Week 8: Top 25 Schedule and Predictions

[DRU2012]

Yes--This is the last Saturday that we face someone we can be favored to BEAT: OURSELVES.
After this, it is hard to pick out a favorable match-up on our remaining schedule.
Maybe Arkansas--our one last home game.
Missouri has a decent season going, more consistent than our performance thus far, and well, the rest would require a massive rising to the occasion to pull off even ONE resulting upset.
So: Realistically, TWO more wins and our "keeping things respectably close" in the other three would have to be accepted as "progress".
Hey look: I don't like it either.
Fact is, comes right down to it, truth is I HATE everything ABOUT having to settle for rationalizing like this. Deep down of COURSE I secretly hope for more--but for now, "The Future" requires us to stay calm, lie low, find "hope" in the SMALL things while the trolls and crazies put us down and write us off.
For the moment, it will have to be the minor positives on the field and the hopefully more major ones OFF it that continue to shape what's coming in months and years to come.

 

[Escambia94]

#22 Air Force sinks Navy 17-6. QB Zac Larrier threw a 94-yard touchdown to Dane Kinamon — the longest pass in Air Force history — and the longest TD pass by any service academy. Air Force’s defense held Navy to 128 yards, but 78 of those were late in the game as the Falcons sent in backups (despite two interceptions ). Air Force can secure the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy with a win over Army in two weeks.

	AF	Navy
1st Downs	8	10
3rd down efficiency	1-13	3-17
4th down efficiency	2-2	2-2
Total Yards	288	124
Passing	151	102
Comp-Att	4-5	15-29
Yards per pass	30.2	3.5
Interceptions thrown	0	2
Rushing	137	22
Rushing Attempts	48	35
Yards per rush	2.9	0.6
Penalties	5-30	4-50
Turnovers	1	2
Fumbles lost	1	0
Interceptions thrown	0	2
Possession	31:44	28:16

 

[DRU2012]

Yes--that was a great play and a nice win by AF.
I'm now (somewhat squeamishly) watching Duke just barely holding this lead at FSU...Late 3rd quarter and ahead by 3. I don't think they can be counted on to hold and finish here though...They will prob have to come back and nip them at the very end, if at all--the way things are going, I just don't see that the likely outcome here.
(Of course, steeped as I am now in long time Gator futility, my general expectations lean towards frustration and disappointment when it comes to satisfactory endings--as in WINS by us and/or LOSSES by our rivals...especially when it's FSU, "da U", etc.).

 

[Escambia94]

Missouri defenders sacked South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler six times in a 34-12 victory at home, thus proving that the Tiger defense is better than the Gator defense in terms of generating havoc in the opponent’s backfield. Missouri is proving time and time again that they are real contenders in the SEC East. Reminder that the Missouri Tigers outplayed the LSU Tigers for the most part with the exception of two interceptions gifted to LSU on October 7th.

	SCAR	MIZZ
1st Downs	20	22
3rd down efficiency	3-14	7-13
4th down efficiency	0-1	0-1
Total Yards	286	418
Passing	217	198
Comp-Att	23-40	14-24
Yards per pass	5.4	8.3
Interceptions thrown	1	0
Rushing	69	220
Rushing Attempts	29	41
Yards per rush	2.4	5.4
Penalties	6-35	6-55
Turnovers	1	0
Fumbles lost	0	0
Interceptions thrown	1	0
Possession	31:08	28:52

 

[Escambia94]

Alabama looked rather average in the first half as Tennessee marched up and down the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium with a 20-7 lead at the half. Alabama woke up in the second half and scored on its next four drives to seal the victory midway through the 4th quarter.

	TENN	BAMA
1st Downs	22	20
3rd down efficiency	8-18	5-13
4th down efficiency	0-3	0-0
Total Yards	404	358
Passing	271	220
Comp-Att	28-41	14-21
Yards per pass	6.6	10.5
Interceptions thrown	0	1
Rushing	133	138
Rushing Attempts	38	42
Yards per rush	3.5	3.3
Penalties	8-55	1-5
Turnovers	1	2
Fumbles lost	1	1
Interceptions thrown	0	1
Possession	27:41	32:19