether either or both of these teams plays in the Atlantic or Coastal Divisions of the ACC.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Wyoming Wins Second in a Row with Victory Over Florida Atlantic

Jeremy Mauss — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:53:38 -0000

Final - 10.3.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Wyoming Cowboys	7	10	7	6	30
Florida Atlantic Owls	14	0	7	7	28

Complete Coverage >

Wyoming after having a 24-14 lead had to come from behind in the fourth to pull out the 30-28 victory. The Cowboys were able to get the win as they scored 17 straight points from the second through third quarter, and that was the key for Wyoming to win this game.

This was a big win for Wyoming and new head coach Dave Christensen; not because of the opponent but because of the travel and early start. Also, the Pokes actually played only one quarterback which was true freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels.

After a 1-2 start Wyoming is half way to bowl eligibility with a 3-2 record. The quarterback play was the key in this game because Carta-Samules was the only one to play and did a decent job with He threw for 229 yards with a pick, but Carta-Samuels also ran for another 69 yards. That pick was returned for a score which had Wyoming worried early on.

The time of possession is what helped Wyoming pull this win out with nearly a ten minute advantage. The running game helped with this by the entire Poke running game combining for 198 yards. Only three players ran the ball the quarterback was all ready mentioned, and the other two backs were Brandon Stewart who had 79 yards on eight carries, and then Alvester Alexander who had only 50 yards, but three scores.

The final stud for Wyoming was WR David Leonard who had 13 catches for 97 yards and was twice as many over any other Wyoming wide receiver.

A few oddities in this game was that Wyoming who last year was terrible in turnover margin was minus one on the day, and penalties were bad for both teams with Wyoming comitting 12 for 125 yards and FAU also had 12 but for 93 yards. This game was fairly even throughout in terms of total yards. The Wyoming defense which is typically kown for being good -- especially their secondary was just all right. The key for the Wyoming defense was their ability to stop FAU on third downs with a 2-9 converison rate.

Florida Atlantic did have a chance with 4:29 left in the game for a field goal, but the Wyoming defense stopped the Owls. Their last drive was only five plays for 23 and the last play on the drive was fourth-and-3 at the Wyoming 47-yard line, Rusty Smith's pass was batted down by Mike Neuhaus to seal the win.

Wyoming now has a legit chance to get to a bowl game they still play New Mexico which is next week at home, then San Diego State on the road, plus if they can get one upset over either Air Force or Colorado State --both road games-- then Wyoming will get to the six coveted wins and a possible bowl birth.

Early Games Open Thread

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:27:38 -0000

A full slate of non-conference games are on tab for today. The games are as follows:

Air Force @ Navy: 1:30pm MST on CBS College

New Mexico @ Texas Tech 1:30 pm MST on Fox Sports Net

Wyoming @ Florida Atlantic: 2:00 pm MST no TV (and who really cares)

UNLV @ Nevada: 2:00 pm MST no TV (sad this should be a good one)

As always bring the comments and lets all cheer on New Mexico because if they hold Texas Tech under 65 points that is a victory in itself.

Let's hear what you think. Register for a free account here on the site and leave your comments, predictions and other game day chatter below in the comments section.

Making The Rounds And Football Weather is Here

Jeremy Mauss — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:30:10 -0000

Utah State vs. BYU

Backup QB Riley Nelson is glad to be a Cougar after spending a season at Utah State. The Aggies looking to score a big upset tonight against BYU.

Air Force vs. Navy

Navy has owned the Falcons by winning the past six meetings, but even with the recent dominance Navy has plenty of respect for Air Force. Savier Stephens self imposed media boycott entered its seventh month Thursday.

TCU vs. SMU

TCU needs to slow down SMU's recent fast offensive starts. TCU head man Gary Patterson is using anything for motivation.

UNLV vs. Nevada

Rebels will be taking Nevada seriously, unlike what they did for Wyoming. The Rebel defense will need to keep QB Collin Kaepernick i n check. While Nevada will have to try to stop all-everything WR Ryan Wolfe.

New Mexico vs. Texas Tech

We know the punching incident at New Mexico, and the twitter ban at Texas Tech. Tech QB Taylor Potts not perfect and that is fine. Catching up with Texas Tech CB Jarvis Phillips, and Texas Tech has their own problems.

Wyoming vs. Florida Atlantic

Wyoming Coach Dave Christenson was hospitalized for kidney stones, and will be at the game. WR Brandon Stewart is making the move seamlessly to running back. FAU is getting back WR Cortez Gent after he served a two game suspension. The Owls are looking for their first win of the year.

New Mexico State vs. San Diego State

Trevor Walls is taking over at quarterback for New Mexico State. The offensive line is getting a shake up for SDSU.

