Originally posted by chuckiey at 17-1-2007 08:37 AM
just knew that our football head coach, glen mason, was fired.. gantingan tim brewster.. berbaloi gak gopher fan cheered 'fire mason' ...tapi brewster ni cam tak best je..
well, don't judge him too quickly. based on his background, he may be able to lure top high schoolers in the future. give him time to build his own program. mack brown is one of the best college coaches and brewster learned from him. give him 2-3 years. if no progress at all, then you can start putting up "fire brewster" banners.
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye wants tobe a top 5 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, help his team to the SuperBowl as a rookie and do a good job managing all that money.
Being able to legally grab a beer with his teammates will have to wait a couple of years.
The 19-year-old Okoye will become the youngest player to compete in the Senior Bowl, a showcase for senior NFL prospects set for Saturday.
"This is where I'm supposed to be," he said. "It's nothing new to me."
Besides, Okoye is hardly an unproven commodity. He signed with Louisville's Bobby Petrino as a 15-year-old in Huntsville, Ala., and grew into a muscular 6-foot-2, 312 pounds.
His resume reads more like a high-tech prodigy than a football player: College at 16. Degree in 3 1/2 years. Job interviews with a couple of dozen prospective employers.
He started school at age 2 1/2 , skipped sixth grade and entered high school in Huntsville at 12 after his family moved from Nigeria.
And now on to the NFL, where he'll be facing offensive linemen who were playing high school ball before he was born. More here.
The nation's No. 2 college football recruit, the one with three football factories and three fan bases hanging on his national signing day decision, the one they call the "next Reggie Bush," doesn't have a house.
The place he and his family called home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Then the levees broke and everyone scattered until he
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Joe McKnight, a running back who was one of the most highly sought prep players in the nation, said Wednesday he will attend Southern California -- after narrowing his choices to USC, LSU and Mississippi.
McKnight also played wide receiver, kick returner and defensive back for John Curtis High School in suburban New Orleans, the reigning Class 2A state champion. Wednesday was the first day recruits could sign letters of intent.
McKnight said at a news conference that he was lured by USC's strong public relations program, the field in which he plans to major.
"It was very close. Sometimes I was saying I was going to Ole Miss, sometimes I was saying I was going to LSU, then I'd say I was going to USC. But I sat down with my mom and said the pros and cons of it and we both decided it would be the best decision to go to USC," he said.
In 14 games this season, including playoffs, he had 45 carries for 709 yards and 14 touchdowns, an average of 15.7 yards per carry. He also had 24 receptions for 735 yards and 13 scores, an average of 30.6 yards per reception.
On special teams, he returned 12 punts for 268 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 22.3 yards per return. He returned five kickoffs for a 34.6-yard average. McKnight also had one interception and 10 tackles on defense, although he is not expected to play on defense in college.
As a junior, because of Hurricane Katrina, McKnight started the 2005 season with Class 1A state champion Evangel Christian of Shreveport and completed it with Curtis.
note: congratulation to southern california trojans for being able to land another reggie bush like talent in joe mcknight.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Michigan and Notre Dame will be knocking helmets on the football field for another two decades.
The two storied programs agreed to a 20-year contract extension Monday that will have them playing annually through 2031. The series was set to expire after the 2011 season.
"The Notre Dame-Michigan game has been a red-letter date on the football schedule for a long time, so it made perfect sense to make certain the rivalry continues annually long into the future," Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said.
The schools are 1-2 in wins and winning percentage in college football. Michigan is 860-282-36 with a .745 winning percentage, while Notre Dame is 821-269-42 with a .744 winning percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series 19-14-1. The Fighting Irish and Wolverines played which only twice from 1909-77, but their early season meeting has become a staple of the college football season over the last two decades.
"It is a game our players and alumni, and every college football fan, deserves," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I am ecstatic they were able to come to an agreement."
The rivalry dates back to 1877, when some Michigan students taught the game to Notre Dame students. There was so much bad blood between the two schools, though, they stopped playing after the Irish earned their first victory in 1909 after eight straight losses.
The schools played again in 1942 and 1943, splitting the games, before resuming the series in 1978. Since then, they have met in all but six years.
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who never saw the Irish play the Wolverines while he was a student at Notre Dame, called the announcement great news.
"This rivalry is good for both schools and college football," he said.
With less than two months until the opening of the season, it's time for my preseason Sweet Sixteen. There are still summer workouts and a tough preseason practice schedule to get through, but barring major injuries at key positions this is how the lineup of the top teams should look to begin the season.
