College Football - Football Betting

2005-10-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

Boston College Eagles

Oct. 27---College Football---
Virginia Tech 30 ... Boston College 10---College Football---
Brandon Pace kicked three field goals and Vince Hall returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown as Virginia Tech dominated from start to finish. Boston College only gained 27 yards on the ground and managed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Blackmon in the second quarter and a 26-yard William Troost field goal. The Hokies were able to move the ball without a problem gaining 492 yards, but the offense only got into the end zone twice with a 15-yard touchdown run from Eddie Royal and a three-yard pass to Josh Morgan, both in the second quarter.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Marcus Vick completed 22 of 28 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown and ran 13 times for 52 yards.---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Marcus Vick, 22-28, 280 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Mike Imoh, 16-60. Receiving: Josh Hyman, 5-58---College Football---
Boston College - Passing: Quinton Porter, 13-24, 139 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Callender, 8-29. Receiving: Will Blackmon, 4-52, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Virginia Tech just might be the nation's best team, so there's no reason to worry too much about getting blown out in Blacksburg. The defense did a nice job of not breaking under the pressure, but the offense couldn't provide much help. Against a team this good, the running game had to get moving, and the offensive line couldn't do much. While it wouldn't have changed the final outcome, the defnese needed Mathias Kiwanuka at 100%. Tech was was too good on third downs; a healthy Kiwanuka would've changed that.
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Oct. 15---College Football---
Boston College 35 ... Wake Forest 30---College Football---
On a wet, rainy day, Boston College couldn't hang on to anything, except the game-winning pass. After an official's huddle, a review, and much discussion, Kevin Challenger's diving, one-foot-inbounds grab of a 26-yard Matt Ryan pass was called a touchdown to finally put Wake Forest away. The Demon Deacons were up 20-7 after the first half helped by a 29-yard touchdown pass to Nate Morton, but BC came back on two Quinton Porter touchdown passes, but he got pulled after throwing a pick six to Wake's Josh Gattis. Down 30-21 late in the fourth quarter, Ryan threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez with 2:30 to play before connecting on the game-winner.
Player of the game: Boston College QB Matt Ryan came off the bench to complete seven of nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Quinton Porter, 20-41, 184 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT---College Football---
Rushing: L.V. Whitworth, 13-60. Receiving: Tony Gonzalez, 6-104, 1 TD---College Football---
Wake Forest - Passing: Cory Randolph, 21-33, 193 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Chris Barclay, 23-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Barclay, 6-9---College Football---
What to take away from this game: The conditions might not have been ideal, but BC had better thank its lucky stars it faced Wake Forest this week and not Virginia Tech. If the Eagles turn the ball over five times against the Hokies in two weeks and have all the dropped passes they suffered, they'll get blown out. Now the talk will be about a quarterback controversy after Matt Ryan led the way to the win. He averaged 14.9 yards per pass, while Quinton Porter averaged 4.5. The running game needs to make a return; L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender have gone underutilized over the last few games. ---College Football---
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Oct. 8
Boston College 28 ... Virginia 17---College Football---
BC QB Quinton Porter threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez and Brian Toal ran for two short touchdown runs in a sloppy game with the two teams combining for four turnovers and 22 penalties for 199 yards. Marques Hagans threw two touchdown passes to give Virginia a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, but the offense was only able to manage a 37-yard field goal from Connor Hughes the rest of the way.
Player of the game: Boston College QB Quinton Porter completed 25 of 37 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown with an interception. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Quinton Porter, 25-37, 301 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Callender, 11-119, 1 TD. Receiving: Larry Lester, 7-93---College Football---
Virginia - Passing: Marques Hagans, 21-35, 195 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Johnson, 11-61. Receiving: Deyon Williams, 6-78, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: While this wasn't the team's best performance, it was a win over a good team to keep ACC title hopes alive. QB Matt Ryan wasn't bad over the last two weeks, but the offense has more pop and more firepower with Quinton Porter under center. It's a crisper attack with better pace. Against Virginia, the defense tightened up in a big way in the second half, especially against the run. ---College Football---
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Oct. 1
Boston College 38 ... Ball State 0---College Football---
Matt Ryan scored on two, ten-yard touchdown runs and threw a three-yard touchdown pass in the shutout win. BC never had a problem getting up 21-0 in the first half against the depleted Cardinals who only gained 159 yards of total offense. BC outgained Ball State 223 to 46.---College Football---
Player of the game: Boston College RB Andre Callender ran 22 times for 116 yards.---College Football---
Stat Leaders: BC - Passing: Matt Ryan, 21-29, 206 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: L.V. Whitworth, 8-66, 1 TD. Receiving: L.V. Whitworth, 4-49---College Football---
Ball State - Passing: Joey Lynch, 17-22, 106 yds---College Football---
Rushing: Jason Sieman, 1-22. Receiving: B.J. Hill, 5-18---College Football---
What to take away from this game: BC was never in any danger of losing to Ball State, but it was good to keep QB Quinton Porter on the sidelines for another week before getting back into ACC play, and it was a good game for Matt Ryan to get more live action. The defense never let Ball State breathe with an efficient game holding the running game in check, consistently getting into the backfield, and not allowing any long drives. ---College Football---
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Sept. 24
Boston College 16 ... Clemson 13 OT---College Football---
Brian Toal ran for a one-yard score in overtime after the Eagle D held Clemson to a 25-yard Jad Dean field goal. The Eagles got up early on a 33-yard Ryan Ohliger field goal and a one-yard Matt Ryan touchdown run, but Clemson came back with a 36-yard Dean field goal and a one-yard Charlie Whitehurst touchdown run. The defenses held in the second half, but BC had a chance to win in regulation on a 48-yard Ohliger field goal attempt that fell short with just over a minute to play.---College Football---
Player of the game: Boston College RB Andre Callender ran 22 times for 116 yards.---College Football---
Stat Leaders: BC - Passing: Matt Ryan, 24-42, 221 yds, 2 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Callender, 22-116. Receiving: Will Blackmon, 5-43---College Football---
Clemson - Passing: Charlie Whitehurst, 19-28, 149---College Football---
Rushing: Reggie Merriweather, 15-75. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 5-38---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Boston College showed amazing mental toughness coming back from an emotional, heart-wrenching loss to Florida State, as well as the loss of starting quarterback Quinton Porter, to battle a tough Clemson team in Death Valley. Once again, the offensive line did a fantastic job pounding out the running game allowing the Eagles to hold on to the ball for 35:42, but the coaching staff can't be happy with the penalties committing 11 for 76 yards. Matt Ryan wasn't horrible in place of Quinton Porter, but the BC offense needs Porter back soon to get the passing game going again. ---College Football---
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Sept. 17---College Football---
Florida State 28 ... Boston College 17---College Football---
FSU LB A.J. Nicholson picked off a pass on the first play of the game and took it for a score, and then the Noles capitalized on a second turnover to go up 14-0 on a 20-yard pass to Greg Carr. Boston College came back highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Will Blackmon for a 17-14 halftime lead, but starting quarterback Quinton Porter went out with an ankle injury and it all went downhill from there. Carr caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a five yarder, while Lorenzo Booker put it away on a four-yard run with under four minutes to play. BC got close, but a late Seminole goal line stand ended any comeback hopes. ---College Football---
Player of the game: Florida State LB A.J. Nicholson made 17 tackles, two interceptions and returned a pick for a touchdown. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: BC - Passing: Quinton Porter, 20-31, 151 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT---College Football---
Rushing: L.V. Whitworth, 23-77, 1 TD. Receiving: Larry Lester, 5-55---College Football---
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford, 20-38, 243 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Leon Washington, 5-24. Receiving: Decody Fagg & Chris Davis, 4-53---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Does Quinton Porter mean that much to the Eagles? Matt Ryan was able to move the ball a little bit and was efficient with his throws, but the offense had too many three and outs against Florida State once Porter got hurt. The defense didn't do quite enough when the team needed a stone-cold stop in the second half, but the run defense was excellent. FSU exposed a big problem with the Eagle D: small corners.
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Sept. 10---College Football---
Boston College 44 ... Army 7---College Football---
Army scored first on a six-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Trimble before surrendering 44 unanswered points highlighted by a brilliant 41-yard weaving and scrambling touchdown catch from Will Blackmon. Brian Toal ran for two short touchdowns and Quinton Porter threw two touchdown passes. Army turned it over three times; BC didn't turn it over.---College Football---
Player of the game: Maryland RB Mario Merrills ran 30 times for 149 yards and a touchdown---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Army - Passing: Zac Dahman, 17-43, 154 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Carlton Jones, 27-71. Receiving: Jacob Murphy, 5-66---College Football---
