College Football - Football Betting

2005-11-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Keys to the Big Games
Week Five, Oct. 1
Florida at Alabama
---college fotball ---
By John Harris---college fotball ---

a. Ryans’ Hope – The University of Alabama has been blessed with some of the best linebacker talent college football has ever seen. No matter how far back you go in the history of Alabama football, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll find a linebacker worthy of making plays on par with anyone, anywhere. Bama LB DeMeco Ryans is this year’s star linebacker and he’ll play a significant role on Saturday. Florida struggled picking up the different blitz packages that Tennessee threw at them in the first half of that game, and there’s no question that Tide DC Joe Kines will fashion some of his game plan around using Ryans in the same capacity. Ryans was flat out phenomenal against Arkansas, piling up 15 tackles, two for a loss and a sack, and he should have the chance to add to those stats this weekend. In sure passing situations, the key for Florida is how they protect QB Chris Leak, and keep Ryans out of the backfield. If Florida OC Dan Mullen and Urban Meyer wish to use one of their running backs to man up on Ryans, Leak might be on his backside a few too many times. The Tide LB may only blitz if the Florida offensive line slows down DE Wallace Gilberry and the four man rush, which isn’t a 100% guarantee, as it is. But, the speed that Ryans shows off the edge, in combination with Gilberry and company, should create problems for the Florida offense.---college fotball ---

b. TNT – Florida may have the flashier of the two offenses, but the most explosive player on the field will be wearing crimson - #4 Tyrone Prothro. The mighty mite is the one player that Florida may not have an answer for this Saturday. He doesn’t get a ton of publicity, but the teams that have tried to corral Prothro have run into issues. Whether it’s in the passing game, the kicking game or taking shotgun snaps from center, Prothro will make a play that could turn the tide of the game, no pun intended. And, when he makes a play, he can give the entire offense a boost. In the Southern Miss game, down by 11, he made the catch of the millennium, snagging a throw from Brodie Croyle on the back of a Southern Miss DB. After that catch, the Tide offense caught fire, and put up 20 straight points on the board. He puts a charge into the offense every time that he touches the ball, and Florida hasn’t seen a guy this year who can ‘open it up’ in as many different ways as Prothro can. Keep an eye on where Prothro lines up throughout the game, and how many ‘various’ ways Mike Shula can find to get him the ball. He’s a keg of dynamite, waiting to explode, and Saturday will be his show.---college fotball ---

c. Webb of Deceit – With having to live in the shadow of the offense, you’ll have to excuse the Florida defense if they have a life size chip on their shoulder. But, this might be the most talented defense that Florida has had in some time, and they may not have ever had a play making corner like Dee Webb. The former Ed White star will be on the spot much of the day, as he’ll be matched up with Prothro and DJ Hall, a lesser known, but equally talented receiving threat. Webb’s ‘length’ is tough for opposing receivers and also for quarterbacks attempting to throw to his side. Not only does Webb cover like a blanket, he’s got solid ball skills and breaks on the ball as well as anyone in the SEC. Hall and Prothro are completely different receivers, and Webb’s approach to covering them will be a major factor to whether Florida shuts down the Alabama passing game. Webb and Vernell Brown have been strong this year, but this pair of receivers is just as good as what they saw against Tennessee. If Webb is aggressive in coverage early, knocking a ball down or intercepting a pass, Croyle may want to go away from him, limiting his looks to one side of the field. That’s a huge advantage for the Gators to say the least.---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---

Conclusion – The Rivalry is back. Back in the early to mid 1990s when the Gators and the Tide battled every year for the SEC championship, now that was fun. And, it’s back. Undefeated Gators. Undefeated Tide. This ought to be to be fun. For all that Alabama has going for it, the success of this game, and this season, rests on the capable shoulders of QB Brodie Croyle. With the loss of Ray McDonald at DE, the Gator pass rush isn’t as dominant as it could be. If the Tide OL can give Croyle the time, he has the receivers that will get open and make plays. At home, the Tide makes the Bear proud. Alabama – 17 vs. Florida – 14---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---
---college fotball ---

2005-10-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Keys to the Big GamesWeek Eight, Oct. 22Tennessee vs. AlabamaBy John Harris
---college football---
a. Big on Big – Shouldn’t every football game come down to a battle between the Big Uglies, the men in the trenches? Well, in this game, and in most games in the SEC, it does and the match up of the Alabama offensive line and the Tennessee defensive line could ultimately determine the outcome of this great rivalry game. The Vol defensive line, although thought to be one of the best in the nation, got hit right smack in the face by the Georgia Bulldog offensive line, and that’s the tact that the Tide must take with them as well. Similar to a heavyweight boxer facing old school Mike Tyson, you’ve got to hit first and not back down. Hit the bully in the face as hard as you can and see how they respond. That’s what Georgia did to DT Jesse Mahelona and his mates, and it eventually paid off in a key win. ---college football---
---college football---
Alabama doesn’t have the powerful and experienced offensive line that Georgia has, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve got two absolutes – protect QB Brodie Croyle and give RB Kenneth Darby a little bit of space to gash the Tennessee defense. The Tide could go to more max protection schemes to ensure that Croyle is standing at game’s end, so they’ll get some help from tight ends and running backs to slow down the Vol pass rush. But, can they get any movement at all up front to allow Darby room to run? That eventually will be the key, as Croyle can use the play action off Darby’s runs to hurt the Vols linebackers. But, if Mahelona and company snuff out the run, then the Tide becomes predictable and one-dimensional. That’s not good at all…obviously.---college football---

