Friday, October 26, 2007
*********** For Immediate Release **********
*********** For Immediate Release **********
ReliefSpark.org is pleased to announce a new message board to help
provide an online place for evacuees and volunteers to connect and share
information.
Have something to donate? Need practical FEMA information? Looking for a place to
stay? Visit our new message board at:
http://www.reliefspark.org/messageboard/
Other topics on the message board include:
-Fire News
-Long Term Recovery Needs
-Donations Offered
-Donations Requested
-Donation Drives
-Free Services Available
-FEMA Information
-Insurance Company Information
-Temporary Housing Solutions
-Temporary Pet Housing Solutions
-Volunteer Information
-Non-Profits Helping Out
-Information on Fraud, Price Gouging, Scams and Ripoffs
Visit the message boards today! :)
http://www.reliefspark.org/messageboard/
-------------------
About Relief Spark:
-------------------
Relief Spark is a non-profit that provides marketing, PR and volunteer support to
grassroots organizations in New Orleans, LA and Southern CA that assist with
helping communities respond and rebuild during and after natural disasters.
We are a network of volunteers that span across the world. We create channels of
distribution, we collect information and provide resources for volunteers and
individuals alike.
For more information please visit our website:
http://www.ReliefSpark.org
ReliefSpark.org is pleased to announce a new message board to help
provide an online place for evacuees and volunteers to connect and share
information.
Have something to donate? Need practical FEMA information? Looking for a place to
stay? Visit our new message board at:
http://www.reliefspark.org
Other topics on the message board include:
-Fire News
-Long Term Recovery Needs
-Donations Offered
-Donations Requested
-Donation Drives
-Free Services Available
-FEMA Information
-Insurance Company Information
-Temporary Housing Solutions
-Temporary Pet Housing Solutions
-Volunteer Information
-Non-Profits Helping Out
-Information on Fraud, Price Gouging, Scams and Ripoffs
Visit the message boards today! :)
http://www.reliefspark.org
-------------------
About Relief Spark:
-------------------
Relief Spark is a non-profit that provides marketing, PR and volunteer support to
grassroots organizations in New Orleans, LA and Southern CA that assist with
helping communities respond and rebuild during and after natural disasters.
We are a network of volunteers that span across the world. We create channels of
distribution, we collect information and provide resources for volunteers and
individuals alike.
For more information please visit our website:
http://www.ReliefSpark.org
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Many I-A football teams fill 12th game with I-AA foes
College football's permanent 12-game schedule will start with the 2006 season, and besides more work and less time off for players, it will mean more Division I-A teams playing I-AA opponents.
With schedules just about finalized for the fall, 74 of the 119 I-A teams are committed to play I-AA foes. Last year, the final season of the 11-game schedule (but with an NCAA rule changed to allow one I-AA win each year to count toward bowl eligibility), 53 I-A teams had a game against a I-AA club.
The flip side of the equation is that I-AA teams can make more money by scheduling games against I-A clubs. Northwestern State and Portland State are each playing three I-A teams.
When a permanent 12th game was approved, Big 12 Conference Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said he would push his schools to use the extra date to schedule more marquee opponents.
That hasn't worked out as well as he had hoped, however. Eleven of the league's 12 schools (all but Oklahoma) will play I-AA teams this fall.
"One of the things that has been a concern to me is the quality of schedules generally, even prior to the 12-game schedules," Weiberg says. "We've been asking for the cooperation of our athletics directors and coaches in trying to make sure the non-conference schedules at least include one opponent from maybe the top 50 or 60 teams in the country." But, Weiberg says, schedule-makers have had trouble nailing down those kinds of opponents in a home-and-home series or without paying what Big 12 schools consider excessive guarantees to visiting teams.
"Not to say it's impossible to get such games, but I think it's a more competitive arena to operate in than some maybe thought it would be," Weiberg says.
A possible solution, at least for his league, Weiberg says, is to seriously consider adding a ninth conference game each season and going back to playing three non-league opponents. Weiberg says that issue will be discussed at the league's annual meeting May 22-25.
The Pacific-10 is already following that model, starting this year.
Weiberg says he didn't know where coaches stand.
"What I've seen is an increased level of interest on the part of ADs who previously weren't supportive of it," he says. "I think it's moving in that direction, but I don't know that it'll pass."
