Offensive Player of the Midseason
Kevin Kolb, QB Houston
Defensive Player of the Midseason
Brian Raines, LB Rice
Ten
best Conference USA players in the first half of the season
1.
Kevin Kolb, QB Houston
2. Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR UTEP
3. Damion Fletcher, RB Southern Miss
4. Brian Raines, LB Rice
5. Paul Smith, QB Tulsa
6. Jarrett Dillard, WR Rice
7. Lester Ricard, QB Tulane
8. Jordan Palmer, QB UTEP
9. Justin Willis, QB SMU
10. Justin Rogers, DE SMU
Biggest Surprise – SMU
After opening with lackluster performances against Texas Tech
and North Texas to open the season, the Mustangs have been
tapping into their pre-death penalty glory days with three wins
and a painfully close loss in El Paso Saturday night. The
emergence of redshirt freshman Justin Willis at quarterback has
SMU thinking postseason for the first time in 22 years.
Biggest Disappointment
– UTEP
Ever since coming within a field goal of upsetting Texas Tech in
Week 2, the Miners have been schizophrenic, losing to New Mexico
and nearly getting dumped by New Mexico State and Southern
Methodist. UTEP appeared to be the deepest team heading into
the season, however, a so-so defense and non-existent running
game means it no longer holds that distinction.
The
Conference USA Champion will be
... Tulsa
As Houston and UTEP have been flighty in the West, Tulsa has
been a rock since getting whipped by BYU earlier in the year.
The Golden Hurricane has the league’s best defense and in Paul
Smith, a reliable, veteran quarterback who knows what it takes
to win big games and a Conference USA championship.
Best Game of the First Half
Texas Tech 38 ... UTEP 35 OT, Sept. 9
Texas Tech won in overtime as Alex Trlica's 49-yard field goal
bounced off the upright and through to end a crazy game. The Red
Raider defense stopped UTEP on the first possession in OT with
an interception by Darcel McBath off a tipped pass, and then
Tech appeared to have the game on a touchdown catch by Robert
Johnson. It got called back because of a holding call, and then
Tech was moved back even further because of an excessive
celebration penalty called on Johnson. Even so, Trlica came
through after missing a 51-yard kick at the end of regulation
with Tech getting two untimed downs, thanks to penalties, to get
into position. The two teams went back and fourth all game long
with Graham Harrell throwing for two scores and running for one,
and Shannon Woods giving Tech a seven point lead late on a
nine-yard run. UTEP tied it up with 1:04 to go on a 39-yard
touchdown from Johnnie Lee Higgins for his second score of the
game and Jordan Palmer's third touchdown pass, but he also threw
two key interceptions.
Second Best Game – Houston 31 ...
Rice 30, Sept. 3
Third Best Game – UTEP 44
... New Mexico State 38, Sept. 30
Worst Game of the First Half
Southern Miss 45 ... SE Louisiana 0, Sept. 9
SE Louisiana had a chance to go up
early, missed a 43-yard field goal, and then got stomped as the
Southern Miss offense cruised led by two Damion Fletcher
touchdown runs and a 31-yard Damion Carter scoring grab. Larry
Thomas added two short scores, and the defense got in the act
with a five-yard fumble return for a score by Cornelius McGee.
SE Louisiana only converted two of 14 third down chances.
Coach of the Midseason – Phil Bennett, Southern Methodist
Bennett’s taking a page out of former mentor Bill Snyder’s
rebuilding manual, guiding Southern Methodist out of the dark
ages and back to respectability. Now that the offense has
narrowed the divide on the defense, the 3-3 Mustangs are going
to be a handful for every opponent over the final two months of
the season.
Player who'll step up in the second half – Kevin Smith, RB UCF
At
Marshall Wednesday night, Smith gave a sneak preview of how he
plans to finish his sophomore season, rushing for 166 yards
before leaving in the third quarter with bruised ribs. While
Steven Moffett continues to struggle in the passing game,
Smith’s play will dictate whether the Golden Knights can rebound
from a slow start to repeat as East champions.