---college football---
b. The Replacements – The title isn’t meant to say that the Tide receivers are second rate at all, but the question will linger – who’ll take over as the play making threat now that WR Tyrone Prothro is out for the season? For the first time in a long time, the Tide was able to stretch a defense deep down field with Prothro, evident extremely early in the Florida game. Not that his loss would’ve or could’ve come at an advantageous time, but it’s that much worse in facing this Tennessee secondary this week. ---college football---
---college football---
With All-SEC CB Jason Allen out of the foreseeable future, the Vol secondary loses one of the best in the conference, and the guy that probably would’ve drawn Prothro. However, neither one is going to see the field on Saturday. So, the pressure falls on Keith Brown, DJ Hall (if available to play) and Matt Caddell to make plays for the Tide offense. All of them have made big plays over the past two years, but each one’s role is that much more important this weekend. Brown led the Tide with 6 grabs for 79 yards against Ole Miss, and showed his wheels against Florida taking a short slant route all the way to the house. He could be the explosive answer to Prothro’s absence, but no matter who steps up to become the ‘star’, this unit will be on the spot throughout this game.---college football---

---college football---
c. Reunited – The Tennessee offensive line has had some issues thus far this year, but no unit has more pressure this week to perform well than the quintet that’ll strap it up on Saturday. Two weeks ago against Georgia, the five UT offensive linemen that were projected to start the year took the field together for the first time since the Florida game. Now that they’re back to where they need to be, it’s time for them to get cranked up. The Tennessee running game has met significant resistance this year, and it wasn’t until the end of the LSU game that they really took over in that game. Against an Alabama defense that is ultra-quick and can shut down most anything on the perimeter, the interior line must be able to get some movement in the middle, on isolation or power G runs, to move the chains. Alabama hasn’t really seen a team that can attack them in between the tackles like this Tennessee run offense can. ---college football---
---college football---
But, the question becomes whether the Tennessee line can open those holes or if it’ll be Rick Clausen time throughout the game. Even if the Vols focus on establishing Gerald Riggs in the middle, the Vol OL must get up to the second level and get a hat on the Tide linebackers – Demeco Ryans, Freddie Roach and Juwan Simpson. To do so, the guard-center-guard trio of Rob Smith, Richie Gandy and Cody Douglas must control the Tide DT to a point that one of them can move up to the second level. The last thing that the Vols can do is have to block four with five and let those great Tide linebackers run to the ball free and clear throughout the game. Let’s just put this as simply we can – 48 yards on the ground by the Vols won’t get it done.
---college football---

Conclusion – After the close call at Ole Miss last week, the Tide returns this week to Tuscaloosa, where they played an almost flawless game against Florida. They’ll need to continue to harness the emotion and passion of the Tide faithful to knock off a desperate Tennessee team. Similar to the way that Michigan fought back against undefeated Penn State, expect Tennessee to take Bama’s best shot and hang around for four quarters. Brodie Croyle will be the difference as he’ll continue to find open receivers and move the ball as they have this season. He’ll need a big play from one of his receivers, and expect him to get one that wins the game for the Tide. Alabama – 21 vs. Tennessee – 20 ---college football---

2005-10-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Instant AnalysisMinnesota 23 ... Michigan 20By Matthew Zemek
----collegefootball----
Since 1986, the Minnesota Golden Gophers have figured out every possible way to lose to the Michigan Wolverines, especially in recent seasons. Whether they’ve blown four-possession leads, allowed last-minute scores, or committed any other football sins, the Gophers have always played just well enough to lose in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. On Saturday, the prospect of going to Ann Arbor to play a Wolverine team fresh off its conquest of Sparta—and blessed with a healthy Mike Hart and revitalized Steve Breaston—did not promise a sunny outlook for Glen Mason’s team.How fitting, then, that when the Gophers finally found the Jug-ular against their rivals, time literally did stand still.With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, the scoreboard malfunctioned at Michigan Stadium, forcing the time to be kept on the field.
----collegefootball----
Perhaps the sight of triple-zeros at a time when Michigan did not have more points than Minnesota shocked the Wolverines while lifting the Gophers. Maybe the momentum got sucked out of the Big House, as more than 111,000 observers—and a tentative Michigan defense—stood around while the Gophers, without injured quarterback Brian Cupito, managed to march to victory in the game’s final minutes... however many of them existed. But no matter how you slice it, the Gophers found a way to capture the kind of game they rarely win against a team they’ve rarely been able to beat.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
While minutes and seconds weren’t able to be tracked by the crowd on a spectacular Autumn afternoon in Ann Arbor, the other unmeasurable element of this contest was the Gophers’ resilience. On numerous occasions, Michigan landed punches and presented Minnesota with an opportunity to quit. An early touchdown that put Glen Mason’s crew in a 13-3 Gopher hole? Forget about it—Minnesota answered with a touchdown on its next possession.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
A Steve Breaston kickoff return for a touchdown to put Michigan ahead 20-13 in the third quarter? No big deal—the Gophers promptly marched right back to tie the game at 20.And when Michigan—in a development eerily reminiscent of last year’s game won by the Wolverines in the final minutes—just kept penetrating Minnesota’s side of the field, the Gophers’ defense stiffened. At their own 20, their own 30, their own 40, it didn’t matter: Minnesota constantly blunted Michigan’s drives by pressuring Chad Henne and containing Mike Hart. Red zone drives produced only field goals.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
Drives stopped outside the red zone turned into missed field goals for Garrett Rivas and a struggling Michigan kicking game. And the drives the Gophers stopped around their 40 prevented the Wolverines from getting that one extra first down that would have made a field goal a possibility. Time after time, Minnesota’s defense held the fort, keeping the game tied when a punchless offense wasn’t able to generate much of anything. With Cupito down in the final minutes, it didn’t seem as though anything was going to change for the Gophers... especially not the final result.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
But lo and behold, just when everyone in the Big House was expecting overtime, Gary Russell—holy backup, Batman!—sprinted through a hole near the right-side boundary and broke into the secondary for a huge gain that put the Gophers in field goal range. After two plays that centered the ball, Jason Giannini booted the ball through the uprights with two seconds left to give Glen Mason his first win over Michigan.It hadn’t been done since 1986. It wasn’t accomplished even under the most favorable of conditions. It seemed to be Minnesota’s destiny to continue to lose to Michigan in every conceivable fashion. ----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
But destiny took a sharp left Gary Russell turn on Saturday, straight into the annals of Minnesota football history. While Michigan stands dazed, confused, and endowed with two Big Ten losses—and three overall—just a week into October, the Gophers are still in the Big Ten mix. With a trophy as old as the Little Brown Jug, no Gopher will want to sip directly from its mouth. But they’re already tasting the sweet nectar of triumph in Minneapolis. Regardless of what they do the rest of this season, Glen Mason’s boys can say, right now, that they’ve reversed some big-league curses against Purdue and Michigan.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----
As it was on the field late in regulation, so it also must be in a delirious Minnesota locker room: time is standing still amidst a set of emotions that are impossible to put into words. For Michigan, that emotion is somewhere between shock and anger. For Minnesota, it’s something much sweeter, in contrast to so many losses against the Wolverines over the previous 18 years.----collegefootball----
----collegefootball----

