BYU's Nelson out for the season

The two QB system at BYU ended abruptly this week, but not because one QB outplayed the other.

QB Riley Nelson will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He injured his non-throwing shoulder in the first half against Florida State.

One of the few bright spots on offense, Nelson engineered all four of the Cougar scoring drives in the first two games. As a dual threat QB, Nelson kept drives alive with both his arm and his feet, which allowed more flexibility with play calling.

The Cougars will turn to freshman Jake Heaps as the sole starter. With Heaps taking over full-time, the BYU offense needs to do things differently. Rather than stick to the conservative play calling they have used with Heaps under center, the Cougars will need to open up the offense to take advantage of his strong arm. By making this change, BYU can improve its offense, and remain in the Mountain West race.

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Rapid Fire Friday - Week 4 Edition

Welcome to Rapid Fire Friday. In this blog, I preview each big game in a sentence or two, and then predict the winner.

This week's top games

• Alabama at Arkansas - For some reason, Arkansas comes into the game with a Top Ten ranking. The Crimson Tide quickly exploits the Razorbacks, and wins in convincing fashion.
  
  Prediction: Alabama 35, Arkansas 13
  
  
• Oregon State at Boise State - Boise needs to win this game to justify their #3 ranking. The Broncos win in a shootout.
  
  Prediction: Boise 45, Oregon State 41
  
  
• South Carolina at Auburn - Are these teams contenders or pretenders? We'll find out this weekend. The Gamecocks win in a squeaker.
  
  Prediction: South Carolina 17, Auburn 14
  
  
• Northern Colorado at Michigan State - Since MSU fans frequently read this blog, I added this game. There's not much to say other than "The Spartans hang half of a hundred on them, and then enjoy the second half".
  
  Michigan State 56, Northern Colorado 0
  
  

Mountain West Games

• SMU at TCU
- This contest renews an old Southwest Conference rivlary. TCU's defense stops SMU's powerful offense, and wins big! Prediction: TCU 42, SMU 14
• Air Force at Wyoming - Contrasting styles collide as the Cowboys use the spread to pass the ball, and the Falcons run the triple option. Air Force has the top two corners in the conference with Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright, and they will shutdown the Wyoming passing game. Air Force rolls over Wyoming.
  
  Prediction: Air Force 35, Wyoming 17
  
  
• Idaho at Colorado State - Colorado State's offense has struggled all season long. This week, they play a physical Idaho team that manhandled UNLV on both lines of scrimmage. The Vandals route CSU.
  
  Prediction: Idaho 28, Colorado State 6
  
  
• Nevada at BYU - Nevada has one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 560 yards per game. BYU won't be able to slow down QB Colin Kaepernick, who's becoming one of the top dual threat QB's in the country.
  
  Prediction: Nevada 42, BYU 17
  
  
• San Jose State at Utah - The Utes face a San Jose State team that's been decimated by injuries. Utah scores early and often to move to 4-0.
  
  Prediction: Utah 49, San Jose State 10
  
  
• Utah State at San Diego State - Both of these teams have demonstrated that they can play with big boys in the first three weeks of the season. SDSU wins a tight one.
  
  Prediction: San Diego State 28, Utah State 24
  
  
• New Mexico at UNLV - The winner of this game collects its first win of the season. New Mexico freshman Tarean Austin will provide a spark for New Mexico offense, leading the Lobos to victory
  
  Prediction: New Mexico 21, UNLV 17
  
  
  

Mountain West - Week 3 Lessons Learned

Week 3 of the 2010 Football season featured some big non-conference matchups. What did we learn this week?

The Conference has a Heisman Trophy Candidate
Andy Dalton continues to keep himself in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Dalton hit his first 11 passes in a 45-10 annihilation of Baylor. For the season, he has completed 74% of his passes with 4 TD’s against 2 INT’s. However, what the stats do not measure is Dalton’s leadership. With the team’s Week 2 win, Dalton became the school’s all–time winningest QB, passing the legendary Sammy Baugh. With his stats, his leadership, and TCU’s possible BCS title game run, Dalton will be heading to New York in December.

Mountain West vs. the Big Twelve
This weekend, the Mountain West squared off against the Big Twelve in three games, with the Big 12 winning two of the three. While TCU’s 45-10 drubbing of Baylor might have garnered the most attention, the other two games made an even stronger statement. San Diego State took the lead against #24 Missouri in the 4th quarter before losing the game in the last minute 27-24. Air Force almost erased a 27-10 4th quarter deficit before losing by three against the #7 Oklahoma Sooners. These close losses demonstrate that the top of the conference can play with anyone, especially the Big 12.

