2012 Recap Part 1 of 4 – General Overview
It’s time for my annual recap of Hornet football. As always, this will be a 4 part series that takes a look at each unit as well as players departing and returning. This should keep Hornet fans entertained for a few weeks until the coaches sign the incoming recruits in February which will give us something else to post about. I only have online sources to go off of as well as my drunken recollection of games I was able to see/listen to so there may be some things I overlook. Please don’t hesitate to point any errors and/or mistakes out. I’ll try to roll out one part every week so keep an eye out for the following parts as they may be posted rather sporadically.
The Hornets entered the 2012 season with a plethora of question marks following the disappointing 2011 campaign. A lot of key players at multiple positions graduated and Coach Sperbeck and the coaches had a lot of issues to address in the offseason. First and foremost Sperbeck finally brought in some much needed help to handle the offensive play calling and game planning duties. Offensive Coordinator Paul Peterson was hired away from Southern Utah and he implemented a no-huddle spread/multiple receiver offense. The kicking game also required attention and the coaches brought in a handful of kickers to address that need. On the defensive side, the Hornets shuffled in a new linebackers coach and had a lot of voids to fill in the trenches and in the secondary. Given the recent shake-ups surrounding this program both on and off the field in recent years, it finally seemed like this program would find some smooth sailing. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case as tragedy struck with the unexpected passing of (#43) DE John Bloomfield during the season. The Hornets were able to rally around this emotional loss and continued to play hard week in and week out. Ultimately the Hornets were significantly improved from the previous season on the offensive side but had some issues in some of the other areas. The Hornets continued to prove that they could compete with anyone anywhere but were still unable to take it to the next level and win against the BSC elite.
Weekly Review
Week 1
The Hornets opened up their season in Las Cruces, New Mexico to face a New Mexico State team that was hoping to turn the corner. It was the debut of the new offensive system under OC Peterson and a chance to see how this Hornet program would fair with a significant amount of underclassmen seeing action in starting roles. The Hornets fell behind early in this one as the defensive secondary got abused time and time again (this actually became a recurring theme throughout the season) and trailed 28-10 at the half. The Hornets came out fighting in the second half and (#12) Safron led the offense to within 9 points of the lead. However the Hornets started committing turnovers that killed any chance of an FBS upset. When it was all said and done, the NMSU cashed in Hornet turnovers for TD’s that resulted in a 49-19 blowout. The Hornets did show promise on both sides of the ball but mistakes proved to be costly (another recurring theme this season). (#8) Graham emerged as a clear cut play maker and earned the bulk of the playing time at running back for the rest of the season. NMSU lost the rest of their games and finished with an embarrassing 1-11 (0-6 WAC) record. I strongly believe that had the Hornets faced this NMSU team later in the season, it would have been a win.
Week 1 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1736
Week 1 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-nms.htm
Week 2
The Hornets traveled to Boulder, Colorado to face Pac-12 opponent Colorado. The Hornets knocked off a Pac-12 opponent (Oregon State) in 2011 so surely CU would be prepared and not overlook the Hornets…and that is just how the game began. The Buffs jumped all over the Hornets early and sped out to an early 14 point lead. However the Hornets rebounded and scored 21 unanswered points to put all the pressure back on CU. Safron was in the zone and the Buff defense was on its heels. The Buffs eventually rallied and the teams traded points until CU was up 28-27 late in the game and the Hornets were down to their final drive. Safron led the Hornets on a drive that was capped by a game winning (#58) Castaneda field goal that give the Hornets a 30-28 win and its second upset of a Pac-12 opponent in back to back seasons. Needless to say the Hornets played well at every facet of the game and proved that this program is capable of pulling off some amazing feats when it plays a complete game. Colorado went on to have an abysmal season and finished with a 1-11 (1-8 Pac-12) record that resulted in the removal of 2nd year Head Coach Jon Embree.
Week 2 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1744
Week 2 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-cux.htm
Week 3
The Hornets had their home opener against Northern Colorado in what was scheduled as an out of conference game. The Hornets have never lost to UNC and the hope was to keep it that way. UNC entered the game with a 1-1 record and was looking to finally turn the corner. The Hornets had a sloppy game and the offense struggled, however the Hornets were able to capitalize on some early UNC turnovers and score some points. The defense was able to keep a struggling UNC offense under wraps but the special teams let UNC stay in this game. Hornet special teams gave up a punt return for a TD and (#2) Carter fumbled a punt return that resulted in a UNC field goal. In the end the Hornet offense did just enough and the defense didn’t allow any late game heroics as the Hornets held on for a 28-17 win. UNC went on to finally turn that corner and had a very strong finish to the season that culminated in a head turning 5-6 (4-4 BSC) season. UNC returns a lot of players from this turn around season so they will be looking to make some noise in the BSC next season.
