Underdog Dynasty - Week 12 Underdog RecapsAn unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52546/ud_favicon.png2015-11-22T12:50:08-05:00http://www.underdogdynasty.com/rss/stream/95400632015-11-22T12:50:08-05:002015-11-22T12:50:08-05:00Navy Sails Through Golden Hurricane to win 44-21
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<p>The 16th ranked Navy Midshipmen were able to take care of Tulsa, limiting the high octane Golden Hurricane offense throughout the game to set the stage for a winner take all matchup against Houston for the AAC West Division title.</p> <p>Another week, another record for Navy quarterback <span>Keenan Reynolds</span>. The Heisman Trophy candidate seems to find his name atop a new record every single week, and this week it was moving past Napoleon McCallum to become the all-time leading rusher in Navy history with 4,195 yards in his career. That puts him fifth all-time for quarterbacks in FBS history with a great chance to pass former Michigan quarterback <span>Denard Robinson</span> for first all-time in that category as well by the end of the season.</p>
<p>It was somewhat of a slow start for Navy, as Reynolds fumbled on both of the first two drives of the game, recovering it once and turning it over another, his first turnover of the season.</p>
<p>However, the Navy defense would hold serve each time, allowing the offense to find its rhythm, and once that happened, the contest quickly turned into a rout.</p>
<p>A 70 yard touchdown run by <span>Toneo Gulley</span>, the longest rushing touchdown of the season for the Mids, would get the scoring started on Navy's third drive of the game. After a missed field goal, Reynolds would find <span>Jamir Tillman</span> for a 39 yard touchdown pass to put the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/navy-midshipmen">Midshipmen</a> up 14-0. Reynolds now sits one behind Bill Byrne for the all-time record for touchdown passes at Navy.</p>
<p>Reynolds would add the 82nd rushing touchdown of his career on the next drive, moving him into sole possession of second place and one behind <span>Montee Ball</span> for the all-time FBS record for touchdowns scored in a career.</p>
<p>Tulsa would finally get on the board with a one yard <span>Zack Langer</span> touchdown, but a botched snap would result in a safety to close out the half as Navy went into the locker room with a 23-7 lead.</p>
<p><span>Dishan Romine</span> would take the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards and <span>Demond Brown</span> punched it in from four yards out to put Navy up 30-7 less than a minute into the third quarter.</p>
<p>Tulsa answered right back with another Langer touchdown run, but Navy would then counter with touchdowns by <span>Quentin Ezell</span> and <span>Brandon Colon</span> to make the score 44-14.</p>
<p>Navy rolled up 524 yards of total offense in the 44-21 victory, and the defense led by <span>Will Anthony</span> limited Tulsa to just 356 yards, 170 below their season average entering the game.</p>
<p>It was another dominant performance for a Navy program that will in all likelihood move into the top 15 of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> rankings ahead of their epic showdown with Houston next Friday at noon on ABC.</p>
<p>Here are my three most pressing thoughts after last night's victory over Tulsa:</p>
<h4>1. Balanced on offense</h4>
<p>This is the most complete Navy team in recent memory, and last night's domination of Tulsa was a prime example of just how balanced the Midshipmen are on both sides of the ball.</p>
<p>On offense, Keenan Reynolds naturally receives all of the hype and praise for everything he has accomplished this season and in his career, but if I am a defensive coordinator, I am probably more terrified of the fact that Ivin Jasper always finds a way to get all of the offensive weapons involved, and this is not a one-trick pony offense by any stretch of the imagination.</p>
<p>Last night, Navy had six different offensive players score all six touchdowns in the game. It's scary to think that if you try and limit Reynolds, he will just give the ball to <span>Chris Swain</span> and Ezell up the middle or pitch it to Demond Brown, <span>DeBrandon Sanders</span>, Dishan Romine, Toneo Gulley, or Calvin Cass on the outside. The way the offensive line, receivers, and other slot backs are blocking, good luck trying to find a way to contain the second leading rushing attack in the country. When you try and creep the safeties up to help counter the rushing attack, then Navy has another weapon in Jamir Tillman who will make you pay over the top.</p>
<p>While Reynolds and Co. are as prolific a rushing attack as there is in college football, do not discount the passing element of their offense. While the timing in the passing game has not been perfect this season, Reynolds has still found success when necessary, and he is closing in on 100 passes in a row without an interception. He has the lowest interception percentage in Navy history over his career at just 1.6% as well.</p>
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<h4>2. Dominant on defense</h4>