The season kicks off Aug. 30.
1. USC Trojans
You win championships with great defense and a veteran quarterback, and the Trojans are lights out in both areas. There are 10 starters back from a defense that head coach Pete Carroll called the fastest he has had during his time at USC, and quarterback John David Booty could be the third signal-caller at USC in the last six years to win the Heisman Trophy. They should start out No. 1 on everybody's preseason list and will be favored in every game.
2. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines were 11-0 last season before losing their last two contests against highly ranked Ohio State and USC. There is some work to do on defense where they lost seven starters, but they return huge play-makers on offense in quarterback Chad Henne, running back Michael Hart, and wide receiver Mario Manningham. Michigan also has eight home games, including one against Ohio State. I just can't believe the Wolverines would lose to the Buckeyes four years in a row.
3. West Virginia Mountaineers
When it comes to matching athletes with a system, there is no team in the country with a better quarterback/tailback combination than Pat White and Steve Slaton. The Mountaineers' toughest road games are at Rutgers and South Florida, but more importantly they play Big East challenger Louisville at home. WVU will be favored in all 12 games this year, and the biggest question mark just might be how it handles the loss of offensive line coach Rick Trickett, who left for Florida State.
4. LSU Tigers
Last year the Tigers played four top-10 teams on the road and still finished with an 11-2 record and a No. 3 final ranking. This year's schedule is a whole lot easier as only one of LSU's five road opponents had a winning record last year. There is no replacing the No. 1 selection in the NFL draft, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, but senior Matt Flynn gets a shot. Flynn was the 2005 Peach Bowl MVP filling in for Russell. The defense, with eight starters back, will be one of the nation's best.
5. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns won 10 games last year with redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy, and along the way he threw for more touchdown passes in a game (six) and in a season (29) than any QB in school history. Had he not missed most of the Kansas State game and been less than 100 percent against Texas A&M in the final two contests of the regular season, Texas would have had a chance of playing for the national championship. The winner of the Red River Shootout with Oklahoma should win the South Division and have a chance to contend for the national championship.
6. Florida Gators
In quarterback Tim Tebow, head coach Urban Meyer finally has a quarterback at Florida with the running and throwing ability to run his offense. But the Gators just lost too many players to the NFL for them to return to the national championship game. Florida has the fewest returning starters (eight) in the SEC and plays only three conference games in Gainesville, but until someone shows me he can slow down Urban Meyer's quest to be the best football coach in the country, I'll have to put the Gators back in the SEC championship game.
7. Wisconsin Badgers
Last year the Badgers won 12 games for the first time in school history, and with 16 starters returning it could have an even better team this season. However, Wisconsin draws a tougher schedule this year including Penn State and Ohio State on the road, and it may not have such a fine record. Still, second-year head coach Bret Bielema's Badgers are a definite contender for the Big Ten title.
8. Oklahoma Sooners
As the defending Big 12 champion with the conference's best returning defense, you would think Bob Stoops' Sooners would be the No. 1 choice to win the conference title in 2007. But there is enough uncertainty at the quarterback position to create some doubt about just how good Oklahoma will be this year. I still think of the Big 12 as a two-team race for the conference crown so the Oct. 6 matchup with Texas should be for a Bowl Championship Series game and a possible shot at a national title.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies
With eight starters back on both offense and defense and the ACC's best returning stop unit, Virginia Tech is everyone's pick to win the conference title. And after having gone through such a devastating tragedy in the offseason, the entire nation will be pulling for the Hokies. However, they must be aware of the potential difficulty of their schedule. After a tough nonconference game against LSU in Baton Rouge, the Hokies play Clemson and Georgia Tech on the road and Boston College, Florida State and Miami at home.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes
The biggest difference with Ohio State this year and last is that after getting humiliated by Florida 41-14 in the national championship game the Buckeyes now know they are human. If they do not get mentally ready for each and every game, they will lose just like any one else. That being said, they still ought to be 8-0 going into their last four games, which include Wisconsin at home and Penn State and Michigan on the road.
11. Louisville Cardinals
Brian Brohm is the best NFL-caliber quarterback in college football, and the only reason I am picking the Cardinals to finish second in the Big East is because they play West Virginia in Morgantown. Louisville and WVU remain two of the most likely teams in the country to finish the season undefeated and play for the national championship.
12. Auburn Tigers
Tommy Tuberville probably did his best coaching job at Auburn last year (yes, even better than the 13-0 season) by riding his kickers, field position and an above-average defense to an 11-2 season and a Cotton Bowl victory over Nebraska. A stronger defense and running game and an eight-game home schedule means the LSU game should be for a chance to play for the SEC title.
