College Football - Football Betting

2005-10-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

South Florida Bulls

Oct. 15
Pitt 31 ... South Florida 17---College Football---
South Florida jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead before Pitt settled in and tore off 21 second quarter points on to Tyler Palko touchdown passes, including a 69-yard play to Greg Lee, and a one-yard scoring run from Palko. USF answered with a 76-yard Andre Hall touchdown catch, but couldn't get back on the board as the Panthers put it away late in the third quarter on a eight-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Strong. ---College Football---
Player of the game: Pitt QB Tyler Palko completed 16 of 22 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 16-22, 201 yds, 3 TD---College Football---
Rushing: LaRod Stephens, 13-92. Receiving: Greg Lee, 3-106, 1 TD---College Football---
South Florida - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 18-35, 225 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 18-75. Receiving: Andre Hall, 8-145, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Turnovers and inconsistency on both sides of the ball proved costly against Pitt, especially in the second half. The defense had an off game against the Panthers unable to to force enough mistakes or big plays on third down. QB Pat Julmiste is solid, but he needs to be better on the road for the Bulls to get back in the post-season hunt. This was a game the Bulls had to have, and now they're not only behind the eight-ball in the Big East race, but also in trouble for a bowl bid unless they can beat West Virginia next week. ---College Football---
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Oct. 1---College Football---
Miami 27 ... South Florida 7---College Football---
Miami took advantage of USF turnovers and got three touchdown runs from Tyrone Moss and two Jon Peattie field goals on the way to the easy win. The USF offense only managed 174 yards of total offense and didn't get into the end zone until late in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Peyton. The two teams combined for nine turnovers with Miami picking off four Bull passes. ---College Football---
Player of the game: Miami RB Tyrone Moss ran 22 times for 89 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright, 13-26, 173 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Tyrone Moss, 22-89, 3, TD. Receiving: Darnell Jenkins, 4-30---College Football---
South Florida - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 8-25, 47 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 19-53. Receiving: Johnny Peyton, 3-30---College Football---
What to take away from this game: There was no way the Bulls were going to recapture the Louisville magic against Miami, but the mistakes killed any hope of keeping it close. The Canes forced many of the USF mistakes, but five turnovers were way too many to overcome. On the plus side, the defense was strong keeping the Miami passing game from exploding. After the last few weeks, it's obvious the defense is good enough to compete for the Big East title. Can the offense help out the cause on a consistent basis?---College Football---
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Sept. 24---College Football---
South Florida 45 ... Louisville 14---College Football---
South Florida WR Amarri Jackson ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass on the way to the shocking rout. Andre Hall started off the scoring with a one-yard scoring run, and then Jackson tore off reverses for a 51-yard score and a 12-yard score. Louisville stayed alive with a one-yard Michael Bush touchdown run for a 24-7 halftime deficit, and then the Bulls put it away with a Chad Simpson kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half. Hall and Bush each added second short touchdown runs. ---College Football---
Player of the game: South Florida WR Amarri Jackson ran twice for 63 yards and two---College Football--- touchdown, caught two passes for 75 yards and threw a pass for an 11-yard---College Football--- touchdown.
Stat Leaders: USF - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 4-9, 93 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 22-83, 2 TD. Receiving: Amarri Jackson, 2-75---College Football---
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 29-47, 389 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 18-81, 2 TD. Receiving: Joshua Tinch, 9-83---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Wow. The passing game only completed five of ten passes, the running game was decent, but unspectacular outside of the runs from Amarri Jackson, and the defense gave up a ton of yards to Louisville. It didn't matter. The energy from Jackson's big plays, the kickoff return for a score from Chad Simpson, and a pass rush that pressured Brian Brohm helped USF reestablish its home dominance playing with the same confidence it had a few years ago. In the wide-open Big East, USF is now a major player. ---College Football---
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Sept. 17---College Football---
South Florida 31 ... UCF 14---College Football---
South Florida ran for 326 yards and held on to the ball for almost 40 minutes as Andre Hall ran for a one-yard score and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass helping the Bulls to a 21-0 halftime lead. UCF scored on a four-yard Steven Moffett run, but the Bulls answered with a one-yard Pat Julmiste touchdown run and a 21-yard field goal. ---College Football---
Player of the game: South Florida RB Andre Hall ran 22 times for 155 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: USF - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 10-16, 95 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 22-155, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Hall, 2-34, 1 TD---College Football---
UCF - Passing: Steven Moffett, 19-40, 208 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Steven Moffett, 11-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Walker, 5-70---College Football---
What to take away from this game: The Bull running game got rolling and showed how it can take over and completely control a game by never letting UCF breathe. Andre Hall was fantastic showing why he's the centerpiece of the attack, but QB Pat Julmiste had an equally strong game with his arm as well as his legs always keeping the chains moving. While this wasn't a perfect game going into the Big East showdown with Louisville, it wasn't far off. ---College Football---
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Sept. 10---College Football---
South Florida 37 ... Florida A&M 3---College Football---
Andre Hall tore off touchdown runs of two, two and 31 yards in the first half on his way to a 156-yard day and the easy win over Florida A&M. The Rattlers didn't come up with a first down until well into the third quarter, four for the game, and only managed 85 yards of total offense. Ricky Benton scores on a two-yard run and Cedric Hill caught a 36-yard touchdown pass for the Bulls.
Player of the game: South Florida RB Andre Hall ran 18 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: USF - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 6-10, 71 yds---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 18-156, 3 TD. Receiving: Jackie Chambers, 2-25---College Football---
FAMU - Passing: Chris Owens, 4-7, 31 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Roosevelt Kiser, 3-26. Receiving: Joe Lawson, 2-9---College Football---
What to take away from this game: The Bulls got a nice scrimmage against Florida A&M to get the running game rolling, but it would've been nice if Pat Julmiste and the passing game got a little more work. He only threw the ball ten times, he didn't need to throw it any more, and didn't need to toss it deep. He'll need to get even more in tune with his receivers against UCF before kicking off the Big East slate with Louisville and at Miami. Yeesh. ---College Football---
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Sept. 3---College Football---
Penn State 23 ... South Florida 13---College Football---
Big plays helped Penn State jump out to a 17-0 lead highlighted by a 16-yard Alan Zemaitis fumble return for a touchdown. But the Nittany Lion offense bogged down only managing an early fourth quarter four yard Michael Robinson touchdown run. South Florida got two touchdown passes to Johnny Peyton, but struggled to keep the chains moving and couldn't handle a Nittany Lion ground game that managed 262 yards. ---College Football---
Player of the game: Penn State RB Tony Hunt ran 14 times for 148 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: USF - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 21-36, 201 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Tony Hunt, 14-148, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Hall, 5-32---College Football---
Penn State - Passing: Michael Robinson, 9-15, 92 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Hall, 22-73. Receiving: Derrick Williams, 3-38---College Football---
What to take away from this game: It might have been a loss to Penn State, but the team showed good heart coming back after getting hit by some disastrous plays. There were too many holes for the Penn State ground game and there weren't enough big plays from Andre Hall and the Bull rushing attack. QB Pat Julmiste wasn't bad, but he didn't do enough to make the game close when it was still on the line.---College Football---
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2005 Schedule ---College Football---
Sept. 3 – at Penn State 6-5, 3-5 in Big Ten) – Offense: A ton of experience returns to one of the worst Penn State offenses ever averaging 17.73 points per game with five games scoring seven points or fewer. The line has all five starters returning (if C E.Z. Smith and G Tyler Reed are back from spring suspension) and it has to be much, much better. The receiving corps got a major boost this recruiting season with lightning-fast Derrick Williams and Justin King adding some desperately needed pop. There has to be more from the quarterbacks with the underwhelming Michael Robinson getting the nod since star prospect Anthony Morelli hasn't progressed enough yet. There's talent in the backfield; now it has to do more.---College Football---
Defense: The nation's tenth best defense and fifth best scoring D should be even better with almost all the parts returning and FS Chris Harrell coming back after missing all of last year with a neck injury. The defense didn't allow more than 21 points per game coming up with a shockingly good season. The corners will be among the best in the nation as will the starting linebackers. Overall depth and a lights-out pass rusher are the slight weaknesses, but that's nitpicking.
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Sept. 10 – Florida A&M---College Football---