<p>While Navy's offense has been efficient and dominant all season, it is the fact that they are one of three teams in all of FBS with a top 20 scoring offense and top 20 scoring defense that makes them so balanced and dangerous.</p>
<p>Last night, defensive end Will Anthony was playing in another stratosphere. If he doesn't win defensive player of the week for the AAC, I will be completely shocked and dumbfounded. He was all over the field throughout the game and ended up with 8 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 3 sacks.</p>
<p>This is a complete defensive unit that has time and time again held high profile offensive attacks at bay throughout the season. Tulsa came in averaging 36 points per game and were held to 21 last night, with the final touchdown coming after the second and third string players found their way to the field. They came in averaging 526 yards of total offense and were held to 356. This is as impressive a defensive unit as Navy has put on the field in a long time, and when you add that with an offense that is as efficient as any in the country, that makes for a lethal combination.</p>
<h4>3. Turnover margin/time of possession</h4>
<p>Navy's balance has allowed it to execute its game plan week after week which includes limiting opponents' possessions and maximizing their own. The team now ranks 11th in the country in time of possession, and that is a testament to the defense being able to get off the field quicker than in year's past and the offense getting into an early rhythm that they never relinquish.</p>
<p>You combine this with the fact that Navy is second in the country in turnover margin on the season at +15, and the result is a team that is not just winning games, but winning big.</p>
<p>Navy is 9th in the country in average margin of victory at 17.4 points per game.</p>
<p>Next week's game against Houston is a winner-take-all for the AAC West Division, with the winner set to host the inaugural AAC Championship Game the following week. This is a Navy team playing like the best team in the Group of 5, and the balance they are displaying on both sides of the ball has put them in the driver's seat for a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game if they continue to go 1-0 over the next three weeks.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/11/22/9777910/navy-football-sails-right-through-golden-hurricane-44-21Justin Mears2015-11-21T22:17:41-05:002015-11-21T22:17:41-05:00NMSU Takes Down The Ragin' Cajuns In 37-34 Win
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<p>In a battle of two of the best running backs in the Sun Belt, New Mexico State played spoiler in defeating the Ragin' Cajuns 37-34.</p> <p><span>Needing a win to keep their bowl hopes alive, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/louisiana-ragin-cajuns" class="sbn-auto-link">Louisiana Ragin Cajuns</a> again failed to stop the run game in falling 37-34 to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/new-mexico-st-aggies" class="sbn-auto-link">New Mexico State Aggies</a> Saturday night in Lafayette.</span></p>
<p><span>While there is still a possibility that Louisiana could get to six wins, that would include wins over both Appalachian State and Troy to end the season.</span></p>
<p><span>Going into the game, an expectation of a battle between two of the Sun Belt's best running backs was an exciting story. Neither back disappointed as <span>Elijah McGuire</span> rushed for 159 yards for the Cajuns and <span>Larry Rose</span> carried the ball 27 times for 191 yards for the Aggies. </span></p>
<p><span>The Cajuns got started early with a 20 yard drive that was stalled at the NMSU 21-yard line. Facing a fourth and four, Stevie Artigue attempted a 38-yard field goal. His kick was no good, giving the ball back to New Mexico State.</span></p>
<p><span>Midway through the first quarter, NMSU struck first in driving to the Louisiana 27-yard line. Facing a fourth down of their own, the Aggies brought on kicker Parker Davidson who drilled a 44-yard kick to give open the scoring at 3-0. </span></p>
<p><span>Quickly responding, the Cajuns rolled downfield on a four-play, 65-yard drive that started with a 27-yard pass to <span>Jamal Robinson</span>. Al Riles was the target of the scoring play, catching a 20-yard pass from <span>Brooks Haack</span> to give the Cajuns a 7-3 lead. </span></p>
<p><span>NMSU found their passing game early in the second quarter, with <span>Andrew Allen</span> hitting Tyrain Taylor for a 58-yard bomb to give New Mexico State the lead once again at 10-7. The Aggies forced a three and out and added to their lead another scoring drive. The drive was capped by a 33-yard field goal from Davidson to extend the lead to 13-7.</span></p>
<p><span>Again hitting the big play, Elijah McGuire gave the Cajuns the lead once again with a 64-yard touchdown run. But NMSU again moved downfield without issue, facing a third and 10 at the Louisiana 21-yard line. Andrews hit <span>Gregory Hogan</span> on a pass with Hogan scoring his third touchdown of the season to give the Aggies a 20-14 lead. </span></p>
<p><span>The Cajuns added a late field goal from 23 yards by <span>Aaron Bird</span> to cut the lead at halftime to 20-17.</span></p>