Two-fer! Buffs Land Seventh Commit of 2010 Cycle in Texas LB Lowell Williams

irish1611 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:01:05 -0000

After recently learning about the Buffs sixth commitment DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado has also landed lucky number seven in Missouri City (TX) Fort Bend Marshall High linebacker Lowell Williams. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker visited Colorado this week and I guess he saw enough to pull the trigger. Williams also had offers from UTEP and Rice and was getting interest from Oklahoma State, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Purdue, Oregon State and Utah.

The Texas linebacker was listed as a three star on rivals.com.

Last year, Lowell was ranked 2nd team all-district in 5A as a defensive end. Williams also has been making s ome headlines this year:

Kempner drove to the Marshall 20 on its next drive, Shalala fumbled his third snap of the game. This time Marshall’s Lowell Williams (two sacks) recovered and returned it 75 yards to the Kempner 5. The Cougars pushed Marshall back two yards on the next two plays then dodged two incomplete passes – the second by wide receiver Jalon Thompson on a fake field goal.

Lowell Williams has also been ranked as the 225th high school player in the state of Texas. ESPN calls the linebacker a hard working defender:

Lowell Williams (Missouri City, Texas/Fort Bend Marshall) is a hard-working defender who spent his junior year at end. As a senior, the 6-2, 205-pounder will spend more time at his natural linebacker position. The Rice Owls were the first program to step forward and the offer the Houston-area sleeper.

Here is a video of Lowell Williams. Most of the highlights are him lining up at defensive end. He is now playing linebacker which is what he projects at for the next level. He has a strong burst and shows the ability to get to the quarterback.

Welcome to the Buffs, Lowell!

For Entertainment Purposes Only- Previewing College Football's 3rd week

FSUncensored — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:32:26 -0000

Note: We use this column to examine the college football landscape and the weekend ahead. The use of gambling numbers helps to show the public perception of a team and of their respective conferences. Even if you don't gamble, or are against gambling, this is worth a read solely because it will keep you informed of the happenings with many of college football's teams. Think of this as your weekend primer!

Welcome to another edition of For Entertainment Purposes Only! Last year, this rather informal column went 251-190 (57%) +41.0 That's 251 wins and 190 losses for a winning percentage of 57%. If you were wagering $100 fake dollars per game, you would have netted $4100 at season's end. But since these are fake wagers, we refer to our wager amount as "units." First though, a disclaimer:

I want to emphasize that we don't endorse gambling at this site, and anything on here is for entertainment purposes only. Always check with your local, state, or federal laws to determine the legality of wagering.

First we discussed some wagers for conference and division winners. Since then, the odds on Clemson have gone from +1000 to +300, and Ole Miss went from +350 to +200. No odds went against our decisions. Then we went over season win totals. Vegas set the number, we called it over or under! In Week 1 we went 20-24 (45%), -6.3 Units. Last week we went 39-22 (63%), +16.32 Units. For the season, we sit at 59-46 (56%), +10.02 Units. If we finish at 56% over 500 selections, we'll be absolutely elated. We like to play a lot of games to grind out the variance. The swings over 500 games aren't nearly as dramatic as they are over 100. It's as simple as grinding out the sample set.

While last week's theme was "hangovers, lookaheads, and letdowns", this week is all about getting the right number. Inside, we'll discuss just about every college football game on the slate.

As the season goes on, it's very important to jump on numbers as they are released by vegas. As you will see, there is a ton of movement from Sunday night (when they come out) to gametime. If I grabbed a line on Sunday, I noted it, and posted it in last week's column to alert the true degenerates among us.

This week starts off with an ACC battle. Tonight, Georgia Tech travels to Miami. The Canes have had 10 days to prepare for this game, while GTech has had only 7. Tech's defense didn't impress against Clemson, and their offense seemed a bit out of synch. The real key to this should be Miami's freakish defensive tackle pair in Marcus Forston and Allen Bailey. This opened at GT @ Mia -3 and that's where we popped it. It currently sits at -5.5

Then Friday we have a wacky WAC battle. I snagged Fresno State at +12 hosting Boise because the number seemed high. The line has since been bet down to -7.5, and 7 in some places. I really don't have much opinion on these teams, other than to say that Boise is probably getting a bit too much credit for dismantling an Oregon team with 4 new offensive line starters. With that said, I am coming back and grabbing the Boise -7 and trying for a middle.