Sept. 17 - UCF 1-10, 0-8 in Conference USA) – Offense: UCF was 114th in the nation in total offense and 113th in scoring struggling all season to get anything going. The main problem was the offensive line that started three true freshmen and two sophomores, but the positive is that they're all back with a year of experience. There has to be some consistency at quarterback with Steven Moffett needing to be a bigger playmaker. The top running back (Alex Haynes) and top two receivers (Luther Huggins and Tavaris Capers) are gone, but they'll be easily replaced.
Defense: The defense didn't get any sort of pass rush and was crushed by injuries in the secondary. Now the issue is a very, very raw linebacking corps. The line should be the strength with experience, size and depth. A shutdown corner has to emerge and the young safeties have to make plays right away. Someone has to get to the quarterback after only generating 14 sacks.
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Sept. 24 - Louisville (10-1, 6-1 in Big East) – Offense: Talk about reloading. Louisville loses all-star quarterback Stefan LeFors, NFL-caliber, 20-touchdown running back Eric Shelton, and 73-catch receiver J.R. Russell, but should be just as strong as the offense that was the nation's best last year. There's plenty of talent returning and several great options among the reserves to keep the party rolling. QB Brian Brohm will instantly become one of the nation's top quarterbacks now that he's the full-time starter. The Cards are loaded with talented running backs and receivers and blessed with one of the nation's deepest and most athletic lines. However, the party could crash if Brohm gets hurt with no experience behind him.---College Football---
Defense: The Louisville defense was overlooked last year due to the brilliance of the offense. The Cardinal D ranked number one in Conference USA in almost every category and finished second in pass defense. It won't be quite as strong this year replacing three starters in the secondary, some stars on the line and leader and top tackler Robert McCune. Even so, it's a very fast, very athletic defense that should rank near the top of most Big East categories.---College Football---
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Oct. 1 – at Miami (10-1, 7-1 in ACC) – Offense: The Cane offense is long on great prospects, but short on proven production. Unlike last year when the attack relied on experience over potential, players like QB Kyle Wright, RB Tyrone Moss and WR Lance Leggett have more excitement around them and have more NFL potential. Moss and Leggett have given a glimpse of what they can do, but Wright, or Kirby Freeman, has to show the maturity and poise to handle one of college football's most glamorous and highly scrutinized positions. The offensive line will be more than solid, but it needs Eric Winston and Tyler McMeans to return to pre-injury form.---College Football---
Defense: This will be one of the best defenses in the country, if not the best. The only concern is with a run defense that was surprisingly soft last year allowing 155 yards per game. If that's tightened up, this will be a killer with 11 players returning who started six or more games last year. That doesn't include superstar Devin Hester taking over the full-time job at one of the corners. The linebacking corps has the potential to be one of Miami's best ever.---College Football---
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Oct. 15 – at Pittsburgh (9-2, 6-1 in Big East) – Offense: There will be a slight shift in the offense from Walt Harris West Coast offense to more of a balanced, running style under offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh. Even so, there are more than enough weapons to have an explosive air attack with QB Tyler Palko, WRs Greg Lee and Joe DelSardo, and a fantastic tight end pair of Erik Gill and Steve Buches to keep the nation's 24th best passing offense going. The ground game won't be 105th in the nation again with a loaded backfield soon to be led by freshman sensation Rashad Jennings. The line is experienced, but it needs to be more consistent.---College Football---
Defense: Inconsistent throughout last year and average against the pass, there's hope for improvement with the return of seven starters and a truckload of depth. The strength is the back seven led by a linebacking corps that has several talented options to work with. The secondary has good corners in Josh Lay and Darrelle Revis, but they have to be better at not giving up the deep ball. The front four will be a concern if a reliable pass rusher doesn't develop.
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Oct. 22 - West Virginia (7-4, 5-2 in Big East) – Offense: Expect a major step back from Big East's number two offense of last year with almost all the skill positions going through a major overhaul hurt by a woeful lack of experience at quarterback and receiver. The running game will be up to the normally high Mountaineer standards with three good backs (Jason Colson, Pernell Williams and Erick Phillips) operating behind a good, veteran line. The winner of the three-man quarterback derby will have to be razor-sharp until the receiving corps comes around.---College Football---
Defense: The defense had a strong year, but it has to replace some major players including all-everything corner Adam "Pac Man" Jones. Even so, the secondary is the strength of the defense with three solid All-Big East candidates in FS Jahmile Addae, S Mike Lorello and CB Anthony Mims. The front three will be a rock with 295-pound veterans ready to hold the line. The question mark is at linebacker where tough backups have to become reliable starters. There's solid depth everywhere.---College Football---
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Nov. 5 – at Rutgers (5-6, 2-5 in Big East) – Offense: QB Ryan Hart will once again lead one of the nation's most productive passing attacks with a loaded receiving corps highlighted by Tres Moses and tight end Clark Harris. Can the attack actually produce points on a regular basis? It struggled wildly with consistency and turnovers while getting nothing from a ground game that averaged 2.5 yards per carry and 83 yards per game. There's way too much experience in the backfield to have a repeat disaster.---College Football---
Defense: It's an interesting mix of talents and strengths with a great group of ends led by Ryan Neill and an experience linebacking corps, but there has been little in the way of overall results. With many newcomers to the mix last year in key spots, things got rocky finishing 104th in the nation in total defense and 88th in scoring D. The biggest area of improvement should be the secondary where Derrick Roberson and Joe Porter are good looking corners who should be over most of their struggles.---College Football---
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Nov. 12 – at Syracuse (5-6, 4-3 in Big East) – Offense: The offense struggled way too much failing to get anything going in the passing game and finishing 100th in the nation in passing. Quarterbacks Perry Patterson and Joe Fields have to be more consistent, but they also need help with a young receiving corps that could struggle early on. The attack is being changed up a bit to throw it more in a West Coast attack, so the opportunities will be there. The offensive line is decent, but non-descript.---College Football---
Defense: The hiring of Greg Robinson as head coach should do nothing but help a defense that slipped into the abyss finishing 101st in the nation. There was little production against the run, nothing happening against the pass, and few clutch stops. There should be an improvement with a ton of returning experience led by a good-looking front seven. The corner is in the secondary where the corners have to make more plays after getting repeatedly torched last season.
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Nov. 19 - Cincinnati (3-8, 1-6 in Big East) – Offense: Last year's experienced offense averaged 406 yards and 29 points per game, and now just about everyone needs to be replaced. The backfield will be solid with redshirt freshman QB Dustin Grutza looking ready to be a more-than-capable fill-in for Gino Guidugli. There are enough running backs to come up with a steady rotation, but they're going to have a hard time early on behind a developing line. The receiving corps has potential if a number one target emerges.---College Football---
Defense: Outside of the 70-7 loss to Louisville, the defense was solid last season allowing 341 yards and 27 points per game. Eight starters need to be replaced with some major holes on the front seven. Fortunately, the Bearcats have a solid defensive coaching staff. The linebacking corps has no experience whatsoever and a pass rush has to develop. The secondary will be good if John Bowie grows into a steady corner.---College Football---
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Nov. 26 – at Connecticut (6-5, 3-4 in Big East) – Offense: All the focus is on the quarterback situation where Matt Bonislawski and D.J. Hernandez will try to replace heart-and-soul leader Dan Orlovsky, but the winner of the derby will be more than capable of putting up big numbers. The backfield is the best in the Big East with Terry Caulley returning from a knee injury to join defending Big East rushing champion Cornell Brockington. The receiving corps is more than solid despite some key losses. And then there's the offensive line. The interior could be a nightmare early, there aren't any true tackles and there's no depth whatsoever.---College Football---
Defense: Is this the Big East's best defense? It'll be close with a deep and experienced front four and secondary. While the numbers are there as far as good retuning players, the star quality is gone with the departure of LBs Alfred Fincher and Maurice Lloyd along with CB Justin Perkins. Even so, don't expect much of a drop-off from the D that finished 27th in the nation last year unless there's a major fallout from losing five players to suspension due to the shooting of a vehicle window with a pellet gun.---College Football---
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2005-10-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Perspective Piece
Louisville vs. West Virginia, Oct. 15---college football---

