NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Urban Meyer Fined $30,000 for Criticizing SEC Officiatinghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/urban-meyer-fined-30-000-for-criticizing-sec-officiating/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/urban-meyer-fined-30-000-for-criticizing-sec-officiating/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/urban-meyer-fined-30-000-for-criticizing-sec-officiating/#commentsFiled under: ,

Urban MeyerOn Friday, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive fined Urban Meyer $30,000 for criticizing the officials in the wake of the Georgia-Florida game. When questioned by the media about a non-call on a late hit against Tim Tebow, Meyer responded, "That should have been a penalty, in my opinion. Obviously, it should have been. You've got to protect quarterbacks. That's the whole purpose. It's right in front of the referee."

In announcing the penalty, Commissioner Slive stated as follows: "Coach Meyer has violated the Southeastern Conference code of ethics. SEC bylaw 10.5.4 clearly states that the coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from public criticism of officials. The league's athletics directors and presidents and chancellors have made it clear that negative public comments on officiating are not acceptable."

Urban Meyer issued his own response: "As I stated last week, I have great respect for Commissioner Mike Slive and the Southeastern Conference and I respect this decision. There was no intent to criticize an official after being asked about a situation that occurred last Saturday and I apologize for my remarks."

Meyer's fine will be used to fund SEC postgraduate scholarships.

The fine comes in the wake of a recent change to SEC bylaws that ended all reprimand letters--Arkansas's Bobby Petrino, Tennessee's Lane Kiffin, and Mississippi State's Dan Mullen all received them for criticizing officials in the past few weeks -- and instituted a new policy of fines and suspensions.

While the fines are designed to represent a new, more stringent policy when it comes to commenting on officiating, they also raise their own questions. First among them, are fines, a penalty used by the NFL for decades, likely to curb coaching criticism of officiating? Particularly when SEC coaches make so much money as it is?

While $30,000 is a substantial sum to your average American, does it really put a dint in Meyer's wallet? Particularly when the donation is also tax deductible? In fact, this fine, even without the tax deduction, represents less than 1 percent of Meyer's overall salary this season. For an average American making, say $40,000, a year, that would be a hit of $300.

Isn't that a small price to pay for a coach being able to speak his mind?

Regardless, Slive had to act in the wake of announcing the new penalties. Slive's fine represents a new front in the SEC's attempt to reign in coaching commentary in the wake of several highly publicized officiating scandals. Whether it will be any more effective than the previous policy remains to be seen.

So long as the SEC office continues to suspend and berate officials while limiting the coaches' ability to do the same, consider this one vote for -- not likely.

Urban Meyer Fined $30,000 for Criticizing SEC Officiating originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>urban meyerUrbanMeyerClay TravisFri, 06 Nov 2009 13:24:00 EST Slive & Gold: The Root of SEC's Troubleshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/slive-and-gold-the-root-of-secs-troubles/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/slive-and-gold-the-root-of-secs-troubles/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/slive-and-gold-the-root-of-secs-troubles/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mike SliveLast week Mike Slive, the Montgomery Burns of the SEC, threatened Lane Kiffin with a suspension and rewrote the SEC policy when it comes to commenting on officiating. All season, Slive has been besieged by officiating errors, coaches sniping at one another, and the continuing onslaught of media coverage having a brand new television contract and two top-ranked teams has brought.

Now, Slive (pictured right) is backed into a corner. Just a few days after Slive announced his new policy on officiating, Urban Meyer teed off on officiating once more, taking a shot at the non-call on a late hit that Georgia delivered to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

"That should have been a penalty, in my opinion," Meyer said, "Obviously, it should have been. You've got to protect quarterbacks. That's the whole purpose. It's right in front of the referee."

And then, not to be outdone, Lane Kiffin took a swipe at Meyer's comments on officiating. "Urban Meyer? Criticized the officials, wow, that will be interesting," Kiffin said, "We'll see." Not content with a sarcastic aside, Kiffin also commented on the Brandon Spikes situation: "Yeah, I saw it on replay, it was pretty bad ... Obviously he'll discipline his team. Or not."

In 2009, the SEC has been the new king of controversy and virtually every action Commissioner Slive has undertaken has, instead of quelling the uproar, actually increased the feeding frenzy. Of course the ultimate irony of all of the attention being focused on the SEC is this, much of it is self-inflicted, brought on by the increased prominence of SEC football on both ESPN and CBS.

Once those companies ponied up billions to televise the athletic events, minor conflicts suddenly turned into nuclear war, the Bay of Pigs meets SEC football.

The SEC is behind the curve on responding to and preventing stories from spinning out of their control. Why? Because they've got a product with national appeal that is still run like a mom-and-pop store.
 Don't believe me? I've been writing for over a year about how the increase in television fees was going to lead to stories that would have otherwise been regional in nature, becoming national. And we've already seen that happen this year, it's the primary reason Kiffin became such a lightning rod, because ESPN needed him to sell their product. And it's worked, SEC football ratings are up across the board, highlighted by a 60 percent spike in UT-Florida ratings after the Kiffin-Meyer tiff.

Controversy increases interest. Conflict, even manufactured conflict, sells. In fact, I'd even argue that controversies over bad officiating probably, paradoxically, lead to more viewers for games. Why? People want to see for themselves just how bad the officiating really is. And once the impression that the officiating is bad exists, it becomes the default assumption the next time a questionable judgment is made.

But this increased media attention has also caught the league and Slive flatfooted. I think the SEC, where regional writers still spend the majority of the time covering individual teams, has been surprised by how quickly statements by coaches have become national news. Same with the officiating controversies. In fact, anyone who has been a fan of SEC football for a decade or more, knows that this season's comments and controversies are no more extraordinary than any in the past 20 or 30 years.

Maybe even less so.

There have always been bad calls that have cost teams games, there have always been coaches looking to gig opponents -- it's what made Steve Spurrier a media darling -- and there have always have been extremely competitive games that magnify the importance of officiating calls. What there hasn't been is a national onslaught of attention surrounding these controversies. It used to be that if Spurrier said something bad about Tennessee or Georgia, it led the local paper, maybe the local news, in the offended jurisdiction and after a day it blew over.

News could only trickle down from the top back then, and if it did trickle down it came to an end quickly on a regional basis. Now? Now, news comes from both directions. It can boil up via fan outrage on blogs, message boards and YouTube, where eventually the national media pick up on the controversies and turn them into stories. Meanwhile, the national media can now take a single sentence and turn it into a blizzard of publicity. Those words have always been there, but in the past the money didn't justify the attention.

In the latter days of the 19th century, the term yellow journalism took flight. Ultimately, it led to William Randolph Hearst helping to start the Spanish-American War, "You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war," he's supposed to have remarked.

Urban Meyer

Now SportsCenter furnishes the sports war.

That's a seismic change in the attention being paid to the league. And one the SEC still hasn't caught up to.

I knew we'd reached the tipping point in breathless SEC coverage when ESPN led a telecast with a story about Kiffin firing the strength coach at Tennessee. Really, the strength coach? A man many hardcore Vol fans couldn't even name is being covered by national news?

And the SEC hasn't helped themselves in surfing the onslaught; Slive's every move has added fuel to the fire rather than quelling the blaze.

Don't believe me, let's take a look at some of the hamhanded decisions made by the league just this year.

First, Slive made a big show of reading coaches the riot act after offseason controversies. The idea was that this public haranguing would kill all negative commentary. You can all see how well that worked. Instead of actually changing anything, the story of the fiery talk led newscasts and reinforced the previous statements made by coaches.

Next, the league attempted to restrict media coverage of athletic events with a new media policy that provoked outrage. The idea behind controlling rights was financial, seizing control of video, images, and content would, the league reasoned, make those products more valuable while also allowing them to control more of the stories that ensued. That's why the league also sought to restrict blogger access, as if any of the bloggers driving news coverage actually needed to be present at events to influence public perception. Nevertheless, the league buckled and rescinded many of the restrictions after complaints from long-time media partners.

Finally, once the season commenced, Slive and crew overreacted to bad officiating on judgment calls by throwing part-time officiating crews under the bus and suspending them. This decision opened the floodgates for coaches to comment on officiating mistakes, something that had previously been swept under the league rug. In rapid succession, Bobby Petrino, Lane Kiffin, and Dan Mullen were reprimanded by letter for publicly ripping officiating. Then, not to be outdone, Slive revised the existing rules for coaches to comment on officiating mid-season and threatened coaches with suspensions or, be still my trembling heart, fines should they fail to follow the newly prescribed rules.

What do all of these issues show? The SEC is behind the curve on responding to and preventing stories from spinning out of their control. Why? Because they've got a product with national appeal that is still run like a mom-and-pop store. After all the time they spent courting television partners, they failed to realize how those partners would cover the product they paid so dearly for. A league where everyone loves one another isn't great television. A league where everyone hates one another?

That's compelling television.

Slive, to his credit, is smart, and has done a great deal to clean up the league's image, but what he hasn't done is anticipate new and old media's ability to create national stories out of sentences that would have been, at best, regional dust-ups just 10 years ago. Partly, that's the result of the explosion of the Internet as a news cycle driver, but, mostly, it's a reflection of a hard and fast rule in today's media: if you pay a lot of money to cover a product, all of a sudden that product becomes more newsworthy than it ever has before.

Enter ESPN.

Enter the controversies.

Enter the belated responses.

And now, after a season of futile and belated responses, Slive doesn't have any options left. Will he become the first commissioner in league history to suspend a coach for commenting on, wait for the outrage, a football game? Can he? Does he have the political power to make that move and be backed by everyone? Especially if the coaches are making comments that most SEC fans agree with?

I don't know.

What I do know is that such a move would be unprecedented and draw more negative attention than anything that it helped to solve. But if Slive doesn't act, hasn't he rendered himself impotent, turned himself into the teacher who threatens real punishment but can never deliver that punishment? The SEC Commissioner with no clothes? Paging Montgomery Burns.

Sooner or later making false threats leads to less power than making no threats at all. But, Slive probably knows that. The question is, do the coaches?

And the bigger and more ominous question for Slive and the league he leads is this: in signing that multi-billion dollar television contract did the SEC ultimately bequeath the power of their product to corporations that have different interests than the league? If they did, and I think that's entirely likely, ultimately no matter what Slive does to penalize coaches, he's never going to regain control of the league narrative again.

That's already been sold.
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Slive & Gold: The Root of SEC's Troubles originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mike sliveClay TravisThu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST LSU's Marucci Has Eye on Tigers, Serieshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/lsus-marucci-has-eye-on-tigers-series/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/lsus-marucci-has-eye-on-tigers-series/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/lsus-marucci-has-eye-on-tigers-series/#commentsFiled under: ,

Chase Utley with Marucci BatJack Marucci's focus this week has been the health of his LSU Tigers as they prepare for Saturday's SEC showdown at third-ranked Alabama. But Marucci can't help but sneak a peek at the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Especially after Marucci prior to the start of the Series received a message from Philadelphia's Chase Utley that indicated he wanted a special bat to swing against New York reliever Mariano Rivera.

"It's the same wood but a different style, a little thicker and shorter," Marucci told FanHouse Wednesday.

In his 14th year as director of athletic training at LSU, Marucci also makes wooden bats that some of the best players in professional baseball are primarily swinging, including Utley.

In fact, 17 players from the Yankees and Phillies are customers of the Marucci Bat Company in Baton Rouge, La. That list includes Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz of the Phillies and Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano of the Yankees.

The group ordered 82 Marucci bats for the Series.

Utley, of course, has smacked five home runs in the Series to tie Reggie Jackson's record set in 1977 with the Yankees.

And Damon is 8-for-21 for a .381 average. New York leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and looks to win its 27th championship Wednesday night at home.

Marucci plans to watch the game after he finishes in LSU's training room.

The Tigers have devoted plenty of their attention this week to the Crimson Tide's No. 2 rushing defense and No. 4 total defense in the country. Alabama can win the SEC West and earn a berth into the SEC Championship against top-ranked Florida with a victory.

"You can see the passion in the kids' eyes and you really feel they are prepared," Marucci said. "It's exciting to see everything coming together."

Marucci feels the same excitement when watching the Series.

Mark Teixeira with Marucci batWhat began as a labor of love seven years ago in his backyard shed, six feet by nine feet, has turned into a fledgling business headquartered in a warehouse district in Baton Rouge.

Nearly 30 companies are licensed by MLB to sell bats.

Hillerich & Bradsby, which makes the Louisville Slugger brand, has put bats in the hands of players since 1884, leads the hit parade with more than 60-percent of the market. Marucci has sold 8,000 bats to professional baseball players (minor league and big league) this year and 20,000 overall, one-third more than in 2008.

A Marucci bat, from start to finish, can take up to 24 hours to make.

Marucci has avoided selling his wooden bats through large, chain retailers, instead relying on recommendations from players.

Also, the Marucci Bat company will soon launch a brand of aluminum bats under their label, featuring the Albin anti-vibration device. It will be the only bat of its kind on the market, according to Marucci.

That label means Marucci is committed to his craft.

It's no different each day when he puts on his LSU shirt.

"You feel like you are watching your own kids and you want them all to do well," Marucci said.

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LSU's Marucci Has Eye on Tigers, Series originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chase utleyjack maruccijohnny damonmark teixeirapedro felizrobinson canoryan howardJim HenryWed, 04 Nov 2009 13:48:00 EST Tide Still Searching For Big Playshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/tide-still-searching-for-big-plays/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alabama's offense has mellowed over the past three games.

The Crimson Tide has registered only a pair of rushing touchdowns in victories over Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Ten trips into the red zone have resulted in eight field goals. The passing game hasn't featured many deep throws, and Alabama's Wildcat offense, which started as a gimmick, has become more relevant.

Third-ranked Alabama realizes it will need a better all-around effort on Saturday to beat No. 9 LSU, the only remaining ranked team on the Crimson Tide's schedule. The Crimson Tide can clinch the SEC West title with a win and would then meet No. 1 Florida on Dec. 5 in the SEC title game.

"We haven't scored points at the same sort of rate that we did earlier in the season," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.

"We've been focusing on improving and making more explosive plays in the passing game as well as executing a little better and getting a little better consistency in performance all the way around. I think sometimes in the red zone we haven't finished drives like we need to."

Alabama will certainly need to finish drives if it wants to earn its first home win over LSU since 1999.

One key to that success will be sophomore running back Mark Ingram, who ranks first in the SEC and fifth nationally with 125.5 rushing yards a game.

Ingram leads the Crimson Tide with 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving). The bruising Ingram, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound sophomore, also has been one tough hombre in traffic. Of his 1,190 yards this season (1,004 rushing, 186 receiving), Ingram has gained 645 yards after contact (54 percent of his total yards).

Ingram believes it's those nitty-gritty yards that will make the difference against the Tigers.

Since giving up 23 points and 478 total yards against Washington in the season-opener, LSU held its last seven opponents to an average of 266.6 yards and 10.6 points.

"In a game like this, you go out on the field and whoever plays the hardest and whoever does the little things right the most consistently throughout the game, that's who will win the game," Ingram said.

