LIVE FROM THE DOME: THE BIG EAST REPORT

BY CHRISTOPHER J. MOGOLLON
BIG EAST INSIDER

Rutgers 38 - Buffalo 3 - Ray Rice came out of the gate dominating, rushing for two touchdowns in the beginning of the first quarter. He carried the ball very well utilizing his speed to take advantage of a much slower Buffalo defense for some big runs. Rice had two long touchdown runs (34 yards, 41 yards) racking up three total touchdowns and 184 yards. Quarterback Mike Teel had a great performance throwing for 328 yards hooking up with junior receiver Tiquan Underwood ten times. Underwood’s speed was just too much, scoring two touchdowns with 248 yards getting many of those yards with his feet. Rutgers offense was more than Buffalo could handle -- a program that has just won six games in the last four seasons.

Cincinnati 59 - SE Missouri State 3 - The Bearcats struggled in the beginning of the game with a lot of penalties and drives that went nowhere. The passing game was very efficient as Wake Forest transfer Ben Mauk threw for 240 yards, getting the ball to ten different receivers. Marshawn Gilyard had the best game of the receivers catching the ball eight times for 136 yards including a 56-yard reception. In total, the Bearcats put up 612 total yards on offense using several different formations and digging deep down their depth chart. The defense played well forcing six turnovers including an INT for a touchdown.

Louisville 73 - Murray State 10 - Louisville put up the second most points of anyone in college football this week (Oklahoma 79 vs. N Texas) and did it early scoring 49 points in the first half. Heisman hopeful Brian Brohm had a field day throwing for 375 yards on 21 attempts with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Harry Douglas stole the show catching five balls for 151 yards including touchdown grabs of 44 yards and 59 yards. Louisville ran for 261 yards with junior tailback George Stripling getting most of the carries for 92 yards. The defense did what they had to do forcing a turnover and the holding the Racers to only 271 total yards. Murray State was 5-16 on third down conversions.

Connecticut 45 - Duke 14 - In the battle of out of conference foes, the Big East spanked the ACC. The game started out very ugly but finally UCONN got on a role and never looked back. The defense was simply dominant holding Duke to 23 total rushing yards and forcing three interceptions, one going for a touchdown by Darius Butler late in the game. The new Huskies quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was also impressive throwing for 299 yards and going 22/30. Even though it was against Duke, UCONN did a great job of dominating the Devils in Durham in a very big opening win. Now if they did it on the hardwood instead of the gridiron it would be even more impressive.

South Florida 28 - Elon 13 - The Bulls didn’t come out and destroy there opponent like people thought but there defense always kept the game under control. South Florida didn’t have many big plays, but Matt Grothe had a solid game throwing for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He threw the ball for short passes getting 10 different receivers the ball. Elon had good field position a couple times because of great kickoff returns by Mike Mayers, but had to settle for field goals. The Bulls defense only allowed one touchdown when the game was already over with two minutes to go.

Pittsburgh 27 - Eastern Michigan 3 - The Panthers have a lot of pressure on them this season especially head coach Dave Wannstedt. Pittsburgh needed to make a statement especially on defense after losing team leader H.B Blades and playmaking corner Darrelle Revis, and they did. Pitt struggled at the beginning of the game with a new quarterback but Bill Stull settled down throwing for 175 yards, completing 14 out of 21 passes, mostly on short tosses. They did their attacking with their running backs splitting carries between LaRod Stephens-Howling (75 yards rushing) and LeSean McCoy (70 yards). The defense is where Pitt dominated holding Eastern Michigan to only 175 total yards. They put the game out of reach with a touchdown drive to start the second half, ending with sophomore Shane Brooks punching it in from the one.

West Virginia 62 - Western Michigan 24 - With two Heisman candidates on their team it was going to be tough for any MAC school to stop this powerhouse offense. Slaton did what he does best running for 109 yards and three touchdowns including a 58-yard run to open up the half. Slaton averaged 6.1 yards per carry and showed his versatile catching two balls, including a 50-yard pass on which Slaton made the Western Michigan defense look silly, a first but not a last for WVU foes this season. Patrick White rushed for 97 yards (two touchdowns) and his passing was efficient, for 192 yards and two touchdowns. WVU’s best receiver Darius Reynaud caught five balls for a total of 92 yards. West Virginia’s defense was a little shaky defending the pass allowing Jamarko Simmons to have 14 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, but they could not move the ball on the ground (34 rushing yards).

