Notes From the Margins: Big 10, Pac 10 and SEC
November 14th, 2008 by Jason Roberts
In Part Two of our Week Twelve edition of NFTM, we bring you the other side of the BCS conference picture, with insight into why Ricky Stanzi of Iowa is a late-game bloomer at quarterback, the terror associated with Jeff Tedford’s California Bears going on the road, the potential transfer of an USC Trojans’ player to the state of Arkansas (what is it between these two schools?!), and the accomplishments of Deon Butler, Knowshon Moreno, and even Kentucky’s Randall Cobb.
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini
The news station WISN writes that amidst the disappointing loss by the Illinois Fighting Illini last Saturday to the Western Michigan Broncos in Detroit, Michigan, quarterback Juice Williams produced enough through the air and on the ground to now remain just 316 yards from taking over the all-time record at the university for total offensive production. Noteworthy as well was the fact that Arrelious Benn captured a fifth 100+ yard day receiving for the season, but will have a tough time duplicating such a performance for a sixth time, as the Illini look to face Ohio State and Northwestern in the final two game of their 2008 schedule.
Indiana Hoosiers
For any one that happened to catch Indiana’s last game against the Wisconsin Badgers, you may have noticed, as The Journal Gazette points out earlier this week, which the Hoosiers ended up playing four quarterbacks and three centers during the span of the contest. “Honestly,” states head coach Bill Lynch of the situation, “I’ve never been around anything like that.” Emphasizing the point that IU has suffered greatly due to injuries to players throughout the 2008 season, the fact now stands that the team, at one point or another, has seen it starters miss 29 games due to being hurt. That number, the articles notes, is sure to increase at least by one this week as Indiana prepares to take on Penn State in Happy Valley; this stems from a knee injury that linebacker Will Patterson suffered last week while playing against UW.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Des Moines Register brings up an interesting nuance in the manner in which the Iowa Hawkeyes have played football games of late; it seems, after all, that sophomore quarterback Ricky Stanzi plays better in the fourth quarter than he does in the first three. Against Illinois, for instance, Stanzi was 11-of-29 for 129 yards, finishing 4-of-9 for 91 yards in the final quarter of play; the same is to be said about the Penn State, where last week the sophomore went 15-of-25 for 171 yards, 7-of-13 which netted 70 yards in the fourth period. “There’s learning curve going on,” head coach Kirk Ferentz commented on the subject. “We expect a little of that [inconsistency] sometimes when you’re dealing with young players.”
Michigan Wolverines
BleacherReport.com reports this week that after leading the Michigan Wolverines to a major upset over the Minnesota Golden Gophers last weekend, head coach Rich Rodriguez has given the go ahead for sophomore Nick Sheridan to start at quarterback this weekend against Northwestern. The move comes in light of the fact that regular starter Steve Threet, who was on the sidelines for the Minnesota game with a concussion, is not fully recovered, though he did participate in practice in a limited capacity this week. Rodriquez also noted that Justin Feagin will see time under center as well, in a format similar to that as last week.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The New Richmond News informs readers that Minnesota’s leading receiver, Eric Decker, will be missing this upcoming weekend’s Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, this as he continues to recover from a high-ankle sprain. The news came as a disappointment to Wisconsin’s corner Allen Langford, who stated he’d hope Decker would play so that Langford could go up against him in pass coverage.
Northwestern Wildcats
With both Tyrell Sutton and Omar Clayton suffering from injuries over the last couple of weeks, Northwestern will be forced to turn to sophomore Stephen Simmons to carry the ball this Saturday against the Michigan Wolverines. In order to provide additional depth at the tailback position, head coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters that freshman wide receiver Jeravin Matthews will be moved into the Wildcats’ backfield, this according to the International Herald Tribune.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The International Herald Tribune writes that with the next catch that senior Deon Butler of Penn State makes, the Nittany Lions’ wide receiver will break the school record for most career receptions; Butler is currently tied with Bobby Engram at 167.
Purdue Boilermakers
The Journal Gazette reports that though incumbent starter quarterback Curtis Painter is nearly recovered from a separated right, throwing shoulder suffered October 25th, head coach for the Purdue Boilermakers, Joe Tiller, is likely to give redshirt freshman Justin Siller his third straight start against Iowa this upcoming Saturday. Siller had a rough outing last week against Michigan State, but will function under a much-more scaled back playbook this weekend, one similar to the one that allowed him to guide Purdue to season-high’s on offense in terms of points and total yards.