Some asked me to order the games by start time instead of rotation # (vegas reference number). You guys make the call, so here we go:

NOON

A bad Ball State team travels to face Army. Huah! I grabbed the -6.5 points with our nation's defenders, and then later in the week played Ball State +8. Trying for the middle.
Boston College travels to Clemson. I don't believe in BC and as you know, I think Clemson is quite possibly the ACC's best team. This line opened at -7 and that's where I bet it (fake wager, of course ;). It's now available at -6.5 pretty much everywhere. I also like Under 45 as Clemson has an elite level defense.
Joe-Public Alert! I'm on the Cal bandwagon and am not a believer in Minnesota. A friend tipped me that Cal will be arriving Thursday, to adjust for the timezone difference after having a scare last year at Maryland. I grabbed Cal -13.5 Sunday night, and I'll stick with that.
Duke @ Kansas. Everyone loves Kansas here, so be careful if you bet the Jayhawks. Personally, I'll be on Duke if the line hits 24. Otherwise, this is a pass. I'll update it in the comment section.
The East Carolina Pirates travel to face the North Carolina Tarheels. UNC has some injury issues and while I don't really buy this ECU team, I suspect UNC could be looking ahead to GTech next week. The plays are ECU +7.5 and Under 42.
Eastern Michigan travels to play Michigan. The Wolverines are laying 24. I'm waiting for 24.5 and will probably play EMU.
In a rivalry where one team clearly wants it more than their opponent, Louisville is at Kentucky. I feel Kentucky is slightly overrated and will gladly take Louisville +14.5. Also, UK has UF next weekend, so there is the possible lookahead angle as well, though not a big one.
Purdue is fresh off their west coast trip and are hosting a decent Northern Illinois club. NIU is currently getting 13, which isn't enough against a Purdue team that may be surprising some folks, but if this hits +14, I am on NIU. INJURY Note: NIU returns their leading tackler and excellent safety in this game. He missed the first 2.
Ohio State, fresh off their poorly coached choke job loss to USC has to travel to Cleveland and play a very game Toledo team. This came out at +22.5, but I missed it, and grabbed the Rockets at +21.
Snoozefest: Temple @ Penn State. Temple is slightly better than horrible, and I am waiting until they hit +32 to take the Owls. Sorry for the lack of analysis here.

Now on to the 3:30 games. Okay Degenerates, run down to the nearest Winn-Dixie to grab $500 worth of pre-paid western union cards and call Costa Rica We have games to hit.

I like Iowa -5 hosting an Arizona team coming cross country. Some trepidation here because Iowa is off a rivalry game, but ultimately I think Zona misses some of their graduates more than they have shown.
Akron is favored by 4 over Indiana. Most will balk at this and take the Big10 team, but Indiana couldn't win the Mac, conference USA, or even the Sun Belt. Evaluate the players and the coaches, not the names on the jersey, and take Akron -4.
I don't like this Michigan State team and Notre Dame at home seems like a good bet laying the -10.
Nebraska travels to face Virginia Tech in what should be a great battle. I grabbed VTech -2.5 Sunday night, and yesterday played Nebraska +5. I don't know what happens here, other than to say I really like what Nebraska does on offense, and hope VTech wins by 3 or 4.
I'm pasing on Tenn @ Florida, and I'd advise you to do the same. If this hits +31.5 or more, I will probably take Tennessee, but this spread is a bit crazy.
Tulsa travels to face Oklahoma. Interesting test for OU. Last week they waxed a terrible Idaho State team, but everyone could do that. This means a lot to Tulsa. Did you know that Tulsa has the smallest undergrad enrollment of any D1 school? I grabbed Oklahoma at -14 on Sunday expecting a big move, and now will play Tulsa +17.5 hoping for a nice middle opportunity.
This one I am proud of, and I got a bit lucky. Washington is better than people think, and when I saw that USC was -22.5 in Washington, I had to snag the Huskies +22.5 Now we learn that Barkley is out. USC could go down here, but even if they don't, UW should give them a game. USC has all kinds of motivational and attrition factors working against them right now. NOTE: if this gets to USC -17, I will play the Trojans and try for the middle. Remember, secure profits and limit exposure.
While I accurately predicted the movement of some lines, I missed on some others. Typically, you shouldn't take a game just for speculative line movement purposes. I did so here, taking Utah +5 @ Oregon, thinking that the game would get bet down to +3 or +2 and I'd have a middle opportunity. That hasn't happened. So to counteract my initial outlay, I am betting Oregon -5 twice, essentially leaving me with one Oregon -5 wager, and paying a higher premium than I'd prefer for some less than perfect prognostication.
Virginia is terrible, and if Southern Miss runs the table they will be in the BCS. Golden Eagles -15.5 is the play.
I snagged Wyoming @ Colorado -7 Sunday night. Not feeling this one so much now but am gonna ride it out.

7Pm Conte$t$ and beyond!

