The record offers proof that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and his
football team have stayed a step or two ahead of the opposition as the 2012
season draws to a close.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Falcons (5-3) are
only two victories from clinching a sixth consecutive winning season in
Calhoun's tenure. They head to West Point, N.Y., to play a dangerous Army team
Saturday in what Calhoun already says has been the most challenging season of
his six at Air Force.
He saw a rebuilding year coming, but was determined to not let the
program slide too far down the scale. After losing 28 seniors from last season,
Calhoun and his coaching staff took the attitude that they would fill the
lineup with what personnel they had and go as far as that would take them.
The Falcons have had 21 players make their first collegiate starts this
season, the second most in major-college football. At least one Air Force
player has made his first start in seven of the eight games so far.
"We've had to mix and match," Calhoun said of filling out his
lineup cards on offense and defense. "We've evolved more from the
beginning of the season than any team I've had here."
Boise State:
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Boise State coach Chris Petersen may have put high
praise on Shane Williams-Rhodes before he even arrived, but the youngster’s
play through eight games has seemed to warrant it.
Back in February on signing day, Petersen said “the smallest guy on our
roster might be the guy that excites everybody the most. I don’t like to put
pressure on any guys, but coming in we haven’t had many guys who have made the
plays he can make in high school.”
The 5-foot-6, 154-pound Williams-Rhodes is fourth on the team in
rushing with 84 yards and is tied for third with 15 receptions. He scored on a
28-yard touchdown run Saturday at Wyoming after lining up in the backfield.
“He’s the ultimate space guy — if we can get him out there and create
space, whether we hand it to him, flip it to him, throw it to him — he’s going
to do some good things,” Petersen said.
Colorado State:
FORT COLLINS -- Jim McElwain walked into the post-game press conference
and declared his team just didn't play that well. While the mass of Colorado
State fans still in the stands at Sports Authority Field were still basking in
the glow of a season-opening win over Colorado, the new-era coach declared the
effort wasn't what he expected.
He was right, of course. The Rams hadn't played really well, but did
what it had to in order to pull out the win.
It was seven weeks and six losses later before McElwain would see his
team win its second game, and by that time, his outlook had changed. He looks
back on that first game and said he'd "just doused" any good vibe the
Rams had.
After the 42-27 win over Hawaii on Saturday, he said he received a text
from an old coaching buddy, reminding him enjoy each and every win, as the two
shared a two-win season on an Oakland Raiders staff together.
"I've got to understand again, let's just be happy with the
win," McElwain said during his Monday meeting with the press. "Let's
look at what got us there on this win. I'll tell you what, we didn't quit. And
even though we threw the ball on the ground offensively, there were holes
there, and those guys weren't quitting. When you look at the effort, you feel
pretty good about it. You never saw that on the sideline where, let's call it a
day and go home."
Fresno State:
Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas is one of 15 semifinalists for the
Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in the nation.
No player from a mid-major football program has won the Thorpe award
since it was created in 1986 -- but Thomas, a senior from Bakersfield High,
might have a strong chance.
Thomas leads the nation with seven interceptions, two more than any
other player. It would've been eight if not for a penalty that negated an
interception in last week's 49-32 win at New Mexico. Oregon State's Jordan
Poyer is second with five interceptions.
Thomas has returned three of his interceptions for touchdowns, which
also leads the country.
Thomas has three forced fumbles, second among the semifinalists behind
Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu at four. In addition, Thomas has recovered one fumble.
And Thomas has 55 tackles, including seven for a loss. He ranks third
among the award's remaining candidates, behind USC safety and Edison High
graduate T.J. McDonald with 66 and Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson with 59. McDonald
is the son of Thomas' position coach, Bulldogs assistant Tim McDonald.
Hawaii:
TEMPLE ATHLETIC director Bill Bradshaw had cautioned that it wasn't
over. It looks like he might be right.
One day after the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that it
"appeared" that the proposed football game between Temple and Hawaii
was "dead," interim UH AD Rockne Freitas acknowledged Thursday that
there's now an "agreement in principle" for the teams to meet Dec. 7
in Aloha Stadium, which isn't that far from Pearl Harbor.
"The devil's in the details," Freitas said. "There's
some that still have to be ironed out."
Reached Thursday night, Bradshaw said he couldn't comment yet.
The original target date was Dec. 8, but there were too many logistical
issues to make it work that day at Aloha Stadium. So this figures to be a night
game instead, which means it could start after midnight in Philadelphia.
