|
OKLAHOMA VS. FLORIDA in the BSC National Championship game in Miami on Jan. 8: This decade Heisman Trophy winners are 2-6 in bowl games. The last three Heisman winners-Florida's Tim Tebow, Ohio State's Troy Smith and Southern Cal's Reggie Bush-all lost bowl games. Only USC quarterback Carson Palmer in 2002 and USC quarterback Matt Leinhart in 2004 won their bowl games. Since 1950, only five players have won a Heisman and a national title. Sooner tailback DeMarco Murray will have surgery on his hamstring and miss the bowl game. Tackler DeMarcus Granger will miss the bowl game after undergoing back surgery.
Florida Coach Urban Meyer is looking for an offensive coordinator after Dan Mullen took the Mississippi State job. Jacksonville University Coach Kerwin Bell neither confirmed nor denied any interest in the job when asked. Meyer said Mullen will coach in the title game. Linebacker Brandon Spikes, receiver Percy Harvin, and quarterback Tim Tebow will all file paperwork for the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Defensive end Jermaine Cunningham has not talked about filing.
Edwin Herbert (6-3, 285), a four-star junior college defensive tackle from City College of San Francisco, verbally committed over the weekend. N. C. State, Arkansas and Tennessee showed interest. Marsalis Teague (5-10, 170), a three-star defensive back from Paris, Tenn., committed to Florida Thursday. Alabama and Tennessee are also recruiting him. Jelani Jenkins (6-2, 220), a five-star outside linebacker from Olney, Md., visited Florida this past weekend. He said he had a great visit. Jenkins will also visit Penn State on Jan. 16.
UTAH (12-0) VS. ALABAMA (11-1) in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 2: The Utes beat Michigan, Oregon State, TCU and BYU. Both coordinators have been hired for other jobs before the bowl games. Defensive coordinator Gary Andersen left for the head coaching job at Utah State earlier this month. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was named the offensive coordinator at Kansas State this week.
Tide running back Glen Coffee is planning on submitting his name to the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Coffee has 1,327 yards on 220 carries. He has not been projected as a high draft choice. Junior nose guard Terrence Cody said he will return next season. Tailback Roy Upchurch will miss the bowl game after undergoing a surgical procedure to correct a neck injury. Tight end Colin Peek, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., will be eligible to play in the bowl game. He is a Georgia Tech transfer. Coach Nick Saban said receivers B. J. Scott and Chris Jackson are possibilities for position changes. Alabama and Virginia Tech will kickoff the 2009 season in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sept. 5.
Alabama received verbal commitment No. 20 from Kevin Norwood (6-3, 180), a four-star receiver from D'Iberville, Miss. Norwood has offers from the three main Mississippi schools. James Carpenter ((6-5, 310), a four-star offensive lineman from Coffeyville, Kansas, signed with the Tide on Wednesday. Carpenter is the No. 31 ranked junior college player according to Rivals.com. Coach Nick Saban visited Darren Myles (6-1, 175), a four-star safety from Atlanta last Friday to say he was the top safety on the board. Myles has visited LSU and Purdue. A host of other schools such as Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame are interested. Myles is going to visit Alabama on Jan. 9 and Ohio State also. Chad Bumphis (5-11, 180), a four-star receiver from Tupelo, Miss., said he is down to Alabama and Mississippi State. He is the No. 20 ranked receiver according to Rivals.com. He will visit Alabama on Jan. 9.
TEXAS TECH (11-1) VS. OLE MISS (8-4) in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2: Coach Houston Nutt said linebacker Ashlee Palmer will likely play in the bowl game after he got his academic issues in order. Jamar Hornsby has accepted a plea bargain for improperly using a credit card. This clears him to play at Ole Miss next season. Hornsby, who played for Florida, graduated from a junior college last season.
Coach Houston Nutt has visited Patrick Patterson (6-3, 215), a four-star receiver from Macon, Miss. He will visit Auburn on Jan. 9 and Southern Miss on Jan. 16. He is also considering visits to Mississippi State and Alabama. Former Auburn commitment Raymond Cotton (6-4, 216), a four-star dual threat quarterback from Fort Meade, Md., said his new leader is Ole Miss.
