Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/15/2024

The world of college football fans turns its eyes to the Army/Navy game on the weekend between the conference championships and first weekend of bowl games (err playoffs).  And the game seldom disappoints.  Saturday was no exception.  For the first time in decades, the two teams came in with a combined 19 wins.  Army was ranked.  Navy had beaten a ranked opponent.  Make it two.  Navy surprisingly thrashed the Army defense with body blow runs up the middle mixed with creative play calling to put the Black Knights in an outflanked position.  Combine that with effective shutting down of the Army running game behind the Joe Moore Award winning best offensive line in football limiting the ground attack to just 3 yards per rush.  But it was Navy's quarterback, Blake Horvath, who was the star.  Horvath carried the ball 25 of the 43 totes for the Midshipmen for 204 yards and two TDs.  That's over 8 yards a carry and they knew it was coming.  Back to the play calling, Horvath completed 4 passes but for a total of over 100 yards and two more scores.  Also.  No interceptions.  No fumbles lost.  And sweet 31-13 dominating, upset victory against a rival.  Nothing better than that, and for Blake Horvath, the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/8/2024

What a weekend of college football with all the most elite teams (and playoff bound) teams facing off for conference title in their title game.  One of the most intriguing games was in the newly reformed Big 12 that featured Pac 12 refugee Arizona State Sun Devils against the incumbent Iowa State Cyclones.  Experts had it forecasted close however they underestimated Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo.  Skattebo probably should be in New York for the Heisman (different debate for a different day) but he was the man of the match in running all over the usually strong defensive minded Cyclones.  The senior only needed to carry the ball 16 times for over 170 yards and two TD's.  It was his third game in a row over 145 rushing to go with nine total touchdowns in those affairs as Arizona State has not only punched their ticket to the playoffs, but also the fourth seed and a bye week.  And whoever gets them in the second round will have a force to deal with.  Cam Skattebo is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/1/2024

Rivalry weekend in college football did not disappoint in terms of actions, upsets, road wins, and elite performances by outstanding players.  The latter of which (actually accomplished all four) was South Carolina upsetting Clemson at Clemson.  Trailing 14-7 with under 7:00 to play, Gamecock quarterback LaNorris Sellers shined.  He became an unstoppable force, notching two runs of 27 yards, and a TD run of 20 yards in two scoring drives to put South Carolina ahead for good to win 17-14.  Overall Sellers three for 164 yards, but ran nearly unabated for 166 yards and both Carolina touchdowns.  The freshman Sellers appears to be ready to torment SEC teams for years to come, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/24/2024

Another week, another dominating running back performance.  This time in the NFL.  Veteran Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley thrust his name to the shop of the NFL MVP list with a career high performance.  Barkley thrashed the Los Angeles Rams defense for 255 yards on the ground with two touchdowns, from 70 and 72 yards respectively.  He also caught 4 passes (on 4 targets) for another 47 yards surpassing 300 yards of offense single handedly as the Eagles pounded the Rams 37-20 in Prime Time.  The Eagles have been poised for their next championship since their Super Bowl LII victory in 2018, perhaps it is Barkley who is the X-factor to get them to the Super Bowl for the third time in 8 years.  

This is Saquon Barkley's second Sportsman of the Week, his first coming in 2017 as a Penn State Nittany Lion.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/17/2024

The college football season is winnowing down to the last couple of weeks and several name brand teams are angling for a playoff berth.  A recent name brand that continues to make its name is the Boise State Broncos.  At 9-1 and now projected to potentially get a first round playoff berth, the Broncs have ripped teams up on the ground thanks to Heisman short list candidate Ashton Jeanty.  Jeanty is pushing 2000 yards so far through just 10 games and seems unstoppable.  This week, he tallied 159 yards and 30 carries and 3 TD in a 42-21 win over a bowl-bound San Jose State Spartans.  Boise State's only loss was a 3-point squeaker to number one, undefeated Oregon Ducks (in which Jeanty had 200 all-purpose yards and yes, another 3 TD).  Expect Jeanty to continue to roll and prove himself in the playoffs, but for this week he is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!  

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/10/2024

History was made in the NASCAR Cup Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway as a two-time champion managed to win his second title in three years and join an elite fraternity of NASCAR Champions.  Joey Logano behind the wheel of his Ford dominated much of the third stage and held off Penske teammate, and 2023 Cup Champion Ryan Blaney for his third Cup Championship joining nine other drivers all time.  Logano had a nondescript regular season finishing well outside of tenth place in the points but found the winning touch in the Playoffs winning three times (only Kyle Larson won more than once besides him) including the first race of the round of 8, then, of course, the Championship 4 race on Sunday to win him the Cup.  This is also Logano's third Sportsman of the Week title, but first in 6 years when he won his first championship in 2018.  His first was a Daytona 500 victory three years earlier   This puts Logano tied for the most Sportsman of the Week ever with a lot of career in front of him.  We'll look forward to next year, but for now Joey Logano is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/3/2024

The college football season is reaching a boil with the playoff picture becoming more clear week by week and undefeated teams falling by the wayside.  In one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend, the Southern Methodist Mustangs are showing the ACC that they were a worthy add in a huge defeat of the previously undefeated Pittsburgh Panthers in one of two ranked matchups on the weekend.  The Ponies were led by a Pony express vintage effort by running back Brashard Smith who thrashed the Panthers defense for 161 yards on 23 carries and 2 TDs.  The senior tailback added a third TD on a pass (21 yards there as he tickled 200 total).  Smith has reached 100+ yards now 5 times, is averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and is near 1000 rushing yards total.  SMU is in position for a playoff berth and even a bye if they win the ACC.  Brashard Smith is a worthy Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/27/2024

There is no greater truth in sports than the best players stepping up in the biggest moments in big games.  And World Series Game 1 was the epitome.  Perhaps the third or fourth most hyped player, Freddie Freeman delivered his team to a huge Game 1 victory while sending the crowd and teammates in a frenzy.  Down to their last out, and facing a 1-0 game deficit and with it, losing home field advantage, Freeman delivered the biggest World Series 9th (or 10th) inning home run since 1988.  He deposited a cookie inside pitch into the right field bleachers for a walk off grand slam, turning a 3-2 loss, into a 6-3 victory against historical rival New York Yankees.  Much like Kirk Gibson in 1988, Freeman had been hobbled, even put on the bench late in the NLCS because his ankle just didn't seem up to the task.  No problem.  The former MVP (and 8-time Top 10 MVP finisher) knows how to deliver as he pursues his second title in 4 years, and also the second for the Dodgers in 5 years.  If they get to the promised land, it will be the epic swing by our Sportsman of the Week that is remembered in history.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/20/2024

The World Series has converged on the best two regular season teams (and highest payrolls) with star studded lineups ready to square off in the Fall Classic.  The New York Yankees are in the World Series for the first time in 15 years and the teams seems to have a new edge and attitude thanks to an offseason trade for Juan Soto.  The World Series champion has been a menace all year and the American League Championship Series was no exception.  Against the Cleveland Guardians, Soto went 7-19 (.368 Ted Williams level), 3 HR, and 6 RBI in 5 games.  But his biggest blow was in extra innings in Game 5 as he teed off on Hunter Gaddis for a 2 out, 2 strike three run home run to seal the Guardians fate.  While Aaron Judge will be the AL MVP, the team MVP may be Juan Soto for his energy and difference.  A worthy Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/13/2024

Another huge weekend for college football including big conference matchups and one of the more intriguing games was Penn State travelling out west to Southern California for a new world Big 10 matchup.  The game did not disappoint.  USC took a 20-6 lead at halftime but the Nittany Lions came out of the locker room in the second half on fire.  Overall, while Drew Allar stepped up with the biggest game of his QB career, it was Tight End Tyler Warren who put up the biggest individual numbers.  Allar to Warren was good for 17 catches and 224 yards and a touchdown.  The senior Warren had eclipsed 100 yards only twice in his career and never more than 8 catches.  The Lions won in overtime to preserve their Top 4 ranking and Warren is an unlikely hero.  And the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!