On The Clock: Arizona Cardinals

Record: 9-7, 1st In the NFC West
General Manager: Rod Graves, Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt (3rd Year), Assistant Head Coach: Russ Grimm (3rd Year), Defensive Coordinator: Bill Davis (1st Year/3rd Year With the Cardinals)

Offense Rankings: No. 4 Overall, No. 3 Scoring, No. 2 Passing, No. 32 Rushing
Defense Rankings: No. 19 Overall, No. 28 Scoring, No. 22 Passing, No. 16 Rushing

Last Five Years: 33-47; Last Playoff Appearance: 2008; Last Playoff Victory: 2008 (32-25 Over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game)

2008 Draft: (1-16) CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, (2-50) DE Calais Campbell, (3-81) WR Early Doucet, (4-116) DE Kenny Iwebema, (5-149) RB Tim Hightower, (6-185) DE Chris Harrington, (7-225) OT Brandon Keith

Top Picks Last Five Years:
2008 – (1-16) CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
2007 – (1-5) OT Levi Brown, Penn St.
2006 – (1-10) QB Matt Leinart, USC
2005 – (1-8) DB Antrel Rolle, Miami
2004 – (1-3) WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh

Booms: WR Larry Fitzgerald (1st Round 2004), LB Karlos Dansby (2nd Round 2004), DT Darnell Dockett (3rd Round 2004), DE Antonio Smith (5th Round 2004), OG Taitusi "Duece" Lutui (2nd Round 2006), WR Steve Breaston (5th Round 2007), TE Ben Patrick (7th Round 2007), CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (1st Round 2008), RB Tim Hightower (5th Round 2008)

Busts: CB Antrel Rolle (1st Round 2005), RB J.J. Arrington (2nd Round 2005), QB Matt Leinart (1st Round 2006), DT Alan Branch (2nd Round 2007), LB Buster Davis (3rd Round 2007)

Additions:
TE Anthony Becht (Free Agent)
FB Dan Kreider (Free Agent)
LS Mike Leach (Free Agent)
DT Rodney Leisle (Free Agent)
DB Keith Lewis (Free Agent)
CB Bryant McFadden (Free Agent)
C Donovan Raiola (Free Agent)
RB Jason Wright (Free Agent)

Subtractions:
RB J.J. Arrington (FA-Denver)
LB Monty Beisel (FA-Kansas City)
CB Eric Green (FA-Miami)
LS Natha Hodel (Released)
P Dirk Johnson (FA-Washington)
DE Antonio Smith (FA-Houston)
LB Matt Stewart (FA-Dallas)

Keepers:
DE Bertrand Berry
OG Elton Brown
CB Ralph Brown
LB Karlos Dansby (Franchised)
P Ben Graham
LB Clark Haggans
QB Brian St. Pierre
QB Kurt Warner

2009 Picks:
Round 1, Selection 31
Round 2, Selection 31
Round 3, Selection 31
Round 4, Selection 31
Round 5, Selection 31
Round 6, Selection 31
Round 7, Selection 31
Round 7, Selection 45 (Compensatory)

Team Needs – Players of Interest (Day One):
1. Running Back: Donald Brown, UConn; LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh; Glenn Coffee, Alabama; Andre Brown, NC State, Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon
2. Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews Jr., USC; Brian Cushing, USC; Aaron Maybin, PSU; Connor Barwin, Cincinnati; Larry English, Northern Illinois; Clint Sintim, Virginia; Cody Brown, UConn
3. Center: Alex Mack, California; Max Unger, Oregon; Eric Wood, Louisville
4. Tight End: Jared Cook, South Carolina; Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss; Cornelius Ingram, Florida; James Casey, Rice; Travis Beckum, Wisconsin; Chase Coffman, Missouri
5. Guard: Herman Johnson, LSU; Andre Levitre, Oregon; Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin; Trevor Canfield, Cincinnati

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, College Press Box, Steve Slade/UConn Division of Athletics

Beating rival Florida State gives Miami some late-season momentum

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - When he arrived at the office Sunday morning, Miami coach Randy Shannon was eager to watch the final few moments of the Hurricanes' comeback win over Florida State from the night before.