Week 3 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1754
Week 3 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-nc2.htm
Week 4
The Hornets got to stay at home for back to back weeks and hosted a hot North Dakota team. UND came into the game with a 2-1 record and were fresh off of a close shootout loss at San Diego State. The UND offense had everything going for it and was capable of moving the ball through the air and on the ground. The Hornets were going to need a complete game to pull off the win. Unfortunately the sluggish offensive performance continued and the mistakes were costly. The first half of the game was evenly matched and then Safron fumbled a snap inside the UND 5 yardline that prevented the Hornets from tying the game at 14 before halftime. Safron then opened up the second half drive with an INT in the redzone which UND turned into a TD. It all unraveled quickly from there and the offense was completely ineffective under Safron. The Hornet defense got worn down by the UND running game and this game turned into a complete embarrassment. (#4) Magleby was put in during garbage time and added a meaningless TD to make the final score 35-13. UND fizzled out as the season progressed and finished with a middling 5-6 (3-5 BSC) record.
Week 4 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1760
Week 4 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/und-sac.htm
Week 5
The Hornets hit the road to face a struggling Idaho State program. ISU was 1-2 entering this game but had yet to play an FCS opponent. ISU runs a heavy pass offense but had significant troubles on defense so the Hornets needed to rack up the points if they were to win this game. Fortunately the Hornets did just that. The first half went back and forth and the Hornets took a 27-23 lead into halftime. The second half was another story. The Hornet defense unleashed the blitz and held ISU to just 8 second half points. The offense was equally impressive as it amassed 27 more points in the second half as the Hornets rolled on to a 54-31 win. Both teams racked up over 500 yards of offense but the difference was the Hornets were able to turn their drives into points whereas the Bengals couldn’t keep pace. ISU did not have a D-1 win this season and finished in the cellar of the BSC and FCS with a 1-10 (0-8 BSC) record.
Week 5 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1763
Week 5 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/isu-sac.htm
Week 6
The Hornets were on the road for back to back weeks as they headed to Cedar City, Utah to face Southern Utah. SUU came into this game at 2-3 (1-1 BSC) off of a close loss at Montana State but the expectation was that the Hornets would struggle yet again in the Mormon state. It was anticipated that SUU’s elite quarterback, Brad Sorensen, would give the Hornet defense problems and that is exactly how the game started. Sorensen had no problems moving the ball on the Hornets in the first half, and coupled with the Hornet offenses continued struggles with execution and ball control led SUU to a 16-7 halftime lead. The defense did an excellent job of keeping the Hornets in this game as they had a huge goal line stand that forced an SUU FG that kept the game close. Fortunately for the Hornets, Safron and the Hornet offense got it together and were able to put up points in the second half. The Hornet defense also clamped down and held Sorensen and SUU to only 6 second half points. The Hornet defense got a lot of pressure in the second half and the final drive for SUU ended with a hit on Sorensen by (#35) Totty which resulted in a deflection and a subsequent INT by (#11) Badger. The Hornets held on to win 27-22 and finally won a game in Utah. SUU had an inconsistent finish to the season but managed to post a decent 5-6 (4-4 BSC) record.
Week 6 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1768
Week 6 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-sux.htm
Week 7
The Hornets hosted a struggling Weber State for Homecoming. WSU had a lot of turmoil surrounding their head coaching position in the offseason which had a huge impact on their season. WSU entered the game winless and the Hornets were aiming to keep it that way. The Hornet offense continued to sputter and ball control was an issue once again. Safron had an efficient game but the Hornets could not sustain their drives and struggled to put up points. Fortunately the Hornet defense had another outstanding game and forced 5 sacks and limited the effectiveness of WSU’s offense. The special teams came through on some big plays and the Hornets held on and came away with a 19-14 victory. It was an ugly game but the Hornets did just enough to get the job done. WSU’s season was horrid but they did manage to win a couple of games. WSU finished with disappointing 2-9 (2-6 BSC) record.
