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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
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GROUP D - Day Four
Michigan - 42 vs. Illinois - 14
Kyle Field - College Station, TX


College Station, TX - Offensive touchdowns ruled the National Cup heading into Tuesday evening, as no one could bread through on special teams or defense. Michigan (1-0-0/3PTs) said the heck with that, as they decided to kill two birds with one stone...well, in one game, that is.

Michigan wide receiver Herbert Morris took a kick back 99-yards for a touchdown, while cornerback Courtney Avery took an interception back 53-yards to house, in Michigan's dominating 42-14 victory over Big Ten foe Illinois (0-1-0/0PTs). The touchdowns electrified a Michigan team that already looks to have one of the best offenses in the entire National Cup.

"We showed our depth tonight," said Michigan head coach Brady Hoke. "Robby [Cerniglia] was able to sling it, Tommy [Walsh] was really unstoppable and Herbert [Morris] showed how incredibly versatile he is. You never want to feel too comfortable after a win, but I was very pleased with our performance."

All three of the players mentioned by Hoke in his news conference found the endzone against Illinois. Michigan quarterback Robert Cerniglia, despite two interceptions, threw the ball for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns, while running back Tom Walsh steam rolled the Illini defense for 119 yards on 23 carries and 3 all-purpose touchdown. It was the electrifying wide receiver Morris, though, that really stole the show, as he caught 6 passes for 131 yards and 55-yard touchdown - to go on top of his kick return touchdown, of course.

"I just felt on tonight, plain and simple," said Morris. "I felt very loose and relaxed going into the game. I know this team. I know this defense. I am not saying they are bad, but I knew I could go out and really throw some haymakers in various ways."

The Michigan defense threw some haymakers of their own, as they sacked and picked off Illinois quarterback Nate Sheelhasse 4 times, including Avery's 53-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Sheelhasse did do his best to make up for his interceptions, as he racked 123 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on only 10 carries. Even with the success on the ground from the junior quarterback, Illinois' defense proved to be no match for the Michigan offense. Both Illinois scores were almost immediately followed up by a Michigan touchdown, which swung the momentum back in their favor.

"Nothing went right for us and they just knew how to respond," said Illinois coach Tim Beckman. "This group is far too stacked with championship contenders to come out here and lay an egg. We are backed up against a wall already, and it is just an awful feeling."

The confidence in his Illini team will need to improve, as Beckman and Illinois will now travel to Clemson, South Carolina to take on Boise State for the first time in team history. Michigan, on the other hand, will now move on to familiar Iowa City as they square off against Florida for the first time since the 2008 Capital One Bowl.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

TOP PLAYS:

PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Herbert Morris returns first kick return touchdown in the National Cup




BONUS PLAY

Courtney Avery scores the first interception return for a touchdown in the National Cup




BONUS PLAY

Tom Walsh breaks free on a screen pass for a touchdown



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GROUP D STANDINGS

GROUP D
TEAMGPWDLPTS
Michigan+281003
Florida00000
Boise State00000
Illinois-280010
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
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GROUP C - Day Three
Kansas State - 52 vs. South Alabama - 0
Reser Stadium - Corvallis, OR


Corvallis, OR - On the first play from scrimmage, South Alabama (0-1-0/0PTs) running back Demetre Baker caught a screen pass for a 40-yard gain. The crowd, pulling for an upset, went wild as it appeared as though the Jaguars were going to give Kansas State (1-0-0/3PTs) a run for their money.

In football, though, it is how you start and not how you finish. South Alabama knows this, as they only managed to gain 74-yards the rest of the game in a 52-0 beatdown at the hands of Kansas State. Quarterback Daniel Sams lead the charge for the Wildcats as he gained 316-all purpose yards and accounted for 6 of the teams 7 touchdowns.

"You never want to say anything came easy for you," said sophomore Daniel Sams. "With that said, everything just fell into place all afternoon. If there something I wanted to do in the air, or on the ground, I really just had my way."

The Kansas State offense managed to score a touchdown on almost every one of their drives. A late second half field-goal, with 39-seconds remaining, broke up a possible all-touchdown day for the Wildcats. Even with the "disappointment" of only grabbing a field goal, Kansas State quickly got the ball back and scored a touchdown on a 50-yard screen pass from Daniel Sams to John Hubert as time expired.

"They were just flat out better than us and that is the honest truth," said South Alabama head coach Joey Jones. "Now, we aren't going to roll over and admit to defeat to [Ohio State and Missouri], but we have to realize how we stack up and drastically adjust our gameplan."

Even with a possible new approach next game, Jones cannot run away from the staggering numbers that showed how outmatched his Jaguars were. Kansas State gained a total of 363 more yards and 15 more first downs than South Alabama.

While Sams now joins Washington's Bishop Sankey as the most impressive player so far in the National Cup, the young quarterback knows what lies ahead.