Boston College - Passing: Quinton Porter, 15-20, 206 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: L.V. Whitworth, 17-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Jason Lilly, 4-71---College Football---
What to take away from this game: It took a little while for BC to wake up against Army, but it didn't have any problems once it turned it on in the second quarter. QB Quinton Porter didn't make mistakes and let his defense and the running game do all the work. It also helps to have an explosive playmaker like Will Blackmon to get the ball to. Blackmon, who played through a hurt shoulder, has to be 100% against Florida State next week. ---College Football---
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Sept. 3---College Football---
Boston College 20 ... BYU 3---College Football---
Boston College spoiled Bronco Mendenhall's debut at BYU as Quinton Porter connected twice with Chris Miller for touchdowns coming from 14 and four yards out. BYU's offense moved the ball through the air, but had many mistakes and only managed a 35-yard Jared McLaughlin field goal. Ryan Ohlinger connected on field goals from 39 and 26 yards for BC.---College Football---
Player of the game: Boston College QB Quinton Porter completed 27 of 35 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns---College Football------College Football---
Stat Leaders: BC - Passing: Quinton Porter, 27-35, 232 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: L.V. Whitworth, 15-92. Receiving: Will Blackmon, 8-100---College Football---
BYU - Passing: John Beck, 41-60, 330 yds ---College Football---
Rushing: Curtis Brown, 8-32. Receiving: Nathan Meikle, 9-45---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Beating BYU in BYU is more impressive than it might appear on paper. The offense was efficient when it had to be with good balance and effective passing from Quinton Porter, who didn't appear rusty after the layoff over the last few years. Will Blackmon looked more than comfortable at receiver after moving over from corner. Now there need to be more big plays coming from the passing game with the offense opening it up a bit against Army next week.---College Football---
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2005 Schedule Analysis---College Football---
Sept. 3 – at BYU (6-5, 5-3 in Mountain West) – Offense: BYU will look to keep throwing the ball with four and five receiver sets, but there will be more of an emphasis on the ground game under the new coaching staff with Curtis Brown and Fahu Tahi sure to boost up the attack. QB John Beck isn't a runner for the spread attack, but he's a good passer who should put up huge numbers if he can stay healthy. Todd Watkins is one of the nation's most dangerous receivers, but he needs others around him to step up and take the heat off. The line is experienced and needs to bounce back after a rough year.---College Football---
Defense: The goal of the new coaching staff is to make the defense more aggressive and a bit meaner. There isn't anything yet that this D can hang its hat on with little in the way of sure-thing all-stars, but there's great potential on the line. The 3-3-5 alignment will stay with good depth everywhere and decent athleticism in the back eight. The secondary desperately needs to quickly develop with the loss of players like Aaron Francisco and Jon Burbidge. The 2004 stats aren't all that impressive, but the D only had one meltdown, against Stanford, outside of the losses to USC and Utah. Now that Bronco Mendenhall is in charge of the entire team, he should make this group better.
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Sept. 10 - Army (predicted finish: 3-8) – Offense: Army has two major problems to deal with from an offense coming off a surprisingly strong season. First, the offensive line has to deal with four new starters without any experience and even less depth to rely on. However, the starting five is relatively big and should be decent in time. Second, no one has stepped up to take the starting quarterback job away from Zac Dahman, who has been average at generous best for the last two seasons. The attack will revolve around multi-talented RB Carlton Jones and a decent, deep receiving corps. A reliable number two running back would be a luxury.---College Football---
Defense: The defense was the worst in America allowing 491 yards per game with the nation's 115th ranked run defense and 91st pass defense. Of course, changes were made in the off-season going from a 4-2-5 to a 4-3 alignment. There's a little bit of hope for improvement with some decent young linebackers and a secondary with some decent experience. It's not going to be a brick wall of a D, but it's not going to be in college football's basement.
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Sept. 17 - Florida State (projected finish 8-3, 6-2 in ACC) – Offense: Is this the weakest Florida State offense in since 1981? The starting quarterback situation is a potential mess with Xavier Lee not looking ready for primetime this spring, Wyatt Sexton suspended and Drew Weatherford hurt. The best receivers are true freshmen, and the line doesn't appear to be anything special. What the Noles do have are two fantastic running backs with Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker needing to carry the offense until Lee gets his feet wet. Talent-wise, there's enough here to be explosive after fighting through a ton of growing pains, but the jury is out on whether or not Jeff Bowden is enough of a top-shelf offensive coordinator to be able to lead the attack to a better season after finishing 61st in the nation in total offense.---College Football---
Defense: The linebacking corps is among the best in America and safety Pat Watkins is a first round draft pick, but the rest of the defense is a major question mark after finishing seventh in the nation and fourth in scoring defense. The loss of rising star NG Clifton Dickson to academic problems and CB Antonio Cromartie to a knee injury is a huge hit for the rest of the D. The secondary will turn out to be fine if the star recruits of last year can quickly progress.
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Sept. 24 – at Clemson (6-5, 3-5 in ACC) – Offense: Former Toledo offensive coordinator Rob Spence will take over for Mike O'Cain after the Tiger attack finished 110th in the nation in offense and averaged a mere 21.45 points per game. The key will be an improvement on the line as the talent is there in the backfield and the receiving corps, even with the loss of top pass catcher Airese Currie, to see a night-and-day improvement. QB Charlie Whitehurst has to rebound after a lousy season, but he needs time to throw. The running game will be better with the expected emergence of RB Reggie Merriweather as a star for a full season.---College Football---
Defense: New defensive coordinator Vic Koenning should be able to keep things rolling after a fantastic 2004. Plenty of experience returns, but there are some huge losses hurt most by the departure of LB Leroy Hill and CB Justin Miller. The run defense should be solid with a good front four and solid, deep linebacking corps. Even with the early defection of Miller to the NFL, the secondary will be good if CB Sergio Gilliam can play well right away. CB Tye Hill and FS Jamaal Fudge will be among the ACC's best.---College Football---
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Oct. 1 - Ball State (1-10, 1-7 in MAC) – Offense: The offense didn't exactly set the world on fire averaging 20.45 points and 323 yards per game, and now things are worse with the early departure of receiver Dante Ridgeway, who caught 105 passes last year, to the NFL, and the booting of top running back Adell Givens off the team this off-season. Quarterback is the biggest plus with big bombers Joey Lynch and Cole Stinson good enough to carry the offense. A slew of average backs will work behind a veteran line that needs more work. Expect the passing game to be spread out a lot more.---College Football---
Defense: It was a defensive domino effect. There was no pass rush from the front seven, so the mediocre secondary had a harder time covering anyone and the entire machine broke down. The two starting safeties, Justin Beriault and Erik Keys, were the team's top two tacklers. That's never a plus. Beriault is gone meaning Keys will have to make more big plays for a secondary that has to do much, much more after a horrendous year only picking off two passes. On the plus side, the linebacking corps is solid with five good options. The line should be better after a year of inconsistency, youth, and injuries.---College Football---
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Oct. 8 - Virginia (7-4, 4-4 in ACC) – Offense: The Cavaliers had one of the nation's best offenses ... against average teams. Lack of a deep threat receiver and inconsistency in the backfield led to problems against teams like Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech. That should change now that quarterback Marques Hagans has a year of starting experience. The big, fast receivers should be better with more of a focus on the passing attack. The ground game will still be outstanding with Wali Lundy and Michael Johnson working behind a line that'll have to find a way to overcome the loss of Elton Brown and Zac Yarbrough.---College Football---
Defense: The defense won't be quite the killer it was last year, but it'll be strong led by future millionaires Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham on the inside. Even though there aren't the stars of recent Cavalier defenses, there are plenty of great athletes and plenty of good, steady playmakers like Brennan Schmidt on the end and Tony Franklin at corner. There's decent depth everywhere.---College Football---
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Oct. 15 - Wake Forest (5-6, 3-5 in ACC) - Offense: You know what you're getting from Wake Forest. It'll be another great rushing attack led by Chris Barclay and strong backups Micah Andrews and De'Angelo Bryant working behind an experienced, but inconsistent line. The passing game has weapons with most of the top receivers coming back, so now the key is finding a quarterback to get them the ball. Ben Mauk and Cory Randolph are average passers at best and will be in a battle for the starting spot up until the opener.---College Football---
Defense: The front seven will be the best in the Jim Grobe era with plenty of speed and good depth at almost every spot. The secondary will be the concern losing stars Eric King and Marcus McGruder from a group that wasn't all that great anyway. The safeties will have to be the strength early led by junior Josh Gattis, but the corners will have a hard time with several young players looking to find time.---College Football---

