College Football Week 19 – Harbaugh to Michigan
Bowl games, hook ’em down, bourbon balls,
a trip to the panhandle and where were the
girls in bikinis? Christmas week was fun

Christmas week began with Colorado State announcing that Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is the Rams new head coach. From what I hear, many Dawg fans were cheering when they heard this news. Bobo’s offense never has been popular with many of the Georgia faithful.

And this is the second-straight time Colorado State has picked an offensive coordinator from the SEC to be its head coach. Three years ago, CSU hired Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. Now McElwain is the coach of Florida. Maybe three years from now, Bobo will be the coach at Georgia.

The first bowl of Christmas week was the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl. I’m not sure where they came up with Beach in the name of this bowl. There was nothing Beach about it. I can imagine how disappointed the players were when they took the field and there was no sand, no surf, no sea shells, and no girls in bikinis. They must have felt duped.

What a sham – Miami Beach Bowl? The game was played on the mainland in Miami, not in or on Miami Beach. More specifically, it was played in Marlins Park, the home of the Florida Marlins baseball team. I’m sure Beach in the name made the bowl sound sexier. Who wants to go to a bowl called the Miami Mainland Bowl. There’s nothing sexy about that. But where were the girls in bikinis?

There were more BYU and Memphis players on the field than there were fans in the stands at Marlins Park. I figured the fans must have been over on Miami Beach looking for the stadium.

Memphis beat BYU in the Mainland….I mean….Beach Bowl, 55-48, in two overtimes. But the best part of the game was the fight that ensued at the end. No sooner had Memphis intercepted a BYU pass that gave the Tigers the win in the second overtime and a fight erupted. For a while, I thought the fight was going to last longer than the game itself. It was a real donnybrook – the fight, not the game.

Well, the game did have its exciting moments. Memphis scored with 45 seconds left to put the game into overtime. But where was the sand, the surf, the sea shells? And the girls in bikinis? Maybe that’s why the players were fighting.

It was a beautiful day in east-central Florida on December 22. Swamp Mama and I went for a stroll on the beach. It was a sunny day with temps in the high 70s. Sure didn’t feel like Christmas.

The pundits keep saying that Jim Harbaugh is torn between the Oakland Raiders and the University of Michigan. They say Harbaugh definitely will be coaching one of those two teams next season. Stay tuned!

And they are saying that Pitt has its eyes on Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.

Two days before Christmas and it is obvious that Michigan wants Harbaugh bad. The Wolverines not only want Harbaugh, they are obsessed with getting him – almost to the point of being freaky – sick. Kind of like one of those movies.

I see where Butch Davis said that if Miami ever gets rid of Al Golden, he would like to coach the Canes again. Davis must be a desperate man. He went after every opening in the country at the end of the season – some before the season was over. Now he’s going after the Miami job and it’s not even open.

Baine Kerr, the lawyer for Jameis Winston’s accuser, called the recent Florida State code of conduct hearing “biased” and a “sham.” He said “the fix was in.” The hearing cleared Winston of any wrong doing.

I have no judgment on the hearing one way or the other. I just thought it was interesting that when Winston was asked by the judge if the girl gave consent to their sexual encounter. Winston replied, “Yes.” The judge asked how she gave consent. Winston said, “She moaned.”

Whenever Swamp Mama moans, I know to stay as far away from her as I can get.

Speaking of Swamp Mama, she and I went to The Fresh Market in Vero Beach during the day. We have to get our fix every couple months. Next year (2015) a Fresh Market is opening in Brevard County. We won’t have to go as far to get our fix. And I suspect we’ll be getting our fix more often too.

Well, Pat Narduzzi to Pitt appears to be a done deal. But the official announcement won’t be made until after Christmas. Narduzzi will be Pitt’s fifth coach in the last five years, seventh in the last 20 years and 10th in the last 30 years. Plus four interim coaches in the last 22 years.

