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2014 TEAM ROSTER
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2014 PRESEASON PREVIEW
TOP PROGRAMS
TOP PLAYERS
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In the interest of achieving my goal of getting at least five years in with the Outlaws, I will be doing a quick simulation of this season since we're one of the worst teams in the country. I'll give short summaries of each game, as well as news from around the league.Comment
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Read the first half of the title, this isn't about that Will Smith movie, haha.Comment
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Haha hell yeah man I was close. I have not been here in a while, but it is still looking good my man.
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The Outlaws may have lost the majority of their star power to graduation, but they aren't ready to accept their role as a Sun Belt bottom-feeder just yet. In their fourth annual season-opening rivalry game against Texas Tech, WTU came fractions away from upsetting their BCS foes for the first time in school history, taking the Red Raiders all the way to overtime. But while the Outlaws were forced to settle for a field goal on their first OT possession, Texas Tech ended things with their third touchdown of the day. In his first collegiate action, freshman quarterback Brandon Preston completed just 9 of 24 passes for 152 yards before leaving the game with a mild concussion that won't keep him out past a few days. He was replaced by senior Charles Dickson, who completed 7 of 17 passes for 44 yards and a game-tying touchdown that sent the match into overtime. Second-year freshman Reggie Robinson made quite the impression in his first game, racking up 93 yards on four receptions, while Cam Beach had a team-leading seven catches for 46 yards. Groundwise, runningbacks Eddie Rucker and Tyree Melton combined for 144 yards and a touchdown off 34 carries. Defensively, the team recorded two sacks and forced two turnovers, but also allowed 461 yards of total offense in the loss.
WEEK ONE
BYE WEEK
WEEK TWO
TEXAS TECH 23, WEST TEXAS 20 (OT)
The offense racked up over 400 total offensive yards, and the defense recorded three turnovers as the Outlaws' earned their first mark in the win column by besting New Mexico State 30-21 for the second straight year. Freshman quarterback Brandon Preston only completed 40% of his passes, but he did throw for 236 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, showing flashes of brilliance in the victory. Reggie Robinson continued his surprising play early in the season, catching four balls for a team-leading 84 yards, while sophomore tight end Van Ricks had six catches for 60 yards and a score. But the offense's main catalyst was freshman runningback Eddie Rucker, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown off 24 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per touch. Defensively, the team was led by true sophomore Nate Williams (CB), who recorded three tackles and two game-changing interceptions to put the offense in a position to win the game.
WEEK THREE
WEST TEXAS 30, NEW MEXICO ST. 21
Up against their second Big XII opponent of the year, the Outlaws floundered, managing just over 250 yards of total offense and one trip to the endzone in a 35-7 loss to Baylor (2-2, 0-1). The Bears were led by junior backup runningback B.J. Allen, who in his relief role for injured starter Jacob Bennett rushed for an incredible 257 yards and three touchdowns off 38 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per touch. In addition, senior quarterback Bryce Petty completed 13 of 19 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns as Baylor had little problems imposing their will on a below-average WTU defense. On the other side of the ball, Brandon Preston had a decent game, completing 13 of 24 passes for 102 yards, while Eddie Rucker and Tyree Melton combined for 162 yards and the team's only touchdown off 29 carries. Defensively, the Outlaws failed to record a single sack, forced just one turnover, allowed 468 total offensive yards, and gave up five touchdowns in six redzone trips.
WEEK FOUR
BYE WEEK
WEEK FIVE
BAYLOR 35, WEST TEXAS 7
West Texas' out-of-conference schedule is mercifully over after a 34-19 loss to Villanova (3-1, 1-0). While the defense did record three sacks and force four turnovers, they also allowed nearly 500 yards of total offense in the loss. Meanwhile, their own offense racked up 355 yards, but struggled to sustain drives, converting just three of sixteen 3rd down attempts...and even when they did manage to get within striking distance, they were forced to settle for three points instead of seven, kicking field goals in three of their four redzone trips. Brandon Preston's accuracy issues continued as the freshman quarterback completed just 32% of his 34 passes for 234 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His go-to man was tight end Van Ricks, who led the offense with six catches for 139 yards and the team's only touchdown, while Cam Beach caught four balls for 86 yards. Meanwhile, Eddie Rucker was limited to 90 yards off 18 carries on the ground. With three losses in their first four games, the Outlaws will look to turn things around next week when they open up their Sun Belt schedule with a home game against the UAB Blazers (3-2, 2-1).
