How big is next Thursday’s West Virginia-Louisville football game? Louisville has to build an auxiliary press box to accommodate all of the additional media, including reporters from newspapers in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Tampa and San Antonio along with Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com and CBSSportsline.com. The outcome of the game also could play a huge role in USF’s bowl hopes. USF needs as many Big East bowl openings as possible, so based on Louisville’s strength of schedule a WVU win would help the Bulls - as long as they get to six victories. On to this week’s Big East Feast of notes:
LOUISVILLE (7-0, 2-0, bye; home vs. West Virginia, Thursday, Nov. 2)
Shortly after the Louisville Cardinals wrapped up their 28-13 win at Syracuse, attention was immediately turned to the Nov. 2 (Thursday night, ESPN) home date with West Virginia. It’s a battle of unbeaten teams, maybe the Big East’s Super Bowl. And just like the Super Bowl, there’s plenty of time for hype and build-up. Louisville and West Virginia are both off this Saturday, giving the game a full weekend of uninterrupted anticipation. Last season at West Virginia, the Cardinals had a 24-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Mountaineers rallied for a 46-44 win in three overtimes, the impetus behind their Big East title and eventual Sugar Bowl victory.
“We could sell out three or four stadiums,” Cardinals athletic director Tom Jurich told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “You don’t get many games between unbeaten top-10 teams at this stage of the season. This is everything we dreamed it would be when we joined the Big East.”
And just to make things more interesting around town, the Mountaineers-Cardinals game, the biggest in school history, is being staged on Breeders’ Cup weekend in Louisville.
EIGHT IS GREAT: Louisville hasn’t been 7-0 since 1925, when it finished 8-0.
BROHM IMPROVING: Junior QB Brian Brohm, in his second game back since returning from a surgically repaired right thumb, was 18 of 26 for 203 yards against Syracuse. Coach Bobby Petrino was concerned by one Brohm throw, a floater into traffic, delivered under pressure, that was intercepted near the end zone by Syracuse.
“I have to trust him to not make a throw like that,” Petrino told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “That’s something Brian Brohm doesn’t do.”
Brohm, injured Sept. 16 against Miami, said he felt “close to 100 percent” and might soon remove his protective splint on the right thumb. Louisville has 11 turnovers in its last four games.
RETURN OF SMITH: Kolby Smith got the first crack at starting tailback, when Michael Bush went down with a season-ending injury in the opener. But he lost the job with poor performance. Even though true freshman Anthony Allen made his second consecutive start, Smith came in against Syracuse to rush for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns.
“I haven’t been running the same way I was used to,” Smith told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I was timid. I only have five games left in my career. I want to make the best of it.”
RUTGERS (7-0, 2-0; home vs. Connecticut, Sunday night)
Rutgers began this season with a Heisman Trophy campaign - including video advertisements in Times Square - for senior fullback Brian Leonard, a nice nod to the workmanlike career of a guy who had always done all the little things so well. Now Rutgers has another Heisman candidate - a legitimate one. Sophomore tailback Ray Rice had 225 yards on a career-high 39 carries in a 20-10 win at Pittsburgh, which put the Scarlet Knights at 7-0 for the program’s best start in 30 years. Rice had a 63-yard run that pace a 90-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Scarlet Knights to put the game away after Pittsburgh had rallied to within 13-10.
Rice has four 200-yard rushing games in 19 career games - including three this season. He has 1,124 rushing yards this season, for an average of 160.6 yards per game, second to Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois. Now Rice is chasing the Big East record for rushing yards in a season (1,753 by Miami’s Willis McGahee in 2002).
“I’ve never been around someone who has gotten off to a jump [statistically] like Ray,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano told the Newark Star-Ledger. “People are gearing up to stop Ray. Certainly, we would. But when you have a real good player like Ray, sometimes even when people are geared up to stop him, he is going to succeed.”
RICE’S MOTIVATION: Rice delighted in telling reporters the number of 200-yard rushing games he had in high school. Zero. “Ironic, isn’t it?” Rice said.
Rice’s motivation now? “I’m doing it for the seniors,” Rice told the Newark Star-Ledger. “These guys have been here a long time, through the trials and tribulations of some tough seasons. I’m getting pushed in the huddle, too. They won’t let me down. When you have teammates doing that, you don’t want to let them down.”