Worst Team
Colorado State has earned the title “Worst Team in the Mountain West”.

The Rams entered the week 0-2, but had a solid chance to collect their first win against MAC opponent Miami (Ohio). Unfortunately, Colorado State lost 31-10. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Rams surrendered 31 points before scoring a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. While the passing game finally clicked, the running game was limited to 1 yard on 22 carries.

The touchdown that CSU scored was the first touchdown that the offense has scored all year. To make matters worse, the Rams have a turnover ratio of -7. With a game against Idaho this weekend, and a full conference schedule remaining, Colorado State must improve in these areas, or they will finish in last place.

QB of the Future
After starting out 0-3, New Mexico fans finally got some good news in Saturday’s 56-14 loss to Utah. With BR Holbrook sitting out with an injury, and Brad Gruner taking a hard shot at the end of the first half, QB Tarean Austin saw his first extensive action of the season.

Austin did not disappoint. After throwing an interception to end his first drive, he settled in and started moving the Lobo offense. In the 4th quarter, he went 6 for 6 leading the Lobos to their only offensive touchdown. For the night, Austin led the team in rushing with 38 yards, and went 15 of 27 for 128 yards passing.

While Coach Locksley said that Holbrook would start at QB when he’s healthy, Austin’s play serves as a bright spot in an otherwise terrible season.

BCS Automatic Bid
After watching some non-conference games, the Mountain West will definitely earn an automatic bid to the BCS in the near future, despite losing traditional heavyweights Utah and BYU.

Next season, the conference welcomes new members Boise State, Nevada, and Fresno State. These three teams have played great football this season, combining for an 8-0 record. Fresno State defeated Cincinnati of the Big East during week 1, while Nevada crushed California this weekend. Boise State carries a #3 ranking after beating Virginia Tech, and blowing out Wyoming.

With Boise poised for possible third BCS bowl, and Fresno State’s “we’ll play anyone, anytime, anywhere” attitude, the future Mountain West will continue to make noise on the national scene. Should the conference or Boise win a BCS game this year, the Mountain West will have more victories than the ACC with far fewer opportunities. With more victories than the ACC, how could the BCS not award the Mountain West an automatic bid?

What we learned about Utah - Week 3

Usually a blowout victory does not tell much about the winning team, other than they were much better than the team they just beat. However, with a 56-14 win over New Mexico, Utah learned a very important lesson – when a star player is injured, another player will step up and perform in his place.

Starting QB Jordan Wynn missed Saturday’s game with an injured thumb. For the second straight week, QB Terrance Cain stepped in for Wynn, and the offense did not miss a beat. Cain completed a school-record 20 of 23 passes for 248 yards. He also ran for a touchdown. Coach Whittingham says that Wynn will remain the starter, but with performances like Cain’s, the Utes know that they will score points if Wynn cannot play.

Wynn was not the only high-profile player to miss Saturday's game, as the team also played without star C Zane Taylor. Again, the Utes had someone step up and keep producing. Tevita Stevens moved to center from guard, and Walter Watts took over the starting role at guard. The line played well all night long, protecting Cain and opening big holes for the backs to run through. The Utes posted a season-high 428 yards of offense, in large part because of the stellar performance of the offensive line.

On defense, the Utes have seen players step up all season long. Starting LB JJ Williams, projected to be the team’s top playmaker on defense, has missed the entire season with a foot injury. Despite Williams’ absence in the lineup, Utah’s defense has turned in three solid performances. The defense has allowed only 85 yards per game rushing for a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. When a team limits an opponent to 2.2 yards per carry, then the linebackers are making plays.

If the entire team continues to play this well, Utah may be headed back to the BCS.

Week 3 Predictions

Here are my predictions for the top games outside of the Mtn West.

Notre Dame at Michigan State - After watching Denard Robinson shred the Irish defense, there's little doubt that Edwin Baker, and Le'Voen Bell will do the same thing.

Prediction - Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 17

Clemson at Auburn - This battle features two of the top QB's in Clemson's Kyle Parker, and Auburn's Cameron Newton. Auburn will win the game as their defense makes a few more plays than Clemson.

Prediction - Auburn 31, Clemson 28

Iowa at Arizona - These teams each have solid defenses, but no one knows exactly how good because both teams have played cupcakes so far. Iowa wins this game as they win the turnover battle.

Predicition - Iowa 17, Arizona 10

Arkansas at Georgia - While the Dawg D struggled against the run, they've played very well against the pass. Look for Georgia to come with heavy pressure in an attempt to rattle QB Ryan Mallet.

