Morehouse offensive clinic set off homecoming

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October 26, 2019

The Morehouse Maroon Tigers (3-5) put on an offensive clinic for its homecoming and defeated the Benedict Tigers (0-7) 34-13 on Saturday in a SIAC football matchup.

The lopsided score was not forecasted because the last 3 games between these 2 schools were decided by 4 points or less. Morehouse was motivated to rebound from last week’s 37-21 loss to Fort Valley State.

Morehouse head coach Mike White had 2 offensive weapons that were expected to carry a heavy load for the Maroon Tigers. Running back Santo Dunn was the 2018 SIAC offensive player of the year and Michael Sims was the preseason pick for conference quarterback of the year. Benedict’s head coach Mike White led a motivated team seeking its first win.

Morehouse dominated the first half with big plays and a ball control offense. Their first scoring drive went 80 yards on 11 plays. Quarterback Michael Sims threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Albert Connel. In the second quarter, Morehouse Frank Bailey had an electrifying 69-yard run and was tackled on 1-yard line. On the next play, Bailey plowed into the end zone to give Morehouse a 14-0 lead. Later, Sims threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Gichaba.

Benedict simply could not extend drives. Except for a 45 yard missed field goal, Benedict punted on every possession in the first half. Morehouse entered halftime leading 22-0.

The halftime show was electric. For most HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), halftime is showtime. On this day, the school spirit and energy were infectious. Mahogany N Motion, the official dance team of Spellman College and the Morehouse College House of Funk Band lived up to expectations and entertained the fans.

In the second half, Benedict was competitive and cut the lead to 22-13 with 9:33 remaining in the contest. Benedict’s quarterback Eric Phoenix threw 2 touchdown passes (11 yard pass to Raylen Elzy and a 50 yard pass to Elijah Watson). Morehouse just simply had too much offensive firepower. Quarterback Sims threw another touchdown to Tremell Gooden and Santo Dunn finished off a 28-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge into the endzone. The final score was 34-13.

Benedict’s Mike White summed up the game, “I thought we had nothing. I know offensively sometimes we start slow, but I thought defensively we came out flat, also.”

Colorado lets USC take the victory

By

Devon Martinez

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October 25, 2019

Boulder, CU – Penalties and a scoreless fourth quarter cost the game for CU in their 31-35 loss against the USC Trojans. This game is the fourth straight loss for the team as their record falls to 3-5.

Overall, Colorado played a decent game on all sides of the ball, including 520 yards of total offense, one defensive turnover, and flawless red-zone performance.

The game came down to a couple of lost opportunities and penalties according to some players and coaches.

“You know when you get 13 penalties for 100 yards it’s just really hard to win like that,” said Head Coach Mel Tucker, “I mean every 100 yards is a touchdown.”

Just like previous home performances, the game was close throughout. The third quarter began with a 17-14 CU lead, and right out of the gates they scored on a two-play 45-second drive that ended with a 71 yards touchdown pass from Steven Montez to Laviska Shenault Jr.

USC responded with a 75-yard, five-play drive that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kedon Slovis to Tyler Vaughns.

The games offensive excitement continued with Montez rushing 17 yards in for a touchdown to put his team ahead by 31-21. CU held on to it’s lead at the start of the fourth quarter but failed to score again on three different drives.

The Trojans offense responded with two touchdowns.

Down by four points, and with over two minutes left; CU had one more opportunity to win the game, but the last pass from Montez to Alex Fontenot was a couple of yards shy of the first down.

The Trojans ran out the clock accepted the victory on their last drive.

Montez played almost a flawless game with three touchdowns, 324 yards, and one rushing touchdowns.

A lot criticism was directed towards Montez’s play in previous weeks, but despite that, Tucker has stayed loyal with his quarterback.

And Montez just shrugs it off.