MORE RICE: Rice is 5-foot-9, 195 pounds, but has impressed everyone with his durability. “Look at his thighs and calves,” Leonard told the Newark Star-Ledger. “You see why he’s so strong.” Said Schiano, “He’s doing the things only special backs do.”
HEISMAN TALK: Rutgers will send Ray Rice notebooks to Heisman voters and jump-start the back’s Heisman campaign. “We all know, right or wrong, some of that Heisman consideration is publicity and getting your name out there,” Schiano told the Newark Star-Ledger. “We could have put Ray’s name out there all we wanted. If he didn’t have these numbers, it wouldn’t have mattered. Ray is the one who made this opportunity for himself and we’re trying to assist him.”
OVERLOOKED NUMBERS: With all the talk about Rice’s season, there’s an overlooked aspect of Rutgers’ rise to prominence. Rutgers is No. 2 nationally in total defense, No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 12 in rushing defense.
MILESTONES: Rutgers can win eight games for the first time since 1979 by defeating Connecticut on Sunday night. If Rutgers reached nine wins, that would be only the fifth time it has happened in the 137-year history of the program (the others: 1961, 1975, 1976, 1978).
SWEET SIXTEEN: Rutgers is No. 16 in the AP and coaches’ polls. It has been ranked higher only two other times in school history - No. 15 in the AP poll on Dec. 4, 1961 and No. 15 in the coaches’ poll on Nov. 29, 1976.
WEST VIRGINIA (7-0, 2-0; bye; at Louisville, Thursday, Nov. 2)
The West Virginia Mountaineers, after a 37-11 win at Connecticut, turned their attention to the Thursday night Nov. 2 trip to Louisville, a battle of unbeatens which could decide the Big East championship and maybe a spot in the BCS Championship Game. West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez already is trying to minimize the game’s obvious impact.
“I don’t want our guys to get so uptight and think that the enormity of the game is going to take us away from what we try to do,” Rodriguez told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m not going to put all our eggs on the Louisville game. I’m not going to say, ‘This is it.’ I’ve never believed in that. So our preparation for this game will be the same. We got to where we want to be - 7-0 against Louisville.”
Mountaineers guard Jeremy Sheffey was asked about the Louisville game. “I thought we played Cincinnati next,” Sheffey deadpanned.
TYING A MARK: West Virginia is in the top 10 for the 12th consecutive poll, tying a school record set by the 1988 Mountaineers, who lost to Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl that decided a national championship. West Virginia hasn’t lost since Oct. 1, 2005.
IN-VINCE-ABLE: Through seven games, Mountaineers QB Pat White has better rushing numbers (619 yards, nine touchdowns) than Vince Young had at Texas last season.
HERE COMES SLATON: In the fourth quarter against UConn, Mountaineers sophomore RB Steve Slaton had just 14 rushes for 37 yards. Then he gained 91 more yards on just five carries (including a career-long 56-yard TD run), boosting his game total to 128 yards. It was Slaton’s third consecutive 100-yard game - and his sixth in seven games this season. Overall in his 14-game career, Slaton has 11 games with 100 yards or more in rushing.
He’s the fastest Mountaineer player to top 1,000 yards - by one carry. Artie Owens in 1975 reached 1,055 yards and Robert Walker in 1993 reached 1,250 on 152 carries. His seven-game assault on that magic rushing number equaled Amos Zereoue in 1997 and Avon Cobourne in 2002. Each attained the 1,000-yard barrier in the seventh game but required 166 and 185 carries to do it.
WINNING STREAK: The Mountaineers have a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the program’s 118-year history—though still short, semantically speaking, of the 17-0-2 run that was a 19-game unbeaten streak in 1922-23.
PITTSBURGH (6-2, 2-1, bye; at South Florida, Nov. 4)
The Pittsburgh Panthers were run over - literally - by unbeaten Rutgers, 20-10, in a key Big East game. Rutgers had 271 yards rushing and limited Pittsburgh to just 67 yards on the ground, a discouraging statistic for Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, whose mantra has been to fashion a hard-nosed program on both sides of the ball.
“Ray Rice [of Rutgers, who rushed 39 times for 225 yards] is a very talented back, but we’ve been talking all week about the run,” Wannstedt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t know if we had a no gain, or maybe one or two no gain plays on defense all night. When you can’t control the line of scrimmage on either side, it’s tough to win.”