<p><span>Midway through the third quarter, Louisiana tied the game at 20 on a 31-yard field goal by Bird, before again letting NMSU roll downfield on offense. The Aggies took the ball and went 75 yard on ten plays, capped by a 23-yard touchdown catch from <span>Teldrick Morgan</span> to pull ahead once again at 27-20.</span></p>
<p><span>Leaning heavily upon McGuire, the Cajuns scored the next 14 points of the game. The first score was on a 27-yard touchdown run by McGuire, and the second score was set up by a 14-yard run by McGuire. Haack hit <span>Jamal Robinson</span> for a 31-yard touchdown pass, giving Louisiana a 34-27 lead.</span></p>
<p><span>Showing off their star running back, the Aggies came back with an eight-play, 53-yard drive that survived a fourth down conversion. Allen again found Hogan in the end zone, this time from 23 yards, to pull even at 34 with 3:59 left in the game.</span></p>
<p><span>In a surprise move, the Cajuns went away from the running game and instead went three and out. A punt from the Cajuns 29-yard line by Steven Coutts went a mere five yards, giving NMSU the ball on the 34.</span></p>
<p><span>The Aggies moved as close as the Louisiana two-yard line before settling for a 21-yard field goal by Davidson. It was good, giving New Mexico State a 37-34 lead with 89 seconds left.</span></p>
<p><span>Haack was unable to find his inner Joe Montana, instead getting picked off by Rodney Butler. Two kneel downs later, New Mexico State defeated Louisiana 37-34.</span></p>
<p>Louisiana is back in action Saturday with a trip to Appalachian State, while New Mexico State hosts Sun Belt leading Arkansas State.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/sun-belt-conference/2015/11/21/9777050/new-mexico-state-outlasts-louisiana-37-34Jeremy Adcock2015-11-21T21:38:26-05:002015-11-21T21:38:26-05:00Southern Miss Overcomes Adversity In Win Over ODU
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<p>Overcoming a poor first 38 minutes of play, Southern Miss earned chance to win the CUSA West Division with a 56-31 win over Old Dominion.</p> <p><span>Facing a 31-21 deficit and Conference USA title hopes fading, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/southern-miss-golden-eagles">Southern Miss Golden Eagles</a> came up with a dominant final 22 minutes in route to a 56-31 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/old-dominion-monarchs">Old Dominion Monarchs</a>. </span></p>
<p><span>With this win, Southern Miss has been guaranteed a shot at the CUSA West Division title in a season ending matchup versus Louisiana Tech. The winner of that game will represent the CUSA West Division versus either Western Kentucky or Marshall. </span></p>
<p><span>The Golden Eagles came out of the gates strong with an early six-play, 45-yard drive. Running back <span>Jalen Richard</span> capped off the drive with the first of his four rushing touchdowns, pounding it in from one yard to give Southern Miss a 7-0 lead. </span></p>
<p><span>Old Dominion quickly struck back with a defensive play. Terrell Reid sacked quarterback <span>Nick Mullens</span> and forced a fumble. That fumble was scooped up by Martez Simpson who took it in from 33 yards to tie the game at seven. </span></p>
<p><span>The Golden Eagles looked to again be in control with another touchdown drive, this time a four-play, 67-yard variety. Mullens found leading receiver <span>Casey Martin</span> for a 34-yard strike to pull the Golden Eagles ahead at 14-7.</span></p>
<p><span>After an injury to starter <span>David Washington</span>, backup <span>Shuler Bentley</span> helped the Monarchs again respond to the Southern Miss score. Bentley capped a ten play drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Zach Pascal to even things at 14.</span></p>
<p><span>Southern Miss had two scoring chances thwarted by the Monarchs defense with Fellonte Misher picking off Mullens, followed by Stephen Brauche missing a 35-yard field goal attempt with just over two minutes left in the first half. </span></p>
<p><span>With the game tied and time running down in the half, Bentley took the Monarchs on a 17-play, 77-yard drive that ended with Chris Kirtley drilling a 25-yard field go to give Old Dominion a 17-14 halftime lead.</span></p>
<p><span>Both offenses came out hot in the third quarter with Mullens finding deep threat <span>Michael Thomas</span> for a 24-yard touchdown, followed by Bentley connecting with <span>Jonathan Duhart</span> for an 11-yard touchdown to give Old Dominion a 24-14 lead. </span></p>
<p><span>The Monarchs then took advantage of a turnover on downs and went deep, connecting with Duhart for a 64-yard touchdown, his second of the day. The made PAT gave Old Dominion a surprising 31-21 lead.</span></p>
<p><span>From then on, it was as if the field was tilted in favor of Southern Miss. The offense pulled within four points on a 19-yard touchdown run by Ito Smith. One play later, Devonta Foster stipped Bentley of the ball with linebacker <span>Anthony Swain</span> recovering on the ODU 29. </span></p>
<p><span>Eight plays later, Southern Miss was in the lead via a Richard 10-yard touchdown run that made the score 35-31 in favor of the Golden Eagles. </span></p>
<p><span>Another quick turnover by Bentley, this time an interception by <span>Naim Mustafaa</span>, gave the offense a very short field. Richard added to his touchdown totals with a four-yard run to extend the lead to 42-31. </span></p>
