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Sunday Afternoon Quarterback
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… Game Three … Colorado 45, New Hampshire 14 …
— CU rushing offense v. New Hampshire rushing defense —
By the numbers … A week after posting a total of 44 rushing yards on 35 carries against Nebraska, the Buffs had 311 rushing yards on 51 attempts against New Hampshire. Travon McMillian had a career-high 162 yards on only ten carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter. Beau Bisharat added his career-best 92 yards on 13 carries, while Alex Fontenot (eight carries for 25 yards) and Kyle Evans (25 yards on five carries) each chipped in a rushing touchdown.
Grade: B … It’s difficult to quibble with an offense which produces over 300 yards of rushing offense, but there are some other numbers which are more unsettling. After one quarter, CU’s rushing totals: four carries for minus-11 yards and two sacks. Even at the half, the Buffs were only up to 17 carries for 68 yards. If the Buffs have similar slow starts against Pac-12 foes, there could be different results on the scoreboard.
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— CU passing offense v. New Hampshire passing defense —
By the numbers … In one half of work, Steven Montez completed 14-of-19 passes for 166 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. In the second half, Sam Noyer completed three-of-five passes for 14 yards, together with an interception which was returned for a touchdown.
Grade: C+ … Steven Montez was sacked twice in the first quarter, when the Buffs opened almost exclusively through the air (nine of the first ten play calls were passes). Montez played better in the second quarter, but his last pass of the day was an interception in the end zone just before halftime. Sam Noyer was given little opportunity to throw in the second half, but did throw an ugly pick-six which gave New Hampshire its first points of the game.
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— CU rushing defense v. New Hampshire rushing offense —
By the numbers … A week after Nebraska went for 329 yards rushing on 54 attempts (6.1 yards per carry), the Wildcats managed only 42 yards on 31 carries (1.4 yards per carry). Even taking into account the 33 yards lost to sacks, New Hampshire was held to 75 yards rushing.
Grade: A- … New Hampshire came into the game against Colorado struggling to run the football, and they did not disappoint. The Wildcats ran ball on first down 11 times during the game … and averaged 1.2 yards per carry on those rushes. The longest runs of the day were all by backups in the second half, when the outcome of the game was no longer at issue.
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— CU passing defense v. New Hampshire passing offense —
By the numbers … Quarterback Christian Lupoli made his second career start in Boulder, and did not have a great day. Lupoli completed 13-of-31 passes for 160, one touchdown and one interception. Tommy Herion came in late, completing three-of-eight passes for 68 yards, which included a 37-yard completion in the final minute of play.
Grade: A- … Lupoli was sacked five times, and his interception came on the first series of the game, setting up the Buffs for their first touchdown. Neil O’Conner, the preseason All-American wide receiver, had five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, but 71 of those yards came on his touchdown catch late in the third quarter, with the Buffs ahead at the time, 38-7.
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— CU special teams —
By the numbers … In his first game as the starter (replacing Alex Kinney, who is out 3-4 weeks with a broken collarbone), Davis Price had five punts for a 38.6 yard average. Price also continue to handle the kickoff duties, with six of eight kickoffs going for touchbacks. James Stefanou, who is still nursing a groin injury, was only called upon for one field goal attempt, a 19-yard chip shot late in the third quarter, with the Buffs already up 35-7.
Grade: B- … Until or unless someone instructs Ronnie Blackmon to stop fielding punts on the bounce, and to never, ever field a punt inside the CU five yard line, this unit will never receive an A grade. By my count, Blackmon has fielded five punts inside the Buff five-yard line, and, against New Hampshire, it cost the Buffs. Blackmon muffed the punt, and barely got out of the end zone, setting up the CU offense at their one yard line. Two plays later, Sam Noyer threw a pick-six, giving New Hampshire its first points of the game.
