College Football Week 18 – 22 bowls in six days

The eye of the storm

 

After a rush of 18 bowl games during a span of eight days, we are now in a 38-hour lull – a pause in the action before the rush of 22 more bowl games during the next six days. You might say we are in the eye of the storm – the period of calm before all hell breaks loose again. But fasten your seatbelts. The action resumes later today. And it’s going to get fierce before it comes to an end on January 2.

 

The second half of the storm packs a more powerful wallop. The games get bigger as the higher ranked teams and the more prestigious bowls come into play – all peaking and climaxing during the last three of the six days.

 

At 4-1, the Pac-12 rules the roost after the first 18 games. Arizona, Utah, Washington State and Washington have all been winners. The Pac-12’s only loser was UCLA. The favored Bruins were upset by Nebraska.

 

Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference are putting up a respectable showing. Both conferences are 3-2. C-USA’s winners were Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Marshall. The MWC has produced two of the biggest blowouts so far – Boise State 55, Northern Illinois 7, and San Diego State 42, Cincinnati 7.

 

The Mid-American Conference at 3-3 and the Sun Belt Conference at 2-2 are batting 500. The big winner in the MAC was Toledo. The Sun Belts brightest star was Georgia Southern.

 

The ACC (2-1) and the Big Ten (1-1) haven’t played enough games to make a comment. The Big 12 and the SEC have yet to play a bowl game. They experience their first game on December 29.

 

By a long shot, the worst conference in the bowl games so far is the American Athletic Conference. The AAC is a paltry 0-5.  Three AAC teams – Navy, Memphis and Houston – have yet to play. But two of those three are underdogs. The performance of the ACC is disappointing as the league is considered to be the strongest of the Group of Five conferences.

 

For most, the Holiday Season officially began last Monday.  The schools were out. Many employees began their Christmas vacation. And the first wave of the holiday travelers hit the highways and the airports.

 

It also was the first day of the week’s 13 bowl games. The action kicked off at the Miami Beach Bowl. Or as I call it, the Miami Misleading Bowl, since it doesn’t take place on or near a beach. Maybe they should call it the Medianoche Bowl since it takes place in Little Havana.

 

The lack of a beach didn’t bother Brandon Doughty. The Western Kentucky quarterback put on quite an aerial show, passing for 461 yards, as WKU beat South Florida, 45-35 – not on Miami Beach. On the other side of the ball, South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers couldn’t hit the broad side of a red barn…..I mean…..green barn. Many of Flowers’ passes landed near receivers, but nowhere near South Florida receivers. He only completed 41% of his passes.   

 

The game had a couple of interesting twists. South Florida coach Willie Taggart is a former quarterback for WKU and a former coach of the Hilltoppers. In fact, Taggart recruited Brandon Doughty to WKU. Man, was he ever regretting that!

 

Tuesday, I had lunch with Ron Hoke, an old Navy buddy of mine. We were stationed and worked together in Bremerhaven, Germany and Edzell, Scotland in the early 1970s.  After losing contact with one another in the late 1970s/early 1980s, we reconnected last April.

 

Ron, as it turns out, lives in Lakeland, Florida. We’ve begun a routine of meeting for lunch every couple of months. Ron drives and hour and I drive an hour and we meet in St. Cloud, Florida.    

 

Texas State coach Dennis Franchione resigned. He coached TCU to a 25-10 record in three seasons – 1998-2000. TCU had been 1-10 the year before he came. The Horned Frogs were 10-1 in Franchione’s last season in Fort Worth. Then he became Alabama’s coach for two seasons – 2001-2002, where he was 17-8. Alabama had been 3-8 the year before he came.

 

After two seasons, Alabama offered Franchione a $15 million, 10-year contract extension. He refused to sign, and instead, left Tuscaloosa for Texas A&M. The move insulted Alabama fans big time. Next to the Tide, the favorite team of Alabama fans was whoever was playing Texas A&M. Tide fans loved it whenever the Aggies got beat under Franchione.  Oklahoma beat the Aggies, 77-0. Alabama fans celebrated with a three-day party.

 

Franchione was 32-28 in five seasons at Texas A&M (2003-2007). Following the 2007 season, he was terminated in the midst of a controversy. Following a lull in action, Franchione surfaced at Texas State where he went 39-43. Prior to TCU, he was the coach of New Mexico for six seasons. The guy got around.

