Utah football: Utes had talent, but won with heart
I admit it, I was wrong. Very wrong. Way back in August I didn't think Utah's football team was going to beat Michigan and picked the Wolverines to win.
I was wrong. The Utes held on to win 25-23.
As for going undefeated, I didn't think the Utes could do it. I thought Oregon State or TCU or maybe New Mexico would knock off the Utes.
I judged them on paper, saw they had a good offense coming back, a great leader in quarterback Brian Johnson and a solid secondary. But I also saw they had an inexperienced defensive line hit by injuries, then saw inconsistencies in that offense and perhaps too much dependency on kicker Louie Sakoda for points.
Only with Utah's 13-10 win over TCU did I start to think there was something to this Utah team. By then, with two missed field goals by the Horned Frogs and another game-winning drive by Johnson and Co., did I really start to think there was more to this Utah team than some talent with a lot of luck. There was something to the way they kept surviving.
The only consolation in my misguided judgment is that I'm far from being alone at the table eating crow. Most of the nation -- I think it was 89.7 percent, according to the ESPN fan poll that had Alabama beating Utah in the Sugar Bowl -- is with me.
All those blue-chip players and big wins over SEC teams made many believe the Tide was going to roll.
What we forgot to give the Utes credit for having was heart and desire.
Those are intangibles most great teams have, but we all underestimated how much it drove the Utes this season, and ultimately it earned them a Sugar Bowl win.
The Utes had talent, they proved that, but more than physical attributes the Utes won games in 2008 with a determination that never failed them.
That never was more obvious than in the Sugar Bowl. Think about it, the Utes had a former walk-on punter starting at linebacker in Kepa Gaison, and a freshman former defensive end starting at nose tackle in Derrick Shelby.
I know Alabama's line went through some last-minute shuffling with the suspension of Andre Smith and a game-ending injury to his replacement in the first half, but still, that the Utes held Alabama to just 31 yards rushing was an amazing feat.
After the game, offensive lineman Dustin Hensel told me he injured his foot in the first half and he was given something to numb the pain at halftime. "I didn't care what it was," he said. "I knew I had to be out there."
Johnson, meanwhile, took a big hit on his shoulder and he stayed in the game too. I can't imagine him going out with an injury that didn't require a stretcher to get him off the field.
Desire, heart, courage, guts, the real national champions -- describe the Utes however you want. Were they the most talented group of individual athletes in college football in 2008? No, there were other teams with better pedigrees and more future pros. But the Utes were the best team with more desire than anyone else. In that respect the 2008 Utes were not only untouchable, they were perfect.
sltrib.com
Sugar Bowl homecoming: Utes being greeted by adoring fans
Utah Ute fans are awaiting the team's triumphant landing in Salt Lake City, expected shortly after 1 p.m.
In a stunning victory, Utes dominated the heavily favored Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl Friday night, with a final score of 31-17.
Relatives of player Matt Asiata, who kicked a field goal during the game, said they are overwhelmed by the victory and have leis in hand to welcome him.
"We're very proud," said his aunt, Mele Misifoa of West Jordan, adding the family has a Polynesian luau planned for tonight.
"We expected to win but we didn't expect to win by that much," said his sister, Sega Asiata, 27, of Salt Lake City.
Among the approximately 50 fans is Vince Oveson, 24, of Murray, who described himself as a Ute fan since birth. Decked out in a Ute hat, shirt and jacket, he is waiting with his wife and his parents.
"We really didn't expect them to take control like they did early on," he said. "We just want to welcome them home, tell them we're proud of them, and if we get some autographs, that's alright, too."
The win caps a perfect season for the Utes, making them the only unbeaten team in college football. It was the second time in four years for the Utes to complete a perfect season with a prestigious Bowl Championship Series game.
sltrib.com
Towson hires UConn's Ambrose as football coach
TOWSON, Md. -- Rob Ambrose was hired as the football coach at Towson on Saturday, signing a five-year contract with his alma mater after serving for seven seasons as an assistant at Connecticut.
