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Around the Mountain West Conference
Air Force
Refreshed Falcons have motivation for bowl
There's no doubt that Air Force was one bruised, battered and tired football team as it limped to the regular season finish line.
The Falcons (6-6), who went toe-to-toe with Michigan in the Big House before losing, 31-25, in Week 2, played the final 10 weeks without a break and dropped three of their final four games by a combined score of 124-66, including a season-ending 48-15 pounding at Fresno State.
Offensive tackle Jason Kons compared the season to "getting tossed in a blender."
"It takes a toll on your body," Kons told the Colorado Springs Gazette. "It takes it out of your hide, that's for sure."
But with five weeks off before the Dec. 29 Armed Forces Bowl game against Rice, the Falcons believe they will be revitalized for their bowl game.
Two key offensive players for Air Force -- quarterback Connor Dietz and running back Cody Getz -- both said they were feeling much better as bowl practices began. Dietz had been battling ankle, elbow and shoulder pain the final part of the season while Getz, who rushed for a nation-leading 887 yards in his first five games, injured his left ankle in an Oct. 13 win at Wyoming and ran for just 326 yards in the final seven games.
"It feels good," Getz told the Gazette. "A lot better than the last game."
Kons told the Gazette that the embarrassing season-ending loss at Fresno State is serving as motivation for the bowl game.
"It left a sour taste," Kons said. "A sour taste that won't go away unless we win that bowl game."
--RB Cody Getz rushed for 1,219 yards and nine touchdowns this season. That's good enough to rank the senior 20th nationally at 100.27 per game. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that Getz missed the better part of a month because of an ankle injury. He should be fresh and ready to go after a five-week break and will test a Rice defense that is tied for 91st nationally against the run, allowing almost 193 yards per game.
--QB Connor Dietz is a rare fifth-year senior at Air Force who seemed to wear down as the season progressed. He passed for more 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns while having only three passes intercepted, pretty impressive for a quarterback whose strength is engineering the triple option. He also is a solid runner who finished with 701 yards rushing and five touchdowns, and should cause a Rice defense that struggled against the run more than its share of problems.
--LB Austin Niklas will be a key figure trying to stop the run against a Rice offense that ranked 29th in rushing with an average of 201.2 yards per game. Niklas, a senior, finished second in the Mountain West in tackles with 114 (9.5 per game) and forced three fumbles.
--LB Alex Means was arguably Air Force's top defender. The 6-foot-5 senior is versatile enough to rush the passer with three sacks and 11 tackles for losses, but he also can drop back in pass coverage and had 11 passes defended and two interceptions.
BOWL HISTORY: Air Force is 10-11-1 in bowl games and lost to Toledo, 42-41, in the Military Bowl last year. This is the Falcons' fourth trip to the Armed Forces Bowl (2007, 2008, 2009), where they are 1-2 but defeated Houston, 47-20, in their last appearance in 2009.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's going to be a great game. Rice played exceptionally well down the stretch of the season. We saw how they dominated SMU in their game and the way they marched the football against UCLA." -- Air Force coach Troy Calhoun to the Denver Post on playing Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Scouting the running game: Air Force ranks second in the nation in rushing with its triple option attack, averaging 328.7 yards per game. A healthy and refreshed Cody Getz will be the key. He had three games with 200 or more yards rushing this season, but broke the 100-yard mark only once in the final seven games after suffering an ankle injury.
Scouting the passing game: Senior QB Connor Dietz is an effective passer who didn't throw an interception until the ninth game of the season. He completed 62 percent of his passes (67-of-108) for 1,127 yards, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions and can make defenses pay dearly if they over-commit to stopping the triple option.
Scouting the run defense: Air Force ranks 97th in the nation against the run, allowing an average of 198 yards per game. But those numbers were inflated a little by the fact they faced option teams like Army, the nation's No. 1 ranked rushing team, Navy and New Mexico, all of whom rank in the top six nationally in rushing offense.
Scouting the pass defense: The Falcons come in ranked a surprising 28th nationally, allowing only 203.58 yards per game and 16 passing touchdowns. Again, those numbers are skewed a little by the fact the Falcons faced three teams that run the option -- Army, Navy and New Mexico. Air Force intercepted only eight passes, third fewest in the Mountain West.
Scouting the special teams: Normally a strength for the Falcons, Air Force had its share of problems here as senior K Parker Herrington, a preseason All-Mountain West pick, converted only 4-of-10 field goal attempts, the worst percentage of any kicker in the conference. Herrington was 44-of-45 on extra points. The Falcons were second in the Mountain West in net punting with an average of 38.5 yards, but were only average in the return game.
Intangibles: As is usually the case with Air Force, the Falcons wore down as the season went on and the injuries mounted. Air Force's defense allowed 135 points in its final four games, and QB Connor Dietz and RB Cody Getz were hobbled by minor injuries. The five-week break should do wonders for the Falcons, who took Michigan to the wire at the Big House early in the season.
--QB Conner Dietz (shoulder, ankle) is expected to start the bowl game.
--LB Conner Healy (leg) is expected to play in the bowl game.
--RB Broam Hart (broken hand) is expected to play in the bowl game.
--C Austin Hayes (knee) is questionable.
--LB Josh Kusan (knee) is probable for the bowl game.
Boise St.
Broncos get another shot at Pac-12 school
Boise State gets its once-a-year shot at a Pac-12 team Dec. 22 against Washington in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.
The Broncos will play a Pac-12 opponent for the 10th straight year. For the second straight year, they're getting that opportunity in the MAACO Bowl.
Seventh-year coach Chris Petersen is 5-1 against the Pac-12 -- plus two wins against Utah. The Broncos have won four straight against the neighboring conference.
"It's fun," senior wide receiver Chris Potter said. "When you look at it, our roster, you'll see a lot of guys from the West Coast. A lot of guys that maybe were not big enough, not tall enough, not fast enough to go to some of those schools. It's exciting. It's those schools that personally I grew up watching."
The Broncos and Huskies have met just once, in 2007 in Seattle. Washington won 24-10. That was the last time the Broncos lost more than one game in a season before this year. In fact, if Washington wins, the Broncos will finish with an identical 10-3 record as that season.
This also is the first time since 2007 that the Broncos do not have a marquee win on their resume. Defeating Washington, which is 7-5 but has beaten Stanford and Oregon State, would change that.
It also would give the Broncos some confidence going into the 2013 season opener -- at Washington.
Coach Chris Petersen, though, is trying to keep the focus off of next year and the intriguing matchup with Huskies defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who was the Broncos' coordinator from 2006 to 2009.
"It's about the here and now and this team," he said.
--DE Demarcus Lawrence leads the Mountain West with 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. He also has four forced fumbles, an interception, a blocked kick and a touchdown in his first season at the major college level. His playmaking has been a key for a defense that lost its entire defensive line after last season.
--QB Joe Southwick finished the season strong, climbing to 40th in the nation in pass efficiency. In the last three games, he completed 53-of-75 passes for 624 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions. He also rushed for 25 yards in the regular-season finale, his best running performance of the season.
--RB D.J. Harper topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career this season with 1,065. He also has scored 16 touchdowns, 15 of them rushing. The sixth-year senior rushed for 130 yards in the regular-season finale against Nevada and posted six 100-yard games this season.
--WR Matt Miller recorded the first 100-yard game of his career against Nevada. The sophomore has more catches than any Bronco over the past two seasons but many of them are possession-type throws designed to get first downs. He has 60 catches for 679 yards and five touchdowns this season.
BOWL HISTORY: Boise State is 8-4 in bowl games and will play in the postseason for the 11th straight year. The Broncos have won their past three bowl games, beating TCU (Fiesta), Utah (MAACO) and Arizona State (MAACO).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We answered when we needed to, and that's what I'm really proud about the offense, to really come through. The defense has been so stellar all year, and has carried us most of the way. When we needed to answer in a championship game, (the offense) came through." -- Boise State coach Chris Petersen, on the offensive performance against Nevada.
Scouting the running game: The Broncos have leaned on the run game more this year with first-year starting quarterback Joe Southwick at the helm. They average 173.1 yards per game and 4.7 yards per game. Senior tailback D.J. Harper has shown grit and explosiveness in his first year as the featured back and redshirt freshman Jay Ajayi is a nice complement with a powerful style and 6.9-yards-per-carry average.
Scouting the passing game: Southwick has improved throughout the season and he finished the regular season playing his best football. He has 17 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and has completed 66.7 percent of his passes. His biggest flaw has been red-zone passing. Nine players have at least 12 catches and eight of them have caught a TD pass.
Scouting the run defense: The Broncos' defense has dominated much of the season but it has shown some weakness against the run. Opponents average 141.2 yards per game, although at a meager 3.6 yards per carry. It's the only way to beat this defense, which has allowed 18 rushing touchdowns just but three through the air.
Scouting the pass defense: Opposing quarterbacks have had a miserable time against the Boise State defense. They have two TD passes (the third came from a running back) and 16 interceptions with an efficiency rating of 101.37. Cornerbacks Jamar Taylor (three interceptions, three forced fumbles) and Jerrell Gavins (two interceptions) lead a secondary that rarely makes an assignment error.
Scouting the special teams: The Broncos have not been as dynamic on special teams as usual. They're solid, particularly in the return game with punt returner Chris Potter and a combination of kickoff returners. The kickoff coverage, dominant early in the season, has been a weakness late in the season. Kicker Michael Frisina has been consistent -- 12-for-12 on field goals of 30 yards or less and 0-for-5 on field goals of more than 30 yards.
Intangibles: Boise State will play in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas for the third straight year while Washington is a first-timer. That should help the Broncos handle the distractions better. Washington, though, is much more battle-tested and its fan base might turn out better considering this is the Huskies' first visit to Sin City.
--True freshman cornerback Donte Deayon made his first start in place of senior Jerrell Gavins. "A little in-house stuff," coach Chris Petersen said. Gavins played on defense and special teams but exited the game in the second half with a left leg injury.
--Senior nickel Dextrell Simmons (hamstring) did not make the trip to Nevada. Simmons had missed two games and was limited in a third.
--Junior defensive end Kharyee Marshall also didn't make the trip because of injury.
--Senior wide receiver Mitch Burroughs didn't play much in his return from a wrist injury.
