Introduction: I have missed writing about my franchise/dynasty since I left off with my Los Angeles Giants franchise in Madden 2004. I can't promise an exciting review of every game, but I will most definitely write about the big/important/exciting games. Other games I may just post the scores and some stats. Anyhow, I chose to control two teams: the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Sam Houston State Bearkats. I chose the Bulldogs because I wanted a good team that wasn't highly prestigious. I plan to play two or three seasons with them and should a good coaching offer come my way in a bigger conference I may take it. I chose the Bearkats, because, well that is where I go to school. I move Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State all into the Sun Belt, replacing Idaho, Utah State, and New Mexico State. I have one season finished already, so I'll quickly recap what happened and pick up later in season two.
FRESNO STATE: 2004 Season Recap
Record: 12-0 (WAC Champions)
Rank: #4
Bowl: Defeated Virginia Tech 31-13 in the Fiesta Bowl
Offseason: Lost two key starters to the NFL draft as early entries, HB Dwayne Wright (92 ovr) and starting SS (sorry, his name escapes me now...97 ovr). Both were contacted and persuaded to return for their senior years, but both declined. Tommie Morris was a key loss to the defensive line, as he led the WAC in sacks last season. Having the only undefeated record in the nation helped recruiting, giving Fresno State the #1 class in the nation.
SAM HOUSTON STATE: 2004 Season Recap
Record: 4-7
Rank: #115
Offseason: Starting QB Dustin Long was lost as he was a senior, as was all but one of the WR corps. Defensive captain CB Mark Hughes, as well as FS Chad Oliphant were also lost as seniors. HB Greg Gold transferred from Oklahoma State, and figures to be the starter in 2006 when he is eligible to play again. Being in the great football state of Texas helped the Kats with recruiting, giving them the #29 class in the nation.
The 2005 season should prove to be much more challenging to the Bulldogs, with scheduled matchups against Texas A&M, UCLA, and USC. In 2004, the only ranked team played was eventual champion Kansas State. Seniors QB Paul Pinegar and WR Jermaine Jamison lead a potent passing attack as they look to capture the WAC title once again. Boise State, Nevada, and Hawaii look to be the biggest obstacles in the way of this feat. Senior HB Bryson Sumlin will get his shot with the early departure of Dwayne Wright. Sumlin was second on the team in rushing last season, spelling Wright for five to ten carries a game.
The defense is led by senior FS Tyrone Culver, who was second on the team in tackles last season. Blue chip recruits Quentin Stevenson and Levi Pope will form the ends of the defensive line with upper-classmen Garret McIntyre and Louis Little manning the middle. The Bulldogs defense hopes to be a top ten defense once again when it's all said and done.
Starters/Key backups:
QB: Paul Pinegar 92 / Jordan Christensen 76
HB: Bryson Sumlin 87 / Robbie Dubois 84
FB: Matt Rivera 84 / Rashon Vercher 82
WR: Jermaine Jamison 86 / Adam Jennings 82
WR: Joe Fernandez 84 / Paul Williams 76
TE: Duncan Reid 84 / Will Haley 80
LT: Chris Denman 74
LG: Matt Stevenson 80
C: Kyle Young 92
RG: Dartagon Shack 86
RT: Sergio Benson 80
LE: Quentin Stevenson 84
RE: Levi Pope 78
DT: Garret McIntyre 87 / Louis Little 78
OLB: Manuel Sanchez 70
MLB: Dwayne Andrews 82
OLB: Alan Goodwin 72
CB: Raymond Washington 85 / Awan Diles 82 / Richard Marshal 76
FS: Tyrone Culver 89
SS: Darrel Lacy 78
K: Bubba Brock 74
P: Mike Lingua 92
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Later...the Sam Houston State 2005 Preview
The Kats look to improve upon their 2004 record of 4-7. Junior QB Noah Allen, who transferred from Oklahoma after the 2003 season, now gets his chance to shine leading the offense. Third year starter HB Jason Godfrey looks poised for another 1200+ yard season. The only returning WR is Lincoln Mckinnon, with the rest of the crew being true freshmen.
The defense is very raw and young, but has some nice talent. Top recruit Amon Smith comes in right away to start at MLB, as do FS Justin Lewis and SS Seth Fisher. A total of 6 freshmen will start on the defensive side of the ball. The biggest defensive weakness is up the middle at the tackle positions, where the team struggled last year stopping the run.
