The BSB NCAA 07 Dynasty

[Buc]

Hey pal, I'm on All-American, and still going undefeated with 'Cuse!

[Cam]

Enjoying the dynasty so far Joe

Nice to see that we aren't winning every game in a romp, that gets old quick.

[Buc]

Yeah, but it's the NCAA! You have to win every game in a romp to make the National Championship!

[Crewe]

not always

[JoeKnows]

That's what season 4 is for.

Oh, and uh, how's that strength of schedule for Syracuse? If it's anything less than an A++, don't even bother.

[Buc]

Haha.

Hey, we still have to face WVU and Lousville...who have slowly regressed....

[TheNorm]

Haha.

Hey, we still have to face WVU and Lousville...who have slowly regressed....

Oooh, trembling in fear over those two.

[JoeKnows]

#14 Oregon 42
Blindside 52

Michael Grella made a big contribution towards his race for Team MVP, intercepting an Oregon pass in the end zone after a nearly 4 minute drive, which included a 4th and 2 conversion from BSB's 9 yard line. BSB had to punt on their first drive, and Oregon attempted a bit of trickeration with an attempted handoff on the punt return, but Bill Walker kept that from happening and snuffed out any hope of a big play. BSB was fortunate to escape the quarter tied at 0.

BSB couldn't execute another goal-line stand, and Oregon took a 7-0 lead on a QB option. BSB's fortunes changed, as a 3rd and long turned into a 76 yard TD pass to Rusty Burchfield. Oregon was not to be stopped easily, though, and third down conversion after third down conversion ensued, some of them appearing out of nowhere. Option pitches eluding three defenders in the path, tipped passes caught by receivers, and phantom penalties got Oregon down into the red zone, and a one yard plunge by the halfback put Oregon back up 14-7. BSB wasn't about to quit, however, and Sanders found Damon Lowenberger for 36 yards and a big first down. He then dropped a third down pass with 45 seconds to go in the half, prompting BSB to go for it from Oregon's 36, leading Ben Wagner to make a big 31 yard catch to get BSB in the red zone themselves. Terence Sanders then fumbled at the 3, but a replay challenge confirmed a bad ruling, and for once the officials agreed. Sanders then missed a wide open Ben Wagner, and BSB had to settle for three. 14-10 was the halftime score, in favor of the Ducks.

Burchfield dropped a 3rd down pass to set up BSB's punt to start the half, Shockingly, however, Oregon went three and out. Terence Sanders was benched after showing signs of being clearly rattled by the Oregon pressure, and Drew Leslie was brought in, and immediately found Lowenberger for 25 yards. Lowenberger then left the game, as did Norm Ryan around this time, and a few plays later, Ben Wagner stepped away as well. Later, they were diagnosed with food poisoning, and the catering company for the pregame meal was fired. (Or EA just decided to drop their ratings 40 points in a matter of seconds. Easy to tell when Norm's usually outrunning his blockers, and this time, is trailing them by a wide margin). The drive came down to a 4th and 7 at the Oregon 39, and they failed to convert. Oregon punted, and Leslie threw a 70 yard TD to put the Blitzers up for the first time all game at 17-14. Oregon failed to move the ball again, and BSB got right back on the board, this time a 51 yard Leslie pass to Stanley Biggers, and all of a sudden it was 24-14. It seemed as if a few members of Oregon's defense were also afflicted with the flu bug, but it wasn't immediately known as of press time. (In other words, as I let that last pass go, I realized Biggers was a good 20 yards past the defender already. The computer giveth, and also taketh away).

Oregon didn't intend to go away, though, and came right back down the field for a score. Michael Grella then returned the kickoff for 50 yards to put BSB in great field positon. The Blitzers were on a roll by this point, though, and a quick drive resulted in another Leslie TD pass.

Oregon, though, took advantage of BSB's attempt to work the sick players back into the lineup, taking a kickoff all the way back, and prompting the final benching of the sick freshmen. Bill Walker, replacing a sick Damon Lowenberger, almost responded in kind, and nearly took it all the way back himself, being pushed out of bounds by the last man at the Oregon 38. There was no stopping Drew Leslie, and he rang up his 4th TD pass to put the Blitzers back up 10. Oregon would not go away, though, scoring on another TD pass. The Blitzers lead was back to a slim 3 point margin.