Temple has been looking to add a 12th game to its schedule since it
lost one in March when it moved from the Mid-American Conference back to the
Big East and BCS status. The Owls, who are 3-4 as they head to No. 12
Louisville (8-0) on Saturday, need six wins to be bowl-eligible. This would
seem to give them more of a chance, since the Rainbows are 1-6 under first-year
coach Norm Chow. The Owls also have games left with Cincinnati (5-2) at home,
at Army (1-7) and with Syracuse (4-4) at home on Nov. 24.
Nevada:
Ten days ago, the Nevada football team was riding a five-game winning
streak and the big question on the minds of Wolf Pack fans was this: How many
more wins before the team gets ranked?
Two surprising losses later — defeats at home to San Diego State and on
the road against Air Force — and there’s another question on the minds of Wolf
Pack fans: What the heck happened to our team?
In the span of 10 days, the Wolf Pack has gone from first place in the
Mountain West to fifth place. Instead of being in prime position to win the MWC
title, the team could be looking at its first season without a bowl appearance
since 2004 if it doesn’t win at least one of its final three games.
“We’re going to find out what this group is made of,” Wolf Pack coach
Chris Ault said.
New Mexico:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Despite losing to Fresno State 49-32, the
Lobos football team is still projected for a bowl birth this season. According
to ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Brad Edwards, the Lobos are projected to play
in the Gildan New Mexico bowl. Schlabach has the Lobos facing the Pac-12's
Arizona State Sundevils, while Edwards has New Mexico playing Arizona. With 4
games left in the season, the Lobos are 4-5.
San Diego State:
San Diego State football coach Rocky Long was the Mountain West’s most
outspoken critic of Boise State’s blue turf.
He said Tuesday he has changed his mind.
The Aztecs practiced on a blue high school field during fall camp.
“After being on it more often, I don’t think it makes a darn bit of
difference either way,” Long said. “… We went out there just to make sure that
there wasn’t anything involved in that. After we practiced on it, we had a
2-hour practice on it, we scrimmaged on it.”
Boise State agreed not to wear all-blue uniforms at home as part of its
contract to join the Mountain West last year.
At the time, Long thought the deal should have gone further.
“I think they ought to get rid of that blue turf,” he said in April
2011. “I think it’s unfair.”
Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence blocked a field goal
Saturday at Wyoming. It was the Broncos’ first blocked kick of the season.
“That’s really how they’ve practiced,” coach Chris Petersen said. “I
knew it was just a matter of time till we got one of those because they’d been
doing it in practice.”
UNLV:
UNLV is 1-8, has lost 13 of their last 14 games dating back to last
season, and are about to begin, arguably, the most winnable portion of their
schedule in these final four games.
Of course the Rebels are still confident.
“We’ve got a great opportunity these last four games to turn this
season into something positive,” said linebacker Tim Hasson. “We can either
feel sorry for ourselves, or we can look at it as a four-game season.”
The talk of this team all season has been about putting the past behind
them, moving forward and continuing to try and get better.
And as the Rebels prepare to take on New Mexico on Saturday in the
homecoming game at Sam Boyd Stadium, that’s all UNLV is doing right now:
Looking forward and trying to become a better football team.
“Every game is a new opportunity, every day is a new opportunity to get
better,” said offensive lineman Yusef Rodgers. “We’re right there. We’re doing
a lot of good things.”
But all of the good things aren’t producing wins for UNLV, and that’s
the reality of the situation. But the bright side for the Rebels is their final
four opponents are a combined 8-24 at this point, and the Lobos are the only
team left in their way that has a chance to qualify for a bowl game.
Wyoming:
College football rivalry games can turn an ordinary game between two
losing teams into something exciting.
Such is the case for the 2012 Border War, which features Wyoming (1-7,
0-4 MW) hosting CSU (2-6, 1-3 MW) in the annual battle for the Bronze Boot this
Saturday.
“We’re expecting it to be a hard-fought battle. It’ll be a street fight
from start to finish as it is each and every year,” Wyoming coach Dave
Christensen said. “I think it’s one of those games where you can throw out the
records and understand that both teams are gonna give everything they’ve got
from start to finish.”
Wyoming will welcome Christensen back to the team from his one-game
suspension due to a postgame rant he made two weeks ago after a video on
YouTube of the coach swearing at Air Force coach Troy Calhoun garnered over
100,000 views in one week.
The completion of the suspension allows Christensen and the Wyoming
football program to put the controversial situation to rest and allows the
19-year coaching veteran the opportunity to coach his team again.
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