(1) I'm not going to talk much about Texas State's lack of
leadership at QB or non-existent passing game. We've beaten that to
death. What we're looking at now is a team that's been outscored 95-20
with the same caliber of opponent they open up with next year. Granted,
Texas Tech will be at home, but the Bobcats return to Houston, the site
of a 68-28 flogging in 2010. I'm inclined to believe that leading Tech
at the half and only trailing the Cowboys 17-10 is a sign of things to
come for next season. As it stands however, Texas State is 0-2 as an
FCS transitional independent - the only one of the four without a win.
Is that more a showing of the Wright regime leaving a bare cupboard or
Franchione's guys not adjusting to the talent they have?
I think
it's the former for one big reason - Travis Bush only took Eric Soza
with him to UTSA. If there were more diamonds in the rough they would
have jumped at the chance to go play in the Dome and help build a
program under their offensive coordinator rather than adjust to a new
set of coaches starting from scratch. Think about that. Only one kid
followed one of the guys that recruited him to a program with a
tremendous amount of scholarships available when there's massive
upheaval in the team's future. I wouldn’t have believed the current
Texas State depth chart if you showed it to me in the spring, but I
don't want to call this a rebuilding season. There's a good chance the
talent accumulated by Brad Wright just can't run the different schemes
being taught by Dickey and Naivar. The coaches might just have to get
by on wits, duct tape, and using the guys they brought in themselves
earlier than they may have hoped.
I am in the camp that doesn't
believe Tyler Arndt is Maroon Jesus. I think he's a fine quarterback
and a good athlete. I also think there's a very specific type of signal
caller needed to run this offense effectively, and he's coming in the
next recruiting class. It would be very nice if Fred Nixon could enroll
in the spring of 2012 because I am of the opinion that Fran knows what
he has right now and is trying to make the best of it. That said, Arndt
is a competitor - same as Shaun Rutherford. Maybe Rutherford's better
suited for the position as an athlete, or perhaps Arndt doesn't grasp
matters effortlessly yet in the scheme. I don't know. Teams have been
successful platooning at QB but you don't see many. One of them was the
TCU teams of 1999 and 2000, featuring Casey Printers and Patrick
Batteaux. Battaeux couldn't pass and Printers was slightly mobile at
best. They went 18-5 and got Fran hired at Alabama.
I'd follow
recruiting closer than ever this season to see what's really more
important - getting it done on the field in 2011 or loading up for big
time football in 2012. There's a lot of football left this season and
I'm not going to let two stink bombs that once were winnable games get
in the way of being excited over the rest of the season. Every
Franchione team has been better year two than year one all the way back
from NAIA Southwestern. This should be no different. There's a very
winnable game against 0-2 Tarleton State at Bobcat Stadium this
Saturday. It's a good tonic to a group of young men that have given
their all away from home the last two weeks.
Just like you, I
want to see the tables turned on one of these "body bag" games. My
mistake was setting up my expectations too high and way too early. UTSA
lost to D3 McMurry on the Longhorn Network. Texas State lost to
Wyoming on the Mtn. I'm happier than they are.
(2)
Texas State's former conference mate Central Arkansas gave Louisiana
Tech all they could handle, taking the Bulldogs to OT before falling
48-42. Looking at the schedule, it's the last game of the Bears regular
season and the final roadie for the Bobcats. I'm not looking forward
to that game, knowing it's their finale on the funky striped turf. By
the way, Texas State is an FCS independent, meaning no wins or losses to
the Bobcats by the SLC's membership will count in the standings.
Huge
congrats to New Mexico State, who traveled to Minneapolis and knocked
off the Gophers for their first win ever against a Big 10 team. Lost in
the news about Jerry Kill's seizure was beleaguered NMSU head coach
Dewayne Walker is a former Minnesota player. That's got to be a
sobering moment.
LA Tech's got Houston at home this week, and
Idaho travels to College Station to visit the Aggies. UTEP is headed
to Las Cruces to take on another set of Aggies, while the Aggies from
Utah State are off. Nevada took a pummeling from Oregon last week and
hopes to right the ship versus San Jose State, who's been outscored
84-20 against two straight Pac-12 teams. So...
