(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