Ambrose, a 1993 graduate of Towson, was offensive coordinator at UConn for the past four seasons. He becomes the fourth head coach in the 40-year history of Towson football.
"Rob was on our list from the very beginning," athletic director Mike Hermann said. "We had an outstanding field and discussed this opportunity with many well-respected coaches. At the end, it became clear that Rob Ambrose was the best choice to lead our program."
Ambrose started his coaching career at Towson before he graduated.
After an injury ended his playing career during his senior season, he joined the coaching staff as a student assistant and coached the wide receivers.
In 2001, he was head coach at Catholic University. After one season there, he joined the staff at UConn. He started as quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005.
In his seven seasons at UConn, Ambrose helped the Huskies to a 48-36 record.
(c)1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Nebraska Huskers Targeting High-School Hot Beds for Recruiting Gems
This past weekend saw the high school powerhouse states of Texas, California, and Florida crown their champions, and Bo Pelini and the Huskers had a stake in each contest.
Although not by design a large portion of this years Husker's recruiting class are from these states championship teams, it isn't totally by coincidence either.
"We're not targeting guys only from great teams," NU defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. "But we put a strong emphasis in our recruiting on character. And it's amazing, when you zero in on character, you're finding kids who are winners and who are winning championships."
If you follow the bouncing ball so to speak, it is an easy theory to follow. Players from dominate high school programs understand the work ethic required to succeed, both on the field and in the classroom.
Having that mentality in high school hopefully will translate more easily at the college level. This hard work will be required not only on the field, but in the classroom, where college will require a balance of hard work in both areas to succeed.
Plano High school coach Jaydon McCullough agrees with this thought process. McCullough, whose team plays in a highly competitive 5A district in North Texas is sending Rex Burkhead, who played running back as well as receiver and defensive back during his four years in high school agrees.
B/R Ticket Guide Powered by FanSnap.com"I've had that experience against top-notch talent," Burkhead said, "and it will probably help me when I get to college. It definitely lets you know where you stand and the type of atmosphere you're going to face."
In high-level programs such as these, football is a "year round" sport. As soon as the football awards banquet is finished on Saturday, winter conditioning begins that following Monday.
Current Husker red-shirted freshman Tim Marlowe was one of the 2008's top signee's won the scout team award for offensive player of the year. He came from Youngstown Cardinal Moody high, one of Ohio's best, which by the way is where Bo and Carl Pelini graduated from as well as running back coach and top recruiter Tim Beck.
Defensive back DeAndre Byrd of Tallahassee Lincoln played for the Florida 4A title game on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, cornerback Lazarri Middleton, another Nebraska commitment, helped unbeaten Long Beach (Calif.) Polytechnic to an 18th section title and a spot in the state's open division bowl game Saturday night.
Recently signed NU recruit Taylor Martinez quarterbacked Corona (Calif.) Centennial to a 15-0 season. Centennial capped it with a 21-16 win Friday over Concord De La Salle -the nation's top high school program over the past 20 years - in California's Division I bowl game.
Martinez was recruited to Nebraska as a receiver or defensive back, completed over 60 percent of his passes this season, while winning his leagues MVP award. His coach feels that Martinez could play quarterback at Nebraska, but says that he will contribute to the Huskers regardless of the position he plays.
Cody Green, a five-star quarterback from Dayton Texas finished his season with more than 4,600 yards passing with 37 touchdown passes to go with almost 1,500 yards rushing and another 25 touchdowns.
In the Texas state championship game on Saturday, Green accounted for more than 400 total yards and six touchdowns in a losing effort in a game that set the Texas 11-man record for combined points scored, 118.
If you are from big time programs such as these, it gives you an advantage when coming to a school like Nebraska, where 300 straight sell-outs are the norm and expectations for championships are huge.
You've already experienced the pressure, maybe at a lower level, but still facing the pressure to perform every day. GBR!
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Beatty not under the radar anymore
Through all his success as the architect of the University of Connecticut football program, Huskies head coach and Glen Rock native Randy Edsall has never forgotten his roots.
So when a local player Edsall recruited evolves into a potential high-round NFL draft pick, well, the veteran head coach takes an extra sense of pride in the accomplishment.
