Louisville Cardinals

Oct. 22
Louisville 46 ... Cincinnati 22---College Football---
Louisville broke open a tight game with two Michael Bush touchdown runs in the third quarter as part of a 33 point run finally halted late in the fourth quarter on a one-yard touchdown pass to Earnest Jackson. Bush finished with three touchdowns, but he fumbled three times. Cincinnati was creative in its play calling with a fake punt and a pass to QB Dustin Grutza in the first half, but couldn't get the offensive moving in the second half, and it couldn't stop the Louisville offense. Elvis Dumervil came up with three sacks for the Cardinals.
Player of the game: Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 21 of 26 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Nick Davila, 9-15, 136 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Greg Moore, 16-75. Receiving: Earnest Jackson, 4-53, 1 TD---College Football---
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 21-26, 303 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 17-127, 3 TD. Receiving: Montrell Jones, 6-73, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Louisville was able to blow out Cincinnati, but there were several mistakes and it took too long to get the engine running. To be fair, the Bearcats pulled out seemingly every trick up its sleeve to keep it close in the first half, but there appeared to be a bit of a hangover after the West Virginia loss. Even so, Brian Brohm was brilliant making good pass after good pass serving as the steady rock in the offense. Michael Bush was outstanding, even with the several fumbles. ---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 15
West Virginia 46 ... Louisville 44 3OT---College Football---
Steve Slaton scored six touchdowns, all coming in second half and overtime, with his final run putting West Virginia ahead, and then Pat White added the two-point conversion on two-point conversion throw to Dorrell Jalloh. Louisville answered with Michael Bush's fourth touchdown of the day, but the two point conversion attempt came up shot as QB Brian Brohm was stopped by Eric Weeks on the one. The Cardinals had a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter, but West Virginia got a field goal and two Slaton touchdowns runs, including a one-yard score with one minute to play, in the final 8:16 to force overtime. ---College Football---
Player of the game: West Virginia RB Steve Slaton ran 31 times for 188 yards and five---College Football--- touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 20 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Adam Bednarik, 8-16, 60 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 31-188, 5 TD. Receiving: Darius Reynaud, 3-46---College Football---
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 31-49, 277 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 37-159, 4 TD. Receiving: Joshua Tinch, 13-130, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Why can't Louisville play with the same efficiency on the road as it can at home? QB Brian Brohm isn't quite as sharp, and the offense doesn't appear to have the same swagger. The offense was more than fine against West Virginia for three quarters, but just when the Cardinals appeared ready to step on WVU's throat, Steve Slaton and the Mountaineer running game took over. Now that the Big East title hopes are gone, the Cardinals have to figure out their road problems before going to Cincinnati, or the season will turn truly sour. On the positive side, RB Michael Bush continues to be fantastic.---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 8---College Football---
Louisville 69 ... North Carolina 14---College Football---
North Carolina tied the score at seven on a two-yard Ronnie McGill touchdown run in the middle of the first quarter, and then Louisville rolled for 41 straight points highlighted by a 73-yard touchdown pass to Mario Urrutia. Brian Brohm finished with four touchdown passes, while the defense got a three-sack day from Elvis Dumervil and touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard defensive return from Earl Heyman and a 42-yard return for a score from Deon Palmer.
Player of the game: Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 17 of 22 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: UNC - Passing: Matt Baker, 19-27, 224 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: James Arnold, 11-64. Receiving: ---College Football---Mike Mason, 3-66
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 17-22, 304, 4 TD---College Football---
Rushing: George Stripling, 13-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Montrell Jones, 5-86, 1 TD---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Is anyone able to drop the hammer better than Louisville at home? The offense got a few breaks from North Carolina, but the defense forced them with Elvis Dumervil having another All-America caliber game. It's not that the Cardinals put up a ton of yards, it "only" gained 451 on the Tar Heels, but it scored every time it had a chance with ruthless efficiency. We know this is a great team at home, but can it rock on the road? That remains to be seen over the next two weeks at West Virginia and Cincinnati.---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 1---College Football---
Louisville 61 ... Florida Atlantic 10---College Football---
Louisville rolled up 608 yards of total offense with Michael Bush rushing for touchdown runs of two, 73 and ten yards and Mario Urrutia catching a 76-yard touchdown pass, but it took a while to put the Owls away. The Cardinals were only up 13-10 late in the first half hit by 15-yard Casey McGahee touchdown catch, but scored the final 48 points of the game.---College Football---
Player of the game: Louisville RB Michael Bush ran 18 times for 204 yards and three scores.
Stat Leaders: FAU - Passing: Danny Embick, 12-20, 161 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Charles Pierre, 12-56. Receiving: Thomas Parker, 3-65---College Football---
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 15-23, 282 yds, 1 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 18-204, 3 TD. Receiving: Mario Urrutia, 4-138, 1 TD
What to take away from this game: Considering the loss the Cardinals were coming off of, you'd think they'd have come out roaring against Florida Atlantic. Yes, all turned out right in the end, but this is yet another game that it took a while for the offense to get rolling. That's fine at home against teams like the FAU and Oregon State, but it could prove to be a problem down the road against West Virginia and the rest of the Big East.---College Football---
---College Football---
Sept. 24---College Football---
South Florida 45 ... Louisville 14---College Football---
South Florida WR Amarri Jackson ran for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass on the way to the shocking rout. Andre Hall started off the scoring with a one-yard scoring run, and then Jackson tore off reverses for a 51-yard score and a 12-yard score. Louisville stayed alive with a one-yard Michael Bush touchdown run for a 24-7 halftime deficit, and then the Bulls put it away with a Chad Simpson kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half. Hall and Bush each added second short touchdown runs. ---College Football---
