GGSM{LA-Lafayette} 23, LA-Monroe 22

November 27--Throw the records out when LA-Lafayatte and LA-Monroe battle for the part of Louisiana not controlled by LSU. LA-Monroe started strong, kicking a field goal on the first play of the second quarter to take a 13-3 lead, but then LA-Lafayette got going with a 73-yard touchdown strike from Chris Masson to Aaron Spikes. The Ragin' Cajuns came out strong in the second half lead by kicker Brett Baer, who kicked a 31-yard field goal on the opening possession, and then kicked another 32-yarder following his successful on-side kick. After stopping LA-Monroe on four plays, LA-Lafayette put together a 15-play, 83-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Masson to Ladarius Green. The third quarter ended with LA-Lafayette up 23-13.

LA-Monroe started their comeback with a 15-play drive of their own, but it only resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Radi Jabour. After forcing a quick punt, LA-Monroe got the ball back and soon quarterback Kolton Browning rushed for a 10-yard touchdown with 4:55 left. However, Jabour's attempt at the tying extra point was blocked! LA-Lafayette held on and passed the Golden Gopher Shame Mask on to what I assume is their arch rival.

The loss dumped the LA-Monroe Warhawks to 5-7 on the season and 4-4 in the Sun Belt. Their three out of conference losses were to Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU by a combined score of 134-10, and their lone out-of-conference win was a fourth-quarter come-from-behind win over 2-9 FCS team Southeast Louisiana.

FIU 31, OSM{Arkansas State} 24

November 27--For the second week in a row, Florida International had to take on a Shame Mask team, but Arkansas State gave them a little more trouble than LA-Lafayette. The first half was back and forth, with each team scoring a first quarter field goal and two second quarter touchdowns. A field goal gave FIU a 20-17 lead at the end of the third quarter, but early in the fourth, Arkansas State wide receiver Dwayne Frampton threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Phillip Butterfield to go up 24-20. FIU countered quickly with another field goal, but they still trailed until just 1:42 left to play when Wesley Carroll threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton to regain the lead which they would never relinquish.

Arkansas State had balanced attack with 154 yards passing and 154 yards rushing.

Thus begins the long offseason for the Arkansas State Red Wolves. They finished 4-8 on the season with all four wins coming in Sun Belt Conference play. They did however lead at halftime at Indiana before losing 36-34. Their head coach Steve Roberts resigned after nine seasons in which he was 45-63. Offensive coordinator and high school coach in the book and film "The Blind Side" Hugh Freeze takes the helm.

FIU 38, OSM{LA-Lafayette} 17

November 20--It was a shaky start for both teams. LA-Lafayette fumbled the the opening kickoff, but they did recover and moved the ball well before having to punt, but they did down the ball at the FIU 2 yard line. After holding FIU to punt, LA-Lafayette had their second 10-play drive of the first quarter, but after a sack and fumble, it also ended with a punt, downed at the FIU 1.

However, this time FIU mounted a 16-play, 99-yard touchdown drive to draw first blood early in the second quarter. The Ragin' Cajuns followed with their third straight 10+ play drive, but this one ended in a 25-yard field goal.

FIU needed to punt again on the next drive, but LA-Lafayette blocked the punt, giving the Ragin' Cajuns four chances from the FIU 2. However, four quarterback sneaks by Blaine Gautier could only get 1 yard.

So FIU started their third possession of the first half inside their own 2. They punted after gaining only 2 yards, but LA-Lafayette could do nothing with it, and the first half ended with FIU leading 7-3.

But then in the first two minutes of the second half, LA-Lafayette allowed a 41-yard kickoff return, a 49-yard pass, a rushing touchdown, two personal foul penalties, and threw an interception that set up a field goal. The Ragin' Cajuns did follow with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Gautier to Ladarius Green, but they tried an onside kick trailing 17-10 in the middle of the third quarter. FIU rejoiced with their good field position, but they did not know what to do with it and punted three downs later.

The punt return was fumbled but LA-Lafayette recovered. This allowed them to false start twice before Gautier threw an interception that was returned 26 yards for a touchdown by Junior Mertile. Undaunted, Gautier three plays later rushed 55 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 24-17.

The fourth quarter saw a 15-play, 94-yard touchdown drive by FIU. Two plays later, Gautier threw another interception. On the next play, cajun Grant Fleming raged a little too much with a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the same play to set up another FIU touchdown run. LA-Lafayette fought until the very end, but Gautier was sacked on each of the last three plays of the game.

Navy 35, GGSM{Arkansas State} 19

November 20--The Arkansas State Red Wolves took to the field for the first time wearing a Shame Mask at the Naval Academy. The day belonged to Navy's senior QB Ricky Dobbs. Dobbs rushed for a season high 154 yards with 3 touchdowns on 31 carries. Oh, and he was 8 of 9 throwing the ball for 164 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

That touchdown pass made it 21-3 in favor of the Midshipmen, but the Red Wolves cut the lead to 21-13 at halftime. Dobbs added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Arkansas State's Ryan Aplin countered with a 5-yard TD pass to Allen Muse, but then the wheels fell off. The extra point was blocked. Navy marched down the field in 11 plays taking 5:49 off the clock before Dobbs's third touchdown, and then two plays later, Aplin threw an interception to seal the Navy victory.

FAU 24, OSM{La-Lafayette} 23

November 13--Going for two for the win when kicking the extra point woud tie the game can make a dramatic statement when it pays off. When it pays off.

The FAU Owls took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 14-7 at the half. The teams traded third quarter touchdowns and fourth quarter field goals giving FAU a 24-17 lead with less than five minutes to play.

The Ragin' Cajuns' QB Blaine Gautier, making his first career start, threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Wolfe to cut the lead from 24-23 with 1:45 remaining. Instead of kicking to tie the game, head coach Ricky Bustle chose to go for two, and Gautier's pass fell incomplete. They failed to recover the following onside kick and FAU ran out the clock for the victory.

GGSM{WKU} 36, Arkansas State 35, OT

November 13--Shame Mask craziness in Jonesboro!

After a relatively slow first half ended in a 7-7 tie, Western Kentucky scored two third quarter touchdowns to lead 21-7 as they changed ends to start the fourth quarter. This is when the Red Wolves of Arkansas State got going. Sophomore QB Ryan Aplin threw for two touchdowns and ran in a third with only 1:49 left to take a 28-21 lead.

However, Hilltopper QB Kawaun Jakes countered leading his team down the field and completing a game-tying 7-yard touchdown pass to Willie McNeal as time expired in regulation.

Aplin responded quickly, running for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime as part of his season high 96 rushing yards.

WKU's Bobby Rainey, the nation's second leading rusher, answered with a 3-yard touchdown run. Instead of kicking the extra point to send the game to a second overtime period, Western Kentucky went for two, and Derrius Brooks was successful for the win!

Congratulations Western Kentucky!