Raiders- Chiefs Week 7

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and when the Chiefs turn the ball over, you convert them into scores. Just a few weeks ago Raider fans on FB were ready to jump ship "It's getting harder and harder to support this team"..... shit!  Now the comments are nothing but "Just Win Baby" and "Whatever it takes!" Raiders 4 Life!  in this A.D.D. afflicted fan base usually means "until they lose their next game"

All you Raider haters can suck a big dick!  I see you lurking out there in Manning jerseys. Nothing pains the Raider Haters like the Silver & Black stumbling onto a streak (2 wins in a row) of good fortune. Which brings me to ESPN NFL studio analysts Herm Edwards and Eric Mangini, both picked against the Raiders going into the K.C. game. The entire concept of having analysts pick games is based on the premise, that as former coaches, players etc. they should know more about the game than your average couch pilot watching at home.

That's not always the case and invariably they're caught off guard when asked to pick. Usually they just wind up pulling something out of their asses. Edwards will never coach in the NFL again, so he doesn't care, he'll gleefully pick against a team. Mangini on the other hand is one wishy washy s.o.b. Mostly he'll just concur with Edward's picks. Then Herm as if to bait him, will make a crazy pick and Mangina will wind up sputtering out some nonsense that sounds like "yes, no, i don't know, maybe, no, yes"

Eric Mangini is still young enough and NFL owners are still stupid enough, that someone may yet hire him to coach their team. Because of this he can't bring himself to pick against anyone, unless Edwards has already done the dirty deed. It's not like Jacksonville or San Diego will say, "We would love to hire you, but you did pick against us that one game against the Raiders"  They're out of touch with the league, they don't know shit, so keep that in mind and bet accordingly.

Speaking of betting, New Jersey is bucking the NFL, NCAA, NBA and God himself by pushing for live sports betting in the Garden State. Of course nobody at the NFL wants to broach the subject, lest it remind fans that the NFL is what it is because of sports betting. If nobody bet on football, half the seats in every stadium would be empty and the league would be bankrupt. The demise of the USFL wasn't due so much to poor attendance as to the lack of interest by bettors.

"Give me three points on the Los Angeles Express and six on the Oakland Invaders? That wasn't going to happen. Professional leagues need sports books to drum up and maintain interest in their product. College Football is big because everyone bets on the games, the same with NCAA basketball and March Madness. Thank you! New Jersey for exposing the hypocrisy of the NFL.  Now place your bets, I've got the Raiders by 3 over Tampa Bay.

Oakland Raiders  26    Kansas City Chiefs  16

The game started out with an audible groan (from the vocal Raiders fans in attendance) as ex-Raider Stanford Routt intercepted Carson Palmer on the very first play of the game. Routt's play however, turned out to be a good thing. With that out of the way, Carson did seem to settled own and take better care of the ball. Oakland used a pair of Janikowski field goals to take a precarious 6-0 lead, the Chiefs' placekicker, Ryan Succop then added a pair of his own to the tie the score at 6-6. 

With the outcome still hanging in the balance, Shane Lechler floated a high punt that KC return specialist Javier Arenas muffed, the ball was recovered by Jon Condo. On the ensuing possession, with the Raiders facing a third and eight, Palmer found Denarious Moore in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. It was one of just two third down conversions in the game for Oakland. Early in the second half Janikowski kicked a 29 yd. field goal to extend Oakland's lead to 16-6.

Kansas City made some noise midway through the third quarter as Ryan Succop launched a 52 yd. rocket through the uprights. The Raiders however, were still in command, as Carson Palmer led them on their only long sustained drive of the day, capped off with a 32 yd. td. pass to Darrius Heward-Bey for a 23-9 lead. Half way through the fourth quarter, Sebastian Janikowski centered his fourth field goal of the day through the uprights to wrap up Oakland's scoring, 26-9.

That essentially decided the ballgame, Matt Cassell who stepped in for starter Brady Quinn, (who was knocked out with a head injury in the first half) led the Chiefs to their only touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game. Final score 26-16, it was KC's fourth straight loss and the Raider's sixth straight win at Arrowhead Stadium. With the win, Oakland which many had given up for dead before the bye week, is now 3-4 and has played three solid if not spectacular games. 

The Raiders running game came to life again, Darren McFadden had his second 100 yard game of the season (29 carries 114 yards) Carson Palmer completed 14 of 28 passes for 209 yds., 2 td's and the one int. Typical numbers for Carson, and although the stats don't reflect it, he had one of his best games this season. Carson's td pass to Moore was the 175th of his career, which ranks him fifth among active quarterbacks. Sebastian Janikowski is 32 for 36 all time at Arrowhead Stadium. Sea Bass has kicked 43 consecutive field goals from inside 40 yds. 

"Head Injury" appears to be the new code that NFL teams are using (along with "neck injury") in order to work the grey areas, (so to speak) surrounding the concussion protocol. Chiefs RB Nate Eachus also left the game with what the Chiefs called "a head injury" It's a despicable new trend and one I'm sure the NFL will put a stop to. It's similar to the Redskins trying to brush off Robert Griffin's concussion as simply a case of  "shaken up" 

Raider Notes:

Transaction News: The Raiders worked out six players this week including Qb. Aaron Corp, WR's Saalim Hakim, Shaky Smithson, TE Cooper Helfet, CB Buddy Jackson and S Cory Nelms. None were signed, instead Oakland released Akwasi Owusu-Ansah from the practice squad and signed guard Jason Foster, an undrafted free agent from Rhode Island to take his spot.

CB Ron Bartell was back on the practice field for the first time since breaking his shoulder blade in the season opener against San Diego. Bartell is not eligible to play until Nov. 11th. against the Baltimore Ravens. LB Aaron Curry continues to practice with the team, the Raiders are considering activating Curry, but first must make room for him on the active roster. 

If Curry is activated, a player must be cut from the roster, the same with Bartell when he returns to active duty. Another option would be to trade Curry before the NFL trading deadline on Thursday. Shawntae Spencer and Khalif Barnes are still not taking part in practices, no word on their return. 

Former Raider Stanford Routt was the subject of derision after game, "Started off good for him but went downhill from there" said Michael Huff. Routt intercepted Palmer on the game's first play and then found himself scrambling to make plays as the Raiders kept going to Darrius Heyward-Bey. In the first quarter he was flagged for illegal contact which resulted in an automatic first down for Oakland and led to a Janikowski field goal. 

In the third quarter, Heyward-Bey spun out of Routt's grasp on his way to a 32 yd. touchdown after making a catch. Carson Palmer said that the game plan was to pick on Routt from the start. "Obviously, they were trying me" said Routt. Raider safety Mike Mitchell added that "Stan didn't want to talk to me, he's a little hurt" Routt was cut by Reggie McKenzie shortly before a five million dollar bonus was due. He signed with Kansas City as a free agent.    

New Mexico Football Report

It's time to update the list of FBS bottom feeders, judging by the recent events taking place in Moscow,Idaho.... the Vandals now occupy the bottom rung. As if head coach Robb Akey getting fired wasn't enough to deal with, starting Qb. Dominique Blackman was dismissed from the team (along with linebacker Conrad Scheidt) for violating athletic department policy.

Blackman started seven games for the Vandals and was instrumental in Idaho's only win this season against the NMSU Aggies. Robb Akey was dismissed on Oct. 21st. following a dismal 70-28 loss to Louisiana Tech. I think it's safe to say that Idaho won't be winning anymore games this year, if ever.

Black Holes of Ineptitude

Pullman, Wa./Moscow, Id.  WASU and U. of I.  are working to make Palouse Ridge the home of shitty football. They're a combined 3-13. We know the Vandals suck but what's up with Mike Leach and the Cougars? (I am so glad UNM passed on him) The two schools are just eight miles apart, maybe the taint of failure at U. of I. is rubbing off on WASU?