13. California Golden Bears
Good things happen when you give head coach Jeff Tedford a veteran quarterback like Nate Longshore, especially when the three leading receivers also return. Despite the chance for an explosive offense, there are only five starters returning on the defensive side of the ball. And the Bears have the toughest schedule in the Pac-10. A repeat of last year's first conference title since 1975 (Cal and USC tied for first) is not likely, but a top-10 national finish is not out of the question.
14. Nebraska Cornhuskers
This is head coach Bill Callahan's fourth year at Nebraska. Although the Cornhuskers probably will be playing Missouri in Columbia on Oct. 6 for the Big 12 North title, the Northern Division just doesn't seem to be catching up with the South
ALPINE, Texas (AP) -- Mike Flynt was drinking beer and swapping stories with some old football buddies a few months ago when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: Getting kicked off the college team before his senior year.
So, one of his pals said, why not do something about it?
Most 59-year-olds would have laughed. Flynt's only concern was if he was eligible.
Finding out he was, Flynt returned to Sul Ross State this month, 37 years after he left and six years before he goes on Medicare. His comeback peaked Wednesday with the coach saying he's made the Division III team's roster. He could be in action as soon as Sept. 1.
Flynt is giving new meaning to being a college senior. After all, he's a grandfather and a card-carrying member of AARP. He's eight years older than his coach and has two kids older than any of his teammates.
"I think it was Carl Yastrzemski who used to say, `How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?' I'd be in my late 20s or early 30s, because that's how I feel," said Flynt, who has made a living out of physical fitness. "That's been my approach to this whole thing. I feel that good. I'm just going to find out if I can perform and make a contribution to the team."
A longtime strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M, he's spent the last several years selling the Powerbase training system he invented. Clients include school systems and the military. His colorful life story includes being the son of a Battle of the Bulge survivor and having dabbled in gold mines and oil wells -- successfully.
Flynt's life was supposed to be slowing down this fall. With his youngest child starting at the University of Tennessee, he and Eileen, his wife of 35 years, are planning to take advantage of being empty-nesters for the first time.
Instead, they've moved to this remote patch of West Texas so Flynt can mend an old wound and, he hopes, inspire others.
He became emotional discussing his goal of "helping a bunch of young men to make up for those guys that I let down." Then he laughed about the reality that fellow Baby Boomers are getting the most out of his comeback.
"People are kind of in awe. They keep comparing me to themselves and where they are physically," he said. "If I can help anyone out by what I'm doing, then it's all worth it."
Flynt's position is still being determined, but he used to play linebacker. Wherever he lines up, he'll likely become the oldest player in college football history. Neither the NCAA or NAIA keeps such a statistic, but research hasn't turned up anyone older than their mid-40s. And even those are rare, for obvious reasons.
"I told him he's an idiot," said Jerry Larned, who coached Flynt at Sul Ross in 1969 and counseled him at the start of his comeback. "I said, `Gosh, dang, Mike, you're not 20 years old any more. You're liable to cripple yourself.' He understands all of that. But he has a burning desire to play. He is in great physical condition. He still runs a 5-flat 40 and bench presses I-don't-know-what. He's a specimen for 59 years old."
Back in the day, Flynt was quite a player.
In 1965, he was on the first state championship team at Odessa Permian, the high school featured in "Friday Night Lights." He was offered a partial scholarship at Arkansas when the Razorbacks were among the top teams in the land, but instead went to Ranger Junior College.
He wound up at Sul Ross in 1969. An NAIA school then, the Lobos were in the Lone Star Conference with East Texas State, which at the time had future NFL stars Harvey Martin and Dwight White, and Texas A&I, which was starting a two-year run as national champs. The highlight of Flynt's two years at Sul Ross was sticking A&I with its only loss in '69.
Flynt was going into his senior year in 1971 when he got into a fight that was far from his first. School officials decided they'd had enough and threw him out of school. He earned his degree from Sul Ross by taking his remaining classes elsewhere.
"I actually grieved for more years than I can remember the loss of that senior year," said Flynt, who'd been a team captain and the leading tackler as a junior. "What really got me was I felt that was MY football team and I had let them down. ... I don't know if I ever got over it, but I finally learned to live with it."
Then came word of a reunion of former Sul Ross students from the 1960s and '70s. Randy Wilson, who has been best friends with Flynt since they met as college roommates in 1969, talked a bunch of his former teammates into using that event as an excuse to get back together.