Player of the game: South Florida WR Amarri Jackson ran twice for 63 yards and two touchdown, caught two passes for 75 yards and threw a pass for an 11-yard touchdown.
Stat Leaders: USF - Passing: Pat Julmiste, 4-9, 93 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Andre Hall, 22-83, 2 TD. Receiving: Amarri Jackson, 2-75---College Football---
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 29-47, 389 yds, 1 INT---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 18-81, 2 TD. Receiving: Joshua Tinch, 9-83---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Where was the big run after South Florida got up early? Where was the big pass play to turn the game around? Yeah, Louisville blew up Oregon State last week, but it looked lousy for the second straight road game and is now in catchup mode in the quest for the Big East title. The Rose Bowl might be gone, but the BCS isn't as long as the special teams and defense can tighten up. It's not a good trend to keep getting down early.---College Football---
---College Football---
Sept. 17---College Football---
Louisville 63 ... Oregon State 27---College Football---
Oregon State jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a one-yard Matt Moore touchdown run and a 43-yard Alexis Serna field goal. And then the roof caved in. Louisville went on a 56-3 run on five Brian Brohm touchdown passes and two Michael Bush touchdown runs. Brandon Johnson also picked off a Moore pass for a Cardinal touchdown. In all, UL rolled up 540 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: Louisville QB Brian Brohm completed 18 of 22 passes for 368 yards and five touchdowns with an interception. ---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 18-22, 368 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Bush, 11-56, 2 TD. Receiving: Mario Urrutia, 7-175, 2 TD
Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore, 25-48, 317 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 17-60. Receiving: Mike Hass, 9-165, 1 TD
What to take away from this game: Brian Brohm has had the next-level talent, and now he showed it off with a brilliant performance against Oregon State. He might not have the rushing dimension to his game like Stefan LeFors, but he showed he can lead the team to explosive runs like LeFors did. Most importantly, he was able to spread the ball around and use all of his weapons like 6-6 WR Mario Urrutia, who looks like a burgeoning star. Once the Cardinal defense woke up, it was dominant with the front seven destroying the Beaver offense. ---College Football---
---College Football---
Sept. 4---College Football---
Louisville 31 ... Kentucky 24---College Football---
Brian Brohm ran for two one-yard touchdowns and Michael Bush ran for 128 yards and two scores on the way to a 28-7 halftime lead and an apparent blowout, but Kentucky roared back as Andre Woodson threw two touchdown passes and was in range for the game tying score when he lost a fumble on the Louisville two with just over six minutes to play. Louisville never let the Wildcats get the ball back with a grinding drive using RB Michael Bush, Kolby Smith and a key third down pass from Brohm. Cardinal defensive end Elvis Dumervil set a school record with six sacks.
Player of the game: Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil led the Cardinals with 11 tackles, six sacks, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery---College Football---
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 19-27, 179---College Football---
Rushing: Michael Bush, 27-128, 2 TD. Receiving: Montrell Jones, 5-32---College Football---
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 17-27, 278 yds, 2 TD---College Football---
Rushing: Rafael Little, 8-71. Receiving: Rafael Little, 6-49---College Football---
What to take away from this game: Louisville held on to the ball for 35:20 and outrushed the Wildcats 209 yards to 47 but still had a nightmare of a time putting the game away. QB Brian Brohm appeared in search of a steady number one target and didn't push the ball downfield much, but he didn't need to when Michael Bush was rumbling as well as he was. Don't forget that this was a rivalry game on the road; don't get too hung up on the lack of explosiveness like last year.
---College Football---
2005 Schedule
Sept. 1 – at Kentucky (2-9, 1-7 in SEC) – Offense: The offense went from bad to worse as last season went on. Outside of the 51-point outburst against Indiana and the 37-31 loss to Tennessee to close things out, the Cats averaged just over ten points per game failing to score more than 17 in nine of the 11 contests. There's hope for a major improvement with the return of receivers Tommy Cook and Keenan Burton from injury and the emergence of big Andre Woodson at quarterback. There are plenty of backs to handle the workload, but the line has to be far better than it was last season.---College Football---
Defense: Time and again the defense was put in horrible positions last season thanks to a lame offense, but it rarely came up with a big stop on its own against teams with a pulse. The biggest problem was a run defense that got ripped apart for 225 yards per game. Things might not be appreciably better losing top tackler Jon Sumrall from the linebacking corps with a neck condition that forced him to retire, and now needing some true freshmen to play key roles. The line should get to the quarterback, but there are still concerns about how it'll hold up against the run. The secondary is solid led by star safety Muhammad Abdullah.---College Football---
---College Football---
Sept. 17 - Oregon State (6-5, 4-4 in Pac 10) - Offense: The offense should be a bit more diverse after finishing dead last in rushing and seventh in passing. The receiving corps is there with the top four pass catchers returning led by human highlight reel Mike Hass and tight end Joe Newton. The line has three returning starters, but it very young and needs more time to become better for the running game. Florida transfer Jimtavis Walker will combine with Yvenson Bernard to try to add more pop to the running game, but all eyes will be on the quarterback situation where Ryan Gunderson will battle with UCLA transfer Matt Moore this summer for the job.---College Football---
Defense: This won't be the same production as last year when the Beavers had the second best defense in the Pac 10, but it'll still be strong if some key players can be replaced. A pass rush has to develop now that Bill Swancutt is gone, while the corner situation is a little iffy until JUCO transfers Edorian McCullough and Aaron Miller can prove themselves. There's no concern at linebacker where Trent Bray, Keith Ellison and Chaz Scott should combine for at least 200 tackles. The line will be fine as long as tackle Alvin Smith plays as well as he did this spring, and Jeff Van Orsow turns into a pass rusher.---College Football---
---College Football---
Sept. 24 - G