By Matthew Zemek---college football---

The word “respect” is often overused as a motivator in a college football game. Teams will often claim they’re being disrespected, even when they’re swimming in publicity and immersed in national media buzz. Ballclubs generate emotion and manufacture incentives for performance from within, creating the appearance of an “us against the world” attitude even if the world really isn’t set against them.---college football---

But on Saturday in Morgantown, in the Big East Conference game of the year, respect will very much be on the line. R-E-S-P-E-C-T will mean a lot to the Cards and Mountaineers—and their league—when they take the field before ABC cameras.---college football---
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What’s interesting about the bigger backdrop to this contest is the way in which the quality of these two teams is inherently linked to the prestige and stature of the Big East. Louisville needs the Big East to be special in order for the Cards to be considered an upper-tier team on the national college football landscape. West Virginia needs the Big East to be good because the Mountaineer program—like other mainstays in the conference—feels understandably upset at the defections of Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College, who valued the benjamins over longstanding relationships in the Northeastern United States, abruptly undercutting West Virginia and other league schools in the process. This injustice means the Mountaineers need Louisville to be seen as a big-time team, a bearer of new credibility to the conference. Six and a half months after these two schools played one of the most memorable basketball games in NCAA Tournament history, they’ll want each other to do well on the football field... but not well enough to win this game outright. ---college football---
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If each team is to earn true respect from the wider college football community this Saturday, the challenges are rather clear for the Cards and Mountaineers, as are the means by which those challenges need to be met. For Louisville, the challenge is proving that the road can be handled... no, not the road to a BCS bowl berth—just road games. UL struggled mightily at Kentucky and then got thrashed by 31 at the not-so-threatening confines of Raymond James Stadium against the South Florida Bulls. In their third road game of 2005, the Cards need to show that they won’t fold under the slightest amount of heat, and in Morgantown, they’ll face their most hostile road environment of the season. Louisville has an abundance of weapons; the only issue is if the Cardinals wilt if even the slightest hardship comes their way in the early going. If they sputter in the first ten minutes as they did in Tampa a few weeks back, will Brian Brohm and the rest of his teammates mentally check out of the game, or will they stand their ground and attempt to grind out a victory? That’s the supremely relevant question for Bobby Petrino’s bunch.---college football---

West Virginia’s challenge is to blend potency with ball security. The Mountaineers have not shown an ability to consistently stretch defenses with downfield passing in 2005, nor have they been able to avoid coughing up the pill. Rich Rodriguez’ offense has a pair of agile running quarterbacks in Adam Bednarik and Pat White, and a number of tough running backs led by Steve Slaton. But if West Virginia can’t take the threat of a rushing attack and use it to get a few big home run passes against the Cards, Louisville—blessed with more firepower—will likely prevail.---college football---
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One way or another, Louisville and West Virginia are both fighting for respect on Saturday. Louisville needs to show that the South Florida debacle was an aberration. West Virginia needs to show it’s on par with the new kid on the conference block, displaying a level of excellence that hasn’t yet come forth this season.
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Both teams hope for a well-played game that will reflect well on the Big East as a whole, but in the end, the ultimate measure of respect is gained by victory, and that’s what the Cards and Mountaineers will desperately seek this Saturday. After all, the only way this game does not wind up deciding an Orange Bowl berth is if South Florida runs the table. Respect goes to winners in considerable amounts, but to conference champions in even greater measure. Two programs with something to prove will have everything to fight for in Morgantown. Respect is only the beginning.---college football---

2005-10-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

PSU's resurgence good for football

By NEIL RUDEL

For the Pocono Record

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State's resurgence is positive for college football interest well beyond Happy Valley, according to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. - College Football -

"I don't think there's any question," Delany said prior to the start of the Nittany Lions' 17-10 win over Ohio State on Saturday night. "We've got three programs in particular in this conference (PSU, Ohio State, Michigan) that have been national programs for 25, 30 years and in some cases longer. When any one of our programs which has historically been an elite team is not an elite team it creates a lot of angst on that campus and nationally.

"To have Penn State back in the mainstream is very healthy not only for Penn State and the Big Ten but also for college football," Delany said. - College Football -

The league's balance was in clear evidence Saturday as Northwestern dealt Wisconsin its first loss, and Minnesota won at Michigan.

"It's pretty obvious we don't have a bad football team," Delany said. "Illinois probably has the weakest record, and they went out to Cal and were ahead 17-7 at halftime. I don't see a bad team." That is more important to Delany than perhaps having one clear-cut favorite contending for the national title each year. - College Football -

"We might have eight-nine teams in the Top 30 that keep knocking each other off," he said. "That may affect where the highest-ranked Big Ten team would be. We have a very healthy middle class offootball teams. Nobody expected Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State to be as good as they are.