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

Russell earns NSIC honor

Northern State quarterback John Russell is the latest Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Week. - College Football -

The 6-4, 220-pound junior from Hayward, Calif., completed 25 of 35 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns in NSU's 29-16 victory at Wayne (Neb.) State Saturday. This is the first time Russell has earned Offensive Player of the Week honors. - College Football -

Russell and the Wolves (4-3, 3-0 NSIC) host defending conference champion Winona State (5-2, 3-0 NSIC) at Swisher Field in Aberdeen Saturday. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. - College Football -

- Sports writer Eric Burgess

2005-10-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NIACC hopes to continue momentum

By KIRK HARDCASTLE, Of The Globe Gazette

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — NIACC coach Scott Strohmeier sensed a little extra bounce in his players’ steps this week in practice. - College Football -

That’s what a 28-2 homecoming victory over the College of DuPage will do for you after starting the season with two straight losses.

"It was obvious just the excitement and enthusiasm at practice," said Strohmeier, whose team plays at No. 9 Grand Rapids today. "On Wednesday everybody was cold and trying to move around and stay warm. - College Football -

"But I think for the most part it’s kind of related to having some success. They’re working pretty hard."

Even though Strohmeier picked up his first win as a head coach last week, the coach said his team has lots of room for improvement. - College Football -

In last Saturday’s game, which was played with horrible field conditions, NIACC fumbled the ball six times, losing one, and quarterback Ben Alford threw one interception.

"We have to find our niche yet and what we do successfully," Strohmeier said. "Generally you have something that you hang your hat on. - College Football -

"But we still have to find our go-to play that we’re all right with running."

Grand Rapids (4-1 overall, 4-1 in the Midwest Football Conference) stopped North Dakota State College of Science 28-21 in double overtime last week. - College Football -

Grand Rapids also owns victories over Rock Valley (35-17), Harper (28-21) and Iowa Central (36-8). The Raiders dropped a 24-7 decision to Ellsworth in Week 3.

Strohmeier said he and his team are entering today’s game with confidence.

"I feel good going into the football game that we’ll be able to do some things offensively and be able to stop them defensively," Strohmeier said. "Now, it really comes down to the players making the plays, because they are giving us some tendencies." - College Football -

Copyright 2005, Globe Gazette

2005-09-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Katrina scatters South Mississippi high school football stars to the winds
By James Jones

The Sun Herald

Sep. 6 - South Mississippi was supposed to have its most-talented college football recruiting class in about a decade.

Hurricane Katrina has dispersed part of the graduating Class of 2006.

Three of the first seven players on The Sun Herald's Top 30 list of area college prospects have already transferred to other schools within the Southeast region. - College Football -

St. Stanislaus defensive tackle J.C. Brignone, ranked fourth, has enrolled at Parkview (Ga.) High School. SSC will not open until January.

Brignone has Division I scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Rice, and Arkansas State.

"My family always comes first with me," Brignone said. "They put the idea into my head that I should play my senior year in Georgia. My life is focused on football."

The 6-foot-1, 290-pound Brignone will always have fond memories of SSC, which won the Region 8-4A title last year. - College Football -

"If I knew SSC would be in Bay St. Louis tomorrow, I'd stay here," Brignone said. "I hate being the captain of the ship and leaving."

Biloxi running back Damion Fletcher, ranked sixth, transferred to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., over Labor Day weekend.

Fletcher, who has scholarship offers from Southern Miss and Arkansas State, will be staying with some relatives. - College Football -

"Since my home was destroyed, I won't be able to play football on the Coast my senior year," Fletcher said. "I heard Biloxi would be opening up in October, and I want to play right now."

