Johan Holmqvist will be in net again tonight, and can’t really blame Tortorella for starting him again as the team just seems to be playing better in front of him. I’ve never understood why something like that happens, but it pops up all the time in hockey….
Tim Taylor is still not ready to return as he is still struggling with turning his head to his left. He was supposed to see a specialist this afternoon to see if it could help aleviate some of the discomfort. He is hoping for a Sunday return, but that is still questionable at this point.
Blair Jones, who has made a good first impression, will be back centering the third line with Ryan Craig and Eric Perrin. The line accounted for two goals the other night in Florida and was rewarded for their play with key ice time, especially late in the game.
Luke Richardson will again be a healthy scratch for the second time in a row while the remaining lines should start the way they ended Wednesday with Lecavalier between Prospal and Fedotenko, Richards with St. Louis and Alexeev and Karlsson with Tarnasky and Afanasenkov.
Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. The Shaw family Thanksgiving begins with our annual participation in our church’s Turkey Bowl. Yep, I’m a grid-iron wannabe with slightly-above-average football skills for a preacher. I talk trash with the best of them… at least until I pull a hamstring or something and limp back home. Then it’s all about family, food, and real football. I’m thankful the Bucs will be a part of our Thanksgiving Day this year.
It’s a shame that it takes a date set aside on the calendar for us to slow down and consider things for which we’re thankful, but it does force my hand. I tend to wax sentimental at Thanksgiving. Being that I have a football blog, and the Bucs are on the slate for the holiday, I’ve been recalling some Buccaneer-themed blessings for which I am thankful. Here’s my list, in no particular order:
Lee Roy Selmon – He was an amazing player, and he is a class act. I’m thankful to have visited his bust in Canton where he is the lone Buccaneer enshrined. I hope he’ll have company there soon, but if there’s one Buc that could represent us all, it’s him!
Johnny Davis – I’m sure he doesn’t remember it, but when I was 11 years old I visited a relative in Tampa. They told me “I think the guy across the street plays for the Bucs”. I walked over and knocked on the door. A lady answered (might have been his mother) and she invited me in. There I saw the largest man I had ever seen playing the blues on a Hammond organ. Johnny treated me to some music and football talk. The nice lady treated me to some lemonade. I’m thankful for those heroes that were worth looking up to.
‘Hey, Hey, Tampa Bay! The Bucs know how to shine!’ – I truly hated that song. But, the many memories I have of being at Tampa Stadium singing that song with my Dad are among those that I will never forget.
Gene Deckerhoff – There is simply nothing like hearing Gene make a touchdown call. I’m thankful for every game I’ve caught with Gene at the mic.
Tony Dungy – There are lots of reasons I’m thankful for the time Coach Dungy was in Tampa, but chief among them is that he brought respect to the Buccaneers’ organization that had been mired in the doldrums for years. He’s a great Coach. He’s a greater man!
Doug Williams – Doug is a hero of mine. I played as a kid wearing my number 12, Doug Williams, jersey. I’m thankful to have Doug back in the Buccaneer family.
Derrick Brooks – I’ll bet he’s the next Buc in Canton. As much as I’ve loved watching Derrick play, I’m most thankful for the man he is off the field. Every year when I read about the Brooks Bunch and what he does with young people in the community, I give thanks for the true difference maker that he is.
Mike Alstott – Every time Mike carries the ball the stadium is charged. Among the most memorable plays in Bucs history are a number of Alstott carries – blowing thru defenders (nice one last week as a matter of fact). Again, away from the field, another great man of character.
I’m thankful for the chance to watch three road teams win today: Dolphins over the Lions, Bucs over the Cowboys, Broncos over the Chiefs. Oh yea, and at the Turkey Bowl, the Pigskin Preacher’s team by 2 TD’s. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mr. Sargeant,
I recently read your column on the manatee zones in the South Shore, and just recently (Monday of this week) put my boat in at Little Cockroach Bay and did some fishing. I am confused of where the manatee zones are. According to the map on the FWC site, Little Manatee River is idle speed only or minimum wake, but the channel out from the ramp at Cockroach Bay was not on the map, nor wwere any of the flats near the shore from Cockroach Bay to Little Manatee.