"You can't really focus on 'We've got to make this big play' or 'We've got to do this or got to do that.' We have to focus on the game plan, perfect it and execute it. Whoever does the little things right the most consistently wins the game."

Ingram, of course, started to merit legitimate Heisman Trophy consideration for his career-best game in Alabama's victory over South Carolina on Oct. 17. With the Gamecocks slowing the Tide's passing game and rattling quarterback Greg McElroy, Ingram lined up in the Wildcat and put the game away.

Ingram carried the ball on all six plays of a 68-yard drive. The first five plays were in the Wildcat when Ingram received the direct snap from center. On the final play, Ingram took a handoff from McElroy and scored on a 4-yard run that gave Alabama a 20-6 victory.

Ingram finished with 246 yards on 24 carries.

Ingram is especially determined not to repeat last year's midseason dip when he had one rushing yard against Tennessee and six rushing yards on five carries at LSU.

"I think I hit the wall halfway through the season at this point (a year ago)," said Ingram, who rushed for 728 yards on 143 carries with a team-best 12 touchdowns last season. "I had a few injuries and I was a little frustrated with how I was performing. I hit the wall and I can't let that happen again."

Ingram and teammates also believe a Crimson Tide offense that has sputtered recently feels in sync and will be ready for LSU. Senior offensive lineman Mike Johnson credits opposing defenses or causing some of Alabama's frustration over its lack of explosiveness.

Receiver Julio Jones, for example, has just one touchdown and is averaging 32.7 receiving yards per game, well below his career average of 54.9.

Alabama is coming off a bye week, but barely escaped against Tennessee, blocking two field goal attempts to preserve a 12-10 victory.

"One of the goals we had coming into the year was to have more explosive plays, especially in the passing game," Johnson said.

"That really wasn't one of our strengths last year. I think we did a good job of starting off on that note and we've kind of got to get back to that. We had a lot of explosive plays and play-action down the field early in the year, and we've got to get back to that.

"On the same note, guys have done a good job. We've faced better defenses. There is a lot to be said about SEC defenses that can come in and stop the pass and we've played some good safeties and good defenses the past two weeks and they did a good job of kind of throwing some things at us."

Look for LSU's defense to be just as prepared. In its last three SEC games, LSU combined to limit Georgia, Florida and Auburn to a total of 36 points

"They are big and fast, strong and physical," Ingram said.

"The scheme they play, they do it really well. They are coached up really well. They all do their assignments. They all get to the ball and they make it really hard for offenses to have success."

Tide Still Searching For Big Plays originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark IngramMarkIngramNick SabanNickSabanJim HenryWed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:00 EST Outside, the Life of the 'Cocktail Party'http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/outside-the-life-of-the-cocktail-party/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/outside-the-life-of-the-cocktail-party/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/outside-the-life-of-the-cocktail-party/#commentsFiled under: , ,

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- By the end of the first quarter Saturday, outside the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, a drunken mass of humanity sprawls in baking parking lots and beneath cool shade trees, the largest collection of people in America who cannot walk in straight lines. By now, the ratio of men to women has shifted, perhaps for the only time all day, to something approaching equal numbers. Women wearing bikini tops and tight dresses warble on flip flops or bare feet, men, Florida fans mostly, have discarded their shirts and stand bare-chested in the bright sunshine propositioning women as they pass.

"We still got beer left," a group of shirtless Florida fans, Cocktail party Romeos, call to a group of bedraggled Georgia girls, Capulets in red heels.

"We're looking for liquor," says one of the girls, moving past.

A scalper stands off to the right of the passing couples, four tickets held tightly in his right hand, jaw clenched.

"Game's going to be close boys, don't you want to go inside?" he asks, squinting his dark brown eyes to avoid the sun's rays. It's Halloween in Jacksonville, and all the world outside the Cocktail Party is a stage.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of football fans descend on Jacksonville for the Georgia-Florida football game. Some of them, a small minority, actually see a football game. The remainder, a teeming mass of humanity, remains outside the stadium and occasionally squints up at the looming structure as the crowd roars inside. Idly they may wonder whether Georgia or Florida has the better end of the game. Most likely, they don't react at all to what happens in the game.

Because they're too drunk.

This is their story.

















Getting There

Since 1915, Georgia and Florida have played a football game. For virtually every year since 1933, the teams have played this game at a neutral site, Jacksonville, Fla. This is the most popular social event in Jacksonville. There is no second most popular social event in Jacksonville.

The term World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was coined in the 1950s after a sportswriter witnessed a fan offering a drink to a uniformed officer. In 2006, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive wrote a letter to CBS requesting that they no longer use the phrase World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

"We would appreciate any initiatives you might take to avoid using the cocktail party reference. This is a great college football game, which highlights a traditional rivalry full of the passion of football in the Southeast. Our hope is to keep the focus on the game."

In so hoping, Slive has failed.

For 16 of the past 19 seasons, Florida has emerged victorious. Prior to this, Georgia won. At least according to the record books. No one really knows because those victories seem so far in the past now, grainy, archival footage of Bulldog greats dominating games that Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy checked the score of. Now, well, Florida wins.

That doesn't mean Georgia fans fail to travel to the game. They still come, tens of thousands of them, wearing their bright red and black Georgia polos and barking haphazardly into their fraternity brothers as they wait to board flights. Like the one I'm on, leaving from Nashville en route to Jacksonville. My flight is equal parts Georgia and Florida fans, middle-aged white middle managers in their uniform of choice, coaches' polo, tightly tucked into jeans or khaki pants, BlackBerry carrying case buckled on the belt loop. Accompanied by well-coiffed middle-aged women with astoundingly pert breasts and hair that, also amazingly, has not faded one bit.

As soon as we board our Southwest flight -- my friend Tardio has accompanied me -- these men spring into action to aid an attractive damsel in distress. It seems a woman can't fit her bag into the overhead compartment. Fifteen men attempt to aid her. Including a male Southwest flight attendant.

It is clear to all that the bag does not fit into the compartment.

But no one is willing to acknowledge failure.

After a five-minute struggle, the flight attendant places his hand on the young woman's bare shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll find a place for your bag," he says.

"Just once, I want to know what it's like to be a hot chick," Tardio says.

My friend Tardio has come to chronicle the Cocktail Party with me. And by "chronicle the Cocktail Party," I mean, drink. But that's in the future. Currently, Tardio, a medical malpractice defense attorney in the city of Nashville, is convinced his carry-on bag contains the greatest Halloween costume on Earth.

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He has purchased a pair of blue doctor's scrubs. All his costume requires is a name-tag, which we will have to purchase in Jacksonville because the two of us arrived at the airport 38 minutes before our flight was scheduled to depart.

As we arrived at our gate 23 minutes prior to boarding, Tardio looked down at his phone. "We still had 10 minutes," he says.

He plans to write just one word on the name-tag that he will wear on right lapel of his scrubs: William.

On Thursday night, he conveyed his plan to me. "Get it?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"I'm Health Care Bill," he says.

Health Care Bill is currently reading the latest US Weekly magazine, purchased as we waited to board. "Sienna Miller is looking old," he says, scrutinizing her photo.

"No, she isn't," I say, "she's like 26."

"Really?" the man who will be Health Care Bill asks. "She looks older."

Welcome to Jacksonville

On Friday night, the cabs of Jacksonville descend on the city. And by city, I mean 400-mile radius of north Florida. Because, you see, no one is ever where they want to be in the city of Jacksonville. Also, it's nearly impossible, given that Jacksonville is the largest metropolitan city in America in terms of geographic size, to leave the city of Jacksonville no matter how far you drive. Or, for that matter, to actually leave Jacksonville's airport.

Jacksonville's airport, a monument to the color gray, eschews several archaic design traits such as functionality and economy of space. There are approximately 14 departing gates, all roughly a mile apart. Occasionally, as we make our way out of the facility, we see people, lost highwaymen en route to the holy city of Mecca perhaps, splayed out on the gray floors taking a nap or eating a meal. When you exit the airport you pass a row of offices. As if, in designing the airport, someone thought, you know what will make people love our city more? If they see the hard-working bureaucrats of the airport instead of reaching the baggage claim in less than four miles.

Moving on Up

Health Care Bill and I snag a cab. In Health Care Bill's bag he's actually carrying two pairs of scrubs, one blue and the other navy. That's because on Thursday night, he convinced me to participate in his costume plan.

"You can be Health Care Reform," he says, "but we'll make you a name-tag that says R.E. Form."

Our cab ride to the Courtyard by Marriott off Butler Boulevard in South Jacksonville costs $60. At this hotel, we are 5.8 miles from the stadium. Amazingly, Tardio and I stayed at the hotel next door to this one, the Red Roof Inn, for the 2007 Cocktail Party. The only thing I remember about that hotel is that they sold condoms from the vending machine.

Tardio surveys the half-acre of parking lot between the two motels. "You've really moved up in the world in the last two years," he says.

Checked into the the hotel, Tardio insists that we call a cab to take us to Walgreen's so he can buy some name tags and I can buy my costume necessities.

In lieu of Health Care Reform, I put out a suggestion for costumes in Friday's column. Immediately, I received an email from Blake P. who wrote, "Clay - you definitely can't go wrong with Alan (and baby Carlos) from The Hangover. Easy with some aviators, a cheap baby holder and baby doll from a dollar store with aviators. Plus, you didn't have to shave your beard, so you got that going for you."

In the 10 minutes before we left for the airport, I walked two blocks to the Family Dollar store in my neighborhood in north Nashville in search of said baby. I pushed open the dollar store door, covered in white metal bars, and scoured the dirty aisles, my foot occasionally pushing trash up under the product stands, for five minutes. There were many babies for sale, but given that I live in a majority black neighborhood, the baby dolls were all black.

Every single one.

I found myself faced with an unexpected ethical dilemma.

Could I really walk to the ladies, older black women, working the cash register and ask if they had any white babies in the back? Perhaps placed up on a shelf somewhere in storage? Maybe mis-delivered when the white baby dolls were destined for the suburbs?

Essentially, was it racist to ask for a white baby in a dollar store filled with black baby dolls?

Could I preface my request by remarking that I voted for Obama, liked Angelina Jolie? Anything?

The baby is white in the movie, that's what makes the name Carlos funny. What were the odds that elderly black women had seen and enjoyed The Hangover. Could I really capture the requisite level of verisimilitude with a black baby?

What's more, how does Family Dollar, a national chain, ensure that only babies of only one race are delivered to their inner city stores? Do they have a key-code for truck delivery that ensures only black baby dolls are delivered to my store? Am I, a white man, actually being discriminated against? Shouldn't the babies be diverse everywhere, a rainbow of smiling, plastic dolls?

I call an audible and flee, sans baby, without asking a question.

Decisions, Decisions

On our cab ride to Walgreen's we debate whether we should wear our costumes on Friday, tonight, or Saturday. It's a difficult decision because Saturday is Halloween, but we'll have to wear them to the game. "I'm sure that lots of people will be in costumes tonight," I say. "I don't think many people will dress up for the game."

Tardio has the opposite opinion, but if I argue my side long enough, I know that eventually he will agree.

Draft Tebow T-shirt
After procuring a white baby, a Draft Tebow shirt in Jacksonville Jaguars colors -- more on this later -- name-tags, a case of Coors Light, and aviator sunglasses for a baby doll, Tardio insists we go to the liquor store so he can buy a bottle of Maker's Mark for the game.

We return to the hotel, prepare our costumes, and walk to the only restaurant nearby, Applebee's. The Applebee's is selling jello shots on the patio, and inside the restaurant is packed with revelers rooting for Georgia or Florida.

"Let's sit at the bar?" Tardio asks.

"I'm not sitting at the Applebee's bar," I say. "And besides, it's packed."

It's true, there are no seats at the Applebee's bar.

It is 7:45 on Friday evening.

We drink beers out of yard glasses and eat spinach and artichoke dip.

"Can you imagine getting a DUI leaving Applebee's?" I ask.

"Can you imagine leaving Applebee's sober?" asks Tardio.

Beach-Bound

Back at the hotel, we get dressed. I've brought my family's brown Baby Bjorn under strict instructions from my wife not to lose it. I buckle the baby carrier, insert my white baby, affix the aviator glasses onto the baby, while Tardio dons his scrubs.

"Do you think I should write William on my nametag or Bill? asks Tardio.

"I don't think people are going to get either," I say.

Tardio scrunches his face. "F---," he says, "you've got me worried now. Is my costume going to bomb?"

"Yes," I say, "I think so."

"F--- me," says Tardio.

We compromise on "Bill." The quotation marks, we surmise, add the requisite symbolism necessary to make it apparent that Tardio's name is not actually Bill, rather, the name is a part of the costume.

Health Care Bill has no pockets in the scrubs so he has me carry his credit card, cash, two Titans vs. Jags tickets, and his license. Later, after I drop them on the floor, Tardio admits that he didn't mean to give me the tickets to carry as well.

Once more we hop into a cab, only this time it's actually a shuttle service driven by a man named Meza. This time we're destined for the Jacksonville beaches. After another $40 fare, we arrive at Brix, which is a bar made of bricks and pronounced like bricks except spelled with an X.

We stand outside, awkwardly peering into the bar.

"I knew it, no one is in a costume," says Health Care Bill.

Tardio is correct. We decide to go for a walk, fake white baby in sunglasses swaying in front of me, and find the bar with the people with costumes inside.

Thirty minutes later, having traversed the entirely of Jacksonville Beach, we have not seen a single costume.

"It's almost like," Tardio says, "the city forbids them."

The only costumes we see is for a group of happy costumed people who are climbing the stairs to what appears to be a loft party. We contemplate following them. Instead we get in line for Brix, I show Tardio's license for him, "Bill's not my real name," he says to no reaction from the bouncer, walk outside to the patio, and sit in the darkness.

We begin to drink.

Health Care Bill regularly surveys the crowd looking for someone, anyone in a costume. "I was worried about looking like unfun losers if we didn't have costumes," he says, "now we just look like losers."

We begin to argue over who has to go get the next beers from the bar, and reveal our costumes in the light of day.

I have to.

The bartender, a youngish woman with dark hair and mean expression stares at me. "I don't get it," she says.

"Did you see the movie Hangover?" I ask. "I'm....

"I get it," she says, unsmiling.

Someone dressed as David Robinson from Navy shows up. He fist pounds me, ignoring Health Care Bill in the process. Then other costumes, mercifully, begin to arrive.

We make our way inside. By midnight the costumed people are beginning to take over. We're moving into the mainstream. At least those of us who are in costumes.

Most people believe that Health Care Bill is, in fact, a doctor who has not had time to change after work. We test his costume on others, tell them it's three words long and that Bill is the last word.

No one guesses it.

What's more, "Doctor Blue Bill," is the best guess. Primarily because, "Doctor Bill," the primary guess, has only two words.

Three bars later and enough beers and shots to sink two less shameless men, we end up in the street looking for a cab. I call Meza, the man who drove us in his shuttle service earlier.

He's too busy to get us.

Mercifully, we find another cab. As we climb in, I call my wife, at two in the morning back home in Nashville, and leave a long message for her that consists of Health Care Bill jokes. She has no idea what is going on.

