To determine who should be the next football coach at Weber State, one needs an honest assessment of the problems that you have at Weber State's football program. And one has to determine what sacrifices the program has to make to turn the football team around.
Let's first begin by being completely honest about one fact. Weber State relies on the football program to raise revenue for the rest of the athletic department, which according to the US Department of Education, does just a little better than break even. If revenue from the football program were to disappear, then other programs would suffer as well. Therefore, unless Weber State and fill the Dee Event Center for Men's Basketball every single night, you can't cancel football. And Weber State fans, as a result, should count on the program playing 2 FBS program almost every single season.
There are some problems with this kind of scheduling. First, to make the post-season, the football team has to be nearly perfect in conference play. It will be tough to win 8 games when you give yourself at least two guaranteed losses every season. Second, the other two non-conference games have to be winnable and on the cheap, which means that you are likely to see Big Sky Conference games scheduled as non-conference games more often in the future...that is until Long Beach State, CS Northridge, CS Fullerton and Seattle U. return to the gridiron and the Big West Conference returns.
Weber State has two problems that the new football coach and the athletic department must address immediately. First, attendance has been declining in the days since Ron McBride has left. Second, there has been a dearth of Utah talent on the Weber State roster.
The second problem isn't that difficult to solve. Mike Price and Dave Arslenian would both pride themselves on the high numbers of Utah kids on their rosters. It makes marketing the team to local fans a little bit easier. Ron McBride, however, liked recruiting out of Utah. There is a big problem with recruiting Utah kids. Most are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And therefore, most go on missions. It makes managing the roster a little bit more difficult. However, recruiting local hasn't seemed to hurt the Men's basketball program a lot, in fact Randy Rahe has thrived on it. Not all of the stars on the basketball program have come from the Beehive State, but a high percentage of the roster has.
But let's compare Weber State to Southern Utah, who has arguably been more successful in recent years than Weber State has been. Of their freshmen, SUU has 20 from Utah, where Weber State has 7. And many of those freshmen come from towns like Layton, Farmington and Plain City, right from Weber State's back yard.
Southern Utah has done something else, recruiting wise, that Weber State has not done. They have successfully lured in transfers who have given up on Utah and BYU. Many of this kids may be academically ineligible, but others simply left the bigger schools hoping for some playing time, and Ed Lamb has given it to them. In fact, Brad Sorensen left BYU and used SUU as a pathway to the NFL. It a recruiting opportunity that Weber State has simply missed out on.
As far as attendance goes, more locals on the roster and winning seasons will help. But so will improving the facilities. WSU needs, more than anything, more indoor bathrooms and more permanent concessions. Fortunately, the attendance still has not yet fallen to pre-McBride levels. But giving the fans something to cheer about, and making the experience a little better will help a lot.
What are the requirements for Weber State's next head football coach?
1. Utah Ties.
With the sole exception of Mike Price, those who have succeeded at Weber State have come from another Utah school before landing in Ogden. Take a look for yourself.
WSU Coach--Record--Prior Job--Alma Mater
Wally Nadler--.500--BYU Assistant--Utah State
Sark Arslenian--.654--Dixie College Head Coach--???
Dick Gwinn--.238--Weber State Assistant under Arslenian--Oklahoma
Pete Reilman--.349--Chico State--???
Mike Price--.511--Missouri QB Coach--Washington State
Dave Arslenian--.530--Dixie State Head Coach--Weber State/Arizona State
Jerry Greybeal--.410--Eastern Washington Assistant--Idaho State
Ron McBride--.530--Utah Head Coach--San Jose State
(John L. Smith--.000--Arkansas Assistant Coach--Weber State)
Jody Sears--.174--Washington State Assistant--Washington State
2. Resume
Perhaps there was one weakness that Jody Sears had. He didn't have a good resume. He was the cornerback coach at Washington State. He did spend some time as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington, and when Weber needed an interim coach, he was the most experienced assistant John L. Smith left behind. However, he wasn't the best choice had he otherwise applied for the job. At EWU, he was demoted from sole defensive coordinator to co-defensive coordinator, the position he held for his last two seasons in Cheney. He did follow his head coach, Paul Wulff from Cheney to Pullman, but the Eagles have been far more successful under Beau Baldwin. And Sears was not chosen as the defensive coordinator at Washington State but he was relegated to coaching cornerbacks. Why? It is likely that Baldwin wasn't going to keep Sears at EWU and he was able to convince Wulff to hire him as a position coach.
3. Mission Program
The new head coach at Weber State doesn't need to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but it will help if he understands how this makes Weber State a unique place to coach. In fact, the only LDS men have coached at Weber State were Nadler and the Arslenians. But Mike Price and Ron McBride respected the wishes of those who wanted to serve LDS missions and worked around it and were successful for it. Sears seems to have recruited around it, like Greybeal did.
***Updated***
According to the Ogden Standard Examiner, here is the short list of candidates:
1. Brandon Doman, Former BYU Offensive Coordinator. Played Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, BYU and Skyline High School. Hometown--Salt Lake City Alma Mater--BYU. LDS?--Yes, current LDS Bishop.
According to those close to the BYU program when he was coaching there, he wasn't the best X's and O's guy, but he was highly inspirational. I would expect that as a Head Coach, his style would be like his college coach LaVell Edwards. Coach Edwards left most of the dirty work to his assistants and would supervise their work. That may not necessarily be a strength. His strength would be his ability to recruit, especially local kids. He has been out of coaching for a year, but many think that he was a fall-guy in Provo and not given a fair chance to succeed.
2. Nick Howell, Current BYU Defensive Coordinator. Weber State Alum, Ogden Native and Ben Lomond High School graduate. Hometown--Ogden Alma Mater--Weber State LDS?--Yes.
For the past several years, Howell has been tutored under one of the best defensive minds in college football in BYU's Bronco Mendenhall. One of the chief criticisms of Mendenhall's style at BYU is that not enough attention has been paid to the offense, at a school that was once known for being one of the best offensive schools in the country. The concern I have about Howell is that Bronco Mendenhall has been so hands on with the defense, that Howell hasn't really been a coordinator. Howell has been mentioned by some as the likely successor to Bronco Mendenhall when he retires.
3. Kevin McGiven, Current USU Offensive Coordinator. Hometown--Orem Alma Mater--Louisiana Tech LDS--Yes
McGiven is the popular choice on most Weber State comment sites. As the Offensive Coordinator at Montana State in 2012, he helped see the Bobcats to an 11-2 record and a trip to the FCS quarterfinals. Basically with the same offensive personnel on the field in 2013, the Bobcat production dropped off dramatically and there were no playoffs in Bozeman. The one red flag for McGiven is that he has rarely stayed in one place for long.
