Wacky WAC blogs floats toward 2022

 An early looks at WAC hoops shows some positive signs in OOC play. New Mexico St beat Davidson(A10) and UC Irvine(Big West)  and UTEP(CUSA). Cal Baptist beat SJST(MWC). SF Austin beat MTSU(CUSA). 

 Abilene Christian  took TAMU(SEC) to the limit before falling 82-81. Then a reality check, Gonzaga (WCC ) routed Dixie St by 34.

In football Sam Houston St joined the CUSA so they 'll be brief WAC members, and NMST will likely take all its sports programs to the CUSA.

Prior WAC blog

Nov 25, 2021

TX 68 CBU 44: It appears TX jumped on CBU early and never let go. I watched most of the first half of  MICH 65 TAR 54 on the B10N, and the Wolverines were a mess. Montre Gipson TAR - G (17 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST). 

Nov 30, 2021

Is Tarleton with HC Billy Gillepsie improving quickly or are the Zags rebuilding?  GONZ 64 TAR 55. Tahj Small scored 25 for Tarleton.

Jan 9, 2022

Wow, Brandon Betson made a jumper with three seconds left to give Chicago St a 58-56 home win over Cal Baptist

Freddy Hicks(23 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST) led Tarleton St over SFA to keep the Texans within a half game of WAC leaders, NMST and Grand Canyon.

Jan 16, 2022

WAC roundup: NMST and Grand Canyon remain undefeated in conference play after the Aggies beat Abilene Christian and GC rolled Tarleton.

Cal Baptist edged UVU for its first WAC win this season.

Chicago State (6-13, 2-4 WAC) beat Lamar for its first conference road win in five years.

Feb 3, 2022

Abilene Christian is having a solid debut season in the WAC. Chicago St is playing better in its final WAC season and hasn't found new conference yet. They're not ready for the MVC. OVC and Horizon are prospects, but I suspect it will be the Summit Conference.

June 15, 2024

Floating into 2024 sports season. Billy Gillispie returns to HC job from health issues to coach Tarleton at UTEP on Dec 16 as part of WAC/CUSA Alliance matchups. BillyG was HC of the 2003-04 UTEP NCAA Tournament team.

Rest of O5 play in week 12

 AAC: It's sure looks like it will be a Cincy/Houston AAC final, so I'll take a look at Navy who's been playing better in conference during November. Perhaps Navy FB Carlinas Acie will have an 80 yard game against ECU this week like he did in the Tulsa win . It will still won't be enough. Ahlers will toss two TD passes for ECU in a 27-22 win over Navy.

CUSA: Frank Harris UTSA ( 190-284, 2306 YDS, 20 TD and Sincere McCormick UTSA

(230 CAR, 1150 YDS, 11 TD) will be too much for UAB  and win 31-23 to lock up the CUSAW

MWC: L. Bonner(193-315, 2749 YDS, 25 TD, 10 INT)  will lead Utah St  to a hard fought 26 22 win over pesky Wyoming and move closer to winning the MWCM.

SunBelt: Most of the conference is playing OOC games, so I'll go with Grainger leading Georgia St to a 20 17 win over Ark St.

nov 21, 2021

AAC: My totals were off, but I but my assessment was on target in in ECU's 38-35 win over Navy. Ahlers and Acie had big stats for their respective squads.

CUSA: UTSA outscored UAB 17-7 in the second half  for a 34-31 win. Another solid game for Harris, but the UTSA'D had difficulty stopping McBride who  rushed for 144 yards and a TD.

MWC: I blew this pick big time.  Titus Sven finished with 15 carries for 169 yards for Wyoming in a 44-17 win over Utah St.

Sunbelt: Ga St, RB Jamyest Williams rushed got 125 yards and 2 TDs in a 28-20 win over Ark St.

I was correct on 3 out of 4 this week.

Quick note on football in the Carolinas: CCU struggled a bit while beating Texas St, and Charlotte collapsed in a loss to Marshall.

Cincy's big win over SMU and Oregon's loss to Utah keeps the pressure on the CFP.

