Very interesting day in college football. It is always crazy how one play in the first game of the season, when teams are still trying to work out the kinks, can define a season.
Take, for example, Navy playing at the Horseshoe. They played a great game against Ohio State and had them on the ropes. They scored a touchdown with about 2 minutes left to pull within two points, thus having a chance to tie the game with a two-point conversion. If they make it and force the game into overtime, who knows--maybe they pull the upset. But at the least, from Ohio State's perspective, getting pushed to overtime by Navy in their home opener would be a scarlet letter on the scarlet and gray's resume. Instead, however, the Midshipmen abandoned ship with the running game, and went to a spread formation and went with a passing play. The result? A pick-two, with Ohio State wriggling off the hook and few people remembering how close this game was by November.
The day started off watching Greg Paulus at Syracuse, who had one play that for Syracuse fans is something on which to build. Paulus had a pump-fake, then delivered a well-placed 29 yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams. Everyone seemed to agree that he was "managing the game", which is essentially code for trying not to make a mistake. Skip to overtime, and the one play for the Cuse that stood out was a Paulus interception at the goal line, which essentially crushed the Orange.
But by the end of the day, clearly the biggest play of the 2009 season took place in Dallas, Texas. Sam Bradford's shoulder got pinned between the turf of Jerry Jones' palace and a massive defensive lineman, and as a result, the Sooner season gave way. He sprained the AC joint in his shoulder, and as anyone who has had that happen can attest, shoulder injuries take a very long time to heal--just ask Drew Brees (back when he was with the Chargers). Without Bradford, OU hung in against BYU, but in the end slipped up on coverage late, and Max Hall (cousin of former Dallas Cowboy QB Danny White) stormed the Mormons down the field for a game-winning drive, capped off by finding McKay Jacobson wide open in the end zone. OU may not be done for the year, but I would take the over on 3 games missed by Bradford...
Other key plays from the weekend: Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant with a full-extension grab for a 46 yard touchdown against Georgia. That play got the Cowpokes rolling, as they stifled Georgia late to win 24-10.
Mark Ingram's touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Tide's win over Virginia Tech. Granted, that didn't seal the win. But Ingram had 150 yards on the ground for Alabama, a team expected to struggle without Glenn Coffee. Greg McElroy was nothing special at QB, but given Ingram's 5.8 yards per carry Saturday night, the Tide looks poised to defend its SEC West title.
Heisman watch: given Sam Bradford is most likely not going to repeat, a few box scores worth noting:
Jahvid Best: 10 carries, 137 yards, 2 TDs in the first 6 minutes of the game (44 seconds apart, no less). Best didn't even play most of the 3nd half.
Tim Tebow: 10/15, 188 yds, TD (plus 1 TD on 2 yards rushing). The Gators won 62-3, so obviously Tebow took it easy.
Colt McCoy: 21/29, 317 yds, 2 TD (1 INT). The Longhorns had their way with Louisiana-Monroe, although McCoy didn't run the way he did last year, when he was the team's leading rusher.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
LeGarrette Blount is not to be trifled with
What a shame that the only excitement from the Smurf Turf showdown came from a sucker punk after the game. LeGarrette Blount certainly was fired up--I'm guessing he's a bit of a talker on the field, but does not enjoy getting called out when the Ducks lay an egg.
Neither team looked sharp (combined for 5 TOs), but credit Boise for doing a better job on both sides of the ball. Their first TD happened because of a great pick up block by the running back, which gave Kellen Moore the time to make the throw. On defense, they flummoxed Jeremiah Masoli, and clearly frustrated Blount. Although I will say, that was a legit punch he threw-- even if the guy he hit was clearly caught off guard and off balance, a dude that size does not go down easily. Of course, not a good idea to throw blows, regardless of what happens on the field. Hey Champ--maybe you should stop talking for a while. Maybe sit the next couple plays out, you know?
As for the other national game, South Carolina looks about like they have for the past four or five years. Great defense, but the offense struggles big time. Steven Garcia just does not look like a big time college QB under pressure.
