December 2006 Archives

Michigan running back Mike Hart is known for his footwork on the football field, but Wolverines linebacker Shawn Crable claimed recently that Hart is flat-footed away from the turf. After blushing furiously Hart admitted that it's true, and said that he especially gets tangled up when it comes to dancing.
"I don't dance, man," Hart said. "He's right about that. You know how you don't do things you're not good at? So, I don't dance."
For more on Hart's accomplishments on the field be sure to read Saturday's sports section.

For those of you who turned away and never went back after CBS cut away from the Sun Bowl to show the procession for the Gerald R. Ford service in Palm Desert, here's how the game ended (AP's report):

Yvenson Bernard barely pushed into the end zone on a gutsy 2-point conversion run after Joe Newton caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with 22.1 seconds left, and No. 24 Oregon State beat Missouri 39-38 in the Sun Bowl. The Beavers (10-4) trailed by 14 points with 12:08 to go before rallying for their eighth victory in nine games.

Bernard's 7-yard reception had cut the gap to seven with 6:02 to go.

Tony Temple had 194 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns and Chase Daniel threw two touchdown passes for Missouri (8-5). The Tigers lost four of their last five after a 6-0 start.

Pac-10 is now 2-3 and needs 'SC to pull the conference back up to .500.

Houston and South Carolina are making Liberty Bowl history right now.

The Cougars lead 28-27 in the SECOND quarter!

This is the highest scoring first half in Liberty Bowl history.

Now THIS is college football at its entertainment-value best.

Cal's 45-10 rout of Texas A&M is the first bowl victory for the Pac-10. The other results:

BYU 38, Oregon 8
Hawaii 41, Arizona State 24
Florida State 44, UCLA 27

Oregon State gets its shot to continue the trend reversal this morning against Missouri.

The Pac-10 will need a victory by the Beavers and a USC win on Jan. 1 to break even.

The bowl season continues to be a study in mismatches.

The average score through the first 12 bowl games, through Thursday, is 34.75 to 15.0. That's nearly a three-touchdown spread (with a couple of missed PATs) of 19.75 points.

Thank goodness for Thursday's Independence showdown between Oklahoma State and Alabama that went down to the end with the Cowboys winning 34-31. Contrary to at least one coach's comment, that game was truly as close as the score indicated. Actually, it was closer.

Without that game, the average margin of victory for the other 11 bowl is 21.3 points.

Starting today, USC practices will be closed, Coach Pete Carroll said Thursday. Just family members and media, no booster club people, will be allowed in to Howard Jones Field for the final USC Rose Bowl preparations.
"It's just the way we do it,'' Carroll said of the traditionally open practices for anyone cleared through the football office in advance. That's not the way USC bowl opponents Oklahoma, Texas and Michigan have done it the last three years of secure, secret workouts.
"But it's time to close it down.'' Carroll said.
And then, only partly in jest after another workout with hundreds of fans, friends, autograph-seekers, youth coaches, parents and photo-shooters, said what may have convinced him.
"Maybe it was when we had to ask the kids playing touch football if they could move it down the field,'' Carroll said, so his team could run some of its offensive drills.

Was it a surprise, his takedown from behind by Coach David Watson Wednesday after a touchdown run in scrimmage, USC freshman tailback Emmanuel Moody was asked.

"I didn't ask him to do it,'' Moody said without a smile after Thursday's practice that saw him return to top speed without the little limp he had Wednesday leaving the field.

"They iced it down,'' Moody said of his bruised knee. "It's fine.''

In years past Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley let his actions on the field do the talking for him. But this year he learned that his words off the field carried weight too when he became the Wolverines' co-captain.
"That was something that was going to be hard for me because most of the time I didn't talk too much," Woodley said. "Being the captain it made me talk a little more to certain guys and to address the team on certain things. But as long as you're being realistic and speaking from the heart, that's all you can give them."
Woodley anchors Michigan's top-rated defense and should be an exciting player to watch in the Rose Bowl. This year he notched 11 sacks, 33 tackles, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 54 yards for a touchdown against Notre Dame.

The Spirit of Great Oak Band & Guard will be competing at the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship in Phoenix on Friday before participating in the Fiesta Bowl Parade the following day.

In the useless information department, Natalie Gulbis of the LPGA will lead the parade. Maybe that will get people to tune in to Boise State-OU.

It was a typical hustle play Wednesday near the end of practice by David Watson, USC's former graduate assistant line coach now in his first season as a full-timer coaching the defensive line. One of Watson's specialties has been to run down the Trojan running backs if they break a long one and make sure they keep the ball safe, popping it loose if they slow down or get careless.

Freshman Emmanual Moody hadn't gotten careless on his TD scrimmage run but did slow down on the slippery turf as he entered the end zone with Watson almost literally on his heels. The problem was, Moody's cleats allowed him to slow down, Watson's coaching shoes did not and as he tried to stop, he just fell on his backside and kept sliding across the wet grass and into the back of the unsuspecting Moody, hitting him across both legs and taking him down. Back from a badly sprained ankle that limited his play the last month of the season, Moody was last seen limping slightly back to the huddle and then later onto the bus back to the hotel.

