College Football Nation: Idaho Vandals
Let's take a look back at Week 10 in the non-AQs.
Records fall. As expected, Kellen Moore and Case Keenum set major NCAA records in victories this weekend. Moore helped the Broncos beat UNLV 48-21 for his 46th career win, breaking the record set by Colt McCoy for most career wins. Meanwhile, Keenum threw for 407 yards in a 56-13 win against UAB to become the most prolific passer in NCAA history. Keenum passed the mark held by Timmy Chang and now has 17,212 career passing yards. He is averaging 402.9 yards a game, putting him on pace to potentially get another 2,000 yards this season should the Cougars play in the Conference USA championship game.
Bowl eligibility. Ohio, Northern Illinois, Tulsa, SMU and Ball State all became bowl eligible this weekend. It has been a nice turnaround season for Ball State under first-year coach Pete Lembo, getting the Cardinals to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008. Teams that have a chance to become bowl eligible this week:
FIU (5-4) vs. FAU
Western Kentucky (5-4) at LSU
Louisiana Tech (5-4) at Ole Miss
Nevada (5-3) vs. Hawaii
Game of the week. Louisiana-Lafayette 36, Louisiana-Monroe 35. The Ragin' Cajuns overcame an 11-point deficit with 3:08 left, scoring two touchdowns in the span of two minutes to complete the incredible comeback. Blaine Gautier threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Surgent with 2:05 left to close the gap to 35-30. They failed to make the 2-point conversion but did recover the onside kick. Alonzo Harris scored on a run from 3 yards with 1:06 remaining.
Greatest turnarounds. Speaking of the Sun Belt, Louisiana-Lafayette has the best turnaround in the country from last season, winning five more games than 2010. That league has three teams with some of the best turnarounds among the non-AQs.
2010, 2011
ULL 3-9, 8-2
Houston 9-0, 5-7
Ark. St 4-8, 7-2
WKU 2-10, 5-4
E. Mich 2-10, 5-4
Conference race update. Let us check in with all the non-AQ conferences to see who is leading in the race for a championship.
C-USA. Southern Miss is in control of the East Division after a convincing 48-28 win against East Carolina. The Golden Eagles host defending East Division champs Central Florida on Saturday. They have a one-game lead over the Pirates and Marshall, though their only loss this season came to the Thundering Herd. In the West, Houston and Tulsa are undefeated in league play at 5-0, setting up a huge showdown in the season finale Nov. 25 at Tulsa. Houston has Tulane and SMU before then; Tulsa has Marshall and UTEP. Both teams will be favored to be 7-0 in league play headed into their game.
MAC. Ohio dealt a huge blow to Temple's chances of winning the East with a 35-31 win in Week 2. The Bobcats and defending East champ Miami (Ohio) are 3-2 in league play. They end the season against each other Nov. 22 at Ohio. In the West, Northern Illinois and Toledo each are 4-1 but the Huskies have a huge head-to-head win against Toledo, 63-60 in a wild game in Week 10. If they both win out, Northern Illinois goes to get another MAC title game.
Mountain West. As expected, TCU and Boise State are undefeated in league play headed into their huge game Saturday in Boise. The winner will be in the driver's seat to win the conference. Remember, this game was initially set for Forth Worth, but moved to Boise after TCU announced it was leaving the conference.
Sun Belt. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-2, 6-1) has a huge game at Arkansas State (7-2, 5-0). If Louisiana-Lafayette wins, it would create a three-way tie with Western Kentucky (5-4, 5-1) atop the Sun Belt standings. If all three then win out, they would each be considered co-champs. If Arkansas State wins, then the Red Wolves would remain undefeated in the Sun Belt and control their destiny.
WAC. Nevada is the only undefeated team in league play at 3-0 and controls its hopes for a second straight league title. Louisiana Tech at 4-1 is in second place. The teams play in Reno on Nov. 19.
Helmet stickers
Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State. Aplin had five touchdowns in a 39-21 victory at FAU, rushing for 49 yards and four touchdowns and completing 24-of-37 passes for 244 yards and another score. His four rushing touchdowns are the most for any player in the Sun Belt this season, and his five overall touchdowns are tied for the most.
Kama Bailey, RB, Idaho. Bailey ran for a career-high 163 yards on 19 carries and had two scores as Idaho came back to beat San Jose State 32-29.
Jon Davis, DB, Air Force. Davis had a game-high 12 tackles and recorded one interception as Air Force retained the Commander-In-Chief’s trophy with a 24-21 win against Army. Davis also forced and recovered a fumble.
Nick Fanuzzi, QB, Rice. Fanuzzi completed 30-of-43 for 405 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-37 win against UTEP. It was his first start of the season, and he is just the third player in school history to pass for more than 400 yards.
Donte Harden, RB, Ohio. Harden finished with a school-record 322 all-purpose yards (184 rushing, 75 receiving and 63 return yards) and scored a pair of touchdowns in a 35-31 win against Temple.
Records fall. As expected, Kellen Moore and Case Keenum set major NCAA records in victories this weekend. Moore helped the Broncos beat UNLV 48-21 for his 46th career win, breaking the record set by Colt McCoy for most career wins. Meanwhile, Keenum threw for 407 yards in a 56-13 win against UAB to become the most prolific passer in NCAA history. Keenum passed the mark held by Timmy Chang and now has 17,212 career passing yards. He is averaging 402.9 yards a game, putting him on pace to potentially get another 2,000 yards this season should the Cougars play in the Conference USA championship game.
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Michael Hickey/US PresswireCoach Pete Lembo has Ball State eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008.
Michael Hickey/US PresswireCoach Pete Lembo has Ball State eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008.FIU (5-4) vs. FAU
Western Kentucky (5-4) at LSU
Louisiana Tech (5-4) at Ole Miss
Nevada (5-3) vs. Hawaii
Game of the week. Louisiana-Lafayette 36, Louisiana-Monroe 35. The Ragin' Cajuns overcame an 11-point deficit with 3:08 left, scoring two touchdowns in the span of two minutes to complete the incredible comeback. Blaine Gautier threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Surgent with 2:05 left to close the gap to 35-30. They failed to make the 2-point conversion but did recover the onside kick. Alonzo Harris scored on a run from 3 yards with 1:06 remaining.
Greatest turnarounds. Speaking of the Sun Belt, Louisiana-Lafayette has the best turnaround in the country from last season, winning five more games than 2010. That league has three teams with some of the best turnarounds among the non-AQs.
2010, 2011
ULL 3-9, 8-2
Houston 9-0, 5-7
Ark. St 4-8, 7-2
WKU 2-10, 5-4
E. Mich 2-10, 5-4
Conference race update. Let us check in with all the non-AQ conferences to see who is leading in the race for a championship.
C-USA. Southern Miss is in control of the East Division after a convincing 48-28 win against East Carolina. The Golden Eagles host defending East Division champs Central Florida on Saturday. They have a one-game lead over the Pirates and Marshall, though their only loss this season came to the Thundering Herd. In the West, Houston and Tulsa are undefeated in league play at 5-0, setting up a huge showdown in the season finale Nov. 25 at Tulsa. Houston has Tulane and SMU before then; Tulsa has Marshall and UTEP. Both teams will be favored to be 7-0 in league play headed into their game.
MAC. Ohio dealt a huge blow to Temple's chances of winning the East with a 35-31 win in Week 2. The Bobcats and defending East champ Miami (Ohio) are 3-2 in league play. They end the season against each other Nov. 22 at Ohio. In the West, Northern Illinois and Toledo each are 4-1 but the Huskies have a huge head-to-head win against Toledo, 63-60 in a wild game in Week 10. If they both win out, Northern Illinois goes to get another MAC title game.
Mountain West. As expected, TCU and Boise State are undefeated in league play headed into their huge game Saturday in Boise. The winner will be in the driver's seat to win the conference. Remember, this game was initially set for Forth Worth, but moved to Boise after TCU announced it was leaving the conference.
Sun Belt. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-2, 6-1) has a huge game at Arkansas State (7-2, 5-0). If Louisiana-Lafayette wins, it would create a three-way tie with Western Kentucky (5-4, 5-1) atop the Sun Belt standings. If all three then win out, they would each be considered co-champs. If Arkansas State wins, then the Red Wolves would remain undefeated in the Sun Belt and control their destiny.
WAC. Nevada is the only undefeated team in league play at 3-0 and controls its hopes for a second straight league title. Louisiana Tech at 4-1 is in second place. The teams play in Reno on Nov. 19.
Helmet stickers
Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State. Aplin had five touchdowns in a 39-21 victory at FAU, rushing for 49 yards and four touchdowns and completing 24-of-37 passes for 244 yards and another score. His four rushing touchdowns are the most for any player in the Sun Belt this season, and his five overall touchdowns are tied for the most.
Kama Bailey, RB, Idaho. Bailey ran for a career-high 163 yards on 19 carries and had two scores as Idaho came back to beat San Jose State 32-29.
Jon Davis, DB, Air Force. Davis had a game-high 12 tackles and recorded one interception as Air Force retained the Commander-In-Chief’s trophy with a 24-21 win against Army. Davis also forced and recovered a fumble.
Nick Fanuzzi, QB, Rice. Fanuzzi completed 30-of-43 for 405 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-37 win against UTEP. It was his first start of the season, and he is just the third player in school history to pass for more than 400 yards.
Donte Harden, RB, Ohio. Harden finished with a school-record 322 all-purpose yards (184 rushing, 75 receiving and 63 return yards) and scored a pair of touchdowns in a 35-31 win against Temple.
Taking a look back at Week 9 for the non-AQs:
Southern Miss flying high: Plenty have taken notice of the Golden Eagles this season following a 7-1 start. They are now ranked No. 25 in the BCS standings for the first time since 2004, and have gotten off to its best start since 1996. After getting a big challenge from UTEP on Saturday, going into halftime tied at 10, Southern Miss scored 21 points in the second half and shut the Miners out in the fourth quarter to win 31-13. The defense, which has had its share of letdowns the last several seasons, has shown major improvement. Southern Miss has allowed just a touchdown and three field goals over the last two games, and held its fourth opponent of the season to under 100 yards rushing. Southern Miss went undefeated in October for the first time since 2000 and have emerged as the favorite to win the East in Conference USA.
