Barner Vs FBS: Week 3

With our hero tallying no points in severely limited action during the Portland State contest, after sustaining an apparent strain of one of his many muscles, and several teams playing themselves off the list with predictable blowout wins against inferior competition, or having actually played more than one game, the KjB Vs FCS competition tightened considerably this week.... but the familiar names are still right where you expect them:

Points Scored By Kenjon Barner: 36

Teams outscored by Kenjon Barner: 6

Name Games Points

Colorado St 3 19

La.-Monroe 2 27

New Mexico St. 2 31

New Mexico 3 31

San Jose St. 3 33

FIU 2 34

Within a Single Possession: LaLafayette 38, UNLV 38, Tulane 40, NoTexSt 41, Wyoming 41

Fail Notes:

With the teams fighting for the right to be outscored by KjB getting some separation from the pack, this week's Fail Notes will focus on the top five teams being outscored by one guy with what my old coach would have called a "grawn pull"..

1 - Colorado State 10, Miami Oh 31

In search of the elusive six point play, the Rams continued their epic season by traveling to Miami, where instead of palm trees and Hurricanes they ran into the buzzsaw that is Redhawk Football. On the ground CSU, rolled up well over 1.7 inches per carry, and the pressure of an unexpected 3-0 lead in the first quarter (over YATTABFL*) wasted a fine effort by freshman QB Pete Thomas, who carved up Miami for 305 yards and a touchdown (for Miami).

In the 4th quarter, Thomas used precision passing to earn a 1st and goal at the Miami 5, and of course failed to score. But later, trailing 3-31, Thomas did manage to hit wideout Matt Yemm for his first career TD as a Ram, and CSU's first touchdown of the season, an acheivement sadly omitted from this recap..

CSU has not won a game since 9/19/09. Next up: At home vs Idaho.

2 - LaMonroe 20, ArkyState 34

Clip without comment #1:

t3 - New Mexico St 10, UTEP 42

Apparently, Las Cruces is close enough to UTEP's fan base to allow its home games to look, and sound, like road contests.

Down 21-0 before making a first down, the Aggies somehow lost their heads in the 2nd quarter, scoring 10 hitherto unanswered points to close out the first half.

"We really, really showed we've got to continue to develop our backup players."
 -- NMSU Coach DeWayne Walker

(Yeah, that starting lineup is really getting it done.)

t3 - New Mexico 14, Utah 56

The Land of Enchantment has a stranglehold on the "State Least Likely To Produce FBS Points" competition, and the Lobos have a decided advantage over their nonproductive neighbors, having played one more game. What can you say about a team that ranks dead last in scoring defense and second to only #1 Colorado State in scoring offense? That October 30 can't get here soon enough?

The Lobos are allowing one point per minute. But we don't care about defense here.

UNM did find the end zone twice against the Utes. Trailing 21-0 early in the 3rd quarter, A.J. Butler returned a fumble 27 yards. After spotting Utah three more touchdowns, Tarean Austin ground out an 80-yard, 6:32 drive culminating in an 18 yard pass to Bryant Williams, motivating the home crowd enough for a UNM supporter to put together this clip, which should make us all thankful we are fans of a team with post-1980 video standards.

4 - San Jose St 16, Southern Utah 11

Sparty West could be excused for some difficulty in putting points on the board against Alabama and Wisconsin. So how do you explain only 16 points against the rusty Thunderbirds, of the FCS Great West Conference? You don't. You're just happy to be the only winning team in the top five..

 "it wasn't pretty, but we did what this team can always do. They fight until the end."
-- Semantically challenged SJS coach Mike MacIntyre

In front of a not particularly spartan** crowd, SUU led 11-10 until Jordan LaSecla hit wideout Jalal Beauchman for San Jose State's winning TD with 1:10 remaining.

* Yet Another Team That Almost Beat Florida

** S: (adj) ascetic, ascetical, austere, spartan (practicing great self-denial) "Be systematically ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence"; "a football team at San Jose State University"