(3) Top 25:
LSU 38, Mississippi State 28
Florida State 31, Oklahoma 24
Around the state:
TCU 51, LA-Monroe 6
UCLA 17, Texas 14
Texas A&M 48, Idaho 3
Baylor 41, Stephen F. Austin 14
Houston 38, LA Tech 24
UTEP 28, New Mexico State 13
Texas Tech 41, New Mexico 27
Alabama 66, North Texas 6
Southern Utah 49, UTSA 7
Around the WAC: (many were listed already)
Nevada 27, San Jose State 14
Fresno State 45, North Dakota 10
Hawaii 27, UNLV 10
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Three and Out - Week Two
(1) Due to some weird circumstances beyond my control, I've been
in San Antonio since last Monday. That did allow me to attend the UTSA
inaugural game at the Alamodome and check out things, and I've
completely changed my tune about that program. There were more people
there than Tech drew for Texas State.
The on the field product didn't impress me too much. If I had to pick three future stars for them they'd be Sophomore QB Eric Soza, Sophomore LB Steven Kurfels, and Junior DE Marlon Smith. Freshman Nic Johnston at Safety made a lot of stops, but that was due to running plays getting to the next level and some pass completions that should have been broken up. Another guy that will get some headlines this year was Kurfels' counterpart at LB, Brandon Reeves. He had a whale of a game but isn't a great athlete.
The Runner offense is terrible. They can't run the ball and their offensive line is a glaring weakness. Soza looked good but he doesn't have a go-to guy yet. He threw for over 230 yards, but at least 150 of that were blown a result of a blown coverage or a dump-off pass that went for a big gain. I did like one of their wide-outs, a kid from Edna named Kam Jones, who has some potential. I will say that Soza could have run the Bobcat offense better than Rutherford or Arndt did in Lubbock after watching both games. More on that later.
The game day experience was incredible. I counted 38 different UTSA shirts and most of them were graphically sharp. The merchandise selection on site was excellent and every Academy in town was virtually depleted of shirts and hats over the last week. I can't tell you how many times I saw someone buy clothing and put it on as soon as they got out of line. Speaking of lines, Runner fans better get used to them. The lines for concessions were long and stayed that way the entire game. The ticket lines at kickoff outside - and they have 32 windows - were twenty deep at the minimum. This is a walkup town and the tailgating - dear God. You can put me on record that this was the best tailgating experience I have ever been to. Everyone was very, very inviting to the Rivals guy and liberally distributed food and adult beverages. I wanted to meet the UTSATailgaters.com crew but they were on the other side of the Dome from where I parked. I wandered from random tailgate to tailgate talking to people and was duly impressed.
My favorite part(s) of the game was when Soza waved for everyone to quiet down and they thought he was gesturing to make noise. He was visually frustrated and word spread quickly through the stadium that his motions meant to "shut up". Later in the game NSU was driving and the UTSA defensive backs all started jumping in the air and flailing their arms. Virtually the entire body of attendance stood up, started yelling, and proceeded to bang on the back of the chair in front of them. It was so loud the NSU QB called for a timeout. Immediately afterward everyone there started cheering, hugging, and high-fiving each other for what they'd done. They realized they can make a difference.
This is a party town so the cops will have their hands full, but it's a Fiesta every Saturday in the fall for San Antonio. The uniforms, field, band, and mascot look sharp; the fans are having fun; and I think UTSA could be a sleeping giant. I'm talking BCS level and UTSA approached this game as such. I've been to the Alamo Bowl a couple of times and one of the Saints games after Katrina; this by far was louder, rowdier, and a heck of a lot more fun. I think there were some logistical issues that need to be addressed but the town is drinking Lynn Hickey's Kool-Aid. It is extremely trendy to wear UTSA apparel in San Antonio right now and I bet 80% or more of these guys are coming back this Saturday.
The Runners have an interesting next game against the original inventor of the Air Raid passing attack. Hal Mumme, formerly of New Mexico State and Kentucky, leads Division III McMurry into the Alamodome. He turned an 0-10 team into a 6-4 2011 performer. I think UTSA will win but I wouldn't be surprised to see that young secondary of theirs get burned several times by an experienced unit marshaled by a savvy old coach that's seen big hostile stadiums before.
To end my UTSA lovefest - I can't wait for the Texas State game in 2012 at the Alamodome. It'll sell out and the partying will be epic.
(2) Texas State led Texas Tech at halftime this week. That really happened. I didn't go to the game but I dumped ten bucks on RaiderVision and viewed it online. I'll throw this out there - either Shaun Rutherford needs to learn to throw or Tyler Arndt needs to learn how to run. If I was coaching Wyoming, I would know the tendency just by which guy was on the field. The Bobcats cannot go an entire season operating with two different signal callers.
