CFN's Quick Outs
Cirminiello's Quick Outs - 2006
By
Richard Cirminiello
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 1, 2006
Summa Cum Laude – Georgia Tech – In one of the best games of the Chan Gailey era, the Jackets pounced early, quieted the Lane Stadium crowd and never allowed Virginia Tech back into a decisive 38-27 win.
Tech got touchdowns from the running game, passing game and defense, and even took a page out of the Hokie playbook by blocking a Nic Schmitt punt. There’s a long way to go, but all of a sudden, the 4-1 Yellow Jackets are well-positioned to win a wide-open ACC Coastal Division.
2.
Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe – You knew it was only a matter of time before Wolfe delivered one of those otherworldly statistical games that he’s made in common in DeKalb. That time came Saturday, when Wolfe jetted for 353 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.
3.
Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell – Harrell was good all day in College Station, but saved his best for last in a final, last-minute drive for a crucial Red Raider victory.
4.
Boise State – Few teams walk into Rice-Eccles Stadium and bury Utah the way the Broncos did in Saturday afternoon’s 36-3 statement win.
5.
BYU QB John Beck – Playing on a couple of bum ankles, Beck singed a very good TCU defense for three touchdown passes and 321 yards, helping end the Frogs’ 13-game winning streak.
Summa Cum Lousy –
Michigan State – The Spartans make a return engagement here after becoming the first I-A team in over a year to fall victim to Ron Zook’s Illinois team. The Spartans exhibited little fight seven days following their fourth-quarter collapse in the rain to Notre Dame.
2.
Utah Quarterbacks – Neither Brett Ratliff nor Tommy Grady could get it right against Boise State, combining for just eight completions, 51 yards and four picks on 27 passing attempts.
3.
Iowa QB Drew Tate – For the second straight year, Tate was ineffective against Ohio State, throwing three costly interceptions, while waiting until the fourth quarter before throwing his first touchdown pass.
4.
Arizona State – The Sun Devils weren’t supposed to beat Oregon on Saturday, but then again, they also weren’t supposed to get out gained 584 to 213 in a 48-13 embarrassment in front of the home crowd.
5.
Arizona – A third straight uninspired loss to a I-A opponent has the ‘Cats fast becoming one of this year’s bigger disappointments.
Offensive Coordinator of the Week –
Jim Bollman, Ohio State – The Buckeyes’ best offensive output of the month just happened to come in Iowa City against a very stingy Iowa defense. Ohio State got four touchdown passes from Troy Smith to go along with more than 200 yards on the ground from the tandem of Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells.
Defensive Coordinator of the Week –
Justin Wilcox, Boise State – The play of the Bronco D in Salt Lake City Saturday was Exhibit A why the program is so excited about Wilcox’s future at the school. Boise stuffed high-powered Utah, holding the Utes to just three points and 190 yards, while pressuring Brett Ratliff and Tommy Grady into 8-of-27 passing for 51 yards and four interceptions.
In an exciting weekend that saw Georgia Tech upset Virginia Tech, Ohio State blow out Iowa and Kansas take Nebraska into overtime, a Rice win over Army will hardly register on anyone’s radar. That’s too bad because no team was more impressive or stoic on Saturday. The Owls did more than upset the Cadets 48-14 for their first win of 2006...just one week after getting ransacked in Tallahassee and just two weeks after getting routed in Austin. You see, Rice’s victory was in honor of fallen teammate Dale Lloyd, who suddenly died earlier in the week during a workout. On Saturday, with heavy hearts, the Owls played one of their best games in school history. Less than 24 hours later, they had to bury one of their teammates. Impressive, indeed.
It means absolutely nothing and is just a gut feeling, but this year's Auburn team would fall short in hypothetical games against the 2004 and 2005 editions of Tiger football. Now, hey, this is a legit title contender that might very well wind up in Glendale in January. However, it's lacking the balance and downfield punch, getting just one touchdown from a wide receiver in five games, of last year's squad and isn't quite as intimidating on defense as the 2004 team. Of course, Auburn doesn't have to be better than 2004 USC or Oklahoma or 2005 Texas to win a national title, which is why this is only relevant if you're looking for something to debate.