But both South Carolina and Boise State are undefeated, with wins over known teams. As for Oregon, expect their offense to sputter even more without Blount for the foreseeable future. They didn't pick up a first down until halfway through the third quarter. A credit to the defense that the game didn't get out of hand earlier--at least until it literally got out of hand courtesy of LeGarrette "Not-so-sharp" Blount.
He was even ready to go into the crowd and go toe-to-toe with the fans. Yikes.
Ironic that it was assistant coach Scott Frost that held Blount back--if you may recall, Frost allegedly got beaten up by teammate Lawrence Phillips while at Nebraska. Blount may not be to that level of crazy, but just in case, let's hide the car keys and keep him away from the IM field. Just to play it safe...
Neither team looked sharp (combined for 5 TOs), but credit Boise for doing a better job on both sides of the ball. Their first TD happened because of a great pick up block by the running back, which gave Kellen Moore the time to make the throw. On defense, they flummoxed Jeremiah Masoli, and clearly frustrated Blount. Although I will say, that was a legit punch he threw-- even if the guy he hit was clearly caught off guard and off balance, a dude that size does not go down easily. Of course, not a good idea to throw blows, regardless of what happens on the field. Hey Champ--maybe you should stop talking for a while. Maybe sit the next couple plays out, you know?
As for the other national game, South Carolina looks about like they have for the past four or five years. Great defense, but the offense struggles big time. Steven Garcia just does not look like a big time college QB under pressure.
But both South Carolina and Boise State are undefeated, with wins over known teams. As for Oregon, expect their offense to sputter even more without Blount for the foreseeable future. They didn't pick up a first down until halfway through the third quarter. A credit to the defense that the game didn't get out of hand earlier--at least until it literally got out of hand courtesy of LeGarrette "Not-so-sharp" Blount.
He was even ready to go into the crowd and go toe-to-toe with the fans. Yikes.
Ironic that it was assistant coach Scott Frost that held Blount back--if you may recall, Frost allegedly got beaten up by teammate Lawrence Phillips while at Nebraska. Blount may not be to that level of crazy, but just in case, let's hide the car keys and keep him away from the IM field. Just to play it safe...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Fearless 49er Football Forecast
Now that the calendar has flipped to September, it becomes socially acceptable to mention football. The summer months may belong to baseball according to the schedule keepers, but the National Football League still has a way of keeping itself in the news cycle-- and that is even without the Brett Favre saga.
Rather than focus on number four though, let us turn our attention the the NFC West. A quick glance proves that this division is the best case of parity in the NFL. Granted, it is akin to the parity between Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light-- not exactly the creme de la creme--but still, it appears up for grabs in 2009.
The Arizona Cardinals caught fire at the right time in 2008, but are staring down the barrel of the dreaded Super Bowl hangover, a curse so mighty not even Tom Brady couldn't sidestep its wrath. The Seahawks' collective fate was sealed with Matt Hasselbeck's bad back, as was the Rams with their total lack of a defense. What of the 49ers, you ask? Well I'm glad you brought them up, because really this is just an excuse to preview the 49ers in depth.
The 49ers are unproven in a lot of areas, starting with the coaching staff. Assuming Mike Singletary can keep his pants on, though, he does have some talent o work with. The backfield should be the strength of the team--and not just because of Frank Gore. Fullback Moran Norris returns, to help pave the way for Gore much like he did when the former Miami product gained nearly 1700 yards on the ground. Also, rookie Glenn Coffee has looked good in the preseason, and should keep Gore fresh.
But with Michael Crabtree still holding out, the question remains: what of the 49er passing attack? Shaun Hill won the starter's job by stinking slightly less than Alex Smith this fall. But with yet another offensive coordinator in SF this year (6th OC in as many seasons), everyone had to start over, yet again.
On defense, the Niners will stick with the 3-4 defense Mike Nolan brought in, and they have a star in ILB Patrick Willis. What they need is more consistent play from the defensive line, especially in the middle. Isaac Sopoaga, Kentwan Balmer, and Aubrayo Franklin have all taken a crack at it, but they still need a big body to clog that middle, much the way the Ravens had Tony Siragusa when Nolan was in Baltimore. SF needs a guy that looks like he would get stuck trying to walk through a doorway.
