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Luck, Stanford OL highlight All-Bowl Team

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:55:53 EDT

We made it.

After more than four months of college football and 100s of games, the season has finally come to an end. And after watching 35 bowl games over a three-week period (raise your hand if you saw at least part of every bowl game), it's time to remember some of the great individual performances of the past month.

Here are the best in this year's All-Bowl Team:

QB: Andrew Luck, Stanford, Orange Bowl: He had a tremendous performance against Virginia Tech, throwing for 287 yards with four touchdowns, including three in the second half to blow open a 14-13 game at halftime. Luck almost had the perfect game, completing 18 of 23 passes. Luck is joined by a few others on this team that helped him have such a special game.

Big plays too much for Virginia Tech

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 7:24:16 EST

MIAMI -- The Orange Bowl will most likely be remembered as Andrew Luck’s final college game, but it definitely will be one for the Virginia Tech defense to forget.

The Hokies came into the game ranked second in the ACC in points allowed, but were dominated in the second half, allowing 27 points, including big play after big play. The team completely fell apart after being only down one point at halftime, losing 40-12.

"We just kept pushing and pushing," said offensive guard David DeCastro. "We had to keep going until we broke them."

DeCastro and the rest of the offensive line opened up huge holes, allowing running back Jeremy Stewart to break off a career-best 60-yard run, while Stepfan Taylor finished with 114 yards. The success of the running game allowed Luck to pick apart the secondary with ease.

Third Annual Old-Man Football

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:14:29 EST

In the Third Annual Old-Man Holiday Flag Football game, the goal remained the same ... have fun and don't get hurt.

I wish we could say we accomplished both.

As it was most our final game before turning 40-years old next year, it might have been a sign that the morning before our game one of my friends, Daryl, texted me saying he hurt his shoulder last night.

Then out at the field on the first play of the game, somebody got hurt. First play!

By the Numbers: Week 12's Best Performances

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 23:59:10 EST

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 10, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

5: School-record five touchdowns by Alvester Alexander as Wyoming beat Colorado State 44-0 in the Border War rivalry. Alexander ran in from 8 yards for the final score and the school record late in the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kolton Browning also threw five touchdown passes as Louisiana-Monroe beat North Texas 49-37.

6: Total touchdowns by Southern Mississippi's Austin Davis, who rushed for four touchdowns and threw for two more, in the 59-41 victory over Houston. Davis completed 23 of 30 passes for 285 yards without an interception, and rushed for 111 yards on 17 carries.

By the numbers: Week 11's Best Performances

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:59:23 EST

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 10, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

0:16: Time remaining when Minnesota's DeLeon Eskridge scored to lift the Golden Gophers past Illinois 38-34. Eskridge scored three touchdowns on the day, the last one on a 2-yard run to cap an 80-yard drive engineered by quarterback Adam Weber. The quarterback kept it alive with a key 29-yard scramble on a third-and-10 play.

4: Number of receiving touchdowns by Luke Ashworth in BYU's 49-10 victory over Colorado State. Ashworth hauled in TD passes of 62, 7, 36 and 8 yards, one shy of the school record for touchdowns in a game. The scoring receptions were the only catches Ashworth had.

By the Numbers: Week 10's Best Performances

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 1:24:41 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 10, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

0:37: True freshman Stephen Morris hit Leonard Hankerson for a 35-yard score with 37 seconds left, rallying Miami past Maryland 26-20. The touchdown capped an 82-yard drive that began with 3:06 left and Miami trailing 20-18.

2: Chris Rainey blocked two punts as Florida routed Vanderbilt 55-14, setting up a showdown with South Carolina for the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title next week

5: Total number of touchdowns by Auburn's Cam Newton in the first half against Chattanooga. Newton threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth in the 62-24 victory. Nevada's Colin Kaepernick also threw for five touchdowns in Nevada's 63-17 victory over Idaho.

By the Numbers: Week 9's Best Performances

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 23:26:37 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 9, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog .

3: Touchdowns each by Ryan Lindley and Brandon Sullivan in San Diego State's 48-38 victory over Wyoming. Lindley also had 365 yards as the Aztecs are bowl-eligible for the first time since 1998.

5: Freshman quarterback David Piland passed for a career-high five / touchdowns and Houston routed Memphis 56-17.

142: Rushing yards by Montel Harris in Boston College's 16-10 victory over Clemson. The victory stopped a five-game losing streak, which was the Eagles' longest losing streak since 1998.

By the Numbers: Week 8's Best Performances

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:06:21 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 8, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

1: Western Kentucky earns its first win of the season, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 54-21, ending the nation's longest losing streak of 26 games.

5: A school-record touchdowns by Washaun Ealey in Georgia's 44-31 victory over Kentucky. Ealey finished with a season-high 157 yards on 28 carries before getting banged up late in the fourth quarter. His five rushing scores broke the school record of four, set most recently by former running back Robert Edwards in 1997. Ealey also matched Edwards' record for total touchdowns in a game set in 1995 against South Carolina.

By the Numbers: Week 7's Best Performances

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:34:38 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 7, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

0:19: Time remaining when Miami (Ohio) scored the game-winning touchdown over Central Michigan. Zac Dysert, who also threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns, completed a 71-yarder to Andrew Cruse with 19 seconds remaining to lift the RedHawks over Central Michigan.

4: Career-number of touchdown passes by quarterback Tino Sunseri in Pittsburgh's 45-14 victory over Syracuse.

5: Matt Barkley threw for a school-tying five touchdowns and 352 yards to lift USC over California 48-14.

By the Numbers: Week 6's Best Performances

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 0:00:55 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 6, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog .

0:26: Ricky Dobbs led a brilliant touchdown drive capped by a 6-yard pass to Greg Jones with 26 seconds left to give Navy a 28-27 win and hand Wake Forest its second straight last-minute loss.

4: Total number of touchdowns by Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (two passing, two rushing) as Georgia snapped a four-game losing streak, routing Tennessee 41-14.

12: USC's Robert Woods caught 12 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the 37-35 loss to No. 19 Stanford on a last-second field goal.

By the Numbers: Week 5's Best Performances

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 5:44:08 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 5, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog .

4: Total touchdowns by Ole Miss' Jeremiah Masoli in the 42-35 victory over Kentucky . Masoli threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another.

94: Length of a school-record touchdown pass by Cameron Newton. The quarterback connected with Emory Blake on a 94-yard touchdown pass on his first throw as No. 10 Auburn routed Louisiana-Monroe 52-3. Newton finished with 245 yards and three TDs.

190: Jordan Todman ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns to lead Connecticut to a 40-21 win over Vanderbilt , just the second win for the Big East over a BCS conference team this season. Todman, who carried the ball 37 times, has now rushed for over 100 yards in seven of his last eight games.

By the Numbers: Week 4's Best Performances

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:01:25 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 4, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog .

4: Number of touchdowns by freshman James White as No. 11 Wisconsin steamrolled Austin Peay 70-3 . White finished with 145 yards rushing on just 11 carries.

6: Amount of touchdowns accounted by Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor in the 73-20 pounding of Eastern Michigan. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for another score and also caught a 20-yard scoring pass from his former high school teammate, Jordan Hall, late in the third quarter.

13: Points scored in the fourth quarter by Air Force in the 20-14 victory over conference rival Wyoming. Tim Jefferson ran 7 yards for the decisive score late in the fourth quarter.

By the Numbers: Week 3's best performances

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 1:40:25 EDT

As we look at all the action around the nation during Week 3, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

5: A LSU record number of field goals by Josh Jasper and number of interceptions by the Tigers defense in the 29-7 victory over Mississippi State.

10: Vanderbilt snapped a 10-game conference losing streak dating back to 2008 with a 28-14 victory over Ole Miss. The Commodores have beaten the Rebels four of the past six seasons.

14: Seconds remaining when Arkansas' Ryan Mallett threw a 40-yard scoring pass to Greg Childs to lift No. 12 Arkansas over Georgia 31-24.