Colorado St.
Rams appear headed in right direction
Jim McElwain's first year as Colorado State head coach started on a high note with a comeback win over in-state rival Colorado, hit a rocky, injury-plagued stretch right after that, but ended with three consecutive home wins for the first time since 2005.
So maybe the Rams' 4-8 finish wasn't anything to shoot out about in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where McElwain was offensive coordinator for a pair of national championship teams under Nick Saban. But it definitely represented a step in the right direction after three consecutive 3-9 finishes under Steve Fairchild.
The fact that the Rams got to four wins despite a rash of injuries to the secondary, defense line and at quarterback, where CSU played the last half of the season with third-string freshman Conner Smith, made it all the more remarkable.
McElwain realizes he has a long ways to go to get Colorado State back to the Top 25 form it routinely displayed during the Sonny Lubick days. That's why he wasn't going to stick around Fort Collins, a.k.a. Fort Fun, long after the Rams finished their season with a 24-20 victory over New Mexico on Nov. 24.
"We now get a chance to reflect for a couple hours before we head out on the road recruiting," McElwain said. "I think this is something that can really help our program."
So is talk of building a new state-of-the-art on-campus football stadium which received the go-ahead in October from school president Tony Frank. The school is now in the process of raising $125 million to get the project started.
Yes, the future is finally looking bright for the Rams.
GAME OF THE YEAR: Colorado State 22, Colorado 17 -- Jim McElwain became the first Colorado State coach since Jerry Wampfler in 1970 to win his debut and first-ever to defeat the in-state rival Buffaloes in a debut. Sophomore quarterback Garrett Grayson rallied CSU from an early 14-3 deficit to pull it out, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns while freshman LB Cory James had three sacks to lead the Ram defense.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Shaquil Barrett -- The 6-foot-2, 250-pound junior fought through injuries to finish with 67 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles while also emerging as a team leader on and off the field.
FAST FORWARD: Year 2 of the Jim McElwain era should be much brighter if the Rams can stay healthy. McElwain will have a pair of talented quarterbacks in Garrett Grayson and Conner Smith and two good running backs in Chris Nwoke and Donnell Alexander to build his offense around and two of the league's top linebackers in Shaquil Barrett and Cory James return to anchor the defense. A rash of injuries that hurt the Rams during the middle of this season should pay dividends in 2013 as CSU was forced to developed depth on both sides of the ball. The good news is the team appears to have bought into McElwain's coaching style, closing with three wins in its last five games when it easily could have tossed in the towel again.
RECRUITING TRAIL: McElwain is off to a good start with eight commitments from players that have garnered two stars or more from Rivals.com including a pair of in-state linemen, OL Blake Nowland (6-5, 285) of Douglas County in Castle Rock, and DE Austin Berk (6-5, 230) of Grand Junction, that received three stars.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's a lot we can build on." -- First-year Colorado State coach Jim McElwain after his injury-plagued team rallied to win three of its final five games to finish 4-8.
QB Garrett Grayson -- Only started five games his sophomore season thanks to a broken collarbone injury suffered against Air Force that required surgery. Threw for 946 yards, seven touchdowns and had three interceptions and also ran for another TD.
LB Cory James -- Although his production slid near the end of the season, the redshirt freshman made quite a debut with 54 tackles, including 7.5 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.
RB Donnell Alexander -- The redshirt freshman came on strong during the second half of the season and had three 100-yard games, including 112 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 22 carries in the season-ending win over New Mexico. Led the team in rushing and all-purpose yards.
P Pete Kontodiakos -- Finished the season with a gross punting average of 46.67 yards, breaking the school single-season record of 46.09 set by Mike Deutsch in 1976. Almost 30 percent of his punts went 50 yards or better.
DL Lanston Tanyi -- The transfer from Appalachian State finished with 77 tackles, most by a Rams' defensive lineman since 1988. Played 100 snaps in a game against Hawaii.
OL Joe Caprioglio -- The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder was a three-year starter on a physical CSU offensive line.
CB Momo Thomas -- A four-year starter and return specialist who missed most of his senior season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
--QB Garrett Grayson returned for one game after undergoing surgery for a broken collarbone and re- injured the shoulder on a hit. However, he should be ready to go by spring football.
--RB Davon Riddick, a redshirt freshman who moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart after an impressive fall camp, sat out the season with a broken wrist but should be ready for spring drills.
Fresno St.
Carr to return for senior season
Fresno State first-year coach Tim DeRuyter was the subject of job openings at California and Colorado, but the Golden Bears and Buffaloes hired other candidates.
DeRuyter will likely stay put and coach the Bulldogs in the Hawaii Bowl against SMU because Cal hired Sonny Dykes and Colorado went with Mike MacIntyre. The Bulldogs, however, will not rest easy until the coaching carousel stops.
The two biggest remaining openings are at Texas Tech and Wisconsin, but DeRuyter's name has not surfaced yet as a candidate with either job. DeRuyter coached against the Red Raiders while in the Big 12 as an assistant coach with Texas A&M before leaving to Fresno State after the end of last season.
DeRuyter has experience coaching a bowl, leading the Aggies in the Meineke Car Bowl last season before heading to Fresno. He coached on an interim basis in place of fired coach Mike Sherman in Texas A&M's 33-22 win over Northwestern.
After the regular season this year, DeRuyter has been busy aside from all the coaching rumors. He is recruiting, preparing the Bulldogs for the Dec. 24 matchup with SMU and plan for the future beyond that with junior quarterback Derek Carr reportedly returning for his senior season.
Carr announced Nov. 24 after the Bulldogs concluded their regular season that he will return for his senior season. DeRuyter said he still intends to meet with Carr after the Hawaii Bowl to discuss his possibilities in 2013.
"We'll talk after the bowl game about, you know, you probably need to go through the process and put your name in, just to see where you're at. There are things you've got to do about maybe taking insurance policies out and those type of things," DeRuyter told the Fresno Bee.
"But I think he's just scratched the surface right now. I think that as good a quarterback as he is, he could be the greatest in Fresno State history and he has one more year to do that. We haven't had a Heisman Trophy winner here. We haven't gone to a BCS bowl. Those things are out there for a great leader like him."
Carr was selected as the Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year, strong safety Phillip Thomas the defensive player of the year and wide receiver Davante Adams as freshman of the year -- the first time in conference history that one school has swept all three awards.
--DeRuyter said before the season that the Bulldogs would challenge for a Mountain West title in their first year in the conference.
After achieving that honor, DeRuyter now tries to coach the Bulldogs to their first bowl victory since they beat Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl in 2007. Fresno State is attempting to win 10 games in a season for the first time since 2001, when David Carr led the Bulldogs to an 11-3 season.
DeRuyter's championship pledge before the season was extremely bold considering Fresno State underwent a coaching change after finishing 4-9 under embattled Pat Hill. The Bulldogs, with a handful of NFL prospects on their roster, lived up to DeRuyter's words and tied for the conference title with Boise State and San Diego State.
DeRuyter's successful 9-3 season has the Bulldogs in the Hawaii Bowl opposite SMU and former Hawaii coach June Jones, a nemesis for Fresno State when the teams were in the WAC.
With the Bulldogs' immediate success under DeRuyter, he and his assistants have become rumored possibilities as head coaches elsewhere. DeRuyter has sidestepped that issue by saying he only cares about his first bowl game as a head coach after serving as an assistant coach with Texas A&M.
DeRuyter's preference was to play in the Las Vegas Bowl because of the proximity of Fresno to Las Vegas for fans and the chance to play a Pac-12 program. He is appreciative, however, of the fact that pro prospects such as Carr, senior running back Robbie Rouse and Thomas get to show off their skills in a bowl environment.
"No matter what bowl we go to, it's going to be a great reward for our players and our coaches and their families," DeRuyter told the Fresno Bee before the announcement was official that the Bulldogs were headed to the Hawaii Bowl.
"There's an advantage (of playing) in the Vegas Bowl for our fan base and players' families. But there's not any bad bowls. An old athletic director of mine told our staff 'There's no bad bowls or no bad beers.' Enjoy it. Enjoy whichever one we have."
While Fresno State won seven of its last games, SMU played .500 football all season and barely became bowl eligible at 6-6 in the last week of the season by defeating Tulsa 35-27.
The Bulldogs offense, ranked No. 14 nationally with an average of 488.5 yards per game, is in a favorable matchup against SMU's defense that yields 400.3 yards a game.
Carr, Rouse and Adams each rank in the top 15 in individual categories. Carr is ninth in passing efficiency, Rouse is No. 13 in rushing (122.3 yards a game) and Adams is 14th in both receiving yards (97.3 a game) and receptions (7.42 a game).
--QB Derek Carr is an NFL quarterback playing in college today, according to Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, a former NFL assistant who acknowledged that after the Bulldogs defeated Air Force 48-15 on Nov. 24. Carr's completion percentage of .875 was a school record with a minimum of 20 attempts. He completed 28 of 32 passes for 452 yards. The younger brother of NFL quarterback David Carr, Derek Carr will face an SMU defense in the Holiday Bowl that has a pass defense that ranks 103rd nationally (271.2 yards allowed per game). Carr was selected the Mountain West Conference offensive player of the year after leading the league in completions, completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
--S Phillip Thomas, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award that went to Mississippi State's Johnthan Bank, tallied eight interceptions, which tops the nation. That number is also the most achieved by a Fresno State player in 27 years. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns, had nine total takeaways, forced four fumbles and led Fresno State with 82 tackles, including 12 for loss. He will face a quarterback in SMU's Garrett Gilbert who has thrown for almost more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (14). Thomas is the 10th player from Fresno State to be selected as a defensive player of the year, the most recent Chris Carter in 2010.
--RB Robbie Rouse is listed at 5-foot-7 but he actually is an inch or two shorter, but there is no denying he plays big. He is called "Mighty Mouse" by his teammates because of what he gets out of that strong diminutive body. He gained at least 100 yards in nine of his 12 games with a career-best 261 on 36 carries at Nevada on Nov. 10. SMU has a stout rush defense that will challenge Rouse. The Mustangs allow only 129 rushing yards a game, which ranks No. 24 nationally.