But, according to the signs the channel out from Cockroach is 25 mph and anywhere outside that channel (north or south?) was minimum wake zones and it seemed to extend out a half-mile to mile from the coast all the way up to the Little Manatee/Apollo Beach area. The map did not have that, but the signs seemed to indicate that if I were to start out the channel from Cockroach, and make a right (north) toward Little Manatee, that was all min wake zone. The water is at most 2-3 feet deep in summer tides and about a foot deep in winter tides. I usually can get on plane (I have a tunnel hull skiff with jack plate) through there between land and the sandbar that extends out, but now it seems like all min wake zones. I am OK with that because a lot of people leave scars on the grass throughout there, but to call it a manatee zone is a joke. No way a manatee can swim in those shallow grass flats. Kind of odd that the channel has a 25 mph limit where the manatees possibly could swim. I am just wondering where I can get accurate info. The day was pretty windy, so I did not follow the channel all the way out to see what signs were posted at the 1/2 to mile from Cockroach north toward Little Manatee. I can tell you this, almost every boat that I saw was on plane through that area, so either I was obeying the law or not understanding it. Thanks, Tim
Tim: As it stands now, the Cockroach Bay channel from the ramp out to open water allows on-plane operation. However, both north and south there are a line of markers at the 6 foot contour, and on-plane operation is not permitted inside those markers. At the Little Manatee entry, on-plane operation to 25 mph is permitted through the marked channel into the river and all the way upstream. Outside the marked channel it’s all slow-speed.
You are right about there being no manatees inside the bar. I fish there once a week and have never seen one, except on the big bar that pushes out just north of Big Pass. You are also right about few people obeying the law. However, FWC has been putting some enforcement down there of late since the rule became mandatory, and I think most will eventually follow the regulations. Keeping fast-moving boats outside the bar may not help manatees, but it will help seagrass, and will also improve the flats fishing there because buzzing the flats is now the single biggest problem in the backwaters. Unfortunately, with so many more boats on the water, we all have to adjust a bit to avoid ruining what we all value so much. FS
Over your coffee and toast these additives - comments from readers of this renewed and well-received feature. Keep your comments and thoughts coming, folks:
‘‘Always glad to see a column from you. Been reading you since I was a kid in the Sixties. Like a sign in the Gator end zone said at a recent game: ‘Forever A Gator.’ ‘’- Larry Martin, Ocala
‘‘Nice tribute to a great coach from great writer. Nobody does it greater. Nobody.’’ — Campbell, Bend, Ore.
‘‘I still miss your list of top recruits on Christmas. You make people enjoy sports. Keep writing.’‘—Gordon Moody, Tampa
‘‘Thrilled to see you still pumping out the words. Our Wauchula/Hardee football team continues to pump out the wins. Good health.’’ — Col. Donell Mathews, Melbourne.
‘‘Good to see your blog. It is amazing how you can make observations about the Gator-Gamecock game without wisecracks. We’ve missed you, Tom’’ — Randy Wilson
‘‘When I came here in 1977 it was your columns that led me to subscribe to the Tribune and I have missed your perspective on sports in our community since retirement—the exact combination of commentator, booster, homer and sage. We need more like you, sir.’’ — Fritz Archard, Tampa
‘‘I am so glad you’re back giving us breakfast tips and sports as you did since I was a kid in Tampa in the Sixties. Thanks. Go Gators!’’ — John Kearney, Nokomis
‘‘Guess it is no surprise that you return when your beloved Gators are in the Top 25. One major thing has changed. USF football is far more than an afterthought. I sure miss Jim Selman and Bob Smith. Bet you do, too.’’ — Thomas Kenyon, Sarasota
You bet. Selman is dandy. His Works are with his grandkids, garden and church. Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs, in town last weekend, wanted to be remembered to him. For some time, they taught Sunday school at a juvenile detention center here before the NFL games the same day.
Babaloo
Not sure there is anything so wrenching as the loss of a child—a son or a daughter of any age. Nothing.
Yet, it was such a tragedy that struck the family of Jimmy and Eleanor Dunn just recently. Young (42), handsome Jimmy Dunn Jr. died after serious repeated illnesses. He was the handsome kid you would expect, as was the memorial service at the Lutheran Church of our Savior in North Tampa.
Those mourning with the family and other friends included former Florida Gator head coaches Ray Graves (Opal) and Doug Dickey (Joan), Gator players and boosters such as Jimmy Fisher, Alan Trammell, Tim Marcum, George and Leonard Levy,
Frank Campisi, and many others.