Everyone loves Cincinnati this weekend at Oregon State. I like the beavers +1 because of the travel aspect, their NFL caliber QB, and HC Mike RIley's ability to get his defense going. This is a can't-miss game for football fans. DVR this game.
San Diego State shouldn't be laying points to anyone on a long road trip. Gimme Idaho +3.5
Sunday Night Gem: Nevada -1 over Colorado State. It's now at -3 or -4, but I'll stick with the -1.
Buffalo has to travel to Florida to face UCF? Call me a square but gimme UCF -4.
South Carolina is hosting FAU. I like FAU a lot, but won't play them unless I can find +21.5 (okay, I might go for +21).
As much as I hate trusting my money with Dave Wandstedt, I'll lay the -7 with the Panthers over Navy.
Oklahoma State will be motivated to blow Rice out, but Rice +32.5 is a bit steep for them, so the Owls it is.
Fresh off their near upset win over Missouri, Bowling Green should have a hangover effect. They get the deliverance treatment at the hands of Marshall +3.
FSU @ BYU. I took FSU +7.5 and feel confident here. Rarely do I bet on FSU, and often go against them because I think they are overrated due to talent and name. Many of our readers don't like that but this column is about objective predictions. People think vegas wants to balance the action on both sides of the ledger, but This isn't actually true. In a perfect world, it would be, but key numbers distort this notion. Vegas routinely takes positions, particularly on big games. Why would they not move USC to -7.5 last week? Because they felt more comfortable with square USC money than sharp OSU $. Vegas is taking a position. They'd rather hold a hugely disproportional amount of BYU money at -7 than to be stuck with FSU money at +10 (from professionals). I happen to think they believe BYU is very good, but FSU is much better than the public thinks (rather than FSU being bad and BYU being overrated). But they are definitely saying one team is better than the public thinks, or one team is worse than the public thinks, or maybe some combination of both. Typically top 7 teams are favored by 2 TD's or more against an unranked foe. Heck, unranked Tennessee was giving 10 points to UCLA last weekend. This line is a judgement on both programs, and it's a positive for FSU.
LSU -27 over Louisiana Lafayette. Last week I called for Lafayette to beat Kansas State outright. This week they get pasted by the Tigers.
Mississippi State +8 @ Vanderbilt. I don't really know why I took this Sunday night. I can't read my notes in the margin. Both are just bad SEC teams. Oh, and Vanderbilt just got racked by injuries and Miss St. gets some kids back from suspension. I'm not sure either team will score 8 points.
I hate to do it, but SMU shouldn't be laying a TD on the road. Washington State +7, even without any cornerbacks or decent players. Praying for the push.
Snagged Texas A&M -17 Sunday night, but hoping to see Utah State get to -21 so I can try for the middle.
Northwestern -3 @ Syracuse. I went against NW last week and won. This time I am backing the Wildcats. The Cuse are beat up after playing Penn State.
Air Force is at New Mexico +17.5 Air Force is without both starting corners (suspension/ injury), and their top receiver. They'll score, but New Mexico should be able to keep up in the desert.
Iowa State is hungover from thier blowout rivalry loss (sound familiar Nole fans??), and will lose to Kent State. Kent +3.
Miami (OH) +17 and WMich -16? Yeah, I hit it Sunday night but have since bet the other side to essentially get off the game. Hope for a 16 or 17 point victory and the win/push result.
Georgia travels to the Ozarks to face Arkansas. I snagged the Razorbacks at +1.5 Sunday evening, and the line has since moved a bit. I am sticking with the pick and don't think much of UGA's defensive coordinator. I also played Over 53.5
West Virginia travels to Auburn for the Tiger's first real test. Gimme the Mountaineers +7 here. Aub is slightly overrated, as they run so many plays that it gives the perception of offensive greatness. I'm not buying it yet.
Texas is -17 hosting TTech. I don't love the play, but TTech should be a bit down, the game is in Austin, and I look for UT to play a bit better than last year. Revenge game.
UTep rolls into NMSU in what should be an awesome offensive battle. I want NMSU +14, but won't take anything less unless some weird injury news pops.
Kansas State. What a bad team. I called the upset last week of Louisiana Lafayatte beating them, and it happened. But this week UCLA has serious injury issues and I like KState getting +12.5 in LA.
ULM is playing at Arizona State. AZST is at UGA next week. if this lines hits 21 or more, jump ULM. Can you say lookahead?
UNLV -6 hosting Hawaii? Yeah, gimme the boys in Vegas. That's back to back road trips for Hawaii.
Stanford -19 is a very good football team and they should take care of San Jose State.

So, what say you? Ready for this weekend of college football? What games do you like? Which don't you like? I have to admit, this is my favorite weekly column to write for you, the fan. I love Vegas because they don't overreact and alter their perception of a team based on one or two games, or a close win or loss. It's a valuable lesson many fans could learn. Remember to check back in the comment section to see any additional fake wagers being added.

Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:59:15 -0000

My 5-0 record in last week’s conference picks brought my season-long ledger to 15-1, which might be taken as a sign of skill on my part. The more likely explanation is that league teams have been playing patsies and even a broken clock is right twice a day, so I would caution you, as always: Don’t Bet On It!

Here are this week’s SEC games:

North Texas Mean Green at Alabama Crimson Tide: Typically, I start each week’s set of conference prognostications with the weakest game involving a league team, and this one certainly qualifies. Yes, Ole Miss is playing a Division I-AA opponent, but the Red Elephants apparently are taking on the fictitious team from "Necessary Roughness," and I’m pretty sure both Sinbad and Scott Bakula have exhausted their eligibility by now. Unless Kathy Ireland is going to boot more field goals this week than Spencer Lanning, I think ’Bama is the way to go here.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Mississippi Rebels: Walk me through the math on this one, folks. Ole Miss opens the season on a Sunday with a September 6 road trip to Memphis, takes the following week off, hosts a team that is a second-tier wannabe even by Pelican State standards (which is saying something) following said open date, then travels to South Carolina for a Thursday night date in Columbia on September 24. The fellow in charge of the Rebs’ scheduling is doing his job approximately as well as Kyle MacLachlan’s agent was when he committed his client to appear in "Showgirls." Mississippi will win but will be unable to justify having played this game in the first place.

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns at LSU Tigers: This weekend, Baton Rouge will play host to the Ragin’ Cajuns. How is that statement not redundant? I have been increasingly less impressed with the Bayou Bengals, but do you believe ULaLa is going to beat BCS conference opponents on back-to-back weekends? Me, neither. Louisiana State may win ugly, but win the Fighting Tigers will. (I don’t know what it is with me lately. First, I sounded like Bilbo Baggins at his birthday party; then, in the last sentence prior to this parenthetical aside, sounded like Yoda I did.)

Florida Atlantic Owls at South Carolina Gamecocks: If Mike Slive agreed to host a black-tie fundraiser for the Sun Belt Conference, would that enable SEC teams to get out of scheduling crummy games like this one? Even the name of their conference recalls images from the ‘70s of leisure suits and wide white belts and wider neckties and collars the size and shape of Ginsu knives, of retirees boasting leathery tans hitting the highways in RVs while inspiring some of Tom Wolfe’s most prescient essays and some of Walker Percy’s most dated ones. I’m for booting every last sad sack one of them right back down to Division I-AA where they belong and declaring a league-wide moratorium on scheduling any of them. Until that great day arrives, though, games like this battle of the birds are going to continue, alas, and this particular avian affray will go to the team whose mascot has razor-sharp spurs on his heels as the Gamecocks demonstrate that the Owls are not what they seem.

Mississippi St. Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores: The gap between these two teams is huge. I am, of course, referring to SAT scores; athletically, this should be a pretty competitive game. As reclamation projects go, Vandy is farther along under Bobby Johnson than MSU is under Dan Mullen, so I’m giving the edge to the home team as the ’Dores host the ‘Dogs.

Louisville Cardinals at Kentucky Wildcats: These in-state rivals took a 70-year break from playing one another between 1924 and 1994. Really, wasn’t that for the best for all concerned? Honestly, it’s all right with the rest of us if both of these fan bases stop pretending they care about football. Still, if they insist upon playing this game (if only to distract themselves from Rick Pitino’s and John Calipari’s various ways of getting caught cheating), you should be forewarned that Kentucky is going to emerge victorious.

West Virginia Mountaineers at Auburn Tigers: As I understand it, this game was arranged as part of a promotional campaign. The first 25,000 fans to show up with a marriage license and a pair of birth certificates to prove they’re married to their cousins get in free. The last time this many inbred hillbillies got together in one place, Burt Reynolds and Ronny Cox had to save Ned Beatty’s behind . . . literally. Although both teams are shadows of their former selves, the game is being played in the so-called Loveliest Village (which, to be fair, probably looks lovely to someone from Morgantown), so I’m going with the Plainsmen.

Tennessee Volunteers at Florida Gators: If you’re reading this, I’m pretty sure you’ve already read this, but, if you haven’t, go read it, because it’s all the reason you would ever need to know that the Sunshine State Saurians are going to win this game and cover the point spread. I have enough faith in the fundamental order of the universe to believe that, in the end, Good will triumph over Evil, but, in the meantime, Evil will triumph over Dumbass.

These, at any rate, are the outcomes that seem probable to me, so I should hasten to add that, my early season success notwithstanding, I am bad at forecasting football games, which is why I invariably add a disclaimer which I would urge you to heed: Don’t Bet On It!

Coming Soon: National Games of Interest.

Go ‘Dawgs!