Oct. 27 – at Virginia Tech (9-2, 6-2 in ACC) – Offense: The offense was efficient last year, but it didn't move the ball much averaging almost 31 points per game despite only averaging 366 yards. Now this should be a devastating attack as long as Marcus Vick plays like he's supposed to. There are two great quarterback prospects (Sean Glennon and Cory Holt) also in the mix, but Vick is the type of player who can make this loaded attack special. There's too much talent at running back and receiver for one football, and the line is big and will be fine in time. Expect big, explosive numbers, but the question is whether or not someone can pick up the leadership slack left by Bryan Randall.
Defense: While this probably won't be the killer defense it was last year when it finished fourth in the nation and second in scoring defense, it'll still be impressive with a tremendous front four, an experienced linebacking corps, and All-America corner Jimmy Williams leading the secondary. Depth is a bit of a problem in the back seven with decent, but mostly inexperienced prospects being shuffled around to find the right fit. Like always with the Hokies, expect plenty of great athletes, lots of big plays, and another good year.---College Football---

Nov. 5 – at North Carolina (3-8, 3-5 in ACC) – Offense: Coordinator Gary Tranquill did a masterful job last year helping the Tar Heels to a big season finishing second in the ACC in total offense. The line is outstanding and the receiving corps is deep and underrated. There are concerns in the backfield needing new quarterback Matt Baker to be consistent, while inexperienced running backs Vince Wilson and Barrington Edwards need to pick up the slack for injured junior Ronnie McGill.---College Football---
Defense: Nine starters, not including top tackle Chase Page, return to a defense that finished 109th in the nation allowing 446.5 yards and 31.83 points per game. The most work has to be done in the run defense with the veteran linebacking corps needing to make far more plays to allow the safeties to play pass defense. The young, inconsistent line has to generate more of a pass rush and the secondary has to pick off more passes.---College Football---

Nov. 12 - NC State (6-5, 3-5 in ACC) - Offense: All the offense had to do was be competent and not screw up so the defense could win games. It didn't happen with little consistent run production and 16 interceptions thrown from the quarterbacks. Things should be better as the line returned experienced and potentially much, much better after injuries struck just about everyone last year. The running game should shine with speedsters Darrell Blackman and Bobby Washington complementing power running Reggie Davis. The concern is the passing attack as QB Jay Davis has to be more consistent and a number one wide receiver has to emerge to take the place of Richard Washington.
Defense: The defense was number one last year in the nation in total defense, number two in pass defense and number nine is pass defense. Even though most of the starting back seven is gone, this will still be an ultra-productive group thanks to the outstanding front four. Mario Williams and Manny Lawson form the nation's best defensive end pair, while tackles John McCargo and Tank Tyler are solid veterans. There's speed and athleticism in the back seven, but there has to be proven production early. This will be a much better defense in October than it will be in September.---College Football------College Football---