Starters/Key Players:
QB: Noah Allen 72 / Teddy McGuire 70
HB: Jason Godfrey 68 / Stevie Smith 65
FB: Boss Doucette 70
WR: Mark Chatfield 72 / Lincoln Mckinnon 56
WR: Marvin Ford 62
TE: Eugene Mathews 74 / Cory Roberts 56
LT: Lance Hancock 70
LG: Jared Westerman 62
C: James Whitaker 68
RG: Chris Pope 65
RT: Huey McLaurin 68
LE: Bert Slater 72
RE: William Quinn 78
DT: Jeff Mayhew 56 / John Griffin 52
OLB: Ayo Akindona 62
MLB: Amon Smith 80 / Marcus Mikulec 56
OLB: David Little 70
CB: Ronnie Johnson 68 / Greg Brown 56
CB: Leroy Bradshaw 65 / Scorpio Babers 56
FS: Justin Lewis 70
SS: Seth Fisher 70
K: Ray Holt 59
P: Curtis Parks 56
Ahhh, very good reviews and previews there mboss. I miss seeing your Franchise posts so this definately relights the creative writing competition Good luck with SHSU as it looks like you might have a tough time with your roster. I am sure Noah Allen will do well. As for Fresno State... awesome. But of course, any school with ties to my hometown Texan, David Carr, is tops in my book.
__________________ Houston Texans (2-1) w/a loss against the Indianapolis Colts 30-24
I know what ya'll are thinking....who is Slayer? Yes, after a long disappearance from the board, I have returned. My main influence...football, of course. Anyways, Nice reviews and previews mboss. I can't wait untill I start my dynasty and franchise again after reading your posts. Good luck with your teams and especially SHSU. I remember when Noah Allen played for my hometown Pearland Oilers. He is an amazing QB.
Game Summary
A confident Bruins team would come into Fresno after defeating a tough Virginia team in week 2. They would come out strong early, driving down the field and nailing a couple of tough field goals. The defense was especially strong, shutting down the Bulldog rushing attack. Fresno State would catch a break late in the quarter, recovering a fumble deep into Bruin territory, only to have their hopes spoiled when Paul Pinegar's pass was picked off in the endzone. All indications had UCLA upsetting a second nationally ranked team in as many weeks. End of one, 6-0 UCLA.
Things would change in the second quarter, when the Bulldogs would finally get down the field for a couple of field goals, evening the score. Both defenses took control at this point, forcing punt after punt...until Pinegar threw one downfield that had no chance of being caught by your typical receiver. Jermaine Jameson is not your typical receiver. Jameson streaked down the field, left the ground to go up for the ball, and managed to come down with it at the 12 yard line after his legs were taken out from under him. A few plays later, Robbie Dubois would sprint it in for the touchdown. End of the half, 13-6 Fresno St.
The third quarter was a lot more defense, as both quarterbacks were frustrated by a pesky defense all day. Nearly every play Pinegar was staring at a couple of lineman about to hit him. He'd find an open receiver only to have a defensive back come from nowhere to swat it down. Bubba Brock would knock another three points through the uprights for the Bulldogs, giving them a 16-6 advantage at the end of the third.
The Fresno defense decided by the fourth quarter that it was time to win the game. They would do so without even allowing the offense to put it away. Strong safety Darrel Lacey would deflect a pass up into the air for anyone to grab...when it came down he would grab it himself and 40 yards later had a touchdown. An absolutely shattering blow to the Bruins who started off the game so strong. The UCLA offense would make a push and eventually score another touchdown, but Fresno linebacker Alan Goodwin made his presence felt during a desperation drive by the Bruins. Goodwin knocked the ball loose on his third sack of the game, while defensive end Quentin Stevenson scooped it up. Stevenson took it 10 yards toward the endzone, then decided he wasn't going to make it, and pitched it to Darrel Lacey. Over 60 yards later Darrel Lacey had his second touchdown of the game.
Score: 30-13
QB P.Pinegar: 11/31, 185 yds, 2 int
HB B.Sumlin: 19 car, 98 yds
DT G.Mcintyre: 5 tak, 2 sak
OLB A.Goodwin: 4 tak, 3 sak, 1 int, 1 ff
SS D.Lacey: 3 tak, 1 int, 2 TD
K B.Brock: 3/4 FG
Two good victories. Fresno State did a good job hanging in there untill they could finally catch a break. Lacey seems to be the Player of the Game. Keep working hard and good luck.
Nice defensive game Mboss. Looks like you're having a tough time passing the ball. Why not report on SHSU?!?! Why don't they get the love?? Hehe. I am sure you just like to write about the good stuff... cos they have the "write" stuff! Good luck against them Aggies.
