Flashback: 2008 Unsung Rookies

By NATHANIEL PURINTON

In what has been a sensational year for rookies, I thought I would take a look at some unsung first-year players who have quietly put together solid seasons for their respective teams.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers

Perhaps you’re wondering why Jonathan Stewart, a fairly well-known first round pick, is on this list. You clearly haven’t noticed Stewart’s incredible improvement since the beginning of the season. The 13th overall pick in the draft averaged just 3.14 yards per carry his first nine games. In his last four games, the former Oregon Duck is averaging over eight yards per rush and has three rushing touchdowns. Stewart has helped the Panthers improve their success in short-yardage situations, scoring eight rushing touchdowns this season. Paired with DeAngelo Williams, who is having a breakout season of his own, Stewart has brought a much-needed grind-it-out attitude to the Carolina offense. The Panthers are now fourth in the league in rushing after their 299-yard effort against the Bucs on Monday night and have an outside shot at the number one seed in the NFC.

Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens

When talking about reasons for Baltimore’s surprisingly stellar season, one must look at the sterling performances of rookie QB Joe Flacco and the vaunted Ravens defense…but the play of Ray Rice should not go unnoticed. Willis McGahee, robbed of any big-play ability by a slew of injuries, has averaged just 3.4 yards per carry this season. Filling in that void has been the rookie second-round pick out of Rutgers. Rice has been a spark plug for Baltimore, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. His 454 rush yards are just 67 yards less than McGahee in almost 50 less attempts. Against Cleveland in Week 9, Rice carried the ball 21 times for 154 yards, including a 60-yard burst that set up Matt Stover’s go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter. On Sunday night, Rice carried the ball just three times, but his one of his attempts was a 21-yard run on 3rd and 10 that set up Baltimore’s first touchdown just 2:56 into the game. Rice has added a big play element to Baltimore’s ground attack, taking pressure off Joe Flacco and giving Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron greater flexibility in his play-calling.

Chris Horton, SS, Washington Redskins

The rookie seventh-round pick out of UCLA emerged early on in the preseason as a play-maker in the Redskins’ secondary and quickly became Washington’s first choice to man the other safety position beside LaRon Landry. He was named rookie of the month in September when he played especially well, especially in Washington victory against the Saints, a game in which he picked off Drew Brees twice. Horton’s strong play has continued throughout the season as he’s registered 65 tackles--third best among defensive rookies--including 11 (eight solo) in a loss to New York in Week 13. The seventh round steal has helped fill the void in the Redskins secondary left in the wake of the tragic death of Sean Taylor just over a year ago.

Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans

While many pundits have lauded the solid season put together by Tennessee’s rookie RB Chris Johnson, even more sportswriters have overlooked the equally impressive season West Virginia product Steve Slaton is having in Houston. Both runners have put the ball in the end zone nine times (eight each on the ground), but Slaton has averaged 5.0 yards per carry to Johnson’s 4.9. Through 13 games, Slaton has put up over 1,300 yards from scrimmage including 1,022 on the ground, just eight yards shy of a franchise rookie rushing record. The third-round pick seized the starter’s job from Ahman Green in Week 3, running for 116 yards and a score against a stout Tennessee defense. With Green put on IR prior to Week 13, Slaton has averaged 125 yards per game the past two weeks and is a major reason for the Texans late-season surge.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Rutgers)

Arizona upsets No. 2 Oregon 34-24

By ANDREW BAGNATO
AP College Football Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Oregon's national title dream has ended.

Quarterback Dennis Dixon's Heisman Trophy campaign also took a heavy blow.

The curse of No. 2 claimed another victim when the second-ranked Ducks lost Dixon to a knee injury and never recovered in a 34-24 upset by Arizona on Thursday night.

``The national championship thing was fine while it lasted,'' Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. ``The reality is we're still always trying to get the conference championship and the very best bowl game (the Rose Bowl).''

Oregon (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) became the fifth No. 2 team to lose since Oct. 6, following USC, California, South Florida and Boston College. The Ducks' defeat could open the door for third-ranked Oklahoma in The Associated Press Top 25 poll, and for No. 3 Kansas in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

Dixon, Oregon's gifted starting quarterback, hurt his left knee on an option play in the first quarter. Dixon crumpled to the turf without being touched and took Oregon's national championship hopes with him.

Dixon sprained the same knee on Nov. 3 against Arizona State. Dixon wore a brace but said he felt good in warm-ups, and he flashed his usual explosiveness in a 39-yard touchdown run on the game's opening series.

``Coming into this game, I felt totally confident,'' he said. ``My foot got caught in the ground. That's just the way football is.''

Bellotti said he didn't know if Dixon, a senior, might be lost for the season. He didn't seem confident Dixon would return for Oregon's next game at UCLA on Nov. 24.

``It's obviously not a happy deal,'' Bellotti said.

Dixon said he would undergo tests on Friday, and he hadn't considered that his college career might be over.

``If that's the case, it's going to be hard to swallow that,'' said Dixon, who was consoled on the bench by his father, Dennis Dixon Sr. ``You've got to play your heart out, because you never know when you're going to get that last play.''

Antoine Cason returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown and an interception 42 yards for another score as the Wildcats shook up the national title race on a cool night in the desert. Red-clad students poured out of the grandstand as the Wildcats (5-6, 4-4) ambushed a ranked team in Arizona Stadium for the fourth straight season under coach Mike Stoops - all in November.

