Big Sky/FCS Playoff
Montana 61 South Dakota State 48
The Jackrabbits were ahead 48 - 21 at 5:40 in the third quarter. Then the Grizzlies scored the final 40 points of the game. That is why they are the #1 seed. But they will need to play better. They can not afford to give SFA a 27 point lead.
Stephen F Austin 44 Eastern Washington 33
Matt Nichols career comes to a close in a game where SFA proved to be the better offense. If any Big Sky senior will be playing on Sunday next year, it will be Matt Nichols. Jeremy Moses delivered a trip to Missoula for the Lumberjacks.
William and Mary 38 Weber State 0
Word has it that Weber State was the last team picked for the playoffs by the selection committee. There were probably four or five other football teams that were left out that could have been chosen instead. And now those teams are really, really fuming at this outcome. They have a right to be upset. A career will come to an end for several good WSU players. Hopefully, not for Tim Toone. But no one for Weber State impressed anyone today.
Elite 8 Next week. New Hampshire was the only lower-seeded team to win.
Stephen F. Austin at #1Montana
Appalachian State at #4 Richmond
New Hampshire at #2 Villanova
William and Mary at #3Southern Illinois
Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week: Montana QB Andrew Selle
Defensive Team of the Week--against a Big Sky Team: William and Mary
Game of the Week: Montana 61 South Dakota State 48
WAC
Congratulations to Boise State on winning at least a share of the WAC title and getting the tie breaker over the team they would share it with should they loose next week.
Boise State 44 Nevada 33
The Wolfpack had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but they fumbled the ball deep in their own territory. That miscue only led to a BSU field goal, but it was a big momentum shift in the game. Both teams would add a touchdown thereafter. Was this enough style points for the BCS powers that be? It could be as Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech all lost. It would be difficult for the BCS bowls to justify passing up Boise State right now. Can you justify passing on an undefeated Boise State for a 3-loss Virginia Tech? The only hitch would be if Nebraska knocks of Texas in the Big 12 title game.
Utah State 52 Idaho 49
The USU Aggies finish thier season on a high note, while the Vandal faithful have to be scratching their collective heads. This game was as fun as I thought that it could be. There were four lead changes in the second half. The Vandals are still going bowling, but with only 8,500 or so at the Kibbie Dome, I wonder if everyone in Moscow has already given up on the Vandals for the season.
San Jose State 13 New Mexico State 10
This game was also all that I expected. In fact, it did not even live up to my low expectations.
Hawaii 17 Navy 10
The Warriors show that they still have not forgotten how to win a football game. They still need to win next week to become bowl eligible. With a 13 game schedule, they need 7 regular season wins to go bowling. They host Wisconsin next Saturday. More on that on Thursday.
Offensive Player of the Week: Utah State QB Diondre Borel
Defensive Team of the Week: Hawaii
Game of the Week: Utah State 52 Idaho 49
WAC Power Rankings (Not Final, there are three games next week.)
Boise State
Nevada
Fresno State
Idaho
Hawaii
Utah State
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Mountain West Conference
Wyoming 17 Colorado State 16
The Cowboys, picked last in the conference, are going bowling. It took another strong play from behind effort in the fourth quarter to get 'er done. I did not think that the Rams could produce more than one touchdown without Grant Strucker, but former Hillcrest HS/Snow College star Jon Eastman did more than an adequate job in filling in. Makes me wonder if the better quarterback was on the bench all season long and 9 consecutive losses later. Strucker will be gone next season, will Steve Fairchild join him?
TCU 51 New Mexico 10
The Lobos showed that the game they gave BYU two weeks ago was not fluke, for the first quarter. Then the Frogs woke up. TCU should get a BCS bowl. Good luck with whoever they are playing. The Frog Faithful will be wearing Husker Red this week.
BYU 26 Utah 23
This game was the type of defensive battle that I like. Because the offenses never gave up and made successful adjustments. It was a real chess match. Max Hall did not have a good enough game to earn the right to trash talk the Utes like he did. In the second half he was tenative and undecisive and played the game not to loose instead of playing to win. He looked the like inexperienced quarterback while Jordan Wynn looked like the veteran. Hall did not play to win, he played not to loose and then to trash talk the opponent at the end of the game. It was a good win for the Cougars, but it was spoiled by Hall's comments at the end. This is not the quality of player that Bronco Mendenhall needs to recruit at BYU. If BYU wants to suspend Hall for the Bowl game, they have every reason to. It will provide extra motivation for the Utes to win next year. Although this was nothing new in this rivalry. I remember something about pumping gas a few years ago.
UNLV 28 New Mexico 24
Omar Clayton leads the Rebels on a game winning drive to send Mike Sanford out of Las Vegas a winner. It was a good game to see the ending of. There was an unsuccessful Hail Mary at the end. The Aztecs had this game in hand until Ryan Lindley threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Terrance Lee. That is the kind of break that UNLV has not had a lot of in the last seven years or so.
Offensive Player of the Week: TCU QB Andy Dalton
Defensive Team of the Week: Wyoming
Game of the Week: BYU 26 Utah 23
Power Rankings (Final):
TCU
BYU
Utah
Air Force
Wyoming
UNLV
San Diego State
New Mexico
Colorado State
One more note about next week: In the Big 12 Championship game, TCU fans should root for Nebraska to get a shot at the National Title. The Alabama/Florida game is a play-in to the BCS championship. Boise State fans should root for Texas to ensure that there is a BCS spot for them. The BCS has to take the Big 12 Champion and will not pass up a 12-1 Texas to take a 13-0 Boise State.
Bowl Projections:
BCS Championship Bowl: Texas vs Florida
Sugar: Alabama vs Cincinnati
Orange: Boise State vs Georgia Tech
Rose: Oregon vs Ohio State
Fiesta: TCU vs Penn State
Las Vegas: BYU vs Oregon State
Poinsettia: Utah vs Arizona
New Mexico: Wyoming vs Nevada
Armed Forces: Air Force vs SMU
Humanitarian: Idaho vs UCLA
Hawaii: Fresno State vs Marshall
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