Prediction - Georgia 21, Arkansas 10

Florida at Tennessee - The Gators showed tremendous improvement in all facets of the game, as they beat USF 38-14. The Volunteers played a great first half against Oregon, before losing 48-13. With Florida now clicking on all cylinders, they will beat the Vols big.

Prediction - Florida 31, Tennessee 7

Week 3 Mountain West Preview

Week three features a number of exciting games. What will we see this week?

Mountain West games

• Air Force at #7 Oklahoma - Something has to give in this game. Oklahoma has stopped the run all season, allowing only 2.9 yards per carry. On the other hand, Air Force leads the nation in rushing with 423 yards per game, and 6.7 yards per carry. Whichever team wins the battle should also win the game. The Sooners defense should prevail, leading them to victory.
  
  Prediction: Oklahoma 24, Air Force 14
  
  
• Utah at New Mexico - Utah will play conservatively on offense, especially if backup QB Terrance Cain starts the game. The Ute defense will shut down the Lobo rushing attack, forcing them to move the ball through the air. New Mexico traditionally plays very tough at home, so this game should be much closer than people would expect. Utah wins a close game, moving to 2-0 in conference play.
  
  Prediction: Utah 31, New Mexico 14


• Baylor at TCU - The Horned Frogs will get another chance to prove that they belong in the BCS title discussion. Bears QB Robert Griffin should provide the stiffest test yet for the TCU defense. Even if Griffin should make some big plays, the Baylor defense will not have answer for QB Andy Dalton and RB Ed Wesley. The balanced TCU offense wears out the Bear defense and pulls away late.
  
  Prediction: TCU 27, Baylor 10
  


• BYU at Florida State - For the Cougars, this game presents a chance for redemption. In addition to atoning for last week’s 35-14 loss to Air Force, BYU has a chance to avenge last year's defeat in Provo. The Cougars catch FSU coming off a big loss from Oklahoma. If the offense can get some production in the passing game, it will open up the running game for RB JJ DiLuigi. Expect BYU to get their revenge, and gain some much-needed confidence.
  
  Prediction: BYU 34, Florida State 28
  


• Boise at Wyoming - The Cowboys played Texas very tough in the first half before the Longhorns pulled away in the second half. The same thing should happen this week. Wyoming simply does not have enough firepower on offense to outscore Boise. The Broncos prevail in a WAC-style shootout.
  
  Prediction: Boise 45, Wyoming 24
  


• San Diego State at Missouri - The Aztecs will face a tough Missouri defense that has dominated the first two weeks. QB Ryan Lindley should have success throwing the ball as the Aztec receiver corps can beat the Tiger secondary. The defense must find a way to contain Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, who has completed 75% of his passes this season. Since most Big 12 defenses have not found a way to stop Gabbert, San Diego State will not stop him either. Missouri wins a close game.
  
  Prediction: Missouri 31, San Diego State 21
  


• UNLV at Idaho - The Rebel offense moved the ball well last week with Omar Clayton playing QB, but was unable to score points. The defense will apply pressure against the Idaho offense, which has allowed 11 sacks in just two games. By taking advantage of field position, and producing turnovers, UNLV should win its first game under Coach Bobby Hauk.
  
  Prediction: UNLV 35, Idaho 31
  


• Colorado State at Miami(OH) - Colorado State seeks its first win of the 2010 season. After playing against Colorado and Nevada, the Rams should fare much better against a lower-tier MAC team. CSU wins a close game, as the defense steps up big.
  
  Prediction: Colorado State 28, Miami 14
  

What to expect from Michigan this season?

With back-to-back victories over Connecticut and Notre Dame, Michigan proved that they are going to finish somewhere in the top four of the Big Ten conference.

Michigan cannot win the Big Ten title this year based on what they have done so far. Other than QB Denard Robinson, the Wolverines do not have anyone that can run the ball effectively, as the other running backs have combined for only 129 yards rushing on 42 attempts. The defense has not played well, giving up over 500 yards to Notre Dame on Saturday.

Perhaps the biggest concern will be the health of Robinson. As we saw with Tim Tebow’s first season as a starter, when a QB takes too many hits, his effectiveness ultimately suffers. How will Robinson hold up throughout the rigors of a Big Ten schedule?

Despite these concerns, the schedule sets up nicely for the Wolverines to contend for the title. They host top contenders Iowa and Wisconsin, and travel to Ohio State. Outside of those three games, Michigan should steamroll its competition, as none of the other teams has the firepower on offense to keep up with the Wolverines.

The Michigan should expect to finish no worse than 10-2.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Website update & Week 2 Predictions

Thank you for reading!
Before I get into my Week 2 predictions, I would like to thank everyone for reading my College Football News blog. Due to website difficulties, only one of my articles resides on the site. I will post a link on Facebook and Twitter to each story as they start to show up on the new site.