``November has been good to us,'' Stoops said. ``It is nice to show what kind of team we have at Arizona.''

Stoops' future appeared to be in jeopardy only a month go. It isn't now.

``I am so proud of all of the coaches and players,'' he said. ``Everyone played great tonight, but we definitely had to earn it.''

Brady Leaf, who replaced Dixon, completed 22 of 46 passes for 163 yards and threw two interceptions.

``I'm a little disappointed in the way I played,'' said Leaf, who stayed in the game despite spraining his ankle early in the second half.

Dixon finished 5-for-8 for 62 yards, and threw an interception. He carried twice for 34 yards.

Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama completed 21 of 39 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns, and was intercepted once. Mike Thomas caught two touchdown passes for the Wildcats.

Oregon's Jonathan Stewart carried 28 times for 131 yards.

Early on, Oregon appeared to be on cruise control with Dixon running its potent offense, which came in averaging 42.8 points, fifth in the nation.

On fourth-and-3 at the Arizona 39, Dixon froze the defense with a fake to Stewart, burst through a hole in the right side and ran untouched to the end zone. Ed Dickson ran for the 2-point conversion to put the Ducks ahead 8-0.

Arizona cut the lead to 8-7 on a 34-yard pass from Tuitama to Thomas.

Then came the play that altered the national title race.

``When your Heisman candidate goes down, and a guy that's a captain and a leader, that was hard,'' Bellotti said.

With older brother Ryan Leaf watching, Leaf replaced Dixon and completed his first pass. But Cason intercepted Leaf's third throw and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown to put the Wildcats ahead 17-11 early in the second quarter.

That started an Arizona avalanche.

Tuitama hit Thomas for a 46-yard score and Cason's 56-yard punt return put the Wildcats ahead 31-11 with 5:30 to play in the first half. The Ducks appeared to be in a daze.

``I can't say we were out of sorts but it would certainly seem that way,'' Bellotti said.

Trailing 31-14 early in the third quarter, Oregon had a 13-yard touchdown run by Stewart nullified on a holding penalty against receiver Garren Strong. The Ducks settled for a 34-yard field goal by Matt Evensen.

Oregon pulled within seven on Andre Crenshaw's 2-yard touchdown run with 7:53 to go in the game. But Arizona answered with an 11-play drive that ended in Jason Bondzio's 46-yard field goal with 3:20 to go.

``I thought we did a good job in the second half of coming back after Dennis got hurt, but Arizona just played better than we did,'' Stewart said.

Oregon is the highest-ranked visitor to lose at Arizona since the Wildcats knocked off No. 1 Washington on Nov. 7, 1992.

Source: ncaafootball.com; Photo Credit: University of Arizona

CFI: SUN DEVILS HOPE TO SINK DUCKS

BY ARTHUR DiCESARE
PAC-10 INSIDER

The fifth-ranked Ducks and fourth-ranked Sun Devils meet in a pivotal match up at Autzen Stadium on Saturday as each program looks to move closer to a conference title and potential BCS berth. You could make the case that this is the biggest game for each program in ten plus years. The showdown features the top two scoring offenses in the Pac-10. The early edge would have to go towards Oregon due to home field advantage, one of the top-rated offenses in the country, and the fact that they have the best two players in the game in quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart.

The big story all week has been about Rudy Carpenter who was unable to throw in practice Tuesday due to swelling in his sprained right thumb. Carpenter was able to throw on Thursday and Coach Erickson expects the thumb to be no problem come game day. This game has all the makings of an old fashion Texas shootout via Eugene. Oregon with its dynamic spread offense and an Arizona State offense, which relies on balance but has the ability to strike quick with six touchdowns of forty plus yards.

Oregon will rely on their raucous crowd to force Arizona State into some costly penalties, Arizona State averages seven penalties a game. The crowd will help energize the defense that will look to force some key turnovers. Dennis Dixon who will once again be working without two of his top receivers and has only thrown three picks on the season will have to be wary of Arizona States opportunistic secondary that boasts the two top interception leaders in the conference. Arizona State is also limiting opponents to 15.6 points per game best in the Pac-10 and seventh in the nation. I expect Oregon to try and control the game with back Jonathan Stewart, look for him to carry the ball 25 plus times.

Arizona State will use its balance to attack Oregon; quarterback Rudy Carpenter has a two-back system that has both backs on pace for 900 yards. Carpenter also spreads the ball around to his receivers nicely with four receivers having 20 plus catches. Arizona State will have to avoid a trend of getting into early double-digit defects, which they have done three times this year including last week against Cal. Those three games all came at home and eventually turned into wins. Oregon is too talented and their crowd is too strong to allow Arizona State to coast early and come back late.

Arizona State- Oregon is college football’s game of the week, which has BCS implications involved. Many teams around the country will be very interested in the result of this game. I look forward to an exciting game that will feature a little bit of everything and if these are two teams you have not seen you are in for a treat. Both teams are extremely well-coached and have talent and toughness throughout their rosters. The big time playmakers in the back field for Oregon should be the difference and will help the Ducks pull away late, Oregon continues its march towards the Pac-10 crown 31-20.

PHOTO CREDIT: COLLEGIATE IMAGES