New Florida coach Jim McElwain announced that Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will be the Gators’ OC. When McElwain vacated the offensive coordinator job at Alabama at the end of the 2011 season to become the head coach at Colorado State, he was replaced by Nussmeier.

Alabama won a national championship in the 2012 season with Nussmeier running the Tide’s offense. He left Alabama after the 2013 season to become the OC under Brady Hoke at Michigan. At Michigan, Nussmeier’s offense was 111th in the country.

I made a big batch of the Chex party mix. I love that stuff. It’s the second batch I’ve made in a week. Already went through the first batch. The Chex party mix is great to munch on while watching bowl games – that and Karlene Tuttle’s bourbon balls. And Deb Gum’s stollen. It’s a wonder I don’t make myself sick.

In the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl – notice they didn’t call it the Boca Raton Beach Bowl – Marshall beat Northern Illinois, 52-23. Actually, I don’t think Boca Raton has a beach. It’s a shame Marshall wasn’t matched in a bowl game against a stronger team. One of the better teams from the AAC or MWC would have been a good match. The Herd deserved a decent opponent. NIU wasn’t a decent opponent.

The Poinsettia Bowl was as bad, if not worse, than the New Orleans Bowl. It was every bit as B-O-R-I-N-G. Neither team played like it wanted to win. Navy beat San Diego State 17-16.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Swamp Mama and I went to movies to see “The Theory of Everything.” We weren’t disappointed. Great flick!

About the only thing bad about the inaugural Bahamas Bowl were the commentators – Lou Holtz and Mark May. Otherwise, it was an excellent game if you like offense. Trailing 49-14 early in the fourth quarter, Central Michigan scored 34 unanswered points, only to come up short by one point. Western Kentucky beat CMU, 49-48.

After their final touchdown, the Chippewas attempted a two-point conversion, but failed. CMU’s final touchdown was scored as the clock expired. The only other bad thing about the bowl was the attendance. There were less people in stands than at that prize fight…..I mean…..bowl game in Miami.

In the nightcap on Christmas Eve, Rice had no gifts for Fresno State. The Owls barred the Bulldogs, 30-6 in the Hawaii Bowl. The Rice defense humiliated both Fresno State quarterbacks.

Christmas morning, Swamp Mama and I hit the road, driving to north Florida for our Holiday visit with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. It was a new experience for us – our first time driving on Christmas Day. But it may not be our last.

I have to tell you it was very pleasant driving the Florida Turnpike, I-75 and I-10 without any traffic. There were a number of cars, actually more than we thought there would be, but not a great number of them. The noticeable difference – and what a difference – was the trucks. There were none.

I’ve thought for some time that we need to get the 18-wheelers off the highways and transport our goods by rail. After driving 417 miles without any trucks, I’m convinced we need to do that.

Christmas Day and the day after (Boxing Day) were beautiful in Florida’s panhandle. The skies were clear and blue, the air was dry and the temps were pleasantly cool. It felt like Christmas without the snow.

After the first two bowl games following Christmas Day, one thing was very clear – Illinois coach Tim Beckman and North Carolina coach Larry Fedora will enter the 2015 on the hot seat – a very hot seat. Both coaches and their respective teams could not have looked worse.

First, Illinois lost to Louisiana Tech, 35-18, in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. The Banned Indians were pathetic. Then, North Carolina was just as pathetic – if not more so – in the Quick Lane Bowl. The Tar Heels lost to Rutgers, 40-21.

West Virginia announced that quarterback Clint Trickett will not play for the Mountaineers in its upcoming Liberty Bowl game against Texas A&M. Trickett, who has suffered multiple concussions, was not medically cleared to play in the game. And as expected, Pitt made it official the day after Christmas. Pat Narduzzi is the Panthers new coach.

In the nightcap on December 26, NC State beat UCF, 34-27, in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Notice it wasn’t called the St. Petersburg Beach Bowl.

Saturday was a mixed day in the Florida panhandle – mostly sunny with a few thin clouds early, but cloudier with some light rain showers in the afternoon. The skies cleared Saturday night. The temps remained pleasant.

Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe, Gator Babe, Swamp Mama and I released two sky lanterns Saturday night – out first experience at launching the lanterns. It was amazing how high and far they traveled. We joked about airplane pilots reporting strange objects in the sky.

Saturday was a busy day for bowl games – five in all. First up was the Military Bowl, where Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati, 33-17, while Hokie coach Frank Beamer watched (or coached) from the press box – shades of Joe Paterno and Barry Alvarez.

Entering the Sun Bowl Saturday, Duke last won a bowl game in 1961. Leaving the Sun Bowl, Duke still hasn’t won a bowl game since 1961. Arizona State edged the Blue Devils, 36-31.

The Independence Bowl featured two coaches who had disappointing seasons – Steve Spurrier and Al Golden. Very disappointing seasons. Both coaches were desperate for a win to finish the season on a positive note. Spurrier got the win, as South Carolina held off Miami (Florida), 24-21.

In the Bronx, in Yankee Stadium, Boston College committed the ultimate sin. The Eagles failed to split the uprights on an extra point kick in overtime. Penn State capitalized on its extra point kick. The Nittany Lions beat BC in the Pinstripe Bowl, 31-30 (OT). More fans went to the Pinstripe Bowl than Derek Jeter’s last home game.

In the nightcap Saturday, USC and Nebraska put on a typical offensive show in the Holiday Bowl. It wouldn’t be a Holiday Bowl unless a lot of points are scored. The Trojans and the Huskers combined for 87 points and 1,040 total yards. In the end, USC beat Nebraska, 45-42. The Huskers were coached by interim coach Barney Cotton. If Bo Pelini had been coaching, Nebraska probably would have lost by 28 to 35 points.

Yesterday, Swamp Mama and I hit the road, leaving the Panhandle behind to return to the beaches of east-central Florida. It was a pleasant day for driving – both weather and traffic – until we hit I-75. Oh, the weather remained pleasant, but the traffic was a different story.

From Lake City to the Florida Turnpike, I-75 was three lanes of wall-to-wall vehicles. Sometimes, we barely moved. It was practically as bad in the north-bound lanes. There were almost as many people leaving Florida as there were entering. And the trucks. Yes, the trucks. They were back – in full force.

Fortunately, once we exited I-75 onto the Florida Turnpike, the traffic thinned somewhat. The conditions improved considerably. It was smooth sailing the rest of the way home.

There were no bowl games Sunday. We needed a break. But there was considerable news on the college football front. Utah and its coach Kyle Whittingham may part ways. Whittingham, it seems, is in a big fight with his athletic director Chris Hill over the salaries of Whittingham’s assistant coaches.

Apparently the spat has been going on since last summer. Whittingham wants more money for his assistants. The dispute could well end in one of two ways – Whittingham may quit, or Hill may fire him. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, in Gainesville, there are no spats that we know of, but Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel could be playing football for the Duke Blue Devils next season. Driskel, who will obtain his undergraduate degree from Florida, may transfer to Duke. He has a year of eligibility left and would be available to play for the Blue Devils immediately. Sounds like Jim McElwain’s dog Claire-a-bell just may be a better quarterback than Driskel after all.

Then there was Arkansas coach Bret Bielema flashing the “Horns down” sign with his left hand while shaking Texas coach Charlie Strong’s hand at a Texas Bowl pre-game press conference. The downwards “Hook ’em Horns” sign is considered to be a slur on Texas. Don’t you just love coaches? They can be like little kids sometimes.

And finally, it appears to be all but certain – Jim Harbaugh is headed to Ann Arbor. That $8-to-$10 million a year carrot dangling out there was too much to turn down. It’s much better than a Super Bowl ring.

About halfway through the bowl games and the Pac-12 (3-0) and C-USA (4-1) are looking good. The ACC (2-4), MWC (2-4) and MAC (1-3) are looking bad. Stay tuned!

