SEC VS Western Region (mrsec.com):
Tennessee travels to UCLA and Georgia goes to Arizona State this season. Both teams need to read some history before the trip. The SEC is only 3-5 against the Pac-10 and 4-6 against the combined Pac-10 and the WAC since 1998. The scores have been:
- UCLA 35, Alabama, 24 in 2000 (loss)
- Oregon 36 Miss State 13 in 2002 (loss)
- USC 24, Auburn, 17 in 2002 (loss)
- Alabama 21, Hawaii, 16 in 2002 (win)
- Hawaii 37, Alabama 24 in 2003 (loss)
- LSU 59, Arizona 13 in 2003 (win)
- USC 70, Arkansas 17 in 2005 (loss)
- LSU 35, Arizona State 31 in 2005 (win)
- Tennessee 35, Cal, 18 (win)
- Cal 45, Tennessee 21 in 2007 (loss)
ALABAMA: Former Tide offensive line coach Jim Fuller, who has been the athletic director at Jacksonville State, is retiring after a five-year stint. Signee Melvin Ray, who is from Tallahassee, Fla., was a 33rd-round draft choice or the # 997 overall pick by the L.A. Dodgers. He has decided to turn pro. Even so, his high school baseball coach said Ray deserves 10th round money. Last year, the general range for 10th round money was varied from $5,000-$123,000. There are also questions if Ray has qualified academically.
Another Tide signee, Destin Hood, was the 55th choice overall (second round) of the Washington Nationals. He is likely to go pro and will begin negotiations next week. Quinton Dial (6-5, 308), a four-star defensive tackle from Pinson, Ala., has committed to Alabama. Auburn, Clemson, Florida and Tennessee are among the schools to offer him. Tide radio analyst Ken Stabler was arrested over the weekend for DUI. He was arrested for the same offense in 1995 and 2001. Coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry have donated $1 million to the school’s (non-football) scholarship fund.
Tim Simon (6-1, 210), a three-star running back from Cordova, Ala., has narrowed his list down to Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, and Mississippi State. He camped at Alabama this week. His favorite school is Auburn. Former Tide coach Billy Curry, who will be 66 in October, has been announced as the new coach at Georgia State for its first year of football. The school plans on starting at the Division-IAA level in 2010.
AUBURN: Signee DeRonn Furr has moved from quarterback to safety. He was the No. 4 quarterback behind Kodi Burns, Chris Todd and Neil Caudle. Auburn returns only three scholarship players at safety in sophomores Zac Etheridge and Mike McNeil and redshirt freshman Mike Slade. Sophomore slot receiver Mario Fannin said he has almost rehabbed his shoulder after surgery this past spring.
FLORIDA: Strength and Conditioning coach Mickey Marotti has been praised recently for his contributions to the team. Maurkice Pouncey said the team is much closer than it was last season. Marotti said offensive linemen Phil Trautwein, Jim Tartt and Jason Watkins, receiver Louis Murphy, tailback Kestahn Moore and defensive tackle Javier Estopinan have emerged as leaders. He said receiver Percy Harvin is on schedule in his rehab and has increased his strength. True freshman defensive lineman Matt Patchan has a goal of weighing 270 pounds for the start of two-a-days. Tailback Chris Rainey is holding at 180 pounds while running track. Freshman defensive lineman Omar Hunter has been impressive. True freshman offensive lineman Sam Robey has made some dramatic gains in weight and strength.
Gator signee Jeffrey Demps is going to Oregon later this month to compete in the 100 meter dash to win a spot on the Olympic team. He also said regardless he will be at Florida on the 30th. Demps said he is 5-foot-9, 180 pounds. He ran a 10.17 in the 100 meters.
Urban Meyer’s football camp has brought out some impressive prospects include rising junior Ian Silberman (6-5, 260), an offensive lineman from Fleming Island (Fla.) High in Clay County near Jacksonville. Silberman was the offensive line MVP at the Jacksonville National Underclassmen Combine this past April. Jeff Hartung (6-3, 294), a guard from Ridgeview (Fla.) High also in Clay County, also attended the camp.
GEORGIA: Fullback Brannan Southerland will probably miss 16 weeks due to surgery on a fractured left foot that wasn’t healing properly. Southerland is a very effective blocker. Benjamin Boyd and Justin Fields, both backup linebackers, have been moved to fullback to back up Shaun Chapas. There are plenty of rumors abounding about tailback Knowshon Moreno possibly failing a drug test, being charged with a DUI or simply pouting about the attention redshirt freshman tailback Caleb King is receiving. Coach Mark Richt has denied Internet reports that he sent Moreno home this summer.
Bulldog starting defensive end Jeremy Lomax was arrested last week for a concealed weapon. He is the fourth Bulldog to be arrested this year. Richt said he is taking his time with his punishment decision pertaining to Lomax. Fullback Fred Munzenmaier (underage possession of alcohol) and defensive back Donavan Baldwin (DUI) were arrested in January. Munzenmaier has been suspended the first two games. Baldwin is out for the opener. Offensive lineman Clint Boling was charged with suspicion of DUI a few weeks ago. He has agreed to an informal resolution by Georgia’s Office of Judicial Programs in which he admits code of conduct violations for underage drinking. Boling will have to sit out at least one game.