Drew Leslie played as if possessed, though, and three more passes led to one more TD for the Blitzers, and a 10 point lead with 2 minutes to go. The shootout continued, as Oregon connected on a long score to go down 45-42. They kicked off deep, and Bill Walker had another good return, out to the Oregon 40. The fullback took it in after a 6 play drive to put BSB up 10 again. Paul Crewe intercepted Oregon in the end zone to end this one.

The stats numbers were abysmal for our players, given they played about a half, or on a defense that apparently had more holes than swiss cheese. If it's been mentioned, it's about the highlight for said player.

Next week is at home against Army, hopefully in a game not coated with EA cheese. BSB is now ranked #23 in the Coaches Poll, 19th in the Bowl Rankings, and 18th in the Media Poll. Reports have surfaced that Norm Ryan will be suspended for the game due to academic issues, and Paul Crewe will be suspended for the rest of the regular season due to integrity issues and a breach of team rules.

[Crewe]

Paul Crewe will be suspended for the rest of the regular season due to integrity issues and a breach of team rules.

She was NOT a hooker!!

[JoeKnows]

Army 3
#23 Blindside 45

After a typical BSB defensive stand on the first drive of the game, Ben Wagner capped BSB's first crack at things with a 22 yard TD catch. It was the only passing success on the drive, as Terence Sanders and Mike Love, filling in for the suspended Norm Ryan, caused havoc on option and counter plays for most of the drive. Army then wore out the rest of the first quarter on a drive that resulted in a 39 yard field goal.

Damon Lowenberger caught a 41 yard TD pass on the next drive to put BSB up by 11 midway through the 2nd quarter. Army wore down the half on their next drive, being stopped at the BSB 38 on 4th and inches. BSB got it back with 20 seconds to play, and Sanders immediately hit Ben Wagner to get to the Army 34. Lowenberger then dropped a tough ball at the 5, then caught one at the Army 21 with 4 seconds to go, and BSB made a 38 yard field goal to end the half at 17-3.

Ben Wagner went over 100 yards on the first drive of the 2nd half, Rusty Burchfield got into the act, but it wasn't enough, as BSB punted from the Cadets' 43. Army couldn't muster points, and the next drive did a little bit of everything and ended with Terence Sanders threading the needle to Ben Wagner from 6 yards out to put the Blitzers up 24-3. Army sputtered and punted to end the quarter.

The first play of the 4th was a spectacular one, as Ben Wagner caught a 40 yard pass to go over 1000 yards on the season. Rusty Burchfield celebrated Ben's accomplishment by catching a 7 yard TD pass. The next drive had Burchfield catching a 67 yard TD on the first play to put BSB out 38-3, and it was all gravy from there. Cam Stokes forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Ben Wagner caught a 23 yard TD pass to pad the stats. The starters took their leave at that point, and Chad Harley intercepted an Army pass to end their chances of putting points on the board.

Ben Wagner had a huge day with 7 catches for 188 yards and three scores, Rusty Burchfield did well too, with 4 catches for 103 yards and 2 scores, and Damon Lowenberger chipped in 2 catches for 54 yards and a TD.

Chris Felder made 8 stops, one for a loss, Bill Walker and Cam HayGlass had 4 tackles, Cam Stokes had three and a forced fumble, and Michael Grella had two tackles. Gary Heater was the leader in pass deflections with three.

The 8-2 Blitzers signed prep star QB Jaron Harwell this week. Harwell, the option QB from Nanticoke, PA, has led his team deep into the state playoffs with his moves and excellent arm strength. #21 BSB plays host to the team they beat out for his services, #18 Penn State, at Lincoln Financial Field. It'll be the ABC game of the week. Ben Wagner placed sixth in an unofficial poll for Best WR, and Michael Grella placed third in the same poll in the Thorpe voting.

[JoeKnows]

#18 Penn State 0
#21 Blindside 20

Penn State started the game with a good looking drive, using their running game to get them to the BSB 11 before the Blitzers finally held. A field goal attempt was ensuing, but Cam HayGlass broke through untouched and tackled the holder before the ball was kicked, giving BSB the ball on downs from their own 18. BSB began a drive of their own, and besides a slant to Damon Lowenberger, it was all the ground game, as Terence Sanders and Mike Love took the game into the 2nd quarter, ending the 1st on the Penn State 16.