BOWL HISTORY: Fresno State has played in 23 bowl games and has a record of 12-11. The Bulldogs have lost four of their last five bowls. The lone win in that span was a 40-28 triumph over Georgia Tech in the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Not to be brash, but yeah, we expected it. Our staff thought from Day One, we had the talent here. If we could get guys to buy in, we thought we'd at least have a chance to compete for a championship." -- Fresno State first-year coach Tim DeRuyter.
Scouting the running game: Senior RB Robbie Rouse is the durable featured running back gaining 73.8 percent of Fresno State's rushing yards. He has gained 1,468 yards on 269 carries. The Bulldogs' next option is freshman Marteze Waller, who has only 174 yards. Junior QB Derek Carr has shown the ability to run out of the pocket and gain yards. He has positive yardage of 215 yards but sacks have limited him to 42 net yards.
Scouting the passing game: At the end of October, Carr had a passing efficiency rating of 152.36. In November, his rating was the second best in the FBS at 194.4, behind Aaron Murray of Georgia at 215.89. Carr's touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio was 26-to-5 before November. Since then, it is 10-to-0, fourth behind Murray (13-to-0), Brett Smith of Wyoming (13-to-0) and Stephen Morris of Miami (11-to-0). Carr's favorite target is freshman Davante Adams, who has 89 receptions for 1,168 yards. He has spread the ball to 14 different receivers out of Fresno State's spread offense.
Scouting the run defense: Fresno State's weakest link is its rush defense, which ranks 75th nationally, allowing 171.9 yards per game. Opponents have scored 18 rushing touchdowns and average 4.1 yards per carry. The Bulldogs will be tested often by SMU, which features senior RB Zach Line (1,207 yards on 258 carries).
Scouting the pass defense: The Bulldogs offset their questionable rush defense with a pass defense that is one of the best in the nation. They rank fourth nationally, allowing only an average of 163.4 yards per game. Leading the way is senior S Phillip Thomas, a Jim Thorpe Award finalist who tops the nation with eight interceptions. Sophomore S Derron Smith has six interceptions. Fresno State's 20 interceptions trail only Oregon (24) and Kent State (23) nationally.
Scouting the special teams: Fresno State is solid with redshirt freshman PK Quinton Breshears (11-of-14 in field goals) and senior P Andrew Shapiro (42.4 yards a punt). The Bulldogs have not hurt themselves in special teams, avoiding a blocked field goal or punt during the regular season. PR Rashad Evans has the ability to break a return for a touchdown. He returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown Oct. 20 against Wyoming.
Intangibles: The Bulldogs are riding the wave of a five-game winning streak and seven of their last eight games. The players have rallied around coach Tim DeRuyter and his staff in their first year in the program. With potential future pros such as QB Derek Carr, RB Robbie Rouse and S Phillip Thomas, the Bulldogs have the talent to go with their attitude.
--WR Josh Harper (groin) should be ready for the Hawaii Bowl after missing the last two games of the regular season.
--WR Victor Dean is one of three Fresno State players that were lost for the season with knee injuries. The others are LBs Patrick Su'a and Jamal Rose.
--DE Anthony Williams, who had season-ending surgery on his foot in October, is making fast progress with his rehab but not fast enough to play for the Bulldogs in Hawaii Bowl. A senior, he plans to audition for NFL scouts at pro day in the spring.
Warriors end on high note
After enduring a hellacious first season at Hawaii, Norm Chow can go into the offseason with a smile on his face.
The Warriors defeated South Alabama 23-7 on Dec. 1, ending their 3-9 season with consecutive wins. The last time Hawaii won consecutive games was last October when it beat New Mexico at home and then Idaho on the road.
Hawaii finished with a 1-7 mark in its first season in the Mountain West Conference. The other teams who moved from the WAC to the Mountain West recently -- Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada -- all are bowl bound this season.
"We have a tremendous amount of work to do," Chow said. "Recruiting, getting stronger, making sure we finish strong in the classroom. There are a lot of things we have to do, and there are a lot of things we have to fix."
Factors that contributed to Hawaii's struggles included the transition to Chow's philosophies from previous coach Greg McMackin, one of the worst offenses in the nation, injuries and an arduous schedule.
Chow instituted a pro-style offense, a drastic change from the run-and-shoot spread offenses implemented by McMackin and his predecessor, June Jones. The Warriors have the 118th-ranked offense out of the 120 FBS teams, averaging only 297.4 yards per game.
The running game struggled the most (only 108.6 yards per game) and junior quarterback Sean Schroeder, who transferred from Duke without playing a game with the Blue Devils, never got on track. Jeremy Higgins, a Utah State transfer, replaced Schroeder as a starter late in the season but did not play well enough to keep Schroeder (12 interceptions with 11 touchdowns and only 1,878 yards passing) on the bench.
Hawaii's injury list was extensive. The Warriors lost eight players, including four defensive linemen, to season-ending injuries. Hawaii also lost many players for multiple games throughout the season, including standout players like running back Joey Iosefa, receivers Justin Clapp and Billy Ray Stutzmann and defensive tackle Marcus Malepai.
Chow endured a schedule that is not common for Hawaii, which usually plays most of its games at home. The Warriors played six road games, four of them against bowl teams USC, BYU, Fresno State and San Diego State. They played four of five games on the road in one stretch and twice on a Friday night after playing the previous Saturday. The travel from the islands to the mainland, especially in the shorter weeks, took its toll.
Hawaii can build on the fact that it leads the nation with 31 different players who made their first career FBS start this season. Five of them are true freshmen. That means Chow will have returners who understand the grind of a season.
GAME OF THE YEAR: New Mexico 35, Hawaii 23 -- The Warriors lost their homecoming game in a matchup they needed to win after allowing 158 points in three straight losses to Nevada, BYU and San Diego State. Hawaii closed to within 28-23 with 9:49 left in the fourth quarter after trailing 21-0 in the first half. But the Lobos put the game away with a nearly nine-minute drive culminating with a touchdown. That was the fourth loss in an eight-game losing streak for the Warriors.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: CB Mike Edwards -- The junior all-purpose player, who also is a return specialist, plans to return next year depending on how NFL scouts analyze his potential. Edwards ranks sixth nationally in kickoff returns with 30.4 yards per return. He also averaged 102.8 all-purpose yards a game, which ranks 88th in the country.
FAST FORWARD: In Hawaii's season-ending game with South Alabama on Dec. 1, the Warriors started only two seniors, both on defense. The Warriors started four freshmen, including two on the offensive line. The experience gained this year from the youngest players should pay dividends starting next year.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Hawaii coach Norm Chow is placing more of an emphasis on the defensive side in the early recruiting season, with five players (three of them linebackers) on defense committed to this point. The Warriors' offense struggled (ranked 118th in the FBS) this season, so the coaches will also try to shore up positions on that side of the ball. Chow has a commitment from Modesto (Calif.) Thomas Downey quarterback Aaron Zwahlen, who turned down offers from Idaho and Washington State. Waiting for his opportunity is Ohio State transfer Taylor Graham, who will be eligible to play quarterback next season after sitting out this year per NCAA transfer rules.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's not about me. I enjoy these seniors. They did a great job. They bought in to what we were trying to do. Whatever they want to do with me is fine. It's all about them (players)." -- Hawaii coach Norm Chow when asked about his first season as a head coach.
QB Taylor Graham -- The Ohio State transfer, a highly touted recruit out of Illinois, never took a snap with the Buckeyes after redshirting in 2010 and staying on the bench behind Braxton Miller in 2011. He sat out this season per NCAA transfer rules. He is anxious to take his first collegiate snap next season in Chow's pro-style offense.
RB Will Gregory -- The redshirt freshman led the Warriors in rushing with 691 yards on 137 carries. He was not much of a receiving threat out of the backfield, however, with only four receptions all season.
WR Billy Ray Stutzmann -- Despite missing two games early in the season with a hand injury, the junior led the Warriors with 35 receptions for 447 yards. He failed to score a touchdown.
CB Mike Edwards -- The nation's sixth-leading kickoff returner and one of the best all-purpose runners will test the NFL waters but says he is leaning toward returning to Hawaii for his senior season. Edwards, who has two sons, said he wants to earn a bachelor's degree. He will not make a decision until after he receives a draft assessment from NFL scouts.
P Alex Dunnachie -- The senior was sixth in the nation with an average of 46.2 yards per punt. He did not play until the fifth game of the season because of his suspension following a DUI charge last summer.
LB Art Laurel -- He is only a junior and will need another year to prosper more, but Laurel is showing promise. He ranks 32nd nationally with 1.2 tackles a game for lost yardage. He also posted four sacks, all of them in the last four games of the season.
--OL Kapua Sai, a junior who transferred from Utah, is retiring from football after suffering a string of concussions. He had a season of eligibility remaining. Sai suffered concussions in middle school and high school. He suffered from mild concussion-like symptoms earlier this year. He suffered his most recent concussion against UNLV on Nov. 24.
--S Leroy Lutu Jr., a senior, underwent shoulder surgery and missed his collegiate finale against South Alabama on Dec. 1. The former walk-on finally earned a football scholarship before this season.
--DT Calen Friel underwent surgery to remove screws in his surgically repaired ankle. The procedure should allow Friel to be ready for spring practice.
Pack hoping Pistol doesn't fire blanks again
The Wolf Pack's rushing attack in the regular season is akin to a runaway freight train. It slams the opposition into submission.
But when Nevada gets into bowl games, that rushing attack turns into a something closer to a kid on a tricycle. Something mysterious happens in the lull between the regular-season finale and bowl game.
Consider: During the Wolf Pack's current streak of eight straight bowl appearances, Nevada has averaged 258.5 rushing yards and 2.8 rushing touchdowns per game in the regular season. But in its seven bowl appearances, those figures fall to 154.3 rushing yards and 1.3 rushing touchdowns per game.
The change is even more drastic when you look at the rushing success of Nevada's quarterbacks.
Since 2005, Wolf Pack quarterbacks have averaged 80.5 rushing yards and 5.6 yards per carry in the regular season. In that same time span, those quarterbacks have averaged just 28.7 rushing yards and 2.5 yards per carry in bowls.
The Wolf Pack hopes to keep its high-octane rushing attack in top form in this year's bowl game, a Dec. 15 clash with the Pac-12's Arizona in the New Mexico Bowl.
