CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
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Early losses to Louisville and West Virginia put a damper on UConn's Big East title hopes, but the team rallied late in the season, ending 2013 on a six-game winning streak to win a tiebreaker over Rutgers for the right to represent the Big East North division in the conference's annual championship game. They faced off against #5 USF, who suffered losses to Michigan St. and North Carolina during the regular season, but went undefeated in the conference. The Bulls proved to be a well-balanced team all year long, ranking 8th on offense and 6th on defense, and put those skills to could use in the title game, edging a resilient Connecticut team 28-23 to secure a BCS bowl berth, and earn their first Big East conference championship. Leading the charge was senior runningback Bradley Battles (pictured above), who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown off 19 carries, and also had three catches for 33 yards and another score. The defense certainly did their part as well, limiting the Huskies to 212 total offensive yards, and forcing two turnovers. UConn's senior quarterback Mike Box had a horrendous day under center, completing just 4 of 15 passes for for a pitiful 25 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Senior runningback Martin Hyppolite carried the offense with 170 yards and a score off 24 carries, but could not overcome the Bulls all by himself. The Huskies found themselves in a 21-0 hole midway through the second quarter, but recovered nicely with a 61-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior cornerback Taylor Mack, an 80-yard scamper to the endzone by Hyppolite, and a 35-yard field goal by true sophomore Rashad Washington to close the gap to just four points in the 4th quarter. But a 1-yard TD pass from USF's Bobby Eveld to Sterling Griffin put the nail in the Huskies' coffin. The Bulls will now head to the Discover Orange Bowl to face off against the ACC champion, while Connecticut will be forced to settle for the Belk Bowl against Wake Forest.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">BIG EAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#24</span> Connecticut Huskies (9-4, 7-3)</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">9</td><td align="right" class="active">23</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#6</span> South Florida Bulls (11-2, 10-0)</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right" class="active">28</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">CONN</td><td align="center" width="20%">USF</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">212</td><td align="center">334</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">187</td><td align="center">220</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">25</td><td align="center">114</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">13</td><td align="center">22</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">20</td><td align="center">30</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">80</td><td align="center">99</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">312</td><td align="center">463</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">2</td><td align="center">1</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">4-13 (30%)</td><td align="center">7-15 (46%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-1 (0%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">3-1-1 (66%)</td><td align="center">5-4-0 (80%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">6-44</td><td align="center">11-123</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">25:26</td><td align="center">34:34</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">CONN</td><td align="right" width="10%">USF</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">4:14</td><td width="70%">(USF) TD: Bradley Battles, 5 yard pass from Bobby Eveld</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">CONN</td><td align="right" width="10%">USF</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">10:15</td><td width="70%">(USF) TD: Bobby Eveld, 5 yard run</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">14</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">5:40</td><td width="70%">(USF) TD: Bradley Battles, 6 yard run</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:43</td><td width="70%">(CONN) TD: Taylor Mack, returned interception 61 yards</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">THIRD QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">CONN</td><td align="right" width="10%">USF</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">2:58</td><td width="70%">(CONN) TD: Martin Hyppolite, 80 yard run</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">CONN</td><td align="right" width="10%">USF</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">10:09</td><td width="70%">(CONN) FG: Rashad Washington, 35 yard kick</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">5:40</td><td width="70%">(USF) TD: Sterling Griffin, 1 yard pass form Bobby Eveld</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">28</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:35</td><td width="70%">(CONN) TD: Geremy Davis, 10 yard pass from Mike Box (2-pt. conv. failed)</td><td align="right">23</td><td align="right">28</td></tr></table></body></html>
Maryland outlasted NC State 34-24 in week four, but the Wolfpack bounced back from the loss stronger than ever, winning seven of their last eight games to win the Atlantic division in a tiebreaker over Wake Forest. Meanwhile, Maryland started the season 3-3 but finished on a six-game win streak to earn a spot in the ACC title game for the second straight year. On paper, the Terps looked to be the better team, and had high hopes for back-to-back conference titles, but NC State's +14 turnover differential proved to be a huge difference maker in Saturday's contest. The defense forced an incredible five turnovers, and NC State's offense took advantage, adding three offensive touchdowns to smash Maryland 33-10 for their first conference title since 1979. Leading the charge was junior quarterback Tyler Brosius, who completed 62% of his 29 passes for 174 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. But it was backup junior runningback Anthony Creecy who earned player of the game honors, rushing for 93 yards off 25 carries, and also leading the receiving corps with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Creecy has filled in for senior Mustafa Greene for most of the year, who suffered a dislocated ankle early in the season. Defensively, the Wolfpack recorded three sacks and forced five turnovers, and were led by senior D.J. Green (OLB), who racked up seven tackles, one sack, and returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Now the team will turn to preparing for their first ever BCS bowl appearance as they face off against Big East champion #5 USF in the Discover Orange Bowl, while Maryland will meet Tennessee