Remember Jimmy Sr. played and coached football for years.
A point came on this weekend in 1959 when Dunn scored twice and was voted the Most Valuable Player for the Gators in the first game ever between Florida and Florida State. It was at Gainesville. Florida won 18-8.
Tonight is an important game for Tampa Bay to erase the taste from the last game. Nobody likes to get embarrassed, it’s not fun.
But the best way to have fun is to win a few games and it cures a lot of ailments. Tonight we should see which way this team wants to go, on the road back up and get on a run or down into a spiral that could get out of control. I’m not trying to be over dramatic here, but they have to re-establish themselves after getting it handed to them Monday in Buffalo.
And one bit of comment, those asking for John Tortorella to get fired, you are wasting your key strokes - it’s not going to happen. The only way the coach gets canned is if the GM gets canned with him, and that’s not going to happen - both just signed lengthy and expensive extensions before last season and we all know how ownership is about handing out money so why would they want to hand over that much to people no longer employed!!!!
Johan Holmqvist will be back net tonight with Marc Denis as the backup. Luke Richardson will be a healthy scratch while Tim Taylor is not quite ready to return.
Lines are as follows, at least to start the game:
Vinny Prospal-Vinny Lecavalier-Ruslan Fedotenko
Nikita Alexeev-Brad Richards-Marty St. Louis
Ryan Craig-Blair Jones-Eric Perrin
Nick Tarnasky-Andreas Karlsson-Dmitry Afanasenkov
Defensive pairings
Doug Janik-Dan Boyle
Paul Ranger-Cory Sarich
Nolan Pratt-Filip Kuba
TALLAHASSEE—Florida State men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton made it official Tuesday, announcing the signings of center Solomon Alabi and forwards Julian Vaughn and Jordan DeMercy to national letters-of-intent.
Vaughn, a 6-foot-9 forward from Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, and 7-foot-1 center Alabi from Montverde Academy near Orlando, give Hamilton much-needed size in the frontcourt for next season. DeMercy is a 6-6 guard/forward from Norcross (Ga.) who selected FSU over George Mason and Ole Miss.
“As we continue to grow into a program of significance in the ACC and nationally, we are very pleased to continue to bring outstanding talent into our program,’’ Hamilton said. “We addressed and met specific needs with this class.’‘
Alabi is the most intriguing of the trio since he has only been playing organized basketball for three years and is the tallest player Hamilton has signed since taking over FSU four years ago.
The most talented at this point is Vaughn, a dominant inside-outside player who averaged a double-double as a junior while making 32 3-pointers. Vaughn caught Hamilton’s attention as a member of the highly successful D.C. Assault team on the AAU circuit. He was a teammate of current Seminole Uche Echefu at Montrose Christian (Md.) High in 2004-05.
“Julian is a 6-9 high-post player with a tremendous feel for the game,’’ Hamilton said. “He has good ball-handling, passing and shooting skills for big guy. He also has good footwork and outstanding low-post moves. His plays a strong inside-outside game that will complement the players who are already in our system.’‘
TALLAHASSEE—Florida State men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton made it official Tuesday, announcing the signings of center Solomon Alabi and forwards Julian Vaughn and Jordan DeMercy to national letters-of-intent.
Vaughn, a 6-foot-9 forward from Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, and 7-foot-1 center Alabi from Montverde Academy near Orlando, give Hamilton much-needed size in the frontcourt for next season. DeMercy is a 6-6 guard/forward from Norcross (Ga.) who selected FSU over George Mason and Ole Miss.
“As we continue to grow into a program of significance in the ACC and nationally, we are very pleased to continue to bring outstanding talent into our program,’’ Hamilton said. “We addressed and met specific needs with this class.’‘
Alabi is the most intriguing of the three prospects since he only moved to the United States three years ago and started playing organized basketball. He chose FSU over Arizona and Virginia.
The most talented as this stage of their career is Vaughn, a dominant inside-outside player who averaged a double-double as a junior while making 32 3-pointers.
“Julian is a 6-9 high post player with a tremendous feel for the game,’’ Hamilton said. “He has good ball-handling, passing and shooting skills for big guy. He also has good footwork and outstanding low-post moves. He plays a strong inside-outside game that will complement the players who are already in our system.’‘
Florida A&M is out and Tennessee-Martin is in. That’s the news with the University of South Florida announcing its 2008 football schedule. USF will host Division I-AA Tennessee-Martin (Aug. 30, 2008) followed by non-conference games at UCF (Sept. 6), home vs. Kansas (Sept. 13), at Florida International (Sept. 20) and at N.C. State (Sept. 27). Tennessee-Martin will receive $300,000 from USF for being the Bulls’ annual Division I-AA sacrificial lamb.