There are plenty of potential reasons why Nevada's rushing attack, which has ranked in the top eight in the NCAA in each of the past five seasons, has bogged down in bowl games. The most popular is that the opposition has more time to study the unique Pistol attack and thus is more prepared to stop it.
"I think you could credit that," Wolf Pack quarterback Cody Fajardo said. "Any bowl game you get a week plus to study the opponent's offense, so it's just a lot harder to execute when somebody knows you inside and out and knows exactly what you want to do."
Offensive tackle Jeff Nady attributes the rushing struggles to teams getting more time to prepare for Nevada's offense and thus getting an edge. With the New Mexico Bowl being so close to the end of the regular season, the senior said it's a good thing Arizona won't get too much study time.
"The Pistol offense is a unique offense and the less time a team has to prepare for us, I think it gives us a slight edge," Nady said. "I do think this gives us a slight advantage based on the way our offense works."
Predictably, as Nevada's rushing attack has petered down, the team's offense has struggled. In the last seven bowl games, the Wolf Pack has averaged just 21.6 points per game (more than 16 points fewer than its regular-season average in that same time span).
If Nevada is going to break its offensive bowl funk, this could be the year. The Wolf Pack, which is 2-5 in the past seven bowl games, drew an Arizona defense that has allowed 34.3 points per game. The Wildcats' defense is bad against the run and even worse against the pass. Despite Arizona's defensive struggles, Ault didn't want to hear that the Wildcats are vulnerable defensively.
"You look at it and their defense was good enough to beat SC and almost beat Stanford," he said. "They've done some things. It presents us with some challenges. No question. They've got some really good athletes."
--RB Stefphon Jefferson has already etched his name in the Wolf Pack records books this season and could become just the second Nevada player to lead the nation in rushing. Jefferson's 1,703 rushing yards rank fourth in the nation. Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey is second with 1,757 yards. Both are fighting for the title of top rusher in the NCAA in this New Mexico Bowl matchup.
--QB Cody Fajardo finished the regular season 11th in the nation in total offense (319.2 yards per game). He accounted for 28 touchdowns (17 passing and 11 rushing) and led Nevada to 30-plus points in 11 of the team's 12 games. He'll have to be on top of his game when Nevada faces Arizona's potent offense.
--SS Duke Williams is one of the Nevada defense's few playmakers. The senior has 100 tackles, including 5.5 for loss. He's forced three fumbles, recovered two more and has been credited with eight pass breakups. The Wolf Pack had just four interceptions and forced only 15 turnovers in 12 games. Arizona was prone to turnovers (the Wildcats had 25), so Williams should have some chances to make big plays.
--For the first time in Chris Ault's 28 years as a head coach, the Wolf Pack had a losing home record. After dropping the regular-season finale to Boise State in Reno, Nevada finished the year 2-4 at home. The Wolf Pack had lost just two games at Mackay Stadium over the previous three seasons.
BOWL HISTORY: Nevada has reached a bowl game for the eighth straight season, although the team did not fare too well in the previous seven games. The Wolf Pack were 2-5 in those games, with the lone wins coming in the 2010 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (vs. Boston College) and the 2005 Hawaii Bowl (vs. Central Florida). Nevada is 4-8 in 12 bowl games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "A couple of plays here or there, we could have had a couple more wins or a couple more losses. It could have gone either way. This group, we might not play great football all the time, but these guys don't quit. It's a good group of guys. Every game we've played has been a four-quarter game and we came up just short in this one." -- Wolf Pack linebacker Albert Rosette, after Nevada's 27-21 loss to Boise State.
SCOUTING THE RUN GAME: Once again, the Wolf Pack were one of the top rushing teams in the nation. Nevada's 262 rushing yards per game ranked seventh in the nation. It was the fifth straight season the Wolf Pack finished in the top 10 nationally in rushing yards per game. Running back Stefphon Jefferson was the team's breakout star. He's rushed for 1,703 yards -- 29 shy of Nevada's single-season record -- and scored 23 touchdowns (the Wolf Pack's single-season best). The Wolf Pack offensive line was strong again this year but perhaps not up to the standard of previous seasons.
SCOUTING THE PASS GAME: The Wolf Pack passing game started out strong this season but didn't close the year that way. The accuracy of quarterback Cody Fajardo waned late in the season. He was good, just not great. Nevada averaged 243 passing yards per game and had 21 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. The Wolf Pack mostly employs short and intermediate routes, rarely going deep. Wide receiver Brandon Wimberly (63 catches for 788 yards and four touchdowns) is the team's top target, along with 6-foot-7 tight end Zach Sudfeld (43 catches for 553 yards and six scores).
SCOUTING THE RUN DEFENSE: The rushing defensive statistics don't look too kind to Nevada, although a lot of the damage was done in the Air Force game in which Nevada allowed 461 rushing yards. The Wolf Pack have been average at best against the run. The team has given up 213 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. Linebacker Albert Rosette, who has 128 tackles this season, is the Wolf Pack's top run stopper. Hard-hitting strong safety Duke Williams, who has 100 tackles, also is an excellent run stopper.
SCOUTING THE PASS DEFENSE: The Wolf Pack suffered some injuries in the secondary and it showed early in the season. The secondary allowed double-digit, fourth-quarter leads to turn into losses against South Florida and San Diego State and was below average all season. Nevada ranked 60th in pass efficiency defense but had just four interceptions (tied for the fourth-worst mark in the nation). As usual, the Wolf Pack did a good job of holding the oppositions' completion percentage down -- foes hit on just 55.5 percent of their attempts -- but they also allowed a lot of game-changing plays.
SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: The best word to describe this unit is "average." Nothing really stands out, good or bad. The good: Kicker Allen Hardison made 7 of 8 field goals, punter Chase Tenpenny averaged 42.9 yards per punt and punt returner Khalid Wooten averaged 16.4 yards per return. But the kickoff and punt coverages were subpar and Nevada rarely got a big play from the kick return team.
INTANGIBLES: After starting the year 6-1, the Wolf Pack have lost four of their past five games, including three at home. Does Nevada actually care about the bowl game or does it just want the season to end? The hunch is Nevada will be motivated for the New Mexico Bowl. The Wolf Pack have a strong senior class that wants to end the season on a strong note. The seniors are not happy about the way the team has played to finish the year (or the way the team has fared in recent bowls).
--OG Alex Pinto returned to action in the regular-season finale against Boise State for the first time since dislocating his knee against UNLV on Oct. 13. The senior played about 60 percent of the snaps, sharing time with third-stringer Connor Talbot because of Pinto's conditioning level. Sebastian Tretola, who had started the past four games, did not play.
--FS Marlon Johnson (lower leg injury) started against Boise State after missing the previous game against New Mexico. Johnson's mental mistake in the third quarter led to a busted coverage and 52-yard touchdown. That play kind of defines the career of Johnson, a three-year starter but inconsistent player.
--WR Brandon Wimberly, who missed the 2011 season after being shot in the stomach, will appeal the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility under the medical hardship waiver. Wimberly has played only three seasons during his five years at Nevada. He redshirted his freshman year and didn't play two seasons ago after the gunshot wound, which was serious enough that some thought he'd never play again.
New Mexico
Lobos make strides in Davie's first year
Based on New Mexico's effort in 2012, the program deserved a better fate than to lose its last six games of the season. Based on its lack of talent, depth and rest due to a 13-game schedule sans bye week, the results were to be expected.
New Mexico still finished the season with the promise of a better future ahead. Despite finishing 4-9 overall and 1-7 in the Mountain West Conference -- the fourth consecutive season that the Lobos could muster only one conference win -- the team arguably had chances to win in 10 games this season.
During its season-ending slide, UNM lost four games by seven points or fewer. It lost five conference games in all by a touchdown or less. In another conference game, the Lobos had a 21-point lead that they couldn't hold.
Learning to finish is the next step for the program, which is a far cry from where it was this time a year ago when coach Bob Davie had just assumed the reins of the team. Opponents in 2012 combined to outscore New Mexico 30.2-25.8, or by an average of 4.4 points per game.
In 2011, New Mexico's foes outscored the team by an average score of 40.6-14.7. The proof of improvement is in the numbers.
"(Get) bigger, stronger, faster, that's the first thing we have to do in the offseason," coach Bob Davie said. "Second thing is continuing to narrow the focus for our players, and that means academically. "When I first took over last year, I forget the numbers, but it was unbelievable how many guys were academically ineligible and how hard they had to work to get eligible again. You have to spend so much of your time, so much of your energy on that, so we're trying to get ahead of that this year, and we're ahead of the game."
On the field in 2012, the Lobos were ahead of the game on several occasions. The Lobos almost were victims of their own success when they started the season 4-3 and had fans dreaming of a bowl berth after three consecutive years of 1-11 seasons. But UNM's victories over Football Championship Subdivision school Southern and Football Bowl Subdivision schools New Mexico State, Texas State and Hawaii were not as impressive as they initially appeared -- the FBS foes combining to win just five games between the three schools.
New Mexico's formula of keeping possession of the football by running the ball and keeping its porous defense off the field worked about as well as it could have. The Lobos entered the 2012 season with the intent of using a two-quarterback rotation but were able to use the B.R. Holbrook-Cole Gautsche tandem in just five full games.
The defense, which ended up allowing 442.2 yards per game, lost starting strong safety Jamal Merritt and starting cornerback DeShawn Mills during week six and started the season without free safety Julian Lewis, who was competing for a starting job.
That left the unit without enough talent to stop anyone consistently the last six games of the season.
The coaching staff already is ready to hit the road recruiting, starting on Monday, but still will be thin because it loses 23 seniors. The Lobos entered the season with only 75 scholarship players and can only get to 77 in 2013 -- and that's only if everybody returns from 2012 without a career-ending injury, academic ineligibility or any defections.
The shortage of numbers will force the program to become as creative in plugging holes in its 2013 recruiting as it was in creating holes in the 2012 running game.
