College Football - Football Betting

2005-11-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

Keys to the Big Games
Week Nine, Oct. 29
UCLA vs. Stanford---college fotball ---
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By John Harris---college fotball ---

a. You’re in Good Hands with Alston…and others – For as good as UCLA QB Drew Olson has been playing, the Bruins will only be as good as the running game, featuring Maurice Jones-Drew, will take them. To stop the Bruin run game, the Stanford linebackers, led by Jon Alston and Kevin Schimmelmann, will have their hands full stopping the star Bruin RB. Schimmelmann is the leading tackler, registering 50 tackles on the year – along with 4 tackles for a loss, for the Cardinal and is one of the best inside backers in the Pac-10. Smart and aggressive, he’s rarely out of position and he’ll have to dominate the game from tackle to tackle. He does have some help, though. Don’t be surprised if Alston isn’t the best linebacker in the Pac-10. His tackle numbers are down, but he leads the Cardinal in sacks with 5 and tackles for a loss with 7, as he’s a blur off the edge when he rushes the passer on passing downs. His quickness and speed are so completely disruptive on the edge that most runners either decide to cut back to the inside or take Alston head on. With Schimmelmann in the middle, neither of those are good options, with the way these two are playing. But, with the size of a strong safety, Alston isn’t big at all and UCLA must attack Alston on the outside to see if the consistent pounding will eventually open up the perimeter running game. Keep an eye on whether the Bruins will use some more draw plays when Alston is lined up at rush end. With his speed, he’ll try to take a high rush, allowing the Bruin tackles to push him by, opening up a huge hole to the outside for Jones-Drew to blast through and pick up big yardage. However, if the Schimmelmann-Alston duo can play off of each other, the Bruin run game will have some tough sledding, that’s for sure. ---college fotball ------college fotball ------college fotball ---

b. The Secret Weapon – Shhh, don’t tell anyone. That kid #9 from UCLA. He’s pretty good. His name is Marcus Everett and he might be the key to an undefeated season for the Bruins. After Junior Taylor tore his knee earlier this season, the Bruins had to have a perimeter threat step up. Anyone at all. Everett didn’t waste any time stepping up as the key guy. He won’t be the number one ace receiver for the Bruins, as that’s TE Marcedes Lewis claim to fame. But, Everett gives QB Drew Olson a consistent threat outside the hashes. With 19 catches in four games, Everett seemingly comes up with big catches time after time. Against a Stanford secondary that is giving up 281 yards per game through the air, the Bruin pass catcher’s role may be increased that much more. The thing about Everett is that Stanford won’t choose to double cover him, as they’ll want to focus on Lewis in the passing game, but Everett can get open against anyone in the league. He won’t put up massive numbers this week, but watch #9 closely, he’ll make a couple of key catches on third down to keep drives alive and could be a great option in the red zone.---college fotball ---
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c. The Harris Factor – After coming to the Farm with all of the promise of the legendary Stanford QBs that came before him, QB Trent Edwards is now starting to flash those skills each and every week. All it took was for QB coaching guru Walt Harris to take over at Stanford. Everywhere Harris has been QBs have gone from struggling nobodies to under the radar All-Conference stars. Bobby Hoying at Ohio State flourished under Harris, when he was OC at OSU. Former Pitt star Rod Rutherford became a consistent, sound decision-making weapon under Harris. And, you can see how much Tyler Palko has missed the teachings of the former Pitt head coach this season. But, it’s Edwards’s turn to blossom under the Stanford coach’s leadership. Thus far this season, he’s done just that. The fourth year player is completing 63% of his passes and has a 5 to 1 TD to interception ratio through six games (10 total TDs and only two picks). Now that Edwards has taken his game to a new level, the Cardinal offense is getting better every week. They’re not a juggernaut by any means, but then again UCLA hasn’t proven that they can consistently shut down decent offenses. The run defense from UCLA has been the thorn in the Bruins side, which makes Edwards presence all that much more important this weekend. The Cardinal doesn’t tear it up on the ground, but if UCLA proves they can’t slow down RB Anthony Kimble and company, then Edwards will have the entire playbook at his disposal. And, that’s exactly what Coach Harris wants.---college fotball ---
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Conclusion – The talk grows louder every week. Undefeateds – UCLA and USC – will meet in the Coliseum at the end of the year. Each and every win, the excitement grows and grows. But, the road hasn’t been good to the Bruins this year, well, okay, it was only one game, but another lackluster three quarter performance like the one that almost tripped them up at Pullman could spell trouble for the Bruins on the Farm. However, this UCLA team seems to have something that others before it didn’t have – heart, passion and a desire to play for one another. Escape this trap game, and the roar will continue to grow in Los Angeles. And, escape, they should. UCLA – 45 vs. Stanford – 35---college fotball ---
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2005-10-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Perspective Piece
Tennessee vs. Alabama, Oct. 22
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By Matthew Zemek---college football---

We interrupt this SEC season for a game that’s all about hatred.---college football---