A Review of Nebraska’s Keys To Victory Over Florida Atlantic

Jon Johnston — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:22 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

3 months ago: In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, Nebraska nose tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) goes after Florida Atlantic's William Rose (46) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb. In his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, , Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said his team's defense against Florida Atlantic was soft.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

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Last Friday I listed three keys for victory - three of the items that the Huskers had to do to guarantee victory over the Owls. Today I'll look back and review just how they did.

Physical Dominance

I talked about the fact that Nebraska's offensive line needed to establish themselves as a physically dominant force, which they finally did at the beginning of the third quarter. The Huskers scored on a solid 67-yard drive that consumed a little over two minutes and featured some excellent runs by Roy Helu Jr. Helu ended up with some decent stats for the day - look at that 9.5 per carry average!

vs Fla. Atlantic / 9.5.09	Rushing				Receiving
	Rush	Yards	Avg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Roy Helu Jr	16	152	9.5	3	1	3	3	0

Despite the Huskers' apparent success, the play wasn't good enough for Bo Pelini who yesterday stated he felt the Husker defense played "too soft", that they didn't attack blocks and weren't crisp. Giving up 358 yards to Florida Atlantic wasn't good enough.

Discipline

I stated that we'd see a lot of screens and misdirection from Florida Atlantic on Saturday, and that's exactly what we saw in the first half. While they didn't get in the end zone, the Owls did a decent job on offense, racking up 358 total yards in the process.

There were some discipline breakdowns, in particular a second quarter play in which FAU's fullback Willie Rose was wide open for a 38-yard reception, and another in which Cortez Gent was left uncovered for a 27-yard reception. Rose wasn't fast enough to make it to the end zone, being chased down by the linebacker who missed the coverage, Blake Lawrence. The play lead to Florida Atlantic's three points.

It may be easy to dismiss a single play or two as opening game jitters, but given the performances by Kansas and Missouri last Saturday, the Huskers must improve to play mistake free football if they wish to win the Big 12 North.

Start The Stats Counter Early

The Blackshirts tallied no sacks and only three hurries Saturday, much of that due to the aforementioned screen plays, and FAU quarterback Rusty Smith getting rid of the ball quickly. While that was disappointing, Nebraska did end up at +2 in turnover margin, garnering two interceptions and a fumble while only giving up one interception in Zac Lee's first start.

Bottom line

The game was a butt-kicking, with fans and Florida Atlantic in agreement on that. But it wasn't good enough for Bo Pelini, and it wasn't good enough for the Husker players. That says volumes about the expectations that Pelini has for this team.

A question for Husker fans - do you think Pelini's "too soft" statement was true sentiment, or was it made to be used as a motivational tactic?

Postgame Reaction: K-State vs. Massachusetts

TB — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:33:21 -0000

by Orlin Wagner - AP

Bill Snyder returned to the stadium that bears his name for K-State's opener with Massachusetts, a game the Wildcats won, 21-17. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. OK, obviously last night wasn't within several thousand light years of the best of times at K-State, and it also wasn't nearly the worst of times at K-State. But during the course of the game, I experienced emotions all over the spectrum. At halftime, with the score 21-3, I was cautiously optimistic about some things I'd seen in the game. In the fourth quarter, with the game at 21-17, I was in a near panic.

Color me as an insufferable optimist, but there are some positives we can take away from this game. Granted, they're not positives in the sense that they came out of one of our circa-2002 beatdowns of an FCS opponent, but there were some things I liked. Click the jump for what I liked, what I didn't, what it means, and the Big 12 roundup.

What I liked...

...Tysyn Hartman in the secondary. Overall a very good game by the young man who moved over from quarterback last season. He made some good plays coming up in run support to go along with his two interceptions and two passes broken up. A third interception slipped right through his hands in the second half.

...having a running game again. Daniel Thomas cracked the 100-yard mark, and Keithen Valentine nearly got there on half as many carries as Thomas got. For the night, the team averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry. Not bad, considering that sacks are factored into that and that UMass packed the box in the second half when it became obvious we were going to run Thomas into the middle every play.

...seeing Attrail Snipes on the field as a wide receiver. As Pan noted in his position breakdown, this kid was a highly touted recruit, and Ron Prince completely wasted a season for him last year. Last night, he caught two touchdown passes. Also, Brandon Banks had a decent night as a receiver considering we didn't throw much, catching seven passes for 67 yards. An uncharacteristic drop was the only thing that marred his receiving night.

...the defense making a stop late when we really needed it. Apparently, the conditioning is paying off, as the defense didn't wilt as the night went along and stopped UMass late in the game when it had to. Also, UMass quarterback Kyle Havens was 10-34 passing in the game, with two interceptions.

What I didn't like...