4. Robb Akey, Former Idaho Coach. Played at Weber State under Mike Price and Coached at Weber State under Dave Arslenian. Hometown--Colorado Springs Alma Mater--Weber State LDS--No
Not really a popular choice, but I counter that with the argument that he did lead Idaho to a bowl game and a bowl victory. Not many coaches who have stopped in Moscow in their ill-advised move to the FBS have been able to say that. That puts him in company with John L. Smith. Actually, Akey should have moved on from Idaho after the bowl game in 2008. He would likely still be coaching. It's a very difficult place to succeed.
5. Eric Price, Current Tulane Offensive Coordinator. Played at Weber State under his father Mike Price. Graduate of Ogden High School. Hometown--Ogden Alma Mater--Weber State LDS--No
Tulane has made a dramatic turn around in 2013, and Price deserves much of the credit. However, it is possible that Weber State can't afford the pay he deserves. He has also never coached in Utah, but that didn't stop his father from succeeding.
6. Ed Lamb, Southern Utah Head Coach. Hometown--Castro Valley, California Alma Mater--BYU LDS-Yes
How did his name end up on this list? Doesn't he have a good thing going in Cedar City? Likely he has family on the Wasatch Front, and Cedar City might be too far removed. Look at the SUU roster and see how many kids are from the SLC CSA, especially from cities at the North End like Layton, Plain City and even Ogden. Yep, he has recruited in Weber State's back yard. The trouble with Lamb is that his defense is usually very good, but the offense, except when Brad Sorensen was under center, hasn't been a strength. He is someone else from the LaVell Edwards Coaching tree and has a similar style. He was a GA under Edwards and Played at BYU.
7. Robin Pflugrad, Current Offensive Coordinator. Former coach at Montana. Hometown--Eugene, Oregon Alma Mater--Portland State LDS--No
Well, let see, the offense didn't exactly light it up, except in the first and last game of the season. The other question about Pflu is if he has been in Utah long enough to understand what makes this place different than Montana. He also has his hat in the ring at North Dakota. He will be a head coach again someday, but Weber State may not be the best fit.
8. Steve Moton--Current Offensive Line Coach and Associate Head Coach. Hometown--Pullman, Washginton??? Alma Mater--Washington State LDS--No
Moton has coached at Washington State, Iowa State, Stanford, USC, Nevada and San Jose State. He has coached since the late 1970s. But he hasn't been associated with a lot of successful programs in his career.
9. Matt Hammer, current coach at Weber High School and former Weber State offensive coordinator. Hometown--Clearfield Alma Mater--Southern Utah LDS--Yes
Not a very popular choice among chat sites either. Hammer was the last offensive coordinator under Ron McBride and many though that his play calling was predictable. Of course, losing Cameron Higgins had a lot to do with that. He is credited for turning Weber High around this season.
10. Dave Peck, current coach at Bingham High School. Hometown--Grace, Idaho Alma Mater--Southern Utah LDS--Yes
Peck is not only one of the most successful high school coaches in Utah, but in the United States. There is no doubt he can coach. But many successful high school coaches don't make the transition to college unless they are willing to first work as an assistant. Unlike Hammer, he has never coached at the college level. Hiring Peck would be a gamble.
Who do I think will get the job?
I saw an exchange of tweets between a couple of Deseret News reporters who thought the choice would be Doman, in fact, one guaranteed it would be Doman. The popular choice among chatters at Weber State's Big Sky Fans site is McGiven. My opinion, it will be one of those two who will get the job.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Getting Ready for the Big Games.
Time to get ready for some big games...
First, even though they lost to Northern Arizona, Southern Utah was still awarded with an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. On Saturday afternoon, SUU will travel to Huntsville, Texas to take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats of the Southland Conference. The winner of this game will get to take on McNeese State, who is the #6 seed. Hopefully, the Thunderbirds and their awesome defense will be ready for the Bearkats. Hopefully, the put aside the bad memories from the 4th quarter of the home finale against Northern Arizona.
Utah State was ready defensively for Kapri Bibbs of Colorado State who has been steamrolling through the rest of the Mountain West Conference. If Utah State beats Wyoming next week, they earn the right to travel to Fresno and try to stop the Bulldogs from their BCS destiny this season. The Cowboys should be plenty motivated, a win against the Aggies make Wyoming bowl eligible.
BYU was not ready for Notre Dame. I still though the Cougars were going to win in South Bend even though they ONLY scored 49 in the first half against Idaho State. That was going to be the topic of this blog last week, but it's hard to justify the criticism of a team that scored 49 in one half. However, if they had scored on every first half drive, they would have put up 77 on the Bengals by halftime. They should have. You can tell how ready a team is for the big games by how well they prepare for the little teams. But three drives ended in turnovers, and one drive ended in a punt. BYU, however should have little trouble with Nevada who just hasn't been Nevada this season.
Finally, congratulation to RSL for making the the MLS Cup Final. If Utah State can make a game of it in Fresno, some sports fans in the Beehive State will have a difficult choice of viewing on December 7th.
The Season is over for Weber State, they finished 2-11. I have a full review of WSU's season here.
One more week for the Utes. The good news, the coaches can spend time recruiting instead of preparing for a bowl.
Players of the Week.
Notre Dame 23 BYU 13
BYU POW: LB Craig Bills
4th quarter interception gave BYU a chance to win.
Washington State 49 Utah 37
Utah POW: WR Dres Anderson
Utah State 13 Colorado State 0
USU POW: LB Zach Vigil
1st quarter interception set the tone for the game.