  

Akron beat Utah State 23-21 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. It was Akron’s first bowl win and a good win for Terry Bowden. Terry might turn Akron into a winner yet. So I’m wondering, is there an Infamous Idaho Potato Bowl?  

 

Just when all the open coaching slots were filled, another one became available. Ball State coach Pete Lembo resigned to become the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator under D.J. Durkin at Maryland. That makes 25 FBS schools that will have new head coaches next season. Ball State is in the MAC.  

 

Speaking of the MAC, Toledo surprised Temple in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Rockets beat the Owls, 32-17. After a 7-0 start this season, Temple lost 4 of its last 7 games.

 

Wednesday, Swamp Mama and I left Indialantic, driving north to the Florida panhandle to spend Christmas with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. It was an uneventful and pleasant drive to Tallahassee. However, we ran into rain at Tallahassee and the moisture, heavy at times, remained with us for the final 90 minutes of the drive.    

 

Boise State plastered Northern Illinois, 55-7, in the Poinsettia Bowl. I’m not sure why NIU even bothered to show up. I’m not sure the Huskies did show up. In a mild surprise, Georgia Southern beat Bowling Green, 58-27, in the Go Daddy Bowl. The Falcons were the champions of the MAC this season. They didn’t play like champions against Georgia Southern.

 

Former BYU quarterback Ty Detmer is returning home. He was named the new offensive coordinator for the Cougars. Detmer won the Heisman Trophy in 1990. 

 

Thursday, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and I went to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Two thumbs up! Swamp Mama, Princess Gator and Gator Babe stayed home and wrapped presents.

 

In the only bowl played outside the country, Western Michigan beat Middle Tennessee, 45-31, in the Bahamas Bowl. In its second year, the bowl is becoming a high-scoring affair. Last year Western Kentucky beat Central Michigan, 49-48.

 

Former Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray announced he is transferring to Oklahoma. Murray will sit out the 2016 season. 

 

In the Hawaii Bowl, San Diego State had no mercy on Cincinnati. The Aztecs beat the Bearcats, 42-7.  Late in the season, “Fire Tuberville” signs began to appear at Cincinnati games. Tommy Tuberville, the former Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech coach is definitely on the hot seat. It got hotter after the loss to San Diego State.  

 

Christmas Day in the panhandle and the temperature was 81. We were hoping for some cooler weather. It didn’t feel like Christmas. But at least it wasn’t raining.

 

The day after Christmas was the busiest bowl day of all – six games. Marshall and Connecticut began the day’s proceedings in the St. Petersburg Bowl. In a defensible battle, Marshall downed UConn, 16-10.

 

In the Snow…..I mean…..the Sun Bowl, Washington State edged Miami (Florida), 20-14, in another defensive battle. Snow fell throughout most of the game. There was no sun at the Sun Bowl this year. Also in Texas, another team from the state of Washington won its bowl game. The Washington Huskies downed Southern Miss, 44-31, in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Washington is going to be a good team next year.

 

In the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium, Duke won its first bowl game since 1961, beating Indiana, 44-41, in overtime. Who said those Dookies were a basketball school? In Frank Beamer’s swan song, Virginia Tech edged Tulsa, 55-52, in the Independence Bowl.

 

And in the nightcap, Nebraska surprised UCLA, 37-29, in the Foster Farms Bowl. It was a great ending to a so-so season for first-year Husker coach Mike Riley. Meanwhile, it was a disappointing finish for Bruins coach Jim Mora. Many picked UCLA to win the Pac-12 South this year and some went so far as to pick the Bruins to win the Pac-12. Mora seemed to start out hot in Westwood, but he has been cold lately.

 

Nebraska joins San Jose State as the second 5-7 team to win its bowl game. Now it’s up to Minnesota to make it a perfect threesome. The Gophers play today.

 

Yesterday, word broke that Jim Mora and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald could be head coaches in the NFL next season. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, Alabama coach Nick Saban said he can’t see himself making another move. He’s glued to Tuscaloosa. And it looks like Lane Kiffin will be back with Saban for at least another year as the Tide’s offensive coordinator.

 

Swamp Mama and I left the panhandle yesterday, returning south to east-central Florida. Fortunately, we were only on I-75 from Ocala to the Turnpike. We wisely took the back roads down to Ocala – a good decision. Interstate 75 was packed solid and moving slow going south.   