GAME OF THE YEAR: New Mexico 27, New Mexico State 14 -- The Sept. 22 game not only ended a three-game losing streak to the Lobos' in-state rivals but it also served as a symbol of the program's break from the horrid Mike Locksley regime the three previous seasons. UNM ran for more than 300 yards against the Aggies and put an end to a 24-game road losing streak -- its last win on the road prior to that game was a 2008 victory at New Mexico State. The Lobos showed to be far more disciplined and tougher than NMSU as well as Lobo teams of previous seasons under Locksley.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Kasey Carrier -- The junior RB started the season in danger of becoming another Locksley casualty. Carrier missed the entire 2011 season because of an ankle injury he suffered in fall camp that took far longer to heal than anyone expected. Carrier then hurt his hamstring muscle during the 2012 fall camp and missed the season opener against Southern, raising questions about his toughness. But Carrier finally got healthy and enjoyed one of the best months of any RB in the history of college football in October. Carrier had 826 rushing yards and 11 TDs on 116 carries in four games -- averaging 206.5 rushing yards per game. The month included a New Mexico and MW record 338 yards on 39 carries against Air Force. The pounding, however, took its toll as Carrier lost a lot of his explosiveness in November as he had problems with his hamstrings on both legs. That was also a factor in UNM's late-season slide. Still, Carrier set a single-season school record with 1,469 yards rushing on the season.
FAST FORWARD: The Lobos' defense will be the primary area of concern heading into the offseason. The line loses three seniors and two starters; two seniors depart the LB position and three starters are going from an already rail-thin secondary. Coach Bob Davie prefers to use an aggressive 3-4 but will have to tailor his scheme to the players New Mexico can land in recruiting. Offensively, the Lobos are in better shape; the biggest focus will be at tight end, where Lucas Reed and Chris Biren both graduate. The entire starting WR corps also leaves, but the unit has some promising underclassmen at the position.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The Lobos need immediate help at DB and DL, and the jewel of the 2013 class so far is DE William Udeh, a three-star prospect from Coppell, Texas. Expect the Lobos to take a long look at junior college prospects before the Dec. 19 junior college signing day. They could take some DBs there as well as at least one QB. Among the players New Mexico is recruiting at QB is Navarro Junior College product Stump Godfrey. His name might be familiar to Lobos fans. He was the team's starting QB for the second half of the 2010 season before leaving the program in 2011. UNM so far has just seven commitments and has some work to do.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I said before the year that it's too early to judge the program by wins and losses. I still feel that way. It's a three- to five-year rebuilding situation -- three years minimum, five years to get it back to a stable situation. This program was so fragile -- and we probably maxed the talent we had this year". -- New Mexico coach Bob Davie.
QB Cole Gautsche -- Gautsche, who wasn't expected to play as a true freshman, is the perfect player for the run option part of the offense, but he will have to spend the offseason retooling his throwing motion to make him a better passer. If he can't find a way to become more consistent, he could find himself sliding down the depth chart.
RB Kasey Carrier -- He likely will get with the strength and conditioning coaches to find out what he can do in the offseason to help him make it through the grind of an entire year. UNM almost certainly should have a bye week and only 12 games in 2013, which should help immensely, but the offense struggled late in the season because of Carrier's lost explosiveness.
LB Dallas Bollema -- Was the team's most consistent defender in 2012, leading the team in tackles and tying for the team lead in interceptions. As the supporting cast improves around him, look for Bollema to make more momentum-changing plays in 2013.
P Ben Skaer -- Was known as a directional punter with limited leg strength his first two seasons, but really came on in the second half of 2012 in distance. He finished in the top 20 in the nation in punting average and should be a much bigger strength in 2012 if UNM can find a way to limit the number of big plays it gives up on defense.
WR Carlos Wiggins -- Was UNM's best player in space at the WR position and should benefit significantly from a year in the offseason program. He gives UNM a big-play threat on the edges and should take advantage of an improved passing game in 2013.
TE Lucas Reed -- Showed his pass-catching prowess as a sophomore when he earned All-Mountain West Conference honors during a 33-reception season. He really improved his blocking skills as a senior and added weight that will get him a look next spring.
NT Reggie Ellis -- Had flashes of solid play as a run stuffer, and his talent was never an issue -- going back to his days as a four-star recruit headed for Illinois. Ellis, however, has to learn to get off blocks and show himself to be a better pass rusher than he was at UNM to get an invitation into an offseason camp.
WR Lamaar Thomas -- Has top-end speed and good hands; his task in the offseason is to show NFL coaches that he can make things happen after the catch and run precise routes to take advantage of his speed. Most of his time at UNM was spent trying to go north and south. He has to show that he has some ability to juke defenders in space.
--The Lobos were able to redshirt senior DL Fatu Ulale, with hopes that they can use him as an end next season. He benefits from having a year in the system and will have another year to improve his technique under DL coach Archie McDaniel.
--SS Matt Raymer earned an Academic All-District honor by CoSIDA and will vie to become a CoSIDA Academic All-America.
--The team redshirted only four true freshmen -- WR Ridge Jones, S Ryan Santos, DE Darian Allen and TE Christian Rebhun -- in 2012. The Lobos likely will have to rely on a bevy of true freshmen again in 2012.
--Senior FS Julian Lewis is still deciding whether he will apply for a medical redshirt after missing all of 2012 with a foot injury. The coaching staff likes his athleticism and hopes another offseason will help him pick up the defense.
-- Sophomore strong safety Jamal Merritt has to recover from a torn ACL that he suffered on Oct. 6 against Texas State. He should be ready by the 2013 season opener, and he has the athletic ability to play the way the coaching staff wants, but he has to get in the film room and study to become a more reliable defender in terms of his assignments.
--The already-stacked RB position will add University of California transfer Trajuan Briggs, who sat out this season per NCAA rules.
San Diego St.
Mentor vs. pupil in Poinsettia Bowl
The Poinsettia Bowl is a matchup more than 20 years in the making.
In 1991, new Oregon State defensive coordinator Rocky Long approached first-year head coach Jerry Pettibone about a Beavers graduate assistant on the previous staff, telling Pettibone that they would be making a big mistake if they didn't retain the graduate assistant.
Pettibone and Long hired that graduate assistant as OSU's defensive line coach. The assistant's name was Bronco Mendenhall.
Ever since, Long and Mendenhall have been close friends, which makes the Poinsettia Bowl between Long's San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) and Mendenhall's Brigham Young Cougars (7-5) an intriguing matchup.
"There aren't a lot of close friends in coaching, and I consider Bronco one of my close friends," Long told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Bronco and I have been on the same sideline and had various successes. We've been on opposing sidelines, and he's had a whole lot more success than I have in those situations."
Long taught Mendenhall his 3-3-5 blitzing scheme at Oregon State. Mendenhall succeeded Long as the Beavers' defensive coordinator in 1996 when Long went to UCLA in the same capacity. When Long was hired at New Mexico as head coach in 1998, he hired Mendenhall as the Lobos' defensive coordinator.
Mendenhall helped Long and the Lobos reach the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl before joining BYU as its defensive coordinator in 2003. Mendenhall, who became the Cougars' head coach in 2005, owns a 7-2 record vs. Long in head-to-head matchups.
Any advantage the Aztecs might have had because of their unique defense is negated because Mendenhall knows Long's scheme as well as any coach in the country. Mendenhall originally brought the 3-3-5 to BYU with some success but switched to a 3-4 based on the talent BYU is able to recruit.
Ironically, it's the Cougars defense that comes into the matchup as the more heralded unit. BYU is No. 3 in the country in total defense, allowing 266.3 yards per game. The Cougars are No. 2 in rushing defense at 84.3 yards allowed, No. 13 in pass defense (182.1 yards) and No. 5 in scoring defense at 14.7 points allowed.
The Aztecs' 16th-ranked rushing attack will have to find a way to open holes for running back Adam Muema to open up the play-action pass for quarterback Adam Dingwell and put points on the board.
SDSU's defense, however, is the reason for the team's seven-game winning streak to finish the regular season. After the first five games of 2012, the Aztecs were 2-3 and were allowing 432.4 yards per game and 306.4 per game through the air.
In the last seven games, SDSU has allowed 334.1 yards per game and just 183.7 per game through the air.
The Cougars, who could name either Riley Nelson or James Lark as their starting QB for the bowl game, has to find a way to halt the Aztecs' pressure.
Either way, the game figures to be one of the more hard-hitting of the postseason.
"If you're those kinds of people who like how football used to be played, it'll be one of those games that there's 22 kids on the field at any one time, flying around after one another," Long said.
--RB Adam Muema capped his regular season with a career-high 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the win over Wyoming. He finished the regular season with 1,355 yards and 16 touchdowns, coming close to replacing the irreplaceable Ronnie Hillman. Muema's production has been the primary weapon in San Diego State's offense, and has helped sophomore QB Adam Dingwell grow into his role as a starter when he had to take over for the injured Ryan Katz. Muema will have to shoulder more of the rushing load with Walter Kazee out, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. If he can get into a rhythm running the football, he might be more effective as the game wears on, and San Diego State doesn't have to worry about limiting his touches, because he'll have an entire offseason to recover.
--QB Adam Dingwell has not lost as a starter since Ryan Katz went down on Oct. 20. Dingwell is 4-0 as a starter and has completed 55 of 86 passes for 590 yards, with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He has been efficient with the football and has not made mistakes that have put his defense in bad positions. His poise has been a major asset since he entered the game for Katz in the second half against Nevada and rallied the team from a 17-6 halftime deficit for a 39-38 overtime win. His one drawback is that he has thrown an interception in each of his four starts.
--CB Leon McFadden will get one last chance to showcase his talents as he prepares for an NFL career. San Diego State normally doesn't flip their cornerbacks to match up against opposing receivers, but McFadden could find himself lining up across from Cougars WR Cody Hoffman (90 catches, 1,134 yards, 11 touchdowns) for most of the game. McFadden has had double figures in pass breakups in each of the last three seasons and could be a big weapon for the Aztecs if he can neutralize Hoffman.
--LB Jake Fely has come on during the last half of the season, which has coincided with San Diego State's turnaround on defense. Sixty of Fely's 86 tackles have come in the last six games, and he has made several momentum-changing plays during the Aztecs' seven-game winning streak. Even if BYU tries to account for him by sending a blocker to get him, the Aztec defense is designed to tie up blockers to allow him and FS Nat Berhe to roam the field and make plays.