Yes, the Alabama Crimson Tide are pursuing an SEC West crown (and with it, the chance to obtain bigger prizes), and sure, the Tennessee Volunteers are—just like the good ol’ days—playing for the Citrus (well, Capital One) Bowl, but when they step inside Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday, it’s going to feel like the SEC Championship Game for a state that wants retribution, and a Tennessee coach who will want this game for very personal reasons.
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The Vols and Tide have never liked each other, but this year, there’s extra vinegar and venom surrounding their collision, which should be played at 11:55 p.m. Friday night for two reasons: A) the game would not start on the fourth Saturday of October, a sacrilege for a rivalry that has a revered place on the third Saturday of the tenth month of the year—the 21^st will be the “Third Saturday” five minutes earlier; B) the hatred between these schools has become so violent, fueled by the soap opera entangling Fulmer, former Bama coaches and boosters, and a lot of messy interactions with Ye Olde NCAA, that a back alley at midnight seems a more appropriate place for staging this confrontation, where the term “Crimson flood” does not apply to any Christian hymn-song, but to the river of fluid Bama fans want to see ooze from the broken, busted bodies of a beaten Tennessee team.---college football---
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Remember how Georgia fans—upon getting Steve Spurrier Between the Hedges for the first time in ten years—wanted the biggest, baddest bloodletting they could possibly imagine in September, when the Gamecocks traveled to Athens to meet the Bulldogs? It’s much the same principle in this game, as Fulmer—who has dominated the Crimson Tide during his stay in Knoxville—just might face a reckoning of massive proportions... at least if Rick Clausen can’t display the heroics that brother Casey did two years ago. In 2003, an improbable overtime win for the Vols was made possible by “The Ice Man” and a 4^th and 19 completion in the third overtime stanza that saved the Children of the Checkerboard against a Bama team reeling from the Mike Price scandal and ably coached on that day by Mike Shula. The quality of Shula’s coaching performance that day gave Tide fans hope that Don’s Son would be able to lead Bama back to the promised land... and back to the winner’s circle against Tennessee.---college football---
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But injuries would have something to say about that. ---college football---
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The 2004 campaign was hardly an indictment of Shula’s coaching ability, but out-of-control Bama fans (who, by the way, are anything but alone in their impatience; there seem to be zero college football fans who possess that great human virtue these days, including those from Tennessee and just about anywhere else) just couldn’t accept the fact that injuries, and not coaching, hurt their team. Against Tennessee, Shula had to toss a very inexperienced and not-tremendously-talented Spencer Pennington into the Neyland Stadium pit against John Chavis’ wolves. Predictably enough, the Vols chewed Pennington up and spat him out, preserving yet another Vol victory on a day when the Big Orange offense could do precious little. The 17-13 defeat seemed to many to be a wasted opportunity for Shula, and even an outrage in some quearters, given the Tide’s dominance on defense. But as coaches always say, “you are what you are,” and Alabama was just not equipped with enough healthy, top-shelf skill position players to be able to win that day.---college football---
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This year—against Tennessee and, for that matter, the rest of the SEC—is different in Tuscaloosa. ---college football---
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It’s funny what a healthy stud quarterback will do to change perceptions of a head coach, and that’s exactly what has happened with Brodie Croyle and Mike Shula. Having his main gunslinger back, renewed and focused in 2005 makes Bama—at least on that thing called paper—a clear favorite in this game. But being a clear favorite against Phil Fulmer-coached teams—a scenario that hasn’t existed very much to begin with—is a scary proposition for the school that has had to listen to the Vols sing “We Own Alabama!” all too many times over the years. For one afternoon, Shula, Croyle and the school supported by the Million Dollar Band want to walk off the field and feel like a million bucks, singing “Sweet Home Alabama!” with relish and conviction. After all that Fulmer has done to affect the health of their program, and after all the hard knocks they’ve taken from the Vols over the years, there’s nothing the Tide want more than to deal their Orange enemies a biblical dose of unforgettable retribution. Folks might say it’s all about winning the SEC for Bama—and that it’s all about staying in the East race for the Vols—but that would be patently false, a smokescreen you could decipher in a heartbeat.---college football---
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In a rivalry that’s always been something fierce, Tennessee-Bama now becomes even more vicious, nasty and brutal. It’s a Tide team that wants a bloodletting against a proud, defiant Tennessee coach who’d like nothing more than to turn around a dismal season by defending his turf against the school he dragged into the muck.
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This Saturday is the reason those Southern Marshals escort coaches on and off the field at the beginning and end of games. The new level of intensity associated with Vols-Tide makes Phil Fulmer’s entrance and exit almost as intriguing a spectacle as the game itself. ---college football---
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Tennessee-Alabama. It’s no longer a fixture on the Third Saturday of October, but the hatred is hotter than ever. That’s what makes this Saturday’s game crackle with so much life and intrigue.---college football---
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2005-10-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Computer, human polls disagree
BCS championship game again could omit worthy teams

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER , JEFF D'ALESSIO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With less than a week until the first Bowl Championship Series standings come out, college football looks like it could be headed for another mess.

Ten months after an unbeaten Auburn team was denied a shot at the national championship, the pollsters and computers can't agree on who's No. 1. - College Football -

Or No. 2, for that matter.

Southern Cal is No. 1 in all three major polls ... and No. 6 this week in the Colley Matrix rankings, one of six computer formulas that will count as one-third of the BCS formula when the standings come out Monday.

Unbeaten Alabama is sixth in one human poll, seventh in the two that count ... and 20th in Richard Billingsley's computer rankings, another formula the BCS uses.

The ACC has two unbeatens (Virginia Tech, Florida State). So do the SEC (Georgia, Alabama), the Big 12 (Texas, Texas Tech) and the Pac-10 (USC, UCLA). - College Football -

And then there's 6-0 Penn State — No. 9 in the Harris Interactive poll, No. 10 in the coaches poll and No. 1 according to Wes Colley's computer, for which strength of schedule is a major criterion.

"Penn State's opponents are a combined 17-13. USC's opponents are 9-15," the founder of the Colley Matrix rankings said. "Bottom line, both are undefeated, but Penn State has beaten better competition." (The Nittany Lions also have posted four wins against teams in the Colley Matrix top 50; the Trojans have beaten two.) - College Football -

Southern Cal steps up in competition this weekend when it travels to Notre Dame, one of several key games involving an unbeaten team that could have an impact on how the first BCS standings shake out. Second-ranked Texas hosts No. 24 Colorado. Penn State goes to Michigan.