With schedules just about finalized for the fall, 74 of the 119 I-A teams are committed to play I-AA foes. Last year, the final season of the 11-game schedule (but with an NCAA rule changed to allow one I-AA win each year to count toward bowl eligibility), 53 I-A teams had a game against a I-AA club.
The flip side of the equation is that I-AA teams can make more money by scheduling games against I-A clubs. Northwestern State and Portland State are each playing three I-A teams.
When a permanent 12th game was approved, Big 12 Conference Commissioner Kevin Weiberg said he would push his schools to use the extra date to schedule more marquee opponents.
That hasn't worked out as well as he had hoped, however. Eleven of the league's 12 schools (all but Oklahoma) will play I-AA teams this fall.
"One of the things that has been a concern to me is the quality of schedules generally, even prior to the 12-game schedules," Weiberg says. "We've been asking for the cooperation of our athletics directors and coaches in trying to make sure the non-conference schedules at least include one opponent from maybe the top 50 or 60 teams in the country." But, Weiberg says, schedule-makers have had trouble nailing down those kinds of opponents in a home-and-home series or without paying what Big 12 schools consider excessive guarantees to visiting teams.
"Not to say it's impossible to get such games, but I think it's a more competitive arena to operate in than some maybe thought it would be," Weiberg says.
A possible solution, at least for his league, Weiberg says, is to seriously consider adding a ninth conference game each season and going back to playing three non-league opponents. Weiberg says that issue will be discussed at the league's annual meeting May 22-25.
The Pacific-10 is already following that model, starting this year.
Weiberg says he didn't know where coaches stand.
"What I've seen is an increased level of interest on the part of ADs who previously weren't supportive of it," he says. "I think it's moving in that direction, but I don't know that it'll pass."
Thursday, April 06, 2006
UCLA Bruins
Going 10-2 would be reason to do cartwheels at most schools, but it feels a little empty at UCLA only because of what's going on in another part of town.
By almost any measure, UCLA had a fabulous year full of thrilling comebacks, a win over Oklahoma, and a Sun Bowl victory over Northwestern, but yet another march to the BCS by USC and a humiliating 66-14 loss to the hated Trojans put a sour note on last year. The biggest problem now isn't trying to keep up with the Joneses, or, the Carrolls, it's trying to be as good as last year.
Forgetting how badly the Bruins were blown out by USC, at least they were in a position to make some really big things happen. Think about where UCLA was last year before the first Saturday in November. At 9-1 they had a chance to win a tie of the Pac 10 title, would've gone to the BCS with a win over USC, and very possibly would've played for the national title considering the love and respect the Trojans were getting at the time. QB Drew Olson would've been a last-second Heisman candidate and this would be the hot program going into 2006. Just to be in that kind of a spot shows how far the program has come in a short time under head coach Karl Dorrell, but expect a slip this year.
For one thing, UCLA can't afford to play with fire in every game again. There were four fourth quarter comebacks along with a thrilling second half comeback to beat Arizona State. There was a fantastic year by Olson, who couldn't seem to do any wrong before the USC game, which will have a hard time being repeated by the new Olson, Ben. And then there was the run defense, which was the second-worst in America and was saved only by the prolific offense.
This year's UCLA team has to replace the entire linebacking corps, is still smallish up front for a national power program, loses top playmakers Olson, Maurice Drew and TE Marcedes Lewis from the offense, and lacks proven playmakers on both sides of the ball. Factor all that into a better Pac 10 and it'll be a stunner if UCLA can even dream about double-digit wins at some point this year.
Expect more high scoring games and several young players to quickly grow into Pac 10 household names, after all, this is an athletic team, but also consider this a stepping stone season to 2007 when the team will be loaded with experience. The Bruins just hope the road to rebuilding isn't too rocky.
The Schedule: It's not bad as long as the Bruins can play well at home. With the offense UCLA should have, it has a puncher's chance on the road against Notre Dame and should be able to hold its own at Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State. Winning two of those four would be a huge success, but the key will be winning in Pasadena where victories against Utah, Rice, Stanford, Arizona, Washington State and Oregon State are a must before the season ender against USC.
Best Offensive Player: Junior OG Shannon Tevaga. QB Ben Olson is the key to the season, but Tevaga is a critical player on the young line mostly due to his size. At 310 pounds, he's one of the team's biggest lineman and he needs to not only be an anchor and a leader, he also has to be the team's key run blocker.