BOWL HISTORY: San Diego State is 2-5 in bowl games, but is playing in its third consecutive bowl game. The Aztecs handled Navy easily in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, running past the Midshipmen, 35-14. They seemingly had last year's New Orleans Bowl in hand when they scored late in the game to take a 30-29 lead over Louisiana-Lafayette. San Diego State drew a penalty for trying to lure Louisiana-Lafayette offside on a 55-yard field-goal attempt. The Ragin' Cajuns converted a 50-yarder as time expired to steal a 32-30 victory.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Of all the great things about a bowl game for building a program, that's the No. 1 benefit, because when you get a bowl bid, the kids have a really positive attitude about things. So they work hard in the weight room, they work hard on the practice field, and for all the majority of the guys that aren't going to play in the bowl game, it is another spring practice." -- San Diego State coach Rocky Long, to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Scouting the running game: Sophomore RB Adam Muema is preparing for a much bigger load in the Poinsettia Bowl because of the season-ending injury to Walter Kazee. Redshirt freshman Chase Price could get some of the carries that would've gone to Kazee, but Muema probably will be the workhorse. The Cougars enter the game with the No. 2 defense in the nation against the run, allowing only 84.3 yards per game. BYU has allowed only five rushing touchdowns and probably will look to force anyone other than Muema to provide the bulk of the offense.
Scouting the passing game: San Diego State has not asked a lot out of QB Adam Dingwell since he took over the starting job from injured Ryan Katz in week nine, but Dingwell was spectacular in week eight against Nevada. He completed 14-of-23 passes for 177 yards and a season-high three touchdowns in the second half to rally San Diego State to an overtime victory. BYU's pass defense has been almost as stingy as its run defense. The Cougars' 182.1 yards allowed ranks 13th in the nation, and they have solid DBs Daniel Sorensen (three interceptions) and Jordan Johnson (13 pass breakups)
Scouting the run defense: San Diego State led the Mountain West in run defense, allowing 140.3 yards per game. That number might seem inadequate, compared to the Cougars' run defense, but the Aztecs played three teams this season that finished in the top 10 nationally in rushing -- Army (No. 1), Air Force (No. 2), and Nevada (No. 7). Jamaal Williams leads an effective BYU running game that averages 161.6 rushing yards per game. Williams has 765 yards and 11 touchdowns, but the Cougars don't have a lot of big plays in the running game this season.
Scouting the pass defense: San Diego State has improved by leaps and bounds from earlier in the season when spread-option teams were creating one-on-one mismatches and throwing the ball all over the field. The Aztecs are getting a better pass rush, and its defensive backs have become accustomed to covering in space. The Aztecs will go into the game not knowing whether Riley Nelson or James Lark will start at quarterback or whether one or both will play. If Lark starts, the Aztecs normally would have an advantage because of the unique defense that they run, but BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is well-versed in Rocky Long's 3-3-5 scheme, having coached for Long when the two were at New Mexico from 1998-2002. Mendenhall should be able to prepare either quarterback for what the Cougars are going to see from the Aztecs.
Scouting the special teams: This has been the other area in which significant improvement has helped San Diego State go on its seven-game winning streak. K Chance Marden has made Aztecs followers forget all about coach Rocky Long's go-for-it strategy on fourth down, which seemed to backfire in the opener against Washington. Marden has made eight of his last nine field goal attempts, and true freshman P Seamus McMorrow has come on to average 41.9 yards per punt. Colin Lockett is a big threat for the Aztecs, with two kickoff returns for touchdowns. BYU has the No. 2 punter in the nation, Riley Stephenson, who averages 47.3 yards per punt. The Cougars have adequate return games, but are shaky on field goals with the rotation of Stephenson and Justin Sorensen.
Intangibles: The Aztecs seemingly enter the game with all the momentum in the world. They've won seven in a row, are looking for their first 10-win season in 35 years, won a conference championship for the first time since 1998 and are playing at home. BYU has known pretty much all season that it was heading for the Poinsettia Bowl. It struck a deal in the offseason of appearing in that game this year as long as it wasn't contending for a BCS berth. And that dream all but died in September with a loss to in-state rival Utah. The Aztecs also consider BYU their rival, and the feelings most likely are not mutual.
--San Diego State's worst fears were confirmed when it was learned that senior RB Walter Kazee tore the ACL in his right knee in the regular-season finale against Wyoming. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he thought he tore it on the first play of the game but somehow kept playing until it gave out when he tried to make a left cut later in the first half.
--WR Dominque Sandifer should be near full strength after having more than three weeks off to recover from an ankle injury that sidelined him for two weeks late in the season. Sandifer plays a big role in San Diego State's running game, as well as the passing game, because he is an adept blocker downfield who can spring RB Adam Muema for big plays.
--FS Eric Pinkins is fine after colliding with a metal barrier behind the end zone in San Diego State's regular-season finale against Wyoming.
Hauck may survive another two-win season
Give UNLV coach Bobby Hauck some credit.
When it came time to leave FCS powerhouse Montana for an FBS job, he picked UNLV.
Okay, maybe Sin City isn't the easiest place to convince a mom to send her son to school to. And the Rebels definitely faced some rebuilding issues after running the spread in back-to-back five-win seasons under Mike Sanford.
But three years and a total of six wins -- yep, you read that right, six wins -- later, Hauck apparently will allowed to return to coach a fourth season with the Rebels.
Gene Chizik, just two years removed from a national title at Auburn, and Tom O'Brien, who knocked off Florida State during another bowl season at North Carolina State, should be so lucky.
Patience is obviously a virtue for UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood, who privately told some media members Hauck would return despite a third straight two-win campaign because he thought the program was showing signs of progress.
It should be noted that Livengood made those statements before UNLV's season-ending clunker at 1-9 Hawaii on Nov. 24, a head-scratching 48-10 loss that saw the Rebels fall behind 31-0 at halftime while garnering one first down and four yards rushing on 12 attempts against a Warriors defense that ranked No. 117 in the nation in scoring defense (41.1).
Needless to say, if Hauck does somehow manage to survive a 2-11 season in Year 3 that included a home loss to another FCS school, Northern Arizona, the heat will be very hot on him to get his team to a bowl game in 2013.
Hauck has tried to rebuild by going the high school rout which produced mixed results. The Rebels struck pay-dirt with players like quarterback Nick Sherry, running back Tim Cornett, offensive linemen Brett Boyko and Robert Waterman and wide receiver Devante Davis.
But the team has little depth and continues to be among the nation's worst on defense. It might be time for Hauck to hit the junior college ranks a little harder this winter. After all, what does he have to lose at this point?
GAME OF THE YEAR: UNLV 38, Air Force 35 -- The Rebels averted a 0-4 start to their season by rallying from a 28-17 halftime deficit to upset Air Force in their Mountain West opener. Freshman quarterback Nick Sherry led the way, completing 23 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown while running back rushed for three touchdowns.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Tim Cornett -- The hard-running junior finished with 1,232 yards rushing, the fifth-best single season performance in school history. He had eight games with 100-yards or more rushing, stats that were even more impressive when one considers the young Rebel offensive line was hit hard by injuries much of the year.
FAST FORWARD: It'll be make-it-or-break-it time for Bobby Hauck who once again will have the luxury of a favorable schedule that includes seven home games including back-to-back nonconference contests against Western Illinois and Central Michigan. No longer will Hauck and company be able to use the excuse that these aren't "his" players. Spring football will be crucial in patching up a defense that was dreadful down the stretch and has shown little improvement in three years. Hauck already juggled his coordinators after a 2-10 finish in 2011 so it remains to be seen if he stays with the status quo after a 2-11 campaign.
RECRUITING TRAIL: As one might expect with a program that has won just two games in three consecutive years, recruits are hardly beating down the door to join the Rebels. Rivals.com has UNLV with just two two-star commitments in running back Niko Kapeli of Liberty High in nearby Henderson and linebacker Charles Spencer from American Canyon High School in Napa, Calif. Hauck is known for keeping his commitments under wrap and plucking lightly-recruited players from small towns at the signing deadline.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's always a concern in coaching. I love UNLV, and I want what's best for UNLV. Certainly, I hope that means going forward that includes us." -- UNLV coach Bobby Hauck on his closing future to the Las Vegas Review-Journal after a season-ending 48-10 loss at Hawaii.
QB Nick Sherry -- Had one of the best seasons for a freshman quarterback in Mountain West history, throwing for 2,544 yards and 16 touchdowns. However, he was intercepted 17 times, including three in the season finale at Hawaii, and developed a bad habit of throwing off his back foot. Part of that was because he took a severe pounding at times behind a young and make-shift offensive line.
RB Tim Cornett -- Just call him Mr. Steady. Had eight games where he rushed for 100 or more yards en route to 1,232 yards for the season.
WR Devante Davis -- The sophomore quietly emerged as one of the Mountain West's top receivers. Finished with 61 receptions for 854 yards and four touchdowns.
LB John Lotulelei -- The 6-foot, 230-pounder drew the attention of NFL scout for his punishing hits between the tackles. Finished the season with 120 tackles (10.0 per game) and never took a play off.
DL Trent Allmang-Wilder -- Moved from defensive end to tackle as a senior, the athletic 6-foot-6, 295-pounder has a huge frame and could be a sleeper to make an NFL camp as a free agent.
--OT Brett Boyko, who was a second team Freshman All-American in 2011, recently underwent surgery for a left knee injury that will also keep him out of spring practice. UNLV coach Bobby Hauck refused to give details on the seriousness of the injury.
--QB Nick Sherry played the season finale at Hawaii but was obviously hurting during the final month of the season with a reported back injury. It appeared Sherry may have also suffered a concussion at Boise State.
All signs point to Cowboys returning to bowl game
Wyoming has two things going for it, heading into the offseason. The first is that the team has one of the best quarterbacks in the Mountain West and the nation in rising junior Brett Smith. The second is that it is scheduled to be a bowl year, based on coach Dave Christensen's history.
The Cowboys' finished 2012 with an underachieving 4-8 record and 3-5 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Wyoming was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll but had designs on becoming the next conference power as Boise State and San Diego State exit the program.
"I think it was disappointing, record-wise because we felt we were going to be better," coach Dave Christensen said. "We had higher expectations but you can't control injuries. But I think we'll have more depth in the program now as we're able to redshirt kids."
The Cowboys hope increased depth is the key to building consistency in the program. Wyoming twice has qualified for bowl games in Christensen's four seasons at the helm, but has taken a step backward each season after the bowl appearance.
