(Mesa, Ariz.) Even in a game when they were without the services of their #1 quarterback, Snow College didn’t miss a beat as the top-ranked Badgers ambushed the #12 Mesa Thunderbirds, 48-17 Saturday evening at Riggs Stadium. Houston Erbstoesser, in his first-ever collegiate start completed 16 of 24 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns for the Badgers who behind a stout defensive effort (they only surrendered 221 offensive yards to Mesa) built a lead early and coasted to the win. Additionally, Tu Tui scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the Mesa end zone while Soni Sotele and Niu Takai each added touchdown runs for the Badgers. Snow, which in all likelihood should retain its lofty ranking atop the national polls, improved to 5-0 and will entertain the Phoenix Bears this upcoming Saturday, Oct.6 at 1:30 p.m. at Badger Stadium at Stoddard Field. The game can be heard live on KMTI-AM 650 or online at www.kmtiradio.com. Box Score (Final)

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Badgers.............  7 14  7 20  - 48       Record: (5-0,2-0)
Thunderbirds........  0  3  7  7  - 17       Record: (4-1,1-1)

Scoring Summary:                                                             SNOW - MESA

1st 05:01 SNOW - Houston Erbstoe 10 yd run (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                            7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 4:07         7 - 0
2nd 12:15 MESA - Dominic Gamboa 37 yd field goal
                                             4 plays, 2 yards, TOP 1:03         7 - 3
    09:50 SNOW - Tu Tui 0 yd fumble recovery (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                                                               14 - 3
    02:52 SNOW - Adam Frandsen 6 yd pass from Houston Erbstoe (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                           10 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:56        21 - 3
3rd 04:37 SNOW - Vili Soni Sotele 1 yd run (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                           11 plays, 73 yards, TOP 6:40        28 - 3
    03:35 MESA - Terrance Moore 61 yd pass from Brian Libby (Dominic Gamboa kick)
                                            2 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:02        28 - 10
4th 14:38 SNOW - Sam Thomas 48 yd pass from Houston Erbstoe (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                             1 play, 48 yards, TOP 0:09        35 - 10
    10:22 SNOW - Troy Cummings 8 yd pass from Houston Erbstoe (Ryan McNamara kick failed)
                                            6 plays, 40 yards, TOP 2:10        41 - 10
    09:34 MESA - Ronald Young 62 yd run (Dominic Gamboa kick)
                                            2 plays, 58 yards, TOP 0:48        41 - 17
    06:56 SNOW - Niu Takai 21 yd run (Ryan McNamara kick)
                                            5 plays, 63 yards, TOP 2:38        48 - 17
FIRST DOWNS...................       24       13
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   45-241    25-68
PASSING YDS (NET).............      192      153
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  24-16-1   23-9-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   69-433   48-221
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............      2-2     2-11
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........    4-117    8-119
Interception Returns-Yards....      1-0      1-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............   4-41.5   7-38.7
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0      3-2
Penalties-Yards...............    12-99     9-88
Possession Time...............    35:00    19:51
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     6-26      1-7

SNOW     MESA

RUSHING: Badgers-Vili Soni Sotele 25-154; Niu Takai 10-67; Tanner Brown 5-16;
Houston Erbstoe 3-6; Mike Jensen 2-minus 2. Thunderbirds-Ronald Young 3-68;
Jay Leal 12-25; Kevin Morris 1-2; Wallace Lebrane 2-0; Brian Libby 7-minus
27.

PASSING: Badgers-Houston Erbstoe 16-24-1-192. Thunderbirds-Brian Libby
9-22-1-153; Jay Leal 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING: Badgers-Adam Frandsen 6-55; Joseph Sawyer 3-35; Kimball Burton
2-34; Sam Thomas 1-48; Niu Takai 1-9; Troy Cummings 1-8; Peter Tuitopou 1-6;
Vili Soni Satel 1-minus 3. Thunderbirds-Terrance Moore 4-101; Brice Wilkins
3-33; Spencer Perkins 1-15; Raymond Rivera 1-4.

INTERCEPTIONS: Badgers-Andrew Rich 1-0. Thunderbirds-Devon Cox 1-0.

Stadium: Riggs Stadium         Attendance: 4500
Kickoff time: 7:00      End of Game: 10:07     Total elapsed time: 3:07
Officials: Referee: Mike Traina; Umpire: Bob Trythall; Linesman: Gary McKenzie;
Line judge: Gary Chidester; Back judge: Jason Ah You; Field judge: Mike King;
Side judge: John Hunter; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 88        Wind: Breezy    Weather: Clear

Badgers vs Thunderbirds (Sep 29, 2007 at Mesa, Ariz.)

SACKS (UA-A): Badgers-Shane Hunter 2-0; Coleby Clawson 1-1; Tevita Hola 0-1;
Nate Pope 0-1; Josh Sharp 1-0; Skye Povey 0-1. Thunderbirds-Michael Darring
1-0.

TACKLES (UA-A): Badgers-Josh Sharp 4-2; Shane Hunter 3-2; Coleby Clawson
2-3; James Freed 1-3; Tevita Hola 1-2; Braden Frampton 1-2; Andrew Rich 0-3;
Jake Palmer 1-1; Jared Galvin 1-1; Skye Povey 0-2; John Tauteoli 0-2; A.J.
Van Valken 1-0; Chris Finch 1-0; Weston Sampson 1-0; Joey Schrader 1-0; Tu
Tui 1-0; James Aiono 1-0; Nuku Fevanga 1-0; Aaron Doolin 1-0; Stephen Paea
1-0; Mike Price 1-0; Sam Thomas 1-0; Tysean Thrash 0-1; Casey Davis 0-1;
Josh Andersen 0-1; Nate Pope 0-1; Dejay Lester 0-1. Thunderbirds-Nick
Anderson 6-4; Alex Matthews 5-4; Michael Darring 4-3; Jamichael Hall 5-1;
Gabe Hernandez 3-3; Devon Cox 2-3; Dariel Haynes 3-1; Avery Fennell 0-4;
Joseph Dozier 3-0; Andrew Centner 2-0; Forest Washingt 1-1; Marcos Esquivel
0-2; Dominic Gamboa 1-0; Julian Hunsaker 1-0; Terrance Moore 1-0; Michael
Kush 1-0; Jeremy Hernande 1-0; Jason Lopez 1-0; Diego Romero 1-0; Terence
Rainey 0-1; George Allums 0-1; Rudy Perez 0-1; Stephen Wily 0-1; Gannon
Conway 0-1; Zach Hernandez 0-1; Preston HaleIII 0-1; Brice Williams 0-1.

(Boulder, Colo.) Kevin Eberhart hit a field goal from 45 yards out as time expired and the Colorado Buffaloes celebrated homecoming with a 27-24 victory over the #4 Oklahoma Sooners Saturday afternoon. This was a lackluster performance by the Sooners from the beginning as 14 of their points came after a duo of interceptions by cornerback D.J. Wolfe which put Oklahoma within the Buffaloes’ 20-yard line both times. Furthermore, the Buffaloes outgained the Sooners, 373-230, while Colorado tailback Hugh Charles amassed 104 yards against a solid Oklahoma run defense. This was also the Buffaloes’ first victory against Oklahoma since 1999, which was Bob Stoops’ first season in Norman, Okla., while Colorado coach Dan Hawkins beat the Sooners for the first time in his career. The loss puts the Sooners’ once-lofty national title hopes in serious jeopardy and next week, they must battle the powerful Texas Longhorns. As for Colorado, the traditional national power has a signature victory for the first time in the Dan Hawkins era.

OKLAHOMA COLORADO
FIRST DOWNS...................       12       21
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   27-119   46-159
PASSING YDS (NET).............      111      214
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........   19-8-2  35-21-2
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   46-230   81-373
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............     3-27     4-79
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     3-69    5-124
Interception Returns-Yards....     2-57      2-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............   7-42.9   5-42.6
Fumbles-Lost..................      2-1      0-0
Penalties-Yards...............     5-42     7-47
Possession Time...............    21:04    38:56
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     3-20      1-7

RUSHING: Sooners-Allen Patrick 17-95; DeMarco Murray 6-20; Sam Bradford 2-4;
Chris Brown 2-0. Buffaloes-Hugh Charles 24-104; Byron Ellis 6-36; Demetrius
Sumle 12-34; Cody Hawkins 4-minus 15.

PASSING: Sooners-Sam Bradford 8-19-2-111. Buffaloes-Cody Hawkins
21-35-2-214.

RECEIVING: Sooners-Juaquin Iglesia 2-15; Joe Jon Finley 1-43; Jermaine
Gresha 1-21; Allen Patrick 1-11; Manuel Johnson 1-11; Ian Pleasant 1-9;
DeMarco Murray 1-1. Buffaloes-Hugh Charles 5-49; Patrick William 4-42;
Kendrick Celest 3-29; Dusty Sprague 2-35; Josh Smith 2-34; Tyson DeVree
2-13; Byron Ellis 2-8; Scotty McKnight 1-4.

INTERCEPTIONS: Sooners-D.J. Wolfe 2-57. Buffaloes-Daniel Dykes 1-0; Ryan
Walters 1-0.

Stadium: Folsom Field          Attendance: 53750
Kickoff time: 11:30     End of Game: 3:00      Total elapsed time: 3:30
Officials: Referee: Joel Myers; Umpire: Dave Lapham; Linesman: Jimmy Knox;
Line judge: Michael Eaves; Back judge: D'Marco Farr; Field judge: Bob Stoops;
Side judge: Dan Hawkins; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 76        Wind: Brisk     Weather: Mostly cloudy

Sooners vs Buffaloes (Sep 29, 2007 at Boulder, Colo.)

SACKS (UA-A): Sooners-DeMarcus Grange 1-0; Gerald McCoy 0-1; Auston English
1-0; Reggie Smith 0-1. Buffaloes-Jordon Dizon 1-0.

TACKLES (UA-A): Sooners-Curtis Lofton 6-6; Nic Harris 9-2; Reggie Smith 5-4;
Ryan Reynolds 5-3; D.J. Wolfe 5-1; Alonzo Dotson 4-0; Lendy Holmes 3-1;
Lewis Baker 2-1; Gerald McCoy 0-3; Marcus Walker 2-0; Juaquin Iglesia 1-1;
Brian Jackson 1-1; Auston English 1-0; DeMarcus Grange 1-0; Joey Halzle 1-0;
Cory Bennett 1-0; Alan Davis 1-0; Brett Bowers 1-0; Demarrio Pleasa 1-0;
Darien Williams 1-0; Michael Cohen 1-0; Keenan Clayton 1-0; Joe Jon Finley
0-1; Steven Coleman 0-1; Derek Shaw 0-1. Buffaloes-Jordon Dizon 5-4; Brad
Jones 4-2; Jeff Smart 4-2; Alonzo Barrett 2-2; Benjamin Burney 2-2; George
Hypolite 1-2; Lionel Harris 2-0; Ryan Walters 1-0; Tyler Eberhardt 1-0;
Gardner McKay 1-0; Tyler Polumbus 1-0; Justin Drescher 1-0; Shawn Daniels
1-0; Brandon Nicolas 0-1; Drew Hudgins 0-1.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City has hired their first-ever Zoning Enforcement Officer in an attempt to clean up vacant homes in the city. Charles Billingsley of Central Valley was introduced to the city council by Mayor Ramsey in Tuesday’s council meeting and said that many complaints have come before the city but officials have never enforced the ordinance. Billingsley said that the ordinance will be enforced through a series of steps and the worst offenders will eventually be cited with fines and liens on property. He commented that the city’s intention is to have the property cleaned up before any legal action is taken. Billingsley has been hired on a part-time basis working approximately 20 hours a week.

(SEVIER CO.) – Two 15-year old Illinois girls who ran away from home were found in Sevier County Wednesday. In a sheriff’s report, the girls had taken a car belonging to one of their mother’s along with blank checks and a credit card. No other information is available as to why the girls ran away. They were taken to the Youth Detention Center in Richfield.

(RICHFIELD) – A mother and her two children escaped serious injury when she rolled her vehicle on I-70 this morning (Thursday). 32- year old, Deborah Utterback of Beaver, was traveling eastbound on I-70 at about 9am, when she fell asleep at the wheel, overcorrected and rolled her 2003 Hyundai just south of the Richfield interchange. Her four-year old daughter and two month old son were strapped in seat belts as well as Utterback and only received minor cuts and scratches. UHP Sgt. Wayne Gifford was at the scene and the three were transported to the Sevier Valley Hospital where they were treated and released.

Manti 2 Grand 1 (OT): Manti’s Stephanie Sorensen scored the Golden Goal 6 minutes into overtime as Manti beat the Red Devils in Moab. Alyssa Murray scored the other Manti goal.

North Sevier 8 Gunnison 3: Lauren Jensen scored 4 goals to lead the Wolves. D’Raye Owen put 2 in the net. Scoring for Gunnison were Fekerte Deskins with 2 and Karen Orozco.

Beaver 6 Richfield 2: Scoring for Beaver were Stacy Roberts & Rachel Sawyer with 2 each and Alicia Roberts 1 & Chamaya Kia with a goal apiece. Chenelle Busk scored both Richfield goals.

Millard 7 South Sevier 0: The Eagles got two hat tricks, one from Loriana Aleman and the other from Valerie Ortega. Kylie Labrum scored the other Eagles goal. Kelsey Davis and Amber Johnson combined on the shutout.

(PANGUITCH) – A Panguitch man was extricated from a single vehicle rollover Tuesday on Hwy 89. At about 2pm, 20-year old, Spencer Owens of Panguitch was traveling southbound in Circleville Canyon when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his 2005 Dodge Ram truck. The truck rolled twice and Owens was able to get out under his own power but his passenger, 26-year old, Joseph Griffin, also of Panguitch, was pinned in the truck. UHP Trooper, Tim Keiser, was called to the accident along with extrication equipment out of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department. While enroute, a motorist who had a crane on his truck was able to assist in lifting the Dodge pickup enough to get Griffin out. It took about a half hour to extricate him. A UHP report said that both Owens and Griffin were taken to the Garfield Memorial Hospital in Panguitch where Owens was treated and released but Griffin had a broken neck and was lifeflighted to a Salt Lake City hospital.

