Saturday, June 11, 2011

06 Fiesta Bowl Champions, 2002 Miami and 2004 USC Remain Unbeaten

Just three teams are still unbeaten in the Simulation Football League after four weeks.  The 2006 Broncos are the last unbeaten team in the Boise State Division, while Miami of Florida and USC are 4-0 in the Championship Division.


Here are the Standings:


Boise State Division
1.    2006 Boise State 4-0 (129 points, 67 allowed)
2.    2009 Boise State 3-1 (197-134)
2.    2003 Boise State 3-1 (123-78)
4.    2002 Boise State 2-2 (160-145)
4.    2008 Boise State 2-2 (93-103)
4.    2010 Boise State 2-2 (162-135)
7.    2004 Boise State 1-3 (100-135)
7.    2005 Boise State 1-3 (87-164)
7.    2007 Boise State 1-3 (98-158)
10.  2001 Boise State 0-4 (86-194)


Championship Division
1.    2001 Miami of Florida 4-0 (145-67)
1.    2004 USC 4-0 (157-95)
3.    2005 Texas 3-1 (125-103)
3.    2009 Alabama 3-1 (106-68)
5.    2008 Florida 2-2 (116-117)
5.    2002 Ohio State 2-2 (74-78)
7.    2003 LSU 1-3 (82-110)
7.    2006 Florida 1-3 (105-112)
7.    2007 LSU 1-3 (79-108)
10.  2010 Auburn 0-4 (61-129)  

Add Two More Commitments (Devan Demas and Steven Baggett) to 2012 Boise State Recruiting Class

Two more student-athletes have committed to Boise State today.  6-3, 255-pound guard Steven Baggett has committed to the Broncos according to several sources.  The Broncos' immovable force of the future is from Arlington Martin High School in Arlington, Texas and is one of four student athletes from the team to give a verbal to a major college football team.  

The other commit is a running back from Texas, long rumored to be coming to Boise.  In fact, word that another running back is going to be in town next weekend and is close to committing may have encouraged him to commit.  He is in Boise as I write this.  Blue Through and Through has word that according to his Twitter account, Devan Demas, a 5-9, 165-pound super back from Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas has given his verbal commitment to Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. 






I can say this much--getting this running back is a major coup for Boise State.  Demas ran for 1,850 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior; he's a friend of current Bronco D.J. Harper.  Demas chose Boise State over offers from Utah, Indiana, Air Force, Rice, Wake Forest, Iowa State and UTEP and over interest from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, Arkansas and Baylor.


This makes four recruits in this class from Texas.  The class has boomed to 7 this week with more rumored to be committing shortly.

Welcome to Boise, Devan and Steven!

2010 Broncos Shock 2009 Boise State Team in SFL Action

2010 Boise State 54, 2009 Boise State 48
The echoes were heard far and wide.  A 2009 Boise State team that had never tasted defeat got a big dose of it when the 2010 Broncos came back from a 34-14 deficit to steal a 54-48 decision.


"We had 'em down and didn't put them away," defensive tackle Billy Winn said.  "We've got to put the hammer down.  Usually we do, but not today.  And it bit us."


The Fiesta Bowl Champions had things well in hand on the strength of two Kellen Moore to Titus Young aerial TD's, two D.J. Harper runs (one from 58 yards) and two Kyle Brotzman field goals.  The 2009 Broncos had two scoring strikes from Kellen Moore to show for themselves as they faced the 34-14 deficit going into halftime.  Then, miraculously, Titus Young made a circus catch in the end zone on a 52-yard pass play from Moore as the clock hit 0:00 and that breathed new life into the 2009 team.


"We felt if we could do that, we could do anything," said the 2010 version of Kellen Moore.  It was frustrating watching myself out there making plays while I was sitting on the sidelines.  I knew if I had the chance, I had to make the most of it."


Whatever Coach Chris Petersen said to his 2010 Broncos, it worked.  They came out and scored on the opening drive with Doug Martin running over tacklers on his way to a 48-yard TD.  Kyle Brotzman booted a 20-yard field goal and the 2010 Broncos were within 3 at 34-31.  Angered by watching his double score for the opponents, the 2009 Doug Martin slipped free on a screen pass and did some bulldozing of his own on a 57-yard highlight reel catch and run. 