A few minutes into the cab ride, I begin to get text messages with things like this written, "Hey, good night, U are cute, lol."

It's from a Jacksonville area code. Health Care Bill swears he didn't give my number to anyone.

At 3 a.m., as the most recent text arrives, it suddenly hits me, our car service man, Meza, has me confused with someone else and is sending flirtatious e-mails to me on accident.

"I think it's on purpose," says Health Care Bill angrily ripping off his nametag.

"At least you didn't go with William," I say.

For a while I stand fiddling with the Baby Bjorn, attempting to undo it. But I can't seem to get the strap undone. So I climb into bed still wearing the baby carrying device. I take out Carlos, now absent sunglasses because they were stolen by a Florida sorority girl, and toss him across the room.

He bounces softly off the wall. Health Care Bill is already snoring.

It's gameday in Jacksonville.

The Hangover

At 11 in the morning, Spencer Hall, from the Web site EDSBS.com, calls. I tell him I"m still in bed wearing a baby carrier.

"Get up, bitch," he says, "I went to bed at four and got up at seven. And I slept outside."

Spencer is like this.

I could have called him and said, "I feel awful, I just had 14 quaaludes, a roofie, and a bottle of Jack, and Spencer would say, "I just had 28 quaaludes, four roofies, and two bottles of Jack."

He is already tailgating.

I put on my gameday attire, a Draft Tebow 2010 shirt, purchased last night. I do this for three reasons: A.) I believe this is the only way Jacksonville will keep a pro football franchise. B.) I'm interested in how people will react to the shirt and C.) I've never actually worn an NCAA violation that could be purchased for $12.99 at a local Walgreen's.

We procure another cab. Because we're gentlemen, we pick up two other people, Florida fans, to share our cab ride. Also, because it's cheaper. We explain that they will have to wait on us in the Applebee's parking lot because Tardio left his credit card there last night.

"'I just had a girl from Georgia in the cab,' he says. "She was wasted. I offered her a bottle of water and she said, 'Water? Why would I fill up my f---ing stomach with water?'"
"I know there is going to be $4,000 in Oreo shooters charged on this thing," he says.

This cab driver is better than last night's. Primarily because he is not sending me flirtatious texts.

"I just had a girl from Georgia in the cab," he says. "She was wasted. I offered her a bottle of water and she said, 'Water? Why would I fill up my f---ing stomach with water?'"

The girlfriend of the Florida fan is an Oregon student. She has blonde hair, fair skin and is concerned that the Oregon-USC game may not be on local television here. Her boyfriend has other concerns. "We need to get you some sunscreen because I want to touch you later and I don't want you sunburned," he says.

Our cab driver drops us off on Bay Boulevard and we commence to take in the tailgate sites. Immediately, my t-shirt draws compliments from Florida fans.

Georgia fans? Not so much.

"He's a f------ fullback," screams one man in my direction. This will be repeated approximately 14 times. In all, virtually every Florida fan approves of the shirt.

In every direction around the stadium, people are tailgating in the bright sunshine. It's a perfect day, cloudless, blue sky with bright sunshine bouncing off of the St. John's River, music blaring in every direction. Cornhole bean bags bounce along the well-worn grass, flip cup and beer pong spills drip off old tables. Everywhere you look, alcohol flows like the river that divides Jacksonville.

Fans are clad in Georgia and Florida gear but they're also dressed in the colors of other, non-playing teams. As we walk, I see every SEC school represented. Many people at the Cocktail Party have come with no indication of actually going inside the stadium, or, it would appear, with any real care for the fact that a football game is taking place at all.

As kickoff nears, a portion of the tailgating crew peels off and heads for the stadium.

But only a portion.

Many more, tens of thousands, stay behind. We make our way to a family zone tailgate alongside the stadium. Above us, towering in the sky, the Georgia and Florida sections of the stadium meet in the end zone. A few fans, wearing their team colors, stand up on the back row of last row of the stadium. We can watch these men cheer and divine what is taking place on the field. The Florida fans are cheering. Back down on the ground, a large tent housing the Heisman Trophy provides a modicum of shade and here fallen tailgating soldiers of both sexes lay passed out in the shade.

A man, bedraggled and shirtless approaches us, "Are they not serving beer in here?" he asks.

"I don't know," I say.

"F----------k," he says, turning the u into a long, drawn out wail. "Why do they even have the game if they don't have beer?"

Now joined by my friend Chad, a Georgia fan, we stand amid a huge surging crowd, relatively young in age, much younger than the actual crowd in the stadium, baking in front of a projection screen showing the game. Another shirtless man stumbles past. Earlier his back was painted with a number 2 and Demps written above it, but now, in the heat, he's sweated away the paint so that all that remains is a trace outline of the body paint.

Florida has already scored by the time we arrive, a Tebow touchdown pass to Riley Cooper. Not to be outdone, we see a second Tebow-to-Coooper touchdown pass, and Verne Lundquist shares his favorite SEC anecdote. Did you know the two men are roommates?

Georgia, wearing their black helmets and black pants, has failed to provide an early challenge to the Gators.
Tardio pulls his bottle of Maker's Mark out and mixes it with a bottle of Pepsi. Five minutes later, we're surrounded by police officers, "You get two choices," say the officers, "dump it or leave."

Tardio dumps it.

With Georgia trailing 14-3, we leave en route to a rumored party thrown by a Florida Coastal Law Professor. The pass word is, "We're not with the party."

As we walk across the parking lot, we pass a man in a white Chevy Tahoe SUV, he's slumped in the front seat of the car blasting, "Forever Young" as loud as his radio will allow.

Now, in the parking lot, the smell of alcohol, dirt, and filth, sweat, and sunshine baking on asphalt melds together into a potent and pungent smell. Like a flood after the waters have receded. Everywhere are beer cans, discarded bottles, shattered glass, and now, the tailgating zombies are out, stumbling from one place to another, the wasteland of football Saturdays.

A girl, sitting on a curb, shoeless, dress haphazardly gathered around her mid-thigh stares up at us, shielding her face with her hand, "Do you have beer?" she asks.

"We're going for some," we say.

"Okay," she says, standing and falling into line behind us like she has just arrived on a deserted island and heard we knew where water is. Soon, two of her friends have also joined up, a collective search and rescue party with a blood alcohol level that would allow surgery without anesthesia.

I stop near a single port-o-potty marked, "Private."

"Did you bring your own port-o-potty?" I ask some tailgaters.

"Yes," they say, "we do it right."

They've also brought a chef, a man named Robert. Robert tells me that he brought 60 pounds of chicken, 50 pounds of filet steaks, 20 pounds of crawdads, 10 pounds of andouille sausage, 50 pounds of potatoes, and 30 pounds of corn-on-the-cob for the tailgate.

Inside the stadium roars, Bulldog side, as tight end Aron White snags a Joe Cox touchdown pass to slice the lead to 14-10. Later, White will give my favorite quote of the game, "We came inside and saw those uniforms, and we were pretty excited by them," White said. "But as they say, the uniforms, they don't score the points."

I'm so sick of all the people who give the uniforms credit for scoring.

"With more beers, we make our way to Church Street. ... It's like a third-world country here. ... If I wanted to buy a rooster and a 34-year-old woman from Romania, I'm confident I could buy both at the same hat stand."
With more beers, we make our way to Church Street, on the west side of the stadium. It's like a third world country here, dirtier even than the other areas we've been thus far. Old brick factories crumble, every building with more than one story seems to be falling into itself, a sports bar with a dirt floor leads into a dark room where I expect to see goats munching trash underfoot. The road is dusty, everything seems to be for sale. If I wanted to buy a rooster and a 34-year-old woman from Romania, I'm confident I could buy both at the same hat stand.

I don't see any guns, but I believe that every person within 10 feet of me has three concealed weapons. The heat is making my head swim. Stumbling people are everywhere, a few men lay passed out in the dry grass, open-mouthed, staring at the sky above them, shirts slightly raised above their bellies like bloated Civil War soldiers. Suddenly from nowhere, a dirt alley, a tin-roofed shack, a dirty-haired scalper with deep sunburns materializes trying to sell us tickets.

"Georgia is making a game of it this year, don't you boys want to see the second half?"

"How much?" I ask, because I want to know how much he wants for the tickets and also because I'm scared not to reply to him.

"Twenty bucks," he says.

I wave my hand in his direction. "Nah," I say.

"How much will you give me?" he asks.

Inside the bar, Herschel Walker is on the television screen, a Zaxby's commercial. A couple of Bulldog fans cheer, remembering better days. Their voices carry out into the hot street, my beer tastes like water. Water, with helium inside.

My lips are dry.

I spit into the street.

Someone is throwing up in a trash can. No one gives him a second glance.

"How about it?" asks the scalper.

A girl walks past then, she's wearing a bikini top and tight shorts 16, maybe, but already looks 42. ""The game?" she snorts, rolling her dark eyes, "you can't drink at the game."

Health Care Bill is beside me now. "Where's the game?" he asks, meaning, I think where can we watch the game.

It's Halloween in Jacksonville, a carnival of excess, a game within a game within a game. This makes sense to me when I write it down in my notebook.

Now?

I'm not so sure.

"Everywhere," I say. "Or nowhere."

Health Care Bill nods. "God," he says, "my costume was awful."

Outside, the Life of the 'Cocktail Party' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisMon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST Urban Meyer to Address Fightin' Gatorshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/meyer-to-address-fightin-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/meyer-to-address-fightin-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/meyer-to-address-fightin-gators/#commentsFiled under: , ,

All is good with top-ranked Florida. Scout's honor, according to head coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer denied on Sunday that his Fightin' Gators -- specifically seniors Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes -- were involved in a "skirmish" following UF's (pardon the pun) hard-fought victory at Mississippi State two weeks ago. Spikes admitted to the media following the Gators' 41-17 win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday that the "skirmish" was more like two brothers venting at each other.

Meyer, however, did stress that he planned to talk with Spikes after news that a video surfaced on YouTube late Saturday night that showed Spikes appearing to gouge at the eyes of Georgia's Washaun Ealy after making a tackle.

"I'll talk with him today," Meyer said during his Sunday teleconference with the media. "He's a very emotional player. If that's the case, I'll have a very serious talk with him."

UF, which clinched the SEC East title with the win over the Bulldogs in Jacksonville, Fla., and secured a spot in the conference championship game when Tennessee beat South Carolina later Saturday night, is at home Saturday against Vanderbilt.

Spikes, who has been slowed by a groin injury the past few weeks but returned an interception for a touchdown against Georgia, told FanHouse and other media members following the game that he had not been playing to his potential.

"I had a lot of people saying I haven't been producing -- I haven't been doing this, haven't been doing that," Spikes said.

"Everything I take as a motivation. I did start off kind of slow but we are coming down towards the end of the season and this is where good teams step up. I just feel like I have to do something to help the team out and be productive."

Tebow also admitted that it was a difficult time for the Gators, saying there "was a lot of turmoil this past week." As far as a "skirmish" between Tebow and Spikes following the Mississippi State game, Meyer said no way.

"It wasn't Tim," Meyer said.

"Skirmish? I'm not sure. Did someone say that? There was no skirmish. There were some words said. It was much more than Tim. It was more, 'I can play better.' Mike Pouncey, with the offensive line, stood up and said, 'That one was on me.' It was all positive. It was all good stuff. We have to be careful that we don't put words in players' mouths.

"I'm going to have our people really watch that this week. That was absolutely incorrect. It was a bunch of guys taking fault for not playing well. A head coach came up and said he shouldn't have called that play from the 4-yard line. It was all positive."

Meyer also questioned media reports that he says twisted how the Gators are handling their business inside the locker room. UF, which has extended the nation's longest winning streak to 18 games, found itself in a struggle in the fourth quarter in consecutive victories over Arkansas and Mississippi State.

Even Meyer admitted to frustration, impatience and pressing to be perfect after the Mississippi State game. The Bulldogs are coached by former UF offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Meyer said he wanted to make sure his players rallied around each other and ignored outside distractions.

Meyer explained that he addressed that situation following the game but it hasn't been described accurately.

"There was no altercation or finger-pointing speech," said Meyer, whose team made easy work of Georgia and won for the 17th time in the past 20 meetings in the series.

"I'm not sure where you're gathering your information. There was no finger-pointing speech whatsoever. There was a very positive speech about staying focused and facing a great team. There was no finger-pointing speech after the Mississippi State game. That was a very passionate locker room about how we can play better. I'm not sure where you're gathering your information, but those are two very incorrect statements."
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Meyer simply relied on his oft-repeated theme, saying the Gators needed to remain focused if they wanted to achieve their goals. UF is looking for its first undefeated season in school history and a second consecutive national championship.

"At some point during February, you do reflect upon points during the season. Not now," Meyer said.

"Once again, our focus is on Vanderbilt. One thing you admire about this team if you look across the country. ... I don't know Texas. I know their coach very well. They're doing a good job of just focusing and playing.

"Cincinnati, I don't know them, but I get home and I flip (the television) on. There are teams that have the ability to stay focused. There's a reason that our kickoff unit, our punt unit is the best it's ever been at Florida. That's because of the attention to great detail and great focus on what we had to win that game. If we maintain that, we have a chance to win the next game. If we don't, we won't."

Urban Meyer to Address Fightin' Gators originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brandon spikesgatorsgeorgia bulldogsMike Pounceytim tebowUrban MeyerJim HenrySun, 01 Nov 2009 19:50:00 EST Florida Gives Georgia 'Tail Whippinghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/florida-runs-georgia-tucks-tail/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/florida-runs-georgia-tucks-tail/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/florida-runs-georgia-tucks-tail/#commentsFiled under: , ,



JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Two weeks, two months, two years.

The Georgia Bulldogs could have used all the time they wanted to prepare for the top-ranked Florida Gators and it probably wouldn't have made a difference in Saturday's Halloween showdown here on the banks of the St. Johns River. In fact, the Bulldogs haven't done much over the past two decades against their rivals.

UF beat the Bulldogs 41-17 for its 17th win in the last 20 meetings between the Southeastern Conference adversaries. More importantly, the Gators clinched the SEC East title and secured a spot in the conference championship game when good friend Tennessee, wearing new black jersey tops, beat South Carolina later Saturday night.


Call it the politically-correct "Battle At the Border" or the politically-incorrect "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," but make sure to call it a disaster for the puppies. Not even new black helmets and black pants -- let's not forget about last Saturday's bye week which gave the Bulldogs extra time to prep -- could change Georgia's luck.

Many of its fans decided to quietly escape the sunny, 86-degree temperatures at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and head to their tailgates early in the fourth quarter following quarterback Joe Cox's second interception, ending any hopes of a rally.

The Gators (8-0, 6-0), who also hold the top spot in the BCS poll, extended the nation's longest winning streak to 18 games while the Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3) lost for the third time in four games.

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Georgia defensive end Demarcus Dobbs, sitting on a stool and in full uniform, tried to make sense of his team's tailspin. The pressure is mounting on a program that is not only losing juice in the SEC but has had to watch neighbor Georgia Tech make national noise.

The Bulldogs also saw UF quarterback Tim Tebow break former Georgia great Hershel Walker's SEC record for rushing touchdowns.