I know there's a remarkable difference between playing a BCS team and a Division 2 squad, but Soza would own this offense if he had stuck around. He's a playmaker. I now know why Travis Bush took Soza with him, and it's a shame the previous regime never utilized the young man. He's got the wheels to run the spread option properly, can make most of the throws, and has a little bit of moxie in him.
As for the game, what can you say about leading 10-0 in the first quarter and then giving up 50 unanswered points? Four turnovers, 11 penalties, and 75 yards passing on 21 attempts isn't going to beat Lamar let alone Texas Tech. I could absolutely fall in love with the ground game if the Bobcats could even throw for 150 per contest. Four fumbles looks like a lot on 50 running plays, too. There's a lot of room for improvement obviously, and Weber State hung with Wyoming on Saturday. Let's just hope the team took their lumps, learned some lessons, and can apply it toward beating an FBS team that had to come from behind with twenty seconds left to beat an inferior opponent. Weber ran the ball down Wyoming's throat but was able to throw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys gave up 541 offensive yards to the Wildcats.
(3) Other predictions for Week Two:
Top 25 matchups:
Mississippi State 51, Auburn 42
South Carolina 35, Georgia 21
Around the state:
SMU 31, UTEP 24
TCU 37, Air Force 28
Texas 24, BYU 21
Houston 40, North Texas 14
Rice (go Bailiff!) 21, Purdue 18
UTSA 45, McMurry 33
Around the WAC:
Minnesota 51, New Mexico State 24
Hawaii 27, Washington 25
Oregon 42, Nevada 31
Nebraska 38, Fresno State 17
Idaho 21, North Dakota 15
Louisiana Tech 38, Central Arkansas 13
Utah State 55, Weber State 27
UCLA 63, San Jose State 10
The on the field product didn't impress me too much. If I had to pick three future stars for them they'd be Sophomore QB Eric Soza, Sophomore LB Steven Kurfels, and Junior DE Marlon Smith. Freshman Nic Johnston at Safety made a lot of stops, but that was due to running plays getting to the next level and some pass completions that should have been broken up. Another guy that will get some headlines this year was Kurfels' counterpart at LB, Brandon Reeves. He had a whale of a game but isn't a great athlete.
The Runner offense is terrible. They can't run the ball and their offensive line is a glaring weakness. Soza looked good but he doesn't have a go-to guy yet. He threw for over 230 yards, but at least 150 of that were blown a result of a blown coverage or a dump-off pass that went for a big gain. I did like one of their wide-outs, a kid from Edna named Kam Jones, who has some potential. I will say that Soza could have run the Bobcat offense better than Rutherford or Arndt did in Lubbock after watching both games. More on that later.
The game day experience was incredible. I counted 38 different UTSA shirts and most of them were graphically sharp. The merchandise selection on site was excellent and every Academy in town was virtually depleted of shirts and hats over the last week. I can't tell you how many times I saw someone buy clothing and put it on as soon as they got out of line. Speaking of lines, Runner fans better get used to them. The lines for concessions were long and stayed that way the entire game. The ticket lines at kickoff outside - and they have 32 windows - were twenty deep at the minimum. This is a walkup town and the tailgating - dear God. You can put me on record that this was the best tailgating experience I have ever been to. Everyone was very, very inviting to the Rivals guy and liberally distributed food and adult beverages. I wanted to meet the UTSATailgaters.com crew but they were on the other side of the Dome from where I parked. I wandered from random tailgate to tailgate talking to people and was duly impressed.
My favorite part(s) of the game was when Soza waved for everyone to quiet down and they thought he was gesturing to make noise. He was visually frustrated and word spread quickly through the stadium that his motions meant to "shut up". Later in the game NSU was driving and the UTSA defensive backs all started jumping in the air and flailing their arms. Virtually the entire body of attendance stood up, started yelling, and proceeded to bang on the back of the chair in front of them. It was so loud the NSU QB called for a timeout. Immediately afterward everyone there started cheering, hugging, and high-fiving each other for what they'd done. They realized they can make a difference.