During several days of reminiscing, Flynt's pain became fresh as ever, especially when one of the guys said their '71 season went down the drain without Flynt.
That's when he told them of his remorse. And, he added, "What really gets me is that I feel like I can still play."
"You might as well give it a shot," Wilson told him. "The worst thing that can happen is you get your head knocked off and come home."
When Flynt returned home to Franklin, Tenn., his wife wasn't as fired up by the idea.
"I feel like I'm married to Peter Pan," she said.
It took time to accept that instead of joining their daughter at Tennessee's home opener she would be watching her husband hit kids one-third his age.
Eventually she came around. They've sold their suburban Nashville home and are now living in Alpine, a town of about 6,000 residents near the Big Bend National Park, a three-hour drive from the nearest major airport.
"I told her, for me to know that I can do it and not do it would be worse than losing out the first time," he said.
A devout Christian, Flynt sees many religious undertones to his story. He also believes it touts the benefits of strength training.
"People have asked me, `Mike, what is the fountain of youth?' Well, it's strength training that builds muscle, increases bone density and burns calories," he said. "It's the one thing you can do in your 90s and benefit from."
Just to be clear, Flynt won't be playing football in his 90s.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Chances are, most of the 110,000 fans at the Big House had no idea exactly where Appalachian State is located.
By the time they saw a blocked field goal in final seconds, this much was certain: The little Mountaineers pulled off one of the greatest upsets in college football history.
Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32.
The team from Boone, N.C., took the lead with 26 seconds left when Julian Rauch kicked a 24-yard field goal. Corey Lynch blocked a 37-yard try on the final play, and the Mountaineers sealed a jaw-dropping upset that might have no equal.
"It was David versus Goliath," Appalachian State receiver Dexter Jackson said.
Michigan's three stars on offense and its coach came back this season, putting the NFL and retirement on hold, with high hopes.
Big Ten title. National championship.
Looks like it might be time for Plan B.
Mike Hart, Chad Henne and Jake Long never envisioned stumbling this early in what was a promising year.
Neither did coach Lloyd Carr, who looked ashen as the upset unfolded.
It didn't take long to notice the second-tier power belonged on the same field because it made up for a slight size disadvantage with superior speed and, perhaps, more passion.
The two-time defending champions from former Division I-AA were ahead of the nation's winningest program 28-14 late in the second quarter, before their storybook afternoon seemed to unravel late in the fourth quarter.
Hart's 54-yard run with 4:36 left put the Wolverines ahead for the first time since early in the second quarter.
One snap after the go-ahead touchdown, Michigan's Brandent Englemon intercepted an errant pass, but the Wolverines couldn't capitalize and had their first of two field goals blocked.
Then Appalachian State drove 69 yards without a timeout in 1:11 to set up the go-ahead field goal.
"I've been dreaming about that kick every day," Rauch said.
Still, it wasn't over.
Henne threw a 46-yard pass to Mario Manningham, giving Michigan the ball at Appalachian State's 20 with six seconds left and putting the Wolverines in position to win it with a field goal.
Lynch blocked the kick and almost returned 52 yards to the 18 as the final seconds ticked off. His teammates rushed across the field to pile on as the coaching staff and cheerleaders jumped with joy.
"We're still sort of shocked," coach Jerry Moore said after being carried off the field by his players.
Appalachian State has won 15 straight games, the longest streak in the nation. The Mountaineers are favored to win the Football Championship Subdivision, but they weren't expected to put up much of a fight against a team picked to win the Big Ten and contend for the national title.
That's the beauty of college football.
No Division I-AA team had beaten a team ranked in the Associated Press poll from 1989-2006, and it's unlikely that it had ever happened before. The Division I subdivisions were created in 1978.
"It is one of the biggest losses ever, but give all the credit to Appalachian State," Hart said.
The Mountaineers are not eligible to receive votes in the AP Top 25 poll because they're not in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Appalachian State's win does seem to trump the game second-tier programs used to regard as their crowning achievement -- The Citadel's season-opening win in 1992 over Arkansas that led to the firing of Razorbacks coach Jack Crowe following the game.
Carr will not get fired after this upset, but he might be wishing he had retired after last season when the Wolverines won 11 games before closing with losses to Ohio State and USC.
When it was over, he didn't second-guess decisions to go for 2-point conversions twice in the final 15-plus minutes, but did lament many mistakes, penalties and missed opportunities.
"We were not a well-prepared football team," Carr said. "That is my job, and I take full responsibility."
The Mountaineers improved to 7-36-1 against top-tier teams since 1978, the previous six victories all over Wake Forest, and took home a $400,000 check from Michigan to boot.