"We have to keep [pressure] inside, we have to fight for each other and not get down," Dobbs said.

"There's pressure on us because this isn't the way the Georgia Bulldogs play. We need to do what we need to do to get better and win out. This is a disappointing loss. We faced some adversity in the first half and I thought we bounced back. We knew coming into the game that if we made mistakes they would capitalize."

Bingo. That's exactly what the Gators did -- and wanted to establish after coming off less-than-impressive victories over Arkansas and Mississippi State. UF's top-ranked defense nationally recorded a season-high four interceptions, converting them into 17 points.

The Gators apparently survived some family bickering this week, too. There was also word circulating that Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes squabbled, though Spikes downplayed the incident and said all was hunky-dory between the pair.




"There was a lot of turmoil this past week," said Tebow, who also tossed a pair of touchdown passes to roommate Riley Cooper.

"A lot of people were talking about stuff and it was frustrating. We wanted to come out here, play well, compete in good form and get a win. That's what we did and it was very special."

Spikes, who had slowed by a groin injury, returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring. It marked the third interception return for a touchdown in his career and his fifth career interception. It also put an exclamation mark on the Gators' effort and helps set the tone for the remainder of the year.

"I had a lot of people saying I haven't been producing -- I haven't been doing this, haven't been doing that," Spikes said.

"Everything I take as a motivation. I did start off kind of slow but we are coming down towards the end of the season and this is where good teams step up. I just feel like I have to do something to help the team out and be productive."

Any suspense against the Bulldogs ended on the opening play of the third quarter.

Trailing 24-10 and still within striking distance at the half, the Bulldogs turned over the ball on their opening possession of the second half, the third time in four years they have done that in this series.

Linebacker A.J. Jones deflected Cox's pass at the line of scrimmage, then made a diving catch for an interception at the Georgia 19.

The Gators, who had scored just two touchdowns in 15 previous trips within the red zone, made the most of this opportunity. With Tebow lined up behind center for three consecutive downs, he scored on an option play from five yards out on the last one.

Georgia coach Mark Richt promised his team would continue to search for answers. The Bulldogs were once again slowed by penalties (9-87 yards) and converted just 4-of-12 third-down conversions.

"We'll keep challenging our guys," Richt said.

"We have men of integrity who will do the right things regardless of the record. I don't think we'll have anyone who will give in. I think everyone will fight. I will do everything in my power to get us back on the winning track. I thought there was some good fight, but you can't turn it over like we did in the second half and mount a comeback."

Naturally, UF's success centered on Tebow.

On his record-breaking run, he slipped up the middle and ran mostly untouched for a 23-yard score with 1:32 remaining in the first half. The 50th rushing touchdown of his career gave the top-ranked Gators a 24-10 lead. Tebow actually dropped the football behind him, not realizing what he had just accomplished.

"I didn't immediately think about the record until the guys were reminding me," said Tebow, who finished with game-high 85 rushing yards on 18 carries, absorbed a few bull's-eye licks and played like a Heisman Trophy contender."Then I said, 'Oh yeah. Can I get the ball?' The most important thing has been the guys I've shared it all with.

"Breaking Herschel's record means a lot. Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Herschel Walker, it's extremely humbling and a little bit breathtaking because it's Herschel Walker. How am I going to be in the same league as Herschel Walker? I still can't understand it. It's pretty cool and it's really special."

Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, who has been under fire for the Bulldogs' porous numbers -- Georgia ranks last in the SEC and 84th nationally in scoring defense (27.7 ppg) -- couldn't slow Tebow but he found the words to praise him.

"He's just a special player," Martinez said.

"I don't know him personally but studying him and some of the things he does instinctively. His intangibles have to be off the charts. He's a great leader and on top of that he's talented to still run and throw the football."



Cox, meanwhile, was 11-of-20 for165 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

It was a familiar ending and feeling for the Bulldogs.

"I lost the game with three picks," Cox said.

"That score does not reflect how we played, how we moved the ball. I mean, it's the truth. Any time you turn the ball over that many times and give people chances to score, a good team is going to score and they did and that's why we got beat."

Florida Gives Georgia 'Tail Whipping originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Tim TebowTimTebowJim HenrySat, 31 Oct 2009 20:06:00 EST SEC Notebook: Auburn Ignoring Criticshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/sec-notebook-auburn-ignoring-critics/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/sec-notebook-auburn-ignoring-critics/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/sec-notebook-auburn-ignoring-critics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Auburn's offensive struggles in October have been discussed and dissected.

The Tigers have dropped three of their last four games this month, including last Saturday's 31-10 stinker against LSU. Auburn gained a season-low 193 yards on a season-low 61 plays in that game, igniting a wave of criticism from fans who are still smarting from last season's collapse that saw the Tigers open 4-1 before losing six of their last seven.

Auburn (5-3 overall, 2-3 SEC) is determined to snap out of its funk Saturday against visiting Mississippi (5-2, 2-2), which marches into Jordan-Hare Stadium on a two-game win streak and winners of three of its last four.

A strong start has helped Auburn maintain its lofty national rankings on offense -- the Tigers are seventh in rushing offense (230.3 yards), 19th in total offense (430.9) and tied for 26th in scoring offense (31.8) -- but recent struggles are hard to ignore.

Chizik points to mistakes across the board and says he's not ready to push the panic button.

"I don't think that there is one thing that you can pinpoint," Chizik said.

"Nine guys can be doing everything right and two get beat. It's a little everywhere, a breakdown here or there that causes certain things to be exposed. And when you play teams like we're playing - the LSU's of the world - seemingly little things turn into big things. We're not panicking by any stretch of the imagination."

Quarterback Chris Todd has been the target of the fans' displeasure.

Todd threw for only 47 yards at LSU before giving way to backup Neil Caudle, who directed the Tigers to a late touchdown. Caudle completed 3-of-5 passes for 34 yards and hit tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen for a score. Todd, meanwhile, completed 8-of-14 passes with an interception. He was also sacked four times.

Chizik re-affirmed his commitment to the embattled Todd early in the week, saying his quarterback can handle the heat.

"Really and truly I just think that a quarterback has to be a tough-minded person," Chizik said.

"It all comes with the territory and they all mentally have to be prepared for it. If you're not mentally tough enough to get through those things then more than likely you shouldn't be a quarterback in this league. That's just the way it is. I mean it's no different than coaching, right? You get the good and you get the bad and it all comes with the deal."

Todd stressed -- no, he's not stressed out -- that he remains focus and confident.

"Anytime things happen, as a quarterback, you have to take that on your shoulders and take some blame when things are going bad," Todd told the Montgomery Advertiser.

"When things are good you get some credit for some stuff and when things are bad, you take that, too. I'm definitely working myself and trying to improve things that will help us move on and win some ballgames."

Chizik also doesn't believe outside criticism will affect his team.

"We can't control any of that, so it's what you choose to hear and what you choose to listen to and what you choose to watch," Chizik said.

"I hope they weren't listening to it when we were 5-0. I really do. Now we've dropped three. If they choose to listen to it, that's something I can't control, but I highly advise them to keep doing the things, keep working to win."

Welcome Home Billy

On a muggy Halloween night in 1959, LSU's Billy Cannon caught a punt and, shaking off a seemingly endless array of Ole Miss tacklers, raced 89 yards to a touchdown and into Louisiana folklore.

That run, the definitive play of the halfback's illustrious career, is the reason Cannon will make a are appearance Saturday at Tiger Stadium as LSU meets Tulane on Halloween.

Behind Cannon's run and two goal-line stands, the top-ranked Tigers won that game 7-3 against the third-ranked Rebels. LSU went on to win the national title and the play helped Cannon clinch the Heisman Trophy -- he remains the only LSU Tiger to win it.

"It's been a fun thing to live with, " Cannon, 72, told The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune. "But did I know that night it would be 50 years later and we'd be here talking about it, no I didn't."

Protection Is Key

Kentucky's experienced offensive line has picked up where it left off last year in protecting its quarterback.

The Wildcats are tied for 14th nationally and second in the SEC in the sack-allowed category. In seven games, UK has allowed just seven sacks.

Last year, the offensive line gave up only 13 quarterback sacks and ranked fourth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed per game. The UK line also helped the team rank eighth nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed per game.

The Wildcats play Mississippi State in their Homecoming Saturday, one that will help determine Kentucky's postseason fate. Last week, UK defeated the ULM 36-13 to record its 17th consecutive non-conference victory, matching the school-record streak previously set from 1954-60.

"This is one of the biggest games of the season, if not the biggest," offensive guard Christian Johnson said. "If we win this it could put us ahead where we need to be and help us accomplish our goal of going to the best bowl game that we can."

Lighter in the Britches

If Florida and Georgia appear a tad faster in Saturday's showdown in Jacksonville, Fla, it might be because they were both able to shed nearly a pound from their uniforms.

Last season, UF athletic trainers approached McDavid Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of protective athletic apparel, about redesigning the pads players wear under their uniforms. They wanted the least amount of restriction without sacrificing protection.

The next day, McDavid presented them with the HexPro Performance Mesh Supporter with HexPad, affectionately referred to as the "Elephant Jock."

McDavid's HexPad technology protects the hips and tailbone without excess weight or fabric, while it's material holds a cup in place to protect the groin. At 3.5 ounces, the "Elephant Jock" is nearly a pound lighter than the pads many players wore last year.

Other collegiate teams that have purchased the undergarment include LSU, Arkansas, Indiana, Cincinnati, Texas, Virginia and Oklahoma.

SEC Notebook: Auburn Ignoring Critics originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jim HenryFri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST Tebow's Touchdown Mark, Trick or Treat?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/on-cocktail-halloween-will-touchdown-record-be-trick-or-treat/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/on-cocktail-halloween-will-touchdown-record-be-trick-or-treat/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/on-cocktail-halloween-will-touchdown-record-be-trick-or-treat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There is no more beloved Georgia Bulldog football player than Herschel Walker and no more beloved Florida football player than Tim Tebow.

Disagree if you like, but I feel pretty confident in both statements. Sadly, these gridiron warriors are separated by a generation and never will get the chance to play one another in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. By the time Tebow arrived at Florida, Walker was only in the news alongside Tebow for acknowledging his multiple personality disorder.

Until now. Saturday, Tebow, who trails the Georgia running back by one rushing touchdown for his career, is likely to break Walker's all-time rushing touchdown total in the SEC.

Or is he?

It seems there's a bit of an accounting error in the record books. See, the SEC didn't start counting bowl game touchdowns in the end of season totals until recently. So Herschel Walker actually scored five more touchdowns for the Bulldogs that don't appear in his official stats. That means Walker's 49 career rushing touchdowns should actually be 54 career rushing touchdowns. Now, right now, you might be thinking to yourself, that doesn't really matter very much. But if you know Georgia and Florida fans, you know the exact opposite is true, it matters an awful lot, particularly for Georgia fans who continue to worship at the altar of St. Herschel even as we approach 30 years since he last scorched across the Sanford Stadium grass.

Tebow's ascension to the top of the career rushing record in the SEC begs the question, how hard would it really be to put five interns in charge of reviewing the stats from every bowl game, add the touchdowns up with proper attribution, and then include them in the season totals? I mean, when you consider the amount of money that SEC schools waste on, say, travel, how can not having accurate records from bowl games really be an issue?

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Especially when it comes to a basic stat like touchdowns?

I'm not saying they need to be able to recreate sacks or punt yardage from ancient bowl games, but touchdowns? Come on, let's get on this. It wouldn't even cost a dime. But if the SEC wanted it to cost a dime so they could be a bit more certain about past histories, they could bring in an accounting firm, provide them with all the bowl records featuring every team, and let them crunch the data for a single weekend. By the end of that weekend all the stats would be accurate forever.

In fact, this idea makes so much sense, how has it not happened? I might turn this into a personal crusade until someone in the SEC offices explains why this is impossible. From doing research on my last book, I know the sports information departments keep all of the old clips from games that they can. Certainly, they keep all the old records from bowl games.

I'll keep y'all updated on this quest.

In the meantime, you can imagine why Georgia fans are so incensed at the idea of Tebow breaking Walker's record. It's one of the few things they have to hold onto in this series. In fact, in the 27 years since Herschel Walker last played for the Bulldogs, Georgia has won just eight Cocktail Parties. It's even worse since 1990. In the last 19 seasons, Georgia is 3-16 against the Gators.

Is there a more lopsided bitter rivalry game in the country?

As if that weren't enough, Georgia is coming off its worst loss in the series since 1996. And, of course, there's that tiny little fact about Urban Meyer taking two timeouts inside the final minute so Georgia fans could stew over their 49-10 defeat. Now, on top of all that, Tim Tebow is going to take Herschel's record? Right in front of Bulldog fans? Taking the record against Georgia is so diabolical, it almost seems planned.

Yep, these are the times that try a Bulldog fan's soul. And not just because Willie Martinez is still prowling the sideline, and he and Mark Richt spent the bye week convincing all recruits that Martinez wasn't going anywhere. With a bye week to prepare, a team that is over a two-touchdown underdog, facing a number one team on the other sideline that hasn't lost in 17 consecutive games, Georgia fans are doing their best to string together a plausible argument about why this year will be different than all the others that have come before.

And I'll give you this prediction: It's going to be a single-digit game.

Come Saturday, I'll be there to find out exactly how much both teams care when I attend the Cocktail Party. And by "attend the Cocktail Party," I mean don't actually enter the stadium. My goal this weekend is to capture the Cocktail Party atmosphere without managing to see a single live snap. So from Friday when I touch down in Jacksonville until Sunday when I take off, I want to see it all. This makes even more sense when you consider the obvious -- it's Halloween.

The always insane Cocktail Party will likely be ratcheted up to an entirely new level of insanity. And the costumes, my God, the costumes, will blow your mind away. That's why I'm soliciting costume suggestions. Although, to be fair, I'm really not sure how many people will be wearing costumes to the game. And is there anything worse than being the only tool in a costume when everyone else is dressed normally? The only ground rules for costume suggestions are that it can't be so hot to make me pass out (alcohol causing me to pass out is, of course, a natural hazard of the game) and I'm not dressing up as a girl.

Not again this year, anyway.



It's also going to be, wait for it, 89 degrees. The atmosphere around the stadium -- the only game that fills the Jacksonville Jaguar stadium up all year -- is going to be so laden with alcohol fumes that if someone struck a large match the entire place would explode.

On Cocktail Party weekend Jacksonville is like Sodom and Gomorrah and Tebow's the only person who wouldn't turn to salt. And I can't wait for the experience. I want to hear from y'all about what I have to do, see, and experience. So shoot me a line at clay.travis@gmail.com. Then check back on Sunday for the story of the game. Or, more accurately, the story of what went on around the game.

Tebow's Touchdown Mark, Trick or Treat? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisFri, 30 Oct 2009 08:05:00 EST Georgia Blends Rest, Preparation for Upset 'Cocktail'http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/georgia-blends-rest-preparation-for-upset-cocktail/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/georgia-blends-rest-preparation-for-upset-cocktail/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/georgia-blends-rest-preparation-for-upset-cocktail/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mark RichtLSU was fresh from its off week and waxed Auburn Saturday night. Tennessee was rested from its break and nearly upset Alabama earlier Saturday. Florida, of course, had the opportunity to rest injured quarterback Tim Tebow during its off week earlier this month before traveling to LSU and beating the Tigers with Tebow behind center.