in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">ACC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#13</span> North Carolina State Wolfpack (10-3, 7-3)</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">13</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right" class="active">33</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#9</span> Maryland Terrapins (9-4, 8-2)</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right" class="active">10</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">NCST</td><td align="center" width="20%">MD</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">309</td><td align="center">286</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">135</td><td align="center">152</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">174</td><td align="center">134</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">19</td><td align="center">14</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">46</td><td align="center">35</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">69</td><td align="center">98</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">424</td><td align="center">419</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">2</td><td align="center">5</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">5-14 (35%)</td><td align="center">6-15 (40%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">3-2-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">1-1-0 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">4-54</td><td align="center">9-65</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">31:25</td><td align="center">28:35</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">NCST</td><td align="right" width="10%">MD</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">10:37</td><td width="70%">(NCST) TD: Quinton Payton, 1 yard pass from Tyler Brosius</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">0</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">8:54</td><td width="70%">(NCST) FG: Niklas Sade, 50 yard kick</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">0</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">4:03</td><td width="70%">(NCST) TD: Everett Proctor, 18 yard pass from Tyler Brosius</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">0:27</td><td width="70%">(MD) FG: Jonathan Reid, 45 yard kick</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">3</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">NCST</td><td align="right" width="10%">MD</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">8:31</td><td width="70%">(NCST) TD: D.J. Green, returned interception 60 yards (Missed kick)</td><td align="right">23</td><td align="right">3</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:28</td><td width="70%">(NCST) TD: Anthony Creecy, 26 yard pass from Tyler Brosius</td><td align="right">30</td><td align="right">3</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">NCST</td><td align="right" width="10%">MD</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">12:41</td><td width="70%">(MD) TD: Justus Pickett, 1 yard run</td><td align="right">30</td><td align="right">10</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">7:10</td><td width="70%">(NCST) FG: Niklas Sade, 37 yard kick</td><td align="right">33</td><td align="right">10</td></tr></table></body></html>
Sometimes, it's not enough to be a good team...you need a little luck too. Just ask Florida, who won five of their twelve regular season games by seven points or less to finish undefeated in the SEC. In the conference title game they faced off against #8 Auburn, who were surprise winners of the SEC West after LSU dropped their last two games of the season against Ole Miss and Arkansas. The Tigers began the season with a respectable 6-1 record, their only loss coming to Florida in a 35-25 decision in week six, but stumbled late with losses to LSU (35-14) and Colorado (31-16) to finish 9-3 (7-2). Facing off for a second time this season, Florida secured a 24-7 lead with less than ten minutes to play, and looked to have their 13th win in the bag...but Auburn surged back in the final minutes, reaching the endzone twice to close the gap to just three points. Unfortunately their upset bid fell just short, allowing the Gators to win yet another close contest, and advance to the BCS National Championship for the first time in five years. Auburn's 4th ranked defense did all they could, limiting the Gators to less than 300 yards and 17 offensive points, but their offense was stumped by Florida's 15th ranked defense. Senior quarterback Clint Moseley completed six of his 13 passes for 52 yards, and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown before leaving the game midway through the second quarter with a concussion after being sacked for a second time. He was replaced by third-year sophomore Kiehl Frazier, who completed just 4 of 10 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Florida's junior quarterback Jeff Driskel completed 11 of 25 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns, while the dynamic trio of Mack Brown, fullback Hunter Joyer, and Driskel combined for 120 rushing yards off 31 carries. The Gators are now just one win away from their first perfect season in school history, but face a tough challenge in the national title game against #2 Texas, the only other undefeated team in the country. As for Auburn, they'll face off against #17 Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl to end their season.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">SEC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#8</span> Auburn Tigers (9-4, 7-3)</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right" class="active">21</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#1</span> Florida Gators (13-0, 10-0)</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right" class="active">24</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">AUB</td><td align="center" width="20%">FLA</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">314</td><td align="center">291</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">239</td><td align="center">120</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">75</td><td align="center">171</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">22</td><td align="center">15</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">33</td><td align="center">29</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">57</td><td align="center">76</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">404</td><td align="center">396</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">1</td><td align="center">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">7-15 (46%)</td><td align="center">5-12 (41%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">1-3 (33%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">4-3-0 (75%)</td><td align="center">4-2-1 (75%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">9-44</td><td align="center">9-98</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">34:36</td><td