A loss by any of them — especially No. 1 Southern Cal or No. 2 Texas — would throw the polls into a frenzy.

If the unbeatens all win this weekend, Southern Cal and Texas would likely sit 1-2 in the BCS standings, upsetting fans of Virginia Tech (No. 3 in both polls), Georgia (No. 4) and FSU (No. 5). The polls count for two-thirds of the BCS formula; the average of the computer polls counts for the other third. - College Football -

"Probably the only team that could be No. 2 over us would be Virginia Tech simply because they are No. 3 — unless things change in the next week," said Texas coach Mack Brown, whose 5-0 Longhorns are No. 8 — one spot behind a one-loss Oregon team — in the Colley Matrix rankings.

Brown doesn't expect many teams to be unbeaten come the end of the regular season; the SEC and ACC championship games and the Texas-Texas Tech and USC-UCLA games will take care of at least four of them. - College Football -

But there could be as many as four teams from BCS conferences with no losses headed into bowl season — the winners of the SEC and ACC championship games and the champions of the Pac-10 and Big Ten (if it's Penn State). Neither the Pac-10 nor the Big Ten has a conference title game.

That would be sure to reignite the cry for college football to go to a playoff format."The [BCS] system is based on two opinion polls and a computer poll. That's just the system," said Grant Teaff, president of the American Football Coaches Association, which organizes the USA Today coaches poll. - College Football -

"Everybody, I think, certainly felt badly for Auburn last year, but again, it is the system that we are under. There is not anything that we can do about it."

2005-10-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

College football: Special teams help revive SNC

By Paul Adamski
Press-Gazette correspondent

DE PERE — When St. Norbert College was at its best over the past few football seasons, its offense and defense ranked among the nation’s best in NCAA Division III. - College Football -

Not far behind, however, was the play from the special teams.

When the six-time defending Midwest Conference champs got off to a slow start this season, the special teams weren’t making any momentum-changing plays. - College Football -

During last week’s 48-13 win over Knox College, the Green Knights showed flashes of being the powerhouse of years past.

The driving force was the special teams. - College Football -

“We saw some new things showing up (against Knox) that didn’t show up the first three weeks,” Purtill said. “One was turnovers, then big plays from the special teams and good field position.”

The special teams blocked a punt, intercepted a pass on a broken punt attempt, averaged more than 25 yards per return and helped land the Green Knights their best starting field position of the season.

On back-to-back returns, former Ashwaubenon star A.J. Phillips set up the St. Norbert offense in Knox territory. - College Football -

In the Green Knights’ first three games, they started on the opponent’s side of the 50-yard line just twice — and both were barely past midfield. Against Knox, seven of their 11 drives started in Prairie Fire territory.

“(Special teams) was a big factor,” Purtill said. “We had some short fields that made for short drives. We (also) had a couple of big plays when they tried to punt the ball, and even when (Knox) did score, we had good returns.” - College Football -

If SNC wants to make a run at a seventh consecutive conference title, Purtill says the play of the special teams will be crucial.

With six conference games left, the Green Knights (2-2 overall, 2-1 MWC) trail Monmouth College (4-0, 3-0) by one game.

The Green Knights and their opponent today, Illinois College (2-1, 1-1), are among a group of five teams with one loss. They’ll play in Jacksonville, Ill. - College Football -

Green Bay Press Gazette

2005-09-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

JC FOOTBALL: 3-quarter meltdown costs Mendo College
By JEFF CASPERSEN\The Daily Journal

UKIAH Last week, Mendocino College dazzled in its final three quarters after looking atrocious in the first while beating College of the Redwoods 42-31.

On Saturday, the Eagles offense started strong and fell off the face of the Earth in quarters two through four. Diablo Valley College (2-1) capitalized, rebounding from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to top host Mendocino 17-16 in a down-to-the-wire defensive affair.

Freshman quarterback Dayton Edwards and the Mendocino College offense had no trouble moving up and down the field in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game. - College Football -

Brad Cintas capped a 10-play, 54-yard opening drive with a 1-yard TD run at the 9:22 mark in the first.

Moments later, Edwards connected with Ryan McCullough on a 52-yard scoring strike. Edwards eluded heavy pressure before dumping off a mid-length pass to McCullough over the middle. The big receiver darted past several defenders, closed in on the left sideline and hugged it all the way to the endzone. - College Football -

That was the last time the Mendocino offense would see the endzone. The defense added a third-quarter safety, but that was the last of the points the Eagles (1-2) would put on the scoreboard.

That didn't mean Mendocino didn't have its opportunities to score. The Eagles' safety was set up by a failed march that ended a yard short of paydirt.

Diablo Valley's defense came up with a huge goal-line stand on the opening drive of the second half. Starting from their own 12-yard line, the Eagles advanced all the way to the DVC 1, where, with 12:25 to go, the visiting Vikings kept their opponents out of the endzone on a fourth-down running try. - College Football -

From there on, it all unraveled for Mendocino. A fumbled punt, an Edwards' interception and a series of failed offensive drives plagued the hosts as DVC posted TDs in both the third and fourth quarters to complete its comeback.

"There's nothing to say. We gave up the game," said a fiery and frustrated Eagles head coach Tom Gang after the game. "We just made too many mistakes. We were the better football team here today."

Vikings running back Jason Palmer, who finished with 90 yards on 26 carries, pounded home each of his team's TDs on short runs. - College Football -

Edwards finished the day 11-of-35 for 230 yards, but faded down the stretch, missing on 22 of his last 27 tosses. Marcus Hansen was the quarterback's favorite target of the day as DVC's secondary keyed in on fellow wideout Robert Kirvin. Hansen had four receptions for 107 yards.