Best Defensive Player: Junior DT Kevin Brown. On a defense woefully shy of sure-thing playmakers, the 297-pound Brown has to be the key factor in toughening up the run defense. He missed all of last season with an ankle problem that was missing his quickness inside and his beef against the run. If he's fine all year he'll be in the mix for All-Pac 10 honors.
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore QB Ben Olson. He lost the quarterback derby last year to Drew Olson because he had accuracy issues, and then Drew came out and was one of the nation's most efficient passers. Now the big BYU transfer looks ready to not only be a leader, but a star. The offense needs a mature, steady ringleader, and Olson should be it.
The season will be a success if ... UCLA finishes in the top four of the Pac 10. There are simply way, way too many question marks and way too much youth to reasonable expect a run for the Pac 10 title. The rest of the league is too good for the Bruins to finish second, but a top four finish would mean the program didn't slide all that much before what should be a big 2007.
Key game: Oct. 14 at Oregon. If UCLA is above-average, it should at least be 4-1 going into the nasty road trip to Eugene, and should reasonably expect to be 5-0. A win at Oregon would do wonders for the young team's confidence going into the Notre Dame game and would be a must with Pac 10 games ahead against heavyweights Cal, Arizona State and USC.
By almost any measure, UCLA had a fabulous year full of thrilling comebacks, a win over Oklahoma, and a Sun Bowl victory over Northwestern, but yet another march to the BCS by USC and a humiliating 66-14 loss to the hated Trojans put a sour note on last year. The biggest problem now isn't trying to keep up with the Joneses, or, the Carrolls, it's trying to be as good as last year.
Forgetting how badly the Bruins were blown out by USC, at least they were in a position to make some really big things happen. Think about where UCLA was last year before the first Saturday in November. At 9-1 they had a chance to win a tie of the Pac 10 title, would've gone to the BCS with a win over USC, and very possibly would've played for the national title considering the love and respect the Trojans were getting at the time. QB Drew Olson would've been a last-second Heisman candidate and this would be the hot program going into 2006. Just to be in that kind of a spot shows how far the program has come in a short time under head coach Karl Dorrell, but expect a slip this year.
For one thing, UCLA can't afford to play with fire in every game again. There were four fourth quarter comebacks along with a thrilling second half comeback to beat Arizona State. There was a fantastic year by Olson, who couldn't seem to do any wrong before the USC game, which will have a hard time being repeated by the new Olson, Ben. And then there was the run defense, which was the second-worst in America and was saved only by the prolific offense.
This year's UCLA team has to replace the entire linebacking corps, is still smallish up front for a national power program, loses top playmakers Olson, Maurice Drew and TE Marcedes Lewis from the offense, and lacks proven playmakers on both sides of the ball. Factor all that into a better Pac 10 and it'll be a stunner if UCLA can even dream about double-digit wins at some point this year.
Expect more high scoring games and several young players to quickly grow into Pac 10 household names, after all, this is an athletic team, but also consider this a stepping stone season to 2007 when the team will be loaded with experience. The Bruins just hope the road to rebuilding isn't too rocky.
The Schedule: It's not bad as long as the Bruins can play well at home. With the offense UCLA should have, it has a puncher's chance on the road against Notre Dame and should be able to hold its own at Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State. Winning two of those four would be a huge success, but the key will be winning in Pasadena where victories against Utah, Rice, Stanford, Arizona, Washington State and Oregon State are a must before the season ender against USC.
Best Offensive Player: Junior OG Shannon Tevaga. QB Ben Olson is the key to the season, but Tevaga is a critical player on the young line mostly due to his size. At 310 pounds, he's one of the team's biggest lineman and he needs to not only be an anchor and a leader, he also has to be the team's key run blocker.
Best Defensive Player: Junior DT Kevin Brown. On a defense woefully shy of sure-thing playmakers, the 297-pound Brown has to be the key factor in toughening up the run defense. He missed all of last season with an ankle problem that was missing his quickness inside and his beef against the run. If he's fine all year he'll be in the mix for All-Pac 10 honors.
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore QB Ben Olson. He lost the quarterback derby last year to Drew Olson because he had accuracy issues, and then Drew came out and was one of the nation's most efficient passers. Now the big BYU transfer looks ready to not only be a leader, but a star. The offense needs a mature, steady ringleader, and Olson should be it.
The season will be a success if ... UCLA finishes in the top four of the Pac 10. There are simply way, way too many question marks and way too much youth to reasonable expect a run for the Pac 10 title. The rest of the league is too good for the Bruins to finish second, but a top four finish would mean the program didn't slide all that much before what should be a big 2007.