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Overall Grade: B+ … If you bet on the Buffs, you are not happy with the result. Colorado was a 35-point favorite to beat New Hampshire, and only won by 31 points. The Buffs did surrender 14 points to a Wildcat team which had only scored a combined ten points against Maine and Colgate, and the CU offense did struggle in the first quarter.
But that picking nits … Rick Gamboa intercepted New Hampshire quarterback Christian Lupoli on the first series of the game, with Laviska Shenault finding the end zone three plays later. From that point on, the result of the game was never seriously in doubt. Buff fans can quibble with the Buffs’ first quarter, but the score was 28-0 at the break, allowing CU to substitute freely in the second half. A total of 27 defensive players registered stats against New Hampshire, and, while it may not always have been pretty, that extra playing time for the backups could well play dividends for the Buffs down the road.
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Pac-12 Power Rankings
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Note … These are my subjective Power Rankings, which will be updated every Sunday. (Please feel free to post your own rankings in the comments section) …
12. UCLA … Ranking last weekend: 11
This weekend … UCLA fell at home to Fresno State, 38-14. After falling behind 16-0, the Bruins made it a 16-14 game early in the third quarter. From there, Fresno State dominated, out-scoring UCLA 22-0 the rest of the way. With the loss, UCLA is 0-3 for the first time since 1971. “No one feels sorry for you,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said. “We knew this was a really good football team coming in. We knew that it’s one of the best teams in the Mountain West and we had to be prepared to play, and obviously they did a better job.”
Obviously.
Up next … Bye … next week … at Colorado (Friday, Sept. 28th, 7:00 p.m., MT, FS1)
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11. Arizona … Ranking last weekend: 12
This weekend … The Wildcats (1-2) won their first game of the season, routing Southern Utah, 62-31. Kahlil Tate threw for five touchdowns and a career-best 349 yards. Still, this game was tied at 17-17 until Arizona scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. The weekend before, Oregon State played Southern Utah … and led 41-7 at halftime.
Arizona travels to Corvallis this weekend, in a battle which will either help right the Wildcats ship, or sink them before the calendar turns to October.
Up next … at Oregon State, 2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
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10. Oregon State … Ranking last weekend: 10
This weekend … Oregon State’s road losing streak was extended to 21 games with a 37-35 loss to Nevada. The Beavers fell behind the Wolfpack, 30-7, with 10:16 left … in the second quarter … before launching a furious comeback. Oregon State would have gotten out of Reno with a win, but kicker Jordan Choukair missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with four seconds remaining.
“We had a chance,” said first-year Beavers coach Jonathan Smith, who was the starting quarterback at Oregon State last time it played Nevada in 1999. “That’s a good football team and that’s a good offense. We had our chance and we just couldn’t take advantage of it.”
Up next … Arizona, 2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
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9. USC … Ranking last weekend: 3
This weekend … Easily the most talented team in the Pac-12 South, USC has played poorly the past two weekends. After falling to Stanford, 17-3, last weekend, the Trojans laid an egg in Austin, falling to Texas, 37-14. A preseason Top 15 team, the Trojans dropped out of the polls this weekend. True freshman quarterback J.T. Daniels passed for 322 yards, but the Trojans were held to minus-5 yards rushing. Texas made USC one-dimensional and turned its defense loose, USC coach Clay Helton said.
“They wanted to see what J.T. could do in the passing game and forced our hand,” Helton said.
Up next … Washington State, Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN
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8. Utah … Ranking last weekend: 7
This weekend … It’s hard to fault a team for losing to Washington. The Utes fell at home to the Huskies, 21-7, and, as is often the case, the Utah defense gave the team a chance at a victory. The Utah offense, however, just couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities it was presented. Utah has now scored a grand total of two offensive touchdowns against FBS opponents, including just one offensive touchdown the previous weekend against Northern Illinois. The Utes are probably better than the 8th-best team in the Pac-12, but they have yet to show it on the field.