This is a party town so the cops will have their hands full, but it's a Fiesta every Saturday in the fall for San Antonio. The uniforms, field, band, and mascot look sharp; the fans are having fun; and I think UTSA could be a sleeping giant. I'm talking BCS level and UTSA approached this game as such. I've been to the Alamo Bowl a couple of times and one of the Saints games after Katrina; this by far was louder, rowdier, and a heck of a lot more fun. I think there were some logistical issues that need to be addressed but the town is drinking Lynn Hickey's Kool-Aid. It is extremely trendy to wear UTSA apparel in San Antonio right now and I bet 80% or more of these guys are coming back this Saturday.
The Runners have an interesting next game against the original inventor of the Air Raid passing attack. Hal Mumme, formerly of New Mexico State and Kentucky, leads Division III McMurry into the Alamodome. He turned an 0-10 team into a 6-4 2011 performer. I think UTSA will win but I wouldn't be surprised to see that young secondary of theirs get burned several times by an experienced unit marshaled by a savvy old coach that's seen big hostile stadiums before.
To end my UTSA lovefest - I can't wait for the Texas State game in 2012 at the Alamodome. It'll sell out and the partying will be epic.
(2) Texas State led Texas Tech at halftime this week. That really happened. I didn't go to the game but I dumped ten bucks on RaiderVision and viewed it online. I'll throw this out there - either Shaun Rutherford needs to learn to throw or Tyler Arndt needs to learn how to run. If I was coaching Wyoming, I would know the tendency just by which guy was on the field. The Bobcats cannot go an entire season operating with two different signal callers.
I know there's a remarkable difference between playing a BCS team and a Division 2 squad, but Soza would own this offense if he had stuck around. He's a playmaker. I now know why Travis Bush took Soza with him, and it's a shame the previous regime never utilized the young man. He's got the wheels to run the spread option properly, can make most of the throws, and has a little bit of moxie in him.
As for the game, what can you say about leading 10-0 in the first quarter and then giving up 50 unanswered points? Four turnovers, 11 penalties, and 75 yards passing on 21 attempts isn't going to beat Lamar let alone Texas Tech. I could absolutely fall in love with the ground game if the Bobcats could even throw for 150 per contest. Four fumbles looks like a lot on 50 running plays, too. There's a lot of room for improvement obviously, and Weber State hung with Wyoming on Saturday. Let's just hope the team took their lumps, learned some lessons, and can apply it toward beating an FBS team that had to come from behind with twenty seconds left to beat an inferior opponent. Weber ran the ball down Wyoming's throat but was able to throw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys gave up 541 offensive yards to the Wildcats.
(3) Other predictions for Week Two:
Top 25 matchups:
Mississippi State 51, Auburn 42
South Carolina 35, Georgia 21
Around the state:
SMU 31, UTEP 24
TCU 37, Air Force 28
Texas 24, BYU 21
Houston 40, North Texas 14
Rice (go Bailiff!) 21, Purdue 18
UTSA 45, McMurry 33
Around the WAC:
Minnesota 51, New Mexico State 24
Hawaii 27, Washington 25
Oregon 42, Nevada 31
Nebraska 38, Fresno State 17
Idaho 21, North Dakota 15
Louisiana Tech 38, Central Arkansas 13
Utah State 55, Weber State 27
UCLA 63, San Jose State 10
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Three and Out - Week One
(1) I have been listening to the Rivals.com radio network on
Sirius for the past couple weeks and am fired up for the season to
start. The hatred some of these FBS fanbases have for each other is
intense and never quits. I don't share the hatred for Sam or SFA that
many Bobcat fans do but I can see some long term bad juju coming for
UTSA. Texas State is very fortunate to have a rival so nearby with the
size and ambition of UTSA. I watched every episode of "Birth of a
Program" on Saturday after one of our friends to the south alerted me to
a marathon on Fox Sports Southwest.
My
thoughts are that they might have a huge hit on their hands as long as
they win, and win often. The Express News preview put them at 4-6 and I
think they have to do quite a bit better than that to keep the buzz up.
It's mentioned that no startup has ever gone to FBS in two seasons
several times. As I said earlier, the ambition is enormous for the
Roadrunner program, but I don't think a major city has ever bought into a
startup the way San Antonio is. I could see them being a major pain in
the backside for Texas State and other FBS programs in the very near
future. They have pressure on them to succeed at a level unseen outside
the BCS ranks due to the investment of the city.
