Starting middle linebacker JoJo Dickson suffered a broken leg in the third quarter, after New Mexico State runningback Kenny Turner blindsided the senior at the end of a play.

The hit ended Dickson’s season and likely his college career.

Here’s a look at the hit.

Being the leader that Dickson is, many Idaho players reacted emotionally following the hit.  As you can see in the video, it got to the point where head coach Robb Akey had to gather his football team to reminded them what they were playing for  – a WAC win, not retaliation.

Today, coach Akey gave an update on JoJo’s status, stating the surgery went well.

After his weekly press conference was over, coach Akey said that it’s likely to late in the season for Dickson to be granted a medical redshirt, but added that would not prevent him from trying.

Either way, Idaho players and coaches will just have to hope that playing for JoJo will match his production on the field.

Joel’s Picks
WSU @ #12 Stanford
This is another tough road game for WSU. Stanford is a very good team. Once again I look for the Cougars to stay with Stanford in the first half and fall apart in the second half as the Cardinals are just too good.
Cardinals 42-13

UW @ #18 Arizona
With the Jekyll and Hyde Huskies, it is hard to predict anything. Going on the road and playing against a pretty good Arizona team, I do not look for them to pull of the win.
Wildcats 35-24

Idaho @ New Mexico State
I do not like picking the Vandals to win this one this week because I have been wrong about them a couple times. With that being said, I look for them to pull out the close win against a disastrous New Mexico State team. Vandal nation will once again think they are better than they are as they play many garbage teams.
Vandals 35-32

#6 LSU @ #4 Auburn
I cannot wait to watch this team as I have been high on Auburn since the preseason rankings. Auburn is a great team that is finally getting recognized this year. LSU on the other hand also has a great team. This is a must see game this week as Auburn gets a close win at home.
Tigers 30-27 (OT)

#1 Oklahoma @ # 11 Missouri
First off, I do not think the Sooners should be ranked number one by any means. But, they are a good team so I will not trash them too much. Will the curse of being number one fall on the Sooners for another week? I say yes as a very good Missouri team will get the win at home.
Tigers 28-21

Bryan’s Picks
WSU @ #12 Stanford
Third week in row the Cougs will face a top 25 team. They have been able to hang with the last tow at home, but I think this one will be a little different. The Cougs are a little beat up right now, and could really use a bye week. This Stanford team is physical and will pound the ball all day wearing down the Cougs defense.
Cardinal 45 – 17

UW @ #18 Arizona
This game all depends on which Husky team shows up. They are coming off another great one point win over a ranked oponent. Nick Foles is out and I think that will be huge for the Huskies. I’m still not drinking the purple and gold koolaid, but a win here, and I might start.
Huskies 31 – 28

Idaho vs. New Mexico State
The Vandals have disappointed me a bit this year, but this is a bad Aggie team. Vandals return to the dome and will get an easy victory for homecoming
Vandals 35 – 10

#6 LSU @ #4 Auburn
I picked against Auburn last week, and lost bad. I want to pick against them again, but I’m starting to buy into what they have done. They run the ball well, and still have a decent pass game. However LSU’s defense has been excellent, and they have a pretty good rushing attack as well. Put it all together and I don’t know what it means, but I’ll take the Tigers in this one. As in the Auburn Tigers.
Tigers 24 – 21

#1 Oklahoma @ #11 Missouri
Third week in a row the number 1 team will hit the road to face a ranked opponent. The last two didn’t go so well for the number 1 team, but this one will be different. The Sooners haven’t impressed me all that much, barely being able to put away games against Utah State, Air Force and Cinncinatti, but they have beaten Texas and Florida State. Missouri hasn’t beaten anybody either, but I still feel that the Sooners are a little more balanced all around. Should be a great game, but I’ll take the road team in this one.
Sooners 28 – 24

Records:
Joel: 24 – 11
Bryan: 21 – 14

Joel’s Picks:

#17 Arizona @ WSU: Washington State will stick with Arizona for at least the first half but I would be surprised to see more than that. Arizona is ranked 10th overall in points given up. With that being said, WSU will struggle. Arizona gets back in the win column after this week.
#17 Wildcats 52-17

#24 Oregon State @ UW: UW has been a very inconsistent team and that will not change this week. It worries me that OSU lost Jacquizz Rodgers at WR but I think that the Beavers will still be able to hold off an overrated Jake Locker and the Huskies.
#24 Beavers 38-19

Idaho @ Louisiana Tech: The Vandals finally got a win on the row and are ending a three-week road trip. On the other hand, Louisiana Tech finally ended a tough four game losing streak. I look for this game to not be pretty as Idaho has not proven themselves on the road yet. This game is going to be close but the Vandals will come out with the win.
Vandals 31-17

#12 Arkansas @ #7 Auburn: This is one of the two must see games of the week. Auburn has been a team that I have liked since the preseason. Arkansas is going to be looking for the upset, but I look for Auburn to go to 7-0 and 4-0 in the SEC.
#7 Tigers- 35-27

#1 Ohio St. @ # 18 Wisconsin: This is the other must see game of the week as Wisconsin is going to be playing with a purpose. Even though Wisconsin is going to be throwing everything at Ohio State, it will not be enough in the end. Ohio State will prove that they are number one and should stay number one.
#1 Buckeyes 30-27

Bryan’s Picks:

#17 Arizona @ WSU
The Cougs are starting to look like a Pac 10 team will once again be able to score some points on this Wildcat defense. The Cougars defense is looking better, but it won’t be good enough to stop this Arizona pass attack, especially with Chima Nwachukwu out again for the Cougs. I’ll take the Cougs to cover but lose.
Wildcats 41 – 27

#24 Oregon State @ UW
This Husky team continues to disappoint, and this weeks matchup doesn’t get any easier. The Beavers havn’t been as good as I thought at the beginning of the season, but they still have a shot at the Pac 10 title. I like their balance on offense, and I like them on the road in Washington.
Beavers 38 – 24