__________________ Houston Texans (2-1) w/a loss against the Indianapolis Colts 30-24
Quarters: 8 minutes
All-American difficulty with WR Catching kicked all the way up (we all know how ridiculous dropped passes are in this game), and I bumped up the CPU's offensive ability all around.
#8 Fresno State (3-0) at Tulsa (0-1) *WAC Game
Score: 28-7
Key Stats:
QB P.Pinegar: 21/46, 288 yds, 2 TD, INT
HB B.Sumlin: 20 car, 123 yds; 6 rec, 47 yds
WR J.Jamison: 4 rec, 106 yds
RT S.Benson: 14 pancakes
DT G.McIntyre: 7 tak (2 for losses)
K B.Brock: 5/6 FG, 46 Long
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SAM HOUSTON STATE (3-0) at TEXAS STATE (0-3) *Sun Belt Game
Two Freshmen Suspended; SHSU Wins Without Them
The Huntsville Item
The Sam Houston State Bearkats top freshman wide receiver was suspended before Saturday's game, after an altercation with free safety Justin Lewis in practice this week. Another freshman, quarterback/wide receiver Teddy McGuire, was suspended for this game as well as next weeks game against Troy State for what the team is calling "conduct detrimental to the team".
The two suspensions left the Bearkats with only four wide-outs for the Texas State game, severely limiting quarterback Noah Allen's options. Chatfield has been Allen's top target so far this season, recording two one-hundred yard games in his first two starts. Head coach Ron Randleman knew starting so many freshman was risky, but he was still disappointed in them.
"Mark (Chatfield) has really made strides, even through his first two games. He got a little caught up in his emotions in practice, so we had to set an example to prevent these kinds of altercations from happening again."
Randleman expressed even more disappointment in McGuire, who saw limited action in the first game.
"Teddy is a terrific athlete, but what we've all got to understand is there are other guys that have been here longer and are more experienced. His turn will come, but for now we've got to get him to work hard and be ready when the time comes."
All of the injuries and distractions didn't seem to bother tailback Jason Godfrey, as he carried the load rushing for over 140 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The thin crew at wide receiver got even thinner when another freshman, Elliot Ford, went down with an injury in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, it was evident that it was going to be a control-the-clock, grind-it-out rushing game.
The Bearkat defense held the Bobcats in check, pressuring true freshman quarterback Drew Wilder into throwing the ball before he wanted to all day. It was still anyone's game, until Bearkat free safety Justin Smith picked off Wilder, ending a drive that could have possible tied the game. AFter a nice return, Jason Godfrey put the game away on a 15 yard touchdown run.
Noah Allen struggled all day, as the Bobcat defenders were quicker than his wide receivers. Allen completed only five passes for 15 yards.
"It was frustrating, but fortunately for us Jason (Godfrey) came to play. We played with what we had, and got the job done. In the end, all I care about is the win."
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Week 6 Preview:
Louisiana Tech * #7 Fresno State
Troy State * SHSU
The smooth 2005 season for the Sam Houston State Bearkats came to a screetching halt in Denton this week, as the Bearkats lost 17-35. Quarterback Noah Allen had his best game to date, but the running game was contained by a tough Eagle defense. Allen threw for over 300 yards, a career high, but tailback Jason Godfrey ran for a season low 72 yards.
The game was close until the final three minutes, when Eagle quarterback Andrew Smith lobbed a pass up for grabs on third down, with his receiver pulling it down. The defender on the play, safety Jeff Fisher, lost his footing, allowing the receiver to take it 53 yards for the touchdown. That put UNT up by 11, meaning the Kats had to score quickly and get the ball back.
That's when the Eagle defense kicked it into high gear. Noah Allen was sacked on the first two plays, and on third down had a pass batted down. On fourth down, a desperation throw was nearly picked off. North Texas would take possession, and tailback Roy Bishop would score the next play on a 38 yard touchdown run.
The Bearkats other scores would come on an 11 yard touchdown pass to Stevie Smith, and a short run by Jason Godfrey. Each score came after long, grueling drives. The Eagles scored quickly and often, including an 88 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, as well as a 23 yard pass following a Stevie Smith fumbled punt return.
Week 8 Preview:
Middle Tennessee State * SHSU
#1 USC * #2 Fresno State
Bulldogs Find Themselves in Nation's Spotlight
Fresno Bee
Two weeks makes a big difference. After they finished their last game against Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs assumed they would move up one, maybe two spots in the national rankings. That was before the upsets of week six and seven. #2 Miami, #3 Oklahoma, and #4 LSU would all lose in week six, bumping Fresno up to #3 going into week seven. Going into week seven,#2 Florida State was set to take #9 Miami.