<p><span>The Golden Eagles added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, a Mullens nine-yard run and a Richard 54-yard run to pull out to a 56-31 win.</span></p>
<p>Old Dominion finished their regular season with a visit from FAU, while Southern Miss travels to Ruston to face Louisiana Tech with a spot in the CUSA title game on the line.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2015/11/21/9776946/southern-miss-56-old-dominion-31-game-recapJeremy Adcock2015-11-21T16:12:31-05:002015-11-21T16:12:31-05:00FAU misses out on a program-defining win
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<figcaption>Johnson and FAU were close to making history. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The defense was amazing today. The offense, not so much.</p> <p>On fourth and goal from the nine-yard line FAU had a chance at history. A program-defining win over the flagship school in the state of Florida would have been a win for the history books.</p>
<p>Alas history had other ideas.</p>
<p>Jaquez Johnson's pass fell to the turf. Gator fans went crazy. Game over. Florida wins. FAU loses. Just like how it was supposed to be.</p>
<p>Despite a valiant effort by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/florida-atlantic-owls">Florida Atlantic </a>defense, the Owls' offense was unable find any success against the eighth ranked <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a> as UF would go on to win 20-14 in overtime to keep their faint hopes of a playoff bid alive.</p>
<p>Even with the loss I am extremely proud.</p>
<p>Throughout the season Owl fans have wanted to see tangible growth from this team.</p>
<p>On Saturday afternoon Charlie Partridge, his coaching staff, and the football team delivered.</p>
<p>The close losses that have been suffered during Partridge's tenure are soon coming to an end. We just have to endure one more before the results start to change.</p>
<p><span>Trey Hendrickson</span>, Trevon Coley, and <span>Brandin Bryant</span> were awesome throughout the day as the defense held Florida to 252 total yards, forced two turnovers, had five sacks and scored the game tying touchdown as Ocie Ross would recover a <span>Treon Harris</span> fumble in the end zone.</p>
<p>The FAU defense all season has done enough to put FAU in position to win games and this game was no different.</p>
<p>But as has been the case all season, the offense has been unable to do their part.</p>
<p>FAU battled all game as Florida never led by more than seven points but the offense failed to capitalize several times to take the lead before falling in overtime.</p>
<p>The offense finished with 299 total yards of offense. Against a great defense like Florida that's pretty good. But still you can't help but wanting more considering what was on the line.</p>
<p>During the postgame interview Jim McElwain said FAU deserved to win today. That we played like the better.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/665624167925026816" target="_blank">Considering his comments about how FAU had a bunch of players who wish they were playing in Gainesville</a> I bet his perception of FAU will change going forward.</p>
<p>A program-defining win was within grasps today.</p>
<p>Out of the two victories this team has won this year, I will gladly take this one as the most satisfying one.</p>
<p>I just wish the win column would have reflected it.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/11/21/9775702/offense-keeps-fau-from-program-defining-upset-over-FloridaCyrus Smith2015-11-21T15:50:28-05:002015-11-21T15:50:28-05:00Blue Raiders Are Bowl Eligible After Blow Out Win
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<p>The Blue Raiders are likely headed to a bowl game after taking care of business at home against North Texas. The Mean Green struggled throughout the game and never seemed to get any sort of offensive momentum.</p> <p>After a decent showing last week against Tennessee, the Mean Green defense looked like it may be making progress towards a somewhat acceptable end to the season. This week, however, the Mean Green made sure that their fans had no hope of that whatsoever. The team took a step back this week in their 41-7 blow-out loss to Middle Tennessee State.</p>
<p>After finally responding to an early 21-0 Middle Tennessee lead, The Mean Green hinted that they may have some life by cutting their deficit to only 14 points. However, the Blue Raiders took complete control from that point and did not look back. Middle Tennessee put up an additional ten points to close the half and added ten more in the third quarter before failing to score in the fourth.</p>
<p>The Mean Green struggled on both sides of the ball throughout the game. Aside from allowing 41 points, the offense only managed to score one touchdown on a QB run by DaMarcus Smith. That would be the last time any offensive sparks were seen. After only picking up 80 yards through the air and giving up one interception, North Texas eventually looked towards different quarterback options. Both Andrew McNulty and <span>Josh Greer</span> saw playing time towards the end of the game, with McNulty completing each of his four passes. Running back <span>Jeffrey Wilson</span>, who has had solid performances throughout the season, only picked up 39 yards on 12 carries throughout the game.</p>