PALKO UPDATE: Pittsburgh QB Tyler Palko has now throw 108 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. Overall, he was 16 of 29 for 169 yards and one touchdown. “You can’t do anything about it except get back on the horse and come back ready to play,” Palko told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The season is not over yet. You can’t pout or sit here and put your head in the sand and make excuses for anything. They came out and beat us, but we shot ourselves in the foot.”
MORE STATS: Pittsburgh MLB H.B. Blades had a game-high 19 tackles against Rutgers, giving him 383 for his career, good for fifth place on the Panthers’ all-time chart.
SOUTH FLORIDA (5-3, 1-2; bye; home vs. Pittsburgh, Nov. 4)
The South Florida Bulls put themselves in a precarious position by dropping a 23-6 decision at Cincinnati on a Sunday night. The Bulls (5-3) remain one victory away from bowl eligibility - and it might be a difficult one to achieve. Games remaining: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, at Louisville, at West Virginia.
South Florida’s eight opponents to date have a combined record of 23-35 - and only one, 7-0 Rutgers, has a winning record.
At Cincinnati, South Florida gained only 219 yards - and 61 came during a garbage-time TD drive. The Bulls committed three turnovers, bringing their season total to a Big East-leading 18.
CONNECTICUT (3-4, 0-2; at Rutgers, Sunday night)
The Connecticut Huskies put up little resistence, losing at home to unbeaten West Virginia 37-11. UConn coach Randy Edsall pulled starting QB Matt Bonislawski in the third quarter, replacing him with D.J. Hernandez, a former starter. Edsall wouldn’t immediately say who would be the starter for Sunday night’s trip to Rutgers.
“It might be a situation where we play both guys,” Edsall told the Hartford Courant. “The quarterback has to be able to manage the game, be able to throw the ball effectively, move the team, not turn the ball over.”
HIGH-RANKED VISITORS: When No. 4 West Virginia faced the Huskies, it became the highest ranked college football team in 63 years to play a game in Connecticut. On Oct. 23, 1943, No. 2-ranked Army won at Yale. The last time a top-ranked team played a game in the state? No. 1-ranked Cornell posted a 21-0 win against Yale in 1940.
CINCINNATI (4-4, 1-2; home vs. Syracuse, Saturday)
Cincinnati evened its record with a 23-6 nationally televised victory against the South Florida Bulls. On Sunday night, the Bearcats drew just 15,589 -and one on hand was Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese.
“Three years ago they were giving away tickets at Rutgers,” Tranghese told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s about winning. I’m a big believer that if you win, you get people, especially if you’re in an urban market.”
Cincinnati ranks last in Big East average attendance at 19,694. Rutgers, off to a 7-0 start, averages 39,232 fans.
MEMORIES: Cincinnati’s win against South Florida came on the 85th anniversary of the biggest win in school history - a 115-0 victory against Kentucky Wesleyan in 1921.
SYRACUSE (3-5, 0-3; at Cincinnati, Saturday)
After the Syracuse Orange dropped a 28-13 home decision to unbeaten Louisville, about 90 percent of the Syracuse players sprinted directly into the locker room instead of drifting to midfield for the traditional handshakes and visits with the opposing team.
“They had some mouths on them,” Orange RB Delone Carter told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “They were just talking so much. It’s like, if you’re that good, why do you need to talk so much? It really wasn’t that classy to me. Some people were just disappointed. Some people felt that, too. I shook hands. It’s just the type of person I am.”
COUGHING IT UP: Carter was involved in one of the game’s key sequences. From the Louisville 3-yard line in the second quarter, Carter got the handoff and launched himself upward, trying to leap over the line. He was undercut. His feet went over his head. Louisville punched the ball loose and recovered the fumble.
“The general rule is unless you’re Superman, you don’t need to jump until you’re on the 1-yard line,” Orange offensive coordinator Brian White told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “Delone has got some unique athletic abilities. He thought he could get in. It’s unfortunate for him.”
Carter said he didn’t know how the ball came loose. “I’m in the air, dog. I’m spinning,” Carter said. “I don’t know how it got out. I could’ve made it [into the end zone] if I wasn’t touched. But I was touched.”
Syracuse drove inside the Louisville 10-yard line on its first four possessions, but only came away with a pair of field goals. “We could’ve been down 14-0 or 17-0,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said.
0-FOR-THE-BIG-EAST: Syracuse has lost 10 consecutive Big East games, and Coach Greg Robinson still seeks his first league win.
Many believe Florida State hit rock bottom by losing to Boston College on Saturday. You know what’s so scary? That might not be the case.