align="center">25:24</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">AUB</td><td align="right" width="10%">FLA</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">8:26</td><td width="70%">(AUB) TD: Mike Blakely, 3 yard run</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">4:09</td><td width="70%">(FLA) TD: A.C. Leonard, 4 yard pass from Jeff Driskel</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">2:58</td><td width="70%">(FLA) TD: Matt Elam, returned interception 12 yards</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">14</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">AUB</td><td align="right" width="10%">FLA</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">7:55</td><td width="70%">(FLA) TD: A.C. Leonard, 18 yard pass from Jeff Driskel</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">THIRD QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">AUB</td><td align="right" width="10%">FLA</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">9:44</td><td width="70%">(FLA) FG: Joel Murray, 33 yard kick</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">AUB</td><td align="right" width="10%">FLA</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">8:37</td><td width="70%">(AUB) TD: Zac Newton, 3 yard run</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:15</td><td width="70%">(AUB) TD: Xavier Brown, 5 yard pass from Kiehl Frazier</td><td align="right">21</td><td align="right">24</td></tr></table></body></html>
After suffering back-to-back losses to conference foes USC and Oklahoma, Oregon State and their abysmal 109th ranked offense rebounded nicely by winning five of their last six games, and clinched the Pac-16 West after winning a three-way tiebreaker between Stanford and USC. But eleven of their twelve regular season opponents finished with seven or fewer wins, and it was clear that the team would face an uphill battle in the title game against undefeated #2 Texas. Led by their 7th ranked offense and 9th ranked defense, the Longhorns scored at least 30 points in all but one of their regular season games to finish with an average of 37 points per game, the 2nd best in the nation. They also held five of their first six opponents to 14 points or less, and finished with a turnover differential of +16, the best in the country. It was a lopsided match-up on paper...and as it turns out, in reality as well, as the Longhorns bulldozed Oregon State 45-0 to win their first PAC-16 title and clinch the final spot in the BCS National Championship game. Junior quarterback Connor Wood completed just 47% of his 34 passes, but also threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers in the victory. His go-to man was senior Marquise Goodwin, who had six catches for 128 yards and a score. Groundwise, junior runningbacks Malcolm Brown and Traylon Shead combined for 150 yards and a touchdown off 32 carries. But the biggest contribution came from the defense, who recorded three sacks, two turnovers, and limited the Beavers to just 150 total offensive yards. Oregon State's senior quarterback Cody Vaz managed to complete just 29% of his passes for 94 yards, and the ground game could only muster another 56 yards in the team's first shutout of the season. The unbeaten Longhorns will now advance to the national title game to face off against #1 Florida, where they hope to avenge a 37-21 loss at the hands of another SEC team (Alabama) four years ago. As for the Beavers, they'll face Boise State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">PAC-16 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#21</span> Oregon State Beavers (8-4, 6-4)</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right" class="active">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#2</span> Texas Longhorns (13-0, 10-0)</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right" class="active">45</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">ORST</td><td align="center" width="20%">TEX</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">150</td><td align="center">493</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">56</td><td align="center">186</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">94</td><td align="center">307</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">8</td><td align="center">23</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">15</td><td align="center">91</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">133</td><td align="center">58</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">298</td><td align="center">642</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">2</td><td align="center">1</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">3-14 (21%)</td><td align="center">9-18 (50%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">1-1</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">0-0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">6-4-0 (66%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">9-71</td><td align="center">8-60</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">22:30</td><td align="center">37:30</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">ORST</td><td align="right" width="10%">TEX</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">9:04</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: Darius White, 5 yard pass from Connor Wood</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">2:20</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: Marquise Goodwin, 7 yard pass from Connor Wood</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">14</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">ORST</td><td align="right" width="10%">TEX</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">7:56</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: Bryant Jackson, 6 yard pass from Connor Wood</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">21</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">3:59</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: John Harris, 31 yard pass from Connor Wood (2-pt. conv. is good)</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">29</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">0:54</td><td width="70%">(TEX) Safety: Cody Vaz sacked by Jackson Jeffcoat in endzone</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">31</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">THIRD QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">ORST</td><td align="right" width="10%">TEX</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">11:57</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: Traylon Shead, 2 yard run</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">38</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">ORST</td><td align="right" width="10%">TEX</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">14:16</td><td width="70%">(TEX) TD: M.J. McFarland, 18 yard pass from Case McCoy</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">45</td></tr></table></body></html>