Love couldn't convert on a 3rd and 5, so BSB settled for a 33 yard field goal. Kicker Travis Robinson navigated a 23 mile per hour crosswind to put the Blitzers up 3-0. Penn State was forced to punt the second time around, and this time it was an air show, as Rusty Burchfield and Ben Wagner both made big catches. Unfortunately, another field goal attempt was their fate, and the 29 yard attempt sailed through as time expired. A holding penalty, however, nullified the play and sent it to halftime, with BSB leading 3-0.

Mike Love capped a mixed BSB drive from 6 yards out to put the Blitzers up 10-0. Two Blitzers sacks (ironically, not on blitzing plays) forced a Penn State punt, The quarter ended as BSB continued their ball-control approach and got down to the Penn State 16 and faced 4th and inches as time expired.

After the quarter break to think about things, BSB decided to go for it, and the fullback plunged forward for 4 yards and a first down. Williams would pound it in from four yards out to give BSB a commanding 17-0 lead with 3 minutes to play. A Cam HayGlass interception put it out of reach, and the Blitzers ran the ball down the field one more time to cement the win, and a 23 yard field goal was added with no time left to make the final margin 20-0.

The receivers made small but important contributions, as every catch seemed to happen on third down or after a loss on the ground. Ben Wagner led the effort with 3 catches for 83 yards, Rusty Burchfield had 2 catches for 37 yards, and Damon Lowenberger pitched in 2 catches for 26 yards.

Given that the defense was only on the field for a little over a quarter, the numbers will look low, but the performance was dominating. Cam HayGlass won player of the game honors after his 3 tackles, the TFL on the field goal, and his clinching interception. Michael Grella pitched in 3 tackles, Chris Felder had 2, and Cam Stokes had one.

Next week ends the regular season, with #18 BSB travelling to Annapolis to take on #21 Navy.

On the recruiting front, halfback Bradley Gray from Fullerton, PA, and cornerback Jarrett Nakfoor from Erie, PA, are indicating soft commitments to BSB, though both still have visits left to take.

BSB is listed at 16th in the Bowl Rankings, 18th in the Coaches Poll, and 16th in the Media Poll. A few writers are even clamoring for BCS recognition for the team, but it doesn't seem to have made enough of an impact.

[JoeKnows]

#18 Blindside 56
#21 Navy 21

If you'd have told me that the BSB-Navy game at the end of the season was going to be anything more than two teams playing out the string, I'd have laughed at you. Well, I still will, but you know what I mean.

Navy decided to give the ball away on the kickoff, so BSB got a nice kickstart to the game, taking over at Navy's 25. Ben Wagner quickly showed why he's known as an impact player by making a catch in traffic on second down to put the Blitzers inside the 10. Terence Sanders did the rest, and took it in from 8 yards out on the option play. Navy's option attack couldn't get things moving, and they punted. The Blitzers got the ball moving again, but Terence Sanders lost a fumble on an option play, which once again was a questionable call upon review, but it stood anyway. Navy got on the move and entered the red zone before the quarter was up, with BSB clinging to a tenuous 7-0 lead.

On the second play of the quarter, the option attack worked from 10 yards out to tie the game. BSB fought back, as Ben Wagner spearheaded the drive, culminating with a Wagner 25 yard TD catch. Navy went three and out, and Ben Wagner had another drive to show off, catching a 7 yard fade route to put BSB on top. Efforts to include others on the drive led to dropped balls and stuffed running plays, as Norm Ryan's first game back was a disaster at this point. Navy punted once again, and Ben Wagner grabbed his third TD, this time from 33 yards out on the first play back. At the half, it was 28-7 Blitzers.

Norm Ryan broke a 40 yard run just one play after he finally hit positive yardage on the day, and the score put the Blitzers up huge early in the 2nd half. Navy got in next, but it took most of the quarter to matriculate down the field, and that wouldn't help them any. The quarter ended with BSB starting upfield again.

Terence Sanders made a 10 yard scramble off an option play to put BSB out front 42-14, and after a Navy punt, another Ben Wagner drive ended with a fullback plunge for the TD. Navy put up a gift TD after they recovered their own fumble in the open field, but it just gave the Blitzers time to uncork Ben Wagner one more time. A 39 yard TD reception put Wagner over the top, and he set a new NCAA record for yards receiving in a game. The Blitzers put up 56 and stomped the Midshipmen 56-21.