Brigham Young vs. New Mexico: This is one of those years when Rocky Long’s Lobos are “sneaky good.” If not for a close loss to Texas-El Paso opening week, New Mexico would be unbeaten at this point as they have disposed of the PAC-10’s Arizona and in-state rival New Mexico State before decimating I-AA squad Sacramento State last week. The Cougars, after a loss to UCLA were in danger of freefalling this season after falling to Tulsa in a 55-47 shootout. Nevertheless, the Cougars are themselves once again after smacking Air Force, 31-6 a week ago. Thus, Brigham Young is 1-0 in the Mountain West, while they await a team in Albuquerque that is seeking their first conference win and is nearly as explosive as they are. Behind the stellar play of QB Donovan Porterie (he’s completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,088 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception) and TB Rodney Ferguson, (473 yards, six scores), New Mexico’s offense is as potent as it’s been since the days of Donald Sellers as they average almost 34 points and 459 yards per game. Of course, the Cougars’ offense has also been prolific as statistically, Max Hall has done an excellent job in replacing current Miami Dolphins QB John Beck by completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,509 yards, 10 touchdowns and four picks. Additionally, Brigham Young averages 29 points and nearly 505 yards per contest through four games this season. Thus, this game will be a statistician’s dream as both teams should shatter the respective defensive units they face with consistent big plays. Albuquerque’s a dangerous place to play for opponents as the Lobos always rise to the occasion. In a bout for what could be Mountain West supremacy, I’ll take the Cougars in a 41-38 thriller.

Utah State vs. Utah: In contrast to the Brigham Young-New Mexico game, this matchup in all likelihood will prove to be a colossal disappointement for all participants, including the winner. Utah State, despite being outgained by more than 250 yards, led San Jose State going into the 4th Quarter before falling, 23-20. As for the Utes, they simply followed up their decimation of UCLA by getting shellacked themselves, 27-0 by the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels. Therefore, neither team has legitimate prospects of being successful this season. Quarterback Tommy Grady has been moderately effective for the Utes as he has thrown for 662 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions after spelling Brian Johnson in the season-opening loss at Oregon State. Once Johnson returns, there is hope for the Utes, and this is their homecoming, so they should be energized against a hapless USU squad. Because of their overall talent, I’ll take the Utes in a 38-20 victory. However, this is not the time for Utes fans to get too excited because Utah State is consistently in ESPn.com’s Bottom 10. In case you’re wondering, that’s not necessarily a vote of confidence.

Weber State vs. Montana: Ron McBride is a good man and a great coach. With that said, there’s nothing else really positive to mention about the Weber State football program this season. The Wildcats are 0-3 and now face the #1 team in I-AA in the Montana Grizzlies in Missoula, Mont. The Grizzlies have already disposed of one Utah team in SUU, and should equally mop the floor with the Wildcats. The Grizzlies’ major stars this season have been QB Cole Bergquist who has passed for 596 yards, five touchdowns and an interception while completing 73 percent of his passes, and run for 117 yards and two more scores. Berqquist has been complimented in the backfield by Lex Hilliard who has amassed 330 yards and six touchdowns on 57 carries. As for the Wildcats, Bryant Eteuati remains Weber’s top performer as he’s snared 17 passes for 147 yards and a score. The Wildcats are not equipped to knock off the top team in the land, let alone on their home field, so I’ll take the Grizzlies in a 58-12 laugher.

On a positive note, my alma mater, Southern Utah University, has a bye so it’s impossible for the Thunderbirds to lose. They must travel to Montana State the following week, so that will be difficult.

(SALINA) – The Salina Fire Department responded to a grass fire Friday afternoon. At 2:45pm, crews headed up to an area known as The Gap on BLM land northeast of the old slaughter house. The fire had already consumed five acres and it took crews about four hours to completely douse the blaze. The fire department said the fire was most likely human-caused. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. The fire department along with Sevier County Deputies also responded to a house fire Saturday at about 6pm at 10 South State in Redmond. Keith Johnson had apparently switched his furnace on and then left his home. When he returned about an hour later, his house was filled with smoke. The fire department determined the smoke came from faulty wiring inside the furnace. No other damage occurred to the residence.

After three weeks, I’m 25-23, which puts me above .500. That’s something many NFL fans in places such as New Orleans and St. Louis would be glad to claim right now. Here goes this week’s selections and since the season’s beginning to take shape, it’s easier to make sound decisions, but to quote the illustrious Chris Berman, “that’s why they play the game.” The NFL, in the words of Plucky Duck on “Tiny Toon Adventures” is to “expect the unexpected,” so here goes.

Houston vs. Atlanta: Believe me, Falcons owner Arthur Blank (the founder of Home Depot) is kicking himself for a gaffe which brings Matt Schaub back to the ATL as the quarterback of the now solid Houston Texans. Back in April, he made a theoretical pact with the devil to trade up in the draft with the Texans and he gave Houston coach Gary Kubiak the athletic Schaub. After Michael Vick’s dogfighting binge removed him from the field, he picked up Joey Harrington off the scrap heap. Nevertheless, since I’m a statistician, here’s a few key stats to surmise the quandary in Atlanta. For the Texans: Schaub, (63-83, that’s 76 percent on his completions, 688 yards, 4 TD’s, 3 INT’s). As for the Falcons: Harrington, (66-96, a respectable 69 percent on his completions, 760 yards, 2 TD’s, 2 INT’s). While Joey has done better than expected, the truth of the matter is the Falcons are 0-3 and the Texans have won two of their three ballgames. At the Georgia Dome, Schaub will show Atlanta management that they made the wrong call and while Harrington will hold his own, Atlanta’s a trainwreck right now. Call the final, Texans 34 Falcons 23

Baltimore vs. Cleveland: The Ravens, when they don’t turn the ball over six times, are among the NFL’s elite teams. The media has fallen in love with the Patriots and the Colts are the defending champions, but Baltimore quietly hangs around, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting opponents. The Browns quenched all their positive momentum when they dropped a game to the Raiders last Sunday, and inviting the Ravens into Cleveland Browns Stadium isn’t the way to get anything going. The Ravens, even under Kyle Boller who has spelled injured starting QB Steve McNair from time to time have made strides offensively as they were able to outscore the explosive Cardinals when push came to shove last Sunday. This time around, I expect Baltimore to control the game on the ground as tailback Willis McGahee (66 rushes, 272 yards this season) should break out. Call it Ravens 34 Browns 10

Chicago vs. Detroit: The Bears are a mess. Anyone who endured the final moments of their collapse against the Cowboys should be esteemed as an individual with patience comparable to Job. Rex Grossman was abysmal and his receivers weren’t much better. Even when you have a defense as stout as Chicago’s, if you don’t support them, things will eventually unravel and the downfall will be swift. The Lions, on the other hand are a team that is still learning how to win consistently and much like other teams on the rise such as the Cardinals, there will be growing pains. With that said, Detroit realizes the significance of this game as they welcome the Bears into Ford Field and by the final gun can have a two-game lead on them if they win. Jon Kitna is good enough to beat the Bears’ secondary downfield consistently especially since CB Nathan Vasher is a bit hobbled and may not play because of a groin injury incurred against Dallas. Again, I’ll pick the Lions because even if your defense is really good, you must score and obviously, Chicago can’t. Call the final Lions 23 Bears 10

New York Jets vs. Buffalo: The victory over the Dolphins was huge for the Jets last Sunday, and they have a chance to go into Buffalo and win their second straight contest because of J.P. Losman’s knee injury sustained against New England a week ago. Thus, Buffalo is left with recently-signed veteran Craig Nall and rookie Trent Edwards, not necessarily a propitious set of circumstances. The Jets, meanwhile, are not getting eye-popping stats from Chad Pennington, but hey are receiving efficient performances from the former Marshall star. With all of this said, I’ll go with the Jets in a 24-17 win.

Oakland vs. Miami: If the Dolphins lose this game, it’s officially time for John Beck to replace Trent Green and for Cam Cameron to see what he’s got. Miami showed great heart in coming back against the Jets before falling, 31-28, but with a team infested with similar problems coming to south Florida, the Dolphins must capitalize on their home crowd and run Oakland out of the building. An intriguing subplot is perhaps Daunte Culpepper will be the Raiders’ quarterback, only a year after suffering through an injury-ravaged season in Miami. I expect Chris Chambers to step up for Miami and catch the winning TD pass from Green in a 23-20 thriller.

Green Bay vs. Minnesota: How the Packers are 3-0 really defies logic because they don’t have a running game. Nevertheless, Brett Favre and the defense deserve numerous plaudits for outgutting the Chargers last Sunday. This time, the Vikings are sneaking around in the bushes and ready to strike against a team that still isn’t as good as their record. Yes, Favre will break Dan Marino’s touchdown passes record by getting his 421st, but behind the strong running of Adrian Peterson and an underrated defense, the Vikes will win in a tight one. Call the final Vikings 20 Packers 17.

St. Louis vs. Dallas: Things just keep getting worse for the Rams with every passing week as they travel to the “Big D” without the services of tailback Steven Jackson. Meanwhile, the Cowboys, not necessarily known for offense traditionally, have amassed 116 points in the first three weeks of the season, the most of anyone since the Rams did so themselves in 1999 (their Super Bowl-winning campaign). I still think the Eagles and Redskins are better in the NFC East, and I can easily see the Cowboys coming into this game with a sense of arrogance. I lack the courage to pick the Rams only because of the injury to Jackson, but it will be closer than many think. Former University of Arizona kicker Nick Folk will save the day for Dallas, however with a 46-yard field goal as the Cowboys survive, 27-24.

Pittsburgh vs. Arizona: This is reunion week in the NFL, as much like Schaub to Atlanta, and Culpepper to Miami, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and his offensive line coach, Russ Grimm, welcome their former Steelers players to Maricopa County. Traditionally, despite their less than stellar past, the Cardinals have always played the Steelers tough. With Whisenhunt and Grimm so swiftly removed from the Steel City, things should be no different in this one. The Cards played well enough to win against the Ravens, but they couldn’t stop Boller in the clutch when they had to as he led Baltimore downfield for the winning field goal by Matt Stover as time expired. This time, the roles will be reversed as I expect Matt Leinart to respond positively after his benching by throwing for 250 yards and three scores against a solid Pittsburgh defense. Neil Rackers will win his second game in three weeks with a field goal as Arizona pulls off the “shocker” of the day with a 31-28 victory over the previously unbeaten Steelers.

Tampa Bay vs. Carolina: In the offseason, the NFC South was expected to be won by the Saints while the Bucs and Panthers would labor in the backwater amidst frustration and disappointment. This just goes to show how hard it is to handicap the NFL. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme may not play against the Buccaneers after getting hurt against the Falcons, so backup David Carr needs to be ready if called upon. The Buccaneers have experienced a resurgence under QB Jeff Garcia as after looking uninspired in a Week 1 loss to the Seahawks, they’ve played as well as anyone else in the NFL. Home field belongs to the Panthers, but “Chuckie” (Bucs coach Jon Gruden) has some surprises cooked up for his divisonal rivals and the resurgent Joey Galloway will burn the Panthers secondary for a key score late in the game. Call the final, Buccaneers 28 Panthers 24

Seattle vs. San Francisco: The true 49ers are the team we saw over the weekend at Pittsburgh. When they play a team that can force turnovers and score, San Francisco is haplessly overmatched. The bad news for ‘Niners fans this week is the Seahawks are even better than the Steelers. Although former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander has a broken bone in his wrist, he’ll continue to strike fear into the hearts of San Francisco defenders, and a healthy Matt Hasselbeck at QB is one of the best gifts an NFL team can have. Thus, Seattle, which found its stride against Cincinnati is ready to progress toward an NFC West title while San Francisco will discover that while having a solid defense is nice, it’s expedient to score consistently in the modern-day NFL. Call the final Seahawks 38 49ers 20

Kansas City vs. San Diego: Much like the New Orleans Saints, the San Diego Chargers were preseason darlings and with a solid defense, the premiere tailback in the NFL in LaDainian Tomlinson and a great tight end in Antonio Gates, who could legitimately doubt the ‘Bolts? As they learned the hard way, games are won on the football field, not in the press box. The argument engaged in between Tomlinson and QB Philip Rivers on the sidelines at Green Bay, Wis. last week was a major red flag and the Chargers know that they must swiftly pick up the pieces and salvage the season before it’s too late. Thankfully, they invite the punchless Chiefs into Qualcomm Stadium this weekend, so while the offense will be challenged they may be able to force some key turnovers against the sketchy offense of the Chiefs. In a low-scoring game, I’ll give the Chargers a nod in a 21-12 win.

Denver vs. Indianapolis: The Broncos were outclassed by the Jaguars. Since I’m a fan, it pains me a great deal to say this, but thankfully for the Broncs (and for me), the Chargers’ meltdown enabled them to maintain the divisional lead. The defense has been lights out surrendering only 254.3 yards per game and a respectable 19 points. The Colts, of course, present a different challenge and if the Broncos are to win amidst a raucous environment in Indianapolis, they must for all intents and purposes play a perfect game. The key, as always for the Broncos, is to outrush their opponents as the effective running of Travis Henry will enable Jay Cutler to find dangerous receivers such as Javon Walker and Brandon Marshall for big plays. While the Colts’ defense is also much improved from last season, offense is still their calling card as they average 31 points and 398 yards per contest. I think the Broncos come out motivated enough to steal this one however as they outgun the Colts, 38-34 in a shootout. Champ Bailey will make a big play against Peyton Manning to win. That’s a noteworthy occurrence for all we Broncos fans and I like Champ’s chances.

Philadelphia vs. New York Giants: The Eagles are soaring high once again and even amidst an NFL full of parity and consistent change, you can count on Philadelphia to have a solid team which refuses to quit and even when gashed comes back in excellence. The latest example of this was the 56-21 shellacking of the Lions last Sunday. Donovan McNabb, after throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns against Detroit has found his stride again and the Giants will have a difficult time containing him. Eli Manning was also vastly improved in a surprising victory over the Redskins but I’ve followed the NFL for far too long to think that the Eagles are going to fold. As McNabb continues his recent string of excellence, I like Philadelphia in a 35-28 victory.