 

Yeah, we’re in the eye of the storm now. But there are still 22 bowls to be played this week. And that doesn’t include the national championship game on January 11^th. The thrill is on.

 

Happy New Year!   

 

Touchdown Tom

December 28, 2015

www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Review of Last Week’s Bowls

 

Bull-toppers – (in the Miami Beach Bowl) – Western Kentucky 45, South Florida 35 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 30, Western Kentucky 27). A close game at the break, South Florida led, 14-10. But WKU ran away from USF in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulls, 28-7. USF rallied in the fourth quarter and pulled within 3 points at 38-35, with plenty of time left. But that was as close as the Bulls would get. The stats were pretty even. South Florida was the better rushing team; WKU was the better passing team. Two USF players – Quinton Flowers and Marlon Mack – rushed for 108 yards each. WKU’s Brandon Doughty passed for 461 yards. Attendance in Miami: 21,712

 

Akwon – (in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) – Akron 23, Utah State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 20, Akron 14). Trailing 10-7 and with the ball on the Akron 32, Utah State was driving at the end of the first half when Aggies quarterback Kent Myers fumbled. Akron defensive tackle Rodney Coe picked up the loose ball and returned it 56 yards to the Utah State 12, with four seconds left. Akron kicked a 29-yard field goal to extend its lead to 13-7, as the first half ended. That field goal off a fumble was the difference in the game. Attendance in Boise: 18,876

 

Rocket science – (in the Boca Raton Bowl) – Toledo 32, Temple 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 22, Toledo 19). A close game at the end of the third quarter, Toledo led Temple 12-9. But in the fourth quarter, the Rockets ran away from the Owls, outscoring Temple, 20-8. Toledo dominated Temple in rushing yards (150 to 99) and in passing yards (285 to 236). Attendance in Boca Raton: 25,908

 

Stampede – (in the Poinsettia Bowl) – Boise State 55, Northern Illinois 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 31, Northern Illinois 21). Boise State jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and never looked back. It was an embarrassing loss for NIU. Boise State had 654 total yards to only 33 for the Huskies. The Broncos had 35 first downs to 7 for NIU. And the Broncos dominated time of possession 43 minutes to 17 minutes. Simply put, NIU was never in the game. Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien passed for 377 yards. Attendance in San Diego: 21,501

 

Go Eagles Bowl – (in the Go Daddy Bowl) – Georgia Southern 58, Bowling Green 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 33, Georgia Southern 25). A good game at the half, Bowling Green led 27-23. Then Georgia Southern ran away with the game in the second half, outscoring the Falcons, 35-0. The Eagles were the better rushing team (452 yards to 166). BG was the better passing team (246 yards to 82). Georgia Southern quarterback Favian Upshaw rushed for 199 yards. Attendance in Mobile: 28,656

 

For the Broncos, it was better in the Bahamas – (in the Bahamas Bowl) – Western Michigan 45, Middle Tennessee 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Michigan 32, Middle Tennessee 30). Knotted at 24-24 at the end of the third, it was all Western Michigan in the fourth quarter. The Broncos outscored Middle Tennessee, 21-7, in the final period. WMU outdistanced the Blue Raiders in total yards, 613 to 442. WMU quarterback Zach Terrell passed for 297 yards and running back Jamauri Bogan ran for 215 yards. Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill passed for 327 yards. Attendance in Nassau: 13,123

 

Nearly skunked – (in the Hawaii Bowl) – San Diego State 42, Cincinnati 7 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 28, Cincinnati 26). San Diego State dominated Cincinnati throughout. The Aztecs led 42-0 with 9 minutes to go in the game. The Bearcats scored on a one-yard run with 3:21 remaining in the game to avoid a shutout. Cincinnati quarterback Hayden Moore threw three interceptions. Attendance in San Diego: 22,793

 

The Huskies were Green – (in the St. Petersburg Bowl) – Marshall 16, Connecticut 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Connecticut 25, Marshall 20). A defensive struggle throughout, each team only scored one touchdown – and both of those TDs were in the first quarter. The rest of the way, it was all field goals – 3 to 1 for Marshall. The Herd dominated the Huskies in the stats. Marshall had 24 first downs to 15 for UConn, and 389 total yards to 213 for the Huskies. Marshall also controlled the clock – 35 minutes to 25 minutes. Attendance in St. Petersburg: 14,652

 