Idaho @ Louisiana Tech
The Vandals haven’t looked as good as I thought they would and I think this is a tough road game for them. The Bulldogs are coming off a great home win over Utah State, and I think that will play into the hands of the Vandals. Look for a bit of a letdown from the Bulldogs, and a Vandal team charged up from their bye week.
Vandals 34 – 28

#12 Arkansas @ #7 Auburn
Arkansas hasn’t been as impressive as I thought they would be, but Auburn isn’t even close to a top ten team. The only teams they have been able to put away this year both play in the Sun Belt conference. They have won 4 single possession games the rest of the way. I’ll take Arkansas on the road in an easy win.
Razorbacks 31 – 17

#1 Ohio State @ #18 Wisconsin
This should be another great game. Both teams can run the ball well and put up points. I like the Buckeyes defense a little better and look for that to be the difference in this one as defense will win out in the end.
Buckeyes 31 – 24

Bryan – analyst

Records:
Joel 22 – 8
Bryan 20 – 10

Friday, October 1
BYU 16 at Utah State 31 – Final

Saturday, September 25
Idaho 33 at Western Michigan 13 – Final
UC Davis 14 at San Jose State 13 – Final
#3 Boise State 59 at New Mexico State 0 – Final
Cal Poly 17 at Fresno State 38 – Final
#25 Nevada 44 at UNLV 26 – Final
Louisiana Tech 21 at Hawai’i 41 – Final

TOP PERFORMERS
Passing:
1. Bryant Moniz, JR (UH): 42-58, 532 yds, 4 td vs Louisiana Tech
2. Nathan Enderle, SR (UI): 30-49, 380 yds, 3 td, 2 int vs Western Michigan
3. Ross Jenkins, SR (LT): 19-26, 215 yds, 2 td, int vs Hawai’i
4. Ryan Colburn, SR (FSU): 12-17, 215 yds, 2 td, int vs Cal Poly
5. Kellen Moore, JR (BSU): 13-18, 196 yds, 3 td vs New Mexico State

Rushing:
1. Vai Taua, SR (NEV): 19 car, 188, 3 td vs UNLV
2. Lamon Muldrow, SR (SJSU): 22 car, 137 yds vs UC Davis
3. Colin Kaepernick, SR (NEV): 13 car, 97 yds, td vs UNLV
4. Doug Martin, JR (BSU): 10 car, 94 yds, td vs New Mexico State
5. Derrvin Speight, SR (USU): 23 car, 91 yds, 2 td vs BYU

Receiving:
1. Kealoha Pilares, SR (UH): 18 rec, 217 yds, 2 td vs Louisiana Tech
2. Greg Salas, SR (UH): 10 rec, 197 yds, 2 td vs Louisiana Tech
3. Josh Harrison, JR (SJSU): 5 rec, 119 yds vs UC Davis
4. Richie Casey, SO (LT): 8 rec, 98 yds, td vs Hawai’i
5. Eric Greenwood, SR (UI): 6 rec, 82 yds vs Western Michigan

CONFERENCE OUTLOOK
After a disappointing showing last weekend, the Western Athletic Conference bounced back this Friday and Saturday.  Utah State got the party started with a dominant performance against BYU (1-4) on national television, and Hawai’i quarterback Bryant Moniz provided an incredible last call, sending everyone home talking about his 532-yard performance against Louisiana Tech.
Boise State and Nevada continued to solidify their status as national powers this season (might be a stretch for the Wolfpack, but I still believe they will be a 1-loss team come December), while Idaho bounced back after a disappointing loss to Colorado State (1-4) by crushing Western Michigan (1-3) on the road (albeit committing four turnovers).
Fresno State did what they were suppose to against an FCS-foe in Cal Poly (3-2).  The talented (for their classification) Mustangs hung around until halftime, then the Bulldogs put them away in the second half with a solid ground attack that finished with 253 combined yards rushing.
In fact, the WAC was a San Jose State away from a perfect weekend.  The Spartans – who I am now convinced is the least talented team in the conference – were out scored 14-0 in the second half by UC Davis (2-3), who notched just their second victory in school history over an FBS opponent.

Joel’s Picks:

WSU @ UCLA: This is a game that could be fun to watch! Is it safe to say UCLA looked great in their win over Texas? I would say no, it is more of a factor of Texas being overrated. If you look at Texas’ offense, you will see it is just not the same as the Vince Young and Colt McCoy era. With that being said, I still look for UCLA to win this game at home. I was able to see Tuel in person last week and he was amazing, but will not be quiet enough against the Bruins. In order for the Cougars to start winning games, they need to establish the run and learn how to tackle.
UCLA 31-17

UW @ #18 USC: UW fans still will not let last year’s victory over USC go. Well UW fans, you will have to wait at least another year as you only have one player worth mentioning; Jake Locker. And on that note, it’s been a disappointing season. USC continues in a dominating fashion and the huskies start to realize it is another let down season.
#18USC 48-17

Idaho @ W. Michigan: I don’t even know where to start. Before last weeks game I received a text from a reader that said I would be dumb if I didn’t pick Idaho to win. Can anyone tell me what happened? That’s right, I listened to the fan for once and Idaho lost. The fan in me wants to pick Idaho for the win but I cannot bring myself to do it as they have given up a total of 74 points in just two games on the road. Idaho has shown that they can put up points but I just don’t see them winning this game on the road. Idaho will have their second heartbreaking loss in a row.
W. Michigan 27-24

#9 Stanford @ #4 Oregon: This game is going to be amazing as we see don’t different types of Offense line up. Oregon likes to spread it out and air the ball out. On top of both teams scoring unreal amounts of points a game, you can’t overlook the Defense. Oregon is ranked 3rd giving up just 11 points a game as Stanford is ranked 12th giving up 13.8. I want to pick Stanford in this game but I am going to have to go with Oregon, as they have been so good this year. This is a great match up with what could be the PAC 10 title on the line and a chance to play in the National Championship on the line. Look for both teams to bring everything but the kitchen sink in this intense game.
#4 Oregon 24-17

