May be time for another Executive Decision™.
Arlington Heights 69, North Side 3
at #5 Texas Christian 45, Wyoming 0
#7 Nebraska 48, Kansas State 13
at #20 Wisconsin 41, Minnesota 23
at Dallas 27, Hickville 20, Pussified Zebras 14
Shock of shocks.  North Side actually scored  on Heights.  (Yeah, it was a long (for high school) field goal, but still.)
Heights’ response?  Run the ensuing kickoff back 87 yards for yat another score – one of seven they would get in the first half.
The moral:  Don’t piss off Heights by scoring on ’em.  (grin)
Valadez was 6-10-100 and two scores.  The Jacket running game accounted for 282 yards and seven touchdowns, led by Abece Dorsey & Devante Hill (72 yards apiece).
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Taylor Martinez is scary  fast.
On Nebraska’s second touchdown, Martinez executed a zone read, got the defensive end to commit, then kept the ball and split five defenders to score from 35 yards out.
Four of those defenders were within seven yards of Martinez, but before they could close on him…he just outran ’em.
Damn.
The 35-yard score would be part of 241 yards rushing (15 carries), and part of 451 total rushing yards on the night for the Husker offense (Roy Helu added 110 on eight carries).  Martinez would also go 5-7-128 and a score passing.
Suffice to say the old Huskers are back.
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Bucky smacked UMinne-haha around for three quarters & change, then let up as the Gophers scored two of the last three touchdowns.  James White & John Clay combined for 229 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 40 carries, and Scott Tolzien went 17-23-223 and a score.  Lance Kendricks led Badger receivers with 5 catches for 75 yards.
Bucky will keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe™ for one more year.
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Another Mountain West opponent, another shutout.  Yawn. 
Wyoming came into Fort Worth minus starting quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, forcing backup Dax Crum to go up against the number three defense in the country in its backyard, where it almost never loses.  Not exactly Steve Young taking over for Joe Montana.
“Coming out here going against TCU is always a tough task, especially when you kind of get thrown in the fire unexpectedly,” Wyoming receiver David Leonard said. “I thought he handled it well. TCU’s just a great team.”
Dalton threw for 270 on 14-17, throwing passes of at least 30 yards to five different receivers (Jeremy Kerley, Matthew Tucker, Skye Dawson, Waymon James and Bart Johnson).  Kerley led all receivers with 3 grabs for 65 yards.  Ed Wesley paced the ground attack with 115 yards on 17 carries.
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All along the Cowgirlz have been boasting about how much talent they had.
The whispers have now started – “Is this team really that talented?”.
Talented teams don’t rank down near the bottom of the league in penalties year after year after year.  Talented teams can protect their quarterback when it counts. Talented teams can open up holes through the middle of the defense and keep the running back from getting popped in the backfield.
On defense, talented teams don’t let QBs and receivers play pitch-and-catch – they hit the receiver, hard, as the ball comes in.  They don’t bend over and gase at their navels as the receiver is catching a pass in the end zone.  And they don’t, upon noticing the bowling-ball running back coming their way, turn around and start running away from them.
Talented special teams have kickers who are automatic every time, even from 50 yards out or more.  And talented teams don’t let kick returners run back kickoffs for near touchdowns at critical points late in the game.
The Cowgirls did all these things Sunday, which is why they’re 1-3.  And why their playoff chances are hanging by a thread.  And why people are now whispering the question whether or not they’re really  that talented.
And also why I’m making another Executive Decision™ and putting the Cowgirls on the SpatulaLine™ – any line where they’re an underdog, plus 14 17 points.  And if they can’t handle that…well, there’s always the UKansas decision.
All that said, the fucking zebras cost the Cowgirls seven points on the Tit-annes’ first drive with three pass-interference penalties which, I’m telling you right now, would not  have been called on Tennessee, no way, no how.  And they threw a flag on Dallas’ last touchdown for what was a phantom “excessive celebration” penalty; the ensuing kickoff (pushed back 15 yards to the 15) was returned 75 yards to the Cowgirl 10, where a phantom facemask penalty took it to the five.  As horribly as the Cowgirls played Sunday, they should have won the game.
But that’s what losing teams do.  That’s what teams with questionable talent do.
This week:  4-1.  Overall:  30-7.
The PFW will return Thursday, when we begin the nail-biting for real.