Northern Arizona 20 Southern Utah 10
SUU POW: WR Levi Te'o
Weber State 36 Idaho State 7
WSU POW: RB Josh Booker
By Conference
FBS Independents
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
PAC-12
Washington State QB Connor Halliday
MW
San Jose State QB David Fales
Big Sky
Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams
Games of the Week
FBS Independent and MW
Navy 58 San Jose State 52
Pac-12
Arizona State 38 UCLA 33
Big Sky
Eastern Washington 42 Portland State 41
Power Rankings
FBS Independents
1. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
2. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl*)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl*)
4. Old Dominion
5. Army
6. New Mexico State
7. Idaho
PAC-12
1. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
2. Arizona State (Alamo Bowl)
3. USC (Holiday Bowl)
4. Oregon (Sun Bowl)
5. Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl)
6. UCLA (Fight Hunger Bowl)
7. Oregon State (New Mexico Bowl)
8. Washington (Poinsettia Bowl)
9. Washington State
10. Utah
11. Colorado
12. California
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Las Vegas Bowl)
3. San Diego State (Poinsettia Bowl)
4. Boise State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. Colorado State (Armed Forces Bowl)
6. San Jose State (New Mexico Bowl)
7. UNLV (Famous Potato Bowl)]
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
(Regular Season Has Ended)
In Post Season:
#3 Seed--Eastern Washington, awaits the winner of Northern Arizona/South Dakota State
#8 Seed--Montana, awaits the winner of Bethune-Cookman/Coastal Carolina
Northern Arizona hosts South Dakota State, the winner will visit Eastern Washington
Southern Utah visits Sam Houston State, the winner will visit McNeese State
Remainder of power rankings
5. Montana State
6. Cal Poly
7. UC Davis
8. Portland State
9. Sacramento State
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Colorado
12. Weber State
13. Idaho State
Projected Finishes
BYU
Current Record: 7-4
Projected Win: Nevada
Projected Loss: UCLA (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 8-5
Utah
Current Record 4-7
Projected Win: Colorado
Projected Finish: 5-7
Utah State
Current Record 7-4
Projected Win: Wyoming
Projected Losses: Fresno State (MWC Championship), Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl)
Project Finish: 8-6
Southern Utah:
Current Record: 7-5
Projected Loss: Sam Houston State
Projected Finish: 7-6
First, even though they lost to Northern Arizona, Southern Utah was still awarded with an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. On Saturday afternoon, SUU will travel to Huntsville, Texas to take on the Sam Houston State Bearkats of the Southland Conference. The winner of this game will get to take on McNeese State, who is the #6 seed. Hopefully, the Thunderbirds and their awesome defense will be ready for the Bearkats. Hopefully, the put aside the bad memories from the 4th quarter of the home finale against Northern Arizona.
Utah State was ready defensively for Kapri Bibbs of Colorado State who has been steamrolling through the rest of the Mountain West Conference. If Utah State beats Wyoming next week, they earn the right to travel to Fresno and try to stop the Bulldogs from their BCS destiny this season. The Cowboys should be plenty motivated, a win against the Aggies make Wyoming bowl eligible.
BYU was not ready for Notre Dame. I still though the Cougars were going to win in South Bend even though they ONLY scored 49 in the first half against Idaho State. That was going to be the topic of this blog last week, but it's hard to justify the criticism of a team that scored 49 in one half. However, if they had scored on every first half drive, they would have put up 77 on the Bengals by halftime. They should have. You can tell how ready a team is for the big games by how well they prepare for the little teams. But three drives ended in turnovers, and one drive ended in a punt. BYU, however should have little trouble with Nevada who just hasn't been Nevada this season.
Finally, congratulation to RSL for making the the MLS Cup Final. If Utah State can make a game of it in Fresno, some sports fans in the Beehive State will have a difficult choice of viewing on December 7th.
The Season is over for Weber State, they finished 2-11. I have a full review of WSU's season here.
One more week for the Utes. The good news, the coaches can spend time recruiting instead of preparing for a bowl.
Players of the Week.
Notre Dame 23 BYU 13
BYU POW: LB Craig Bills
4th quarter interception gave BYU a chance to win.
Washington State 49 Utah 37
Utah POW: WR Dres Anderson
Utah State 13 Colorado State 0
USU POW: LB Zach Vigil
1st quarter interception set the tone for the game.
Northern Arizona 20 Southern Utah 10
SUU POW: WR Levi Te'o
Weber State 36 Idaho State 7
WSU POW: RB Josh Booker
By Conference
FBS Independents
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
PAC-12
Washington State QB Connor Halliday
MW
San Jose State QB David Fales
Big Sky
Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams
Games of the Week
FBS Independent and MW
Navy 58 San Jose State 52
Pac-12
Arizona State 38 UCLA 33
Big Sky
Eastern Washington 42 Portland State 41
Power Rankings
FBS Independents
1. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
2. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl*)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl*)
4. Old Dominion
5. Army
6. New Mexico State
7. Idaho
PAC-12
1. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
2. Arizona State (Alamo Bowl)
3. USC (Holiday Bowl)
4. Oregon (Sun Bowl)
5. Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl)
6. UCLA (Fight Hunger Bowl)
7. Oregon State (New Mexico Bowl)
8. Washington (Poinsettia Bowl)
9. Washington State
10. Utah
11. Colorado
12. California
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Las Vegas Bowl)
3. San Diego State (Poinsettia Bowl)
4. Boise State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. Colorado State (Armed Forces Bowl)
6. San Jose State (New Mexico Bowl)
7. UNLV (Famous Potato Bowl)]
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
(Regular Season Has Ended)
In Post Season:
#3 Seed--Eastern Washington, awaits the winner of Northern Arizona/South Dakota State
#8 Seed--Montana, awaits the winner of Bethune-Cookman/Coastal Carolina
Northern Arizona hosts South Dakota State, the winner will visit Eastern Washington
Southern Utah visits Sam Houston State, the winner will visit McNeese State
Remainder of power rankings
5. Montana State
6. Cal Poly
7. UC Davis
8. Portland State
9. Sacramento State
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Colorado
12. Weber State
13. Idaho State
Projected Finishes
BYU
Current Record: 7-4
Projected Win: Nevada
Projected Loss: UCLA (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 8-5
Utah
Current Record 4-7
Projected Win: Colorado
Projected Finish: 5-7
Utah State
Current Record 7-4
Projected Win: Wyoming
Projected Losses: Fresno State (MWC Championship), Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl)
Project Finish: 8-6
Southern Utah:
Current Record: 7-5
Projected Loss: Sam Houston State
Projected Finish: 7-6
Weber State Football...End of Season Review and Grades.
WSU Season in review:
SFA
The season started with a bang and faded quickly. There was some optimism in Ogden after the Wildcats put up 50 on Stephen F. Austin. The offense was clicking, and there were points scored on special teams and by the defense. As it turned out SFA was simply looking past WSU, and they nearly came all the way back in the 2nd half. SFA had cut a big WSU lead to just 7 points by the 4th quarter. The second half was an unfortunate harbinger of things to come.
Utah and Utah State
It has been the norm for WSU to take on 2 FBS opponents near the beginning of the season, but not two quality teams like Utah and Utah State. After surrendering 140 points in two weeks, while scoring only 14, the team was bruised, beat up and any confidence gained in the SFA game was gone.
Rest of the season
Up until the Idaho State game, it was one thing after another for the Wildcats. On games #2 through #11, the closest WSU had to a win was a 1 touchdown loss to Southern Utah. The rest of the games were over by the halfway point of the 3rd quarter. Often before that. For the Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah and Idaho State games, WSU's average points for were 34 and points against were 24. That would probably get you to .500 in the Big Sky Conference. The other 9 games WSU's average points for were 10 and average points against were 47.