Fletcher, who gained 1,694 yards as a junior last year, admits leaving the Coast was a difficult decision.

"The Coast will always be my home," Fletcher said. "I wanted to play for Biloxi and remain in-state. I'm not excited about leaving the Coast this way." - College Football -

Bay High quarterback Tyler Burks and wide receiver Robert Labat have also joined Fletcher at Fort Walton Beach.

D'Iberville defensive back Wesley Ladner, ranked seventh, has transferred to Acadia High School in Lafayette, La. He has a Division I scholarship offer from Navy.

"It will be hard not playing for D'Iberville," Ladner said. "I have to do what's best for us. Football on the Coast is pretty much gone. There's nothing I can do about it, but leave."

Joining Ladner in Lafayette are two Warrior seniors: running back Austin Holley and fullback/linebacker Jordan Bennett. - College Football -

Ocean Springs tight end Richard Dickson, Pascagoula linebacker Domonic Hopson and Moss Point defensive back C.J. Bailey, all blue-chip prospects, may transfer if the remainder of the season is cancelled.

"The only way I go back to Texas is if we can't play football anymore on the Coast," said Dickson, South Mississippi's top-ranked prospect. "I'm waiting to play football."

Hopson and Bailey, ranked third and fifth, already have back-up plans just in case football doesn't resume next month. - College Football -

Bailey, who has offers from Louisiana-Lafayette and Southern Miss, could transfer to either Mobile-Williamson or Hoover, Ala.

Hopson, who is wanted by Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Rice and Vanderbilt, has looked into playing in Tennessee or Houston. - College Football -

"I'm thinking about leaving because its my best chance to get a scholarship," Hopson said. "This is not what I expected my senior year to be. I will have to make a big decision."

2005-08-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Mid-sized, but major talent

TOM MULHERN

Ben Roethlisberger didn't have the experience, starting at quarterback for only one year in high school because he was behind the coach's son. - College Football -

Charlie Frye was too small, weighing 175 pounds when he came out of high school.

Byron Leftwich also didn't fit the typical college QB mold, so he managed only a handful of Division I-A offers out of high school. - College Football -

All three followed the same path - from lightly recruited high school player to Mid-American Conference standout to NFL quarterback - that Bowling Green junior Omar Jacobs is now blazing.

At a time when University of Wisconsin football fans wonder why their team has struggled to find and develop a single upper-echelon quarterback, the MAC continues to uncover them on a regular basis. - College Football -

"Probably they're all a little different, how they ended up there," UW coach Barry Alvarez said. "But I'll tell you, (the MAC) probably has had as many high-quality quarterbacks as any league, whether they're late maturers (or) guys that kind of got lost in the shuffle in recruiting and at the end, no one has a scholarship for them."

Jacobs, who faces the Badgers in Saturday's season opener at Camp Randall Stadium, tells a similar tale.

"Short story, (I was) recruited by everybody in the nation, at first," Jacobs, a native of Delray Beach, Fla., said of his recruiting experience. - College Football -

"I don't know what happened. I was going to take two trips to (Kansas State), coaching changes, recruiter left; then I had Buffalo, Bowling Green and (Florida Atlantic).

"I took those three trips in a week. I had the best trip to Bowling Green. My mom liked it. (Former coach) Urban Meyer had just turned the program around. I had the best opportunity, there was a senior here, with the quarterback situation. They play the same type of offense I played back home." - College Football -

The rest is quarterback history, MAC style.

2005-08-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yeoman will vote in Harris
Longtime coach at Houston, Dykes, Mackovic named among 114 pollsters

Bill Yeoman hasn't coached a game for the University of Houston since 1986. But this season, he'll have a say in the national championship race.

Yeoman, who coached UH for 25 years, is among the 114-member panel of former coaches, players, administrators and media members who will make up the electorate for the Harris Interactive College Football Poll.

The new poll counts as one-third of the BCS ranking formula that will determine which teams play in the four major bowls, including the national title game.

Also among the list of voters released Monday are NFL Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Steve Largent and Anthony Munoz. Also included are former Big 12 coaches Spike Dykes of Texas Tech and John Mackovic of Texas. Rice is represented by former coach Homer Rice and quarterback Bert Emanuel. Blaine Bishop, a Pro Bowl defensive back for the Oilers/Titans from 1993-2001, is also on the panel. Bishop played at Ball State.

"I'm delighted to help," said the 77-year-old Yeoman, who won four Southwest Conference titles and 11 bowl games from 1962-86 at UH. "It piques your interest a little bit, and you pay a little more attention to what's going on in the country football-wise maybe more than before if you weren't on the poll. I'm looking forward to it."

The Harris Poll replaces the Associated Press Top 25 media poll, which withdrew last December as a component in the BCS standings. The USA Today coaches' poll and a compilation of six computer rankings still make up the other two-thirds of the BCS formula.

Among other SWC alumni voting are: coach Lou Holtz of Arkansas, SMU quarterback Lance McIlhenny, Texas Tech center/linebacker E. J. Holub and commissioner Fred Jacoby.

Harris Interactive Inc., a Rochester, N.Y.-based marketing firm hired by the BCS, narrowed the list from 300 candidates. The panel is supposed to be a cross-section of that group.

The first Harris Poll will be released on Sept. 25, four weeks into the regular season.

The first BCS standings will come out Oct. 17.