Arkansas State red hot: The two best teams in the Sun Belt are quite unexpected -- Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette, under two first-year coaches. The Red Wolves are bowl eligible with Hugh Freeze leading the way after a 37-14 win over North Texas. This is a program that posted back-to-back 4-8 seasons before Freeze took over. They have one bowl appearance as an FBS team, back in 2005, a 31-19 loss to Southern Miss. They now lead the Sun Belt at 4-0, with a huge showdown against Louisiana-Lafayette (7-2, 5-1) looming Nov. 12.
Keenum watch: Case Keenum threw a whopping nine touchdown passes in a 73-34 win over Rice, passing Graham Harrell for the most career touchdown passes in FBS history. Keenum now has 139, five more than Harrell had from 2005-08 at Texas Tech. Next up on the Keenum assault of the NCAA record book -- the career passing yards record. Keenum now has 16,805 passing yards to rank second in NCAA history. He needs 268 yards Saturday against UAB to pass Timmy Chang, who holds the mark of 17,072 yards set from 2000-04 at Hawaii.
Upset of the week: Wyoming 30, San Diego State 27. The Cowboys scored 30 first-half points behind true freshman quarterback Brett Smith, who scored two passing and two rushing. One of those scores came on third-and-goal from the San Diego State 26. Then Wyoming had to hold off a furious comeback. Ronnie Hillman ran for 224 yards -- including a 99-yard touchdown that was the longest play from scrimmage in school history. But it was not enough. Kicker Abel Perez had a tough game, missing field goal attempts from 39 and 27 yards in the fourth quarter, along with an extra point as well. Coach Rocky Long said the first half was “as bad a defensive performance in the first half as I've been associated with.” Wyoming, 18-point underdogs going into the game, moved to 5-2 on the season but needs two more wins to become bowl eligible because two of its victories came against FCS teams. Still, the Cowboys have a shot with New Mexico and Colorado State left on the schedule.
Close calls: Akron. The Zips came oh so close to beating Central Michigan after Clayton Moore drove the team 56 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marquelo Suel as time expired. Rather than go for the tie, they went for the win. But Moore threw incomplete on the 2-point conversion and Central Michigan won 23-22.
Idaho. Hawaii kicker Kenton Chun made a 35-yard field goal with 32 seconds to play to give the Warriors a 16-14 lead. Idaho nearly pulled the upset, but Trey Farquhar missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt with 8 seconds left. Idaho dropped to 1-7 and 0-4 in the WAC.
Colorado State. UNLV quarterback Caleb Herring ran for a 5-yard touchdown 1:20 left to give the Rebels a 38-35 win. Pete Thomas tried to rally the Rams, but one of his passes was tipped and intercepted at the UNLV 28-yard line with 35 seconds left. Also of note in the game, Phillip Payne set the school career touchdown receptions record with 25. Colorado State, a team many thought had a shot for a bowl game this season, dropped to 3-5.
Helmet stickers
Patrick Edwards, WR, Houston. Edwards had seven receptions for 318 yards and five touchdowns in a 73-34 win over Rice -- the best receiving performance for any player this season. Edwards leads the nation with 11 touchdown receptions. Also in the game, Tyron Carrier returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the seventh of his career. That ties the NCAA mark for kickoff returns for touchdown, set by C.J. Spiller at Clemson.
Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan. White had nine catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-35 win over Ball State to become Western Michigan's career receptions record holder at 261. He also went over 1,000 yards this season, making him only the third receiver to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in school history.
Jonathan Anderson, S, TCU. Anderson finished with a career-high and team-best 17 tackles (11 solo) and recorded his first career interception in a 38-28 win over BYU. Anderson, who came off the bench to replace the team’s leading tackler, Tekerrein Cuba, had the team's highest tackle total since 2004.
Alonzo Harris, RB, ULL. Harris had a career-best 189 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry in a win over Middle Tennessee.
Lampford Mark, RB, Nevada. Mark had 185 yards on eight carries for a 23.1 yard average in a 48-34 win over New Mexico State. He got all those yards after sitting out the first three quarters, then posting two runs of 80 yards or more.
Southern Miss flying high: Plenty have taken notice of the Golden Eagles this season following a 7-1 start. They are now ranked No. 25 in the BCS standings for the first time since 2004, and have gotten off to its best start since 1996. After getting a big challenge from UTEP on Saturday, going into halftime tied at 10, Southern Miss scored 21 points in the second half and shut the Miners out in the fourth quarter to win 31-13. The defense, which has had its share of letdowns the last several seasons, has shown major improvement. Southern Miss has allowed just a touchdown and three field goals over the last two games, and held its fourth opponent of the season to under 100 yards rushing. Southern Miss went undefeated in October for the first time since 2000 and have emerged as the favorite to win the East in Conference USA.
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Thomas Campbell/US PresswireHouston QB Case Keenum is on the cusp of breaking the NCAA career passing yards record.
Thomas Campbell/US PresswireHouston QB Case Keenum is on the cusp of breaking the NCAA career passing yards record.Keenum watch: Case Keenum threw a whopping nine touchdown passes in a 73-34 win over Rice, passing Graham Harrell for the most career touchdown passes in FBS history. Keenum now has 139, five more than Harrell had from 2005-08 at Texas Tech. Next up on the Keenum assault of the NCAA record book -- the career passing yards record. Keenum now has 16,805 passing yards to rank second in NCAA history. He needs 268 yards Saturday against UAB to pass Timmy Chang, who holds the mark of 17,072 yards set from 2000-04 at Hawaii.
Upset of the week: Wyoming 30, San Diego State 27. The Cowboys scored 30 first-half points behind true freshman quarterback Brett Smith, who scored two passing and two rushing. One of those scores came on third-and-goal from the San Diego State 26. Then Wyoming had to hold off a furious comeback. Ronnie Hillman ran for 224 yards -- including a 99-yard touchdown that was the longest play from scrimmage in school history. But it was not enough. Kicker Abel Perez had a tough game, missing field goal attempts from 39 and 27 yards in the fourth quarter, along with an extra point as well. Coach Rocky Long said the first half was “as bad a defensive performance in the first half as I've been associated with.” Wyoming, 18-point underdogs going into the game, moved to 5-2 on the season but needs two more wins to become bowl eligible because two of its victories came against FCS teams. Still, the Cowboys have a shot with New Mexico and Colorado State left on the schedule.
Close calls: Akron. The Zips came oh so close to beating Central Michigan after Clayton Moore drove the team 56 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marquelo Suel as time expired. Rather than go for the tie, they went for the win. But Moore threw incomplete on the 2-point conversion and Central Michigan won 23-22.
Idaho. Hawaii kicker Kenton Chun made a 35-yard field goal with 32 seconds to play to give the Warriors a 16-14 lead. Idaho nearly pulled the upset, but Trey Farquhar missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt with 8 seconds left. Idaho dropped to 1-7 and 0-4 in the WAC.
Colorado State. UNLV quarterback Caleb Herring ran for a 5-yard touchdown 1:20 left to give the Rebels a 38-35 win. Pete Thomas tried to rally the Rams, but one of his passes was tipped and intercepted at the UNLV 28-yard line with 35 seconds left. Also of note in the game, Phillip Payne set the school career touchdown receptions record with 25. Colorado State, a team many thought had a shot for a bowl game this season, dropped to 3-5.
Helmet stickers
Patrick Edwards, WR, Houston. Edwards had seven receptions for 318 yards and five touchdowns in a 73-34 win over Rice -- the best receiving performance for any player this season. Edwards leads the nation with 11 touchdown receptions. Also in the game, Tyron Carrier returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the seventh of his career. That ties the NCAA mark for kickoff returns for touchdown, set by C.J. Spiller at Clemson.
Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan. White had nine catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-35 win over Ball State to become Western Michigan's career receptions record holder at 261. He also went over 1,000 yards this season, making him only the third receiver to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in school history.
Jonathan Anderson, S, TCU. Anderson finished with a career-high and team-best 17 tackles (11 solo) and recorded his first career interception in a 38-28 win over BYU. Anderson, who came off the bench to replace the team’s leading tackler, Tekerrein Cuba, had the team's highest tackle total since 2004.
Alonzo Harris, RB, ULL. Harris had a career-best 189 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry in a win over Middle Tennessee.
Lampford Mark, RB, Nevada. Mark had 185 yards on eight carries for a 23.1 yard average in a 48-34 win over New Mexico State. He got all those yards after sitting out the first three quarters, then posting two runs of 80 yards or more.
Here are the non-AQ players of the week, as selected by each conference. The independent players are selected by a national media panel.
Conference USA
Offense: Darius Johnson, WR, SMU. Had a career-high-tying two receiving touchdowns, along with 12 catches and 152 yards as SMU defeated No. 20 TCU 40-33 in overtime. It was his third straight 100-yard game.
Defense: Tyson Gale, LB, Marshall. Had a team-high seven tackles against Louisville, including a tackle for loss and the biggest play of the game when he intercepted a pass with 4:32 left in a 17-13 win.
Special teams: Kase Whitehead, P, Marshall. Dropped four of his five punts inside the 20 in the 17-13 win at Louisville. On the season, 10 of his 30 have been downed inside the 20.
Independent
Co-offense: Riley Nelson, QB, BYU. Cierre Wood, RB, Notre Dame. Nelson came in in relief of starter Jake Heaps and accounted for 206 yards of total offense in four drives as BYU rallied from a 24-13 fourth-quarter deficit to beat Utah State. Nelson was 10-of-14 for 144 yards and two touchdowns, adding 62 rushing yards on 11 carries. Wood ran 20 times for a career-high 191 yards and a touchdown in a win against Purdue. His 55-yard scoring scamper was also a career-long run.
Defense: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame. Had a team-high eight tackles unassisted, and a sack against Purdue.
Special teams: Alex Carlton, PK, Army. Made his first field goal of the season and made all six extra point attempts as the Black Knights beat Tulane. His six conversions moved him into sixth place on the Army career PAT made list.