Albuquerque/ Las Cruces NM/ El Paso, Tx. The Bermuda triangle of college football failure. (7-19 combined, UNM has 4 of the wins) UTEP truly is one of the worst teams in the country, but they somehow managed to beat NMSU & Tulane. The UNM Lobos have put some distance between themselves and the bottom dwellers, while NMSU is still who we thought they were.

Boulder Co./Ft. Collins Co./Laramie Wy.   A gruesome three way of ugly football, Wyoming can always claim that their season was torpedoed by injuries. CSU and Colorado have no such excuses. I offer this solution to the Univ. of Colorado, drop out of the PAC 12 so BYU can take your place then join the Mountain West so you can at least finish in the middle of the pack. (4-20 combined)

Miami, Fla./Boca Raton Fla.   Florida is usually synonymous with good football but FIU and Florida Atlantic go against the grain. Toss in a mediocre, scandal ridden Miami Hurricanes club and Miami has absolutely nothing to brag about when it comes to college football (7-18 combined with the 'Canes claiming four of the wins)

The Div. 1- FBS Bottom Feeders

Two wins automatically disqualifies a team from this list. (a true bottom dweller would never manage to win two games in one season) Eastern Michigan, Wyoming, UNLV, Kansas and Kentucky are right on the verge of busting through into the Bottom 10.  Let's wish them luck.

10. Hawai'i  1-6  (Norm Chow, failing and returning home is one thing, returning home and failing is another)

9.   Auburn 1-7 (their shamefully easy schedule is a BCS disgrace)

8.   Univ. of Colorado 1-7 (how low can the Buffs go?.... they truly have no limit)

7.  Buffalo 1-7 (they play Akron, so one of the two teams will pick up a second win)

6.  Akron  1-8 (they play U. Mass and Buffalo so there's still hope for two more wins)

5.  FIU  1-8 (heartbreaking one point loss to Troy St. and a close loss to W. Kentucky)

4.  Southern Miss 0-8 (not getting any better or any worse... consistently bad)

3.  NMSU  1-7 (I'm convinced they would beat U.Mass, hell they may beat Auburn)

2.  U. Mass 0-8 (1st. year FBS program is taking its lumps, still better than Idaho)

1.  Univ. Idaho 1-7 (upheaval & turmoil won't do them any good)

NMSU Aggies  14    Louisiana Tech Bulldogs  28

With Louisiana Tech (7-1, 2-0 in WAC play) ranked in the top 25 and sporting the No. 1 scoring offense in the country (averaging 56-points-per game) coming to town, you can't blame Dewayne Walker for imagining the worst. "Giving up 70 points scared the crap out of me . We definitely didn't want to get put in the 70-club" Coach Walker was referring to the Bulldogs dismantling of the Univ. of Idaho the week before.

La. Tech scored  70 points and racked up over 800 yards of total offense against the hapless Vandals, who's sole victory came at the expense of the NMSU Aggies. That debacle cost Idaho head coach Robb Akey his job as he was fired mid-week. Shades of Mike Locksley's firing last year after the Lobos were embarrassed by Sam Houston St. Lesson learned for Coach Walker.... "blow outs get you fired"

With this in mind the focus and intensity were ratcheted up as the Aggies prepared for the Bulldogs with a fervor not seen since the season opener. It paid off, somewhat... not with an upset victory, but rather in the form of the dreaded moral victory.  For the Aggies it still resulted in a 28-14 loss (their seventh straight) dropping them to 1-7, 0-4 in conference games.

The Aggie defense  held  Louisiana Tech to their lowest offensive output of the year. The Bulldogs previous scoring low was 44 points against Virginia  So either the Aggie defense did something right for a change or the Bulldog's were just out of sync (probably a combination of the two)  The Bulldogs squandered several first half scoring opportunities(three missed field goals from Matt Nelson) their only score of the half was a 2 yd. run by Kenneth Dixon (Nelson at least made the PAT) Louisiana Tech, 7-0 at the break.

The first half was ugly for both clubs.  Andrew Manley actually had some protection, but the Aggies still couldn't get their offense in gear. NMSU was a miserable 1 for 11 on third down conversions and committed three key turnovers.  Travaughn Colwell fumbled the snap on a fourth down play. Austin Franklin got in the way of the snap as he went into motion behind the center, resulting in another fumble. Kemonte Bateman cut off his pattern early leading to an interception by the Bulldogs. .

Much like a lazy 'ol boa constrictor trying to conserve energy, The Bulldogs just kept squeezing on the Aggies, slowly and methodically  Bulldog Qb. Colby Cameron hit Myles White for a 44 yard touchdown pass to go up 14-0, then Cameron added another score on a keeper to give Louisiana Tech an insurmountable 21-0 lead.  La. Tech Rb. Ray Holley busted loose for an 83 yd. td. run, surging through a sea of missed tackles to tack on an insurance touchdown.  28-0.

With the game well out of hand, NMSU's offense suddenly became the mouse that roared. With just over 07:00 left in the game Andrew Manley connected with Kemonte Bateman for the Aggies first score. Then on their next possession Manley found Austin Franklin for a spectacular 67 yd. td. pass.  It was too little fight, too late in the game to amount to much other than speculation. The Aggies left the field, knowing that while they were never in the game, at least they weren't humiliated.

Andrew Manley finished at 18 for 34 passing, 283 yards, 2 td's, 1 int. Austin Franklin had seven catches for 139 yards, 1 td.  (1-7, 0-4) It was a landmark win for Louisiana Tech their first ever as a ranked team (#24) they had lost twice previously while ranked in the top 25, including a heartbreaking 59-57 loss to Texas A&M earlier this year when they were ranked #23. If the Bulldogs stay in the top 25, it will be the first time in school history that they've ranked in consecutive weeks.

All that means nothing to NMSU which will miss out on a bowl game for the 52nd. consecutive season. Up next for the Aggies is Gene Cheezdick and the Auburn Univ. Tigers. They are the worst BCS team in the country that's not named the Univ. of Colorado. Auburn is 1-7, they've lost five in a row and they were blown out by Texas A&M this past Saturday, 63-21.  Auburn has sunk to an incredible low since winning the national championship behind lowlife Cam Newton. How's that for instant karma?

Auburn, has already played and lost to Louisiana-Monroe, they play the Aggies this coming Saturday and they have a game against Alabama A&M, sandwiched between games against Georgia and arch rival Alabama. That's three lower echelon FBS teams in one season.... what kind of SEC team schedules like that?... WAR EAGLE!  Losing football games isn't all that Gene Chizik has to deal with, his wife Jonna appears to be a little unhinged.

With the Tigers struggling at 1-4, Jonna took it upon herself to rally the War Eagle faithful on Facebook "We have fans all over the US and I think it is time that they RISE UP and snatch back what SATAN, himself has stolen" I automatically assumed that by Satan she meant Nick Saban. "We serve a God who recovers ALL that "has been stolen" from us and there are times that HE requires the efforts of HIS people to accomplish this truth" 

Jonna rambled on, "I encourage you to think outside the box and create something that will show the rest of the world WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO and why when we refer to ourselves as FAMILY that we mean it!" Thank You! Jonna, that's how caps lock should be used... sparingly, take note all you Facebook ranters. The Tigers have since gone 0-3, so it would seem that not even "a reverse tiger walk and the effect of just alone" is an answer to what ails the Tigers. 

Oh! how I envy the blind faith of the hopelessly naive ..... curse you sarcasm and cynicism!  Jonna then neatly wrapped up her rant, "I look forward to see what you come up with", Blessings, Jonna Chizik,  P.S. feel free to share all of this as you feel led! WAR EAGLE!"  