Jody Sears and Jerry Bovee
Sears contract states that if his team failed to win 4 games this season, he could be fired without a buyout. Sears will likely be working somewhere else next year. But much of the blame for the way the season worked out is on the back of athletic director Jerry Bovee. He needs to be shown the door as well. Football is not the only sport that is struggling right now. WSU, which is normally in contention for the Big Sky Conference President's trophy, is struggling in all sports right now, with only a couple of exceptions. There have only been three conference championships in the past two seasons. One by the Women's Soccer team and two by the Women's Cross County team. The futility in sports has been highlighted by the dismal performance in Football and in Women's basketball who failed to win a single game last season, and who still haven't defeated another Division I school since the 2011/12 season.
In Football, the athletic director is the one who sets the schedule. In recent seasons, with the two Jerrys, Graybeal and Bovee setting the schedule, the football program has been more about earning money for the rest of the athletic department than it has been about setting a realistic schedule. The entire athletic department is suffering as a result.
Offense:
There was an explosion of points in the Stephen F. Austin game at the beginning of the season, but many of those points were on special teams and on defense. There were also a lot of points in the 4th quarter of the Idaho State game. Between those high points, the offense was the definition of anemic. The starting quarterback, Jordan Adamczyk, was lost for the season. WSU was near the bottom of the FCS in nearly every offensive category. But it all began with a porous offensive line, and that is where Weber State will need to improve most over the off-season.
Grade: D-
Defense:
10 of 12 opponents that WSU faced in 2013 scored at least 30 points. 8 scored more than 40. You don't win a lot of games when teams score on you like that. With even an average FCS defense and this offense, WSU could have won perhaps 2 more games this season (Portland State and Southern Utah). This is probably the #1 reason why Jody Sears, a defensive specialist will not return in 2014.
Grade: F
Special Teams:
When the kickers got the chance to show their stuff, they were accurate, and not many were missed. And some of the few touchdowns for the team in 2013 were scored on kick returns. However, to call special teams the sole bright spot would be giving them too much credit. But, they were better than average.
Grade: B-
Outlook for next season.
WSU may have been dismal this season, but they are also young. WSU has been affected as much by the LDS mission age change as any other school, and probably won't realistically see relief until 2015, once returning missionaries have been home for a year. However, they should probably forget trying to schedule 2 FBS opponents next year, unless one of them is (sorry Vandal fans) Idaho. A lot of what could happen next season will depend on how badly WSU gets beat up in their non-conference games. They have 2 games left to schedule.
WSU graduated 12 seniors and had 20 sophomores on the roster. You will also notice that not many of the 34 freshmen on the roster are from Utah. This is a result of the LDS church change in age for missionaries. The experience the sophomores had this season will help. Of the 12 seniors, only 3 were defensive starters. WSU should be better on defense next season.
As for who should coach next year, some insiders consider, ironically, former Idaho head coach Robb Akey, a WSU alum from the Mike Price era as the front runner to coach next season. Others name SUU defensive coordinator Justin Ena, a BYU alum who played under LaVell Edwards as the most likely to come north to Ogden. I would like to see Nick Howell, a WSU alum from the Ron McBride era and Ogden native to come and turn WSU around. However, it is unlikely that WSU could pay Howell enough to take the job.
Wildcat MVPs
Offensive MVP: RB Bo Bolen (Jr.)
Defensive MVP: LB Anthony Morales (Sr.)
Special Teams MVP: PK Sean McClain (Sr.)
SFA
The season started with a bang and faded quickly. There was some optimism in Ogden after the Wildcats put up 50 on Stephen F. Austin. The offense was clicking, and there were points scored on special teams and by the defense. As it turned out SFA was simply looking past WSU, and they nearly came all the way back in the 2nd half. SFA had cut a big WSU lead to just 7 points by the 4th quarter. The second half was an unfortunate harbinger of things to come.
Utah and Utah State
It has been the norm for WSU to take on 2 FBS opponents near the beginning of the season, but not two quality teams like Utah and Utah State. After surrendering 140 points in two weeks, while scoring only 14, the team was bruised, beat up and any confidence gained in the SFA game was gone.
Rest of the season
Up until the Idaho State game, it was one thing after another for the Wildcats. On games #2 through #11, the closest WSU had to a win was a 1 touchdown loss to Southern Utah. The rest of the games were over by the halfway point of the 3rd quarter. Often before that. For the Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah and Idaho State games, WSU's average points for were 34 and points against were 24. That would probably get you to .500 in the Big Sky Conference. The other 9 games WSU's average points for were 10 and average points against were 47.
Jody Sears and Jerry Bovee
Sears contract states that if his team failed to win 4 games this season, he could be fired without a buyout. Sears will likely be working somewhere else next year. But much of the blame for the way the season worked out is on the back of athletic director Jerry Bovee. He needs to be shown the door as well. Football is not the only sport that is struggling right now. WSU, which is normally in contention for the Big Sky Conference President's trophy, is struggling in all sports right now, with only a couple of exceptions. There have only been three conference championships in the past two seasons. One by the Women's Soccer team and two by the Women's Cross County team. The futility in sports has been highlighted by the dismal performance in Football and in Women's basketball who failed to win a single game last season, and who still haven't defeated another Division I school since the 2011/12 season.
In Football, the athletic director is the one who sets the schedule. In recent seasons, with the two Jerrys, Graybeal and Bovee setting the schedule, the football program has been more about earning money for the rest of the athletic department than it has been about setting a realistic schedule. The entire athletic department is suffering as a result.
Offense:
There was an explosion of points in the Stephen F. Austin game at the beginning of the season, but many of those points were on special teams and on defense. There were also a lot of points in the 4th quarter of the Idaho State game. Between those high points, the offense was the definition of anemic. The starting quarterback, Jordan Adamczyk, was lost for the season. WSU was near the bottom of the FCS in nearly every offensive category. But it all began with a porous offensive line, and that is where Weber State will need to improve most over the off-season.
Grade: D-
Defense:
10 of 12 opponents that WSU faced in 2013 scored at least 30 points. 8 scored more than 40. You don't win a lot of games when teams score on you like that. With even an average FCS defense and this offense, WSU could have won perhaps 2 more games this season (Portland State and Southern Utah). This is probably the #1 reason why Jody Sears, a defensive specialist will not return in 2014.
Grade: F
Special Teams:
When the kickers got the chance to show their stuff, they were accurate, and not many were missed. And some of the few touchdowns for the team in 2013 were scored on kick returns. However, to call special teams the sole bright spot would be giving them too much credit. But, they were better than average.
Grade: B-
Outlook for next season.