New England vs. Cincinnati: This is a dangerous game for the Pats and this is why: they’ve not yet been challenged this season. Easy victories over the cheated-upon Jets, the unmotivated Chargers and the banged-up Bills have not prepared them for a team as opportunistic as the Bengals. While Cincinnati stunk it up against the Browns two weeks ago, the Bengals played well enough to win against the Seahawks but costly turnovers turned the tide. Nevertheless, even as a Broncos’ loss to Jacksonville will prepare them for the powerful Colts, the Bengals’ lumps against the solid Seahawks will help them beat the Patriots. Carson Palmer can outgun Tom Brady any day and to the tune of 425 yards, (that would give him almost 1,400 for the season) and five passing touchdowns, his guidance will lead Cincy over New England in a 38-30 win.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) may get new life in a bipartisan coalition of Senate and House leaders. Sen. Orrin Hatch said that Congress on Friday worked out an agreement to fund $35-billion to the program. Hatch said that he agrees with Pres. Bush concerning CHIP becoming a government-run health program but he hopes with the compromise, the program will be more of a benefit to uninsured children. Hatch said the difference between new legislation and old version is that the new bill will specifically target the lowest-income uninsured American children for outreach and enrollment. The agreement does NOT call for CHIP coverage for children in families in higher income levels and it reduces Federal matching funds for future coverage of children at higher income levels. Hatch also said that CHIP coverage of childless adults and parents will be phased out to maintain the program’s focus on kids.

(New Orleans) Keith Bulluck amassed three interceptions to stymie the once-potent New Orleans offense as the Tennessee Titans hammered the New Orleans Saints, 31-14 Monday evening at the Louisiana Superdome. From the get-go, the Saints had a difficult time competing with the surprisingly powerful Titans as with four interceptions from QB Drew Brees, New Orleans had difficulty keeping up with an efficient Tennessee team led by Vince Young. The former Texas star threw two touchdown passes and made big plays consistently against a beleagured Saints defense. Despite their numerous shortcomings, New Orleans still had a shot as they trailed just 24-14 late in the fourth quarter, but their hopes were dashed as Titans cornerback Vincent Fuller returned Brees’ fourth interception 56 yards for the clinching score. Both of these teams head into byes next week, which bodes better for the Titans as they enter their off week with a 2-1 mark while New Orleans must maintain focus after an 0-3 start.

Box Score (Final)

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Titans..............  3  7  7 14  - 31       Record: (2-1,2-1)
Saints..............  0  7  7  0  - 14       Record: (0-3,0-2)

Scoring Summary:                                                         TENNESSE - NEWORLNS

1st 02:44 TENNESSE - Rob Bironas 33 yd field goal
                                            10 plays, 8 yards, TOP 4:35         3 - 0
2nd 12:55 TENNESSE - Brandon Jones 35 yd pass from Vince Young (Rob Bironas kick)
                                            6 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:40        10 - 0
    01:00 NEWORLNS - Reggie Bush 1 yd run (Olindo Mare kick)
                                           11 plays, 62 yards, TOP 4:18        10 - 7
3rd 07:55 NEWORLNS - Reggie Bush 1 yd run (Olindo Mare kick)
                                            9 plays, 62 yards, TOP 4:50        10 - 14
    02:19 TENNESSE - LenDale White 1 yd run (Rob Bironas kick)
                                            9 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:36        17 - 14
4th 08:55 TENNESSE - Bo Scaife 2 yd pass from Vince Young (Rob Bironas kick)
                                           10 plays, 50 yards, TOP 5:54        24 - 14
    02:39 TENNESSE - Vincent Fuller 56 yd interception return (Rob Bironas kick)
                                                                               31 - 14
FIRST DOWNS...................       23       18
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   32-101    16-34
PASSING YDS (NET).............      171      219
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  26-18-1  45-29-4
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   59-272   62-253
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............     3-74     1-10
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     1-43    6-126
Interception Returns-Yards....    4-105     1-21
Punts (Number-Avg)............   3-41.0   3-53.7
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0      1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     8-79     2-15
Possession Time...............    32:04    26:45
Sacks By: Number-Yards........      1-6     1-13

TENNESSE NEWORLNS

RUSHING: Titans-LenDale White 18-52; Chris Brown 9-32; Vince Young 3-22;
Ahmard Hall 1-6; Roydell William 1-minus 11. Saints-Reggie Bush 7-16; Drew
Brees 1-8; Aaron Stecker 3-6; Deuce McAlliste 4-5; Mike Karney 1-minus 1.

PASSING: Titans-Vince Young 14-22-1-162; Kerry Collins 4-4-0-22; TM
0-0-0-minus 13. Saints-Drew Brees 29-45-4-225; TM 0-0-0-minus 6.

RECEIVING: Titans-Brandon Jones 4-73; Bo Scaife 4-27; Chris Brown 4-18;
Roydell William 3-36; Eric Moulds 2-20; LenDale White 1-10. Saints-Reggie
Bush 6-19; Lance Moore 5-39; Marques Colston 4-64; Terrance Copper 4-47;
Eric Johnson 4-19; Aaron Stecker 2-14; Devery Henderso 1-11; David Patten
1-6; Mike Karney 1-5; Deuce McAlliste 1-1.

INTERCEPTIONS: Titans-Keith Bulluck 3-49; Vincent Fuller 1-56. Saints-Jason
David 1-21.

Stadium: Louisiana Superdome   Attendance: 65000
Kickoff time: 6:30      End of Game: 9:42      Total elapsed time: 3:12
Officials: Referee: Mike Tirico; Umpire: Ron Jaworski; Linesman: Tony Kornheiser;
Line judge: Michelle Tafoya; Back judge: Suzy Kolber; Field judge: Chris Berman;
Side judge: Tom Jackson; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 77        Wind: None      Weather: Domed stadium

Titans vs Saints (Sep 24, 2007 at New Orleans)

SACKS (UA-A): Titans-Travis LaBoy 1-0. Saints-Will Smith 1-0.

TACKLES (UA-A): Titans-David Thornton 6-2; Keith Bulluck 5-2; Ryan Fowler
5-1; Cortland Finneg 4-0; Calvin Lowry 3-1; Albert Hayneswo 0-4; Nick Harper
2-1; Kyle Vanden Bos 2-1; Chris Hope 2-0; Justin Gage 1-0; Vincent Fuller
1-0; Travis LaBoy 1-0; Vince Young 1-0; Tony Brown 1-0; Bryce Fisher 1-0;
Donnie Nickey 0-1; Gilbert Gardner 0-1; Kelly Herndon 0-1; Michael Griffin
0-1. Saints-Scott Fujita 5-5; Mark Simoneau 5-1; Mike McKenzie 3-2; Hollis
Thomas 1-4; Scott Shanle 2-2; Jason Craft 2-2; Will Smith 2-1; Josh Bullocks
2-1; Charles Grant 1-2; Brian Young 1-2; Roman Harper 1-2; Renaldo Wynn 2-0;
Troy Evans 2-0; Jason David 1-1; Usama Young 1-0; Reggie Bush 1-0; Chris
Reis 1-0; Antwan Lake 0-1.

by: Brad James (Ephraim, Utah) The Snow Badgers have become the #1 team in the land, albeit by the slightest of margins. After a 22-13 victory over the Arizona Western Matadors Saturday Sept.15 in Yuma, Ariz., the Badgers headed into a bye week and obtained the #1 ranking after the Blinn Buccaneers were upset by the Kilgore Rangers, 40-39 Saturday Sept.22. Nevertheless, the Butler Grizzlies also came off of a bye week and received 98 first-place votes to the Badgers’ 102. Other teams in the Top 10 include the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs of Perkinston, Miss., checking in at #3, Snow’s WSFL foe, the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters of Thatcher, Ariz. at #4, the Lackawanna Falcons of Scranton, Pa. are #5, the Pearl River Wildcats of Poplarville, Miss., once the top-ranked team in the country, are #6, the Jones County Bobcats of Ellisville, Miss. are seventh, Blinn has dropped to #8, the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen of Miami, Okla. are #9 and the Rochester Yellow Jackets of Rochester, Minn. are tenth. Snow faces a stiff challenge this week as they travel to face the #12 Mesa Community College (Ariz.) Thunderbirds for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday. This kickoff time is 7:00 Arizona time which means fans in Utah can hear the game at 8:00 p.m. MDT on KMTI-AM 650 and KSVC-AM 980. Or online at: KMTIRadio.com

(Manti, Utah) Chase Stevens had two touchdown runs of 15 and two yards, Nick Brown caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Griffin Aste and the Manti Templars amassed 300 yards of total offense in a 31-13 victory over the Juab Wasps Friday evening. Additionally, Colter Lund had two sacks while Aste and Jordan Lammert each had interceptions for the Templars.

(Delta, Utah) Teejay Clawson threw two touchdown passes, each of which going to Russ Christensen and the North Sanpete Hawks got past the Delta Rabbits 20-13 in region action Friday night. Tyler Daniels added a two-yard touchdown run for the Hawks, while T.J. Ross and Curtis Eliason added touchdown runs for the Rabbits.

(Salina, Utah) Logan Mazzettia scored the lone touchdown of the game for the Kanab Cowboys as they snuck by the North Sevier Wolves, 7-0 Friday evening in a defensive struggle. Thomas Quist led the Cowboys with 116 rushing yards while the Wolves made a strong showing behind Wyatt Mason and Tyler McEown who combined for 202 yards on the ground.

(Monroe, Utah) Zack Wilcox gained 113 rushing yards and pitched in two scores as the Millard Eagles defeated the South Sevier Rams, 27-13 Friday night. Clancy Mortensen and Brad Dallin added touchdown runs of their own for the Eagles, while Zach Blackham threw touchdown passes to Derrick Forbush and Gavin Dalton for the Rams.

(Moab, Utah) The Grand Red Devils scored 19 points in the first quarter and with their fast start buried the Richfield Wildcats, 36-20 Friday evening. Gordon Garrett led the way for Grand with 132 yards and three touchdown on 14 rushes. Jesse Hartle and Trent Nielson combined for three touchdowns of their own for the Wildcats in defeat.

(Beaver, Utah) Despite committing six turnovers, the San Juan Broncos still managed to blow by the Beaver Beavers, 27-7 Friday evening. Nathan Einerson caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dane Lyman, while Terron Jack and Lewis Sharpe added two more touchdowns for the Broncos. Jordan McMullin returned a fumble 60 yards for a score for Beaver’s lone touchdown.

(Manti) Today marks the official start of construction on the new jail facility in Manti. Site preparation has been on going for a while, but the official ground breaking took place this morning. Officials from the county, sheriffs department, and local communities attended the event. Commissioner Bruce Blackham stated that it would have been impossible to look to the future without the new facility. The project will be paid for through a combination of state, federal, and community impact board funds. The county accepted a bond for six million dollars of the total cost of the building which will house inmates from a variety of law enforcement agencies.

(Miami) Kyle Wright completed 21 of 26 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and the Miami Hurricanes, in front of 55,000-+ fans and a national television audience smacked the #20 Texas A&M Aggies, 34-17 Thursday evening at the Orange Bowl. In what was one of the last national broadcasts at this historic stadium which the Hurricanes will vacate at season’s end, Miami leaped out to a 24-0 lead at intermission which they would not relinquish. Sam Shields added six receptions for 117 yards, giving Wright a prolific target in the passing game to help the Hurricanes consistently move the ball offensively. The Aggies were on the verge of getting shut out until kicker Matt Szymanski nailed a 32-yard field goal to cut their insurmountable deficit to 31-3. The win potentially can place Miami back in the national spotlight as it was only their second victory over a nationally-ranked team in their last nine attempts. As for now, the Hurricanes are 2-1 heading into ACC play as they host the Duke Blue Devils next Saturday.

Box Score (Final)

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Aggies..............  0  0  0 17  - 17       Record: (3-1)
Hurricanes..........  7 17  7  3  - 34       Record: (3-1)

Scoring Summary:                                                         TEXASA&M - MIAMIFLA

1st 03:29 MIAMIFLA - Graig Cooper 7 yd run (Francesco Zampo kick)
                                           18 plays, 79 yards, TOP 8:51         0 - 7
2nd 04:53 MIAMIFLA - Javarris James 1 yd run (Francesco Zampo kick)
                                            8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 4:18         0 - 14
    00:24 MIAMIFLA - Graig Cooper 12 yd pass from Kyle Wright (Francesco Zampo kick)
                                             1 play, 12 yards, TOP 0:16         0 - 21
    00:00 MIAMIFLA - Francesco Zampo 45 yd field goal
                                            3 plays, 12 yards, TOP 0:17         0 - 24
3rd 00:45 MIAMIFLA - Chris Zellner 7 yd pass from Kyle Wright (Francesco Zampo kick)
                                            4 plays, 64 yards, TOP 0:37         0 - 31
4th 11:41 TEXASA&M - Matt Szymanski 32 yd field goal
                                            9 plays, 50 yards, TOP 4:04         3 - 31
    08:03 TEXASA&M - Stephen McGee 1 yd run (Matt Szymanski kick)
                                            6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:12        10 - 31
    02:07 MIAMIFLA - Francesco Zampo 22 yd field goal
                                           10 plays, 34 yards, TOP 5:56        10 - 34
    00:05 TEXASA&M - Martellus Benne 33 yd pass from Jerrod Johnson (Matt Szymanski kick)
                                            5 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:02        17 - 34
                                 TEXASA&M MIAMIFLA
FIRST DOWNS...................       14       18
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............    34-95   40-127
PASSING YDS (NET).............      142      276
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  21-13-1  26-21-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   55-237   66-403
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............     1-12      2-4
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........    6-106     2-34
Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0     1-25
Punts (Number-Avg)............   4-34.0   2-24.5
Fumbles-Lost..................      5-2      3-3
Penalties-Yards...............     5-27     2-20
Possession Time...............    27:50    32:05
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     2-13     4-15

RUSHING: Aggies-Mike Goodson 8-36; Stephen McGee 19-33; Cornell Tarrant
1-12; David Latham 1-6; Chris Alexander 2-4; Jerrod Johnson 1-3; Jorvorskie
Lane 2-2; Yemi Babalola 0-minus 1. Hurricanes-Javarris James 21-62; Graig
Cooper 7-51; Shawnbrey McNea 7-18; Kyle Wright 5-minus 4.