Florida State has only two games left on the schedule that it should definitely win, Virginia and Western Michigan. Both games are at home. Of course, these days we can’t really say for sure that FSU will beat anybody. The Seminoles are decimated by injuries on defense. The play-calling is often suspect and quarterback Drew Weatherford continues to make some costly errors at bad times as evidenced by his second-quarter interception against BC.
So, rock bottom could mean something different this season. If FSU doesn’t come out Saturday at Maryland and establish an early lead, don’t expect the ‘Noles to win. They also have little chance to beat Florida at home next month unless the Gators start losing players at the rate FSU has this season.
So, let’s say the ‘Noles finish 7-5 and go to a lower tier bowl game and win. Well, 8-5 this year isn’t the same as 8-5 and ACC champions like a season ago. So, expect some changes—most likely on the offensive coaching staff—if that scenario plays out.
About the only way FSU can remain status quo going into next season is if it wins out. OK, back to reality. That’s not going to happen, so the next few months should be very interesting around Doak Campbell Stadium.
Over at the Buc Shots Blog, Scott admits that he’s been hearing voices. That makes sense, because there is a lot being said right now around the league. Here’s a sampling:
Cardinals Owner Bill Bidwell: “I cannot believe we are sitting here at 1-6!†That speaks volumes, in and between the lines. Denny Green, meanwhile, is rumored to have gone home from Sunday’s loss to the Oakland Raiders and fired his black lab. “The Raiders were who we thought they were! You want to crown them? Get the @#$%^ out of here!â€
From dog house to dog pound, Romeo Crennel and Maurice Carthon have been talking about the Browns’ offensive scheme - you know, the one that has been offensive for fans to watch. One of them said that it was time for the Browns to go in a new direction. There is some confusion about who said it first. Doesn’t matter. Carthon is out.
Words are not in short supply this week from NFL trainers, team physicians and coaches concerning injuries. The Broncos lost T Matt Lepsis and the Colts lost S Mike Doss for the remainder of the year to knee injuries. The Giants lost LB Levar Arrington to a torn achilles and the Browns lost CB Gary Baxter, who tore patellar tendons in both knees on the same play. I say, “Ouch!†Then there are the injuries to the two QB’s from last year’s Super Bowl. I’ll talk about them on Thursday.
There was a little talking done on the field this weekend, too.
For starters, God spoke in Tampa. Come on! A 62 yard kick happening by chance? By a Bucs kicker? Who are you kidding? I’m telling you, somebody bet against the Bucs and God spoke up. Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand!
How about the statement made by Texans’ RB Wali Lundy (Who?) to make Texan fans forget that they could have (should have) drafted Reggie Bush? Fans were asking, ‘Reggie who?’ NOT! But, Lundy’s 93 yards on Sunday is more than Reggie has yet to produce for the Saints.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly spoken this past weekend: (G) Vikings RB Chester Taylor spoke up with 169 YDS rushing, including a 95 yard TD scamper against the Seahawks. (B) Chargers DE/LB Shawne Merriman spoke to reports of the NFL preparing to suspend him 4 games for using banned substances, saying – you guessed it: “I didn’t do anything wrong.†(U) Eagles QB Donovan McNabb spoke a ringing endorsement of Chunky Soup, all over the field at Raymond James.
My Hero of the Week: Buccaneers’ Radio Announcer Gene Deckerhoff. Was that not a great call on the game winning kick?
My Goat of the Week: John Madden. The Madden Curse continues to speak! Do you remember when we were told that Shaun Alexander would likely miss 2 games? Remember what the Pigskin Preacher told you? Uh huh.
See you Thursday, when I will speak to which of Ms. Barber’s boys will be flashing their million dollar smile when the clock reads 0:00 Sunday.
GAINESVILLE – The thought police have decided they don’t want the Florida-Georgia game referred to as The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party anymore. We’re going to have to work together to devise a new name.
Some people go through life with a little angel and a little devil on their shoulders who guide them through all their various ethical and moral dilemmas. These tiny cherubs whisper in their subject’s ears why their way is right and lead them to the choices that will stay with them for the rest of their lives and may have far-reaching implications that could affect many, many people all over the world.