The D line is not the only area in need of a touch up. SF was the only team in the league to get zero interceptions out of their safeties last fall. This is akin to having a wing man who insists on eating chicken wings and garlic bread all night; not much help.
As for special teams, the Niners are above average. Andy Lee is a good punter, and Joe Nedney is back yet again. Allen Rossum even the Niners in the top ten in the league for punt returns, which is important since field position would seem to be important for a team that can't sustain drives.
The bottom line with San Francisco is that they need two things: a healthy offensive line, and steady play from Shaun Hill. They need to grind out games and keep their defense from wearing down in the second half. They have the personnel, but so do most teams in the NFL, if everything breaks right. Working in their favor is the fact that if there is one division where a little luck goes a long way, the NFC West is it. So should San Francisco get back on track, it could find itself flipping the calendar to 2010 to schedule a playoff game. That would be something to talk about.
Rather than focus on number four though, let us turn our attention the the NFC West. A quick glance proves that this division is the best case of parity in the NFL. Granted, it is akin to the parity between Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light-- not exactly the creme de la creme--but still, it appears up for grabs in 2009.
The Arizona Cardinals caught fire at the right time in 2008, but are staring down the barrel of the dreaded Super Bowl hangover, a curse so mighty not even Tom Brady couldn't sidestep its wrath. The Seahawks' collective fate was sealed with Matt Hasselbeck's bad back, as was the Rams with their total lack of a defense. What of the 49ers, you ask? Well I'm glad you brought them up, because really this is just an excuse to preview the 49ers in depth.
The 49ers are unproven in a lot of areas, starting with the coaching staff. Assuming Mike Singletary can keep his pants on, though, he does have some talent o work with. The backfield should be the strength of the team--and not just because of Frank Gore. Fullback Moran Norris returns, to help pave the way for Gore much like he did when the former Miami product gained nearly 1700 yards on the ground. Also, rookie Glenn Coffee has looked good in the preseason, and should keep Gore fresh.
But with Michael Crabtree still holding out, the question remains: what of the 49er passing attack? Shaun Hill won the starter's job by stinking slightly less than Alex Smith this fall. But with yet another offensive coordinator in SF this year (6th OC in as many seasons), everyone had to start over, yet again.
On defense, the Niners will stick with the 3-4 defense Mike Nolan brought in, and they have a star in ILB Patrick Willis. What they need is more consistent play from the defensive line, especially in the middle. Isaac Sopoaga, Kentwan Balmer, and Aubrayo Franklin have all taken a crack at it, but they still need a big body to clog that middle, much the way the Ravens had Tony Siragusa when Nolan was in Baltimore. SF needs a guy that looks like he would get stuck trying to walk through a doorway.
The D line is not the only area in need of a touch up. SF was the only team in the league to get zero interceptions out of their safeties last fall. This is akin to having a wing man who insists on eating chicken wings and garlic bread all night; not much help.
As for special teams, the Niners are above average. Andy Lee is a good punter, and Joe Nedney is back yet again. Allen Rossum even the Niners in the top ten in the league for punt returns, which is important since field position would seem to be important for a team that can't sustain drives.
The bottom line with San Francisco is that they need two things: a healthy offensive line, and steady play from Shaun Hill. They need to grind out games and keep their defense from wearing down in the second half. They have the personnel, but so do most teams in the NFL, if everything breaks right. Working in their favor is the fact that if there is one division where a little luck goes a long way, the NFC West is it. So should San Francisco get back on track, it could find itself flipping the calendar to 2010 to schedule a playoff game. That would be something to talk about.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Shaq-Tastic? hardly
Don't know if anyone happened to watch the premiere of "Shaq Vs" on ABC Tuesday night, but allow me to hand in a report card. For as entertaining as the Big Insert-Ostentatious-Noun-De-Jour-Here is-- and there is no denying this-- his show goes flat within minutes.