Key game: Oct. 14 at Oregon. If UCLA is above-average, it should at least be 4-1 going into the nasty road trip to Eugene, and should reasonably expect to be 5-0. A win at Oregon would do wonders for the young team's confidence going into the Notre Dame game and would be a must with Pac 10 games ahead against heavyweights Cal, Arizona State and USC.
Miami RedHawks
After what could only be described as a tremendously disappointing season, now Miami has to rebuild and reload to keep pace in the improving MAC.
The 2005 RedHawks were the MAC's most experienced, most talented team showing enough firepower to obliterate eventual league champion Akron 51-23, but they couldn't seem to get any respect. It wasn't like the team tanked winning seven of the final nine games, but a 42-14 home loss to Bowling Green ended any conference title hopes and soured any potential bowl suitors. Now the program has to hope it doesn't slip in the second year under head coach Shane Montgomery.
Miami hasn't just been a MAC power over the last few years, it's been the league's second most consistent program behind Toledo with the last losing season coming in 1993. But being consistent isn't enough for the RedHawks. They want to be winning MAC titles, and despite a ton of issues on both sides of the ball, there's no reason they can't be back in the championship game representing the East.
Only five starters return, but it's not like the cupboard is completely bare with good prospects returning to fill most of the holes with the biggest question at quarterback, where Mike Kokal, Jared Elliott and Daniel Raudabaugh will try to be next in line after Josh Betts and Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, the talent level will be there to be competitive, but can Miami get the momentum back after tremendous seasons in 2003 and 2004? Absolutely.
No, this isn't going to be anywhere near the 13-1 monster of 2003, and it's not going to be nearly as good as last year, but the East is the far weaker of the two divisions. If the linebacking corps can come together in a hurry and a steady starting quarterback can be found, there's no reason this can't be a more rewarding year even if the final record isn't any better.
The Schedule: It isn't all that bad considering the only road game against a bowl team from last year is at Akron. The first two MAC games are at home highlighted by a potential MAC title game preview against Northern Illinois. And then comes the nasty part with four road games in five dates with the only oasis coming against Ball State. Road trips to Western Michigan and Bowling Green will make or break the season.
Best Offensive Player: Senior WR Ryne Robinson. One of the best punt returners in college football history, Robinson has grown into a reliable, explosive receiver. With Martin Nance gone, Robinson not only needs to be the deep threat in the big receiving corps, he needs to be a steady target for the new starting quarterback. That won't be a problem if he plays like he did last year.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Joey Card. With only two returning starters on defense, the speedy veteran is the leader of the defense by default. He's a good hitter with great range, and he's rarely out of position. The RedHawks need him to be an All-MAC performer.
Key player to a successful season: Junior QB Mike Kokal. It'll be a battle for the starting job, but Kokal will likely be the number one man when the Northwestern game comes around. He's not as big or as good a passer as Josh Betts and Ben Roethlisberger were, but he's a better runner.
The season will be a success if ... Miami wins the East. Even with all the new starters this will still be among the league's most talented teams. Anything less than playing for the MAC title will be a disappointment, but that's setting the bar way too high if the injury bug strikes early on.
Key game: Nov. 15 at Bowling Green. Akron might be the defending champs, but the real test for East title will likely come late in the year on a nationally televised Wednesday night game against Bowling Green. The RedHawks will likely be playing in the MAC championship if they can beat the Zips and the Falcons.
The 2005 RedHawks were the MAC's most experienced, most talented team showing enough firepower to obliterate eventual league champion Akron 51-23, but they couldn't seem to get any respect. It wasn't like the team tanked winning seven of the final nine games, but a 42-14 home loss to Bowling Green ended any conference title hopes and soured any potential bowl suitors. Now the program has to hope it doesn't slip in the second year under head coach Shane Montgomery.
Miami hasn't just been a MAC power over the last few years, it's been the league's second most consistent program behind Toledo with the last losing season coming in 1993. But being consistent isn't enough for the RedHawks. They want to be winning MAC titles, and despite a ton of issues on both sides of the ball, there's no reason they can't be back in the championship game representing the East.
Only five starters return, but it's not like the cupboard is completely bare with good prospects returning to fill most of the holes with the biggest question at quarterback, where Mike Kokal, Jared Elliott and Daniel Raudabaugh will try to be next in line after Josh Betts and Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, the talent level will be there to be competitive, but can Miami get the momentum back after tremendous seasons in 2003 and 2004? Absolutely.