MAC
East Division
Offense: Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio. Threw for over 250 yards for the third consecutive week as he finished with 276 yards passing and two touchdowns in a 17-10 victory over Kent State.
Defense: C.J. Malauulu, LB, Kent State. Had a game- and career-high 12 tackles in a 17-10 loss to Ohio. He also added three tackles for loss, a sack, a pass break-up and a forced fumble.
Special Teams: Boo Boo Gates, KR, Bowling Green. Had seven returns for 233 yards, including a career-best 77-yard return in the first quarter in a 55-10 setback at West Virginia. His seven returns are the second-most in school history, while the yards are the most ever in a game.
West Division
Offense: Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Threw for a career high and school record 479 yards and five touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter, in a 38-31 upset of UConn. His five touchdowns tied for second most in a game in school history.
Defense: Robert Bell, LB, Toledo. Had a career-high 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and one recovered fumble in a 36-13 road win at Temple.
Special Teams: David Harman, K, Central Michigan. Was 6-of-6 on extra-point attempts and 2-of-2 on field goals for 12 total points in a 48-41 win over Northern Illinois.
Mountain West
Offense: Tim Jefferson, QB, Air Force. Went 9-of-10 for 136 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 18 times for 66 yards and two scores in a 35-34 overtime win at Navy. Jefferson, who scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run, led Air Force to its second-straight win over Navy and the first in Annapolis since 1997.
Defense: Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Had a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in a 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. The tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history. It also tied for the most in a FBS game this season.
Special teams: Alex Means, LB, Air Force. Blocked Navy’s extra-point try in overtime. Means has blocked two kicks this season and also tied a career-high with 12 tackles and intercepted a pass.
WAC
Offense: Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
Defense: Keith Smith, LB, San Jose State. Had a team-high 10 tackles and forced a fumble in a 38-31 win at Colorado State. The forced fumble occurred in the second quarter and was returned 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 17-7 lead.
Special teams: Justin Hernandez, WR, Idaho. Blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown with 3:11 left in Idaho’s game at Virginia. Idaho trailed 14-6 at the time and following the successful two-point conversion, the Vandals forced overtime. They lost 21-20 in the extra period.
Sun Belt
Offense: Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State. Set a new school record for completions in a game when he completed 37 passes on 49 attempts in a 26-22 win at Western Kentucky. Aplin passed for a season-high 396 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and also caught a touchdown pass against the Hilltoppers.
Defense: Lance Kelley, LB, Louisiana. Had eight tackles, a tackle-for-loss and an interception in a win over FAU. He currently leads the Cajuns and ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 39 total tackles.
Special teams: Brett Baer, K/P, Louisiana. Scored 13 points in a 37-34 victory. He made field goals of 47 yards and 46 yards before hitting the game-winning 26-yard field goal as time expired. It was the first win for the Cajuns in the final 10 seconds of regulation since 2003.
Conference USA
Offense: Darius Johnson, WR, SMU. Had a career-high-tying two receiving touchdowns, along with 12 catches and 152 yards as SMU defeated No. 20 TCU 40-33 in overtime. It was his third straight 100-yard game.
Defense: Tyson Gale, LB, Marshall. Had a team-high seven tackles against Louisville, including a tackle for loss and the biggest play of the game when he intercepted a pass with 4:32 left in a 17-13 win.
Special teams: Kase Whitehead, P, Marshall. Dropped four of his five punts inside the 20 in the 17-13 win at Louisville. On the season, 10 of his 30 have been downed inside the 20.
Independent
Co-offense: Riley Nelson, QB, BYU. Cierre Wood, RB, Notre Dame. Nelson came in in relief of starter Jake Heaps and accounted for 206 yards of total offense in four drives as BYU rallied from a 24-13 fourth-quarter deficit to beat Utah State. Nelson was 10-of-14 for 144 yards and two touchdowns, adding 62 rushing yards on 11 carries. Wood ran 20 times for a career-high 191 yards and a touchdown in a win against Purdue. His 55-yard scoring scamper was also a career-long run.
Defense: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame. Had a team-high eight tackles unassisted, and a sack against Purdue.
Special teams: Alex Carlton, PK, Army. Made his first field goal of the season and made all six extra point attempts as the Black Knights beat Tulane. His six conversions moved him into sixth place on the Army career PAT made list.
MAC
East Division
Offense: Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio. Threw for over 250 yards for the third consecutive week as he finished with 276 yards passing and two touchdowns in a 17-10 victory over Kent State.
Defense: C.J. Malauulu, LB, Kent State. Had a game- and career-high 12 tackles in a 17-10 loss to Ohio. He also added three tackles for loss, a sack, a pass break-up and a forced fumble.
Special Teams: Boo Boo Gates, KR, Bowling Green. Had seven returns for 233 yards, including a career-best 77-yard return in the first quarter in a 55-10 setback at West Virginia. His seven returns are the second-most in school history, while the yards are the most ever in a game.
West Division
Offense: Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Threw for a career high and school record 479 yards and five touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter, in a 38-31 upset of UConn. His five touchdowns tied for second most in a game in school history.
Defense: Robert Bell, LB, Toledo. Had a career-high 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and one recovered fumble in a 36-13 road win at Temple.
Special Teams: David Harman, K, Central Michigan. Was 6-of-6 on extra-point attempts and 2-of-2 on field goals for 12 total points in a 48-41 win over Northern Illinois.
Mountain West
Offense: Tim Jefferson, QB, Air Force. Went 9-of-10 for 136 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 18 times for 66 yards and two scores in a 35-34 overtime win at Navy. Jefferson, who scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run, led Air Force to its second-straight win over Navy and the first in Annapolis since 1997.
Defense: Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Had a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in a 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. The tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history. It also tied for the most in a FBS game this season.
Special teams: Alex Means, LB, Air Force. Blocked Navy’s extra-point try in overtime. Means has blocked two kicks this season and also tied a career-high with 12 tackles and intercepted a pass.
WAC
Offense: Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
Defense: Keith Smith, LB, San Jose State. Had a team-high 10 tackles and forced a fumble in a 38-31 win at Colorado State. The forced fumble occurred in the second quarter and was returned 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 17-7 lead.
Special teams: Justin Hernandez, WR, Idaho. Blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown with 3:11 left in Idaho’s game at Virginia. Idaho trailed 14-6 at the time and following the successful two-point conversion, the Vandals forced overtime. They lost 21-20 in the extra period.
Sun Belt
Offense: Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State. Set a new school record for completions in a game when he completed 37 passes on 49 attempts in a 26-22 win at Western Kentucky. Aplin passed for a season-high 396 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and also caught a touchdown pass against the Hilltoppers.
Defense: Lance Kelley, LB, Louisiana. Had eight tackles, a tackle-for-loss and an interception in a win over FAU. He currently leads the Cajuns and ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 39 total tackles.
Special teams: Brett Baer, K/P, Louisiana. Scored 13 points in a 37-34 victory. He made field goals of 47 yards and 46 yards before hitting the game-winning 26-yard field goal as time expired. It was the first win for the Cajuns in the final 10 seconds of regulation since 2003.
Taking a look at the week that was in the non-AQs ...
The good: Marshall and Western Michigan pulled upsets on their AQ opponents -- the Thundering Herd beat Louisville 17-13 and the Broncos beat UConn 38-31. ... Boise State got its run game going in a 30-10 win against Nevada as Doug Martin went over 100 yards for the first time this season. ... New Mexico State beat New Mexico 42-28 - the first time in over 40 years that the Aggies have won three straight in the series. ... San Jose State scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass with 54 seconds remaining to beat Colorado State 38-31. The Spartans have won back-to-back games for the first time in three years. … Louisiana is 4-1 for the first time since 1988 after Brett Baer hit a 26-yard field goal with no time left to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 37-34 win against FAU.
The bad: The TCU pass defense continues to struggle. SMU beat TCU 40-33 in overtime, throwing for 349 yards in the victory. All of its offensive touchdowns came on passes. In all, TCU gave up more than 450 yards for the second time this season, and the Horned Frogs are out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in 47 weeks. ... Temple had a huge win against Maryland in Week 4, but the Owls fell flat at home against Toledo, dropping an important MAC game 36-13. All seven of their drives in the second half ended with a punt or turnover. ... Northern Illinois lost to Central Michigan 48-41 -- the third time this season the Huskies' defense has given up 40 points.
The heartbreak: Utah State is the poster child for broken hearts this season. For the third time, the Aggies lost a game in the closing minutes. This time, it happened against in-state rival BYU. Riley Nelson came off the bench to lead a comeback for the Cougars, engineering a 96-yard game-winnning drive with 11 seconds left for a 27-24 BYU win. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Matthews was tipped by Utah State defender Will Harris near the goal line. The Aggies blew a 24-13 lead, and were hoping for consecutive wins against BYU for the first time since 1973-74.
Meanwhile in Annapolis, a penalty flag helped decide one of the biggest rivalry games in college football. Navy erased an 18-point fourth quarter deficit behind quarterback Kriss Proctor, who had a 7-yard touchdown run and 5-yard touchdown pass to Gee Gee Greene with 19 seconds left in regulation. Alexander Teich ran in the 2-point conversion and the game went into overtime. Proctor put Navy up first in the extra period on a 1-yard touchdown run, but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for getting in the face of an Air Force player. The extra point was blocked. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson answered with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own and the Falcons made their extra point to win 35-34 and get a leg up in the competition for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo was incredulous after the game, "I would hope the referees would have said something like, 'Settle down,' in that situation," he said. "It's too critical a call to make. I hope those guys can sleep well tonight."
Idaho nearly pulled the upset at Virginia, but the Vandals failed on their 2-point attempt in overtime and lost 21-20. Coach Robb Akey decided to go for the win in the extra period, but Brian Reader had his pass batted down. "My only disappointment was that we didn’t make the play at the end of the game," Akey said.
Case Keenum watch: Keenum threw for 471 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-42 win against UTEP, the 15th time he has reached 400 yards in his career. He now ranks third on the NCAA career pasing list, and needs 1,482 yards to break the mark held by Timmy Chang. Keenum is averaging 401 yards passing a game. If he keeps that pace up, he will break the passing record at UAB on Nov. 5.