If there was an award for most improved team, Northwestern would win hands down. After finishing an abysmal 4-8 (2-7) last season, the Wildcats opened 2013 with five straight wins, and would go on to defeat ranked conference opponents Wisconsin, Iowa (31-17), and Michigan to finish 10-2 (7-2), and win a tiebreaker over the Badgers for the right to represent the Great Lakes division. The team reached double-digit wins in a season for just the 2nd time in the last 50 years (the first time since 1995), and looked to grab their third outright Big Ten championship in the school's 117-year history with the conference. Standing in their way was Iowa, who began the season 4-0, but lost three of five down the stretch before ending the season on a three-game winning streak to clinch the Great Plains division after winning a tiebreaker over Nebraska. Each team came into the game with their rushing offense ranked top 20 nationally, but the Wildcats once again proved to be too much for Iowa. The Hawkeyes got off to a fast start, building a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Northwestern outscored them 24-3 in the final 45 minutes. Leading the charge was senior runningback Mike Trumpy, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns off 25 carries, and also had an 8-yard TD reception. Defensively, the Wildcats recorded three sacks, forced two turnovers against an Iowa team that ranked 3rd in the country with a +15 turnover differential, and limited their opponents to just three successful conversions on thirteen 3rd down attempts. Riding the high of their first outright Big Ten title in nearly 20 years, Northwestern will now begin preparing for their season finale against #6 Louisville in the Rose Bowl. As for the Hawkeyes, they'll face off against #25 Georgia in the Progressive Gator Bowl.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">BIG TEN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#10</span> Iowa Hawkeyes (9-4, 6-4)</td><td align="right">21</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right" class="active">24</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td><span style="color:#CC0000;">#4</span> Northwestern Wildcats (11-2, 8-2)</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right" class="active">31</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">IOWA</td><td align="center" width="20%">NW</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">336</td><td align="center">401</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">154</td><td align="center">219</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">182</td><td align="center">182</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">13</td><td align="center">21</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">48</td><td align="center">20</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">118</td><td align="center">141</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">502</td><td align="center">562</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">2</td><td align="center">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">3-13 (23%)</td><td align="center">7-16 (43%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">2-2-0 (100%)</td><td align="center">4-3-1 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">9-50</td><td align="center">7-46</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">25:25</td><td align="center">34:35</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">IOWA</td><td align="right" width="10%">NW</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">11:09</td><td width="70%">(IOWA) TD: Damon Bullock, 1 yard run</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">0</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">6:55</td><td width="70%">(NW) TD: Mike Trumpy, 8 yard pass from Kain Colter</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">4:14</td><td width="70%">(IOWA) TD: A.J. Derby, 7 yard run</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">0:14</td><td width="70%">(IOWA) TD: Kevonte Martin Manley, 47 yard pass from A.J. Derby</td><td align="right">21</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">IOWA</td><td align="right" width="10%">NW</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">11:17</td><td width="70%">(NW) TD: Mike Trumpy, 3 yard run</td><td align="right">21</td><td align="right">14</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">THIRD QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">IOWA</td><td align="right" width="10%">NW</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">6:39</td><td width="70%">(NW) FG: Jeff Budzien, 35 yard kick</td><td align="right">21</td><td align="right">17</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">2:17</td><td width="70%">(IOWA) FG: Mike Meyer, 51 yard kick</td><td align="right">24</td><td align="right">17</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">IOWA</td><td align="right" width="10%">NW</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">5:43</td><td width="70%">(NW) TD: John Plasencia, 51 yard pass from Kain Colter</td><td align="right">24</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:22</td><td width="70%">(NW) TD: Mike Trumpy, 8 yard run</td><td align="right">24</td><td align="right">31</td></tr></table></body></html>
The Big XII made history in 2013...but not in a good way. After starting the season 2-6, Hawai'i won three of their last four games to finish with a 5-4 conference record. BYU (7-5), Boise State (7-5), and San Diego State (6-6) also finished 5-4 in the Big XII, but it was the lowly Warriors who won the tiebreaker, and came just one win away from earning a BCS bowl berth despite not even finishing the regular season with a winning record. Hawai'i ranked 95th in points per game (22.9), 115th in rush offense, 117th on defense, and were smashed by Big XII East champs Kansas 52-7 just weeks before their rematch in the conference title game. After building a comfortable 24-0 lead by halftime, this game looked to be headed in the same direction, but the Warriors battled back in the final 30 minutes to come within three points of pulling off the upset...fortunately for the integrity of the conference, they failed. Kansas rode their 7th ranked defense to an 8-4 record, and looked to finish the regular season with double-digit wins before they lost back-to-back games against rivals Kansas State and Missouri to end the season. But they managed to redeem themselves by winning their first Big XII championship in school history since joining the conference in 1996. Kansas' offense was positively average, but their defense stole the show once again, recording six sacks, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and scoring a touchdown in the win. But up against such a lowly opponent, the victory is likely to feel a little hollow for the team. Rumors are already running rampant about the Big XII being on the cusp of losing their automatic BCS berth, and the NCAA will look to remedy the situation in the offseason by strengthening the offerings in the west division with some other teams. In the meantime, Kansas will face off against #9 South Carolina (10-2, 8-1) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl to end their season.