Snow in the Sun – (in the Sun Bowl) – Washington State 20, Miami (Florida) 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 36, Miami 34). Washington State’s defense entered the game  ranked 93^rd in the country. But with less than 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Miami only had 7 points on the board. A few seconds later, the Canes added 7 more. The Cougars built up a 20-7 first half lead. Both teams’ defenses took over on the second half. Wazzu’s Luke Falk passed for 295 yards. Attendance in El Paso: 41,180

 

The Huskies got to the heart of the matter – (in the Heart of Dallas Bowl) – Washington 44, Southern Miss 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Southern Miss 20). This was a good game at the break. Washington led Southern Miss at the half by only 4 points – 21-17. The game remained close late into the third quarter with the score tied, 24-24. Then the Huskies scored 17 unanswered points to take a 41-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Huskies had 580 total yards to 375 for the Eagles. Washington’s Myles Gaskin ran for 181 yards. The Eagles’ Nick Mullens passed for 331 yards. Attendance in Dallas: 20,229

 

Almost a basketball score – (in the Pinstripe Bowl) – Duke 44, Indiana 41 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Indiana 32). Duke won the rushing game – 373 yards to 278. Indiana won the passing game – 389 yards to 163. The Hoosiers also won the first down race – 33 to 23. The Hoosiers ended up with 667 total yards. The teams combined for 1,203 total yards. Attendance in the Bronx: 37,218

 

The last of Beamer ball – (in the Independence Bowl) – Virginia Tech 55, Tulsa 52 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 32, Tulsa 17). The defenses didn’t show up until the second half. Virginia Tech led 45-31 at the break. Then the Hokies only scored 10 points on the second half. Tulsa added 21 more. The game got interesting when Tulsa closed the gap to 3 points – 55-52 – with 3:47 left in the game. The teams combined for 1,161 total yards. Tulsa’s Dane Evans passed for 377 yards. Virginia Tech’s Michael Brewer passed for 344 yards. Attendance in Shreveport: 31,289

 

Corn does grow on Foster’s Farm – (in the Foster Farms Bowl) – Nebraska 37, UCLA 29 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Nebraska 28). Midway through the second quarter, UCLA led 21-7. Then Nebraska scored 30 unanswered points. Early in the fourth quarter, the Huskers led 37-21. After going scoreless for about 26 minutes, the Bruins added one last touchdown with 11:29 remaining in the game. Nebraska had 31 first downs to 17 for UCLA. The Huskers had 500 total yards to 386 for the Bruins. Nebraska also dominated time of possession – 38 minutes to 22 minutes. UCLA  freshman quarterback Josh Rosen passed for 319 yards, but he also threw two interceptions. Attendance in Santa Clara: 33,527

 

 

Last Week’s Picks: 7 Correct, 6 Wrong (53.9%)

Running Total:       11 Correct, 7 Wrong (61.1%)

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:  

 

Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 32-44-2 for 461 yards; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 28-51-2-389; Boise State’s Brett Rypien – 29-39-1-377; Tulsa’s Dane Evans – 27-44-0-374, and Virginia Tech’s Michael Brewer – 23-37-1-344.

 

Also, Southern Miss’ Nick Mullens – 25-38-0 for 331 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 26-39-1-327; UCLA’s Josh Rosen – 26-40-2-319; Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell – 18-26-1-297, and Washington State’s Luke Falk – 29-53-0-295.

 

 

Impressive Rushers:  

 

Indiana’s Devine Redding – 227 yards; Western Michigan’s Jamauri Bogan – 215 yards; Georgia Southern’s Favian Upshaw – 199 yards; Washington’s Myles Gaskin – 181 yards, and Duke’s Thomas Sirk – 155 yards.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Two basketball schools, playing football in a baseball stadium,” CBS Sports Network’s Adam Zucker, on the Pinstripe Bowl.

 

 

In the Huddle

 

Elsewhere around college football . . . Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey was named The Associated Press player of the year. During the season, McCaffrey ran for 1,847 yards and eight touchdowns, caught 41 passes for 540 yards and four scores and averaged 28.9 yards per kickoff return, with another score. He also threw two touchdown passes. McCaffrey set the NCAA record for all-purpose yards with 3,496 this season.

 

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was named The Associated Press coach of the year. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio and Houston’s Tom Herman tied for 2^nd in the voting. Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops was 4^th, followed by Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Florida’s Jim McElwain.

 

Touchdown Tom

www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but there were three passings of note last week – Peggy Say, Dave Henderson and Jim O’Toole.