"Ohio State. Missouri. These teams are no jokes," said Sam. "While playing this well is outstanding, I also know that it'll put a lot more attention on me from the eyes of their defenses. If I don't play a smart game and spread the ball, we could be in for some trouble."

A win in their next game against Ohio State (0-0-1/1PT) would guarantee Kansas State a spot in the knockout round, though, the task will not be small considering the game in Lexington will be a virtual home game for the Buckeyes. While there is always pressure to win, Kansas State can also enter the game knowing that, not only are they in sole possession of first place in Group C but, they have a huge advantage with a plus-52 point differential. Meanwhile, South Alabama will have to pick up the pieces and hope to get as much out of their matchup against Missouri (0-0-1/1PT), in Gainesville, Florida, as they can.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

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PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Daniel Sams rumbles for a 46-yard second quarter touchdown



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GROUP C STANDINGS

TEAMGPWDLPTS
Kansas State+521003
Ohio State00101
Missouri00101
South Alabama-520010
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GROUP C - Day Three
Ohio State - 24 vs. Washington - 24
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Gainesville, FL


Gainesville, FL - For as much as Braxton Miller stunned the crowd in Gainesville with his dazzling plays, he also managed to stun them with his sloppy ones as well.

"I'll be honest, I was as shocked as anyone," said the Buckeye quarterback Miller. "Every time I thought I was getting into a groove, I would walk back out there and lose the football. I know you can't be perfect, but what I was doing was the exact opposite of that."

Despite racking up 323 yards through the air and 2 touchdowns, Braxton Miller coughed the ball up four times to Missouri (0-1-0/1PT), as Ohio State (0-1-0/1PT) pulled out a 24-24 tie with the Tigers as time expired.

It was the Ohio State defense, and kicker Drew Basil, that saved Miller from carrying the burden of costing his team at-least 1-point to open the National Cup. The Buckeyes forced a three and out inside the Missouri 10-yard line, following a Braxton Miller interception, and allowed for Drew Basil to kick the game-tying, and game-ending, 48-yard field goal.

Even though all of the attention is on Braxton Miller, the Missouri offense will also get some heat for not capitalizing on 3 of the 4 turnovers handed to them. Not being able to run the clock out, and allowing Ohio State's Jordan Hall to sneak into field goal range on the punt, ended up costing the Tigers an extra 2-points in the Group C standings.

"I stick by our decisions at the end of the game," said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. "What the hell did you want us to do? Pass the ball? Risk a game-winning interception? That's just dumb."

Missouri quarterback James Franklin almost matched the success of Braxton Miller, as he racked up 297 all-purpose yards and scored all 3 of the Tigers' touchdowns. Even with the solid effort, Franklin was sacked 7 times and saw his running backs fall victim to 4 other tackles for a loss.

Both Ohio State and Missouri showed flashes of excellence, but in the end the sloppy play and game management overshadowed all of the accomplishments. While a tie is better than a loss, both teams walked out of "the Swamp" feeling less than pleased about their National Cup opening game.

Ohio State will next travel to Lexington, Kentucky to take on Kansas State, a game which should prove to be a virtual home game for the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, Missouri will have to sit around Gainesville thinking, "what if?" as they await their matchup with heavy-underdog South Alabama.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

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PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Braxton Miller spins free for a score late in the second half



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GROUP C STANDINGS

GROUP C
TEAMGPWDLPTS
Ohio State00101
Missouri00101
Kansas State00000
South Alabama00000
Monday, July 15, 2013
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GROUP B - Day Two
Clemson - 17 vs. Washington - 28
Alumni Stadium - Boston, MA


Chestnut Hill, MA - Bishop Sankey saw Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Ameer Abdullah set the rushing yards mark early in the National Cup, and he knew he had his work cut out for him.

"150 plus yards in one game is no small task," said Washington's running back Sankey. "But hey, I knew I had to go in and top that. My team and winning is first, but second to that is holding the honor of being the first ever rushing title winner of the National Cup."

Sankey is already well on his way to contesting for the rushing title, after ripping off 205 yards in Washington's (1-0-0/3PTs) 28-17 win over Group B favorite Clemson (0-1-0/0PTs). The sophomore running also tacked on two touchdowns in the win, one of them an 81-yard scamper to set the tone in the first quarter.

Coming in with high expectations, Clemson's defense was clueless in stopping Sankey, and the entire Husky offense, as they allowed a staggering 381 yards of total offense.

"Our offense made some mistakes of their own and that didn't help," said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. "But at the end of the day, their play should've been good enough to keep us in the game."

While the running game left a lot to be desired, Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd completed 11-of 21 passes for 1 touchdown and 269 yards. The numbers weren't stellar, but Boyd kept the Tigers in the game for for much of the 3rd quarter.