Week 7 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1772
Week 7 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/wsu-sac.htm
Week 8
The Hornets hit the road to face (#1) Eastern Washington on the red turf in Cheney. EWU entered the game 5-1 (4-0 BSC) and were fresh off of an impressive win against Montana State. The Hornets were going to need a complete game if they wanted to pull off the upset on the road. Unfortunately the Hornets struggled on offense for much of the game. The Hornets were held to less than 300 total yards but once again it was a feisty Hornet defense that kept this game close. EWU was able to move the ball with ease but the Hornets stiffened up and forced some FG’s early on. Unfortunately the Hornets couldn’t keep pace with the high powered EWU offense and the defense struggled to get late stops. The Hornets did keep it interesting and Magleby (Safron went out late with a hand injury) threw a late TD to bring the Hornets within 3. The Hornets did have one last final attempt at a Hail Mary but it fell short and the Hornets lost 31-28. EWU went on to capture a share of the BSC Championship as well as a top seed in the playoffs and the BSC auto-bid. EWU finished the regular season with an impressive 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 8 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1776
Week 8 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/ewu-sc2.htm
Week 9
The Hornets renewed an old rivalry against (#11) Cal Poly but unfortunately the emotional loss of John Bloomfield overshadowed much of the festivities. CP entered the game undefeated with a 7-0 (5-0 BSC) record and were looking for their first 8-0 start in program history. It would require a monumental effort for the Hornets to knock off CP’s vaunted triple option attack and playing with a lot of emotion, which is what the Hornets delivered. The Hornets gifted CP with an early 10 point lead due to turnovers, but the Hornets rebounded and started taking it to CP on both sides of the ball. The Hornet offense was almost unstoppable in the first half and the Hornets raced out to a 28-17 halftime lead. Safron got things going through the air and the CP defense was unable to stop it. The game stayed crazy in the second half but the Hornet defense did an excellent job of keeping CP out of the endzone until late. The Hornets got ahead by a couple of scores and the defense decided to take the rest of the night off as CP scored a quick easy TD to make it close. Fortunately the Hornets were able to ice the clock behind a great effort by the Hornet offensive line and the Hornets held on for a 35-29 victory. CP finished the season strong and earned a share of the BSC Championship. CP also earned an at-large berth into the playoffs and concluded the regular season with a solid 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 9 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1788
Week 9 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-cp2.htm
Week 10
The Hornets stayed at home and faced another top ranked FCS opponent. This time the Hornets welcomed (#3) Montana State into Hornet Stadium. MSU came into this game with a 7-1 (4-1 BSC) record and were looking to stay in the hunt for the BSC Championship. MSU is a very balanced and talented team and it was going to require a complete game for the Hornets to pull the upset. The Hornets lived up to the challenge and this game was a hard fought game by both sides. The Hornet offense was able to move the ball but could not put up points, and the Hornet defense was kept MSU’s offense under wraps and held them to under 300 total yards. Ultimately it was a blown TD call by the refs coupled with turnovers and questionable coaching decisions that made the difference in this one. The momentum changer in this game was a poor decision to kick a 52 yard field goal midway through the 4th quarter. The Hornets held a 17-13 lead when that coaching misfire gave MSU great field position. MSU scored a TD on the ensuing drive and a Safron pass on the last Hornet drive was picked off. MSU escaped with a 20-17 victory and the Hornets were once again unable to get a win against a top BSC opponent. Any hopes of a post season berth were dashed with this loss and MSU went on to finish the season strong and captured a share of the BSC Championship and a top seed in the playoffs. MSU finished with a dominating 10-1 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 10 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1792
Week 10 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-msu.htm
Week 11
The Hornets entered the bye week with a 6-4 (4-3 BSC) record. The only game left on the schedule was the Causeway and it was assumed that the coaches would put the extra time to good use. Unfortunately that is asking too much.
Week 12
The Hornets closed out the season with a short trip to the farm extension for the annual Causeway Classic that featured Head Coach Biggs’ final game. The Hornets were clearly the better team heading into this one as the farm extension had plenty of struggles throughout the season. Unfortunately the Hornets were once again the undisciplined team and the special teams unit was clearly not prepared for this game. No one really knows what the special teams units were working on in the bye week, but it clearly wasn’t working on the basics such as fielding punts and kick coverage. The Hornets gifted them with 17 free points via special teams blunders. A blocked PAT returned for 2, a muffed punt by (#13) Norrise that gifted a TD and finally a kick return allowed for a TD in the closing seconds of the first half. All in all it was a comedy of errors on special teams and that was the difference in the game. The Hornet offense did well. Safron was not great but he moved the offense up and down the field. Just when the Hornets finally overcome the special teams disaster (as well as a blown TD call by the refs) to hold a slim 27-26 lead in the 4th quarter; the coaches inexplicably take the ball out of Safrons hands (which at that point the offense was pretty much unstoppable) and called a WR reverse pass by Norrise that ended in a turnover. The defense allowed a TD (the only offensive TD allowed in the game) on the ensuing drive and the Hornets couldn’t overcome this deficit. Once again the Hornets snatched defeat from the jaws of another Causeway victory and the farm extension finished with a lackluster 4-7 (3-5 BSC) record.
