Fiesta Bowl Is Andy Dalton’s 2010 Heisman Pre-Party
December 31, 2009
As the 2009 season ends Monday for the TCU football team, Andy Dalton’s 2010 Heisman Trophy candidacy begins.
The Horned Frogs’ junior quarterback received nary a vote for the Heisman Trophy this season, despite leading his team to its first undefeated regular season since 1938.
He’ll lead the the third-ranked, an unbeaten Frogs against also flawless, and sixth-ranked Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Dalton threw for 22 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. He also has rushed for 522 yards and three more TDs.
What does a guy have to do to get one measly vote in this country?
Ralph Nader gets votes all the time when he runs for President. People actually voted for John McCain because of Sarah Palin. Jesse “The Body” Ventura actually won an election, for goodness sake.
Dalton’s exposure suffers from a college football double whammy—he plays for a non-BCS school who is part of a television package that can be seen only in sparsely populated areas in the the Mountain Time Zone, and certain parts of Siberia.
My apologies to The mtn. network, but it’s true.
Why else would Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and Nebraska destructive tackle (defensive tackle doesn’t seem appropriate) Ndamukong Suh finish second and third, respectively, in Heisman voting while Dalton gets the goose egg?
Stanford and Nebraska, both—ahem—BCS teams, combined for a respectable 18-9 record this season, but come on; we’re talking about the Heisman, not respectability. Er, I mean, since when do players on four and five loss teams get a lot of Heisman votes?
Not that the Horned Frogs seem overly concerned about their under-the-radar QB.
Coach Gary Patterson was asked in a conference call near the end of the regular season whether he was surprised at Dalton’s lack of popularity in the race for the biggest individual award.
“Yeah, but he started late,” Patterson said. “That’s the name of the game. I feel bad for him. For us, what we need to do is to make sure we keep his name in front of people and he keeps winning, and give him an opportunity his senior year to maybe do some things special.
“I think he’s taken a great approach to it. He’s been about the team which is what he’s been about all the time. He hasn’t even mentioned it to me, which states even more what kind of person he is and what kind of player he is.”
Granted, Dalton’s stats aren’t as eye-popping as some of the other candidates this year. He has passed for “only” 2,484 yards. When your offense averages 256.5 rushing yards per game, the ball doesn’t have to go through the air that often.
Texas’ Colt McCoy had 3,156 passing yards with 27 TDs and 12 interceptions, and ran for 348 yards and three TDs. Florida’s Tim Tebow had 2,413 passing yards with 18 TDs and five interceptions, but he had 856 rushing yards and 13 TDs.
Houston’s Case Keenum had video-game numbers in the regular season—5,449 passing yards, 43 TDs and nine interceptions. But 222 yards with one TD and six picks in a 47-20 loss to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl, saddled Keenum with his fourth loss of the year.
Boise State sophomore Kellen Moore—who’ll take center stage Monday opposite Dalton—threw for 3,325 yards with 39 TDs and just three interceptions.
Which makes the Fiesta Bowl huge for Dalton’s 2010 hopes. A lot more people will be watching the Fiesta Bowl than just the greater Laramie, Wyo., area that tunes in for the annual TCU-Wyoming war on The mtn.
Dalton’s 2010 Heisman candidacy will be off and running if he can outshine Moore, and the Horned Frogs can dominate the Broncos.
There is that small matter of current Heisman holder Mark Ingram of Alabama returning in 2010—as well as Gerhart. Then again, we all saw how much more scrutiny Florida QB Tim Tebow faced after winning the Heisman in 2007.
The same raised expectations will be on Gerhart (see McCoy).
As Patterson said, as long as TCU keeps winning with Dalton at the helm, the QB may be having a fiesta of a different sort next December.
We’ll find out Monday if Dalton is ready for his meet-and-greet.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
RB Spann will be go-to guy for NIU
December 31, 2009
Northern Illinois running back Chad Spann will carry the rushing load in Saturday’s International Bowl against South Florida.