 

Peggy Say, who waged a nearly seven-year campaign to keep the world from forgetting about her younger brother Terry Anderson, the American hostage held longest by Shiite militiamen in Lebanon, died last week in Cookeville, Tennessee. She was 74. Anderson, who was chief Mideast correspondent for The Associated Press, was abducted in March 1985. Say wrapped the nation in a figurative yellow ribbon of remembrance, drawing attention to her captive brother and working non-stop for his release. She rallied his fellow journalists, ordinary Americans, humanitarian groups and world figures, including President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and Yasir Arafat. Terry Anderson was eventually released in December 1991. Peggy Rae Anderson was born in Lorain, Ohio, on February 15, 1941. She grew up in Batavia, New York. Seeking her brother’s release, Say made herself into a national figure.

 

Dave Henderson, a former major league outfielder who played for five teams, died yesterday in Seattle. He was 57. In 14 seasons in the majors, Henderson was a reliable contributor to four teams that reached the World Series. His greatest success came from 1988 to 1991 with the Oakland Athletics, who went to the World Series three times during that period.  Henderson began his career with the Seattle Mariners. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1986. He later played for the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals. After his playing career, Henderson spent time as a broadcaster for the Mariners. Dave Henderson was born on July 21, 1958, in Merced, California.    

 

Jim O’Toole, a star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1960s, died Saturday. He was 78.  O’Toole, a left-hander, started the opening game of the 1961 World Series, losing, 2-0, to the New York Yankees ace Whitey Ford. He was the National Leagues starting pitcher in the 1963 All-Star game. O’Toole made his debut at age 21 with the Reds, late in the 1958 season. O’Toole, a Chicago native, adopted Cincinnati as his hometown. He raised his children there.

 

College Football Week 17 – 5 Bowls Down, 35 To Go

Time for the cheese balls, rum balls,

bourbon balls and, of course, the footballs

 

And throw in the fudge, the cookies and the eggnog. Yeah, it’s that time of the year – a lot of eating, a lot of snacking, a lot of drinking and a lot of football – watching football, that is.

 

It’s also that time of the year for a lot of coaching changes, a lot of coordinator changes, a lot of quarterback transfers and a lot of bowl games – watching the bowl games, that is.      

 

Then, it will be time for a lot of exercising come January.

 

Twenty-four schools lost their head coach at the end of the season. Fourteen were fired, three retired, two stepped down for medical reasons, and five left for a better opportunity – to take the same position at a bigger program. Or what they hope will be a better opportunity. Only time will tell.

 

As of yesterday, all 24 schools had secured their new coach. Georgia Southern, the last holdout, named Tyson Summers its new coach. Summers was the defensive coordinator at Colorado State.

 

Earlier last week, East Carolina, Louisiana-Monroe and BYU announced their new head coach. East Carolina hired Scottie Montgomery. Montgomery was the offensive coordinator at Duke. ULM hired Matt Viator. Viator was the head coach at McNeese State, and BYU selected Kalani Sitake. Sitake was the defensive coordinator at Oregon State.

 

Sitake was BYU’s second choice. The school’s first choice was Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. BYU tried its best to lure Niumatalolo away from Annapolis. But after some serious thought, Niumatalolo decided to remain with Navy.

 

The thought of leaving Navy for BYU didn’t make sense to me, unless it was for the money. Like Navy, BYU is a Group of Five school. It’s not a Power Five school. Going from Navy to BYU is a lateral move, unless again, it’s for the money. If Niumatalolo were to leave Navy, I would think he would want to step up to a Power Five school.     

 

And speaking of head coaches, seven of the 24 new hires were existing head coaches – Georgia’s Mark Richt to Miami (Florida), Memphis’ Justin Fuente to Virginia Tech, Toledo’s Matt Campbell to Iowa State, Bowling Green’s Dino Babers to Syracuse, BYU’s Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia, Georgia Southern’s Willie Fritz to Tulane and McNeese State’s Viator to Louisiana-Monroe.

 

One head coach or should I say previous head coach failed yet again to land a job. Former Miami (Florida) and North Carolina coach Butch Davis has been on the hunt for several seasons now. He went public several weeks ago, announcing he wanted the job at Miami. Davis even got an interview for the Miami opening. But he said that Miami never got back to him. Poor Butch.