"The goal is not to create a situation where one team dominates. The goal is to create programs that can compete on a national level." Delany remains against expansion and doesn't see the Big Ten moving toward two divisions and a championship game. - College Football -

ALMOST RECORD CROWD

Almost record crowd Unlike four previous home games, there were virtually no tickets for sale outside Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Attendance was announced at 109,839, the second-largest in PSU history behind Nebraska's visit in 2002 that drew 110,753. - College Football -

"The crowd was great," PSU receiver Deon Butler said. "Their offense was calling timeouts; they couldn't hear things. Their defenders sometimes were trying to yell checks to each other and couldn't hear them. The crowd definitely got us going. It's crazy becomes it almost goes from dead silence to pure pandemonium." Joe Paterno visited some of the students who camped out in tents during the week.

"The students were absolutely unbelievable," he said. "In all the years I have been here, I have never seen more spontaneous enthusiasm." - College Football -

MEDIA HORDE

A total of 593 media credentials were issued, nearly 150 more than last week's game with Minnesota. They were split among additional writers and photographers. - College Football -

ESPN also made use of SkyCam, a camera on wires tethered above the field on a series of cables.

PERSONNEL UPDATE

Dan Connor made his first start of the season at linebacker, replacing Tyrell Sales ... Andrew Richardson made his first start of the season, replacing injured right tackle John Wilson, who is out for the year ... Lance Antolick started once again at center but was replaced in the second quarter by E.Z. Smith ... With defensive back and holder Paul Cronin suspended for disciplinary reasons, Jason Ganter has become the No. 1 holder ...

Linebacker Sean Lee saw his first career action tonight, making him the seventh true freshman to play for Penn State this season. - College Football -

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Penn State won the game despite punting four times in the fourth quarter and getting a total of 11 first downs ... Calvin Lowry's interception, returned 36 yards to the OSU 2 in the second quarter, was the seventh of his career ... PSU's eight-game winning streak, dating back to last season, is the third-longest in the country behind USC (27) and Texas (12) ... Penn State's win over the No. 6 Buckeys marks the highest ranked opponent that the Nittany Lions have defeated since beating No. 4 ranked Arizona in the 1999 Pigskin Classic. In addition, it is the first Top 10 team that Penn State has defeated since beating No. 8 Nebraska in 2002 ... The last time Penn State won when gaining 195 yards of total offense or less was when the Lions gained 162 yards in the 14-10 1987 Fiesta Bowl win over Miami. - College Football -

2005-10-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PACKAGE: How do you contain USC? Bellotti and Nutt have some ideas

ANNE M. PETERSON

Associated Press

The 14th-ranked Arizona State could heed the words of Oregon coach Mike Bellotti when it comes to containing Southern California. - College Football -

There are two main things an opponent needs to do, he said.

First: "Contain Reggie Bush." And: "Pressure Matt Leinart."

OK, so those things are a lot easier said than done.

Leinart is second in the nation and leading the Pac-10 in efficiency, completing 67.8 percent of his passes. The Heisman Trophy winner has thrown 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Bush is ranked third nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 212 a game. He is averaging 111 yards rushing. - College Football -

The Ducks (3-1, 0-1) went up 13-0 against USC last Saturday, but the Trojans (3-0, 1-0) then took command, scoring the rest of the way for a 45-13 victory.

Oregon, which was ranked going into the game, fell out of the polls afterward. USC, like it has for 23 straight rolls, stood firmly above the rest.

Next up for Bush and Leinart are the Sun Devils, who are coming off a 42-24 victory over Oregon State (2-2, 0-1) in their conference opener. - College Football -

Arizona State (3-1, 1-0) has its own pair of stars. Sam Keller has 16 touchdown passes with only two picks, while Derek Hagan holds school career records in receptions and receiving yards.

Arkansas coach Houston Nutt warned not to throw too much at USC's two biggest names.

"They're tough to defend. You put so much emphasis on Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and then they have receivers and tight ends," Nutt said. - College Football -

Nutt called the Trojans "the best offensive team I've seen." The Razorbacks were a 70-17 victim.

USC is averaging 615.7 yards of total offense to rank second nationally and ASU is fourth with a 591.8-yard average. Additionally, the Trojans have outscored opponents 178-47. Arizona State, including a close 35-31 loss to LSU, has a 188-96 advantage. - College Football -

Beavers coach Mike Riley said he likes the offensive matchup between the Sun Devils and the Trojans, given the numbers.

"I like their (the Sun Devils') opportunity," Riley said. "If they can make the most of it, we'll find out." - College Football -

The game is set for Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

2005-09-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

JC FOOTBALL: 3-quarter meltdown costs Mendo College

JEFF CASPERSEN\The Daily Journal

UKIAH Last week, Mendocino College dazzled in its final three quarters after looking atrocious in the first while beating College of the Redwoods 42-31.

On Saturday, the Eagles offense started strong and fell off the face of the Earth in quarters two through four. Diablo Valley College (2-1) capitalized, rebounding from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to top host Mendocino 17-16 in a down-to-the-wire defensive affair. - College Football -

Freshman quarterback Dayton Edwards and the Mendocino College offense had no trouble moving up and down the field in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game.

Brad Cintas capped a 10-play, 54-yard opening drive with a 1-yard TD run at the 9:22 mark in the first.

Moments later, Edwards connected with Ryan McCullough on a 52-yard scoring strike. Edwards eluded heavy pressure before dumping off a mid-length pass to McCullough over the middle. The big receiver darted past several defenders, closed in on the left sideline and hugged it all the way to the endzone. - College Football -

That was the last time the Mendocino offense would see the endzone. The defense added a third-quarter safety, but that was the last of the points the Eagles (1-2) would put on the scoreboard.

That didn't mean Mendocino didn't have its opportunities to score. The Eagles' safety was set up by a failed march that ended a yard short of paydirt.

Diablo Valley's defense came up with a huge goal-line stand on the opening drive of the second half. Starting from their own 12-yard line, the Eagles advanced all the way to the DVC 1, where, with 12:25 to go, the visiting Vikings kept their opponents out of the endzone on a fourth-down running try.

From there on, it all unraveled for Mendocino. A fumbled punt, an Edwards' interception and a series of failed offensive drives plagued the hosts as DVC posted TDs in both the third and fourth quarters to complete its comeback. - College Football -

"There's nothing to say. We gave up the game," said a fiery and frustrated Eagles head coach Tom Gang after the game. "We just made too many mistakes. We were the betterfootball team here today."

Vikings running back Jason Palmer, who finished with 90 yards on 26 carries, pounded home each of his team's TDs on short runs.

Edwards finished the day 11-of-35 for 230 yards, but faded down the stretch, missing on 22 of his last 27 tosses. Marcus Hansen was the quarterback's favorite target of the day as DVC's secondary keyed in on fellow wideout Robert Kirvin. Hansen had four receptions for 107 yards.

Running back Brent Barstow saw a fair share of carries early before the Eagles went primarily to their passing game. He racked up 43 yards on 14 takes. - College Football -

The Mendocino defense held up well, putting heavy pressure on DVC quarterbacks. Adrian Dunn and Jo'Dane Craigman were busting through the Viking line with regularity, each in on several sacks. Gary Norris had the Eagles' lone interception.

Mendocino College will attempt to climb back to the .500 mark at De Anza College (Cupertino) next Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. - College Football -

2005-09-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

New legion of fans idolize Ol' Ball Coach

Tania Deluzuriaga and Steve Elling
Sentinel Staff Writers

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- There are T-shirts proclaiming "In Steve We Trust," billboards bragging that he's in town and a Spurrier Cocktail that claims to be "just a little tart."