He wanted to see how one particular thing happened.

Not Darnell Jenkins' two nifty catches on the dramatic game-winning 83-yard drive. Not Kirby Freeman's pinpoint throw to Dedrick Epps for the go-ahead score with 1:15 left. Not Graig Cooper's three big carries on that march, or Teraz McCray's fumble-causing hit that led to Colin McCarthy's 27-yard touchdown return.

No, Shannon only wanted to see who dumped the water bucket over his head amid the celebration.

``Nobody would tell me,'' Shannon said.

Miami defensive linemen Courtney Harris and Calais Campbell may want to stay away from Shannon for a little while, then, since their postgame revelry was the only thing dousing the first-year coach's mood Sunday.

The Hurricanes' 37-29 victory over the rival Seminoles did more than snap a two-game Miami losing streak. It may have saved the season, since another defeat would have essentially eliminated the 'Canes (5-3, 2-2) from Atlantic Coast Conference contention - hopes there are slim to begin with anyway - and put Miami's chances of simply making a bowl game in jeopardy.

``Not too many people win at Florida State,'' Shannon said. ``If you win at Florida State, you take it and you wrap that one up and you put it in a vault because you don't get that many wins there.''

Most teams don't. Miami actually does.

The Hurricanes are 13-7 in Tallahassee, and this one was for the record books, since it ended a streak that dated back nearly a quarter-century.

On Oct. 13, 1984, the Seminoles (4-3, 1-3) lost at Doak Campbell Stadium to Auburn 42-41. Since then, Florida State was a staggering 102-0-1 when scoring 29 or more points at home.

That is, until Saturday, when a Miami team that had lost five straight on the road somehow pulled one out in stunning fashion.

``Maybe they're just starting to realize what we're saying,'' Shannon said. ``They can do it now.''

There were no shortage of Miami players being lauded in the tiny visiting locker room after the game. Freeman, McCray, Jenkins, Cooper and McCarthy all got deserved pats on the back.

But the biggest praise may have been directed toward someone who lost his starting job one day earlier, relegated to backup duty.

Francesco Zampogna - the sixth-year walk-on kicker who was the starter until this week - probably threw the biggest pass of Miami's season. His fake field-goal toss for a touchdown to DajLeon Farr in the third quarter gave Miami a 24-23 lead and, perhaps more importantly, a huge emotional lift at a time where the Seminoles seemed poised to pull away.

``First pass ever,'' Zampogna said.

It was a tricky play and a trickier call.

Miami had the ball on the Florida State 26 _ the exact spot on the same side of the field where the new starting kicker, Daren Daly, made a 44-yard field goal earlier. But Zampogna was summoned, Farr ran away from two defenders, caught the ball and scored easily.

``I was thinking to myself, 'I hope they don't catch on,''' Farr said. ``But they didn't.''

So now Miami heads into a bye week with some hope.

The break comes at a good time, since the Hurricanes could use a few days to heal - especially at quarterback. Kyle Wright hurt his left leg and Freeman was shaken up late in the game, although Shannon said he thinks both players will be ready when practice resumes Tuesday.

Home games await against North Carolina State (Nov. 3) and Virginia (Nov. 10), followed by road trips to nationally ranked Virginia Tech and Boston College to end the season.

``This was the breakthrough game that we needed,'' Campbell said. ``Now we've got momentum.''

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: Miami University

THE ACC COASTAL REPORT

BY CHRISTOPHER J. KRESGE
ACC INSIDER

Miami 13 – Oklahoma 51: Somewhere Barry Switzer was smiling on Saturday after Oklahoma embarrassed Miami 51-13. Randy Phillips and freshman DeMarcus Van Dyke were burned all day long. The defensive line was pushed around most of the afternoon by a bigger, stronger Oklahoma offensive line. Calais Campbell was able to record a sack and linebackers Colin McCarthy and Tavares Gooden were all over the field making tackles. However, Miami’s offense could not get their passing game in order to compliment Javarris James and Graig Cooper, who are both productive every time they run the ball. Miami is still missing that big time playmaker at wide receiver. Lance Leggett did not play physically enough and didn’t go for the ball in the air. Kyle Wright was called in to replace Kirby Freeman and drove the offense to an 18-play, 52-yard scoring drive. He looked poised, threw sharp passes but was pulled for Freeman. This is still unexplainable? Don’t give up on Miami yet, they are still a very good team and will be competitive all year in the ACC. They were just overmatched this week against Oklahoma whom is a very good team that will make a run for the National Championship.
NEXT WEEK: Florida International