“It comes with the position. If you don’t want to be criticized then don’t play Quarterback, it’s that simple,” said Montez, “So take those criticisms—get better from them—ignore them—whatever you want to do with them, but just got to come out and play clean football.”

Doncic and Porzingis Make Immediate Impact for Dallas

By

Ariawna Talton

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October 23, 2019

Dallas, TX – The Mavericks officially have a new winning duo in the Post-Nowitzki era.

Last years’ Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis complimented one another quite nicely Wednesday night, as the Mavericks defeated the Washington Wizards 108 – 100.

Doncic had 34 points and nine rebounds. Porzingis finished with 23 points.

While Doncic started the scoring for the night, Porzingis missed his first four attempts. That didn’t deter the 7-foot-3 starter. After a quick break on the bench, Porzingis would return to the game and score nine points in the final three minutes of the first quarter. He would finish seven of 16 from the field, including three very long shots from the perimeter.

Neither Doncic nor Porzingis were shy about launching the ball from a few feet behind the three-point line. Doncic’ game-high 34 points came on an overall 12 of 19 shooting, including four made three-point field goals.

Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards. The All-Star guard signed a $72 million, two-year extension just last week. Beal is by far the Wizards best player, especially with fellow All-Star guard John Wall out for the immediate future after tearing his Achilles tendon last December.

The Mavericks dominated both the second and third quarters, with key contributions from Josh Jackson and Dorian Finney-Smith, both netting ten points respectively. Their mid-game domination allowed the Mavericks to survive a late-game surge by the Wizards.

Dallas will play the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday night. Washington travels to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder on Friday.

Oregon State Takes Down Cal, 21-17, with Fourth Quarter Go-Ahead Score

By

Aaron Nelson

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October 19, 2019

NelsonAaron_Cal_OSU_10_19_19_fi360News-23 — The Oregon State Beavers defeat the Cal Golden Bears 21-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on October 19, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)

Berkeley, CA – The Oregon State Beavers (3-4, 2-2 Pac-12) edged out a 21-17 road victory over the Cal Golden Bears (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 19, 2019, delivering on a fourth-quarter, go-ahead scoring drive to prevent a comeback win for the Bears.

The Beavers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half with redshirt senior quarterback Jake Luton (6) delivering scoring passes in each of the first two quarters. In the first, Luton found running back Artavis Pierce on a seven-yard scoring pass, and in the second, it was Isaiah Hodgins (17) hauling in a four-yard touchdown.

Hodgins, who led the league in reception yards entering the game and averaged the fourth-most yards per game across the nation with just over 118 per contest, has now brought in at least one touchdown reception in each of his last six games.

Despite a struggling offensive attack, the Bears were able to put points on the scoreboard prior to the half with Greg Thomas (39) driving in a 44-yard field goal to make it 14-3.

Cal seemed to have found their identity again to start the second half as they held Oregon State to just 20 yards of offense and found the endzone twice in the third quarter to go up 17-14.

Running back Christopher Brown Jr. (34) drove in a one-yard rushing score near the midpoint of the third quarter to give the Bears their first touchdown in six quarters of play. Then it was transfer-quarterback Devon Modster (6), who took the reigns for the Cal offense since it lost its starter, Chase Garbers, to an indefinite throwing-arm injury against Arizona State, finding senior receiver Jordan Duncan on a 33-yard scoring pass with just over half a minute remaining in the quarter to give the Bears the lead.

Despite the momentum swing, the Beavers found a way to earn the win in the end.

Starting at their own 20-yard line with just over 9:30 remaining, the Beavers capped a balanced, 12-play drive with another Luton touchdown pass, this time finding fellow redshirt senior, tight end Noah Togiai (81), to go ahead for good, 21-17.

Statistically, the two teams finished remarkably even. Both offenses finished with 282 yards, with Cal rushing for 107 and passing for 165, while Oregon State earned 108 on the ground and threw for 166.