Now it's Georgia's turn to see how it fares following a breather last Saturday.

While the Bulldogs enter Saturday's SEC showdown against top-ranked Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., as a double-digit underdog, they at least have a little history on their side. Georgia is 11-3 under head coach Mark Richt following an open date, including 1-0 (42-30 two seasons ago) when it comes before playing UF.

Naturally, Richt welcomed an extra week of preparation for Florida (7-0), which found itself in a struggle in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive week last Saturday at Mississippi State. But Richt is more interested in his team playing a complete game, something the Bulldogs (4-3) have only come close to doing once all year.

"It's always nice and you hope you can turn that into a positive for your football team but there's just no guarantee," Richt said when asked of the benefits of an off week.

"I think there's probably too much made of it. I don't know if that has been the biggest factor other than who was better that day."

Of course, all the chit-chat leading up to last year's game was Georgia's touchdown celebration from 2007 and what kind of revenge would UF coach Urban Myer and the Gators have in mind. A 49-10 victory, punctuated by a couple of timeouts in the final minute, was worth a thousand words to Gators everywhere.

"That stuff [from last year] hasn't even entered my mind," Richt said. "I'm just trying to prepare for this game - period. All that stuff from last year doesn't mean much."

What does mean much for the Bulldogs, who are 1-2 against the nation's top-ranked team -- their last victory was 24-3 over the Gators in 1985 -- is to finally play to their potential, from start to finish.

Senior quarterback Joe Cox helped snap Georgia's two-game losing streak two Saturdays ago by directing a 34-10 win at Vanderbilt. Cox completed 16-of-31 passes to 10 different receivers and also had a career-long 65-yard touchdown pass to receiver A.J. Green. The offense had scored just two touchdowns in the previous 11 quarters.

Georgia's defense, which entered the Vandy game ranked 100th nationally in scoring defense, registered three sacks and an interception that set up the Bulldogs' first score.

"The season has been up and down; there's no doubt about that," Richt said.

"We've just not played consistently well, in really any game this year. I guess the closes we came was against Vanderbilt where we did well offensively, defensively and special teams. We were pretty good overall, but we know we'll have to be much better (Saturday)."

Georgia has used four different starting combinations on its offensive line this season, and the fifth could be on the way against the Gators. That being said, Richt stressed pivotal keys will be the Bulldogs' ability to protect Cox and display offensive balance against one of the nation's best defenses.

UF has allowed only four touchdowns this season -- two rushing, two passing. (The other two touchdowns scored against the Gators were on interception returns.) They are No. 1 in the nation in total defense, No. 2 in scoring defense, No. 2 in pass defense.

"They are very, very talented and difficult to deal with," Richt said.

"They've got guys just about at every spot better than your average bear, you know, and they are going to be a great challenge for us no doubt.

"The biggest concern anybody would have is to get into a situation where they know you are going to throw and they know you have to throw it to succeed. That's when things get very difficult to protect and very difficult to move the ball when there's no threat of a run or a play-action pass."

Despite Florida's issues, specifically on offense -- the Gators have scored just seven touchdowns in 25 trips in the red zone in SEC play -- Richt expects UF's best effort. The Gators scored five touchdowns in five tries in the red zone last year against Georgia.

UF quarterback Tim Tebow promised the Gators are working hard this week to fix their struggles inside an opponent's 20-yard line.

"We moved the ball on every possession (last weekend), just drove it right down the field and then we'd get in the red zone or do something kind of stupid and it cost us a drive," Tebow said during his Monday morning press conference with the media. (He also apologized for ducking the media after Saturday's game).

"We have to fix those little mistakes, they're very costly. There are things we need to work on and get right and that game could have been out of hand quickly. We're not excited the last few games how we've played in the red zone but we're going to get better."



The Bulldogs should also be healthier than they've been in several weeks -- linebackers Marcus Dowtin and Akeem Dent are expected to return.

"We've got to prepare for this game thinking that Florida is going to be at its best, which I'm sure they will be," Richt said.

"We have no reason to think that's not we're going to get. We've always gotten Florida's best shot before so that's we've got to be expecting."

Georgia Blends Rest, Preparation for Upset 'Cocktail' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mark richtTim TebowTimTebowJim HenryTue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST Starting 11: From BCS Title to Toilet Bowl http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Man carrying toiletI'm convinced there's an epidemic currently afoot in America that receives no attention: Cell phones dropped in the toilet.

I have five different friends who have confessed to this via sheepish e-mails (presumably not from the toilet-ed phones). They're trying to reprogram a new phone. This problem is of epic importance, particularly with the importance of smart phones, which can cost upwards of $500. Do you know how much money we've lost by having to replace a BlackBerry or an iPhone because of fumbles during urination? If this happened to Warren Buffet, and he hadn't backed up his information, we'd need a new stimulus package. What if Obama's BlackBerry vanished down the toilet?

I'm convinced that every day in America we throw away the equivalent of the GNP of Moldova in dropped cell phones in toilets. The issue struck me on Saturday as I tailgated and went inside a disgusting port-o-potty. Because a drop here is even worse. How much would it ruin your day if instead of the home bathroom your cell phone went into a port-o-potty? Because, be honest, you might be willing to reclaim a phone dropped at home? But a port-o-potty? It's with the effluvium for all eternity.

What's more, what about if you go to a port-o-potty, drop your phone, and can't find your friends anymore? . We all live with the idea that we're within easy mobile contact. Suddenly, you're the fan with no clothes. Not to mention no idea who is winning games on Saturday. Anyway, with this august question as prelude, let's dive right in to the ClayNation Starting 11.

1. If you're a Cincinnati fan with dreams of a national championship, you need to start rooting for West Virginia and Pittsburgh really, really hard.

Why?

Because an 8-1 West Virginia could come to Cincinnati Nov. 13. Even better, a 10-1 Pittsburgh could loom Dec. 5, the day the SEC and Big 12, other combatants for the BCS title spot, will be playing their conference championship games. I'm starting to believe that an undefeated Cincinnati will end up in the national championship game if there is only one other undefeated team. Why? Because they get two premier games against teams that will, by then, be ranked in the top 15 if they keep winning. In fact, a 10-1 Pittsburgh would likely be a top-10 team.

I can even sketch out the argument for why an undefeated Cincinnati would have dibs over every other team that doesn't emerge unscathed from the BIg 12 or the SEC. They'll have run the table in the Big East and played two major college opponents in the out-of-conference -- Oregon State on the road and Illinois at home. Aside from the Big East being reasonably strong this season, I think this schedule, featuring two would-be powers from other conferences, eliminates the weak schedule argument. Especially since no one foresaw the Illini collapse when this schedule was made. Plus, and just wait for this argument to get trotted out there, Cincinnati beat Oregon State by 10 on the road, while USC won by six at home.

In the ridiculous cake baking contest that is the BCS, that's a pretty compelling argument for why the Bearcats should be in over USC.
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2. Iowa, Iowa, my kingdom for Iowa's good fortune.

How many teams come back from a third-and-18 conversion on a hook-and-ladder? How many teams can boast wins of two, two, three and one point in their eight games? The team they beat by a lone point, Northern Iowa, has a 10-point loss to North Dakota State and a touchdown loss to Southern Illinois on its resume. Arkansas State, a team Iowa beat by three, is 1-4 against BCS teams.

And on Saturday, Iowa needed a defensive holding call to erase an interception, and a fourth down touchdown pass on the final play of the game to come away with the win. So, to say you don't believe that Iowa is a top echelon team, has some validity, but credit where credit is due, Iowa is 8-0 for the first time ever.

How does Iowa get to the BCS title game? Losses by Texas, USC and probably Cincinnati (Interesting voter aversion test: Which embattled conference do you effectively vote against, Big East or Big Ten?) and maybe even then a little prayer that livestock per capita becomes an only slightly-less-nonsensical BCS component. And they still have to beat Ohio State in Columbus Nov. 14.

At least they've got luck on their side. Not to mention, an underdiscussed benefit, finishing their season on November 21 and getting to sit around and see what the rest of the contenders can do with all the pressure on them for the final two weeks of the season.

3. Tim Tebow threw two interceptions, played a mediocre game, and bailed on the post-game press conference.

That's unfortunate.

There has never been a college athlete who has received more glowing press coverage than Tim Tebow. I genuinely believe that's true. Even after having a poor game -- by his standard -- Florida still won by double digits. For a senior to dodge out on the post-game was beneath his stature.

Put it this way, Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln went on the road and missed three field goals against the No. 1 team in the country. Any one of those kicks would have won the game for his team. Did he dodge the post game press conference?

Nope.

4. Watch out for Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South.

After their 34-7 win over Baylor, the Cowboys are now 6-1 this season and undefeated in the Big 12. Only you haven't heard a damn thing about them in the past month that didn't involve Dez Bryant being suspended. Look, they lost to Houston back in September, we get it.

There's no great crime in that, Houston is a fine team with a superb offense. Certainly other one-loss teams have lost to inferior opponents, USC ring a bell? Meanwhile in their five consecutive wins, Zac Robinson has been smoking.

Yet, given all the preseason hype, the loss to Houston completely killed all interest in the Cowboys.

Until, guess what, Texas comes to town this weekend. Beat the Longhorns and Oklahoma State is about to set the BCS all aflutter. Would a one-loss Texas that doesn't win their division still have a shot at advancing to the BCS title game without playing in their conference championship game?

Maybe.

Would they have a better argument for playing for the title than a one-loss Oklahoma State team that beat them?

Nope.

5. You think the phone in the toilet business has no applicability to college football players, right? You're wrong.

It's a plague I tell you. Even football players are not immune.

"The Tigers' starting running back Joseph Doss was suspended for the first half because he was late to a pre-game meeting. Doss said he normally uses his cell phone as an alarm clock but couldn't after he dropped the phone in the toilet."

6. Ball State had a 300-yard rusher and a 200-yard rusher in their win over Eastern Michigan.

This was the first time in NCAA history that a team had a 300- and 200-yard rusher in the same game.

Ball State had, wait for it, one yard passing.

Can you imagine being the Eastern Michigan defensive coordinator watching game film on this one? Do you think he changes his resume to reflect the one yard passing? Like beneath his position--Defensive Coordinator--does he list, "Allowed only 1 yard passing to Ball State in 2009."

What about calling a pass defense, do you think he did it the entire game? Wouldn't it be great to hear the headset calls from this game?

7. Is the Landry Jones mustache the college football equivalent of Spencer Pratt's cowboy hat, so compelling you can't look away?

Landry JonesI think so.

Every time I think I should hate it, I can't help but admire the bravado.

Also, if I'd had to shave the beard after the Alabama game, I was going to leave a stache with a handlebar that came down the side. It would have looked scary, potentially felonious, but it would have also been pretty awesome.

8. The perception that the SEC is rooting for Alabama and Florida is firmly locked in the fan consciousness.

We can argue about whether a systematic conspiracy is remotely possible ... Actually, we can't. It isn't. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist as a fervent point of belief among certain pockets of SEC fans. We sports fans are great conspiracy theorists when it comes to our teams.

But Commissioner Slive is not firing magic bullets from the SEC gatling as he stands on a grassy knoll. There are several reasons for this. No. 1, Slive has a Montgomery Burns-like strength about him, I'm not sure he could pull the trigger if he tried. No. 2 , well, it's just not happening.

But here's what might be happening, the officials, like many of us, have bought into the idea that Alabama and Florida are vastly superior teams to the rest of the conference. Once you buy into that argument you're more likely to notice opposing teams playing in the margin of the rules than you are the dominant teams.

And I'd argue that's what we're seeing take place in games that feature those teams, not an intentional bias in favor of them when it comes to the calls, if there is, in fact, any bias at all, but just a preconditioned perception of superiority that allows those situations to occur.

9. What the funnel is up with Chris Todd and Auburn? A thesis for you.

Early in the season I thought Gene Chizik was a miracle worker given his ability to make Todd a star, but now Todd looks incapable of leading his team to victory against anyone.

Okay, maybe Furman.

But I think Todd offers an interesting illustration of what happens in the SEC. The defenses catch up to and eclipse the offenses every year about this time in the season.

New thesis: the defensive SEC coaching staffs have become so good at what they do, that much like the NFL, merely being good at one or two things doesn't allow you to succeed on a consistent basis. You have to evolve during the season, and most offenses aren't that good at evolving. So Auburn's offense has been quashed. Same with Arkansas and Alabama and Florida. Same with virtually every team in the conference.

Don't believe me?

There are only two offenses in the top 30 in the SEC: Florida and Auburn. The latter is rapidly plummeting and will be outside the top 30 soon if things hold true.





10. I'm not sure I would have gotten out alive if the ref had called Alabama's Terrence Cody for excessive celebration after his blocked kick.

I had on orange pants. The refs would have been safe. Me? Not so much.

Look, I know he ripped his helmet off, and I know there has been a dispute about whether the penalty should have been called and what the impact would have been. The end result would have been negligible. But what if they'd called the penalty and misapplied the rule so that Tennessee re-kicked for the win?

Would you really be surprised if that happened?

Which leads me to this...

Meanwhile there are five defenses inside the top 22. Five! Florida is first, Bama is fourth, Tennessee is tenth, Ole Miss is 20th and LSU is 22nd.

Remember the old thesis that defenses were better than offenses when the season starts? The idea was that offenses would work into their rhythm and get better as the season progressed while defenses wouldn't? I think we might have flipped the cliche in the SEC, the defenses are quicker to react and shut down things that work offensively than they ever have been before.

Keep this in mind as the season progresses, because those dominant defenses perform well in bowl games. Offenses? Often, they don't.

11. Last, but not least, I give and I give and I give.

Wet phone survival tips.

Starting 11: From BCS Title to Toilet Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisMon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST Gators Determined to Ignore Criticshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/gators-determined-to-ignore-critics/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/gators-determined-to-ignore-critics/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/gators-determined-to-ignore-critics/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Urban MeyerThe Florida Gators are circling the wagons.

Even while UF regained the top spot Sunday in The Associated Press poll from Alabama, which was ranked No. 1 for a week ahead of the Gators, UF coach Urban Meyer appears to be growing weary of critics focusing only on his team's blemishes.

Though the Gators pulled away from Mississippi State in the fourth quarter for a 29-19 victory Saturday night to push their season record to 7-0 for the fifth time in team history and first time since 1996, questions continue to outnumber answers.
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"There's a lot to build on and I'm going to build on that, not this other stuff," Meyer said Sunday during his teleconference with the media.

Of course, time also continues to tick as UF turns its attention to Saturday's showdown against Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla.

While the Gators extended the nation's longest winning streak to 17 against the MSU Bulldogs, coached by Dan Mullen, who helped UF win two of the last three national titles as offensive coordinator, they found themselves in a struggle in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive week.

Even Meyer admits to frustration, impatience and pressing to be perfect, but he also wants to make sure his players rally around each other and ignore outside distractions. Meyer addressed that situation following the game.