Pac-10
Arizona Wildcats
From the Arizona Daily Star: There’s going to be a showdown on the playing field this weekend as the Arizona Wildcats travel to Eugene this weekend to take on the Oregon Ducks, but it isn’t going to be taking place on the offensive side of the ball; instead, check out the head-to-head statistical production of the Wildcats’ Trevin Wade and Oregon’s Jairus Byrd, both of whom are currently tied for the lead in the Pac-10 for interceptions this season. Both players, reports the Star, have picked off four passes so far this year, yet there remains one significant difference – Byrd, a junior, has played in all 10 of the Ducks’ contests this year, while Wade, generally a late-game substitute, has started just one game to this point in the season.
Arizona State Sun Devils
The website AZCentral.com reveals this week the most interesting fact that senior tailback for the Arizona State Sun Devils, Keegan Herring, is the ninth leading career rusher for the team, this despite the fact that he has started in just 13 of his 44 games. Bouncing back for a hamstring injury he suffered back in August, Herring last week earned the opportunity for his 12th overall start this weekend against Washington State, taking 22 carries for 144 yards against the Washington Huskies; with just 170 more yards rushing, the Peoria High School graduate will join the likes of Freddie Williams, J.R. Redmond, and Whizzer White as one of only five previous ASU running backs to break the 1,000 yard mark in a single season.
California Bears
The road woes of the California Bears are proving most costly this season, as suggested by the San Francisco Chronicle in an article hosted in its Wednesday edition this week. After all, all three losses this season have been on the road, while as a collective record over the past three years, Jeff Tedford’s squad has gone 16-2 at home, a mere 5-10 on the road. That should be of particular concern to the Bears this weekend, as they travel to Corvalis to take on Oregon State, especially given that over the past five years, the visiting team in the Cal-OSU series has won by an impressive margin.
Interestingly, the chance of the Bears’ winning this Saturday’s contest against the Beavers may or may not have dramatically increased, as head coach of Cal, Jeff Tedford, announced earlier this week (as covered in the San Francisco Chronicle as well) that Kevin Riley will be his team’s starter when the Bears’ offense takes the field in Corvalis. The call, notes the Chronicle, comes as a surprise for some, particularly given the fact the sophomore is coming off the worst game of his collegiate career; readers may also recall that he’ll be facing the same team that last year caused him to make perhaps one of the most memorable errors in recent years – leading a drive from the Bears’ own 5 yard-line down to the Beavers’ 12, only to get tackled in bounds after scrambling out of the pocket and not leaving Cal enough time to kick a tying field goal.
Oregon Ducks
A troubling scenario involving fans of the Oregon Ducks booing the home team despite a 35-28 win over the Stanford Cardinal last weekend in Autzen Stadium leaves the website for news station NWCN.com asking just how reckless an act it was for those in attendance that participated in such an act. Presumably aimed at the poor throwing of sophomore quarterback Joseph Masoli (who, coincidentally, played more solidly than in previous weeks, finishing 11-of-21 for 144 yards and a touchdown), the booing – described as “classless” in the article – seemed to have little effect on the man under center, but raised concerns about what many potential recruits in attendance might have come away feeling seeing a home ground so critical of the play of their own (winning) football program.
Oregon State Beavers
The Gazette-Times notes this week that given Shane Morales remains in the midst of recovering from a strained muscle in his right hip, the coaching staff for the Oregon State Beavers has been letting third-year sophomore Casey Kjos get extra work in with the first-team offense during practice this week. As of now, head coach Mike Riley intends on allowing Kjos to start this Saturday versus California, but only under the assumption that Morales will not be able to go in an important showdown in Corvalis with the Bears.
Meanwhile, Riley expressed to the Gazette-Times earlier in a separate article earlier in the week that he reserves the right to make up to a game-time decision between his two current starting junior quarterbacks, Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao, this as Oregon State prepares to take on Pac-10 Conference foe the California Bears at home in Corvalis. Moevao, who injured his shoulder against Arizona State at the start of the month, is described as currently being “about 70 percent,” but says himself that he “believes he’ll be able to play”; the only thing undetermined at this point is “how much pain he can take when he throws deep.”