A personal note from Left Nut Sports to Jonna Chizik:  Dear Jonna,  You can lead an Auburn Tigers fan to Facebook but you can't make them share. Where was all this self righteous determination when the DEVIL himself (Cam Newton) was leading you to a national title in 2010? GOD is busy, Jonna and he REALLY doesn't give a fuck about the Auburn Tigers. WAR AGGIES!

"What about football? Is it a sport or a concussion?"

 Jim Murray Los Angeles Times

UNM Lobos   32            Fresno St. Bulldogs  49   

Injuries are a part of the game, and nothing affects the outcome of a game more than injuries that happen during the course of the game. Case in point, the UNM Lobos are up by touchdown on Fresno St. when Cole Gautsche goes down with another injury. Later, up by 10, B.R. Holbrook is lost. The Bulldogs then scored five unanswered touchdowns to walk away from Univeristy Stadium, aka Branch Field with a 49-32 victory. 

Regardless of what happens going forward from this point, The 2012 season is already a success for the UNM Lobos. Though, the loss dropped them to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West Conf., it's heartening to know that with Bob Davie, the program is in good hands and headed in the right direction. Still there's those nagging what ifs, both in the Air Force game and against Fresno St., which saw the Lobos up by scores of 21-0 and 24-7 in the first half. 

Gautsche in his first game back after a concussion suffered at Hawai'i, lasted a mere four minutes before a neck injury sent him to the sidelines. Holbrook injured his shoulder when he was slammed to the turf on the tail end of a Qb. keeper. “Once the option phase of (the offense) was really gone, (the Bulldogs) are pretty stout up in there,” said Davie. Fresno State's offense also flexed its muscles, running off 42 unanswered points to put the Lobos away. 

Then there's the cautionary tale of the Maryland Terrapins, who will be forced to use a linebacker at Qb. after all four of the Quarterbacks on their roster suffered season ending injuries (not all in the same game, I hope!) Mike Locksley is the offensive coordinator at Maryland.... hmmm!   While the Lobo's options are slim, Joe Stoner won't be taking snaps anytime soon.  Though Lamaar Thomas or Kasey Carrier will continue to take direct snaps from center. 

UNM doesn't rely on the passing game, so unlike Maryland the injuries won't totally derail their offensive plans. Beside McCown, the Lobos do have David Vega, who ran the option both in high school (Roswell-Goddard) and at NMMI. Vega however, has been deep in Davie's doghouse since the pre-season. Coach Davie made mention of Vega for the first time since the season started during his press conference.

 A denizen of the doghouse who actually saw some game time is Crusoe Gongbay.  The Lobos top rusher in 2011, Gongbay had announced his intentions to transfer at the end of the season, he skipped spring practice but then surprisingly showed up on campus at the start of the 2012 school year. Given a chance Crusoe could be a new weapon for offensive coordinator Bob Debesse.

 Coach Davie should forgive and forget, it's time to scrounge through the pantry,  gather up all the remaining ingredients and make do with what you have available. A paltry crowd of  19,856 attended the game. Home attendance has dropped with each successive game for UNM. That's neither her nor there, Albuquerque sports fans have always been fickle bedfellows when it comes to Lobo football, and it will take a little more time to get them to come around. 

Kasey Carrier had 118 yards rushing at halftime and just 20 in the second half, he finished with 138. In the process he became the Lobo's first 1,000 yard rusher since Rodney Ferguson in 2008. Despite its slow start the Fresno State offense finished with 600 yds. total offense, Derek Carr passed for 416 yds. and 4 td's. Davante Adams had 9 catches for 198 yds. and 2 td's.  Robbie Rouse had 120 yds rushing for the Bulldogs. 

With the Lobo offense misfiring, the Lobo defensive unit was exposed by Derek Carr's ability to read the Lobo defense and adjust to the blitzes and coverage schemes.  “We did a good job (early) of disguising our blitzes,” said UNM linebacker Joe Stoner “In the second quarter, they started to pick up on it. Carr gave credit to O.C. Dave Schramm for deciphering New Mexico's defense."I don't know if we expected them to pressure that much (in the beginning)," Carr said.

"We didn't respond enough to the adversity we had," said Lobos coach Bob Davie, who added that he thought Fresno State adjusted well to what the Lobos were doing on both sides of the ball. "It was a chess game," Davie said. "At the beginning, we had (Carr) confused a bit. And then he got settled in and made adjustments, and they're talented. They deserve all the credit. They came back on the road and beat us."

Football is not a contact sport, it's a collision sport. 

Dancing is a good example of a contact sport

 Duffy Daugherty

Raiders- Jaguars Week 6

Oakland Raiders 26    Jacksonville Jaguar  23

"In my book, there's no such thing as an ugly win," said Richard Seymour after the Raider's come from behind, overtime 26-23 win over Jacksonville.  I agree, but all the same,  I must remind you that Raider law states that, "all Raiders wins and all Raider losses are ugly" there is no middle ground. I suppose that an "ugly win"  is every bit as good as an "encouraging loss" which is how Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune described the defeat at  Atlanta.

 Irregardless, it's a mute point... a win is a win and we're not giving it back. The game itself was much closer than it would've been.  The Jaguars  (now 1-5) are one of those team that the Raiders should be able to beat on any given day (kinda like the Miami Dolphins) Blaine Gabbert led the Jaguars on their only long scoring drive, connecting with Cecil Shorts III (his mom and dad had no imagination) on a 42 yd. touchdown pass.

That gave Jacksonville a 7-3 lead and it turned out to be the offensive highlight of their day. Gabbert went out with  a shoulder injury in the second quarter, joining Maurice Jones-Drew (foot injury) on the sidelines.   Oakland out gained Jacksonville 351 yds. to 209 and had an advantage in first downs of 20-10, yet the Raiders were unable to take control of the game.  This was due mostly to their unintentional generosity.

Sixteen of the Jaguar's points resulted from Raider miscues, Philip Adams muffed a fair catch attempt to set up a five yard touchdown by Rashad Jennings. Carson Palmer's awkward attempt at a shovel pass to Mike Goodson was intercepted by Derek Cox and led to a 50 yd. field goal by Josh Scobee.  Mike Spurlock returned a Shane Lechler punt 28 yards to the Raider 22 yard line to set up another Scobee field goal.

A sack and subsequent fumble by Carson Palmer, recovered by the Jaguars at the Oakland 24 yard line, resulted in a Scobee 45 yd. field goal. That one gave the Jaguars  a 23-13 lead  with 12:40  left in the game. Shane Lechler who had surgery on his left knee isn't his usual self. He's ranked 30th in net punting in the NFL with a 37.3 avg., he's 10th in gross avg. with 48.2 yards, where Raider fans are used to seeing him ranked first or second.

Carson Palmer has thrown at least one interception in almost every game since joining the Raiders. This game was no exception, at least this time Oakland was able to make up for the mistake. Nonetheless, Carson had some solid stats once again, 26-46 passing for 298 yds. and one td. Just think what he could do it the line held up and he had an actual running game to help set up the passing game.

The Raiders averaged 2.7 yds. per carry running the ball against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL. Darren McFadden finished with 19 carries good for 53 yds. With the score tied at 23-23, Sebastian Janikowski attempted to win the game in regulation time with a 64 yard field goal attempt, it fell short. Sea Bass did convert on three field goals in regulation plus the game winner in overtime.

Jacksonville had first possession in overtime, with the ball at their own 19 yd. line. In short order, much maligned middle linebacker Rolando McClain stuffed Rashad Jennings for no gain, then Qb. Chad Henne took a sack to bring up a third and 20 for the Jaguars. On the ensuing play, Henne connected on a short pass to Cecil Shorts III as Lamarr Houston came in from behind and stripped the ball from Shorts, Joselio Hanson recovered for the Raiders. 