WSU may have been dismal this season, but they are also young. WSU has been affected as much by the LDS mission age change as any other school, and probably won't realistically see relief until 2015, once returning missionaries have been home for a year. However, they should probably forget trying to schedule 2 FBS opponents next year, unless one of them is (sorry Vandal fans) Idaho. A lot of what could happen next season will depend on how badly WSU gets beat up in their non-conference games. They have 2 games left to schedule.
WSU graduated 12 seniors and had 20 sophomores on the roster. You will also notice that not many of the 34 freshmen on the roster are from Utah. This is a result of the LDS church change in age for missionaries. The experience the sophomores had this season will help. Of the 12 seniors, only 3 were defensive starters. WSU should be better on defense next season.
As for who should coach next year, some insiders consider, ironically, former Idaho head coach Robb Akey, a WSU alum from the Mike Price era as the front runner to coach next season. Others name SUU defensive coordinator Justin Ena, a BYU alum who played under LaVell Edwards as the most likely to come north to Ogden. I would like to see Nick Howell, a WSU alum from the Ron McBride era and Ogden native to come and turn WSU around. However, it is unlikely that WSU could pay Howell enough to take the job.
Wildcat MVPs
Offensive MVP: RB Bo Bolen (Jr.)
Defensive MVP: LB Anthony Morales (Sr.)
Special Teams MVP: PK Sean McClain (Sr.)
Sunday, November 17, 2013
When is it time to pull the plug?
Weber State, at best, will finish with 2 wins. The question before athletic director Jerry Bovee right now is whether to execute the clause in Jody Sears' contract allowing him to be fired without a buyout. That contact stated he needed to gain 4 victories this year.
To be fair to Sears, he should have looked at the schedule this season before agreeing to the clause. Weber State didn't exactly get a fair shake in 2013. First, there were not one, but two FBS schools on the schedule, which has happened before. And there were two FBS schools back-to-back, which has happened for three consec utive seasons. Most FCS schools only have one money game on the schedule. Second, WSU had probably the most difficult half of the Big Sky Conference on the schedule. UC Davis, North Dakota and Northern Colorado weren't on the schedule this season.
In 2014, Weber State has two games left to schedule, and so far there are no FBS teams on the schedule. North Dakota and Northern Colorado are on the conference schedule in place of Montana and Eastern Washington. If WSU had this schedule in 2013, perhaps they would have more than 1 win.
As for the final two games, Jerry Bovee should schedule at least one game that is a realistic, confidence-building game for the Wildcats. Perhaps a Division II team, such as Humboldt State or New Mexico Highlands would be a welcome addition to the four-game home schedule. There probably will be an FBS game, but it would be nice if it fit into one of two categories.
Either it should be against a school that would so over-match WSU, that they will easily reach into their bench early in the second quarter. This game should be against one of those schools that would sell out the stadium even though Weber State is the visiting team. This would provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players. Ohio State or Alabama would fit into that category. The second category is an FBS program that would present a winnable game for WSU, such as New Mexico or (sorry to say this) Idaho.
WSU has the toughest schedule in the Big Sky Conference in 2013. Sometimes that is a good thing, but it was unrealistic this year. It doesn't work when you are rebuilding your program.
BYU 59 Idaho State 13
BYU POW: RB Jamaal Williams
Oregon 44 Utah 21
Utah POW: WR/KR Dres Anderson
Southern Utah 22 Montana State 14
SUU POW: WR Anthony Norris
Montana 36 Weber State 6
WSU POW: DB AJ Cooney
Conference Games of the Week
FBS Independent
None selected
PAC-12
USC 20 Stanford 17
MW
San Diego State 28 Hawaii 21
Big Sky
Sacramento State 43 Portland State 42
Players of the Week
FBS Independents
BYU RB Jamaal Williams
PAC-12
Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey
MW
Colorado State RB Kapri Bibbs
Big Sky
Portland State RB DJ Adams
Power Rankings
FBS Independent
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not Bowl Eligible due to FBS transition)
5. Army
6. Idaho
7. New Mexico State
PAC-12 (Post-Season)
1. Oregon (Rose Bowl)
2. UCLA (Alamo Bowl)
3. Stanford (Holiday Bowl)
4. USC (Sun Bowl)
5. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)
6. Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
7. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
8. Oregon State (Poinsettia Bowl)
9. Utah (Bowl Eligible, but not invited)
10. Washington State
11. Colordo
12. California
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Las Vegas Bowl)
3. Boise State (Poinsettia Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. Colorado State (Armed Forces Bowl)
6. San Jose State (New Mexico Bowl)
7. UNLV (Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
1. Eastern Washington (First Round Bye)
2. Montana (First Round Home Game)
3. Cal Poly (First Round Home Game)
4. Southern Utah (First Round Road Game)
5. Montana State
6. Northern Arizona (First Round Road Game)
7. Sacramento State
8. UC Davis
9. Portland State
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Arizona
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Predictions
BYU
Current Record: 7-3
Projected Wins: Notre Dame, Nevada, Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah
Current Record: 4-6
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado
Projected Finish: 6-6
Utah State
Current Record: 6-4
Projected Wins: Colorado State, Wyoming
Projected Loss: Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)
Projected Finish: 8-5
Southern Utah
Current Record: 8-3
Projected Win: Northern Arizona
Projected Loss: Youngstown State (FCS Playoffs)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Weber State
Current Record: 1-10
Projected Loss: Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
Note: If WSU falls to Idaho State, it will be their worst season in history.
To be fair to Sears, he should have looked at the schedule this season before agreeing to the clause. Weber State didn't exactly get a fair shake in 2013. First, there were not one, but two FBS schools on the schedule, which has happened before. And there were two FBS schools back-to-back, which has happened for three consec utive seasons. Most FCS schools only have one money game on the schedule. Second, WSU had probably the most difficult half of the Big Sky Conference on the schedule. UC Davis, North Dakota and Northern Colorado weren't on the schedule this season.
In 2014, Weber State has two games left to schedule, and so far there are no FBS teams on the schedule. North Dakota and Northern Colorado are on the conference schedule in place of Montana and Eastern Washington. If WSU had this schedule in 2013, perhaps they would have more than 1 win.
As for the final two games, Jerry Bovee should schedule at least one game that is a realistic, confidence-building game for the Wildcats. Perhaps a Division II team, such as Humboldt State or New Mexico Highlands would be a welcome addition to the four-game home schedule. There probably will be an FBS game, but it would be nice if it fit into one of two categories.
Either it should be against a school that would so over-match WSU, that they will easily reach into their bench early in the second quarter. This game should be against one of those schools that would sell out the stadium even though Weber State is the visiting team. This would provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players. Ohio State or Alabama would fit into that category. The second category is an FBS program that would present a winnable game for WSU, such as New Mexico or (sorry to say this) Idaho.