Norm Ryan put up 9 carries for 45 yards and a TD, and with a long of 40, you can tell it wasn't his best day. It was, however, Ben Wagner's, or anyone's for that matter, 15 catches, 426 yards, and 4 TD's. None of the other receivers were able to hold onto the ball, and after multiple failures, Sanders just kept turning to the big man, who kept getting open, and at a record pace.

Cam Stokes had a day on the defensive end, with 5 tackles, 4 for losses, two of them were sacks. Chris Felder had 5 tackles, Gary Heater had 4, Bill Walker had 3, one for a loss, Michael Grella had 3 and fell out of Thorpe contention, and Cam HayGlass had 2, one for a loss.

Wagner's performance and the big win helped secure Jarrett Nakfoor, who signed a letter of intent. Bradley Gray, however, signed with Penn State, a decision he'll live to regret.

BSB sits at 16th in the BCS rankings, 17th in the Coaches Poll, and 16th in the Media Poll.

Ben Wagner was the NCAA Offensive Player of the Week for obvious reasons.

Now it's just speculation as to who BSB plays, and where, during Bowl Week.

[JoeKnows]

The Blitzers finished off their in-season recruiting by signing DT Aaron Jenkins from Newcastle, PA.

BSB will play in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, CA, as a reward for a job and a season well done. They'll tangle with San Diego State.

Clay McKinney (aka Adrian Peterson to the real world) took home the Heisman, as the Oklahoma tailback fought off a late surge by QB Ryan Sanders of New Mexico State.

LSU and Oklahoma will face off in the BCS Title Game,

Ben Wagner was a 1st team All-American, as well as a Freshman All-American.

Rusty Burchfield was a Freshman All-American.

Defenders, I'm too lazy to write all the names down, but yeah, Freshman All-Americans too.

[JoeKnows]

#16 Blindside 38
San Diego State 7

BSB actually received for once, but went three and out, as the option game wasn't clicking at all. San Diego State did the same, so we just wasted a moment talking about nothing. Sanders tried to spread the ball out, but consecutive drops by Burchfield and Lowenberger led to a long pass downfield intended for Wagner that was intercepted at the Aztecs 37. A 15 yard flag pushed them further back, so the effect was one of a long punt. San Diego State punted it back quickly, and Damon Lowenberger brought it back for over 15 yards. It gave BSB decent field position for the first time. Ben Wagner finally got into the action with a 50 yard reception on 3rd down to get BSB into the red zone, but the offense failed to do anything with it, and a field goal was required to get the Blitzers on the board.

San Diego State punted again as the 2nd quarter began. Damon Lowenberger brought the ball back all the way to the Aztecs 28 yard line, as he had one of his best games of the year. Norm Ryan took it the rest of the 28 yards to put BSB up 10-0. San Diego State punted again, as their offense sputtered worse than a man with a bad case of .... well... I won't go there. Damon Lowenberger caught a 32 yard pass for a Blitzers TD, and the rout was on. The Aztecs finally wandered into BSB territory with a minute to play in the half, but were stopped on 4th and 6 from the BSB 35. They'd get it back one more time, as timeouts and sacks kept BSB from running out the clock. Chris Felder made an interception to kill any hope before the half.

BSB shut down San Diego State again on the first drive of the 2nd half, and Ben Wagner made them pay for it, catching a 13 yard pass for a score in a drive that featured actual balance for once. Wagner ran through three tackles on the way in. San Diego State was buried on their own 1 after a fumble in the backfield, but the punter got the kick away. Lowenberger brought it back 20 yards to the original first down line. BSB started the 4th quarter in the SDSU red zone, leading 24-0.

Terence Sanders took it in from 7 yards to put the Blitzers up 31 points. After yet another Aztecs punt, San Diego State made a play on defense and intercepted a Sanders pass. The Aztecs finally scored off the ensuing possession, and the Blitzers started running the clock. They were unable to sustain a drive on the ground, but they gained their revenge by throwing a 38 yard TD to Ben Wagner. The play put Wagner over 1500 yards on the year. San Diego State had one more drive up their sleeves against the BSB backups, but their flouncing around after their few first downs held them back, and severely annoyed the Blitzers. The starters were summoned back into the game, and the Aztecs were kept out of the end zone.