...mistakes, penalties, conservative playcalling. I didn't catch a replay on either Coffman's interception or his fumble, so I couldn't tell whether they were his fault or not, but three turnovers against an FCS team is how you get beat. As BracketCat noted in the game comments, I was pretty encouraged at halftime that we hadn't racked up many penalty yards. I should have kept that thought from entering my head, because sure enough we drew yellow laundry left and right in the second half. Eight penalties for 71 yards on the night? Yuck.

As far as the playcalling, I understand that it's the first game, it's an FCS opponent, and Snyder will do the absolute minimum as far as putting things on video for future opponents to see. I'll also agree that Coffman wasn't spectacular, but he was serviceable in the first half throwing the ball, especially the drive right before halftime. Against an FCS team, we should be able to move the ball consistently even if we are just running it, but there was zero imagination even in that. We just ran straight into the middle of the line. No sweeps, no option, nothing. Early in the game, the straight-ahead running game was working fairly well because UMass had to account for the wide receivers outside and the possibility that we could run the option. But hey, we won and we didn't show any tricks or funky formations, so that's a positive, I guess.

...special teams miscues. It was positively shocking to see Brandon Banks fumble a punt. It was a tough punt to field, as he had to sprint about 20 yards to get into position to make the catch, but it still hurt. On the blocked punt that led to a touchdown, I'm still baffled as to why we were running a rugby punt. Ryan Doerr had been decent punting the ball, despite UMass getting some decent pressure on him. Given that UMass was getting close, I'm not sure why we decided it would be a good idea to have Doerr hold the ball longer on a punt.

What it means and where we're going...

Don't lose the forest for the trees. While last night's game was anything but spectacular, the final score doesn't show how thoroughly in control K-State was most of the night. We had 24 first downs to 13 for UMass, while outgaining the Minutemen 407 to 212. Note also that UMass never sustained a scoring drive, as their touchdowns came on an 18-yard drive following Banks' fumbled punt and on a return of the blocked punt. Maybe I'm chugging grape Kool-Aid here, but I honestly believe that if Snyder had wanted to pour it on in the second half, he could have. As I'll note below, Nebraska led FAU 21-3 at halftime and KU led Northern Colorado (a 1-10 FCS team last year) only 28-3 in the third quarter. While I haven't even seen highlights from those games, I'm guessing Bo Pelini and Mark Mangino played for an "appearance score" rather than running the ball straight ahead to keep other teams from seeing anything they might do down the road.

Next week, K-State is on the road in Lafayette, La., for a game with Louisiana. We'll have a lot more on the Ragin' Cajuns later this week, but this has to be a game that concerns K-State fans after last night's average performance. Although Louisiana lost its quarterback and running back from last year's team that gashed our defense, Vic Koenning and Chris Cosh will need to have their unit ready to play.

Around the Big 12

Due to traveling to the game, I didn't catch a lot of action from other Big 12 games. The observations below are gleaned from the bits and pieces I did see, as well as astute (or not) box score observation.

Iowa State 34, North Dakota State 17

A decent start for the Clones against a NDSU team that was 6-5 last season. I had heard through the grapevine that the Cyclone offense was looking very good in practice, but that the defense was a concern. Turns out that was a fairly astute observation, as Austen Arnaud led ISU to 442 yards total offense, including a 300-yard day for himself (227 yards passing, 78 yards rushing). Iowa State didn't really put the Bison away until the fourth quarter, as the score was 17-10 at halftime and 27-17 after three. The Clones had better get something figured out on defense, because giving up 5.5 yards per rush to NDSU does not bode well for upcoming games.

For more: Clone Chronicles

Next opponent: Iowa (Ames, Iowa)

Baylor 24, Wake Forest 21

Credit to the Bears for going out and getting a road win in Week 1 against a quality ACC opponent. The Demon Deacons lost a lot from last year's defense, but for the most part kept Robert Griffin in check. Griffin, who may be rivaling Jesus Christ for the position of "Savior" among Baylor fans, passed for only 136 yards and ran for only 41. Griffin's pedestrian game makes this an even more impressive win for Baylor, as it shows they can win games when Griffin doesn't go off for 300+ total yards. I have no idea what Wake is supposed to have on offense -- other than Riley Skinner -- but Baylor held them to 269 total yards. I'm still not on board the "Bears to a Bowl" train yet, but this was a good start.

For more: Blogger So Dear (Wake Forest)

Next opponent: Connecticut (Waco, Texas)

Oklahoma State 24, Georgia 10

Undoubtedly the biggest game in the Big 12, and Oklahoma State proved it belongs in the discussion for the Big 12 South race with a home win over Georgia. What's most impressive to me in this one is that the Pokes won without exploding on offense. We are all probably tired of the Big 12 Offense vs. SEC Defense debate, but in this game OSU showed it could go toe-to-toe with one of the premier SEC programs and come away with a solid win. Despite only gaining 307 total yards and seeing Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant limited to what will certainly be below-average numbers, the Pokes put up 24 points on the Dawgs. With OU's loss (see below), the Cowboys are the premier challenger to Texas in the South. But they better not let down their guard next week, as the high-powered Houston Cougars and quarterback Case Keenum pay a visit to Stillwater. Oklahoma State has to be in the running for the most difficult two-game stretch to open the season.