The good news is that the trend still is moving upward. The Cowboys won seven games in 2009, then fell four games off the pace with a 3-9 mark in 2010. They rebounded with an 8-5 season in 2011 and then turned in a four-win performance this year.
That would mean that Wyoming is in line for a nine-win season in 2013. But for that to happen, the Cowboys have to hope that their ability to redshirt the bulk of their recruiting class for the first time will play dividends on the field next season.
Perhaps, Wyoming's believe that it could contend this season was grounded in the team's ability to field competitive teams in 2009 and 2011 without that depth.
Wyoming also appears to be a much more stable program now than it was in 2010 when a bevy of players left the program, including then-star quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels. Current sophomore QB Brett Smith doesn't appear to be going anywhere but up in stature with the Wyoming program.
Another year under his belt will help his maturity in becoming the team leader Wyoming needs to take it back into contention to become one of the elite programs in the Mountain West.
The most pressing issue facing the Cowboys is their still-struggling defense that showed no signs of improvement under first-year defensive coordinator Chris Tormey. Wyoming has to believe that the defense will improve in its second year under Tormey. Tormey is believed to be a candidate for the head coaching job at Idaho, but Wyoming's performance this year couldn't have helped his cause.
Christensen has to fix that side of the ball -- with or without Tormey -- for the Cowboys to continue the journey toward the top of the MW.
GAME OF THE YEAR: Nevada 35, Wyoming 28 (OT) -- The Cowboys were coming off an overtime win at Idaho after starting the season 0-3 and had rallied from a 21-7 deficit to take a 28-21 lead over the Wolf Pack in the Mountain West opener on Oct. 6. The Cowboys defense had played its best game by far to that point and Wyoming really needed just one sustained drive by the offense to eat up clock and win the game. On a third-down incompletion with less than nine minutes left in the game, QB Brett Smith drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his reaction to a no-penalty call on the third-down play. Smith earlier in the game had received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration, and the second one ejected him from the game. Wyoming had the ball two more times but went three-and-out, Nevada scored with 1:12 left to send the game into overtime and ended up winning the game. That game was a killer in Wyoming's hopes of going to the postseason.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Brett Smith -- The sophomore's value was shown as much in his absence as in his presence. He had to leave the game against Toledo after suffering a concussion on a vicious hit, and the Cowboys couldn't get the game-winning score and lost 34-31. Without Smith, Wyoming then lost to Cal Poly, and let the win against Nevada slip away when he was ejected after his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. When Smith finally returned to full health in the second half of the season, the Cowboys went on a three-game winning streak, and he finished the season throwing for 1,380 yards with 13 TDs and no interceptions in his last four games.
FAST FORWARD: The Cowboys need to find a consistent combination on the offensive line to help QB Brett Smith run the offense effectively. The team loses only WR Chris McNeill at the skill positions and could be one of the more explosive units in the MW. Defensively, the Cowboys have a lot of question marks, begin with whether Chris Tormey will return as defensive coordinator. He has been mentioned as a candidate for the Idaho head coaching job. But the unit also has to find replacements for their three most productive players -- outside LBs Ghaali Muhammad and Korey Jones, and DT Mike Purcell.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The Cowboys have a lot of work to do between now and Feb. 6, which is national signing day. Wyoming has eight commitments so far for 2013. The most recognizable name is Malkaam Muhammad, an OLB from Iowa Western Community College and the younger brother of departing senior Ghaali Muhammad. DT James Diamanti is a 6-foot-4, 295-pounder at Grand Junction (Colo.) High School who potentially could play next season because of his size. But coach Dave Christensen wants to continue the practice of redshirting the recruiting class.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's hard to coach if you get rid of guys. We're going to coach and do a better job coaching. We're going to continue to do the things it takes to build a program. The great news is that 18 kids that redshirted are going to be available this next spring." -- Wyoming coach Dave Christensen, on whether he'll make any offseason personnel changes.
QB Brett Smith -- Did not suffer sophomore slump, despite his team's four-game decline from 2011. Smith did not throw an interception in his last 174 pass attempts of the season and had 14 TDs during that span. Injuries and a game ejection curtailed his -- and Wyoming's -- progress in 2012 and he has to learn how to keep a calmer demeanor for the entire 60 minutes of games. That will be the next step in his development, which the Cowboys staff can't wait to watch blossom.
WR Robert Herron -- Showed he can be the deep threat the Cowboys need to create the explosion plays that make their spread-option offense tougher to defend. He had 173 yards and two TDs on five receptions against Texas in the season opener and had 10 receptions for 187 yards and two TDs against San Diego State. Herron had 376 receiving yards combined during his last three games and could be ready for a breakout year as a senior in 2013.
CB Blair Burns -- Could become one of the elite DBs next season. He finished with 66 tackles, had a 99-yard interception return for a TD, forced and recovered two fumbles and led the Cowboys with 10 pass breakups. The key for his development could be the play of his teammates, who struggled in adapting defensive coordinator Chris Tormey's scheme.
RB D.J. May -- Showed he has the tools to be a 1,000-yard rusher. He led the team with 461 yards and averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry as a true freshman and should get better with a year in the offseason conditioning program under his belt. He could give the Cowboys the running-game threat that they've lacked since coach Dave Christensen took over in 2009.
C Nick Carlson -- Has had a solid career and had just enough size to get a look at the next level. He's an adequate pass blocker who needs to show he can create lanes in the running game in the NFL. Carlson's citizenship off the field will be a small bonus.
WR Chris McNeill -- Has good speed, but durability is an issue and his production at the college level isn't enough to wow any NFL teams. He'll need to rely on an excellent showing at Wyoming's Pro Day to raise the interest level.
OT Kyle Magunson -- Has the size (6-foot-7, 302 pounds) to intrigue NFL scouts, but he'll need to show a mean streak and a penchant for run-blocking for teams to invite him for a training game. He's another Cowboy who can make an impression with a solid outing during Wyoming's Pro Day.
--RB Shaun Wick suffered a collarbone injury that kept him out of Wyoming's last two games of the season. He should be fine in time for 2013 spring practice and will compete with D.J. May for playing time next fall.
--Senior FS Luke Ruff is a candidate for Academic All-America honors, after earning All-District 7 honors for the third consecutive season. He is considering applying for a medical redshirt after missing the last eight games of the season due to a shoulder injury.
--Senior C Nick Carlson is one of 10 national finalists for the Awards and Recognition Association Sportsman Award, which is presented annually to an outstanding NCAA Division I football player who best personifies the spirit of sportsmanship.
--K Daniel Sullivan will return in 2013 after redshirting in 2012 as he left the team for personal reasons early in the season but returned to the team shortly thereafter. Williams, who was the team's starting kicker, will compete with 2012 Stuart Williams for duties in 2013.
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Good news for Charles N'Zogbia during the last 24 hours. Late yesterday afternoon he was picked in the France Under-21 squad to play a couple of games in the European Under-21 championships in the next 10 days, the first game being against Wales on Friday.
Then today Charles signed a new and improved 5 year contract at the club. Great news for Charles and for Newcastle fans – who have always had a soft spot for Charles. His play this season has been absolutely first rate.
Now we have James Milner and Charles signed to the club for the next 5 years. Our new management certainly doesn't let the grass grow under it's feet do they? Not sure we have tied down Steven Taylor yet – and trust we are working on that one.
The Newcastle management have done excellently along with Sam of course, these last 3 months, and we think within a year or so, Newcastle United will be acknowledged as one of the best run clubs in the business.
What a change that will be – but a nice one.
- More excellent news for Newcastle fans this morning with the signing of a new 5 year contract by Charles N'Zogbia, probably Newcastle's best performer this season. By Charles' own admission he was ready to leave Newcastle at the end of last season. That was because he didn't get on with then manager Glenn Roeder, who seemed to hold the then 20 year-old responsible for some of Newcastle's woeful performances. We think that was because Roeder was unwilling to confront the real culprits – his older "stars".
Charles' whole attitude changed when Sam Allardyce joined the club and whatever Sam did has worked 100% because Charles is now showing his best form ever at the club, having been signed by Sir Bobby Robson in September, 2004 when only 18 years-old. Great signing Bobby!
Charles N'Zogbia – expected to get first France Under-21 cap on Friday against Wales
- We have one of our first polls for a little while today. We ask you to select where we will finish this season. Now that we know the squad at least until January it seems a good time to conduct that poll. We'll see fairly quickly where our readers think we'll end up this season. The minimum for this season must be European qualification.
- A good story today quoting Alan Smith, who talks about his past career and how much he is enjoying things at Newcastle. We ask the very important question:
How come Smith is wearing owner Mike Ashley's shirt? 😀
Apparently Alan has taken some stick in Newcastle's dressing room ever since owner and billionaire Mike Ashley turned up at the Middlesbrough wearing the number 17 shirt with Alan Smith on the back. Alan tells us the rumors are not true that Mike is his father.
By the way, do you know why Mike is wearing shirt number 17 ?
Because he can wear any shirt he wants to.
Alan Smith – still wearing Mike Ashley's Newcastle shirt
- We run some comments from Big Sam on Michael Owen's rehabilitation program. Turns out Michael is doing exercises as part of his daily regimen to ensure he doesn't get injured again. He will follow this specific program for the rest of his football career. We don't think this is surprising and we suggest other players who seem habitually injured be put on similar, but specific programs for them. Stephen Carr and Mark Viduka for their hamstrings and something is badly needed for Babayaro, who always seems out injured.
Michael Owen – on specially designed exercise program for the rest of his career
- Sam Allardyce talks about his last two transfer captures, Senegalese players Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye. Sam obviously rates both players highly and he talks about what each will bring to the squad. Sam certainly know his players and also how he will use them in the team – before he even brings them in. Not sure we're used to this much planning and common sense at Newcastle yet – but we'll get used to it 😀
Sam Allardyce – knows how he will use players before he even signs them
- We published a story late yesterday afternoon on Sam's continual success in the transfer market. He seems to spot players who others overlook. Whoever he brings in seems to be suited for the Premier league but that's probably because he brings in big players. Every defender he has singed this year are over 6′ except Beye – who is 0.5″ short of that height. We think Sam will continue to bring bargain buys into Newcastle, since he's been doing this for years, and is unlikely to stop now.