Georgia Tech 69 – Samford 14: So much for a letdown week after Georgia Tech’s beat down of the Irish in South Bend. Georgia Tech performed the way most good teams do against lesser opponents, by beating them handily. (Take notes Michigan) The offense continued their impressive show of strength and senior leadership compiling 380 rushing yards, 110 of which were gained by workhorse Tashard Choice, which came all in the first quarter. Choice also scored two touchdowns. Boston College heads down to Atlanta next week for their first ACC game of the year.
NEXT WEEK: Boston College

Virginia Tech 7 – LSU 48: The Hokies thought they were at a NASCAR event and not Death Valley after watching one of the fastest teams in the nation run past them for a 48-7 blowout Saturday night. Without a doubt, one of the toughest places to play in college football, but it wasn’t so much the crowd intimidation, but LSU’s overall team quickness on both sides of the ball. Sean Glennon was 2/10 with one interception before being replaced by former high school All-American and true freshman Tyrod Taylor, whom was not much better, but showed flashes of Michael Vick with his ability to improvise and move outside the pocket. Taylor finished 7/18 for 62 yards and one rushing touchdown. The Hokie offensive line was overmatched by LSU’s defensive front led by All-American Glenn Dorsey. T he Hokie defense could not keep up with the plethora of weapons LSU threw at them. Missed tackles and blown assignments sum up the team defense as a whole. Virginia Tech is a good team, but obviously not ready to be discussed in the National Championship picture this year.
NEXT WEEK: OHIO

VIRGINIA 24 – DUKE 13What an ugly game, which was mired in turnovers and bad plays. The only bright spot was the running of Cedric Peerman whom rushed for 137 yards and one touchdown. Al Groh knows his job is on the line so his patience is thin when it comes to Jameel Sewell. Sewell was replaced by freshmen Peter Lalich and don’t be surprised if this becomes a permanent. Lalich finished the day 13/18 131 yards and one touchdown. Tight end Tom Santi had and good game and started living up to his pre-season All ACC hype with two touchdown catches and 54 reception yards. Duke’s only bright spot was quarterback Thaddeus Young who finished the day 14/30 for 130 yards and one touchdown and one interception.
NEXT WEEK: VIRGINIA at North Carolina; DUKE at Northwestern

NORTH CAROLINA 31 – EAST CAROLINA 34: UNC suffered it first lost of the season to a much improved ECU team that proved its performance against Virginia Tech was no fluke. It seems that the Butch Davis era will not be scared to air it out, red shirt freshman T.J. Yates threw for 344 yards (20/32) and three touchdowns, one interception. There is no number one running back but Johnny White is the clear cut favorite to win this position battle as the season goes on. He catches the ball well out of the backfield and has true “halfback” speed. Watch him to get the majority of the carries. Freshman All-American Greg Little did not catch a pass but had one kickoff return. Another highly touted freshman, Marvin Austin is the real deal at defensive tackle, in on every play and is now demanding double teams. UNC’s turnovers kept ECU in this game. Butch Davis teams do not turn the ball over, and this will change immediately.
NEXT WEEK: VIRGINIA

NFL DRAFT & COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT:

