Week 15 Summary
Week 15 Summary
12/15/15
Joe Broback
AWARDS SEASON
Everyone knows about the Heisman and the Maxwell, but how many awards do people really know? There are some awards (most versatile, inspirational player or team, top-scholar athlete) that many people don’t know about. Of all the awards, there are a handful that many recognize, and here is the list of those awards and winners.
Maxwell Award (Collegiate Player of the Year)----Derrick Henry, Alabama
Bilentnikoff Award (Outstanding Receiver)----Corey Coleman, Baylor
Lou Groza Award (Nation’s Outstanding Placekicker)----Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA
Ray Guy Award (Collegiate Punter of the Year)----Tom Hackett, Utah
Davey O’Brien Award (Nation’s Best Quarterback)----Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Outland Trophy (Most Outstanding Interior Lineman)----Joshua Garnett, Stanford
Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)----Desmond King, Jr., Iowa
Doak Walker Award (Premier Running Back)----Derrick Henry, Alabama
Walter Camp Award (Player of the Year)----Derrick Henry, Alabama
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Defensive Player of the Year)----Tyler Matakevich, Temple
Broyles Award (Assistant Coach of the Year)----Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
Butkus Award (Best Linebacker)----Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Some of these awards have yet to be determined. For a complete list of the awards, you can head to ESPN, where the winners as well as previous winners are listed. A link is provided below.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/awards
TRENDING UP
Heisman Henry----As mentioned above, Bama’s back captured the Heisman Trophy. He beat out Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. We all know Henry will enjoy it for a short period, but turn his focus quickly to Michigan State.
Army-Navy----This game turned out to be one of the games of the year. Army gave Navy everything they had, but couldn’t pull it out in the end. A great rivalry with many traditions.
TRENDING DOWN
Nkemdiche Falls----Ole Miss DL Robert Nkemdiche fells this past weekend over a wall, literally. The junior was in the hospital but reports are he is going to recover. A scare for the Rebels and those in Robert’s corner. He’s lucky his draft stock didn’t take a plunge with an injury.
Army Trick Play----Army had multiple chances late in the fourth quarter to score and win the game. Their double pass attempt by DeAndre Bell was intercepted, and probably shouldn’t have been thrown. The Black Knights may be kicking themselves for a while after they missed several opportunities to win and end a 13 year drought against Navy.
PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Keenan Reynolds, Navy (113 yards passing, 1 TD; 136 yards rushing, 2 TD)---- Reynolds now has the most touchdowns in Division 1 (FBS and FCS) history with his two rushing scores giving him 85 career touchdowns. In an anticipated rugged game, Reynolds kept his Midshipmen ahead and prevented his team from getting worried about an upset.
Chris Carter, Army (208 yards passing 1 TD)----His first time in the game, and the freshman did not disappoint us. A couple of throws at the end of the game were bad, but he deserves a lot of credit. Carter looked calm running the Black Knights offense, but didn’t seem to handle the late pressure well. Carter, who played with Oregon’s Royce Freeman in high school, showed the future is bright for the Black Knights.
Edgar Poe, Army (121 yards receiving, 1 TD)----One year after blocking the first punt of the game, the Knights went with a return. Poe returned the kick into Navy territory to help get Army off to a fast start. Edgar Allen Poe, the receiver, caught five of Carter’s nine completions and most of them were when they mattered. The junior is another reason why Army has much to look forward to next year.
Jamir Tillman, Navy (102 yards receiving, 1 TD)----Navy only completed six passes, and Tillman had five of them. Complementing the Midshipmen run game results in good things, and Tillman did his job. With Army keying on Reynolds, Tillman had room to run and get open and loosen up the defense for Reynolds and the run game.
GAME BALL: Reynolds. Again, breaking a record is rare, so you have to take notice. Being the only quarterback to go 4-0 against Army is another great feat. Reynolds is a great treat to watch, and it’s unfortunate that he only has one more game in his collegiate career.
WEEK 15 PREDICTIONS
My pick: My pick: Navy 33 Army 21 ACTUAL: Navy 21 Army 17
All of the history in this rivalry is astonishing even without playing the game. You could just put a documentary on for this rivalry and people would be intrigued. But the game was also played Saturday, and it did not disappoint. Army came out firing and had multiple chances to win this game, but the offense sputtered or turned the ball over late to give Navy its 14th consecutive win in the rivalry. If you didn’t watch the game, you missed out on a great rivalry that is unlike any other. If teams from other schools could play with the passion and intensity that these players displayed Saturday, every college game would be thrilling. The emotion of the game would be running high, and the fans could appreciate the effort. Needless to say, this was one of the best games of the year.