The Bulls initially were hoping to host Florida A&M in 2008, but negotiations broke down and USF had to go in another direction. USF still hopes to get Florida A&M back on its future schedules, preferably every three years. Also the 2008 game at UCF is the last to be played in the series - although that obviously could change.
In 2008, USF’s Big East schedule will mirror this season - home vs. UConn, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse and road games at Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia. No Big East dates have been determined, so the games likely won’t be played in the same order as this season.
Also, here is USF’s 2007 schedule: home vs. Division I-AA Elon (Sept. 1), home vs. UCF (Sept. 8), at Auburn (Sept. 15), home vs. North Carolina (Sept. 22) and at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 29). The Big East schedule: home vs. Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia and road games at UConn, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse. No Big East dates have been determined, so the games likely won’t be played in the same order as this season.
If you don’t know much about Florida State junior linebacker Lawrence Timmons, other than for what he does on the field, that’s because he prefers to keep a low profile. Timmons is having a monster season for the ‘Noles, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 tackles for losses. He also is starting to face questions about whether he plans to remain at FSU for his senior season or enter his name in the NFL Draft.
“I’m staying here,’’ Timmons said earlier this week. “We are going to have a great team next year.’‘
FSU coach Bobby Bowden is praying Timmons sticks to his word. As good as Timmons has been this season, he is often overshadowed by his more boisterous and outgoing fellow linebacker, senior Buster Davis. Like Timmons, Davis is having an excellent season and is considered a solid NFL prospect. As injuries devastated the rest of the defense this season, Timmons and Davis have been the unit’s heart and soul.
Whereas Davis is considered a bit undersized for the NFL, which will probably hurt his NFL draft status some, Timmons is the kind of explosive, athletic linebacker that makes NFL scouts drool on their notepads.
“If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a millionaire someday,’’ FSU linebackers coach Kevin Steele said. Steele should know since he spent four seasons in the NFL as linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers. Steele said for a player who was a wide receiver in high school, Timmons has yet to scratch the surface in how good he can be as a linebacker. That should scare running backs as they see Timmons come their way.
But what impresses Steele the most about Timmons is the way he goes about his job.
“Lawrence is not a rah-rah kind of guy,’’ Steele said. “I call him a 1960s linebacker. He’s old-school. He loves to play football. That’s what drives him. He isn’t in it for all the hoopla that comes with being a great player.’‘
So, next time you see Timmons return an interception for a touchdown the way he did last week against Western Michigan, or knock a quarterback silly the way he has all season, don’t expect him to mug for the cameras.
That’s not his style.
NEW PORT RICHEY-As Ridgewood’s Mike Lawrence stood at the foul line with six seconds remaining in the Rams’ opener at Mitchell, the score tied at 46 all he could think of was one thing - confidence.
Lawrence had been perfect at the line all night and now when his team needed him to continue that streak he sunk both baskets to give the Rams the 48-46 win Tuesday night.
Mitchell’s last-second shot rolled off the rim.
“You have to have confidence and I just had it in me and I pulled it out,” Lawrence said.
A game that came down to strategic fouls and down-to-the-wire free throws between two teams seemingly on the opposite ends of the county’s talent spectrum was the result of a sloppy first half. Both teams committed numerous turnovers and had baskets bounce of the rim.
The score was 8-5 in Ridgewood’s favor at the end of the first quarter.
“I think if we hit a few jumpers at any point in the game, the game’s different,” Ridgewood coach Gary Anders said. “We hit free throws in the first half and the game is different. But that’s part of the game. We were close to panic mode coming down the stretch and looking at that I’m sure we had to swallow our Adam’s apple a few times and that’s OK. That’s good. I told the kids I’d rather be in here particularly not happy with a win as opposed to losing the ballgame.”
Mitchell, which is supposed to be in a rebuilding year after losing 10 seniors, played zone defense and rebounded aggressively despite a significant height disadvantage. Ridgewood did not expect to see that type of defense from anyone this early in the season.
