St. John's sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan will be taking an indefinite leave of absence due to what the school has deemed "personal and family matters." From ESPN.com - College Basketball - St. John's guard Jordan on indefinite leave
Friday, January 2, 2015
Tennessee overwhelms Iowa in TaxSlayer Bowl
Tennessee overwhelms Iowa in TaxSlayer Bowl From College Football News : CBSSports.com - Tennessee overwhelms Iowa in TaxSlayer Bowl
Vols rout Iowa for 1st bowl win since 2008
Tennessee overwhelms Iowa in TaxSlayer Bowl, 45-28 From ESPN.com - College Football - Vols rout Iowa for 1st bowl win since 2008
Tennessee dominates Iowa 45-28 in TaxSlayer Bowl
The Vols, led by a slew of underclassmen, dominated from the start in a 45-28 win over Iowa in Jacksonville. Freshman running back Jalen Hurd set the tone with two touchdown runs in the first quarter and then sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs and the Vols’ defense took the reins from there.
The Vols came out with a purpose by feeding the 6-foot-3, 221-pound Hurd early and often. Hurd reeled off runs of 25 yards and 12 yards before scoring from three yards out on Tennessee’s first drive. After Iowa turned it over on downs, Hurd, who finished with 122 yards on 16 carries, broke off runs of 15 and 29 yards, the latter of which reached the end zone to give the Vols an early 14-0 lead.
The offensive success continued on Tennessee's next drive when senior running back Marlin Lane hit Vic Wharton on a 49-yard halfback pass, increasing the lead to 21-0.
Dobbs, who completed 16-of-21 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown while running for 76 yards, scoring the first of his two rushing touchdowns early in the second from eight yards out to give the Vols a 28-0 lead.
Iowa did manage to get on the board via a Mark Weisman touchdown run before halftime, but the Vols added a fifth score of the half on a Dobbs 19-yard pass to Von Pearson to give Tennessee a commanding 35-7 lead at the break.
Dobbs scored on the ground again midway through the third, expanding the lead to 42-7. From then on out, the Vols were able to milk the clock on offense while the defense put a halt to Iowa’s efforts to get back in the game.
The Hawkeyes were able add two touchdowns in garbage time, but it was too little too late and the Vols held on for the win.
The win gives Tennessee (7-6) its seventh win of the season, clinches the program’s first winning season since 2009 and first bowl win since the 2008 Outback Bowl.
For Iowa (7-6), the loss marks the end of another underwhelming season for a stagnant program in what was Kirk Ferentz’s 16th season at the helm. The Hawkeyes haven’t won more than eight games since 2009 and haven’t won a bowl game since the 2010 Insight Bowl.
With Iowa’s loss, the Big Ten is now 5-5 this bowl season. Tennessee improves the SEC’s mark to 6-5.
For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.
For more Iowa news, visit HawkeyeReport.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 - Tennessee dominates Iowa 45-28 in TaxSlayer Bowl
CFP semifinals set cable TV viewings record
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Da'Ron Payne Commits To Alabama
Visit ESPN.com for the complete story. From ESPN.com - College Football - Da'Ron Payne Commits To Alabama
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Minnesota TE Williams declares for NFL Draft
Minnesota TE Williams declares for NFL Draft From College Football News : CBSSports.com - Minnesota TE Williams declares for NFL Draft
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Hokies' van Zegeren suspended indefinitely
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Houston pulls off huge comeback to beat Pitt
Houston pulls off huge comeback to beat Pitt From College Football News : CBSSports.com - Houston pulls off huge comeback to beat Pitt
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RB recruit Jones chooses USC over Irish
Four-star running back Ronald Jones II, who decommitted from Oklahoma State in early December, committed to USC before the start of the 2015 Under Armour All-America game on Friday afternoon. From ESPN.com - College Football - RB recruit Jones chooses USC over Irish
Iowa kick returner inexplicably throws ball forward while falling out of bounds (GIF)
Iowa is struggling mightily in the first half against Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl and freshman Jonathan Parker may have found a way to sum up those struggles in one play.
After the Hawkeyes fell behind 28-0, Parker caught the ensuing kickoff in the corner. As he realized his momentum would take him out of bounds at the three-yard line, he inexplicably tossed the ball forward back onto the field of play.
You can’t do that, Jonathan.
Originally it was ruled that his foot was down before he threw the ball, but a replay showed that he did get rid of the ball before landing out of bounds. Parker was flagged for an illegal forward pass, which pushed the Hawkeyes back half the distance to the goal.
Ultimately it didn’t make much of a difference in the game, but it was undoubtedly one of the sillier moments of the entire season.
For more Iowa news, visit HawkeyeReport.com.
For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.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 - Iowa kick returner inexplicably throws ball forward while falling out of bounds (GIF)
Houston defeats Pitt with 3 TDs in final 3:41
Houston improbable 35-34 AF Bowl win over Pitt From ESPN.com - College Football - Houston defeats Pitt with 3 TDs in final 3:41
Houston scores 29 fourth-quarter points to shock Pitt in Armed Forces Bowl
Someone forgot to tell quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
Ward Jr., the converted wide receiver, threw three touchdown passes in the final 3:41 of play to lead the Cougars on a crazy fourth-quarter comeback that culminated in an improbable 35-34 win in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The comeback included two onside kick recoveries in a wild sequence of events. Pitt completely dominated for the first 55 minutes of play, but when Ward Jr. hit Deontay Greenberry for an 8-yard score and cut the lead to 34-20 with 3:41 to go, it was the first indication that the Cougars were going to fight until the final seconds ticked off.
Following the Greenberry score, the Cougars recovered an onside kick near midfield and quickly went back to work. Ward Jr. hit Markeith Ambles for two big gains, but then the Pitt defense looked like it would finally be able to exhale. Instead, on 4th-and-13, Ward Jr. hit Demarcus Ayers for a 29-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-27 with 1:58 to go.