(2) I spent four months in Lubbock for work about ten years ago. In fact, I went directly from the Panhandle to Chapel Hill (home of the University of North Carolina). I liked Chapel Hill much better. Lubbock's a pretty rough town for outsiders and non-Tech students. I hear it's not a dry town anymore so you don't have to endure "the Strip" - a trip to be talked about and not experienced. They don't throw tortillas anymore, and Tech fans don't dress up like pirates like they did under Leach. They do have an SEC caliber coach (Tommy Tuberville) and one of the hottest offensive coordinators in the country (30 year old Neal Brown). Tech reeled in the best recruiting class in their history in January and run an offense reminiscent of Houston's which the Bobcats were witnesses to last season, except faster paced with a greater emphasis on the running game. Less jet sweeps, more power running. They, like Texas State, are installing a 4-2-5 defense under former TCU secondary coach and new defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow.
I would be inclined to pick Tech by forty and call it a night, but I'm not going to bet against a Franchione-coached team getting run out of the stadium. In fact, I would love for this matchup to be in 2013 and not this season due to the immense difference in depth between the two teams. I like the spread option to confuse a defense that's been lining up against something different all preseason, and I am going to hope the installation by Naivar progressed faster than Glasgow's. Texas State will keep it close for almost three quarters before the fresh bodies Tech has plus just the general difficulties of being an away team in a Big 12-level hostile environment take their toll on the Bobcats.
Texas Tech 34, Texas State 17.
I'm not into moral victories, but I think both sides leave the field with their heads up and Texas State spends the 2011-12 offseason dreaming about knocking the Raiders off in their home opener. They'll put the work in to try to make that happen.
(3) Other predictions for week one:
Top 25 matchups -
Georgia 27, Boise State 24
Oregon 42, LSU 35
Around the state -
FIU 28, North Texas 17
TCU 37, Baylor 24
Houston 42, UCLA 38
Texas 24, Rice 10
UTEP 51, Stony Brook 7
A&M 31, SMU 24
Around the WAC -
Idaho 14, Bowling Green 13
Auburn 35, Utah State 10
Stanford 45, San Jose State 13
Cal 28, Fresno State 21
Ohio 16, New Mexico State 10
Southern Miss 31, Louisiana Tech 21
Hawaii 35, Colorado 24
 |  |
| |
| Coach Franchione will lead his Bobcats into hostile Texas Tech this weekend. |
(2) I spent four months in Lubbock for work about ten years ago. In fact, I went directly from the Panhandle to Chapel Hill (home of the University of North Carolina). I liked Chapel Hill much better. Lubbock's a pretty rough town for outsiders and non-Tech students. I hear it's not a dry town anymore so you don't have to endure "the Strip" - a trip to be talked about and not experienced. They don't throw tortillas anymore, and Tech fans don't dress up like pirates like they did under Leach. They do have an SEC caliber coach (Tommy Tuberville) and one of the hottest offensive coordinators in the country (30 year old Neal Brown). Tech reeled in the best recruiting class in their history in January and run an offense reminiscent of Houston's which the Bobcats were witnesses to last season, except faster paced with a greater emphasis on the running game. Less jet sweeps, more power running. They, like Texas State, are installing a 4-2-5 defense under former TCU secondary coach and new defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow.
I would be inclined to pick Tech by forty and call it a night, but I'm not going to bet against a Franchione-coached team getting run out of the stadium. In fact, I would love for this matchup to be in 2013 and not this season due to the immense difference in depth between the two teams. I like the spread option to confuse a defense that's been lining up against something different all preseason, and I am going to hope the installation by Naivar progressed faster than Glasgow's. Texas State will keep it close for almost three quarters before the fresh bodies Tech has plus just the general difficulties of being an away team in a Big 12-level hostile environment take their toll on the Bobcats.
Texas Tech 34, Texas State 17.
I'm not into moral victories, but I think both sides leave the field with their heads up and Texas State spends the 2011-12 offseason dreaming about knocking the Raiders off in their home opener. They'll put the work in to try to make that happen.
(3) Other predictions for week one:
Top 25 matchups -
Georgia 27, Boise State 24
Oregon 42, LSU 35
Around the state -
FIU 28, North Texas 17
TCU 37, Baylor 24
Houston 42, UCLA 38
Texas 24, Rice 10
UTEP 51, Stony Brook 7
A&M 31, SMU 24
Around the WAC -
Idaho 14, Bowling Green 13
Auburn 35, Utah State 10
Stanford 45, San Jose State 13
Cal 28, Fresno State 21
Ohio 16, New Mexico State 10
Southern Miss 31, Louisiana Tech 21
Hawaii 35, Colorado 24
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Three and Out - Rivals Inaugural Edition
1) Thanks for signing up and we're glad you are here. My little
weekly column is going to be different from what you're accustomed to
seeing from me. I'm going to touch a bit on pop culture, the sporting
world, stuff I love or hate, things I am looking forward to, et cetera.
