arty:
Oklahoma dodged a bullet when they drew UCONN (no insult intended) IMHO Stanford would have shellacked them if The Orange Bowl had not picked Stanford to play host Va. Tech. The Hokies will be a real challenge for Stanford compared to Oklahoma in the Fiesta. The Hokies have won 11 in a row, and have dominated the ACC after their embarrassing start.
Both Virginia Tech and Stanford are among the hottest teams in the nation, and will be expected to light up the scoreboard. Should be a great game, Stanford will be led by most likely Heisman runner up QB Andrew Luck.
Their only loss was to undefeated and possible National champion Oregon on Oct. 2nd in Eugene by a score of 52-31.
The game was closer than the score indicates. Luck was 29 of 46 for 241 yards and two scores. He was also intercepted twice by the Oregon defense.
Oregon tied it at 31-31 with 8:20 to go in the third quarter on Thomas' 6-yard keeper and the momentum shifted to the Ducks.
Midway through the quarter, Luck found receiver Chris Owusu for a 6-yard completion at midfield, but he fumbled after a hard hit by Oregon's Javes Lewis. Eddie Pleasant scooped up the ball and returned it to the 3-yard line, and James ran it in from there for Oregon's first lead of the game.
Owusu jogged off the field after the hit, but did not return to the game. On Stanford's first drive of the next series, Luck was intercepted by Cliff Harris and Oregon controlled the rest of the game. Stanford gave The Ducks their toughest game of the season at Eugene despite losing by 21 points.
Tough game to make a line for, if push came to shove I would call it a pick-em. It will be hard to bet against Tech but if I don't have to lay more than 2.5 points I will take The Cardinal..
wil..
Both Virginia Tech and Stanford are among the hottest teams in the nation, and will be expected to light up the scoreboard. Should be a great game, Stanford will be led by most likely Heisman runner up QB Andrew Luck.
Their only loss was to undefeated and possible National champion Oregon on Oct. 2nd in Eugene by a score of 52-31.
The game was closer than the score indicates. Luck was 29 of 46 for 241 yards and two scores. He was also intercepted twice by the Oregon defense.
Oregon tied it at 31-31 with 8:20 to go in the third quarter on Thomas' 6-yard keeper and the momentum shifted to the Ducks.
Midway through the quarter, Luck found receiver Chris Owusu for a 6-yard completion at midfield, but he fumbled after a hard hit by Oregon's Javes Lewis. Eddie Pleasant scooped up the ball and returned it to the 3-yard line, and James ran it in from there for Oregon's first lead of the game.
Owusu jogged off the field after the hit, but did not return to the game. On Stanford's first drive of the next series, Luck was intercepted by Cliff Harris and Oregon controlled the rest of the game. Stanford gave The Ducks their toughest game of the season at Eugene despite losing by 21 points.
Tough game to make a line for, if push came to shove I would call it a pick-em. It will be hard to bet against Tech but if I don't have to lay more than 2.5 points I will take The Cardinal..
wil..
Try, you are probably right, I haven't really followed ACC football this year since Boston College got off to such a miserable start only to finish strong with a 5 game win streak and earn a spot in one of the minor bowls. BC will face No. 13 Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl game at AT&T Park in San Francisco on believe it or not January 9th on ESPN.
BC’s outstanding defensive unit, coupled with Nevada’s record-setting offense, will make for a very interesting and strategic matchup. Nevada features one of the most explosive players in the country, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and one BC brings one of the top defensive players in the country, linebacker Luke Kuechly.
This unusual Bowl is for a good cause though - Established in 2002 and called the Emerald Bowl until this year. Kraft Foods brands leading the way behind the Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign, as well as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl include Kraft macaroni & cheese dinners, Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Planters nuts, Oscar Mayer meats, Maxwell House coffee, Kool-Aid beverages, Kraft cheese, Kraft Singles, Miracle Whip and Kraft Mayo. Since its inception the game has generated more than $100 million in revenue for the San Francisco area.
The bowl will celebrate the culmination of Kraft Foods’ HUDDLE TO FIGHT HUNGER program, which is the food company’s largest-ever branded initiative to fight hunger in America. The goal of the program is to donate as many as 20 million meals or more to Feeding America - the nation’s leading hunger relief organization - to help our neighbors in need.
Three of the previous four games have been sellouts, topped by the standing-room-only 42,268 who viewed the ’08 game between Cal and Miami.
Last year’s Boston College-USC game is the third-most-watched college bowl game in ESPN history.
Facts from Yahoo Sports.
wil.
BC’s outstanding defensive unit, coupled with Nevada’s record-setting offense, will make for a very interesting and strategic matchup. Nevada features one of the most explosive players in the country, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and one BC brings one of the top defensive players in the country, linebacker Luke Kuechly.
This unusual Bowl is for a good cause though - Established in 2002 and called the Emerald Bowl until this year. Kraft Foods brands leading the way behind the Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign, as well as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl include Kraft macaroni & cheese dinners, Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Planters nuts, Oscar Mayer meats, Maxwell House coffee, Kool-Aid beverages, Kraft cheese, Kraft Singles, Miracle Whip and Kraft Mayo. Since its inception the game has generated more than $100 million in revenue for the San Francisco area.