Whether it's anything serious won't be known until today's practice.

Now we're into bowl season. There are three -- THREE!!!! -- games Thursday night (really, boss, I'm feeling unwell):

--Oklahoma State vs. Alabama in the Independence Bowl
--Rutgers and Kansas State in the Texas Bowl
--California and Texas A&M in San Diego's Holiday Bowl

If you're betting, the going average margin of victory is about 19 points. ...

Watch Alabama freshman linebacker Prince Hall (Moreno Valley HS). Another local, Jeremy Ito (Redlands) is the kicker for Rutgers. ....
There are plenty of playmakers in the Holiday Bowl, with Cal's Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson but don't miss Aggie human bowling ball, Jorvorskie Lane, who at 5-11, 260 pounds is nearly impossible to tackle and when you watch him rumble, it's really hard not to giggle. Enjoy (I would but I really won't be feeling well. Honest.) ...

P(atr)ick Cowan completed 15 of 36 for 240 yards with two TDs and two picks. He finished with 1,782 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.

Chris Markey rushed 19 times for 144 yards. He finished with 1,107 yards.

The pass defense allowed 325 yards to FSU's Drew Weatherford and an all-purpose game from speedy back Lorenzo Booker, who had 91 yards rushing with two touchdowns and 117 yards receiving, averaging 23.4 per catch.

The teams combined for 867 yards offense (so much for those strong defenses).

Ultimately, UCLA's undoing was three turnovers, one blocked punt and an inability to stop Florida State in the fourth quarter. ...

Who needs a post-game show when you have TiVo? A quick review of how UCLA blew a 27-23 fourth quarter lead as Florida State made sure Bobby Bowden didn't suffer his first losing season since 1976.
Fourth Quarter begins, UCLA leds 27-23
--Bruins in third-and-18 situation, Cowan under pressure forced to pass incomplete. Aaron Perez punt pins FSU back to the 10.
--The Seminoles, converting on third-and-short and fourth-and-9, drive 90 yards on 11 plays for a 30-27 lead. Both conversions came on passes to 6-foot-6 Greg Carr. The touchdown, from 30 yards, prompted calls from Tim Brant in the booth of offensive pass interference. ESPN did not have a replay that showed the contact and even TiVo couldn't make up for the poor camerawork.
--UCLA's Derrrick Williams mistakenly touched the kickoff on the sideline at the 3 and the Bruins were pinned back. They went three-and-out and Perez's punt set the Seminoles up at midfield.
-- A quick drive highlighted by a screen that Lorenzo Booker took to the shadow of the goal and a Booker sweep gave Florida State a 37-27 lead.
--Williams, looking to atone for his blunder, took the kickoff 43 yards to the 49. A left-handed pass out of pressure from the right-handed Cowan moved the Bruins toward the red zone, setting up a potentially exciting finish (remember those Drew Olson miracles in '05?). But tight end Logan Paulsen couldn't squeeze Cowan's pass at the three and a play later Tony Carter stepped in front of Junior Taylor and was gone with the ball, any prayer for a comeback and the game.
Good night, San Francisco. Hello, quarterback controversy.

UCLA plays a mid-week bowl game televised by ESPN. Who has the post-game show? All season long we've been oversaturated on Saturday afternoons or evenings by the FSN twins. Not tonight. FSN has the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament (and now Pride Fighting). FSN-Prime TIcket? Clippers-Celtics (Clips are at home, so there's hope for this one). ... Thanks guys. ... I've got to think that if it were USC playing we'd have Jim Hill live on Ch. 2 and at least one of the Foxies (is there a difference, other than name?) giving us the up-to-the-second interviews, win, lose or draw. Where's Petros? Where's Lindsay? Where's Homer Hartman? Where's my post-game report? ...

Freshman Myron Rolle picked off Pat Cowan's final pass and Florida State wins, 44-27. Falling just short of the bowl season average margin of victory, 19.4. The announcers signed off calling it an outstanding bowl and immediately tossed to Sports Center for the latest on the Cowboys and TO and everything Tony Romo. UGH! Hold on while I switch over to a local channel for game wrap.

Play-by-play announcer Dan Fouts points out that it appears Cowan expected Taylor to run a skinny post but Taylor squared off the route and didn't run hard toward the middle of the field. Carter read the play in front of him and easily beat Taylor to the spot and out ran the Bruins to the end zone, Cowan giving chase until just before the end zone.

FSU's Tony Carter just stepped in front of Junior Taylor and took Pat Cowan's pass 85 yards the other way and the Seminoles have scored 21 unanswered points to lead 44-27.

The great Matt Barnes just strolled past the press box. One of the better players of the Steve Lavin era, Barnes is now playing for the Golden State Warriors, and word is he's here with teammate Baron Davis. I wonder if Coach Lav, a San Francisco native, is here?