There's still some Bobcat talk I'll stir up but for the most part my
role once expansion stops is going to be to support Brent and Justin.
Both of their jobs just got bigger and mine got smaller, as Rivals is
taking care of most of the day-to-day operation of the website.
Fletcher
is officially an intern for us until he graduates in December. I
filled out his paperwork on Friday. Fletcher has some work with KTSW
this semester, including every SMHS game and duties with the Bobcat
football team. He's always been a part of us but now we're going to be
able to officially help out his young career. I'm pretty proud of being
able to do this. Now go get me a breakfast taco, rook!
(I kid. Fletch could whup up on me quite easily.)
(2) Thanks to the NFL Network, I have watched a staggering amount of preseason football. I know it's not that indicative of what to expect for the regular season but I think the Detroit Lions are my sleeper team for 2011. Stafford's sharp (though as a rich kid from Highland Park I'd probably hate him in person) and their defense plays mean and nasty with the swagger you'd expect from a playoff team. I can't believe they have both Suh and Fairley - watch what that's going to grow into. Of course, their secondary is crummy, but it looks like everyone not playing Carolina is giving up Xbox passing yardage. Best is a solid chain-mover and they play a lot like Pittsburgh did the first couple of years of the Big Ben era. Megatron looks like he spent the lockout eating corners and bench pressing safeties. It'll be tough sledding sharing a division with defending champion Green Bay and 2010 playoff team Chicago though.
I can't get into MLB and doubly so for the televised Little League World Series. When did they start airing the regional games? I'll tune in when the US team plays the juggernaut from Taiwan or whatever but I don't care if 12 year olds from Montana beat Oklahoma. It's a little creepy though I am sure Coach Memphis is enjoying himself. There's not enough sports programming out there to prevent pedophiles that like boys in tight white pants from their two weeks of glory? Surely there's some bikini tennis out there waiting for a camera.
Speaking of, I have a couple of suggestions for when Yahoo! Sports launches their TV channel:
Women's Team Beach Volleyball - Each team has seven players and they play three matches with two players each with a substitute for injury. NASCAR that shizzle up and air it on Sundays all summer with a big beach party theme. I'd cheer for the Dallas Spikedolls if properly attired.
Competitive Drinking - If I watched a bunch of dudes cram tubesteak down their throats on the 4th of July, I'll damn sure watch a lineup of them tossing back 23 ounce beers for ten minutes. This could be fun to use local beers for each venue and doubly so for interviewing the guys after the buzzer sounds. If the alcohol scares the programming department away we can always substitute Slurpee's and have an instant sponsor.
It was brought to my attention that I have never seen any of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movies, but I have seen all the Twilight ones and am looking forward to the Hunger Games. I guess my inner child wears a training bra. I'm not a Trekkie or a Star Wars guy, either. My friend Melissa went to a "con" in Philly over the weekend and met actor Sam Trammell - Sam Merlotte from True Blood, and Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore from the Ghostbusters franchise. I guess I've been living under a rock the size of Gibraltar for not knowing there are nerdfests with underemployed actors out there. People dress up like they're hitting up a Halloween destination party and go mingle with their own kind. I don't believe there's enough Four Loko in existence to get me to go to one of these.
My foray into San Marcos a couple of Fridays ago was interesting. Brian, a townie, introduced me to some whacked-out techno nightmare called dubstep. Basically this screeching, beating nightmare is all the rage right now for the demographic directly beneath my own. It sounded like the noise my computer makes when I leave my cellphone next to it. Liberal doses of Jagermeister were administered to ease the swelling of my eardrums. Later that evening, I watched several people get tazed for the first time. First time for me - I don't know them. I would have liked to stay and watch what happened but I feared for my safety. I sort of felt obligated for Fletcher's too - nobody was threatening me with electrical current. Plus I didn't need to be questioned in my state by anyone in a blue uniform.(Fletcher didn't misbehave - he was closer to the ruckus than anyone else in the crowd.) There's a part two to this story I'll tell next week. "BobcatReport Behaving Badly - the Sequel!"