#21 Texas @ #8 Oklahoma: The Red River Rival looks to be a little less interesting this year for Texas as they were upset by UCLA last week. On the other hand, Oklahoma still is undefeated and looking for a chance to play in the National Championship. With that being said look for Texas to try to step it up as they have a lot to prove this week. Being a rival, it’s hard to say who will win this game. Even though I jumped on the Texas bandwagon this year, I with have to go with Oklahoma this week, as they have been impressive. Landry Jones at QB and DeMarco Murray at RB will be too much for the Longhorn defense.
#8 Oklahoma 31- 24

Joel-Analyst

Bryan’s Picks:

WSU @ UCLA:
I was all set to take the Cougs in this game, and then the Bruins went out and dominated Texas on their own field last Saturday. They did it running the ball right down the Longhorns throats, and that really scares me this week. The Cougs offense has been good, and I think they will put some points on the board, but if the Bruins run the ball a lot it could get ugly for the defense of the Cougs.
Bruins 35 – 24

UW @ #18 USC:
I never bought into the preseason hype around the Huskies because of their defense, and it is really beginning to show. This is a solid Trojan team that will be looking for some revenge after their loss to the Huskies last season. I think this will be another ugly one for the Dawgs, as USC will run away with this one in the Coliseum.
Trojans 45 – 17

Idaho @ W Michigan:
I think will be a tougher matchup for the Vandals than people think. The Broncos have the 4th best passing offense in the nation right now, and will look to air it out against the Vandal secondary. However they are not real great defensively, so the Vandals shouldn’t have much trouble moving the ball against them. The Vandals should be up for this one after losing on the final play at Colorado State last week. I think this will be another great game, but I’ll take the Vandals.
Vandals 38 – 31

#9 Stanford @ #4 Oregon:
Game of the year so far. Both have great offense, and a good defense. I like the Ducks a little better though, and being the game is in Eugene, I think the Ducks will run away with this. I’m not buying into Stanford being a top ten team, and I think everyone will see that as the Ducks will blow them out at home.
Ducks 42 – 14

#21 Texas @ #8 Oklahoma:
Red River Rivalry a week after a disappointing game for the Longhorns last week losing to the Bruins. I think that will get this Texas team going even more and I look for them to have a great game. The Sooners defense hasn’t been real great so far, but their offense is looking good. I actually like the Sooners in this one, but since Joel took them, I’ll take my preseason favorite to win this game.
Longhorns 31 – 28

Bryan – Analyst

Records:
Joel: 16 – 4
Bryan: 14 – 6

#20 USC @ WSU: I really want to pick the upset on this game since I will be at this game supporting the Crimson and Gray. But, I just cannot see it happening. With that being said, USC will be too much power on every level for the Cougars.
#20 USC 45-13

Idaho @ CSU: Well Vandal nation, I am finally on your side this week. After an impressive victory over UNLV I cannot help but think this next game will be a cake walk. CSU is at home but the struggles will continue as they are only averaging 6.3 points a game and giving up 35.3 a game.
Idaho 42-9

#24 Oregon State @ #3 Boise State: It kills me to go for Boise State but this may be the one year that they are starting to prove themselves. If Boise State got a new fan base, I would not have a problem supporting their athletic program. Oregon State has not shown enough this year to prove to me that they can beat a very good Boise State team at home.
#3 Boise State 27-17

#1 Alabama @ #10 Arkansas: We could not ask for better games this week. At the beginning of the year, I was looking at Oregon State vs Boise State as the number one game for this week. But, as the season is slowly unfolding, I like this game as the main event. If you look at my preseason picks, I have Alabama winning the SEC. Therefore, I have Alabama beating Arkansas in a great battle of the year as it will take every play they know to beat this Arkansas team.
#1 Alabama 17-14

#22 West Virginia @ #15 LSU: I am not sold yet on West Virginia. Bryan will probably take West Virginia as he has liked them since before the start of the season. But, I still think they do not have what it takes to play LSU on the road in a very loud stadium. Look for Jefferson and Ridley to lead the way for LSU and keep them undefeated on the year.
#15 LSU 24-17

Joel Barnes-Analyst

#20 USC @ WSU
The Cougs will play well and make the game competitive. The Trojan defense has been unimpressive thus far. The cougs will put some points on the board, but their front four will struggle against the Trojan’s run game. They will cover the 22 point spread, but still lose. Trojans 38 – 24

Idaho @ CSU
Vandals looked good both on offense and defense last week against UNLV. The Rams have struggled so far this year on both sides of the ball, and that will continue against Idaho. Vandals 31 – 10

#24 Oregon State @ #3 Boise State
This game represents the final test of the season for the Broncos. They have not lost a regular season home game since 2001. I think Oregon State is a good team and will be a great test for the Broncos as they will put some points on the board, but they won’t be able to contain the high flying offense that is Boise State. Broncos 35 – 24

#1 Alabama @ #10 Arkansas
I think this is a major trap game for Alabama (see my preseason picks). Arkansas struggled to put away Georgia on the road last week, but when it came down to it, their quick offense got the job done scoring a touchdown in the final minute of the game. Their defense is playing well, and I think they will put some points on the board at home. My upset of the week, Razorbacks 28 – 24

#22 West Virginia @ #15 LSU
I like this West Virginea team quite a bit, but they have struggled a little bit this season. LSU on the other hand has had no problem taking care of business. Joel said that I would probably take West Virginia, I did like them a lot in preseason but they have not shown me enough to take them here. Tigers 22 – 14

Bryan – Analyst

Records
Joel 12 – 3
Bryan 11 – 4

• The outstanding play of the Vandal defense
• The emergence of sophomore cornerback Aaron Grymes and the overall amount of competition they have in the defensive backfield
• WAC vs MWC matchups don’t have any added importance
• Colorado State is looking for payback after Idaho’s comeback win over the Rams last season