Week 12 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1807
Week 12 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-ucd.htm
The 2012 season had a lot of surprises. Going into the season it’s hard to say that anyone predicted a winning season considering the voids in the starting lineup following the 2011 campaign. With the 6-5 (4-4 BSC) finish by the Hornets, I have to believe that all Hornet fans are encouraged by the improvement of the offense under the guidance of OC Peterson as well as the competitive play against the elite BSC teams. Having a respectable season in what many outsiders (hell, insiders as well) had pegged as a down season is encouraging. I think this shows the depth and resilience that has been brought to this program under Coach Sperbeck. However it is concerning that the ball control issues, poor coaching decisions, and lack of discipline in key moments continue to plague this program and this needs to be addressed if this Hornet program is ever going to truly challenge for a BSC Championship or playoff berth.
Final Conference Standings (playoff results not included)
Schedule
The 2012 schedule had the Hornets playing 2 FBS money games which appears to be the new norm heading forward. This means getting a playoff berth has become that much harder. Unlink the 2011 season that had a horrible home-road balance (5 of the first 6 on the road); this season had great balance between home and road games. The Hornets headed into the tough stretch of games in the latter half of the season in great shape but couldn’t get the tough wins. With the BSC expansion, the BSC lineup will vary somewhat from year to year. The 2013 schedule will allow for the Hornets to schedule 12 games if they so chose to do so and given what is returning, it would be nice to see the Hornets go that route and play a possible 6 games in the friendly confines of Hornet Stadium.
2013 schedule thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1802
Attendance
The Hornets averaged 9,109 in attendance through 5 home games with the Homecoming game against Weber State being the highest attended game at 12,106. The home game against North Dakota also cracked the 10k mark (10,774) but there were embarrassing turnouts for the Cal Poly game (8,113) and an even worse turnout for the Montana State game (7,143). The Hornets ranked 38th in FCS and 3rd in BSC in average attendance with the WSU and UND game being the 142ndth and 167th highest attended FCS games, respectively. It was good to see a response to the marketing efforts that the Athletic Department did to encourage attendance. The military appreciation night got people into Hornet Stadium for the UND game and Homecoming had a solid turnout as well.
The disconcerting thing about the attendance was the low draws down the stretch against ranked opponents and when the Hornets were in contention for post season play. The CP game went head to head with a Giants World Series game (still a lame excuse imo) but the poor turnout against MSU where the Hornets were coming off of a huge emotional win over CP was deplorable. The athletic department needs increase its marketing efforts to keep people coming out to Hornets Stadium. The strategic plan has goals of increasing attendance to a rolling two year average of 11,500 and increased football revenue by 10% annually. This commitment to football needs to be backed with a solid effort to get fans into the seats and for growth in support.
2013 Outlook
The surprising 2012 season had a lot of positives but it also revealed that there are plenty of things for this program to improve on heading into the 2013 season. The Hornets need to build off of the success that the 2012 season encompassed and cleanup a lot of the mistakes. Ball control will need to be a point of emphasis heading into the offseason. The Hornets had too many turnovers and there won’t be much hope to improve in the win column if the Hornets cannot maintain control of the ball. There are plenty of areas of improvement that will need to be made in all areas of play; but the Hornets return a significant amount of players so the pieces are in place. Whether or not this program under Coach Sperbeck can finally rise to the occasion is what remains to be seen. Coach Sperbeck is running out of time to show that he is capable of elevating this program to the top of the BSC.
My recaps are up for discussion so feel free to add anything I may have missed or anything you may disagree with. These recaps are strictly based on my observations over the course of the season, stats obtained from various online resources and finally but most importantly my opinions. I’m hoping to get one part out each week so keep your eyes open for the next installment.
Go Hornets!!!
Next: Part 2 of 4 - Special Teams
It’s time for my annual recap of Hornet football. As always, this will be a 4 part series that takes a look at each unit as well as players departing and returning. This should keep Hornet fans entertained for a few weeks until the coaches sign the incoming recruits in February which will give us something else to post about. I only have online sources to go off of as well as my drunken recollection of games I was able to see/listen to so there may be some things I overlook. Please don’t hesitate to point any errors and/or mistakes out. I’ll try to roll out one part every week so keep an eye out for the following parts as they may be posted rather sporadically.