Stanford Cardinal
The Mercury News holds out hope this week that starting running back for the Stanford Cardinal, Toby Gerhart, who was injured last week in the first quarter of a 35-28 loss on the road against the Oregon Ducks, will have recovered enough from an upper-hamstring pull in order to play this weekend at home in Stanford Stadium in a rematch of last year’s climatic upset of the USC Trojans. “It’s doing well, getting a lot of treatment,” Gerhart told reports on Tuesday. “It’s coming along good.”
University of California, Los Angeles Bruins
The Los Angeles Times expresses concern this week that in the midst of some 22 freshman getting playing time over the first nine games of the season for the UCLA Bruins, first-year backs such as Raymond Carter and Aundre Dean are a noticeable exception to the rule. Thus far this season, reports the periodical, Carter has 19 carries for 26 yards, while Dean has run the ball just twice for one yards. What’s to blame for the noticeable lack of work in the UCLA backfield? Head coach Rick Neuheisel says look at “a ground game that has failed to generate any consistency,” and subsequently, has left the Bruins rushing only about 30 times per contest.
Run for the hills! Reports the Orange County Register on Tuesday, senior quarterback Ben Olsen was seen taking a handful of snaps in practice for the first time since breaking his foot at the start of the month of August. A description of how he did, as offered by Olsen himself? “A little rusty.” Still, both Olsen and the UCLA coaching staff have expressed the desire to have the senior ready to play at Arizona State on November 28th; he’ll travel with the team this weekend, as the Bruins take on Washington, but will not play.
University of Southern California Trojans
The Orange County Register this week discusses the third position change so far this season for freshman D.J. Shoemate of Servite High School, this as Shoemate was seen lining up at a new spot Monday during practice. Originally entering preseason camp as a wide receiver, the USC coaching staff shifted Shoemate over to fullback, but now is looking at what the youngster can provide at tailback. Head coach Pete Carroll denied that the decision to adjust Shoemate to running back was made as a way to counter the loss next season of Broderick Green; still, it is very apparent that offensive coordinator for the Trojans, Steve Sarkisian, is desirous of giving the freshman “more chances to handle the ball, take hits and work on his ball security.”
Washington Huskies
Want a revealing stat line? How about the one offered up by news station NWCN.com on Monday of this week. The article reveals the disturbing story of a Washington Huskies team that simply cannot run with the ball. Currently, the Huskies average just 85.3 yards rushing per game, the second-lowest in school history other than the 2002 season, when Cody Pickett and Reggie Williams comprised one of the best pass-catch tandems in the Pac-10.
Washington State Cougars
Despite a 58-28 loss against Arizona last weekend, the Washington State Cougars saw their first glimpses of offensive spark, particularly at the quarterback position; notes the Daily Evergreen, junior quarterback Kevin Lopina said he felt “100 percent” after succumbing to a serious back injury earlier in the year, and though throwing two interceptions on the day (he still has yet to pass for a touchdown this season), he proved mobile in a way he hasn’t up to this point in time. For the game, Lopina rushed 12 times for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
SEC
Alabama Crimson Tide
Running back Roy Upchurch of the Alabama Crimson Tide, reports the website Al.com, practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday, following his having to sit out Alabama’s last game against the LSU Tigers with a neck injury. Head coach Nick Saban describes the tailback’s current status as “day-by-day,” but reinforces that Upchurch will likely not play until the training staff can get his neck spasms under control.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Reports the Baxter Bulletin this Wednesday, conspicuously absent from practice during the early-to-middle portion of the week were starting quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks Casey Dick and tailback Michael Smith. Dick, who suffered a concussion, and Smith, who injured a shoulder Saturday versus South Carolina, both were given time to try to recover from their injuries, particularly given that Arkansas this week enjoys a bye week; the coaching staff expects that Smith will not be back on the practice field until next Tuesday, at which point team trainers will look at how well he’s able to handle the punishment of physical contact.
Also interesting news on the transfer-front for the Razorbacks; the website NWAOnline.net reveals Monday that current redshirt freshman for the USC Trojans, Broderick Green, is giving serious consideration to the possibility of transferring out of Los Angeles to Fayetteville as a means of being closer to his mother. The article notes that Green received permission from USC over the weekend to be released by scholarship, leaving him free to return home and make a decision as to where he may end up after the current semester ends in December. Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas also are potential destinations for the underclassman.