Nov. 19 – at Maryland (6-5, 3-5 in ACC) - Offense: The Terp offense was non-existent for most of last year averaging a mere 298 yards and 17.7 points per game. Take out the 45-point explosion against woeful Temple and the 55-point destruction of Duke and Maryland would've averaged a mere 10.6 points per outing. Things won't be much better unless there's more production at quarterback. Sam Hollenbach will get the first look, but mobile Jordan Steffy and last year's starter, Joel Statham, will be in the hunt. There's little proven production from the rest of the skills spots, but there's a world of speed and athleticism. The line should be far better; the coaching staff raves about this group.
Defense: Despite some huge losses (Shawne Merriman, Chris Kelley, Dominique Foxworth), last year's 21st best defense should turn out to be fine thanks to D'Qwell Jackson and a sensational linebacking corps. The back seven can move, and there might not be a faster cornerback pair in America than Gerrick McPhearson (4.28 40) and Josh Wilson (4.35). Pass rush is a concern without a true dominator to rely on, so the D will have to manufacture pressure early until young prospects like Trey Covington and Omar Savage can come through.---College Football---
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2005-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Who's Hot & Who's Not
Oct. 23, 2005

Who’s Hot …---college football---

Northwestern QB Brett Basanez ---college football---
Who’s the best quarterback in the Big Ten? It’s hard to argue against Basanez, who has thrown for 2,181 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season with only one interception. He has also rushed for 268 yards and five touchdowns. In the last three games, the senior has thrown for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Wisconsin, 463 yards and three touchdowns against Purdue, and 331 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State.
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Navy WR Jason Tomlinson
He wasn’t needed against Rice used as a decoy while the Navy running game cranked out 301 yards in the 41-9 win, but the junior has been a vital playmaker for opposing defensive coordinators to freak out about. He caught one pass for 11 yards against Rice, but the week before caught five passes for 115 yards against Kent State and four passes for 114 yards and a score against Air Force.---college football---

UCLA QB Drew Olson ---college football---
Who’s the best quarterback in the Pac 10 at the moment? Statistically it’s Olson, who leads the Pac 10 in pass efficiency and has been lights out over the last two weeks. Against Washington State, Olson threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns. In the win over Oregon State, the senior threw for 262 yards and a school record six touchdown passes. On the year, he has thrown for 1,874 yards and 21 touchdowns with three interceptions.
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Missouri QB Brad Smith
It anyone carrying a team more than Smith is? He set a school record with 480 yards of total offense in the win over Nebraska becoming the sixth quarterback in NCAA history to run and throw for over 200 yards in the same game with 234 passing yards and 246 rushing yards. Oh yeah, and those yards on the ground came against the nation’s number one run defense.---college football---

Alabama PK Jamie Christensen---college football---
”Money” has hit only ten of 14 kicks on the year, but he has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s most clutch kickers beating Ole Miss on a 31-yard field goal with no time left on the clock, and nailed the 34-yard shot against Tennessee with :13 to play. ---college football---

Who’s Not …---college football---

Nebraska’s running game---college football---
The Huskers gained -2 yards against Missouri in Saturday’s loss (only a -17 day against Oklahoma in 1951 was worse), and are averaging a mere 3.1 yards per carry and 109 yards per game this year.

Temple on the road ---college football---
Nothing is working for the Owls this year, but nothing is working at all on the road losing 12 straight since a 44-36 win over MTSU in 2003. In four away games this season, the Owls have lost by a combined score of 235 to 30. That’s an average score of 58.75 to 7.5. There are still road dates ahead against Virginia and Navy.

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Original ACC
If you want to count Florida State in the mix of new teams, the old-school ACC teams are a combined 13-23 in conference play. The new kids on the block are not only occupying the top two spots in each division, with Florida State and Boston College leading the Atlantic, and Virginia Tech and Miami on top of the Coastal (with the Canes tied with North Carolina at 2-1), they’re 13-3 in ACC play with two of the three losses coming from FSU wins over Miami and Boston College.---college football---

Michigan State placekicking
JUCO transfer John Goss is having a hard time replacing Dave Rayner starting out the season hitting four of 11 attempts missing everything past 32 yards. His only miss in the first four games was from 53 yards before missing six of his last eight with an overtime gaffe against Michigan and the not-his-fault block for a touchdown at the end of the first half against Ohio State.---college football---
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UCLA run defense
The Bruins might be 7-0, but they’re 114^th in the nation in run defense allowing 223 yards per game and 17 touchdowns. In Pac 10 play, Oregon State ran for 181 yards, Washington State and Cal each tore off 330, and even Washington ran for 213 yards.---college football---
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2005-10-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

O’Brien wants ACC probe

BOSTON (AP) – Boston College coach Tom O’Brien said Sunday he will ask the Atlantic Coast Conference to review a late hit on Mathias Kiwanuka so they can tell him “if that’s the way we’re going to playfootball in this league.” - College Football -

“I don’t want to prejudge what the ACC should do,” O’Brien said a day after BC beat Virginia 28-17. “I just think it’s a situation they need to look into.”

BC (5-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) improved from 18th to 14th in The Associated Press poll on Sunday. It’s the Eagles’ highest ranking since they were 13th in the final poll of the 1993 season, when they beat Virginia in the Carquest Bowl. - College Football -

Kiwanuka, the preseason conference defensive player of the year, and defensive lineman Al Washington will be allowed to play in Saturday’s game against Wake Forest despite being ejected against Virginia, O’Brien said.

The score was 7-7 early in the third quarter when Virginia offensive lineman Brad Butler chop-blocked Kiwanuka after the whistle. Washington retaliated and was ejected; BC linebacker Brian Toal hit Butler one play later and drew a personal foul. - College Football -

Virginia coach Al Groh said Sunday that he hadn’t seen the play until about 24 hours after the game. He said he had spoken to Butler about the hit but declined to reveal to reporters what his player said. - College Football -

“This was a very intense competition throughout the game, with two highly motivated players,” Groh said. “This was just one of a number of plays in the game on either side in which maybe there was a little more exuberance than necessary.

“The thing has to be viewed . . . relative to other incidents that did not get national television exposure.”

Asked if the school would consider disciplinary action against Butler, Groh said, “There are a number of offices that have an interest in the circumstances with whom we’ve had conversations.” - College Football -

Kiwanuka was ejected in the fourth quarter for trying to exact his revenge.

“I was embarrassed with how we reacted,” O’Brien said. “I thought we did a very poor job, and that reflects on me and everyone on thisfootball team. We tried to escalate it, and we almost lost the football game because of it.”

Toal’s penalty put the Cavaliers on the BC 23 and Deyon Williams caught a 23-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 14-7. But the Eagles scored touchdowns on three of their next four possessions to take a 28-17 lead. - College Football -

O’Brien said the hit, which was replayed on the stadium scoreboard, fired up an otherwise sedate crowd.

It also fired up his team.

“Yeah, it got us angry,” BC quarterback Quinton Porter said after the game. “It’s the last time anybody takes a cheap shot on us.”

Kiwanuka, who was the Big East defensive player of the year last year, was already smarting from a sore ankle when Butler hit him in the back of the knees. O’Brien said he wasn’t sure if Kiwanuka’s injuries could keep him out of the game against Wake Forest.