Speaking of looking good – well, more like, okay – I’m 11-7 on my bowl predictions. I was hurting at 6-7 going into Saturday’s five games. But I was a perfect 5-0 on those results. Eighteen bowls down and 20 to go, plus a championship game. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

Touchdown Tom
December 29, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Review of the Bowls (13 more)

What a fight! (in the Miami Beach Bowl) – Memphis 55, BYU 48 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 34, Memphis 32). An ugly brawl broke out as soon as the game ended. And that was the second ugly thing of the game. The first was turnovers. In addition to the fight, the game was marred by nine turnovers – five by BYU and four by Memphis. Memphis took the initial lead in the game at 7-0 early in the first quarter. Although there were two ties, BYU never led until just before the half when the Cougars went up 28-24. Memphis retook the lead in the third quarter and led 38-28 at the start of the fourth quarter. BYU again retook the lead at 45-38 with 7:48 left in the game. The Tigers tied the score at 45-45 on a 5-yard pass from Paxton Lynch to Keiwone Malone with 0:45 on the clock. Both teams kicked a field goal in the first overtime. Memphis scored and held the Cougars scoreless in the second overtime. Both teams had more than 300 yards passing, but BYU only had 77 yards rushing to 174 for the Tigers. Attendance in Miami: 20,761

What’s up Doc? (in the Boca Raton Bowl) – Marshall 52, Northern Illinois 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Marshall 34, Northern Illinois 31). NIU scored first, midway through the opening quarter. Then it was pretty much all Marshall after that. Before the quarter ended, the Herd was up 14-7. Although Marshall generally dominated the game, the Huskies kept it interesting until midway through the third quarter when the Herd went up 31-13. Marshall’s Devon Johnson rushed for 131 yards and receiver Tommy Shuler had 18 receptions for 185 yards. Attendance in Boca Raton: 29,419

Football at its worst (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – Navy 17, San Diego State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 28, Navy 25). Look at the score and you might think the defenses were really good. But actually, the offenses were really bad – really bad. The game was marred by seven turnovers – four by Navy and three by San Diego State. Attendance in San Diego: 33,077

It ain’t over ’til it’s over (in the Bahamas Bowl) – Western Kentucky 49, Central Michigan 48 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Kentucky 42, Central Michigan 30). Would you believe, I wouldn’t if I hadn’t seen it, that WKU led CMU 49-14 at the start of the fourth quarter? In fact, the Hilltoppers led 49-14 at three and a half minutes into the fourth quarter. Then the Chippewas scored 34 unanswered points in the final 11:37 of the game. That’s a touchdown every 2 minutes and 19 seconds. The final TD was scored as time expired. CMU failed on a two-point conversion attempt. The teams combined for 1,254 total yards. Both coaches should fire their defensive coordinators. Attendance in Nassau: 13,667

Arborio! Arborio! (in the Hawaii Bowl) – Rice 30, Fresno State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Fresno State 27, Rice 19). Rice took a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter and never looked back. The Owls’ defense held Fresno State to 93 yards passing. Rice quarterback Driphus Jackson passed for 318 yards. Attendance in Honolulu: 25,365

The Big Ten is so bad – (in the Heart of Dallas Bowl) – Louisiana Tech 35, Illinois 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Illinois 31, Louisiana Tech 25). Louisiana Tech never trailed in the game. The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter and held the lead until the final gun. The Banned Indians out-passed (329 yards to 247) and out-rushed (122 yards to 114) La Tech, but Illinois couldn’t out-score the Bulldogs. Attendance in Dallas: 31,297

The Knights were in the fast lane – (in the Quick Lane Bowl) – Rutgers 40, North Carolina 21 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, Rutgers 28). Rutgers led 23-0 at halftime and increased the lead to 40-7 early in the fourth quarter. North Carolina was never in the game. The Scarlet Knights had two runners rush for 100 yards or more – Josh Hicks (202 yards) and Robert Martin (100 yards). Tar Heels’ quarterback Marquise Williams passed for 198 yards and rushed for 51 yards. Attendance in Detroit: 23,876