Former William Penn Bearcat Will Beatty is completing his senior season of college football at UConn. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound left tackle has become such a force on the Huskies offensive line that he was named to the prestigious Senior Bowl. He was also a first-team All-Big East selection this year.
It's been a long, inspiring, and yes, somewhat improbable journey.
"I have so much respect and admiration for Will," Edsall said. "When he came here, he was just this raw, good athlete. He was a guy who needed some direction, just needed to be pushed. And I probably pushed Will harder than any athlete I've ever pushed, being that I'm from the York area. All of the kids here I have a special interest in, but Will being from (York), it was a bit different.
"Will's always had the ability, but he's had to push himself. I know he's been up more than any player I've ever had for 6 a.m. workouts, and it's all paid off. He's had a very good year. To see how far he's come, it's a credit to Will, to his coaches and to his family. I couldn't be more proud."
After spending most of his college football career flying under the radar at UConn, Beatty now has the chance to make himself known nationally at the Senior Bowl, the preeminent showcase game heavily attended by NFL personnel. "He's really a balanced player," Edsall said. "He's strong, he's got excellent feet, and he's got more of a punch than what you'd think. He's sound, he's athletic; he'll hustle downfield to get in front of people. Will's got all the ingredients it takes to be a very, very good left tackle.
"I think the thing that's most intriguing to NFL people is that Will still hasn't reached his potential. He's still got room to grow and get better, and that bodes well for him."
The Senior Bowl is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It will be televised by NFL Network.
"He's got a job interview," Edsall said of Beatty's Senior Bowl invitation. "That's what it's going to have to be."
UConn finished the Big East regular season at 7-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference. The Huskies will make their third bowl appearance -- and second straight -- under Edsall. They'll face Buffalo in the International Bowl on Jan. 3 at Toronto's Rogers Centre (formerly known as Skydome).
It wasn't a smooth evolution for Beatty. He arrived in Storrs, Conn., in the fall of 2004 an admittedly naive young athlete. He was red-shirted.
"I always had a passion for football, but I thought you just went out there and played," Beatty said. "I was younger and had naive thinking. My coaches stressed how to get better, how much preparation and dedication it took.
Midway through his sophomore campaign, Beatty broke his leg. The rehab and subsequent downtime, he said, forced him to think about his future in football.
It was a turning point.
"I considered me breaking my leg as a blessing," Beatty said. "You're just sitting there, you've got to hobble around, and you've really got to think, 'is football for you?' Before that, I never really got injured. You've got all this time, and you make the decision that you're not just doing this now, you're doing this for your future and a lifestyle you want."
Beatty's family relocated to Phoenix following his senior year at William Penn, but he does keeps in touch with a few old friends, most notably former teammate and current Penn State player Knowledge Timmons.
"We keep in touch through Facebook," he said.
Copyright (c)2008 InYork.com
Edwards Named SoCon Offensive Player of the Month
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - On the strength of a school-record passing performance and two 100-yard rushing efforts, Appalachian State University quarterback Armanti Edwards has been named the Southern Conference's Offensive Player of the Month for November, the league office announced on Thursday.
In what amounted to only two-and-a-half games worth of action in November, Edwards racked up 1,060 yards of total offense and accounted for 10 touchdowns. He ran for 304 yards (7.6 ypr) and a touchdown and completed 50-of-72 passes (69.4 pct.) for 756 yards and nine touchdowns on the month.
He went over 100 yards rushing in 2-of-3 outings - including 152 in just one half of action at Chattanooga - and threw for multiple touchdowns in all three games. His most impressive performance came in last Saturday's playoff-opening win over South Carolina State, when he threw for a school-record 433 yards and four touchdowns to help lead Appalachian to a 37-21 victory.
The honor is the second in as many months for the Walter Payton Award finalist and third of his career.
Edwards and the Mountaineers host Richmond on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Kickoff is set for noon at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
(c) 2008 Appalachian State Mountaineers
BCS may be just a cash cow
Is the current BCS format really the best formula for determining a true national champion in college football? Absolutely NOT!