The Hornets entered the 2012 season with a plethora of question marks following the disappointing 2011 campaign. A lot of key players at multiple positions graduated and Coach Sperbeck and the coaches had a lot of issues to address in the offseason. First and foremost Sperbeck finally brought in some much needed help to handle the offensive play calling and game planning duties. Offensive Coordinator Paul Peterson was hired away from Southern Utah and he implemented a no-huddle spread/multiple receiver offense. The kicking game also required attention and the coaches brought in a handful of kickers to address that need. On the defensive side, the Hornets shuffled in a new linebackers coach and had a lot of voids to fill in the trenches and in the secondary. Given the recent shake-ups surrounding this program both on and off the field in recent years, it finally seemed like this program would find some smooth sailing. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case as tragedy struck with the unexpected passing of (#43) DE John Bloomfield during the season. The Hornets were able to rally around this emotional loss and continued to play hard week in and week out. Ultimately the Hornets were significantly improved from the previous season on the offensive side but had some issues in some of the other areas. The Hornets continued to prove that they could compete with anyone anywhere but were still unable to take it to the next level and win against the BSC elite.
Weekly Review
Week 1
The Hornets opened up their season in Las Cruces, New Mexico to face a New Mexico State team that was hoping to turn the corner. It was the debut of the new offensive system under OC Peterson and a chance to see how this Hornet program would fair with a significant amount of underclassmen seeing action in starting roles. The Hornets fell behind early in this one as the defensive secondary got abused time and time again (this actually became a recurring theme throughout the season) and trailed 28-10 at the half. The Hornets came out fighting in the second half and (#12) Safron led the offense to within 9 points of the lead. However the Hornets started committing turnovers that killed any chance of an FBS upset. When it was all said and done, the NMSU cashed in Hornet turnovers for TD’s that resulted in a 49-19 blowout. The Hornets did show promise on both sides of the ball but mistakes proved to be costly (another recurring theme this season). (#8) Graham emerged as a clear cut play maker and earned the bulk of the playing time at running back for the rest of the season. NMSU lost the rest of their games and finished with an embarrassing 1-11 (0-6 WAC) record. I strongly believe that had the Hornets faced this NMSU team later in the season, it would have been a win.
Week 1 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1736
Week 1 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-nms.htm
Week 2
The Hornets traveled to Boulder, Colorado to face Pac-12 opponent Colorado. The Hornets knocked off a Pac-12 opponent (Oregon State) in 2011 so surely CU would be prepared and not overlook the Hornets…and that is just how the game began. The Buffs jumped all over the Hornets early and sped out to an early 14 point lead. However the Hornets rebounded and scored 21 unanswered points to put all the pressure back on CU. Safron was in the zone and the Buff defense was on its heels. The Buffs eventually rallied and the teams traded points until CU was up 28-27 late in the game and the Hornets were down to their final drive. Safron led the Hornets on a drive that was capped by a game winning (#58) Castaneda field goal that give the Hornets a 30-28 win and its second upset of a Pac-12 opponent in back to back seasons. Needless to say the Hornets played well at every facet of the game and proved that this program is capable of pulling off some amazing feats when it plays a complete game. Colorado went on to have an abysmal season and finished with a 1-11 (1-8 Pac-12) record that resulted in the removal of 2nd year Head Coach Jon Embree.
Week 2 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1744
Week 2 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-cux.htm
Week 3
The Hornets had their home opener against Northern Colorado in what was scheduled as an out of conference game. The Hornets have never lost to UNC and the hope was to keep it that way. UNC entered the game with a 1-1 record and was looking to finally turn the corner. The Hornets had a sloppy game and the offense struggled, however the Hornets were able to capitalize on some early UNC turnovers and score some points. The defense was able to keep a struggling UNC offense under wraps but the special teams let UNC stay in this game. Hornet special teams gave up a punt return for a TD and (#2) Carter fumbled a punt return that resulted in a UNC field goal. In the end the Hornet offense did just enough and the defense didn’t allow any late game heroics as the Hornets held on for a 28-17 win. UNC went on to finally turn that corner and had a very strong finish to the season that culminated in a head turning 5-6 (4-4 BSC) season. UNC returns a lot of players from this turn around season so they will be looking to make some noise in the BSC next season.