<p>Middle Tennessee State, on the other hand, looked impressive throughout the game. The offense finished the game with 494 total yards. 322 of those yards were gained through the air by quarterback <span>Brent Stockstill</span> along with three passing touchdowns. Running backs <span>Jordan Parker</span> and <span>Shane Tucker</span> shared the majority of the load for the Blue Raiders ground game, picking up 98 combined yards and a touchdown. This win marks the Blue Raiders' third in a row and gives them bowl eligibility by bringing their win total for the season to six.</p>
<p>Middle Tennessee State will play UTSA next week to close out their season. North Texas will host UTEP next week in their final game of the season. With only one game remaining in the season for the Mean Green, many are highly anticipating big news regarding their head coaching search.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/11/21/9775878/middle-tennessee-becomes-bowl-eligible-in-victory-against-northa.brown942015-11-21T15:25:38-05:002015-11-21T15:25:38-05:00Owls get much needed win over Memphis, 31-12
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<p>The Temple defense stepped up in a huge way, as the Owls got a much needed win over the #21 Tigers</p> <p>You wouldn't have known it from the way they started, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/temple-owls">Temple Owls</a> desperately needed a win over the #21 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/memphis-tigers">Memphis Tigers</a> to keep their AAC East championship hopes alive. They shook off the sloppy start and came away with a 31-12 win over the Tigers to get back on track. Conversely, the Tigers' season has gone off the rails. It's their third straight loss, made all the more disappointing by the fact that they were once again in control early before letting it slip away.</p>
<p>The Owls got contributions from <span>David Hood</span> and <span>Brandon Shippen</span> in the run game, but the real story was the Temple defense limiting <span>Paxton Lynch</span> and the Tiger offense (the top ranked scoring offense in the AAC) to just 12 points. The Owls swarmed the Tigers all game long, limiting big plays and holding them to field goals when they did get close.</p>
<p>It's a good thing the Owl defense came to play, because the first three drives by the Temple offense ended in disaster.</p>
<p>On their first possession, the Owls moved the ball well, all the way to the Memphis 30. However, a holding call wiped out a big run by <span>Jahad Thomas</span>, then Thomas fumbled the ball away. Temple's defense held strong, forcing a Memphis punt on the ensuing drive.</p>
<p>Then, <span>Reggis Ball</span> picked off <span>P.J. Walker</span> at the one-yard line. The Tigers put together a 15 play, 86-yard drive, but had to settle for a Jake Elliot field goal after <span>Alan Cross</span> dropped a wide open pass on third down that would've been a sure touchdown.</p>
<p>It was more bad news for Temple on the first play of the second quarter, as Thomas was stuffed on the fourth down run, giving the ball back to the Tigers.</p>
<p>Once again, though, the Temple defense bowed up. <span>Tavon Young</span> made several key stops on the perimeter for the Owls, who held Memphis to another Elliot field goal, giving them a 6-0 lead. Another Thomas fumble almost cost the Owls again, but they were able to recover. Walker then hit <span>Colin Thompson</span> up the seam for a 33 yard gain, followed by a nice TD catch by Romand Deloatch that gave the Owls a 7-6 lead. After the defense got another stop, Brandon Shippen and David Hood took over in the run game for the Owls. Shippen hit a big run up the middle to get Temple within striking distance, and Hood finished off the drive with a 14 yard TD run to go up 14-6. Lynch and the Tiger offense once again moved the ball into Temple territory before the half, but were held to another field goal. The Owls led at the half, 14-9.</p>
<p>In the second half, Temple's defense continued to limit the Tigers. Thomas was again stuffed on a fourth and one by the Memphis defense midway through the third, but all the Tigers got out of it was another field goal. The Owls led 14-12 heading into the fourth.</p>
<p><span>Kip Patton</span> found the end zone on a 13-yard misdirection play on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving Temple a 21-12 lead. From there, fruitless offensive endeavors continued for the Tigers. The Owls chewed up over eight minutes of clock on their next scoring drive, adding an <span>Austin Jones</span> field goal to go up 24-12. Temple got a fourth and one stop of their own on the Tigers' next drive, and were able to seal the game with a 19 yard TD hookup between Walker and Saladeem Major to come away with a 31-12 win.</p>
<p>The performance of the Temple defense in what amounted to a must-win game cannot be overstated. They held the Tigers to season lows in points (12) and total yards (195), while the Walker and the offense overcame the sloppy start to finish strong. Walker largely outplayed Lynch, finishing 14-26 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. The Owls finished with 461 total yards, showing great balance on the day.</p>