Linebacker Evan Weaver, who has earned both national and conference Player of the Week honors this season, eclipsed the 100-tackle mark on the season tallying 21 on the day to give the senior All-American candidate two-straight seasons with 100 or more recorded.

Modster finished with a team-high 76 yards rushing on 19 attempts, but was also sacked 7 times. He left the game with an undisclosed injury late in the fourth quarter, which could lead to even greater difficulty for the Bears as they look to end a three-game losing streak since Garbers’ injury.

With the win, Oregon State earned back-to-back road victories for the first time since 2013.

Having fallen to Utah 52-7 last week, the Beavers were looking to put the tough loss behind them with a strong showing against the Bears.

“We talked about putting the previous game to rest, and I thought our guys did it, learned from it and had a great week of work,” Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith said after the game. “That’s a good football team over there, I have a ton of respect for that staff. I’m pleased to come out on top today.”

The Beavers now head into their second and final bye week on the year, while Cal will travel to Salt Lake City to take on No. 13 Utah.

Buechele and Roberson Have Career Days in Win Over Temple

By

Ariawna Talton

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October 19, 2019

Dallas, Tx – Saturday afternoon will go down as “Reggie Roberson Jr.” day for the immediate future of the No. 19 SMU Mustangs football history. The sophomore wide receiver had himself a field day against the Temple Owls’ defense, as the Mustangs won before another energized home crowd 45 – 21.

For the first time in Ford Stadium history, two ranked teams took the field Saturday. While Temple was fresh off of two defeats of ranked opponents (Maryland and Memphis) – SMU appeared poised to improve on their undefeated record.

Long drives, wide-open receivers and a scoring offense truly sum up SMU’s execution and Temple’s dismay.

SMU quarterback Shane Buechele also had a career day as he ripped apart the Temple defense. Buechele passed for 457 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception, which came late in the game when his receiver slipped. His favorite target Saturday was Roberson Jr., who caught eight passes for a whopping 250 yards and three touchdowns.

If fans left the stands for a snack, upon return – Roberson Jr. was either catching a deep ball, finishing a play in the end zone or being surrounded by teammates after scoring. It was just that kind of day for SMU.

“We thought coming into the game we had some favorable matchups with some of our skill guys, and we had to execute,” SMU coach Sonny Dykes said. “Shane obviously made some really great deep throws, and Reggie made some plays.”

The SMU run game was powered by an ever-so-tough Xavier Jones, who earned 105 hard fought yards. While he didn’t score any rushing touchdowns this week, Jones was on the receiving end of one of Buechele’s six touchdown passes.

The Mustangs enjoyed an off week following an incredible come-from-behind triple-overtime win over Tulsa at home on Oct. 5. Roberson was injured in that game and definitely benefited from the week off.

SMU is now 7-0 and will play Houston this Thursday. Temple is now 5-2 and currently trailing Cincinnati for first place in the East.

YOU SHOULD KNOW ME: “iSTEVIE”

By

Terry Collins

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October 14, 2019

“You should know me” is an ongoing column that is intended to introduce accomplished Bay Area artists and entertainers to the mainstream media.

I have the pleasure of introducing you to “iStevie.” He is an Oakland native and son of professional gospel singer Stevie Early. Like his father, iStevie is an accomplished singer and musician that plays the piano, drums and is extending his repertoire to include the bass and guitar. Since 2000, iStevie has produced 5 albums, music videos and performed on countless songs.If you have attended concerts in California, you may have noticed iStevie sharing the same stage with Patti Labelle, The Whispers, Confunkshun, Ginuwine, Tank, Carl Thomas, KRS 1, Too Short, E40, Scarface, Digital Underground, Ready for the World, Lil Moe and many others.

With this resume, many people would assume that the artist is not truly talented or has some personal issues that prevented a rise to mega star level. I presented some questions to iStevie and requested nothing but the uncut truth.

Who is the artist iStevie?

