Category: College Football (Page 234 of 296)

      Big Ten should heed the warning: Penn State is for real

      September 13, 2008 /

      Penn State absolutely waxed Syracuse 55-13 on Saturday to improve to 3-0 on the season.

      Daryll ClarkIt was over when…Daryll Clark connected with Jordan Norwood on a 55-yard TD just 1:20 into the game to start a very long afternoon for Syracuse.
      Gameball goes to… Jordan Norwood, who caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
      Stat of the game… 560: The Nittany Lions racked up 560 total yards, while the Orange posted 159.

      Penn State’s three wins have come against Coastal Carolina, Oregon State and Syracuse – not exactly three college football powerhouses. But the Big Ten needs to take note anyway, because the Nittany Lions have the best offense in the conference. Thus far this season, PSU has outscored opponents 166-37 and racked up 560 total yards against the Orange on Saturday.

      Ohio State is still the class of the conference (even following a poor showing Saturday night in Southern Cal) and Wisconsin is solid as well, but there’s a lot to like about Joe Paterno’s team this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Temple gives PSU its first real test of the season next weekend.

      College Football

      East Carolina Cinderella season stays alive

      September 13, 2008 /

      After beating two ranked opponents in back to back weeks, No. 14 East Carolina struggled with Tulane before rallying late in the fourth to eek out a 28-24 victory on Saturday at the Superdome.

      It was over when… Patrick Pinkney threw a 24-yard TD with 1:41 left in the fourth quarter to save the Pirates from a crashing.
      Gameball goes to… Pinkney, who was 22 of 32 for 260 yards and two touchdown throws.
      Stat of the game… 3-0: The Pirates are 3-0 for only the third time in the past 30 years.

      There was bound to be a let down for East Carolina after beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia and Saturday was it. It’s nice to see that they pulled out the victory because college football needs programs like ECU to keep things interesting. The Pirates are the story of the 2008 college football season, so lets hope their magical run continues a little longer.

      College Football

      Charlie Weis is one tough SOB

      September 13, 2008 /

      Charlie WeisPerhaps the hardest hit in the Notre Dame-Michigan game was suffered by Irish head coach Charlie Weis, who tore his ACL and MCL when defensive end John Ryan crashed into him on the sidelines during the game. Weis was taken to the locker room on a stretcher, but he returned to coach the entire second half while sporting a pair of crutches.

      Notre Dame took advantage of six Michigan turnovers to crush the Wolverines 35-17.

      Fast Facts
      • For the second straight year and the second time in the poll-era, Michigan and Notre Dame played when both were unranked.
      • Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen tossed two touchdown passes. Clausen has thrown multiple touchdowns in four of his last five games dating back to last season.
      • Rich Rodriguez became the first Michigan coach to start 1-2 or worse since Bump Elliot started 1-2 in 1959.
      • Michigan lost four fumbles in the game, one shy of the team record.

      Apparently a win over Michigan was enough for Weis to forget about the torn ligaments in his knee because not only did he stay on the sidelines after the incident, but he also conducted a full post game press conference, too. That’s pretty impressive considering how bad the injury looked on replay.

      As for the game, the Wolverines were (and are) a complete mess but that shouldn’t take away from how big of a win this was for Weis and Notre Dame. Weis is trying to get his program’s identity back and this was a step in the right direction. The Irish outplayed UM in ever facet of the game and will look to use this as a spring board for the rest of the season.

      College Football

      South Carolina fumbles away opportunity to beat No. 2 Georgia

      September 13, 2008 /

      Steve SpurrierThe South Carolina Game Cocks were a goal line fumble away from tying No. 2 Georgia and possibly pulling off a huge upset at Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday.

      Trailing 14-7 early in the fourth quarter, SC drove to the UGA 1-yard line, but Game Cocks’ running back Mike Davis fumbled trying to leap over the goal line and the Bulldogs recovered for a touchback. Georgia eventually hung on for a 14-7 victory.

      It was over when… Georgia’s Reshad Jones picked off Chris Smelley’s pass at the Dawgs’ three-yard line with less than a minute remaining.
      Gameball goes to… Knowshon Moreno: His four-yard TD in the third quarter gave Georgia the lead and figures to be one of the most important Dawgs’ TDs of 2008.
      Stat of the game… 112: The Dawgs didn’t help their cause by losing 112 yards on 11 penalties.

      This game really could have gone either way and while some will note that the No. 2 team in the nation should be able to beat an unranked opponent by more than a touchdown, this was a prime example of how tough it is to win in the SEC. Good teams have to win ugly sometimes and that’s exactly what Georgia did.

      South Carolina’s defense deserves a ton of credit for limiting UGA’s potent offense to only 14 points. And while turnovers eventually did them in, the Game Cocks had an opportunity to win at the end and that’s all they could ask for.

      College Football

      College Football Preview: Ohio State at USC

      September 13, 2008 /

      Kickoff: Saturday @ 8:00 PM ET, ABC
      Records: Ohio State (2-0); USC (1-0)
      Spread: USC –12.5

      Mark Sanchez       Game Matchup:
      The biggest question surrounding this game is whether or not Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells will see the field. Wells injured his leg in the opener, missed last week’s win over Ohio and has been deemed “doubtful” by Buckeyes’ head coach Jim Tressel for Saturday night’s grudge match. If Wells can’t play, Daniel Herron, Mauirce Wells (who struggled against Ohio last week) and Brandon Saine will all see action Saturday night.
      The Trojans are coming off a bye after dismantling Virginia 52-7 in the opening week of the season. QB Mark Sanchez threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, but he’ll face a much greater challenge against a talented, and highly experienced Buckeye defense. One thing to keep an eye on is how Sanchez and an inexperienced USC offensive line holds up against the pressure OSU will likely bring for the entire game.

      Prediction:
      Don’t make the mistake most will in assuming that just because Ohio State struggled with Ohio last week that they’ll get smoked by USC. The Trojans looked good against Virginia, but the Cavaliers’ talent level has dipped dramatically from last year and the Buckeyes match up very well against USC’s pro-style offense. The issue for OSU is whether or not their run game can be effective without Beanie Wells. The Trojans have the best linebacker corps in the nation and an outstanding front seven. If they shut down the Buckeye running game and force QB Todd Boeckman to beat them through the air, OSU is going to be in trouble. Pete Carroll’s Trojans are also incredibly tough to beat at home, but forget the blowout; this should be a tight game. USC 24, Ohio State 20.

      Also be sure to check out our official Ohio State-USC smack talk thread.

      College Football

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