 

Sixteen of the 24 new head coach hires were coordinators, either offensive or defensive. Specifically, eight were offensive coordinators and eight were defensive coordinators. The most interesting and well-known of the defensive coordinators becoming a head coach are Will Muschamp (Auburn DC to South Carolina HC), Kirby Smart (Alabama DC to Georgia HC), D.J. Durkin (Michigan DC to Maryland HC) and Chris Ash (Ohio State DC to Rutgers HC).

 

Muschamp’s hiring at South Carolina is still being questioned by many. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Muschamp has named Kurt Roper his offensive coordinator. Roper, a former OC at Duke, was Muschamp’s OC during his final season coaching Florida – 2014.

 

Smart, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, was a defensive back at Georgia from 1995-1998. He was Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama for eight seasons. Durkin also has ties to Muschamp. He was Muschamp’s defensive coordinator at Florida for two seasons – 2013-2014. Durkin was the Gators interim coach at the end of the 2014 season (after Muschamp was fired) for Florida’s Birmingham Bowl game against East Carolina – a game the Gators won. Then he was hired by Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Prior to Ohio State, Ash was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and Arkansas.     

 

The most interesting and well-known of the offensive coordinators becoming a head coach is Scott Frost (Oregon OC to UCF HC). Frost, a former Nebraska quarterback, was Oregon’s OC for three seasons – 2013-2015.

 

Speaking of coordinators, Alabama coach Nick Saban named Georgia DC Jeremy Pruitt as Kirby Smart’s replacement in Tuscaloosa. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops canned its offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh hired Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown as D.J. Durkin’s replacement in Ann Arbor.

 

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn almost snagged Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly away from Tallahassee. Kelly changed his mind at the last minute, deciding to remain at FSU. Kelly either got a raise or some incentive from Jimbo Fisher or he figured out that next season could well be Malzahn’s last at Auburn. 

 

Arkansas State offensive coordinator Walt Bell is D.J. Durkin’s new OC at Maryland. Meanwhile, two offensive coordinators are on the hot seat – LSU’s Cam Cameron and Texas A&M’s Jake Spavital. Stay tuned!

 

Then there are the prima donnas…..I mean…..the quarterbacks. It’s hard to keep up with all the transfers – something that has become more and more common at the end of each season.

 

Last week, Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray became the second Aggie quarterback within a week to announce he was transferring. The previous week A&M quarterback Kyle Allen announced he was transferring. Last year, Aggie quarterback Kenny Hill transferred from A&M to TCU. These moves have added heat to Kevin Sumlin’s seat. Stay tuned!   

 

Saturday, Florida announced that quarterback Will Grier is transferring. Grier, currently on a 12-month suspension for being tested positive for taking performance enhancing drugs, will not be able to play until mid-October next season. If Grier transfers to another FBS school, he would have to sit out next season. Then he would have three full seasons starting in 2017.

 

Grier is the sixth quarterback to transfer from Florida in the past three years, following Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Murphy, Max Staver, Jeff Driskel and Skyler Mornhinweg out the door. Grier is from Davidson, North Carolina. It will be interesting to see if he transfers to a school in the mid-Atlantic area. Brissett transferred to and played for NC State. Stay tuned!

 

Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight, Katy Perry’s heartthrob (“Trevor Knight call me!”), is transferring. Knight lost his job in Norman to Baker Mayfield. Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles is transferring to Boston College. Georgia quarterback Faton Bauta is transferring to Colorado State. Colorado State is coached by former Georgia quarterback and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. 

 

Florida may not be able to score a touchdown next season, but at least the Gators should be able to make a field goal, something that wasn’t easy in 2015.  The No. 1 rated kicker in the country, Eddie Pineiro, committed to the Gators last week. Pineiro attends ASA College, a junior college in North Miami Beach, Florida. He is known for kicking a 77-yard field goal in practice. Pineiro chose Florida over Alabama and Miami.

 

The first five of 40 bowl games were played Saturday. In the first bowl of the season, Rich Rodriquez’s Arizona Wildcats escaped Bob Davie's New Mexico Lobo’s, 45-37, in the New Mexico Bowl. Yes, New Mexico was playing on its home field and still lost.

 

The commercials during the New Mexico Bowl…..I mean…..the Gildan New Mexico Bowl were hard to stomach. They consisted of Blake Shelton telling us why he likes to wear Gildan underwear. The thought of Blake Shelton in underwear is enough to make you blow lunch. Maybe now we know why Miranda Lambert divorced him. 