Norm Ryan had 13 carries for 79 yards and a TD, Ben Wagner had 5 catches for 133 yards, Damon Lowenberger had a catch for 32 yards and some impressive punt return numbers, averaging 13 yards on 7 returns.

Chris Felder had 4 tackles, a TFL, and an INT, Michael Grella had 4 tackles, Cam HayGlass had 3, Gary Heater and Cam Stokes had 2, with Stokes forcing a fumble as well, and Paul Crewe and Bill Walker had a tackle apiece.

[JoeKnows]

Terence Sanders set a new NCAA record for QB rating, with a 211.8 rating, shattering Patrick Ramsey's record of 183.3.

LSU defeated Oklahoma 38-33 for the national title.

BSB sits at 15 in the final Coaches Poll and 14 in the final Media Poll.

Final Stats:

Pritchard 18-39, 309 yards, 4 TD's, 3 INT's, 21 carries, 143 yards.
Ryan 133 carries, 724 yards, 5.4 avg, 7 TD's, 7 fumbles. 11 catches, 50 yards, TD.
Wagner 61 catches, 1687 yards, 27.6 avg, 15 TD's.
Burchfield 18 catches, 484 yards, 26.8 avg, 6 TD's.
Lowenberger 15 catches, 328 yards, 3 TD's. 11 KR, 205 yards, 18.6 avg. 39 PR, 316 yards, 8.1 avg.

Felder 62 tackles, 6 TFL, sack, INT, 3 FF
HayGlass 47 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 INT's, 3 FF, 2 FR
Grella 40 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 INT's, 13 PD, 3 FF, 2 FR, 2 TD's. 22 KR, 481 yards, 21.8 avg. 2 PR, 10 yards.
Heater 33 tackles, INT, 3 FF, 2 FR
Stokes 30 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF, FR
Crewe 30 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT's, FF, 2 FR
Walker 28 tackles, 3 TFL, 5 INT's, TD. 2 KR, 83 yards

[bigbaldben]

Wagner 61 catches, 1687 yards, 27.6 avg, 15 TD's.

[JoeKnows]

BSB really didn't lose anyone of note to graduation. They also had 22 scholarships to play with, and only three need areas.

Those lucky bastards who chose BSB squared off against the first teamers in the spring game.

Team White scored 8 points in their half with the ball, but Team Garnet scored 6 themselves, giving Garnet a wonderful opportunity to blow out their own backups. Damon Lowenberger caught a 20 yard pass for White, Chris Felder had 4 tackles for Garnet, HayGlass had 3, Heater had 2, Stokes had a TFL, and Walker also brought down a ballcarrier.

Team Garnet featured the return of Joe Pritchard, but it was Norm Ryan who carried the load early. Good thing too, because Pritchard was definitely rusty, and he showed it by tossing an interception to Bill Walker, playing both sides this day. Norm Ryan capped off the next drive by going 14 yards on a counter for a score. Rusty Burchfield then caught a 3 yard TD on the next goaround, The last drive, all 50 seconds of it, was "Find Ben Wagner." It got BSB into the red zone, but not quite into the end zone. All told, though, 36-12 was satisfying for the Garnet squad.

Pritchard went 7-14 for 173 yards and a score, but don't forget the INT either. Norm Ryan had 8 carries for 74 yards, Rusty Burchfield caught 2 balls for 15 yards and a score, and Ben Wagner had 5 catches for 158 yards. The second team played defense, besides Bill Walker, who played both ways and managed a pick the second time around.

Norm Ryan was the most improved player on offense after spring drills, and Ben Wagner improved by four ratings points as well. On defense, Cam Stokes improved by four ratings points, and Chris Felder went up three. Bill Walker went up four as well, and Gary Heater had a three point increase, as did Paul Crewe. Other players improved as well, but at a rate of two or less, which really doesn't make much difference.

Players heading into the season with the impact label include Norm Ryan, Ben Wagner, and Cam HayGlass.

2007 Blindside Schedule

Navy
San Diego State
#22 Notre Dame
at Minnesota
at #15 Utah
Air Force
at Army
at Boston College
#8 LSU
(10 and 11 open dates)
Pittsburgh
at #20 Clemson
#21 Penn State


BSB starts ranked 30th by ESPN the Magazine.

Ben Wagner tops their Heisman candidate list.