Helmet stickers
Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Carder threw for a career-high and program record 479 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-31 win against UConn.
Harry Peoples, WR, Louisiana. Peoples had 12 catches for 176 yards in a win against FAU. His 12 receptions tied the mark Brandon Stokley set against Louisiana Tech in 1995 for most catches by a UL receiver at Cajun Field.
Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Amack amassed a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in the Falcons’ 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. Amack’s tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history.
Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Christian went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
The good: Marshall and Western Michigan pulled upsets on their AQ opponents -- the Thundering Herd beat Louisville 17-13 and the Broncos beat UConn 38-31. ... Boise State got its run game going in a 30-10 win against Nevada as Doug Martin went over 100 yards for the first time this season. ... New Mexico State beat New Mexico 42-28 - the first time in over 40 years that the Aggies have won three straight in the series. ... San Jose State scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass with 54 seconds remaining to beat Colorado State 38-31. The Spartans have won back-to-back games for the first time in three years. … Louisiana is 4-1 for the first time since 1988 after Brett Baer hit a 26-yard field goal with no time left to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 37-34 win against FAU.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Matt StrasenReceiver Darius Johnson and SMU ripped TCU's pass defense in a 40-33 overtime victory.
AP Photo/Matt StrasenReceiver Darius Johnson and SMU ripped TCU's pass defense in a 40-33 overtime victory.The heartbreak: Utah State is the poster child for broken hearts this season. For the third time, the Aggies lost a game in the closing minutes. This time, it happened against in-state rival BYU. Riley Nelson came off the bench to lead a comeback for the Cougars, engineering a 96-yard game-winnning drive with 11 seconds left for a 27-24 BYU win. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Matthews was tipped by Utah State defender Will Harris near the goal line. The Aggies blew a 24-13 lead, and were hoping for consecutive wins against BYU for the first time since 1973-74.
Meanwhile in Annapolis, a penalty flag helped decide one of the biggest rivalry games in college football. Navy erased an 18-point fourth quarter deficit behind quarterback Kriss Proctor, who had a 7-yard touchdown run and 5-yard touchdown pass to Gee Gee Greene with 19 seconds left in regulation. Alexander Teich ran in the 2-point conversion and the game went into overtime. Proctor put Navy up first in the extra period on a 1-yard touchdown run, but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for getting in the face of an Air Force player. The extra point was blocked. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson answered with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own and the Falcons made their extra point to win 35-34 and get a leg up in the competition for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo was incredulous after the game, "I would hope the referees would have said something like, 'Settle down,' in that situation," he said. "It's too critical a call to make. I hope those guys can sleep well tonight."
Idaho nearly pulled the upset at Virginia, but the Vandals failed on their 2-point attempt in overtime and lost 21-20. Coach Robb Akey decided to go for the win in the extra period, but Brian Reader had his pass batted down. "My only disappointment was that we didn’t make the play at the end of the game," Akey said.
Case Keenum watch: Keenum threw for 471 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-42 win against UTEP, the 15th time he has reached 400 yards in his career. He now ranks third on the NCAA career pasing list, and needs 1,482 yards to break the mark held by Timmy Chang. Keenum is averaging 401 yards passing a game. If he keeps that pace up, he will break the passing record at UAB on Nov. 5.
Helmet stickers
Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Carder threw for a career-high and program record 479 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-31 win against UConn.
Harry Peoples, WR, Louisiana. Peoples had 12 catches for 176 yards in a win against FAU. His 12 receptions tied the mark Brandon Stokley set against Louisiana Tech in 1995 for most catches by a UL receiver at Cajun Field.
Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Amack amassed a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in the Falcons’ 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. Amack’s tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history.
Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Christian went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
Hawaii was picked by the coaches and media as the preseason favorite to win the WAC, while Fresno State was selected to finish second and Nevada third.
The Warriors return quarterback Bryant Moniz, who threw for over 5,000 yards last season, and six starters on defense, including linebacker Corey Paredes. But there are questions for the Warriors going into the season -- they have to replace their entire starting offensive line, running back Alex Green and receivers Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares.
Fresno State has a new quarterback in Derek Carr and a young group of receivers as well. Nevada has to replace Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua, along with Dontay Moch. All three teams have big question marks, but no doubt these three teams are expected to be in a tight race to the top with Boise State gone to the Mountain West. Nevada and Hawaii won a share of the WAC title with the Broncos last season.
The coaches and media voted the same order of finish in their respective polls:
1. Hawaii
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. Louisiana Tech
5. Utah State
6. Idaho
7. San Jose State
8. New Mexico State
The Warriors return quarterback Bryant Moniz, who threw for over 5,000 yards last season, and six starters on defense, including linebacker Corey Paredes. But there are questions for the Warriors going into the season -- they have to replace their entire starting offensive line, running back Alex Green and receivers Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares.
Fresno State has a new quarterback in Derek Carr and a young group of receivers as well. Nevada has to replace Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua, along with Dontay Moch. All three teams have big question marks, but no doubt these three teams are expected to be in a tight race to the top with Boise State gone to the Mountain West. Nevada and Hawaii won a share of the WAC title with the Broncos last season.
The coaches and media voted the same order of finish in their respective polls:
1. Hawaii
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. Louisiana Tech
5. Utah State
6. Idaho
7. San Jose State
8. New Mexico State
WAC waits to add another football school
June, 14, 2011
6/14/11
4:46
PM ET
By
Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com
The WAC added Seattle University on Tuesday, but is holding off on inviting another football playing school until at least next season.
Commissioner Karl Benson acknowledged on a conference call that having seven football playing members for the 2012 season was less than ideal, but the league wanted to continue to explore all its options before adding another program. The WAC has been hurt with the departures of Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State to the Mountain West. The league has only added Texas State and UT-San Antonio, two schools that will move up from FCS to FBS to join the WAC.
Benson said the league has been in contact with 10 to 12 schools about future membership, but made a decision in April to hold off on football expansion. He said the economy precluded some of the FCS schools considering a move up from making a quick decision.
"We hope in the next year that the timing will be better," Benson said. "Hopefully a year from now there may be football playing schools ready to make a move to the WAC."
There are still those outside the WAC who wonder about the viability of the league without its premier members, but Benson believes the five members who will remain past 2011 -- Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Idaho, San Jose State and Utah State -- have the opportunity to become the next Boise State.
"It will be important this year for the five remaining WAC schools to show some success," Benson said. "It will be important for one of those five teams to contend for a WAC championship, to go to a bowl game, to carry the WAC umbrella into the postseason. I've been asked many times what the future holds and I think I've been consistent in saying there isn't any reason one of those schools or perhaps a Texas State or UT-San Antonio can't be the next Boise State.
"Ten years ago when Boise State joined the WAC, I don't think anybody expected Boise State to have the dominance it has had. Looking at the five remaining members of the WAC, I don't see a whole lot of difference between those five programs in 2011 than where Boise State was in 2001. It's very realistic that one of those five schools can indeed be the flag bearer and a national power coming out of the WAC."
As for bowl affiliations, the WAC will retain three tie-ins for 2011. In 2012, there would only be one -- the WAC champ would head to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho.
Commissioner Karl Benson acknowledged on a conference call that having seven football playing members for the 2012 season was less than ideal, but the league wanted to continue to explore all its options before adding another program. The WAC has been hurt with the departures of Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State to the Mountain West. The league has only added Texas State and UT-San Antonio, two schools that will move up from FCS to FBS to join the WAC.
Benson said the league has been in contact with 10 to 12 schools about future membership, but made a decision in April to hold off on football expansion. He said the economy precluded some of the FCS schools considering a move up from making a quick decision.
"We hope in the next year that the timing will be better," Benson said. "Hopefully a year from now there may be football playing schools ready to make a move to the WAC."
There are still those outside the WAC who wonder about the viability of the league without its premier members, but Benson believes the five members who will remain past 2011 -- Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Idaho, San Jose State and Utah State -- have the opportunity to become the next Boise State.
"It will be important this year for the five remaining WAC schools to show some success," Benson said. "It will be important for one of those five teams to contend for a WAC championship, to go to a bowl game, to carry the WAC umbrella into the postseason. I've been asked many times what the future holds and I think I've been consistent in saying there isn't any reason one of those schools or perhaps a Texas State or UT-San Antonio can't be the next Boise State.
"Ten years ago when Boise State joined the WAC, I don't think anybody expected Boise State to have the dominance it has had. Looking at the five remaining members of the WAC, I don't see a whole lot of difference between those five programs in 2011 than where Boise State was in 2001. It's very realistic that one of those five schools can indeed be the flag bearer and a national power coming out of the WAC."
As for bowl affiliations, the WAC will retain three tie-ins for 2011. In 2012, there would only be one -- the WAC champ would head to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho.
The NCAA released its full academic progress rates today, and six non-AQ schools are faced with losing scholarships for poor academic performance.
ULM lost seven scholarships, while UTEP and Akron each lost four; FAU lost three and Idaho lost one. FIU also lost one after failing to meet conditions that would have waived the reduction.
Each Division I team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face penalties, including scholarship losses and restrictions on practice and competition. Rates are based on the past four years’ performance.
The NCAA announced last week that 14 schools had been honored with Public Recognition Awards for being in the top 10 percent of their sports with their APR scores. Air Force, Boise State, Middle Tennessee, Navy, Northern Illinois and Rice were the non-AQ schools recognized.
Here is a complete list of the non-AQ conferences and how their schools did. I have listed the schools based on the conference they played in for 2009-10.
Conference USA
Rice 983
UCF 971
Tulane 970
Marshall 947
East Carolina 943
Memphis 940
SMU 939
Houston 929
Southern Miss 928
Tulsa 927
UTEP 918 -- lost four scholarships
UAB 901
MAC
Northern Illinois 987
Miami (Ohio) 970
Western Michigan 963
Ohio 950
Central Michigan 943
Toledo 943
Ball State 942
Kent State 942
Bowling Green 941
Eastern Michigan 937
Temple 937
Buffalo 930
Akron 924 -- lost four scholarships
Mountain West
Air Force 978
TCU 972
Utah 956
Colorado State 948
New Mexico 947
UNLV 947
San Diego State 934
BYU 929
Wyoming 933
WAC
Boise State 981
Hawaii 959
Fresno State 952
Utah State 946
Louisiana Tech 944
Nevada 943
Idaho 923 -- lost one scholarship
San Jose State 931
New Mexico State 918
Sun Belt
Middle Tennessee 979
Western Kentucky 959
Arkansas State 943
Louisiana 943
FIU 936 -- lost one scholarship. (Failed to meet conditions that would have waived the penalty).