Up next … Bye … next week … at Washington State, TBA
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7. Arizona State … Ranking last weekend: 5
This weekend … The Herm Train was derailed by San Diego State late Saturday night, falling 28-21. If you only watched the highlight package, you witnessed a wild finish, with the Sun Devils fighting back from a late 28-14 deficit, with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. What you may have missed is the Aztecs’ 13-play, 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter to take the 28-14 lead. San Diego State, playing with a backup quarterback, didn’t pass once on the drive, dominating the line of scrimmage.
Another dose of reality may be forthcoming this weekend.
Up next … at Washington, 8:30 p.m., MT, ABC
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6. Washington State … Ranking last weekend: 9
This weekend … The Cougars took care of business against business against Eastern Washington, 59-24. Quarterback Gardner Minshew threw for 470 yards, with James Williams rushing for three touchdowns. Washington State is 3-0, and has looked good in getting to that record, taking out Wyoming on the road, then handling San Jose State and Eastern Washington with ease.
Like Colorado, the proof will be in the pudding, as Pac-12 play opens. Last season, Washington State shocked USC on a Friday night. Would it be a shock if the Cougars made it back-to-back wins?
Up next … at USC, Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN
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5. Oregon … Ranking last weekend: 4
This weekend … The Oregon non-conference schedule was rated, by almost everyone who rates such schedules, as the easiest among the Power Five conferences. Home games against Bowling Green, Portland State, and San Jose State barely registered on the interest scale. Even the Oregon players seemed to have lost interest in the preseason, defeating San Jose State, 35-22 (the same San Jose State team which lost to UC-Davis and lost to Washington State, 31-0.
The schedule now get serious …
Up next … Stanford, 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN
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4. Colorado … Ranking last weekend: 6
This weekend … It’s a sign that the program has turned a corner when there are issues with a 45-14 victory. The Buffs scored five minutes into the game and never really looked back. The Buffs don’t have the talent of Oregon, but have a more impressive resume to date. Similarly, with Nebraska losing to Troy (albeit without its starting quarterback) and with BYU defeating Wisconsin on the road, Cal presently has a better resume than does the Buffs.
The Buffs now have a bye week, with plenty of time to reflect on how the 3-0 start to the 2017 season devolved into a 5-7 finish. At least this year, it’s a struggling UCLA team coming to town for the Pac-12 opener … instead of Washington.
Up next … Bye … next week … UCLA, Friday, September 28th, 7::00 p.m., MT, FS1
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3. California … Ranking last weekend: 8
This weekend … Cal raised its season record to 3-0 with an easy 45-23 win over Idaho State. Quarterback Chase Garbers completed 20-of-25 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the rout. As noted, Cal has on its resume a road win over a BYU team which has defeated both Arizona and Wisconsin on the road. Like Colorado, the Golden Bears get a bye week to contemplate how it can turn a successful non-conference campaign into a successful Pac-12 record. A home win over Oregon would put Cal into the Top 25 nationally.
Up next … Bye … next week … Oregon, TBA
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2. Stanford … Ranking last weekend: 2
This weekend … Stanford had to overcome a ho-hum start against UC-Davis (sound familiar, Buff fans?), but ultimately had no difficulty dispatching the Aggies, 30-10. The Cardinal’s 17-3 over USC doesn’t look quite as impressive as it did a week ago, but the Stanford players could be forgiven for looking past UC-Davis to the showdown in Eugene next weekend. The winner of the Oregon/Stanford game will be anointed as the primary challenger to Washington in the Pac-12 North.
Up next: Oregon, 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN
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1. Washington … Ranking last weekend: 1
This weekend … Defeated Utah, 21-7. It wasn’t pretty, but the Washington defense did what it needed to do to hold off the Utes. Washington may be 2-1 on the season, but has the most talented roster in the conference. The Huskies may need to run the table to get back into the College Playoff discussion. A Pac-12 conference opening win on the road against Utah was a good start.