Earlier this week, The State, South Carolina's largest newspaper, had two stories on the front page: Hurricane Katrina and Steve Spurrier. - College Football -
No doubt South Carolina has gone Spurrier crazy, and the man hasn't even won a game yet.

Spurrier is the new coach at a school that has one conference title in 111 full seasons of football, but that hasn't kept South Carolina fans from taking a leap of faith.

"True Carolina fans know that it's probably realistic to expect them to win seven or eight games this year," said Jim Adams, a junior at the university. "But some expect him to take us to the Promised Land right away." - College Football -

Seeking to make his mark in a program with an uninspired history, Spurrier, 60, makes his South Carolina coaching debut tonight against UCF in an atmosphere that falls somewhere between outright idolatry and slobbering devotion.

Fans are looking at Spurrier like a messiah in a visor. But there's a fine line between having delusions of grandeur and being downright delusional.

"He's the best coach in the country, maybe history," said Byron Sill, 30. "He's like a genius."

Despite his lifelong devotion, Sill never bothered to buy a Gamecocks jersey until Wednesday when he dropped into Todd & Moore, a sports apparel store in downtown Columbia. Since Spurrier signed on last November, store manager Tim Robertson said expectations aren't the only thing that's booming -- so is his business. - College Football -

Inside the store, there are no fewer than seven T-shirt designs dedicated to the visor-clad coach, including one with the line Spurrier ripped off the Boston Red Sox last spring, "Why not us?"

"It would be hard to put a dollar sign on it," Robertson said Wednesday. "But interest at this point would be higher than I've ever seen before. From my perspective, it's the biggest story in the NCAA right now."

South Carolina fans are hoping Spurrier will be as successful against SEC competition as he was in a dozen years at the helm of the Florida Gators, where he won six conference titles and a national championship in the 1996 season. - College Football -

His pedigree as an offensive mastermind notwithstanding, South Carolina fans might remember him best for his 10-0 record against the Gamecocks.

"I know that he used to beat the [expletive] out of us every time," Adams said.

Who hasn't?

The school played its first game in 1892, losing 44-0. Some might call it foreshadowing. In more than a century of football since, the Gamecocks are 500-507-44, mediocrity defined.

Now fans say they believe Spurrier can succeed where others have failed, often in spectacular fashion. Past coaches include Paul Dietzel and Lou Holtz, who won national titles at Louisiana State and Notre Dame, respectively, before striking out in Columbia. Holtz left with a thud last year, finishing 6-5 after a season-ending brawl with rival Clemson. The school also is in hot water for multiple NCAA violations committed during Holtz's watch.

Through thin and thinner, South Carolina fans always have been loyal, filling the stadium every Saturday. This year, the school has sold a school-record 62,618 season tickets.

When students lined up to claim their allotted 11,000 game passes, the line formed three hours before the window opened. - College Football -

"A lot of people sold their season tickets last year because they didn't have a good season," said Harry Drew, 58, of North, S.C. "And now they're knocking on that door."

Copyright © 2005, Orlando Sentinel

2005-08-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

West Virginia Mountaineers at Syracuse Orangemen
Brian Covert

Line: Syracuse is a 1 ½-point favorite for Sunday’s game
Total: Oddsmakers have set the total at 44 ½-points

The Syracuse Orangemen and the West Virginia Mountaineers will hit the ground running Sunday when they meet in a key Big East contest in their season opener at the Carrier Dome. This has West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez concerned.

”Oh, I`d rather play non-conference games first, no question,” Rodriguez told reporters Monday. “Especially with a young team [like this]. I`d be lying if I didn`t say I`d rather be opening up with somebody easy at home.”

The Mountaineers lost eight offensive and six defensive starters from last year’s squad that went 8-4.

The big question is at quarterback where redshirt freshman Pat White has reportedly won the starter’s job from sophomore Adam Bednarik. West Virginia does return starting tailback Jason Colson who ran for 113 yards in the Mountaineers 27-6 win over the Orangemen as 15-point favorites at home last October.

2005-08-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Classes to begin at college Monday

WAYNESBURG – Freshmen will move into their residence halls Friday and prepare for the start of classes Monday. This year, Waynesburg College will welcome about 238 female students and 158 male students. - College Football -

As the students arrive, some new faces will welcome them. Waynesburg College has created new positions this year to further enhance the services offered. The new full-time staff positions include Richard Belcastro, director of organizational recruitment; Lynda Bradley, placement & certification coordinator for the education department; and Heidi Watson, assistant director of college relations/admissions counselor.

Head football coach Richard Shepas has come to Waynesburg from Massillon, Ohio, to lead the Yellow Jackets football team this year. As a high school football coach in Massillon, he coached a perennial playoff contender. Christopher Albrecht will serve as a full-time assistant football coach. Stephanie Szabo was hired as the assistant athletic director/head women's volleyball coach. - College Football -

Last year, many resident directors took positions elsewhere after serving in the live-in resident director position for an average of three years – a fairly long time for that position in higher education. The new resident directors for this year are Hannah Dorean, Joshua Fashure, Adam Jones and Chaley Popelas.

Jeffrey Graham has been hired as the educational support services coordinator, and the new full-time faculty are Martin Cockroft, assistant professor of English; Jeffrey Elias, assistant professor of chemistry; and Elizabeth Wang, assistant professor of computer science.

In addition to the new faces of faculty and staff are new majors and updated technology. This year, Waynesburg College will offer a new major in biblical and ministries studies. This new major reflects the movement of the college toward its Christian roots and is unique to similar majors at other colleges. Students majoring in biblical and ministries studies can specialize in media ministry, religion and philosophy, international mission, music ministry, children and youth ministry and drama ministry options. Waynesburg College is one of the first colleges in the country to offer a major in media ministry.

Another addition to the curriculum comes through the English major. Students majoring in English can now choose the writing and Christian faith option through either creative writing or nonfiction. This option allows students to explore their own beliefs while learning writing skills and reading literature. - College Football -

Returning students will not only notice the new curriculum updates along with the new faces of faculty and staff, but also will note the significant technological upgrades.

