| FOLLOWING FOOTBALL - weekly rankings - Nov 30 | |||||
| NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE | |||||
| FF rank | Team | Div | OvRec | ConfRc | DvRec |
| A1 | Green Bay Packers | N-N | 9-3 | 6-3 | 4-1 |
| A2 | New England Patriots | A-E | 9-3 | 6-2 | 2-1 |
| A3 | Denver Broncos | A-W | 9-3 | 7-1 | 4-0 |
| A4 | Philadelphia Eagles | N-E | 9-3 | 5-3 | 3-0 |
| B5 | Indianapolis Colts | A-S | 8-4 | 6-3 | 4-0 |
| B6 | Seattle Seahawks | N-W | 8-4 | 7-3 | 3-2 |
| B7 | Arizona Cardinals | N-W | 9-3 | 7-2 | 2-1 |
| B8 | Dallas Cowboys | N-E | 8-4 | 5-4 | 2-2 |
| C10 | Cincinnati Bengals | A-N | 8-3-1 | 5-3 | 2-1 |
| C11 | Miami Dolphins | A-E | 6-5 | 5-2 | 2-1 |
| C12 | San Diego Chargers | A-W | 8-4 | 6-3 | 2-2 |
| C9 | Detroit Lions | N-N | 8-4 | 6-2 | 3-0 |
| D13 | Baltimore Ravens | A-N | 7-5 | 3-5 | 2-3 |
| D14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | A-N | 7-5 | 6-3 | 2-2 |
| D15 | Kansas City Chiefs | A-W | 7-5 | 5-4 | 1-3 |
| D16 | Houston Texans | A-S | 6-6 | 5-3 | 1-1 |
| E17 | Buffalo Bills | A-E | 7-5 | 4-5 | 3-2 |
| E18 | San Francisco 49ers | N-W | 7-5 | 4-3 | 1-3 |
| E19 | Cleveland Browns | A-N | 7-5 | 4-5 | 2-2 |
| E20 | New Orleans Saints | N-S | 5-7 | 4-4 | 2-1 |
| F21 | St. Louis Rams | N-W | 5-7 | 3-5 | 2-2 |
| F22 | Atlanta Falcons | N-S | 5-7 | 5-4 | 4-0 |
| F23 | Minnesota Vikings | N-N | 5-7 | 5-5 | 0-4 |
| F24 | Chicago Bears | N-N | 5-7 | 4-4 | 2-2 |
| G25 | Carolina Panthers | N-S | 3-8-1 | 3-6 | 1-2 |
| G26 | Washington Redskins | N-E | 3-9 | 1-7 | 1-2 |
| G27 | New York Giants | N-E | 3-9 | 2-7 | 1-3 |
| G28 | New York Jets | A-E | 2-9 | 2-6 | 0-3 |
| H29 | Jacksonville Jaguars | A-S | 2-10 | 1-7 | 0-3 |
| H30 | Tennessee Titans | A-S | 2-10 | 2-7 | 1-3 |
| H31 | Tampa Buccaneers | N-S | 2-10 | 1-7 | 0-4 |
| H32 | Oakland Raiders | A-W | 1-11 | 1-8 | 1-3 |
Sunday, November 30, 2014
NFL week 13 tiers
An interesting decision by Nebraska...UPDATED
The University of Nebraska has announced that they're going to do it again.
A decade ago, they fired Frank Solich for the heinous crime of not being Tom Osbourne.
Solich won nine games a year, but because it was NEBRASKA! and they weren't winning national championships, UN figured they could do better.
They were wrong.
Suffering through a pair of coaches where .500 was an accomplishment, they finally got to Bo Pellini, a Nebraska man through and through, who went 67-27 over the seven years of his tenure as head man.
Today, he is no longer Nebraska's head man.
Saying they needed to move in a new direction, AD Shawn Eichorst relieved Pellini of his duties this morning, to the universal Twitter dismay of his players as well as his "alter ego", @FauxPellini (it's a fascinating statement about media that FauxPellini has more followers than the real Bo does!):
A decade ago, they fired Frank Solich for the heinous crime of not being Tom Osbourne.
Solich won nine games a year, but because it was NEBRASKA! and they weren't winning national championships, UN figured they could do better.
They were wrong.
Suffering through a pair of coaches where .500 was an accomplishment, they finally got to Bo Pellini, a Nebraska man through and through, who went 67-27 over the seven years of his tenure as head man.
Today, he is no longer Nebraska's head man.