Dancing with Wolves – (in the St. Petersburg Bowl) – NC State 34, UCF 27 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 26, NC State 22). Early in the second quarter, UCF led 10-7. But that was the last time the Knights led in the game. Three minutes after UCF went up 10-7, NC State scored to go up 14-10. The Wolfpack went on to build up a 34-13 lead by late in the fourth quarter. Then the Knights rallied with two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game. But the rally fell short by 7 points. The two teams were equal in passing, but the difference was in the running game. NC State had a ground attack and UCF didn’t. The Wolfpack outrushed the Knights 187 yards to 82 yards. Attendance in St. Petersburg: 26,675

Shane ball (in the Military Bowl) – Virginia Tech 33, Cincinnati 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 18). After a tug of war for two quarters, Virginia Tech went up 13-10 as the first half clock expired. In the second half, the Hokies went on to build that lead to 30-10 by early in the fourth quarter. The Bearcats were the better passing team (345 yards to 124), while Va Tech was the better rushing team (210 yards to 144). The Bearcats suffered from three turnovers. The Hokies J.C. Coleman rushed for 157 yards. Recovering from recent throat surgery, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer watched the game from the press box. His son, Shane, was running things from the sideline. Attendance in Annapolis: 34,277

Deviled Dookies (in the Sun bowl) – Arizona State 36, Duke 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Duke 31). After trailing 20-3 midway through the second quarter and 30-17 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Dookies hung in there and fought back to take a 31-30 lead with 5:03 to go in the game. Eighteen seconds later, Arizona State scored to retake the lead at 36-31. In the closing minutes, the Dookies drove down to the Sun Devils’ goal line, but an interception stopped their drive. The teams were about as evenly matched as you can get. Duke led in total yards, 400 to 392. ASU led in passing yards, 240 to 235. Duke led in rushing yards, 165 to 152. ASU led in first downs, 22 to 21. But Duke led in turnovers, 2 to 0. Attendance in El Paso: 47,809

Chicken supreme (in the Independence Bowl) – South Carolina 24, Miami (Florida) 21 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, Miami 26). Early in the second quarter, Miami led 6-0. But by halftime, South Carolina led 17-6. In the fourth quarter, the Canes scored with 2:16 on the clock to pull within three points at 24-21. Then the Gamecocks held on to win. Miami’s defense held South Carolina to 60 yards rushing, but the Gamecocks (Dylan Thompson) had 284 yards passing. The Canes’ Duke Johnson had 132 yards rushing. Attendance in Shreveport: 38,242

Wide right (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Penn State 31, Boston College 30 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 24, Boston College 20). Penn State took a 7-0 lead with 5:22 to go in the first quarter. The score was tied 7-7 at the half. BC went ahead 14-7 midway through the third quarter and increased its lead to 21-7 late in the third. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions tied the score at 21-21. Trailing 24-21, Penn State’s Sam Ficken kicked a 45-yard field goal with 0:20 on the clock and the score was tied for the third time – 24-24. In overtime, BC scored but the kick went wide on the extra point. The Nittany Lions scored and made their PAT. Penn State dominated the passing, 371 yards to 97. BC dominated the running game, 285 yards to 82. State’s Christian Hackenberg passed for 371 yards. BC had two runners rush for more than 100 yards each – Jon Hilliman (148) and quarterback Tyler Murphy (105). Attendance in Bronx: 49,012

Fodder (in the Holiday Bowl) – USC 45, Nebraska 42 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Nebraska 28). USC held Nebraska scoreless in the second quarter. Nebraska held USC scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Huskers led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter. The Trojans led 24-17 at the half. In the third quarter, USC built up a 45-27 lead. Then Nebraska rallied, scoring 15 points (two touchdowns) to cut USC’s lead to 3, with 6:52 remaining in the game. It was a stalemate after that. Nebraska won the passing game, 381 yards to 321. USC won the ground game, 194 yards to 144. The Huskers’ Tommy Armstrong passed for 381 yards. The Trojans’ Cody Kessler passed for 321 yards, and Javorius Allen rushed for 152 yards. Attendance in San Diego: 55,789

Last Week’s Bowl Game Picks: 7 correct, 6 wrong (53.9 percent)
Running Total Bowl Game Picks: 11 correct, 7 wrong (61.1 percent)


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 28-45-1 for 493 yards; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 31-42-0-486; Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong – 32-51-1-381, and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg – 34-50-0-371.