Waynesburg College has upgraded three computer labs with all new hardware and devices, expanded wireless access to the Internet into all of academic buildings, increased the availability of Web resources for faculty for instruction and advising through Internet technology and increased security for the residence hall network by upgrading the registration process to scan not only for vulnerabilities, but also for anti-virus software, spyware detection and system upgrades. - College Football -

Observer Publishing

2005-08-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

College Preview: Penix eager to play

Charles Penix turned in a outstanding performance in the 2004 Kentucky-Tennessee All-Star game that earned him most valuable player honors and only increased his anticipation of starting his college football career at Eastern Kentucky. However, Penix just missed meeting the standard to be academically eligible at Eastern and decided to play at Campbellsville.
The former Danville all-state running back sat out last season and concentrated on his academics. It paid off as he had a 3.3 grade-point average the first semester and a 2.8 the second semester. - College Football -
During the off-season, coach Mark Peach left and Campbellsville hired Jim Deaton, who was part of five national championships while an assistant at his alma mater, Carson-Newman. "The new coaching staff has indicated they are ready to see me play," Penix said. "They said I should be able to come in and contribute right away. I liked hearing that."
The Tigers lost only one running back off a 6-5 team. "It is the most skilled position we have," Penix said. "That will make everyone, including myself, work harder for playing time."
Deaton told Penix this year's team will run more of an option attack.
"He said he would run a two-back set and throw short passes to the wing backs," Penix said. "He said he would open the field up more with the deep pass. It sounds like a fun offense to run."
Not opposed to moving to defense - College Football -
Penix said if things don't work out on offense, he wouldn't be opposed to moving to defense. "We lost a pair of safeties from our team last year and I wouldn't mind playing back there. I just want to show what I can do," Penix said.
He said after not playing last year, he had a few inquiries from other teams. But he insists he's happy right where he is. - College Football -
"The coaches have been behind me 100 percent," Penix said. "They think I can play right away. I still have to prove to myself that I can contribute. If I do that, who knows what will develop."
Penix has set some lofty goals. "Off the field, I want to graduate on time," he said. "On the field, beating Georgetown and Cumberland will still be major accomplishments. They are both still stacked with players. We also can't overlook Lambuth. We want to go as far as we can in the playoffs, but we still have to beat those teams just to make the playoffs."

HAL MORRIS
The Advocate-Messenger

2005-08-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Seahawks Notebook: Maybe Hackett can hack it
WR making strides in second year

CHENEY -- The first college D.J. Hackett played at dropped football.
What happened at Cal-State Northridge after Hackett's sophomore season could double as a punch line, given the difficulty Seahawks receivers have had holding onto the ball.
However, that easy joke is an inaccurate description of Hackett, a second-year receiver.
"He's got good hands," said Nolan Cromwell, Seahawks wide receivers coach. "That's one thing. He does a nice job catching the ball." - College Football -
Hackett has left fingerprints all over the first two weeks of training camp. He caught a 15-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck on third down in a red-zone drill during the morning practice on Tuesday. It was one of three passes he caught in a 20-minute window of what is looking like a promising preseason. - College Football -
"He is one of our deep-ball threats," coach Mike Holmgren said. "He is a very fluid guy and he has good speed. He is tall. He has good size."
Hackett is 6-foot-2, a fifth-round draft choice in 2004 who was never really healthy as a rookie and never got into a game. In his second season, he has a better idea of what's in front of him.
"He has always had to learn the urgency and how fast you have to play in this league," Holmgren said. "Because he can play fast." - College Football -
Coming out of San Dimas High School in Southern California, Hackett said his football coach told colleges not to bother asking about football. Hackett was going to play basketball. That shut down interest from football programs, Hackett said.
"I wondered why all the scouts weren't calling anymore," Hackett said. "Apparently, he told them that."
By then, Cal-State Northridge was the only school left with a scholarship. Hackett red-shirted his first season there, played two years and then the football program was discontinued. He transferred to Colorado, where he played two seasons. As a senior he caught 78 passes for 1,013 yards. - College Football -
Drafted in the fifth round last year, he suffered a groin injury in training camp. He was inactive for the first seven games and placed on injured reserve for the final nine.
Hackett stayed in Seattle this summer, and Hasselbeck discovered he was an eager target. Hackett, Jerheme Urban and Jerramy Stevens turned the tables on Hasselbeck, asking him if he wanted to throw passes. In the past, it has been Hasselbeck trying to find someone to catch his throws. - College Football -
"Usually, I beg," Hasselbeck said. "This offseason was different. They would ask me."
That sense of urgency has flowed into training camp.
"He's working harder than he has in the past," Cromwell said, "just learning to practice with the tempo and trying to live up the expectations we have for him." - College Football -

DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

2005-07-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Pair of Eagles make college picks

A pair of Douglass High football standouts made their college choices this week.
Matt Reid announced that he will attend Syracuse University and will play cornerback for the Orangemen next season. Marcus Barnett, who transferred from St. John's (D.C.) to Douglass in February, is headed to Cincinnati. - College Football -
Reid will join former Douglass star and 2003 Star/Gazette All-County first-team selection Quinton Brown, who is entering his sophomore season with the Orangemen. Brown was one of two true freshmen to play in every game of the 2004 season for Syracuse and had five receptions. - College Football -
Reid starred at safety, corner and receiver during the Eagles' 2004 run that ended with a loss to Lackey in the 3A state semifinals. Reid always seemed to be around the ball on defense and was also one of his squad's leading receivers with six receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Reid had 75 tackles, six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.
Reid said he is excited to be heading to Syracuse, which finished 6-6 (4-2, tied for 1st in Big East Conference) last season and lost to Georgia Tech in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
Reid said he made his decision Saturday. - College Football -
"I chose Syracuse because it was the top academic school of all the other schools [Rutgers, Kent State and Akron] that offered me a scholarship," Reid said. "I have a good chance of playing early there too. I like their facilities also. At the beginning of the summer, I told myself that I wanted to make a decision before two-a-days. I talked to Quinton and he congratulated me and told me that he can't wait for me to get up there so he can [outplay] me in practice."
Douglass coach J.C. Pinkney thinks highly of Reid, who he said has a distinctive approach.
"Matt's a very serious kid," Pinkney said. "He always been a big-play [player] for us. No matter how big the game was, he always seemed to elevate his game that much higher for us. He's been unbelievably reliable for us in his career." - College Football -
Barnett transferred from St. John's (D.C.) to Douglass in February and first drew Pinkney's attention on the basketball court. Pinkney said Barnett's game speaks for itself.
"It's evident that he was well ahead of his time," Pinkney raved. "He brought me his [highlight] tape and didn't have quite enough tape to show recruiters. But when I saw his tape I knew that he was definitely an [NCAA] Division I player. He went to Cincinnati's day camp [in late June] and they offered him a scholarship immediately." - College Football -
Cincinnati will be in its first season in the Big East this fall after leaving Conference USA. The Bearcats went 7-5 last fall (tied for second in Conference USA) and earned a 32-14 victory against Marshall in the Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl. Louisville and South Florida also defected from Conference USA to the Big East this season.
"I liked the campus and the coaches and everybody seemed all right, and they are getting a lot of new facilities, and there's a good opportunity to play early. [Coming to Douglass] it's not a hard transition. It's a transition that's easy to get used to because you have great coaches and great people surrounding you." - College Football -
Barnett comes off a solid junior season for St. John's, where he caught 14 passes for 209 yards and had a rushing touchdown last fall. Before heading off to college, Reid, Barnett and the rest of Douglass' players will tackle a new set of opponents this fall. Reclassification moved the Upper Marlboro school from 3A to 4A, where the Eagles will join one of the most rigorous football leagues in the state. The County 4A league has produced four of the last six state 4A champions.
Reid said the move will be a good one. Pinkney added that he hopes Reid and Barnett can give opponents headaches all season. - College Football -
"I'm expecting great things from them," Pinkney said. "They are both weapons that we definitely plan to use. Matt was our leading receiver last year and Marcus gives us another threat offensively. With those guys both on the field, they're both going to demand a lot of attention."