Up next … Arizona State, 8:30 p.m., MT, ABC
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… Your thoughts? Post your rankings in the comments section …
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Stuart
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Sunday Afternoon Quarterback
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… Game Three … Colorado 45, New Hampshire 14 …
— CU rushing offense v. New Hampshire rushing defense —
By the numbers … A week after posting a total of 44 rushing yards on 35 carries against Nebraska, the Buffs had 311 rushing yards on 51 attempts against New Hampshire. Travon McMillian had a career-high 162 yards on only ten carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter. Beau Bisharat added his career-best 92 yards on 13 carries, while Alex Fontenot (eight carries for 25 yards) and Kyle Evans (25 yards on five carries) each chipped in a rushing touchdown.
Grade: B … It’s difficult to quibble with an offense which produces over 300 yards of rushing offense, but there are some other numbers which are more unsettling. After one quarter, CU’s rushing totals: four carries for minus-11 yards and two sacks. Even at the half, the Buffs were only up to 17 carries for 68 yards. If the Buffs have similar slow starts against Pac-12 foes, there could be different results on the scoreboard.
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— CU passing offense v. New Hampshire passing defense —
By the numbers … In one half of work, Steven Montez completed 14-of-19 passes for 166 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. In the second half, Sam Noyer completed three-of-five passes for 14 yards, together with an interception which was returned for a touchdown.
Grade: C+ … Steven Montez was sacked twice in the first quarter, when the Buffs opened almost exclusively through the air (nine of the first ten play calls were passes). Montez played better in the second quarter, but his last pass of the day was an interception in the end zone just before halftime. Sam Noyer was given little opportunity to throw in the second half, but did throw an ugly pick-six which gave New Hampshire its first points of the game.
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— CU rushing defense v. New Hampshire rushing offense —
By the numbers … A week after Nebraska went for 329 yards rushing on 54 attempts (6.1 yards per carry), the Wildcats managed only 42 yards on 31 carries (1.4 yards per carry). Even taking into account the 33 yards lost to sacks, New Hampshire was held to 75 yards rushing.
Grade: A- … New Hampshire came into the game against Colorado struggling to run the football, and they did not disappoint. The Wildcats ran ball on first down 11 times during the game … and averaged 1.2 yards per carry on those rushes. The longest runs of the day were all by backups in the second half, when the outcome of the game was no longer at issue.
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— CU passing defense v. New Hampshire passing offense —
By the numbers … Quarterback Christian Lupoli made his second career start in Boulder, and did not have a great day. Lupoli completed 13-of-31 passes for 160, one touchdown and one interception. Tommy Herion came in late, completing three-of-eight passes for 68 yards, which included a 37-yard completion in the final minute of play.
Grade: A- … Lupoli was sacked five times, and his interception came on the first series of the game, setting up the Buffs for their first touchdown. Neil O’Conner, the preseason All-American wide receiver, had five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, but 71 of those yards came on his touchdown catch late in the third quarter, with the Buffs ahead at the time, 38-7.
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— CU special teams —
By the numbers … In his first game as the starter (replacing Alex Kinney, who is out 3-4 weeks with a broken collarbone), Davis Price had five punts for a 38.6 yard average. Price also continue to handle the kickoff duties, with six of eight kickoffs going for touchbacks. James Stefanou, who is still nursing a groin injury, was only called upon for one field goal attempt, a 19-yard chip shot late in the third quarter, with the Buffs already up 35-7.
Grade: B- … Until or unless someone instructs Ronnie Blackmon to stop fielding punts on the bounce, and to never, ever field a punt inside the CU five yard line, this unit will never receive an A grade. By my count, Blackmon has fielded five punts inside the Buff five-yard line, and, against New Hampshire, it cost the Buffs. Blackmon muffed the punt, and barely got out of the end zone, setting up the CU offense at their one yard line. Two plays later, Sam Noyer threw a pick-six, giving New Hampshire its first points of the game.
