Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 329 of 1503)

      Denard Robinson for Heisman!

      September 12, 2010 /
      SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 11: Denard Robinson of the Michigan Wolverines runs against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 11, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Michigan defeated Notre Dame 28-24. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      All right, so that’s a little premature. But even the staunchest of Michigan haters have to admit that the sophomore has looked mighty impressive in his first two performances of the year.

      A week after compiling 383 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in a win over Connecticut, Robinson absolutely torched Notre Dame for 502 total yards on Saturday, including 244 passing and 258 rushing. He also scored three touchdowns (1 passing, 2 rushing), one of which came with only 27 seconds remaining to give Michigan a 28-24 victory.

      The criticism Rich Rodriguez has received over the last two years has been well deserved, but it’s fair to note that he hadn’t found a starting quarterback to run his offense. Now that he has one, Wolverine fans are finally seeing positive results. Robinson might not be a traditional passer, but that’s not what Rich Rod’s offense calls for anyway. And it’s hard to find any fault in the way the sophomore signal caller has started the season.

      Granted, he hasn’t faced Ohio State, he hasn’t faced Iowa, Penn State on the road or Wisconsin either. But it’s not like the Irish play with 11 amputees on the defensive side of the ball. And while the outcome of the game may have been different had Dayne Crist been able to play all four quarters, Robinson was still a one-man wrecking crew.

      He’s made Michigan relevant again.

      College Football, External Sports

      Mark Ingram who? Trent Richardson rolls over inexperienced Penn State.

      September 12, 2010 /
      TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Trent Richardson of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes against Drew Astorino and Stephon Morris of the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      Those who follow the Alabama Crimson Tide knew that Mark Ingram could sit out another week and the team would be just fine with Trent Richardson taking the bulk of the carries – even with No. 18 Penn State coming to town.

      And they were fine – more than fine.

      The nation’s best backup compiled 190 yards of total offense and one touchdown as the Crimson Tide dominated the Nittany Lions 24-3 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday evening. Richardson rushed 22 times for 144 yards (6.5 YPC) and one touchdown, while also catching four passes for 46 yards.

      Just as impressive as Richardson’s performance was the effort by the Tide’s defense. Nick Saban’s D held PSU to only 283 total yards, including 156 through the air. They also forced four turnovers and if it weren’t for a garbage field goal in the fourth quarter, the Tide would have produced their first shutout of 2010.

      Of course, the final result tonight was hardly shocking. The Nittany Lions are an extremely young team and while quarterback Robert Bolden is going to be good someday, he’s only a freshman. He looked poised last week, but obviously there’s a difference between playing Youngstown State at home and Alabama in one of the toughest environments in college football. He was bound to show his inexperience, which he did.

      Getting back to Ingram, he had knee surgery less than two weeks ago and it’s still uncertain whether or not he’ll return next week against Duke. With Richardson lining up in the backfield, it looks like the defending Hesiman winner can take as long as he needs to return to the field of action.

      College Football, External Sports

      Boise State’s national championship cause takes a massive hit

      September 11, 2010 /
      MIAMI - JANUARY 01: Head coach Frank Beamer of the Virginia Tech Hokies looks on against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the FedEx Orange Bowl at Dolphin Stadium on January 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

      When Boise State knocked off Virginia Tech on Monday night, their hope was that the Hokies would go on to run the table so that the victory looked great in the eyes of BCS voters come the end of the year.

      So much for that idea.

      James Madison shocked the college football nation on Saturday by knocking off the Hokies 21-16 in Blacksburg. The Dukes were only able to produce 14 first downs but they forced three turnovers, which included a fumble recovery with 5:21 remaining to seal the game. Quarterback Drew Duzik also ran for two touchdowns as James Madison beat the Hokies for the first time in school history.

      The loss destroys VA Tech’s national title hopes, although they haven’t even begun conference play yet so they still have plenty to push on for this season. The biggest blow will likely be felt by Boise State, as their win on Monday night now holds less water than a colander. Thanks to a soft WAC slate, they don’t have another team on their schedule to help prop them up in the eyes’ of voters.

      While the Broncos did what they had to do in beating Virginia Tech on Monday, unfortunately the Hokies didn’t live up to their end of the bargain. The coaches will have their vote and will never put a Boise team in the title game when their claim to fame was knocking off a team that was beat by James Madison the very next week.

      College Football, External Sports

      2010 NFL Week 1 Predictions

      September 10, 2010 /
      PHILADELPHIA - AUGUST 13: Kevin Kolb of the Philadelphia Eagles drops back to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during their preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 13, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

      Here are some predictions that are sure to get me yelled at in the comments section come Sunday and Monday night…

      Sunday, 1:00PM ET

      Broncos at. Jaguars
      I’ve seen more firepower out of a soaking wet pistol than what these two teams produce on offense. The Broncos are going to have trouble generating a pass rush all season, but it won’t matter in Week 1 because the Jaguars don’t have anybody to stop. We’re going to find out by the end of the first quarter whether or not Jacksonville is hiding an injury to Maurice Jones-Drew.
      Odds: Jaguars –2.5
      Prediction: Broncos 17-13