Do you think TCU has trouble handling prosperity? For the third straight year, the Frogs got dumped the week after a statement win. In 2004, TCU remained bowl-eligible by trouncing Southern Miss, only to lose at home the following week to Tulane. The only thing more shocking than last year's upset of Oklahoma was the 21-10 loss to SMU that succeeded it seven days later. Last Thursday, the Frogs' encore to stuffing Texas Tech was a 31-17 loss to John Beck and BYU that snapped their 13-game winning streak and dealt a sudden, but not deadly, blow to their BCS bowl hopes. Don't forget that if this year's BCS rules applied in 2005, TCU would have played in January...even after losing to SMU.
Once you travel outside the Big Ten, no one is playing better football these days than Cal. That’s a remarkable achievement considering the Bears were destroyed in the Sept. 2 opener at Tennessee, but, my, have they displayed short memories. The incendiary and balanced offense has been literally unstoppable, averaging 43 points over the last four games, while getting 14 touchdown passes from Nate Longshore. With all due respect to Oklahoma-Texas, LSU at Florida and Tennessee at Georgia, No. 11 Oregon’s visit to Berkeley this Saturday just might be the best game of a jam-packed weekend.
Just a short month ago, there were serious doubts about the inconsistent receiving corps that would be catching passes from Erik Ainge in Knoxville this year. That was then, this is now. Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain have matured into one of the most dangerous tandems in America, turning short slants into long gainers, while helping Ainge relocate his confidence.
After six years, the Dirk Koetter experiment at Arizona State appears to be coming to an inglorious end. One of college football’s biggest annual teases, the Sun Devils are now 2-18 versus ranked teams under the coach after getting spanked by Oregon in Tempe. At a time when struggling Rudy Carpenter is in need of a swift hook, it should be noted that Koetter’s fumbling of the quarterback situation in August sent Sam Keller packing to Lincoln, costing the Sun Devils the best backup quarterback in the nation.
Maryland's Ralph Friedgen is really testing the allegiance of those of us still clinging to the belief he's one of college football's better head coaches. After building a foundation with 31 wins in his first three years, the Fridge has gone 13-13 since the start of 2004 and just 4-11 versus teams that wound up over .500. Based on September's close calls with William & Mary, Middle Tennessee State and Florida International, mediocrity will again be planting roots in College Park this fall. No one realistically expected 10 wins from the Terps every year, but Friedgen's first few teams actually had less talent than they do now, making five wins, feeble offenses and close calls with Sun Belt-ers hard to process.
What if Miami, or some other big program in need of a coach, comes calling, and Rutgers’ Greg Schiano respectfully declines? Don’t be shocked if this year’s most eligible head coach stays with the Scarlet Knights to continue the reclamation project he began six years ago. The program took another positive step in its improbable ascent, going on the road Friday night to tough out a 22-20 win over South Florida. He won’t win a national championship in Piscataway, however, there’s something to be said for winning seven games and getting contract extensions, as opposed to winning nine and getting vilified…and the coach knows this.
The play of the past weekend belonged to Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell, who dropped a perfect, 37-yard touchdown pass into Robert Johnson’s bread basket to beat Texas A&M with 26 ticks left on the clock. Playing in front of one of the loudest crowds in the country, the sophomore conducted himself like a fifth-year senior, connecting on 32-of-45 passes for 392 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers.
If there’s one lesson Virginia Tech ought to take from its worse-than-the-score-indicated 38-27 loss to Georgia Tech it’s that scheduling Northeastern, North Carolina, Duke and Cincinnati to open the season does not adequately prepare a program for step ups in competition. The Hokies have been notoriously soft schedulers in September, and it caught up to them Saturday afternoon.
Can the legend of Joe Paterno grow any larger? Already turning heads for still plugging along at the age of 79, JoePa went horizontal during Tuesday’s practice after getting pummeled by two of his players, yet popped right back up and didn’t miss a practice all week. There’s no truth to the rumor Paterno will wrestle a Nittany Lion before the Oct. 14 home date with Michigan.