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Overall Grade: B+ … If you bet on the Buffs, you are not happy with the result. Colorado was a 35-point favorite to beat New Hampshire, and only won by 31 points. The Buffs did surrender 14 points to a Wildcat team which had only scored a combined ten points against Maine and Colgate, and the CU offense did struggle in the first quarter.
But that picking nits … Rick Gamboa intercepted New Hampshire quarterback Christian Lupoli on the first series of the game, with Laviska Shenault finding the end zone three plays later. From that point on, the result of the game was never seriously in doubt. Buff fans can quibble with the Buffs’ first quarter, but the score was 28-0 at the break, allowing CU to substitute freely in the second half. A total of 27 defensive players registered stats against New Hampshire, and, while it may not always have been pretty, that extra playing time for the backups could well play dividends for the Buffs down the road.
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Pac-12 Power Rankings
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Note … These are my subjective Power Rankings, which will be updated every Sunday. (Please feel free to post your own rankings in the comments section) …
12. UCLA … Ranking last weekend: 11
This weekend … UCLA fell at home to Fresno State, 38-14. After falling behind 16-0, the Bruins made it a 16-14 game early in the third quarter. From there, Fresno State dominated, out-scoring UCLA 22-0 the rest of the way. With the loss, UCLA is 0-3 for the first time since 1971. “No one feels sorry for you,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said. “We knew this was a really good football team coming in. We knew that it’s one of the best teams in the Mountain West and we had to be prepared to play, and obviously they did a better job.”
Obviously.
Up next … Bye … next week … at Colorado (Friday, Sept. 28th, 7:00 p.m., MT, FS1)
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11. Arizona … Ranking last weekend: 12
This weekend … The Wildcats (1-2) won their first game of the season, routing Southern Utah, 62-31. Kahlil Tate threw for five touchdowns and a career-best 349 yards. Still, this game was tied at 17-17 until Arizona scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. The weekend before, Oregon State played Southern Utah … and led 41-7 at halftime.
Arizona travels to Corvallis this weekend, in a battle which will either help right the Wildcats ship, or sink them before the calendar turns to October.
Up next … at Oregon State, 2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
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10. Oregon State … Ranking last weekend: 10
This weekend … Oregon State’s road losing streak was extended to 21 games with a 37-35 loss to Nevada. The Beavers fell behind the Wolfpack, 30-7, with 10:16 left … in the second quarter … before launching a furious comeback. Oregon State would have gotten out of Reno with a win, but kicker Jordan Choukair missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with four seconds remaining.
“We had a chance,” said first-year Beavers coach Jonathan Smith, who was the starting quarterback at Oregon State last time it played Nevada in 1999. “That’s a good football team and that’s a good offense. We had our chance and we just couldn’t take advantage of it.”
Up next … Arizona, 2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
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9. USC … Ranking last weekend: 3
This weekend … Easily the most talented team in the Pac-12 South, USC has played poorly the past two weekends. After falling to Stanford, 17-3, last weekend, the Trojans laid an egg in Austin, falling to Texas, 37-14. A preseason Top 15 team, the Trojans dropped out of the polls this weekend. True freshman quarterback J.T. Daniels passed for 322 yards, but the Trojans were held to minus-5 yards rushing. Texas made USC one-dimensional and turned its defense loose, USC coach Clay Helton said.
“They wanted to see what J.T. could do in the passing game and forced our hand,” Helton said.
Up next … Washington State, Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN
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8. Utah … Ranking last weekend: 7
This weekend … It’s hard to fault a team for losing to Washington. The Utes fell at home to the Huskies, 21-7, and, as is often the case, the Utah defense gave the team a chance at a victory. The Utah offense, however, just couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities it was presented. Utah has now scored a grand total of two offensive touchdowns against FBS opponents, including just one offensive touchdown the previous weekend against Northern Illinois. The Utes are probably better than the 8th-best team in the Pac-12, but they have yet to show it on the field.