Armanti Edwards threw for 227 yards, three scores and two interceptions, and kept Michigan guessing with his mobility. He also ran for 62 yards. Jackson caught three passes for 92 yards, and scored twice, including his 68-yard reception that tied the game early and provided a glimpse of what was to come.
Hart, who went almost two quarters without a carry because of a thigh injury, ran for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Henne was 19-of-37 for 233 yards in a lackluster game that included a TD and an interception in Mountaineer territory.
Ordinarily those numbers should've been good enough for a win over a small school. Not on this day and not against Appalachian State.
"Someone said it might be one of the big victories in college football," Moore said. "It may be the biggest."
Gophers pun same cam Wolverine gak, kalah ngan Falcon from Bowling Green in season opening game..
Bowling Green wat 3 touchdown during the first half.. 3rd & 4th quarters, Gophers wat 3 touchdown & 1 field goal.. tapi 3 secs before the game abis, Bowling Gield dpt wat field goal.. mase overtime, Gophers dpt touchdown, tapi Bowling Green wat two point conversion utk touch down.. final score 31-32..
walopun ku bengang Gopher leh klh ngan Bowling Green, tapi OK la... lepas ni dah tak leh tgk football kat Meetrodome.. tgk kat Astro je la..
off topic..
kat Astro, channel ape yg ade NCAA football ye? ESPN ke?
di Blacksburg, Virginia, satu perlawanan pembuka tirai musim yg penuh emosi bagi pemain dan penonton pasukan Virginia Tech Hokies, selepas peristiwa berdarah tembakan pembunuhan beramai2 terburuk dlm sejarah moden USA. 32 mangsa ternubuh dan penembak membunuh diri.
walaupun VT adalah feveret lebih 27 mata, dema hanya menang 17-10....
NEW YORK - Thud! The final fallout from a disastrous opening weekend for Michigan came Tuesday, when the Wolverines dropped all the way out of The Associated Press Top 25, an unprecedented fall from No. 5 to unranked. Since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989, no team has taken a bigger tumble in one week.
After an opening college football weekend filled with blowouts and highlighted by Appalachian State's stunning 34-32 upset of Michigan at the Big House, there was little notable movement in the Top 25 other than the Wolverines.
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Three Michigan defenders are trying to tackle Appalachian State QB, Armanti Edwards.
Southern California was voted No. 1 by the media panel, but the Trojans lost some support. USC received 62 first-place votes in the preseason poll. A lackluster 38-10 victory over Idaho led to the Trojans dropping to 59 first-place votes.
No. 2 LSU picked up those first-place votes, receiving five. No. 3 West Virginia received one first-place vote, the same as it did in the preseason.
No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Wisconsin moved up two spots. Oklahoma, tied for fifth, moved up three spots. No. 7 Texas fell three spots after slogging through a 21-13 home victory over Arkansas State.
No. 9 Virginia Tech held its place and plays at LSU on Saturday.
No. 10 California moved up two spots after a 45-31 victory over Tennessee. The Volunteers dropped eight spots to No. 23.
Florida State also fell out of the rankings. The Seminoles were 19th heading into their season opener at Clemson and lost 24-18 in the Bowden Bowl.
Clemson moved into the rankings at No. 25 and Georgia Tech also moved into the Top 25. The Yellow Jackets were 21st after winning at Notre Dame 33-3.
As for Michigan, the Wolverines became the first ranked team from Division I-A, now known as the Bowl Subdivision, to lose to a team from I-AA, now known as the Championship Subdivision.
"It hurts because you don't like losing," Michigan linebacker Chris Graham said Monday. "But how far can you hold your head down? I'm not holding my head down at all. You've got to move on forward."
Michigan received 39 points from the media voters in the Top 25, including a 16th place vote by Wayne Phillips from The Greenville (Tenn.) Sun.
"I still think Michigan has a good football team," he said. "I think they're worthy of being ranked. They may prove me wrong."
Phillips said he gave Michigan some leeway because he's very familiar with Appalachian State, the two-time defending I-AA champions.
"They're a pretty darn good football team," he said. "If Michigan had lost to some of the other patsies some of the big teams played I could see dropping them out."
Appalachian State is not eligible for the AP Top 25, which only ranks Bowl Subdivision teams. The Wolverines host Oregon on Saturday.
Before Michigan's fall, Notre Dame held the ignominious record for largest drop in the rankings in the Top 25-era. The Fighting Irish dropped 16 spots
Post time 17-1-2007 09:01 AM
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