North Texas 932
Troy 932
FAU 920 -- lost three scholarhips
ULM 908 -- lost seven scholarships
Independent
Navy 978
Army 968
ULM lost seven scholarships, while UTEP and Akron each lost four; FAU lost three and Idaho lost one. FIU also lost one after failing to meet conditions that would have waived the reduction.
Each Division I team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face penalties, including scholarship losses and restrictions on practice and competition. Rates are based on the past four years’ performance.
The NCAA announced last week that 14 schools had been honored with Public Recognition Awards for being in the top 10 percent of their sports with their APR scores. Air Force, Boise State, Middle Tennessee, Navy, Northern Illinois and Rice were the non-AQ schools recognized.
Here is a complete list of the non-AQ conferences and how their schools did. I have listed the schools based on the conference they played in for 2009-10.
Conference USA
Rice 983
UCF 971
Tulane 970
Marshall 947
East Carolina 943
Memphis 940
SMU 939
Houston 929
Southern Miss 928
Tulsa 927
UTEP 918 -- lost four scholarships
UAB 901
MAC
Northern Illinois 987
Miami (Ohio) 970
Western Michigan 963
Ohio 950
Central Michigan 943
Toledo 943
Ball State 942
Kent State 942
Bowling Green 941
Eastern Michigan 937
Temple 937
Buffalo 930
Akron 924 -- lost four scholarships
Mountain West
Air Force 978
TCU 972
Utah 956
Colorado State 948
New Mexico 947
UNLV 947
San Diego State 934
BYU 929
Wyoming 933
WAC
Boise State 981
Hawaii 959
Fresno State 952
Utah State 946
Louisiana Tech 944
Nevada 943
Idaho 923 -- lost one scholarship
San Jose State 931
New Mexico State 918
Sun Belt
Middle Tennessee 979
Western Kentucky 959
Arkansas State 943
Louisiana 943
FIU 936 -- lost one scholarship. (Failed to meet conditions that would have waived the penalty).
North Texas 932
Troy 932
FAU 920 -- lost three scholarhips
ULM 908 -- lost seven scholarships
Independent
Navy 978
Army 968
Here is a final tally of where non-AQ players landed in the NFL draft. Thirty-nine players from non-AQ FBS teams were drafted. TCU had the most players taken with five. Here are the other schools with multiple players selected:
Boise State: 3
Hawaii: 3
Idaho: 3
Nevada: 3
Fresno State: 2
San Diego State: 2
Temple: 2
UCF: 2
Note: Fresno State receiver Jamel Hamler and Southern Miss receiver DeAndre Brown did not get drafted after opting to leave school early.
Mr. Irrelevant went to Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu.
First round
No. 30, Temple DE Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
ESPN.com says: Wilkerson is an unusual 3-4 DE because he is more than just a run stopper with his 9.5 sacks a year ago. He should start immediately in this front seven and fill a huge gap at DE, where they have struggled recently.
Second round
No. 35 TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN.com says: Dalton is a guy the Bengals can build around, and he will fit in very well in Jay Gruden's West Coast offense.
No. 36 Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Nevada Wolf Pack
ESPN.com says: Kaepernick has a great upside, although like Alex Smith, he has to make a huge transition from an unorthodox college offense to a pro-style offense. The 49ers will run a West Coast style, but the huge question is do they talk Alex Smith into coming back to develop Kaepernick or cut ties and throw the rookie into the fire?
No. 44 Boise State receiver Titus Young, Detroit Lions
ESPN.com says: Young looks like the perfect guy to line up in the slot in the Lions' three-wide package, and his quickness and yards after the catch could give them added versatility.
No. 54 Temple safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN.com says: Jarrett is not necessarily a game-changer but could be a solid SS, good in run support and decent in zone coverages.
Third round
No. 66 Nevada linebacker Dontay Moch, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN.com says: Moch likely will line up at the SLB, and although the Bengals like their outside guys, he adds depth and versatility,
No. 69 FAU tight end Rob Housler, Arizona Cardinals
ESPN.com says: Housler will bring them an H-back type pass-catcher who should really upgrade them on third down and in the red zone.
No. 78 Boise State receiver Austin Pettis, St. Louis Rams
ESPN.com says: Pettis will give them a tall presence in the red zone and on third down and he can be the go-to guy in key situations.
No. 82 San Diego State receiver Vincent Brown, San Diego Chargers
ESPN.com says: While Brown might not be elite, Philip Rivers will like him because he'll run good routes and be a nice target. But he's not explosive.
No. 83 Troy receiver Jerrel Jernigan, New York Giants
ESPN.com says: Jernigan is not necessarily a big-play guy but he can work out of the slot, create yards after the catch and give them some return ability.
No. 85 UCF offensive lineman Jah Reid, Baltimore Ravens
ESPN.com says: With this pick, look for the Ravens to try to develop him as their RT and leave Oher on the left side.
No. 90 Utah State cornerback Curtis Marsh, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN.com says: The No. 1 need for this team was CB and Marsh is a perfect fit in the style of defense they play.
No. 96 Hawaii running back Alex Green, Green Bay Packers
ESPN.com says: This is a great offense without a consistent run game and Green is a versatile back who can catch well and be another target for Aaron Rodgers.
Fourth round
No. 112 Hawaii receiver Greg Salas, St. Louis Rams
ESPN.com says: Much like their third-round pick Austin Pettis, Salas is a good route runner and he really works well in the middle of the field.
No. 121 Wyoming safety Chris Prosinski, Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN.com says: The Jags could use two new guys and more depth and Prosinski is a step in the right direction.
No. 131 New Mexico State cornerback Davon House, Green Bay Packers
ESPN.com says: Although not a major need, House fits nicely into the Packers' defensive scheme as a press corner who will play a lot of man coverages.
Fifth round
No. 132 Hawaii receiver Kealoha Pilares, Carolina Panthers
No. 138 TCU offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, New England Patriots
No. 143 Buffalo cornerback Josh Thomas, Dallas Cowboys
No. 144 Idaho safety Shiloh Keo, Houston Texans
No. 147 Middle Tennessee cornerback Rod Issac, Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 153 TCU receiver Jeremy Kerley, New York Jets
No. 159 Marshall tight end Lee Smith, New England Patriots
No. 160 Idaho quarterback Nate Enderle, Chicago Bears
No. 162 Fresno State linebacker Chris Carter, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sixth round
No. 174 Tulsa fullback Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins
No. 176 East Carolina receiver Dwayne Harris, Dallas Cowboys
No. 178 SMU receiver Aldrick Robinson, Washington Redskins
No. 190 TCU safety Colin Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Seventh round
No. 204 Nevada tight end Virgil Green, Denver Broncos
No. 210 Fresno State offensive lineman Andrew Jackson, Atlanta Falcons
No. 211 UCF defensive end Bruce Miller, San Francisco 49ers
No. 213 Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson, Washington Redskins
No. 214 Arkansas State offensive lineman Derek Newton, Houston Texans
No. 219 TCU defensive back Malcolm Williams, New England Patriots
No. 222 FIU cornerback Anthony Gaitor, Tampa Bay Bucs
No. 238 Idaho tight end Daniel Hardy, Tampa Bay Bucs
No. 249 San Diego State receiver DeMarco Sampson, Arizona Cardinals
No. 254 Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, Houston Texans
Boise State: 3
Hawaii: 3
Idaho: 3
Nevada: 3
Fresno State: 2
San Diego State: 2
Temple: 2
UCF: 2
Note: Fresno State receiver Jamel Hamler and Southern Miss receiver DeAndre Brown did not get drafted after opting to leave school early.
Mr. Irrelevant went to Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu.
First round
No. 30, Temple DE Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets
ESPN.com says: Wilkerson is an unusual 3-4 DE because he is more than just a run stopper with his 9.5 sacks a year ago. He should start immediately in this front seven and fill a huge gap at DE, where they have struggled recently.
Second round
No. 35 TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN.com says: Dalton is a guy the Bengals can build around, and he will fit in very well in Jay Gruden's West Coast offense.
No. 36 Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Nevada Wolf Pack
ESPN.com says: Kaepernick has a great upside, although like Alex Smith, he has to make a huge transition from an unorthodox college offense to a pro-style offense. The 49ers will run a West Coast style, but the huge question is do they talk Alex Smith into coming back to develop Kaepernick or cut ties and throw the rookie into the fire?
No. 44 Boise State receiver Titus Young, Detroit Lions
ESPN.com says: Young looks like the perfect guy to line up in the slot in the Lions' three-wide package, and his quickness and yards after the catch could give them added versatility.
No. 54 Temple safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN.com says: Jarrett is not necessarily a game-changer but could be a solid SS, good in run support and decent in zone coverages.
Third round
No. 66 Nevada linebacker Dontay Moch, Cincinnati Bengals
ESPN.com says: Moch likely will line up at the SLB, and although the Bengals like their outside guys, he adds depth and versatility,
No. 69 FAU tight end Rob Housler, Arizona Cardinals
ESPN.com says: Housler will bring them an H-back type pass-catcher who should really upgrade them on third down and in the red zone.
No. 78 Boise State receiver Austin Pettis, St. Louis Rams
ESPN.com says: Pettis will give them a tall presence in the red zone and on third down and he can be the go-to guy in key situations.
No. 82 San Diego State receiver Vincent Brown, San Diego Chargers
ESPN.com says: While Brown might not be elite, Philip Rivers will like him because he'll run good routes and be a nice target. But he's not explosive.
No. 83 Troy receiver Jerrel Jernigan, New York Giants
ESPN.com says: Jernigan is not necessarily a big-play guy but he can work out of the slot, create yards after the catch and give them some return ability.
