Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Reynolds, Xavier upset No. 25 Georgetown
Georgia Tech routs Miss. St in Orange Bowl
GT runs wild in Orange Bowl
Texas coach Charlie Strong fires two offensive assistants
After putting up only 59 yards of offense in a brutal Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas on Monday night, Texas head coach Charlie Strong decided to make a few changes to his staff.
The program announced on Wednesday night that Strong fired wide receivers coach Les Koenning and tight ends coach Bruce Chambers.
“Les and Bruce are both good men and good football coaches,” Strong said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out, but I just feel like we need to make a chance and head in a different direction in their positions. We wish them the best.”
Chambers was the only holdover from Mack Brown’s staff and Koenning, who played at Texas in the late 1970’s, joined Strong’s staff after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State from 2009-2013.
According to a release, the search for Chambers' and Koennig's replacements will "begin immediately."
After the 31-7 Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas, the Longhorns finished 6-7 in Strong’s first year with the program, losing five times by 20 or more points.
For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Texas coach Charlie Strong fires two offensive assistants
Mississippi State ends Orange Bowl's first half with Hail Mary (GIFs)
Georgia Tech looked to have the momentum going into halftime of the Orange Bowl until a Mississippi State prayer was answered.
The Yellow Jackets had just taken a 21-13 lead with 29 seconds left in the half. Instead of just taking a knee and going into the locker room, the Bulldogs moved the ball to the Georgia Tech 42-yard line and dialed up a Hail Mary.
Quarterback Dak Prescott had plenty of time and fired deep into a crowd in the back right corner of the end zone. The ball deflected out of a crowd of MSU receivers and GT defensive backs and into the diving arms of Fred Ross, who was trailing the play.
Ross was positioned perfectly, waiting for the tip. When the ball went his way, he laid out and scooped it up just before it hit the turf for a Mississippi State touchdown.
The score cut Georgia Tech’s lead to 21-20 at the break and was Ross’ fourth catch (for 64 yards) of the first half.
For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.
For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Mississippi State ends Orange Bowl's first half with Hail Mary (GIFs)
Prescott returning to Miss. St.
Boise State gets key defensive stop in 38-30 win against Arizona in Fiesta Bowl
Boise State can’t play in the Fiesta Bowl without making it as exciting as possible.
In its two previous appearances, the Broncos needed a trick play to secure victory. While Boise State emptied its bag of tricks Wednesday in the first half to gain the lead against Arizona, it needed a good old-fashioned defensive stop to secure the 38-30 victory.
Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon took a sack with just seconds remaining with his team at the 8-yard line driving for the game-tying score. The Wildcats did not have a timeout and the clock ran out giving the Broncos the victory.
That play was one of the many the Broncos defense had to come up with in the second half as the offense that led the Broncos to 31 first-half points went ice cold in the second half. The Broncos final score came off a pick-six by Donte Deayon late in the third quarter.
Arizona actually stormed back from a 31-17 halftime deficit while it stymied the Broncos offense. Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick had 272 passing yards in the first half, but finished with 309 for the game. Running back Jay Ajayi, who was playing in his final game as a Bronco, had 107 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the first half and finished with just 134.
That put the entire game on the shoulders of the defense, which wobbled a bit, but came up admirably late in the game, allowing just a field goal on the Wildcats’ final three drives.
Boise State has played in the Fiesta Bowl three total times and each game — all Boise State wins — has come down to the wire. In 2007, the Broncos used a Statue of Liberty trick play in overtime for the game-winning score. Against TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl it used a fake punt to ultimately set up the game-winning score. And while the Broncos used a couple trick plays in the first half, including a Statue of Liberty play, to help build their lead, it was the lack of creativity by Arizona’s offense that ultimately helped the Boise State defense secure the game.
The win gave the Broncos their 12 win of the season, their eighth season with at least 12 wins since joining the FBS.
For more Arizona news, visit GOAZCats.com.
For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Boise State gets key defensive stop in 38-30 win against Arizona in Fiesta Bowl
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Rose Bowl: The first-ever CFP game features a matchup of two Heisman winners
Rose Bowl
Oregon (12-1) vs. Florida State (13-0)
Pasadena, Calif.
Jan. 1, 2014
The matchup between this year’s Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and last year’s winner Jameis Winston is one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.
And while the focus will rightfully be on the two stellar signal callers, it should be on the defenses.