I am a husband and father that would never compromise the integrity of my family. I am the book cover and face of my legacy, which is why you never heard of me getting arrested or having problems on the street. I see myself as a humble person that uses my music to make people smile. I try to give unconditional support to all of the other artists. My music is my autobiography. I only write real music, things that really happened. The song that describes me best is “Crazy Love” which is on my Back to Love Album. I stay grounded because I am a barber by trade. You can see me at Cedric’s Barbershop on 88^th and International Boulevard. I have been able to finance various projects and my family by being true to myself.

What are the common factors that prevent talented people from becoming mega stars?

Too often an artist will sit on a hit for too long. They have something that is fire, but they don’t put it out. I have seen people get in their own way by overthinking the situation. Instead of introducing the song to the public, they convince themselves that now is not the time to promote the song.

What really happens behind the curtain in the industry?

Today, there is no real major distinction between a major artist and an independent artist. With social media and the internet, you have the ability to gain millions of fans with the click of a few buttons. Many artists are now transitioning to using platforms like iTunes to distribute their own music. However, some principles remain constant. You reap what you sew. An artist is typically only rewarded for their hard work, effort and discipline that they put into the music. You have to invest money into your music.

How do you sustain a family and income?

My wife Irena Early understands the industry because she was a rapper. She supports my ambition, understands late night studio sessions and trusts that I will honor the family. I have been fortunate to own a couple of different companies over the years. I have “Stay Focused” clothing line, which actually was the birth of Marshawn Lynch’s Beast Mode Clothing. I also own a graphic design company named “iStevie Graphics” and a production company names “iStevie Muzik Land.” In addition, I rent out my music studio that provides another source of income. I get my drive from my mother Karen Cox and stepdad Mobil Cox, but I was truly blessed to have Roddie Wah as a mentor that taught me the industry and helped me develop in business.

What is your next move now that you are no longer a rookie?

I am currently working on a movie called “Open Mic.” The movie is providing true insight into the culture vultures and greed of Hollywood. I am also teaching graphic design to the younger generation at the West Oakland Youth Center. I plan to release my new music and videos by this fall. The newly released singles are “Take this Ride” and “Fuel to the Fire” with rising star Ty Astor.

I enjoyed writing this piece and only hope to introduce you to some of the finer people that the Bay Area has to offer. I encourage you to support I Stevie and judge him for yourself.

You can listen to iStevie on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IbJFUV4ymdNEEIkqJaU5Q;YouTube at youtu.be/N58T_qgIgkw, Facebook,and Instagram at @isteviemuzik.

USC comeback falls short against Notre Dame

By

Jamie Bright

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October 12, 2019

: USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish OCT12 — USC vs Notre Dame football game on October 12, 2019 (Photo by Andre Hollis)

South Bend, IN – 1:04 remaining and everyone in the stadium is thinking the same thing, onside kick. USC lines up and Notre Dame takes a timeout to see how USC would set up and secure the biggest play of the game. The Fighting Irish secured the onside kicks and narrowly escapes with the win.

Notre Dame sealed the win 30-27 after several ups and downs, while fighting hard for every single yard and point scored, i guess that’s why they are The Fighting Irish.

Tony Jones Jr had a career game for Notre Dame as he ran all over USC in the first half for a total of 120 yards. This came after several mental mistakes that lead to penalties that would of broke down most teams, but not the Fighting Irish. Lenzy who added 51 rushing yards and a TD also in the first half, helped the rushing game led the way for Notre Dame.

What a night for football in South Bend, Indiana. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish hosted the USC Trojans, in one of the longest rivalry dating back from 1926. Out of 90 total meetings, Notre Dame leads the series 46-36-5.

Brian Kelly team ready to go and not allow them to lose track of the importance of today’s game stating “This is a Rivalry Game” also stating that this is 1 of 2 college games he never wanted to miss growing up. “I watched this game for many years growing up so the history and tradition does not escape me” said Kelly.