Oct. 1 - Florida Atlantic (0-11 overall, 0-7 in Sun Belt) – Offense: It could be a long start to the season with almost no experience to rely on anywhere, and even less developed depth. New offensive coordinator, former UTEP head coach Gary Nord, has his work cut out for him. The hope is for a balanced offense needing the super-small line to use its quickness to open up holes for the running game. The receiving corps has some speedy potential and there's some flash in the backfield, but they're going to need a while to get their feet wet. New starting quarterback Danny Embick has been around long enough to be a steady influence.---College Football---
Defense: The defense doesn't have much experience, but it should be good as the year goes on led by a strong secondary with tremendous corners. The front seven has several good young players, but the leader is senior MLB Shomari Earls who'll be a near lock for All-Sun Belt honors. The key early will be to find steady pass rushing threats among the ends.---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 8 - North Carolina (3-8, 3-5 in ACC) – Offense: Coordinator Gary Tranquill did a masterful job last year helping the Tar Heels to a big season finishing second in the ACC in total offense. The line is outstanding and the receiving corps is deep and underrated. There are concerns in the backfield needing new quarterback Matt Baker to be consistent, while inexperienced running backs Vince Wilson and Barrington Edwards need to pick up the slack for injured junior Ronnie McGill.---College Football---
Defense: Nine starters, not including top tackle Chase Page, return to a defense that finished 109th in the nation allowing 446.5 yards and 31.83 points per game. The most work has to be done in the run defense with the veteran linebacking corps needing to make far more plays to allow the safeties to play pass defense. The young, inconsistent line has to generate more of a pass rush and the secondary has to pick off more passes.---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 15 – at West Virginia (7-4, 5-2 in Big East) – Offense: Expect a major step back from Big East's number two offense of last year with almost all the skill positions going through a major overhaul hurt by a woeful lack of experience at quarterback and receiver. The running game will be up to the normally high Mountaineer standards with three good backs (Jason Colson, Pernell Williams and Erick Phillips) operating behind a good, veteran line. The winner of the three-man quarterback derby will have to be razor-sharp until the receiving corps comes around.---College Football---
Defense: The defense had a strong year, but it has to replace some major players including all-everything corner Adam "Pac Man" Jones. Even so, the secondary is the strength of the defense with three solid All-Big East candidates in FS Jahmile Addae, S Mike Lorello and CB Anthony Mims. The front three will be a rock with 295-pound veterans ready to hold the line. The question mark is at linebacker where tough backups have to become reliable starters. There's solid depth everywhere.---College Football---
---College Football---
Oct. 22 – at Cincinnati (3-8, 1-6 in Big East) – Offense: Last year's experienced offense averaged 406 yards and 29 points per game, and now just about everyone needs to be replaced. The backfield will be solid with redshirt freshman QB Dustin Grutza looking ready to be a more-than-capable fill-in for Gino Guidugli. There are enough running backs to come up with a steady rotation, but they're going to have a hard time early on behind a developing line. The receiving corps has potential if a number one target emerges.
Defense: Outside of the 70-7 loss to Louisville, the defense was solid last season allowing 341 yards and 27 points per game. Eight starters need to be replaced with some major holes on the front seven. Fortunately, the Bearcats have a solid defensive coaching staff. The linebacking corps has no experience whatsoever and a pass rush has to develop. The secondary will be good if John Bowie grows into a steady corner.---College Football---
---College Football---
Nov. 3 - Pittsburgh (9-2, 6-1 in Big East) – Offense: There will be a slight shift in the offense from Walt Harris West Coast offense to more of a balanced, running style under offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh. Even so, there are more than enough weapons to have an explosive air attack with QB Tyler Palko, WRs Greg Lee and Joe DelSardo, and a fantastic tight end pair of Erik Gill and Steve Buches to keep the nation's 24th best passing offense going. The ground game won't be 105th in the nation again with a loaded backfield soon to be led by freshman sensation Rashad Jennings. The line is experienced, but it needs to be more consistent.---College Football---
Defense: Inconsistent throughout last year and average against the pass, there's hope for improvement with the return of seven starters and a truckload of depth. The strength is the back seven led by a linebacking corps that has several talented options to work with. The secondary has good corners in Josh Lay and Darrelle Revis, but they have to be better at not giving up the deep ball. The front four will be a concern if a reliable pass rusher doesn't develop
---College Football---
Nov. 11 - Rutgers (5-6, 2-5 in Big East) – Offense: QB Ryan Hart will once again lead one of the nation's most productive passing attacks with a loaded receiving corps highlighted by Tres Moses and tight end Clark Harris. Can the attack actually produce points on a regular basis? It struggled wildly with consistency and turnovers while getting nothing from a ground game that averaged 2.5 yards per carry and 83 yards per game. There's way too much experience in the backfield to have a repeat disaster.---College Football---
Defense: It's an interesting mix of talents and strengths with a great group of ends led by Ryan Neill and an experience linebacking corps, but there has been little in the way of overall results. With many newcomers to the mix last year in key spots, things got rocky finishing 104th in the nation in total defense and 88th in scoring D. The biggest area of improvement should be the secondary where Derrick Roberson and Joe Porter are good looking corners who should be over most of their struggles.---College Football---
---College Football---
Nov. 26 - Syracuse (5-6, 4-3 in Big East) – Offense: The offense struggled way too much failing to get anything going in the passing game and finishing 100th in the nation in passing. Quarterbacks Perry Patterson and Joe Fields have to be more consistent, but they also need help with a young receiving corps that could struggle early on. The attack is being changed up a bit to throw it more in a West Coast attack, so the opportunities will be there. The offensive line is decent, but non-descript.---College Football---
Defense: The hiring of Greg Robinson as head coach should do nothing but help a defense that slipped into the abyss finishing 101st in the nation. There was little production against the run, nothing happening against the pass, and few clutch stops. There should be an improvement with a ton of returning experience led by a good-looking front seven. The corner is in the secondary where the corners have to make more plays after getting repeatedly torched last season.
---College Football---
Dec. 3 – at Connecticut (6-5, 3-4 in Big East) – Offense: All the focus is on the quarterback situation where Matt Bonislawski and D.J. Hernandez will try to replace heart-and-soul leader Dan Orlovsky, but the winner of the derby will be more than capable of putting up big numbers. The backfield is the best in the Big East with Terry Caulley returning from a knee injury to join defending Big East rushing champion Cornell Brockington. The receiving corps is more than solid despite some key losses. And then there's the offensive line. The interior could be a nightmare early, there aren't any true tackles and there's no depth whatsoever.---College Football---
Defense: Is this the Big East's best defense? It'll be close with a deep and experienced front four and secondary. While the numbers are there as far as good retuning players, the star quality is gone with the departure of LBs Alfred Fincher and Maurice Lloyd along with CB Justin Perkins. Even so, don't expect much of a drop-off from the D that finished 27th in the nation last year unless there's a major fallout from losing five players to suspension due to the shooting of a vehicle window with a pellet gun.---College Football---
---College Football---