Wagner and Grella are preseason All-Americans, both on the first team.

[TheNorm]

BSB starts ranked 30th by ESPN the Magazine.

Stupid media.

Ben Wagner tops their Heisman candidate list.

Really stupid media.

Wagner and Grella are preseason All-Americans, both on the first team.

The writers apparently have their heads so far up their own asses, they'll never recover.

[JoeKnows]

Navy 0
Blindside 34

The new season got off to an amazing start, as a duo of backup linebackers got the Blitzers on the board on the opening kickoff, with a strip and a recovery and a score. Navy punted on their first try offensively, and BSB was stopped on 4th and 1 from the Navy 3, trying to put it away early.

Navy had the ball to start the 2nd, still deep in their own territory. but they were forced to punt again, and Ben Wagner made them pay, as Mr. All-America caught a 32 yard TD to put BSB up 14-0. Navy actually moved the ball, and their punt was downed at the 8, so the Blitzers had 92 yards to go in 1:29. If you think that was an issue, well, it was. A long ball to Ben Wagner got the Blitzers past their own 40, but the next play had Navy intercepting a wayward throw to take over with 1:11 remaining. BSB would get it back with 21 seconds to go, and Rusty Burchfield caught a long one down inside the Navy 25, and a spike gave BSB a field goal try from 34 yards out, which was good to give BSB a 17-0 halftime lead.

List Rusty Burchfield as a capable target in the BSB arsenal, because he had a breakout day, and had most of the yardage on the first drive of the 2nd half. Norm Ryan took it in from 5 yards out to put BSB up 24-0. Navy, shockingly, didn't get anything going, but BSB had to settle for a 37 yard field goal. 27-0 was nothing to sneeze at, but it left the Blitzers feeling like they could have done more.

Norm Ryan had a 2 yard TD early in the 4th, and Navy drove half the field, taking forever to do so, then finally punted, and as Damon Lowenberger cleared out after calling a fair catch, Gary Heater tried to play hero, and muffed scooping up the loose ball, and Navy recovered. I can still hear screaming from the BSB locker room even as I finish this report. Michael Grella saved the shutout by intercepting a Navy pass in the end zone. The backups ran a play to run out the clock, and BSB had their first victory, 34-0 over Navy.

Joe Pritchard had a good return, completing 10 of 14 passes for 238 yards and a TD, as well as an INT. He also carried 8 times for 43 yards. Norm Ryan had 15 carries for 66 yards and two scores, Ben Wagner had 6 receptions for 113 yards and a TD, and Rusty Burchfield had 4 catches for 125 yards.

Cam HayGlass had 4 tackles and a TFL, and Bill Walker and Gary Heater had 4 tackles as well. Chris Felder did them one better, with 4 tackles, a TFL, and a FF. Cam Stokes had 3 tackles, and Michael Grella had the interception at the end of the game.

BSB still sits outside the top 25, an error they will soon fix. Ben Wagner is still the top dog for the Heisman, and you'll get to see him on ESPN as Blindside hosts last year's bowl opponent San Diego State, in a game regarded as the chance for BSB to pay back a little bit of the Aztecs cockiness at the end of last year's Emerald Bowl.

[rustheman]

IT'S MY TIME TO SHINE BALL HOG!!!!

[JoeKnows]

Welcome to the Dark Side

There's a new power in college football, and it comes from a college football wasteland. With the new Blindside University springing up to take Temple's spot in the big time football world, many predicted about the same level of success as Temple, aka none. While some point to the exploits of quarterbacks Terence Sanders and Joe Pritchard, the style and grace of Norm Ryan out of the backfield, and a ballhawking secondary, those truly in the know realize there is one force out there that drives Blindside U's Blitzers to victory, and they are known as the Dark Side.

They occupy one of the apartment-style dormitories in Papale Hall, with interests ranging from post-secondary education to computer science to a myriad of other course options, music tastes ranging from 80's bubblegum pop to hardcore headbanging, and hometowns from sea to shining sea. They are united in one thing, however: the desire to play winning football.

"We're all linebackers at heart," said Ben Wagner, the star wideout who is the only non-linebacker of the group. "Announcers always talk about burning passion for the game, and whatever that is, well, we've got it."