THE ACC COASTAL REPORT

BY CHRISTOPHER J. KRESGE
ACC INSIDER

Miami 31 – Marshall 3
Graig Cooper and Javarris James combined to rush for 215 yards and two touchdowns in Miami’s 31-3 victory over Marshall in Randy Shannon’s coaching debut. The Miami defense had four interceptions and six sacks, and once again looked very impressive. They held Marshall to only 51 yards of total offense. All–American end Calais Campbell even had an interception. Middle Linebacker Tavares Gooden had a team high 9 tackles and an interception. Kirby Freeman was not impressive but also did not do anything to hurt the team either. He finished the day 9/21 for 86 total yards, one TD and one INT. Lance Leggett led the team with four receptions and JUCO All–American, Kayne Farquharson, had a catch too. Sam Shields did not play due to his suspension.
Next Week: at OKLAHOMA

Georgia Tech 33 – Notre Dame 3
Georgia Tech’s running game and defense proved too much for Notre Dame as they put the ACC on alert with an impressive victory. Tashard Choice picked up where he left off last year with 26 carries for 196 yards and two TDs as he ran behind a veteran offensive line that dominated Notre Dame’s defense all afternoon. Lefty quarterback, Taylor Bennett had a solid game going 11-23 for 121 yards and showed good pocket awareness. The defense, led by hard hitting safety Jamal Lewis and defensive tackles Elris Anyaibe and Darryl Richards, forced three fumbles and kept Georgia Tech in great field position most of the game.
Next Week: SAMFORD

Virginia Tech 17 – East Carolina 7
Possibly Virginia Tech was overlooking East Carolina to their game next week in the Bayou against LSU, but if not for an interception returned for touchdown by Macho Harris, they easily could have lost this game. The offense looked sluggish and Brandon Ore did not run with much energy or power. Quarterback Sean Glennon had some big throws, but he looked out of sync too. East Carolina was able to keep the defense unbalanced all day with their spread alignments and option play calling. MIKE Xavier Adibi had a solid performance along with safety D.J. Parker and corner Brandon Flower, who was tested most of the day to no avail.
Next Week: at LSU

THE O’BRIEN ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING CHANGE TO VOTING RULES

Fan Vote Added to National QB Award’s New Web site

FORT WORTH, Texas (August 29, 2007) – Beginning this Sunday, Sept. 2, college football fans can start casting their votes for the 2007 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O’Brien). Unlike any other award in college football, The O’Brien will institute a fan vote that will count as 5% of the final tally. This is the first time in the award’s history that fans’ opinions will influence the selection process.

“We’re thrilled to be adding the fan vote to our selection process,” said Danielle Moorman, executive director of the Davey O’Brien Foundation. “For many fans, college football season is year round, so they are passionate, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their teams. This gives them the opportunity to validate their opinions.”

Fans will be able to vote for the starting quarterback from any of the 119 Division I-A football programs, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List (published last week) to win the award. Fans can vote once daily on The O’Brien’s updated Web site, www.DaveyOBrien.com, in hopes of moving their pick to the final round.

The top three fan vote recipients will be added to the semifinalist list, which will then be refined to three finalists and the winner. During these rounds of voting the fan vote will count as 5%. The O’Brien winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN Dec. 6.

“We understand that college football’s electric atmosphere is not only because of exciting plays on the field, but also feeds off of the tradition, tailgating and fan participation at the games,” said Moorman. “We want the fans to be excited about The O’Brien and take some ownership in the award.”

The addition of the fan vote component is the first of many new programs in the works for The O’Brien in order to encourage more fan involvement.

“We intend to add features to the Web site throughout the season so The O’Brien can be an integral part of the fan experience,” said Moorman.

The O’Brien will be one of only two college football awards to include a fan vote in their selection process. It will share that honor with the Heisman Memorial Trophy, whose winner is chosen by one fan vote and votes from 924 other electors.

Davey O’Brien Candidates Leave Their Mark in Week One

FORT WORTH, Texas (September 2, 2007) – The 2007 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O’Brien) candidates began their bids to take home the hardware this weekend. The O’Brien Watch List features 35 talented quarterbacks and is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback, inspiring student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field.

Watch List candidates are considered for The O’Brien based on quarterback skills, athletic ability, academics, reputation as a team player, character, leadership and sportsmanship. This weekend many candidates rose to the occasion to turn in stellar performances.

Week 1 Top Performers


•Erik Ainge, Tennessee, Sr. Threw for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns on 32 for 47 passing.

•John David Booty, USC, Sr. Threw for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 for 32 passing.

•Colt Brennan, Hawai’i’, Sr. Threw for 416 yards and 6 touchdowns on 34 for 40 passing.

•Brian Brohm, Louisville, Sr. Threw for 375 yards and 4 touchdowns on 21 for 16 passing.

•Shaun Carney, Air Force, Sr. Threw for 176 yards and 1 touchdown on 11 for 18 passing.

•Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State, Jr. Threw for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 for 20 passing.

