George and Ralph preview and make predictions for week 8 of Pac-12 football and the biggest stories in the conference. They discuss the merits of Mike Leach imposing a social media ban on his team. Arizona State and Colorado commits who just so happen to be the sons of former NFL players Chad Johnson and Jerry Rice got into a twitter fight. This unknown part of this fight involves fatherhood and another Pac-12 quarterback.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
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On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George and Ralph talk with southeast recruiting analyst for Rivas and Yahoo Sports, Woody Wommack. They discuss Pac-12 recruiting, payment of players, and how the conference can win the recruiting arms race. Woody shares insight into the Pac-12 from the east coast perspective, and why it is a bad idea for so many west coast kids to head out of the Pac-12 footprint. Woody also talks about the Pac-12 head coaches and what will happen with Clay Helton, Chip Kelly, and Urban Meyer.
The Apostles also recap and dissect the week 7 games and give their week 8 Power Rankings.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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On this episode George and Ralph preview and predict all the games from week 7 in the Pac-12 conference. They discuss a head-scratching Arizona State kicker controversy. The Apostles also build the very best Pac-12 team by position group from each school.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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Week 6 in Pac-12 Football was another week where the underdogs thrived. George and Ralph discuss all the games from the Pac-12 conference and grade the performances. Also, there is a new worst team in the Pac-12 for the first time in 5+ years. And of course, we get the Pac-12 Power Rankings for week 7.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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In addition to breaking down all the Pac-12 football matchups for week 6, the Apostles talk about the new California Fair Play Act which allows college athletes to be compensated for the use of their name image and likeness. They also discuss the details of the California law and how it affects South Carolina, Colorado, and New York legislation, and how it will affect the NCAA. Here is a Great article with details about it.
George and Ralph break down Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott’s talking points about a new media rights deal and private equity Partners.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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After a crazy week in Pac-12 football, the Apostles had so much to discuss. They recap every game from week 5 and talk about the quarterbacks dropping like flies and who still has a chance to make the playoffs. Who will win the Pac-12 North and South? They also drop the Power Rankings for week 6 as well. We also learn that Ralph may have unintentionally sabotaged the UCLA kicker on his game-tying kick.
Washington State head coach Mike Leach melted down and called his team out after getting destroyed by Utah. Is it ok for a coach to say this to his players if true?
George has a conspiracy theory about Khalil Tate and his future at Arizona. Ralph does not disagree but may be mad that he is out of the loop on what is happening with his football man crush.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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Relentless. This is the mantra Mel Tucker has used when he has described what he wants the 2019 Colorado Buffaloes to become in 2019. And the 2019 Colorado Buffaloes Week 5 appears to be just that, with a statement win coming in week 4.
The term relentless has become the social media hashtag used when the team wants to hype their fans up on social media, including Twitter. However, the Buffaloes have not been a relentless force in their eight-plus seasons in the Pac-12 minus their 2016 season. That changed, however, with Colorado’s win over the Arizona State Sun Devils. The 34-31 victory was their first road win against an AP Top 25 team in their last 30 tries.
Going Against History in Colorado vs. Arizona State
In the past, Sun Devil Football Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Buffaloes. They were 0-5 all-time at Sun Devil Stadium entering play Saturday, with a 0-4 mark in that stadium since they joined the Pac-12. They had been outscored 224-94 in those five games, with an average losing margin in those games was 30 points.
The Buffaloes were looked at as a major underdog going into their first “Pac-12 After Dark” tilt of the season, as they lost to Air Force in College Football Week 3 and Arizona State pulled off a major road upset of their own against then-ranked Michigan State. However, the Buffs would set the tone early as the offense played consistently right from the get go, which was a pleasant change from the first three games of the season.
However, the injury bug bit bad for the Buffs. First off, linebacker Mustafa Johnson injured his left leg on Arizona State’s first offensive drive. On top of that, cornerback Delrick Abrams Jr. would go out in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. It was a crushing blow for the defense, as they looked like they were on damage control in the first half, giving up 21 points. Star receiver Laviska Shenault went out in the first quarter with an undisclosed injury, and the Buffaloes’ offense could have let the pressure of not having their top wide receiver get to them.
Laviska Shenault just out there to run guys over! The Buffs lead early against Arizona State.
Instead, senior Tony Brown picked up the slack in a huge way. He caught the first two of his three touchdown receptions in the first half, and Montez looked far more settled than he did against Air Force. The Buffs took a 24-21 lead into the locker room.
Despite the injuries, the Buffaloes, on first impression, proved they could play with their opponents in the Pac-12 on the road this season, after last season where they went 0-4 on the road against Pac-12 competition.
A Wild Second Half
The game tightened up defensively in the second half, as the Buffaloes caught some breaks with overthrows and drops by the ASU offense. Tony Brown scored his third touchdown of the game late in the third quarter to give the Buffaloes a 31-24 lead.