Oakland now had possession at the Jacksonville 21 yd. line. On the next play, Carson Palmer then centered the ball for Janikowski.  Sebastian trotted out and kicked a 40 yd field goal through the uprights to give Oakland an improbable victory 26-23. Raiders center Stefen Wisniewski said it best,  "You play bad and you win, you play good and you lose, It's crazy. It's hard to explain other than that."  We feel your pain Stefen, we really do. 

Raider Notes:

Lamarr Houston was named AFC defensive player of the week for his performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston had eight tackles, a third down sack on Chad Henne that forced Jacksonville to settle for a field goal and he forced a fumble by Cecil Shorts III that set up the game winning field goal by Sebastian Janikowski in overtime. 

"It's an honor to be named defensive player of the week in any conference in the NFL,'' Houston said. "I was just very happy and very grateful.'' Houston said there was no standing ovation, but a smattering of applause upon Coach Allen's announcement of the award in practice.  "A little bit of hand-clapping,'' Houston said. "A little golf clap.''

I say Lamarr and the entire Oakland Raiders organization deserve a solid round of slow claps... starting now!  

In injury and transaction news, Khalif Barnes, tackle and Shawntae Spencer, corner back still have not practiced and are listed as doubtful for the upcoming game with Kansas City. Richard Gordon, who has missed three games did practice and his availability against the Chiefs will be evaluated  today (Thursday) 

Oakland signed offensive tackle Jason Slowey to the practice squad, releasing center Colin Miller. Slowey out of Western Oregon Univ. was drafted by the 49'ers out of college in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL draft. 

Brady Quinn will start for the Chiefs against the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium. Matt Cassel will serve as the backup.  "He was a little rusty," Kansas City Head Coach Romeo Crennel acknowledged, "but with playing time, practice time, I expect him to be better and lead this team." Crennel said he doesn't want Quinn to be looking over his shoulder, so "there will be no quick hook or anything like that."

And last but certainly not least, Rookie Raiderette Michelle has been named Raiderette of the Week for 2012 Regular Season Week 7. "I am already thrilled to be a part of the Raider Nation, but the fact that they support breast cancer awareness makes it that much more special and close to my heart." - Raiderette Michelle

All that I can say is.... Why wasn't I made aware of this? 

New Mexico Football Report

The state of New Mexico was shutout in college football this past weekend. From top to bottom, Nuevo Mexico went down in flames. The UNM Lobos lost a close game to the Air Force Academy, Highlands' saw its league hopes dashed by a last second touchdown against Chadron St., Western & Eastern both put up a fight against conference foes that have long had their number. NMMI was thumped by Snow College of Utah and the NMSU Aggies had their lunch handed to them in Logan, Ut. by the Utah St. Aggies.

Is a repeat in the offing for this week? UNM will be a huge underdog against the Fresno St. Bulldogs, NMSU is hosting Louisiana Tech and I would be amazed if the Bulldogs aren't favored by at least 30 points. ENMU travels to Wichita Falls, Tx. to play Midwestern St. Univ., that'll be a tall order for the Greyhounds. WNMU will travel 1,500 miles (round-trip by bus) to take on Chadron St., a win would be asking too much. Meanwhile NMHU takes a similarly extended bus trip to play Black Hills St. in Spearfish, SD. The hopes of New Mexico will rest on this game.

Let's not forget NMMI, the only junior college football squad in New Mexico. The Broncos under first year head coach Joe Forchtner have been up and down. NMMI's overall record is 4-4, though they've lost their last two games (Eastern Arizona & Snow College) The Broncos have given up 40+ points four times this season (accounting for all four of their losses) In the second week of the season, the Broncos were on the receiving end of an incredible 83-22 beating at the hands of Iowa Western C.C.

That drubbing, (dubbed "The Mile High Classic") took place in Pueblo, Co. The Iowa Western C.C. Reivers are ranked #1 in the NJCAA and have scored 70+ points in a game, four times this season. In their lowest scoring game, they managed to put a measly 44 points on the board and barely won by 24. They are coached by Scott Strohmeier, a red ass who has no qualms about running up the score on outgunned opponents. By the end of the season NMMI will have played three teams in the NJCAA top ten, Iowa Western, Arizona Western and Snow College.

ENMU Greyhounds  21      West Texas A&M Buffaloes  44

MEANWHILE BACK AT BLACKWATER DRAW— The Hounds of Eastern New Mexico (2-5; LSC 1-4) took on a ranked opponent of their own, 17th-ranked West Texas A&M (7-1; LSC 6-0) The Buffs stampeded Eastern to the tune of 44-21, claiming their seventh consecutive "Wagon Wheel Game" in the process.  So, the old wagon wheel, a relic from a ranch near Portales, will remain in Canyon, Tx. for another year. West Texas A&M now holds a 14-11 edge in the Wagon Wheel series.

“It’s a fun rivalry game and exciting to prepare for,” WTAMU head coach Don Carthel said.  “It’s really special to the program for the next 12 months.” West Texas got on the board immediately by scoring on their first possession. Buffs Rb. Khiry Robinson busted through at least six tackles before he was brought down 48 yds. later at the ENMU one yard line. Robinson took it in on the next play for the score. “He’s always big (Khiry Robinson),” Carthel said of his running back.

Sometimes coaches do get funny ideas. On their next possession, facing a fourth & eight, the Hounds appeared to be going for it, until Wes Wood attempted a pooch kick, the ball hit the back of an offensive player and was recovered by West Texas at the ENMU 44 yard line. Buffs Qb. Dustin Vaughan then connected with Nathan Slaughter for a 27 yard td. pass to give WTAMU a commanding 14-0 lead as the first quarter wound down. Two things Don Carthel never turns down.... gimme hats and gimme touchdowns. 

Eastern New Mexico finally got it together in the second quarter.  It seems like, ENMU head coach Josh Lynn heard about Rocky Long's plan "to go for it on every fourth down" Facing a critical fourth down, Wes Wood found Chase Kyser for a nine yard pick-up to place the ball at the WTAMU 22 yd. line.  From there Wood connected with Kyser again for a 19 yd. td. pass. to slice the Buffs lead in half.  West Texas responded with another touchdown as Dustin Vaughan found Jarrian Rhone wide open for a 58 yd. td. strike.

Up 21-7 with eight minutes left in the half.  It looked like WTAMU would build on that lead, however, back to back interceptions by Vaughan spared the Hounds from the pound. Eastern's Jamal Candley picked off one Vaughan pass to kill a potential scoring drive. Jayson Serda picked another in the end zone, that he returned 49 yds. to set up a Greyhound touchdown. Following a 15 yd. face mask penalty on West Texas, Wes Wood broke loose for a 34 yd. td. run to pull Eastern back within a touchdown.

In the second half, WTAMU slowly turned the screw on the Hounds, following a fumble by EMU's Derek Campbell, Vaughn hooked up with Slaughter for a 42 yd. gain that placed the ball on Eastern's 2 yd. line, Khiry Robinson then had the honor of pounding it into the end zone, 28-14. “(Eastern) had us on the ropes right there at halftime with the momentum, so our guys – I was really proud of the way they came out of the locker room in the second half and got the game back under our control,” Carthel said. 

He was overstating ENMU's position, in reality the Buffs were nowhere near the ropes. In fact they may have been employing the old "rope-a-dope" tactic made famous by Muhammad Ali against George Foreman. Let 'em punch away and wear themselves out and then lower the boom. As the third quarter wound down, the body blow came in the form of another Khiry Robinson td. run, this from 12 yds. out, 35-14 Buffs. The fire was down to embers now, but Wood wasn't done.  "Wes Wood is a great competitor,” Carthel said. “He’s tougher than a boot.”

