Oct. 8, 2007

Ahh... the monkey is off our back as we have won our first conference game under Coach Zamberlin and his staff. We had a consummate effort in our 26-14 Homecoming victory over the Northern Colorado Bears. Mistake free offense, a relentless defense, sound special teams, and a winning gameplan help propel us to our second win of the season.

For the first time this season, our offense didn't turn the ball over, while for the second week in a row, our ground game was unstoppable and this time, led to victory. Our success was a direct result of the offensive line, who, with the exception of Southern Oregon, gave up a season low one sack, paved the way for a season high 211 yards of rushing, and were led by senior captain and co-offensive player of the game George Yarno. Our passing game was efficient and balanced while being highlighted by another standout performance from junior receiver Eddie Thompson. He was the other co-offensive player of the game after hauling in 10 passes for 137 yard and two touchdowns, including a spectacular one hander lander in the end zone. I feel we turned the corner this past week offensively by not turning the ball over and getting on top early and never looking back.

Not enough could be said about the defensive effort against a Northern Colorado squad that since their second game had been increasing their offensive scoring weekly. We put an end to that streak and continued to show that we have one of the top units in the Big Sky Conference by forcing a turnover and limiting them to under 300 yards of total offense. Statistics might not show it, but the Bears quarterbacks completed fewer than 50 percent of their attempts because of the relentless pressure and a secondary that blanketed their receivers. Co-defensive player of the game Ryan Phipps continues to put up gaudy number with 12 tackles including the lone sack for the Bengals. With the front seven dominating the trenches, the secondary, led by co-defensive player of the game D.J Clark, did not allow pass play over 29 yards and just over 150 yards all together. In addition, we shut out the opposition for the first three quarters and didn't allow points until the nine-minute mark in the fourth quarter. With performances like this from the defense, we will continue to improve as a team and be in the position to be successful.

Once again, our special teams performance was solid and the punt coverage unit continued to shine with excellent coverage and kicking. Senior captain and Big Sky Special Teams Conference Player of the Week Daniel Zeidman found his stride by booting five balls for a season best 46.6 average. The coverage unit continues to climb the national net punting rankings (currently sitting at 13th) as they allowed a measly one return yard over the course of the game. Allowing only 23 return yards in five games is a phenomenal feat and something that helps us win the field position battle. Our co-special teams players of the week were Kenyon Blue and Philip Arias for demonstrating great effort and execution on the kickoff cover and punt return units. This is Arias' second player of the week award in as many weeks and despite his stature, Blue showed that he meant business by taking on and winning one-on-one battles with the opposition throughout the game.

With this victory in the record books, we look forward to the challenge of squaring off against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff this upcoming Saturday. This will be a great challenge as we look to win back-to-back conference games for the first time since weeks five through seven of the 2003 season and do so against a quality opponent. The Lumberjacks (3-3, 2-1) have won conference contests against Northern Colorado and Portland State, while somewhat stumbling in a 38-9 loss at the hands of Sacramento State. They possess a potent offense led by playmaking wide receiver Alex Watson that will provide a great test for our defense. This looks to be a great showdown in the desert and the victor will be the team that controls the clock, makes big plays when needed, and doesn't turn the ball over. Thanks again to the 7,639 strong that rioted in Holt this past Saturday. The team looks forward to your continued support this weekend when we travel south in search of another conference victory and I am excited about reporting back next week.

Branden Jones #13