Up next … Bye … next week … at Washington State, TBA
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7. Arizona State … Ranking last weekend: 5
This weekend … The Herm Train was derailed by San Diego State late Saturday night, falling 28-21. If you only watched the highlight package, you witnessed a wild finish, with the Sun Devils fighting back from a late 28-14 deficit, with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. What you may have missed is the Aztecs’ 13-play, 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter to take the 28-14 lead. San Diego State, playing with a backup quarterback, didn’t pass once on the drive, dominating the line of scrimmage.
Another dose of reality may be forthcoming this weekend.
Up next … at Washington, 8:30 p.m., MT, ABC
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6. Washington State … Ranking last weekend: 9
This weekend … The Cougars took care of business against business against Eastern Washington, 59-24. Quarterback Gardner Minshew threw for 470 yards, with James Williams rushing for three touchdowns. Washington State is 3-0, and has looked good in getting to that record, taking out Wyoming on the road, then handling San Jose State and Eastern Washington with ease.
Like Colorado, the proof will be in the pudding, as Pac-12 play opens. Last season, Washington State shocked USC on a Friday night. Would it be a shock if the Cougars made it back-to-back wins?
Up next … at USC, Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN
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5. Oregon … Ranking last weekend: 4
This weekend … The Oregon non-conference schedule was rated, by almost everyone who rates such schedules, as the easiest among the Power Five conferences. Home games against Bowling Green, Portland State, and San Jose State barely registered on the interest scale. Even the Oregon players seemed to have lost interest in the preseason, defeating San Jose State, 35-22 (the same San Jose State team which lost to UC-Davis and lost to Washington State, 31-0.
The schedule now get serious …
Up next … Stanford, 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN
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4. Colorado … Ranking last weekend: 6
This weekend … It’s a sign that the program has turned a corner when there are issues with a 45-14 victory. The Buffs scored five minutes into the game and never really looked back. The Buffs don’t have the talent of Oregon, but have a more impressive resume to date. Similarly, with Nebraska losing to Troy (albeit without its starting quarterback) and with BYU defeating Wisconsin on the road, Cal presently has a better resume than does the Buffs.
The Buffs now have a bye week, with plenty of time to reflect on how the 3-0 start to the 2017 season devolved into a 5-7 finish. At least this year, it’s a struggling UCLA team coming to town for the Pac-12 opener … instead of Washington.
Up next … Bye … next week … UCLA, Friday, September 28th, 7::00 p.m., MT, FS1
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3. California … Ranking last weekend: 8
This weekend … Cal raised its season record to 3-0 with an easy 45-23 win over Idaho State. Quarterback Chase Garbers completed 20-of-25 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the rout. As noted, Cal has on its resume a road win over a BYU team which has defeated both Arizona and Wisconsin on the road. Like Colorado, the Golden Bears get a bye week to contemplate how it can turn a successful non-conference campaign into a successful Pac-12 record. A home win over Oregon would put Cal into the Top 25 nationally.
Up next … Bye … next week … Oregon, TBA
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2. Stanford … Ranking last weekend: 2
This weekend … Stanford had to overcome a ho-hum start against UC-Davis (sound familiar, Buff fans?), but ultimately had no difficulty dispatching the Aggies, 30-10. The Cardinal’s 17-3 over USC doesn’t look quite as impressive as it did a week ago, but the Stanford players could be forgiven for looking past UC-Davis to the showdown in Eugene next weekend. The winner of the Oregon/Stanford game will be anointed as the primary challenger to Washington in the Pac-12 North.
Up next: Oregon, 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN
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1. Washington … Ranking last weekend: 1
This weekend … Defeated Utah, 21-7. It wasn’t pretty, but the Washington defense did what it needed to do to hold off the Utes. Washington may be 2-1 on the season, but has the most talented roster in the conference. The Huskies may need to run the table to get back into the College Playoff discussion. A Pac-12 conference opening win on the road against Utah was a good start.
Up next … Arizona State, 8:30 p.m., MT, ABC
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… Your thoughts? Post your rankings in the comments section …
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Stuart
Continue reading...