I think we can all agree that those people are losers who do not have their priorities in place. If you are reading this column, chances are you are either related to me or the biggest ethical dilemma you face is what to Sharpie on your passed-out friend’s head after a twelve-hour Sunday binge of football and American beer. And, like me, your little angels and little devils really only care about the game. For example, my shoulder angel is a Bucs optimist. He wears a brand new white Cadillac Williams jersey, is hopeful right up through the last second and is always looking for the bright spots of the game. And he’s always smiling. Sometimes I just want to slap him. Conversely, my shoulder devil is a Bucs pessimist. He wears a tattered, orange Bill Capece jersey which he hasn’t taken off since 1983 and is really starting to reek. He’s still got that air of smugness about him after accurately predicting embarassing seasons for 14 years and has really been cranking up the insolence this year since the 0-4 start. Kind of like a cross between David Spade and Gilbert Godfried, except taller and more unbearable. The three of us watched the Bucs beat the Eagles yesterday, and I thought I’d share a little of the conversation we had after the game with you.
Just because USF is off this week, doesn’t mean we are. This week we’ll delve into the two Big East games: Syracuse at Cincinnati and UConn at Rutgers. Entries are due by noon Saturday. Next week we’ll be back to picking USF games. Only five weeks left in the contest. Good luck!
The fine print: To enter respond to the “comments” link below and answer the questions. First and last names (no initials), hometown and a valid E-mail address are required. Your E-mail address will NOT be published and only will be used to contact the winners. The deadline for entries is Noon Saturday. Remember when posting your comment/picks it won’t post immediately and may take an hour or so, so be patient. Only one entry per person per week is allowed. The top three finishers at the end of the season will win gift certificates to Bulls Heaven worth $100, $50 and $25. For a 5-point bonus pick the winner and exact score. Good Luck.
1-Will Cincinnati beat Syracuse Saturday by more than 7½ points?
2-USF gained 219 yards at Cincy. Will Syracuse have more or less than 219 yards at UC?
3-Will Rutgers beat UConn Sunday by more than 21½ points?
4-Who will score more points: the loser of the Cincinnati-Syracuse game or UConn against Rutgers?
5-Will Rutgers RB Ray Rice rush for more than 200 yards against UConn?
Bonus: Pick Rutgers-UConn winner and exact score (worth 5 points).
Figured I’d get these in early, so you all can pick the opposite and go 5-0. Have a great weekend.
1-Cincinnati beats Syracuse by more than 7½ points. The win against USF was the third in four games for UC, which is now pushing to get bowl eligible. The Orange have never won a Big East game under Greg Robinson (good news for USF fans in two weeks) so the Bearcats should win this one by double figures.
2-Syracuse will have more than 219 yards. The Orange is averaging 282 yards in Big East play in three games against Pitt, West Virginia and Louisville so SU should be able to exceed the 219-yard mark.
3-Rutgers will beat UConn by more than 21½ points. With Louisville up next for Rutgers, this could be a classic lookahead game for the Scarlet Knights. However, RU is on a serious roll and UConn is team turmoil, with players being suspended or dismissed nearly every week. Rutgers runs it up on national TV, 27-0.
4-Syracuse-Cincy loser will score more than UConn. I don’t see UConn topping two TDs, while the Syracuse-Cincinnati loser should at least get 17.
5-Rice will not rush for 200. Since I’m expecting Rutgers to roll, look for Rice to leave the game early in the fourth quarter (at least that’s what I’m hoping for) around the 150 mark.
So, how was your Sunday night TV viewing? No one got all five questions correct this week and only one person got the two-part question (Grothe under 275 yards passing and no field goal attempts) correct. Nearly everybody was wrong in the game prediction, so let’s move on to this week. Even though USF doesn’t play this week, the picks contest will continue this week (check back later Monday). With five weeks remaining 36 people are within nine points of the lead.