NIU coach Jerry Kill announced today that Me’co Brown, who has struggled with injuries during the latter half of the season, didn’t make the trip to Toronto. Brown has been recovering from knee and shoulder injuries and also had a family issue. Kill said Brown wouldn’t have played had he made the trip anyway.
Spann leads a NIU rushing offense that ranks 17th in the country with 202.42 yards per game. Spann has 159 carries for 945 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Spann hurt his shoulder against Ball State on Nov. 12 and has gained just 115 yards on 28 carries in his last two games. But with a few weeks to get healthy, Spann should be as effective as he was earlier in the year.
With Brown out, NIU doesn’t have a true backup. Quarterback Chandler Harnish likely will be the only other NIU rushing threat in the game.
Five-Star JUCO Quarterback Chooses Auburn
December 31, 2009
Auburn’s already stellar recruiting class for 2010 just got a huge boost as Rivals.com five-star prospect, and the No. 1 rated JUCO prospect in the nation, quarterback Cameron Newton, has committed to play for Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers.
Newton told Jeffrey Lee of Auburnsports.com the news this afternoon.
“I committed to Auburn,” Newton said. “It feels great to get it over with. I’m so excited to be going to Auburn.”
He ultimately chose the Tigers over Mississippi State and Oklahoma. Newton was a five-star recruit out of high school from Westlake H.S. (Atlanta, Ga.) in 2007, and signed with Florida.
However, he was dismissed from the Florida football team and ended up at Blinn Community College in Brenham, Texas. In 2009, Newton led his team to a JUCO National Championship, putting up big numbers both passing and rushing along the way.
Newton first visited Auburn back on December 18th-20th, when he picked up a firm offer from the Tigers. He commented then that he was blown away by his visit to Auburn.
“Everything went excellent,” said Newton. “I’m on Cloud Nine right now.”
Going into the 2010 recruiting class, Auburn wasn’t planning to sign a quarterback because of pressing needs at other positions, but when a player the caliber of the 6′6″, 245 pound Newton comes along, it’s hard to pass up that opportunity and Auburn didn’t.
With senior Chris Todd leaving after this year, Auburn returns three redshirt freshman in Tyrik Rollison, Clint Moseley, and Barrett Trotter, and senior Neil Caudle at the quarterback position for 2010. None of which have any real game experience.
So the opportunity for Auburn to bring in a big time junior college quarterback was there and Newton saw it as a chance to fulfill his dreams of playing big time SEC football, as well as an opportunity to prepare for the NFL.
After his visit to Auburn in December, Newton talked about what type of impact he could make on the Plains.
“No doubt I could make an impact (at Auburn),” he said. “I want to go somewhere that I’m competing to be the man. I’m going to train myself mentally, physically, in every which way, to be the man. When it comes game time, it’s not a secret that success is brought upon by hard work in the offseason.”
Newton plans to enroll early at Auburn beginning January 9th. Arriving in the spring can only enhance his chances of winning the starting job come the fall.
Newton will have two years of eligibility left when he arrives at Auburn.
Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com
Houston’s Sumlin defends Keenum
December 31, 2009
Houston coach Kevin Sumlin didn’t have many answers for his team’s performance in a 47-20 loss to Air Force in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, but the one thing he wasn’t about to do was lay all the blame on his quarterback, Case Keenum.
“As a coach, first of all, I’ve got to do a better job based on the results today. It starts with me,” Sumlin said. “I’m not going to make any kind of generalization based on the overall numbers in the last two games for [Keenum]. He’s a damn good player, has been, and will continue to be for us.”
Keenum threw a career-high six interceptions on Thursday and a season-low 222 yards. Keenum becomes the first quarterback to throw six interceptions in a bowl game since Bruce Lee did it for Arizona in the 1968 Sun Bowl.
In Keenum’s last two games — the Armed Forces Bowl and Conference USA championship game — he’s thrown nine interceptions. He had just six all of the regular season.