Saying they needed to move in a new direction, AD Shawn Eichorst relieved Pellini of his duties this morning, to the universal Twitter dismay of his players as well as his "alter ego", @FauxPellini (it's a fascinating statement about media that FauxPellini has more followers than the real Bo does!):
The dangers of concussions, part zillion
The worst fears have been realized for Ohio St faithful.
Defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge was found dead of an apparent suicide last night, after having disappeared with a suicidal text to his mother on Wednesday. The apparent source of Karageorge's distress was the confusion, pain, and many other issues caused by the many concussions he suffered playing football and wrestling.
Many of the usual expressions of disbelief followed, and he was due to be recognized at senior day before the OSU/Michigan game yesterday.
What are the ramifications of concussions? Nobody knows, completely. But only someone with their head in the sand can possibly believe that the frequency of concussions in the NFL, and college football, and high school football, won't have ANY effect on the future of "American football".
Will the sport still be popular...heck, will it even exist in twenty years? Consider: if high schools are fearful of lawsuits because of possible concussions - and they can't claim they don't have any evidence that it might happen, or what it might do to the victim - why would they keep promoting the sport? For that matter, why would parents allow their sons to play the sport that could destroy their brains?
And if high schools don't keep sending players to the college programs... and if the colleges stop supplying the NFL withvictims players, the sport will die. Like other very dangerous sports, it'll disappear.
Or be marginalized. Think boxing.
Defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge was found dead of an apparent suicide last night, after having disappeared with a suicidal text to his mother on Wednesday. The apparent source of Karageorge's distress was the confusion, pain, and many other issues caused by the many concussions he suffered playing football and wrestling.
Many of the usual expressions of disbelief followed, and he was due to be recognized at senior day before the OSU/Michigan game yesterday.
What are the ramifications of concussions? Nobody knows, completely. But only someone with their head in the sand can possibly believe that the frequency of concussions in the NFL, and college football, and high school football, won't have ANY effect on the future of "American football".
Will the sport still be popular...heck, will it even exist in twenty years? Consider: if high schools are fearful of lawsuits because of possible concussions - and they can't claim they don't have any evidence that it might happen, or what it might do to the victim - why would they keep promoting the sport? For that matter, why would parents allow their sons to play the sport that could destroy their brains?
And if high schools don't keep sending players to the college programs... and if the colleges stop supplying the NFL with
Or be marginalized. Think boxing.
UAB ELIMINATES FOOTBALL! Idiocy Cited!
As elucidated here in Sports Illustrated, the University of Alabama board of trustees has voted to eliminate football at the UA-Birmingham campus - like, basically right now, following their impending bowl game now that first year head coach Bill Clark and long time AD Brian Mackin have brought the program back up to respectability at 6-6.
Let me repeat that.
The UAB Blazers, having spent years trying to build this football program, having hired a tremendous young and up-n-coming coach who's done great things with a young team this year, just had the rug pulled out from under them.
As Thayer Evans points out, there were warning signs that fueled the rumors all season...why won't they extend Clark's contract?...why hasn't Mackin put any more non-conference games on the schedule beyond next season?
But the nastier rumors swirl beneath the surface, and they're worse than the pay-the-players scandals and the sinecure-jobs-for-athletes tales we fear: the University of Alabama trustees were afraid of any competition for the affections of the state with the Crimson Tide of Tuscaloosa. Gene Bartow's role is discussed in Evans' article, but there's a down-South, good-ol'-boy network at play that's downright frightening. As if the University of Auburn isn't competition enough, we don't want no young whippersnappers pulling the carpetbaggers out from under us. This seems to have been brewing for a while - those non-conference games should have been scheduled three years ago. (Most teams have at least some games scheduled into the 2020's.)
Look out, South Alabama and Troy. You're next. Ain't NO one gonna stand in the path of Lord Saban and the Tide...
Let me repeat that.
The UAB Blazers, having spent years trying to build this football program, having hired a tremendous young and up-n-coming coach who's done great things with a young team this year, just had the rug pulled out from under them.
As Thayer Evans points out, there were warning signs that fueled the rumors all season...why won't they extend Clark's contract?...why hasn't Mackin put any more non-conference games on the schedule beyond next season?