Week 3 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1754
Week 3 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-nc2.htm
Week 4
The Hornets got to stay at home for back to back weeks and hosted a hot North Dakota team. UND came into the game with a 2-1 record and were fresh off of a close shootout loss at San Diego State. The UND offense had everything going for it and was capable of moving the ball through the air and on the ground. The Hornets were going to need a complete game to pull off the win. Unfortunately the sluggish offensive performance continued and the mistakes were costly. The first half of the game was evenly matched and then Safron fumbled a snap inside the UND 5 yardline that prevented the Hornets from tying the game at 14 before halftime. Safron then opened up the second half drive with an INT in the redzone which UND turned into a TD. It all unraveled quickly from there and the offense was completely ineffective under Safron. The Hornet defense got worn down by the UND running game and this game turned into a complete embarrassment. (#4) Magleby was put in during garbage time and added a meaningless TD to make the final score 35-13. UND fizzled out as the season progressed and finished with a middling 5-6 (3-5 BSC) record.
Week 4 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1760
Week 4 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/und-sac.htm
Week 5
The Hornets hit the road to face a struggling Idaho State program. ISU was 1-2 entering this game but had yet to play an FCS opponent. ISU runs a heavy pass offense but had significant troubles on defense so the Hornets needed to rack up the points if they were to win this game. Fortunately the Hornets did just that. The first half went back and forth and the Hornets took a 27-23 lead into halftime. The second half was another story. The Hornet defense unleashed the blitz and held ISU to just 8 second half points. The offense was equally impressive as it amassed 27 more points in the second half as the Hornets rolled on to a 54-31 win. Both teams racked up over 500 yards of offense but the difference was the Hornets were able to turn their drives into points whereas the Bengals couldn’t keep pace. ISU did not have a D-1 win this season and finished in the cellar of the BSC and FCS with a 1-10 (0-8 BSC) record.
Week 5 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1763
Week 5 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/isu-sac.htm
Week 6
The Hornets were on the road for back to back weeks as they headed to Cedar City, Utah to face Southern Utah. SUU came into this game at 2-3 (1-1 BSC) off of a close loss at Montana State but the expectation was that the Hornets would struggle yet again in the Mormon state. It was anticipated that SUU’s elite quarterback, Brad Sorensen, would give the Hornet defense problems and that is exactly how the game started. Sorensen had no problems moving the ball on the Hornets in the first half, and coupled with the Hornet offenses continued struggles with execution and ball control led SUU to a 16-7 halftime lead. The defense did an excellent job of keeping the Hornets in this game as they had a huge goal line stand that forced an SUU FG that kept the game close. Fortunately for the Hornets, Safron and the Hornet offense got it together and were able to put up points in the second half. The Hornet defense also clamped down and held Sorensen and SUU to only 6 second half points. The Hornet defense got a lot of pressure in the second half and the final drive for SUU ended with a hit on Sorensen by (#35) Totty which resulted in a deflection and a subsequent INT by (#11) Badger. The Hornets held on to win 27-22 and finally won a game in Utah. SUU had an inconsistent finish to the season but managed to post a decent 5-6 (4-4 BSC) record.
Week 6 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1768
Week 6 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-sux.htm
Week 7
The Hornets hosted a struggling Weber State for Homecoming. WSU had a lot of turmoil surrounding their head coaching position in the offseason which had a huge impact on their season. WSU entered the game winless and the Hornets were aiming to keep it that way. The Hornet offense continued to sputter and ball control was an issue once again. Safron had an efficient game but the Hornets could not sustain their drives and struggled to put up points. Fortunately the Hornet defense had another outstanding game and forced 5 sacks and limited the effectiveness of WSU’s offense. The special teams came through on some big plays and the Hornets held on and came away with a 19-14 victory. It was an ugly game but the Hornets did just enough to get the job done. WSU’s season was horrid but they did manage to win a couple of games. WSU finished with disappointing 2-9 (2-6 BSC) record.