No finger-pointing and let's enjoy the journey, please.

"Very on guard with the human element," Meyer said.

"I have seen it in the past, I haven't seen it on this team yet. Just like this group of questions I have today [Sunday] I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about the young players and how they handle it and the way questions are sometimes worded and all of a sudden it's front-page headlines so-and-so said this, of course he didn't say that.

"I know how our players feel about each other. I just want to make sure that I addressed it. We had a great meeting and very good chemistry on our team and our guys are going to stick together."

Naturally, a second consecutive victory -- and fourth in the past five meetings -- over rival Georgia would go a long way to soothe Gator souls. Georgia (4-3), idle last Saturday, snapped a two-game losing streak with a 34-10 victory over Vanderbilt on Oct. 17.

Meyer won't have to look very far when he begins his search for answers this week

Tim TebowOnce again Saturday, UF faltered in the red zone. Mississippi State kept quarterback Tim Tebow and the Gators out of the end zone on four of five trips into the red zone. UF has scored just two touchdowns in 15 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line in the last three games.

Tebow, meanwhile, had two interceptions returned for touchdowns and declined requests for interviews and quickly boarded the team bus following the game. It was only the second time in Tebow's UF career that he has tossed two picks in a game.

The Gators' passing game hasn't had much variety to it -- only tight end Aaron Hernandez (33 catches, 392 yards) and receiver Riley Cooper (27-396) have caught double-digit passes. Cooper, in fact, has 19 more receptions than the team's third-leading receiver, David Nelson.

Tebow also has more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) in five SEC games.

The good news was at least UF rushed for 249 yards against the Bulldogs, topping the 200-yard mark for the first time in three games.

Meyer's described Tebow as "very frustrated."

"He's used to playing at a certain level," Meyer said Sunday.

"A lot of guys are frustrated. You go down there and win 29-19, 10 points on the road and same old song and dance as the last couple weeks. Guys want to play better. One of the greatest stories of all is when we hold that Arkansas team [last week] and the defense was really upset with how they played.

"Our job as coaches is to coach them really hard, manage expectations and just play, have fun playing the game and not worry about this, worry about that. Today's day and age that's hard because it's just thrust upon you. Not coaches, who cares about coaches? I'm talking about these young players."

The Gators also received another stellar performance from its defense, even without injured All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes (groin) and two defensive linemen.

UF stuffed the Bulldogs' ground game, forced three turnovers as it picked off a season-high three passes and recorded four sacks, pushing its total to 13 over the last three games.

The Gators also survived potential disaster in the fourth quarter when linebacker Dustin Doe returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, but replays showed Brandon McRae might have stripped the ball from the celebrating linebacker short of the goal line.

Despite the frustration and nit-picking that accompanies the Gators' struggles, Meyer is not interested in excuses. Much has been made this year of lost play makers to the NFL, injuries and questionable decisions.

"You don't even think about that kind of stuff as far as the expectations and did we foresee an issue," Meyer said when asked if he underestimated the loss of players from last season such as receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy.

"We lost a couple good players. It was a little like in '06, we lost a couple good players on defense. Everybody has that."

While UF didn't look like a national championship team Saturday, it's one of the few that still have a chance to win it as October begins to draw to a close.

"It's part of college football at the highest level," Meyer said.

"Why is one area or two areas or three areas not performing at a high level? There's more focus on that. We're going to work hard to improve that, that's what we do."

Gators Determined to Ignore Critics originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Tim TebowTimTebowUrban MeyerUrbanMeyerJim HenrySun, 25 Oct 2009 20:30:00 EST SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concernhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/sec-notebook-tide-not-worried-about-polls/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When it comes to debating rankings, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fuddy-duddy.

So there's no need to waste your time, even if the Crimson Tide leapfrogged SEC rival Florida into the top spot of this week's Associated Press poll. Of course, Alabama is also ranked second behind the Gators in the initial installment of the weekly BCS poll that will determine national title invites by early December.

Saban doesn't mean to be a killjoy -- or does he? -- but his game-at-a-time mantra is focused on Saturday's showdown against visiting Tennessee.

"If anybody asks me any questions about where we're ranked or what the poll is, what matters?" Saban asked. "Why does it matter? What's changed from this week to this Monday to last Monday? What's changed? We've got another game. This is the most important game of the year."

OK, agreed.

The Crimson Tide (7-0) is determined to finish October with a flourish. Off next Saturday, Alabama closes out a three-game homestand with a visit from LSU on November 7 before it positions itself for the regular-season's final stretch.

Of course, Alabama could have its hands full with the Vols (3-3) if not careful. But if the Crimson Tide is need of a hero, a shining star has risen from the Crimson Tide's backfield, and his name is Mark Ingram.

The sophomore has rushed for 905 yards and eight touchdowns for 129.29 yards per game average to rank fourth nationally and first in the SEC. Ingram's flashy -- he leads the nation with 30 rushes of 10 or more yards and also has chipped in eight receptions for 10 or more yards. And Ingram's tough -- he has gained 580 yards after first contact.

Best yet, Ingram is coming off his best performance of the season, rushing for 246 yards against South Carolina last week.

"He's a great competitor and a driven guy," Saban said.

"He works hard in practice every week. He plays fast all the time. He has a great competitive spirit and certainly will stay focused on the things that are going to help him continue to satisfy his goals."

Don't look for Alabama to change its goals, or its approach, according to the philosophical Saban.

"I'm very hopeful that we can stay on the positive side of it and be positive about our approach to what we are trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do and not get risk-aversive and start playing to keep from getting beat and a lot of negative motivation about what's going to happen if this happens and all that kind of stuff," Saban said.

"Not to avoid but to gain, is the way we'd like to approach it."

FINALLY, A STRONG FINISH?

South Carolina has been down this road before.

The Gamecocks are 5-2 and positioned nicely to make this coach Steve Spurrier's most successful season at South Carolina. The Gamecocks can continue their surge with a home victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, a win that would give Spurrier 105 conference wins and tie him with Vince Dooley for third-most in SEC history.

Spurrier isn't one to relax, even if Vanderbilt has lost five straight conference games. Let's not forget the Commodores have beaten the Gamecocks the past two years.

"We're not a real dominant team," Spurrier said. "I think we're a real good team. We can play with almost anybody. We have to play a lot harder. We have to play with courage, effort and smarts."

That approach could help the Gamecocks avoid an unsettling trend of poor finishes. They lost their final three games last season, their final five in 2007 and, for the record, are 10-15 from the midway point of October under Spurrier.

"The pressure is on us to play the best we can every week," Spurrier said.

"We don't get too much in what happened last year or the year before. They outplayed us the last two years. They were better than we were. Give them credit. We'll try to play better this year and coach better, and see if we can come out on top against Vanderbilt."

ROAD TRIP

Save the postcards.

Florida hasn't enjoyed its past visits to Starkville, Miss.

The Gators travel to Mississippi State on Saturday seeking their first win at Davis Wade Stadium since 1985. They have dropped their last four games there, losing to the Bulldogs in 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2004. Second-ranked UF entered three of the games ranked, and two of the games are among the 12 conference defeats that Spurrier suffered as Florida's coach.

The showdown is also a reunion for Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, a former assistant coach under UF's Urban Meyer since their days at Utah. Mullen last served as the Gators' offensive coordinator, helping quarterback Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy and UF a pair of national titles.

"We're coming in, planning to win the football game," Mullen said.

"You never go to play a game that you think you can't win. Our guys are focusing on winning the game this Saturday, and focusing on doing the things you have to do to win the football game. There's nothing quite like winning a football game. It isn't anything crazy we need to do to win, we just have to focus on the game plan at hand in order to come out victorious."

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

LSU and Auburn tangle in a game where both teams need their offense to set the tone.

LSU, which was off last week, is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. The Tigers are one of two SEC West teams -- the other is Alabama -- to control its own destiny in the division race.

They will need solid performances from quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott. Jefferson has been inconsistent as a passer and Scott is in search of a breakout game. LSU figures to rely heavily on the run because Auburn is allowing 181.4 yards per game, 11th in the SEC and 99th nationally.

Auburn, meanwhile, is coming off its worst offensive performance of the season, managing just 315 yards in its 21-14 loss to Kentucky.

Auburn (5-2, 2-2), which opened the season with five consecutive wins, has scored a combined 37 points in its past two games; it scored at least 37 in each of its first four. The passing attack is struggling, too. Quarterback Chris Todd threw 11 touchdown passes in the first four games but just one in the past three.

"You can't pinpoint our struggles on one thing. I don't believe in that," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

"There are a lot of things that can go wrong. I still feel that we can fix some of the mistakes and get back on track. There's a lot of issues in there, and we really feel very strongly that we're going to get that rectified. But it has been off the last two weeks."

SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jim HenryFri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST Feel-Good Wildcats Keep on Survivin'http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/feel-good-wildcats-keep-on-survivin/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/feel-good-wildcats-keep-on-survivin/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/feel-good-wildcats-keep-on-survivin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Kentucky has been besieged by bad breaks and injuries this season.

Of course, just when you thought it was time to toss dirt and plant daisies on the Wildcats, they responded with their biggest victory of the year. Their first win over Auburn in more than four decades last Saturday helps validate what head coach Rich Brooks has preached about his team since preseason drills.

"I have said all along that I thought that we were a good football team and we still were a good football team even though we weren't healthy and didn't have all of our parts -- and we still don't," Brooks said.

"Having said that, the fact that we can go on the road and break one of the infamous streaks in Kentucky football history speaks to the fact that this is still a good football team. How close we are to being better than that, or how close we are from being better than that I will leave to [the media] to judge."

The jury still might be out, but one can't argue over the Wildcats' performance against the Tigers.

They committed no turnovers and turned in their first game since 1991 without a penalty in the 21-14 win.

They rushed for 282 yards, the most by a Wildcats team against an SEC opponent in 14 years, including rushing touchdowns from three different Kentucky players lined up under center -- Morgan Newton, Will Fidler and Mr. Everything, Randall Cobb.

And their talented defense held Auburn to 14 points and 315 total offensive yards, both season lows.

OK, just how badly did the Wildcats need that win -- the program's first over Auburn in 43 years?

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"Bad, bad, bad. Everybody on the team knew it," said linebacker Micah Johnson, who had 14 tackles and earned SEC defensive player of the week honors for his effort.

"Everybody needed it, and it was huge. It was huge to get a win down there and I was happy for Coach Brooks and this team because we've been so close after a lot of little things here and we haven't gotten many breaks. It was a game where we were close and we kept fighting and won. It was a great win and the team is very excited but we still have six more games left and we need to continue to win."

The Wildcats (3-3 overall, 1-3 SEC) are a feel-good story for a number of reasons.

No. 1, starting quarterback Mike Hartline has been sidelined by a knee injury.

No. 2, they have also played the last two weeks without All-SEC cornerback Trevard Lindley.

And, No. 3, their recent stretch against Florida, Alabama and South Carolina -- teams currently ranked No. 2, No. 1 and No. 23 in the Associated Press poll -- wasn't for the timid. In fact, Kentucky played one of its best games of the season in a 28-26 loss at South Carolina two weeks ago.

The Wildcats refused to rattle.

"Some people like to dwell on our shortcomings in the games that we have lost, but if you look over the last three and a half, four years, we have won probably more close games that we have lost," Brooks argued.

"We have come back in the fourth quarter numerous times over the last three or four years as well. There is a belief in our team and in our locker room that we can make it happen. The old attitude that is so hard to shake, that you can't get it done, no longer prevails on our football team.

"All you have to do is look historically at how difficult it has been for Kentucky to win under any circumstances with any type of team regardless if you think Auburn is a good team or an average team this year. There have been other average teams that Kentucky hasn't beaten down there. This year this team found a way to do it missing their starting quarterback and best defensive player by most estimations."

Despite the impressive win at Auburn, Kentucky players realize they can't relax -- even if their upcoming four games appear far more accommodating, starting with Saturday's home date against Louisiana-Monroe of the Sun Belt Conference. The Warhawks (4-2) are on a three-game win streak and off to their best start as a Football Bowl Subdivision School. (They started 5-1 in 1987, when they won the Division I-AA national title).

Home games against SEC foes Mississippi State and Eastern Kentucky and a road date at Vanderbilt follow for the Wildcats. They end the regular season against Georgia and Tennessee.

"Every game is a must-win game," offensive lineman Brad Durham said.

"Just because they're from the Sun Belt Conference and just because of this and that, we still have to come together. Just because they're not an SEC team doesn't mean they can't beat us. Three years ago they came in here and lost by two points (42-40). We have to come out focused and ready to play."

Johnson agreed, saying it shouldn't be difficult for players to put the Auburn victory behind them and focus on the season's second half.

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Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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    Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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"Coach has been doing a great job of making us understand that we're mid-season right now and that game came at a critical point," Johnson said.

"That was our sixth game of the season, we could have been 2-4 or 3-3, and 3-3 makes it a lot easier to do what we need to do. It's not the end of the season; we have six more and other good opponents we have to go up against. We have to stay focused and take each game one at a time."

Though Kentucky's quest to reach a fourth straight bowl game suddenly looks more realistic, Brooks is determined to keep his team focused. Even so, it's neat what an important victory can for for a program.

"All last week it was gray and cold and wet, but an amazing thing happened Sunday morning," Brooks said.

"The sun was out, vibrant colors on the trees. It's amazing what a win will do for you."

Feel-Good Wildcats Keep on Survivin' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Rich BrooksRichBrooksJim HenryWed, 21 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST Arkansas Fans Furious About Officiating In Loss to Floridahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/arkansas-fans-furious-about-officiating-in-loss-to-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/arkansas-fans-furious-about-officiating-in-loss-to-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/arkansas-fans-furious-about-officiating-in-loss-to-florida/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Arkansas fans are taking to Twitter, message boards and blogs to vent their frustrations about the officiating in Saturday's loss to No. 1 Florida. They're also posting their evidence on YouTube -- and proving that they have every reason to be upset.

Two bad calls in particular, both on Florida's game-tying fourth-quarter drive, have caused the Razorback rage. The first, which you see above, was a personal foul called against Razorbacks defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard for knocking Florida's Marcus Gilbert to the ground at the end of a play. The call is clearly ridiculous: It was Gilbert who tried to level Sheppard with a late hit, and all Sheppard did was lower his shoulder to absorb the hit. Just because Gilbert fell down and Sheppard didn't doesn't mean Sheppard was in the wrong.



The other call on that game-tying Florida drive, which you see above, was a pass interference penalty. The pass interference call doesn't inspire quite as much outrage as the personal foul -- mostly because pass interference is called so inconsistently that football fans have grown accustomed to bad calls -- but it was still a major gift from the officials to the Gators.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel calls them "two of the worst calls I've seen in quite some time" and notes that the calls were made by the same SEC officiating crew that was heavily criticized for an excessive celebration call that helped LSU beat Georgia two weeks ago. And that doesn't even include this non-call on what should have been offensive pass interference against Florida, on Florida's game-winning drive later in the fourth quarter:



We all know that officials are human beings who sometimes make mistakes, and we'll never have perfect officiating. But it sticks in the craws of Arkansas fans that they had three officiating errors go against them at the worst possible time on Saturday. The SEC has some explaining to do.