The Buffaloes showed up in Tempe to play, and had the opportunity to get rid of numerous dubious streaks that were a bad look for the program. They had never won at Sun Devil Football Stadium and had a 29-game road losing streak to ranked opponents. However, the Buffaloes were going to be relentless in their quest to end these bad streaks.
One of the definitions of the word “relentless” is “harsh or inflexible”. The Buffaloes were out to prove that there would be a different feel to the Mel Tucker era regardless of the first impression that was given via the first three games. They came through in the clutch.
Arizona State tied the game early in the fourth quarter, and the Buffs were forced to punt on the subsequent possession. It felt like it was going to be the same old “Buffs keep it competitive but lose” storyline that dominated the majority of the Mike MacIntyre era in Boulder. Instead, safety Derrion Rakestraw was able to pick off Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels with just over ten minutes remaining in the game. The Buffaloes were able to bend but not break on defense.
On offense, the Buffaloes did enough to give the defense an opportunity to win the game, as they drove into field goal range and secured a three-point lead. The defense impressed on the next possession, as Arizona State gained negative-6 yards on four plays and gave the Buffs the ball back.
The Buffaloes hired Mel Tucker in part because of his defensive prowess as the Georgia defensive coordinator from 2016-2018. Mel Tucker’s signature was written all over what was Arizona State’s offensive possession, as they were finally able to get to Jayden Daniels and pressure the true freshman quarterback.
However, Tucker’s inexperience as head coach came out near the end of the game, as the offense tried to rush a play call on a 4th and 3. Wide receiver K.D. Nixon took the direct snap and was smothered by the ASU defense. It was a near-disaster for the Buffs, but they were bailed out by a delay of game penalty that blew the play dead. The Buffs decided to kick the field goal to lengthen their lead to six points, but a roughing the holder penalty against ASU gave the Buffs a first down, assuring victory. Crisis averted.
2019 Colorado Buffaloes Week 5 Preview
This relentless winning effort should restore the majority of the enthusiasm felt by the CU Boulder community after the Nebraska win. The loss to Air Force will be a stain on the 2019 Colorado Buffaloes season, but the team is going into their bye week with a 3-1 record that they should be proud of. They were able to beat two rivals in CSU and Nebraska and shed one of the more embarrassing road losing streaks to Top 25 teams. The Mel Tucker era is beginning to take shape, and it looks like the restoration effort of Colorado Buffaloes Football as a dominant force in college football may be yielding results.
Next up, the Buffaloes will play Arizona on October 5. They have struggled against Arizona star quarterback Khalil Tate each of the past two seasons, but Mel Tucker has devised creative gameplans as a coordinator to stop players like Tate in the SEC. Arizona has to play UCLA next week, so the Buffaloes will also have an extra week to prepare for the Wildcats. This should help them, as fans and players alike will be rejuvenated in their enthusiasm about the 2019 Colorado Buffaloes season. The win over Arizona State meant a lot for the early stages of the Tucker era in Boulder, and there is hope that it was the first of many huge road wins that will be experienced now into the future.
On this episode, the Pac-12 Apostles recap and rate the performance of the conference and each team in week 4. They also discuss the playoff potential for Oregon, Washington, Cal, Utah, and USC.
George and Ralph react to commissioner Larry Scott’s comments about College Football Playoff expansion. He essentially said the Pac-12 needs to get better instead of getting a guaranteed spot in the playoff. And they look at the Friday night game between Utah and USC in hindsight to judge whether it was good for the Pac-12.
Ralph tells a hilarious story about his adventure trying to watch the Pac-12 Networks on Sling at the ASU game.
The Apostles release their Pac-12 Power Rankings for week 5. And naturally, there was a major disagreement.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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The Pac-12 Apostles break down the matchups from the Pac-12 in week 4. They try to figure out who thought scheduling Utah vs USC on a Friday night was a good idea.
After Mike Leach interview where he discussed Pac-12 mascot fights, George and Ralph thought it appropriate to rank the Pac-12 mascots. This topic caused more in-fighting between the Apostles than Khalil Tate’s QB abilities. Send us your mascot power rankings to immad@unafraidshow.com
Ralph tries to explain to George how he and the AP Poll have Cal ranked behind Washington despite beating them in week 2.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the Pac-12 conference. They talk about the good, bad, and the ugly about the Pac-12. Join them in becoming a Pac-12 Apostle by subscribing and sharing the podcast. Send your thoughts, comments, and :30 ranks to immad@unafraidshow.com. The best comments and rants will be included in the show.
Visit Unafraid Show to read unapologetic articles about the conference and the teams you love.
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Upon first glance, there was nothing spectacular about Oregon’s 35-3 win over the Montana Grizzlies in college football’s week 3. College football AP Top 25 poll voters recognized such, dropping the Ducks one spot in the latest rankings. Yet the Ducks did what they were expected to do to a team much their inferior. They opened with touchdowns on two of their first three drives and stifled Montana’s offense throughout. For the 2019 Oregon Ducks, Week 4 begins with reflection and the looming gauntlet of Pac-12 play.