Miami went on to upset FSU this weekend, putting the Bulldogs in the spotlight now as they are #2. The nation will see if they deserve it right away in week eight, as they take on #1 USC. Head coach Pat Hill is confident that his team will be ready, but has asked his players not to talk to the media as they prepare for a game that could change the outlook of the entire season.
"This is obviously the biggest game in the nation this year so far. The top two teams, and for us (Fresno) it means a shot at the national championship. I want our players focused on the task ahead, so they will not speak to the media. USC is a tough team, but we're gonna be ready to give it everything we've got."
Fresno State is riding a 17 game winning streak going into the game. An 18th win may put them in the national championship game, barring any losses through the rest of the regular season.
EDIT: The first two games were week 6, the last one was week 7.
Holy crap. Great wins and sorry about the SHSU loss to UNT. As far as Fresno State being #2... sweeeeeeet! You'll have your hands full with USC so good luck with that.
__________________ Houston Texans (2-1) w/a loss against the Indianapolis Colts 30-24
Good luck against USC. It will be tough, but atleast you aren't playing at the Collesium. Great job getting to the #2 spot. Hopefully we will inherit the #1 slot after you beat USC.
Ok guys, for those of you following this thread anyway, I've gotten completely behind in my posting. I'm still in the same season, but several weeks ahead. I'm gonna try to catch up now, but it'll mostly be just scores and a few stats.
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The Coaches Thoughts:
USC was ultimately just too much for my team to keep up with. I thought my guys played well, but the Trojans just had too much talent for us to match. This loss was acceptable, but we have to keep our focus and make sure we take care of business the rest of the season.
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Middle Tennessee State (5-1) * Sam Houston State (5-1) *Sun Belt game
================================================== ==== Week 9
#9 Fresno State * Boise State *WAC game
Score: 24-31
$%&*&*#$%
That stands for all the cursing I did during this game. Rarely do I get this upset during a game, but my team didn't show up for this one and I wasn't happy. Therefore, I didn't take down any stats or anything. Trust me, it wasn't pretty...and it wasn't as close as it looked.
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Ouch! Crushing loss!!! That must have hurt... actually, I know it did by the look of things. Sorry bout that. Hopefully the Bulldogs rebounded. And did I read that right? SHSU was shut out by MTS???
__________________ Houston Texans (2-1) w/a loss against the Indianapolis Colts 30-24
A source withing the Fresno State athletic department has reported that Bulldog senior quarterback Paul Pinegar has been suspended for the next two games.
"Mr. Pinegar will not play for the next two weeks. Team officials indicated that he has broken team rules, but they would not give any details."
Pinegar is currently third in the WAC in yardage, fourth in touchdowns, and fourth in passer rating. Junior Jason Christensen is expected to start in his absence.
Sam Houston State (6-2) * UL Lafeyette (3-4) *Sun Belt Game
Score: 21-13
QB T.Mcguire 13/27, 160 yds, 2 TD (N.Allen out in first quarter with injury)
HB J.Godfrey 21 car, 94 yds, TD
MLB A.Smith 8 tak, FF
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Quote:
Originally Posted by qb8stunner
Ouch! Crushing loss!!! That must have hurt... actually, I know it did by the look of things. Sorry bout that. Hopefully the Bulldogs rebounded. And did I read that right? SHSU was shut out by MTS???
Yes, MTSU is currently the powerhouse of the Sun Belt conference. I put up a good fight against them in my first season, but obviously they remembered that and came back against me this year.
Ok, I've actually finished the season now, so I'm gonna fully catch up. I'll post the rest of the regular season here, and the post-season tomorrow. I've got some BIG news for both clubs, so be ready for that.
WEEK 11
Louisiana Monroe (6-3) at Sam Houston State (6-3) *Sun Belt Game
Bulldogs Attacked by Cougars in the Hawaii Bowl
Fresno Bee
The Bulldogs flew out to Hawaii this weekend to compete in the Hawaii bowl against the Houston Cougars. A confident Bulldog team took the field, but a tenacious Cougar defense also arrived ready for a fight. It would be the last game for several key Fresno State athletes, including QB Paul Pinegar, WR Jermaine Jamison, and HB Bryson Sumlin. DT Chris McIntyre also returned to play in one last game, after an injury that sidelined him for ten weeks. Ranked third in the nation, the season is still a disappointment for the Bulldogs who let the WAC title get away with a loss to Boise State.