However, it was the play of Washington quarterback Keith Price that allowed the Huskies to pull away from Clemson late in the game. Price took much of the pressure off of Sankey and kept drives going with what will go down as one of the most accurate passing games in NCAA history.

After an early interception, Price went 13-of-13 the rest of the game, good for 160 yards and what proved to be the game winning touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter. It was then his sidekick, Sankey, that put the nail in the coffin with an early 4th quarter touchdown run.

The early Clemson loss and a dead last placement, due to a Group B worst -11 point differential, has made them one of the biggest stories so far in the National Cup. With that said, the national headliner so far is, without question, Bishop Sankey.

"He stole the show," said Price. "I have my nice 93% completion percentage, but 205 yards and 13-yards per carry blows that out of the water. If he isn't on the front page of every sports section tomorrow, then something is seriously wrong with the media.

Clemson now must pick themselves up as they travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to take on a Georgia State (0-1-0/0PTs) team that is hungry for an upset. Washington will remain cross country in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, as they wait for a pivotal game against Nebraska (1-0-0/3PTs). The winner of that matchup will only need a tie in their final game to move onto the knockout stage.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

TOP PLAYS:

PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Bishop Sankey's game sealing 11-yard touchdown run




BONUS PLAY:

Keith Price's eventual 56-yard game winning 3rd quarter touchdown pass



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GROUP B STANDINGS
Friday, July 12, 2013
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GROUP B - Day Two
Nebraska - 28 vs. Georgia State - 21
LaVell Edwards Stadium - Provo, UT


Provo, UT - Widely considered to be a "group of death" in the College Football National Cup, Group B contained one team that many thought had little shot of even scoring a touchdown: Georgia State.

Despite Nebraska (1-0-0/3PTs) winning 28-21, the Panthers (0-1-0/0PTs) put on a show Thursday afternoon that will no-doubt catch the attention of the rest of Group B.

"Whichever analyst said they wouldn't score a touchdown should be fired," said Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini. "That offense is lethal and quick. Had their running back not gone down so early, we may've been mercy ruled by halftime."

That running back, Gerald Howse, was indeed tearing up the Nebraska defense before he went down with a possible season-ending abdominal tear in the first quarter. Before being knocked out of the game, and the National Cup, Howse had racked up 75 yards on 13 carries. Unable for comment after the game, the team said Howse could return from the injury, but the Panthers would have to likely make the second round of the knockout stage for that to happen.

Georgia State was able to use Gerald Howse's strong start to propel themselves to a 14-7 lead, before relinquishing it to the Cornhuskers late in the game. After a touchdown with 30-seconds remaining to pull within 7, Panthers quarterback Ronnie Bell threw a game ending interception following a successful onside kick.

"It was the definition of panicking. I should've been more aware of the time and how many timeouts we had," said Bell of his final interception. "I knew Jim (Ruiz) could make the cut towards the middle of the field, I just underestimated their cornerbacks ability to stick with him."

Overshadowed by Georgia State's near-heroic performance and the injury to Gerald Howse, quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Ameer Abdullah put on a show of their own.

Martinez and Abdullah combined for 21-unanswered points in the second half that came from three touchdown runs of 60-yards or more. The two combined for a total of 270 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground, with 150 yards coming from Abdullah and 120 yards coming from Martinez.

The big play won the day for Nebraska, who will now travel to Chestnut Hill, MA to take on a Washington team with a stingy defense and knack for stopping big plays. Meanwhile, Georgia State will head closer to home as they take on Clemson on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. While they may sit on the bottom of the group, Georgia State expects to compete and fight for a shot to advance to the knockout stage.

"Win it for Gerald. Plain and simple. We want to honor our friend, teammate and brother," preached running back Travis Evans, as he walked out off the field in tears.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

TOP PLAYS:

PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Taylor Martinez go-ahead 76-yard touchdown run




BONUS PLAY:

Michael Rose's interception of Ronnie Bell with 10 seconds remaining



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GROUP B STANDINGS
Thursday, July 11, 2013
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GROUP A - Day One
Northwestern - 12 vs. Rice - 7
Memorial Stadium - Lincoln, NE


They Kain, They Saw, They Conquered
Colter's late touchdown caps off defensive struggle


Lincoln, NE - The last time Northwestern squared off in Lincoln, Nebraska, they scored 28-points off of three Kain Colter touchdowns. This time around? Let's just say points were hard to come by.

The Wildcat's (1-0-0/3PTs) first, and only, touchdown in their game against Rice (0-1-0/0PTs) came with only 0:56 left in the game. It did prove to be the only touchdown they would need, however, as they tight roped out of Lincoln with a close 12-7 win. Despite Colter completing 7-of-8 passes, he did not find much success through the air and, yet again, relied on his feet to propel Northwestern to a 12-7 victory.