Kudos to Emerald Bowl officials. They matched a couple of flawed, but spirited teams and it has produced an entertaining game. UCLA-FSU might have set-up as a low-scoring game coming in, but both teams have been able to move the ball enough to keep it interesting. Bruins quarterback Patrick Cowan has hit a couple of deep passes, and his short stuff has been erratic and/or well defended. Why aren't we seeing more shots downfield?

UCLA retook the lead 27-23 on an 8-yard touchdown run by Chane Moline, and he wasn't the only Bruin running back to have an impact on the drive. Derrick Williams started things off with a kickoff return out past the 40-yard line, and Chris Markey picked up 19 yards on a nifty run.

I should pay more attention to FSU football. Since when do the Seminoles have competent placekickers? Gary Cismesia is now 3-for-3 and the Noles have closed within 20-16. Once upon a time FSU woud only lose games because no one on the team could kick straight. This guy is now 37-for-50 in his career and was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.
The Noles have just blocked a punt and returned it for a TD to take the lead on this out-of-sorts Bruins teams, 23-20 midway through the 3rd quarter. It's now official. Any momentum UCLA had from the USC win is ancient history. The Bruins are on their own now.

Florida State took back a 23-20 lead in the third quarter when Dekoda Watson blocked an Aaron Perez punt, and Lawrence Timmons ran it back 25 yards for the go-ahead TD.

The play especially hurt because the Bruins were only punting because an illegal motion penalty negated Chris Markey's first-down run on fourth-and-1 on the previous play.

We shall see how UCLA responds.

Junior Taylor hauled in a 7-yard TD catch in the back fo the end zone to make it 17-10 UCLA. It's a nice going-away present for the fifth-year senior who medically redshirted last season.

Keep in mind he scored a touchdown on his first touch as a Bruin and has the distinction of being the only player left from UCLA's 2001 recruiting class.

Football lovers, the harsh reality is your NFL fantasy league draft isn't for eight months -- EIGHT MONTHS! -- and the next two weeks of the pro game may be difficult to stomach. So enjoy your college football, while it lasts. If this early dose of Emerald Bowl is any indication, it looks like we're finally getting to the juicy part. Enjoy. ...

Justin Medlock connected on a 46-yard field goal to make it 10-7 UCLA with 20 seconds left in the first quarter. The Fremont native told me during a bowl-week practice that he was looking at this game as a chance to impress NFL scouts. He'll be training during the offseason with successor Kai Forbath, a highly touted freshman who is redshirting the season.

Oh, and for anyone who cares, the 46-yarder is the longest in Emerald Bowl history.

UCLA wide receiver Brandon Breazell tied things up by getting the defense and catching a 78-yard TD pass from Pat Cowan. It's the longest play from scrimmage by a Bruin this season, and came at a time when UCLA's offense needed a lift.

This isn't Breazell's first success in the Bay Area. If you remember, he caught the game-winning overtime TD last season during an improbably comeback victory over Stanford. The touchdown is Breazell's third in bowl-game play.

There is a certain fan sitting behind home plate who appears to be wearing Florida State colors, but on closer examination is sporting a USC sweatshirt. He's been taking is share of heat - at one point causing a part of the section to chant "'SC (stinks)" - but otherwise appears to be having a good time at UCLA's expense.

Sitting in the section to his left are two Penn State fans who have come to ridicule Florida State coach Bobby Bowden with a sign that proclaims they had time to come to the game since the Nittany Lions are playing on New Year's Day.

California native Lorenzo Booker just made a nifty 25-yard TD run with 4:50 left in the first quarter. The Seminoles capitalized on a fumble lost by Chris Markey on the previous play. Not a good start for UCLA, which has yet to cross midfield.

As a San Francisco native who's seen his share of Giants games here at what I'll refer to as Pac Bell Park, I have to say it's a very odd scene today. People don't normally wear blue around these parts unless they want batteries thrown at their direction. And seeing Florida State fans do the tomahawk chop like some displaced Atlanta Braves fans is plain weird.

UCLA went three-and-out on its first possession, and the Bruin defense subsequently allowed chunks of yardage against the Seminoles. But Chris Horton stepped in front of a post pattern to intercept a Drew Weatherford pass. DeWayne Walker's boys hold again.

Who says there have been eight bowl games played before tonight?

Based on crowd counts (real or fudged), the most intriguing matchup so far was the stop-the-presses tilt between Middle Tennessee State and Central Michigan that drew 54,113 to Detroit's Ford Field. Not that that was much of a contest, with Central blowing doors, 31-14.

There we have our early bowl season themes:
1. Unattractive matchups
2. Moderate-to-poor attendance
3. Non-competitive games

Nothing like 32 bowl games.

Gee that's only rewarding 53.78 percent of the 119 Divison I schools.

The average margin of blowout of the first eight games: 32.1-12.7
The average attendance fudging of the first eight: 36,549

And we waited a month of dead time for this?

With the passing of Gerald Ford yesterday in Rancho Mirage, flags are flying at half staff here at AT&T Park. There was also a moment of silence before the game for the former Michigan football player.