Rest of O5 play in Week 11

 AAC: In a  matchup  of two erratic squads ECU Pirates led by Ahlers will steal one on the road at Memphis by a score of 34-33.  H. Ahlers (181-298, 2180 YDS, 14 TD, 7 INT)  . Henigan (172-280, 2545 YDS, 18 TD, 5 INT).

CUSA:  WKU has been hot  and home-team Rice will hold them in check for awhile but fall 30-19. Check out these stats for the WKU QB B. Zappe (308-441, 3688 YDS, 37 TD, 6 INT)

MWC: Can San Diego St slow down Nevada QB Carson Strong (289-410, 3197 YDS, 25 TD)? Aztecs will do just enough in a 24-23 win

SunBelt: ULL is 6-0 in conference play, but Troy usually give them a hard time. Cajuns  strong rushing attack including its QB Lewis will wear down the Trojans and win 22 -20

So that ECU,WKU, SDST, and ULL this week.

Nov 14, 2021

4-4 for this weekend. Man, I got really close on SDST 24 Nevada 21 score/ prediction, and the fact the Aztecs survived Carson Strong NEV (34-48, 350 YDS, 3 TD).

ECU broke up a conversion pass in OT for a 30-29 win.

ULL outscored  Troy 21-8 in the second half  after tough 14-13 first half.

Bailey Zappe (34-42, 482 YDS, 5 TD)kept up his production for WKU in a 42-21 win over Rice, which game them a one game lead over Marshall in the CUSA East. Marshall came out flat and fell to UAB, who remained 1GB of undefeated UTSA in the CUSAW.

Mackin Tuesday in week 11

 Ok, I didn't guess on a MAC game last week and haven't reviewed any of its Tuesday and Wednesday games in weeks.

Miami(Ohio) needs this game to stay with a game of Kent St in the East. The focus will have to be on D after suffering a 35-33 defeat to Ohio in the Battle of the Bricks last week. RedHawks will keep McDuffie under 100 yards rushing.  M(O) 19 Buff 17.

Was Ohio's win last week  the spark they needed? It won't be enough this week against Ben Bryant's passing .He's thrown for 2190 YDS and 13 TDs.  EMU 30 Ohio 20

Akron fired its HC Arth . Look for WMU's rushing attack led by Tyler to have a big game . WMU 26 Akron 13.

Nov 10, 2021

Well 2 out of 3. I was wrong on EMU . Ohio jumped out to an early lead and got a 34-26 win.

Akron gave WMU a late scare with a huge second half but the Broncos rallied late. Sean Tyler WMU(16 CAR, 147 YDS, 1 TD) had another huge game.

Brett Gabbert M-OH(21-28, 351 YDS, 4 TD ) was the dude in 45-18 win over Buffalo.  I 'll be back tomorrow with a blog on the rest of the O5.

Nov 11, 2021

Wednesday night  review :   Rocky Lombardi and NIU  edged Ball  St 30-29 on a last second FG and moved to 5-1 in the MAC to stay one game ahead of  CMU in the MACW.                                      Rocky Lombardi NIU 23-38, 264 YDS, 1 TD

Jay Ducker NIU         24 CAR, 155 YDS, 1 TD                                                                               Toledo blew out Bowling Green and CMU beat Kent State.

Nov 16, 2021

Miami (Ohio) has a chance to win the MAC East in a crazy season which includes narrow conference losses to EMU and Ohio. I'll stay on the Gabbert train and take M(O) to beat Bowling Green  33-30 tonight in week 12. BTW, BG beat Minnesota(B10) while Miami (Ohio)lost to the Gophers in September.

Nov 17, 2021

 I was close on the MO total and am surprised the Falcons could only score one TD . MO 34 BG 7. This kid,  Jack Sorenson, M-OH(4 REC, 111 YDS, 1 TD) has had a lot of big games in 2022).

Nov 18, 2021

NIU needed OT to escape with a W over Buffalo.

O5 conference play in week 10

 All the chatter in my Mewe O5 group this week has been about Marshall and Georgia Southern so I can't ignore either team this week.