Houston kicker Ty Cummings then hit another successful onside kick to give the Cougars another possession – this one starting at their own 43.
Ward Jr., who threw for 237 of his 274 yards in the fourth and also ran for 92 yards on the day, looked toward Greenberry, his favorite target, and he delivered. First he hit Greenberry wide open down the seam for a 38 yard gain to the Pitt 19. Three plays later, Ward Jr. found Greenberry in the end zone for a 25-yard score, cutting Pitt’s lead to 35-34 with 59 seconds left.
Instead of going for the tie with an extra point, Houston interim coach David Gibbs decided to go for the win on a two-point conversion. Somehow, Pitt left Greenberry open again and Ward Jr. found him in the corner of the end zone to give the Cougars a 36-35 lead and complete the unlikely comeback.
With 59 seconds left, Pitt still had a chance. The Panthers reached midfield, but quarterback Chad Voytik’s pass fell incomplete on a fourth down play and the Cougars were able to celebrate a victory.
A comeback seemed farfetched after Pitt completely dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball for most of the game, racking up 449 yards of offense.
Houston keyed in on Pitt running back James Conner, the ACC Player of the Year, and bottled him up early. The game was scoreless after one quarter, but the Panthers kept pounding away on the ground and were eventually rewarded when Conner, who finished with 90 yards rushing, scored on a one-yard plunge to cap off a 15-play, 92-yard drive early in the second quarter.
Houston responded with a lengthy drive of its own. Kenneth Farrow, who ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on the day, scored from two yards out to finish off a 15-play, 76-yard drive. Houston kicker Kyle Bullard slipped on the extra point attempt, so Pitt led 7-6.
It was all Pitt for the next two quarters.
With the Cougars still keying in on Conner and the running game, Voytik had some success downfield in the passing game that allowed the Panthers to extend their lead to 17-6 at halftime.
Voytik hit J.P. Holtz for a score in the third and then Conner scored again early in the fourth to extend Pitt’s lead to 31-6. Pitt then took its foot off the gas pedal and allowed the Cougars to creep back in the game and ultimately complete one of the best comebacks of the season.
The heartbreaking loss gives the Panthers a losing 6-7 record to end the season, the program’s third 6-7 record in the last four seasons.
Houston, with Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman coming in as head coach, finished 8-5.
For more Houston news, visit CougarsDen.com.
For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.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 - Houston scores 29 fourth-quarter points to shock Pitt in Armed Forces Bowl
UNC's Meeks, White battling stomach bug
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Wife of Huskies coach Ollie files for divorce
UConn basketball coach Kevin Ollie and his wife are getting a divorce after 16 years of marriage. From ESPN.com - College Basketball - Wife of Huskies coach Ollie files for divorce
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Minnesota TE Williams declares for NFL draft
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Georgia AD working on extension for Richt
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Report: Georgia coach Richt to get extension
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Birmingham Bowl: Can Florida finish above .500?
Birmingham Bowl
Florida (6-5) vs. East Carolina (8-4)
Birmingham, Ala.
Jan. 3, 2015
Ah, how fortunes can change over the course of the season.
Three weeks into the 2014 college football season, someone could have made a compelling case that this matchup would be in a different and bigger bowl. A week after a loss to a South Carolina team that was still in the top 25, East Carolina had just beat a Virginia Tech team fresh off a win against Ohio State. Yeah, Florida had just survived a triple-overtime game against Kentucky at home, but the Gators were 2-0 and the hopes (dreams? visions of a miracle?) for an SEC title were still intact.
East Carolina enters the Birmingham Bowl third in the country in passing yards. The Pirates average nearly 370 yards a game through the air while Florida gives up 195, a mark that's 22nd in the country. What will give?
If the ECU offense vs. the Florida defense is a matchup of strengths, then the Florida offense vs. the ECU defense is the opposite. While ECU's defense ranks in the top 50 in total yardage, the Pirates gave up 54 to CIncinnati, 32 to Tulsa and 32 to UCF over the season's final five weeks.
But can Florida take advantage? The Gators will have to use the running game to take pressure off Treon Harris. Over his last three games, Harris has completed 40 percent of his passes, though he threw 11 and 12 passes against South Carolina and Eastern Kentucky, respectively. If Florida can control the tempo similar to the Georgia game, it's in good shape. If Harris is forced to throw more than 15 or 20 times, the Gators are in real trouble.
Vegas odds: Florida (-7)
FUN FACT
This is the second meeting between Florida and East Carolina. The first happened in 1983 when the Pirates traveled to Gainesville and lost 24-17. Florida finished that season No. 6 in the AP poll and the Gators' offensive coordinator was Mike Shananan.
PREDICTIONS
Graham: East Carolina has a stellar offense, but it hasn't seen a defense as good as Florida's. The Gators have had a tough season, but this is a big opportunity to end the year on a high note. Florida 21, ECU 10.
Nick: I'll be the only one believing that ECU has a chance against the Gators. But I refuse to use whatever the result is as part of any judgment about the SEC. ECU 20, Florida 17.
Sam: East Carolina seemed like one of those Group of Five teams that looked like it could shake some things up before fading fast. Florida isn't much to write home about either, but I think the Gators will handle the Pirates, especially on defense. Florida 24 ECU 21.
For more ECU news visit PirateIllustrated.com.
For more Florida news visit InsideTheGators.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Birmingham Bowl: Can Florida finish above .500?
Buckeyes, Ducks end dynasties, as they head to title game
Oregon, Ohio State alter the college football landscape with playoff wins From ESPN.com - College Football - Buckeyes, Ducks end dynasties, as they head to title game
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