Even in winning, Miami and Larry Coker look to be in serious trouble. The ‘Canes struggled with Houston Saturday evening, holding on for a listless 14-13 win that shed light on more problems on the offensive side of the ball. Making matters worse for Coker was that a half-empty Orange Bowl sent strong signals that the fickle Hurricane faithful are beginning to lose interest in this 2006 team.
In some respects, Chris Leak’s problems in Gainesville parallel the ones Alex Rodriguez is enduring in New York with baseball’s Yankees. They’re polished, hard-working athletes that can perennially produce monster numbers, yet will never be fully embraced by the locals. Hopefully, both will get chances to play in front of more appreciative fans in 2007.
The off-season chatter that there’d be a quarterback controversy in Baton Rouge now seems patently ridiculous. JaMarcus Russell is growing exponentially as LSU’s offensive leader, curbing any suggestion that backups Matt Flynn or Ryan Perilloux would wrest the job away from the junior. Russell was impeccable against a decent Mississippi State defense Saturday, misfiring on just two of 20 passes and running his season touchdown-to-interception ratio to 12:1.
Last year, Pitt QB Tyler Palko was eminently average, especially against better competition. This fall, the senior leads the nation in passing efficiency, transforming junior Derek Kinder into the next in a growing line of top pass-catchers at Wide Receiver U. The difference? Palko hasn’t changed much, but his protection has in 2006. A year ago, Palko endured constant pressure, however, through five games, he’s been sacked just three times.
Chase Daniel hasn’t quite worked his way into the Heisman discussion, but the Missouri quarterback got a step closer after throwing four touchdown passes in a win over Colorado. In his first year replacing Tiger icon Brad Smith, Daniel has already accounted for 16 touchdowns, while guiding Mizzou to its best start in a quarter century. Trips to Lubbock and College Station the next two weeks will dictate whether the sophomore’s heroics will resonate beyond the confines of the Big 12.
Good luck explaining to Terry Hoeppner that you’re too banged up to dress for a game this year. You want tough? The Indiana head coach was back on the sidelines Saturday just two weeks after undergoing brain surgery to remove scar tissue. Considering how his Hoosiers played in a 52-17 loss to Wisconsin, he should’ve considered a few more sick days until next week’s visit to Illinois.
Back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and Illinois and upcoming games with Michigan and Ohio State could signal the beginning of the end for Michigan State coach John L. Smith. The Spartans are just 14-19 since the middle of 2004, and along with Indiana and Illinois, are one of just three Big Ten teams that haven’t gone bowling the last two years.
Oddly enough, Rich Brooks is one head coach that has actually been improving his job security this month. The head ‘Cat still has a couple of his nine lives left, thanks to the emergence of QB Andre Woodson as a passing force and three critical wins over the last four games that has Kentucky halfway to bowl eligibility.
For the rest of the season, Boise State will carry the banner for the Non-Automatic Conferences seeking representation in one of the five BCS bowl games. After TCU and Houston lost this weekend, the Broncos were left as the lone unbeaten team from outside the BCS conferences. They housed Utah 36-3 in Salt Lake City in what was supposed to be their biggest test left, meaning it’s going to take a big upset or some major disrespect from the computer portion of the BCS formula to keep Boise out of the Fiesta Bowl.
Don’t look now, but the same Kent State that hasn’t won a league title since 1972 is in complete control of the topsy-turvy MAC East. Behind the play of sophomore QB Julian Edelman, a Joshua Cribbs impersonator, the Golden Flashes have handled the division’s three heavyweights, Miami, Bowling Green and Akron in successive weeks. On Saturday, Edelman accounted for 374 total yards and three scores in an alarmingly easy 37-15 win over the Zips.
Message to the WAC Conference: When playing San Jose State, do not throw the ball anywhere near No. 25, Spartan junior Dwight Lowery. The lightly-recruited transfer from Cabrillo College leads the country with seven interceptions in just four games for a Sparta