“COLT FIRES OPENING ROUND IN HEISMAN CAMPAIGN”
By: John Murphy

Hawaii senior quarterback Colt Brennan rolled out the first of what could be many unbelievable statistical performances against Northern Colorado. He passed for 416 yards and six touchdowns, while completing 34-out-of-40 passes, including 2-3 drops, and only played the first two quarters of the game. Head coach June Jones may have tried to call off the dogs early, but at this pace he will break 60 touchdown passes on the season to go along with roughly 5,000 yards. What you like most about his game is that he has a quick release, excellent arm strength and puts most of his balls right on the mark. His negatives are that he is somewhat slim-framed, is not playing in a pro-style attack, teams will wonder what type of footwork he will have under center and if he can be an effective deep ball passer at the next level. However, one thing that has come to light over the spring and into Week 1 is that Brennan is using his final year of eligibility to work on his leadership and intangibles as fellow players say he is now more of a vocal leader in the locker room and has very good command of the huddle, as well. He may still be seen by NFL evaluators as a product of the system he has been playing in, but with his head coach pushing him as being the best QB he has ever coached there is a chance that some NFL team will try for a 2-for-1 next season by drafting Brennan and bringing June Jones with him as their new offensive coordinator.

TCU senior defensive end Tommy Blake could make his return to the team and football field in time for this week’s match-up with in-state rival Texas as the two teams face off with the chance for the Horned Frogs to gain National attention with an upset win over the favored Longhorns. It is that very attention that may have led to a few recent days where Blake has opted to return home or shy away from all the lights, cameras, action of being a possible first-round choice in next year’s NFL Draft and decide to get rid of his phone to avoid the pestering of new found friends and agents. Blake is a great kid that has his family always near the front of his mind and returned to school to not only play with his senior class, but in order to earn his degree. He has had a few rough moments over the past few months with shouldering the load of future promises, possible scenarios and being the “Man” when he just wants to be one of the guys. So if you are reading this remember that Blake is not just a feared pass rusher that led his team in sacks and tackles for loss, but a 22-year old college senior with plenty on his plate and the desire to just exhale once in awhile without everyone else wanting to catch his breath for him.

Virginia Tech senior linebackers Vince Hall, who led the team with 13 tackles against East Carolina, and Xavier Adibi are two of the key components if the Hokies are to upset LSU on the road this weekend. Hall has very good instincts and plays faster than he times in workouts, but may be a step behind some of the Tigers offensive weapons as LSU has one of the fastest teams in the country man-for-man. Up front, the play of senior defensive end Chris Ellis will be key as the Tigers showed some vulnerability to giving up big plays to pass rushers off the edge even though they handled the Mississippi State defense for most of the evening last Thursday.

University of Miami defensive line was as dominant as ever in their opening week victory over Marshall. Junior defensive end Calais Campbell made an eye-opening interception that maybe only a handful of NFL defensive linemen could make; a one-handed interception on a pass after shedding a blocker at the line of scrimmage. He combined that big play with strong performances from fellow junior defensive end Eric Moncur and senior Vegas Franklin, who combined for 3.5 sacks and many more hurries from the outside. Moncur is the under-rated guy of this whole group as he may be as quick off the ball as any front seven defender in the country. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds he has a compact frame and is very hard for opposing blockers to get a leverage advantage on him off the snap and then he flashes an explosive burst of closing speed to the quarterback that is saved for the likes of those sent to Hawaii at the end of NFL seasons. This group along with senior linebacker Tavares Gooden and junior safety Kenny Phillips could lead to a resurrection type victory over Oklahoma this coming week.

Vanderbilt junior wide receiver Earl Bennett and senior linebacker Jonathan Goff could very well be the best two players on the field Saturday afternoon when they host Alabama in one of the biggest games in recent school history. Why you might ask? The Commodores have more talent than usual, starting with Bennett who will complete his time in the SEC as the holder of all or most receiving records. Secondly, Goff leads a stout defender unit that is capable of stopping the run without crowding the box and has the speed and playmakers to create turnovers on the backside. Finally, they have a very friendly early schedule as they could run out to a 4-0 record with a win over the Crimson Tide and then have to find an upset road win down the stretch to earn a shot at a good bowl game.

N.C. State senior tight end Marcus Stone, who was once a much-heralded quarterback recruit, was one of only a few bright spots in the team’s Week 1 loss to Central Florida. He caught three passes for 67 yards, showing that his athleticism could allow him to adapt very well to his new position. NFL teams may view him as more of a motion tight end or H-Back type since he is 6-foot-2 and between 240-245 pounds, but he runs in the 4.6 range and has shown very good hands over a short period of time.