Harris poll voters will not be required to make their ballots public until the final poll Dec. 5.

JOSEPH DUARTE
Houston Chronicle

2005-08-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

College Preview: Overstreet happy to be playing again

The more problems he had, the more Brodie Overstreet thought about just walking away from football.
The problems started when he was diagnosed with Graves Disease during his senior year at Boyle County. He lost weight and strength and finally had to limit his play to offense only for part of the season. - College Football -
Once the season ended, he learned he had a detached retina in his eye. That problem eventually forced him to miss the 2003 season.
He thought things would be better last season following four surgeries. However, doctors then discovered a similar problem with his other eye after he started the season opener against Clemson and he had to miss the rest season.
"There would be times when I couldn't play, and didn't know what was wrong or if I could play again, that the thought of just quitting went through my head. I thought about just forgetting about football," said Overstreet. "But after a couple of months of not getting to play, I realized how much I missed football.' - College Football -
Doctors decided before spring practice that Overstreet's eye had sufficiently healed to let him participate in drills. He felt "rusty" when practice started, but came out of spring practice No. 2 at right tackle. - College Football -
"It was fun just being back out there," Overstreet said. "I was a little nervous, but the doctors assured me nothing would go wrong. Once we got into full pads, I was fine.
"It has been a weird few years. Nothing seemed to work right for me. Part of it might have been my fault. I was trying to rush and recover faster than I should have. I could have avoided a lot of my problems my senior year at Boyle if I had done things different.
"I kept wanting to come back too quick. I had some side effects that weren't good. I knew playing would be dangerous, but I kept pushing to come back. I just hope I am due for a healthy year. I have lost that college fat and have not felt better in a long time."
Wants to weigh around 300 - College Football -
Overstreet planned to start preseason workouts weighing a little over 300. That way he figures he will stay weigh around 295 when Wake Forest opens the season Sept. 1 against Vanderbilt.
"Our offensive line coach rotates a lot of players," Overstreet said. "The No. 1 guy plays four plays, then the No. 2 goes in for four plays. I am going to get to play plenty.
"When I played against Clemson, it had been over a year since I had been in a high school game. It was a blast just being on the field in that big-time atmosphere. I want to experience that again." - College Football -
Overstreet said his time away from football made him appreciate all Wake Forest has to offer besides football.
"I couldn't be happier," he said. "It was a lot different here from what I was exposed to growing up. I've experienced all kinds of cultures. It's opened my eyes, literally, and made me a better person."

LARRY VAUGHT
The Advocate-Messenger

2005-08-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Talking Leather
... with J.T. Snow, Omar Vizquel and Mike Matheny

J.T. SNOW, First BasemanThe six-time Gold Glover has had the same glove since 2000 -- "pretty amazing," says Mike Matheny. "I have it restrung every year, and I've had parts replaced," says Snow. "But it's the same glove, and I use it every game. I just like the feel of it. I believe the leather was better quality then than it is now. I don't put anything on my glove, except that I spit in it. And when we travel, I put a rubber football in it so it won't get smashed when they throw the luggage around. - College Football -
I've used this model, a Wilson 2802, since I was in college [Arizona]. Wilson had given some gloves to the school and it was free." - College Football -
OMAR VIZQUEL, Shortstop"I've had my glove for two years," says the nine-time Gold Glove winner. "I treat it with just a little bit of oil. Not too much because I don't want it to be too soft. I use it every single game, and I have other gloves for practice. I've been using this model -- the Rawlings SXSC -- for 13 years. It just felt comfortable from the start. It's a glove I can control. My glove is my most valuable possession, but I make a lot of bare-handed plays, so I'd like to go out there without a glove once. I'd like that challenge. But I don't think I'd like taking the catcher's throws at second bare-handed." - College Football -
MIKE MATHENY, Catcher "I don't want anyone else using it or even wearing it," says the man who has won three Gold Gloves. "Teammates mess with me. Woody Williams [in St. Louis] would pretend he was wearing it, then turn around so I could see he wasn't. I get a new one [a Rawlings SCM41JB] each spring, and I go through two or three a season. I treat it every day with shaving cream and aloe to keep it soft. Whenever I'm not using it I put two baseballs in it and wrap it in tape so it'll keep its shape. I use my game glove in practice. The only time I've gotten through an entire season with one glove was 2003." - College Football -