Wood hit Johnson for a 31 yd. pickup and then found Chase Kyser on a 33 yd. pass play that went for a touchdown, Kyser's second of the game. Down by two touchdowns, the deficit was too much to overcome. The Hounds had indeed punched themselves out. On their next possession, ENMU was forced to punt, WTAMU LB. Eric Finefeuiaki blocked it and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety, 37-21.  Eastern had now suffered the indignity of a failed pooch kick and a blocked punt..... all in the same game, with both resulting in scores for West Texas.

After the ensuing free kick from ENMU, Vaughan led the Buffaloes down the field, Nathan Slaughter made a diving catch at Eastern's one yard line, setting yet another touchdown run from Khiry Robinson. The was the final spoke in the wagon wheel, WTAMU 44 Eastern 21. Don Carthel, a native of Friona, Tx. played his college ball at ENMU (1970-73) Carthel was also the head coach of the Greyhounds from 1985-91. It was one of the most successful periods in ENMU's  football history. “Every year when the season starts, I want Eastern to go 10 and one,” Carthel said. That one loss, of course, being against the Buffaloes.

The Greyhounds have a tough road game coming up against the Midwestern State Mustangs, who are 6-1 overall, 5-1 in the LSC and ranked #11 in the latest AFCA poll. West Texas A&M is ranked #14, so that's back to back games against nationally ranked opponents for ENMU. Located in Wichita Falls, Tx., the school was once known as Hardin Junior College, in 1950 it branched off into junior college and university divisions, with the four year school called Midwestern University  The Hardin JC branch was eliminated in 1960 and the school renamed Midwestern St. University.

NMHU Cowboys   33     Chadron St. Univ. Eagles   36 

The intensity of the RMAC championship race was almost off the meter as the Cowboys and Eagles faced off in Chadron, Ne.  The Eagles, having already lost to CSU-Pueblo had their backs against the wall. Highlands not having played either CSU-Pueblo & Chadron St. yet, needed a win to make a statement and set up a possible showdown for it all against the Skywolves. With the loss to Chadron St., the best case scenario for Highlands would be for Chadron to lose another league game, allowing the Cowboys to claim a share of the league title with a win over CSU-Pueblo. 

As if to underscore the "must win" nature of the game, the Cowboys came out and fielded an onside kick on the opening kick off. You don't see that everyday! Starting from the Chadron 26 yd. line, Lavelle Peterson finished off the drive with a 7 yd. td. run. Chadron St.'s offense was slow out of the gate and NMHU tacked on a 49 yd. field goal by Zach Tapia to go up 10-0. The Eagles played it cool and got on the board with a Jonn McLain to Cody Roes 3 yd. td pass, 10-7. On their next possession, Alex Ferdinand nailed a 40 yd. field goal and just like that, we were knotted up.

Highlands wasn't having any of it, five plays and 80 yards later Emmanuel Lewis found his groove by connecting with John Webster for a 16 yd. td. pass. The Cowboys built on their lead following an Eagles fumble on a punt return, with a Zack Tapia 42 yd. field goal, to go up 20-10. at the half.  Don Carthel spoke about being on the ropes, in the aforementioned ENMU-WTAMU recap. In this contest, the Chadron St. Eagles were up against the ropes. Just minutes into the third quarter, Mr. Reliable, Zach Tapia came out and floated home a 40 yd. field goal.

Highlands now had a seemingly comfortable 23-10 lead. The Eagles however, were slowly building towards a Rocky Balboa comeback. Chadron St. responded with an Alex Ferdinand 31 yd. field goal on their subsequent possession to cut into Highlands lead now at 23-13. Then with under two minutes left in the quarter, McLain hooked up with Allan Schmaltz for an 18 yd. td., 23-20.  NMHU cleared out a little elbow room via a 32 yd. field goal by Zach Tapia early in the fourth quarter., 26-20.

The Eagles ran 12 plays, covered 77 yds with Chapman Ham pulling in a 25 yd. td. pass from McLain, to take their first lead of the game, 27-26.  NMHU then went three and out on their next possession setting up a 34 yd. field goal by Ferdinand to extend Chadron's lead 30-26. The two teams exchanged possessions,  then following a sack on McLain, the Eagles were forced to punt. The ball sailed over the punter's head with Highlands recovering. From there it took Emmanuel Lewis just two plays to find the end zone.

Lewis hit Kevon Williams between the numbers and Williams rambled 20 yds.for what was surely a game winning touchdown, (33-30)  with less than two minutes left in the game. Only in sports does two minutes equal an eternity, anywhere else in life a span of two minutes is rarely noted or of much importance. For the Chadron St. Eagles it was all the time in the world. Qb. Jonn McLain executed an 80 yd. 10 play drive, culminating with a 21 yd. td. pass to Allan Schmaltz that put the dagger in the Cowboy's heart.

With 00:36 left in the game, Highlands came back out on the field determined to get the ball within Zach Tapia's kicking range (50-55 yds.) The Cowboy's hopes for a dramatic finish were cut short as Chadron St. safety Cole Montgomery intercepted an Emmanuel Lewis pass to thwart Highlands' last chance at victory. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6-2 overall, 5-1 in RMAC play. NMHU is now tied for second place with the Chadron St. Eagles (both trail CSU-Pueblo) with three games remaining (Black Hills St., CSU-Pueblo and Western New Mexico) in that order. 

Emmanuel Lewis led the offense with 32 completions out of 54 passes for 332 yards. Lewis also led the Pokes in rushing with 52 yards on 15 carries. The Cowboys racked up 403 yards in total offense (332 passing and 71 yards rushing) Highlands stymied the Eagles running game (86 yds. total) but could do little to stop the Chadron St. passing game, McLain finished  36-59 passing for 353 yds. As expected the Cowboy's defense was led by Jordan Campbell (19 tackles) and Jared Koster (11 tackles)

Up next for Highlands is a round trip bus ride of 1,238 miles to Spearfish, South Dakota to take on the Black Hills St. Yellow Jackets.  A long time member of the NAIA, Black Hills St. was accepted into the NCAA Div. II ranks in 2010. The Jackets will become a full fledged member of the NCAA DII in 2013. Black Hills St's football rival is the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, "the Black Hills Brawl"  is the oldest football series in the U.S. second only to Harvard vs. Yale. 

How bitter is the rivalry between the two? The last game on each team's schedule is always reserved for the "Battle for the Homestake Trophy" though in past seasons the two have been known to play each other twice in a single season (an unheard of thing in football at any level from High School on up) There is nothing in the NCAA rule book that would prevent them from doing so, but with the Jackets joining the NCAA and the RMAC, the chances of that happening again are slim.

WNMU Mustangs 28    Adams St. Univ. Grizzlies  49

Adams St.'s So. backup Qb. Justin Juda scored five rushing touchdowns, none longer than three yards to account for 30 of the Grizzlies' points.  Had Juda missed the bus to Silver City, maybe the outcome of the game would've been different, then again maybe not. The Grizzlies have WNMU's number, the 49-28 win was their fifth consecutive win over the Mustangs.  In  all fairness  I have to question why Juda kept getting the call inside the red zone.

All five of  his  td's  came after after starting Qb. Trevor Eggleston did all the heavy lifting. To fantasy football geeks, that's known as a vulture back stealing carries from a stud starter. It's frowned upon because more often than not, the truly gifted players (and the fantasy football geeks)  get screwed in the process. Seriously, Trevor Eggleston can set up the touchdown with an 84 yard scamper, but he's deemed not worthy of punching it through the line?