Be sure to come back every Tuesday for a new edition of Pac-12 Football Seasons: 2019 Oregon Ducks
Looking Back on Montana
If you look only at the final stats from Oregon’s matchup with Nevada in Autzen Stadium on September 14, 2019, the Ducks looked impressive. Senior quarterback Justin Herbert completed 30-of-42 passes for 316 yards and 5 touchdowns, an effort that made him the first Oregon quarterback to have back-to-back games with 5 TDs through the air. Running back Travis Dye, meanwhile, finished the game with 17 carries for 101 yards and the rest of the backs helped Oregon to a final stat line of 38 carries for 247 yards. Not a bad showing, right?
Yet stats can be deceptive. They paint just a small picture of the overall game, and in the case of Montana vs. Oregon 2019, that is made clear.
Opening the game with touchdowns on two of their first three drives, the 49,098 who made the trek to watch the Ducks under Autzen Stadium’s lights though they may be in for a repeat of Oregon’s 77-6 lashing of Nevada. And with Oregon favored by 37, it wasn’t wrong for them to think such.
But after scoring twice in the opening quarter, the Ducks managed just seven more in the first half. It was a case of Oregon stopping itself more than getting stopped by the Grizzlies.
On their first drive of the second quarter, Oregon methodically marched down the field to the Montana 44 before a critical offensive pass interference moved the ball back. They would be forced to punt, as Herbert missed Johnny Johnson III on a 3rd-and-9.
After a quick 3-and-out by the Montana offense, Oregon’s offense was back on the field. Allowing Travis Dye to chip away on the first set of downs, the Ducks looked to the air. Missing Johnson III on his first throw, Herbert connected with receiver Daewood Davis for 9 yards to give the Ducks an easy 3rd-and-1. Running back Darrian Felix, however, was stuffed. Rather than punt the ball away, Oregon went for it on 4th-and-1 and failed to convert, Herbert missing tight end Ryan Bay.
Two drives, zero points, and one turnover-on-downs. This wasn’t the Oregon Ducks many expected to see.
Fortunately, Oregon recovered. In a statement drive at the end of the half, Oregon flashed its potential. With less than a minute, Herbert led the Ducks on a 67-yard touchdown drive that took just 44 seconds and saw the Heisman contender complete three-of-four pass attempts. None were more impressive than his connection with Johnson III for a touchdown, however, as Herbert escaped a sack, rolled to the right and fired a dart that Johnson III hauled in while sliding towards the ground. It was an impressive play by the quarterback and receiver and gave the Oregon faithful an injection of energy.
Forwarding the momentum of their final drive in the first half, Oregon opened the third quarter of play with an interception and a touchdown drive that saw the running game finally find some holes. Still, this wasn’t the explosive Oregon team many thought they would be. Oregon’s backs managed small chunks of yards, not the big bursts of years past.
With their rushing attack failing to hit the holes opened by the offensive line, Oregon looked to the air to extend its lead.
After another turnover-on-downs on their second drive of the second half, Herbert started the fourth with an 8 play, 85 yard touchdown drive where he completed six-of-seven passes and capped it with a 10 yard strike to Jaylon Redd. It was another example of just how potent the Ducks can be when firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately, Oregon was inconsistent throughout their game against the Grizzlies. Maybe it was a case of the Ducks holding back before their Pac-12 North matchup against Stanford in week 4. They don’t want to show all their cards just yet, right?
Whatever the case, when the final whistle blew and Oregon emerged victorious, fans were left puzzled. On the one hand, a win is a win. The offense flashed potential and Herbert had an impressive stat line. He did, however, play in all drives but one. For a game where many expected the backups to play a significant role, this was concerning.
What wasn’t concerning, however, was Oregon’s defense. For the second week, the Ducks held their opponent without a touchdown. Defensive coordinator Andy Avalos has built a fierce unit and Oregon’s defense may be as exciting to watch as their offense. When’s the last time you could say that?
2019 Oregon Ducks Week 4 – Pac-12 Play Begins
With Montana dispatched the Oregon football program enters college football week 4 knowing the rest of their games are all about the Pac-12. Their first test? Stanford.
For whatever reason Stanford has been a thorn in Oregon’s side throughout the past decade. Much of this is due to the rise of the Cardinal in college football. Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw built a successful template that had not been exposed until this year. In fact, since 2010 Stanford has downed the Ducks five times, including the last three matchups. They are still a physical team who will pound the ball on the ground and look to neutralize Oregon by keeping the ball out of their hands.
Fortunately, Stanford 2019 is not the Stanford of years past. They are missing their big left tackle, their secondary is porous and quarterback K.J. Costello hasn’t looked the outstanding QB he’s supposed to be.
Still, this is Stanford and Oregon would be wise not to think this game won’t be tough. After two easy non-conference games against mediocre opponents, the Ducks will need to be prepared for a dog fight on Saturday. If Oregon goes into this game too confident, it is one of those that is ripe for an upset. But with how the last few meetings went between these two Pac-12 heavyweights, don’t think the Ducks won’t be prepared.