“Anytime you come close and put yourself in a position to win, the goal is to win,” Mitchell coach Larry Holden said. “I’m disappointed. I’m pleased with how hard we played. I thought we played well defensively but we put ourselves in a position to win and we couldn’t do it. Cutting it close isn’t what we’re about.”
Ridgewood 48, Mitchell 46
Ridgewood (48)-Killinger 3 3-5 12, Lawrence 5 10-10 20, Satram 0 0-1 0, Marina 0 0-2 0, Salazar 1 0-0 2, Zio 2 3-4 7, Poderis 4 0-0 8. Totals 1510-20 48
Mitchell (46)-Balkon 2 8-11 12, Stefanski 1 1-2 3, Boyd 3 1-3 8, Stojanovski 2 7-8 12, Hester 3 1-5 7, Makris 1 2-2 4. Totals 12 20-31 46.
Ridgewood 48(8, 11, 16, 13)
Mitchell 46(5, 10, 18, 13)
3-point goals- Killinger 3 (R); Boyd (M), Stojanovski (M). Total fouls- R 24, M 20. Fouled out-Satram (R); Stojanovski (M). Records-R 1-0; M 0-1.
First off, let me tell you I’m not a Bright House Networks customer. So from a personal aspect, I could care less whether Bright House and the NFL Network ever reach an agreement.
I’ll be sitting in front of my television Thursday night—pumpkin pie in one hand and the remote in the other—getting ready to switch to Channel 212 on DirecTV the minute the Bucs game is over to watch the Broncos-Chiefs game on NFL Network.
But I do have compassion for those that are stuck with Bright House. Whenever a new, hip channel comes along, Bright House seems to be the last to add it. But start a new shopping channel and it will appear on the lineup the next day.
Yes, the NFL Network is expensive. Reports say NFL Network wants cable and satellite TV operators to pay between 70 and 90 cents per subscriber and carry the channel on basic cable. Of course, Bright House wants to put the channel on a sports tier because right now, nobody cares about the sports tier that includes such gems as Tennis Channel, Fox College Sports and other small sports channels.
Having the NFL Network would be a huge boast to that tier—but at what cost? Currently, Bright House charges $2.99 a month but you can bet it will go up if NFL games are added to it.
Bright House and other cable operators say it’s not fair to charge customers for a channel that some don’t want. That can be said for any channel on cable today. I’m sure I could find someone that could live without MTV or USA Network or even TNT. The poiint is everybody is different and it’s the cable operators job to make sure everybody is served.
It’s probably a good thing the first game on NFL Network is on a holiday. When 8 p.m. rolls around and someone tries to find the channel on their Bright House lineup, the switchboard at Bright House is going to light up like, well, a Christmas tree.
But there won’t be anyone there. Happy Thanksgiving
Buc Bits: Chucky to set sail? Rumors are swirling that Coach Jon Gruden may be feeling the urge to change ships. The hot rumor of the weekend had the coach heading to Dallas to replace Bill Parcells after the season. The latest is that Gruden may return to Philadelphia to replace Andy Reid. Here’s one for you: Gruden stays put, where he has all the pieces in place to do things his way.
Hey, Bucs fans, have any of you noticed the improved play by the D-Line the last two games? Stout against the run? Increased pressure on opposing passers? What’s up with that? Could it be that the blue-collar crew of replacements for Simeon Rice have shown up to work? Hey Indy: want a little Rice with your Booger?
Here comes T.O. It has been nearly two months since you’ve seen the Pigskin Preacher mention him. My self imposed T.O.-fast was a wonderful experience! Here’s hoping I’ll have little cause to mention him after Thanksgiving. So, who will be covering the oft-spoken one? Juran Bolden would draw the assignment, but he’s a little nicked up after last week’s win. Then there is Texan castaway Phillip Buchanon. How does T.O. like his toast? Here’s hoping the aforementioned pass rush gets to Tony Romo… on every play.
The Good, Bad and the Ugly from around the league: (Good) It’s in the suit! How about the new Reebok suits that debuted on the sidelines this past weekend? Niners Coach Mike Nolan had been told by the league that he could not wear a suit on the sideline as the NFL had a contract with Reebok for all sideline apparel. Apparently Reebok saw that as a great opportunity to get into the suit and tie business. On Monday night, Jags Coach Jack Del Rio donned the new duds too. By the way, both the 49ers and the Jags stepped up their on-field performances too. Now, if only someone could get Bill Belichick a suit – then he wouldn’t look like the NFL’s homeless coach.