If Justin Juda were a fullback, I would understand....  and maybe Grizzlies head coach Marty Heaton has his reasons for not letting Eggleston finish off drives. Protecting him from injury? (Eggleston is 6'1" 210 lbs., Juda is 5-11, 185) but it's bullshit anyway you look at it.  Judas Iscariot got 30 pieces of silver and Justin Juda got his thirty points, the Grizzlies won and everyone went home happy, except for the Mustangs who came up on the short end of the final score.

The again, maybe Juda kept getting the ball, because the Mustangs couldn't keep him out  of  the end zone, right?  If it works once, it could work the next four times as well. “Set! Green 80,  Green 80, Hut-Hut.” Let's go with an audible now.  The Mustangs were forced to punt on their first possession, The Grizzlies got the ball and Eggleston picked up 91 yds. on two runs setting  up one of Juda's touchdowns.

David Von Voris kicked the extra point (his brother Kevin is the place kicker  for West  Texas A&M) to put the Grizzlies up 7-0. It would be the first of seven successful point afters by Von Voris during the game.  On their ensuing possession, Mitch Glasmann moved Western 75 yards on 10 plays, hooking up with Terron Sumpter for a 15 yd. td. pass. After an Adams St. punt,  Daniel Paponetti picked off Mitch Glasmann setting up the Grizzlies at the Mustang 17 yd. line.  Four plays later, Juda got the call for his second short td.

That started a 21 point run by the Grizzlies, it took just one play from scrimmage for them to strike again. Chaz Butler broke loose down the left side for a 67 yard dash to the end zone,  21-7. With just over one minute left in the first half, the Grizzlies pulled a rabbit out of the hat. On second and seven from the Mustang 13 yd. line, they went with an end around reverse, with JB Hall passing to Trevor Eggleston for  a 13 yd. td. strike, giving Adams St. a 28-7 lead at the break. 

The Mustangs showed some life early in the third quarter. Facing a third down, Glasmann found Brent Courtney over the middle for a 15 yd. gain. Later in the drive, with WNMU facing another third down, Donald Byrd picked up 15 yds. on a reverse, John De La Rosa than rambled 12 yds. into the end zone on the next play for a Mustang score, 28-14. Adams St. answered back on the ensuing possession, Justin Juda picked up 17 yds. on a crucial down, on 3rd. and 16, Eggleston connected with Ron Gaudin for a 25 yd. completion to the one yard line, Juda took it in from there, 35-14.

Western tried to respond, driving the ball into Grizzlies territory before Jeremiah Van Valkenburg picked off Mitch Glasmann in the end zone to kill that opportunity. Starting from their own twenty yard line, the Grizzlies rolled 80 yds. on 13 plays before Justin Juda popped it in from 2 yds. out for yet another touchdown run, 42-14. The Mustangs countered with a nine play, 75 yard drive capped off by a 29 yd. td. pass to Donald Byrd. This cut the Grizzlies lead in half, 42-21. WNMU head coach Adam Clark also had a trick up his sleeve.

Mustang place kicker Josh McIntire executed a perfect onside kick, that he recovered at the Western 47 yd. line.  Glasmann had the Mustangs on the move again, though they almost hit a snag on a fourth and 18. Ronnell Pompey however, made an acrobatic catch inside the Grizzlies 10 yd. line for a first and goal. A couple of plays later Abraham Macias scored from 2 yds. out. The Grizzlies then used a 10 play, 59 yd. drive that burned five minutes off the clock and culminated with yet another short td. run by Juda to close out the scoring, 49-28.

Adams State had an edge in total offense 516 to 494, their running game dominated the Mustangs 340 to 167 and they had zero turnovers, while the Mustangs had two costly interceptions.  Mitch Glasmann completed 25 of 55 pass attempts for 327 yds., 2 td's. Donald Byrd had nine catches for 84 yds. Ronnell Pompey had seven catches for 118 yds. Abraham Macias had 25 carries for 112 yds, 1 td. while John De La Rosa added 63 yds. on 8 carries for WNMU.  A resilient effort from the Mustangs, derailed by two big turnovers.

It doesn't get any easier for Western New Mexico next week, as they  face a daunting  road game against Chadron St.  That's 1,500 miles, round trip on a bus to face a fired up team that's tied for second in the RMAC. The Mustangs (4-4, 3-3 RMAC) are out of the title chase but a winning season is still within their grasp.  WNMU is 1-3 at home and 3-1 on the road, so it's probably in their favor that 2 of their last 3 games are on the road, including the season finale against arch rival New Mexico Highlands. 

New Mexico Football Report

“What you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.” 

 Wyoming played Air Force last week, a game that ended with the Falcons hanging on for a gripping 28-27 victory. It was a tough loss for the Cowboys (who haven't exactly lived up to pre-season expectations) After the game as Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun approached for the post game handshake, Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen unleashed an expletive  filled rant on Calhoun.  Christensen, still in the heat of the battle, was upset about the suspicious timing of an Air Force injury.

Christensen was under the impression that Air Force faked the injury to buy some extra time. This was highly unlikely as the Falcons still had  3 time outs left and there eight minutes still left on the game clock. If Calhoun did indeed order one of his players to fake an injury at that  instant, then he may well be an evil genius.  Christensen, building up a head of steam,  starts  out by yelling "Fuck You" at an Air Force player or coach, who greets him on the field.

"You fuckin' fake the fuckin' injury.... Nice ethics, man!" Christensen continues to paddle the canoe over the falls, screaming obscenities all the way down.   "What do you mean?" Calhoun responds wearing a shit eating grin. Christensen is  in his face "He lay on the ground and then walked 20 yards, I'd be fuckin scared to death if I had a fucker like you to face"  The grin is now gone from Calhoun's face and he has the look of a man who wants to trade punches. “Yea right! look at me Mr. fuckin Howdy Doody, go get in your fuckin you locker room” says Christensen.

 Calhoun sensing that this is going nowhere but bad, mumbles “All right” and sprints off. "You have no fuckin' ethics, Troy.... No fuckin' integrity!.... Woooo!!!"  Dave Christensen has reached the pinnacle of space mountain., "Go give your fuckin' press conference, fly boy!"  His daughter now joins him on the field and starts pulling him towards the exit as she pleads “Dad, please, Dad stop!” Did I mention that this also happened to be Military Appreciation Night? 

 As coaching meltdowns go, this one was epic! surpassing even that of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and his infamous rant of  “Are you kidding me?  Where are we at in society?  COME AFTER ME!  I'M A MAN!  I'M FORTY!  I'M NOT A KID” Gundy unleashed his acid tongued tirade because he felt that an article written about Qb. Bobby Reid  was inaccurate. “That's why I don't read the newspaper.  BECAUSE IT'S GARBAGE.  And the editor that let it come out IS GARBAGE”  this took place at a post game press conference.

Gundy had the good sense to filter out profanities “If your child goes down the street, and someone makes fun of him because he dropped a pass in a pickup game, or SAYS HE'S FAT!”Bobby Reid, who was chubby and a bit of a momma’s boy felt the sting of Gundy’s well intentioned but misguided remarks, problem was, no one realized he'd offended  the  kid. Gundy fueled on the Red Bull he had guzzled shortly before the presser strutted around the room, “They're suppose to be mature adults but they really aren't.  Who's the kid.  Who's the kid here.  Are you kidding me?  That's all I got to say.  Makes me wanna puke!”

William Shakespeare wrote that, “Talking isn't doing. It is a kind of good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds” Gundy had been pushing Bobby Reid towards the door since he had taken over the job and  by the next season Reid was gone, out of college football altogether and bitter. He would later remark to ESPN that Gundy’s rant “basically ended my life” “Our  acts  make or mar us, we are the children of our own deeds”

 College coaches can be quite  childish, so they must learn to choose their words wisely, lest they undo the good that they have done. Dave Christensen then issued an apology to the school's fans, the Mountain West and college football for his actions. Troy Calhoun said that Christensen was exercising his "First Amendment rights."  and let it go at that. Mike Gundy never apologized for his actions, least all to Bobby Reid. 

“What makes one heroic? -- Going out to meet at the same time one's highest suffering and one's highest hope.”

UNM Lobos  23         Air Force Academy Falcons  23

 "There are heroes in evil as well as in good" Don't get me wrong, the Air Force Academy is not evil and I won't vilify them in the manner of Wyoming’s Dave Christensen.  UNM head coach Bob Davie is cut from a different cloth, Davie praised the effort of both teams “There are going to be some good New Mexico - Air Force games coming up”  Both sides had their heroes, it was a game for the ages between two rivals who always seem to bring out the best in each other. 

"The scheduled miracle cannot take place", UNM's Kasey Carrier rewrote the record book for MWC running backs, with 338 yds., but in the end it was three 1 yd. td runs by Air Force running back Wes Cobb that made the difference. An untimely (for the Lobos) interception return for a touchdown by Air Force linebacker Alex Means helped to seal the deal. ''It's definitely frustrating,'' Carrier said. ''We don't work hard to come out and lose games”

Carrier, fits the role of team leader “But it shows that we are going to come out and fight to the end and we can come out and play with the best teams” The Lobos can and will compete with the best in the MWC, that is becoming abundantly clear.  The transformation of the Lobos from a national laughing stock to a gutsy team with more heart than talent, capable of competing against all comers... is heroic and awe inspiring. 

 With Cole Gautsche not cleared for action, due to a concussion suffered against Hawai’i, the Lobos were already thin at quarterback. The worst case scenario would have starting Qb. B.R. Holbrook going down with an injury, which he did right before the half. Following a hit, Holbrook went to the sidelines and complained of dizziness and nausea. He was diagnosed as having suffered a concussion and removed from the game. 

Rarely used So. Qb. Quinton McCown took over as the Lobos stuck to their  running attack, behind McCown or with Lamaar Thomas taking direct snaps from center. Carrier ran the ball 39 times, breaking loose for two long runs, though he stopped short of the goal line both times. UNM had to settle for a Justus Adams field goal on a 68 yd. effort, while Kasey punched it  in from 10 yd. td. on following a 59 yard break away.  

 By half time Carrier had already surpassed his previous career high of 191 set two weeks ago against Texas State Univ. Carrier demolished New Mexico’s single game rushing mark of 265 yds. set by Quincy Wright against Weber St. Univ. in  2002. He also ran past the league mark formerly held by Gartrell Johnson of Colorado St., a mark set at the 2008 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque against Fresno St.

 After nursing a 10-7 lead, the Lobos went into the locker rooms down 14-10. Thanks to a heady play by Alex Means who reached up and tipped  B.R. Holbrook's pass to Chase Clayton. Means caught the ball in midair then dashed 65 yards for a touchdown.  The aborted  Lobo drive was the result of Destry Berry’s interception off a fake field goal attempt by the Falcons. 

Carrier then scored on UNM’s first drive of the second half, as the Lobos reclaimed the lead 17-14. The Falcons wasted little time in responding, as Wes Cobb took it in from 1 yd. out to put Air Force up by four points. Following the Lobo’s only three and out of the game, the Falcons, scored again to stretch their lead to  28-17. 

Kasey Carrier and the Lobos were not done, Carrier shook off several tacklers on his way to a 37 yd. touchdown run to slash the Falcon’s lead down to five points 28-23. A two point conversion attempt failed. The Lobos then had a perfect opportunity for victory handed to them as Lobo CB Tim Foley forced and recovered an Air Force fumble at the Falcon 46 yard line. 

That last chance went for naught when Lamaar Thomas was dropped behind the line of scrimmage on fourth and four by Alex Means.  Having lost their leading rusher (and #2 in the nation) Cody Getz on its first snap due to an aggravated sprained ankle, Air Force needed someone to step up and do big things. Alex Means played big at two crucial moments.   

“We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they  go  by. “  Will Rogers

This loathsome streak of futility that hounds the NMSU Aggies, is wearing on Head Coach DeWayne Walker, who has expressed his frustration with the lack of vision and effort put forth by the university towards maintaining the football program at the Div. 1 FBS. level. Walker’s frustration is justified, he’s watched as every single school in the WAC has upgraded and moved on (with the exception of Univ. of Idaho) 

The climate in Div. I FBS football is such that if you don’t upgrade immediately, you’re going to get left behind.  Up north, UNM understood this and quickly brought in a prominent coach, (Bob Davie) to not only rebuild, but to increase fundraising and remove the lingering stench  of failure brought on by Mike Locksley. The Aggies are playing catch-up, with the WAC in ruins, the time to start the process of rebuilding was two years ago, not now.

The main problem  is the disparity in the salaries of NMSU’s coaching staff and that of the schools they’re trying to compete against.  Utah St. pays their offensive coordinator more than NMSU pays both their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator combined. DeWayne Walker makes half of what Utah St. head coach Gary Anderson makes. It’s the unwillingness or inability to match salaries that that will ultimately ground NMSU’s football program. 

NMSU  Aggies    7           Utah St.  Aggies  41

A bye week did little to heal the wounds or soothe the spirit of the NMSU Aggies.  The Utags made sure of that by stomping their New Mexico namesakes beyond recognition.  41-7.  Statistically, the Utag defense ranks as one of the best in the country.  They did nothing on Saturday that would make you think otherwise, as they put a choke hold on NMSU’s offense. 

The Aggie passing game (their bread and butter... as it is) is predictable to the point of being telegraphic. Opposing defenses  know the Aggies are going to pass and they know where the ball is going (Austin Franklin) This became obvious as the Utags zeroed in on Andrew Manley and his collapsible offense line early and often. 

As a result, for the first time this year, the Aggies actually got something going on the ground. Germi Morrison, had a career as he carried 19 times for 96 yards. It was the type of rushing production not seen since Kenny Turner packed his bags and went off to undrafted oblivion.  Backup Qb. Travaughn Colwell was the second leading rusher with 31 yards. 

Manley connected with Austin Franklin for an apparent touchdown on NMSU’s first possession of the game, only to see the play called back on a chop-block penalty. A field goal attempt by Tyler Stampler was blocked by Utah St. and with the Aggies at the Utag 5 yard line, Manley threw an interception in the end zone. 

"You've got to take advantage of those opportunities when playing a championship-caliber football team," Coach Walker said. "We left some points out there and that puts the team in harms way."  Let’s be honest, the Aggies left plenty of “points out there” not so much because of their mistakes, but due to the fact, that they’re just not capable of scoring many points. 

Utah St. behind the one-two punch of Qb. Chuckie Keeton and Rb. Kerwynn Williams ran over, under, sideways and down the field.  "Excellent players," NMSU head coach DeWayne Walker said of Keeton and Williams in particular. "It starts with their quarterback. He can move and he's got an arm. They'll continue getting better and better."

Andrew Manley finished with 19-37 passing for 177 yds. Austin Franklin had 8 receptions for 84 yds. , 1 td. The NMSU Aggies were a 31 pt. underdog, so they couldn't even beat the spread.  The loss (their sixth straight) dropped them to 1-6 on the season, 0-3 in the Western Athletic Conf. They have the defending WAC champions, Louisiana Tech coming to town, for their homecoming game next week.