<p>ON the other side, Memphis continues to spin out of control. The Tigers moved the ball well at times, but they simply could not break through when it mattered. Lynch finished 20-28 for just 136 yards, while Memphis rushed for only 63 yards. It was the third straight loss for Memphis, whose 8-0 start feels like forever ago.</p>
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<p>The win brings Temple to 9-2 on the year, but more importantly puts them in position to clinch a spot in the AAC championship game with a win over UConn next week. Memphis falls to 8-3 and closes out the season against SMU next Saturday.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/11/21/9775828/temple-takes-care-of-business-against-memphis-31-12Brian Harper2015-11-20T21:25:34-05:002015-11-20T21:25:34-05:00Flames top Chanticleers
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<p>Coastal Carolina will learn its postseason fate on ESPNU telecast Sunday on the NCAA FCS selection show</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The #4 Coastal Carolina Chanticleer’s rolled into Lynchburg, Virginia on Thursday night looking for their third consecutive season with double digit wins. Unfortunately for them, the Liberty Flames had other plans in mind.</p>
<p>The Flames upset the Chanticleer’s, 24-21, to move to 6-5 on the year and third in the division just behind Coastal Carolina who finished the season 9-2.</p>
<p>The game had all the makings of a shootout on paper with each team winning two of their last three and scoring over 20 points a game along the way and the game appeared to be heading that way early when Liberty opened the game with a ten play drive that took six minutes off the clock.</p>
<p>The Flames only threw two passes and did most of their damage on the ground opening the scorebook with an eight yard touchdown run on running back Desmond Rice’s seventh carry of the drive.</p>
<p>The teams would then trade punts before the Coastal Carolina capped off an 8-play 82 yard drive with a 24 yard touchdown pass from Chanticleer quarterback Alex Ross to receiver Chris Jones that brought about this… innovative… two point conversion play</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Coastal Carolina tried the swinging gate. It didn't work so well <a href="https://t.co/av8vLgxzta">pic.twitter.com/av8vLgxzta</a></p>
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) <a href="https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/667506604598800385">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Jones would end the night with eight catches for 168 yards and a touchdown.</p>
<p>On the Chanticleer’s next possession, running back DeAngelo Henderson would take it 71 yards to the house and this time Coastal Carolina would convert the two point conversion to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.</p>
<p>Out of the half, Liberty forced a Chanticleer three and out before manufacturing an eleven play, 62 yard drive that tied the game on a two yard touchdown pass from Josh Woodrum to Will Johnson from two yards out. The drive almost stalled out at the Coastal Carolina 33 yard line but the Flames managed to complete a fifteen yard pass to Rice on third and sixteen. The Flames made the gutsy call to go for it on fourth and short and Woodrum kept it himself for four yards.</p>
<p>Three drives later, Liberty would take over near midfield after a 27 yard punt by the Chanticleer’s. On the first play of the drive, Darrin Peterson would make an acrobatic catch despite defensive pass interference before going down at the Coastal Carolina seventeen yard line. The drive would stall out there but after the big play and good field position, the Flames retook the lead on a 28 yard field goal.</p>
<p>Each team would have a pair of three and outs sandwiched around a Chanticleer turnover before Coastal Carolina took over at their own 10 yard line.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jOjJpuFIvFM" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Three plays later, Deangelo Henderson scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from inside the one yard line, with just 3:59 left in the game.</p>
<p>Liberty got the ball back down 21-17 and found themselves facing fourth and eight from their own 32 yard line.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wFTJRCCwq4s" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They must have seen something they liked because one play later, they went back over the middle and this happened.</p>
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<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZXzoLuUkCUE" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a decent return and a first-play first down by the Chanticleer’s, Ross would throw four straight incompletions (a few of them errant throws with a chance for a first down if they were accurate) which essentially ended the game.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Key Stats</b></p>