UPDATE: The SEC has admitted that the personal foul call was incorrect. The pass interference calls, the SEC says, were judgment calls at the discretion of the referee. For more updates, follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.
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Arkansas Fans Furious About Officiating In Loss to Florida originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithMon, 19 Oct 2009 12:59:00 EST Sense of Urgency Surrounds Gatorshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/sense-of-urgency-surrounds-gators/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A majority of callers that flooded local radio sports talk shows late Saturday night were not thrilled with their top-ranked Florida Gators. Most complaints focused on the offense. Agitated fans moaned about turnovers, predictable play-calling and porous blocking along the line.

UF had escaped with its life hours earlier over Arkansas, 23-20, but it was obvious not everyone was impressed with the Gators. Include head coach Urban Meyer and Associated Press voters in that mix, too.

Not even a restless night's sleep made it any better for Meyer, who admitted his team -- the defending BCS champion and winners of a nation-best 16 straight -- needs to get its act together. AP voters also noted UF's struggles, dropping the Gators behind Alabama in Sunday's poll.

"We kind of operate around here with urgency, and that's not something we're ashamed of," Meyer said Sunday morning during his teleconference.

"We can sit back and say we are the No. 1 scoring offense, the No. 1 rushing offense, No. 1 scoring defense, total offense ... all these categories but you still don't feel we are operating at the highest level of efficiency.

"No. 1, that's turnovers. That's the first indication. We are going to practice at a very high rate of urgency this week, and No. 2 was you found a way to win a game when you probably shouldn't have. That tells you the team really stuck together and made plays when it had to."

UF's goal of repeating as national champion nearly turned into Pig Sooey before a homecoming crowd of 90,508 at The Swamp. The Gators needed Caleb Sturgis' 27-yard field goal with nine seconds to play to survive the 25-point underdog Razorbacks. UF quarterback Tim Tebow was sacked six times, the Gators lost four fumbles and, worse yet, they went 1-for-4 in the red zone in the first half.

"It was probably the worst first half we've ever played," Meyer said.

The second half was better, but not by much. Sure, the Gators were able to overcome a 20-13 deficit early in the fourth quarter. But UF fans -- Meyer, too -- were upset by unsettling trends six games into the season.

Despite their gaudy numbers -- UF is averaging 36.3 points per game and 470.5 total yards per game -- the Gators are a minus-2 in turnover margin and have scored just 15 touchdowns in 30 trips in the red zone (inside an opponent's 20-yard line).

"Our concerns right now are our red-zone production and turnovers, which in the plan to win those are really two things we really work at," Meyer said. "Obviously, how do you fix that? You have to work at it even harder."

The Gators may have their work cut out for them this week on the road against former UF offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, now the head coach at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (3-4) snapped a three-game losing streak with Saturday's 27-6 over Middle Tennessee.

Mullen, of course, had been alongside Meyer dating back to their undefeated season at Utah in 2004. Meyer wants his good friend to succeed -- "One thing about Dan is he's very smart. He's not going to make emotional decisions, he's very smart and I think he'll do fine," Meyer said when asked about Mullen's decision to pursue Mississippi State's head coaching vacancy -- but he has pressing issues of his own.

UF had been in the top spot of the AP poll since the preseason, but the Crimson Tide has been gaining ground for weeks by winning more convincingly than the Gators.

Alabama, which waxed Arkansas earlier in the season, beat No. 22 South Carolina Saturday night. The Crimson Tide overcame four turnovers -- doubling their season total -- and 10 penalties.

Meyer can relate, stressing that UF turnovers must be corrected.

"Guys are not going to touch the ball that we don't have confidence in," Meyer said.

"We are not in some charity program where, hey, let's try to get this guy the ball. If you are not tight with the ball, you are not going to touch it. Guys make mistakes. We are going to point it out on film, coach it and eventually if it doesn't improve those guys don't touch the ball.

"I have great confidence those guys will."

Sense of Urgency Surrounds Gators originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Urban MeyerUrbanMeyerJim HenrySun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 EST Gators Come Through in 'Tebow Time'http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/gators-come-through-in-tebow-time/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/gators-come-through-in-tebow-time/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/gators-come-through-in-tebow-time/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tim TebowGAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It was less than 24 hours earlier during Florida's Gator Growl, claimed to be the largest student-run pep rally, when comedian Dana Carvey turned to Florida head coach Urban Meyer and quipped, "You freakin' rock. That self-tanner was working." Following a sunny but cool Saturday afternoon, Meyer's face, if not the face of the entire Gator Nation, was nearly drained of color.

That was OK, though, because the collective sigh of relief that bellowed from The Swamp meant that UF's perfect season and likely No. 1 ranking remained intact.

Tim Tebow led a 69-yard drive in the final minutes, culminating with Caleb Sturgis' 27-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining to lift the Gators past Arkansas, 23-20. The Razorbacks believed they should have won the game, and said as much, but in the end they couldn't overcome Tebow Time and the team's impressive spirit towards a second consecutive national championship.
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"I didn't feel like we had to do anything extraordinary to win the game, just play Razorback football," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said.

The determined Razorbacks nearly pulled it off, too.

They sacked Tebow six times -- and pressured him countless others -- forced four fumbles, stuffed UF's ground game and led 20-13 with 9:40 remaining to put the homecoming crowd of 90,508 on the edge of its seat. Towering Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, the SEC passing leader, threw for 224 yards and cannonball running back Dennis Johnson rolled to 107 yards.

"They haven't seen an offense like ours all year and probably won't the rest of the year," Mallett said in his Texan drawl, a combination of frustration and anger still etched across his face.

"If we got to play again, I don't think they would agree to it, at least this year anyway. You see we are playing with the No. 1 team in the country and we are taking them to the last two minutes. I feel like we can play with anybody. We just can't kill ourselves."

Mallett was right. The Razorbacks were Gator Bait.

Post-concussion Tebow looked much like the pre-concussion Tebow, throwing for 255 yards, a touchdown and lowering his noggin for 69 rushing yards on a game-high 27 attempts. Of course, he saved the best for last, directing the Gators on a 14-play, 69-yard drive in a hair under three minutes for the dramatic homecoming victory.

Tebow threw for 30 yards and ran for 22 on the final drive. The best play was a 12-yard pass to roommate Riley Cooper on third-and-10 from the Razorbacks 40.

Cooper stumbled but still managed to catch the ball. Tebow then played caddie, rushing five consecutive times and putting Sturgis in position for a chip shot.

Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette, whose father played on the 1981 Arkansas team that beat top-ranked Texas on Oct. 17,1981, frowned when asked about the Gators' winning drive. Arkansas had just squandered an opportunity to take the lead when kicker Alex Tejada yanked a 38-yard field goal wide with 3:08 remaining. Instead, it gave Tebow the ball.

"We really have to concentrate on our assignments in crunch time," said Bequette, who had two sacks and forced a fumble for a defense that entered as the SEC's worst statistically.

"This hurts man. I thought we had them. We were right there with the No. 1 team in the nation, the defending champs. We have to take the positives from this. We know we can play with anybody, anywhere, anytime. This was a great environment and we rose to the challenge."

The Gators rose just a tad higher, barely avoiding a Bayou hangover and playing most of the game without their defensive leader, linebacker Brandon Spikes. Spikes suffered a groin injury in the first series and didn't return. UF's defense allowed a pair of touchdowns after it surrendered just two in its first five games.

"That was a great, tough win," Meyer said.

"First off, I have a lot of respect for that team we played. I knew it would be a tough one and I also got the feeling our players were fairly confident heading into it. But in most cases, if you turn the ball over four times, you usually don't win that kind of game. I think our players showed a lot of character by coming back at the end of that game."

At the 86th annual Gator Growl Friday night -- a crowd of 35,000 attended a pep rally at The Swamp that's associated with homecoming -- Meyer introduced what he proclaimed "the best senior class in the history of Florida football and possibly the Southeastern Conference."

Of course, Tebow headlines that group. His ovation was so long and so loud it simply carried into Saturday's game.

"It was an opportunity where we could have folded, started bickering amongst ourselves or let down but we didn't," said Tebow, who led the Gators to scores on three of their final four possessions and 391 total yards in the game, punctuated by 24 first downs.

"We had to just keep playing and grinding it out, When it came down to it, you knew we were going to play with a little bit more heart and our guys were going to dig a little bit deeper, and they did."

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GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks releases a pass against the Florida Gators October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Mallett
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    ATLANTA - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies rushes upfield against Brad Jefferson #51 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tyrod Taylor;Brad Jefferson

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    GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks releases a pass against the Florida Gators October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Mallett

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    GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Wide receiver Greg Childs #85 of the Arkansas Razorbacks grabs a pass for a touchdown against the Florida Gators October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Greg Childs

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    GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 and lineman Mike Pouncey #55 of the Florida Gators celebrate a win against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tim Tebow;Mike Pouncey

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    Penn State coach Joe Paterno, right, and Minnesota coach Tim Brewster talk on the field before an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Penn State won 20-0. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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    ATLANTA - OCTOBER 17: Demaryius Thomas #8 of the Georgia Tech Yellow pulls in a reception against Rashad Carmichael #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Demaryius Thomas;Rashad Carmichael

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    GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Tight end Aaron Hernandez #81 of the Arkansas Razorbacks rushes upfield with a pass against the Florida Gators October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Aaron Hernandez

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    GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 17: Running back Broderick Green #29 of the Arkansas Razorbacks rushes upfield against the Florida Gators October 17, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Broderick Green

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    Norte Dame coach Charlie Weis, left, and Southern California coach Pete Carroll meet following their NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. USC defeated Notre Dame 34-27. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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    Southern California receiver Anthony McCoy, left, out runs Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith (22) and safety Kyle McCarthy to pick up 60-yards in the third quarter during NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. USC defeated Notre Dame 34-27. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Heart size aside, the Razorbacks, who were coming off impressive wins over Texas A&M and Auburn and didn't look like the same team that was waxed by Alabama in September, showed they are making strides under second-year coach Bobby Petrino.

But they also missed a number of opportunities for their signature victory this season -- and to drain all the orange and blue from this city.

Mallett overthrew a wide-open Van Stumon in the end zone in the third quarter (Arkansas settled for a field goal) and they failed to register a first down following three of UF's four turnovers. Arkansas converted just 2-of-13 third downs in the game. The Razorbacks were also penalized 10 times for 92 yards, while UF drew just three yellow hankies for 16 yards.

"It was a tough loss," a stone-faced Petrino said.

"It's hard for coming out just a little short, but we competed and gave it everything we had. Our players were very convinced that we could come down here and win this game. We talked all week about having confidence, believing in each other and believing in what we're doing.

"We did that and we grew up."

Gators Come Through in 'Tebow Time' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Tim TebowUrban MeyerJim HenrySat, 17 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST Overconfident? Gators Say Hogwashhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/overconfident-gators-say-hogwash/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/overconfident-gators-say-hogwash/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/overconfident-gators-say-hogwash/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Brandon SpikesQuite truthfully, Florida wasn't very impressed when it watched video of Mississippi last season. The Rebels had lost to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt and, let's face it, they weren't expected to give the Gators much of a tussle in The Swamp. Of course, we all know what happened that final Saturday in September:

Ole Miss 31, UF 30.

The top-ranked Gators don't plan to make the same mistake twice against visiting Arkansas on Saturday.

"We would watch Ole Miss on film and our guys would say they're not very good," UF coach Urban Meyer said.

"This team coming in is really good. They have NFL caliber players on both sides of the ball and their running back shredded us last year. They took Auburn and beat them in every phase of the game. I think our guys saw that on TV and now on video."

Surging Arkansas heads to Gainesville, Fla., with plenty of confidence after winning consecutive games over Texas A&M (47-19) and Auburn (44-23) last week to knock the Tigers from the undefeated ranks.

While the Razorbacks stumbled badly in their first opportunity against an SEC power -- they lost to Alabama 35-7 in the season's second week -- Arkansas feels much better about itself.

In fact, many believe the Razorbacks could represent the toughest remaining test for the Gators, who have won a school-record 15 consecutive games since last season's defeat to Ole Miss. That, of course, prompted quarterback Tim Tebow's legendary "Promise" speech, but that's for another time.

Arkansas has posted 40-plus points in four of its five games for the first time in school history and, lo and behold, it even mixed in some defense the past two weeks, holding two previously prolific offensive teams to an average of 21 points.

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"Our confidence is higher," Razorbacks head coach Bobby Petrino said.

"We've played two good games back-to-back. We've seen ourselves perform well on film. We went out and played well in all three phases [against Auburn]. It will be a challenge. We believe we can go and win the game. We need to play with good technique and fundamentals and try and match their speed."

It's no secret the Razorbacks must rely on their offense to set the tone against the nation's top-ranked defense. The Gators have allowed two touchdowns in five games and turned in a smothering effort in the 13-3 win at LSU last Saturday.

"They have done a good job all year creating negative plays and putting opposing offenses in second-and-longs and third-and-longs," Petrino said. "That's why they're tough, it allows them to tee-off on third downs."

Expect Arkansas to tee it up.

The Razorbacks rank third in the SEC in scoring (37.4 points) and total offense (451.8 yards) after five games. Quarterback Ryan Mallett leads the SEC in total offense (282.2) and has thrown for 1,422 yards and 13 touchdowns. Running back Michael Smith made the most of his opportunities last week, rushing for a game-high 145 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Even more impressive is the way the Razorbacks' offense continued rolling against Auburn despite missing two of its top receivers. Joe Adams was sidelined after suffering what Petrino called a "minor stroke" last week. And teammate Jarius Wright left the game early in the second quarter with a concussion.

Mallett says the Hogs have gained confidence by finding ways to spread the ball around.

"We've got two wins in a row right now so we are rolling a little bit," said Mallett, who was 24-of-37 for 274 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn.

"We've got to prepare and get ready to execute. We are going to go out there and prepare like we are the best team in the country. That's how we have to prepare for this team. We really have to execute on the stuff that we need to be executing on. The two wins going into this game really helped us.

"We are on top of the mountain right now because we haven't had a loss the past two weeks. We have to prepare for one of the best teams in the country. Your mental focus has to be there throughout the week."

Meyer, a master technician and motivator, says he will challenge his players in practice this week. He may also want to point to his calendar.

Saturday's date is Oct. 17, and the Razorbacks have won two of their four games in program history against the nation's top-ranked team on that date in 1961 and 194 (both times against Texas).

"You can sit and watch film and think a team isn't very good," Meyer said.

"I do not think this game falls into that category. This Arkansas team is good enough to compete for the West Championship. People who understand the game of football would probably say the same thing. To avoid all that, we'll go hard on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We can certainly get better on offense."