Sports lllustrated

2005-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

'NCAA Football 06' gives its players a shot at the Heisman

(KRT) - "NCAA Football 06," $49.95, www.easports.com/games/ncaa06/home.jsp. Players: 1-2, plus online play. Format: PlayStation 2 (also available for Xbox). Category: Sports. Rating: E (Everyone). Three stars (out of four). - College Football -
---
College football is America's greatest game, and it deserves the richest pageantry, the most historic traditions and a video game that captures all of its electricity.
"NCAA Football 06" comes closer than ever to getting that right. But "closer" is the key word.
This year's version of "NCAA Football" includes the usual rivalry games and mascot weirdness. It also adds an all-new ability to turn a high school kid into the winner of the coveted Heisman Trophy, which is handed out each year to the nation's best collegiate player.
In a nod to tradition, former University of Michigan receiver Desmond Howard, the 1991 Heisman winner, is on the package's cover, striking the famous pose he took in the end zone against arch-rival Ohio State. - College Football -
I should be striking that same pose today after completing my freshman season in the game and smashing the NCAA season record for touchdown passes.
But - arrgh - the trophy went to one of my receivers! I learned this affront during the Heisman award ceremony after leading my team to the nation's No. 1 ranking with an 11-0 record.
Ack. I should never have thrown so much to that guy. - College Football -
But here's the thing. The ability to chase the Heisman Trophy pulled me compellingly through a whole season of football within a week of getting this video game. It added incentive for me to turn it on.
I started as a high school player from Detroit. After competing well in a quick summer camp, several major colleges offered me scholarships. I found myself as the starting quarterback and immediately began building a legend. - College Football -
Between football games you can check your numbers, how your team ranks, whether you're showing up on the Heisman radar, your accumulated trophies and even tasteful pictures of your latest girlfriend.
The PlayStation 2 version I played had a serious problem with players bleeding into one another during cut scenes before and after plays. The PS2 graphics also are OK but a bit blocky.
The announcers continue to get better and better. No one sounds like a robot anymore. And they - Brad Nessler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit - do a fine job of sounding as if they're really talking about your specific game, even if some of the lines grow repetitive.
This is a full-featured game with lots of other stuff. While there are some glitches, "NCAA Football 06" has me pumped for real football in the fall. - College Football -
But I still don't know how I didn't win the Heisman.

JIM SCHAEFER
Knight Ridder Newspapers

2005-07-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

New changes to BCS are dollar-driven
Expansion of bowls, regular season by one game adds to college football's confusion.

It's easier, perhaps, to put it in football terms: Almost without fail, when faced with third-and-long, the NCAA's board of directors runs a draw play.
And that's what college football fans saw again this week as the powers-that-be punted another golden opportunity. - College Football -
They could have passed on the easy money while restoring some of the credibility of the institutions they serve. Instead, they simply gave us more of the same.
Among the rulings handed down this week, effective fall 2006, are the following:
• An expansion of the Bowl Championship Series by one game, but no playoff-style format.
• The addition of a 12th regular-season game for Division I-A schools.
• And an allowance for Division I-A teams to count one victory over a Division I-AA school toward bowl eligibility each season. - College Football -
The result is merely a concession to the money pit that college athletics has become, complete with window dressing designed to appease, if not altogether please.
To the conference commissioners who were complaining about a lack of access to the BCS and about loopholes that could cost major conferences millions of dollars? Well, now there are two more invitations to the party, though no one's sure yet who will be mailing those invitations.
To the college coaches who were outspoken in their opposition to adding a 12th game, citing fatigue and injuries with fewer scholarship players? Well, now that the rules regarding I-AA competition have changed, you can rest easy -- and rest your starters -- as most schools will choose an extra scrimmage rather than add a bona fide opponent.
To the lonely voices shouting for academic reform? (And, yes, the Knight Commission still exists.) Well, NCAA president Myles Brand, who used to think and act like a university president, insists the extra game won't hurt the athletes as students because the actual regular-season calendar isn't being lengthened. In fact, Brand suggested, the student-athletes might even perform better in the classroom, basing that ridiculous notion on recent NCAA graduation rates, a non sequitur if there ever was one. - College Football -
And to the two constituencies that should matter most: the players who play and the fans who cheer? Well, at least they'll still have something to complain about.
Here's my biggest complaint, though: Can't they at least be honest about it?
When asked this week to explain what compelled the NCAA to add a 12th game, ignoring the pleas of the American Football Coaches Association and the Knight Commission -- strange bedfellows, indeed -- Kansas chancellor Bob Hemenway, who is chairman of the NCAA board of directors, said, "It was not just about money." - College Football -
Of course, that's exactly what it was about. An extra home game means $3 million-$4 million in additional revenue for major Division I-A schools such as Michigan and Tennessee and Oklahoma, and perhaps as much as $500,000 for some of the smaller mid-major opponents who will gladly travel to take their lump-sum payments. Athletic directors will rejoice, even as season-ticket holders grumble at the prospect of another $50-plus home date against Northeast (fill-in-the-blank) State.
As for the BCS, that might be the only common ground here, because everyone agrees it's not the right system. Only problem is, no one can agree what to do about it, including the BCS conference commissioners themselves. This week's BCS expansion wasn't the switch to a "plus-one" playoff model that some had anticipated. There was no overhaul of the controversial BCS formula, either, even after The Associated Press pulled out. Instead, there's talk of adding a new "expert" poll to the decimal soup, and a plan to add a game to the rotation. And still no assurance of an undisputed champion. - College Football -
"Well, college football in general is a little bit confusing right now," Texas coach Mack Brown said last week.
Some things, it seems, never change.
Notable
Still to be determined is whether teams will be bowl-eligible with a 6-6 record when the 12-game schedule is allowed starting in 2006. The NCAA board is recommending that teams be required to finish with a winning record to qualify.
... Notre Dame's clout takes a hit in the new BCS deal beginning next season. The Irish no longer will received a full conference payout -- roughly $15 million-$16 million -- whenever they qualify for a BCS bowl. Instead, they'll get the equivalent of a conference at-large share, or about $4.5 million. In the years they don't qualify for a BCS game, they'll get a $1 million BCS payout. They are guaranteed a spot if they finish in the top eight of the BCS standings and must finish in the top 12 to be considered for an at-large spot. - College Football -
... Another rule change from the NCAA this week dealt with attendance. A rule that required schools to average crowds of 15,000 to remain in Division I-A has been modified to allow teams to average that figure either in actual or paid attendance. That means mid-major schools, most notably Eastern and Central Michigan locally, can buy their own tickets when necessary to reach that paid-attendance threshold.
... Sure, San Diego beats, say, Detroit as a winter holiday destination. But it's hard to imagine a stampede at the box office in December when the fans of two college teams learn they've been invited to play in the new Poinsettia Bowl. Actually, it's officially the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. And, no, this is no joke. The newest addition to the bowl season is a Dec. 22 game at Qualcomm Stadium that will feature a Mountain West Conference team against an at-large opponent. - College Football -
... And finally, some hope for the rest of college football. Southern Cal might be unbeatable, but now Pete Carroll's players are beating up each other. An altercation between receiver Steve Smith and tight end Dominique Byrd -- over a video game, no less -- left Byrd with a fractured jaw this month. The two quickly patched things up, however, and neither was disciplined. So, Fight On for ol' SC.