PASSING: Aggies-Stephen McGee 12-19-1-109; Jerrod Johnson 1-2-0-33.
Hurricanes-Kyle Wright 21-26-0-276.

RECEIVING: Aggies-Mike Goodson 5-53; Martellus Benne 4-49; Kerry Franks
3-29; Joey Thomas 1-11. Hurricanes-Sam Shields 6-117; Graig Cooper 4-35;
Darnell Jenkins 4-34; Dedrick Epps 2-20; Javarris James 2-16; Chris Zellner
2-14; Lance Leggett 1-40.

INTERCEPTIONS: Aggies-None. Hurricanes-Colin McCarthy 1-25.

Stadium: Orange Bowl           Attendance: 65000
Kickoff time: 5:45      End of Game: 8:45      Total elapsed time: 3:00
Officials: Referee: Chris Fowler; Umpire: Craig James; Linesman: Doug Flutie;
Line judge: Erin Andrews; Back judge: Reece Davis; Field judge: Mark May;
Side judge: Kirk Herbstreit; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 89        Wind: Light     Weather: Clear

Aggies vs Hurricanes (Sep 20, 2007 at Miami)

SACKS (UA-A): Aggies-Misi Tupe 1-0; Alton Dixon 1-0. Hurricanes-Colin
McCarthy 1-0; Calais Campbell 0-1; Spencer Adkins 1-0; Vegas Franklin 0-1.

TACKLES (UA-A): Aggies-Misi Tupe 7-4; Cyril Obiozor 3-3; Mark Dodge 2-4;
Henry Smith 3-2; Jordan Pugh 4-0; Devin Gregg 3-1; Arkeith Brown 2-1; Danny
Gorrer 2-1; E.J. Shankle 1-2; Red Bryant 0-3; Alton Dixon 2-0; Chris
Harringto 2-0; Cory Multer 1-0; Paul Freeney 1-0; Corey Gibas 1-0; Stephen
McGee 1-0; Lucas Patterson 1-0; Michael Corey 1-0; Kerry Franks 0-1; Kellen
Heard 0-1; Will Harris 0-1; Earvin Taylor 0-1; Chevar Bryson 0-1.
Hurricanes-Colin McCarthy 2-4; Randy Phillips 2-4; DeMarcus Van Dy 4-1;
Kenny Phillips 3-2; Willie Cooper 4-0; Chavez Grant 2-2; Vegas Franklin 1-3;
Calais Campbell 1-3; Carlos Armour 1-2; Eric Moncur 2-0; Khalil Jones 2-0;
Damien Berry 2-0; Spencer Adkins 2-0; Antonio Dixon 1-1; Bruce Johnson 1-0;
Allen Bailey 1-0; Teraz McCray 1-0; Dwayne Hendrick 0-1; Joe Joseph 0-1;
Courtney Harris 0-1; Ryan Hill 0-1.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City will soon have its first ever full-color electronic sign. Council member, Kimball Poulson, updated the council in last week’s city council meeting, on the progress of erecting the sign. He said the four-by-eight-foot full color screen will be located at the southwest corner of the Richfield City park and should be up and running by Nov. 1. The city purchased the sign from the Yesco Sign Company at a cost of $60,000. Participating partners include Richfield City, Sevier County, Sevier Valley Center and Snow College, the Sevier School District and Booster Club. Poulson said the sign should be a nice attraction to the city.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City continues to work towards completing a number of city improvement projects. In last week’s city council meeting, Business Administrator, Woody Farnsworth, said that the annual street painting and striping project is nearing completion. In other council action, Farnsworth reported on the septic tank disposal into the Richfield City wastewater disposal facilities. He said that a local disposal business wants the city to match the same rate as the City of Beaver for disposing waste. Beaver’s rate is $20-25 per load but Farnsworth said the dumping would be too great a load for the sewer ponds at that rate and said the city wants to keep it at $80 per load. Farnsworth said that it has been a long-standing policy that the rate remain the same for everyone who uses the disposal system.

Air Force vs. Brigham Young: The Cougars, just two weeks ago were primed and poised to go into Pasadena, Calif. and win a major victory for the Mountain West. However, after the 27-17 loss to the Bruins, things have somewhat spiraled downward as last Saturday at Tulsa, Okla., they were shocked by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 55-47. They have an opportunity to pick up the pieces Saturday at Provo, Utah as they host the Air Force Falcons. Air Force comes into Utah Valley with a mark of 3-0 as they stunned Texas Christian last Thursday, 20-17 at Colorado Springs, Colo. The Falcons, in their unbeaten start, have been greatly assisted by strong performances from Travis Dekker (9 rec, 160 yards, TD), and Jim Ollis (25 car, 175 yards, 2 TD’s) while the Cougars have been able to hold their own this season offensively primarily because Mike Hall has thrown for over 1,200 yards and completed 61 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Because a strong home crowd should be behind them and because the Cougars still control their own destiny in the Mountain West even with BCS hopes extinguished for all intents and purposes, they’ll take care of business and smack Air Force, 38-24.

Utah vs. Nevada-Las Vegas: The Rebels have been really good this season (barely falling to Top 10 team Wisconsin) or really horrific (getting pasted 49-14 by Hawaii last week) but the telling sign about them is their papier-mache defense which has surrendered 35 more points than the Rebels offense has put up. The Utes appear to have found themselves after a 44-6 shellacking of #11 UCLA at Rice-Eccles Stadium last week but games like these can be even more telling. I expect the Utes to continue in their recent string of excellence as they have an effective running game behind Darrell Mack (26 car, 132 yards, TD). Call the final, Utah 35 UNLV 20

San Jose State vs. Utah State: If there’s any silver lining for the Aggies since they’ve joined the WAC, it’s the fact that they get at least four or five home games every year as opposed to previous years wherein they’d be lucky to get two or three. In any case, the Aggies welcome the San Jose State Spartans to Logan, Utah in a game where the winner will have earned their first win of the season. Both of these teams’ offenses are among the worst in Division I, so because Spartans coach Dick Tomey has a proven track record as a successful coach, I’ll give the Spartans the win in a 13-10 squeaker. This may be a winless season for the Ags.

Montana State vs. Weber State: After pounding Division II newcomer Dixie State a week ago in Bozeman, Mont., the Bobcats will seek to win their second consecutive game over a Utah-based college. The dynamic duo of Jack Rolovich (3 TD’s, 1 INT, 488 yards) and Deon Toliver (averaging 24 yards per reception on eight catches) has been excellent for Montana State while Weber State, coming off a 47-19 defeat to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo is still searching for answers. Still, I think Ron McBride can pull off a mild shocker in this one as he leads the Wildcats to a 24-21 victory.

McNeese State vs. Southern Utah: For the second consecutive week, the Thunderbirds will welcome a I-AA foe to Cedar City, Utah that has vanquished a Division I opponent. This week, Southern Utah entertains the McNeese State Cowboys, out of Lake Charles, La. who are coming off a 38-17 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. The Cowboys are spearheaded by tailback Jamie Leonard who on the season is averaging seven yards per carry while amassing two scores. The Thunderbirds will once again get decimated in this game but the merciful Cowboys will call off the dogs in the 4th Quarter. Call the final, McNeese State 55 Southern Utah 22

(SIGURD) – The mayor of Sigurd was killed in a single-vehicle accident Monday morning. According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department, 39-year old, Scott Anderson, was found dead near his truck in the Sevier River along Black Knoll Road after 9am. Anderson was towing a load of hay behind his 2001 Dodge Ram pickup when he left the roadway and rolled down an embankment. Anderson was ejected from the vehicle. Detective Jensen said the exact cause of death is still being determined by the State Medical Examiner’s Office. Along with his mayoral duties, Anderson had also served for three years as the town’s fire chief. He leaves behind his wife and two children.

(REDMOND) – A proposed memorial for a mine rescuer is being considered by Redmond Town officials. Gary Jensen was an MSHA official killed in the second Crandall Mine collapse last month while attempting to rescue six mine workers who became trapped in the mine Aug. 6. Jensen resided in Redmond and town officials thought it would be appropriate to erect a memorial in his honor. In the town council meeting last week, discussion was held as to where the monument would be placed, what kind of structure it would be and what would need to be done to get it in place. The town council will make a final decision at next month’s meeting.

(KINGSTON) – A high-speed chase early Sunday morning resulted in the arrest of two juveniles. At about 5am, Piute County Sheriff, Marty Gleave, was notified by dispatch on a possible stolen grey mini van and spotted the teens on Hwy 62 and Main in Kingston. After pulling them over for speeding, the boys took off on Hwy 89 reaching speeds of 110 miles an hour. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and UHP were able to deploy spikes and catch the suspects. The two juveniles were identified as runaways from Sorenson Ranch in Koosharem. They apparently stole the van from a local resident. They were taken to the juvenile correctional facility and charged with burglary, evading police, resisting arrest, vehicle theft, theft and speeding.

(Philadelphia) Jason Campbell completed 16 of 29 passes for 212 yards, a touchdown and an interception as the Washington Redskins improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 20-12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field Monday night. The Redskins’ defensive effort was sufficient for victory, as although they surrendered nearly 350 yards of offense to the Eagles, they only allowed only four field goals by David Akers. Meanwhile, Campbell showed signs of brilliance early and often as he made numerous big plays in the passing game to abate the Eagles defense. His teammates Santana Moss (6 rec, 90 yards) and Clinton Portis (18 car, 69 yards, TD) also picked up the slack to silence a sellout crowd in Philadelphia early and often. For the Eagles, Brian Westbrook had 160 all-purpose yards, but notwithstanding the effective running game he provided, the Washington defense was still able to key off on McNabb and prevent big plays from occurring consistently. The Eagles will have a chance to obtain their first win of the season against the Lions, a surprise 2-0, next Sunday, while the Redskins will face the New York Giants at home next week and try to remain atop the NFC East with Dallas.

(Cleveland) Derek Anderson threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns and the Cleveland Browns got by the Cincinnati Bengals, 51-45 Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Both defenses took the game off as the 96 combined points scored was the eight-most in NFL history. Additionally, this was the first game since the AFC/NFC merger of 1970 in which there was a 400-yard passer (the Bengals’ Carson Palmer, 401 yards, and a franchise-record six touchdowns along with two interceptions), a 200-yard receiver, (the Bengals’ Chad Johnson, 11 rec, 209 yards, two touchdowns) and a 200-yard rusher (the Browns’ Jamal Lewis, 27 car, 216 yds, touchdown). The game still hung in the balance until the Browns finally made a defensive stand when cornerback Leigh Bodden intercepted Palmer with 21 seconds left in regulation. Additionally, Johnson became the Bengals’ all-time leader in receiving yardage with 7,229 yards which easily eclipses the previous mark set by Isaac Curtis who had 7,101 receiving yards during his Bengals career. In other NFL action, the Jaguars squeaked by the Falcons, 13-7, the Ravens snuck by the Jets, 20-13, the Steelers crushed the Bills, 26-3, the Texans improved to 2-0 for the first time in franchise history by defeating the Panthers, 34-21, the Bears doubled up the Chiefs, 20-10, the Cowboys overpowered the Dolphins, 37-20, the Broncos edged the Raiders, 23-20 in overtime, the Lions got past the Vikings, 20-17 in overtime, the Packers smashed the Giants, 35-13, the Colts held off the Titans, 22-20, the Patriots pounded the Chargers, 38-14, the Buccaneers stymied the Saints, 31-14, the 49ers beat the Rams, 17-16, and the Cardinals surprised the Seahawks, 23-20.

(Yuma,Ariz.) The Snow College defense put forth yet another impressive effort, surrendering only 133 yards of offense to the Arizona Western Matadors in a 22-13 win Saturday evening. The game was the conference opener for both teams in Western Leagues football play. The Matadors, despite their 0-2 start to the season came out inspired as they hosted the #2 team in the junior college rankings. Nevertheless, the Badgers eventually found offensive success primarily behind the consistent excellence of Soni Sotele who amassed 131 yards on 29 carries. Also coming up big for the Badgers was Joseph Sawyer who had numerous catches, including a nine-yard touchdown reception to lead Snow to victory. Still, defense was once again the calling card of the Badgers as they gave up no touchdowns as the Matadors’ only scores came on defense and special teams. Next week, the Badgers will have a bye as they prepare for the Mesa Thunderbirds the following Saturday, Sept.29 at Mesa, Ariz.

Box Score

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Badgers.............  0 19  0  3  - 22       Record: (4-0,1-0)
Matadors............  0  7  6  0  - 13       Record: (0-3,0-1)

Scoring Summary:                                                             SNOW - AZWESTRN

2nd 14:56 SNOW - Niu Takai 5 yd run 
                                            5 plays, 39 yards, TOP 2:01         6 - 0
    11:39 AZWESTRN - Tomasi Fuller 0 yd blocked punt return (Michael Ellison kick)
                                                                                6 - 7
    08:35 SNOW - Joseph Sawyer 6 yd pass from Jon Eastman (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:04        13 - 7
    03:41 SNOW - Tanner Brown 7 yd run (Soni Sotele rush failed)
                                            5 plays, 26 yards, TOP 2:13        19 - 7
3rd 11:50 AZWESTRN - Marcus Benjamin 55 yd interception return
                                                                               19 - 13
4th 06:36 SNOW - Ryan McNamarra 40 yd field goal
                                            9 plays, 29 yards, TOP 4:33        22 - 13
FIRST DOWNS...................       19       10
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   51-164    20-32
PASSING YDS (NET).............      171      101
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........  26-13-2  28-14-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   77-335   48-133
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............     3-56     2-25
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     2-42     5-33
Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0     2-55
Punts (Number-Avg)............   5-29.0   9-34.4
Fumbles-Lost..................      1-0      1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     7-61     6-39
Possession Time...............    35:28    21:37
Sacks By: Number-Yards........      3-6     5-14

SNOW AZWESTRN

RUSHING: Badgers-Soni Sotele 29-131; Niu Takai 9-33; Tanner Brown 7-29; Jon
Eastman 6-minus 29. Matadors-Tim Johnson 5-14; Brandon Tett 1-8; Kenneth
Faumui 7-8; Courtney Burns 3-4; Hercules Sula 1-4; Will Brogan 3-minus 6.