Perspective Piece
Texas Tech vs. Texas, Oct. 22---college football---
---college football---
By Matthew Zemek---college football---

One week after No. 1 USC nearly got upended by Notre Dame, and just before No. 3 Virginia Tech begins the toughest part of its ACC schedule, No. 2 Texas faces what could be its most difficult remaining game before Pasadena.---college football---
---college football---
It really makes you wonder about this Saturday’s tilt, in which Mike Leach brings his traveling air show to Austin against Vince Young and Company.---college football---
---college football---
The question everyone’s asking before this contest kicks off is if Cody Hodges and the Red Raiders’ amazingly consistent passing game can strike fear into the Longhorns. Two weeks after a scare at Nebraska, Leach and his charges will be intent on proving to the nation that the first half of that game in Lincoln, not the second, was truly representative of their quality. Coming off a thorough domination of Cal last December in the Holiday Bowl, Tech will now try to beat the team that jumped over Cal for a BCS bowl bid—and which has established a place among college football’s elite. There’s something of a burden on Texas to stay unbeaten, but there’s much more of a burden on the Red Raiders to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the sport.---college football---
---college football---
What’s even more interesting about this ballgame, however, is that if Texas were to blow out Tech, a lot of folks might voice more than a little skepticism about the competitive balance and overall toughness of the Big XII. If Tech—seemingly the second-best team in the conference behind the Longhorns—can do little better than Colorado (probably the third-best team in the league) fared in Austin last weekend, it will be very hard for anyone to take the Big XII too seriously, a reality that could perhaps dent the Horns’ BCS profile before the regular season is over.
---college football---
No, this doesn’t mean Texas will try to “pace itself” in an attempt to make the score look cosmetically close. But this is one of a few subtle yet real subplots that makes this game impossible to ignore.---college football---
---college football---
Another such subplot is that in Texas Tech, the Longhorns will face their first truly potent offense in this 2005 campaign. As good as they still are, and as much as they threatened Texas’ national title hopes back in an epic September battle, the Ohio State Buckeyes—as America has found out—have a struggling offense that has failed to unleash anything close to the full measure of its collective talent. Oklahoma—the big-name opponent that regularly finds itself on Mack Brown’s annual list of opponents—had no offense to speak of in the Red River Shootout. Colorado has a solid team, but hardly an offense that could be considered overwhelming. It’s the offense created by a football genius in Leach, run on the field by a senior in the person of Hodges, that has a real chance of making Gene Chizik’s defense sweat for the first time all season. How the Horns defense responds will determine whether this is a Southwestern fight to the finish, or yet another runaway from Bevo’s Boys that makes the Big XII seem like one Big Steer and eleven sheep.---college football---
---college football---
A Tech team seeking respect. A Texas team needing to stay perfect but also wanting a competitive game from a worthy adversary. This tussle in Austin is chock full of little nuances that, at the end of the day, will create a very intriguing storyline regardless of how this game plays out.---college football---
---college football---

Key decisions changed momentum

Matthew Zemek / CollegeFootballNews.com

Coaches can be momentum-makers and momentum-breakers.

This past Saturday reminded us how big a factor coaching is in this emotionally tenuous sport. One decision can have far-reaching effects in acollege football game, where momentum can and does change on a dime. The ability of a coach to read the need for momentum — or to be more blunt, an opponent's momentum — is crucial in the decision-making process, and it must not get lost amidst other more conventional factors — such as time, score, down and distance.

The first instance of such a decision was one that didn't work. Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin made a huge gamble by going for an onside kick when trailing Northwestern by a field goal with 2:48 left in regulation. The Boss Badger obviously felt he needed to pull out all the stops to win this game and keep Northwestern's explosive offense off the field. Those rationales were legitimate and understandable; it's not as though anyone doesn't know what Alvarez was thinking.