<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td align="center" colspan="6">BIG XII CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="48%">Dec 7, 2013</td><td align="right" width="10%">1ST</td><td align="right" width="10%">2ND</td><td align="right" width="10%">3RD</td><td align="right" width="10%">4TH</td><td align="right" width="12%">SCORE</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Hawaii Warriors (5-8, 5-5)</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">14</td><td align="right" class="active">24</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Kansas Jayhawks (9-4, 8-2)</td><td align="right">7</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right" class="active">27</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="3">Team Stats Comparison</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="60%"></td><td align="center" width="20%">HAW</td><td align="center" width="20%">KU</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Offense</td><td align="center">318</td><td align="center">272</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Rushing Yards</td><td align="center">138</td><td align="center">150</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Passing Yards</td><td align="center">180</td><td align="center">122</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">First Downs</td><td align="center">20</td><td align="center">16</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Punt Return Yards</td><td align="center">34</td><td align="center">14</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Kick Return Yards</td><td align="center">52</td><td align="center">102</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Total Yards</td><td align="center">405</td><td align="center">388</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Turnovers</td><td align="center">5</td><td align="center">3</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">3rd Down Converstion</td><td align="center">6-16 (37%)</td><td align="center">4-12 (33%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">4th Down Conversion</td><td align="center">1-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">1-2 (50%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">2-Point Conversion</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td><td align="center">0-0 (0%)</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals</td><td align="center">4-3-1 (100%)</td><td align="center">3-2-1 (100%)</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center">Penalties</td><td align="center">7-54</td><td align="center">7-74</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center">Posession Time</td><td align="center">31:45</td><td align="center">28:15</td></tr></table><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn spacer" width="575"><tr class="masthead"><td colspan="4">Scoring Summary</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FIRST QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">HAW</td><td align="right" width="10%">KU</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">3:48</td><td width="70%">(KU) TD: James Sims, 3 yard run</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">7</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">SECOND QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">HAW</td><td align="right" width="10%">KU</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">7:08</td><td width="70%">(KU) TD: Jordan Webb, 7 yard run</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">14</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">4:35</td><td width="70%">(KU) FG: Alex Mueller, 40 yard kick</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">17</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:41</td><td width="70%">(KU) TD: Keeston Terry, returned interception 43 yards</td><td align="right">0</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">THIRD QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">HAW</td><td align="right" width="10%">KU</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">8:24</td><td width="70%">(HAW) FG: Tyler Hadden, 38 yard kick</td><td align="right">3</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">1:05</td><td width="70%">(HAW) TD: Billy Ray Stutzmann, 7 yard pass from Cayman Shutter</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">24</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td colspan="2">FOURTH QUARTER SCORING</td><td align="right" width="10%">HAW</td><td align="right" width="10%">KU</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td align="center" width="10%">11:22</td><td width="70%">(KU) FG: Alex Mueller, 23 yard kick</td><td align="right">10</td><td align="right">27</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">5:49</td><td width="70%">(HAW) TD: Thretton Palamo, 7 yard run</td><td align="right">17</td><td align="right">27</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td align="center" width="10%">2:49</td><td width="70%">(HAW) TD: Thretton Palamo, 3 yard run</td><td align="right">24</td><td align="right">27</td></tr></table></body></html>