The Bulldog defense was attacked early, with Kevin Kolb completing his first pass to Leonard Gibson for an 80 yard touchdown. Unfortunately for the Cougars, Gibson stepped out of bounds before he caught the ball, bringing the play back. Fresno State would force the punt, and score on their opening drive with an 8 yard pass to Jermaine Jamison.
That would be the only easy drive for Pinegar, as the Houston defense was in his face all day, sacking him four times and forcing three interceptions.
On the next drive, Kolb would strike quickly again, hitting Vincent Marshal on a streak for an 82 yard touchdown. The majority of the Cougar offense came on quick, long strikes. Kolb only completed 12 passes, but made the most of them.
The half would end with a couple of field goals by Bubba Brock, putting Fresno State up 13-7 at halftime.
Houston's defense would step up even more as the game dwindled down. A defining drive in the game by the Cougars was capped off with a 5 yard touchdown run by Jackie Battle, who accounted for 36 yards on the 48 yard drive.
That drive would put Fresno State on their heels the rest of the way. The Hawaii crowd was used to rooting against this team, as they were rivals with their beloved Rainbow Warriors. The game was still open with under two minutes to go, when Bubba Brock hit a third field goal to put Fresno State up by two. The Bulldog defense would have to secure the victory by holding a potent Houston offense with 1:31 left in the game. Houston still had all three timeouts.
Kevin Kolb completed five of his 12 passes on that drive, performing as a true leader. Wideout Vincent Marshal continued to make plays through double teams. They would drive all the way down inside the five yard line, when a desperate Bulldog defense decided it would be best to let them score and leave time on the clock for one last drive. Battle would score again, putting UH up by six after a failed two point conversion.
Paul Pinegar's collegiate career ended on the very next play. The first pass would be picked off by Willie Gaston, sealing the upset victory for Houston. Fullback Josh Cross would score for the Cougars to put it away.
A disappointing season for Fresno State ended in even more disappointment.
SHSU Head Coach to Step Down After 25 Years
The Huntsville Item
An era has come to an end in Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston State Head Football Coach Ron Randleman has stepped down as head coach after 25 seasons coaching the team.
The two-time Southland Conference "Coach of the Year" (1991, 2001) just finished coaching his second season in division 1-A, and has decided to turn the team over to someone else.
"It's just that time. This football team has been a big part of my life, and it always will be. Right now, I'm ready to take a lesser role on the staff and let someone else take over."
Randleman will resume his career in Huntsville, as the Bearkats top recruiting coordinator. He'll also be an advisor to the team in an informal role, but most of his work will be done scouting and reviewing tapes in the offseason. The opportunity gives him more time to spend with his family.
"I've been doing this for so long, and it takes up so much of your life. It's been a great experience, but it's time to put family first."
Randleman has won 232 games in his head coaching career, including 132 with Sam Houston State.
No, I did not get fired. I am feeling Madden deprived since I have not purchased it yet, so I will be doing that soon. There is no way I was gonna be able to keep up with 2 NCAA teams and a Madden Franchise. So, I'll play with Fresno State, but not SHSU. I'll still control the team, roster, recruiting, etc., just won't play the games.
Officials from both the Pac-10 Conference and the Fresno State Athletic Department released statements today reporting that Fresno State University has accepted an invitation into the Pac-10 Conference, effective fall 2006 at the start of the football season. They will replace UCLA, who will take Fresno State's spot in the WAC for at least a year.
Fresno State will now compete with Pac-10 schools Arizona State, California, Stanford, Southern California, Arizona, Washington State, Oregon, Washington, and Oregon State.
UCLA will be scheduled to face Louisiana Tech, Boise State, Rice, UTEP, Hawaii, San Jose State, Southern Methodist University, Tulsa, and Nevada.
Fresno State plans to schedule non-conference games with rivals Hawaii and San Jose State at least every other year, if not yearly.
Let me tell you, this completely made my day after I lost to UH in the bowl game. I was planning on eventually taking a job with a team in a bigger conference after a couple more seasons, but now I may stay with Fresno State as long as possible. It's gonna be a fun season!
Next post will be season stats, awards, final standings and all that good stuff.
Good luck with SHSU as it looks like you might have a tough time with your roster. I am sure Noah Allen will do well. As for Fresno State... awesome. But of course, any school with ties to my hometown Texan, David Carr, is tops in my book.
Good luck against them Aggies.
Linear Mode