UNLV @ Idaho: Well here we go again, I am going to be called a “hater” once again this week. Idaho will not be able to get the win. But, it will be a very close game as the Kibby Dome will be rocking and wanting to jump back in the win column. UNLV is 0-2 but have lost to # 12 Wisconsin and #20 Utah.
UNLV 31-24

#8 Nebraska @ Washington: Even though this game is in Washington, Locker and crew will not be able to get the win. I have not seen a good enough defense from Washington or special team play. Also, I have not been impressed with play calling so far this year. I look for Nebraska to continue their run for the National Championship.
Nebraska 35-28

#9 Iowa @ #24 Arizona: This is going to be an excited game as both teams have yet to play a legitimate opponent. With that being said, I do not have a solid decision but will go with Arizona as they are at home with a Junior QB and a senior RB at home.
#24 Arizona 24-17

California @ Nevada: This is a tough call but I am going to go with Nevada since they are the home team and have a very good offense.
Nevada 38-24

Joel Barnes-Analyst

Washington State @ SMU: Should be a great game. I’m sure all Coug fans remember the OT victory in Pullman last year, as it was their only win last season. I think this should be a great game, and I think the Cougs will ride the momentum of last week’s comeback victory into this week, and leave Dallas 2 – 1 on the year. Cougs 28 – 24

UNLV @ Idaho: UNLV has had a tough opening with Wisconsin and Utah. I don’t think things will get much easier for them in Moscow. Look for Enderle to bounce back from his 5 ints a week ago and lead the Vandals to victory. Vandals 35 – 24

#8 Nebraska @ Washington: Should be a tough game for the Cornhuskers playing at Husky stadium, but I think they will get the job done. The Huskers defense will be too much for the Huskies in the end. Cornhuskers 31 – 21

#9 Iowa @ #24 Arizona: Both teams are ranked and 2 – 0, but neither team has played anyone worth mentioning. I love this Arizona offense this year, but I like Iowa’s defense a little better. Hawkeyes 24 – 17

California @ Nevada: To me this game is the most intriguing matchup of the week. A Friday night nationally televised game that should be great. Both teams have been dominant in starting out the season 2 – 0. I love Nevada’s ground game and I think that will be the difference in the game. Wolfpack 38 – 28

Bryan – analyst

Records
Bryan 8 – 2
Joel 8 – 2

Washington State vs Montana State: I look for Washington State to win the home opener. Tuel looked good on the road and will continue at home. But if the Cougars want to get the win, they need to step up the running game and step up the Defense.
WSU 17-10.
Washington vs Syracuse: Washington will step it up and clean up their special teams. With better play calls on third down, the Huskies will get the win.
Washington 30-23.
Idaho @ Nebraska: If Nebraska wins the coin toss, Idaho will not win one part of this game.
Nebraska 45-6.
Miami (FL) @ Ohio State: This will be a great game but I look for Pryor to continue his bid Heisman.
Ohio State 27-21
Florida State @ Oklahoma: Florida State will put up a huge fight but Oklahoma at home this year is just too much in the final quarter for the Seminoles.
Oklahoma 27-24

Joel

Records
Bryan 4 – 1
Joel 3 – 2

35-10 Oklahoma State- WSU has young QB starting his career on the road, OK St. will challange WSU secondary.
17-10 Idaho- Home momentum in the Kibbie Dome enough to give Idaho the week one win.
45-17 UW- Jake Locker proves he is the number one overal pick this year and UW throws themselves in the conversation as a Pac-10 contender.
24-21 OSU-It is a tough win for the young QB at TCU. This game can go eithor way but look for the Rodger brothers to help out their young QB.
30-13 BSU- Boise State beats an overrated Virginia Tech. Low scoring first half with a huge second half for BSU.

Joel Barnes-Analyst

Records:
Joel 0 -0
Bryan 0 – 0

I find this to be very interesting because all of this happened shortly after Athletic Director Rob Spear was questioned by Idaho faculty about whether or not Idaho could ever play Division 1 sports at a competitive level, or if it is worth the money. I will admit that Idaho did not exactly transition very well out of the Big Sky. But now that we are starting to be competitive in a major sport you would think the critics would back off.

Perhaps they have some valid points. I am not an economist, nor am I an expert on advertising so I really have no right to argue the points of either side. There is one thing I will say though, and it’s something I am sure most alumni and students can agree with. When I graduate I will use Vandal Athletics as a way to keep in touch with the university. If Idaho wants to stay dear to their alumni’s hearts (and wallets) Idaho must keep the Division 1 programs.

The anti-athletics faculty members need to grasp one concept. Fans will come and spend Money in Moscow to see the Vandals play Boise State no matter how bad they beat us. Noone will care, much less travel, if you replace that Boise with Weber State.

While I am excited, there is not much for the average fan to be hyped about. The cards are once again stacked against our beloved Vandals. The past few years has been less than spectacular and this year’s recruit class was ranked a miserable 115th in the nation according to scout.com. On top of that we lost some of our best defensive players with the transfer of Linebackers Justin Allen and Jonathan Faraimo.

The news isn’t all grim though for the vandal faithful, this might be the year light finally breaks through the clouds and shines on the Vandal Nation. First of all let’s keep the scout rankings in perspective, while they are entertaining and can sometimes be accurate for the most part they don’t mean anything. The vandal recruiting class might be ranked low on paper but the 2009 class brings a lot of much needed speed to the often sluggish Vandals, and more importantly it gives much needed depth.

With these new bodies coming in our depth chart can finally settle in and place the talent where it belongs. According to govandals.net (http://idaho.scout.com/2/837527.html); Vandal standout Quin Ashley can permanently move to wide receiver instead of playing filler for a backup quarterback, and Andre Ferguson can focus at defensive end. Perks like that fails to show up on a rankings list, but can go a long way in putting a few W’s in the stat books.

Another big achievement the Vandals have accomplished this year is bringing in standout junior college QB Brian Reader. If Reader doesn’t take the starting job outright, he will at least provide Nate Enderle with the competition he needs to become better.