New Mexico Football Report

WNMU Mustangs  28           Western State Colorado Univ. Mountaineers  0

There's a rule of thumb in football that states, "If your punter is having a great day, that's  a  sure sign that your offense ain't getting it done"  Western St's punter Dakota Swinehart, a true freshman from Taos, N.M. punted nine times for an average of 40 yds. per punt with a  long of 51 yds. WNMU scored twice in the second quarter and twice in the third quarter to secure the 28-0 victory. The Mustang defense registered its first shutout since 2006 (24-0 over WSCU)

The Mustangs rolled into Gunnison,Colo. determined to regroup after a disappointing homecoming loss to Colorado Mesa Univ.  WSCU on the other hand has hoping that a little home cooking would get them their first win of the season.  Five minutes into the game it looked like good fortune was coming the way of the Mountaineers. WNMU fumbled a punt return and WSCU took over at the Mustang 20 yd. line. Western's defense however stuffed  the Mountaineers forcing them to attempt a 33 yd. field goal, which they missed.

 After an exchange of possessions  in the first quarter, Western's passing game got going as Mitch Glasmann connected with Marquis Sumpter on a pair of crucial pass plays, the second going 20 yds. for a touchdown.  After forcing a three and out from the Mountaineers,  the Mustangs needed just two minutes to score again. Glasmann found Donald Byrd for a 15 yd. strike and then Adam Clark reached into his bag of tricks, having Byrd throw to Ronnell Pompey, for a 32 yd. reception down to the Mountaineer 14 yard line.

A defensive holding penalty secured a first down for WNMU, after which John De La Rosa took it in for a touchdown, giving WNMU a 14-0 lead.  The Mustangs then had another chance to score late in the first half, when Bernard Williams intercepted a pass, returning it to the WSCU 42 yd. line, however the Mustangs were unable to cash in as the clock expired. In the third quarter Mitch Glasmann and the Mustangs found the magic touch again. Glasmann locked  Marquis Sumpter in his sights for a 59 yd. td. strike.

 WSCU wasn't much of a threat after that, unlike their game against NMHU the week prior, the Mountaineers had few answers nor did they stage a rally. WSCU's primary offensive (i.e. only weapon) Germaine Daniels carried the ball 28 times for 98 yds., less than half of what he gained against Highlands. WSCU starting Qb. Brian Duboski was pulled and redshirt freshman Kyle Motal played the entire second half, he finished with 98 passing yards on 9 completions out of 22 attempts.

The Mustangs had one more score left in them, as Glasmann directed a drive from midfield, that was aided by two crucial WSCU penalties. From the Mountaineer 25 yard line, Glasmann found Marquis Sumpter one more time for the final score of the game. From that point the game ground on without either team scoring. WNMU would finish with 354 yds. total offense, Mitch Glasmann completed 14 passes out of 30 attempts for 238, 3 touchdowns (all to Marquis Sumpter) Rinse, wash, repeat.

Sumpter had 8 receptions for 176 yds to go with those 3 td's. John De La Rosa was WNMU's leading rusher with just 35 yds. on 17 carries. The Mustangs turned the ball over twice, but they recovered 5 Mountaineer turnovers.  With the 28-0 victory, WNMU is now 4-3 overall 3-2 in the RMAC. The Mustangs  play at home this coming Saturday against Adams St. Univ. of Alamosa, Colo.

NMHU Cowboys  34           Adams State Univ. Grizzlies   20

You wouldn't know it by the score, but Highland's defense pitched a shutout against Adams St.  The Grizzlies let their defense and special teams do all the driving, with two defensive scores and two field goals accounting for all their points. Almost nine minutes into the game, NMHU had a punt blocked and recovered in the end zone by Vince Coach. The Cowboy's ensuing possession came up empty, after which Adams St. ran off 13 plays, covering 56 yds. and slashing 6:36 off the clock, only to settle for a 22 yd. field goal by David Van Voris. 

The Cowboys decided to flex a little muscle to get what they needed. It also helped that the Grizzlies committed turnovers on each of their last three possessions of the first half (they finished the game with 5 overall) Starting from midfield after an Adams St. turnover, Highlands ran 8 plays before Zach Tapia came out to kick a 32 yd. field goal. That got the Cowboys on the board 3-10. A Cowboy interception with under 2 minutes in the half, led to Highland's first touchdown of the game, a 1yd. run by Lavelle Peterson. 

The two teams headed into the locker rooms tied at 10-10. David Van Voris' 28 yd. field goal pulled the Grizzlies ahead 13-10. to start the second half.  After a rather modest first half, Cowboy Qb. Emmanuel Lewis shifted into overdrive, passing on almost every down. A third quarter 75 yd. drive ended with Lewis connecting with Darius Davis on a 35yd. td pass. as Highlands retook the lead 17-13.  On the Cowboys' subsequent drive Zach Tapia nailed a 55 yd. field goal for the Cowboys extending the lead to 20-13. 

Stalked by their own miscues, the Grizzlies finally got a break at the start of the fourth quarter as Connor Stevens scooped up a Cowboy fumble at  near midfield and ran it back 54 yds. for a touchdown. With the score knotted at 20-20, Emmanuel Lewis took it up to another level.  A pair of drives of 70+ yards put a halt to any thoughts of an upset, Lewis found Kevon Williams for an 8 yd. td pass and then connected with Darius Davis again, this time for 40 yds. to put the cherry on top.... order ready!

As the Cowboys have done all season.... when the going gets tough, Emmanuel Lewis gets going.  If pass attempts were dollars, Emmanuel Lewis would be $67 richer today. Lewis completed 35 out of a whopping 67 passes for 437 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Pokes, finished with 472 yards of totally awesome offense. (437 yds. passing)  Lewis was also Highland's leading rusher with 33 yds. Highlands ran the ball just 25 times (10 of which came from Lewis) for a net of 35 rushing yards. 

NMHU WR, Kevon Williams caught 12 passes for 116 yds., 1 td., WR. Darius Davis had nine catches for 129 yds., 2 td's. For Davis it was his fifth straight game with over 100 yds. receiving.  Place kicker Zach Tapia tallied 10 points for the Pokes, on two field goals and four extra points. The Grizzlies couldn't overcome their five turnovers or match Highland's offensive firepower. Leaning on your defense to score will only take you so far. The Grizzlies were held to 302 yards of total offense and zero touchdowns.

The Cowboys will host the Eagles of Chadron State College, on 10/20, in Las Vegas, N.M.  NMHU now sits tied with #1 AFCA,  CSU-Pueblo atop the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standing with a perfect 5-0 RMAC record and a 6-1 overall record. Barring an upset against the 5-2, 4-1 Chadron St. Eagles, the NMHU vs. CSU-Pueblo match-up could decide the conference championship. 

Chadron St., is located in Chadron, Nebraska in the Pine Ridge area of Nebraska's panhandle. It's recognized as one of the four best mountain biking towns in the U.S. and the football team is known for sending Don Beebe (Buffalo Bills) and Danny Woodhead (New England Patriots) to the NFL.

Rock Mountain Athletic Conference Standings 10/19/12

1.    CSU-Pueblo  7-0   5-0   ranked #1 AFCA

2.    NMHU  6-1    5-0  

3.    Chadron State  5-2  4-1

4.    WNMU  4-3   3-2

5.    Colorado Mesa  3-4  3-2

6.    Adams State   4-3  2-3

7.    Colorado Mines  4-3  2-3

8.    Black Hills St.  1-5  1-4

9.    Fort Lewis  0-6  0-5

10.  Western St.  0-7  0-5

The CSU-Pueblo Skywolves have moved to the top of the AFCA poll, they face off with Black Hills St. this week. New Mexico Highlands and Chadron St. both received votes in the latest poll, however not enough to break into the top 25. Colorado Mines once ranked as high as #18 has faded faster than an Earl Scheib paint job in the blazing New Mexico sun.