Auburn Tigers
Interesting possibilities are currently brewing out at Auburn University; writes the website Al.com, Tigers’ running back coach Eddie Gran is remaining tight-lipped about who might be a starter at tailback when Auburn takes on the University of Georgia this weekend, but he isn’t denying that Mario Fannin might be a possible candidate. The news comes in the wake of a Thursday afternoon practice in which Gran praised the sophomore for being “a spark because of his energy” and “a big-play guy.”
Georgia Bulldogs
It may seem old news by now, but the fact that Knowshon Moreno last weekend versus Kentucky became the first rusher since Hershell Walker to post back-to-back 1000 yard seasons rushing the ball seems to the Albany Herald and all of us at Fantasy College Blitz to deserve extended recognition in this column. Moreno, consequently, has also run for 100 yards or better in four of his last five games.
Kentucky Wildcats
It might still be a bit premature to think such thoughts, but the website OnlineAthens.com writes on Monday that the buzz surrounding freshman quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats, Randall Cobb, continues to grow, this after the true freshman, in only his second start for UK, garnered 187 total all-purpose yards on offense and scored three times for the game. Interestingly enough, the article notes that with Cobb under center, the Wildcats were able to conjure up 226 total rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, the most accumulated to this point in the season in league play.
Louisiana State Tigers
The time for LSU freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson is no longer determined by an if, but instead, a when; so reports The Advertiser for this Thursday. Les Miles, head coach of the Tigers, notes that Jefferson will see playing time this Saturday against Troy, presumably “a series or two in the first half . . . . late in the second quarter or first.” The move, suggests the Advertiser couldn’t come at a potentially better time, especially with redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, who again will start under center for the Tigers this weekend, appearing to falter with the passage of the season; after last week’s loss to Alabama, Lee not only fell from third to seventh in the SEC for passing efficiency, but also threw four interceptions versus the Tide – a number which now gives Lee a conference-high 14 for the season and six of which have been returned for scores by opposing defenses.
Mississippi Rebels
The Daily Journal recently highlights that quarterback Jevan Snead spent a much-deserved bye week working on his accuracy and in doing so drew the acclaim of head coach Houston Nutt, who told reporters the sophomore had “his best week of practice” so far in his time at Ole Miss. The improvement comes after Snead had thrown an interception in each of seven straight games prior to a November 1st showdown versus Auburn, but went an entire game without a pick in a 17-7 win for the Rebels.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The State points out that while a healthy Kenny McKinney continues to break the records of former USC alumni Sterling Sharpe at wideout, the remainder of the Gamecocks’ receivers seem almost non-existent out on the playing field, catching just three passes for four yards that past two games; using Jason Barnes as an example – the freshman has not had a catch since USC took on LSU, a game that took place on October 18th. Such statistics certainly won’t be helped either by the announcement on Wednesday evening that Moe Brown sprained his knee when a teammate ran into him and fell into his leg during practice; his status for Saturday’s game versus Florida remains tentative at best.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Chattanoogan shares with its readership this week that in the midst of a two week bye in the schedule of the Tennessee Volunteers’ football program, fans and fantasy owner may want to pay attention to a contest being played by the UT junior varsity team Thursday evening at 5:00pm. Matching up against a 10-0 Hargrave Military Academy from Chatham, Virginia, the Vols will be on display two players to watch out for in the upcoming season – B.J. Coleman, a redshirt freshman, and fellow redshirt freshman wideout, Ahmad Paige.
Vanderbilt University
The Nashville City Paper informs readers Wednesday that wide receiver Jamie Graham of the Vanderbilt Commodores watched practice on Tuesday afternoon on crutches from the sidelines, this as a result of a sprained ankle sustained last Saturday against the Florida Gators. A redshirt freshman who has caught 18 receptions for 98 yards and three touchdowns so far this season, Graham’s status for Saturday’s contest versus Kentucky currently remains unclear. Meanwhile, senior George Smith was seen in practices this week, but still leaves him fighting to recover from a hamstring injury; as such, two of Vanderbilt’s three starting receivers are now injured.
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