Upset Week | Football From Afghanistan's Blog

The Almost upset

The Black Knights of Army almost got the upset win over Texas A&M; a team that they have played really close in the past years. A few years ago at a game played in San Antonio, Army was stopped inside the five yard line trying to make the go-ahead score. This year, after opening up 0-3 with losses to D-IAA (FCS) New Hampshire, Temple, and Akron by a total of 85-20, Army was supposed to be blown out by A&M. Things didn't turn out so as the Aggies needed a stop on fourth down in the fourth quarter to put the Knights away.

No one thought that Army would have a chance, but I'll give them some credit. However, the disturbing trend that I see with Army football is this: They show up to play when a big name comes to play, i.e. Texas A&M, but then they cannot get things rolling against lesser teams.

Army has Tulane, Buffalo, Louisiana Tech, Eastern Michigan, Rice, Rutgers, and Air Force before the loss at Navy. Rutgers, Tech and Air Force have way too much fire power (Mike Teel will get things going), so Army should be able to eke out a win or two, I'll say 11 OCT at home versus Eastern Michigan. Hopefully they can get the ball rolling like they did versus A&M and bring home a win.

Honorable Mention

Maryland Vs Clemson...

The state of Maryland had a good day as together with Navy, Maryland helped to destroy the upcoming meeting between Wake Forest and Clemson. Only a week after they won big in honor of Jimmy Simons (see last week's blog), Clemson comes in and fails to play big. The thunder and lightning tandem of CJ Spiller and James Davis was in full effect, problem was, they don't play defense as the Tiger defense gave up some big plays in the second half that allowed a suddenly respectable Maryland Team (4-1) a big ACC win.

5. Houston over ECU

Two weeks ago people were talking about the ECU pirates. Some were asking where ECU is? (Greenville, NC) Others were asking how they could beat Virginia Tech and West Virginia two weeks in a row. Others were wondering if the pirates could run the table and become the first Conference USA to become a BCS buster...

Not anymore, as the Pirates were taken down by the Houston Cougars 41-24, and now folks are asking how the Pirates could lose two in a row to a bad North Carolina State Team and now an average Houston team. Skip Holtz needs to go back to the formula that worked in the wins, good solid running and James Pinckney making good, game managing, ball protection decisions.

Case Keenum must be the the most unheralded player in college football. He's only thrown for 1,920 yards, 19 touchdowns, with only 5 picks. Yet, absolutely no one has been talking about this guy. This cannot last much longer as he will definitely get the recognition he deserves if he continues to throw like he has been. Yeah, I can hear Haase, Masterchief, and Senior now with their, "He's a system guy," speech.

Well, maybe he is, maybe he's not, Kevin Kold system guy'd his way to being Donovan McNabb's backup. Keenum still has two more years left to improve, and his gun slinging ways might make Houston the team to beat next year as well as a team to watch out for the rest of this year, much to the glee of head coach Kevin Smith.

4. The Navy Midshipmen...

The line had Wake Forest by 16. This was going to set up Wake for a big game versus Clemson in a few weeks for ACC supremacy. Somebody forgot to tell the Midshipmen. They created six turnovers, ran for 292 yards and beat Wake Forest 24-17 to avenge a loss to the Demon Deacons last year. This spells out a football commandment: if you play good defense, get turnovers and run the ball, you can win versus anyone. The Mids did just that. The only thing that I can be upset about is the fact that announcers and other sports reporters make it sound like Wake Forest threw the game away. Oh no, Navy won, and they won because their previously suspect secondary came through big time. Interceptions don't just happen, well, some do,but four in one game has more to do with good defensive play leading to quarterback frustration than luck. Ross Pospisil, Wyatt Middleton, Emment Merchant, and Ketric Buffin deserve some serious cred for giving the Deacons there first loss of the year after previously beating Baylor, Florida killers in Ole Miss, and then 24^th Ranked Florida State.

This was not Navy's first win over a ranked team since 1985, Navy beat a ranked Air Force (#25) in 2004, However, this is probably the best overall team Navy has beat since the Reagan administration.

3. Ole' Miss Takes Out the Gators

In my blog a few weeks ago, I wrote about how Tyrone Willingham and the rest of the Washington faithful should not complain about the "so called" bad penalty and focus on special teams. I cannot think of a better example of why this is true than this week's game in Gainesville. Florida doesn't have a convenient official to blame for its lack of execution on special teams. All of the sudden Florida cannot stop anyone on defense as Tebow and company's 30 points should have been enough. I do have a question for all the gator faithful though, do you all realize that there is a position called running back? Do you all realize that your quarterback and WR (Percy Harvin) get all of carries in the running game? This is great as long as you are ahead, but when its fourth and 1, everyone in the world knows Tebow is getting ball, so don't be surprised that he got stopped. Ole' Miss, not exactly known for its offensive prowess, just re-assured me that the SEC is leaps and bounds better than any other conference.

2. ‘Dem Dawgs lost ‘Dey bite...

Well, not really, it's more like they just forgot to play any type of defense until the second half. But by then it was too late and Nick Saban, John Parker Wilson and the Roll Tide nation rolled up the Dawgs to a 41-30 win. Black jerseys on blackout night can get the crown pumped up, it can get the team going, and problem is that it cannot make up for a young offensive line, and a average defense. The dawg nation shouldn't fear as they still have Matt Stafford and Knoshown Moreno, and besides, once the Dawgs woke up in the second half, they played some descent ball.

I thought that Saban would get things rolling, but definitely not this early, and certainly not against Georgia, but hey, sometimes admin officers are right.

1. You guessed it...USC Loses to Oregon State

It was a Thursday night in Corvalis, Oregon. But USC had ten days off. Oregon State beat USC two years ago on the same field. But USC knew this. Oregon State was 1-2, losing to Stanford and Penn state. USC had just beaten Ohio State 35-3.

That's why college football is such a great sport. You never know what is going to happen when college students and not pros take the field. There is always that chance that things won't go right. There is always the chance that a smallish, over looked running back can "blow big." There is always a chance that the momentum can carry a team. Jacquizz Rodgers is only 5-6, but he played like a man among boys as he rushed for 186 yards. USC, which lost Rey Maulauga during the game, didn't seem to know what to do as the first half evaporated. Mark Sanchez and company made it a game with a great comeback in the second half before he threw a pick late to basically seal it.

In four years you will see Sanchez, Maulauga, and possibly fifteen others from this USC team in the National Football league. Maybe two or three from Oregon State. Proof positive that the old adage is true as it's the best team that wins games and not necessarily the best collection of talent.