(Bad) Jets Coach Eric Mangini came out Monday to say that Chad Pennington is the Jets QB ‘for right now’. Translated that means: ‘Let’s see, I have Patrick Ramsey and Kellon Clemmons on the roster… and 77 year old Vinny Testaverde just signed with the Pats…’
(Ugly) Is the Michael Vick experiment working? You be the judge. He’s the 25th rated passer in the league… behind J.P. Losman, Seneca Wallace, Jon Kitna, Byron Leftwich AND Chad Pennington. Bucs fans, take heart – Vick’s only seven tenths of a point better than Bruce Gradkowski.
My Hero of the Week: Joey Harrington. He’s looking like an NFL QB in Miami. This Thanksgiving he gets to take his act back to Detroit. It’s questionable whether Lions RB Kevin Jones will be able to play, suffering from a bad ankle sprain. Could Joey make his old team look like turkeys? This is Detroit we’re talking about.
My Goat of the Week: Randy Moss’s Grammar teachers. Here’s the latest addition of Randy-Speak: “It’s done set in, man, and I’m tired of it and might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start.” What the heck did he say?
Check back before you put the turkey in the oven, and I’ll tell you how the Bucs will fare on Thanksgiving.
TAMPA - Former Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech assistant coach Corries Culpepper was named the Titans’ new football coach.
Culpepper replaces Clarence Higdon, who was fired a few days before Tampa Bay Tech’s final game.
“He’s very passionate about what he does on the athletic field. He has the pulse on everything that is going on around him, and he’s not only concerned about the athlete, but all the kids at our school,” Tampa Bay Tech athletic director Derrick Gaines said.
“With his energy and vision for where we see the football program going, he will do a fantastic job for us.”
Tampa Bay Tech finished 0-10 this season and gave up 28.5 points a game. In 2005, the Titans were also 0-10 and outscored 326-88 before former coach Mike Bradley stepped down after a 10-30 record in four seasons.
Culpepper, 34, played football at Armwood and graduated in 1990. He accepted a scholarship to play for Tennessee Wesleyan and was a defensive back there.
After finishing in 1994, Culpepper played for the Albany Firebirds (Arena Football League) and Shreveport Pirates (Canadian Football League) in 1995-96 before returning to Tampa Bay and becoming a fireman.
He joined Armwood’s staff as a defensive backs coach in 2003 and was part of a team that won two of three state championships before leaving to become Tampa Bay Tech’s defensive coordinator prior to this season.
Culpepper is currently a substitute teacher who will join Tampa Bay Tech’s staff full time next year.
“We just didn’t have the structure offensively to do anything last season. The least amount of defensive plays we had was 62 and the most was 84 against Robinson. By the time the end of the season came, we felt like we had played 12 games,” Culpepper said. “We have a great group of young kids here, and an excellent administrative staff that is willing to work with you. ...
“We’re going to get started working really soon, and coming from Armwood, I’m not used to losing.”
If you’re looking to make your postseason plans, the PapaJohns.com bowl in Birmingham, Ala., still appears the University of South Florida’s likely destination. We won’t know anything official until Dec. 2 or 3. Even with the dozens of remaining scenarios - Big East gets two BCS teams, Big East only gets one BCS team, Boise State falls out of the BCS, etc. - the Bulls should be in Birmingham Dec. 23. Since Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, I thought I would get your Big East Feast of notes posted a couple of days early. Enjoy Turkey Day.
LOUISVILLE (9-1, 4-1; at Pittsburgh, Saturday)
The Louisville Cardinals – once seemingly headed to the BCS Championship Game, then bounced from major bowl consideration – are back in the BCS picture. Louisville defeated the South Florida Bulls 31-8 at home, but the bigger result was Cincinnati’s 30-11 win against previously unbeaten Rutgers. That sent the Big East into a three-way tie – Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia are all 9-1, 4-1 in the Big East.
If there’s a two-way tie between Louisville and Rutgers, head-to-head results decide things and Rutgers gets the BCS bid. Likewise, Louisville would win a two-way tie against West Virginia. If there’s a three-way tie, and nobody has swept the other two teams, the bid goes to the highest-ranked team in the BCS standings.
“We knew if we just kept winning, something good would happen,” Cardinals DE Zach Anderson told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “Thank you, Cincinnati.”