Week 7 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1772
Week 7 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/wsu-sac.htm
Week 8
The Hornets hit the road to face (#1) Eastern Washington on the red turf in Cheney. EWU entered the game 5-1 (4-0 BSC) and were fresh off of an impressive win against Montana State. The Hornets were going to need a complete game if they wanted to pull off the upset on the road. Unfortunately the Hornets struggled on offense for much of the game. The Hornets were held to less than 300 total yards but once again it was a feisty Hornet defense that kept this game close. EWU was able to move the ball with ease but the Hornets stiffened up and forced some FG’s early on. Unfortunately the Hornets couldn’t keep pace with the high powered EWU offense and the defense struggled to get late stops. The Hornets did keep it interesting and Magleby (Safron went out late with a hand injury) threw a late TD to bring the Hornets within 3. The Hornets did have one last final attempt at a Hail Mary but it fell short and the Hornets lost 31-28. EWU went on to capture a share of the BSC Championship as well as a top seed in the playoffs and the BSC auto-bid. EWU finished the regular season with an impressive 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 8 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1776
Week 8 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/ewu-sc2.htm
Week 9
The Hornets renewed an old rivalry against (#11) Cal Poly but unfortunately the emotional loss of John Bloomfield overshadowed much of the festivities. CP entered the game undefeated with a 7-0 (5-0 BSC) record and were looking for their first 8-0 start in program history. It would require a monumental effort for the Hornets to knock off CP’s vaunted triple option attack and playing with a lot of emotion, which is what the Hornets delivered. The Hornets gifted CP with an early 10 point lead due to turnovers, but the Hornets rebounded and started taking it to CP on both sides of the ball. The Hornet offense was almost unstoppable in the first half and the Hornets raced out to a 28-17 halftime lead. Safron got things going through the air and the CP defense was unable to stop it. The game stayed crazy in the second half but the Hornet defense did an excellent job of keeping CP out of the endzone until late. The Hornets got ahead by a couple of scores and the defense decided to take the rest of the night off as CP scored a quick easy TD to make it close. Fortunately the Hornets were able to ice the clock behind a great effort by the Hornet offensive line and the Hornets held on for a 35-29 victory. CP finished the season strong and earned a share of the BSC Championship. CP also earned an at-large berth into the playoffs and concluded the regular season with a solid 9-2 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 9 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1788
Week 9 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-cp2.htm
Week 10
The Hornets stayed at home and faced another top ranked FCS opponent. This time the Hornets welcomed (#3) Montana State into Hornet Stadium. MSU came into this game with a 7-1 (4-1 BSC) record and were looking to stay in the hunt for the BSC Championship. MSU is a very balanced and talented team and it was going to require a complete game for the Hornets to pull the upset. The Hornets lived up to the challenge and this game was a hard fought game by both sides. The Hornet offense was able to move the ball but could not put up points, and the Hornet defense was kept MSU’s offense under wraps and held them to under 300 total yards. Ultimately it was a blown TD call by the refs coupled with turnovers and questionable coaching decisions that made the difference in this one. The momentum changer in this game was a poor decision to kick a 52 yard field goal midway through the 4th quarter. The Hornets held a 17-13 lead when that coaching misfire gave MSU great field position. MSU scored a TD on the ensuing drive and a Safron pass on the last Hornet drive was picked off. MSU escaped with a 20-17 victory and the Hornets were once again unable to get a win against a top BSC opponent. Any hopes of a post season berth were dashed with this loss and MSU went on to finish the season strong and captured a share of the BSC Championship and a top seed in the playoffs. MSU finished with a dominating 10-1 (7-1 BSC) record.
Week 10 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1792
Week 10 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-msu.htm
Week 11
The Hornets entered the bye week with a 6-4 (4-3 BSC) record. The only game left on the schedule was the Causeway and it was assumed that the coaches would put the extra time to good use. Unfortunately that is asking too much.
Week 12
The Hornets closed out the season with a short trip to the farm extension for the annual Causeway Classic that featured Head Coach Biggs’ final game. The Hornets were clearly the better team heading into this one as the farm extension had plenty of struggles throughout the season. Unfortunately the Hornets were once again the undisciplined team and the special teams unit was clearly not prepared for this game. No one really knows what the special teams units were working on in the bye week, but it clearly wasn’t working on the basics such as fielding punts and kick coverage. The Hornets gifted them with 17 free points via special teams blunders. A blocked PAT returned for 2, a muffed punt by (#13) Norrise that gifted a TD and finally a kick return allowed for a TD in the closing seconds of the first half. All in all it was a comedy of errors on special teams and that was the difference in the game. The Hornet offense did well. Safron was not great but he moved the offense up and down the field. Just when the Hornets finally overcome the special teams disaster (as well as a blown TD call by the refs) to hold a slim 27-26 lead in the 4th quarter; the coaches inexplicably take the ball out of Safrons hands (which at that point the offense was pretty much unstoppable) and called a WR reverse pass by Norrise that ended in a turnover. The defense allowed a TD (the only offensive TD allowed in the game) on the ensuing drive and the Hornets couldn’t overcome this deficit. Once again the Hornets snatched defeat from the jaws of another Causeway victory and the farm extension finished with a lackluster 4-7 (3-5 BSC) record.