USC’s Cody Kessler – 23-39-1 for 321yards; Rice’s Driphus Jackson – 15-24-0-318; Illinois’ Reilly O’Toole – 24-39-1-295; South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson – 22-34-0-284, and Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 25-37-0-281.

Impressive Rushers:

Virginia Tech’s J.C. Coleman – 157 yards; USC’s Javorius Allen – 152 yards; Boston College’s Jon Hilliman – 148 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 132 yards, and Marshall’s Devon Johnson – 131 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I don’t want to impugn the proceeding was corrupt, but I think it was biased and the fix was in. It was all about a football game 10 days from now. It turned out to be just a predetermined whitewash to keep a guy playing football,” Jameis Winston’s accuser’s lawyer Baine Kerr, on the Florida State student code of conduct hearing decision.

“The proper forum to getting to the truth is going to be the court of law, not, essentially, a sham court like this one turned out to be,” Jameis Winston’s accuser’s lawyer Baine Kerr, on the Florida State student code of conduct hearing decision.

“I’m a good guy,” Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore is returning to Columbia where he will re-enroll at the University and also serve as an ambassador for the school and football team. Lattimore retired from the NFL after two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He is one of the most beloved players in South Carolina Gamecocks history.

Buffalo offensive coordinator Alex Wood was named the new head coach at Florida A&M. Wood served as Buffalo’s interim head coach much of the season (since October) when head coach Jeff Quinn was fired…. Memphis defensive coordinator Barry Odom was named to the same position at Missouri…. Colorado State offensive coordinator James Baldwin is the new offensive coordinator at Oregon State.

Terry Sims is the new head coach at Bethune-Cookman. Sims has been an assistant on the Wildcats’ staff for the past five years…. TCU coach Gary Patterson was named the AP Coach of the Year…. Utah offensive coordinator Dave Christensen is the new OC at Texas A&M…. Baylor coach Art Briles named his son, Kendall Briles, the new offensive coordinator at Baylor…. Wisconsin offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is the new OC at Vanderbilt.


Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but at the end of the year as the bowl season was peaking and college football fans were ready to celebrate, ringing in the New Year, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1944 was “Don’t Fence Me In” by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters

…65 years ago this week in 1949 was “Mule Train” by Frankie Laine

…60 years ago this week in 1954 was “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes

…55 years ago this week in 1959 was “Why” by Frankie Avalon

…50 years ago this week in 1964 was “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Diana Ross & The Supremes

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “Angie Baby” by Helen Reddy

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “Like a Virgin” by Madonna

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins

…20 years ago this week in 1994 was “On Bended Knee” by Boyz II Men


Not directly college football related, but sadly there was one passing of note last week – Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker, the gravelly British singer who became recognizable for his take on the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” died last week at his home in Crawford, Colorado. He was 70. Cocker had been a journeyman singer in Britain for much of the 1960s. But he became a sensation after his performance of “With a Little Help From My Friends” at the Woodstock music festival in 1969. His appearance there established him as one of pop’s most powerful vocalists. His other hits included a version of the Box Tops’ hit “The Letter” and the standard “Cry Me a River,” both in 1970, and “You Are So Beautiful,” in 1975. His only No. 1 single was “Up Where We Belong,” recorded as a duet with Jennifer Warnes for the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” John Robert Cocker was born on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, England. Woodstock made Cocker a worldwide star, but throughout the 1970s his career was dogged by problems with drugs. His last hit “When the Night Comes” from the movie “An Innocent Man” (1989) went to No. 11 on Billboard’s pop chart.