But the nastier rumors swirl beneath the surface, and they're worse than the pay-the-players scandals and the sinecure-jobs-for-athletes tales we fear: the University of Alabama trustees were afraid of any competition for the affections of the state with the Crimson Tide of Tuscaloosa. Gene Bartow's role is discussed in Evans' article, but there's a down-South, good-ol'-boy network at play that's downright frightening. As if the University of Auburn isn't competition enough, we don't want no young whippersnappers pulling the carpetbaggers out from under us. This seems to have been brewing for a while - those non-conference games should have been scheduled three years ago. (Most teams have at least some games scheduled into the 2020's.)
Look out, South Alabama and Troy. You're next. Ain't NO one gonna stand in the path of Lord Saban and the Tide...
Oh, by the way....
...we won this week against the Vegas spreads this weekend: four for us (Northern Illinois, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, and Ole Miss), three for them (LSU, Buffalo, and New Mexico), with a draw in the Wisconsin/Minnesota game (we said six, they said fourteen: the game said ten!).
Yay.
Yay.
Time of Possession is SO IMPORTANT!
Oakland leads the Rams in t.o.p. after three quarters, holding the ball over 28 minutes compared to less than 17 for St. Louis.
St. Louis scored touchdowns on their first five possessions (you'd think that'd be rare, but it's the sixth time since Week 10), added a field goal on number six, and leads Oakland 38-0.
So much for time of possession.
St. Louis scored touchdowns on their first five possessions (you'd think that'd be rare, but it's the sixth time since Week 10), added a field goal on number six, and leads Oakland 38-0.
So much for time of possession.
Penultimate FBS rankings, bottom 32
Tier/Rk Team Con Rec CfRc
| Q097 | UL-Monroe | sun | 4-8 | 3-5 |
| Q098 | Ball St | mac | 5-7 | 4-4 |
| Q099 | Wyoming | mw | 4-8 | 2-6 |
| Q100 | Buffalo | mac | 5-6 | 3-4 |
| Q101 | Wake Forest | acc | 3-9 | 1-7 |
| Q102 | Indiana | b10 | 3-9 | 0-8 |
| R103 | Hawaii | mw | 4-9 | 3-5 |
| R104 | Old Dominion | cusa | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| R105 | South Florida | aac | 4-8 | 3-5 |
| R106 | New Mexico | mw | 4-8 | 2-6 |
| R107 | Vanderbilt | sec | 3-9 | 0-8 |
| R108 | FIU | cusa | 4-8 | 3-5 |
| S109 | Florida Atlantic | cusa | 3-9 | 2-6 |
| S110 | Akron | mac | 5-7 | 3-5 |
| S111 | Tulane | aac | 3-8 | 2-5 |
| S112 | Army | ind | 4-7 | * |
| S113 | North Texas | cusa | 4-8 | 2-6 |
| S114 | Southern Miss | cusa | 3-9 | 1-7 |
| T115 | San Jose St | mw | 3-9 | 2-6 |
| T116 | UT-San Antonio | sun | 4-7 | 3-4 |
| T117 | Miami-OH | mac | 2-10 | 2-6 |
| T118 | Troy | sun | 3-9 | 3-5 |
| T119 | Tulsa | aac | 2-10 | 2-6 |
| T120 | UNLV | mw | 2-11 | 1-7 |
| U121 | Kent St | mac | 2-9 | 1-6 |
| U122 | U Massachusetts | mac | 3-9 | 3-5 |
| U123 | U Conn | aac | 2-9 | 1-6 |
| U124 | Idaho | sun | 1-10 | 1-7 |
| U125 | Eastern Michigan | mac | 2-10 | 1-7 |
| U126 | New Mexico St | sun | 2-10 | 1-7 |
| V127 | Georgia St | sun | 1-11 | 0-8 |
| V128 | SMU | aac | 0-11 | 0-7 |
FBS rankings, tiers, week 13, third quartile
| K65 | Virginia Tech | acc | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| K66 | Nevada | mw | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| L67 | Western Kentucky | cusa | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| L68 | Western Michigan | mac | 8-4 | 6-2 |
| L69 | Georgia Southern | sun | 9-3 | 8-0 |
| L70 | Illinois | b10 | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| L71 | Texas Tech | b12 | 4-8 | 2-7 |
| L72 | Virginia | acc | 5-7 | 3-5 |
| M73 | UL-Lafayette | sun | 8-4 | 7-1 |
| M74 | Houston | aac | 7-4 | 5-2 |
| M75 | San Diego St | mw | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| M76 | Toledo | mac | 8-4 | 7-1 |
| M77 | Northwestern | b10 | 5-7 | 3-5 |
| M78 | Fresno St | mw | 6-6 | 5-3 |
| N79 | Temple | aac | 5-6 | 3-4 |
| N80 | Arkansas St | sun | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| N81 | Rice | cusa | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| N82 | Bowling Green | mac | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| N83 | Central Michigan | mac | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| N84 | UTEP | cusa | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| O85 | UAB | cusa | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| O86 | Washington St | pac | 3-9 | 2-7 |