John Niyo / The Detroit News

2005-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

College Football Insider: Spurrier's QB dilemma

Can Steve Spurrier win big at South Carolina with the quarterbacks he has?
When a school has posted only one 10-win season in 111 years of football, winning big is a relative term. By contrast, Steve Spurrier posted nine 10-win seasons in his 12 years at Florida.
If winning big for Spurrier and South Carolina means competing for the SEC East title, the answer on the quarterbacks is no — at least in the short term. - College Football -
If the Gamecocks had to play Central Florida tomorrow, Blake Mitchell would get the nod after throwing for 175 yards in the spring game. A sophomore from LaGrange, Mitchell did a reasonably good job of picking up Spurrier's offense in the spring. He has an average arm but has a chance to develop into an SEC-caliber quarterback under Spurrier.
The problem is an offensive line that might not be up to snuff, forcing Spurrier to look at Antonio Heffner, a more mobile option at quarterback. - College Football -
"Right now the job is still pretty wide open," Spurrier said. "We've got some other guys we need to throw in the mix."
Freshmen Tommy Beecher and Cade Thompson will get a look when they arrive next month.
"We'll be OK," Spurrier said. "It's just a matter of finding the right guy and getting him ready."
Marcus Vick on comeback trail
How has Michael Vick's little brother looked in offseason drills at Virginia Tech?
After sitting out last season on suspension, Marcus Vick began spring drills as Virginia Tech's No. 3 quarterback. He didn't stay there long after completing 31 of 53 passes for 406 yards in three spring scrimmages. He was intercepted once all spring.
So it came as no surprise that after the Hokies' spring game, Vick was named the starter by coach Frank Beamer. - College Football -
Vick might not have all the skills of big brother Michael of the Atlanta Falcons, but who does? If he stays healthy on the field and behaves off it, Marcus Vick will give the Hokies a big-play dimension they didn't have last season with reliable Bryan Randall, the ACC's Player of the Year. Everything Vick did in the spring and during voluntary workouts this summer indicates he can make good on that promise. - College Football -
"Marcus knows that this is his team, and in the offseason I told him I wanted him to start laying the groundwork so that everybody knows it's his team," Beamer said. "Bryan Randall did that, and we got great results. Marcus has gone through a lot, but, like his brother, he is a great kid. His ego is not out of control. We feel good about where we are with Marcus."

Gottfried outearns Shula - College Football -
How can the basketball coach make more than the football coach at Alabama?
In previous generations, Crimson Tide fans would have viewed this as a sign of the Apocalypse.
Mark Gottfried's recent contract extension will make him the first Alabama basketball coach to earn $1 million a season. The salary of football coach Mike Shula, who recently got a one-year contract extension, remains at $900,000. It's safe to say this is the first time the basketball coach has made more than the football guy in Tuscaloosa.
It's also safe to say that since Alabama joined the SEC in 1933, this is the first time the compensation of its football coach has been the ninth-lowest in the league.
But fear not, Tide fans. The system is working properly. Gottfried is being rewarded for his work. The jury's still out on Shula, who took over under adverse conditions in 2003 and is 10-15 in two seasons.
Gottfried is 143-83 in seven seasons and has gone to four consecutive NCAA tournaments. More important, of the 17 players who have completed their eligibility under Gottfried, all have received degrees. - College Football -
Now, there are three basketball coaches in the SEC — Gottfried, Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings — who make more than their football counterparts.
——————————
Tears for departed Tigers
Which of Auburn's four first-round draft picks will be the toughest to replace?
Al Borges wants to make this clear: Auburn's offensive coordinator loves Ronnie Brown and "Cadillac" Williams, the two backs who helped the Tigers go 13-0 and win the SEC title. But as valuable as those two first-round picks were, as well as cornerback Carlos Rogers, the toughest Tiger to replace will be quarterback Jason Campbell, who's now the property of the Washington Redskins.
"Especially when you have a quarterback who played the way that Jason played for us last year," said Borges, set to begin his second year at Auburn. "I'm not sure I completely appreciated how good he was when we were going through last season. Looking back, time after time, he bailed us out of a bad play and got us into a good one. There were times when Jason literally took over the game." - College Football -
Brandon Cox, a sophomore who saw spot action in seven games last season, takes over at quarterback this year. The learning curve is steep, but Borges believes Cox has the tools to be successful.
"He's more of a prototypical dropback passer. He won't run for a lot of first downs, but he's fluid, and he has a great sense in the pocket," Borges said. "He can hit the target when the guy is open. He doesn't have the overall understanding of the offense right now, but as he gets better he will be more productive."
——————————
Sexton to miss '05 with Lyme disease
Wyatt Sexton, the Florida State quarterback who was found disheveled and disoriented on a city street last month, has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and will miss the upcoming season, the university said Saturday.
FSU coach Bobby Bowden said the university would seek a sixth year of eligibility for Sexton, who has already used his redshirt season. He is the Seminoles' only experienced quarterback.
A specialist in the field of Lyme disease, Dr. S. Chandra Swami from Hermitage, Pa., said Sexton's organs have been infected and recommended intensive antibiotic therapy over a period of months.
The disease is curable, but the estimated recovery time for his advanced stage of infection is several months. If untreated, the disease can cause joint swelling and brain inflammation.
The Seminoles will now choose between a pair of redshirt freshmen, Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee, as the starting quarterback for their nationally televised season opener Sept. 5 against Miami. The team begins its preseason practice Aug. 9. - College Football -
"It may come down to flipping a coin as to who starts the season," Bowden said.
Xavier Lee or Drew Weatherford, in-state products who both came to FSU last fall with impressive credentials.
Weatherford, from Land O'Lakes, is the more polished of the two but is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. - College Football -
Lee, from Daytona Beach, is an exceptional athlete who has been compared with Michael Vick — not for his speed but for his ability to turn a bad play into a big one. But FSU coaches saw enough improvisation with Rix and are a little more comfortable with the predictability of Weatherford. The players, however, have seen more of Lee this summer because he has been healthy.