Bulldog signee Xavier Avery, a four-star athlete, was the 50th selection in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He will likely sign a pro contract. Defensive end signee Toby Jackson still has not qualified. He will take the ACT Saturday. Georgia has some assistant coaches at Oregon State this week. Part of the visit is to do some research on Arizona State.
OLE MISS: Linebacker signee Patrick Trahan, who left Auburn after two seasons, is still trying to qualify. Trahan, who attended Northwest Mississippi Community College, would greatly bolster the linebacker position the Rebels. Two-star quarterback signee Chris Wilkes, who is from Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips High, was drafted in the 22nd round by the San Diego Padres.
ARKANSAS: Hog officials are paying out $1.7 million for three non-conference games against Western Illinois ($350,000), Louisiana-Monroe ($500,000) and Tulsa ($800,000). The Tulsa game features a rematch with former OC Gus Malzahn. Linebacker Freddie Fairchild has been dismissed from the team. He was suspended prior to the spring for suspicion of false imprisonment and third degree battery. The loss of Fairchild is a blow to an already thin linebacker corps.
TENNESSEE: Three-star quarterback signee Casey Kelly, who is from Sarasota, Fla., was the 30th overall selection in the Major League Baseball Draft. He will likely turn pro.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecock football program quietly ended a five-year probation period last Friday. South Carolina was cited for lack of institutional control in 2001. The problems started with the recruitment of troubled star running back Derek Watson, who was given improper transportation on several occasions. Quin Smith (6-1, 208), a linebacker from Lenoir, N. C., committed to the Gamecocks this week. East Carolina, Duke, Navy and Western Carolina have offered him.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: NCAA probation ended Thursday for the Bulldogs. State was placed on probation for numerous violations (1998-2002) under former coach Jackie Sherrill’s watch. Nickoe Whitley (6-1, 175), a safety/quarterback from Provine, Miss., has committed to the Bulldogs. Southern Miss has offered him. Freshman fullback Ethan Stockett and junior receiver Ryan Mason are transferring out.
ACC NOTES
MIAMI: Former Cane coach Larry Coker has agreed to return to ESPNU as a college football analyst. Offensive line signees Brandon Washington and Benjamin Jones have one more chance to take the SAT on Saturday in order to achieve qualifying scores.
Both Florida’s Urban Meyer and FSU’s Bobby Bowden told the Miami Herald that Randy Shannon has made it hard to sign players from Dade County. Florida has no Dade County players over the last three years since signing 11 from 2002-05. Bowden signed seven players from Miami-Dade from 2004-06, but only one in the past two years.
Some top Miami-Dade prospects and their favorites are:
- Lamar Miller (5-11, 205), a four-star running back from Miami Killian likes Miami, but also lists Florida, FSU, UCF and USF. Rivals.com adds offers from South Carolina and Clemson.
- Jaamal Berry (5-11, 185), a four-star running back from Palmetto, said Miami hasn’t offered, but he has an interest in Florida, FSU, Ohio State, Michigan, Auburn and Ole Miss. Ohio State and Florida lead.
- Eugene Smith (6-3, 182), one of the top dual-threat quarterback prospects from Miramar, likes Florida State, South Florida, LSU, Louisville, and Michigan.
- Brandon McGee (5-11, 186), a four-star quarterback defensive back from Plantation, said Florida, Miami, and FSU are among his 30 offers. McGee will be a December grad.
- Brandon Taylor (6-1, 290), a defensive back from Krop and the son of NFL Hall of Fame player Lawrence Taylor, said Miami, Purdue and UCF have offered. Rivals.com has reported that Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Florida and Rutgers have offered. His nickname is “BLT” which stands for Brandon Lawrence Taylor.
- Cane safety signee Joe Wylie said he has gained 12 pounds and is up to 189.
FLORIDA STATE: Junior Caz Piurowski is staying at tight end even though he alternated between tight end and tackle last year. Rotating with freshman All-American Brandon Warren (now with Tennessee), Piurowski started two games as a freshman and caught seven passes for 55 yards. He didn’t improve his stats last year. Now with Charlie Graham struggling to get back after an off-the- field incident (discharging a firearm in the city limits) and academic issues and concerns over the eligibility of junior college transfer Jonathan Hannah, Piurowski is needed. Freshman tight end signee Jabaris Little, who is from Tallahassee Lincoln, said he has no plan to redshirt.
The Nole offensive line is still struggling with inexperience. If the season opened today, the line would consist of sophomore left tackle Rodney Hudson; sophomore left guard Evan Bellamy; sophomore center Ryan McMahon, redshirt freshman right guard Will Furlong and redshirt freshman right tackle Antwane Greenlee.