However, it stands to reason that the outgoing Wisconsin coach made a "Barry" poor decision. Momentum was the reason.

Wisconsin — helped by a Tyrell Sutton fumble — was able to score 14 straight points with lightning-bolt quickness to pull within three after being down by 17 a short while earlier. The seismic shift in emotions, combined with the tightening of the scoreboard, placed the Wildcats in a strategic bind on their next offensive series. Mindful of the need to drain clock and Wisconsin's reserve of timeouts, Northwestern had good reason to play it safe and keep the ball on the ground. - College Football -

Yet, on the other hand, the steamroller of red-colored momentum lent considerable wisdom to the other available strategy: keep throwing the ball with Brett Basanez to get a first down, even at the risk of keeping the clock running. Stopping momentum, more than hanging on against the clock, loomed large as a legitimate possibility for Randy Walker.

But to put a finer point on this situation, it wasn't just that Northwestern had a strategic quandary. Much more important was the fact that the said quandary was faced from a position of fear and psychological frailty.

When a snowball gathers momentum in any collegiate (or scholastic) athletic context, it's much harder to stop than at the professional level, where athletes are highly trained and well paid to focus only on the games they play. Incollege sports — with football very much at the head of the list — the participants are not wise, battle-tested, world-weary veterans, but doe-eyed youngsters only beginning to fill in their bodies and discover the overwhelming realities of their human existence. Incollege football , as opposed to the NFL, momentum is much harder to derail. This is especially true at the end of games, when the onrushing team's confidence is dwarfed only by the besieged team's sense of panic. - College Football -

Therefore, when Wisconsin made its bold, late charge, Northwestern had to doubt itself as a team. The Wildcats lost a tough one at home to Penn State just weeks earlier, on a day when Basanez excelled against a Nittany Lion defense that showed to be pretty good in subsequent wins over Minnesota and Ohio State.

Now, the thought had to be running through Basanez' mind — with 2:48 left in regulation — that 51 points might not be enough to win. Furthermore, the availability of the option of merely draining Wisconsin's timeouts — as so often happens to a team trying to protect a late lead — stood to remove Northwestern's offense of the emotional edge and focus needed to get a game-sealing first down. - College Football -

One can hopefully begin to assemble the pieces of the puzzle at this point: this was a situation when Wisconsin — for all its defensive inadequacies for the first 57 minutes of play — stood a very good chance of being able to stop clock-conscious Northwestern. Therefore, this situation lent itself to a traditional long kickoff that took field position into account. - College Football -

But Barry Alvarez, failing to read the signs of momentum that littered Ryan Field late in regulation — and ironically, making the kind of decision he and his team are not used to making, given their style of play and temperament — chose the onsides kick, anyway. When Northwestern recovered, something very fundamental yet significant changed in the game. Well, momentum slightly shifted, given that a failed onsides kick always takes some air out of the balloon; but what really changed was the strategic calculus of the contest. This had a domino effect on the final minutes that crippled the Badgers and contributed to their ultimate demise.

With the ball at the Wisconsin 43 instead of their own 23, the Wildcats — still in a strategic box, mind you — were given the gift of field position. Without having to run a single play from scrimmage, Northwestern gained roughly one third of thefootball field in a game it led by three. Randy Walker had the secure knowledge that if he chose the conservative route — drain Wisconsin's timeouts and run clock — he would still have a huge field position advantage that would not have existed if Alvarez chose a traditional long kickoff. Sure enough, Walker — playing percentages — chose to strip the Badgers of their remaining timeouts and punt. With a superb effort from punter Ryan Pederson, Wisconsin was pinned on its own 3-yard line with 1:16 left.

It was then that field position continued to dog the Badgers. - College Football -

No, the mere differential of 30-50 yards isn't what did in Wisconsin in the final minutes against the Wildcats. What specifically took down the Badgers and quarterback John Stocco was the fact that they were backed up against their own goal line.

Let's face it: when your offense operates from your own end zone, your pass blockers become conscious of the need to avoid holding in the end zone — cause of an immediate (and game-sealing) safety. Even more importantly, your quarterback — not helped in the first place because of the necessary tentativeness of his linemen — has to be conscious of the end zone in a number of little but telling ways that can chip away from his concentration on his downfield receivers. Not stepping on the end line, being able to take a sack on the 1-yard line (as opposed to the goal line) and being able to throw the ball away legally and outside the tackle box are all concerns a quarterback has to file away in the back of his brain when throwing from the end zone — that, and merely staying in the pocket to deliver the ball (just a small and inconvenient matter, right?). - College Football -

Burdened with all these considerations — which, with even 10 yards of field position, would have been rendered irrelevant — Stocco clearly made a distracted, forced and panicky throw into traffic that was picked off by Northwestern's Reggie McPherson.

Ball game.

Barry Alvarez needed to read momentum in the final minutes against the Wildcats, and his failure to do so helped result in a scratch mark under the "L" column for his ball club.

On the other hand, Saturday also offered an example of a coach who read momentum properly.

Karl Dorrell of UCLA did the math, and he appropriately considered the emotional calculus as well. - College Football -

Cal was kicking his Bruins up and down the field in the second half. The Bears led by 12 — not nine, not seven but 12 — with roughly nine minutes left in the game. Dorrell's defense was gassed, Cal's offensive line controlling the game and, more importantly, supremely confident each time the Golden Bears' offense took the field. Yes, the scoreboard and the need to merely rest his defense factored into the equation for the young head coach, but make no mistake: in a measuring-stick game of considerable magnitude, Dorrell knew that you can't wait to turn momentum; you have to change a game at the earliest possible opportunity.