Both of these defenses have struggled with consistency this season. Florida State’s defense has been almost nonexistent in most of the first halves the Seminoles have played this year, but have rebounded to have stellar second-half performances to secure victories.
Oregon’s defense ranked 82nd in the country allowing 413.8 yards per game, but only 22.5 points per game. The Ducks had their best performance of the year in the Pac-12 title game when it limited Arizona 224 yards and just 13 points.
The Ducks will be without star cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who suffered a torn ACL during practice earlier this month. But, Oregon plays a lot of guys on defense and some of their lopsided wins have allowed backups to get key playing time and experience.
There’s no doubt Florida State and Oregon are going to be able to score, it’s just a matter of which defense is going to be able to limit that scoring.
So far this season, few teams have been able to limit Mariota, who thrown for 3,783 yards with 38 touchdowns and just two interceptions. There is no quarterback more efficient than Mariota. And when he’s not beating teams with his arm, he’s rushing for 669 yards and another 14 scores.
Winston hasn’t been nearly as precise as he was a year ago. The sophomore has thrown for 3,559 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he’s also thrown 17 interceptions, which is 10 more than he threw a year ago as a first-time starter. Still, he’s worked wonders for the Florida State offense this season by bringing them back from multiple-touchdown deficits to keep his undefeated streak alive. Winston still has never lost a game in his collegiate career.
The biggest difference between these two teams will be pace of play. Oregon likes to jump on its opponents early and bury them before they can get into any sort of rhythm. While Florida State is used to marching back from deficits, it might not be able to slow the Oregon defense enough to close the gap.
However, if Florida State is able to keep this game close late, it puts itself in familiar territory and a place where it has excelled all season.
ODDS: Oregon (-8)
FUN FACT: Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has the best passer rating of any quarterback in the second half. Mariota’s first-half rating of 173.05 jumps up to 208.85 in the second half, which is actually more than 13 points better than the next player.
PREDICTIONS
Graham: I have a hard time seeing this game as a close contest considering what we’ve seen from both teams this year. Oregon will be the best team the Seminoles have faced all season and the best scoring offense it's faced. While I appreciate Jameis Winston’s ability to motivate his team and lead it in come-from-behind wins, I think he’ll find himself in too deep of a hole in this one. Oregon 45, Florida State 31.
Nick: It feels imperative for Oregon to get out to a big lead in the first half. Florida State is like a crazy cat in the second half of games as it's always finding a way to escape. The undefeated streak ends on Thursday, though it won't be surprising in the slightest if it doesn't. Oregon 34, Florida State 31.
Sam: There's just something about Jameis Winston in big games, he always gets it done. With Oregon's top corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu out, Winston will be able to exploit the Ducks' secondary. Marcus Mariota won't go down easy, but the FSU undefeated streak will continue. Florida State 38, Oregon 34.
For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.
For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Rose Bowl: The first-ever CFP game features a matchup of two Heisman winners
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Boise State runs its signature 'Statue of Liberty' play for a score in the Fiesta Bowl (again)
Boise State is playing in its third Fiesta Bowl, but paid homage on Wednesday to the first game that put the program on the map.
During the first quarter against Arizona, Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick took the snap on the 16-yard line, pretended to throw a screen pass and instead held the ball down for running back Jay Ajayi to take the hand off and scamper into the end zone.
Boise State ran a similar “Statue of Liberty” play against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to win the game.
It was good to see coach Bryan Harsin throw out a oldie but goodie so early in the contest. At the time, it put the Broncos up 21-0.
For more Boise State news, visit Blue-Turf.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Boise State runs its signature 'Statue of Liberty' play for a score in the Fiesta Bowl (again)
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TCU makes a big statement with 42-3 win against Ole Miss in Peach Bowl
TCU spent the past few weeks trying not to comment on being left out of the College Football Playoff, and that was probably a good thing, considering the Horned Frogs’ performance in the Peach Bowl spoke volumes.
No. 6 TCU dismantled No. 9 Ole Miss 42-3 in one of the most dominating performances between two top 10 teams this season.
The 39-point loss tied for the most lopsided bowl loss in SEC bowl history (Georgia-Nebraska, 1969 Sun Bowl), and it was TCU’s first bowl win against an SEC opponent since defeating LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl.
And the dominance started early.
From the opening snap, TCU’s defense swarmed Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace. It was stronger and faster than Ole Miss’ offensive line and the Horned Frogs managed an interception on the Rebels’ first drive of the game.