 

The next bowl was the “Holy War in Sin City” – Utah vs. BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl, the secular Mormons against the radical Mormons. It was a knock-down, drag-out affair. These two teams don’t like each other. At a bowl-sponsored reception party for the teams, a Utah player told BYU, “You’re a dirty team.” But it was a Utah player who was ejected from the game. Utah built up a 35-0 first quarter lead and then held on to beat BYU, 35-28

 

Then there were a few firsts. Appalachian State won its first ever bowl game. The Little Eers beat Ohio, 31-29, in the Camellia Bowl. San Jose State became the first 5-7 team to win a bowl game, even play in a bowl game. The Spartans beat Georgia State, 27-16, in the first Cure Bowl. Two Georgia State players were ejected near the end of the game. Apparently, they weren’t cured.    

 

Saturday’s bowl action concluded with the Penalty Bowl…..I mean…..the New Orleans Bowl. Louisiana Tech and former Florida quarterback (another one of those transfers) Jeff Driskel beat Arkansas State, 47-28. There were 24 flags thrown in the game. Combined, the two teams were penalized for 263 yards. And some of the penalties were declined.

 

Most people come to Florida for the Holidays, but some of us head north. Bootsie and Rockledge Gator are off to Birmingham and Atlanta to spend Christmas with their kids and grandkids. Neighbors Sandy and Russ Grunewald are heading up to Atlanta for Christmas and New Years with their children and grandchildren.

 

Meanwhile, Swamp Mama and I are heading north too, but not north of the border. We’ll be in the Florida panhandle – north Florida (lower Alabama to some) – for Christmas with Princess Gator, Bama Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe.

 

 

Season’s Greetings………….…...…Merry Christmas……….....…..…Happy Holidays

 

 

Touchdown Tom

December 21, 2015

www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Review of the First Five Bowls

 

Scooby Dooby Doo – (in the New Mexico Bowl) – Arizona 45, New Mexico 37 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 35, New Mexico 28). Scooby Wright, Arizona’s star linebacker who missed most of the season with injuries, returned for the Wildcats in a big way. With Arizona up by only 5 points, 42-37, and New Mexico driving in the Wildcats territory, Wright got a sack that helped preserve Arizona’s lead and eventual win. In all, Wright had 15 tackles (11 solo) and 2 sacks during the game. Early in the third quarter, Arizona led New Mexico 35-17 and midway through the third, the Wildcats led 42-24. But the Lobos rallied. Strangely, New Mexico dominated time of possession – 41 minutes to 19 minutes. Arizona scored quickly, the Lobos scored slowly. Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomon passed for 329 yards. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is now 9-1 in bowl games. Attendance in Albuquerque: 30,289

 

It was the Sunnis vs. the Shias (in the Las Vegas Bowl) – Utah 35, BYU 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 30, BYU 29). This game was vicious at times. These two teams don’t like each other. The game was labeled “The Holy War in Sin City.” With 4:38 to go in the first quarter, Utah led BYU, 35-0. All five Utah scores were thanks to BYU turnovers – 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. After that, it was pretty much all BYU. The Cougars rallied but came up short. Utah had absolutely no offense in the game – only 197 total yards (71 passing). BYU had no running game, only 71 yards rushing. But once Tanner Mangum got the interceptions and bad throws out of his system, the Cougars were almost unstoppable passing – 315 yards.  Attendance in Las Vegas: 42,213

 

Third time’s a charm – (in the Camellia Bowl) – Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Appalachian State 26, Ohio 24). After missing two field goal attempts earlier, Zach Matics nailed a 23-yarder as time expired to win the game for Appalachian State. Entering the fourth quarter, Ohio led the Little Eers 24-7. But Appalachian State outscored the Bobcats 24-5 in the final period. In spite of trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter, the Little Eers outplayed Ohio throughout the game. Appalachian State had 427 total yards to 272 for the Bobcats and 24 first downs to 15 for Ohio. The Little Eers Marcus Cox rushed for 162 yards. Attendance in Montgomery: 21,395

 

These Spartans won. Will the others? – (in the Cure Bowl) – San Jose State 27, Georgia State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia State 25, San Jose State 23). Georgia State led 16-13 early in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers couldn’t hang onto the lead. San Jose State scored two touchdowns in the final 9 minutes of the game. Georgia State only had 23 yards rushing. The Spartans Tyler Ervin rushed for 132 yards. Attendance in Orlando: 18,536