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Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
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    In this Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, photo, Florida State tight end Caz Piurowski is checked by team trainers following his knee injury during an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State announced Monday, Oct. 12, that Piurowski will miss the remainder of the season due to the injury. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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    In this Sept. 26, 2009, photo, Michigan cornerback Boubacar Cissoko (33) trails Indiana wide receiver Tandon Doss (2) on a long pass during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan has suspended Cissoko indefinitely for violating team rules. Coach Rich Rodriguez made the announcement Saturday night, Oct. 10, after Iowa beat the Wolverines 30-28. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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    Washington's Desmond Trufant returns an intercepting of a pass from Arizona's Nick Foles at the end fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Earlier in the quarter Washington intercepted another pass returning it for a touchdown to win 36-33 over Arizona. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Arizona's Nick Foles, left, talks with teammates before taking to the field for the final series against Washington during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Foles gave up two interceptions near the end of the game one scoring the winning touchdown as Washington wins 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington players including Taylor Bean, front, celebrate the 36-33 win over Arizona of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian congratulates quarterback Jake Locker after the 36-33 win over Arizona in an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington's Devin Aguilar, right, celebrates with Senio Kelemete, left after Aguilar scored a touchdown against Arizona during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    UNLV quarterback Omar Clayton (2) passes during the first half of their NCAA college football game against BYU at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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    BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall watches his team during the second half of their NCAA college football game against UNLV at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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That might not bode well for an Arkansas defense that is allowing 27.8 points per game, not to mention nearly 400 yards of of total offense (398.6).

While Petrino doesn't believe his team needs any extra motivation, history suggests the Razorbacks have the opportunity to, well, pull off an Ol' Miss in The Swamp.

"You don't need a lot of motivation to get ready for this game," Petrino said.

"Our guys will be ready and they know what's at stake. It's a great opportunity to go play at their stadium and play another game on national TV and show that we are a better football team. That's the motivation."

Overconfident? Gators Say Hogwash originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>urban meyerUrbanMeyerJim HenryTue, 13 Oct 2009 10:45:00 EST Dawgs Won't Tuck Tails After Rocky Losshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/dawgs-wont-tuck-tails-after-rocky-loss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/dawgs-wont-tuck-tails-after-rocky-loss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/dawgs-wont-tuck-tails-after-rocky-loss/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Joe CoxWhat's next for the reeling Georgia Bulldogs?

Head coach Mark Richt, the dean of SEC coaches, admits the Bulldogs have "a long way to go" to be a good football team. After consecutive losses to LSU and Tennessee, Georgia has this week to find the necessary answers to beat Vanderbilt Saturday. Off Oct. 24 before meeting top-ranked Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 31, the Bulldogs actually don't return to Sanford Stadium for 35 days.

Considering the foul mood of fans, that might be a good thing.

"People are upset and that's what you expect," senior quarterback Joe Cox said.

"But we work hard. We don't want to come out on a Saturday, get embarrassed and then say 'Oh, well.' It hurts us worse than anybody, worse than fans, the coaches... we're the ones who play the game. It's not like we go out there and play bad then kind of say 'whatever.' We've been working since January every day to play 12 games.

"It's not a good feeling when you work that hard and it doesn't show but I think everybody is eager to work, I think everybody wants to correct mistakes and continue on with our season and finish up strong. We don't want to lay it down; we haven't done that yet. It would be even worse to get to this point and let it keep sliding."

While Richt doesn't expect to make wholesale lineup changes, he indicated that some tweaks could be made as players competed in practice this week. Fans also have voiced their frustration with defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

At 3-3 -- its worst six-game mark since 1996 -- Georgia has struggled across the board. The Bulldogs are 100th in the nation in scoring defense (out of 120 FBS teams), 97th in total offense, 116th in penalties and 118th in turnover margin.

Changes? Take your pick.

"We've got to get better at defense, we've got to get better on offense, we've got to get better at coaching," Richt said.

"I guess what I'm saying is that it's a culmination of everyone. I'm not pointing fingers at any one individual; I'm pointing fingers at all of us as a whole, we all must improve; that's what I'm trying to say."

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Cox, who threw for 146 yards and two interceptions against the Vols and agrees he deserves his share of the blame for offensive woes, tried to say it, too.

"I think we all need to have a big gut check and find out how we want to finish out the season," Cox said. "You have to find guys that want to play and want to do it the right way."

The 45-19 defeat at Tennessee was certainly the wrong way.

The Bulldogs have surrendered 37 or more points in three of their last six games, while the offense has managed just four touchdowns in its last three games.

Cox says the Bulldogs need to regroup in a hurry. After throwing for 738 yards and eight touchdowns in the first three games of the season, Cox has 617 passing yards and three touchdowns in the last three. Overall, he has completed 104-of-178 passes for 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

"We obviously want to win every game," said Cox, who backed up by redshirt sophomore Logan Gray and true freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

"We've had a couple wins -- I know Arizona State, as an offense, we felt like we lost that game. The way it felt after the game, we know we didn't play well. I didn't play well. It was the first time I had won a game but felt like I lost the way I played the game.

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Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
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    In this Sept. 26, 2009, photo, Michigan cornerback Boubacar Cissoko (33) trails Indiana wide receiver Tandon Doss (2) on a long pass during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan has suspended Cissoko indefinitely for violating team rules. Coach Rich Rodriguez made the announcement Saturday night, Oct. 10, after Iowa beat the Wolverines 30-28. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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    Washington's Desmond Trufant returns an intercepting of a pass from Arizona's Nick Foles at the end fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Earlier in the quarter Washington intercepted another pass returning it for a touchdown to win 36-33 over Arizona. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Arizona's Nick Foles, left, talks with teammates before taking to the field for the final series against Washington during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Foles gave up two interceptions near the end of the game one scoring the winning touchdown as Washington wins 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington players including Taylor Bean, front, celebrate the 36-33 win over Arizona of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian congratulates quarterback Jake Locker after the 36-33 win over Arizona in an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    Washington's Devin Aguilar, right, celebrates with Senio Kelemete, left after Aguilar scored a touchdown against Arizona during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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    UNLV quarterback Omar Clayton (2) passes during the first half of their NCAA college football game against BYU at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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    BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall watches his team during the second half of their NCAA college football game against UNLV at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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    BYU quarterback Max Hall (15) looks to pass against UNLV during the first half of their NCAA college football game at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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"We just have to put everything together and finish the season strong. Obviously we want to win every game -- that's our goal. But right now we are going to focus on Vanderbilt and win this game and go into the off week with a good mindset, give everyone some rest and kind of catch a second wind to finish the last half of the season."

Dawgs Won't Tuck Tails After Rocky Loss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark RichtMike BoboJim HenryMon, 12 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST BCS Title Could Be an All-SEC Affairhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/lanket-coverage-sec-squared-for-the-bcs-title/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/lanket-coverage-sec-squared-for-the-bcs-title/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/lanket-coverage-sec-squared-for-the-bcs-title/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Blanket Coverage is a weekly rewind of all the action of Week 6, from the big opinions, to the small news, and, of course, coverage of all players named Ju-Ju.

In the second half of Florida's 13-3 win at LSU Saturday night, CBS color analyst Gary Danielson opined that a one-loss SEC team would play in the BCS Championship Game. Danielson's forecast seems fair enough, particularly considering the teams playing in front of him in Death Valley.

The Gators lost one game in both 2006 and 2008 and won the national championship. The Tigers lost two games in 2007 and beat Ohio State in the BCS title game. What Danielson failed to consider, though, was whether a one-loss SEC team with the second-best record in the conference might advance to Pasadena come January.

There is -- and I cannot emphasize this enough -- a lot of football remaining to be played. Still, let's imagine that the No. 1 Gators and No. 2 Alabama both advance to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta undefeated. The winner is a lock for a date at the Rose Bowl, but would voters ever allow a rematch between the two 33 days later?

What other BCS contenders might emerge? Let's look at the unbeatens:

-- Boise State and TCU are both undefeated, but neither non-BCS team will play for the national title.

-- In the Big Ten, Iowa is undefeated, but the Hawkeyes have won three home games versus three unranked teams by a total of six points. Visits to Madison, East Lansing and Columbus do not augur well for Kirk Ferentz's team.

-- Cincinnati and South Florida are unbeaten in the Big East, but they meet Thursday night. The winner will emerge with a more respectable resume, but there are too many one-loss teams with more cache and neither the Bearcats nor the Bulls will have a win against a Top-10 school this year.

-- The ACC and the Pac-10 have no unbeatens remaining.

-- Which brings us to the Big 12, where unbeatens Kansas and Texas will meet in Austin Nov. 21. Although who is to say that both, or even either the Jayhawks and Longhorns will be beaten by then? The cleanest result would be an undefeated Texas, currently No. 3, facing the SEC champion on January 7 in Pasadena. And there's nothing that ESPN covets more than a duel between Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy in the final game of their storied careers.

What if Texas loses, though? Here's an even more intriguing scenario: What if Alabama loses one SEC West game to a one-loss opponent such as Auburn or LSU? Could the Tide fail to play for the SEC championship but remain the most viable, and highly ranked, candidate to face Florida, a team they would not yet have played?

The feeling here is no. Which is why all of a sudden, the most fascinating tilt of the year for my money will take place on Halloween night in Eugene: USC at Oregon. The winner of this glamour game just might leap ahead of one-loss Virginia Tech in the polls and, should the Longhorns fail to finish undefeated versus a rough Big 12 field, be in the driver's seat.

Just think ... a national championship pitting Florida and Tim "God Bless" Tebow versus Oregon and resurrected rusher LaGarrette Blount. The player who absorbed the most talked-about blow to the head this season on one sideline and the player who delivered the most notorious such hit on the other. That would be a ... knockout.

One monstrous, blow-up-the-BCS caveat: Would there be any way to justify sending Oregon to the Rose Bowl over an undefeated Boise State team that defeated them?

Keeping Up With the Hawkins

Try being Misti Rae Ann Hawkins this week. On Saturday, she watched her oldest son get benched in a nationally televised game in primetime. And she saw her husband bench him.

Cody Hawkins, Colorado's 5-foot-11 junior quarterback, has actually played in three nationally televised games in primetime this season: at Toledo, at West Virginia and this weekend, at Texas. In those three games, all losses, Hawkins has accumulated the following numbers: 63-134 passes (47 percent), eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. The defeats are not Cody's fault alone, but his 102.4 passer rating does not put him among the top 100 passers in the FBS.

On Saturday, with the 1-3 Buffs driving for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter against the No. 2 Longhorns, Hawkins underthrew a pass into the right flat. Texas cornerback Earl Thomas picked it off and returned it 92 yards for a score, the Longhorns' longest interception return for a TD since 1938.

On the ensuing Buff possession, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins burned the redshirt of sophomore Tyler Hansen, inserting him at quarterback in place of his son. It's the second time in as many years that Hansen's redshirt status has been erased at midseason. After the game Hawkins named Hansen the starter going forward, saying of his son's costly interception, "He's gotta make that throw."

Temperatures have been in the teens along the Front Range this weekend, but it's about to get even chillier at the Hawkins household.

Incredible INT

You may never see a stranger interception than the one UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers had against Oregon. Duck quarterback Nate Costa, falling out of the back of his own endzone, tried to force a bullet over Ayers' head. Ayers leaped in the air and caught it, then had to worry about getting one foot in bounds himself without landing past the back line. He did.

Even Costa was in awe. "That was just a flat-out great play," he said. It was also the Bruins' only touchdown in their 24-10 loss.

Now This Is a White Out

Seven inches of snow fell on Friday night in Laramie, Wyo., and the temperature at kickoff was 15 degrees, yet 14,502 hearty (foolhardy?) fans huddled in War Memorial Stadium to watch the Cowboys defeat New Mexico, 37-13, on Saturday. How brutal were the conditions? The winless Lobos spent Friday evening at a hotel in Cheyenne, 50 miles east, and on Saturday morning needed a two-snowplow escort across a closed Interstate 80 in order to make it to the game.

A Man for all Seasons

Give Stanford credit for knowing how to promote a Heisman candidate with subtlety and a sense of humor. Tailback Toby Gerhart entered the weekend fourth in the nation in rushing (130 yards per game) and even ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit said that Gerhart was among his top three Heisman nominees. Gerhart also happens to be a MLB prospect as an outfielder, which prompted the Stanford athletic department to put together this video of the studly senior trying his hand at other sports.

Sly, Stanford. Promoting Gerhart while also promoting your non-revenue sports. My only question is how someone who lives year-round in California be that pale?

An Education

Michigan's true freshmen quarterbacks, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, are learning the ups-and-downs of late-game heroics. In consecutive road losses each has accounted for a late touchdown only to follow it up on the ensuing drive with an interception that cost the Wolverines the game. Forcier led the Wolverines on a 14-point fourth quarter comeback at Michigan State two weeks ago, then threw a deflected pick in overtime of the 26-20 loss.

Robinson, who entered Saturday's game at Iowa with Michigan trailing 30-21 midway in the fourth quarter, calmly led the Wolverines on a scoring drive, capped by his own three-yard TD rush. On Michigan's next drive he missed two wide-open receivers and instead tossed a prayer into double coverage as the Maize and Blue lost 30-28.

JJ, Jo Jo and Ju Ju

BYU's JJ DiLuigi caught a 15-yard touchdown pass while teammate Jo Jo Pili added a one-yard rushing TD in the Cougars' 59-21 win at UNLV. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech backup quarterback Ju-Ju Clayton threw an 80-yard touchdown strike in the Hokies' 48-14 demolition of Boston College.

Stats Incredible

A smattering of bizarre statistics or eye-popping numbers from Saturday's games:

-- Florida's defense has only allowed two touchdowns in 61 opponents' drives (3.3 percent) this season. As coach Urban Meyer told ESPN's Chris Fowler in the midnight hour from Baton Rouge, "You can't be a great team unless you have a great defense."

-- Bowling Green wideout Freddie Barnes caught 22 passes in the Falcons' 36-35 win at Kent State. Barnes leads the nation with 12.5 receptions per game, a full 33 percent more catches than the No. 2 receiver, Jordan Shipley of Texas (9.4 per game), grabs. Shipley's circus-quality highlights do show up on "College Football Final" an awful lot more, though.

-- Georgia's offense failed to get in the red zone in the Bulldogs' 45-19 loss at Tennessee. It was the first time in 38 meetings that neither the Dawgs nor Vols entered the game ranked.

-- Arkansas held Auburn scoreless in the first quarter of their 44-23 win against the No. 17 Tigers. It marked the first time in 21 quarters this season that Gus Malzahn's offense had failed to put a point on the board.

-- Boston College quarterback Dave Shinskie, a 25 year-old freshman who had previously pitched in the minor leagues, was 0-for-9 passing with two interceptions in the first half of the Eagles' 48-14 loss at Virginia Tech. Shinskie finished 1-12 for 4 yards.

-- How good is Oklahoma's front seven? Baylor's leading rusher in Saturday's 33-7 defeat, Terrance Ganaway, ran four times for 8 yards.

-- Wisconsin's offense doubled up Ohio State's in yardage, 368 to 184, but a pair of pick-sixes by Badger QB Scott Tolzien helped the Buckeyes to a 31-13 win. SEC Squared for the BCS title?

BCS Title Could Be an All-SEC Affair originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Akeem AyersJohn WaltersMon, 12 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST