Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/29/2024

For the final Sportsman of the Week Blog of 2024, we stick to the gridiron but shift to the pros.  The biggest game in Week 17 in the NFL was the red-hot Green Bay Packers at the somehow still under-the-radar Minnesota Vikings.  The Vikings expectation was low after moving on from Kirk Cousins and starting journeyman Sam Darnold at quarterback when their rookie draft pick was injured.  They've since lost just two games.  Darnold was at his best against NFC North Rival Packers registering a season high passing yards at 377.  Three touchdowns.  The totals pushed him over 4000 yards for the season.  In a game that looked like the Vikings were coasting to victory, Darnold was clutch on the final drive registering two first downs to run out the clock.  The 14 wins on the season are a record for a first-year quarterback on a team.  The Vikings will go for the top seed in the NFC next week, but either way are expected to make a deep playoff run.  Sam Darnold is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Note: This is the 13th Anniversary of the Sportsman of the Week feature, having started January 1, 2012 with Keith Price of the Washington Huskies.  There have been approximately 676 weekly honorees representing 579 individuals removing repeat winners.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/22/2024

The highly anticipated first round of the reformatted and expanded college football playoffs arrived with much fanfare but unfortunately, not very competitive games.  Although the final score and overall differential during the game seemed comfortable, the University of Texas Longhorns found themselves in a battle against the Clemson Tigers well into the fourth quarter.  This is when our Sportsman of the Week emerged to save the day.  Jaydon Blue of the Texas Longhorns stepped up to be the alpha back in a stable full of backs to score on a spectacular 77-yard touchdown run after Clemson had pulled within 7 points with well over 10 minutes left.  This put the game at 38-24, which would be the final tally for the victorious Longhorns.  Blue was thrust to the bulk back for Quintrevion Wisner who battled through injuries during the game.  Blue had his best game of his career, ending the day with 146 yards on 14 carries and 2 TD.  He caught a couple more passes for 31 yards (good for 3rd highest yardage on the team) to approach 200 total scrimmage yards when his team needed him most.  Both Wisner and Blue were expected to be 3rd or further on the depth chart coming into the season, but as a tandem were hard to stop for Clemson.  In the end, Blue earns the Sportsman of the Week!

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!