<p>The Flames converted 8 of 19 which is solid yet unspectacular but in comparison seems like gold compared to the 1 of 9 by Coastal Carolina...Liberty held the ball for just under 41 minutes...Top 10 FCS Rusher Deangelo Henderson’s stat line looks good but 71 of his 89 yards came on one carry. Removing that one run, he had 10 carries for 18 yards.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/sun-belt-conference/2015/11/20/9770674/liberty-upsets-4-coastal-carolina-latecjones13uh2015-11-20T02:35:10-05:002015-11-20T02:35:10-05:00TXST, ULM put on comedy of errors on national tv
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<figcaption>Todd Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A win is a win, even if it sets the game of football back 70 years.</p> <p>Before an incredibly late 8:30 PM kickoff in Bobcat Stadium, the storylines surrounding the two programs were ones of disappointment, angst, and coaching changes, only briefly punctuated by a last minute announcement that Texas State would be wearing all black uniforms.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">all black tonight! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TXST?src=hash">#TXST</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeniorDay?src=hash">#SeniorDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a> <a href="https://t.co/pm98wEqBG7">pic.twitter.com/pm98wEqBG7</a></p>
— Texas State Football (@TXSTATEFOOTBALL) <a href="https://twitter.com/TXSTATEFOOTBALL/status/667495152831692801">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Surprisingly enough, the actual game itself may have become the big story, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/texas-st-bobcats">Texas State Bobcats</a> defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/ulm-warhawks">ULM Warhawks</a> 16-3 in one of the strangest, most unwatchable football games in Sun Belt history. In fact, this game was so bad/dumb/amazing that it featured the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>Over 700 yards of punts</span></li>
<li><span>19 combined points on 7 combined trips to the red zone</span></li>
<li><span>181 yards of offense for ULM. TOTAL.</span></li>
<li><span>A penalty called against ULM for a play that was overturned by replay. No, seriously, I'll explain it in a bit.</span></li>
<li><span>ESPN announcers mentioning an obviously fake Tweet about Dennis Franchione resigning and treating it as "rumors"</span></li>
<li><span>A combined 7 of 31 on third down attempts</span></li>
<li><span>Some of the most atrocious offense you'll ever see.</span></li>
</ul>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">and now, your moment of zen <a href="https://t.co/eflmR3SOAY">https://t.co/eflmR3SOAY</a></p>
— Underdog Dynasty (@underdogdynasty) <a href="https://twitter.com/underdogdynasty/status/667549743921238016">November 20, 2015</a>
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<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/THETXSTUniv">@THETXSTUniv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TXSTATEBOBCATS">@TXSTATEBOBCATS</a> our offense is operating like a blind version of Bob Ross attempting to paint something other than a mountain</p>
— Ricky Galindo (@rickygalindo12) <a href="https://twitter.com/rickygalindo12/status/667545948722065408">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a>: Winner gets a chalky peppermint, loser gets kicked in the shin.</p>
— Ishmael Johnson (@Ish_46) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ish_46/status/667570136560197633">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Texas State's offense would make some traction between the 20s a few times with <span>Robert Lowe</span> and CJ Best taking advantage of ULM's weaknesses on the far sides of the field. Yet the Bobcats' red zone trips were feast or famine: either they were hitting senior tight end Lawrence White for two touchdowns on his coming out party for Senior Day, or they were stalling as ULM's defense stiffened against the easiest offense to scout on the planet.</p>
<p>In six red zone visits, Texas State came away with 16 points on three of their attempts. Two of the opportunities were missed field goals, one of which came after Texas State went backwards on 1st and goal at the 5. The Dennis Franchione Special came through with flying colors on that possession as two rushes off the right tackle, an incomplete pass, and a false start precluded Lumi Kaba shanking the mostly gimme 27 yard attempt.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">And I'm <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FunBelt?src=hash">#FunBelt</a> Rob Lowe, and I stall out in the red zone. <a href="https://t.co/rgfmNaMt3T">https://t.co/rgfmNaMt3T</a></p>
— Flint Foster (@FlintFoster) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlintFoster/status/667564744702689281">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Yet despite Texas State doing their damndest to bumble the game away on offense and special teams, ULM was far, far worse. The Bobcat defense played better than they had all season, yet the Warhawk offense, led by a converted wide receiver thrown to the wolves at quarterback, reached a whole new level of sadness. Two interceptions thrown to the Texas State defense doubled the Bobcats' season output in that metric, and a fumbled punt added insult to injury.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULM?src=hash">#ULM</a> has the WORST QB I've ever seen. Carrington needs to retire</p>