PASSING: Badgers-Jon Eastman 13-26-2-171. Matadors-Will Brogan 14-28-0-101.

RECEIVING: Badgers-Joseph Sawyer 4-22; Regan Buck 3-68; Soni Sotele 2-34;
Kimball Burton 1-34; Sam Thomas 1-10; Niu Takai 1-2; Tanner Brown 1-1.
Matadors-Joe Nairn 3-48; Bernell Swinson 2-19; Tim Johnson 2-7; Donald
Crosby 2-5; Craig Brodie 1-7; Kenneth Faumui 1-6; Brandon Tett 1-5; Nate
Prater 1-3; Jon Jay 1-1.

INTERCEPTIONS: Badgers-None. Matadors-Marcus Benjamin 1-55; Terrance Lee
1-0.

Stadium: Veterans Memorial St  Attendance: 3000
Kickoff time: 7:00      End of Game:           Total elapsed time:
Officials: Referee: Mike Traina; Umpire: Danny Hanks; Linesman: Justin DeCol;
Line judge: Steve Coburn; Back judge: Gary McKenzie; Field judge: Bob Trythall;
Side judge: Tyler Hughes; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 104       Wind: Flowing   Weather: Sunny and clear

Badgers vs Matadors (Sep 15, 2007 at Yuma, Ariz.)

SACKS (UA-A): Badgers-Tevita Hola 1-0; Chris Finch 1-0; Shane Hunter 1-0.
Matadors-Jeromy Jones 1-1; Pauli Latu 0-2; Joel Walton 0-1; Mike Gunarson
0-1; Korey Toomer 1-0; George Kauwalu 0-1.

TACKLES (UA-A): Badgers-Andrew Rich 4-2; Coleby Clawson 1-5; Shane Hunter
2-3; Chris Finch 3-1; Skye PoVey 2-1; James Freed 2-0; Jared Galvin 2-0;
Stephon Thrash 2-0; Tevita Hola 1-1; Braden Frampton 1-1; James Aiono 1-1;
Josh Sharp 1-1; Josh Andersen 1-0; Jake Palmer 1-0; Tu Tui 0-1; Nate Pope
0-1. Matadors-Josh Cragin 9-0; Rex Sharpe 5-2; Pauli Latu 1-3; Myles Wade
3-0; Jeromy Jones 2-1; Kenneth Faumui 2-1; Joel Walton 1-2; Josh Williams
1-2; Marcus Benjamin 2-0; Korey Toomer 2-0; Kaeo Alo 2-0; Jacob Barit 2-0;
Mike Gunarson 1-1; Kamalu Umu 1-1; Shelton Danzy 1-1; George Kauwalu 0-2;
Jon Rickertson 1-0; Jon Jay 1-0; Brian Stamey 1-0; 75 1-0; Kelsey Punt 1-0;
Terrance Lee 1-0; Diamond Banks 1-0; Zach Gavin 1-0; Tomasi Fuller 1-0; Zach
Holmes 0-1; Brandon Tett 0-1; D.J. Hampton 0-1; Ellis Maske 0-1.

(Cedar City) The Brookside fire twenty miles north of Saint George is now sixty percent contained. The fire was started by lightning on Monday and has now burned five-hundred and thirty-two acres. Traffic on Highway 18 remains a concern as fire crews continue to work along side the road. Motorists are encouraged to slow down while moving through the affected area. Eighty-two personnel are working on the fire that is expected to be fully contained later today. A red flag warning has been issued for today due to expected gusty wind and high temperatures.

(SALINA) – Salina City has adopted a new noise ordinance and revised the city’s OHV ordinance. In Wednesday’s city council meeting, Salina resident, Ruth Smith, complained of noise and children riding four-wheelers on the highway without helmets. Mayor Jim Reynolds said the city council was able to satisfy Smith’s concerns by revising the OHV ordinance to comply with the state statute. The state law says that children under 12 years of age cannont ride ATV’s without parent supervision and those eight years of age and older must have ATV training.

Manti 8 Gunnison 0: Emily Olsen scored five goals as Manti shut out Gunnison in Region 13 soccer. Bobbie Ross got the shutout in goal while Sarah Scott had 2 goals and Sarah Stubbs scored 1.

Richfield 4 South Sevier 3: Chenelle Busk netted two goals for Richfield, while Cami Busk and Julie Dalton also scored. South Sevier’s Moriah Aston, Samantha Blackburn, and Samantha Jones each scored a goal apiece in the loss.

Millard 12 North Sevier 0: Scoring goals for the Eagles: Valerie Ortega 4, Loriana Aleman 4, Kylie Labrum 1, Maira Alcala 1, Kelsey Davis 1, Whitney Holding 1. Kelsey Davis & Amber Johnson combined for the shutout.

Grand 2 Beaver 1: The Red Devils scored with less than a minute left as they dropped the Beavers. Rachel Sawyer scored the lone goal for Beaver.

(Cedar City) The Brookside fire north of Saint George has burned four-hundred and fifty acres in the last three days. The fire was started by lightning on Monday and crews are working to keep it away from State Route 18. There are fifty-six firefighters working the blaze and containment is only at five percent. Weather conditions could be a problem today with gusty wind and low humidity. Motorists on State Route 18 are asked to be aware of firefighting activity and slow down when approaching the area.

(DELTA) – Two 16-year old Delta boys were arrested Sept. 5 for burglarizing a home. At about 1:45am, Millard County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to 4000 West 4500 South in Delta on a reported home burglary. The victim reported someone had entered his residence by prying open a door. He said the thieves stole DVD’s, coins, jewelry and other items. On Sept. 6, Sheriff’s Deputies were able to apprehend the boys. They were arrested and referred to 4th District Juvenile Court for burglary and theft. Part of the stolen property was recovered and returned to the owner.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission set a self-imposed deadline to wrap up the details of a development agreement with Sevier Power Company.

The commission released copies of the draft agreement last night at their regular monthly meeting.

The document states the commission has concerns about the plant’s potential impacts to the county, but also says the planning commission has elected to recommend the agreement to Sevier County commissioners.

The board responded to citizen concerns about that recommendation by saying the document is not final yet.

Planning Commission member John Worley motioned to hold four work sessions over the next four months in addition to the planning board’s regular meetings to wrap up remaining questions and details.

The head of a newly organized local chapter of Utah Moms for Clean Air presented the planning commission with letters from the group.

Sevier Power Company representative Bruce Taylor says the meeting shows the county is attempting to leave no stone unturned and says the work sessions show the sincerity of commission members.

While I missed out on all of my final scores, I did predict the outcomes of 10 of 16 NFL games correctly last weekend so rest assured that if you’re reading this column, it consists of the words of a most illustrious expert. If you belive that, then you’ll believe I can marry an Italian supermodel too, so we’ll see how far the legend of Brad James can go.

Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh. This is an intriguing game, as while I’m a Broncos fan, I must admit the Bills, while not the better team were rugged and resilient and forced the Broncos to beat them on the last play of the game. The question in this instance, is however, how the Bills will react emotionally after TE Kevin Everett was nearly paralyzed. Above all else, though, the Bills must pass the football effectively. J.P. Losman was held to less than 100 yards passing against the Broncos a week ago and that cannot be repeated if Buffalo has any chance of winning. Marshawn Lynch did have a nice debut running for 90 yards and a score, and if he can run on the Broncos, he can assuredly run on the Steelers. Nevertheless, like Denver, Pittsburgh is too tough to beat if they can make Buffalo one-dimensional. This is something the Steelers definitely are not as Ben Roethlisberger threw for a career-high four touchdowns last week at Cleveland while Willie Parker also amassed 109 rushing yards for Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers will thrive on their home crowd cheering them on and while the Bills will keep it competitive, they’ll lose another close call. Call the final, Steelers 23 Bills 19.

Houston vs. Carolina. Did the Texans make the right call in letting David Carr go in favor of Matt Schaub? A quick glance at the stat sheet for the Texans-Chiefs game confirms this was a good decision as Matt Schaub threw for 225 yards and a touchdown. Carr, who signed with the Panthers as a backup to Jake Delhomme (who threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns at St. Louis) may not be needed for the Panthers so this can’t be considered a real payback opportunity for Carr at this point. As for the game, the Texans have proven that when Schaub has time to throw he can find reliable wideout Andre Johnson (142 yards, TD) for big plays downfield. The Panthers seem to have rediscovered their long ball as prolific receiver Steve Smith (118 yards) had a field day torching the Rams secondary. I think this game will be a lot of fun and since the Panthers are more of a veteran team, I’ll go with Carolina in a competitive ballgame. Call the final, Panthers 34 Texans 31

New Orleans vs. Tampa Bay: If the Buccaneers’ offense wasn’t so abysmal, I’d give them a fighting chance in this ballgame. Nevertheless, the Seahawks shut them down in a 20-6 victory and even the Bucs’ traditionally solid defense was shredded by a Seattle team which featured a healthy Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander for the first time in a year. New Orleans, obviously, was embarrassed in front of the entire nation when Indianapolis pounded them. The Saints fan base can rejoice as the Colts were that good, while the Saints weren’t necessarily that bad. Drew Brees is going to throw for nearly 400 yards, while Reggie Bush will be prolific in the return game. The Buccaneers are going to get blown out for their fans at RayJay in their home debut. Call it Saints 42 Buccaneers 16

Atlanta vs. Jacksonville. The Jaguars are an enigma. The Titans, lightly regarded coming into their game at Jacksonville a week ago, left with a 13-10 victory and over 200 rushing yards. Now, if there’s one thing the Falcons can do with Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood, it’s running the football. The Jaguars need more productivity offensively and while David Garrard was respectable (204 yards and a score)last week, the rushing defense, the strength of the team a year ago, threatens to put the Jags in an 0-2 hole. I will take the Jaguars only because the Falcons looked lost offensively a week ago and these problems usually take a while to iron out. In a defensive struggle, call it Jaguars 13 Falcons 6

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland. Here is an illustration of winning the turnover battle. In 2005, the Bengals were 11-5 primarily because they were +24 in the turnover ratio. As of the game against the Ravens on Monday night, they’re +6 in the turnover battle and this is a portent for a successful season. Carson Palmer threw for just 194 yards, but added two touchdowns against a stout Ravens defense. The Browns, meanwhile, are a train wreck. Brady Quinn may be the quarterback by the time the dust clears in Cleveland this Sunday, and it’s astounding to me that starting QB Charlie Frye was benched against the Steeelers and subsequently traded to Seattle the following day. The Bengals will not have a tough defense to face against the Browns and they should put at least 35 points on the board. I’m not doing the Bengals justice, call it a 43-13 Bengals win. The pines for Brady Quinn in the lineup will soon intensify in C-Town.

San Francisco vs. St. Louis: The LDS hymn “Count Your Blessings” should be the 49ers official team song heading into this divisional matchup at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The 49ers offense was positively morbid against the Cardinals Monday evening untl a miraculous 86-yard drive in which San Francisco needed a fortuitous bounce after an Arnaz Battle fumble to beat Arizona. The Rams were obviously stunned against the Panthers a week ago and like the Saints, should be ready to show their true colors. The 49ers can compete if this is a track meet but Frank Gore must run for more than the 55 yards he did against the Cards. St. Louis’ defense appears weaker on paper than Arizona’s defense performed on Monday so Alex Smith should also take off. Steven Jackson must respond well after a meager game against Carolina wherein he was held under 100 yards. The Rams will respond in a 45-28 victory.

Green Bay vs. New York Giants: The Packers cannot rely on their opponent to fumble punt returns every week to pull off miraculous wins. With that said, I’m on the record in saying their victory against the Eagles was a fluke. The Giants, meanwhile desperately need some good luck in keeping players healthy. Quarterback Eli Manning who threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns against the Cowboys has a separated shoulder and is questionable for this game. Injuries incurred by tailback Brandon Jacobs, defensive end Osi Umenyiora, and cornerback Kevin Dockery are also taking their toll. However, Derrick Ward filled in admirably for Jacobs by rushing for 89 yards. Because the Giants will have a home crowd behind them and because the Packers are in reality quite apathetic (only 266 yards of offense against Philadelphia) I’ll go with the Giants in a 17-10 win.

Indianapolis vs. Tennessee: The Colts, if nothing else, exceeded expectations of both the media and even their loyal fan base as they played a virtually perfect game against the Saints in Week 1, a 41-10 laugher. The Titans, while depleted by offseason transactions and demoralized by the antics of suspended CB Pac-Man Jones were left for dead coming into this season. Nevertheless, while Vince Young wasn’t flashy a week ago (11-18, 78 yards) he did enough to win as Chris Brown became the NFL’s leading rusher going into Week 2 with 175 on the ground against the Jags. Because Peyton Manning’s already in midseason form, the Colts are going to be clicking on all cylinders. The Titans best hope for success in this game is if they can expose the Colts’ allegedly weak rush defense. It they do (and I think they can run to some extent) they have a shot. Nevertheless, that’s all they’ve got. Manning will throw for well over 300 yards and Reggie Wayne will amass nearly 200 receiving yards. Call the final, Colts 41 Titans 22

Dallas vs. Miami: That sure was a fun game for Tony Romo on Sunday night, throwing for 345 yards on just 15 completions, but the Dolphins’ defense is a lot tougher than what the Giants brought to Texas Stadium last week. Miami, if not for bad luck on the coin toss in overtime might have stolen one in Washington against a pretty good Redskins team. The Dolphins will, like many other teams, excel in front of their home crowd and stymie the potent Dallas offense. Chris Chambers will continue his breakout 2007 season, at least compared to the failure he experienced in ‘06, and I like Miami in a 23-13 win.