The concept is definitely intriguing: Shaq goes up against world-class athletes in other sports, with a slight handicap, to see if he can beat them at their own game. A pretty good concept, but the biggest problem is that they stretch the affair out to one hour. The competition, though, is so cut and dry, that even with interview cutaways its done in 15 minutes.
The biggest drain on the show is the scene-setting at the site. The announcers are below-average, at best. I don't understand how a show with a clearly massive budget would cut corners with the announcing crew. They were not insightful, they were not funny... they added nothing to the broadcast. Every time they cut back to the stadium to build the moment, any momentum or energy they had from the other events fizzled out.
The upside of the show is that Shaq is legitimately funny, and he and Ben Roethlisberger (the antagonist for the series-opener) had solid chemistry back and forth. Watching Shaq go through the drills was much more entertaining than a game of 7 on 7 with no one rushing the passer (are you kidding me?). But watching Shaq try to run the 40 while making sure not to pull a hamstring was great.
The smarter approach to the show is one of two angles. First, combine two challenges per episode. That way, you don't have to string out as much filler. Secondly, put more emphasis on the training and drills. You know those QB skills competitions? How great would it be to watch Shaq run through cones, weave past dummies, then try to whip a pass 20 yards down field at a moving target?
Instead, we get subjected to two sub-par announcers harping over and over again about how seriously Shaq is taking the competition. But the bottom line with this show is that it will be Shaq's personality that drives it. And he will need to connect with all of his opponents to make the show salvageable--easier said than done with Michael Phelps on the docket. But maybe co-executive producer Steve Nash can fix that problem. He's used to getting the most out of people, and making them look much better than they really are...
The concept is definitely intriguing: Shaq goes up against world-class athletes in other sports, with a slight handicap, to see if he can beat them at their own game. A pretty good concept, but the biggest problem is that they stretch the affair out to one hour. The competition, though, is so cut and dry, that even with interview cutaways its done in 15 minutes.
The biggest drain on the show is the scene-setting at the site. The announcers are below-average, at best. I don't understand how a show with a clearly massive budget would cut corners with the announcing crew. They were not insightful, they were not funny... they added nothing to the broadcast. Every time they cut back to the stadium to build the moment, any momentum or energy they had from the other events fizzled out.
The upside of the show is that Shaq is legitimately funny, and he and Ben Roethlisberger (the antagonist for the series-opener) had solid chemistry back and forth. Watching Shaq go through the drills was much more entertaining than a game of 7 on 7 with no one rushing the passer (are you kidding me?). But watching Shaq try to run the 40 while making sure not to pull a hamstring was great.
The smarter approach to the show is one of two angles. First, combine two challenges per episode. That way, you don't have to string out as much filler. Secondly, put more emphasis on the training and drills. You know those QB skills competitions? How great would it be to watch Shaq run through cones, weave past dummies, then try to whip a pass 20 yards down field at a moving target?
Instead, we get subjected to two sub-par announcers harping over and over again about how seriously Shaq is taking the competition. But the bottom line with this show is that it will be Shaq's personality that drives it. And he will need to connect with all of his opponents to make the show salvageable--easier said than done with Michael Phelps on the docket. But maybe co-executive producer Steve Nash can fix that problem. He's used to getting the most out of people, and making them look much better than they really are...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Injuries molding college football
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So here is a quick post that I wrote for a website called Sports Alert. It provides free text alerts for sports scores, and also has some editorial content. Very small scale, but I'll be double-posting, and I will include a link once the story is live on the website...
That didn’t take long. Just a week after our Top 25 preseason poll, the injury bug is still picking some high profile teams out of its teeth.
At Virginia Tech, the news is downright devastating. Running back Darren Evans is done for the year thanks to a torn ACL. Evans ran for over 1200 yards last fall, but without him, the Hokies’ offense could be stuck in neutral. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has shown flashes of brilliance, but the fact remains that there is a reason why he was almost redshirted last year: mainly, the seven interceptions against two touchdowns Taylor threw last year. Virginia Tech should still be the cream of the ACC crop, but probably no longer merit a top ten ranking.