The 2010 Boise State team would strike just 48 seconds later, however, as Moore through a bullet to Tyler Shoemaker who ran it in untouched.  The third quarter ended with the 2009 team clinging to a 41-38 lead in a game it thought it had won long before.  The 2010 Broncos grabbed the lead on a 7-yard pass from Moore to Martin (the extra point was missed), then, after the defense held, reserve senior running back Jarvis Hodge ripped through the line for a 56-yard touchdown run. 


The game 2009 Broncos came back less than two minutes later to score on a 13-yard pass from Moore to Austin Pettis to make it 51-48.  They wouldn't get the ball until 8 seconds were left, as Martin and Jeremy Avery ran the ball down the field, with Boise State getting a 30-yard field goal from Brotzman.  The 2009 Boise State team tried some razzle dazzle on he ensuing kickoff, but the 2010 Broncos were ready and the celebration began.


Moore was 25-36 for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns to cause havoc in the '09 secondary.  Moore spread the ball to eight receivers, with Young getting 5 catches for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns, Pettis grabbing 5 for 77 and Shoemaker ending with 3 receptions for 97.  Martin enjoyed a field day with 21 carries for 185 yards and  touchdown; he also added 4 catches for 38 yards and 2 more scores. 


For the 2009 Broncos, Jeremy Avery (18-121) and Doug Martin (11-103) both went over 100 yards and Harper finished with 81 yards on just 4 carries.  Titus Young was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Moore could not quite match his 2010 performance, going 21-36 for 338 yards and 4 touchdowns. 


The 2010 Broncos climbed back in the race in the Boise State Division with a 2-2 record while bringing the 2009 team down to 3-1.




2003 Boise State 41, 2002 Boise State 24
Ryan Dinwiddie tossed 5 touchdown passes as the 2003 Boise State team broke open a close game to get a 41-24 victory over their 2002 Bronco opponents. 


RD finished 25-35 for 361 yards in threading the needle for Coach Dan Hawkins' team.  "I had good vision today," Dinwiddie said.  "My receivers were familiar with the coverage and found the seams in the secondary."


Tyler Jones's field goals of 37 and 50 yards staked the 2002 team, now 2-2, to an early lead but Dinwiddie's 28-yard pass to Lawrence Bady with 2:13 remaining gave the 2003 Broncos a 20-14 halftime edge.  Dinwiddie led his team on scoring drives on each of their first two possessions of the second half, with T.J. Acree and David Mikell the beneficiaries of Dinwiddie TD passes.  That made it 34-14 and the 2003 team (3-1) coasted from there. 


David Mikell was the difference in the game.  Though he didn't find the end zone rushing the ball (he scored on a passing play), Mikell churned up 130 yards on 21 carries.


The starting quarterback for the 2002 team, Ryan Dinwiddie, had a decent day (20-35 for 210 and a TD) but couldn't get the yards in bunches.  "The Boise State defense was better than I thought they were; they switched up coverages and made it tough," he said.  Billy Wingfield was Dinwiddie's top target with 5 catches for 64 yards.  Senior Brock Forsey ran for 96 yards on 33 carries and scored twice. 




2006 Boise State 24, 2004 Boise State 20
Color them scared but happy to get out with a win.


The Fiesta Bowl Champion Boise State team may have been a little high after knocking off the mythical "National Champion" 2006 Florida team last week.  In any case, this one was a dogfight from start to finish.  The 2004 Boise State team was out to prove something and they nearly did.


"We didn't take them lightly," 2006 linebacker Korey Hall said.  "We knew how good we were two years ago, so we knew it would be a tough game."


Jared Zabransky and Jon Helmandollar both scored in the first quarter to give the 2006 team a 14-7 advantage.  It was a defensive struggle from there, as a 24-yard pass from Jared Zabransky to T.J. Acree with 53 seconds remaining tied the game for the 2004 Broncos. 