FSU’s men’s track team has a chance to win a third national title at this week’s National Track and Field Championships. Walter Dix has a chance to win eight national titles, which no one has done since Jesse Owens.
PAC-10 COMMISSIONER TOM HANSEN: The 26-year commissioner of the Pac-10 is retiring next summer. Hansen said when he started in the early 1960s, the conference had five teams. The 70-year-old Hansen has done much for the conference, but he has also been an impediment for any kind of playoff. He is the second commissioner to announce a retirement in the past few weeks. Mike Tranghese, the Big East commissioner announced his retirement last week.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Athletic directors Skip Bertman at LSU and Larry Templeton at Mississippi State are retiring this year. Who is the most influential AD(s) in the SEC and the nation?
2. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese announced his retirement last week. Who is the most influential commissioner(s) in the nation?
3. In a Gainesville Sun article on Saturday, Florida Strength & Conditioning coach Mickey Marotti was praised for his contributions to the team in terms of chemistry. How does a S & C coach help a program?
4. Is the SEC still cheating? South Carolina and Mississippi State ended their five-year football probation within the past two weeks. Only the Arkansas track team is on probation. Should Commissioner Mike Slive be credited with slowing down the cheating in the conference?
5. Should the SEC media policy be improved? Ron Higgins, the President of the Football Writers Association of America, has asked the SEC to consider changing its media policy for coaches and players. He wants the media to have access to scrimmages if the public can watch, to be able to interview freshmen who contribute and interview coordinators and interview freshmen who are contributing. The league’s athletic directors will take up the motion in their meetings in August.
6. Will the SEC ever stop growing? The SEC has experienced growth in revenues every year since 1989. The most explosive growth came in the 1990’s following expansion in 1992. The SEC distributed $127.2 million this past season-$50 million for football TV, $25 million from bowl games and $13 million from basketball TV. In 1980, the SEC distributed $4.1 million; $18 million in 1984; $20 million in 1991; $58 million in 1997; $73 million in 2000 and $101 million in 2003.
7. Is this the best collection of coaches ever in the SEC? Or even in the nation?
8. Who are the coaches on the hot seats in the SEC and nationally? Only twice in the last decade (2003 and 2005) has a season ended with no changes in the SEC.
9. What are the deciding factors for multi-sport athletes (baseball/football) to give up football and to move to pro baseball after the draft?
10. How soon can coach Butch Davis turn North Carolina around?
11. Which school wins a national championship first-Florida State, Miami, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A & M or Washington?
12. The BCS is in its 10th anniversary this year. What has it accomplished or not accomplished?
13. Which non-conference games will have the biggest impact on the national title? Georgia at Arizona State; Ohio State at Southern Cal; Auburn at West Virginia; Illinois vs. Missouri or Alabama vs. Clemson?
14. Will we have an early signing day? Matt Hayes of the Sporting News says the SEC’s resolution has a chance to be approved by the NCAA. If its does, the date likely will be early fall, possibly the first week of Sept or last week of August, according to the NCAA executive committee.
15. Will the attrition from injuries and suspensions at Georgia eventually take their toll?
16. Georgia hasn’t played west of the central time zone since the loss to Southern Cal in 1960. Should they play more games out of the South?
17. Tennessee is spending nearly $2 million to pay non-conference opponents. Arkansas is paying out $1.7 million for three non-conference home games-Western Illinois ($350,000), Louisiana-Monroe ($500,000) and Tulsa ($800,000). Will this trend get more expensive in the coming years?
18. Two FSU signees (A. J. Alexander and offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders) are playing in an all-star game (Big 33 game) this week. Should coaches say no to their signees playing in all-star games? Remember the Georgia-Florida all-star game and how big it was years ago?
19. Who is the best defensive coordinator in the nation? Bud Foster of Virginia Tech (Hokies led the nation in defense in 2005 and 2006); Jim Heacock of Ohio State (Ohio State led the nation in total defense and scoring defense last year); Will Muschamp of Texas; Paul Rhoads of Auburn; Tom Bradley of Penn State; Nick Holt of USC (Trojans were second nationally in scoring defense and total defense last year); Jeff Casteel of West Virginia (He was the Rivals.com defensive coordinator of the year last year), Mickey Andrews of FSU; Willie Martinez of Georgia; Vic Koenning of Clemson (Tigers No. 9 in defense last year); and Bill Young of Miami.
20. Who is the best offensive coordinator in the nation? Gary Crowton of LSU; Norm Chow of UCLA; Chip Kelly of Oregon (Ducks were No. 10 in total offense last year); Dan Mullen of Florida (Gators were No. 3 in scoring last year); Ed Wariner of Kansas (Jayhawks were No. 2 in scoring last year); Rob Spence of Clemson; Kevin Wilson of Oklahoma (OU No. 5 in scoring last year); Mike Bobo of Georgia; Greg Davis of Texas and Mike Locksley of Illinois.
BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.
E-MAIL BRENT AT bcbeaird@bellsouth.net
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