But for those of you who aren't old enough to remember when bowl tie-ins were the law of the land and national champions were decided by subjective voting, the BCS really has been a much more efficient way of determining college football's national champion.
Of course, it goes without saying that a playoff is at the top of every fanatic's Christmas list this year. And why not? Playoffs are essentially the most logical way of ensuring that a championship is decided on the field of play. But it's imperative that you come to the realization that the current BCS format is the only system that the presidents of the SEC, BIG-12, BIG-10, ACC, PAC-10 and BIG EAST will more than likely ever agree upon.
The BCS is a cash cow of epic proportions.
And the one aspect of life that each and every person should have already come to grips with is the fact that money makes the world go round.
Sure, you can jump up and down screaming and shouting that a playoff is ultimately going to generate more overall revenue than the current BCS format, but the presidents of the big six aren't concerned with increasing the overall revenue of the entire NCAA when it jeopardizes their perspective conferences enjoying the position as the Bill Gates of college football.
A BCS bowl game pays each of its participants $17 million apiece. And if a conference is really, really, really lucky, say like the SEC and BIG-12 are going to be this year, they have the opportunity to qualify two teams and collect $34 million without ever having to land on Boardwalk or pass GO.
Better yet, why would any of the BCS conferences even consider a playoff a viable option when there is a possibility that the conference is going to suffer through some down years when they might not even have a dog in the fight?
Think about it like this, if a playoff were already implemented and in full effect this season, neither the ACC nor the BIG East would have a team good enough to qualify for the field of eight.
So if you were thinking that each and every BCS conference champion should automatically qualify, well, would you really be willing to make the argument that a Cincinnati or Georgia Tech squad that won a watered down conference was really more deserving of a trip to Miami than either Texas or Texas Tech? Not if you really wanted people to take your opinion seriously!
But under the current BCS formula that is in effect as of today, the BIG East may not have a team competing for the crystal trophy, but at least it has already guaranteed itself a $17 million payout because of the Bear Cats.
Corporations all across this country have become synonymous with firing their CEO's when they invest in a risky financial decision that causes the company to lose revenue and decreases profits, so why on earth would a conference president want to risk losing a multi-million dollar payday because the fans want a title decided between the hash-marks?
Concentrate on that question for as long as you can wrap your brain around it, and you know deep down in the back of your mind you can't think of one legitimate reason that they would even dare consider switching the current BCS system for a playoff format.
The BCS may not be your method of choice, but as it stands right now, the winner of the match-up in SEC championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida is going to play either No. 3 Oklahoma or No. 4 Texas for all the marbles if they defeat Mizzou in the BIG-12 championship game.
But if either No. 3 Oklahoma or No. 4 Texas manages to fall apart faster than Michael Jackson's career and get upset, the SEC champion would then play the PAC-10 champion, which just so happens to be No. 5 USC.
Now if you were to travel back in time before the BCS contract was ever negotiated, the SEC champion would have had no choice but to play the ACC champion, the PAC-10 champion would have been forced to square off with the BIG-10 champion, and the BIG-12 champion would have been required to battle the BIG East champion.
In other words, if it weren't for the current BCS format that the entire world adamantly opposes, this year's SEC and BIG-12 champion wouldn't be allowed the opportunity to stand toe-to-toe in the ring with one another for a 12-round heavyweight title bout.
You can argue until you're blue in the face that the BCS isn't perfect, but do you really envision an eight-team playoff being perfect? Just like the BCS might leave out a worthy contender, so would a playoff.
The BCS was never intended to be a perfect route to a national championship. The BCS was created for the sole purpose of producing revenue for the big six - PERIOD! Its second mission, the one that college football fans are the most concerned with, was to try and give college football the closest thing it had ever had to an undisputed heavyweight champion.
It's extremely important that you remember that the BCS wasn't created for you, it was created for the conferences.
If you really want to be brutally honest with yourself, the best scenario that any die-hard college football fan could ever wish to come to fruition is for the ever popular plus-one model to be implemented.
Copyright (c) 2008 The University of Alabama at Birmingham
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