      Raiders at Titans
      The new-look Raiders are going to be more competitive this season, but they still have a ton of issues on the offensive line. This game goes down to the wire, but the Titans eek one out at home.
      Odds: Titans –6
      Prediction: Titans 20-17

      Bengals at Patriots
      The key to the Bengals’ season is not T.O. getting along with Chad Ochocinco – it’s whether or not Carson Palmer can lead an improved passing game. The Patriots have issues on defense, but they’re awfully tough to beat at home.
      Odds: Patriots –4.5
      Prediction: Patriots 23-20

      Browns vs. Buccaneers
      It’s amazing to think that one of these two teams will still be undefeated after the first week of the season.
      Odds: Bucs –3
      Prediction: Browns 16-13

      Colts at. Texans
      If the Texans hope to make the playoffs this year, they better learn how to beat teams in their own division – starting this Sunday with the Colts. Thanks to Houston’s inexperienced secondary, I don’t see the Texans getting the Indy monkey off their backs this week.
      Odds: Colts –1
      Prediction: Colts 30-21

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Top 5 Storylines of Week 1 in the NFL

      September 10, 2010 /
      SAN DIEGO - JANUARY 17: Head coach Rex Ryan of the New York Jets stands on the field during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on January 17, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

      It’s Week 1 in the NFL, so you know there are going to be some juicy headlines heading into this weekend’s action. Here are my top 5…

      1. What will Rex Ryan and the Jets do for an encore?
      We’ll have to wait until Monday before we see “Hard Knocks” play out on the field, but Ryan’s squad is going to get a stiff test right off the bat. The Ravens are loaded offensively and some believe could challenge for a Super Bowl berth this season. Meanwhile, Darrelle Revis is back at practice after holding out for 36 days, but is he ready to play after missing all of training camp? How will his chemistry be with a defense that he hasn’t played a live game situation with in over seven months? Can the Jets live up to their own Super Bowl expectations? Something tells me we’re going to find out a lot about both of these teams in four nights.

      2. How will the new-look Redskins fair?
      The Redskins were a disaster under Jim Zorn last year, so owner Daniel Snyder hired Mike Shanahan to help restore order and then signed off on a trade for Donovan McNabb. Now questions remain not only about McNabb’s health, but about whether or not he has enough help around him. The O-line is still a major question mark, as are the running back and receiver positions. On the other side of the ball, Shanahan has been feuding with Albert Haynesworth for the better part of a decade and rumors have started to circulate that he could be traded to Tennessee (uh, Haynesworth – not Shanahan. That would be ridiculous.). Kind of a bad time to be playing on national television against a divisional rival that is expected to be a Super Bowl contender, huh?

      3. Kevin Kolb gets stiff opening test
      All eyes will be on Kolb this week in the first game of the McNabb-less era in Philly. He won’t have time to get acclimated to the situation for very long, because the Super Bowl-hopeful Packers are coming to town with their top ranked defense from a year ago. It’ll be interesting to see what the backfield combination of Kolb and Shady McCoy will produce in their first live run of 2010. The offensive line is good and Kolb has plenty of weapons in the passing game thanks to DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maclin, but if McCoy can’t find running room then the Packers will certainly amp up the pressure. This could wind up being the best matchup on the Week 1 schedule next to Ravens-Jets’ bout on Monday night.

      4. Mike Martz’s Windy City Debut
      If you’re like me, I’m waiting for one of two things to happen in Chicago this year: Jay Cutler becoming the second-coming of Jeff George in Martz’s offense…or Jay Cutler becoming the second-coming of Jeff George in Martz’s offense. George, if you remember, could zip the ball around a football field as well as any quarterback in the league. Too bad he also forced passes into small windows instead of throwing it out of bounds or take sacks. He was also a pistol when it came to dealing with teammates and coaches, which is not unlike Cutler. It stands to reason that given Cutler’s skill set, he could wind up having a great season under Martz. But considering his offensive line still isn’t that good and he’ll be throwing the ball even more than he did last year, he could also wind up breaking the NFL record for interceptions in a single season. Either way, it should be fun.

      5. Welcome to the NFL, Sam Bradford
      Unlike some people, I don’t mind when teams start rookies at quarterback. The best way to learn the game is to play and while young signal callers are going to make plenty of mistakes, they’re also going to gain valuable experience as well. Bradford needs a better set of receivers than what the Rams currently have on their roster, but it’s not like the team is sending him into a firefight with a water gun and a shank. The offensive line is improving and having Steven Jackson in the same backfield will help take some of the pressure off of the rookie’s shoulders. He’s going to make some dumb mistakes and chances are, he’s also going to make some plays that make you say, “Hmm, nice throw kid.” Either way, Week 1 isn’t going to make or beak his future. It’ll be fun to see how he does in his first NFL test though.

      Just missing the cut…

      6. Is Maurice Jones-Drew healthy?
      7. Brady and Welker sans car accidents and knee injuries
      8. T.O. and Ocho Act I
      9. Can the Texans finally get the Colts monkey off their backs?
      10. How will the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers fair with Dennis Dixon under center?
      11. Pete Carroll makes his debut in Seattle
      12. Will we actually see Brandon Jacobs’ head explode if Bradshaw gets more opportunities in the Giants’ offense?

      External Sports, NFL

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