The other three members of the group, the only members of the team allowed to wear dark visors, last year by coincidence and this year by team policy, are Cam HayGlass, Chris Felder, and Cam Stokes. All three start at linebacker for the Blitzers, and when asked about the offensive interloper in their ranks, all three mentioned that Wagner would most likely play linebacker on most any other team, with reasons for him not ranging from "Heh, he'd have to beat us out first," to "He was too dumb to realize the defensive players were in the other line, and got handed a wideout's pads and jersey."

NCAA fans say the defense's loss is their gain, though, as Wagner, a true sophomore, is leading the polling for the Heisman Trophy so far this season. While it's still early, it's hard to argue with his successes so far.

That defense isn't too shabby either, ranking in the top 10 of nearly every category last season, and they started off on the right foot this season too, with a 34-0 blanking of Navy.

Dark Side culture dictates that the glamour boys be denied access to the inner sanctum, apartment 217 of Papale Hall. Loud heavy metal music can be heard at all times of the day and night, and no one's brave enough to ask them to turn it down. Cam Stokes said, "Yeah, that other Cam and his 80's bubblegum pop music has to put his headphones on the loudest levels just to hear a few beats of it. We're working on that little problem. We have a reputation to maintain, you know. And you can tell those glory boys to stay off our turf too." Ben Wagner added "Yeah, let them listen to their Dave Matthews crap far, far away from here. Anyone trying to play that garbage on my turf will feel the pain of crossing the Dark Side."

While he may be refering to Cam HayGlass's reputation for eccentric off the field behavior, his reputation on the field is sterling, winning the team's MVP for spring drills and being the guy on defense teams try to avoid, which is saying a lot, considering the guys lining up next to him. "He's probably just trying to take out his aggression from the constant harassment on the other guys. That's what makes him so dangerous," opines Chris Felder, the middle linebacker and the group's lone Southerner.

"Those guys are always full of ****," mentions HayGlass, "But I know I'd rather not line up with anyone else. These guys have my back, and I have theirs. They know this."

Opposing teams just wish the Dark Siders would get off their back.

You can see the Dark Siders and the rest of the Blitzers in action against San Diego State on ESPN this Saturday. Check your local listings for the time in your area.

[Cam]

Great stuff Joe

[JoeKnows]

San Diego State 0
Blindside 62

Blindside officials were chagrined to hear that free safety Gary Heater was involved in academic dishonesty, and immediately suspended him for three games. An investigation is ongoing, and there is the chance the punishment could be extended if more allegations prove true.

Bill Walker stepped up and made an interception, halting the Aztecs in their first attempt at points. San Diego State answered back with an interception of their own, deep in their own territory. Gary Heater's replacement Ryan Jackson intercepted a San Diego State pass to put the Blitzers right back in scoring position, and Norm Ryan coughed it up immediately, but a Blitzers lineman fell on it. The fullback capped the drive to put the first points on the board. Bill Walker then made another interception, as the Tampa Zone worked to perfection for the Blitzers early on.

Norm Ryan capped off another short drive with a 2 yard TD plunge to put BSB up 14-0. After San Diego State's first punt, Rusty Burchfield caught a 34 yard TD, but most of the drive was engineered by short passes to Ben Wagner. Ryan Jackson made another interception, this one in the end zone, to kill an Aztecs drive. A little pushing and shoving came when he was hit hard as he was downing the ball in the end zone, but nothing came of it. Ben Wagner hauled in a 50 yard pass to put BSB in field goal range with 30 seconds to go. Pritchard was hit on the next throw, and the pass was intercepted, killing hopes of points before halftime.

Michael Grella took back the 2nd half kickoff to midfield, and Damon Lowenberger made a big catch to move the team downfield even further. Norm Ryan took it in from 14 yards to put BSB up 28-0. On the next drive after the inevitable SDSU punt, Ben Wagner caught a 9 yard slant to put the Blitzers up 35-0. Cam HayGlass had BSB's 5th INT, but the Blitzers were forced to punt to end the third quarter.

The shutout stayed intact as SDSU punted yet again. Matter of fact, BSB added points, as Damon Lowenberger took it back 61 yards for the score. On the next drive, SDSU managed a first down, but every play led to a big Blitzers hit, firing up the team even more than they already were. Norm Ryan went over 100 yards on the next drive, and Ben Wagner had a long catch after the Aztecs brought 8 people into the box, and then just let the Aztecs have it on the celebration, costing a meaningless 15 yards. Norm Ryan took it in from 29 yards out to put BSB up 48-0. BSB then tried a fake to see if they could pull it off, but they couldn't quite do it. That was the last the BSB starters saw the field.