| O87 | Texas St | sun | 7-5 | 5-3 |
| O88 | Appalachian St | sun | 7-5 | 6-2 |
| O89 | Kansas | b12 | 3-9 | 1-8 |
| O90 | Syracuse | acc | 3-9 | 1-7 |
| P91 | South Alabama | sun | 6-6 | 5-3 |
| P92 | Purdue | b10 | 4-8 | 2-6 |
| P93 | Ohio | mac | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| P94 | Middle Tennessee | cusa | 6-6 | 5-3 |
| P95 | Colorado | pac | 2-10 | 0-9 |
| P96 | Iowa St | b12 | 2-9 | 0-8 |
FBS tiers and rankings, week 13, second quartile
Tier/Rk Team Con Rec CfRc
| F33 | Florida | sec | 6-5 | 4-4 |
| F34 | West Virginia | b12 | 7-5 | 5-4 |
| F35 | Marshall | cusa | 11-1 | 7-1 |
| F36 | Notre Dame | ind | 7-5 | * |
| G37 | South Carolina | sec | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| G38 | Washington | pac | 8-5 | 4-5 |
| G39 | Texas | b12 | 6-6 | 5-4 |
| G40 | Cincinnati | aac | 8-3 | 6-1 |
| G41 | Miami-FL | acc | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| G42 | East Carolina | aac | 8-3 | 5-2 |
| H43 | Iowa | b10 | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| H44 | Maryland | b10 | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| H45 | Memphis | aac | 9-3 | 7-1 |
| H46 | Boston College | acc | 7-5 | 4-4 |
| H47 | Utah St | mw | 9-4 | 6-2 |
| H48 | Kentucky | sec | 5-7 | 2-6 |
| I49 | North Carolina St | acc | 7-5 | 3-5 |
| I50 | Air Force | mw | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| I51 | Northern Illinois | mac | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| I52 | Tennessee | sec | 6-6 | 3-5 |
| I53 | BYU | ind | 8-4 | * |
| I54 | Penn St | b10 | 6-6 | 2-6 |
| J55 | Rutgers | b10 | 7-5 | 3-5 |
| J56 | Oklahoma St | b12 | 5-6 | 3-5 |
| J57 | North Carolina | acc | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| J58 | Pitt | acc | 6-6 | 4-4 |
| J59 | Louisiana Tech | cusa | 8-4 | 7-1 |
| J60 | Central Florida | aac | 8-3 | 6-1 |
| K61 | California | pac | 5-7 | 3-6 |
| K62 | Oregon St | pac | 5-7 | 2-7 |
| K63 | Michigan | b10 | 5-7 | 3-5 |
| K64 | Navy | ind | 6-5 | * |
FBS rankings, penultimate regular season edition...top quarter
Tier/Rk Team Con Rec CfRc
| A1 | Oregon | pac | 11-1 | 8-1 |
| A2 | Alabama | sec | 11-1 | 7-1 |
| A3 | Florida St | acc | 12-0 | 8-0 |
| A4 | TCU | b12 | 10-1 | 7-1 |
| A5 | Ohio St | b10 | 11-1 | 8-0 |
| A6 | Baylor | b12 | 10-1 | 7-1 |
| B07 | Mississippi St | sec | 10-2 | 6-2 |
| B08 | Michigan St | b10 | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| B09 | Georgia Tech | acc | 10-2 | 6-2 |
| B10 | Ole Miss | sec | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| B11 | Kansas St | b12 | 9-2 | 7-1 |
| B12 | Auburn | sec | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| C13 | Oklahoma | b12 | 8-3 | 5-3 |
| C14 | Missouri | sec | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| C15 | Arizona | pac | 10-2 | 7-2 |
| C16 | Wisconsin | b10 | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| C17 | LSU | sec | 8-4 | 4-4 |
| C18 | Georgia | sec | 9-3 | 6-2 |
| D19 | UCLA | pac | 9-3 | 6-3 |
| D20 | Arizona St | pac | 9-3 | 6-3 |
| D21 | Clemson | acc | 9-3 | 6-2 |
| D22 | USC | pac | 8-4 | 6-3 |
| D23 | Minnesota | b10 | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| D24 | Nebraska | b10 | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| E25 | Boise St | mw | 10-2 | 7-1 |
| E26 | Louisville | acc | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| E27 | Texas A&M | sec | 7-5 | 3-5 |
| E28 | Arkansas | sec | 6-6 | 2-6 |
| E29 | Duke | acc | 9-3 | 5-3 |
| E30 | Colorado St | mw | 10-2 | 6-2 |
| F31 | Utah | pac | 8-4 | 5-4 |
| F32 | Stanford | pac | 7-5 | 5-4 |
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Georgia Tech 30, Georgia 24, OT
Wheel through the highlights of the Yellowjackets win over the Bulldogs this afternoon, and in particular we recommend "4th Quarter 4:22 - GT", which is the pooch onside that Tech recovered because there are two UGA players who don't know the rules of football. The last several clips, of course, are also worth watching: Georgia took the lead with eighteen seconds to go, GT managed to get close enough with four to go for their kicker to tie it from 53-yards away, and then won it with a TD and an interception, respectively, in overtime.