TONY BARNHART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

2005-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

High school all-star football game Saturday

Timberline High quarterback Russel Hill and Twin Falls quarterback Mike Smith are among the players who will get one more chance to play high school football.The all-state football game kicks off at 5 p.m. Saturday at Bronco Stadium.Coaches from around the state and organizer Matt Williams of Eagle are resurrecting a statewide all-star game to showcase Idaho's top players. - College Football -
Team Treasure Valley will face off against the rest of the state — Team Idaho — with bragging rights at stake in what parents, athletes and prep coaches hope is another chance to put football players in front of college coaches.Idaho prep teams annually participate in conference or regional all-star games, but Williams and coaches hope a statewide game will generate lots of excitement.
"It's the first in a long time — around 18 or 20 years — that a true all-state game has been held in the state of Idaho, and I think that's really important because it brings back into the limelight the quality of kids that the state of Idaho has," said Van Troxel, Team Idaho and Lake City High head coach.The game is for graduated seniors. NCAA regulations prevent freshmen through juniors from playing, Troxel said.College football coaches have already filled many roster spots, but a scholarship or two may still be open somewhere, Troxel added. - College Football -
The contest also features athletes who have already signed with colleges, players planning to walk on at schools and others looking to make new friends and have a good time.Sponsors have helped pay costs, and players paid a fee to participate to help cover expenses for this week's activities.
Athletes arrived over the Fourth of July holiday and are staying at dorms on the Boise State campus. They have had a couple of practices on the blue turf, gone to Roaring Springs Water Park and seen the movie "Napoleon Dynamite.""It's a great opportunity to get back on the football field and strap it on in the summer," said Centennial's Mike Ames, a 6-foot-5 and 240-pound offensive lineman who will grayshirt at Boise State. "All the players have a lot of talent. (Saturday's game) should be fun. I look at it as any football game. You want to go out and play hard and win," Ames said.Both teams will attend a Boise Hawks baseball game tonight and are scheduled to participate in some of the between-innings entertainment. - College Football -
Hill will share reps with former Meridian High quarterback Jeff Van Nest. Van Nest's mobility and deep passes by Hill will give Team Treasure Valley a strong combined threat.Team Idaho boasts members of the 5A state champion Twin Falls team, including Smith and his twin brother and wide receiver Mitch Smith. Coeur d'Alene running back Gabe Le also is expected to highlight the squad. - College Football -
Team Idaho lost the services of Idaho Falls lineman Jordan Nelson, who sustained a cut at the water park that needed stitches, Troxel said. The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder was expected to play guard or tackle.Today's practice schedule at Boise State is 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Team Idaho), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Team Treasure Valley) and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Team Idaho)."What we're trying to do is make Idaho high school football important again," Troxel said.

Johnna Espinoza
The Idaho Statesman

2005-06-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee selects Australia's Bogut as first pick in NBA draft

NEW YORK (AFP) - Andrew Bogut, the 20-year-old Aussie who left his US college team after his second year, was the top pick in the 2005 National Basketball Association entry draft.

Bogut, who has considerable international experience at the centre position, was chosen first overall on Tuesday by the struggling
Milwaukee Bucks' . He played last season in Utah and has been compared to Vlade Divac.
"This is a dream come true," said Bogut, who was born in Australia but is of Croatian descent. "I am proud to be Australian and proud to be Croatian too."
This marks the first time in modern draft history that the same school produced the top overall pick in both the NBA and NFL drafts.
The
San Francisco 49ers' selected Utah quarterback Alex Smith with the top pick in the National Football League draft.
Atlanta Hawks' name chose Marvin Williams as the second overall pick. Williams is a forward who left North Carolina after coming off the bench in his first college season.
Bucks general manager Larry Harris said they didn't make up their mind about Bogut until early Tuesday.
"Looking down the road we thought Andrew would be a good foundation piece for us," Harris said.
"He can step in right away we can get back into the playoff picture next year. Adding a competitor like Andrew means we are solid now in the centre position."

College Football Photo

2005-06-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

College Football Photo