“Obviously we were a little off, but [Air Force] had a lot to do with that, too,” Sumlin said. “You look back at all of our losses this year, it’s been directly turnover related, inability to get off the field on third down.”
Air Force set a school record for points in a bowl game and earned its first bowl win since 2000. The Falcons rushed for 400 yards, the most the Cougars allowed all season. The Mountain West Conference is now 4-0 in bowl games with just the TCU’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl remaining.
Sumlin, who’s team won 10 games this season and spent most of the year ranked in the Top 25, said he didn’t know what happened to his quarterback. Keenum came into the game as the nation’s best passer and the Houston offense was the best in the country. But against the nation’s top passing defense in Air Force, Keenum couldn’t catch a break. He threw two interceptions on Houston’s first two series and both were off tips. As he tried to get his team back in the game in the second half, he threw four more picks by pressing. Keenum never seemed to get comfortable and it showed throughout the game.
“No, he wasn’t sharp today,” Sumlin said. “We weren’t sharp today at all. I think that’s pretty obvious. The layoff may have hurt him. I don’t know. We had a longer layoff last year that didn’t hurt him that much, so… You know, every time something like this happens, you’re always looking for a reason why.”
Now, Houston will play a waiting game while Keenum decides whether to return for his senior season. Earlier this month, Keenum said that he asked for an evaluation from the NFL underclassman advisory board.
TCU’s Young is OK not being the star
December 31, 2009
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jimmy Young had just gotten used to being TCU’s premier receiver when co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente came to him and told him that he’d lose some touches this season.
Young, who led the Horned Frogs with 59 catches for 988 yards and five touchdowns in 2008, was far and away TCU’s top target. The next closest receiver, Ryan Christian, had 30 catches for 321 yards. No other TCU receiver had more than 300 yards.
But as TCU has looked into ways to better its passing game this past offseason, Fuente said they realized that they had several players that could be the same threat as Young if given a chance. So the coaching staff encouraged quarterback Andy Dalton to work with all of them in the spring and summer, get comfortable with all of them and take the opportunity to spread the ball to different targets.
“We felt like coming into the season that we had several good players and that we were going to be able to be balanced no matter who was getting the ball,” Fuente said. “Jimmy Young caught a bunch of balls for us last year and some of the other guys didn’t catch as many. Jimmy’s caught less balls, but helped us win more games and done a better job. That’s something we talked to Jimmy about and he’s embraced it.”
Jeremy Kerley leads the Horned Frogs in receiving with 467 yards and three players have at least 400 yards receiving; Bart Johnson has 398. Six players have double-digit catches this season and all of those players have at least 200 receiving yards. No player has more than 38 catches.
“The kids started to realize that the guys playing next to them are pretty good too,” Fuente said. “They had a chance to make plays. And then obviously, when you’re having team success it eases that. When you’re winning ballgames, everybody’s happy anyway. I think that helped in the transition. But it also took the kids to buy into what was going on.”
Young acknowledged that it took him a little while to warm up to the idea especially after narrowly missing a 1,000-yard season the year before. But as soon as he started seeing results, Young was fully on board. He’s second on the team in receiving with 29 catches for 449 yards and three touchdowns.
“Once [Fuente] told me, it was OK and I set myself up for it,” Young said. “But once it developed and we were winning, I was as happy as anyone. It was more of a team thing for me. I understood how it would work out and it worked out well. We’re undefeated, we’re able to spread the ball around more and it’s just a positive thing. It definitely took time for me to get used to it,” Young said. “But we were winning, that was it. I was pleased.”
Video: Mike Leach reacts to firing
December 31, 2009
Mike Leach speaks to the media for the first time since being fired.
Northwestern hopes to avoid pre-snap traps
December 31, 2009
Northwestern’s biggest challenge Friday against Auburn might take place before the ball is snapped.
Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is known for his innovative approach and extensive playbook, but he sets everything up by running a ton of pre-snap motion to throw off the opposing defense. For defenders, a misstep before the snap can lead to disastrous results after it.
“It’s like window dressing,” Northwestern senior safety Brendan Smith said. “They’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to try and confuse you. Watch this!’ Like if they’re magicians, ‘Here’s the magic. Watch me over here! Watch me over there! Boom!’ They try to motion around, but they’re going to run the same play.”
Smith and his fellow defenders have spent the past few weeks studying Auburn’s pre-snap motion so they can recognize it in the Outback Bowl and not get sucked in. They’ve seen Auburn shuffle a ton of personnel before the snap, only to run a simple inside zone play to running back Ben Tate.
The solution to contain Auburn? Just do your job.
“They take advantage of the mental mistakes on defense,” Smith said. “As long as we play one team, Auburn, we have a great chance of winning.”
Northwestern will rely heavily on Smith and fellow safety Brad Phillips, another senior, to direct others on Auburn’s pre-snap motion.
“Sometimes, we could say, ‘Play it! Play it! Play it!’” Smith said. “Other times, we’ll have to check and get us into something else. That’s all dependent on the pre-call. But a lot of the looks will get us into our base [defense].”
Like Auburn, Northwestern runs a no-huddle spread offense that should help the NU defenders prepare for the Tigers’ up-tempo pace. Though the Wildcats usually don’t run as much pre-snap motion as Auburn, they can execute plays like rapid fire, keeping the defense on its heels.
With three weeks to practice against their own offense and examine Auburn’s, the Wildcats defenders feel ready.
“The biggest thing is studying their tendencies,” defensive end Corey Wootton said of Auburn. “Certain formations, certain sets they’re in, it’s pretty predictable what they’re doing.”
Instant analysis: Air Force 47, Houston 20
December 31, 2009
If there was any question as to whether Houston quarterback Case Keenum was ready to forgo his senior season and make the jump to the NFL, he answered that in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl with the worst passing performance of his career. Air Force defeated Houston 47-20, the Falcons’ first bowl win since 2000.
How the game was won: Air Force’s defense clamped down on Keenum and the nation’s No. 1 passing offense. It limited the Cougars to 222 passing yards and forced Keenum to throw a career-high six interceptions. The Falcons turned two of those interceptions into touchdowns on subsequent possessions.
Turning point: Air Force opened the game with back-to-back interceptions off Keenum, which showed that the Falcons’ passing defense was going to be as good as advertised. Keenum had trouble keeping control of his passes, which were either falling short or sailing over the intended receiver. Air Force was able to jump out to a 14-0 lead after the first six minutes of the game.
Stat of the game: Air Force had 162 passing yards against the Cougars, which was just 60 yards fewer than Houston had through the air. It was the highest passing total of the season for the Falcons, and the most passing yards since the 171-yard output against Colorado State on Nov. 8.
Second guessing: Houston’s defense had at least three weeks to prepare for Air Force’s rushing attack and it was still manhandled by the Falcons. Air Force had 72 rushing attempts for 400 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Tulane’s 299 rushing yards were the previous high against the Cougars.
Record performance: Air Force’s 47 points set an all-time bowl record for the Falcons. Also, Keenum’s six interceptions were a Armed Forces Bowl record.
Cincinnati seeks defining bowl victory
December 31, 2009
NEW ORLEANS — It’s been one weird week leading up to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, as almost all of the talk has centered around coaches coming and going, how the two teams are dealing with that and even 911 calls.
Hardly anybody, it seems, wants to talk about the actual game between Florida and Cincinnati. The sideshow has become the main show.
Truth is, though, this game could be remembered for a lot more in future years if the Bearcats manage to win it. It would have to go down as the biggest win in school history, and probably the best by the Big East since the current league format began in 2005.
“This is a huge opportunity for us to show that we’re legitimate, because a lot of people don’t think that we are,” Cincinnati linebacker JK Schaffer said.