Running back Brent Barstow saw a fair share of carries early before the Eagles went primarily to their passing game. He racked up 43 yards on 14 takes.

The Mendocino defense held up well, putting heavy pressure on DVC quarterbacks. Adrian Dunn and Jo'Dane Craigman were busting through the Viking line with regularity, each in on several sacks. Gary Norris had the Eagles' lone interception. - College Football -

Mendocino College will attempt to climb back to the .500 mark at De Anza College (Cupertino) next Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

2005-09-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

BuckeyeQ: Ohio State, from A to Z
Everything you need to know about Ohio State.

Somehow, in all their years of playing big-time college football, the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes have never bumped into each other on the gridiron. So, it's no wonder the two schools don't know very much about each other and their proud football traditions. But if you want to be in the know for the big game, the Showdown at the Shoe, here's a short primer on all things Buckeye, from Archie to Zwick. - College Football -

— John Maher

A - Archie: Griffin remains college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, taking that award in 1974 and '75. He now heads Ohio State's Alumni Association and is quite possibly the most popular Buckeye ever.

B - Brutus Buckeye: A buckeye is a brown and tan nut that resembles the eye of a buck deer. It's considered a good luck charm, but it's not the easiest thing to transform into a football mascot. The first Brutus, who debuted in 1965, was a roly-poly thing with human legs. The look has changed several times over the decades. - College Football -

C - Columbus — Pronounced C'lumbus by the locals. It's home of the Bucks and the capital of Ahia, as some natives pronounce their state — except when singing school songs.

D - Defense has been the key for recent Ohio State teams and this year's version is anchored by linebackers A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter.

E - Earle Bruce. Like Fred Akers at Texas, Bruce had the misfortune of following a coaching legend. Earle couldn't please fans in spite of a .755 winning percentage from 1979-87. He later worked radio broadcasts of Ohio State games.

F - Fiesta Bowl. The 31-24 national championship upset of Miami happened almost three years ago but they're still replaying it in the local airport. - College Football -

G - Ginn. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is OSU's latest Heisman hopeful.

H - "Hang on Sloopy." Forty years after it was a No. 1 hit for the McCoys, this song is still played by the OSU band when the team needs a defensive stand.

i - Dotting the i is the biggest and most loudly cheered tradition of the self-proclaimed "The Best Damn Band in the Land" (TBDBITL). After the band spells out a script "Ohio," a sousaphone player breaks formation to dot the i.

J - John Cooper. Took over for Earle Bruce and from 1988-2000, he developed the reputation of being able to recruit better than he could coach against the Bucks' biggest rival.

K - Kirk Herbstreit. The former Ohio State quarterback (1992) not only is a host of ESPN's "College Football GameDay," he also does some local radio in Columbus.

L - Leaves. Buckeye leaves are the thingies on the Ohio State helmets. They're awarded for exceptional plays, a tradition that started in 1967. - College Football -

M - Mirror Lake. The campus' beauty spot.

N - Nuuuge. Good news for Texas fans is that they won't hear this sound. Place-kicker Mike Nugent, the school's all-time leading scorer and the first kicker to be named the team's MVP, has moved on to the New York Jets. The Buckeyes will now be desperately searching for someone to pull out all those close games they play.

O - Oval. The campus' central commons area.

P - Pass. Only three things can happen when you throw one, and two of them are bad. That used to be the Buckeyes' credo in the Woody Hayes era (just like at Texas under the equally legendary Darrell Royal), but the school has since attracted a lot of quarterbacks good enough to at least kick around in the NFL for a few years. - College Football -

Q - Quiet. Oddly enough, that can frequently describe the 101,000 fans at Ohio State games, who are louder only than Penn State fans. But, with a night game after a day of tailgating, Texas won't hear this unless the Longhorns jump out to a 21-0 lead.

R - Redcoats. The keepers of the gates at the stadium whose responsibilities include trying to keep out liquor.

S - Shoe. The Shoe is the nickname for Ohio Stadium, although expansion has cost it its famous horseshoe shape.

T - Tressel. Coach Jim Tressel is the guy on the sidelines in the sweater vest.

U - Up North. As in the school up north, Buckeye code for the hated Michigan Wolverines.

V - V.C. The Varsity Club, hugely popular pregame hangout.

W - Woody Wayne Woodrow Hayes, who coached the Buckeyes to 238 wins from 1951-1978.

X - X's and O's. Never an OSU strong point as they prefer to try to out-hit and out-talent people, but Tressel and his staff may put in a few wrinkles for Ginn. - College Football -

Y - Years to remember. 2002 and 1968, Ohio State's most recent national championships.

Z - Zwick. Justin Zwick opened the season for the Bucks at quarterback, but whether he'll start against Texas remains to be seen as Troy Smith, the star of last year's Michigan game, will be eligible after sitting out the opener. - College Football -

2005-08-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hottest college football talking point: Strength of schedule

Huntsville Times

As the 2005 college football season approaches, this business of scheduling continues to resonate with the fans, particularly in the Southeastern Conference.

The latest issue of Sports Illustrated is a case in point.

As part of a centerpiece story about the longtime woes at Temple University, SI includes a side-by-side graphic that ranks the magazine's choices for the toughest and easiest non-conference schedules among the major colleges.

It would be hard for a reasonable person to quibble with the toughest, which is labeled "The Gutsiest.'' The first two, anyway.

Notre Dame, which is not affiliated with any conference, plays five teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 - Pittsburgh, Michigan and Purdue on the road, Southern California and Purdue at home. The Irish certainly qualify as the No. 1 Gutsiest.

Southern California, which has won two straight national championships, ranks No. 2 based on four non-Pac 10 opponents - Hawaii, Arkansas, Notre Dame and Fresno State.