Even with all these positive improvements, expectations will be low for the Vandals this year, they have only beat one Division 1 team in recent history and this year’s schedule is the toughest the Vandals have scheduled in a long time. Based on this information alone critics will likely rank the Mighty Vandals at the bottom of the NCAA.

However there is a silver lining to that dark cloud. Historically when everyone counts Idaho out the Vandals shine their brightest. The Vandals only bowl victory came in 1998, a year where the Vandals were picked to finish dead last, and you know what they say, history tends to repeat itself.

There needs to be some serious attitude adjustments this week. What happened to the little Davids believing that they could topple the giants? That happened to the cocky teams who are too good to try against pitiful opponents? Where has the upset gone?? If you winners and losers don’t get your minds right, we are in for a really boring finish to the season. What will commentators talk about? I imagine something like this: “Now to today’s college football highlights…..everyone in the top 25 won again. In other riveting news, my mother thinks I’m precious and kittens are cute…….” Do you really want to be responsible for that? Y’all better make a better effort this weekend! 

Hot: Northwestern

Every Wildcat looks forward to the Michigan game, but generally dreams of a win are just that. This weekend Northwestern likely strutted into (and out of) the Big House with the knowledge that this year they not only could, but would, realize that dream. And, while doing so, they ensured that Michigan would indeed end this season with their poorest record ever. On Senior Day no less. Nice work, Cats. High Five! 

Not: Stanford

The Cardinal started out the game with that underdog spirit fans love to see, but it fizzled out much too soon! Despite Stanford keeping the game tied up well into the third quarter, the Trojans managed to win by more than 20 points!  

Hot: Houston with a side of Rice

In a fantastic showing Saturday night, Houston racked up 70 points against Tulsa! And just when I bet that this was surely the most points Houston has ever scored, I learned that forty years ago, Houston had a 100-3 win over Tulsa, the record for most points scored by one team in a major college game. And it the win wasn’t exciting enough — Houston now shares the lead of Conference USA with Rice!

Not: LSU sans the 4th quarter

A round of applause for Troy, who came into the game with the appropriate level of “Yes WE Can”-ittude. They brought enough to make LSU fans boo and leave, and to get LSU’s quarterback benched. Unfortunately, they also gave up when they thought they had it won, leading to LSU’s biggest comeback in school history and a 30 point fourth quarter.  

Hot: Mr. Rodgers squared

Jaqcuizz and James Rodgers, in another outstanding peformance, have helped the Beavers turn a pathetic start to the season into a potential trip to the Rose Bowl. “Quiz” has had seven 100+ rushing games this season and scored 1 TD on Saturday….he’s gained more than 1000 yards and has 11 TDs on the season. James, the elder brother, has only 4 TDs on the season, but two of them came against the Bears. The Beavers definitely hit the jackpot when they recruited these two!   

Not: Idaho’s First Play

For those of you who saw the score alert showing Idaho 7, Boise State 0, know that the Vandals were the beneficiaries of a fluke. Nothing shady…just a fluke. Nathan Enderlie’s first pass was good and the reciever was immediately wrapped up by BSU’s defense. Unfortunately, the reciever came down on top of the defender, never hitting the ground, and stood back up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone. But hey, the Vanadals need SOMETHING to cheer about so I suppose all is well that ends well.

Even though their mascot looks more like a garden gnome than a cowboy, Oklahoma State proved Saturday that they aren’t the only OSU who is upset-worthy. The Cowboy defense picked three of Mizzou’s glorified Chase Daniel’s passes….the third on Mizzou’s final drive toward a win. Now the Cowboys are 6-0. Six and oh, six and oh, six and O-S-U!!! 

Not: Boise State….ESPN too

You know I love BSU more than…well pretty much everything…and I think Kellen Moore is great, but the majority of their performance against Southern Miss was pathetic. Bronco defense, you are excused from this reprimand. As usual, you came through when you needed to and kept BSU from even getting close to the BIG L, despite the rest of the offense’s poor performance. Oh…take the running backs, Austin Pettis, and Jeremy Childs with you. ESPN reporters, you can sit in the seats the defense just vacated. No, Kellen Moore actually did NOT shine in this game. There was more than one fumbled snap, a throw that was intercepted when the ball should have been thrown away, and pretty much all of his passes were low. LUCKILY Jeremy Childs is ridiculously fantastic and could make the catches, but Moore was far from accurate. Moore can’t take all the blame, though. The O line failed to make holes on many occasions, a big hold negated an exciting touchdown run, and the majority of the second half was made up of the ever-exciting 3 and out. Y’all better take your defense out for a nice dinner and thank them for keeping the perfect season alive!

Hot: Cotton Bowl

You couldn’t ask for a more exciting game. It was no BSU/OU Fiesta Bowl, but it WAS thrilling nonetheless. In the end Texas won, but both teams were hot in this game. There were only 3 total yards and 3 first downs difference between the two teams, despite the Longhorns possessing the ball for nearly a quarter longer than the Sooners. Bravo teams for backing up the Big 12′s credibility.

Not: Rotten Bowl

Okay….it’s not really a bowl….more like an arm pit….but this was too good to pass up:

Hot: Gatorade not Tiger Tang

Sure was fun being in the top five, eh Tigers? There’s not really much to say about this game. Florida showed up and never relented. The Gators worked tirelessly to prove to their fans, LSU, and the nation that the Ole Miss game was a fluke…..and they did. And in doing so, they handed LSU their biggest loss in 6 years. There’s not much GATOR than that!  

Not: TWO channels and still no coverage

While the thrilling Notre Dame/UNC game was shown on both ABC AND ESPN, viewers in our area saw neither. WE got to see the oh-so-boring USC/ASU game (turns out Coach Erikson isn’t getting along any better in Phoenix than he did in Moscow) and the even-more-boring-if-that’s-possible Ohio State/Purdue game (Idaho might actually be able to beat Purdue). Thanks a LOT schedulers!

Hot: Holy TOLEDO!