WEEK SIX
VILLANOVA 34, WEST TEXAS 19
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Kind of an inconsistent start, giving up only 23 points to Texas Tech but then getting stomped by Villanova. Hard to predict how you will do in the Sun Belt. I thought you were selling your team short at the start of the year when you claimed you had a bad team, but you apparently know your team better than I do.Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK SEVEN-
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#1 Texas vs. #2 Oklahoma next week!Comment
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UAB's junior quarterback Mike Miller proved to be too much for WTU's defense to handle in their conference opener as he completed 21 of 39 passes for 300 yards, rushed for another 44 yards, and scored all four of the Blazers' touchdowns on Saturday to lead his team to a 34-6 rout over the Outlaws. A good amount of the credit must also go to the defense, who held West Texas to 255 total offensive yards, and recorded three sacks and two interceptions in the win. On the other side of the ball, freshman quarterback Brandon Preston had one of his worst outings of the season, completing 11 of 29 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns for a QB rating of 49.6. Eddie Rucker racked up 110 yards off 21 carries on the ground for a solid performance, but it wasn't nearly enough to carry the offense, as they failed to reach the endzone for the first time this season.
WEEK SEVEN
UAB 34, WEST TEXAS 6
WTU's out-of-conference schedule was a rough road to begin the season, and those woes have continued in the Sun Belt. Just two weeks after suffering a 34-6 loss to UAB, the Outlaws were shut out on their home turf 28-0 by the Trojans for their fourth straight loss. Troy's junior quarterback Ryan Hackett led his team to victory, completing 20 of 34 passes for 250 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, and also rushing for 73 yards and another score on the ground to account for all four of the team's touchdowns on Saturday, and spearhead an offense that racked up 507 total yards. Hackett wasn't the only one who excelled on the ground, as runningbacks Brodie Dingle and Mike Smith combined for 184 yards off 29 carries. Through the air, senior Jaquon Robinson led the receiving corps with ten catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. As for the Outlaws, their offense was limited to a pitiful 189 total yards in their first shutout of the season. The team converted just one of eleven 3rd down attempts, failed to score a single point in two redzone trips, and lost two fumbles. Still, Brandon Preston showed improvement under center, completing 56% of his 25 passes for 132 yards, while Cam Beach had five catches for 57 yards. Defensively, the team recorded four sacks and two interceptions, and managed to hold Troy to a relatively low score given their high amount of offensive yardage.
WEEK EIGHT
BYE WEEK
WEEK NINE
TROY 28, WEST TEXAS 0
The Outlaws only managed 307 yards of total offense, but capitalized off three forced turnovers and used a handful of big-time offensive plays to smash UTEP 38-21, and earn their second win of the year. But the victory did not come without a cost, as freshman quarterback Brandon Preston completed 6 of 12 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game shortly before halftime with an injury. Doctors would later diagnose him with a torn hamstring, sidelining him for the rest of the season. Charles Dickson stepped in to finish the game, completing 8 of 21 passes for for 52 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Leading the receiving corps was Cam Beach, who had six catches for 77 yards and a score, while second-year freshman Reggie Robinson caught five balls for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Eddie Rucker led the offensive charge on the ground, rushing for 132 yards and scoring twice off 19 carries for an average of nearly seven yards per touch. Defensively, the Outlaws recorded one sack, one interception, recovered two fumbles, and limited the Miners to just 14 points in four redzone trips.
WEEK TEN
WEST TEXAS 38, UTEP 21
The Outlaws began the fourth quarter with a 28-16 lead, and looked well on their way to scoring back-to-back victories for the first time this season. But the Red Wolves refused to go away quietly, scoring 22 unanswered points to end the game and walk away with a 38-28 victory against a demoralized West Texas squad who felt the sting of their sixth loss of the season. In his first full game as starter since the injury to starter Brandon Preston, senior quarterback Charles Dickson completed 14 of 27 passes for 238 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His go-to man was senior Cam Beach, who had a career day with six catches for an incredible 154 yards. Groundwise, runningbacks Eddie Rucker and Tyree Melton combined for 131 yards and three touchdowns off 26 carries. As for the defense, third-year sophomore Thomas Bray (CB) recorded two interceptions, but the defense as a whole allowed 442 yards of total offense, a 70% conversion rate on 3rd down, and gave up 31 points in six redzone trips. On the other side of the ball, Arkansas State's junior quarterback Zach Davis completed 18 of 33 passes for 203 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions to lead the offense, and also rushed for another 69 yards, while senior Frankie Jackson rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown off 18 carries.
WEEK ELEVEN
ARKANSAS ST. 38, WEST TEXAS 28
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Found this noteworthy. In week 11, #9 Oklahoma beat Texas A&M 63-23. Senior quarterback Blake Bell had an incredible performance, completing 16 of 20 (80%) passes for 263 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception for a QB rating of 295.9. He also carried the ball seven times for 31 yards and another score.Comment
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AROUND THE LEAGUE
-WEEK TWELVE-
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Seems like your premonition for a lackluster season was correct...Comment
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