The Liberty Bowl team opened the second half with a nice drive that culminated in a Tyler Jones 23-yard field goal.  Zabransky led the 2006 team on a drive of its own with 5:35 left in the quarter.  With the ball on the doorstep of the 2004 team, Ian Johnson bulled over from 3 yards out to give his team a 21-17 lead.  The defenses dominated the remainder of the game.  Jones hit another field goal to make it 21-20 with 7:53 left in the game but Anthony Montgomery's field goal with 2:24 left sealed the deal for the victorious 2006 Boise State team.  Quinton Jones' interception of an '04 Zabransky's pass ended all hopes for the Liberty Bowl Broncos.


The 2004 Boise State team was stung by penalties, accumulating 10 for 67 yards while the 2006 team was flagged just twice. 


Ian Johnson ran for 170 yards and a TD on 34 carries, often carrying defenders on his back.  Legedu Naanee paced the '06 receivers with 5 catches for 70 yards. 


Lee Marks had 98 yards rushing on 20 carries for the 2004 team.


With the shocking loss of the 2009 Fiesta Bowl Champion team, the 2006 Boise State team is now all alone in first place with a 4-0 mark.  The 2003 Broncos slip to 1-3.




2007 Boise State 54, 2001 Boise State 35
The 2007 Boise State team tasted its share of heartbreak, but their game against the 2001 Broncos was a mismatch.  Ian Johnson scored three touchdowns, Taylor Tharp threw for two and Kyle Brotzman booted home four field goals as the 2007 Broncos erupted for their highest point total of the SFL season.


Johnson ran wild for 262 yards on 24 carries, including a long of 61 yards, as Coach Chris Petersen's team ran for 309.  Tharp threw for three interceptions, but he did finish 26-41 for 375 yards.  Jeremy Childs could not be covered with 7 catches for 65 yards and one of the scores.  Johnson also had 62 yards receiving on 5 catches for a total of 324 yards of all-purpose offense.


2001 quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie has gotten off to a great start this SFL season but he couldn't provide the difference in this one.  Dinwiddie finished 22-35 for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Brock Forsey picked up 153 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to lead the 2001 Boise State team.  Travis Burgher provided a defensive highlight for Boise State when he scored on a 37-yard pick six of Tharp.  Gabe Franklin and Kris Foster recorded the other interceptions for the 2001 team, still winless at 0-4.




2005 Boise State 34, 2008 Boise State 17
In a shocker, the 2005 Boise State team throttled the stunned 2008 Broncos 34-17 this afternoon to record their first win of the season. 


Ian Johnson finished drives with touchdown runs and Anthony Montgomery kicked a 29-yard field goal as the 2005 Broncos opened up a 17-0 lead before the 2008 Boise State team knew what hit them.  It was soon 24-0 after Jerard Rabb found a crease and hauled in a 16-yard pass from Jared Zabransky with 9:49 left in the half.  The senior Ian Johnson finally got the '08 team on the board with a 16-yard run to the pylon. 


The 2008 Boise State team tried to rally in the third with a nice 33-yard pass from Kellen Moore to Austin Pettis and a 24-yard Kyle Brotzman field goal.  But Montgomery kicked another field goal to extend the lead to 27-17 and the 2005 Bronco defense shut out the 2008 team from there.  Punt returner Quinton Jones completed the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 70-yard return to the barn. 


Lee Marks paced the 2005 team with 132 yards on 15 carries while IJ finished with 81 yards on 13 totes.  Zabransky was just 10-23 for 95 yards; this one was one on the ground and by defense.  Marty Tadman picked off Moore three times to end threats. 


Johnson led the 2008 team (2-2) with 57 yards and a TD on 18 carries.


The win for the 2005 Broncos was their first against three defeats.




2009 Alabama 25, 2010 Auburn 14
Leigh Tiffin booted six field goals as Alabama rushed out to a 25-0 lead and dealt Auburn its fourth loss of the season.


Alabama has now won three consecutive games after being shut out by the 2005 National Champion Texas team.  Mark Ingram led the way again with 143 yards on 26 carries. 


Cam Newton was just 6-10 on the game passing but did finish with 86 yards rushing.  Leading rusher Michael Dyer was held to 58 yards on 17 carries.




2002 Ohio State 27, 2003 LSU 7
The 2002 National Champions distanced themselves on Separation Saturday, putting the 2003 LSU team further behind the standings in a convincing 27-7 victory.