For more: Dawg Sports (Georgia)

Next opponent: Houston (Stillwater, Okla.)

Missouri 37, Illinois 9

Anybody who thought Mizzou was going quietly into the night with the departure of DanielMaclinCoffman had better deal with the reality that those were mistaken thoughts. I'm looking directly north at you, Husker fans. Blaine Gabbert was sensational in his first game, completing 25 of 33 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Damn. Further, Danario Alexander looks to be back to his pre-injury form, hauling in 10 of those passes for 132 yards. What's more, the much-maligned Mizzou defense held Juice Williams and the supposedly potent Illinois attack to single digits. Even though it's only one game, I feel pretty comfortable saying that Mizzou ain't going anywhere, folks.

For more: Rock M Nation

Next opponent: Bowling Green (Columbia, Mo.)

Texas A&M 41, New Mexico 6

If you believe in comparative scores, the Aggies are a lot better than last year, considering they snuck by the Lobos, 28-22, last season. Statistically, A&M was shockingly good, picking up 606 yards (not a typo) of total offense, with Jerrod Johnson passing for 349 yards and rushing for 57 yards. Maybe we're not quite ready to call them the Wrecking Crew again, but the Aggies defense made life miserable for the Lobos, limiting them to two field goals and only 231 yards total offense. Statistical oddity of the night: somehow, New Mexico QB Donovan Porterie connected on 29 of 40 passes, but only picked up 210 yards. The more obvious statistical oddity was that A&M covered the length of the field more than six times, had zero turnovers, and yet only managed to score 41 points. Oh wait, 14 penalties for 123 yards might have something to do with that. Interesting also that A&M still had Johnson in the game as late as the fourth-quarter scoring drive. With a 34-6 lead, I would have thought Mike Sherman would want to get his backups some snaps.

For more: I Am The 12th Man

Next opponent: Utah State (College Station, Texas)

Texas 59, Louisiana-Monroe 20

Ho-hum, Texas is really good and UL-Monroe is really bad. Colt McCoy shockingly threw an interception, but that seems to be about the only thing that went wrong for the Longhorns.

For more: Burnt Orange Nation

Next opponent: Wyoming (Laramie, Wyo.)

Texas Tech 38, North Dakota 13

Despite the fairly easy win, I'm guessing this is not what Captain Leach wanted to see in the opener. Heralded recruit and scurvy-bearded pirate Taylor Potts passed for a lot of yards and a high completion percentage and...threw three interceptions to only two touchdown passes. The Red Raiders outgained, by more than double, the Fighting Sioux, and yet Potts was still in the game with less than four minutes left to tack on another touchdown. I'm sure this is at least partly due to Leach's desire to get the new starter more snaps, but North Dakota is a Division II team, and was only 6-4 last season at that. Also, the Red Raider rushing game has apparently vaporized again, tallying only 40 (again, not a typo) yards against UND. Tech better improve in a hurry.

For more: Double T Nation

Next opponent: Rice (Lubbock, Texas)

Nebraska 49, Florida Atlantic 3

A very good start by Nebraska against an FAU team that won a bowl game last season. After a slow start, the Huskers exploded for 21 points in the third quarter to put the game completely out of reach. At quarterback, Zac Lee had a solid debut in Lincoln, completing 15 of 22 for 213 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Roy Helu gashed the Owls for 152 yards on only 16 carries. Interestingly, despite only giving up three points, the Husker defense gave up 358 total yards. The low score was probably aided by the fact that FAU fumbled the ball FIVE times (somehow, they only lost one of those) and threw two interceptions.

For more: Corn Nation

Next opponent: Arkansas State (Lincoln, Neb.)

KU 49, Northern Colorado 3

The Jayhawks played without four players, including Dezmon Briscoe and Raimond Pendleton, who were apparently suspended. At this point, do we start to question whether Briscoe is ever going to get out of Mark Mangino's doghouse? Never mind, that was a dumb question. He'll punish them by holding them out of an opener against a 1-10 FCS team so they learn their lesson before they actually have to play a team with a pulse. In the actual game, KU led only 28-3 after three quarters before piling on three touchdowns for appearances in the fourth quarter (backup QB Kale Pick was in for two of those).

For more: Rock Chalk Talk

Next opponent: UTEP (El Paso, Texas)