No, this isn't going to be anywhere near the 13-1 monster of 2003, and it's not going to be nearly as good as last year, but the East is the far weaker of the two divisions. If the linebacking corps can come together in a hurry and a steady starting quarterback can be found, there's no reason this can't be a more rewarding year even if the final record isn't any better.
The Schedule: It isn't all that bad considering the only road game against a bowl team from last year is at Akron. The first two MAC games are at home highlighted by a potential MAC title game preview against Northern Illinois. And then comes the nasty part with four road games in five dates with the only oasis coming against Ball State. Road trips to Western Michigan and Bowling Green will make or break the season.
Best Offensive Player: Senior WR Ryne Robinson. One of the best punt returners in college football history, Robinson has grown into a reliable, explosive receiver. With Martin Nance gone, Robinson not only needs to be the deep threat in the big receiving corps, he needs to be a steady target for the new starting quarterback. That won't be a problem if he plays like he did last year.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Joey Card. With only two returning starters on defense, the speedy veteran is the leader of the defense by default. He's a good hitter with great range, and he's rarely out of position. The RedHawks need him to be an All-MAC performer.
Key player to a successful season: Junior QB Mike Kokal. It'll be a battle for the starting job, but Kokal will likely be the number one man when the Northwestern game comes around. He's not as big or as good a passer as Josh Betts and Ben Roethlisberger were, but he's a better runner.
The season will be a success if ... Miami wins the East. Even with all the new starters this will still be among the league's most talented teams. Anything less than playing for the MAC title will be a disappointment, but that's setting the bar way too high if the injury bug strikes early on.
Key game: Nov. 15 at Bowling Green. Akron might be the defending champs, but the real test for East title will likely come late in the year on a nationally televised Wednesday night game against Bowling Green. The RedHawks will likely be playing in the MAC championship if they can beat the Zips and the Falcons.
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State used to be known as a Big Ten-like team playing in the Mountain West thanks to a power running game and a gritty, punch-you-in-the-mouth defense. Unfortunately, over the last two season head coach Sonny Lubick's club has turned into a bunch of fancy lads finishing 111th against the run in 2004 and 117th last year. While injuries were the problem a few seasons ago and inexperience hurt in 2005, it still wasn't pretty to watch missed tackle after missed tackle.
Offensively, Ram fans used to seeing a solid running game had to be peeved to see the attack turn so pass happy. The Rams have averaged over 201 rushing yards per game in the 101 wins under Lubick and averaged 124 in the 56 losses. With pure-passing quarterback Justin Holland at the helm last year the air attack was sensational throwing for 286 yards per game, but the ground game suffered averaging a mere 122 yards per outing. Now it's time to go back to Colorado State football.
The backfield has 225 pounders Kyle Bell and Gantrell Johnson to power the ground game behind an experienced offensive line, but it'll be tempting to keep chucking the ball around in the high-octane Mountain West. The defense has enough experience to be far better if all the past playing time actually turns into production and the kicking game should be one of the best in the league. In other words, the potential is there for a return to the glory days.
For all the negatives, last season wasn't all that bad overcoming a rough start to get to a bowl game. There were a few problems from the power outage late in the year in losses to TCU and San Diego State by a combined score of 63-16, but there were wins over good teams like Nevada and Utah and a total of six victories despite a horrific year from the defense.
So now the question becomes whether or not Colorado State can become a true player in the Mountain West again. It depends on how physical the team can become and it depends on if Lubick can summon some of the same magic that made him such a hot commodity a few years ago. If there can be just a little bit of overall improvement, the Rams could surprise and be in the mix for the conference title late in November.
The Schedule: The Rams finally get a scrimmage in before the Colorado showdown playing Weber State in the opener. This will be a battle-tested team for Mountain West play after going on the road to face WAC heavyweights Nevada and Fresno State, while there's no better way to ease into the conference slate than a home date with UNLV. It'll all come down to November playing BYU, at Utah and TCU in four-week span. CSU will likely be conference champs if it wins all three of those, and it'll be in the hunt by winning two of the three.
Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Kyle Bell. He was ganged up on by the better run defenses, but his bruising running style provided a nice ying to the passing game's yang. It'll be up to him to carry the offense even more this season and take some of the pressure off QB Caleb Hanie.
Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Robert Hebert. He has been one of the nation's top tackling corners over the last two seasons along with being one of the Mountain West leaders in broken up passes. He's a big corner who packs a wallop with his hits, but just being a solid cover-corner would be enough for the Rams this year.
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore DTs Blake Smith and Matt Rupp. They're a little on the light side with Smith, a big-time recruit, checking in at under 270 pounds on the nose and Rupp, a tremendous weightlifter, a 275-pound tackle. They have to play big or the run defense has no hope of improving.
The season will be a success if ... CSU finishes second in the Mountain West. There are a few too many holes on both sides of the ball from the depth problems on the offensive line to a lack of a proven number one receiver to all the major issues with the run defense. Even so, the schedule is nice and the team really isn't all that bad. Finishing second in the race would be a very nice season and the springboard for what should hopefully be a really big 2007.
Key game: Nov. 11 at Utah. New Mexico, BYU and TCU have to come to Fort Collins, and any team that wants to be the Mountain West champion has to plan on taking care of business at home in all three games. The one trouble spot in the home oasis is the road trip to Utah. If the Rams beat the Utes, they'll be flying high with two weeks off to rest before the showdown with the Horned Frogs.
Offensively, Ram fans used to seeing a solid running game had to be peeved to see the attack turn so pass happy. The Rams have averaged over 201 rushing yards per game in the 101 wins under Lubick and averaged 124 in the 56 losses. With pure-passing quarterback Justin Holland at the helm last year the air attack was sensational throwing for 286 yards per game, but the ground game suffered averaging a mere 122 yards per outing. Now it's time to go back to Colorado State football.
The backfield has 225 pounders Kyle Bell and Gantrell Johnson to power the ground game behind an experienced offensive line, but it'll be tempting to keep chucking the ball around in the high-octane Mountain West. The defense has enough experience to be far better if all the past playing time actually turns into production and the kicking game should be one of the best in the league. In other words, the potential is there for a return to the glory days.
For all the negatives, last season wasn't all that bad overcoming a rough start to get to a bowl game. There were a few problems from the power outage late in the year in losses to TCU and San Diego State by a combined score of 63-16, but there were wins over good teams like Nevada and Utah and a total of six victories despite a horrific year from the defense.
So now the question becomes whether or not Colorado State can become a true player in the Mountain West again. It depends on how physical the team can become and it depends on if Lubick can summon some of the same magic that made him such a hot commodity a few years ago. If there can be just a little bit of overall improvement, the Rams could surprise and be in the mix for the conference title late in November.
The Schedule: The Rams finally get a scrimmage in before the Colorado showdown playing Weber State in the opener. This will be a battle-tested team for Mountain West play after going on the road to face WAC heavyweights Nevada and Fresno State, while there's no better way to ease into the conference slate than a home date with UNLV. It'll all come down to November playing BYU, at Utah and TCU in four-week span. CSU will likely be conference champs if it wins all three of those, and it'll be in the hunt by winning two of the three.
Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Kyle Bell. He was ganged up on by the better run defenses, but his bruising running style provided a nice ying to the passing game's yang. It'll be up to him to carry the offense even more this season and take some of the pressure off QB Caleb Hanie.
Best Defensive Player: Senior CB Robert Hebert. He has been one of the nation's top tackling corners over the last two seasons along with being one of the Mountain West leaders in broken up passes. He's a big corner who packs a wallop with his hits, but just being a solid cover-corner would be enough for the Rams this year.
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore DTs Blake Smith and Matt Rupp. They're a little on the light side with Smith, a big-time recruit, checking in at under 270 pounds on the nose and Rupp, a tremendous weightlifter, a 275-pound tackle. They have to play big or the run defense has no hope of improving.
The season will be a success if ... CSU finishes second in the Mountain West. There are a few too many holes on both sides of the ball from the depth problems on the offensive line to a lack of a proven number one receiver to all the major issues with the run defense. Even so, the schedule is nice and the team really isn't all that bad. Finishing second in the race would be a very nice season and the springboard for what should hopefully be a really big 2007.
Key game: Nov. 11 at Utah. New Mexico, BYU and TCU have to come to Fort Collins, and any team that wants to be the Mountain West champion has to plan on taking care of business at home in all three games. The one trouble spot in the home oasis is the road trip to Utah. If the Rams beat the Utes, they'll be flying high with two weeks off to rest before the showdown with the Horned Frogs.