Cincinnati’s credentials are tough to ignore, since the team is 12-0, ranked third in the BCS standings and has won two straight Big East titles. Still, there is always going to be some doubt about whether the Big East’s best can match the cream of the crop of the SEC.
No program in college football has done more the past four years than Florida, which has won two of the past three BCS titles. The Gators were ranked No. 1 nearly all season before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship game. West Virginia’s BCS wins over Georgia and Oklahoma gave the Big East a major shot in the arm; this victory would be bigger than both of those.
“We feel we can play against anybody but most times we don’t get credit for that,” Bearcats receiver Mardy Gilyard said. “This will show the nation that the Bearcats and the Big East can play ball just like the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC and the ACC. We play good ball in our conference, and we just want to showcase that to the best of our ability.”
Outside of the title game, the outcome of a BCS game doesn’t always matter too much. Just getting there is the key. Louisville won the 2007 Orange Bowl and saw its program tumble. Cincinnati lost last year’s Orange Bowl and went 12-0 this year.
But this game could have lasting ramifications for the Bearcats, who lost the architect of their recent success when Brian Kelly went to Notre Dame. They do not want to lose their momentum like Louisville did with its coaching transition.
“If we beat Florida, that would really put us up on the map as far as recruiting and getting larger support from the Cincinnati fan base,” linebacker Craig Carey said. “Top recruits in the country would start opening their eyes to Cincinnati.”
And then there’s history. A win would make the Bearcats 13-0, and for the rest of their lives the players could at least make the argument that they were the best team in college football in 2009.
“I’d love to have that conversation Friday night if we can pull it off,” quarterback Tony Pike said.
By then maybe the talk around the Sugar Bowl will be back to the actual game.
Three keys: Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi
December 31, 2009
What are three keys for Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi?
1. Play loose: Ohio State carries a heavy burden into the Rose Bowl: its recent futility in big games as well as the Big Ten’s sagging national image (fair or unfair). Whatever the players — and coaches — say, that is part of their pregame mindset. Oregon? It carries unusual uniforms into the scenic stadium. It carries its fancy-pants swagger. At least it should. While the Ducks have been poised in big games all year, this is the biggest stage by far. How will the young players respond to the moment, particularly if things go wrong early? The Buckeyes’ defense figures to be the best unit the Ducks have faced this season. Will that stiff resistance cause frustration? Or what if the Buckeyes’ running game has its way against an undersized Ducks defense? Oregon must gear up for a 60-minute game. It can’t tighten up or panic if things go wrong early.
2. Attack Pryor: Texas’ Vince Young had his “hello word” moment in the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan, and it’s not impossible to imagine Buckeyes’ talented but inconsistent quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, posting his versus Oregon. The Ducks can’t let Pryor gain early confidence, and they particularly can’t let him run without paying a price. Pryor is banged-up — he’s playing with knee and ankle injuries — so when he breaks contain on scrambles or takes off on designed run plays, the Ducks need to smack the heck out of him. Make him think. Make him want to slide or run out of bounds. And when Pryor and his powerful but often errant arm drop back to pass, the Ducks can’t let him feel comfortable and set his feet. A skittish Pryor is the best kind of Pryor for an opposing defense.
3. Spread the wealth: For Oregon, it all starts with the spread option: quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LaMichael James. Ohio State has to stop that first, and don’t be surprised if the Buckeyes’ rugged front seven is up to the task early. The key is variety and balance. Such as, the spread option becomes a play-action pass and becomes Masoli to tight end Ed Dickson downfield against man coverage. Or, Masoli takes off to the perimeter but then dumps the ball to receiver Jeff Maehl. A little LeGarrette Blount up the middle for some physical play. And, you know, Masoli throws a pretty good deep ball. Oregon can’t let a good Ohio State defense get comfortable. The Ducks must use all of their playmakers and force Ohio State to account for all areas of the field.