29 points: Carina Geiger
27 points: Wayne H. Jacobus
26 points: John Nelson
25 points: Brandon Lang, Brett McMurphy, Steven Stacy
24 points: Chris Harmon, Brian Smith, Mark Wentley, Sam Yanka
23 points: Greg Budzban, Jason Burkett, Ryan Roark, Jonathan Ruebeling
22 points: Scott Allen, Justin Aultman, Craig Crowder, Don Frashier, Jay Mize, Brian Motroni, Tom Owens, Derek Pratten, Ronnie Townsend
21 points: Davin Funt, Scott Goldsmith, Marcus Rodriguez, Jeff Shotwell
20 points: Mike Berman, Timothy Brittain, Josh Dillinger, Chad Fugere, Hector Jimenez, Dan Johnson, Jim Johnson, Perry Lerner, Chuck Wagner
19 points: Michael Harding, Terry Lucas, Steve O’Neal
18 points: Paul Colee, James Risler, Zonald Spinks
17 points: Jason Cunningham, Doug Currier II, Jon Frashier, Nathaniel Jacobson, Brian Kennedy, Joe Parra, Rob Schofield
16 points: Adrian Gil, Catherine Nowotny, John Nowotny, Jay Paules, Brad Solomon
15 points: AnhVu Nguyen, Jeffrey Saff
14 points: Joshua Barrett, Alan Ledford
13 points: Sarah Calamore
12 points: Jon Frashier, David Strickland
11 points: Phil Canto, Greg Jennings
10 points: Ben Forlaw, Michael Mantei, Doug Preston, Kathy Sawyer, Greg Sidler, Doug Veit
8 points: Todd Bever, Kevin Brahm, Ken DeCelles, Kevin Ellerbrock. 7 points: Jon Blair. 6 points: Chris Jett. 5 points: Derry Beck, Bob Bleakley, Gene Haines, David Lazar. 4 points: Ben Galloway, Scott Kirchner, Adam Mazzei, Scott Murdock, Paul T. White. 3 points: Eric DeLand, Joseph Fisher, Chuck Gerhart, Shawn Hay, Kyle Kassabaum, Cedric Padilla, David Richtberg, John Sabin, Julie Stacy, Eric Thomas, Lucas Wiseman. 2 points: Gary Arnold; Bill Dickson, James Fishco, Marcus Jackson, Steve Jones, Frank Kugel, Eric Liu, Chance Phillips, Bridget Pullin, Steven Schoenback, Terrell Swagger. 1 point: Donald Conner, Matthew Cox, Brian Roddy, Sung Wook Yi.
We absolutely must begin with ‘the kick’ – and that’s how it will be remembered in Buc-lore. Matt Bryant deserves a game ball. Sixty-two of them, in fact. I’ll admit it – as he trotted onto the field I screamed, ‘Are you kidding me?’ My call would have been throw up a pass and pray for an interference call. Upon further review, Gruden’s call took more faith. When’s the last time we had reason for confidence in the kicking game? That was like ‘parting of the Red Sea’ kind of faith.
Upon further review, I’m glad we have Matt Bryant to take that shot, but could you imagine what Martin Gramatica would have done had he made that kick? What do you think? I’d guess a string of cartwheels and back-hand-springs, stripping off his jersey and flexing his pecs, culminating in his having a stroke right in front of the Eagles bench.
Upon further review, my comments last week… you be the judge. Juran Bolden started out to make a false prophet out of me with that interception. But, before the day was over you saw the hair flying again. Remember? I told you that’s never a good thing. He was toasted not once, not twice, but three times – two of them for scores. Ronde got us two scores; Juran gave them back. How’s Brian’s toe this week?
Upon further review, Blue Adams is on fire. The last three games his play on Special Teams has been highlight reel material. If he keeps it up we’re going to be seeing #46 jerseys in the stands… at least outnumbering the Booger McFarland jerseys.
Upon further review, there is still a lot to work on. Our offense never really got into gear yesterday. Our defense, like an old jalopy, kept jumping out of gear. But, the ‘W’ at the end of the day will render all of that meaningless – today. Then it’s back to work.
Upon further review, the streak continues.
Matt Bryant’s mailbox should be full this week. By kicking the game-winning 62-yard field goal, he’s due several thank you notes.
The first should come from Derrick Brooks, followed by Juran Bolden, Ryan Nece and Jermaine Phillips. Basically every defensive player that missed a tackle during the Eagles go-ahead touchdown play owes Bryant a debt of gratitude.
“That was an unbelievable sight,†said Phillips of Bryant’s field goal. “That was a load off my shoulders.â€
Most Tampa Bay players had Cheshire cat-like grins on their faces as they walked into the locker room, knowing they had stolen one from the Eagles. Punter and holder Josh Bidwell came bounding down the tunnel yelling out “Way to go Matty,†while Nece thanked a higher power.
“Thank you Lord,†Nece said.
I guess the Big Man deserves a thank you note as well.
CINCINNATI - A few hours before tonight’s USF at Cincinnati kickoff and it looks like temperatures will dip into the high 30s by the second half and even perhaps by kickoff. Wind also could be a factor. During this afternoon’s Carolina Panthers-Cincinnati Bengals NFL contest, the winds were strong enough that the Panthers had to have someone hold the ball on the tee for kickoffs. If the wind gusts don’t die down tonight, it could have an impact on the passing games of both teams.