A compliment within a compliment is due to Dorrell: if he lined up his offense for a 4^thand-2 snap, Cal's defense — armed with momentum at that point (the Bears' front four was getting a pretty decent push on its pass rush) — might have had a good chance of bottling up the Bruins. But by going for the first down by means of a fake punt that turned the Rose Bowl's pre-snap boos into post-play roars, Dorrell wound up furthering UCLA's emotional surge.

The exhilaration that comes with pulling off a wildly successful faked punt — helped by overturning the sense of disappointment that comes from seeing a coach (seemingly) chicken out on a fourth down call (and some UCLA players were openly fuming on the sidelines just before the fake punt, ripping off their helmets and yelling in frustration — good work by the TBS camera crew and production truck to catch that) — can only increase Old Man Momentum, and by golly, that's exactly what happened in Pasadena. Momentum — late and great at the hour of eight — propelled the Bruins to their biggest win in quite some time, and Karl Dorrell is the man who successfully read and harnessed that momentum. - College Football -

Finally, one must point out that while Dorrell went for it on fourth down when trailing by two possessions in the middle of the fourth quarter, most of his colleagues in the coaching profession — most noticeably Dirk Koetter against Oregon (down 14) and Philip Fulmer against Georgia (down 13) — chose to punt.

The logic should be simple, but coaches locked in a conservative, play-not-to-lose mentality find themselves woefully out of their depth when they trail late in big games.

Look at Fulmer's move to punt with 6:36 left against Georgia while trailing 20-7 and facing a 4^th-and-10 on his own side of the field. Sure, it's obvious that if you fail to make the first down, it's game over. This is why coaches have historically punted in such situations. But it's time to make one simple realization about this kind of situation: (Karl Dorrell made it, why can't others? Maybe Dorrell's youth served him well, as opposed to hindering him.) when you're losing, you don't hold the cards. - College Football -

Isn't it weird that most coaches don't seem to realize this? When you're trailing by 12-14 points midway through the fourth quarter, a 4^th-and-10 stops being a matter of percentage football, and it starts becoming a matter of mere survival. You need the ball to score, you need two scores to win. Ergo, you have to go for it. Want to play conservative in the fourth quarter? Then try winning the first three quarters … for the love of creation!!!!!!

But if you're down 13 with six and a half left, as Fulmer was, you have no choice — not if you want to win, anyway. - College Football -

Karl Dorrell is in the 21^st Century with respect to football smarts. Fulmer is still stuck in General Neyland territory, and that's why his team — along with his rather lousy offense — finds itself in a place very different fromcollege football 's Rocky Top. Try the middle of the SEC, with a date at Alabama coming up soon. On that Saturday afternoon, we'll see if Tennessee can turn the Tide of momentum in a sport where the ability to read it (or not) is a central part of the coaching craft.

Here today, gone today for college football coaches

By Bud Withers
Seattle Times staff reporter

College football season is only a few days away, marked by familiar signs of autumn: The thud of linemen against blocking sleds, the trill of practice whistles, the sound of coaches hedging on their selection of starting quarterbacks. - College Football -

And oh yes, the ka-ching of the cash register.

Never has the game — particularly nearby — been as marbled by financial factors as in 2005.

• Washington, coming off a 1-10 season, has raised seat-priority assessments about 31 percent across the board. The Huskies have taken the public tack that the investment will help ensure the dreaded 2004 effort doesn't happen again. - College Football -

• In the spring, Arizona not only lopped 19 full-time athletic-department jobs from a roll of 185, it turned the lawn around its basketball arena into a temporary used-car lot. The Wildcats received $150,000 up front from several car dealers in a five-year agreement that requires them to buy about $50,000 worth offootball tickets each fall.

• When Oregon State christens a dramatically revamped Reser Stadium on Saturday against Portland State, it will signify its commitment tofootball — and its reliance on season-ticket holders who are paying several hundred dollars more for the right to buy a pair of seats than they did a year ago. - College Football -

• Washington State, exploring its own remodel to Martin Stadium with marketing surveys and hiring of an architect, has tacked a $5 fee onto each ticket for all home games this season to front that campaign.

It was in discussions with athletic director Jim Sterk about the proposed renovation that WSU coach Bill Doba cast a knowing glance at his boss. - College Football -

"It does help if we win a little bit, doesn't it?" Doba remarked.

Only a little.

Never have the stakes been as high in college football. Never has winning meant so much. Never has the pressure been quite as gnawing on coaches as it is entering this season.

Already buffeted by the twin forces of Internet message boards and sports-talk radio — two outlets that weren't a factor 15 years ago — coaches are increasingly held accountable for the improved facilities around them. - College Football -

An inexorable shrinkage has taken place in their grace period for success. Not so long ago, a coach could figure to have five years to show he was the right choice, four at the mostfootball-crazed schools.

At many places, that window now closes after three years, a trend underscored when Notre Dame — which had always held itself to be above such bottom-line madness — cashiered Tyrone Willingham after only three seasons.

It was when the Irish hired Willingham — now coaching on the rebound at Washington — that they also romanced Mike Bellotti, the Oregon coach. - College Football -

"The one thing they could tell me they could hang their hat on was, they had never fired a coach," says Bellotti. "They had always let him finish out his contract. It's very interesting that the next coach they hired, they didn't allow that to happen."

Willingham's wasn't the only surprise firing. Mississippi, a school whose recent football tradition might be generously described as modest, touted David Cutcliffe as the first coach in school history to win at least seven games in each of his first five seasons. Then, when he went 4-7 last year, one season after a Cotton Bowl victory, he was canned.