No. 85 UCF offensive lineman Jah Reid, Baltimore Ravens
ESPN.com says: With this pick, look for the Ravens to try to develop him as their RT and leave Oher on the left side.
No. 90 Utah State cornerback Curtis Marsh, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN.com says: The No. 1 need for this team was CB and Marsh is a perfect fit in the style of defense they play.
No. 96 Hawaii running back Alex Green, Green Bay Packers
ESPN.com says: This is a great offense without a consistent run game and Green is a versatile back who can catch well and be another target for Aaron Rodgers.
Fourth round
No. 112 Hawaii receiver Greg Salas, St. Louis Rams
ESPN.com says: Much like their third-round pick Austin Pettis, Salas is a good route runner and he really works well in the middle of the field.
No. 121 Wyoming safety Chris Prosinski, Jacksonville Jaguars
ESPN.com says: The Jags could use two new guys and more depth and Prosinski is a step in the right direction.
No. 131 New Mexico State cornerback Davon House, Green Bay Packers
ESPN.com says: Although not a major need, House fits nicely into the Packers' defensive scheme as a press corner who will play a lot of man coverages.
Fifth round
No. 132 Hawaii receiver Kealoha Pilares, Carolina Panthers
No. 138 TCU offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, New England Patriots
No. 143 Buffalo cornerback Josh Thomas, Dallas Cowboys
No. 144 Idaho safety Shiloh Keo, Houston Texans
No. 147 Middle Tennessee cornerback Rod Issac, Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 153 TCU receiver Jeremy Kerley, New York Jets
No. 159 Marshall tight end Lee Smith, New England Patriots
No. 160 Idaho quarterback Nate Enderle, Chicago Bears
No. 162 Fresno State linebacker Chris Carter, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sixth round
No. 174 Tulsa fullback Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins
No. 176 East Carolina receiver Dwayne Harris, Dallas Cowboys
No. 178 SMU receiver Aldrick Robinson, Washington Redskins
No. 190 TCU safety Colin Jones, San Francisco 49ers
Seventh round
No. 204 Nevada tight end Virgil Green, Denver Broncos
No. 210 Fresno State offensive lineman Andrew Jackson, Atlanta Falcons
No. 211 UCF defensive end Bruce Miller, San Francisco 49ers
No. 213 Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson, Washington Redskins
No. 214 Arkansas State offensive lineman Derek Newton, Houston Texans
No. 219 TCU defensive back Malcolm Williams, New England Patriots
No. 222 FIU cornerback Anthony Gaitor, Tampa Bay Bucs
No. 238 Idaho tight end Daniel Hardy, Tampa Bay Bucs
No. 249 San Diego State receiver DeMarco Sampson, Arizona Cardinals
No. 254 Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, Houston Texans
Here is a quick look at the non-AQ spring games from this past weekend.
Ball State: Coach Pete Lembo said Keith Wenning has the edge in the race to become the starting quarterback over Kelly Page. Lembo cited Wenning's mobility and ability to protect the ball as two areas where he has done better. One side note: Michigan coach Brady Hoke attended the game to watch his nephew, Kyle, who is on the team. Hoke coached Ball State for two seasons before leaving for San Diego State.
Colorado State: M.J. McPeek appears to have won the backup quarterback spot behind Pete Thomas. Many key contributors were held out or limited during the spring game. That includes cornerback Momo Thomas, who is making his return from a shoulder injury that cost him all of 2010. Thomas returned punts only. Pete Thomas only played a handful of series. One player who stood out to coach Steve Fairchild was former walk-on running back Derek Good, who had 10 carries for 75 yards.
Idaho: The offense behind Brian Reader looked sharp, and several players on defense made some big plays in what coach Robb Akey said was the best practice of the spring. Tre'Shawn Robinson was one of six players with four tackles. Defensive end Benson Mayowa continued his impressive spring, leading the team with five tackles. The one downside -- the team was still assessing a knee injury to linebacker Robert Siavii.
FAU: The Owls are switching to a 3-4 defense, and coach Howard Schenllenberger was pleased with the overall way the unit performed this spring. They are going to have to be better after ranking as one of the worst in the nation last season. Cory Henry and Randell Johnson impressed on the outside. As for the quarterback competition, it will continue into the fall between David Kooi and Graham Wilbert. Wilbert injured his finger during the spring game, leaving the majority of the snaps to Kooi.
Marshall: There was no separation between quarterbacks A.J. Graham and Eddie Sullivan during the spring game, meaning their competition to win the starting quarterback job will stretch into the fall. Coach Doc Holliday also mentioned two incoming freshman who will be thrown into the mix.
Navy: Trey Miller won the Vice Admiral William P. Mack Award at halftime of the spring game. The award is given annually to the most improved player during the spring, as voted on by the coaches. Miller is the second quarterback to win the award since its inception 36 years ago. Miller is currently listed as the backup behind Kriss Proctor.
"Trey had a great spring, he impressed the coaching staff with his grasp of the offense and he’s a kid that just knows how to plays. He has the ability to make something out of nothing,” coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
Northern Illinois: Senior quarterback Chandler Harnish completed 18 of 25 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and the Huskies’ No. 1 defense kept the second-team offense out of the end zone. Jasmin Hopkins had 10 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown, while Akeem Daniels led all rushers with 11 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. First-year coach Dave Doeren was pleased with his offense, but still has decisions to make at running back.
"We didn’t want to reinvent what they had going here. They had a good system and a good team," Doeren said. "Chandler did a nice job of being a consistent guy who throws the ball well, manages the game and handles the team. He doesn’t have to do too much."
Utah State: Adam Kennedy and Alex Hart will continue their quarterback competition into the fall, but coach Gary Andersen is not going to let it drag on for very long. "We will let it go for a week or week and a half at the most before we make a decision," he said. "It is not going to carry on into the Auburn game where we haven’t named a starter. We will continue to let them battle it out throughout the summer. That should help them. We will see what kind of leadership they have and we will see whom the team rallies around. I think the team will rally around both of these young men, and the battle will go on.”
Ball State: Coach Pete Lembo said Keith Wenning has the edge in the race to become the starting quarterback over Kelly Page. Lembo cited Wenning's mobility and ability to protect the ball as two areas where he has done better. One side note: Michigan coach Brady Hoke attended the game to watch his nephew, Kyle, who is on the team. Hoke coached Ball State for two seasons before leaving for San Diego State.
Colorado State: M.J. McPeek appears to have won the backup quarterback spot behind Pete Thomas. Many key contributors were held out or limited during the spring game. That includes cornerback Momo Thomas, who is making his return from a shoulder injury that cost him all of 2010. Thomas returned punts only. Pete Thomas only played a handful of series. One player who stood out to coach Steve Fairchild was former walk-on running back Derek Good, who had 10 carries for 75 yards.
Idaho: The offense behind Brian Reader looked sharp, and several players on defense made some big plays in what coach Robb Akey said was the best practice of the spring. Tre'Shawn Robinson was one of six players with four tackles. Defensive end Benson Mayowa continued his impressive spring, leading the team with five tackles. The one downside -- the team was still assessing a knee injury to linebacker Robert Siavii.
FAU: The Owls are switching to a 3-4 defense, and coach Howard Schenllenberger was pleased with the overall way the unit performed this spring. They are going to have to be better after ranking as one of the worst in the nation last season. Cory Henry and Randell Johnson impressed on the outside. As for the quarterback competition, it will continue into the fall between David Kooi and Graham Wilbert. Wilbert injured his finger during the spring game, leaving the majority of the snaps to Kooi.
Marshall: There was no separation between quarterbacks A.J. Graham and Eddie Sullivan during the spring game, meaning their competition to win the starting quarterback job will stretch into the fall. Coach Doc Holliday also mentioned two incoming freshman who will be thrown into the mix.
Navy: Trey Miller won the Vice Admiral William P. Mack Award at halftime of the spring game. The award is given annually to the most improved player during the spring, as voted on by the coaches. Miller is the second quarterback to win the award since its inception 36 years ago. Miller is currently listed as the backup behind Kriss Proctor.
"Trey had a great spring, he impressed the coaching staff with his grasp of the offense and he’s a kid that just knows how to plays. He has the ability to make something out of nothing,” coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
Northern Illinois: Senior quarterback Chandler Harnish completed 18 of 25 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, and the Huskies’ No. 1 defense kept the second-team offense out of the end zone. Jasmin Hopkins had 10 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown, while Akeem Daniels led all rushers with 11 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. First-year coach Dave Doeren was pleased with his offense, but still has decisions to make at running back.
"We didn’t want to reinvent what they had going here. They had a good system and a good team," Doeren said. "Chandler did a nice job of being a consistent guy who throws the ball well, manages the game and handles the team. He doesn’t have to do too much."
Utah State: Adam Kennedy and Alex Hart will continue their quarterback competition into the fall, but coach Gary Andersen is not going to let it drag on for very long. "We will let it go for a week or week and a half at the most before we make a decision," he said. "It is not going to carry on into the Auburn game where we haven’t named a starter. We will continue to let them battle it out throughout the summer. That should help them. We will see what kind of leadership they have and we will see whom the team rallies around. I think the team will rally around both of these young men, and the battle will go on.”
There are a few non-AQ spring games this weekend. Here is a quick glance:
Ball State: New coach Pete Lembo has stressed working on fundamentals this spring, but he also has a quarterback competition that has been ongoing between Keith Wenning and Kelly Page. The two are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, so they have gotten plenty of reps with the first- and second-team offenses. Wenning has an edge following the last scrimmage the Cardinals played. Lembo hopes to have a decision following the spring game. "But if it’s not clear-cut, we won’t panic and we’ll make that decision in the preseason," Lembo said. "Either way, those guys will continue to get a lot of work."
Colorado State: Quarterback Pete Thomas has continued his improvement throughout the spring, but one player to watch is Crockett Gillmore, who has turned heads at tight end after lining up at defensive end. The 6-foot-6 Gillmore had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver in high school and has showed good hands and good blocking this spring. Coach Steve Fairchild was asked after a scrimmage last week whether Gillmore could be used like Stanford two-way player Owen Marecic. "It would take some time, and some well-thought-out packages to see which way he could go the most, and so forth," Fairchild said. "We’ve got a long time before we have to make that decision. But I know this: He’s one of our top 22 football players and he will be on the field in Albuquerque [for the season opener against New Mexico Sept. 3].”