While you can double Cincinnati’s temperature and still not reach the temperature in Tampa today, there are a few other differences between Tampa and Cincinnati. Driving in Cincinnati Saturday and scanning the AM radio dial I came across a play-by-play basketball broadcast - of a University of Kentucky men’s basketball scrimmage! Not only that, but the scrimmage drew a crowd of 4,551 on Saturday afternoon. By comparison, USF only had four bigger crowds in 14 regular season games last season.
The Cincinnati Enquirer also devoted an entire page on Sunday to coverage of college basketball for UK, Louisville and Cincinnati, complete with photos, while the USF-UC football advance consisted of only one story. We’re definitely not in Tampa. One last thing, is it too late to change my Pittsburgh-Rutgers pick? Are the Scarlet Knights that good or are the Panthers just not that good? I guess we’ll find out Nov. 4. Rutgers jumps up to No. 16 in the AP Poll, giving the Big East three top 16 teams.
What a week of NFL news. Lost in the storm of the Cardinals’ Monday Night Collapse, Denny Green’s press conference, whining over a roughing the passer penalty among Bengals’ fans and news of an internet idiot writing stadium-threatening essays was news that Packers WR Koren Robinson was suspended by the league for one year for his umteenth violation of league policies. See ya, Koren. Again.
Last we ‘saw’ Koren was on the inaugural MNF broadcast on ESPN (back when he was a Viking). He was interviewed on the sideline and proclaimed his new commitment to beat the vices that had plagued him. Hours later, his tale unraveled when blue-lights appeared in his rear-view mirror. Just one more in the series.
Many people approach their spirituality like this, purposing to change, but unfortunately their resolution is a blossom that never blooms. As if talking about it is getting underway, they talk, but then they waver, and then they forget.
I’m impressed by the expediency with which Jesus initial followers determined to leave everything and follow Him. The Scriptures record that Simon and Andrew, for instance, heard Jesus call and ‘immediately left their nets and followed Him’. We would do well to follow God’s word with such expediency. There is tremendous benefit in doctrine that we practice, theology that we embody – very little in simply talking about it or purposing to embrace it.
Heard any good sermons or lessons lately? Read any good Bible passages? Had your conscience pricked by the Lord? Been made aware of needs that you can meet? Leave your nets and get to it! Hurry, while opportunity and desire are in conjunction. Quit talking. Start living.
Today’s texts: Mark 1:14-18
By MEL BERMAN
This weekend’s conditions represent the perfect fishing scenario.
Water temperatures now in the 70s, light winds, plus a strong incoming morning tide. Fishing that incoming tide this week with captain Brent Gaskill and his client, Mark Carlson of Dover, Del., we set up on a series of crunchy oyster bars along the western shore of Tampa Bay.
We knew the spot was going to produce because we observed numerous large mullet jumping all over the place. Using dead cut bait; the three of us caught several larger reds, many too big to keep.
I also landed one using a MirrOlure Top Pup that was right at the 27-inch line and it was released.
Tampa’s Gary Poyssick tells me that he’s also finding reds all over the bay. He added that “there’s so much bait in the bay that the fish aren’t hungry in some places.â€
Fishing with a friend and his uncle, they ran into a school of mackerel that Poyssick described as about “a quarter-mile round — all the fish in the 3- to 5-pound range, and fierce.†He said “the macks were on the northwest side of the Howard Frankland Bridge in that sort of pan, between it and the west side of the Courtney Campbell causeway.
Lance Benzell of Sarasota ran offshore and into a massive school of hungry kingfish, landing several up to 50 inches. It’s only a matter of days before the kings show up closer to shore.
Hear “The Captain Mel Show†Saturdays from 6-9 a.m. on WFLA, 970 AM. Also, visit “Fishing Florida OnLine Magazine†at capmel.com.
Ryan Craig suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on his right knee during the second period Thursday night and is expected to miss up to four weeks of action. Tampa Bay’s leading goal scorer was injured along the boards when his right leg was planted and he was hit in a knee-on-knee collision with Mike Knuble. The knee is the same knee in which Craig had surgery on in 2002 while playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League.
Craig leads the team with five goals and is tied for the team lead with six points.