Sam Allardyce – will continue to bring bargain buys into Newcastle
- Excellent news yesterday for the club and Charles N'Zogbia as he is called up for the France Under-21 squad for games in the 2009 European U21 Championships, against Wales in Grenoble on Friday and away to Malta in Valetta next Wednesday. Charles has been in outstanding form this season and has probably been Newcastle's best player in their early games. We always wondered why he wasn't a regular in the France Under-21 side until you remember that Franck Ribery occupied the left wing role for the French Under-21 side over the last few seasons. (Ribery signed for Beyern Munich over the summer). However, Charles has shown he can play left-back and central midfield in addition to left-wing so it will be interesting to see where France plays him on Friday – we expect him to get fist first Under-21 cap then, and he fully deserves it.
Charles N'Zogbia – making debut for France Under-21 team on Friday? Hope so
- Our new site has been nominated for 'Best Sports Blog' as part of the Bloggers Choice Awards. If you would like to vote for us you can do so here. You can also browse through other nominations you can vote for.
Ahmed Bilal's site SoccerLens was also nominated and you can vote for Ahmed's site here.
- Finally here's some choice football quotes – to lighten up the day 😀
"Don't forget this club nearly went out of extinction last year." – Alan Smith
"We played well for the first 90 minutes." – Joe Royle
"Of their goals, two came from headers and one was a header." – Joe Royle
"Nearly all the Brazilian supporters are wearing yellow shirts – it's a fabulous kaleidoscope of color." – John Motson
We always appreciate your comments on our Daily Update.

subset: commoncrawl


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ENGLAND. Tim Howard made a key save late in the game to preserve Everton's lead over Wigan in a 2-1 win. ... Jozy Altidore played the final 27 minutes in Hull City's 1-1 tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers. ... Eddie Johnson came off the Fulham bench with 14 minutes left in a 2-0 loss at Aston Villa. Clint Dempsey played the full 90 for Fulham and barely missed on a 25-yard shot, while keeper Brad Friedel got the shutout for Aston Villa. ... Jonathan Spector went the full 90 minutes for West Ham in a 0-0 tie with Blackburn Rovers.
FRANCE. Charlie Davies played 85 minutes and drew the penalty kick on which Sochaux got its goal for in a 1-0 win over Monaco. ... Carlos Bocanegra played 90 minutes for Rennes in a 2-2 tie with Lens.
Davies Highlights -- Sochaux-Monaco:
GERMANY. Michael Bradley was left out of the Borussia Moenchengladbach squad with Coach Michael Frontzeck saying the midfielder needed an attitude adjustment. Gladbach beat Mainz, 2-0. ... Steve Cherundolo played 90 minutes for Hannover 96, which lost, 1-0, to Hoffenheim. ... In the second division, Kenny Cooper failed to get his third goal since joining 1860 Munich, which played a scoreless stalemate with Ahlen on Friday. ... Keeper David Yeldell and Koblenz went down, 2-0, against Energie Cottbus.
MEXICO. Edgar Castillo scored Tigres' second goal in a 2-2 tie with 25-yard volley. ... Midfielder Jose Francisco Torres, who is in Coach Bob Bradley's squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, went the full 90 and impressed in Pachuca's 2-2 tie at Guadalajara. ... Defender Michael Orozco went the distance for San Luis in its scoreless tie with Puebla. ...Marco Vidal went 90 minutes for Indios in its 1-1 with Atlas.
Edgar Castillo's Tigres goal (at 2:15 mark):
ITALY. Oguchi Onyewu stayed on the AC Milan bench during its 4-0 loss to Inter Milan.
DENMARK. Midfielder Benny Feilhaber played the first 70 minutes of AGF Aarhus' 2-0 win over FC Nordsjaelland while Jeremiah White played 61 minutes for Aarhus. Michael Parkhurst played the full game for Nordsjaelland.
NORWAY. Keeper Troy Perkins celebrated a 2-1 win with Valerenga over Molde. ... Defender Clarence Goodson played 90 minutes and was yellow-carded in IK Start's 1-0 loss to Brann.


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A Primer on the Doubling of the Subsidized Stafford Loan Interest Rate
Mark Kantrowitz
April 24, 2012
Who is Affected?
7.4 million undergraduate students will receive subsidized Stafford loans in 2012-13.
The interest rate increase affects only new loans made on or after July 1, 2012. The rate increase does not affect previous loans, which keep their existing interest rates.
Only undergraduate students are affected. The interest rates on Stafford loans to graduate and professional students have remained unchanged at 6.8% since the switch to fixed rates on July 1, 2006. Also, the Budget Control Act of 2011 ended subsidized Stafford loans to graduate and professional students effective July 1, 2012. Graduate and professional students will still be able to borrow the same amount of money, but the loans will be entirely unsubsidized.
Eligibility for subsidized Stafford loans is based on financial need. Financial need is defined as the difference between the total cost of attendance (COA) and the expected family contribution (EFC). Thus even high-income students may qualify for a subsidized Stafford loan if they enroll at a more expensive college. For example, more than a quarter (27.4%) of undergraduate students with family income of $100,000 or more received subsidized Stafford loans at colleges costing $30,000 or more in 2007-08, compared with only 3.4% at colleges costing less than $10,000. More than two-fifths (43.6%) of high-income students who received subsidized Stafford loans were enrolled at the most expensive colleges.
Based on data from the 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), 54.8% of subsidized Stafford loans were awarded to Pell Grant recipients and 45.2% to students who did not qualify for the Pell Grant. Students who qualified for the Pell Grant were three times as likely to receive a subsidized Stafford loan (59.6% vs. 18.5%). More than two-thirds (69.7%) of subsidized Stafford loan borrowers had family income under $50,000, compared with a quarter (24.2%) of students with family income of $50,000 to $100,000 and 6.1% of students with family income of $100,000 or more. (The Pell Grant program is better-targeted at financial need, with 95.9% of Pell Grant recipients having family income under $50,000.) Half (49.8%) of subsidized Stafford loans were awarded to undergraduate students at public colleges, a quarter (22.3%) to undergraduate students at non-profit colleges and a quarter (27.8%) to undergraduate students at for-profit colleges. A fifth (21.2%) of undergraduate subsidized Stafford loan borrowers attend colleges that cost less than $10,000, two-fifths (41.2%) attend colleges that cost $10,000 to $20,000, a fifth (19.8%) attend colleges that cost $20,000 to $30,000 and a fifth (17.9%) attend colleges that cost $30,000 or more.
What is the Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?
The government pays the interest on a subsidized loan during deferment periods, such as the in-school deferment or the economic hardship deferment.
The government may also pay the interest on a subsidized loan during the grace period after graduation. For example, the government pays the interest during the in-school period and 9-month grace period on Perkins loans. Previously the government would pay the interest on subsidized Stafford loans during the 6-month grace period in addition to the in-school period. However, the government will not pay the interest on subsidized Stafford loans during the 6-month grace period for new loans made in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
The government does not pay the interest on unsubsidized loans during deferment periods and the grace period. If the interest is unpaid as it accrues, the interest will be capitalized, adding it to the loan balance. This increases the size of the loan (typically by about 1/6th), leading the borrower to pay interest on interest.
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The 2014 Leaders in Health Care Awards offer evidence of the
enormous impact of UW Medicine. The entity that owns or operates the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, the UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest affects the lives of thousands of people every day.
It's hardly surprising that 10 of the 25 honorees this year are affiliated in some way with UW Medicine. Still, health care in Washington state remains a remarkably diversified industry, populated by brilliant and heroic people doing noble things for selfless reasons. We salute all of this year's inspiring honorees for their enthusiastic support of excellent health care.
2014 Leaders in Health Care Finalists
Outstanding Health Care Executive
Winners: Johnese Spisso
Chief Health System Officer, UW Medicine; Vice President Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Joyce Jackson
President and CEO, Northwest Kidney Centers
Silver Award: Claire Trescott, M.D.
Medical Director of Primary Care, Group Health Cooperative
Outstanding Health Care Practitioner
Winner: J. Randall Curtis, M.D.
Director, UW Palliative Care Center of Excellence
Silver Awards: Sean Adelman, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgeon, Group Health Cooperative
Elizabeth Loggers, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, UW School of Medicine
Achievement in Medical Research
Winner: William Catterall, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology, UW School of Medicine
Silver Award: Gregory Belenky, M.D.
Director, WSU Sleep and Performance Research Center
Achievement in Biopharmaceuticals
Winner: Kineta
Silver Award: Novo Nordisk
Achievement in Medical Devices
Winner: Paul Yager, Ph.D.
Professor, UW Department of Bioengineering
Silver Awards: Brian Glaister
President and CEO, Cadence Biomedical
Conrad Smits
SVP Philips Healthcare, CEO Ultrasound Division
Achievement in Community Outreach (Individuals)
Winner: Beti Thompson, Ph.D.
Center for Community Health Promotion, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Silver Awards: Julie Gralow, M.D.
Director, Breast Medical Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care
Alliance; Clinical Research Division Member, Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Cente
Phil Dyer
Senior Vice President, Health Management Services, Kibble & Prentice, a USI Company
Achievement in Community Outreach (Organizations)
Winner: Swedish Community Benefits Program
Swedish Medical Center
Silver Awards: WWAMI Program
UW Medicine
Silence Whooping Cough
Group Health Foundation
Achievement in Wellness Programs
Winner: Faculty & Staff Wellness Program
Western Washington University
Silver Award: Live Well
Miller Nash LLP
Outstanding Global Health Organization
Winner: Grand Challenges in Global Health
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Silver Awards: Department of Global Health
University of Washington
Disaster Relief
World Vision
Frederick Appelbaum, M.D.
Executive VP and Deputy Director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Executive Director and President, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Judges for the 2014 Leaders in Health Care Awards
Lisa Cohen, Executive Director, Washington Global Health Alliance
Leo Greenawalt, Retired President, Washington State Hospital Association
Mary McWilliams, Executive Director, Washington Health Alliance
Joseph Phillips, Ph.D., Dean, Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University
Chris Rivera, President and CEO, Washington
Biotechnology & Biomedical Association
Roger Stark, M.D., Health Care Policy Analyst, Washington Policy Center


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