FAU: Graham Wilbert and David Kooi continue their competition to become the starting quarterback, but it appears there may not be a decision until the fall. In the last scrimmage before the spring game, Kooi went 5-of-12 for 64 yards and a touchdown. Wilbert went 12-of-18 for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Idaho: Injuries have taken a big toll this spring, especially on the offensive line, where only two starters participated in the team's last scrimmage. But coach Robb Akey has been pleased with the development of the depth on his defensive line. Michael Cosgrove and Benson Mayowa have been spring standouts, combining for four sacks in the team's last scrimmage.
Marshall: A.J. Graham and Eddie Sullivan have not separated themselves in the race to become the Thundering Herd's starting quarterback. They have one last opportunity to impress in the spring game, though this race is expected to continue into the fall. The Herd has to improve their running game, too, and Essray Taliaferro has impressed this spring.
Navy: Twenty players are being held out of the scrimmage this afternoon for various injuries, including Alexander Teich, Jabaree Tuani, G.G. Greene and Aaron Santiago. Those players are veterans, and do not need to prove themselves. Coach Ken Niumatalolo needs to see his younger defensive players in the game with so many starting jobs up for grabs in the linebacking corps and secondary. Only three starters return on defense.
Northern Illinois: A great running back competition has developed during between Jamal Womble, Jasmin Hopkins and Akeem Daniels.
You can read more about it in a blog post I did earlier this morning.
Utah State: Alex Hart, Jeremy Higgins and Adam Kennedy are competing for the starting quarterback job to replace Diondre Borel. Coach Gary Andersen does not want the offense to fall on their shoulders as much as it did on Borel. They should get some help from a deep running back group that features the return of Robert Turbin (knee) and Michael Smith (turf toe), along with Kerwynn Williams. Turbin has been limited during the spring but expects to be full go for fall practice. The last day of practice is actually April 29, but the spring game is Saturday.
Ball State: New coach Pete Lembo has stressed working on fundamentals this spring, but he also has a quarterback competition that has been ongoing between Keith Wenning and Kelly Page. The two are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, so they have gotten plenty of reps with the first- and second-team offenses. Wenning has an edge following the last scrimmage the Cardinals played. Lembo hopes to have a decision following the spring game. "But if it’s not clear-cut, we won’t panic and we’ll make that decision in the preseason," Lembo said. "Either way, those guys will continue to get a lot of work."
Colorado State: Quarterback Pete Thomas has continued his improvement throughout the spring, but one player to watch is Crockett Gillmore, who has turned heads at tight end after lining up at defensive end. The 6-foot-6 Gillmore had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver in high school and has showed good hands and good blocking this spring. Coach Steve Fairchild was asked after a scrimmage last week whether Gillmore could be used like Stanford two-way player Owen Marecic. "It would take some time, and some well-thought-out packages to see which way he could go the most, and so forth," Fairchild said. "We’ve got a long time before we have to make that decision. But I know this: He’s one of our top 22 football players and he will be on the field in Albuquerque [for the season opener against New Mexico Sept. 3].”
FAU: Graham Wilbert and David Kooi continue their competition to become the starting quarterback, but it appears there may not be a decision until the fall. In the last scrimmage before the spring game, Kooi went 5-of-12 for 64 yards and a touchdown. Wilbert went 12-of-18 for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Idaho: Injuries have taken a big toll this spring, especially on the offensive line, where only two starters participated in the team's last scrimmage. But coach Robb Akey has been pleased with the development of the depth on his defensive line. Michael Cosgrove and Benson Mayowa have been spring standouts, combining for four sacks in the team's last scrimmage.
Marshall: A.J. Graham and Eddie Sullivan have not separated themselves in the race to become the Thundering Herd's starting quarterback. They have one last opportunity to impress in the spring game, though this race is expected to continue into the fall. The Herd has to improve their running game, too, and Essray Taliaferro has impressed this spring.
Navy: Twenty players are being held out of the scrimmage this afternoon for various injuries, including Alexander Teich, Jabaree Tuani, G.G. Greene and Aaron Santiago. Those players are veterans, and do not need to prove themselves. Coach Ken Niumatalolo needs to see his younger defensive players in the game with so many starting jobs up for grabs in the linebacking corps and secondary. Only three starters return on defense.
Northern Illinois: A great running back competition has developed during between Jamal Womble, Jasmin Hopkins and Akeem Daniels.
You can read more about it in a blog post I did earlier this morning.
Utah State: Alex Hart, Jeremy Higgins and Adam Kennedy are competing for the starting quarterback job to replace Diondre Borel. Coach Gary Andersen does not want the offense to fall on their shoulders as much as it did on Borel. They should get some help from a deep running back group that features the return of Robert Turbin (knee) and Michael Smith (turf toe), along with Kerwynn Williams. Turbin has been limited during the spring but expects to be full go for fall practice. The last day of practice is actually April 29, but the spring game is Saturday.
Happy holiday weekend, one and all.
Brian Reader is set to take over the starting quarterback job at Idaho.
Four Rice players have been arrested in separate cases.
Essray Taliaferro is turning heads at Marshall.
Nevada is unlikely to join the suit Utah's attorney general plans to file against the BCS.
Cameron Bell agreed to move from running back to tight end at Northern Illinois.
Former San Jose State standout Yonus Davis faces a possible prison sentence after his arrest for possession of ecstasy.
Keep an eye on Pete Thomas in Colorado State's spring game.
Ball State is working on the fundamentals this spring.
Brian Reader is set to take over the starting quarterback job at Idaho.
Four Rice players have been arrested in separate cases.
Essray Taliaferro is turning heads at Marshall.
Nevada is unlikely to join the suit Utah's attorney general plans to file against the BCS.
Cameron Bell agreed to move from running back to tight end at Northern Illinois.
Former San Jose State standout Yonus Davis faces a possible prison sentence after his arrest for possession of ecstasy.
Keep an eye on Pete Thomas in Colorado State's spring game.
Ball State is working on the fundamentals this spring.
We continue our look at spring quarterback competitions with a look at the WAC. The league has the most turnover of quarterbacks among all the non-AQs. Only Hawaii and New Mexico State return their main starters from 2010.
Nevada
Who’s out: Colin Kaepernick, school and NCAA record-setting quarterback.
Who’s in: Tyler Lantrip. He has served as Kaepernick’s backup for the past several seasons and is a senior, so he should have the knowledge of the Pistol offense to be able to go in right away and attempt to replace Kaepernick. But it’s a much different deal when you have to start instead of hold a clipboard. How he handles the job as a starter will go a long way toward determining how far Nevada goes in 2011.
Fresno State
Who’s out: Ryan Colburn.
Who’s in: Derek Carr. The brother of former Bulldogs quarterback David Carr, Derek comes in with much hype. He played as a backup his true freshman season after battling with Colburn for the starting job, but the coaching staff wisely redshirted him in 2010 to give him three years of eligibility. In his senior year of high school, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and broke more than 20 school offensive records.
Louisiana Tech
Who’s out: Ross Jenkins.
Who’s competing: Jenkins emerged after Louisiana Tech tried several different players last season. The players to watch going into the spring: Tarik Hakmi, who played in three games last season, and junior college signee Zach Griffith from Fullerton C.C. Colby Cameron, who played in several games at quarterback last season, could be a possibility, but he moved to receiver after Jenkins won the starting job again last season. Rising redshirt freshman Taylor Burch could be in the mix. He also is playing baseball, but is expected to compete in spring football.
Idaho
Who’s out: Nathan Enderle.
Who’s in: Brian Reader. He spent the past two seasons backing up Enderle and is now ready to take the starting reigns as a rising senior. The Vandals also have Taylor Davis, Logan Bushnell and Justin Podrabsky on the roster.
Utah State
Who’s out: Diondre Borel.
Who’s competing: The Aggies are quite young at this position, with Alex Hart and Jeremy Higgins returning off their freshmen seasons. Higgins served as the backup, but Utah State signed a junior college transfer in Adam Kennedy who will be eligible for spring practice. Kennedy, at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif., last season, throwing for 1,767 yards in 10 games on 153-of-236 passing with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had 368 yards rushing with four touchdowns.
San Jose State
Who’s out: Jordan La Secla
Who’s competing: Matt Faulkner, a transfer from Fresno State, served as the backup last season but will have healthy competition from rising sophomores Dasmen Stewart and Blake Jurich. As a senior in high school, Jurich threw for 2,360 yards. Stewart has a redshirt under his belt, so he has been in the program for two years.
Nevada
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Eugene TannerNevada has big shoes to fill with quarterback Colin Kaepernick headed to the NFL.
AP Photo/Eugene TannerNevada has big shoes to fill with quarterback Colin Kaepernick headed to the NFL.Who’s in: Tyler Lantrip. He has served as Kaepernick’s backup for the past several seasons and is a senior, so he should have the knowledge of the Pistol offense to be able to go in right away and attempt to replace Kaepernick. But it’s a much different deal when you have to start instead of hold a clipboard. How he handles the job as a starter will go a long way toward determining how far Nevada goes in 2011.
Fresno State
Who’s out: Ryan Colburn.
Who’s in: Derek Carr. The brother of former Bulldogs quarterback David Carr, Derek comes in with much hype. He played as a backup his true freshman season after battling with Colburn for the starting job, but the coaching staff wisely redshirted him in 2010 to give him three years of eligibility. In his senior year of high school, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and broke more than 20 school offensive records.
Louisiana Tech
Who’s out: Ross Jenkins.
Who’s competing: Jenkins emerged after Louisiana Tech tried several different players last season. The players to watch going into the spring: Tarik Hakmi, who played in three games last season, and junior college signee Zach Griffith from Fullerton C.C. Colby Cameron, who played in several games at quarterback last season, could be a possibility, but he moved to receiver after Jenkins won the starting job again last season. Rising redshirt freshman Taylor Burch could be in the mix. He also is playing baseball, but is expected to compete in spring football.
Idaho
Who’s out: Nathan Enderle.