Minnesota vs. Detroit. The winner of this game, for at least a week will be all by themselves at the top of the NFC North. The Lions, while battering a horrendous Oakland team, did win a road game which is something they’ve not done much of in their recent seasons. Meanwhile, the Vikings, led by rookie tailback Adrian Peterson’s 163 all-purpose yards throttled the Falcons and must maintain their momentum in what should be a jazzed-up Ford Field. Lions QB Jon Kitna (27-36, 289 yards, three touchdowns) was virtually flawless against the Raiders and with his new targets such as rookie wideout Calvin Johnson (4 rec, 70 yds, TD) this will be among the league’s most exciting teams and of course with their Honolulu-blue jerseys, the best looking. I’m bold enough to put the Lions at 2-0 and at first place in the NFC North. While they may not be able to retain this advantage, this is a portent of things to come. Call it Lions 34 Vikings 20

Seattle vs. Arizona: The site is Glendale, Ariz., the site of Super Bowl XLII (42) and not to offend the good people of the Phoenix area, the Seattle Seahawks have a much better chance of being there than the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks, as mentioned previously, are fully healthy and Matt Hasselbeck (17-24, 222 yds, TD against Tampa Bay) is ready to assert himself as an elite NFL quarterback once again. The Cardinals must open up the playbook once again as if Monday night’s performance was any indication, the new gameplan instituted by coach Ken Whisenhunt is not only boring, it’s ineffective. If the Cards fall behind early, they can be exciting and have the firepower with wideouts Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to win a game in the 30’s. That’s exactly what it will be. Unfortunately for the home crowd, the Cardinals will be on the short end of the stick. Call the final Seahawks 35 Cardinals 31

Kansas City vs. Chicago: Ladies and gentlemen, I give unto you one of the most pathetic teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, the Texans are improved but the Chiefs scored just three points against them? Herm Edwards is in for a long season primarily because in all likelihood he’ll have to make Brodie Croyle his quarterback pretty soon. The Bears are angry that a loss in San Diego resulted from an errant punt which hit a Chicago player in the back thus enabling San Diego to take a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish shortly after this occurrence. This is the home opener at Soldier Field and while the Chiefs have the horses to survive in a defensive struggle, even the Bears with their offensive deficencies can squeeze out a victory here. Why? Because Robbie Gould’s a lights-out kicker. Expect him to nail a kick in the closing minutes to lead Chicago to victory in a 13-10 Bears win.

New York Jets vs. Baltimore: The Ravens were royally screwed against the Bengals Monday evening. No, Todd Heap did not committ pass interference on his touchdown catch to apparently tie the score in the closing moments at Cincinnati, but here’s something that perhaps is more impressive. The Ravens committed six turnovers and were still in the game until the last moments. When you add injuries to QB Steve McNair and LB Ray Lewis to the mix, the Ravens really are a stout and resilient team. As for the Jets, they were smacked by the Patriots, but they’re not as bad as advertised. An injury to QB Chad Pennington had a little something to do with that fishtail performance against New England. The Ravens are the better team and they’ll break out and show the league they’re just as nasty as ever, if McNair comes back and has a better game. Of course he will, call it Ravens 23 Jets 17

Oakland vs. Denver: The Broncos, despite just a one-point win at Orchard Park, N.Y. last Sunday, are statistical behemoths. They amassed 470 yards against a sorry Bills defense and held Buffalo to just 184 offensive yards. Still, coach Mike Shanahan is displeased that the Broncos put just 15 points on the board saying that “if you gain 470 yards of offense, you should have at least 40 points.” Therefore, rest assured the Broncos will come out on a mission. As for the Raiders, Daunte Culpepper will get the nod at quarterback in all likelihood as Josh McCown is injured. At Invesco Field at Mile High, the Broncos are seeking to bounce back from a 2006 season in which they played .500 ball at home. They’ll rectify that beginning this Sunday and the Raiders will be decimated. Look for Travis Henry to approach the 200-yard rushing mark while Jay Cutler will throw for 285 yards and three scores in a 35-14 Broncos laugher.

San Diego vs. New England: Newsflash: THE PATRIOTS ARE CHEATERS!!! The penalties imposed upon them by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, resulting in lost draft picks will decimate the future of this franchise. Thus, the Pats had better hope they don’t get caught filming practice sessions of opponents anytime in the short-term future and win now at all costs. Unfortunately for them, I think the Chargers are a better team and definitely have superior character. LaDainian Tomlinson, the classy star tailback of San Diego has not forgotten the Patriots’ lack of class after their upset victory at Qualcomm Stadium in the AFC divisional playoffs last season. Thus, the Chargers will come out with guns a blazing at Foxboro, Mass. and crush the Patriots. In front of a national television audience on NBC, Tomlinson will rush for 175 yards and three scores while Philip Rivers will for once act like an adult and throw two scoring tosses of his own. I like the Chargers in a 41-25 victory.

Washington vs. Philadelphia: Jason Campbell is the long-term answer at quarterback for the Redskins. After throwing for 222 yards against a solid Dolphins defense last week and leading his team to a 39-yard game winning field goal in overtime, his legend continues to grow in the D.C. area. Antwaan Randle El is also averaging an astounding 32 yards per reception as he snared five passes for 162 yards against Miami. On the other hand, this is a Monday night game and a season opener for the Eagles. They’re chomping at the bit to show that their game at Green Bay, Wis. last week was a fluke. Donovan McNabb will be revitalized in front of a home crowd and throw for 325 yards and four scores against a high-priced ‘Skins defense. This will come down to the last possession and as fate would have it, the Eagles will have it last. David Akers is the best clutch kicker in the league, other than Adam Vinatieri and Jason Elam and his heroics will lead Philadelphia to victory. Call it Eagles 38 Redskins 35

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch today (Wednesday) spoke on the Senate floor in support of Gen. Patraeus’s report on the progress of the war in Iraq. In the speech, Hatch denounced attacks against Patraeus by the group MoveOn.org. Hatch blasted the organization saying that if they had taken the time to follow the career of Gen. Patraeus, they would find these allegations are unwarranted, disgraceful and libelous.

Manti 8 Richfield 1: Emily Olsen scored 4 goals to lead the Templars. Sarah Scott added two goals and Richfield’s Chenelle Busk scored to prevent the shutout. Also scoring for Manti were Amelia Osmond and Kaitlyn Averett.

North Sevier 2 South Sevier 1: North Sevier’s Lauren Jensen scored 2 goals, while the defense played strong to lead the Wolves to victory. South Sevier’s Samantha Blackburn scored for the Rams.

Beaver 8 Gunnison 0: Shiloh White, Jenn Christensen, and Rachel Sawyer combined for the Beaver shutout. Stacy Roberts posted three assists, while goals were scored by Kerstin Fails, Dayna Joseph, Alicia Roberts, Chamaya Kia, Stacy Roberts, and Meranda Martin.

Millard 8 Grand 0: The Eagles got a hat trick from Maira Alcala and Loriana Aleman. Kelsey Davis and Amber Johnson combined for the shutout, while goals were also scored by Valerie Ortega and Brittiny Rhodes.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett criticized a full page ad in the New York Times purchased by MoveOn.org questioning the integrity of Gen. David Patreaus. Bennett calls the ad pure propaganda saying that it’s interesting that those who think a senator is corrupted when someone picks up his lunch tab also believe the same senator can be influenced by spending $167,156.64 for a full page ad in the New York Times. Bennett says the people at MoveOn.org should understand that we have sources of information more reliable than their propaganda. He says it isn’t Gen. Patraeus who is guilty of “cooking the books”...it’s the ideologues who refuse to let the facts stand in the way of their partisan agendas. Bennett further commented that Gen. Patraeus has served this country with honor for several decades, including risking his own life in combat. He’s done it without ever smearing any of his opponents or compromising the facts. They should take a lesson from him, said Bennett.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution yesterday (Monday) honoring Utah miners. Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett offered the resolution honoring the sacrifice and courage of the six missing miner and three rescue workers who were killed in the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster in Huntington last month. Sen. Hatch spoke on the Senate floor commenting on the miners’ contributions. Sen. Bennett also spoke on the double tragedy. Both Senators said they witnessed first-hand what a disaster of this magnitude can mean and said that the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse will forever be remembered for the grief they shared as a state and the valiant and courageous efforts displayed by many.

(Mayfield) The Forest Service is currently watching a fire in the Twelve Mile and Birch Creek area. The fire was started by lightning on Saturday. No suppression efforts have taken place at this time. Forest officials are allowing the fire to burn in order to reduce the amount of fuel in the area. Those recreating in the area are asked to be cautious, and also not to report the fire. Fire managers are monitoring the fire and weather conditions and will respond if the fire threatens life or property. Areas primarily affected are the Birch Creek Trail and the Loveridge Flat area. For more information on this fire and other fires in the state visit www.utahfireinfo.gov.

(MOAB) – The BLM and Forest Service are hosting an interactive satellite broadcast for those who need help in preparing documents for oil and gas development on Federal lands. BLM Spokesman, Tom Gorey, says at times, Applications for Permits to Drill, or APD’s, are not filled out correctly. Gorey says help is available at the BLM Moab Field Office this Thursday from 9:30am to 12:30pm. For more information, call 259-2100.

(Orchard Park, N.Y.) Throughout a 15-year career in which he has kicked an NFL record 63-yard field goal among other things, Jason Elam came through once again for the Denver Broncos. However, his heroics were all the more impressive when he overcame previous adversity by nailing a 42-yard field goal as time expired in a 15-14 Broncos win. Despite the fact that the Broncos dominated the Bills statistics-wise (they outgained Buffalo 470-184) and penetrated into Buffalo territory eight times, Elam uncharacteristically missed two field goals, including a 43-yarder with about three minutes left in regulation. However, Jay Cutler (23-39, 304 yds, TD, INT) engineered a last-minute drive in which the Broncos converted in consecutive fourth down situations to give Elam one last chance. Literally, as time expired, Elam nailed the kick to silence the crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Additionally, the Broncos received strong performances from receiver Javon Walker (9 rec, 119 yds) and newly acquired tailback Travis Henry (23 car, 139 yds). In other NFL action, Tennessee held off Jacksonville, 13-10, Washington got past Miami, 16-13 in overtime, Carolina steamrolled St. Louis, 27-13, New England crushed the New York Jets, 38-14, Minnesota embarrassed Atlanta, 24-3, Pittsburgh smacked Cleveland, 34-7, Green Bay stunned Philadelphia, 16-13, Houston humbled Kansas City, 20-3, Seattle overpowered Tampa Bay, 20-6, San Diego slipped by Chicago, 14-3, Detroit outgunned Oakland, 36-21, and Dallas got by the New York Giants, 45-35.

(Ephraim, Utah) Soni Sotele ran for 115 yards on 13 carries and two touchdown runs as the Snow Badgers dominated the Pima Aztecs, 52-0 Saturday afternoon at Stoddard Field at Badger Stadium. The Badgers, as usual, got off to a swift start as Sotele had a one-yard touchdown run, Kimball Burton recovered a blocked Aztecs punt in the end zone and Ryan McNamarra kicked a field goal from 37 yards all in the first quarter as the Badgers built a 17-0 lead. As the game progressed, Regan Buck snared two touchdown passes from QB Jon Eastman in amassing 101 yards on three receptions while Niu Takai closed out the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run to punctuate the Badgers’ performance of dominance. As for Snow defensive coordinator Justin DeCol’s defense, this unit allowed only 26 yards on 55 plays which means Pima averaged less than a yard per play. Additionally, in three games, the Badgers have surrendered just 14 points and all of those came in one quarter at Colorado Springs, Colo. against the Air Force Prep Huskies. Next Saturday, the Badgers will travel to Yuma, Ariz. to battle the Arizona Western Matadors at 8:00 p.m. MDT. This game can be heard on KMTI-AM 650 or online at www.kmtiradio.com Box Score (Final)

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Aztecs..............  0  0  0  0  -  0       Record: (0-2)
Badgers............. 17 21  7  7  - 52       Record: (3-0)

Scoring Summary:                                                             PIMA - SNOW

1st 10:32 SNOW - Soni Sotele 1 yd run (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            8 plays, 53 yards, TOP 4:28         0 - 7
    08:42 SNOW - Kimball Burton 0 yd blocked punt return (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                                                                0 - 14
    03:34 SNOW - Ryan McNamarra 37 yd field goal
                                            7 plays, 29 yards, TOP 3:01         0 - 17
2nd 13:38 SNOW - Tanner Brown 31 yd run (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 3:10         0 - 24
    10:33 SNOW - Regan Buck 21 yd pass from Jon Eastman (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            3 plays, 43 yards, TOP 1:29         0 - 31
    04:54 SNOW - Soni Sotele 44 yd run (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:45         0 - 38
3rd 08:34 SNOW - Regan Buck 75 yd pass from Jon Eastman (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            3 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:42         0 - 45
4th 07:32 SNOW - Niu Takai 15 yd run (Ryan McNamarra kick)
                                            8 plays, 62 yards, TOP 4:27         0 - 52
FIRST DOWNS...................        8       25
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   34--28   43-294
PASSING YDS (NET).............       54      179
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........   21-4-1  22-12-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....    55-26   65-473
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............      1-7     7-59
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........    8-117     1-35
Interception Returns-Yards....      1-0     1-18
Punts (Number-Avg)............  10-34.5   3-34.3
Fumbles-Lost..................      4-1      3-2
Penalties-Yards...............    10-58    10-92
Possession Time...............    27:15    30:43
Sacks By: Number-Yards........      0-0    10-49

PIMA     SNOW

RUSHING: Aztecs-Daniel Navarro 8-40; Christopher Bar 4-14; Byron Brazzle
5-5; Bobby Ybarra 1-minus 1; Benjamin Minor 2-minus 4; Stephen Hopkins
1-minus 31; Ryan Morgan 13-minus 51. Badgers-Soni Sotele 13-115; Niu Takai
15-95; Tanner Brown 5-48; Alex Price 6-23; Adam Frandsen 1-13; Jon Eastman
3-0.