“He’s sore. I won’t know that for a couple days,” O’Brien said. “I’m going to wait to see Tuesday and see how he is.”

O’Brien said his coaching staff is gathering game tape to send to league supervisor of officials Tommy Hunt. That won’t take place until Monday at the earliest. - College Football -

The BC coach said he wasn’t angling for a punishment.

“I’m over it. I’m finished with it,” he said. “What I need is interpreted is if that’s the way we’re going to play football.”

© 2005, Telegraph Publishing Company

2005-10-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

College Football Notebook: USC's Ellison strong in face of bad news

By Phil Collin
Daily Breeze

Kevin Ellison, at least, had not lost his sense of humor.

Standing on crutches, USC's freshman safety from Redondo High couldn't believe someone was telling him they were sorry to hear the news about his knee.

"I'm back next week,'' he said Tuesday with a straight face. "What are y'all laughing at? I'm coming back for Notre Dame.'' - - College Football - -

Then he smiled, only moments after he received the news that he would require surgery to repair a stretched anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an injury that occurred Saturday after he intercepted a key pass in the Trojans' 38-28 win over Arizona State.

Ellison will have an arthroscopic procedure when the swelling in his knee goes down, and after that, doctors will determine how to proceed. He also broke his tibia in the knee on the play.

Because he has played in more than 25 percent of his team's scheduled games, Ellison will not be able to redshirt. - - College Football - -

"Stuff happens and you get through it,'' he said. "It's better than being (a torn ligament), but it's very similar. You can't do anything with it. It's the same rehab. It just sounds better.''

USC linebacker hurt

Middle linebacker Oscar Lua was USC's latest practice casualty, when his right hand got caught in a lineman's facemask and he dislocated his right pinky.

"And it pierced the skin,'' he added almost proudly, noting he received about 10 stitches. "No big deal. They stitched it up and I'll be back (today).'' - - College Football - -

Cal loses tackle

California left tackle Andrew Cameron is out for the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee last weekend.

Cameron, a junior who started all 12 games for the 10th-ranked Golden Bears last season, won't have surgery to repair his ACL until the swelling goes down, Coach Jeff Tedford said Tuesday. He was hurt on a non-contact play in the first quarter of Cal's 28-0 victory over Arizona.

Cameron missed two games earlier this season with a concussion, and junior Scott Smith filled in well. Smith will be the only starter under 300 pounds on Cal's powerful line. - - College Football - -

"It's going to be different, but we've already got good chemistry with (Smith)," O'Callaghan said. "It's tough for (Cameron), but I don't think it will slow us down."

The Bears, who face 20th-ranked UCLA Saturday in the Rose Bowl, are seventh in the nation in rushing offense with 259.4 yards per game. Tailbacks Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch both average more than 100 yards, with backup Forsett 10th in the nation at 117. - - College Football - -

2005-09-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

UNC-Pembroke Restarting Football Program

By AARON BEARD, AP Sports Writer

PEMBROKE, N.C. - The field where North Carolina-Pembroke's football team last played five decades ago is gone, overlaid by progress at a growing school first founded to educate American Indian teachers.
he school thinks it's time to bring the sport back. - NFL Football -

The Division II school — with help from Oklahoma men's basketball coach and UNC-P alumnus Kelvin Sampson and former NFL player Dwight Clark — has begun work to restart the program after a 54-year hiatus. UNC-Pembroke is raising money to build new facilities and has started searching for a coach to lead the Braves back onto the field in 2007.

The latest step came Thursday, when the school launched a fund-raising drive for $4 million to cover the cost of a new field house and press box at the Belk Athletic Complex.

"I see this as something like a snowball," Sampson said. "Get it rolling, and it's got to start somewhere." - NFL Football -

The school — founded in 1887 as the Croatan Normal School — hasn't played a football game since 1951, when the school was known as Pembroke State College. The program was disbanded for a variety of reasons, including money and a lack of interest, said Kevin Rhodes, director of media relations for the athletic department.

But the school has grown steadily in six years under chancellor Allen C. Meadors, reporting a record enrollment of 5,632 students for the fall semester. That represents a 12 percent increase from last fall and nearly 90 percent since 1999. - NFL Football -

UNC-Pembroke has also announced plans to expand its athletics program, adding women's golf next fall and football the following year as the 15th and 16th varsity sports.

School officials have said adding football could improve school pride, increase publicity and even provide economic benefits to Robeson County in the southeastern part of the state, a region where high-school football has a strong following and could provide a ready-made recruiting base.

"We wanted to make UNC-P as complete of a university campus as we can make it," Meadors said. "And I think most people who have been around a university will tell you that the fall experience includes football." - NFL Football -

Students certainly seem to agree. The school reported that 92 percent of 1,000 students surveyed last September supported establishing a football program, even though it meant increasing a student athletics fee to help pay for the annual operating cost of about $1 million.

Rhodes said the school has already added bleachers to increase seating to about 1,500 at the Belk Field, home to the school's soccer and track and field programs. The soccer program will eventually move across campus to a separate facility.

"We don't want to build a 10,000-seat stadium and have only 3,000 people show up," he said. "We want to make sure we build what is adequate but leaves room for growth."

Now school officials are looking for donations to pay for the new facilities. And they figured it couldn't hurt to turn to notable names like Sampson — a 1978 graduate who played baseball and basketball here — and Clark — a Kinston native and Charlotte resident best known for making "The Catch" to lift the San Francisco 49ers past the Dallas Cowboys and into the Super Bowl in 1982. - NFL Football -

Sampson was so excited by the football plans that he took a day out of a busy recruiting stretch to return to his alma mater for a news conference and campus pep rally, which marked the official start of the fund-raising drive.

"It takes time," Sampson said. "It's like stock. You go up and down with it, but if it's solid and it's a good stock, it will pay off. This is a good investment. For this community and this county, I think it is absolutely the right thing to do."

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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

The majority party

Fans make tailgating a high art

Steve Elling and Tania Deluzuriaga
Sentinel Staff Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- There's a reason Williams-Brice Stadium sells out game after game, and it has nothing to do with the product on the field. - College Football -

Over the past 111 years the South Carolina football program has been middling at best. If there was a BCS ranking for pre-game partying, however, the Gamecocks' faithful would play a New Year's bowl game every year.
"The tailgates used to be better than the games themselves," said Lee Turner, a season ticket holder for 22 years. "Hopefully that's changing."

Even when the team was in the midst of its 21-game losing streak a few years ago, fans would fill parking lots for miles around. In fact, it might be the only college in America where fans would drown their sorrows before the game was even played. - College Football -

"I was here for 0 and 21, and it was not a sobering experience," senior Kyle Bishop said.

In terms of football tradition, the team is seven games under .500 over the history of the program. But when it comes to the tailgate scene, the Gamecocks might very well be national champions.