Week 12 thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1807
Week 12 box score: http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2012/stats/sac-ucd.htm
The 2012 season had a lot of surprises. Going into the season it’s hard to say that anyone predicted a winning season considering the voids in the starting lineup following the 2011 campaign. With the 6-5 (4-4 BSC) finish by the Hornets, I have to believe that all Hornet fans are encouraged by the improvement of the offense under the guidance of OC Peterson as well as the competitive play against the elite BSC teams. Having a respectable season in what many outsiders (hell, insiders as well) had pegged as a down season is encouraging. I think this shows the depth and resilience that has been brought to this program under Coach Sperbeck. However it is concerning that the ball control issues, poor coaching decisions, and lack of discipline in key moments continue to plague this program and this needs to be addressed if this Hornet program is ever going to truly challenge for a BSC Championship or playoff berth.
Final Conference Standings (playoff results not included)
- T-1: Eastern Washington: 9-2 (7-1) Earned the BSC auto-bid and the 2nd seed in the FCS playoffs.
T-1: Montana State: 10-1 (7-1) Earned the 3rd seed in the FCS playoffs.
T-1: Cal Poly: 9-2 (7-1) Earned an at-large berth in the FCS playoffs
4: Northern Arizona: 8-3 (6-2) Probably in the playoffs if they beat CP
T-5: Sacramento State: 6-5 (4-4) 7 wins would not have garnered a playoff berth
T-5: Northern Colorado: 5-6 (4-4)
T-5: Southern Utah: 5-6 (4-4)
T-8: Montana: 5-6 (3-5)
T-8: North Dakota: 5-6 (3-5)
T-8: farm extension: 4-7 (3-5)
T-11: Portland State: 3-8 (2-6)
T-11: Weber State: 2-9 (2-6)
13: Idaho State: 1-10 (0-8)
Schedule
The 2012 schedule had the Hornets playing 2 FBS money games which appears to be the new norm heading forward. This means getting a playoff berth has become that much harder. Unlink the 2011 season that had a horrible home-road balance (5 of the first 6 on the road); this season had great balance between home and road games. The Hornets headed into the tough stretch of games in the latter half of the season in great shape but couldn’t get the tough wins. With the BSC expansion, the BSC lineup will vary somewhat from year to year. The 2013 schedule will allow for the Hornets to schedule 12 games if they so chose to do so and given what is returning, it would be nice to see the Hornets go that route and play a possible 6 games in the friendly confines of Hornet Stadium.
2013 schedule thread: http://hornets.bigskyfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1802
Attendance
The Hornets averaged 9,109 in attendance through 5 home games with the Homecoming game against Weber State being the highest attended game at 12,106. The home game against North Dakota also cracked the 10k mark (10,774) but there were embarrassing turnouts for the Cal Poly game (8,113) and an even worse turnout for the Montana State game (7,143). The Hornets ranked 38th in FCS and 3rd in BSC in average attendance with the WSU and UND game being the 142ndth and 167th highest attended FCS games, respectively. It was good to see a response to the marketing efforts that the Athletic Department did to encourage attendance. The military appreciation night got people into Hornet Stadium for the UND game and Homecoming had a solid turnout as well.
The disconcerting thing about the attendance was the low draws down the stretch against ranked opponents and when the Hornets were in contention for post season play. The CP game went head to head with a Giants World Series game (still a lame excuse imo) but the poor turnout against MSU where the Hornets were coming off of a huge emotional win over CP was deplorable. The athletic department needs increase its marketing efforts to keep people coming out to Hornets Stadium. The strategic plan has goals of increasing attendance to a rolling two year average of 11,500 and increased football revenue by 10% annually. This commitment to football needs to be backed with a solid effort to get fans into the seats and for growth in support.
2013 Outlook
The surprising 2012 season had a lot of positives but it also revealed that there are plenty of things for this program to improve on heading into the 2013 season. The Hornets need to build off of the success that the 2012 season encompassed and cleanup a lot of the mistakes. Ball control will need to be a point of emphasis heading into the offseason. The Hornets had too many turnovers and there won’t be much hope to improve in the win column if the Hornets cannot maintain control of the ball. There are plenty of areas of improvement that will need to be made in all areas of play; but the Hornets return a significant amount of players so the pieces are in place. Whether or not this program under Coach Sperbeck can finally rise to the occasion is what remains to be seen. Coach Sperbeck is running out of time to show that he is capable of elevating this program to the top of the BSC.
My recaps are up for discussion so feel free to add anything I may have missed or anything you may disagree with. These recaps are strictly based on my observations over the course of the season, stats obtained from various online resources and finally but most importantly my opinions. I’m hoping to get one part out each week so keep your eyes open for the next installment.
Go Hornets!!!
Next: Part 2 of 4 - Special Teams