They may not be 1-AA like App State, but losing to Toledo is WAY worse on the LAME-O-Meter. That said, the fact that Toledo put their second W on the board this season against Mr. Cocky Pants Rodriguez is HOT indeed. Even better, Michigan had a chance to take it into overtime with what should have been a nice easy field goal. Instead, they suffered another home loss at the hands of an “inferior” opponent. Nice work, Rockets.

Not: Cuffs and Carts

While UCLA reciever, Terrence Austin, was being strapped to a board and taken from the field for a seriously cringe-worthy head injury, law enforcement and the second paramedic unit were busy elsewhere. Yes, instead of being concerned for the wellfare of this young man, some fans decided to use the break in play to start a fight. A fight that ended with one fan falling over the wall onto the field behind the UCLA bench. Like Austin, this fan was also carted away from the field and at least one other left in handcuffs. Pretty lame.

Oregon State and Ole Miss did the unthinkable this week. As commentators were proudly proclaiming USC the greatest team ever, the Beavers were preparing to repeat history. Not only did the Beavers triumph over the Trojans at home two years ago, eons ago they toppled the giant when they sat at #1….just as they did Thursday night. Ole Miss, too, repeated history, now having beaten Florida 3 of the last 4 times the teams have met.  

Not: Being declared hot

Last week, I declared USC and Florida the best teams in the country and invited them to the National Championship game. My bad! These teams may yet make it to the big game, but I just made it a lot harder for them. Little did you know that I held so much power! Ignore the lady behind curtain! I’m the great and powerful Oz!

Hot: Game Changing Performance

Despite losing starting QB TJ Yates last week, North Carolina refused to roll over for Miami. On the final drive, Tar Heels 28/Miami 24, it looked certain that the Hurricanes would succesfully put the ball in the end zone and hand North Carolina another painful loss. Instead, on the final play, Robert Marve passed to Kayne Farquharson, a pass certain to clinch the win, and watched in horror as the ball slipped out of Kayne’s hands right into the hands of UNC’s Goddard. The deflated Hurricane fans watched gloomily on as victory was snatched so quickly away. 

Not: Destruction between the Hedges

Georgia’s ability to acrue penalties finally paid off….sort of. The Bulldogs, who are the most penalized team in the SEC, made mistakes at the absolute worst times throughout their home matchup with Alabama. In all, they had 10 penalties to the Crimson Tide’s 2. Despite gaining only ten less yards than Alabama, Georgia was down 31 points at the half and really didn’t have much more to give in the second. And the ever outstanding Knowshon Moreno gained a measly 37 yards. To their credit, though, the Bulldogs are taking the loss like men and remain hopeful for the rest of the season.   

Hot: Not being in the Bottom 10

After winning last week’s pillow fight against Idaho, Utah State managed to jump out of the Bottom 10! This is more rare than a jewel of the calibur of The Heart of the Ocean (think Titanic)! Always remember Aggies, this week you were better than Tennessee (who actually was in the Bottom 10). It doesn’t get much better than that! 

Not: Attacking your program

Sure the Bruins stink, but they couldn’t have felt much worse than when they discovered that the UCLA marketing department published an ad in the Fresno Bee to entice more Bulldog fans to the Rose Bowl for Saturday’s matchup. Selling tickets is cool and having a full statium is great, but selling out your own team to achieve it? That’s not so good. The ad read, “So you can say ‘I was there’,” obviously indicating that the marketing department had little, if any, faith in the Bruins. They might as well have put out an ad reading, “Our team sucks and you’re going to want to see your team prove it.” Ouch!

Hot: Super Smarties

Northwestern: 5-0; Vanderbilt: 4-0; Duke: 3-1, with its first ACC win in 26 tries. Smarties seeing success: priceless. As great as it see to see these teams off to a positive start to the season, it’s definitely NOT hot that Northwestern is not in the rankings. Give the smarties some love!

Not: Fresnobsession

Let’s recap YET AGAIN……Fresno beat a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad Rutgers team; lost to an over-rated Wisconsin AT HOME; barely beat Toledo, who is now 1-3 and lost to FIU; AND scraped by, as their own marketing department will tell you, an awful UCLA who is completely defenseless. And this deserves a ranking why? It’s getting old, voters, it really is.  

HOTerable mentions: Michigan, Houston, Navy, Maryland, Rice, Oregon, Tulsa, Penn State, Oklahoma

NOTerable mentions: Wisconsin, Purdue, Wyoming, the State of Washington, Idaho, Hawaii

Everyone….and I mean EVERYONE said that BSU did not have a shot at winning this game. As soon as they did, I knew the Broncos would win. They’ve always done better with a chip on their shoulders! They want you to doubt them; they love it! As much as the win was well-earned, had Oregon’s THIRD STRING QB gotten a concussion a little earlier, the Broncos might not be doing the happy dance this week!

Not: Fresno’s Ranking

How exactly does a team from the WAC who beat what turns out to be an incredibly inadequate Rutgers team, lost to Wisconsin at home, and barely beat TOLEDO in DOUBLE overtime get to stay in the rankings? Seriously voters! there are undefeated teams waiting in the wings! Give up the dream! This year, like every other year, is NOT the bulldogs year to shine. Make room for someone else! 

Hot: NC State wins a legitimate game!

Just when the purple Pirates had everyone convinced that they were invincible, sad little NC State put a stop to their undefeated season. In what should have been a blowout (no offense State fans), the Wolfpack, led by amazing freshman QB Russell Wilson, dusted off their A game and showed the country that they can play ball too. Three cheers for the Wolfpack!

Not: West Virginia

Don’t get me wrong here….I have a fondness for the Mountaineers and truly wanted this to be their season, but like Fresno, it’s just not. Try as they might, they just can’t seem to get it together this season. Were it not for Pat White, they might have gone 3 and out on every possession. And there’s no Pat White on the defensive side of the ball.