By the Numbers: Sept. 11's Best Performances

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:30:26 EDT

As we look at all the action around one of the biggest weekends of the season, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog.

5: Total touchdowns for East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis in the victory over Memphis. Davis ended up throwing three touchdowns and rushing for two more in the 49-27 win.

16: Points in the fourth quarter, allowing Washington State to come from behind and beat Montana State 23-22. Nico Grasu's 18-yard field goal with 2:13 remaining capped the comeback.

102: Combined number of points by Wake Forest and Duke in the Demon Deacons' 54-48 victory. Wake Forest posted the first consecutive 50-point games in school history, outgained the Blue Devils 500-487 and won the second highest-scoring game in ACC history.

By the Numbers: Saturday's big performances

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:39:36 EDT

As we look at all the action around the opening weekend in college football, here are some of the biggest performances of the day. Follow all the action on our scoreboard and our updating college football blog .

4: Career-high number of touchdown passes by Andrew Luck in Stanford's 52-17 victory over Sacramento State. Luck also had 316 yards passing in the victory.

18.1: Average yards per carry by Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez when he rushed for 127 yards on seven carries in the 49-10 win over Western Kentucky.

48: Number of attempts by Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who finished 34 of 48 for 281 yards. Gabbert rallied Missouri from a 10-point halftime deficit with two touchdown passes to lift the Tigers over Illinois 23-13 .

Discover to sponsor Orange Bowl

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:25:28 EDT

Get out your credit cards!

The Orange Bowl has its new sponsor -- Discover Financial Services.

Discover will be the title sponsor for the 2011-2014 Orange Bowl Games and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. The Orange Bowl Game will be known as the "Discover Orange Bowl" and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game will be named the "2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game."

Under the partnership, Discover will be the official card of the Orange Bowl and the Bowl Championship Series.

Speaking Polls with Pollspeak

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:34:58 EDT

Pollspeak.com has some interesting tidbits about the preseason Coaches Poll, which was released last week.

One thing that stood out was the fact that the Mid-American Conference has five coaches voting, the same number as the Pac-10! Not that it mattered in the preseason poll, but alot of MAC schools play Big Ten teams, which could come into play toward the end of the season.

Some other quick hits:

-- Florida State is the only six-loss team to make the poll at a generous No. 20. This likely says a lot about what other coaches think of the numerous coaching changes at FSU.

Texas places three on Thorpe Watch List

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:37:39 EDT

Texas placed three players on the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list, including safety Blake Gideon, who recorded six interceptions as a sophomore last season. Cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams also made the list of 35.

The Jim Thorpe Award watch list is determined by analysis of the pre-season All-American teams listed in at least six pre-season college football annual magazines. A screening committee of Jim Thorpe Association members follows these players throughout the season, watching games and researching information sources to grade Thorpe Award candidates on the basis of performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The committee meets on the first Monday in November to narrow the field to 10 or 12 semifinalists.

Keenum headlines O'Brien Watch List

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:14:13 EDT

Houston's Case Keenum, who threw for 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns last season, was one of 30 players named to the Davey O'Brien watch list for the upcoming season.

Keenum was a finalist last season when Texas' Colt McCoy won the award. In addition to Keenum, five 2009 semifinalists are included on the list: Matt Barkley (Jr., USC), Jacory Harris (Jr., Miami), Jake Locker (Sr., Washington), Kellen Moore (Jr., Boise State) and Ricky Stanzi (Sr., Iowa).

Overall the list features 13 seniors, 13 juniors and four sophomores.

The field will be narrowed down to 16 semifinalists on Mon., Oct. 25. The Foundation and the Selection Committee will announce three finalists on Mon., Nov. 22 and the winner will be announced on Thurs., Dec. 9. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The O'Brien honors candidates who exemplify Davey O'Brien's enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership in both academics and athletics .

Defensive players to watch in Heisman race

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:00:18 EDT

Ndamukong Suh did something that most defensive players never get to do ... earn Heisman Trophy votes. Suh finished fourth last season behind Mark Ingram, Toby Gerhart and Colt McCoy.