Best performance so far
– Just days after DB Dale Lloyd died during a workout, Rice
honored its teammate with an emotional 48-14 pasting of Army for
its only win of the first half. In the victory, QB Chase
Clement returned from an injury to account for 363 yards, while
throwing a school-record five touchdown passes, three to WR
Jarrett Dillard.
Top
Freshman
– Southern Miss RB Damion Fletcher
Fletcher’s not the biggest or the fastest back in Conference
USA, but through six games, he’s clearly been the best. The
true freshman with the superb feet and vision leads the league
with 601 yards rushing to go along with five touchdowns, taking
his own coaching staff by surprise with how quickly he’s matured
into the Golden Eagles’ go-to back.
Coach who needs to have a big second half – Tommy West,
Memphis
West is well-respected at Memphis, so this is not at all a
statement about job security. However, the coach made a bold
move when he canned defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn last
month, a decision that has back fired so far. The Tigers have
slipped to 1-4, only beating I-AA Chattanooga, making a strong
finish a must if they’re to qualify for a fourth consecutive
bowl invitation.
Player who needs to have a big second half – UTEP QB Jordan Palmer
When he’s good, he’s real good, but when he’s bad, Palmer can
drive a coaching staff to the medicine cabinet. Considering how
poorly the Miner running game is performing, Palmer must string
together seven consistent efforts if UTEP is going to remain a
serious contender for Conference USA supremacy.
Best remaining conference game – Tulsa at Houston, Nov. 4
The
eventual Conference USA champ is going to come out of the West,
and this game at Robertson Stadium will go a long way to
determining who cops the division. Plus, the battle between two
of the league’s best quarterbacks, Tulsa’s Paul Smith and
Houston’s Kevin Kolb, makes the match up even more appealing.
Team Mid-Season
MVPs & Predictions
East Carolina – QB James Pinkney
predicted wins:
Southern Methodist, Marshall, at Rice
predicted losses:
Tulsa, at Southern Miss, at UCF, at NC State
predicted record:
5-7
Houston – QB Kevin Kolb
predicted wins:
UTEP, UCF, at Memphis, at Southern Methodist
predicted losses:
at Southern Miss, Tulsa
predicted record:
8-4
Marshall – RB Ahmad Bradshaw
predicted wins:
Memphis, Tulane
predicted losses:
at Southern Methodist, at UAB, at East Carolina, UTEP, at
Southern Miss
predicted record:
3-9
Memphis – S Wesley Smith
predicted wins:
Arkansas State, UCF,
predicted losses:
Tulsa, at Marshall, Southern Miss, Houston, at UTEP
predicted record:
3-9
Rice - WR Jarrett Dillard
predicted wins:
none
predicted losses:
UAB, at UCF, at UTEP, at Tulsa, East Carolina, Southern
Methodist
predicted record:
1-11
SMU – QB Justin Willis
predicted wins:
Marshall, UAB, at Rice
predicted losses:
at East Carolina, Houston, Tulsa
predicted record:
6-6
Southern Miss – RB Damion Fletcher
predicted wins:
Houston, East Carolina, at Memphis, at Tulane, UAB, Marshall
predicted losses:
at Virginia Tech
predicted record:
9-3
Tulane – QB Lester Ricard
predicted wins:
Army
predicted losses: at UTEP, at Auburn, at Marshall,
Southern Miss, UCF, at Tulsa
predicted record:
3-9
Tulsa – QB Paul Smith
predicted wins:
at East Carolina, at Memphis, UTEP, Houston, Rice, at Southern
Methodist, Tulane
predicted losses:
none
predicted record:
11-1
UAB – DE Larry McSwain
predicted wins: at Rice, Marshall
predicted losses:
at Southern Methodist, UTEP, at Southern Miss, at UCF
predicted record: 5-7
UCF – RB Kevin Smith
predicted wins:
Rice, East Carolina, UAB, at Tulane
predicted losses:
Pittsburgh, at Houston, at Memphis
predicted record:
6-6
UTEP – WR Johnnie Lee Higgins
predicted wins: Tulane, Rice, at UAB, at Marshall,
Memphis
predicted losses:
at Houston, at Tulsa
predicted record: 8-4
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