The bowl will celebrate the culmination of Kraft Foods’ HUDDLE TO FIGHT HUNGER program, which is the food company’s largest-ever branded initiative to fight hunger in America. The goal of the program is to donate as many as 20 million meals or more to Feeding America - the nation’s leading hunger relief organization - to help our neighbors in need.
Three of the previous four games have been sellouts, topped by the standing-room-only 42,268 who viewed the ’08 game between Cal and Miami.
Last year’s Boston College-USC game is the third-most-watched college bowl game in ESPN history.
Facts from Yahoo Sports.
wil.
http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=4834
Connecticut relishes its underdog role versus Oklahoma
From appearances, Oklahoma will face an overmatched, one-dimensional opponent in Connecticut when it takes the field Jan. 1 in the Fiesta Bowl.
OU is an early 17-point favorite over the Huskies.
No. 8 OU has been down this road before, losing to Boise State and West Virginia in games in which the Sooners were heavily favored.
No. 25 UConn is playing in its first BCS game after slipping past South Florida 19-16 in the season finale for the Big East Conferenece.
“Playing in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 is a tribute to these young men who went out there and played this season and did the things they needed to do in order to win the Big East Championship,” said UConn coach Randy Edsall. “We know we have a tremendous opportunity and a difficult challenge ahead of us playing Oklahoma.”
UConn shares the 2010 Big East Championship with West Virginia and Pittsburgh and advanced because it beat both the Panthers and Mountaineers. The Huskies are 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big East.
“That’s kind of been the story ever since we made the jump to 1A (now the FBS),” Edsall said of his underdog status. “We’ve always been the underdog. Then again, to me, I think you always get a little more fired up when people think you can’t do something and you’re not good enough to do something. It’s always good to be able to prove people wrong.
“We know we’ll be playing a tremendously skilled and athletic perennial power in Oklahoma - one of the winningest programs in college football. It’s going to be fun to compete against that type of talent and that type of program.”
Some pundits have said that Connecticut might be the biggest underdog in BCS history.
“Who cares, we are still going,” said offensive guard Zach Hurd. “The media can say whatever they want. People said we would lose against South Florida and we won. We don’t care what anyone else says. It’s the people on our team, the players, the coaches, the supporting staff, those are the only people I care about.”
Hurd said the Huskies thrive on being underestimated.
“We definitely have done that,” said Hurd. “Our team plays the best when no one gives us respect. We go out and earn it. That’s the only way to do it and that’s what we’ll do on January 1.”
“It isn’t a surprise for us, we knew it would be that way,” Huskie linebacker Scott Lutrus said of being an underdog. “We are still going to go out there and prepare the same way and play the same game.”
Lutrus said the program has grown consistently.
“Since we went to our first bowl game we have been improving ever since,” Lutrus said. “The kids that we recruit and how well we play as a team has also been improving ever year that I have been here. It is what we can do with the kids that we get here and teams that we go up against with their big recruits and how well we can compete against any team that we play. That is our approach going into this game. Oklahoma has some of the best players in the country but there is nothing for us to back down from, we are going to go into the game with the mindset that we can win.”
“All that does is fire me up,” defensive tackle Kendall Reyes said of being a heavy underdog. “And we all play better when we are fired up, so it’s fine if people want to say that. We aren’t going to lose sleep over it. You say what you have to say, we are still going to go out and play football and that is what matters at the end of the day.
“We have been through it all and sometimes when your back is against the wall you are the most dangerous. That is how this team is, every time we are backed up we always fight back and we never give up. That is the way we play, we never give up, we play the entire game.”
OU (11-2, 7-2) is the Big 12 champion after defeating Nebraska in the conference title game.
“I know they (OU) played Cincinnati earlier in the year and they (Cincinnati) gave them a good run and hopefully we’ll go ahead and do the same thing,” said fullback Anthony Sherman.
The Huskies lost four of their first seven games this season but finished on a five-game winning streak.
In 2010, Connecticut beat West Virginia and South Florida for the first time and played in the first Big East championship game.
“You talk about putting some notches on the belt in terms of what you want to accomplish when you came in here looking to develop a program,” Edsall said. “There are fewer things that we have to accomplish left on the list. The biggest thing is to try and keep getting better each and every day.”
“We are representing Connecticut and we are going to go out and do our best against Oklahoma,” said Reyes.
The Huskies run the ball well but are unspectacular in their passing attack.
Jordan Todman is second in the country in rushing, averaging 143 yards a game. He has rushed 302 times for 1,574 yards and 14 touchdowns.
While ranked 31st in the nation in rushing (179 yards per game), Connecticut is ranked 112th out of 120 in passing, averaging only 145 yards a game. Oklahoma gives up only 151 yards a game and is fourth in the nation in passing offense, with 336 yards a game.
On defense, UConn allows only 19 points a game and its pass efficiency rating (111.42) is 16th in the nation.