Then comes Texas (Louisiana-Lafayette, Ohio State and Rice), Arkansas (Southwest Missouri State and Louisiana-Monroe) and Georgia Tech (Auburn, Connecticut and Georgia).

Personally, I'd put Georgia Tech at No. 3, but that's me.

In "The Wimpiest'' category, SI picks Texas Tech (Florida International, Sam Houston State and Indiana State) at the top, followed by Penn State (South Florida, Cincinnati, Central Michigan), Washington State (Idaho, Nevada, Grambling), Alabama (Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, Utah State) and Oklahoma State (Montana State, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State).

No argument there.

Of this year's SEC teams, Tennessee and Georgia probably deserve to be 1-2 on anybody's list of toughest non-conference schedules. The Vols, who traditionally play the league's hardest schedule, open with perhaps the best UAB team in history and later play Notre Dame (in South Bend) and Memphis. The Bulldogs have a dangerous opener against Boise State along with Louisiana Monroe and the traditional tester against Georgia Tech.

Most of the other SEC schools will play only one imposing outside challenger this season: Auburn has Georgia Tech, for example. Florida has Florida State. Kentucky has Louisville. LSU has Arizona State.

It's only natural for fans of a certain age in our state to long for the days when Alabama and Auburn could proudly rate their football schedules alongside anybody's in the country.

Remember when Alabama played Nebraska, Southern California, Louisville and Miami in 1977 and Nebraska, Missouri, Washington and Virginia Tech in 1978?

Remember when Auburn played Texas, Southern Miss, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland in 1983 and Miami, Texas, Southern Miss, Florida State and Cincinnati in 1984?

Of course, that was before the SEC expanded from 10 to 12 teams and before everybody had to play eight league games. It's an altogether different era now - and not necessarily a better one.

2005-08-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Rocket football team fires up the intensity

Dave Svehla has tried to change. And he had the same success as New Coke and Pepsi Blue for college students and gussets for Nebraska football uniforms. “I just didn’t feel right, and I don’t think I coached well at all when I tried to be more relaxed and detached,” Svehla said.

“I coach a certain way. I’m fairly intense. That’s the way I have to be, and the kids seem to respond.”

So Lincoln Northeast’s football team will get what it sees from its head coach again this year.

“We were kind of a ball-control, well, 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense, and we’re probably going to stay with that,” said Svehla, now in his third year at Northeast.

The philosophy has worked.

The Rockets have reached the playoffs two of the past three years.

Of course, that’s not enough for Svehla or any of the Northeast players.

“It seemed like all of us talked about losing in the first round of the playoffs and how that left a bad taste in our mouth all year,” said senior Jon Bradley, offensive guard-defensive tackle.

“We seemed more motivated for team summer workouts, get together and lifting weights,” he said. “It looks like we’re all trying to be the players who have the energy and the stamina to go in the fourth quarter of those games late in the season.”

If Bradley can make it, the rest of the Rockets will benefit. Bradley is 6-foot-2 and at least 320 pounds. He starts along with offensive linemen and returning starters Kellen Walker, Major Erickson and Kody Parker. The Rockets also may count on returning lettermen Matt Bring, Michael Kutey and Jake Olson in the line.

Svehla said the Rockets will probably be grinding out the offense again this year. After running behind quarterback Tyler Stephenson the past three seasons, the Rockets will count on last year’s leading rusher John Fisher to pace the attack.

“We have some big, physical kids, who as they gain maturity, gain confidence and courage,” Svehla said. “I don’t think football is toughness as much as it is a measure of how courageous a player is.

“If you see kids with courage and confidence, you’re going to see kids willing to stick their nose in there, make a hit and learn that it doesn’t hurt but it makes an impact.”

Northeast will try to be a physical, pounding team again this year, he said.

Running back Fisher has shown the ability to run inside and blast the line. Receiver John Rust has lead the team in catches the past two seasons, and the line has proven to be dominating at times.

The defense can be overpowering, too.

Linebacker Jerry Vaughn-Taylor and defensive backs Brian Stevens and Brinson Steinhauser are expected to lead the defense.

“We hurt from the playoff loss to North Platte last year,” said Bradley. The Rockets lost a fumble on the first play of overtime to North Platte, a team they beat in the regular season.

“We’re working to improve, but we’re not looking past Lincoln High because we lost that game last year, too,” Bradley said.

The Rockets won seven straight and fell in their last two games.

“We have a determination I haven’t felt here before,” Bradley said. “We have high expectations because we all put in the work.

“We’re also ready to have a lot of fun. We had a team PlayStation 2 tournament this summer, and Coach (Darin) Lintner and I finished second to Kellen Walker and Brinson Steinhauser. And just like that tournament, we know we’ll get better and win this year, and win a rematch with the PS2 tournament, too.”

KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

2005-08-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

UA Football: Strength in armsWildcats content with quarterback situation

Nobody on the University of Arizona football coaching staff wants to play musical quarterbacks again.
That was too taxing with the Wildcats going from Kris Heavner to Ryan O'Hara to Nic Costa to Richard Kovalcheck last year. Of those, only Kovalcheck survived. It is no coincidence he also enters the 2005 season as the starter. - College Football -
"We firmly believe that quarterback is a position of strength for us," UA coach Mike Stoops said.
Heavner is now playing baseball with the Wildcats, O'Hara is at Scottsdale Community College and Costa is a receiver at Portland State. - College Football -
The Wildcats still have plenty of options behind Kovalcheck, a sophomore who started the final five games last year.
UA has junior Adam Austin, who was in on nearly 1,500 plays in the spring, because the former walk-on was the only scholarship quarterback available. - College Football -
Also in the hunt is freshman Willie Tuitama.
"It is funny how all that worked out," Stoops said. "Everybody was worried about all those (quarterbacks) leaving. We ended up with the three best guys in Kovalcheck, Austin and Tuitama.
"We believe quarterback will not be a weak point. I believe those three will play winning football."
It is a matter of the trio now getting into a groove.
Kovalcheck is still showing some rust after back surgery prevented him from working out this spring. - College Football -
Austin is adapting to reading defenses on the run and getting the ball to the right place.
Tuitama is the young player finding out how tough college ball is.
"I love our quarterbacks," UA receiver/cornerback B.J. Dennard said. "We have my man Kovalcheck leading the game. Adam Austin brings a lot to us. He's so intelligent about the game. Look at little Willie, he brings such athleticism. He is good. He should be able to step in as a true freshman and learn the offense and be a leader." - College Football -
Kovalcheck and Austin are getting most of the reps in the daily workouts.
It is obvious lately Kovalcheck is starting to get more into a rhythm after back surgery to repair a disc kept him on the sidelines since his breakout game against Arizona State last season.
"I feel a lot better," Kovalcheck said. "I feel more confident and comfortable. I still know I have a ways to go. That is what the rest of the camp is for."
Stoops has made it clear Kovalcheck is the starter heading into the Sept. 2 opener at Utah. The sophomore, who took over late against Oregon midway through the 2004 season, still has plenty to prove, but his last outing was impressive. - College Football -
Kovalcheck completed 17 of 31 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 victory over the Sun Devils.

JOHN MOREDICH
Tucson Citizen

2005-08-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

MAC preview: Bowling Green's Jacobs the next QB in line

Record-setting Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a near-perfect run through his rookie season in the NFL, with every completed pass and victory elevating the Mid-American Conference's reputation. Although Marshall has defected from the league, both Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich cut their teeth against MAC competition.
Very soon, Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs will join them in carrying the flag for the league at the next level. At 6-feet-4 and packing a powerful, accurate arm, he's projected a first-round pick whenever he turns pro. - College Football -
There is considerable buzz surrounding him after a sophomore season in which he threw for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Even if he does leave early, the junior's aim -- while people whisper his name as a dark-horse Heisman candidate -- is to lead the Falcons to a conference championship. Everything else is secondary.
"We've challenged him," said Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon. "How many championships has he won? Can he do that? Can he lead a team to a championship? That is what he has got to get done for us." - College Football -
Bowling Green switches divisions this season -- with Marshall and Central Florida gone -- and has immediately been installed as the East favorite over two-time reigning champ Miami. While some might have expected the program to take a tumble once Urban Meyer left for Utah, the Falcons have remained a power under former assistant Brandon, accumulating a 20-6 mark in his two seasons. They still run the same complex offense that made Meyer a household name, and based on Jacobs' production, do so just as efficiently. - College Football -
In fact, Bowling Green has the potential to accomplish what Meyer's Utah team did last year, bullying its way into the BCS. Senior tailbacks P.J. Pope and B.J. Lane and receivers Charles Sharon and Steve Sanders rejoin Jacobs on an offense that produced over 500 yards a game, second in the nation. - College Football -
The Falcons could be an unruly guest in visits to Wisconsin and Boise State in the season's first month. If they are able to escape unscathed, they will captivate attention similar to last year's Utes entering their tougher conference tests in November. - College Football -
"Conference games are the most important games on our schedule, because that will dictate the bowl opportunities and the success of our season," said Brandon. "I'm not going to get all caught up in the hype of Boise and Wisconsin. Those are going to be great football games and our guys are going to go in and play our tails off. [But] I'm going to emphasize that we've got to be ready to play Ball State (Sept. 10) and we've got to be ready in October for the conference schedule."
Miami figures to be their most dangerous foe, especially if Roethlisberger's successor, senior Josh Betts, continues to make strides. Ohio, now directed by former Nebraska coach Frank Solich, will also be a tough out. - College Football -
In the West, mainstays Toledo and Northern Illinois should again be strong, giving the conference a solid stable of teams that will allow it to hold on to its ever-growing status as a dangerous, quality mid-major league. If Jacobs crashes the Heisman party while leading Bowling Green to unprecedented heights, the MAC might just be a part of the news all season.

Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com

2005-07-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

Instant replay, more bowl slots
ACC ROUNDUP

There's no slowing down John Swofford.
With the Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner set to usher in a new era of divisional competition and a league football championship game this season, he's already finalized plans for the 2006 postseason, too. - College Football -
During his state of the league address Tuesday at the 2005 ACC Football Kickoff media sessions at The Homestead Resort, Swofford announced he has secured contracts that will guarantee the conference eight bowl slots following the 2006 through 2009 seasons. In years when the league has two Bowl Championship Series-eligible teams, the ACC could have as many as nine schools participating in college football's postseason if it has that many teams with at least six victories.
"We'll probably be a little short on bowl affiliations for this one year," Swofford said. "We don't foresee a problem after this season. Eight bowl games for a 12-team league should be sufficient."
Swofford said the league would monitor all postseason affiliations this season, looking for any opportunities that might become available if other leagues can't fill all of their bowl slots.
After the 2006 season, the ACC will add the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco and the Music City Bowl in Nashville to its non-BCS mix. Currently, the ACC has five secondary bowl affiliations, including the Gator in Jacksonville, the Peach in Atlanta and games currently sponsored by Champs Sports in Orlando, Meineke Car Care in Charlotte, N.C., and MPC Computers in Boise, Idaho. Swofford said the league chose to maintain all five affiliations of the past three years rather than replace them with other games.
Swofford said it is too soon to talk how much additional revenue the two new games will bring to the league since those details are still being negotiated. But with all the bowl contracts being renegotiated after this season, the ACC could be pulling in an additional $4-5 million in non-BCS bowl revenue in 2006. - College Football -
Instant replay
Tommy Hunt, the ACC's director of officiating, gave an instant-replay clinic, going over which plays would and would not be reviewable from the press box.
The ACC is one of nine conferences that will be using instant replay this season. Only the Mountain West will be allowing coaches to challenge a call from the field.
All the other leagues will have an instant-replay official and two technicians in a secured booth in the press box. Hunt said the ACC and the SEC are both utilizing DVSport software that will allow the replay official to review every play.
"It will be instantaneous," Hunt said. "In many cases, we will have the decision made before the official gets to the telephone on the sideline." - College Football -
Hunt made it clear that the NCAA isn't interested in duplicating the NFL's wide use of instant replay. The only plays that will be subject to review in the ACC this season are scoring plays, fumble recoveries, pass completions/interceptions and any plays where it is unclear if a player stepped out of bounds or made it into the end zone.
"It will require irrefutable video evidence," Hunt said. "Replay is not a cure-all. We will still make mistakes and there will be mistakes not detectable by the replay official."
Hunt said the ACC had identified as many as 200 situations it considered useful to have replay available if necessary, but that the NCAA has restricted its use.
Instant replay won't be used to officiate any contact plays, including fighting. Thus, roughing the passer or kicker, holding, pass interference and all personal fouls will have to be flagged on the field. - College Football -
Rule changes
The NCAA has made slight modifications to a couple of rules, getting specific on what behavior constitutes "unsportsmanlike acts" and essentially making it a violation for players to leap over the line in an attempt to block a kick.
The only exception will be if they are lined up within a yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. - College Football -
"We're telling coaches to tell their players, 'If you can't fly, don't leap,"' Hunt said.
As for the unsportsmanlike calls, the list of infractions is now so long that players will be risking a penalty if they do anything that is not considered "spontaneous celebrating with teammates."
Among the specific violations: imitating a slashing of the throat or firing of a weapon, bowing at the waist or pretending you can't hear spectators, crossing your arms or punching your chest excessively and high-stepping into the end zone or standing over a prone opponent in a taunting manner.
Monday exposure
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said that he has mixed feelings about the likelihood that a two-year agreement to kick off the season against Miami won't be extended beyond this year's Sept.5 game. - College Football -
It's not so much the season opener against the Hurricanes he fears losing, rather it's the prospect of missing out on the opportunity to play on national television during primetime on Monday night. - College Football -
"To be able to play on Labor Day night, it's like being chosen. We're chosen to play in that game with Miami. We're both so lucky. It's like 'Monday Night Football,"' Bowden said. "Everybody in the country would like to have the game, and we've got it. So if we have to play them to get it, we'll play them to get it. But they have to play us to get it, too."
That said, Bowden admits that he'd rather work out the kinks against an easier opponent than the Hurricanes each season. - College Football -
"Would I like to play somebody else? Oh sure. I like Sewanee. I've always wanted to open with Sewanee."

Randy Beard
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

2005-07-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Volunteers help keep kids sharp with care

With college on his mind, Frank Olivia studied multiplication tables spread on a Hughen Center table.At 15, dressed in a basketball jersey with a green plastic "play hard" wrist band, Olivia plans to go "home" to Texas Tech in Lubbock to invent wheelchair football.Oleitha Cheney, his Foster Grandmother, keeps challenging Olvia, but says he can handle anything she throws at him. The Grandparents, volunteers sponsored by the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, are working to keep Hughen students' reading and verbalization skills sharp over the summer.Cheney was a school bus driver, but didn't get enough of kids. She said people her age often complain about aches and pains, and she is inspired when she sees what young Hughen students face every day from their wheelchairs. - College Football -
Tristan Conely, 15, also had some math at the table, but he much preferred discussing outings he's taken with Foster Grandparents. Movies and lunches are highlights. - College Football -
"The Pompano Club," he blurted, pepping up at the memory.Wanda Taylor said this is the second year the program has perked up summers at Hughen. Many of the disabled children are far from home and the volunteer grandparents, in trademark red vests, offer a sharing time."They really enjoy it. They fall in love with them," Taylor said, describing how seniors feel about students. "They show a lot of love and a lot of concern. - College Football -
These grandparents provide them with someone who cares."Outings have included lunch at the Pompano Club, Dairy Queen, Museum of the Gulf Coast, bowling and mall shopping.Grandma Refugia "Cookie" Lopez helped 12-year-old Shanae Gibson read a Bugs Bunny book and complete a word search. Shanae said computer work is her favorite. - College Football -
"I do my best to keep her mind focused on her work," Lopez said. "I enjoy every bit of it."Hughen aide Vicki Briscoe called the Grandparents "extraordinary women" who share their wisdom, and told how students enjoyed lessons in cooking fruit pizza, cupcakes and lasagna.Grandma Victoria Stevenson said she loves how Robert Patrick, 10, gives her a big smile and hug when she comes in. Stevenson's own 10-year-old, Krystal, attends with her mother and gets to color and work with Robert, and another student, Robert Britto, 12."I like working with kids in general," Stevenson said. "These kids need all the tender loving care they can get. I would tell anybody looking into volunteering to consider coming here. They all look up to us." - College Football -

Darragh Doiron-The News staff writer

2005-07-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

New BCS poll to begin month into season
Former coaches and players, media to vote in rankings