The defense added 7 more points on a fumble recovery, and then they did it again after a sack and a fumble, adding insult to injury. 62-0 would be the score going into the record books, but the damage was even worse to San Diego State's psyche.

Joe Pritchard missed on only two of his passes, though both were intercepted. He threw for 250 yards and two scores as well, and carried 8 times for 30 yards. Norm Ryan had 18 carries for 130 yards and 3 TD's, Ben Wagner had 6 catches for 180 yards and a score, Rusty Burchfield had the TD catch, and Lowenberger had the 22 yard grab. Lowenberger also had the punt return for a TD. I've already detailed the defensive exploits, and the numbers are lost to me, but there's not much more to tell to begin with, so that's not a bad thing.

BSB will host surprisingly 0-2 Notre Dame on NBC. BSB actually lost votes this week, as all the teams above them also cleaned up on cupcakes this week. Ben Wagner stays at the top of the Heisman list.

[Freak]

The Dark Side shall not yield a point.

[JoeKnows]

Notre Dame 10
Blindside 56

Michael Grella reinforced his Thorpe candidacy with a 45 yard interception return for a TD on Notre Dame's opening drive. The Irish then went 3 and out and lost their QB in the process, as he took a big hit from the juco transfer DT. Rusty Burchfield then made a huge catch to get the Blitzers inside the 5, and Pritchard took it in from the 4 to put BSB up 14-0. In a shocking development, Notre Dame had to punt, and a fair catch interference penalty made it nearly worthless. One pass to Ben Wagner did the rest of the job. Damon Lowenberger hauled down a pass at the 4, and the fullback finished the job and any chance of Notre Dame being a national power this season. Chris Felder put up the last points of the quarter with a 49 yard INT return to put BSB up 28-0.

Notre Dame punt, yadda yadda, but BSB made a mistake, and Pritchard threw an interception, killing hopes for 100 points in the game. Michael Grella then made his 2nd INT of the game, getting the ball right back. Pritchard blew it again, this time having a pass intercepted after missing a wide open Ben Wagner. Notre Dame then put up the first three points scored against BSB all year, but then Pritchard connected long with Rusty Burchfield to get BSB back into the red zone, and then Ben Wagner made a diving catch for a 14 yard TD.

Norm Ryan dropped an option pitch on BSB's first drive of the 2nd half, leading to a Notre Dame touchdown. Joe Pritchard capped off the next drive, engineered mostly by Ryan, with a 1 yard TD plunge to put BSB up 42-10. Chris Felder then forced a fumble that was recovered by Bill Walker. The next BSB drive featured Ryan again, and this time he capped it off with a 7 yard TD run. Walker then intercepted a pass and took it back 30 yards for yet another BSB score. 56-10 was not where Notre Dame hoped to be at any point, but it stung even worse to be overtaken by another independent that way.

BSB held Notre Dame on 4th down, and the backups had to punt after three plays. Notre Dame returned the favor, and BSB coughed it up in their own territory three plays later. Notre Dame couldn't do anything (SHOCKER!), and the Blitzers ran out the clock to end the game.

Joe Pritchard was only 5 of 13 for 157 yards, and while he connected on a touchdown, he also threw two interceptions. He did run for two scores on 7 carries, however. Norm Ryan had 16 carries for 128 yards and a score, Rusty Burchfield had 2 catches for 97 yards, and Ben Wagner had 2 catches for 35 yards and a TD. Damon Lowenberger had one catch for 25 yards as well.

Cam HayGlass had 5 tackles and a TFL, and three Blitzers defenders scored TD's, with Bill Walker leading the charge with an INT and a FR, the INT leading to Blitzers points. Michael Grella had 2 TFLs to go with his 2 INT's, and Chris Felder also had an INT for a score. Cam Stokes and Paul Crewe rounded out the defense with two tackles apiece.

BSB travels to Minnesota next week, as both unranked 3-0 teams vie for respect. BSB is sitting at 26th in the coaches poll, but doesn't even make a dent in the Media Poll. Ben Wagner stayed at the top of the Heisman list, despite his quiet week.