CUSA: Coach Taggart has FAU trending upward, but I'm going with Coach Huff's #herd who has found a rising star in Rasheed Ali (149 CAR, 808 YDS, 15 TD)  MU 27 FAU 23

SunBelt: Coach Helton just started and he won't have Eagles soaring against Coastal Carolina who will continue its recovery after the Appy loss. CCU 31 GS 19

AAC: I don't think Memphis gets a healing W against SMU . Mordecai will toss a few TD passes for the Mustangs. SMU 31 Memphis 24

MWC: Aztecs will survive an aerial scare from C. Cordeiro (124-224, 1706 YDS, 10 TD, 7 INT)  on Warriors turf .  SDST 36 HAW 34

Since the MAC slate is over this week before my prognostications, I'll go with a military matchup.  It will be ground warfare when  Air Force(MWC) lands to face Armyat Choctaw Stadium in Arlington TX this Saturday. AFA RB ,B. Roberts(185 CAR, 845 YDS, 8 TD) will lead the Falcons to a W. AFA 23 Army 22

Nov 6, 2021

3-2 this weekend: Correct on  the #herd , chanticleers, and #aztecs. Wrong on SMU and Air Force.

Who can figure out Memphis? And a running back had this stat line for Army, Tyrell Robinson (2 REC, 118 YDS, 1 TD).

Don't ignore  Utah State (4-1) in the Mountain division of the MWC. and the tie in the CUSA East with Marshall and WKU each at 4-1

O5 conference play in week 9

 AAC:  Cincy deserve all the press it can get , however SMU(7-0, 3-0 ) /Houston(6-1, 4-0)  matchup this week should be a good one. I don't think Houston's D can slow down SMU's QB T. Mordecai(187-263, 2320 YDS, 29 TD, 7 INT)  SMU 34 Hou 29

CUSA: UTEP's only loss is to Boise St and FAU looked like a new team in a blowout W over Charlotte last week. I'll take Taggart's kids at home . FAU 26 UTEP 22

MAC: Only one MAC game slated and it's in Buffalo this week. Bowling Green has disintegrated since beating Minnesota last month and Buffalo has been doing ok. Buffalo 17 BG 16

MWC: Fresno St QB Haener will toss a few TD passes and help the Bulldogs give San Diego St its first loss. Fres 24 SDST 19

Sunbelt: Is App St back after beating CCU? Can Bowden keep ULM on a roll after wins against Liberty and South Bama? I'll roll Charles Rodgers throwing two TD passes in a ULM win. ULM 23 App St 20

Oct 31

I was wrong on SMU who couldn't contain Tune(HOU), and Buffalo  who couldn't stop Matt MacDonald(BG).

I was correct on  FAU who held back a late UTEP rally, Fresno who handed SDST its first loss, and Appy who rolled ULM .

Nov 3, 2021

Ex USC coach Clay Helton was hired to helm Georgia Southern(Sunbelt) .  Undefeated Cincy(AAC) got F'D in the polls for no valid reasons. 

O5 Conference play in week 8

 A late start this week spared me from picking Coastal Carolina, who was upset 30-27 in SunBelt play   last night by App St.. Appy made some corrections after being crushed by ULL last week.

Sunbelt: So, I'll roll with ULL  to remain undefeated in conference play with a 34 -20 win over Ark St.

MAC:  Jay Ducker won't repeat  go for 210 yards like he did last week for NIU but he'll get over a 100 to keep NIU undefeated in MAC play. NIU 26 CMU 23

MWC: The undefeated SDST Aztecs are coming off a shaky win over SJST and should slow down Air Force RB Brad Roberts enough for a 20-16 win.

CUSA: C. Reynolds,  who has passed for 1314 YDS and 15 TD, will lead Charlotte a 34 29 win over FAU.

AAC: The "Tuned" up Cougars will handle the  Pirates this week.  HOU 37 ECU 31 Clayton Tune will toss a few TD passes for Houston.

Oct 22, 2021

Off to a rocky start 1-1. Charlotte was outplayed by FAU who was too fast for them everywhere  in a 38-9 win. I was right on ULL but it took a he!! of a rushing performance from these two Cajuns: C. Smith 24 carries 238yards 2 TDs . M. Johnson 17 carries 150 yards 2 TDs. ULL 28 Ark St 27

Oct 24, 2021

I finished 4-1. NIU get a last minute FG to get by CMU  39-38. Houston need a defensive TO to survive ECU 31-24 in OT. SDST held off AFA 20-14.