Who’s in: Brian Reader. He spent the past two seasons backing up Enderle and is now ready to take the starting reigns as a rising senior. The Vandals also have Taylor Davis, Logan Bushnell and Justin Podrabsky on the roster.
Utah State
Who’s out: Diondre Borel.
Who’s competing: The Aggies are quite young at this position, with Alex Hart and Jeremy Higgins returning off their freshmen seasons. Higgins served as the backup, but Utah State signed a junior college transfer in Adam Kennedy who will be eligible for spring practice. Kennedy, at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds played at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif., last season, throwing for 1,767 yards in 10 games on 153-of-236 passing with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had 368 yards rushing with four touchdowns.
San Jose State
Who’s out: Jordan La Secla
Who’s competing: Matt Faulkner, a transfer from Fresno State, served as the backup last season but will have healthy competition from rising sophomores Dasmen Stewart and Blake Jurich. As a senior in high school, Jurich threw for 2,360 yards. Stewart has a redshirt under his belt, so he has been in the program for two years.
We will continue our look at returning starters in each conference this week. Last week, I started with the Mountain West. Today, we look at the WAC.
With Boise State headed to the Mountain West, the league is as wide open as it has been in years. Another big reason why is the two teams that shared the WAC title with Boise State in 2010 – Nevada and Hawaii – have lost many of their starters. Fresno State could be poised to sneak to the top, but there are big holes to fill on offense and defense.
San Jose State: 20 (seven offense, 11 defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: LB Keith Smith, LB Vince Buhagiar, RB Brandon Rutley
Key losses: QB Jordan La Secla, WR Jalal Beauchman.
New Mexico State: 16 (seven offense, seven defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: AP Taveon Rogers, RB Kenny Turner, QB Matt Christian
Key losses: DB Davon House, WR Marcus Allen.
Idaho: 15 (five offense, eight defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: LB Robert Siavii, LB Tre’Shawn Robinson, RB Princeton McCarty.
Key losses: QB Nathan Enderle, FS Shiloh Keo, DE Aaron Lavarias.
Louisiana Tech: 15 (six offense, seven defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: RB Lennon Creer, DL Matt Broha, LB Adrien Cole.
Key losses: KR/PR Phillip Livas, QB Ross Jenkins, LT Rob McGill.
Fresno State: 14 (seven offense, five defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: DT Logan Harrell, RB Robbie Rouse, LB Travis Brown.
Key losses: QB Ryan Colburn, DE Chris Carter, WR Jamel Hamler.
Utah State: 14 (eight offense, five defense, one special teams)
Key returnees: LB Bobby Wagner, LB Kyle Gallagher, AP Kerwynn Williams
Key losses: QB Diondre Borel, DB Curtis Marsh, RB Derrvin Speight
Nevada: 13 (five offense, seven defense one special teams)
Key returnees: WR Rishard Matthews, LB James-Michael Johnson, DB Isaiah Frey
Key losses: QB Colin Kaepernick, RB Vai Taua, DE Dontay Moch
Hawaii: 10 (three offense, six defense, one special teams)
Key returnees: QB Bryant Moniz, LB Corey Paredes, DL Kaniela Tuipulotu
Key losses: WR Greg Salas, WR Kealoha Pilares, S Mana Silva
With Boise State headed to the Mountain West, the league is as wide open as it has been in years. Another big reason why is the two teams that shared the WAC title with Boise State in 2010 – Nevada and Hawaii – have lost many of their starters. Fresno State could be poised to sneak to the top, but there are big holes to fill on offense and defense.
San Jose State: 20 (seven offense, 11 defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: LB Keith Smith, LB Vince Buhagiar, RB Brandon Rutley
Key losses: QB Jordan La Secla, WR Jalal Beauchman.
New Mexico State: 16 (seven offense, seven defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: AP Taveon Rogers, RB Kenny Turner, QB Matt Christian
Key losses: DB Davon House, WR Marcus Allen.
Idaho: 15 (five offense, eight defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: LB Robert Siavii, LB Tre’Shawn Robinson, RB Princeton McCarty.
Key losses: QB Nathan Enderle, FS Shiloh Keo, DE Aaron Lavarias.
Louisiana Tech: 15 (six offense, seven defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: RB Lennon Creer, DL Matt Broha, LB Adrien Cole.
Key losses: KR/PR Phillip Livas, QB Ross Jenkins, LT Rob McGill.
Fresno State: 14 (seven offense, five defense, two special teams)
Key returnees: DT Logan Harrell, RB Robbie Rouse, LB Travis Brown.
Key losses: QB Ryan Colburn, DE Chris Carter, WR Jamel Hamler.
Utah State: 14 (eight offense, five defense, one special teams)
Key returnees: LB Bobby Wagner, LB Kyle Gallagher, AP Kerwynn Williams
Key losses: QB Diondre Borel, DB Curtis Marsh, RB Derrvin Speight
Nevada: 13 (five offense, seven defense one special teams)
Key returnees: WR Rishard Matthews, LB James-Michael Johnson, DB Isaiah Frey
Key losses: QB Colin Kaepernick, RB Vai Taua, DE Dontay Moch
Hawaii: 10 (three offense, six defense, one special teams)
Key returnees: QB Bryant Moniz, LB Corey Paredes, DL Kaniela Tuipulotu
Key losses: WR Greg Salas, WR Kealoha Pilares, S Mana Silva
Here are some notes from the non-AQs that you may have missed from this past weekend:
-- Utah hired Norm Chow to be its offensive coordinator. Hopefully you have already seen my take on this.
-- Todd McShay filed a stock up/stock down off the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando. You need an insider subscription to read it, but I will give you a few highlights. McShay lists Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle in his stock up section and writes:
McShay still lists Enderle as a mid- to late-round pick. Here is some more from the in-game blog. The East ended up beating the West 25-8.
-- Fullback Alexander Teich and defensive end Jabaree Tuani were elected Navy team captains for the 2011 football season by their teammates. Teich rushed for 863 yards and five touchdowns on 147 carries and caught seven passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns this past season. Tuani has been a three-year starter for the Mids and is coming off his best season, leading all defensive linemen with 72 tackles, recording a team-high 15.5 tackles for a loss and finishing second on the team in sacks with 5.5.
-- Four former Central Michigan football players are headed to the Super Bowl, tied for the most of any college program in the country. The foursome: Cullen Jenkins, Frank Zombo and Josh Gordy are with the NFC champion Green Bay Packers, while Antonio Brown is in his rookie season with the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Among other non-AQ players in the big game: Packers defensive back Jarrett Bush (Utah State), Packers running back James Starks (Buffalo) and Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders (SMU).
-- Tulsa rounded out its coaching staff. Brent Guy will serve as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, Adam Blankenship as defensive ends coach and Holmon Wiggins as running back coach. In addition, Clint Rountree was promoted from graduate assistant coach to director of high school relations and graduate assistant coach James Kilian will coach the quarterbacks.
-- Sean McGowan was hired as an assistant coach for defense at Temple. McGowan has served the past four years as the defensive coordinator at New Hampshire.
-- Utah hired Norm Chow to be its offensive coordinator. Hopefully you have already seen my take on this.
-- Todd McShay filed a stock up/stock down off the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando. You need an insider subscription to read it, but I will give you a few highlights. McShay lists Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle in his stock up section and writes:
Enderle had the most consistent week of any of the QBs. He has the strongest arm of the group and can make all the NFL throws. But the thing we liked best was that he got better every day as the week progressed.
McShay still lists Enderle as a mid- to late-round pick. Here is some more from the in-game blog. The East ended up beating the West 25-8.
-- Fullback Alexander Teich and defensive end Jabaree Tuani were elected Navy team captains for the 2011 football season by their teammates. Teich rushed for 863 yards and five touchdowns on 147 carries and caught seven passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns this past season. Tuani has been a three-year starter for the Mids and is coming off his best season, leading all defensive linemen with 72 tackles, recording a team-high 15.5 tackles for a loss and finishing second on the team in sacks with 5.5.
-- Four former Central Michigan football players are headed to the Super Bowl, tied for the most of any college program in the country. The foursome: Cullen Jenkins, Frank Zombo and Josh Gordy are with the NFC champion Green Bay Packers, while Antonio Brown is in his rookie season with the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Among other non-AQ players in the big game: Packers defensive back Jarrett Bush (Utah State), Packers running back James Starks (Buffalo) and Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders (SMU).
-- Tulsa rounded out its coaching staff. Brent Guy will serve as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, Adam Blankenship as defensive ends coach and Holmon Wiggins as running back coach. In addition, Clint Rountree was promoted from graduate assistant coach to director of high school relations and graduate assistant coach James Kilian will coach the quarterbacks.
-- Sean McGowan was hired as an assistant coach for defense at Temple. McGowan has served the past four years as the defensive coordinator at New Hampshire.
Happy Friday!
It should be a happy one for TCU safeties coach Chad Glasgow, who is set to become Texas Tech's defensive coordinator.
Now Idaho wants to jump the WAC ship.
Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora has hit the recruiting trail hard.
Dennis Franchione completed his staff at Texas State with some familiar TCU names.
Andy Dalton is already hard at work preparing for the NFL draft.
Marshall could get talented twin recruits.
SMU is putting together the top recruiting class in Conference USA.
UConn assistant Todd Orlando has emerged as the leading candidate to become FIU's defensive coordinator.
FAU is switching to a 3-4 defense to help combat the spread.
Former Toledo football player Adam Cuomo pleads guilty to a sports bribery charge.
It should be a happy one for TCU safeties coach Chad Glasgow, who is set to become Texas Tech's defensive coordinator.
Now Idaho wants to jump the WAC ship.
Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora has hit the recruiting trail hard.
Dennis Franchione completed his staff at Texas State with some familiar TCU names.
Andy Dalton is already hard at work preparing for the NFL draft.
Marshall could get talented twin recruits.
SMU is putting together the top recruiting class in Conference USA.
UConn assistant Todd Orlando has emerged as the leading candidate to become FIU's defensive coordinator.
FAU is switching to a 3-4 defense to help combat the spread.
Former Toledo football player Adam Cuomo pleads guilty to a sports bribery charge.
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