The news is not quite as gloomy at Ohio State, where linebacker Tyler Moeller will sit out the year because of a head injury he got on a family vacation. I want to know how many family vacations end in a son being punched in a bar, and landing on his head, but I guess that is beside the point. The loss of Moeller for 2009 is a tough blow—he was a projected starter for them this fall, and had three tackles for a loss last year. On the plus side, however, doctors originally feared Moeller might never return to the gridiron, but say now that he is expected to play again for the Scarlet and Gray.
Over at USC, the news hardly qualified as a blip on the radar screen. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp could miss most of August with a knee injury, after getting rolled up on in practice—and not the good kind. Corp returned to practice the same day, but will now have to sit after the joint flared up on him. The good news for the Trojans is that they have an insane amount of depth at the position. Remember Mitch Mustain, the one-time Arkansas signal caller whose future looked so promising with then-coordinator Gus Malzahn? Mustain transferred over to Figueroa Tech, where he is STILL buried on the depth chart. True freshman Matt Barkley will instead be the new man under the microscope for the men of Troy. Considering that he was considered to be the top recruit in the country, Aaron Corp’s days as a starter could be numbered.
These three programs are of course not the only ones affected by injuries. In fact, just about every team in the country will have some changes to their depth chart during fall practice. What separates the elite from the pretty good in college football is having the depth to overcome those pesky teeth marks left by the injury bug.
Soccer En Mexico-- Part Dos
Well that was interesting. As expected, more Tim Howard brilliance kept things close, and tempers definitely began to flare as the game wore on--things were chippier than last call at happy hour. Pushing, shoving, name calling-- just like when trying to place that final drink order in time to save 2 bucks on that Black and tan. And in the end, team Mexico pulled one out late.
Coming from someone who has watched the occasional soccer match, it seemed Tri Colores were more well-organized and definitely more aggressive. The US did have some great opportunities, though-- the diving header that missed my about an inch and a half could have been a huge difference maker. The central complaint against the US, however, remains the same: talent is adequate, but the strategy and execution seems lacking. Again, not a soccer expert by any means, but I've talked with some people who know the game, and that seems to be a common theme. Not sure what the World Cup will hold, but the Americans should qualify, and could even win a game or two in group play. Beyond that, however, Sam's Army is unlikely to make much of a run.
Coming from someone who has watched the occasional soccer match, it seemed Tri Colores were more well-organized and definitely more aggressive. The US did have some great opportunities, though-- the diving header that missed my about an inch and a half could have been a huge difference maker. The central complaint against the US, however, remains the same: talent is adequate, but the strategy and execution seems lacking. Again, not a soccer expert by any means, but I've talked with some people who know the game, and that seems to be a common theme. Not sure what the World Cup will hold, but the Americans should qualify, and could even win a game or two in group play. Beyond that, however, Sam's Army is unlikely to make much of a run.
Soccer en Mexico... Part 1
Ok, so I am back from vacation, and ready to do some blogging... I will be doing some college football stuff for a different website, and I'll link back to it once it is ready. Until then, I thought I would chat a little about USA/Mexico...
So far, the US has scored in the first ten minutes, with Mexico answering back about 12 minutes afterwards-- leave it to a guy named Castro to thwart Americans... Mexico seems to have a better idea of what they want to do on offense. they are controlling the ball more, making runs and centering the ball, while the Americans are looking a little sloppy, often ending possessions after just one or two touches. Fortunately for the US, they seem to have the edge in goal with Tim Howard, who has already made one sprawling save, and will likely need to have a few more for the stars and stripes to win in Mexico City...
More to come...
So far, the US has scored in the first ten minutes, with Mexico answering back about 12 minutes afterwards-- leave it to a guy named Castro to thwart Americans... Mexico seems to have a better idea of what they want to do on offense. they are controlling the ball more, making runs and centering the ball, while the Americans are looking a little sloppy, often ending possessions after just one or two touches. Fortunately for the US, they seem to have the edge in goal with Tim Howard, who has already made one sprawling save, and will likely need to have a few more for the stars and stripes to win in Mexico City...
More to come...
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