Week 2 Preview
While week 1 offered very few marquee matchups, Week 2 highlights several games featuring BCS title contenders. I will summarize each game in a sentence or two and pick the winner.

Games pairing two teams from the top 25

• #18 Penn State at #1 Alabama – The Crimson Tide comes into this matchup clicking on all cylinders, while the Nittany Lions struggled at times with 1-AA Youngstown State. Even without Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram, Alabama wins this game huge!
  
  Prediction Alabama 35, Penn State 10


• #12 Miami at #2 Ohio State – The winner of this game remains in contention for the BCS title game, as neither team will face stiff challenges from within their own conference. The speed of the defenses will disrupt the offenses all afternoon long. Since Buckeyes have the home field, they should win a squeaker
  
  Prediction Ohio State 12, Miami 7



• #17 Florida State @ #10 Oklahoma - New Seminole Coach Jimbo Fisher will get his first true test as the FSU head coach. While Oklahoma's offense sputtered last week at times, the defense stepped up big in key situations. Look for the Sooners defense to be the difference.
  
  Prediction Oklahoma 28, Florida State 17


• #22 Georgia @ # 24 South Carolina - Many people call this series a rivalry, I disagree. In order for a series to qualify as a rivalry, both teams have to win games. In recent history, the Dawgs have dominated the Gamecocks. That won't change this season.
  
  Prediction Georgia 28, South Carolina 10


• Michigan at Notre Dame - Why aren't these teams in the Top 25? Both teams won big games last week, erasing some of the misery from last season. QB Dennard Robinson adds a different dimension to Rich Rodriguez offense. The Irish defense played a great game against an underrated Purdue team. The Irish defense will make on more play than the Michigan defense.
  
  Prediction Notre Dame 28, Michigan 24

Mountain West Conference Games
Since I cover this conference, here's my picks for conference games this weekend

• BYU at Air Force - Tough call to make here. Air Force might have to play without their top 2 CB's against a very talented passing attack. Still, the Falcons catch BYU looking ahead to Florida State game. In an upset special, Air Force wins.
  
  Prediction Air Force 35, BYU 31


• UNLV at Utah - Utah should have no trouble beating UNLV. Look for Matt Asiata to have a huge day on the ground.
  
  Prediction Utah 35, UNLV 17


• Tennessee Tech at TCU - TCU wins big against their Ohio Valley Conference opponent, as QB Andy Dalton states his case for the Heisman Trophy
  
  Prediction TCU 45, Tennessee Tech 0


• Wyoming at #5 Texas - Wyoming enters the game with a heavy heart, suffering from the death of LB Rube Narcisse. QB Austyn Carta-Samuels keeps the Cowboys in the game, but the Longhorns pull away late in the game.
  
  Prediction Texas 42, Wyoming 20


• San Diego State at New Mexico State - QB Ryan Lindley torched Nicholls State through the air last weekend en route to a 47-0 victory. Things should not be any different this weekend against an Aggie defense that struggled against the pass last season.
  
  Prediction San Diego State 35, New Mexico State 14


• Texas Tech at New Mexico - The Lobos want nothing more than to erase last week’s painful 72-0 loss at Oregon. While they won’t beat the Red Raiders, they will turn in a much better performance this week.
  
  Prediction Texas Tech 28, New Mexico 17


• Nevada at Colorado State - The Rams have a chance at beating the Wolfpack if they can contain the run as well as they did in week 1. QB play will be the difference with Nevada's Colin Kaepernick outplaying Pete Thomas.
  
  Prediction Nevada 24, Colorado State 10

Other games of interest
Since Michigan State has several avid readers of this blog, they will always appear on this list.

• Florida Atlantic at Michigan State - Another "neutral" site game. Spartan RB's Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell can take it to the house, every time they touch the ball. They should have no trouble against a porous FAU defense. Owl QB Jeff Van Camp should hit a big play or two, but the Michigan State D should hold him in check.
  
  Prediction Michigan State 42, Florida Atlantic 14

If there's a game that you'd like to see that's not listed, email me and let me know.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Boise won't play for the title - unless they EARN it!

Boise State opened its season by defeating Virginia Tech 33-30. After this victory, many experts project that the Broncos could end up in the BCS title game with an undefeated season. This series of events deeply offends many football fans, particularly those in the Southeast.

Why would fans object to an undefeated team playing for the national title? The argument goes like this:

We play in the _______ conference. We play a tough _______ conference schedule, and we won the conference with only one loss. We don’t play minor league teams; we have to come to play every week.

