Category: College Football (Page 153 of 296)

      Alabama slowly dismantles Ole Miss, wins 22-3

      October 10, 2009 /

      Alabama

      Did anybody else feel the energy completely evaporate at the beginning of the third quarter? This game took place in Oxford, Mississippi and the fans consistently did their best to keep the Rebels inspired. Nevertheless, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead was never able to make the big play that would turn this game around. By the third quarter, the noise in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium was the equivalent of a gigantic yawn.

      Alabama entered this competition 5-0, favored to beat Ole Miss who held a record of 3-1. Over the last four seasons, Albama had won this competition each time, though the game always came down to the final possession. However, today’s meeting was never really close, despite the score at the half.

      Throughout the game, Jevan Snead failed to complete crucial first downs. Alabama’s defense terrorized his offense, picking off Snead four times. (Snead had previously only thrown five interceptions on the year.) They also limited Ole Miss’ rushing to a pathetic 57 yards.

      On the other hand, Alabama QB Greg McElroy was able to come through on big downs. Though he still passed for the same amount of yards as Snead, he didn’t throw any interceptions. In the end, neither quarterback was stellar. McElroy didn’t complete a touchdown pass as well. Alabama kicked their way onto the scoreboard, as
      Leigh Tiffin made each of his five field goal attempts. Running back Mark Ingram scored the game’s only touchdown, weaving through the Ole Miss defense on a 36-yard run.

      College football fans might look at this game and think Alabama did everything right. While they beat a talented team in Ole Miss, they were still limited to 152 yards passing and 202 yards rushing. Alabama’s defense ensured this win. If Nick Saban can turn his offense into a force half as dominant as his defense, Alabama will be unstoppable.

      College Football

      Arkansas upsets No. 17 Auburn 44-23

      October 10, 2009 /

      Arkansas

      When your team can’t run, pass, or defend during the first half, how do you expect to win a college football game? Auburn was 5-0 on the season before this game, coming off a big win over Tennessee in Week 5. Despite the early game time in Fayetteville, the stadium quickly came alive as the Razorbacks came out in full force, scoring 20 unanswered points. At the half, the Razorbacks were in complete control with a 27-3 lead over Auburn.

      Today’s win was obviously led by Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns on 24 of 37 attempts. He even ran one into the end zone early in the third quarter, exposing Auburn’s confusion on the defensive end. Although he was picked off once, he constantly found receivers Greg Childs, D.J. Williams, and Cobi Hamilton. Childs especially did an excellent job finding his way into the open field, catching fives passes for 85 yards.

      However, one shouldn’t overlook Arkansas’ defense, which forced three turnovers and shut down Auburn’s passing game. Auburn quarterback Chris Todd completed 15 of 28 passes for 133 yards, but none were for touchdowns. Auburn was forced to rely on their running game, consistently feeding the ball to Ben Tate.

      In the end, Auburn’s rushing couldn’t catch Arkansas, who kept the pressure on from beginning to end. Congratulations to Hogs coach Bobby Petrino for earning his first SEC win. While the announcers practically discussed Florida’s Tim Tebow the entire game, Arkansas overpowered an undefeated team, and Petrino was obviously a huge part of that. After starting their 2009 schedule with a 2-2 record, this win should instill a needed confidence in the Razorbacks. They’ll need to harness this same intensity if they stand any chance against Florida next week in Gainesville.

      College Football

      Tebow will play, if cleared

      October 10, 2009 /



      Per ESPN…

      Quarterback Tim Tebow will play if he passes medical testing before the Florida’s game against LSU, a Gators source said Saturday morning.

      The decision will be made well before the kickoff for the 8 p.m. ET game but probably won’t be known until they get to the stadium, the source said.

      More commentary on the game:

      Steve Eubanks, FoxSports.com: Tebow, Schmebo. This one’s going to come down to defense. Sure, the story so far has been whether or not Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s scary concussion two weeks ago against Kentucky will sideline him at LSU in the first matchup between top-five teams all year. But that’s not the real story. As usually happens in top-ranked SEC showdowns, the outcome will be decided on the defensive side of the ball. On that front, Florida has a distinct advantage. The Gators defense is ranked second in the country in points per game (7.3) and third in total yards (212.8). The Tigers don’t fare as well. They’re 88th in total yards allowed, 81st in rushing defense, and 101st in getting to the quarterback with only five sacks in five games, none in the last three. If those numbers don’t improve, it won’t matter if Florida has Tim Tebow or Tim Conway taking snaps.