EAST CAROLINA (9-4) VS. KENTUCKY (6-6) in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2: Wildcat cornerback Trevard Lindley, defensive end Jeremy Jarmon and linebacker Micah Johnson have all requested paperwork from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Lindley has been projected as a late first round pick. Chris Matthews (6-5, 210), a four-star receiver from Los Angeles Harbor CC, has committed to the Wildcats. The Wildcats 2009 schedule is nearly set. Starting on Sept. 26, the Wildcats face Florida and Alabama at home before traveling to South Carolina and Auburn in consecutive weeks.
IOWA (8-4) VS. SOUTH CAROLINA (7-5) in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1: Gamecock tight end Jared Cook is determined to play well in the bowl game after being benched in the second half of the Clemson game due to a poor effort in the first two quarters. Cook is the second leading receiver on the team with 35 catches for 550 yards. Receiver Chris Hail and defensive tackle Donte'e Nichols have been dismissed from the team for violating team rules. Emanuel Cook, the team's leading tackler the past two seasons, will be academically ineligible after not passing six hours. Dion LeCorn will likely replace him at strong safety. Middle linebacker Dustin Lindsey could also be academically ineligible. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has expressed an interested in the Army job. Jamire Williams, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Jacksonville, Fla., has left the program over a lack of playing time. He will likely transfer to either FAMU or Alabama State. The Gamecocks are going to have to be able to block Iowa senior defensive tackles Mitch King, the Big 10 defensive lineman of the year and Matt Kroul, who has 49 starts. The Hawkeyes won their last three games. The Gamecocks are going to a three-linebacker scheme in order to combat Iowa's rushing attack.
Corey Addison (6-1, 190), a three-star safety from Andrew Jackson High in Jacksonville, visited this past weekend. He is a South Carolina commitment. Addison, who said he is 90% committed to South Carolina, might also visit Illinois and LSU.
GEORGIA TECH (9-3) VS. LSU (7-5) in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31: The Yellow Jackets won their last two games while scoring over 40 points.
Tiger Coach Les Miles said there will be no staff changes before the bowl game. Former Syracuse Coach Greg Robinson has been contacted for a position on the staff. Former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis, who has interviewed twice at Clemson, and Saints assistant Ed Orgeron have been mentioned as possibilities. The Chick-Fil-A Bowl is close to its 12th straight sell-out. Miles said bowl practice will not be dedicated to developing younger players after the Tigers dropped two games at the end of the season. Quarterback Andrew Hatch still has a leg injury. Jordan Jefferson has gotten more snaps in practice than Jarrett Lee. LSU secondary coach/co-defensive coordinator Doug Mallory has been offered the defensive coordinator position at New Mexico. Former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was recently hired as the new Lobo head coach. Co-defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto has accepted the Northwestern State coaching job.
The Tigers have the No. 1 recruiting class so far according to Rivals.com headlined by Russell Sheppard (6-1, 179), a five-star quarterback from Cypress Ridge High in Houston, Texas.
MICHIGAN STATE (9-3) VS. GEORGIA (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1: Georgia has two assistants-Stacey Searels (who played at Auburn), the offensive line coach and Rodney Garner, the defensive line coach, who are being courted by Auburn. The Bulldog line was No. 2 in the SEC in fewest sacks allowed with 15. At the team's annual season-ending banquet, quarterback Matthew Stafford was selected the over team most valuable player. Tailback Knowshon Moreno was the most valuable offensive player and linebacker Rennie Curran was the most valuable defensive player. Junior cornerback Asher Allen played the second half of the season with a broken hand that he sustained in the LSU game. Allen picked off three passes during his sophomore season, but none this season. Moreno, Stafford, Allen and redshirt sophomore Reshad Jones have submitted papers to the NFL draft advisory board. Assistant coach Tony Ball will no longer be involved as a candidate for the Chattanooga vacant coaching position. Coach Mark Richt said he believes there will be no academic causalities.
A Bulldog win would mean 10 wins for the sixth time in eight years. If State wins, it would be the first 10 win season since 1999. Georgia's three losses this season have all come when Moreno failed to run for 100 yards. Defensive tackle Jeff Owens said he is returning next season. Owens missed most of the season after tearing his ACL in the opener against Georgia Southern. He will apply for a medical redshirt.
The Bulldogs have 16 verbal commitments. They are expected to sign20-21 players. Quarterback Aaron Murray (6-1, 195), a four-star quarterback from Tampa, Fla., is one of the highlights of the class. Murray along with Zach Mettenberger (6-5, 230), a four-start quarterback from Watkinsville, Ga., and linebacker Chase Vasser (6-3, 208), a three-star linebacker from Gainesville, Ga., are expected to enroll in January. They are also in on Jarvis Jones (6-3, 225), a four-star linebacker from Columbus, Ga. Florida, Georgia, LSU, Southern Cal and Texas are among his favorites.