To those of you who feel that way, relax - Boise State will *NOT* play for the BCS title game this season, unless they truly deserve it. The coaches will never let it happen.

Consider the 2007 season. Going into the last week of the regular season, the rankings looked like this:

1. West Virginia (10-1)
2. Missouri (11-1)
3. Ohio State (11-1)
4. Georgia (10-2)
5. Kansas (11-1)
5t. Virginia Tech (10-2)
7. LSU (10-2)
8. Oklahoma (10-2)

That weekend, Oklahoma blew out Missouri in the Big 12 Championship, Pittsburgh upset West Virginia, and LSU defeated Tennessee in the SEC Title game. With that happening, Georgia (ranked #4) or Kansas with the best record (11-1) would more thank likely move to the #2 spot.

This never happened, because in the minds of the coaches, these teams did not earn that privilege. In the USA Today poll, the coaches moved LSU to #2 by virtue of their SEC title, and moved Oklahoma to #3. They did the right thing by moving two conference champions in front of two teams that didn’t even win their division.

Instead of blasting the system, and arguing whether it’s right or wrong, let’s remember that the coaches will do the right thing.

An interesting scenario... what happens if all of the following occur?

1 BCS team goes undefeated
Utah or TCU goes undefeated
Boise State does undefeated
The Big 12 or SEC champ finishes with a loss

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Wyoming Football Player killed, three others injured

Tragically, Wyoming LB Ruben Narcisse died today in a car crash. To read the story, click here

My condolences go out to the Narcisse family, as well as to the entire Wyoming football team. Ruben will be missed!!

Week 1 Recap

Wow - what week to start the season!!

Attack of the "Cupcake"
Congratulations to Jacksonville State and North Dakota State for upsetting two teams from power conferences.

Jacksonville State for their 49-48 upset over Ole Miss. Few people gave the Gamecocks a chance to win this game, but they kept on fighting. Jacksonville State erased and 31-10 deficit, and then went for two to win the game. More importantly, the Gamecocks won this game because they simply wanted it more than Ole Miss.

North Dakota State thoroughly dominated Kansas in the second half to win 6-3. The Jayhawks offense made mistakes all night committing three turnovers, and eventually switching to backup QB Jordan Webb.

Game of the Day
TCU defeated Oregon State 30-21 in the game of the day. Andy Dalton played a solid game (despite throwing two picks), and became TCU's all-time winningest QB. More impressively, the Horned Frogs defense held Jacquizz Rodgers to just 75 yards. While the D allowed 21 points, all of these points came off of turnovers or miscues (Oregon State getting a big play off of the fake punt).

Teams that impressed today
Alabama - No Mark Ingram no problem. The Tide showcased three different backs today en route to a 49-3 victory over San Jose State. And what about Julio Jones one-handed catch?

TCU - The Horned Frogs beat my projected Pac Ten champion in grand fashion.

Michigan - Denard Robinson answered any questions about QB in emphatic fashion, accounting for 383 total yards.

Oregon - The Ducks thoroughly dominated New Mexico winning 72-0.

Georgia - Unlike some of their SEC brethren they took an inferior team to the woodshed!!

North Carolina - Despite all of the suspensions and off-season issues, the Tar Heels hung tough against LSU, coming up just a few yards short

Teams that did *not* impress
New Mexico - The Lobos got their butts kicked by Oregon 72-0. They got dominated in every facet of the game.

Florida - 26 yards of offense going into the 4th quarter? All the botched C/QB exchanges? Were the Gators simply playing vanilla to get ready for USF?

Oklahoma - The Sooners defeated Utah State 31-24. The #7 team in the country should beat a mid-tier WAC team by much more than that.

Kansas - The Jayhawks failed to score a touchdown against an FCS team.

Mountain West Blogger!!

The Captain got selected as an official "Inglourious Blogger" for College Football News. I write articles about the Utah Utes, as well as the entire Mountain West Conference.

I would place a link here, but the website is experiencing technical difficulties! When the official link is up, I will post them here as well as Facebook and Twitter.

With Utah beating Pittsburgh on Thursday night, eight teams will see action on Saturday. Wyoming, San Diego State, and Air Force scheduled cupcakes, while the rest of the teams will play top quality competition. If the conference wants to solidify their position as a BCS conference, UNLV and New Mexico need to step up this weekend.

Here are my picks for week 1:

TCU beats Oregon State in a thriller
Colorado State defeats Colorado
AIr Force massacres Northwestern State
Oregon routs New Mexico
Washington beats BYU
San Diego State blows out Nicholls State
Wyoming annihilates Southern Utah
Wisconsin beats UNLV