      Andy Staples, SI.com: In years past Tebow almost certainly would start on Saturday night when the top-ranked Gators face No. 4 LSU at Tiger Stadium. Old-school coaches would have used the following logic: Sure, Tebow got his bell rung on Sept. 26, when Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham creamed him and sent Tebow’s head flying into offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert’s knee. But he’s had two weeks. He took some Advil. He can shake it off. He’s a warrior. But as the Gators wrapped their LSU preparation on Thursday, Tebow remained a gametime decision. A team of physicians still hadn’t cleared him to play against the Tigers. Why the wait? Because, as recent research has shown, allowing a player to return too soon after a concussion can have serious and even deadly consequences. (Last year a high school football player in New Jersey died after returning from a concussion and suffering another one.) “There are many coaches still ignorant on this subject, but there are an increasing number that are beginning to understand the importance of concussions and the importance of allowing people to completely recover from them,” said Dr. Robert Cantu, the neurosurgeon who in 1986 published the first concussion grading scale. “If you do recover properly, most of the time, there are no permanent implications. Whereas if you don’t, there can be very dire problems down the road.”

      Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com: If LSU can run effectively, it will be in good shape. In Charles Scott, the Tigers have one of the most talented tailbacks in the league. LSU has not been as dominant on the ground as expected, averaging 135.4 yards per game with five rushing TDs. Keiland Williams is a solid backup tailback, and true freshman QB Russell Shepard is a threat in the Tigers’ version of the “Wildcat” formation. Coach Les Miles has not been all that happy with his linemen and the Tigers’ fullbacks have struggled, as well. Florida would get a boost if DT Lawrence Marsh, the Gators’ best interior lineman against the run, is able to play; he has been bothered by a high ankle sprain and has missed three games. Florida has an active group of linebackers, headed by Brandon Spikes, and cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden are active in run support.

      College Football

      No. 24 Missouri falls apart in fourth quarter loss to No. 21 Nebraska

      October 9, 2009 /

      It wasn’t the loss that Missouri suffered on Thursday night to Nebraska that it will be thinking about for the rest of the weekend, but the way it lost.

      Up 12-0 heading into the fourth quarter, Missouri watched as Nebraska compiled 27 unanswered points to beat the Tigers 27-12 on a rainy night in Columbia. At one point, the Huskers scored three touchdowns in under four minutes of play.

      The issues started for the Tigers early in the fourth when Husker QB Zac Lee hit Niles Paul on a 56-yard touchdown with just under 14 minutes remaining. Up until that point, MIZZOU had done a great job of not allowing Lee to complete anything over the top, but the touchdown completely revitalized Nebraska’s defense, which had been tiring out up until that point.

      On the Tigers’ next position, quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw his first interception of the season, which Nebraska turned into points thanks to Paul’s second touchdown in less than a minute. The Huskers failed to convert on the 2-point attempt, but all of a sudden they had a 13-12 lead despite being outplayed for three quarters.

      Gabbert was again picked off on the Tigers’ next possession, which led to a Mike McNeill 8-yard touchdown reception to give Nebraska a 20-12 lead. After MIZZOU failed to convert on a 4th and 20 deep inside Nebraska territory, the Huskers took over and added a Roy Helu 5-yard touchdown run to put the game away.

      In fairness, the Huskers weren’t completely dominated in the first three quarters of this game. They just couldn’t convert golden opportunities that Gabbert was giving them. On more than a handful of plays, Nebraska defenders had the ball hit them in the chest for what should have been easy interceptions. But give the Husker defense credit – they stepped in the fourth quarter and shut MIZZOU down when it mattered most.

      With this win, Nebraska takes a one-game lead over MIZZOU in the Big 12 standings. It’s early, but this loss could come back to haunt Gabbert and the Tigers.

      College Football

      2009 College Football Picks & Predictions: Week 6

      October 8, 2009 /

      No. 1 Florida (4-0) at No. 4 LSU (5-0), 8:00PM ET
      The Gators travel to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers on Saturday night in college football’s game of the week. Florida’s 14-game winning streak is in jeopardy because quarterback Tim Tebow hasn’t been medically cleared to play yet after suffering a concussion two weeks ago in a win over Kentucky. Another factor working against Florida is that LSU has won 32 straight Saturday night games and Baton Rouge has proven to be one of the more hostile environments in college football. But for betting purposes, something doesn’t feel right about this point spread. Why is Florida a 7.5-point favorite on the road against a Tiger team that hasn’t lost on Saturday nights in 32 consecutive tries and Tebow hasn’t been cleared to play? LSU’s offense has struggled so far this year and things won’t get any easier this week against a Florida defense that is the best in the nation. The game might be tight for a while, but the Gators cover in the end.
      Odds: Florida –7.5.
      Prediction: Florida 24, LSU 14.

      Boston College (4-1) at No. 5 Virginia Tech (4-1), 12:00PM ET
      The Hokies have won two straight ACC title games against the Eagles coming into this game, but BC holds a three-game regular season winning streak over VA Tech. While the Eagles have surprised many pundits this year, they’re likely to struggle this weekend in Blacksburg. VA Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor continues to improve as a passer and is starting to build a lot of confidence. Boston College doesn’t have the offensive weapons to match up with the a tough Hokie defense and the Eagles will struggle to contain Taylor for four quarters.
      Odds: VA Tech –13.5.
      Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 13.

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