From John Ireland: an explanation of college football.
Now that Florida State is leading,...
...it feels safer to pick on their Heisman winning QB, Jamies Winston, after perhaps the worst first quarter of his already up-n-down career:
In the Seminoles' first ten plays, Winston threw three interceptions. His line: 2 out of 8 for five yards, plus three INTs.
He is the only FBS QB to throw three interceptions in a first quarter this year.
He is the only FBS QB to throw at least two interceptions in the first half four different times this year.
He leads the FBS in first half INTs with 13.
Since then, FSU has scored three touchdowns and lead 21-16 at the half....sounds like the 27-in-a-row Seminoles....
In the Seminoles' first ten plays, Winston threw three interceptions. His line: 2 out of 8 for five yards, plus three INTs.
He is the only FBS QB to throw three interceptions in a first quarter this year.
He is the only FBS QB to throw at least two interceptions in the first half four different times this year.
He leads the FBS in first half INTs with 13.
Since then, FSU has scored three touchdowns and lead 21-16 at the half....sounds like the 27-in-a-row Seminoles....
More on rivalries...
Watching the Egg Bowl, we want to emphasize that just because the key element is the unpredictability of the outcome, that doesn't mean that proximity isn't important, sharing a conference, division, and state aren't important, and that enmity doesn't abound - after the Ole Miss runback, the Mississippi St defenders had a few leftover turkey recipes to share with their Rebel opponents...
What is a rivalry?
A rivalry is NOT someone you compete against every season.
It is NOT just proximity.
It is NOT hatred, enmity, or animosity.
It is NOT sharing a conference, a city, or a state.
What a rivalry IS...is a pair of teams who can literally "throw out the records" whenever they play.
Consider the games today: Ohio St v Michigan, which was 17-22 points in the Buckeyes' favored column...way too much for a rivalry game. Currently 28-21 OSU, back and forth all game long....Kentucky v Louisville, in which UL was favored by 9-14, but which was at 28-26 in the fourth last check....Georgia Tech v Georgia, where underdog GT leads 21-17 with under three to go...and apparently the two teams brought into the Pac-12 together, Utah v Colorado, where the Utes should have won rather easily but the Buffaloes lead by two in the third quarter. Watching the Civil War tonight (Oregon v Oregon St) or the most fascinating intersectional rivalry in football, Notre Dame v USC, or either of the SEC matchups: Mississippi St/Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl (games w names usually are trying to be rivalries!) and the Iron Bowl which cannot top last year's everevereverever, Auburn v Alabama.
There are certainly other examples: Arizona/Arizona St (42-35 yesterday), Stanford/Cal, UCLA/USC, Harvard/Yale, Florida St/Miami-Fl, and you can probably name many of your own. Sometimes they arise from personality meshes: in the NFL, New England v Indianapolis were big rivals because they were both top of the division teams, but more because they had Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the two great quarterbacks of their generation.
And sometimes, rivalries are manufactured - rarely successfully, but once in a while... For example, Nebraska entering the Big Ten, they're playing new teams up and down their schedule, and so there are several teams who might serve as a rival for them. But, watching the wild game against Iowa yesterday (which went to overtime before UN won 37-34), they may have found a rival after all!