•Chase Clement, Rice, Jr. Threw for 101 yards on 11 for 28 passing.

•Chase Daniel, Missouri, Jr. Threw for 358 yards and 3 touchdowns on 37 for 54 passing.

•Nate Davis, Ball State, So. Threw for198 yards and 1 touchdown on 19 for 36 passing.

•Dennis Dixon, Oregon, Sr. Threw for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 for 15 passing.

•Julian Edelman, Kent State, Jr. Threw for 161 yards an 1 touchdown on 17 for 26 passing.

•Caleb Hannie, Colorado State, Sr. Threw for 229 yards and 3 touchdowns on 20 for 27 passing.

•Martin Hankins, Memphis, Sr. Threw for 349 yards and 1 touchdown on 41 for 60 passing.

•Omar Haugabook, Troy, Sr. Threw for 204 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 for 43 passing.

•Chad Henne, Michigan, Sr. Threw for 233 yards and 1 touchdown on 19 for 37 passing.

•Chase Holbrook, New Mexico State, Jr. Threw for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns on 23 for 33 passing.

•Kinsmon Lancaster, UL – Monroe, Jr. Threw for 66 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 for 21 passing.

•Dan Lefevour, Central Michigan, So. Threw for 165 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 for 34 passing.

•Corey Leonard, Arkansas State, So. Threw for 259 yards on 23 for 36 passing.

•Nate Longshore, California, Jr. Threw for 2 41 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 for 28 passing.

•Colt McCoy, Texas, So. Threw for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 for 33 passing.

•Anothony Morelli, Penn State, Sr. Threw for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 for 38 passing.

•Curtis Painter, Purdue, Jr. Threw for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns on 14 for 30 passing.

•Matt Ryan, Boston College, Sr. Threw for 406 yards and 5 touchdowns on 32 for 53 passing.

•Jameel Sewell, Virginia, So. Threw for 87 yards on 11 for 24 passing.

•Riley Skinner, Wake Forest, So. Threw for 236 yards and 1 touchdown on 28 for 37 passing.

•Matthew Stafford, Georgia, So. Threw for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 for 24 passing.

•Karsten Sween, Wyoming, So. Threw for 253 yards and 1 touchdown on 25 for 34 passing.

•Pat White, West Virginia, Jr. Threw for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 for 18 passing along with 2 rushing touchdowns.

•Andre’ Woodson, Kentucky, Sr. Threw for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns on20 for 29 passing.

The Watch List is based on All-America teams and Honorable Mentions published in at least six different preseason college football magazines. A candidate must be listed as an All-America quarterback or as a 1st or 2nd team All-American within his conference in at least one publication, or as Honorable Mention in at least three publications.

The 2007 season marks the first time in The O’Brien’s history that the fans will have a say in the voting. Fans will be able to vote for the starting quarterback from any of the 119 Division I-A football programs, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. Fans can vote once daily on The O’Brien’s updated Web site, www.DaveyOBrien.com, in hopes of moving their pick to the final round.

The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN Dec. 6, 2007. The recipient will be honored Feb. 18, 2008, at the annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

About The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® The O’Brien honors the nation’s best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O’Brien helps to instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O’Brien is overseen by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation provides scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.com.

THE CFI TOP 25 COUNTDOWN: #1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

BY DANIEL MOGOLLON
CO-FOUNDER
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDERS



2006 RECORD: 11-2; BIG TEN: 7-2
Won Rose Bowl vs. Michigan 32-18
LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
STADIUM: Los Angeles Coliseum (92, 000)
HEAD COACH: Pete Carroll
OVERALL: 65-12 (6 seasons)
AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: 65-12 (6 seasons)

Even though we know it already, one cannot help but be impressed when reading, “5 CONSECUTIVE AP TOP 4 FINISHES, BCS BOWLS, PAC-10 TITLES, 11-WIN SEASONS” at the bottom of the Trojans 2007 media guide. It has gotten so good for the fans at So-Cal that a dismantling of Notre Dame, a Pac-10 championship, and an impressive Rose Bowl victory over Michigan was a so-so season for the Men of Troy. It is a far cry from the days of Paul Hackett, but with success also comes expectations. Fair or not, anything less than a BCS Title will be viewed as an underachieving year – they have become the New York Yankees of college football.