TCU jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 6:23 remaining in the first quarter and never looked back. It forced four turnovers — all by Wallace — and was held to 129 yards of total offense, including just nine yards rushing. TCU punctuated its performance by mocking Ole Miss' signature "landshark" posture by pretending their hand was a fin at the front of their helmet.
Ole Miss' three points came on a field goal with 7:18 remaining in the game after a TCU turnover gave the Rebels a short field.
TCU didn’t have a stellar offensive day, but it didn’t need to with the way its defense played. Quarterback Trevone Boykin completed 22-of-31 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three really ugly interceptions. Running back Aaron Green led all rushers with 67 yards and a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.
Boykin’s three picks were really the only thing that kept the game from really getting out of hand as the Horned Frogs seemed like a threat to score on every offensive drive. In fact, TCU only punted four times the entire day.
TCU ranked No. 3 heading into the final wave of rankings and soundly defeated Iowa State to make their case to stay in the top four. However, the committee essentially wiped the slate clean and promoted No. 5 Ohio State into the top four and dropped the Horned Frogs all the way down to No. 6 behind Baylor, the only team that defeated it all season.
The move sparked all sorts of controversy and debate about the validity and the politics of the rankings, but TCU coach Gary Patterson and his players stayed largely above the fray and said their only focus was on Ole Miss.
But it’s clear, the Horned Frogs knew a dominating performance against Ole Miss would be the most powerful statement they could make and it also would set them up for a potential playoff run in 2015.
If there’s one other positive TCU can take from this game, it’s that it will end its season with a statement win while only one of the teams in the College Football Playoff can claim the same.
For more TCU news, visit PurpleMenace.com.
For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - TCU makes a big statement with 42-3 win against Ole Miss in Peach Bowl
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Cotton Bowl: Can Michigan State's tough D contain the Baylor offense?
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1)
Arlington, Texas
Jan. 1, 2015
This year’s Cotton Bowl between Baylor and Michigan State is a classic matchup featuring a high-powered offense versus a stout defense matchup.
The fifth-ranked Bears boast the top offense in the country in both points and yards per game. Led by quarterback Bryce Petty, Baylor averaged a whopping 48.8 points and 581.3 yards per game en route to an 11-1 record and a share of the Big 12 crown.
The Bears, like their Big 12 brethren TCU, just missed out on the College Football Playoff, leading to some outspoken criticism from head coach Art Briles. They’ll look up to back up their head coach’s talk with Petty in the passing game. The senior threw for 3,305 yards and 26 touchdowns to a deep and talented group of receivers. Corey Coleman led the Bears with 57 catches for 969 yards and 10. Antwan Goodley added 50 catches for 833 yards and six touchdowns while Antwan Goodley caught 51 passes for 737 yards and six scores as well.
The Bears have a solid run game too with Shock Linwood (1,226 yards, 16 TDs), but they could struggle against a Spartans defense that is third nationally in rush defense (97.5 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (293.5 ypg). Michigan State will play its final game with Pat Narduzzi as defensive coordinator after Narduzzi accepted the head-coaching gig at Pittsburgh.
While Michigan State is known for its defense, the Spartan offense was seventh in the country in scoring at 43.1 points per game and 13th in total offense with 496.5 yards per game. The Spartans’ only two losses came at the hands of Oregon and Ohio State – two College Football Playoff participants.
Junior quarterback Connor Cook threw for 2,900 yards and 22 touchdowns while only giving away six interceptions. The Spartans were extremely balanced all year with senior Jeremy Langford rushing for 1,360 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year. Cook’s favorite target was Big Ten receiver of the year Tony Lippett, who caught 60 passes for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Baylor’s defense will be key in this one. You know the Bears will be able to score, but will the Bears be able to stop the Spartans from keeping pace?
ODDS
Baylor (-2.5)
FUN FACT
Interestingly, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said that Tony Lippett, the Spartans’ leading wideout, will also start at defensive back for the third straight game to help against Baylor’s pass offense. He’s played a lot of cornerback in the past, so it’s not new territory for him, but he could be in for a ton of snaps against the Bears’ quick-strike offense.
PREDICTIONS
Graham: Michigan State isn't as good as Baylor, but I wonder about Baylor's motivation in this contest after being left out of the College Football Playoff. Still, the Bears should come into this game with a chip on their shoulder and that should be enough to motivate them to victory. Baylor 28, Michigan State 17.