Sometimes, rivalries can die, too: it used to be that Boise St v Idaho was one of the great unsung rivalries in the nation, through there D2 days, then the Big Sky days, then they move up into the Big West together in the FBS, and finally into the WAC....but as the Broncos continued to improve, winning conference championships left and right, the Vandals sputtered to losing seasons, fell out of conferences altogether for a year before scrambling back into the low-level Sun Belt and a 1-10 season again this year. When Boise won its tenth or twelfth straight over U of I, it became clear that the critical element of "any given day" was long gone. And therefore, so was the rivalry. There were still sports where the two teams are rivals, but not in football.
It is NOT just proximity.
It is NOT hatred, enmity, or animosity.
It is NOT sharing a conference, a city, or a state.
What a rivalry IS...is a pair of teams who can literally "throw out the records" whenever they play.
Consider the games today: Ohio St v Michigan, which was 17-22 points in the Buckeyes' favored column...way too much for a rivalry game. Currently 28-21 OSU, back and forth all game long....Kentucky v Louisville, in which UL was favored by 9-14, but which was at 28-26 in the fourth last check....Georgia Tech v Georgia, where underdog GT leads 21-17 with under three to go...and apparently the two teams brought into the Pac-12 together, Utah v Colorado, where the Utes should have won rather easily but the Buffaloes lead by two in the third quarter. Watching the Civil War tonight (Oregon v Oregon St) or the most fascinating intersectional rivalry in football, Notre Dame v USC, or either of the SEC matchups: Mississippi St/Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl (games w names usually are trying to be rivalries!) and the Iron Bowl which cannot top last year's everevereverever, Auburn v Alabama.
There are certainly other examples: Arizona/Arizona St (42-35 yesterday), Stanford/Cal, UCLA/USC, Harvard/Yale, Florida St/Miami-Fl, and you can probably name many of your own. Sometimes they arise from personality meshes: in the NFL, New England v Indianapolis were big rivals because they were both top of the division teams, but more because they had Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the two great quarterbacks of their generation.
And sometimes, rivalries are manufactured - rarely successfully, but once in a while... For example, Nebraska entering the Big Ten, they're playing new teams up and down their schedule, and so there are several teams who might serve as a rival for them. But, watching the wild game against Iowa yesterday (which went to overtime before UN won 37-34), they may have found a rival after all!
Sometimes, rivalries can die, too: it used to be that Boise St v Idaho was one of the great unsung rivalries in the nation, through there D2 days, then the Big Sky days, then they move up into the Big West together in the FBS, and finally into the WAC....but as the Broncos continued to improve, winning conference championships left and right, the Vandals sputtered to losing seasons, fell out of conferences altogether for a year before scrambling back into the low-level Sun Belt and a 1-10 season again this year. When Boise won its tenth or twelfth straight over U of I, it became clear that the critical element of "any given day" was long gone. And therefore, so was the rivalry. There were still sports where the two teams are rivals, but not in football.
From ESPN Stats: Some facts about WKU's 67-66 upset of Marshall Friday...
Western Kentucky's Leon Allen (237) and Marshall's Steward Butler (233) became the second pair of opposing running backs in FBS history to each rush for over 230 yards in the same game. The other? Maryland's Bruce Perry (237) and Wake Forest's Chris Barclay (243) in 1997.
Western Kentucky and Marshall combined for 133 points today. Including today's game, SMU has scored 106 all season.
The 133 combined points ties the most ever in a game involving a ranked team (No. 9 West Virginia beat No. 25 Baylor, 70-63, in 2012).
Western Kentucky scored more points today in football (67) than it did against Marshall in men's basketball last season (64).
The 15 combined Pass TD (8 by Brandon Doughty, 7 by Rakeem Cato) breaks an FBS record for most combined Pass TD in a game. It's the 2nd game in FBS history where 2 quarterbacks threw for at least 7 touchdowns (also California-Colorado earlier this season: Jared Goff and Sefo Liufau).
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook knew there was going to be a lot of points scored in Western Kentucky-Marshall, as the 76 over/under was the 2nd-highest mark of any of the games today or tomorrow (behind the 80 in Baylor-Texas Tech).The over hit with 7:23 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
This is the first time in Rakeem Cato's career he has thrown at least three interceptions in a home game.
Western Kentucky and Marshall combined to score 49 points in the 1st quarter (28-21 WKU). That is the most combined points in the 1st quarter of any FBS game this season. The previous high was 42 by New Mexico and Boise State on Nov. 8 when New Mexico led 28-14 after the 1st quarter.
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