He was the first defensive player to finish that high since Charles Woodson won the award for Michigan in 1997. Numerous players have earned votes, like A.J. Hawk, LaVar Arrington and Glenn Dorsey, so it is not uncommon for a player to finish in the Top 10.

Here are a handful of guys that have the best chance to earn votes for this year's Heisman, which will be handed out Dec. 11 in New York.

Adrian Clayborn, Iowa: After earning MVP honors in the Orange Bowl, Clayborn was a guy I thought could definitely be on some Heisman watch lists. He recorded 36 solo tackles with 20 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles last season. Iowa's defense will be strong again and some experts have the Hawkeyes challenging for the national championship this year. It won't be because of the offense, so look to the defense for somebody to be the leader. Enter Clayborn. Oct. 2 vs. Penn State and Nov. 20 vs. Ohio State will be the two biggest games of the season for Iowa.

Five great players on bad teams

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:57:20 EDT

Mark Ingram, Terrelle Pryor and Kellen Moore are all guys that even the casual fan knows. Even on a team like Ball State, which won two games last year, most fans know who running back MiQuale Lewis.

But there are a ton of very good, even great, players around the country on bad teams that don't get noticed by most of the country. As we are only two months away from the start of the season, here are five guys to keep your eye on even if their teams end up at 3-9 this season:

Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State: The die-hard fans will know Burfict, but the average fan might not. Not much is expected from the Sun Devils this season, but the sophomore linebacker will be a beast this season. In case you missed it, he was named Pac-10 defensive freshman of the year and earned freshman All-American honors. One of the best linebackers in the nation, he won't be a name most have heard of because he plays on such a bad team out west. Look for him to improve on his numbers from last year -- 69 tackles, seven for a loss and two sacks. Burfict has already earned earned preseason first team All-American honors by the Sporting News.

Three bowl teams that might miss the postseason

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:13:35 EDT

Last week I wrote about the five teams that can make a bowl after posting a losing season in 2009.

Now it's time to go in the opposite direction and give you three teams that played in the postseason that will be in major danger of missing it this season.

Minnesota (7-6): How did this team make a bowl last season? The Golden Gophers were ranked last in the Big Ten in total offense (109th in the nation) and last in scoring (21 ppg). Nine starters are back from that squad, including quarterback Adam Weber and the entire offensive line, so a year older could mean some improvement. On defense, just two starters are back -- both safties. Keep an eye on the defensive line, where DTs Brandon Kirksey and Jewhan Edwards could help a squad that allowed 151.7 yards per game on the ground. Now Minnesota's biggest challenge -- games against USC, at Wisconsin, at Purdue, Penn State, Ohio State, at Michigan and Iowa. Those could all be losses meaning no bowl game for Minnesota.

Five losing teams that can make a bowl in 2010

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:24:42 EDT

Preparing for the offseason takes a great deal of research, so as I was looking at last year's standings , I was wondering if any of the losing teams from last year can make that leap and potentially make a bowl game in 2010?

For some schools the jump isn't that big. If they could just earn one or two more victories, they would be in line for one of the 35 postseason games .

A squad like Miami (Ohio) or Western Kentucky would need a complete turnaround, but here are five schools I think could get to 6 or 7 wins and make a bowl.

Note: Schools like Texas A&M that finished 6-7, weren't eligible for my list because they played in a bowl last year. This list is only for teams that had losing records and didn't make a bowl in 2009. Below is the team, plus its record from last season.

Alabama is No. 1 ... by EA Sports

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:25:34 EDT

As everybody is starting to churn out preseason college football rankings, the Crimson Tide earned another No. 1 spot.

This one isn't as prestigious as the AP poll, but the folks in Tuscaloosa who own PS3s will be happy as Alabama is ranked in the top spot for the upcoming release of EA Sports' NCAA Football '11.

Ohio State is No. 2, while Texas is No. 3. Oregon is No. 4, but if can still play with Jeremiah Masoli on the game that would make sense. Boise State rounds out the top 5. You can see all the preseason rankings here.