— ClevelandGambler (@atmmoney1) <a href="https://twitter.com/atmmoney1/status/667576121660166144">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Hey, give the kid a break. It'd be like if you tried to go out there and play quarterback.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">You really wonder if Tx State's defense walked off the field, could ULM score. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a></p>
— Berry Epley (@apps94) <a href="https://twitter.com/apps94/status/667570257742143488">November 20, 2015</a>
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<div>Good question. When you pass for 83 yards total, good for 2.5 yards <i>per attempt</i> then you're not going to get much traction. ULM's rushing attack was also held to 4.1 yards per attempt. To make matters worse, the one opportunity they had to score on the defensive side of the ball wasn't really an opportunity at all.</div>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This was incorrectly ruled a lateral (return for TD); so all ULM got was a 15yd sideline penalty <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a> <a href="https://t.co/oSOjFLujT1">pic.twitter.com/oSOjFLujT1</a></p>
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/667568045796249601">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>You read that right. This play in particular was the climax of the smorgasbord of black comedy that was this football game, as the Sun Belt refs gave a stunning display of ineptitude (yes, even for them) that practically had the announcers throwing rotten tomatoes out of the press box window at them.</p>
<p>Go ahead, put on Yakety Sax before you read what happened. I'll wait.</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZnHmskwqCCQ" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<ol>
<li><span><span>Tyler Jones</span> awkwardly throws an obvious forward pass off his back foot. It bounces to the turf, ULM defenders pick it up to try and sell a scoop and score from a lateral.</span></li>
<li><span>The Sun Belt refs believe ULM and call a touchdown.</span></li>
<li><span>The refs penalize ULM for sideline interference during the play</span></li>
<li><span>The booth reviews the play, overturns the ruling to the obviously correct determination that <span>Tyler Jones</span> threw a forward pass</span></li>
<li><span>The Sun Belt refs <i>don't pick up the sideline interference flag for the play they just nullified and still penalize ULM 15 yards.</i></span></li>
</ol>
<p>At that point in the game, Texas State was still clinging to a 10-3 lead, and the touchdown would've tied the game and more than likely set up an overtime slapfight for the ages. Yet all the Warhawks got was a 15 yard penalty and this lousy t-shirt. Karl Benson's gonna run out of ref crews to suspend at this rate.</p>
<p>The game continued to devolve as the 2nd half wore on, as ULM's offense ran off the rails even further and Texas State couldn't buy a point.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That Jay Walker graphic was the first time someone was visibly smiling during this game. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULMvsTXST?src=hash">#ULMvsTXST</a></p>
— Thomas K (@tkappstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/tkappstate/status/667566229759123456">November 20, 2015</a>
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<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ABSOLUTELY NOBODY DESERVES TO WIN THIS GAME</p>
— Underdog Dynasty (@underdogdynasty) <a href="https://twitter.com/underdogdynasty/status/667569385138032640">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>But Texas State would eventually prevail as Aaron Shaw's interception on <a target="_blank" href="https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CUO7EZDVAAA7FYX.mp4">an absolute duck of a throw</a> by ULM's Earnest Carrington would lead to the knockout blow that felled ULM in the 4th quarter.</p>
<p>In all seriousness, this was a big win for Texas State's senior class during a nightmarish season. Perhaps this will give them some needed momentum to take on an Idaho squad in the Kibbie Dome whose offense looks suspiciously similar to the Georgia State unit that smacked down the Bobcats a week ago.</p>
<p>ULM, on the other hand, well...better hope that next coaching hire is a home run, because John Mumford isn't gonna save you.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">1. Happy for the seniors 2. That game was the equivalent of a cat walking on a keyboard and hitting send <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txst?src=hash">#txst</a></p>
— <span>Will Butler</span> (@THETXSTUniv) <a href="https://twitter.com/THETXSTUniv/status/667581537408315392">November 20, 2015</a>
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<p>Wins always feel good. But let us never speak of this game again, lest we anger our ancestors.</p>
https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/11/20/9767664/texas-state-ulm-recap-bobcats-winTHETexasStateUniversitygeeves