PASSING: Aztecs-Ryan Morgan 4-21-1-54. Badgers-Jon Eastman 12-22-1-179.

RECEIVING: Aztecs-Benjamin Minor 1-22; Errol Wright 1-16; Eddie Zglinicki
1-9; Daniel Navarro 1-7. Badgers-Regan Buck 3-103; Troy Cummings 3-28;
Kimball Burton 2-21; Adam Frandsen 1-13; Joseph Sawyer 1-9; Sam Thomas 1-6;
Soni Sotele 1-minus 1.

INTERCEPTIONS: Aztecs-Patrick Medina 1-0. Badgers-Joey Schrader 1-18.

Stadium: Badger Stadium        Attendance: 4500
Kickoff time: 1:30      End of Game: 4:28      Total elapsed time: 2:58
Officials: Referee: Mike Traina; Umpire: Rhett Jackson; Linesman: Steve Coburn;
Line judge: Jason Ah You; Back judge: Justin DeCol; Field judge: Tyler Hughes;
Side judge: Bill Laslett; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 82        Wind: Brisk     Weather: Cloudy

Aztecs vs Badgers (Sep 08, 2007 at Ephraim, Utah)

SACKS (UA-A): Aztecs-None. Badgers-Shane Hunter 2-1; A.J. Van Valken 0-2;
Coleby Clawson 1-1; Lee Millard 1-1; Tevita Hola 0-1; Stephen Paea 0-1;
Ricky Sundin 1-0; John Tauteoli 0-1; Josh Sharp 0-1; Josh Andersen 0-1.

TACKLES (UA-A): Aztecs-Patrick Medina 6-1; Cory Daniel 3-4; Kade Creviston
3-4; Dustin Pope 3-3; Kolter Killion 1-5; Delbert Gallego 2-3; Joseph
Bangali 2-3; Jesse Colter 3-0; Aaron Richardso 0-3; Cam Wierson 0-3; Victor
Umeh 1-1; Kevin Keeton 1-1; Matt Johnson 1-1; Lonnie Brunson 0-2; Gibenson
Dieu 0-2; D'Narryl Austin 1-0; Joseph Paige 1-0; Bubba Clement 1-0; Marcus
Brown 1-0; Michael Hargrov 1-0; Connor Francis 1-0; James Frazier 1-0;
Bennie Thomas 1-0; Malcolm Shepher 1-0; Robert Rodrigue 1-0; Onias Rana 1-0;
Christopher Bar 0-1; Callum Antone 0-1; Joseph Frias 0-1; Jakob Stallings
0-1. Badgers-Shane Hunter 4-1; Coleby Clawson 3-2; John Tauteoli 2-3; Josh
Sharp 2-2; A.J. Van Valken 1-3; Lee Millard 2-1; Joey Schrader 1-2; Tevita
Hola 1-2; Ricky Sundin 2-0; Braden Frampton 2-0; Nate Pope 2-0; Weston
Sampson 1-1; Stephen Paea 0-2; Jared Galvin 0-2; Dejay Lester 0-2; Andrew
Rich 0-2; Isi Filimoeatu 1-0; Zach Douros 1-0; Niu Takai 1-0; Salesi Apina
1-0; Bryn Roy 1-0; Josh Andersen 0-1; Chris Finch 0-1; Tu Tui 0-1; Jon
Eastman 0-1; Alex Price 0-1.

(Fillmore, Utah) Clancy Mortensen had 101 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns and also snared a 51-yard scoring pass as the Millard Eagles decimated the Manti Templars, 35-7 Friday evening. The Templars drew first blood as they took advantage of a Millard onside kick attempt which the Eagles touched illegally when David Hugentobler scored from six yards out in the first quarter. However, by the end of the quarter, Millard had drew within 7-6 after Mortensen’s first score. From that point on, the Templars offense struggled mightily as they just amassed 162 yards overall on the night. As for the Eagles, they were just getting started as consistently throughout the ballgame, they moved the ball at will on Manti gaining 380 yards overall, while QB Grant Barber completed five of eight passes for 159 yards and two scores. When Barber hit tailback Zack Wilcox on a 68-yard scoring strike, the Eagles had built an insurmountable lead at 28-7, while a 45-yard touchdown scamper by Mortensen finished off the carnage. Both of these teams head into region wars next Friday as the Templars travel to Coalville, Utah to take on the stout North Summit Braves, while Millard will go to Blanding, Utah to battle San Juan’s Broncos next week. Box Score (Final)

Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score

Templars............  7  0  0  0  -  7       Record: (3-1)
Eagles..............  6  8  0 21  - 35       Record: (4-0)

Scoring Summary:                                                            MANTI - MILLARD

1st 05:01 MANTI - David Hugentobl 6 yd run (Eric Ostler kick)
                                           13 plays, 49 yards, TOP 6:59         7 - 0
    03:17 MILLARD - Clancy Mortense 51 yd pass from Grant Barber (Freddy Alcala kick blockd)
                                            4 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:44         7 - 6
2nd 00:40 MILLARD - Clancy Mortense 4 yd run (Michael Coats pass)
                                            8 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:57         7 - 14
4th 09:34 MILLARD - Clancy Mortense 8 yd run (Freddy Alcala kick)
                                            8 plays, 68 yards, TOP 3:35         7 - 21
    05:38 MILLARD - Zack Wilcox 68 yd pass from Grant Barber (Freddy Alcala kick)
                                            2 plays, 66 yards, TOP 1:06         7 - 28
    01:03 MILLARD - Clancy Mortense 45 yd run (Freddy Alcala kick)
                                            4 plays, 56 yards, TOP 2:09         7 - 35
FIRST DOWNS...................       12       15
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............   48-139   32-221
PASSING YDS (NET).............       23      159
Passes Att-Comp-Int...........   10-5-1    9-5-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS.....   58-162   41-380
Fumble Returns-Yards..........      0-0      0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............     1-13     2-27
Kickoff Returns-Yards.........     4-76     1-18
Interception Returns-Yards....      0-0      1-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............   3-39.0   2-40.0
Fumbles-Lost..................      0-0      1-1
Penalties-Yards...............     3-17     8-43
Possession Time...............    28:59    17:58
Sacks By: Number-Yards........      0-0      2-6

MANTI  MILLARD

RUSHING: Templars-David Hugentobl 18-46; Colter Lund 10-29; Griffin Aste
10-23; Callan Jones 4-22; Jordan Lammert 4-10; Chase Stevens 2-9.
Eagles-Clancy Mortense 9-101; Zack Wilcox 12-58; Grant Barber 5-31; Quincy
Thatcher 5-26; Brad Dallin 1-5.

PASSING: Templars-Griffin Aste 5-10-1-23. Eagles-Grant Barber 5-8-0-159;
Zack Wilcox 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING: Templars-Tylan Jackson 1-8; Jordan Lammert 1-6; Callan Jones 1-6;
David Hugentobl 1-4; Chase Stevens 1-minus 1. Eagles-Zack Wilcox 2-88;
Clancy Mortense 2-68; Michael Coats 1-3.

INTERCEPTIONS: Templars-None. Eagles-Grant Barber 1-0.

Stadium: Eagles Stadium        Attendance: 4500
Kickoff time: 7:00      End of Game: 9:13      Total elapsed time: 2:13
Officials: Referee: Kerry Watson; Umpire: Dennis Alldredg;
Linesman: Jason Jackson; Line judge: Mike Traina; Back judge: Jeff Ericksen;
Field judge: Doug Johnson; Side judge: Craig Bolerjack; Scorer: Brad James;
Temperature: 75        Wind: Brisk     Weather: Sunny

Templars vs Eagles (Sep 07, 2007 at Fillmore, Utah)

SACKS (UA-A): Templars-None. Eagles-Brian Lisonbee 1-0; Justin Dickens 0-1;
Michael Coats 0-1.

TACKLES (UA-A): Templars-Chase Stevens 4-4; David Hugentobl 4-1; Tylan
Jackson 3-2; Jeffrey Swenson 3-2; Saula Taufa 2-1; Colter Lund 2-1; Callan
Jones 2-0; Griffin Aste 2-0; Matthew Olson 2-0; Tyson Faumui 1-0; Seth
Gergetz 1-0; K.C. Correnti 1-0; Tucker Daniels 1-0; Nick Brown 0-1.
Eagles-Michael Coats 4-8; Brian Lisonbee 4-5; Sergio Pedroza 2-7; Dustin
Kunz 3-5; Freddy Alcala 2-6; Quincy Thatcher 3-4; Josh Robison 2-4; Bryant
Christen 4-1; Justin Dickens 1-3; Grant Barber 1-2; Clancy Mortense 0-3;
Rendon Shields 2-0; Zack Wilcox 0-2; Mason Stodd 1-0.

(Indianapolis) Peyton Manning completed 18 of 30 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts broke open a tight game with a 31-point onslaught as they decimated the New Orleans Saints, 41-10 Thursday evening at the RCA Dome. The Colts took a swift 7-0 lead when Manning hit wideout Marvin Harrison on a 27-yard scoring strike and the rout seemed on at this point. However, former Colts cornerback Jason David stripped receiver Reggie Wayne on a second quarter reception and returned his theft 55 yards for a 7-7 tie. Nevertheless, despite the Saints’ offensive excellence last season, this proved to be the only touchdown they would score on the evening. With the score deadlocked at 10-10 at intermission, the Colts seized momentum and never gave it back. Manning found Wayne for touchdown passes of 28 and 45 yards, while Joseph Addai (117 rushing yards and a score) added a two-yard touchdown afer a drive that encompassed eight plays and 71 yards to open the second half. As for the Colts defense, they surrendered just 296 yards to the explosive Saints and punctuated their strong performance when defensive back returned a pick by New Orleans QB Drew Brees 83 yards for a score which gave Indianapolis their final margin of victory at 41-10. With no playoff teams facing the Colts in their next six games, the short-term future seems bright for them. Meanwhile, the Saints must swiftly pick up the pieces as they have a divisional game at Tampa Bay a week from Sunday.

(Manti) The Sanpete County Commissioners held two public informational meetings Wednesday night to explain the need for a new court facility. The meeting in Manti was well attended with over forty residents turning out. The commissioners presented their case in an attempt to win voter support for the bond election to be held in November. According to the commissioners, the need for the new building stems from a shortage of storage space in the current building, a safety risk posed by unsecured routs for transporting inmates, and a lack of security. Commissioners reassured those attending the meeting that the facility, if it is built, will not be located on fairground property. Many concerns were expressed by those attending the meeting dealing with everything from the location of the building to the financing procedures. Commissioners will continue to hold informational meeting throughout the county until September 25th. The next meetings will be held tonight in Spring City and Fayette at 7:00 PM. A full schedule of meetings can be found on our website at KMTIRADIO.COM.

Brigham Young vs. UCLA: The Cougars got off to a nice start in Week 1 as they pounded the PAC-10’s Arizona Wildcats, 20-7. Nevertheless, they face a much stiffer challenge from the PAC-10 this week as they travel to Pasadena, Calif. to battle the #13 UCLA Bruins. Max Hall, while showing signs of his inexperience periodically, did throw for 288 yards and two scores against the Wildcats while receiving a solid assist from his defense. Nevertheless, this stout Cougars defense will be tested early and often against a newly explosive Bruins offense. UCLA quarterback Ben Olson, a former Brigham Young recruit, threw for 286 yards and five touchdowns last week against Stanford, a 45-17 Bruins win in which they amassed over 600 yards of offense against the Cardinal. Thus, this game can be a shootout if Hall contines to progress in Robert Anae’s offense. This may be the Cougars’ best shot at winning as with weapons such as tailback Kahlil Bell and receiver Brandon Breazell at Olson’s disposal, one defensive stop at a crucial juncture in the ballgame could turn the tide. Because I’m an adamant foe of the BCS, and since I believe the Mountain West has the best chance of decimating it once again, I’ll go with the Cougars at the Rose Bowl. Call the final, Brigham Young 38 UCLA 35

Air Force vs. Utah: Things can’t be much worse for the Utah Utes at the moment. With a season-ending injury to former Snow tailback Matt Asiata and a separated shoulder for quarterback Brian Johnson, the Utes lacked the energy to beat Oregon State at Corvallis, Ore. last Thursday. Nevertheless, the Utes should be reenergized as they open their home season against fellow Mountain West foe Air Force. Last week, the Falcons took care of business in their opener as they defeated I-AA’s South Carolina State, 34-3 at Colorado Springs, Colo.,(which is more than what Michigan can say after their bout with a Division I-AA opponent) but it will be difficult to travel to Rice-Eccles and take on the wounded Utes. I expect Brent Casteel to have a big game for Utah and for Tommy Grady to finally find his stride. An energetic home crowd should be enough to help the Utes prevail in a 23-16 victory.

Utah State vs. Wyoming: Fresh off a 23-3 victory over the Virginia Cavaliers last Saturday, the Cowboys have done their best to help besmirch the BCS. Thus, they have my blessing. Meanwhile, the Aggies had a chance at home last week to defeat UNLV and get off on the right foot. However, a late rally enabled the Rebels to pull away. The Aggies will have no such luck at Laramie, Wyo. against an underrated Cowboys team. Against ACC athletes in the Virginia game, ‘Pokes QB Karsten Sween threw for 253 yards while completing 73 percent of his passes. Tailback Devin Moore also went off against the Cavs with 125 rushing yards and a score. Expect these numbers to be even more impressive against the hapless Aggies in a 45-10 win.