(3) I really wish I could tell you everything to expect from the new Texas State Rivals site. The truth of the matter is that this has come so suddenly we didn't have the time to try a few features we've kicked around. You'll see an increase in content from the staff, that's for sure. We are working out video stuff with the school, downloadable podcasts for Brent and Fletcher, and guest columns from other members of the Rivals network. I know recruiting will be better than anyone has ever dreamed of and I have interesting plans for content. Some will get rolled out this week, some once the season starts, and more as we gain capability. Look for columns from some people you know and some others you do not yet. I'm kind of excited about being a producer and director. I've never done anything remotely close to this in my career and I look forward to the challenge.
In closing, I do think I am going to have someone new to introduce everyone to in the next couple of weeks. We need to work out the details but I think you'll love what they are going to do on behalf of the website.
30-Day Free Trial: Premium access to BobcatReport.com!!
 | |
(I kid. Fletch could whup up on me quite easily.)
(2) Thanks to the NFL Network, I have watched a staggering amount of preseason football. I know it's not that indicative of what to expect for the regular season but I think the Detroit Lions are my sleeper team for 2011. Stafford's sharp (though as a rich kid from Highland Park I'd probably hate him in person) and their defense plays mean and nasty with the swagger you'd expect from a playoff team. I can't believe they have both Suh and Fairley - watch what that's going to grow into. Of course, their secondary is crummy, but it looks like everyone not playing Carolina is giving up Xbox passing yardage. Best is a solid chain-mover and they play a lot like Pittsburgh did the first couple of years of the Big Ben era. Megatron looks like he spent the lockout eating corners and bench pressing safeties. It'll be tough sledding sharing a division with defending champion Green Bay and 2010 playoff team Chicago though.
I can't get into MLB and doubly so for the televised Little League World Series. When did they start airing the regional games? I'll tune in when the US team plays the juggernaut from Taiwan or whatever but I don't care if 12 year olds from Montana beat Oklahoma. It's a little creepy though I am sure Coach Memphis is enjoying himself. There's not enough sports programming out there to prevent pedophiles that like boys in tight white pants from their two weeks of glory? Surely there's some bikini tennis out there waiting for a camera.
Speaking of, I have a couple of suggestions for when Yahoo! Sports launches their TV channel:
Women's Team Beach Volleyball - Each team has seven players and they play three matches with two players each with a substitute for injury. NASCAR that shizzle up and air it on Sundays all summer with a big beach party theme. I'd cheer for the Dallas Spikedolls if properly attired.
Competitive Drinking - If I watched a bunch of dudes cram tubesteak down their throats on the 4th of July, I'll damn sure watch a lineup of them tossing back 23 ounce beers for ten minutes. This could be fun to use local beers for each venue and doubly so for interviewing the guys after the buzzer sounds. If the alcohol scares the programming department away we can always substitute Slurpee's and have an instant sponsor.
It was brought to my attention that I have never seen any of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movies, but I have seen all the Twilight ones and am looking forward to the Hunger Games. I guess my inner child wears a training bra. I'm not a Trekkie or a Star Wars guy, either. My friend Melissa went to a "con" in Philly over the weekend and met actor Sam Trammell - Sam Merlotte from True Blood, and Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore from the Ghostbusters franchise. I guess I've been living under a rock the size of Gibraltar for not knowing there are nerdfests with underemployed actors out there. People dress up like they're hitting up a Halloween destination party and go mingle with their own kind. I don't believe there's enough Four Loko in existence to get me to go to one of these.
My foray into San Marcos a couple of Fridays ago was interesting. Brian, a townie, introduced me to some whacked-out techno nightmare called dubstep. Basically this screeching, beating nightmare is all the rage right now for the demographic directly beneath my own. It sounded like the noise my computer makes when I leave my cellphone next to it. Liberal doses of Jagermeister were administered to ease the swelling of my eardrums. Later that evening, I watched several people get tazed for the first time. First time for me - I don't know them. I would have liked to stay and watch what happened but I feared for my safety. I sort of felt obligated for Fletcher's too - nobody was threatening me with electrical current. Plus I didn't need to be questioned in my state by anyone in a blue uniform.(Fletcher didn't misbehave - he was closer to the ruckus than anyone else in the crowd.) There's a part two to this story I'll tell next week. "BobcatReport Behaving Badly - the Sequel!"