Both teams made big offensive plays and huge defensive plays throughout the 1st quarter, until 2:13 when USC kicked a 40 yard field goal to place them in the lead. Notre Dame’s nerves seemed to get the best of them resulting in a few key penalties, one on the kickoff return following USC’s field goal.

Notre Dame’s 3 penalties for 25 yards in the 1st quarter really hurt them.

Arm tackling by the defense allowed USC to get ideal field position to start off their drive after the touchdown. Placing the pressure on Notre Dame’s defense which rose to the occasion forcing USC to punt.

It took only 4 plays for Notre Dame to march down the field and score again, getting their longest rushing touchdown of the season on a 51 yard scamper by Lenzy. Notre Dame running backs had a field day with Jones going for 120 yards and Lenzy adding 51 yards all in the first half.

The offensive line lead the way followed by a stout rushing attack that would not be denied, this opened up the game for Notre Dame. The line of scrimmage was dominated by the big offensive front, which even led to QB Book making several runs for the Fighting Irish leading to 45 yard field goal placing Notre Dame ahead 17-3 going into half time.

Notre Dame had several players with big games today including Asmar Bilal who had 10 tackles and 2 tackle for loss, Khalid Kareem also added 7 tackles and 1 sack to help Notre Dame dominate USC.

Between the offensive line and the defense controlling the line of scrimmage, Notre Dame showed just what smash mouth football is all about.

Notre Dame defense stepped up to seal the deal and deny USC, until 1:11 when USC put together a drive of their own, getting down to the 2 yard line and punching it in to make it a 3 point game with 1 minute left in regulation.

Now USC will travel home with a moral victory, while Notre Dame was victorious.

No. 18 ASU survives as they beat Washington State 38-34

By

Eric Townsend

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October 12, 2019

ASU Vs WSU 2019 #342 — Washington State vs Arizona State PAC-12 football game on October 12, 2019 (Photo by John Hays)

TEMPE, AZ – Arizona State receiver Brandon Aiyuk caught three touchdown passes and running back Eno Benjamin ran wild, as the No. 15 Sun Devils rallied late to beat Washington State 38-34 in this Pac-12 match-up.

Both ASU and WSU were coming off of bye weeks, but nonetheless the Devils looked ready in this one as they came from behind to score the big win.

“They’re a resilient bunch, they really are,” ASU head coach Herm Edwards said. “Going into this thing, I said this week was not going to be a 14-17 game, it was going to be in the 30s. We talked about it last night, we got to score 30-plus points, some kind of way, we’ve got to find a way.”

Although things did not look so pretty from the start for ASU. Perhaps shaking a bit of the bye week rust, the Devils fell behind early.

Despite the defense holding the Cougars to a quick, three-and-out, a penalty on the Devils gave the Cougars a fresh set of downs, and it didn’t take long for WSU to capitalize, scoring on a 35-yard pass from Anthony Gordon to Travell Harris to give them the early, 7-0 lead.

The very next series by the Cougars led to more points, as Washington State kicker would connect on a 33-yard attempt from kicker Blake Mazza to put WSU in front 10-0.

ASU would find the endzone on their next offensive series, which was a the first of three touchdown receptions from Aiyuk to make it 10-7 after the converted PAT.

But that excitement didn’t seem to last too long, as WSU came right back down, to score again! This time on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Gordon to Dezmon Patton to make it 17-7 Cougars with 8:15 left to play. However, that’s when that Sun Devil resiliency kicked in as Edwards alluded to.

Similar to their game against Colorado, ASU fell behind quickly. “They got up on us early, we got into a groove, we were playing some zone coverage, we couldn’t quite get to the quarterback,” Edwards said. “So speaking with Danny [Gonzales] I said enough of this.”

And responded they did! ASU would find an offensive groove to end the second half, scoring 10 unanswered points to tie the game at the half, sparked by Aiyuk’s second touchdown of the game, an 86-yard reception that went to the house.