Two days after the Bucs traded Anthony McFarland to Indianapolis, the excuses for his apparent underachieving are still rolling in. One of the most popular positions has been to claim that McFarland was held to an impossible standard since he took the spot vacated by Warren Sapp, the man who arguably re-defined the position with his speed and strength. Even Ellis Wyms, the man who consistently outperformed McFarland over the years yet still managed to earn a fraction of his salary, defended him:
“People have to understand that he (Sapp) was a one-of-a-kind type of player,” Wyms said. “There aren’t any guys in the league now that are doing what Warren did from a defensive tackle standpoint. I think it was unfair for them to hold Boog (McFarland) to Warren’s standards.
The Tribune’s own Katherine Smith sticks up for him as well:
Some of what McFarland did never showed up in individual statistics and instead opened up opportunities for others.
Both of you… stop it. Stop making excuses for Booger’s slacking. He just wasn’t very good; certainly not worth a first round pick. Forget comparing him to Sapp in his prime. Let’s compare him to every other starting defensive tackle in the league. Out of 58 starting defensive tackles (six teams officially run the 3-4 defense which only employs one DT,) McFarland is #50 in tackles per game. If you include the fact that he has zero sacks, he drops down to #53. And just because he’s a 3-technique player doesn’t let him off the hook. He’s #21 out of 26 3-techniques in the league. Maybe statistics aren’t everything, but they’re something. And for whatever non-statsheet opportunities McFarland created, Wyms created more when he played in his place. Please don’t rewrite history just because he’s gone.
I’m sure Anthony is a nice guy and he’s great in the community and all that. And I hope he does well in Indianapolis. This will be the last entry I take shots at him in. I just get annoyed at underachievers. In the 1999 draft, Tampa could have taken Jevon Kearse, Patrick Kerney, Al Wilson or Mike Rucker in the first round and gotten significantly more firepower for their pick. Well, at least they made up for it in the second round by taking Shaun King.
Wait… never mind.
It has been a week of terror across the NFL.
Out west there was Denny Green screaming at an assembly of terrified reporters, racing out the door and firing the first assistant coach that crossed his path. “The Bears are who we expected them to be! You want to crown them? We let them off the hook! @#$%^&*! Hey you! Rowen! Pack up your office! You’re out of here!â€
On the east coast it was Brian Billick firing his friend Jim Fassel. The terror there was even greater in that he cooly announced it at a press conference. “Earlier today, I walked down the hallway and fired the first coach I saw. I said, ‘Excuse me. You there. Oh, Jim. Hey, Jim! How’s the wife? Listen, clean out your office. You’re fired.’â€
Chiefs’ RB Larry Johnson has had a terror filled week. He’s suffered from nightmares all week long. In his dream he gets tangled in a big mane of black hair and it swallows him up and smothers the life out of him.
And, while I’m on the subject of hair pulling – nice of the NFL to show a feminine side. Until this past weekend, the only good hair-pulling NFL fans could expect was when the Carolina Panthers’ Cheerleaders went out to a bar. I say swing the man around by his mane!
In New York, terror has gripped the Giants organization as Tiki Barber started dropping hints that he might retire at year’s end to pursue other interests. As Barber is lighting the NFL rushing stats on fire these days, that’s a credible threat!
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, however, have determined that threats posted on an extremist website claiming terrorist attacks will be carried out in 7 NFL cities this weekend, is not credible. The website claims that dirty bombs will be detonated in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, Seattle, Houston and Oakland. Let’s see: terror on the field in Cleveland, Houston and Oakland? Insert your punchline here.
Terror? That’s what my numbers have done to other so-called NFL expert prognosticators these last couple of weeks. Let me keep the pressure on them. Here are my ‘be-afraid, be-very-afraid, and-I’m-not-living-in-a-cave-releasing-VHS-tapes-to-tell-ya’ picks for Week 7: (In a real cat-fight) Bengals over Panthers, Jets over Lions, Dolphins over Packers, Jaguars over Texans, Bucs over Eagles, Patriots over Bills (LOSS-man), Steelers over Falcons, Chargers over Chiefs, Broncos over Browns, Cardinals over Raiders (If the Raiders win, a bomb really will go off at Denny Green’s post game press conference.), Vikings over Seahawks, Colts (and Booger) over Redskins, Giants over Cowboys. BYE: Ravens – helping Jim Fassel clear out his office; Bears – helping Rex Grossman forget his last outing; Saints – looking like Cinderella; 49ers – playing like Cinderella; Rams – scratching their heads over last week’s loss; Titans – scratching their heads over last week’s win.
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