Hot: B, B, BYU

Other than the close/controversial win at Washington, BYU has scored at least 40 points in each of their wins (@ Northern Iowa, UCLA, Wyoming). They’ve also held UCLA and Wyoming to the big Zilcho in their last two games. The Cougars are looking pretty unstoppable at the moment. Will Utah have enough to top them in their matchup in November?

Not: Tar Heels lose thier Achilles 

Just when Carolina had a legitimate chance at a thrilling season, their QB and leader, TJ Yates broke his ankle and will be out for the next six weeks. Along with his broken ankle came the disappointing loss against Virginia Tech and a gloomy outlook on the rest of the season. Does anyone know a good Tar Healer who can get things back on track?

Hot: USC vs. Florida: National Championship

My prediction is in. The Trojans and the Gators will face off in THE game of bowl season. USC looks to be freakishly good this season. Even Tebow’s crew looks a little small in the Trojans’ shadow. But are they really that good? Or is their competition just that bad? And is Florida really on a different level? Or has their competition been, well, worth competing against? Whichever turns out to be the case, these teams are off to great starts and will be exciting to watch in January! 

Not: Pillow Fights….or are they?

Saturday’s most-pivotal matchup HAD to be the Bottom 10′s pillow fight: Idaho versus Utah State. Two WAC bottom-feeders waiting and ready for a chance to win a conference game! Idaho may have beaten the mighty Idaho State Bengals, but they were no match for the Aggies! Utah State managed a whopping 42 points to the Vandals’ sad 17. Maybe things are looking up, eh Aggies? Going to topple the giant (BYU) next week?

HOTerable mentions: Northwestern, Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Minnesota, Penn State, TCU

Two games into the season and ECU is proving that their bowl game victory over BSU was no fluke! There were golf claps all around for the Pirates when they took down VT last weekend, but no one really thought they could top WVU.  Boy were we wrong! The pirates not only won, they destroyed the Mountaineers. Everytime WVU’s defense had a man wrapped up, he magically gained another 10-12 yards before dropping to the field. Looking at the rest of their line up, the Pirates may just run their way into a national championship game!

Not: 100K to Play

Idaho payed Idaho State $100,000+ to get them on their schedule this season. Couldn’t Idaho really spend those dollars on something more valuable? My mom and dad summarized it best…..Dad: “They could have used that money on new jock straps or something.” Mom: “That, or some balls to put in them.” Ouch! Wicked burn from a senior citizen, Vandals! But hey, you gotta get some W’s on record, right?

Hot: Do you want RICE with that?

Rice fans have been waiting a LOOONG time for something to get excited about….and this season may be it! After handing it to June Jones in his debut last week, Rice executed again to get a victory over Memphis on Saturday. It wasn’t the steamroller win of last week, but a last-minute interception, returned for a TD, gave them the 2-0 streak to start the season. The interception wasn’t the only thrilling moment of the game. Just prior, the Owls successfully attempted a 2-point conversion to tie things up at 35. It may have required a little luck, but a win is a win in the end! And this one was a real HOOT for Owl fans!

Not: Oregon State — AGAIN

Like many of their Pac 10 peers before them, Oregon State took a dive in Happy Valley.  After their heart-breaking loss against Stanford last week, the Beavers certainly weren’t hoping for the spectacular trouncing they recieved against the Nittany Lions. Perhaps the Penn State players tapped into the fiery spirit Joepa showed the media when they inquired about his need to retire. Whatever their motivation, they are on a 2-0 roll to start the season……the Beavers, however, fall on the other end of the spectrum.   

Hot: Vandy-tastic

Vandy hasn’t had a winning season since 1982, and hasn’t even been off to a two-win start since 1989….so it is with MUCH ado that Vandy earned the big W over the Gamecocks on Thursday night. What could be better? Well, proving that last season’s win over South Carolina was NOT a fluke after all. As Jared Hawkins put it, “We’re not a blowoff team. We’re going to hit you in the mouth.” Holla. Go Vandy, Go!

Not: Ohio State

Beanie Shmeanie. One players does not turn a #3-ranked team into a might-as-well-have-been-a-loss victor over a sad team like Ohio. Were it not for their FIVE turnovers, Ohio certainly would have picked off the mighty Buckeyes. What’s done is done, though. Brush it off and prepare to celebrate next weekend! USC won’t put up much of a fight! (No…I’m not laughing right now….okay…I am…a lot.)

Hot: Utah

Once Urban Meyer skipped merrily away to Florida after Utah first busted the BCS party, it seemed certain that the Utes were out of the picture for good. But last week it was the Utes who skipped merrily, away from the Big House with a victory over Michigan…a win that afforded them their first ranking in four years. The Utes may still have been somewhat hung over from the high of that victory because they looked a little pathetic in the first half of their game against UNLV. From there, though, the Utes scored 35 unanswered points to get the win and prove they deserve the respect they earned in last week’s game.

Not: Florida’s Win to End Miami Streak

Don’t be fooled by the lopsided score. The majority of Florida’s play against Miami was less than thrilling. In fact, Tebow looked like he couldn’t throw a pass on-target if Urban Meyer paid him! On their first possession, the Gators easily drove 40 yards, after a truly sad Miami punt, to put it in the end zone, but things cooled WAY down after that. Luckily, the Gators were able to heat things back up in the fourth quarter, managing to put an end to a Miami’s six-game winning streak in the match up.

Hot: Iowa Football, NOT its Fans

Maine and FIU are surely not in the upper escelon of the football class structure, but Iowa did their best to make sure they didn’t forget it! Combined, the two only scored 3 points to the 88 points Iowa put up. The only other thing to say about this game is SHAME on you Iowa fans! How dare you boo your back-up quarterback in a blowout??? Not classy. You need to go sit in the corner and think about just how fickle you’ve become. And maybe write out an apology note begging the team to forgive you and take you back.     