North Dakota vs. Southern Utah: My alma mater was better than I expected as they were pounded by only 20 rather than the 58 I predicted against the mighty Montana Grizzlies last week in Missoula, Mont. Their home slate commences with this game against the #3 ranked team in Division II, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. This is a dangerous game for the Thunderbirds, as although they’re in the friendly confines of Eccles Coliseum, and are in Division I-AA (a step ahead of North Dakota), we all know how the Michigan game went down when they faced a highly-ranked opponent from a lower classification. Sioux QB Danny Freund was prolific in North Dakota’s season-opening game last week, a 59-0 thrashing of Humboldt State as he completed 15 of 18 passes for 285 yards in the victory. Meanwhile, Wes Marshall threw for 218 yards in a losing effort for the T-Birds a week ago. I don’t like the Thunderbirds in this game as the Sioux will tear down the goalposts if they have enough energy playing at a 6,000 foot elevation as time expires. Call it North Dakota 34 Southern Utah 25

(SALINA) – A family of five from Orem escaped serious injury Saturday when their 15-year old daughter overcorrected and rolled on SR-50. UHP Trooper Nick Bowles investigated and reported that just before noon Saturday, the family was traveling near Maple Grove when the girl rolled their 1999 Chevy Suburban. Her father, 58-year old, Monte Stewart, sustained a head injury but her mother, Anne and two other siblings received no injury.

As of Thursday Sept.6, the NFL season commences, so here’s some predictions of what to expect as the 88th season of NFL football kicks off.

New Orleans vs. Indianapolis: This game, I believe, will feature numerous offensive fireworks as two of the NFL’s most prolific offenses in ‘06 take the field at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Obviously, the home crowd will be energized as it will be the first time they’ve seen their Colts since they became Super Bowl champions last February. While I fully expect both of these squads to amass well over 400 yards in offense, the Saints have too tall of an order to fill in beating the Colts on the road. I expect Peyton Manning to rip their hearts out in the last stanza, even as he has so many other opponents previously. In the best game of opening week, I’ll take the Colts in a 45-38 win.

Philadelphia vs. Green Bay: The Eagles, with veterans such as Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, and Jevon Kearse are always among the NFL’s most resilient teams. This is a valuable trait to possess especially since head coach Andy Reid has had to navigate through family turmoil this offseason and quarterback Donovan McNabb has had to rehabilitate a torn ACL during much of the summer. For now, the Eagles are healthy and with McNabb’s excellence and leadership combined with Dawkins’ stellar example, Philadelphia is as good as anyone else in the NFC. The Packers seem to be a team on the rise but as long as legendary QB Brett Favre tries to hold on to past glory, it will be hard for this team to move on. I like the Eagles in a big win, call it 38-20.

Atlanta vs. Minnesota: Let’s just say that of all the teams in the NFL, the Falcons have to be among the most relieved to take the field for 2007. After an offseason of turmoil primarily centered around QB Michael Vick’s allegations of involvement in dogfighting, the franchise can finally pick up the pieces and move on. In the preseason, reserve QB Joey Harrington, newly acquired from Miami, showed glimpses of grasping the Falcons offense, so the optimists in the ATL may have reason to rejoice. Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood provide a solid running game for the Falcons and the defense has performed well at times. The Vikings, in my opinion, quietly had one of the best drafts in the NFL this past April and may be ready to be a prolific offensive team once again with the advent of second-year QB Tarvaris Jackson. The defense was among the better units in the league last season and things are coming together for Brad Childress’ squad. I expect the Vikes to assert themselves and become legitimate Super Bowl contenders by 2008 and to start Sunday. Call the final score, Vikings 27 Falcons 17

Miami vs. Washington. The Redskins, because of their sufficient revenue generated from the NFL’s largest stadium, FedEx Field and a wealthy owner in Daniel Snyder have been a sleeping giant the past few seasons. While they’ve not experienced much success on the field the past few seasons, they finally seem to have enough talent that meshes well with each other to make waves in the NFC. The Dolphins, because of the advent of new head coach Cam Cameron in south Florida seem ready to shake off the mediocrity of the past few seasons and begin anew. Both of these teams are at a crossroads, although Miami has a bit more experience at quarterback with the acquisition of former Redskins signal-caller Trent Green, although if there’s struggles, former Brigham Young QB John Beck may be called upon. Since Washington has the homefield advantage in this one, I’ll take the ‘Skins in a tight one as quarterback Jason Campbell will show the ‘Hogs faithful a portent of things to come. Redskins 24 Dolphins 21

Kansas City vs. Houston: My upset special of the weekend. The Chiefs just don’t seem like a football team with much direction right now. After fortuitously falling into the playoffs a year ago, a tumultuous offseason ensued, with star tailback Larry Johnson holding out. In Kansas City workouts, Johnson hasn’t looked like his former self while the Texans may not yet be playoff contenders but have improved themselves considerably, nonetheless. Former Falcons QB Matt Schaub will have an impressive breakout in front of the Reliant Stadium faithful and a young and athletic defense will pressure Kansas City’s offense all afternoon long. Call the final, Texans 31 Chiefs 16

Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland. As the Mike Tomlin era begins in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have been stung by the failures of last season coming off of 2005’s Super Bowl-winning campaign. Tomlin, a first-time NFL head coach has walked into a good situation, and his willingness to open up the Pittsburgh offense will cause QB Ben Roethlisberger’s star to rise. The Browns appear to be nowhere near contention, but this is a divisional game and the Steelers and Browns are two of the NFL’s most bitter rivals, so I expect this game to be fairly close. Still, the Steelers have too much talent so I expect them to escape with a 19-16 victory.

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville. Turmoil currently reigns in Jacksonville. Just days after starting QB Byron Leftwich was stunningly released, the team is shellshocked and must prepare itself for a season opener against the intriguing Tennessee Titans in a divisional game. Vince Young resuscitated the Titans last season to make them among the NFL’s hottest teams down the stretch a year ago. Unfortunately for Tennessee, several key pieces from that team have gone elsewhere so while he’s the type of athlete that can put a franchise on his back, he needs the young talent around him to develop. This will take time and since they have to go on the road in opening week to face a veteran Jaguars squad, I’ll take Jacksonville in a 23-20 win.

Denver vs. Buffalo. The Broncos are among the NFL’s best teams, unbeknownst to the national media and they’ll show their excellence early and often at Rich Wilson Stadium this Sunday. The Bills, with J.P. Losman running the offense are a great young team but they have too many holes defensively to compete for a playoff berth this season. Meanwhile, the Broncos have bolstered an already strong team with key imports such as ex-Titans tailback Travis Henry and former Lions cornerback Dre’ Bly. The first full season of the Jay Cutler era should get off in a flurry as he throws for 350 yards and three scores in what could be a shootout. Still, I’ll call the final Broncos 38 Bills 17

Carolina vs. St. Louis. The Panthers are a team that must experience some soul searching at the moment. After their near-victory in Super Bowl 38 against New England, the team has experienced extremes in excellence and mediocrity. With several members of that Super Bowl team still around, including breakout receiver Steve Smith, the potential still exists for Carolina to contend for a title. The Rams are among the more underrated teams in the league as star tailback Steven Jackson has the potential to amass 2500 yards from scrimmage this season. A successful season for St. Louis starts right here as they humble the schizophrenic Panthers. Call the final, Rams 40 Panthers 28

New England vs. New York Jets. No, I’m not drinking the Patriots’ Kool-Aid. With that said, New England will be an excellent offensive team. However, the suspension of Rodney Harrison for HGH use and the injury of Richard Seymour, which should sideline him the first six weeks of the season will force New England to win a lot of shootouts. This is true except when the opponent is the New York Jets. The Jets are capable of derailing the Pats’ explosive offense, and while QB Chad Pennington is anything but athletic, his accuracy will consistently move the chains and lead the Jets to victory in a close one. Call it Jets 20 Patriots 17

Detroit vs. Oakland. These were the two worst teams in the league last season, but the Lions have the edge in this one. Quarterback Jon Kitna has lots of new toys to play with, such as tailback Tatum Bell and breathtaking rookie Calvin Johnson to add to previously established stalwarts such as wideouts Roy Williams and Mike Furrey. The Lions will be fun to watch this season and their defense should also rise to the occasion against a Raiders team which still lacks an identity. This may be a shocker in Week 1, but only because the margin of victoy is so large. Call it Lions 35 Raiders 7

Tampa Bay vs. Seattle. These two expansion brethren from 1976 have had their peaks and valleys but since 2002, each of these teams have made a Super Bowl appearance. The Seahawks have more talent firmly in place and QB Matt Hasselbeck and tailback Shaun Alexander are once again healthy. Thus, the Seahawks are not only the prohibitive favorite in the NFC West, they’re also more prepared to win this game. The Buccaneers have all the potential in the world, but their youth may be a deterrent until they get some experience. This game will fit that bill as a battle with the Seahawks should easily prepare them for the upcoming season. Still, you’ve got to take your lumps sometime. Call it Seahawks 34 Buccaneers 14

Chicago vs. San Diego. Things just don’t get any easier for the Chicago Bears. After a challenging offseason and the consistent struggles of Rex Grossman being magnified during the preseason, the Bears must travel to Qualcomm and face the powerful Chargers. San Diego, of course, has plenty of questions left to answer such as whether or not they’re capable of winning a Super Bowl with the most talented squad in the league on paper. Marty Schottenheimer could not win with this team, so in comes Norv Turner to take them to new levels. LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL’s best tailback, will have plenty of energy to face a stout Bears defense as he did not play in the preseason. The Chargers must throw the ball effectively to ascertain that Tomlinson has plenty of room to decimate defenses with his speed and athleticism. Thus, the pressure’s on Philip Rivers to make plays. Against the Bears, he’ll do enough to win. Call the final Chargers 33 Bears 19

New York Giants vs. Dallas. The Cowboys are being lauded as one of the NFC’s best teams. I have a differing opinion. Tony Romo, I predict will continue in his downward spiral of last season against a Giants team which isn’t playoff-caliber but good enough to pressure Romo defensively. Much-maligned Giants signal-caller Eli Manning will do just enough to abate the critics for a week and I think New York reciever Plaxico Burress will have a huge game to silence the denizens of Texas Stadium. This will be a defensive struggle but the Giants will grind one out. Call it Giants 22 Cowboys 10

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati. The Bengals are an impressive spectacle of offensive firepower. Carson Palmer is virtually as good as Peyton Manning statistically and Chad Johnson is not only among the NFL’s great entertainers, he’s a pretty good receiver as well. With all of that said, the Ravens are one of the only NFL teams that can neutralize an offense that’s this explosive. Baltimore’s defense will thrive off the atmosphere that a home crowd coming in for Monday Night football will provide and find a way to slow down the Bengals enough to sneak away with a victory. Safety Ed Reed thrives on these moments. I expect him to stonewall Palmer late in the 4th Quarter by returning an interception for the game-winning touchdown. Additionally,Steve McNair will also riddle a weak Cincinnati secondary in a 34-31 Ravens victory.

Arizona vs. San Francisco. This game brings Week 1 to a close and both teams are loaded with young talent that must learn how to thrive amidst the adversity that the NFL consistently provides. Because of the 49ers home crowd, I’ll give them a slight nod, although this will be a shootout with punts coming at a premium. I like San Francisco tailback Frank Gore to break out. As the saying goes, “big players make the big plays in the big games.” This is Monday Night Football, so this counts as a big game. Expect Gore to break off for 165 yards and three scores in a 38-35 49ers win.

(JUNCTION) – A Koosharem man sustained head injuries in a rock climbing accident over the weekend. 24-year old, Rion Boyd, was climbing up Pole Canyon Road at about 1pm Sunday, when he was hit by a falling rock about 200 feet up the side of the mountain. According to a Piute County Sheriff’s report, witnesses said that Boyd was hiking with students from Sorensen’s Ranch in Koosharem when one of them accidently dislodged a rock striking Boyd in the left side of his head. The Piute and Sevier County Rescue teams including an ambulance from Koosharem arrived at the scene. Crews hiked to Boyd’s location and found him sitting in an upright position and somewhat alert. They secured Boyd to a back board and carefully carried him down the steep terrain to the waiting ambulance which transported him to Hwy 62 to meet LifeFlight which flew to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo where he was treated for severe head trauma.

(Fairview, Utah) The Labor Day weekend turned deadly in Sanpete County Monday afternoon. Two cars collided and caught fire on Highway 89 near Fairview, killing three people. State troopers say a truck going southbound crossed into the oncoming lane and slammed head-on into a truck going northbound. Troopers have identified the victims. The man driving southbound is 34-year-old Alec Bell from Mt. Pleasant. In the northbound truck was 22-year-old Etikeni Samani and his wife, 21-year-old Trichelle, from Provo. Sgt. Thayne Carlisle of the Utah Highway Patrol said, “We believe that all the occupants had suffered fatal injuries prior to the fire. But in any case, it was a horrific crash.” Troopers say they do not know what caused the car to swerve, but they are talking to witnesses. The accident delayed holiday traffic on Highway 89 for hours. The road reopened after 9 p.m. Monday.

(Ann Arbor, Mich.) For the first time since the distinction has been made between Division I and I-AA programs in college football, a I-AA squad defeated a ranked D-I team as the Appalachian State Mountaineers upset the #5 Michigan Wolverines Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium. Armanti Edwards completed 17 of 23 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns (including two to speedy receiver Dexter Jackson) and two interceptions as he operated a stellar offensive scheme. ASU led 31-26 late in the 4th Quarter when Mike Hart (188 yardds, three touchdowns) scored on a 54-yard run to give Michigan a 32-31 lead. Julian Rauch connected on a 24-yard field goal with 26 seconds left while Corey Lynch blocked a Michigan field goal attempt as time expired. In other Top 25 action, #1 USC smacked Idaho, 38-10, #3 West Virginia decimated Western Michigan, 62-24, #4 Texas squeaked past Arkansas State, 21-13, #6 Florida defeated Western Kentucky, 49-3, #7 Wisconsin doubled up Washington State, 42-21, #8 Oklahoma crushed North Texas, 79-10, #9 Virginia Tech defeated East Carolina, 17-7, #11 Ohio State pounded Youngstown State, 38-6, #12 California exacted vengeance over #15 Tennessee, 45-31, #13 Georgia humbled Oklahoma State, 35-14, #14 UCLA hammered Stanford, 45-17, #17 Penn State obliterated Florida International, 59-0, #18 Auburn surged past Kansas State, 23-13, #20 Nebraska smacked Nevada, 52-10, #21 Arkansas smashed Troy, 46-26, #22 Texas Christian blanked Baylor, 27-0, and #25 Texas A&M defeated Montana State, 38-7