WSU has the toughest schedule in the Big Sky Conference in 2013. Sometimes that is a good thing, but it was unrealistic this year. It doesn't work when you are rebuilding your program.
BYU 59 Idaho State 13
BYU POW: RB Jamaal Williams
Oregon 44 Utah 21
Utah POW: WR/KR Dres Anderson
Southern Utah 22 Montana State 14
SUU POW: WR Anthony Norris
Montana 36 Weber State 6
WSU POW: DB AJ Cooney
Conference Games of the Week
FBS Independent
None selected
PAC-12
USC 20 Stanford 17
MW
San Diego State 28 Hawaii 21
Big Sky
Sacramento State 43 Portland State 42
Players of the Week
FBS Independents
BYU RB Jamaal Williams
PAC-12
Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey
MW
Colorado State RB Kapri Bibbs
Big Sky
Portland State RB DJ Adams
Power Rankings
FBS Independent
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not Bowl Eligible due to FBS transition)
5. Army
6. Idaho
7. New Mexico State
PAC-12 (Post-Season)
1. Oregon (Rose Bowl)
2. UCLA (Alamo Bowl)
3. Stanford (Holiday Bowl)
4. USC (Sun Bowl)
5. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)
6. Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
7. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
8. Oregon State (Poinsettia Bowl)
9. Utah (Bowl Eligible, but not invited)
10. Washington State
11. Colordo
12. California
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Las Vegas Bowl)
3. Boise State (Poinsettia Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. Colorado State (Armed Forces Bowl)
6. San Jose State (New Mexico Bowl)
7. UNLV (Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
1. Eastern Washington (First Round Bye)
2. Montana (First Round Home Game)
3. Cal Poly (First Round Home Game)
4. Southern Utah (First Round Road Game)
5. Montana State
6. Northern Arizona (First Round Road Game)
7. Sacramento State
8. UC Davis
9. Portland State
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Arizona
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Predictions
BYU
Current Record: 7-3
Projected Wins: Notre Dame, Nevada, Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah
Current Record: 4-6
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado
Projected Finish: 6-6
Utah State
Current Record: 6-4
Projected Wins: Colorado State, Wyoming
Projected Loss: Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)
Projected Finish: 8-5
Southern Utah
Current Record: 8-3
Projected Win: Northern Arizona
Projected Loss: Youngstown State (FCS Playoffs)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Weber State
Current Record: 1-10
Projected Loss: Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
Note: If WSU falls to Idaho State, it will be their worst season in history.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Was it really that bad of a sports day in Utah?
One tweet by a member of the sports staff at one of Salt Lake's prominent news stations tweeted on Saturday, "Utah State outlasts UNLV to salvage what was otherwise a bad sports Saturday in Utah." I first have to ask anyone who thinks that way, what were you expectations.
Let's begin with the Utah Jazz. To say that the Jazz had a fire sale over the summer is an understatement. They did not let their best players go for very little in return. They let them go for nothing. The Utah Jazz let Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson leave the franchise without any compensation in return. In other words, they unlocked the doors, turned off the cameras, sent the security guards home and allowed the neighbors to loot the store. Is anyone really surprised that the team is still winless?
Next, let's talk about BYU. In looking at the schedule before the season began, you knew the toughest game of the season for the Cougars was their November trip to Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Considering the way the season began, at respectable 10-point loss is a GOOD outcome, not a bad one.
As for the Utes, they have been outmatched in conference play all season. The last time Utah beat the ASU Sun Devils was shortly after Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the election of 1976. In the last 3 meetings with ASU, Utah has lost by an average score of 36 to 11. Even though it will not get the Utes closer to a bowl game, they are showing improvement.
There are some bright spots for Utah's sports fans. RSL is in the MLS final 4 with a pretty good chance of winning it all again. BYU will likely win out. So will Utah State. The Jazz won't be this lousy next year nor ever again. And the college basketball season is just under way with two and perhaps 3 or 4 Utah Teams will be in the round of 68. Therefore, there is not that much to be gloomy about.
Wisconsin 27 BYU 17
BYU POW
WR Cody Hoffman
7 Receptions, 113 Yards and 2 Touchdowns
Arizona State 20 Utah 19
Utah POW
WR Dres Anderson
4 Receptions, 100 Yards and 1 Touchdown
Utah State 28 UNLV 24
Utah State POW
WR Travis Reynolds
7 Receptions, 129 Yards
Southern Utah 27 Weber State 21
SUU POW
RB/QB Mike Sharp
Lots of stats
WSU POW
QB Austin Chipowetti
29/46 263 Yards and 3TDs
Games of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona State 20 Utah 19
FBS Indy
Pittsburgh 28 Notre Dame 21
MW
Utah State 28 UNLV 24
Big Sky
Montana 31 South Dakota 27
Conference Players of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey
149 yards and 1 TD vs UCLA
FBS Indy
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
226 Yards Rushing vs Hawaii
MW
Colorado State RB Kapri Bibbs
312 Yards and 4 TD vs. Nevada
Big Sky
Idaho State QB Justin Arias
315 Yards, 4 TDs and 1 Int vs. Portland State
Power Rankings
PAC-12 (Post-Season Projection)
1. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
2. Oregon (Sugar Bowl)
3. UCLA (Alamo Bowl)
4. Arizona State (Holiday Bowl)
5. Washington (Sun Bowl)
6. USC (Las Vegas Bowl)
7. Oregon State (Fight Hunger Bowl)
8. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
9. Utah (Poinsettia Bowl)
10. Washington State
11. Colorado
12. California
FBS Indy
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forced Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not bowl eligible due to transition)
5. Army
6. Idaho
7. New Mexico State
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Armed Forces Bowl)
3. Boise State (Las Vegas Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
6. UNLV (New Mexico Bowl)
7. Colorado State (Famous Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming (Bowl Eligible but not invited)
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
1. Eastern Washington (FCS First Round Bye)
2. Montana (FCS First Round Home Game)
3. Montana State (FCS First Round Road Game)
4. Northern Arizona (FCS First Round Road Game)
5. Southern Utah
6. Cal Poly
7. Sacramento State
8. UC Davis
9. North Dakota
10. Northern Colorado
11. Portland State
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Projected Finish
Utah
Current Record: 4-5
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado, San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
Projected Loss: Oregon
Projected Finish: 7-6
BYU
Current Record: 6-3
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Notre Dame, Nevada, Oregon State (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah State
Current Record: 6-4
Projected Wins: Colorado State, Wyoming, Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Southern Utah
Current Record: 7-3
Projected Losses: Montana State, Northern Arizona
Projected Finish: 7-5
Weber State
Current Record: 1-9
Projected Losses: Montana, Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
Let's begin with the Utah Jazz. To say that the Jazz had a fire sale over the summer is an understatement. They did not let their best players go for very little in return. They let them go for nothing. The Utah Jazz let Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson leave the franchise without any compensation in return. In other words, they unlocked the doors, turned off the cameras, sent the security guards home and allowed the neighbors to loot the store. Is anyone really surprised that the team is still winless?