WHEN THE MEN OF TROY HAVE THE BALL

OFFENSIVE COORDINAROR: Steve Sarkisian (1st Season)
OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 5
KEY LOSSES: Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, Ryan Kalil, Kyle Williams, Emmanuel Moody (Transfer)

Believe it or not -- there are question marks on this side of the ball. Yes, they still have nine high school All Americans in their stable of running backs, however have they found a go-to feature back? Last season the running back by committee concept did not work out (4.0-yards per carry). Question two: Which John David Booty will we see this season? Everyone remembers his 391 yards and four touchdowns against the Wolverines, but how about his mediocre performances sprinkled in throughout the season? Furthermore, he is expected to fall in line as a Heisman Trophy winner behind predecessors Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart while losing a pair of second round draft picks at receiver to the NFL. Along the offensive line, with right tackle Drew Radovich starting the season injured, they will have only two returning starters up front. Small, nagging injuries have plagued the Men of Troy in the preseason. Having said all that, left tackle Sam Baker is a potential top ten pick, wide receiver Patrick Turner leads a talented group and is more physically gifted than the record-setting Dwayne Jarrett and the plethora of skill players they possess is almost embarrassing.

PRO PROSPECTS: 1) Sam Baker (SR), 2) Patrick Turner (JR), 3) John David Booty (SR), 4) Fred Davis (SR), 5) Joe McKnight (FR), 6) Chauncey Washington (SR), 7) Drew Radovich (SR), 8) CJ Gable (SO), 9) Allen Bradford (SO), 10) David Ausberry (FR), 11) Vidal Hazelton (SO), 12) Hershel Dennis (SR)

WHEN THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL:

DEFENSIVE COORDINAROR: Nick Holt (2nd Season)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 10
KEY LOSSES: Dallas Sartz, Oscar Lua

On the defensive side of the ball -- there are ZERO questions marks. End Lawrence Jackson is coming off a sub-par junior season, but he is more than capable of emerging as a premiere pass rusher, with fellow senior Sedrick Ellis (DT) a proven commodity. Keep an eye on true freshman Everson Griffen (DE), an absolute beast. At the next level they have the top linebacking corps in America, good enough to challenge some NFL units led by MIKE Rey Maualuga, a sideline-to-sideline tackler whose motor never quits. Keith Rivers is the solid senior who can cover ground and always makes the play. On the other side, SAM Brian Cushing could challenge the ends as the team’s top pass rusher for the Trojans, a phenomenal athlete with a knack for getting behind the line of scrimmage. If linebacker is their best position, safety is not too far behind, with a trio of future pros manning the last line of defense. Returning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Taylor Mays has unquestioned range and better than ideal size (6’4”/225) at free safety, with strong safety Kevin Ellison a skilled performer in his own right. Pushing them for playing time will be Josh Pinkard who was the fastest of the group, but is coming back from an ACL injury. They can free-lance a bit, inasmuch as their corners can handle their own, with Terrell Thomas their best cover man.

PRO PROSPECTS: 1) Taylor Mays (SO), 2) Brian Cushing (JR), 3) Sedrick Ellis (SR), 4) Lawrence Jackson (SR), 5) Rey Maualuga (JR), 6) Terrell Thomas (SR), 7) Keith Rivers (SR), 8) Everson Griffen (FR), 9) Kevin Ellison (JR), 10) Josh Pinkard (JR), 11) Cary Harris (JR), 12) Chris Barrett (SR)

THE SCHEDULE

No respite for Troy this season – they may not face a top ten team all year, but they must take on many teams that could challenge them on any given Saturday. In September, they make trips to Nebraska, always a tough place to play, as well as Washington, who could be the surprise team in the Pac-10. They close out October with back-to-back road contests, at Oregon and Notre Dame, two more locals known for their home crowds. It gets even tougher in the month of November as they take trips to California, likely their most difficult game of the season, as well as Arizona St. who Dennis Erickson will have believing they can win. At home, they host Oregon St. and UCLA – the two programs that knocked them off last season. Not top heavy, but after the opener against Idaho the cupcake portion of their schedule is complete.

PIVITOL POINT

Consistency: Both of their losses last season, at Oregon St. and at UCLA came against non-ranked opponents. The Bruins limited them to just nine points in the regular season finale, while the Trojans garnered 86 yards on the ground versus OSU, 55 against UCLA and just 48 in the Rose Bowl versus Michigan. As mentioned above, Booty had his share of average game days, which he must cut down on this season. He completed only 12-of-25 passes against ASU and was 12-of-21 at cellar dweller Stanford, a pair of defenses he should have been able to thrash. While none of their opponents can match them mano-a-mano, that edge in talent did them no good in Pasadena or Corvallis last season and everyone will be gunning for USC, no one has a bigger target on their chests.

CFI FINAL ANALYSIS

They are on every cover and atop everyone’s preseason poll and rightfully so, as Pete Carroll may have assembled a group with more raw talent than has ever been collected in the history of college football. Are the freshmen ready to make championship type contributions? Can veterans such as Booty handle the pressure as well as those on the National Championship teams did? No one knows for sure, that is why they play the games, however there is no hype surrounding this squad. They are in a word – legit.