The school president said "mediocrity" would not cut it at Ole Miss.

"I was head football coach at Baylor for 21 years," says Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. "I've been out 12, and they've had four head coaches. There aren't going to be any more 21-year terms like I had, and Bobby [Bowden] and Lavell [Edwards] and [Joe] Paterno." - College Football -

The flip side to this amped-up world is that coaches are making money unheard of not very long ago. Think about this: When Washington hired Rick Neuheisel in 1999, his contract — about a million dollars with incentives, roughly $800,000 guaranteed annually — drew concern and derision from some faculty members at Washington. It was among the top fivecollege coaching salaries.

Just six years later, Willingham will make a guaranteed $1.4 million this year. That's a 75 percent increase on what Neuheisel was guaranteed. - College Football -

Yet Willingham's salary is believed only third-highest in the Pac-10. His contract appears closer to the market than Neuheisel's was in 1999.

Moreover, argues Washington athletic director Todd Turner, Willingham's hire has dramatically altered the face of football at UW.

"He's done an incredible job of instantly changing the culture of what we've been having to deal with over the last few years," Turner says. "He's restored confidence in the players; he's returned them to being focused and more disciplined and more committed. You can see it in the way they act." - College Football -

In 1996, the year running back Corey Dillon led Washington to a 9-3 season, a reserved season ticket cost $160. This year, for a team the media picked to finish 10th in the Pac-10, the tab is $345 — after the 31-percent hike in seat rights.

"There's a climate there, no doubt about it," says Oregon State coach Mike Riley. "People do all this stuff [to improve facilities], and then if it doesn't work, the coach gets fired."

The so-called "arms race" has come after a long period in which facilities lay fallow. Riley, first hired by OSU in 1997, remembers walking into thefootball offices where his dad Bud was a successful assistant coach in the '60s and '70s. - College Football -

"Nothing had changed," he says. "This place had a time warp on it."

Now, with both Washington and Washington State looking to make stadium improvements, the possibility exists that within less than a decade, all four Northwest schools will have done major renovations to theirfootball venues.

The hell-bent trend is a concern to people like Arizona president Peter Likins, chairing an NCAA presidents task force on the future of Division I athletics. Likins also heads up a task force subcommittee on fiscal responsibility. - College Football -

"There's a general sense of unease among presidents and chancellors," Likins said. "While we're not in crisis, we're engaged in an unsustainable rate of growth in expenditures and revenues. It's not possible for universities to put unallocated money into athletics. That's what people have been doing in recent years."

"It scares me to death," says Jim Livengood, Likins' athletic director. "We've got to figure out a way to get our arms around expenses." - College Football -

He cites spiraling costs for fuel-related services, like airline charters and buses.

"Those are things we have no control over," Livengood says. "As powerful as we think we are in intercollegiate athletics, we're not going to drop the price of oil."

Across the NCAA landscape, there are subtle signs of a system creaking under the weight of football investment and responsibility. Earlier this year, the NCAA waved through a 12th regular-season game starting in 2006, a measure that's all about increased revenue.

When the Bowl Championship Series expands to five games next season, the title game in Tempe, Ariz. — following the Fiesta Bowl a week earlier — is to take place tentatively on Jan. 8, 2007, stretching thecollege football season longer than it has ever been.

Coaches say routinely that the high-rolling finances can't create any more pressure than they feel already. And in fact, they acknowledge the scrutiny is only reflective of the amenities that help them win. - College Football -

"Expectations are up; that's a beautiful thing," says Riley. "Ten years ago, there were no expectations. It was dead, dead, dead. Now people expect to go to a bowl game, they expect to compete for a Pac-10 championship. They expect to beat Oregon."

And increasingly, when they don't, they expect to fire the coach. In the white-hot climate around college football these days, one thing hasn't changed: One side wins and one has to lose.

Copyright © The Seattle Times Company

MELL: College football column

Brady Quinn is vaulting the quarterback position at Notre Dame to one of eminence again.

A long missing American icon finally may be resurfacing. - College Football -

For much of college football's history, the quarterback at Notre Dame was a symbol of something larger.

He was athletic royalty, anointed more than appointed.

Love or loathe the Irish, there's no denying the history. Ten Notre Dame quarterbacks have earned consensus All-America honors, more than any other school in the country. Eight Notre Dame QBs have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame, twice as many as any other school. Four of the Fighting Irish's QBs have won the Heisman Trophy, also twice as many as any other school.

And yet the record reads like ancient history, a more than decade's run of irrelevance dulling the luster. - College Football -

Notre Dame hasn't boasted a celebrated passer since Rick Mirer in 1992, and he quickly diminished his standing in an undistinguished NFL career. An Irish QB hasn't been a legitimate Heisman candidate since Tony Rice finished fourth in 1989, and no Irish QB has won the Heisman since John Huarte in '64. The school's last consensus All-America quarterback was Terry Hanratty in '66.

This season, first-year coach Charlie Weis and junior quarterback Brady Quinn threaten to turn back the clock and make the position more than relevant again. - College Football -

They look determined to re-establish the royal lineage that connects Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, Hanratty, Huarte, Paul Hornung, Johnny Lujack and Angelo Bertelli.

The season-opening victories at Pitt and Michigan and Notre Dame's No. 10 ranking have invigorated Irish faithful, with Michigan State coming to South Bend, Ind., on Saturday for the home opener.