From railroad cars, 500 pound blocks of ice and live barnyard animals and enough alcohol to anesthetize an entire county, fans over the years have ensured that at least half the day won't be wasted. - College Football -

Speaking of wasted, the fellows at the Delta Tau Delta fraternity prepared for the season opener against UCF Thursday night by purchasing 44 cases of beer, some of which had already been fed to the fraternity mascot, a caged rooster named Steve.

"What does he eat?" asked Eric Friedman, a senior. "I don't know, but I can tell you he's already had beer today."

The NCAA prohibits the sale of alcohol inside university-owned stadiums, so the biggest buzz about Gamecocks football comes from a can opened before the game. You could call it self-medication, which tends to dull the inevitable pain that follows.

For those who think new coach Steve Spurrier has a game plan, tailgaters start preparing weeks beforehand. - College Football -

USC senior Jack Halloran packed three kinds of beer and four kinds of liquor for his dozen or so friends.

"We take this very seriously," he said.

A few spots down, Halloran's friends were serving up a homemade concoction via a groove carved into a huge block of ice set in the back of their pickup truck. The contents of a cup were poured into one end of the ice, then flowed three feet down the notch into an open mouth waiting at the other end.

If that sounds a little frat ratty, worry not, much of the scene is much more genteel. Seer sucker pants, bow ties and halter-topped evening dresses prevailed. More than one young lady was seen walking down the street in heels, dragging a chest of beer behind her.

"I didn't know we were supposed to wear dresses," said UCF alumnus Lacey Downing. "I though we were going to a football game, not prom." - College Football -

People here take tailgating so seriously it's become big business. A condo development geared toward weekend fans is going up in the shadow of the stadium with prices starting at $400,000.

Arguably the most unique facet of the festivities are the Cockabooses, a series of 22 railroad cabooses painted maroon and black that line the southeast end of the stadium. In 1990 fans began buying up the cabooses and refurbishing them with comforts never associated with tailgating. Carey Tate of Rock Hill, S.C., spent $75,000 in the offseason, adding hardwood cherry floors, granite countertops, custom cabinetry, a bathroom with shower, three televisions, wooden shutters, leather couches and air conditioning. - College Football -

The Cockabooses come with a 99-year lease and have their own homeowners' association and cable TV. Owners must pay property taxes but are prohibited from using the cabooses as a permanent residence. Given that one Cockaboose sold for a reported $350,000 this summer, loyalty can carry a steep price.

"You can't live in it full time," said Hank Jolly, a dentist from Gaffney, S.C., a Cockaboose owner. "But a lot of people would like to."

Copyright © 2005, Orlando Sentinel

2005-08-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Auburn Tigers
Brian Covert

Line: Oddsmakers have made Auburn listed as 7-point favorites against Georgia Tech
Total: The total is set at 38-points

Questions abound in Auburn this year after losing quarterback Jason Campbell along with running backs “Cadillac” Williams and Ronnie Brown to the pros. Will new quarterback Brandon Cox be able to get the ball to some of the SEC’s most underrated receivers in Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu and Anthony Mix? Will the triumvirate of Tre Smith, Kenny Irons and Carl Stewart be able to fill the shoes of Williams and Brown in the backfield.

Saturday’s game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and their tough defense may go a long way to answering some of those questions. Georgia Tech returns nine starters to a unit that gave up less than 20 points a game last season.

These two programs, despite being close geographically, have met only three times in the last 20 years. Georgia Tech won their most recent meeting 17-3 as a 7 ½-point underdog in Atlanta in early 2003.

2005-08-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Dan Jenkins to be historian for National Football Foundation

MORRISTOWN, N.J. A sportswriter from Fort Worth has been appointed to a three-year term as historian for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

The career of Dan Jenkins has spanned more than 60 years and included hundreds of Sports Illustrated articles as well as novels and screenwriting credits,.Jenkins will counsel the N-F-F during the College Football Hall of Fame Selection process, and write occasional articles for publication by the foundation.Jenkins wrote for several newspapers before joining Sports Illustrated in 1962. He retired from the magazine in 1985.His byline tops a Golf Digest column, and his latest novel, "Slim and None," was published in May.

Associated Press.

2005-08-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Motley Crue Drummer Tommy Lee Finds College a Challenge; TV Show Starts Tuesday on NBC

LOS ANGELES Aug 16, 2005 — Of all the classes Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee takes at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, the subject he connects with the most is … botany?
Lee said he must have been "a tree or something in a past life." He said call him "kooky" but he's "always been attracted to nature." - College Football -
If there was one part of college life you thought he would ace, it would be drumline, right? Well, it wasn't that easy. Lee said he was waiting on the football field before dawn one morning to audition when they put a bunch of sheet music in front of him. One problem: He hasn't read music since high school. Not wanting to be embarrassed, he re-taught himself.
And, chemistry? Uh-uh. So, he gets an attractive tutor for that class. - College Football -
"Tommy Lee Goes to College" debuts Tuesday night on NBC.

The Associated Press

2005-08-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

For rookie, it's Wideout 101

ST. LOUIS - Dante Ridgeway left Ball State University a year early to parlay an exceptional college football career into a lucrative NFL contract, but rest assured he's still being schooled.How can you not ascertain some insight playing the same position with two potential Hall of Famers?Between Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, Ridgeway's teammates on the St. Louis Rams, the former MacArthur standout has a bit of soaking up to do. The two combine for nearly 20,000 yards of career receiving knowledge. - College Football -
Throw in receivers coach Henry Ellard (13,777 yards receiving) knowing a thing or two about a thing or two catching footballs, and Ridgeway has to do his best sponge impersonation every day."Every practice, sometimes every play, I learn a lot," Ridgeway said from the Rams training facility on Wednesday. "It's usually small things like how to sell a route (to a defender) better or when to turn or not to turn, but every day there is something that you pick up from them."Ridgeway, picked in the sixth round of this year's draft by the Rams, has, so far, shown he can play with the Holts and Bruces of the league, drawing praise from Ellard and head coach Mike Martz. - College Football -
Ellard likes his ferocity on the field."He's a physical guy that has good hands and good feet," Ellard said. "He attacks the ball. In a combat situation, Dante's going to come out on top. That's something either you have or you don't."Martz likes his size and strength."He has a bigger physical presence than our guys have," Martz said on the Rams Web site. "He is a guy who has a chance to make it on this team. I think I like him a little as a Hines Ward type of player where he doesn't have great speed, but does have great body control and makes plays."You'd think in the cutthroat world of professional football it would be tough to get help from someone you're ultimately trying to take a job from, but the veterans have been like a tutor for Ridgeway.He wasn't surprised."They've got their spots. - College Football -
They're not worried about someone taking them out," Ridgeway said. "They've got nothing to lose and if I can help them win- ."So he watches Holt and Bruce and Marshall Faulk and Orlando Pace trying to glean the slightest edge. - College Football -
One thing they can't help enough with is the playbook.Asked to play two different positions (flanker and wideout), Ridgeway's working double time learning the plays for the toughest offense in the league.That's just another obstacle to overcome for last year's Biletnikoff Award finalist.A knock on Ridgeway has been his speed and his height. He's more than aware of it. He just tries to make the best of what he has to offer."I know I'm not the fastest guy or the tallest," he said. "But God gives you something, you have to find what it is and use it."The only thing you can do is keep on striving, do the best you can and keep the faith."Seems he's learned a little about living too. - College Football -