"We were able to complete some short passes," said Colter, who' go-ahead 15-yard touchdown run ended up being the difference. "But we ran more passing plays than it would suggest on the stat sheet. Luckily I was able to escape some pressure and avoid throwing into their coverage. If not for a few lanes, I'm not sure I'd have had much success."

Despite his humble analysis, Colter did carve Rice's defense with ease on all 9 of his rush attempts. His 82-yards, good for 9.1 yards per rush, was the difference in a game filled with defensive stops.

After taking a 7-0 leading late in the 2nd quarter off of a Tyler Smith touchdown, Rice was held to zero points the rest of the way. Despite Northwestern receiving a few breaks from the Rice offense, they weren't able to get enough going to even reach the redzone again.

It should be noted that the Rice defense also deserves some credit as well. Up until the last minute the Owls could do no wrong, as they held Northwestern to only two field goals. The offense on the other hand was just simply not able to benefit from all of those stops.

"It's tough. Tough to look at the stat sheet. Tough to look at the yards we gave up. Tough to look at the time of possession," said Rice head coach David Bailiff. "A loss is a loss, but when you outperformed a team all game and give it up in the final minute? That just stinks. We missed our opportunities to score and put them away."

One of those missed opportunities came off of a missed 48-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter by Chris Boswell. A 10-6 lead may've been crucial for Rice, as another missed opportunity came in the final minutes for the Owls offense. In field goal range down 12-7, Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue threw a desperation ball that was intercepted by Northwestern's Davion Fleming.

Quietly, Northwestern kicker Jeff Budzien scored half of the Wildcat's 12-points and kicked a deep 53-yard field goal as the clock ran out in the first half. Coming off the heels of a touchdown from Rice, the 15-second scoring drive from Northwestern to end the half proved to be a huge momentum swing.

With 3-points, Northwestern joins Big Ten foe Iowa atop the Group A standings. In their next game, set to be played in Eugene, OR, the Wildcats will be facing Iowa for sole possession of first place in the group. Meanwhile, despite a valiant effort, Rice must now carry their 0-points into a matchup with another 0-point team in Notre Dame. The good news? Rice will be playing only five miles down the road from their campus in Houston, TX.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

TOP PLAYS:

PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Kain Colter's 15-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 0:56 remaining



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GROUP A STANDINGS


GROUP A - Day One
Notre Dame - 15 vs. Iowa - 22
Robertson Field - Houston, TX


Io-WHAT!?
Weisman, Iowa stun sluggish Notre Dame in Cup Opener


Houston, TX - Being the favorite of the group means nothing once the games start and Notre Dame learned that the hard way.

The Fighting Irish (0-1-0/0PTs) find themselves at the bottom of the group after a shocking 22-15 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0-0/3PTs). It was running Mark Weisman who proved to be the hero in Houston, as he gave the Hawkeyes their eventual game-winning touchdown early in the 4th quarter.

The bruising running back rumbled for a 26-yard score to put Iowa up 22-8, following a 6-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Weisman only racked up 60-yards on the day, but his average yards per carry was a very successful 4.6. While the touchdowns were huge in the victory, it was Wiesman's 11-yard run on 3rd down and 6 that sealed the game with under a minute to go.

The junior Weisman also thanked his quarterback, Cody Sokol, for keeping the Notre Dame defense honest with an impressive 11-for-13 passing day.

"He was damn impressive," said Weisman of Sokol. "I knew (Notre Dame) was going to key in on me all day and it wasn't until Cody began to sling it that I was able to find more space to run."

With a Notre Dame partisan crowd, the opening quarter on the campus of the University of Houston got off to a shaky start for Iowa. A fumble by Sokol that was batted out of the back of the endzone gave the Irish an early 2-0 lead off the safety. However, the Irish couldn't hold onto the ball themselves as they watched their wide-recievers drop a total of 6 passes.

"There was a bit of cockiness after the safety and it showed in the passing game," said Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. "There was a sense on the sidelines that we were invincible, and by the time we got our heads out of our (expletieve) it was too late."

The 4th quarter touchdown pass from Everett Golson to Troy Niklas did prove to be too late as the Irish never touched the ball again.

With the win Iowa sits atop the Group A standings with 3-points, while Notre Dame will remain with 0-points. The Irish will stay in Houston for their second game against the hometown Rice Owls. The victorious Iowa Hawkeyes will now travel to Eugene, OR and the University of Oregon for their second game against Big Ten opponent Northwestern.

Copyright by STATS CFNCA and The National Cup Media Bureau

TOP PLAYS:

PLAY OF THE DAY - Presented by Leinenkugel

Mark Weisman 26-yard touchdown run to extend lead to 22-8



Extra Play: Dustin Fox's crazy interception of Cody Sokol



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GROUP A STANDINGS

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