2011 Power Rankings 117-120: UNLV, FAU, Akron & New Mexico
By Kyle Kensing
Another season is in the books, and it’s time to evaluate the performance of all 120 Bowl Subdivision participants. I am your Casey Kasem on this journey, counting down from 120 to 1. Our opening acts aren’t pretty. The four teams bringing up the rear went a combined 5-43 in 2011. Read on for the analysis.
120. NEW MEXICO
Record: 1-11, 1-7 Mountain West
Offense: 12.0 points per game (No. 120), 296.2 yards per game (No. 113), 183.0 passing yards per game (No. 92), 61 percent red zone conversion (No. 120), 30.6 third down conversion (No. 112), 30 sacks allowed (No. 92)
Defense: 41.7 PPG allowed (No. 119), 492.1 YPG allowed (No. 118), 246.9 rushing YPG allowed (No. 119), 245.2 passing YPG allowed (No. 88), 90 percent opponent red zone conversion (No. 111), 10 sacks (No. 119)
Special Teams: 9 PR/12 yards (No. 120), 75 punts/2930 yards (No. 112), 6-12 FGs, 18-18 PATs, 21.3 KR yards/attempt (No. 70), 24.1 KR yards allowed/attempt (No. 107)
Turnover Differential: -8
Time of Possession: 28:35 (No. 94)
Penalties: 82/48.5 YPG (No. 92)
Mike Locksley’s ill-fated tenure as head coach came to an inevitable end midway through yet another disastrous campaign. The circumstances surrounding his last day on the job were fittingly bizarre given the odd nature of his entire 21/2-year run in the ABQ: Lobos lose an overtime clash with eventual FCS runner-up Sam Houston State, teenager who identifies himself as a recruit is pulled over in Locksley’s wife’s ride. Is that more or less strange than punching an assistant?
Interim head coach George Barlow praised UNM for not giving up, and indeed, the Lobos played their best football in November. But this team was lacking in every possible facet of the game, and bears the dubious distinction as the worst team of the FBS in 2011.
Record: 1-11, 0-8 Mid-American
Offense: 14.2 PPG (No. 118), 277.8 YPG (No. 115), 114.4 rushing YPG (No. 100), 163.3 passing YPG (No. 103), 77 percent red zone conversion (No. 88), 27.8 third down conversion (No. 120), 38 sacks allowed (No. 113)
Defense: 38.5 PPG allowed (No. 116), 421.2 YPG allowed (No. 94), 219.6 rushing YPG allowed (No. 108), 207.6 passing YPG allowed (No. 39), 90 percent opponent red zone conversion (No. 111), 44.0 opponent third down conversion (No. 92), 10 sacks (No. 116)
Special Teams: 11 PR/47 yards (No. 107), 83 punts/3178 yards (No. 87), 11-14 FGs, 15-17 PATs, 62 KR/1091 yards (No. 119), 7.26 PR yards/attempts allowed (No. 50), 22.1 KR yards/attempts allowed (No. 72)
Turnover Differential: -9
Time of Possession: 28:43 (No. 92)
Penalties: 63/43.58 YPG (No. 37)
The Zips could have easily occupied the bottom spot. Akron did not defeat a single Bowl Subdivision opponent (its one win was a 36-13 defeat of lowly VMI) and was within double digits of said competition twice. Rob Ianello was fired after just two seasons on the job. Terry Bowden takes over a program that has struggled mightily in the last half-decade since losing quarterback Charlie Frye.
Akron’s positive was a solid pass defense. The Zips actually ranked in the nation’s top third against the pass — partially the result of getting killed on the run, thus opposing offenses went at Arkon on the ground, but credit is due decent coverage. Otherwise it was a bleak season.
Record: 1-11, 0-8 Sun Belt
Offense: 12.9 PPG (No. 119), 248.8 YPG (No. 120), 105.7 rushing YPG (No. 108), 143.1 passing YPG (No. 111), 70 percent red zone conversion (No. 111), 28.9 third down conversion (No. 116), 34 sacks allowed (No. 104)
Defense: 34.7 PPG allowed (No. 103), 293.2 YPG allowed (No. 69), 168.9 rushing YPG allowed (No. 77), 223.3 passing YPG allowed (No. 59), 80 percent opponent red zone conversion (No. 47), 48.1 opponent third down conversion (No. 106), 17 sacks (No. 94)
Special Teams: 17 PR/68 yards (No. 109), 78 punts/3148 yards (No. 111), 7-11 FGs, 18-18 PATs, 64 KR/1288 yards (No. 89), 13.9 PR yards/attempt (No. 111), 20.5 KR yards/attempt (No. 40)
Turnover Differential: -9
Time of Possession: 27:41 (No. 111)
Penalties: 92/68.2 YPG (No. 112)
Howard Schnellenberger announced 2011 would be his last campaign before Week 1, and the Owls responded with a performance more suiting the retirement home than the newly minted FAU Stadium. In a career with signature moments, Schnellenberger came perilously close to bowing out with the dreaded doughnut, but the Owls knocked off a UAB team fresh off an upset of Southern Miss in the penultimate contest. Go figure.
Alfred Morris had a very solid individual campaign, rushing for nearly 1200 yards and scoring nine of the Owls’ 10 running touchdowns. He was a bright spot in a rather dismal campaign in which FAU failed to muster any sort of sustained offensive attack. That hampered a defense that really wasn’t that bad, all things considered.
Record: 2-10, 1-7 Mountain West
Offense: 17.3 PPG (No. 113), 273.8 YPG (No. 117), 164.3 rushing YPG (No. 48), 109.6 passing YPG (No. 118), 74 percent red zone conversion (No. 103), 28.3 third down conversion (No. 119), 35 sacks allowed (No. 106)
Defense: 40.4 PPG allowed (No. 118), 443.2 YPG allowed (No. 105), 194.2 rushing YPG allowed (No. 99), 249 passing YPG allowed (No. 90), 82 percent opponent red zone conversion (No. 65), 49.7 opponent third down conversion (No. 112), 14 sacks (No. 108)
Special Teams: 13 PR/63 yards (No. 103), 75 punts/3102 yards (No. 65), 9-14 FGs, 24-24 PATS, 71 KR/1685 yards (No. 24), 10.9 PR yards/attempt allowed (No. 94), 23.7 KR yards/attempt allowed (No. 97)
Turnover Differential: +3
Time of Possession: 30:33 (No. 42)
Penalties: 80/61.2 YPG (No. 85)
UNLV wasn’t the worst FBS team in 2011, but the Rebels suffered some of the more embarrassing mishaps among the subdivision. Included in its 10-loss campaign was a three-touchdown-and-change beating at the hands of FCS Southern Utah, which had more supporters in Sam Boyd Stadium than the homestanding UNLV, and coming on the wrong end of New Mexico’s sole victory.
The Rebels finished the season on a five-game losing streak that spanned all of November and into the final week. A 38-point eruption against Colorado State was the last worthwhile showing for UNLV, which erupted for 78 total in its two victories — five more than its combined total from the season-ending skid. Bobby Hauck must find a way to get off to a more confidence-inspiring start come 2012 to justify the two-year contract extension he received before 2011 kicked off. Building off the Rebels’ success rushing the ball is a worthwhile starting point.