TROY HAYES - H&R Staff Writer

2005-07-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Big first impression for Kiwanuka, Eagles

HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- A day after making a favorable first impression on the media assembled for the Atlantic Coast Conference's 2005 Football Kickoff, Boston College senior defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka yesterday was selected the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. - College Football -
Kiwanuka, a 6-foot-7-inch, 261-pounder from Indianapolis who departed the Big East as its 2004 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 25 1/2 tackles for loss and 11 1/2 sacks, was one of two ACC players recognized on 39 of 40 ballots. Florida State running back Leon Washington was the other. - College Football -
Kiwanuka, who impressed media members Sunday with his well-spoken and poised manner, was the only BC player to make the preseason All-ACC team.
''That's unbelievable," BC coach Tom O'Brien said. ''He's deserving of all the attention that he's gotten. I'm as excited as anybody to watch him play this year." - College Football -
The Eagles, too, earned some surprising recognition from the ACC media by being selected to finish second to Florida State (which earned 65 of a possible 92 first-place votes) in the ACC's Atlantic Division. Virginia Tech, which won the ACC title last year in its first season in the conference, garnered 62 first-place votes and was selected to finish ahead of Miami (29 first-place votes) in the Coastal Division. - College Football -
But O'Brien downplayed BC's preseason ranking.
''I think we were picked second because we're the school du jour and because of what we did in the bowl game," said O'Brien, referring to BC's 34-27 victory over North Carolina in the Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte last Dec. 30. ''If we came in last year with Miami and Virginia Tech, we'd have probably been picked last."
Apprised by one ACC writer that the Eagles had garnered 24 first-place votes, O'Brien responded by saying, ''As I told our two esteemed writers from Boston, I believe more in the tooth fairy than I do in any preseason polls." - College Football -
Bowden's rulesBobby Bowden, entering his 30th season coaching Florida State, feigned surprise over his team's selection to win the Atlantic Division. ''I'm kind of surprised," Bowden said. ''It looks like you haven't been reading the papers. It looks like you don't know that we've lost some guys." The Seminoles, who travel to Boston to play the Eagles Sept. 17, have had to deal with some offseason adversity to five projected starters, two of whom were lost for the season because of illness and injury -- junior quarterback Wyatt Sexton (Lyme disease) and junior cornerback Antonio Cromartie (torn ACL). - College Football -
Also, nose guard Clifton Dickson was declared academically ineligible in June, while linebackers Ernie Sims and A.J. Nicholson are awaiting to resolve trouble with the law. Sims was arrested for fighting with his girlfriend and Nicholson was arrested for a misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol charge. Bowden was confident both players would be back this season. When they do return, Bowden promised, there would be a price to pay. ''There's more ways to discipline a player than a suspension," Bowden drawled. ''You've heard of physical pain, haven't you? Well, I'm going to handle our business. - College Football -
There's more than one way to skin a cat." . . . Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, hearing his players had decided not to wear their ACC championship rings this year, decided to follow their example. ''I took my ring off, too," Beamer said. ''We're awful proud of what we did last year -- it gave us a lot of good memories -- but now it's time to try and get another one." . . . BC's Bill McGovern and Jim Bridge showed their prowess on the links in Sunday's assistant coaches' golf outing at The Cascades. McGovern won longest drive honors while Bridge was a member of the four-man team that tied for first place with a team anchored by BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo. ''I'm glad we've made a good impression," O'Brien said. ''Now we just have to go and do it on the field." - College Football -

Michael Vega, Globe Newspaper

2005-07-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

College Football: MTU grid team ranked 16th preseason

HOUGHTON - The Michigan Tech football team is ranked 16th in Street & Smith's 2005 Football Yearbook Division II Preseason Top 25. The Huskies return 10 starters from last year's 9-2 squad that ranked 11th in the final Division II American Football Coaches' Association Poll and recorded its first-ever Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship and a berth into the 2004 NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Defending national champion Valdosta State landed the top spot in the preseason poll, while Pittsburg State (2), GLIAC-rival Grand Valley State (3), North Dakota (4) and East Stroudsburg (5) round out the top five.
Michigan Tech opens the 2005 football campaign at the Superior Dome against Northern Michigan University in the annual battle for the Miner's Cup. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 27.

THE MINING JOURNAL

2005-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

New BCS Poll Begins 1 Month Into Season
New Poll for Bowl Championship Series Begins One Month Into College Football Season

NEW YORK Jul 12, 2005 — The Bowl Championship Series has a new poll, one that begins a month into the college football season and will include former coaches and players, plus media members. - College Football -
Called the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, it will rank the top 25 teams on a weekly basis, starting Sept. 25. Plans call for 114 voters.
The BCS has said it would like to see the elimination of preseason polls, which some believe give highly touted teams an unfair headstart 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," BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said Monday during a conference call. - College Football -
The season's first BCS standings will be released Oct. 17.
The new poll replaces The Associated Press poll, which the BCS had used in its formula for ranking teams since 1998. Last season, however, the AP told the BCS it could no longer use its media poll. - College Football -
In addition to the new poll, the BCS will continue to use the USA Today coaches' poll and a compilation of six computer rankings each counting for one-third of a team's grade. The coaches will continue with a preseason ballot.
Recently, ESPN pulled out of participating in the coaches poll.
The coaches agreed to have their final ballots made public for the first time this season. The new Harris poll will take the same approach, releasing only 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 playing."
Weiberg said voters in the new poll will be allowed to make their votes public at any point in the season if they choose. - College Football -
The AP preseason poll will be released Aug. 20, with the first regular-season poll Sept. 6. The AP national champion will be crowned after the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4. Ballots of AP poll voters are made public all season.