BOSTON COLLEGE (9-3) VS. VANDERBILT (6-6) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31: The Commodores are going to have a hard time running the ball against the B.C. rushing defense ranked No. 7 nationally allowing only 92 yards per game. Vandy averages 138 yards per game rushing. Commodore quarterback Mackenzi Adams, who injured his knee and chest in the last regular season game against Wake Forest, said he will play in the bowl game.
AUBURN: Former Iowa State head Coach Gene Chizik has replaced Tommy Tuberville, who had a buyout worth $5.08 million. Chizik is not a popular selection with Auburn fans partly due to his 5-19 overall record at Iowa State. He was the Auburn defensive coordinator from 2002-04 and held the same position at Texas from 2005-06. During his time at Auburn, he was well-liked by former Tiger coach Pat Dye and some influential boosters. Chizik told the remaining Auburn assistants to start looking for jobs. Three names mentioned possibilities to join the staff are Georgia's Garner and Stacey Searels and former Clemson defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who just took a job at Kansas State. Defensive backs coach Jeff Koonz and defensive line coach Mike Pelton, both with Auburn ties, might come over from the Iowa State staff. Chizik will likely make $1.9 million per year for five years.
The coaching turmoil has taken its toil on recruiting. Auburn (19 verbals) has lost seven verbal commitments from its 2009 class. Rodney Scott (5-9,185), a four-star running back from Cross City, Fla., has changed his mind and committed to Ole Miss. Philip Lutenkirchen (6-4, 245), a four-star tight end from Marietta, Ga., is still an Auburn commitment, but he visited Tennessee this past weekend. He said South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and North Carolina have all contacted him recently. Raymond Cotton (6-4, 216), a four-star dual-threat quarterback from Fort Meade, Md., has decommited to Auburn. He has visits set up to Ole Miss, Southern Miss and is looking at Arkansas and Florida.
ARKANSAS: The Hogs have 24 verbal commitments. Broderick Green (6-2, 230), a running back transfer from USC, has signed with the Hogs this week. Green, a four-star running back out of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, is filling out paperwork in order to play immediately. His best game was 121 yards on 18 carries against Washington State. Quarterback Nathan Dick is transferring.
TENNESSEE: Former offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has been named the head coach at Bowling Green. Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin made it official that he will join the coaching staff. There are reports that Kiffin will be paid $1 million per year as a coordinator and Tennessee will pay $2.5 million for a staff. Kiffin has hired James Cregg from the Oakland Raiders staff. Florida receivers coach Billy Gonzales has been frequently mentioned as a possibility to join the staff.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Former University of North Alabama coach Mark Hudspeth has resigned to join the Bulldog staff. Hudspeth was 66-21 at UNA. State is going back to maroon helmets. They have also tweaked their logo.
ACC NOTES
FLORIDA STATE VS. WISCONSIN in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 27: Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and quarterback Christian Ponder recently sat down to discuss the season. Ponder must work on his touchdown to interception ratio. He had 13 picks compared to 12 touchdowns. Jamie Robinson will be more in a leadership role during and after the bowl game with Myron Rolle already saying he won't return next year and Darius McClure, Roosevelt Lawson and Rod Roberts out of eligibility. Dekoda Watson said he will return next season regardless of what his NFL paperwork says. Defensive lineman Jerome Mincey is going to fill out the paperwork for the NFL. Mincey has had a difficult year with injuries, suspensions and academic woes, but he has been a stalwart in the last month of the season. Even if Mincey returns, there will only be five defensive tackles on the roster. Preston Parker, who is battling an ankle injury, has also filled out NFL paperwork. Robinson and defensive end Everett Brown are weighing NFL options. Receiver Corey Surrency is appealing for another year of eligibility. FSU fans have purchased nearly 10,000 tickets so far. Tailback Antone Smith has 2,216 yards and needs only two yards in the bowl game to finish No. 8 in the career rushing list. Emmanuel Dunbar wants to play next year despite multiple back surgeries. The receivers have been working on catching the ball after nearly half a dozen drops against Florida.
MIAMI VS CAL in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 27: Quarterback Robert Marve is still with the team, but he will not participate in the bowl game due to academic suspension. Jacory Harris said his arm injury is improving by the day. He sustained an arm injury in the final game of the season.
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 brentbeaird@comcast.net
|
|