Quinn's appeal isn't just as a capable passer. With his square chin, mop of brown hair and matinee idol looks, he appears to be one of those recruits from Central Casting. - College Football -

Quinn's smart if not spectacular performances portend even grander days ahead. So does Weis. The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator helped develop Tom Brady, who led the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles over the past four seasons.

"Tom Brady is like a kid to me, and he's my favorite player I have ever coached," Weis said. "But coming in here and having a guy with the experience Brady Quinn had, and watching him really study Tommy, and try to use him as role model, gives him a very good chance at success. He has the last four years of Patriots games as his cut-up tapes. All he's doing is watching that No. 12 from New England do all the things we are doing now." - College Football -

Tom Brady isn't just in Quinn's head. So is Weis.

"I tell him not to think," Weis said. "I tell him, `I'll do the thinking. You just run the plays.' He's the closest player we have to being in tune with the coaching staff."

Quinn has gone from completing 47 percent of his passes as a freshman to 54 percent last year to 65 percent this season. He says Weis is rubbing off on him. - College Football -

"His attitude and the way he handles things, he has lot of confidence," said Quinn, who has thrown four touchdown passes and one interception. "When he is driven to accomplish a task or get something done, there's no stopping him. That's something we're all starting to pick up."

Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Little to Cheer About
The UCF student body is holding its applause until the Golden Knights achieve success -- or win just one game -- under 2nd-year coach George O'Leary.

Steve Ellingand Tania Deluzuriaga
Sentinel Staff Writers

Pick a highway, any byway.

Be it I-75, I-95 or the eyesore that is I-4, whichever major thoroughfare you picked from the highway hat is likely choked with orange traffic cones and caution signs, graders and 'dozers -- not to mention thousands of seething motorists. - College Football -

Then there's potholed old Highway 50, which leads to ever-congested UCF, where orange could qualify as the third school color. The area occupied by thefootball team is particularly busy, with acres of land being cleared as laborers lay the groundwork for the proposed football stadium and other projects.

The Densch football fieldhouse is only a couple of years old. The adjacent indoor practice facility, an aluminum, Quonset-style hut that could comfortably house a large jet, is newer still.

Inside the latter, there's a different band of men at work, with their hardhats affixed by chinstraps and few creature comforts as they prepare for their nationally televised season opener Thursday night at South Carolina. Like the roads outside, nothing much is moving indoors, either.

"Oh, man, we've got some fans in there that move the air, but that sure ain't the same as air conditioning," UCF linebacker James Cook said. - College Football -

They also need the other kind of fans -- the student body. But until the skidding Golden Knights win a game, support is as refreshing as hot air blowing through an open car window.

On that front, the notion behind the Sentinel's college football road trip was for three staffers to attend a trio of key season openers in a five-day span and along the way pursue the plotlines, track the trajectories and visit some off-the-beaten-path locales along the 1,200-mile route.

That said, no place is more beaten than UCF, which has a 15-game losing streak and was the only team in the nation that failed to win a game last fall. - College Football -

No question, UCF is expected to serve as the patsy for the reconstituted Gamecocks. Under the visor and visage of Coach Steve Spurrier, who is returning to thecollege ranks after bolting Florida three years ago, South Carolina is favored by nearly three touchdowns.

Good thing oddsmakers didn't poll the seemingly indifferent UCF students, or the numbers might have been worse. Few students will be burning any gasoline to make the journey.

The buzz on campus hasn't changed much from last fall, when UCF finished 0-11. After watching the team struggle under first-year Coach George O'Leary, most students aren't angry, repulsed or altogether uncaring, exactly.

They're just, oh, leery.

"I'll get excited about it when I start seeing some improvement," UCF freshman Candace Jones said. "They don't have to win some games, just one." - College Football -

UCF has a chance to forge a national identity by beating Spurrier's new team in ESPN's first college football broadcast of the season. Maybe that would help convert the kids in their own backyard, too.

Classes began last week at UCF, a sprawling school with 45,000 students where apathy, attendance and acreage seem mostly proportional. The crowd was below 21,000 in four of five home games last year.

In terms of supply and demand, there isn't any appetite for more defeats. In fact, UCF students get into home games for free and still believe the price of admittance is too high.

"The main thing that will bring them back is to win," said Paul Carrington, a senior defensive end. "After last season, there's no way to say you can really blame them for not supporting thefootball team. But I think it's ultimately up to them to come out or not. With the tradition of the Florida schools, I think they should come out, regardless." - College Football -

Some couldn't hold the team in less regard. Other UCF players believe the team must first win over the students' hearts and prove that things have changed.

"It goes both ways," said Keith Shologan, a sophomore defensive tackle. "Of course, we have to supply the entertainment part and deliver, but they have to want to come and see us."

Copyright © 2005, Orlando Sentinel

Virginia Tech Hokies at North Carolina State Wolfpack
Brian Covert

Line: The Hokies are 3-point favorites for the season opener
Total: The total is set at 42 ½-points

Marcus Vick’s legal troubles have been well publicized. This Sunday the younger brother of Atlanta`s Michael will try to give people something else to talk about when he takes to the field as Virgina Tech’s starting quarterback at North Carolina State. - College Football -

Vick will not have to go at it alone. The defending ACC champion Hokies have experience and depth at all skill positions. As well their defense that gave up only 268 total yards per game last season returns ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year Vince Hall and junior cornerback Jimmy Williams who many say is the best cornerback prospect in all of college football.

They open against the Wolfpack, who handed the Hokies their only loss in the ACC last season, 17-16 as 7-point underdogs last Sept. 25. - College Football -

Copyright © 1995-2005 Sports Direct Inc.