Terron Hampton
Staff Writer

2005-07-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

College football: BCS has new poll to use in formula

NEW YORK — The Bowl Championship Series has a new poll, one that begins about a month into the season and will include former coaches and players, plus media members.
Called the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, it will rank the top 25 teams on a weekly basis, starting Sept. 25. - College Football -
Plans call for 114 voters. About 80 percent will be former players, coaches and administrators, and about 20 percent will be current media members.
Approximately 70 percent of the voters have been lined up.
The BCS has said it would like to see the elimination of preseason polls, which some observers believe give highly touted teams an unfair head start in the rankings.
"This allows for some games to be played in the current season rather than allow teams to be ranked purely on preseason expectations," said Kevin Weiberg, BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner, during a conference call yesterday. - College Football -
The season's first BCS standings will be released Oct. 17.
The Harris Interactive poll replaces The Associated Press poll, which the BCS had used in its formula for ranking teams since 1998. In December, the AP told the BCS to stop using its media poll, which starts Aug. 20. - College Football -
The other elements of the BCS poll remain the same — the USA Today coaches poll (ESPN has withdrawn its sponsorship of the poll) and a compilation of six computer rankings — and the standings will be computed the same way as they were last season, with equal weight given to each of the three components. - College Football -
The coaches agreed to have their final individual ballots made public for the first time this season. The new Harris poll will take the same approach, not releasing individual voting until the final ballots. - College Football -
"We thought it was important for there to be consistency with the two human polls," Weiberg said. "To make the ballots public on a weekly basis during the season, we feel the focus would be on who voted for whom and detract from the games being played."

The Associated Press and The Orlando Sentinel

2005-07-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Summer Leaves Football Fans Wanting Fall

Ironically, the statewide tax holiday season - and the weeks that ensue - may be the most taxing time of year for sports fans.
If only one of those sleek generators could produce the electricity of a college football Saturday or Friday night prep playoff game. As it stands, we're left to aimlessly navigate our sports channels' bland summer programming.
Tour de France? A gagging contestant at the Nathan's Famous hot-dog eating contest? The Devil Rays gagging in the eighth?
Frankly, I'd rather watch a stack of spare plywood decompose.
The dog days of summer continue to linger, meaning there's a litter of drab sports offerings on the immediate horizon. NFL preseason games don't kick off until early August, which is roughly the same time college players will smack their first blocking dummy.
Early August? For us card-carrying members of this nation's football-adoring legion, that seems an eternity from now. Until the first NFL preseason game (Indianapolis vs. Atlanta, Aug. 6), the days will drag like a celebrity trial.
Amid the swoon, we're left with few options. We can gripe, grouse, grumble - or gaze ahead.
Nothing screams for a few bold football predictions like a humid July day.
So in accordance with The Tampa Tribune's commitment to public service, here are a few forecasts for the 2005 prep, college and pro football seasons.
Consider it a respite from your exposure to the Rays' bullpen.
Bummed, But Bowl Eligible
Steve Spurrier will go 6-5 in his first season as South Carolina's coach, losing to Florida in a nationally televised prime-time game Nov. 12. In that contest, a true freshman will start at quarterback for the Gamecocks.
Under first-year coach Urban Meyer, Florida will finish 9-2, with its two losses resulting from deficiencies at linebacker and tailback. The site of those defeats - LSU and Alabama.
Under first-year coach Jay Fulmer, Gulf High will finish 5-5, avoiding a losing season for only the second time since 1993.
Freshman Xavier Lee will start at quarterback for Florida State when it opens the season at home against Miami on Labor Day, but classmate Drew Weatherford also will play. The Seminoles will try to protect their rookies behind center with a methodical running attack, but Miami will win a low-scoring grudge match in sophomore quarterback Kyle Wright's starting debut.
Tight end Alex Smith will have the most significant impact of the Buccaneers' rookies, while tailback Carnell ``Cadillac'' Williams misses at least three games with an injury and fails to run for 900 yards.
Pasco will come within a game of reaching the Class 3A state final.
Here Come The Gators
Land O' Lakes will win the newly aligned Class 5A-District 5.
Ron Zook will win his first two games as Illinois coach, then drop eight in a row. The fan base will really start making ``Illi-noise'' when Zook's club squanders a fourth- quarter lead in an Oct. 8 loss at Indiana.
For the second season in a row, Hudson quarterback Kyle Hatcher will finish as Pasco County's leading passer. Pasco counterpart Tony Smith will finish as the county's leading rusher.
The second playoff spot in Class 3A-District 8 will be determined by a three-way tiebreaker when Hudson, Zephyrhills and Gulf each finish with 1-2 district records.
NFL coaches Mike Holmgren (Seattle), Jim Haslett (New Orleans), Dom Capers (Houston) and Mike Tice (Minnesota) will be unemployed by season's end.
The Bucs will finish 7-9, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Tampa Bay Online

2005-07-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Numbers don't lie: UK playing catch-up

A Top 21 countdown designed to show the arithmophobic that numbers can be fun:
21. The number (according to my unofficial count) of Kentucky high school products on the rosters of out-of-state college football teams from BCS conferences: 28.
(Cincinnati has seven Kentuckians; Wake Forest five; Michigan four; Purdue three; Tennessee, Indiana and Northwestern have two each; Alabama, Notre Dame and Texas Tech one).
20. The number of Kentucky high-school football products that will enter fall camp at BCS schools listed as the starting quarterback: Four Ð Andre Woodson (North Hardin) at Kentucky; Brian Brohm (Trinity) at Louisville; Blake Powers (Meade County) at Indiana; Dustin Grutza (Mason County) at Cincinnati.
19. The number of Kentucky high-school products listed first-team on the depth chart (source: Phil Steele's College Football Preview) at the University of Kentucky: Seven.
18. The number of Kentucky high-school products listed first-team on the depth chart (source: Phil Steele's College Football Preview) at the University of Louisville: Four.
17. The number of Florida high-school products listed first team on the depth chart (source: Phil Steele's College Football Preview) at the University of Louisville: Eight.
16. The number of Florida high-school products listed first on the depth chart (source: Phil Steele's College Football Preview) at the University of Kentucky: One.
15. The number of former University of Louisville players listed on NFL rosters going into training camp (source: The Sporting News Pro Football preview): 18.
14. The number of former University of Kentucky players listed on NFL rosters going into training camp (source: The Sporting News Pro Football preview): 8.
13. An equation that helps explain why the University of Louisville has been consistently kicking the butt of the University of Kentucky at football: eighteen minus eight.
12. The number of football games won by the University of Kentucky in four seasons since Hal Mumme resigned amidst an NCAA investigation: 15 (with 31 losses).
11. The number of football games won by Hal Mumme in two seasons (at Division I-AA Southeast Louisiana) since he resigned at Kentucky amidst an NCAA investigation: 12 (with 11 losses).
10. The odds I'm laying that Mumme will be able to maintain a cordial, professional relationship with the media covering his new team at New Mexico State: nil.
9. The number of football games won by the University of Kentucky since Guy Morriss left UK for Baylor: Six (6-17).
9. (tie) The number of football games won by Guy Morriss since he went to Baylor from the University of Kentucky: Six (6-17).
7. Number of quality wins (in my opinion) recorded by the University of Kentucky since Guy Morriss left UK for Baylor: Zero.
6. Number of quality wins (in my opinion) recorded by Guy Morriss since he went to Baylor from the University of Kentucky: Two (victories over Colorado in 2003 and Texas A&M in 2004).
5. Sixty: As you read this, the exact number of days before Kentucky and Louisville kick it off in Commonwealth Stadium.
4. Since 1951, the number of seasons when the University of Kentucky has won eight or more football games in a season: Three.
3. Since 1999, the number of seasons when the University of Louisville has won eight or more football games in a season: Four.
(And, yes, that is explained in large part by U of L playing a much softer schedule; but it's also true that the Louisville of the Jurich era consistently makes better "football decisions" than Kentucky).
2. The ranking for Rich Brooks out of 12 SEC head football coaches according to The Sporting News SEC Preview: 12th.
(Not to descend into psycho-babble, but one hopes poor Brooks generates his self-esteem internally; the external reinforcement he's getting this summer is brutal).
1. The number of people hungrier than even Rich Brooks to see the Kentucky football coach use 2005 to prove the Multitude of Rich Brooks skeptics wrong: One.