Looking to capitalize on their momentum, ASU came out strong in the second half! “Our offense started rolling, and our run game really helped us” Edwards said.

And that it did. Benjamin who had been pretty quiet up to that point would find the endzone early in the second half, after a 32-yard scamper that would put the Devils in front for this first time in this one at 24-17 after the converted PAT.

Sitting at fourth-and-one on that play, Benjamin was just “thinking first down on that play,” he said. “Anything that came after that was a bonus.”

WSU wouldn’t go away however, seemingly stealing the momentum right back. Trailing 24-17, the Cougars would find the endzone again, going 91-yards on 14 plays to tie this one after another touchdown from Gordon, this one to Easop Winston, Jr. from two-yards out.

On their very next series, the Cougars find the endzone yet again, this time going nine plays for 92 yards, capped by a Max Borghi run from two-yards out to eventually give WSU the 31-24 lead.

Just like Edwards had alluded to earlier, this was a game that was going to be played in the 30s, and he was right.

ASU would come down the field on their very next offensive series to tie this one, after Aiyuk caught his third touchdown pass from freshman quarterback, Jayden Daniels.

Aiyuk would finish the game with seven receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns, despite suffering from some ailments. “I was cramping and dealing with some stomach issues” he said.

With it neck and neck, who knew this one was going to come down to who made more plays down the stretch.

Tied 31-31 with 7:53 to go in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils would have the ball deep in their own territory. After a quick three-and-out, the Sun Devils would then have an uncharacteristic shanked punt, giving the Cougars prime field position at the ASU 36-yard line.

Luckily for the Sun Devils, they would hold Washington State to just a field goal, and that was “the key to the game,” Edwards said. “Now we got to score, but we need to score a touchdown, because I did not want to go into overtime.”

Needing another big drive from his freshman, Edwards would just get enough out of his guys, showing that resiliency one more time, as the Sun Devils drove 75 yards in 10 plays to regain the lead, after Daniels would dive into the endzone after tucking the ball and scrambling to ultimately deliver the Devils the 38-34 win.

With the victory, ASU improves to 5-1 (2-1) and will take on Utah next week. “I’ll enjoy this for about an hour,” Edwards said, “I’ll be the first one in here tomorrow, watch the film, get that graded… all I care about is the next game.”

As for the Cougars, they drop their third-straight game and fall to 3-3 (0-3) and will take on Colorado at home.

Purdue dominates Maryland with Plummer arm

By

Jamie Bright

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October 12, 2019

CV1D9068 — Maryland vs Purdue BIG 10 football game on October 12, 2019 (Photo by Andre Hollis)

West Lafayette, In – These two teams would trade punches in the 2nd quarter with Purdue doing most of its damage through the air, while Maryland tried to established itself on the ground. It would be a lot of offense and little defense for both squads wrapping up the first half.

Even getting comical at times with a “voided play” at the 1:30 mark. Until a huge 37 yard Pick-6 for Purdue with 18.5 seconds left in the half being made by Corey Trice for the touchdown. Purdue finished off Maryland 40 – 14 for the victory.

“You guys earned it,” said Purdue coach Jeff Brohm, “It was great to come out the second half and shut them (Maryland) out.”

The Boilermakers defense forced a three and out on the second possession for Maryland, then once again took the ball and ran it right down Maryland’s throat scoring for their 2nd score of the afternoon. Keeping that same intensity to close out the first quarter with a commanding 13-0 lead.

This tough gritty team has faced all types of adversity from losing the starting Quarterback to injury, constantly changing of the starting offensive line, and the receiving core that can’t catch a break from injuries. Yet they fight! Lead by Brohm and his staff of hard nose coaches, Purdue always has a fighting chance.

Purdue quarterback Jake Plummer threw for 420 yards on 33/41 pass with three touchdowns. Receiver David Bell was on the receiving end of two of the touchdowns.