CRANK CALLS: Cardinals freshman RB Anthony Allen, a native of Tampa, scored twice against South Florida (his hometown school) and improved his season total to 10 rushing TDs. Even though he was still a high-school senior last season, Allen still enjoyed some revenge. He watched from the stands as South Florida stunned No. 9-ranked Louisville 45-14. Allen already had committed to Louisville.
“After the game, I got a call from every USF coach saying, ‘Did you see what we did to your team?’ ” Allen told The Tampa Tribune. “This time, I’ll make a couple calls, no coaches, but to a couple of their players I know.”
BOUNCING BACK: Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, coming off a 28-25 defeat at Rutgers, improved to 8-1 after a loss. Louisville has won 17 consecutive home games (second nationally to USC’s 32 straight at the L.A. Coliseum).
RUTGERS (9-1, 4-1; home vs. Syracuse, Saturday)
Coming off the most important and emotional win in school history (beating Louisville on national television), riding a wave of massive publicity, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights were scorched on the road at Cincinnati 30-11, ending their unbeaten season.
“We had a good week of practice and usually when that happens we play well,” Rutgers FB Brian Leonard told the Newark Star-Ledger. “I don’t know how to explain this.”
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano moved quickly to quell the disappointment. Rutgers still can win the Big East title and reach a BCS bowl.
“We still have big stuff out there [to play for],” Schiano told the Newark Star-Ledger. “If someone said in August we’d get to this point of the season and have a lot of things to win except the national championship, I think people would have signed on for that. I think I would have.”
NOT GETTING DEFENSIVE: Rutgers, allowing just 10.9 points per game, surrendered 30 points to Cincinnati. Rutgers’ defense, which had led Division I-A in sacks, had none against Cincinnati QB Nick Davila. “We weren’t very good tonight,” Schiano said. “But we will be again.”
BAD NIGHT FOR TEEL: Rutgers QB Mike Teel tossed four interceptions (all in Cincinnati territory, one in the end zone). Overall, Teel was 21 of 42 for 238 yards. “I let the rest of the team down,” Teel told the Newark Star-Ledger. “I have to learn to be smarter with the ball.”
RICE RECORD: Knights sophomore RB Ray Rice, despite being held to a season-low 54 rushing yards at Cincinnati, broke the school’s single-season record. Rice now has 1,388 rushing yards, beating the 1,353 of J.J. Jennings in 1973.
WEST VIRGINIA (9-1, 4-1; home vs. South Florida, Saturday)
West Virginia’s 45-27 win at Pittsburgh was part of the ongoing rushing showcase for sophomore QB Patrick White and sophomore RB Steve Slaton. White rushed for 220 yards and passed for 204 more. White has 1,057 yards in 10 games, making him the first Mountaineers QB to rush for more than 1,000 yards.
“If he’s not a national player of the week, somebody had a really, really big game,” Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’ve been coaching a long time, and that’s as good a performance as I’ve seen by a quarterback. It’s hard to imagine a quarterback playing any better than he did tonight. Outstanding.”
White tied the school record for total offense (Marc Bulger at the 1998 Insight Bowl) – and no Mountaineers combined for more than 400 yards in the 93 games since. Slaton rushed for a career-high 215 yards and had a career-high 130 yards in pass receptions. He scored four TDs, rushing for two and catching two TD passes.
“Those boys were taking off,” Mountaineers safety Eric Wicks said. “I was watching the scoreboard, and I just kept seeing Pat and Steve running. You just saw [yard] lines going by … legs moving.”
Slaton’s 345 all-purpose yards ranks second all-time in WVU history (Garrett Ford Sr., 356 vs. Pittsburgh in 1965). It was the first time two Mountaineers gained 200-plus yards rushing in the same game. They got close in 2002 – Avon Cobourne had 260 and Quincy Wilson had 198 against East Carolina.
HERE’S THE KICKER: West Virginia PK Pat McAfee booted a 51-yard field goal into the closed end of Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, setting a stadium record for longest field goal (college or NFL). The turf and wind are reasons why Heinz Field is known as a burial ground for place-kickers. Not this time.
“Pretty exciting, huh?” McAfee told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m elated. Is that a word. I heard it in a movie. All the rumors I heard about that place were absolutely true. It got to where I was scared to plant [my foot]. It was nasty.”