Associated Press

2005-07-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

SEC ready to experiment with instant replay

The SEC is joining the ranks of college football conferences that have adopted instant replay and will begin using it this coming season.
Coaches wouldn't be able to throw a flag to demand a replay, like in the NFL. Instead, a replay official will be in the booth at all SEC games using a nine-panel replay screen between plays to analyze whether the game needs to be stopped and a play changed.
Conferences decided to give replay a try after the Big Ten used it in 28 of 57 games last season and had relatively good success. Of 43 calls that were questioned, 21 were overturned. Games were only about three minutes longer in which replay was used, so concerns about it making games too long were eased and leagues got more excited about giving the strategy a try themselves.
"I think it's a wonderful idea and I like how they do it with a technician up top and a head referee making the call," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, notorious for his protests of calls when he was coach at Florida. "It keeps it out of the coaches hands and lets those guys handle it."
Bobby Gaston, the SEC's coordinator of football officials, says TV partners with the SEC are being encouraged to go to a commercial break while they are reviewing plays rather than wind and rewind plays for viewing audiences.
Other coaches with NFL experience, like Mike Shula of Alabama and Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom, agree with Spurrier, a former NFL coach. They prefer that officials decide which plays to look at, rather than put the pressure on coaches and charge timeouts when they're wrong - like the NFL does.
"I think for college football, it is probably as good as you could come up with," Croom said. "It still gives the officials another tool to make good decisions with and it doesn't put a lot of pressure on our coaches. And it's probably the most economical way as well."
The league will pay about $20,000 per school on equipment upgrades that will be completed this summer. The SEC will hire TV crews for games not televised, so all games can have the same advantages. But Croom is skeptical that college games will have the proper coverage to ensure replay is always right.
It's "critical that you have to have sufficient enough TV angles in every stadium to do that," Croom said. "And there's no way to get that done in college football. It's going to be different in every conference, every stadium. There's no way the technology is going to be equitable in every stadium."
There are roughly 14 seconds between the end of each play until the football is placed and the 25-second game clock begins. Florida coach Urban Meyer, whose team runs a no-huddle attack, sees how instant replay could affect his team more than some others.
He doesn't want to slow down the momentum his team has by allowing the defense more time to prepare for a new play. But there may be times when he'll have to slow his offense down - or even call time out - to make sure replay officials get a call right.
"I think you've got to really be aware that there's strategy involved, which I think is being overlooked," Meyer said. "If you burn a timeout, then they can catch that mistake a lot easier. ... That's the thing that's of concern to me.''
Of course, in the eyes of the schools, at least having the chance to correct some mistakes is a good thing.
"I'm a proponent of instant replay," Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "If they get the call right, I think that's good.''
I understand it may slow the game down a little bit, but there's so much at stake and there's no playoff in (college) football. If they can correct a mistake to help a team get the right call then I think any system would be good there."
Instant replay in the SEC
How instant replay will work in the SEC:
The SEC is spending $20,000 per school to upgrade replay equipment in the press boxes.
A nine-panel replay screen similar to the NFL will be used. The league will pay for TV cameras at games not already televised.
An extra official in the press box will decide if a play needs to be reviewed by buzzing the officials on the field.
Coaches cannot request a replay.
Reviewable plays: Touchdowns, out of bounds, receptions, fumbles.
Leagues using replay: Pac-10, Big East, Mountain West, ACC, Big Ten and SEC.

David Jones
Gannett News Service

2005-06-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Texas Football' has its say

Forgive Henderson County area high school football teams if they head into the 2005 season with a giant chip on their shoulders. They aren't getting any respect.Well, except for the Trinidad Trojans, that is.According to Dave Campbell's 2005 Texas Football magazine, Trinidad is the lone HC area team expected to advance to the playoffs. The 352-page publication hit the newsstands last week for the 46th year.Trinidad, a playoff team last year in Kevin Ray's return has head coach, is the favorite to win District 14 six-man. The Trojans return 10 lettermen and five starters from an 8-2 district championship squad. Milford draws the second-place nod in the district.But after Trinidad, Texas Football's assessment of HC area teams drops off -- way off.The Mabank Panthers made strides last year in Jimmy Cantrell's first season as head coach, finishing fourth in District 14-AAAA. The Panthers, 4-6 last year, have six starters back on both sides of the ball in their attempt to crash the playoff party.Mabank is picked to finish behind defending state champion Ennis, Corsicana and Lancaster and head of Red Oak and Athens.Athens, which will debut under first-year head coach Jim Wommack (defensive coordinator the past two seasons), is predicted to bring up the rear in 14-AAAA, though the Hornets finished fifth a year ago. The Hornets return seven offensive and eight defensive starters.In District 15-AAA, Brownsboro is pegged to finish fifth in the six-team alignment. Third-year coach John Settle's Bears went 2-8 last year. Brownsboro returns 10 offensive starters and 11 on the defensive side.Canton is picked to take the district title ahead of Chapel Hill and Van.
District 12-AAA's favorite is the Kaufman Lions, who will debut with a new head coach. Bob Wager, formerly at Class A Groveton, takes over at the Kaufman County school and is expected to lead the Lions to the title over Wills Point and Crandall.Eustace and Kemp are predicted to finish fourth and fifth, respectively, in the five-team league.Brad Scoggin begins his second year at Eustace and has eight starters back on both sides of the ball in an attempt to improve on last year's 2-8 mark.Kemp begins anew with Walt Mangan as head coach. Mangan, formerly an assistant on former Kemp head coach Glen West's staff at Brenham, inherits a 3-7 squad with eight offensive and 10 defensive starters returning.Malakoff and Cross Roads are tagged to finish at the bottom of District 21-AA behind Alto, Elkhart, Grapeland, Kerens and Frankston.Ronny Reed assumes the helm of the program at Malakoff after serving two years as an assistant coach. The Tigers were 4-6 last year and bring back seven offensive and five defensive starters.At Cross Roads, David Stout returns for his second season as head coach and will try to lead the Bobcats back from a 0-10 campaign. Seven starters return on both sides of the ball.NOTES -- A preview of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference and the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals begins on Page 160 ...University of Texas quarterback Vince Young and Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal are featured on the cover ... Texas is predicted to unseat Oklahoma in the Big 12 South and Missouri is pegged to prevail in the Big 12 North ... Former Corsicana Daily Sun sports edtior Jake Shaw is now the managing editor of the publication ... In addition to newsstands, the magazine can also be purchased online at www.texasfootball.com.TEXAS FOOTBALL PREDICTIONSPredictions for districts involving Henderson County area schools by Dave Campbell's 2005 Texas Football magazine:
DISTRICT 14-AAAA -- 1. Ennis; 2. Corsicana; 3. Lancaster; 4. Mabank; 5. Red Oak; 6. AthensDISTRICT 15-AAA -- 1. Canton; 2. Chapel Hill; 3. Van; 4. Lndale; 5. Brownsboro; 6. BullardDISTRICT 12-AAA -- 1. Kaufman; 2. Wills Point; 3. Crandall; 4. Eustace; 5. KempDISTRICT 21-AA -- 1. Alto; 2. Elkhart; 3. Grapeland; 4. Kerens; 5. Frankston; 6. Malakoff; 7. Cross RoadsDISTRICT 14 SIX-MAN -- 1. Trinidad; 2. Milford; 3. Blum; 4. Dallas Gateway; 5. Ladonia Fanindel
By Benny Rogers

Largest College Football Stadiums

2005-06-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

Largest College Football Stadiums