Nick: Is the Big 12's bowl disaster going to continue? I'm not sure this is a good matchup for Baylor. Cook will match Petty and Michigan State will get a key stop late in the game. Michigan State 31, Baylor 29.
Sam: While Baylor’s offense against Michigan State’s defense is the matchup everyone’s been talking about, I think Baylor’s defense is the key. I’m not sure the Bears will be able to keep the Spartans out of the end zone at crucial parts of the game. Michigan State 37, Baylor 33.
For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.
For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Cotton Bowl: Can Michigan State's tough D contain the Baylor offense?
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Citrus Bowl: Minnesota can reach 9 wins for second time since 1905 vs. Mizzou
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
Missouri (10-3) vs. Minnesota (8-4)
Orlando, Fla.
Jan. 1, 2015
While most will be focused on the College Football Playoff-affiliated bowls of New Year’s Day, sandwiched in between is a solid matchup between No. 16 and No. 25 Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl.
A six-game winning streak helped Missouri unexpectedly make its second consecutive trip to the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers were blown out by top-ranked Alabama, but Mizzou reaching the 10-win plateau again was good enough for the invite to Orlando. And if the Tigers can beat the Gophers, Missouri will reach at least 11 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Missouri’s offense, led by sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk, was one of the weaker units in the SEC. Mauk had an up-and-down season, completing just 52.9 percent of his passes, but after throwing nine interceptions in his first seven games he threw only two interceptions (along with nine touchdowns) in his final six games.
The Tigers feature a productive timeshare at running back between junior Russell Hansbrough (970 yards, 9 TDs) and senior Marcus Murphy (767 yards, 4 TDs) while 6-foot-2 senior Bud Sasser (70 catches, 935 yards, 10 TDs) leads a talented group of receivers.
Those backs face a tough task with Minnesota linebackers Damien Wilson (111 tackles, 10.5 TFL) and De’Vondre Campbell (71 tackles, 6.5 TFL) swarming to the ball.
On the other sideline, Minnesota can reach nine wins for the first time since 2003 and register its first bowl win since 2004 if it wins the Citrus Bowl – the program’s first New Year’s Day bowl since 1962. The 8-4 Gophers headed into the final week of the regular season with a shot to play in the Big Ten title game, but they fell 34-24 to Wisconsin on the road.
The Gophers rely heavily on their running attack, which is led by record-setting senior David Cobb and sophomore Mitch Leidner. Cobb set a single-season Minnesota record with 1,548 yards and also reached the end zone 13 times. The 6-foot-4, 237-pound Leidner also had a nose for the end zone – scoring 10 times to go with 462 yards.
The Gophers rarely look to pass and when they do, Leidner (1,540 yards, 10 TDs, 8 INTs) looks for All-Big Ten tight end Maxx Williams. Williams led the Gophers with 29 catches for 471 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore campaign.
The Gophers may look to Williams to combat a ferocious Missouri defense that will surely key in on Cobb. The Tigers ranked 31st nationally in rush defense, allowing 135.8 yards per game. Missouri also totaled 42 sacks on the season to lead the SEC. All-American defensive end Shane Ray led the way with 61 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 14 sacks while Markus Golden added 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
If Minnesota can’t run on the Tigers, it could be a tough afternoon for Jerry Kill’s team.
ODDS
Missouri (-4.5)
FUN FACT
If Minnesota wins, it will reach nine wins for the first time since 2003. Before the Gophers went 10-3 in 2003, the program hadn’t reached nine wins since 1905.
PREDICTIONS
Graham: Minnesota has had a great season, but it hasn't seen anything like Missouri's defensive front and Shane Ray should have a great game if he manages to not get tossed from it. Missouri 35, Minnesota 17.
Nick: Missouri has been gashed by teams with power running games this season in Georgia and Alabama. And while Minnesota's rushing attack is very good, it's not as good as either of the two SEC teams. The Tigers get win No. 11. Missouri 27, Minnesota 17.
Sam: Minnesota is tough on both sides of the ball, but if it can’t put together a somewhat competent passing game against Missouri, I don’t see any way in which the Gophers can pull out a win. Missouri 24, Minnesota 14.
For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.
For more Minnesota news, GopherIllustrated.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Citrus Bowl: Minnesota can reach 9 wins for second time since 1905 vs. Mizzou