(3) I really wish I could tell you everything to expect from the new Texas State Rivals site. The truth of the matter is that this has come so suddenly we didn't have the time to try a few features we've kicked around. You'll see an increase in content from the staff, that's for sure. We are working out video stuff with the school, downloadable podcasts for Brent and Fletcher, and guest columns from other members of the Rivals network. I know recruiting will be better than anyone has ever dreamed of and I have interesting plans for content. Some will get rolled out this week, some once the season starts, and more as we gain capability. Look for columns from some people you know and some others you do not yet. I'm kind of excited about being a producer and director. I've never done anything remotely close to this in my career and I look forward to the challenge.
In closing, I do think I am going to have someone new to introduce everyone to in the next couple of weeks. We need to work out the details but I think you'll love what they are going to do on behalf of the website.
30-Day Free Trial: Premium access to BobcatReport.com!!
Friday, July 8, 2011
UTA set to join WAC (old BR)
As earlier reported in the War Room, Jack has come across a copy of the agenda for
the University of Texas Board of Regents meeting July 14th. Item 5
clearly states voting on the inclusion of the University of Texas at
Arlington to the Western Athletic Conference as invited on July 5th.
UTA does not have a football team though they do have a 15,000 seat stadium on campus. It’s possible that the sport will be added in time for the 2016 season. The Mavericks will become the tenth member of the WAC, joining Denver U, Seattle U, Texas State, and UTSA in July 2012.
UTA does not have a football team though they do have a 15,000 seat stadium on campus. It’s possible that the sport will be added in time for the 2016 season. The Mavericks will become the tenth member of the WAC, joining Denver U, Seattle U, Texas State, and UTSA in July 2012.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
WAC adds Seattle U (old BR)
Breaking – I have confirmed with
sources in Park City, UT that Seattle University will become the ninth
member of the Western Athletic Conference. The Redhawks will hold a
press conference at 4 PM, following the WAC teleconference at 3.
The WAC of 2012 will now include San Jose State, Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Denver, UTSA, Texas State, and Seattle. UTSA, Texas State, Seattle and Denver will be replacing Hawaii, Fresno State, and Nevada-Reno.
Seattle and Denver do not field football teams.
The WAC of 2012 will now include San Jose State, Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Denver, UTSA, Texas State, and Seattle. UTSA, Texas State, Seattle and Denver will be replacing Hawaii, Fresno State, and Nevada-Reno.
Seattle and Denver do not field football teams.
Friday, April 1, 2011
News: Opener for 2012
BobcatReport has confirmed with sources at Texas Tech
University that the home opener at the newly renovated Bobcat Stadium will be against
the Red Raiders on September 8th, 2012. This will be the first appearance by a Bowl
Championship Subdivision team in San Marcos, followed three weeks later by
Mountain West (and former WAC) school Nevada on September 29th. Texas State will also travel to play the
University of Houston and the Naval Academy in their first year of WAC
participation.
Texas Tech, a member of the Big 12, is led by former Auburn
and Ole Miss coach Tommy Tuberville. The
Red Raiders were 8-5 in 2010 and beat Northwestern in the inaugural TicketCity
Bowl January 1st, 2011. Their
legendary high powered offense is maintained by former Troy offensive
coordinator Neal Brown, who at age 30 has firmly planted himself among the
rising stars of the sport.
Led by longtime commissioner Karl Benson, the 2012 WAC will
be home to the Bobcats, longtime rival Texas-San Antonio, the University of
Denver, San Jose State, Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State, and Louisiana
Tech. Denver does not field a football
team. The conference is still looking at
further expansion after the defection of Boise State, Nevada, and Fresno State
to the Mountain West.
Texas State’s transition starts in 2011 as a
postseason-ineligible member of the Southland Conference and will continue as a
bowl-ineligible member of the Western Athletic Conference in 2012.
Bobcat Stadium’s renovation is slated to begin at the
conclusion of the 2011 football season, adding 13,500 seats to the north end of
the complex. This will increase total
capacity to 29,500 – and eventually with additional planned construction, the
facility could hold 35,000 spectators. The
estimated cost of the project is $32 million dollars, raised by donations plus
the sales of luxury suites and club seats.
An annual game hosting current Southland Conference foes Sam
Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, or WAC expansion hopeful Lamar is likely once
Texas State transitions into the Bowl Championship Subdivision.
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