Mark Story
HERALD-LEADER SPORTS COLUMNIST

2005-06-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

Preview mags get college football fans buzzing

To the casual sports fan, it may seem a tad early to be thinking about college football. But for the denizens of Car Flag Nation, pigskin is always in season. Once the bowl buffet has been cleared in January, it's on to recruiting, then spring football. June belongs to the preview annuals, which have begun crowding onto magazine racks. Packed with predictions, depth charts, schedules and trivia, these thick glossies clue fans in on everything from who's No. 1 (Southern California, duh) to how many air miles Utah State traveled in 2004 (23,338, give or take).

But buyer beware. What appears to be solid speculation in summer often goes stale by autumn. Here's the 2004 Athlon Sports preview's take on longtime Big East bully Miami as it moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference last year: "New conference, same result. The rest of the ACC should be looking up at Miami at the end of the season." Someone forgot to mention that to Virginia Tech and Florida State, which finished ahead of the Hurricanes in the ACC, and Virginia and North Carolina, which tied Miami for third.Louisville coach Bobby Petrino has been reading up on his team, which is coming off an 11-1 season and a school-record No. 6 finish in the Associated Press poll."I follow them," Petrino said in an e-mail response to a question. "It's fun to see what others think about where we are at as a football team. There is such a wide variety of predictions out there. We've been picked as high as fourth (in the nation) and as low as 24th."It's not only informative."It's entertaining reading for college football fans," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said this week from Lawrence. "It's not too long until September."Indeed, it's only a little more than nine weeks until Temple and Arizona State meet in the Thrilla on Mill Avenue Sept. 1. The magazines are aimed at fans but are also widely read by players and coaches, who find information, amusement and, sometimes, motivation. Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak said he'd pack a stack of previews when he sets out for a vacation later this month."As much as a coach, I'm a college football fan," Novak said this week from DeKalb, Ill. "That's part of my vacation reading. Honestly, I look at them to see if I might pick up something on an opponent."Mangino said he reads them to see what outsiders are saying about his Jayhawks. "You read about your program, and the next thing you do is read about the programs on your schedule," Mangino said. In a crowded and competitive market, the magazines seem to race to be the first onto the newsstand. In many cases, their deadlines fall before spring drills are completed, which means changes in depth charts and academic eligibility may not be reflected.While every preview aims for accuracy, sales are a high priority. According to the most recent Audit Bureau of Circulations survey, The Sporting News college football preview had a circulation of 167,616. Circulation figures for some preview magazines weren't available, and in other cases figures included NFL editions published by the same firm.With the previews battling for readers, it's no wonder that fan favorites such as USC and Oklahoma dominate the nationally circulated covers. Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, is portrayed on the cover of four national magazines available in the Valley. (Most of the annuals publish regionally targeted covers.)A reliance on star power means that lesser-known programs have to fight for attention. Consider Boise State, which challenged for a Bowl Championship Series berth last year and expects to do the same this season."I looked at one magazine, and they didn't even have us in the top 20," Broncos spokesman Max Corbet said from Boise, Idaho. "It's like, how do you do that? We've got 17 starters back from a team that finished 12th in the final 2004 AP poll."Before the 2003 season, Northern Illinois publicist Mike Korcek phoned one editor to pitch a cover story about Michael Turner, the leading returning rusher in Division I-A."I said, 'Can I send you some pictures of Michael Turner?' " Korcek recalled. "And she said, 'Who?' "The magazine ran cover photos of players from Notre Dame, Northwestern and Illinois, Korcek said. The snub didn't hurt Turner, who was drafted by San Diego in 2004. Elite programs don't need the publicity; USC would be able to recruit regardless of whether its players make the preview covers. But for lesser-known schools, a glowing write-up can be a useful tool. "Our coaches know that high school seniors are going to be reading these magazines, and they're going to be making decisions about where they're going to play," Corbet said. "It's real critical to get as much positive publicity as we can."Many of the previews take an upbeat approach. But some magazines have a harder edge. The Sporting News has created a stir by quoting anonymous coaches. One unidentified Big Ten coach ripped the Michigan Wolverines: "They are a physical team, and they are extremely talented, but they don't show up every week. I think they're pompous, over-recruited arrogant-type kids."Look for that clipping to turn up on the Wolverines' bulletin board this autumn."Some of it is quite critical," Novak said. "If it truly is from another coach, I wonder how that's being received around the league."
On a limbWhat the 2005 college football preview magazines are saying:
Where's Arizona State picked?Athlon Sports: No. 19 in nation. Second in Pac-10.Street & Smith's College Football: Unranked. Fifth in Pac-10.The Sporting News: No. 24 in nation. Third in Pac-10.Lindy's: No. 30 in nation. Fourth in Pac-10.Phil Steele: No. 22 in nation. Fourth in Pac-10.
Where's Arizona picked?Athlon: No. 68 in nation. Eighth in Pac-10.Street & Smith's College Football: Unranked. Tenth in Pac-10.The Sporting News: No. 80 in nation. Ninth in Pac-10.Lindy's: No. 54 in nation. Eighth in Pac-10.Phil Steele: No. 52 in nation. Tied-seventh in Pac-10.
What they're saying about the Sun Devils, Wildcats and Lumberjacks:ASU: "Arizona State's program has been a picture of inconsistency. Eight years have passed since the Devils put together back-to-back winning seasons. . . . This should be the season when ASU ends the roller coaster ride."- Athlon SportsArizona: "The positive change in attitude was probably the biggest change under (head coach Mike) Stoops last season after the John Mackovic debacle. They probably still won't beat the .500 mark this time, but another win or two is likely."- The Sporting NewsNorthern Arizona: "After a breakout 2003 season, Northern Arizona was the (Big Sky's) biggest disappointment in 2004. . . . Look for NAU to rebound behind the throwing arm of junior Jason Murrietta, who was the Big Sky's Offensive Player of the Year in 2003."- Street & Smith's College Football

Andrew BagnatoThe Arizona Republic

Authentic College Football Jersey

2005-06-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Authentic College Football Jersey