Next, let's talk about BYU. In looking at the schedule before the season began, you knew the toughest game of the season for the Cougars was their November trip to Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Considering the way the season began, at respectable 10-point loss is a GOOD outcome, not a bad one.
As for the Utes, they have been outmatched in conference play all season. The last time Utah beat the ASU Sun Devils was shortly after Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the election of 1976. In the last 3 meetings with ASU, Utah has lost by an average score of 36 to 11. Even though it will not get the Utes closer to a bowl game, they are showing improvement.
There are some bright spots for Utah's sports fans. RSL is in the MLS final 4 with a pretty good chance of winning it all again. BYU will likely win out. So will Utah State. The Jazz won't be this lousy next year nor ever again. And the college basketball season is just under way with two and perhaps 3 or 4 Utah Teams will be in the round of 68. Therefore, there is not that much to be gloomy about.
Wisconsin 27 BYU 17
BYU POW
WR Cody Hoffman
7 Receptions, 113 Yards and 2 Touchdowns
Arizona State 20 Utah 19
Utah POW
WR Dres Anderson
4 Receptions, 100 Yards and 1 Touchdown
Utah State 28 UNLV 24
Utah State POW
WR Travis Reynolds
7 Receptions, 129 Yards
Southern Utah 27 Weber State 21
SUU POW
RB/QB Mike Sharp
Lots of stats
WSU POW
QB Austin Chipowetti
29/46 263 Yards and 3TDs
Games of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona State 20 Utah 19
FBS Indy
Pittsburgh 28 Notre Dame 21
MW
Utah State 28 UNLV 24
Big Sky
Montana 31 South Dakota 27
Conference Players of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey
149 yards and 1 TD vs UCLA
FBS Indy
Navy QB Keenan Reynolds
226 Yards Rushing vs Hawaii
MW
Colorado State RB Kapri Bibbs
312 Yards and 4 TD vs. Nevada
Big Sky
Idaho State QB Justin Arias
315 Yards, 4 TDs and 1 Int vs. Portland State
Power Rankings
PAC-12 (Post-Season Projection)
1. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
2. Oregon (Sugar Bowl)
3. UCLA (Alamo Bowl)
4. Arizona State (Holiday Bowl)
5. Washington (Sun Bowl)
6. USC (Las Vegas Bowl)
7. Oregon State (Fight Hunger Bowl)
8. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
9. Utah (Poinsettia Bowl)
10. Washington State
11. Colorado
12. California
FBS Indy
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Pinstripe Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forced Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not bowl eligible due to transition)
5. Army
6. Idaho
7. New Mexico State
MW
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Armed Forces Bowl)
3. Boise State (Las Vegas Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
6. UNLV (New Mexico Bowl)
7. Colorado State (Famous Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming (Bowl Eligible but not invited)
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky
1. Eastern Washington (FCS First Round Bye)
2. Montana (FCS First Round Home Game)
3. Montana State (FCS First Round Road Game)
4. Northern Arizona (FCS First Round Road Game)
5. Southern Utah
6. Cal Poly
7. Sacramento State
8. UC Davis
9. North Dakota
10. Northern Colorado
11. Portland State
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Projected Finish
Utah
Current Record: 4-5
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado, San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
Projected Loss: Oregon
Projected Finish: 7-6
BYU
Current Record: 6-3
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Notre Dame, Nevada, Oregon State (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah State
Current Record: 6-4
Projected Wins: Colorado State, Wyoming, Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Southern Utah
Current Record: 7-3
Projected Losses: Montana State, Northern Arizona
Projected Finish: 7-5
Weber State
Current Record: 1-9
Projected Losses: Montana, Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Challenge of Staying Sharp
One team that has been decimated by injuries this season is the Utah State Aggies. Chuckie Keeton and several members of the Big Blue are watching the remainder of the season on the sidelines. In the spring, I thought that the challenge for Matt Wells in the final four regular season games would be to stay sharp and not go into the bowl game flat. And who could blame me for saying so at the time with Hawaii, UNLV, Colorado State and Wyoming as the final 4 games.
The last three games of the season may prove to be more of a challenge than I thought at first. UNLV is 5-4 just like the Aggies. And USU has to play them in Las Vegas. What I am saying is that USU may only be a touchdown favorite instead of a heavy favorite. And the Rebels, who like the Aggies, are just a win from being bowl eligible, could win. This game will be a good test of how Matt Wells has matured as a head coach over the season.
USU also has the challenge of taking on Colorado State and Wyoming who are also, for a change, actually flirting with bowl eligibility. However, USU has the luck of facing them in Logan and should have big crowds for both games. The Aggies are finished with the weakest part of their schedule and now have a little bit of a challenge to finish the season.
Darell Garretson and Joey DeMartino are growing in their respective roles, and I expect that they are going to continue to improve. The future looks good in Logan. I have USU projected to the Armed Forces Bowl, mainly to avoid rematches with Utah and USC. It will be the same money no matter where USU goes and if Fresno makes it to the Fiesta Bowl, it will be good money. Going to Texas means lots of potential recruits in attendance, that will be a big plus for the Aggies. Potentially, much better for the long-term USU future than Hawaii or Las Vegas.
I have one more suggestion for Scott Barnes and Utah State University. After accepting a bid to whatever bowl game they are going to, announce that you are adding 10,000 seats to Romney Stadium, including putting in a new press box and luxury suites. It will be the best thing that can be done for the program today, if USU has any hope of remaining in the top tier of college football, considering the push to take the two Division I subdivisions and make them three.
