UNION WINS! UNION WINS!

Getting ready for today's full slate of NFL games, including the crucial late game between my Pats and them Ravens.  Yesterday was full of great college football, beginning with an inaugural 2012 win by my UColl Dutchmen.  The celebration was in full swing, as evidenced below.  Some conclusions:  Florida State really is as good as the preseason polls indicated; Notre Dame may be better; LSU is boring; and UCLA is still the second-best team in Los Angeles (and its fans are just as excited about their chances as they are about the basketball team).  But here's what really matters:

Garnet fan rejoices team's 31-20 win.

 

 

 

Union 31, St. Lawrence 20.  QB Conner Eck hits WR Kyle Reynolds for 3 TDs, and Garnet secondary intercepts Saint QB Zane Fish three times.  Two St. Lawrence freshmen RBs, Maurice Irby and Miles Crump, rush for touchdowns, and sophomore QB Danny Metzgar replaces Fish to complete 8-of-10 passes, showing that this is just not Saints' year...but next year could be.  And just now I remember...I haven't reminded you yet this year that UColl head coach John Audino (Notre Dame '75) was Marty White's position coach at Penn!

UNLV 38, Air Force 35.  Rebel defense plays inspired when it has to, stops Falcons on a crucial 4th-and-1 and then later forces a fumble to turn a first half deficit into a stunning win.  Two second half scores leave Air Force without sufficient time to mount a successful closing drive.  UNLV ends two skids, the 8-game regular season as well as the 5-game vs. Air Force.  Naturally, The Academy hopes their bad fortunes stay in Vegas.

Wake Forest 49, Army 37.  140 yds. rushing from RB Raymond Maples and 3 TDs by QB Trent Steelman isn't enough for the Black Knights.  But Josh Harris and Deandre Martin became the first two Decons both to rush for over 100 yds. since 2005.  Still a 5-point game until 2:50 remaining, when Martin runs for 37 yards and Wake seals the victory.

Navy 41, VMI 3.  "Keyettes" draw first blood with a field goal, then become spectators, as Middies run up over 500 yds. of total offense and establish the difference between a real service academy and a wannabe.  Despite losing two fumbles, Navy intercepts QB Eric Kordenbrock twice, returning one for a score.  VMI wins the time of possession battle yet can't punch it into the endzone.  They look forward to the return trip home, where they next meet the Presbyterian Blue Hose.  I'm not making that up.

USC 27, Cal-Berkeley 9.  Silas Redd and Matt Barkley stop looking at their press clippings and decide to show up.  The results send the Golden Bears home with a loss.  Redd rushes for 155 yds. and two TDs, while Barkley throws for 192 yds. and two more.  Trojan offensive line comes to life and prevents Barkley from being sacked.  That makes it possible for WR Marqise (without the "u") Lee to once again be a two-time TD hero.  USC defense gets to Cal QB Zach Maynard seven times, the secondary intercepts him twice, and the unit as a whole allows only 77 yds. rushing on the day.  Suppose the Lane Kiffin weekly presser will be more cordial this week?

New Mexico 27, New Mexico State 14.  Lobos find their offense, as RB Kasey Carrier rushes for 129 yds. and one TD and Jhurell Pressley added 71 yds. and two more TDs.  UNM ends nation's longest streak of 24-straight road game losses.  Aggie QB Andrew Manley is 22-34 for 256 yds. but can't position State inside the red zone all day.  Too late to pick Army as the nation's doormat?

Kennebunk 40, South Portland 6.  Kennebunk??  Must be all the money pumped into the program by the Bush family.  Riots give up three Ram TDs from inside the 5-yardline...in the FIRST HALF.  RB Joey DiBiase is the only bright spot for SP, taking a handoff and running 5 yards for a score.  Red & white miss the extra point, and Steve Stinson holds shorter postgame presser than Lane Kiffin.  C'mon, Steve...not even one "They were who we thought they were" or "PLAYOFFS????".

Rogers 21, Spanaway Lake 14.  Two Rams' interceptions lead to touchdowns.  Otherwise, newspaper coverage of high school sports in Washington sucks.  Kids (and alums) deserve better.