The Bowl Championship Series has a new poll, one that begins a month into the college football season and will include former coaches and players, plus media members.Called the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, it will rank the top 25 teams on a weekly basis, starting Sept. 25. Plans call for 114 voters.The BCS has said it would like to see the elimination of preseason polls, which some believe give highly touted teams an unfair headstart in the rankings."This allows for some games to be played in the current season rather than allow teams to be ranked purely on preseason expectations," BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said Monday.The season's first BCS standings will be released Oct. 17.The new poll replaces the Associated Press poll, which the BCS had used in its formula for ranking teams since 1998. Last season, however, the AP told the BCS it could no longer use its media poll.In addition to the new poll, the BCS will continue to use the USA Today coaches' poll and a compilation of six computer rankings - each counting for one-third of a team's grade. - College Football -
The coaches will continue with a preseason ballot.Recently, ESPN pulled out of participating in the coaches' poll.The coaches agreed to have their final ballots made public for the first time this season. The new Harris poll will take the same approach, releasing only the final ballots."We thought it was important for there to be consistency with the two human polls," Weiberg said. "To make the ballots public on a weekly basis during the season, we feel the focus would be on who voted for whom and detract from the games being playing. - College Football -
"Weiberg said voters in the new poll will be allowed to make their votes public at any point in the season if they choose.The AP preseason poll will be released Aug. 20, with the first regular-season poll Sept. 6. The AP national champion will be crowned after the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4.Ballots of AP poll voters are made public all season. - College Football -
NEVADA UPGRADES SCHEDULE
The University of Nevada has sealed deals to play future football games at Nebraska and Florida State.The Wolf Pack, who are in the Western Athletic Conference, will play at Nebraska in 2007 and at Florida State in 2008, Nevada Athletic Director Cary Groth said.She said she's also working on a deal to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the next four to six years.Nevada officials earlier announced an agreement for a home-and-home series with the Big Ten's Northwestern starting in 2006.Groth said she's also talking to Illinois and Iowa State as well as some other schools in the Southeast Conference. - College Football -
"Were really excited because were going to play a competitive Division IA schedule," Groth said. "Its very similar to what other universities do to move their programs to regional and national prominence."Groth said playing programs with national followings should help recruiting efforts."It puts Nevada on the map," she said.The Wolf Pack had previously announced a home-and-home series with Northwestern starting in 2006.Groth said Nevada also has a four-game package with Colorado State starting next season, but is seeking to push back two of those games. - College Football -

ASSOCIATED PRESS

2005-07-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

HS Football prospects: Pumped for UA
Sabino RBs Reed, Bolasky say Wildcats high on list

Sabino High School running backs Brooks Reed and Glyndon Bolasky will be blocking for one another this season, and maybe again as teammates in college.
The pair - among the state's top five recruits - should have plenty of options after they try to carry the Sabercats into the playoffs for their senior season.
Schools across the nation, including the University of Arizona, are sending them scholarship offers for the 2006 season.
"The UA is probably up there in the lead," Reed said. "I am there all the time and I know the coaches well.
"Arizona has a pretty big advantage: having the opportunity to play in front of your friends and family and to play in your hometown."
Reed also is looking at Arizona State, California, Colorado State and Purdue.
Bolasky has received offers from Arizona, Colorado State, Arizona State, Utah, Brigham Young, Georgia Tech, New Mexico State and recently Oregon State.
"It is good to have so many choices," Bolasky said. "It is the best problem to have as a high school football player.
"I know any decision I make will be a good one for me," Bolasky added. "It is a no-lose situation."
The interest in Bolasky began after Sabino finished 8-3 a year ago and he compiled a highlight videotape for schools across the country.
"When the season ended, I made a tape. Right away I got letters and correspondences," Bolasky said. "I think it really helped me out a lot."
There were plenty of video highlights for the 6-foot, 190-pound senior, who rushed for 1,550 yards and scored 17 touchdowns last season.
Bolasky will carry the ball for Sabino this year and play defensive back.
Arizona coaches have told him he would get a first look at tailback, but suggested he might see more playing time at safety.
Reed is being looked at as an halfback/tight end. The 6-2, 220-pound standout rushed for 350 yards and scored seven times last year, while making six sacks on defense.
"I'm trying to decide if I want to commit early or wait," Reed said. "One of the advantages would be that you don't have to deal with the pressure during the season and that you know where you are going after you graduate high school."

JOHN MOREDICH
Tucson Citizen

2005-06-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

College Football: Wetenkamp leaves Missouri wrestling for Western Illinois

MANITOWOC — When all was said and done, Chase Wetenkamp just missed football too much.
The former Manitowoc Lincoln star has decided to end his collegiate wrestling career after one season at the University of Missouri to transfer to Division I-AA Western Illinois to play football for the Leathernecks.
Wetenkamp, the 2004 WIAA Division 1 275-pound state wrestling champion and all-state football selection, committed verbally to Western Illinois on Tuesday and will sign his letter of intent today.
“I enjoyed wrestling, but I missed football,” said the 6-foot-2, 288-pound Wetenkamp. “I went to some (Missouri) football games in the fall, and that’s when I really started to miss it.”
After a successful freshman season when he went 23-18, Wetenkamp informed Missouri coach Brian Smith that he was transferring.
“He was surprised,” Wetenkamp said, recalling the late March conversation with his former coach. “He tried to talk me out of it for a week. He said he thought I could be very successful in wrestling.”
Wetenkamp said he’d been recruited some by Western Illinois while at Lincoln, but his early commitment to wrestle at Missouri ended those efforts. But he kept in contact with former Sheboygan South standout and current Leatherneck Ricky Jones, whom he met while playing in the 2004 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association/Shrine All-Star Game, during the fall.
After gaining his release from Missouri, Wetenkamp contacted Leathernecks’ coach Don Patterson, went on his official visit in the beginning of May and made his decision.
Wetenkamp said he expects to play guard for Western Illinois.
“I think wrestling and football go hand-in-hand, at least at my position,” Wetenkamp said. “It’s one-on-one with a lot of hand-to-hand combat.”

Herald Times Reporter

College Football News

2005-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

College Football News