Players of the Week
Utah State 47 Hawaii 10
USU POW: QB Darell Garretson
370 Yards Passing and 3 TDs
Portland State 45 Weber State 24
WSU POW: QB Austin Chipoletti
331 Yards Passing 2 TDs
Conference POWs
PAC-12
USC RB Javorius Allen
133 Yards Rushing and 3 TDs
FBS Independents
Notre Dame RB Tarean Folston
140 Yards Rushing and 1 TD
MWC
San Jose State RB Jarrod Lawson
187 Yards Rushing and 1TD
Big Sky
Sacramento State QB Garrett Safron
412 Yards Passing 4 Passing TDs, 93 Yards Rushing and 2 Rushing TDs
Games of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona 33 California 28
FBS Independent
Notre Dame 38 Navy 34
MWC
San Diego State 35 New Mexico 30
Big Sky
Montana 51 Sacramento State 48 (Only 1 OT)
Power Rankings (Post Season Projection)
PAC-12
1. Oregon (BSC Championship)
2. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
3. Arizona State (Alamo Bowl)
4. UCLA (Holiday Bowl)
5. Oregon State (Sun Bowl)
6. USC (Las Vegas Bowl)
7. Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
8. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
9. Utah (Poinsettia Bowl)
10. Washington State
11. Colorado
12. California
FBS Independents (Post Season Projection)
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Heart of Dallas Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not bowl eligible due to 1st season in FBS)
5. New Mexico State
6. Idaho
MWC (Post Season Projection)
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Armed Forces Bowl--To avoid potential rematches)
3. Boise State (Las Vegas Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
6. UNLV (New Mexico Bowl)
7. Colorado State (Famous Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky Conference (Post Season Projection)
1. Eastern Washington (1st Round Bye)
2. Montana State (1st Round Bye)
3. Montana (1st Round Home Game)
4. Cal Poly (On the bubble)
5. Sacramento State
6. Southern Utah
7. Northern Arizona
8. Portland State
9. UC Davis
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Colorado
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Record Projections
Utah
Current Record: 4-4
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado, San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
Projected Loss: Arizona State
Projected Pounding: Oregon
Projected Finish: 7-6
BYU
Current Record: 6-2
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Notre Dame, Nevada, Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Loss: Wisconsin
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah State
Current Record: 5-4
Projected Wins: UNLV, Colorado State, Wyoming, Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Southern Utah
Current Record: 6-3
Projected Win: Weber State
Projected Loss: Montana State
Too Close to Call: Northern Arizona
Projected Finish: 7-5 or 8-4
Note: If SUU wins out, they should make the FCS playoff.
Weber State
Current Record: 1-8
Projected Losses: Southern Utah, Montana, Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
The last three games of the season may prove to be more of a challenge than I thought at first. UNLV is 5-4 just like the Aggies. And USU has to play them in Las Vegas. What I am saying is that USU may only be a touchdown favorite instead of a heavy favorite. And the Rebels, who like the Aggies, are just a win from being bowl eligible, could win. This game will be a good test of how Matt Wells has matured as a head coach over the season.
USU also has the challenge of taking on Colorado State and Wyoming who are also, for a change, actually flirting with bowl eligibility. However, USU has the luck of facing them in Logan and should have big crowds for both games. The Aggies are finished with the weakest part of their schedule and now have a little bit of a challenge to finish the season.
Darell Garretson and Joey DeMartino are growing in their respective roles, and I expect that they are going to continue to improve. The future looks good in Logan. I have USU projected to the Armed Forces Bowl, mainly to avoid rematches with Utah and USC. It will be the same money no matter where USU goes and if Fresno makes it to the Fiesta Bowl, it will be good money. Going to Texas means lots of potential recruits in attendance, that will be a big plus for the Aggies. Potentially, much better for the long-term USU future than Hawaii or Las Vegas.
I have one more suggestion for Scott Barnes and Utah State University. After accepting a bid to whatever bowl game they are going to, announce that you are adding 10,000 seats to Romney Stadium, including putting in a new press box and luxury suites. It will be the best thing that can be done for the program today, if USU has any hope of remaining in the top tier of college football, considering the push to take the two Division I subdivisions and make them three.
Players of the Week
Utah State 47 Hawaii 10
USU POW: QB Darell Garretson
370 Yards Passing and 3 TDs
Portland State 45 Weber State 24
WSU POW: QB Austin Chipoletti
331 Yards Passing 2 TDs
Conference POWs
PAC-12
USC RB Javorius Allen
133 Yards Rushing and 3 TDs
FBS Independents
Notre Dame RB Tarean Folston
140 Yards Rushing and 1 TD
MWC
San Jose State RB Jarrod Lawson
187 Yards Rushing and 1TD
Big Sky
Sacramento State QB Garrett Safron
412 Yards Passing 4 Passing TDs, 93 Yards Rushing and 2 Rushing TDs
Games of the Week
PAC-12
Arizona 33 California 28
FBS Independent
Notre Dame 38 Navy 34
MWC
San Diego State 35 New Mexico 30
Big Sky
Montana 51 Sacramento State 48 (Only 1 OT)
Power Rankings (Post Season Projection)
PAC-12
1. Oregon (BSC Championship)
2. Stanford (Rose Bowl)
3. Arizona State (Alamo Bowl)
4. UCLA (Holiday Bowl)
5. Oregon State (Sun Bowl)
6. USC (Las Vegas Bowl)
7. Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
8. Arizona (New Mexico Bowl)
9. Utah (Poinsettia Bowl)
10. Washington State
11. Colorado
12. California
FBS Independents (Post Season Projection)
1. BYU (Fight Hunger Bowl)
2. Notre Dame (Heart of Dallas Bowl)
3. Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
4. Old Dominion (Not bowl eligible due to 1st season in FBS)
5. New Mexico State
6. Idaho
MWC (Post Season Projection)
1. Fresno State (Fiesta Bowl)
2. Utah State (Armed Forces Bowl--To avoid potential rematches)
3. Boise State (Las Vegas Bowl)
4. San Diego State (Hawaii Bowl)
5. San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
6. UNLV (New Mexico Bowl)
7. Colorado State (Famous Potato Bowl)
8. Wyoming
9. Nevada
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii
Big Sky Conference (Post Season Projection)
1. Eastern Washington (1st Round Bye)
2. Montana State (1st Round Bye)
3. Montana (1st Round Home Game)
4. Cal Poly (On the bubble)
5. Sacramento State
6. Southern Utah
7. Northern Arizona
8. Portland State
9. UC Davis
10. North Dakota
11. Northern Colorado
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State
Record Projections
Utah
Current Record: 4-4
Projected Wins: Washington State, Colorado, San Jose State (Poinsettia Bowl)
Projected Loss: Arizona State
Projected Pounding: Oregon
Projected Finish: 7-6
BYU
Current Record: 6-2
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Notre Dame, Nevada, Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Loss: Wisconsin
Projected Finish: 10-3
Utah State
Current Record: 5-4
Projected Wins: UNLV, Colorado State, Wyoming, Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Projected Finish: 9-4
Southern Utah
Current Record: 6-3
Projected Win: Weber State
Projected Loss: Montana State
Too Close to Call: Northern Arizona
Projected Finish: 7-5 or 8-4
Note: If SUU wins out, they should make the FCS playoff.
Weber State
Current Record: 1-8
Projected Losses: Southern Utah, Montana, Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11
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