Purdue new Moon Rock helmets and uniforms for the Maryland Terrapins were highlighted by crisp sunny afternoon. This gritty “Next man up” team is tough and filled with character and it would take all of that, and all of them to get the win today.

The 2nd half would not be filled with a lot of scoring but Purdue did enough work in the first half to be able to cruise to a big victory at home. Corey Trice snagged down another interception, while saving Purdue from a Maryland touchdown that could of changed the outcome of the game. While the offense did great at moving the ball and keeping Maryland offense off the field and controlling the tempo of the game. Purdue would again score in the 4th quarter on yet another touchdown pass stretching the lead to 40-14.

“Obviously road wins are tough. You’ve got to give Purdue credit; they did a better job than us today with their execution,” first-year Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “Like I told our team, not disappointed in their effort, really disappointed in our execution and us not taking advantage of our opportunities.”

Corey Trice had a career night for himself and is very determined to have more games like the one he had today. That’s the way you defend your home turf and give this homecoming crowd something to cheer for.

Next up Purdue will travel to Iowa for a noon kickoff on Saturday 19 on ESPN2.

Iowa State too much for West Virginia

By

Edward Thompson

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October 12, 2019

It was Iowa State all day. No, actually, it was Breece Hall all day. From beginning to end, it was all Cyclone football to be honest. The highlight of the day was on their side of the ball too as Iowa State’s RB Breece Hall had a long awaited breakout performance. Unfortunately it came 800 miles away from home down in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia at Puskar Stadium.

The Energizer Bunny-like freshman RB who is from Wichita, Kansas showed flashes of his speechless skills in the first five games of the Cyclones season, but Saturday, Breece put those talents on full display for the nation to see in a 38-14 rout of the Mountaineers in West Virginia. Breece juked defenders literally out of their cleats and sprinted through the highly respected WVU defensive line and scored three rushing touchdowns. The first 3 of his collegiate career. Those 3 scores helped give the Iowa State Cyclones (4-2, 2-1) their first road win of the 2019 season and opened quite a bit of the nations eyes.

Breece carried the rock 26 times for 132 yards and visited the end zone twice in the second half. He became the Cyclones’ first true freshman back to rush for over 100 yards since David Montgomery achieved that feat against West Virginia in 2016. As for the Cyclone’s D, they had a shutout for the final 30 minutes against WVU and sent the Mountaineers’ fans shuffling towards their cars early. The stands were pretty much half full the last quarter as WVY couldn’t find the endzone at all.

The Cyclones were in a 14-14 tie at halftime with the Mountaineers,but ended up out gaining West Virginia and amazing 372 yards to 190. The Cyclone’s outscored the Mountaineers 24-0 in the second half as WR La’Michael Pettway caught 8 catches for 81 yards but made three key third down grabs to allow the Cyclones to keep the ball and win the possession game too in the second half.

Cyclone’s star quarterback Brock Purdy completed 19/30 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown. Purdy also rushed for a touchdown.

As far as the Mountaineer’s went, after they forced the Cyclones to punt on their opening drive, the West Virginia offense failed to get anything into the endzone with their opening drive. Starting QB Kendall took a sack on a 3^rddown play in their first and suffered what seemed to be an apparent upper body (chest/shoulder) injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. With Kendall out, second string and back up QB Jack Allison stepped in for West Virginia’s s 2nd drive and despite going a quick three-and-out on that drive, turned in a great performance throughout the rest of the1st half. Allison would struggle the rest of the game putting up average numbers and zero points offensively.

WVU’s Frtykee Smith had what could be labeled the play of the game for the WVU Mountaineers when Smith intercepted a tipped pass from Iowa State’s QB Brock Purdy and returned it to put for a score the Mountaineers up 7-0 in the first quarter. Unfortunately, it was the only play of the game or highlight for the Mountaineers.