DALLAS (FWAA) The Yale Bulldogs
gave their historic home stadium a historic victory for the
ages, coming from behind to score a 49-43 overtime upset of Army
to open the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl. The Bulldogs'
first win over Army since 1955 earned them the Big Game
National Team of the Week honor for games of the
weekend of Sept. 27.
The announcement came exclusively on SiriusXM Radio's
"College Sports Today," hosted by Mark Packer and Phil
Savage.
Running back Tyler Varga's school-record-tying fifth
touchdown run in the extra session was the game-winner after
Army missed a 25-yard field goal on its overtime possession. The
Bulldogs held Army on first-and-goal at the seven to force the
field goal try. Army also missed a 42-yard field goal as time
expired in regulation.
Yale (2-0) is just the third FCS school to earn the FWAA's
weekly honor, joining North Dakota State and Appalachian State.
FCS teams are eligible when playing FBS schools. It was the Ivy
League's first win over an FBS opponent since 1986 (Penn over
Navy, 30-26).
Yarga, who ranks second among FCS players with 168 rushing
yards per game, ran for 185 yards. Many of the 34,142 in
attendance rushed the field to celebrate after the Bulldogs
rallied from a 28-14 deficit two minutes into the third quarter.
"For the second week in a row, it wasn't pretty, but the
perseverance of these guys came through," said Yale head coach
Tony Reno. "We continue to follow the process, taking it one
play at a time. This is an incredible group of young men that
has limitless potential." Yale rallied from 21 points down to
beat Lehigh last week.
Other Big Game National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend
of Sept. 27 included:
Air Force (3-1): The Falcons handed
Boise State its worst loss since joining the Mountain West
Conference in 2011, forcing seven turnovers in a 28-14 win.
Quarterback Kale Pearson rushed for a career-best 127 yards
and a touchdown and also threw one, and Falcons safety
Weston Steelhammer had three interceptions as part of the
notable defensive effort.
Minnesota (4-1): The Gophers claimed
the Little Brown Jug for only the second time in 24 years,
beating Michigan 30-14 in Ann Arbor. Mitch Leidner, coming
off a one-week hiatus due to injury, ran for a touchdown and
threw for another as Minnesota ended a six-game series
losing streak. Minnesota's defense limited Michigan to 171
total yards.
Northwestern (2-2): The Wildcats
opened Big Ten play with an impressive 29-6 win at Penn
State, riding three rushing touchdowns by Trevor Siemian and
an interception return for a touchdown by Anthony Walker. It
was Northwestern's first win at Penn State since 2004.
Walker's 49-yard interception score gave the Wildcats a 20-6
lead to start the fourth quarter. He also had eight tackles.
UCLA (4-0): The Bruins turned a
matchup of the last two Pac-12 South champions into a 62-27
runaway over Arizona State with a 28-7 scoring surge
spanning the second and third quarters. Ishmael Adams had a
100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and also ran an
interception back 95 yards for another score. Brett Hundley,
returning from a left arm injury, threw for 355 yards and
four touchdowns, including an 80-yarder to Jordan Payton to
open the second half.
The Football Writers Association of America has named a national
team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the first season
The Big Game Football Factory has presented the award. Members of the FWAA All-America
Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during
the 2014 college football regular season, the FWAA will name a National
Team of the Week.
Big Game USA is the largest American-owned football
factory. Nearly half of all Football Bowl Subdivision programs play with a
ball made by Big Game USA. This season, Big Game has introduced
gametag, the latest development in football technology. It allows
fans an opportunity to own a piece of football memorabilia, but
more than that, gametag offers complete authentication. Currently,
four Division I schools (Mississippi State, Navy, Nebraska and Texas
A&M) use balls equipped with gametag. For more information
about Big Game USA, visit biggameusa.com or contact Josh Eells at
972-292-0700 or jeells@biggameusa.com.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
2014 FWAA ALL-AMERICA
COMMITTEE |
Mark Anderson |
Las Vegas Review-Journal |
Mountain West |
Lee Barfknecht |
Omaha World-Herald |
National |
Zach Barnett |
Football Scoop |
Conference USA |
Kirk Bohls |
Austin American-Statesman |
Big 12 |
Aaron Brenner |
Charleston Post & Courier |
ACC |
Lee Feinswog |
Sports225.com |
SEC |
Tommy Hicks |
Mobile Press Register |
Sun Belt |
Joey Johnston |
Tampa Tribune |
American |
Marc Morehouse |
Cedar Rapids Gazette |
Big Ten |
Phil Steele |
Phil Steele Publications |
National |
John Wagner |
Toledo Blade |
Mid-American |
Jon Wilner |
San Jose Mercury News |
Pac-12 |
|