Huskers' Crick headlines Outland, Nagurski Lists

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 9:28:24 EDT

Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick is one of six players named to both the Outland and Nagurski Preseason Watch Lists for the upcoming season.

The Outland Trophy goes to the nation's best interior lineman, while the Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player.

Crick, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season, is joined by DTs Sam Acho, Texas; Marvin Austin, North Carolina; Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson; Stephen Paea, Oregon State and Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss.

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who missed all of 2009 battling overcoming Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, also made the Nagurski Watch List. The former All-American looks to return to the field for his senior season.

Big names being left off World Cup rosters

Thu, 13 May 2010 15:26:01 EDT

With the World Cup only a month away, the 32 countries had to get their preliminary rosters due to FIFA today. Follow the biggest headlines as they become available:

Brazil: Ronaldinho, Adriano and Neymar were left off Brazil's 23-player World Cup roster. Coach Dunga was to announce seven others later Tuesday, completing the team's preliminary 30-man list, which was due to FIFA. The 23-man list doesn't have to be finalized until June 1. Kaka, Robinho, Maicon and Julio Cesar made the cut, but three-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldo and veteran left back Roberto Carlos were not selected.

Italy: Francesco Totti and Luca Toni have been left out of Italy's 30-man World Cup squad. Totti retired from the national team after helping Italy win the 2006 World Cup, but there had been speculation that he could return. Toni was Italy's main striker in 2006 and at the 2008 European Championship, but lost his place when he ran into problems at Bayern Munich to start this season.

Video Podcast: Big Ten expansion

Sat, 15 May 2010 18:01:21 EDT

Earlier Monday a report came out from a Kansas City radio station that the Big Ten had extended initial offers to Nebraska, Missouri, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Rutgers' athletic director Tim Pernetti released a statement on the report saying: "We are a proud member of the Big East Conference. It is not our place to speculate on any reports on the expansion plans of any other conference." And Nebraska said there has been no offer whatsoever.

So while speculation about the Big Ten continues to flood the message boards and talk radio, Adam Aizer and I got a chance to talk with senior writer Dennis Dodd (Full story) about the report and what to expect next from the hottest topic of the offseason.

Watch it here:

FedEx to no longer sponsor Orange Bowl

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 9:38:02 EDT

Some things go hand in hand, but sadly, FedEx and the Orange Bowl are no longer one of them.

It was reported today that the longest-running sponsorship of a Bowl Championship Series game is over. FedEx first sponsored the game 21 years ago, for the 1989 Orange Bowl between Miami and Nebraska.

According to the Sports Business Journal, FedEx balked at a proposal from ESPN to buy a "lengthy and more expensive college football package." ESPN said it's in active discussions with new sponsors for the Orange Bowl.

"We are in active discussions around the Orange Bowl, which is a premier property and presents a tremendous marketing opportunity. FedEx remains an important client and we continue to be engaged with them in other areas,” ESPN’s president of customer marketing and sales Ed Erhardt said in a statement e-mailed to Sports Business Journal by ESPN PR.

Big East, C-USA: Now what?

Sun, 16 May 2010 17:21:15 EDT

Future of College Football Graphic: Five Super Conferences The biggest question in all this expansion talk is what is going to happen to the Big East?

If the Big Ten pulls in Connecticut, Rutgers and Pittsburgh for the Big East, the conference will be down to five teams and on life support to survive. As Dennis Dodd points out, Cincinnati, Syracuse, West Virginia and Louisville would do their best to look elsewhere and most likely join the ACC. Links

Dodd: Part IV: Variables could spawn revolution

Dodd: Part III: Texas would cause domino effect

Taking my daughter to work

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:53:41 EDT

Today is a huge day.

But if you've come to my blog looking to see another mock draft for tonight's NFL Draft or my pick for the guy I think will have the biggest impact in the NFL (it's C.J. Spiller), you've come to the wrong place.

Sure, I'm working tonight for the first round, but this afternoon was all about "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work" day.

By the way, who made the decision to schedule two huge events on the same day? Actually, make that three.