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

CFI’S CONFERENCE PREVIEW PART I:

THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
BY DANIEL MOGOLLON
CFI CO-FOUNDER

Conference Champ: Virginia Tech vs. Florida St.: The Boston College Eagles could give the Noles a run for their money, but Bobby Bowden and his reconfigured staff get the nod over first year headman Jeff Jagodzinski, setting up a rematch in the Conference Championship game from two years ago when FSU upset Tech. Florida St. is always stocked with talent and Virginia Tech has as much speed as anyone in the ACC. Both teams have question marks at the quarterback position and need their respective offensive lines to step up after mediocre seasons a year ago. They are each chockfull of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball with speedy linebacking corps leading the way.

The Sleeper: Clemson: I am a sucker for the Clemson Tigers…I don’t know whether it is the paw on the side of their helmets or the way they run down the hill to touch “Howard’s Rock” as they get ready to take the field in Death Valley. Clemson underachieved last season, not a first under Tommy Bowden, and lost their best player in Gaines Adams, but what they could have is the top running back tandem in James Davis and C.J. Spiller, an improved passing attack and a future NFL left tackle in Barry Richardson. Furthermore, with the return of Tramaine Billie from injury and Ricky Sapp stepping up as the “Bandit” -- the defense could actually be better. Did I mention they host to FSU to start the season? In the Coastal Division, Georgia Tech may survive the first year after CJ.

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Ryan (BC) vs. Brandon Ore (Va. Tech): While James Davis and C.J. Spiller will have to split carries, as well as accolades, Ore is the man in Blacksburg and with the Hokies as the team to beat he will not be overlooked in the race for OPY. Stepping in as a starter for the first time, Ore ran for 1137 yards and 16 TDs as a sophomore, numbers that will go up if the O-Line plays with more consistency. Consistency is exactly what the Eagles are expecting from Ryan. The BC quarterback threw for 2942 yards and 15 TDs (10 INTs) while completing 61.6 percent despite foot injuries that vastly limited his practice time as a junior. He should flourish in his final season in Chestnut Hill.

Defensive Player of the Year: Calais Campbell (UM) vs. Kenny Phillips (UM): While the Canes are no longer the Canes, they still have some 5-star talent in Campbell and Phillips, a pair of potential top ten picks in the NFL draft. Phillips is a stud and is worthy of being the next in line of Miami’s continuous rotation of star safeties. He has speed, knows how to play the ball and packs a wallop. While Phillips is intimidating receivers and looking into the quarterback’s eyes, Campbell’s job is to make sure the quarterback does not see him coming or get the ball off. As a sophomore, Campbell recorded 10.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries, potentially the most disruptive lineman in the nation.

Breakout Seasons: Myron Rolle (FSU), Ricky Sapp (CL) & Michael Johnson (Ga. Tech): Rolle was among the most highly touted prospects last season and did not disappoint, contributing 77 tackles, 5.5 of which came for a loss. Now it is time for him to take the next step as an impact player, which should not be a problem considering his size (6’2”/218), speed and playmaking potential. While Sapp must make up for lack of girth at defensive end (6’4”/220) he does want for upside. He picked up four sacks in a backup role as a true freshman and could very well reach double digits in his first season as starter. Johnson also was a backup last season and while the Yellow Jackets return both of their ends, it will be impossible to keep this Rambling Wreck off the field. Johnson stands at 6’7” and the converted tight end is ready to blossom as a threat off the edge.

Best Pro Prospect: Calais Campbell (UM): This is a tough one, but considering the premium placed on pass rushers and the fact he is NFL ready in terms of size (6’8”/282), Campbell beats out safeties Phillips and Rolle. With a big junior campaign, this athletic man-child could be the first defender off the board in April of 2008.

College Football Insiders Picks:

Conference Champion: Virginia Tech: The Hokies have the defense, the special teams and the running game to ride Beamer-ball all the way to the BCS.

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Ryan, Boston College: Ryan displayed last season just how tough he is. Now healthy, he will have his best season yet.

Defensive Player of the Year: Calais Campbell, Miami: Randy Shannon cannot say Larry Coker left the cupboard bare, with Campbell as a building block.

Check back tomorrow for Part II: The Big East