Not: Pac 10 Officiating

Throughout their contest on Saturday night, BYU and Washington traded score for score. Midway through the 4th, all were tied at 21. BYU put together a successful drive, finding the end zone, going up 28 – 21, and giving the ball back to the Huskies with 3 minutes left. In response, Jake Locker scrambled his way down the field and finally into the end zone to give his team a chance to tie things up and take the battle into overtime. After scoring, Locker tossed the ball over his shoulder and rushed to jumping, ecstatic teammates to celebrate……uh oh…..out came the dreaded yellow hanky…..Celebration penalty against Washington. Ultimately, this penalty, which backed up the PAT 15 yards, cost the team and the fans the chance at an exciting overtime competition. Those officials need to go take a time out with the Iowa fans…. 

Hot: Giving your Best

The worst loss in Washington State’s history (124 years in all) is Cal’s gain! In his first start, Cal’s Jahvid Best ran for 200 yards, 30 more than the Cougars totaled. Even better (Best…better…get it?), he did it in 14 carries! Best started the game off right with an 80 yard run for a touchdown and continued to embarrass the Pac 10′s worst team for the remainder of the game.

Not: Colorado

After a thrilling in-state rivalary win over Colorado State last weekend, Colorado nearly toppled to the oh-so-sad Eastern Washington Eagles of the Big Sky conference. The Eagles had a solid lead up to the fourth quarter….Who is the dummy who decided games should be 1 hour anyway? If quarters were only 10 minutes, the Eagles would have had high fives and butt slaps all around after the game. Instead, the Buffaloes managed two TDs and a FG to take the lead. But it wasn’t until the last play of the game that they could be certain of victory. The Eagles had a chance to tie things up with a TD pass. Sadly, Colorado intercepted it with 3 seconds left.  This debacle could spell good news for the Mountaineers who face Colorado next.

ALL of Kentucky’s TDs came from turnovers Saturday against Loserville (err…Louisville), but none was more exciting then the 72-yard fumble returned for a TD by the big burly 300+ lb Myron Pryor. The only guy who even had a CHANCE to run him down was the CENTER. Never a good sign. Louisville’s performance was dismal during the good times, and even worse during the bad, which was certainly satisfying for the Kentucky fans who had to pay more than $70 a ticket to attend the game (compared to $40 for Louisville fans).

Hot: Pirates of the Carolinabean

I know I wasn’t the only person to scratch my head and say “Who in blue blazes is ECU?” before the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl following the 2007 season. But people across the country are starting to take notice of the Pirates who are now on a roll after beating the world’s greatest football team (Boise State) in Hawaii and starting the season with a thrilling victory over Virginia Tech.  Only time will tell if this team is as legit as Johnny Depp’s career. Perhaps even too legit to quit!

Not: Idaho

Arizona generally goes overlooked in the football world, but leave it to Idaho to make them look like USC up against Palo Alto High School. Arizona’s 70 to 0 destruction of the Vandals was the their highest scoring game since flappers were in style! Not only that, this was Arizona’s first shutout in 12 years! And all this in the rain no less! Idaho’s Nathan Enderlie completed a miserable 10 passes. Even if counting his intercepted throws as completions, he STILL wouldn’t make it to 50%. Looks like the Vandals can look forward to a permanent spot in the Bottom 10….AGAIN!  

Hot: Florida

No, not just Tebow, not just the offense, EVERYONE got in on Florida’s scoring frenzy Saturday. The defense scored two TDs, both off interceptions…and special teams scored on a punt return. Perhaps most impressive….Florida did not score at all in the first or fourth quarters. Imagine if they’d kept things fired up for all four quarters! Hawaii on the other hand had 6 turnovers….at least one from each of their quarterbacks….Colt, oh Colt, where-fore-art-thou, oh Colt? 

Not: Oregon State’s final drive

The Beaver’s conference and season opener against Stanford was nothing if not a nail-biter. Down by 8 with two minutes left to play, it looked like the Beavers were surely going to lose. But as luck would have it, Stanford couldn’t move the ball and had to punt it away with a little over a minute and a half left. The Beav’s were ready to make the most of the opportunity. Several well-executed plays later, they found themselves at 3rd and 4 with 16 yards to the goal. Just then, Darrell Catchings made a great catch, running 15 yards toward the end zone. With 44 seconds left on the clock, and a first down secured, Catchings stretched for the end zone….lost the ball….and fumbled it right through the end zone. And in that briefest of moments, the team and fans alike fell from the thrill of victory into the misery of defeat….starting the season on a down note and having to face a 0-1 record when conference play begins.

Hot: UCLA

Despite throwing back-to-back interceptions, Kevin Craft lit things up in the second half to lead UCLA and new head coach Rick Neuheisel to an exciting overtime victory over the supposedly superior Volunteers. It couldn’t hurt that, according to Coach Fulmer, “[Tennessee] made enough mistakes to fill three of four games.”

Not: Fresno’s win over Rutgers

On their first possession, Rutgers made it within 30 yards of the goal line, but failed to score with a missed field goal. On the second, they made it to first and goal….but 4 tries later, still had no points. On the next, they only had 36 yards to drive, but threw an interception immediately. Two possessions later, they made it down to the 4 yard line, again failed to get the TD, and missed another field goal. AND SO….at halftime, the score was all tied at zero, instead of Rutgers 24, Fresno 0. Thus, after a miserable first half, Fresno was able to come out for the second half with a clean slate, and they certainly made the most of it. Thanks for nothing, Scarlet Knights.

Hot: Bowling Green

Props to Bowling Green who managed to ARM PITT with their first home loss to an MAC team in school history (24 games in all). Pitt possessed the ball seven minutes longer than BG, but that was not enough to offset their 4 turnovers. And what’s good for Bowling Green in good for BSU…until September 13, anyway.  

Not: June Jones’ Debut

Hopefully June’s big fat paycheck makes him happy cause there is no way the performance of his new team is doing anything for him. Not only did SMU fall on their face in the season opener, they did so against Rice, who hasn’t scored that many points since 1944….and now have a conference loss under their belt.  Five turnovers and seven penalties were not exactly what the lei-free Jones was hoping for.