LSU actually outgained Ohio State 353-326 in total yards but we know how much that matters.


Leading Buckeye rusher Maurice Clarett gained an even 100 and scored once on 27 carries.  Steady Craig Krenzel was 12-20 for 181 yards and a score.  Chris Gamble stepped in front of two Matt Mauck passes to thwart Tiger drives.


Mauck had enjoyed a great start to the SFL season but he had a poor day this afternoon, finishing 14-31 for 151 yards with no touchdowns and the two picks.  Justin Vincent continued his relentless rushing, gaining 146 yards on 15 carries.  Nevertheless, LSU finds itself 1-3 on the SFL season.  


The Buckeyes are 2-2 and tied for fifth place in the Championship Division.




2004 USC 38, 2006 Florida 24
The 2004 National Champion USC Trojans gained ground on the 2006 Florida team on Separation Saturday with a 38-24 win this afternoon.  Star Gator running back Percy Harvin was injured in the second quarter and had to leave the game with just 8 yards on 5 carries.


The Trojans kept Florida at bay throughout the game, never letting the Gators grab the lead.  LenDale White scored three touchdowns and ran for 131 yards on 23 carries.  Reggie Bush was held to 37 yards on 12 carries.  Matt Leinart was 23-32 for 266 yards and 2 TD's.  Steve Smith topped USC receivers with 5 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown while Dominique Byrd had 4 grabs for 46.


Chris Leak completed 20-of-36 passes for 262 yards and 3 scores but also suffered 3 interceptions for Florida, now 1-3 this season.  DeShawn Wynn paced the ground attack with 97 yards on 17 carries.




2001 Miami of Florida 27, 2008 Florida 23
Todd Sievers' 48-yard field goal with 1:27 left enabled Miami of Florida to hold off the 2008 National Champion Gators 27-23.


Florida had pulled close with a Kestahn Moore 49-yard touchdown run and a 44-yard field goal from Jonathan Phillips, who had three on the day.


Miami picked up 32 first downs to 14 for Florida but the Gators got theirs in bunches to score when it mattered.


Ken Dorsey was tremendous once again for the undefeated Hurricanes, going 27-42 for 338 yards.  Ethenic Sands had 5 catches for 63 yards while Andre Johnson added 4 for 86.  Leading SFL rusher Clinton Portis kept Florida off balance with 135 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.  Miami held Jeffery Demps to 51 yards rushing on 8 carries.


The Hurricanes are tied with USC at 4-0 while the 2008 Florida team slipped to 2-2.




2005 Texas 25, 2007 LSU 24
Vince Young found Limas Sweed for 28-yard scoring pass with 23 seconds remaining as Texas survived a scare from the 2007 Tigers to pull out a 25-24 win.


The upstart Tigers held the advantage for 59 minutes and 37 seconds until the late Texas touchdown.  Keiland Williams shocked the vaunted Longhorn defense with a 60-yard run on LSU's opening drive and, after a David Pino field goal, the Tigers came back with another drive that ended with a 14-yard Matt Flynn to Keith Zinger pass that put them up 14-3.  Texas was able to get a safety when Aaron Harris tackled Flynn in the end zone, but UT was unable to convert on the ensuing punt.  Jacob Hester found the end zone with 29 seconds left in the half and surprising LSU had a 21-5 lead.


Texas came back with a 51-yard run from Jamaal Charles, to make it 21-12, the only score of the third quarter.  Colt David, one of the SFL's leading field goal kickers, booted a 34-yarder to put his team up by 12.  Charles scored his second touchdown of the game with 6:20 left to make it 24-19 and the Texas defense stiffened to get the ball back with 2:41 left.  Young brought his team down the field for the dramatic touchdown to keep his team in the hunt for a postseason berth with a 3-1 record.


Charles finished with 115 yards rushing on 17 carries while Vince Young had 65 yards on 18 attempts.  Young was also 13-22 for 195 yards passing.


Jacob Hester gained 109 yards on 23 carries to pace LSU (1-3), with Williams picking up 92 yards on 9 tries.  Early Doucet, who is tied with Jeremy Childs of the 2008 Boise State team in receptions, was the top receiver with 7 catches for 49 yards.


Texas is now 3-1 this season in the SFL.