SOUTH FLORIDA (7-4, 3-3; at West Virginia, Saturday)
Last season, the South Florida Bulls had a 31-point home victory against Louisville, putting the program on the national map. This season was a different story – Louisville 31, South Florida 8 – but at least one Bull wasn’t impressed with the Cardinals.
“They weren’t as good as I thought they were going to be,” Bulls redshirt freshman QB Matt Grothe said.
The Cardinals held Grothe, one of the nation’s top dual-threat QBs, to 18 rushing yards on 15 carries (including six sacks). Grothe’s running has been a major factor in South Florida’s seven victories this season. Against Louisville, it was largely non-existent.
“We knew we had to put pressure on the young quarterback and give him some different looks,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said.
“We didn’t block very well, and we didn’t give Matt near enough time,” South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. “We dropped too many passes. We can’t play like that and win.”
CINCINNATI (6-5, 3-3; at Connecticut, Saturday)
The Cincinnati Bearcats climbed into the Big East’s bowl-game picture – and made plenty of national waves – with a 30-11 win over the previously unbeaten Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
“It made a statement that we belong in the Big East Conference, that we can compete in this conference,” Bearcats coach Mark Dantonio told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Because the conference has an automatic BCS bid, it means that those things are possible. I hope people across the nation and recruits saw this and want to be part of something like this.”
Cincinnati is eligible to play in its fifth bowl game in seven years.
“There were statements earlier in the season that we weren’t going to be able to compete for a Big East title for another five years,” Bearcats junior free safety Haruki Nakamura said. “But you know what? I think this shows right there that with the type of players we have on this team, we can do anything.”
Senior QB Nick Davila, who made his first career start in place of sophomore Dustin Grutza (shoulder injury), was 11 of 15 passing for 277 yards. The Bearcats rolled up 402 yards of offense against Rutgers.
PITTSBURGH (6-5, 2-4; home vs. Louisville, Saturday)
The Pittsburgh Panthers lost their fourth straight game – 45-27 against West Virginia – and suddenly a bowl bid is not a certain thing. If the Panthers can’t defeat Louisville on Saturday, they will be 6-6 and losers of five straight. If Cincinnati wins at Connecticut, the Big East could have six bowl-eligible teams (and only five designated slots). Pittsburgh will stay home because of a new NCAA rule (6-6 team can’t be selected for a conference tie-in bowl game if a seven win team is available).
More bad news: Pittsburgh has been torched for 1,122 yards and 91 points in its last two games. The Panthers are ranked seventh in the Big East in total defense (350.7 yards per game) and last in rush defense (183). Louisville QB Brian Brohm is the Big East’s leading passer (257.5 per game) and the Cardinals rush for 190 yards per game.
“What can you do but pick yourself up and try to get it done the next week?” Panthers linebacker H.B. Blades told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “You try and do the best you can do every time you take the field and that’s what we’ve done. We have one game left, against a team with a great offense, to get it right. We’ll show up and play our best game.”
CONNECTICUT (4-6, 1-4; home vs. Cincinnati, Saturday)
The Connecticut Huskies, coming off a double-overtime win against Pittsburgh that was painted as a season-saver, were deflated with a 20-14 loss at Syracuse. UConn must win vs. Cincinnati on Saturday and vs. Louisville (Dec. 2) to become bowl eligible. No easy task.
“We thought we had a good opportunity to get another win and get to .500,” UConn offensive lineman Matt Applebaum told the Hartford Courant. “We didn’t take advantage of it. I don’t know if I can compare it to the high of last week because it was pretty high last week, but it’s pretty low right now, too.”
“The Pitt victory means nothing now,” UConn running back Donald Brown said. “We had to win this week for [Pitt win] to mean something and we didn’t.”
UConn’s defense allowed 306 yards to Syracuse, the Big East’s worst offense.
SYRACUSE (4-7, 1-5; at Rutgers, Saturday)
The Syracuse Orange won a Big East game for the first time since 2004 (Boston College) by defeating Connecticut 20-14, ending a 12-game losing streak in the league. “People try to say we’ve got nothing to play for,” Orange QB Perry Patterson told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “The coach [Greg Robinson] has a vision. The seniors, we still have a vision for this program. We’re just trying to be part of it and just try and get this thing turned around.”
Robinson’s reaction was more subdued. “This was our fourth win,” Robinson said. “Now we have a chance to get five.”
Advertisement