Connecticut ranks sixth in kickoff returns, averaging 26 yards per kickoff. They are 12th in turnover margin, with a plus-one per game margin. OU ranks seventh in turnover margin.
Field goal kicker Dave Taggert ranks fourth in the nation, averaging almost two per game. He has made 23 of 29 attempts.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2010 and is filed under Sports.
Connecticut relishes its underdog role versus Oklahoma
From appearances, Oklahoma will face an overmatched, one-dimensional opponent in Connecticut when it takes the field Jan. 1 in the Fiesta Bowl.
OU is an early 17-point favorite over the Huskies.
No. 8 OU has been down this road before, losing to Boise State and West Virginia in games in which the Sooners were heavily favored.
No. 25 UConn is playing in its first BCS game after slipping past South Florida 19-16 in the season finale for the Big East Conferenece.
“Playing in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 is a tribute to these young men who went out there and played this season and did the things they needed to do in order to win the Big East Championship,” said UConn coach Randy Edsall. “We know we have a tremendous opportunity and a difficult challenge ahead of us playing Oklahoma.”
UConn shares the 2010 Big East Championship with West Virginia and Pittsburgh and advanced because it beat both the Panthers and Mountaineers. The Huskies are 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big East.
“That’s kind of been the story ever since we made the jump to 1A (now the FBS),” Edsall said of his underdog status. “We’ve always been the underdog. Then again, to me, I think you always get a little more fired up when people think you can’t do something and you’re not good enough to do something. It’s always good to be able to prove people wrong.
“We know we’ll be playing a tremendously skilled and athletic perennial power in Oklahoma - one of the winningest programs in college football. It’s going to be fun to compete against that type of talent and that type of program.”
Some pundits have said that Connecticut might be the biggest underdog in BCS history.
“Who cares, we are still going,” said offensive guard Zach Hurd. “The media can say whatever they want. People said we would lose against South Florida and we won. We don’t care what anyone else says. It’s the people on our team, the players, the coaches, the supporting staff, those are the only people I care about.”
Hurd said the Huskies thrive on being underestimated.
“We definitely have done that,” said Hurd. “Our team plays the best when no one gives us respect. We go out and earn it. That’s the only way to do it and that’s what we’ll do on January 1.”
“It isn’t a surprise for us, we knew it would be that way,” Huskie linebacker Scott Lutrus said of being an underdog. “We are still going to go out there and prepare the same way and play the same game.”
Lutrus said the program has grown consistently.
“Since we went to our first bowl game we have been improving ever since,” Lutrus said. “The kids that we recruit and how well we play as a team has also been improving ever year that I have been here. It is what we can do with the kids that we get here and teams that we go up against with their big recruits and how well we can compete against any team that we play. That is our approach going into this game. Oklahoma has some of the best players in the country but there is nothing for us to back down from, we are going to go into the game with the mindset that we can win.”
“All that does is fire me up,” defensive tackle Kendall Reyes said of being a heavy underdog. “And we all play better when we are fired up, so it’s fine if people want to say that. We aren’t going to lose sleep over it. You say what you have to say, we are still going to go out and play football and that is what matters at the end of the day.
“We have been through it all and sometimes when your back is against the wall you are the most dangerous. That is how this team is, every time we are backed up we always fight back and we never give up. That is the way we play, we never give up, we play the entire game.”
OU (11-2, 7-2) is the Big 12 champion after defeating Nebraska in the conference title game.
“I know they (OU) played Cincinnati earlier in the year and they (Cincinnati) gave them a good run and hopefully we’ll go ahead and do the same thing,” said fullback Anthony Sherman.
The Huskies lost four of their first seven games this season but finished on a five-game winning streak.
In 2010, Connecticut beat West Virginia and South Florida for the first time and played in the first Big East championship game.
“You talk about putting some notches on the belt in terms of what you want to accomplish when you came in here looking to develop a program,” Edsall said. “There are fewer things that we have to accomplish left on the list. The biggest thing is to try and keep getting better each and every day.”
“We are representing Connecticut and we are going to go out and do our best against Oklahoma,” said Reyes.
The Huskies run the ball well but are unspectacular in their passing attack.
Jordan Todman is second in the country in rushing, averaging 143 yards a game. He has rushed 302 times for 1,574 yards and 14 touchdowns.
While ranked 31st in the nation in rushing (179 yards per game), Connecticut is ranked 112th out of 120 in passing, averaging only 145 yards a game. Oklahoma gives up only 151 yards a game and is fourth in the nation in passing offense, with 336 yards a game.
On defense, UConn allows only 19 points a game and its pass efficiency rating (111.42) is 16th in the nation.
Connecticut ranks sixth in kickoff returns, averaging 26 yards per kickoff. They are 12th in turnover margin, with a plus-one per game margin. OU ranks seventh in turnover margin.
Field goal kicker Dave Taggert ranks fourth in the nation, averaging almost two per game. He has made 23 of 29 attempts.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2010 and is filed under Sports.
what do you think, UConn is going to stink up a BCS game as bad as the Big 10 does on a regular basis?