 

Let’s hear it for the boy – (in the New Orleans Bowl) – Louisiana Tech 47, Arkansas State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisiana Tech 35, Arkansas State 34). In the final game of his college career, former Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel passed for 458 yards and three touchdowns. A tight game at the half – 17-17 – Louisiana Tech outscored Arkansas State 30-11 in the second half. The Bulldogs had 687 total yards to 323 for the Red Wolves. Louisiana Tech had two backs rush for more than 100 yards each – Boston Scott (106 yards) and Kenneth Dixon (102 yards). Attendance in New Orleans: 32,847

 

First Five Bowl Picks:  4 correct, 1 wrong   (80%)

 

 

Superlatives

 

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel – 26-38-0-458 and Arizona’s Anu Solomon – 13-24-1-329.

 

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox – 162 yards. 

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

FCS Semifinals

 

North Dakota State 33, Richmond 7

Jacksonville State 62, Sam Houston State 10

 

 

Division II Championship

 

Northwest Missouri State 34, Shepherd 7

 

 

Division III Championship

 

Mount Union 49, St. Thomas 35

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“BYU, y’all are a good team. But you’re a dirty team. Don’t start nothin’,” Utah defensive tackle Viliseni Fauonuku to the BYU team at a Las Vegas Bowl reception party.

 

“I feel like if I’d hired Kurt (Roper) in my first year at Florida, I’d probably still be there. That’s the confidence I have in him and moving forward,” new South Carolina coach Will Muschamp, on his offensive coordinator at South Carolina.

 

“I really feel sorry for my Mormon friends. They don’t drink,” Brent Musberger, after Utah went up 35-0 in the first quarter against BYU.

 

“The officials got paid by the yard tonight,” Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz, on the number of penalties in the New Orleans Bowl.

 

 

In the Huddle

 

Elsewhere around college football . . . For the second-straight year Oregon has landed a coveted FCS transfer at quarterback. Montana State’s Dakota Prukop has chosen to transfer to Oregon over Alabama. Prukop follows in the footsteps of Vernon Adams who transferred into Oregon from Eastern Washington last summer….  Five-star quarterback Jason Eason of Lake Stevens, Washington, has reaffirmed his commitment to Georgia, after entertaining thoughts of changing his commitment to Florida.

 

Southern Miss offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is the new OC at Arizona State….  South Carolina is investing $50 million to upgrade its football facilities and a major project on the list of upgrades is a new $14.3 million indoor practice facility. The school’s board of trustees agreed to name the new indoor facility after Steve Spurrier and wife Jerri…. Utah State offensive coordinator Josh Heupel is the new OC at Missouri. Heupel is a former quarterback and assistant coach at Oklahoma.  

 

Touchdown Tom

www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but during the pre-Christmas days of December as college football fans were drinking eggnog and eating fruitcake with visions of what ifs, bowl games and Santa Claus dancing in their heads, the number one song in the country…

 

…75 years ago this week in 1940 was “Frenesi” by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra

 

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” by Harry James and His Orchestra

 

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “The Tennessee Waltz” by Patti Page

 

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford

 

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” by Elvis Presley

 

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “Over And Over” by The Dave Clark Five

 

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “The Tears Of A Clown” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

 

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Let’s Do It Again” by The Staple Singles

 

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “(Just Like) Starting Over” by John Lennon

 

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie

 

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “Because I Love You (The Postman Song)” by Stevie B

 

 

Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Dickie Moore

 

Dickie Moore, who played on six Stanley Cup championships with the Montreal Canadiens and won two-straight NHL point-scoring titles, died Saturday in Montreal. He was 84. As a forward for the Canadiens from 1951-1963, Moore was an outstanding puck handler and passer, had a hard shot and was adept at faking out goalies in front of the net. Moore played on the Canadiens’ teams that won the Stanley Cup in 1953 and every year from 1956 to 1960. Richard Winston Moore was born on January 6, 1931, in Montreal, one of nine children. 

 

College Football Week Extra – Touchdown Tom’s Holiday Bonus
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

Who’s gonna tell you when
It’s too late
Who’s gonna tell you things
Aren’t so great

What year was it?

It was the year of the Apple Mac, Aids, Swale, Joe Kittinger and Alan Trammell.

Sting said farewell to the Police. Virgin Atlantic made its inaugural flight, and Miss America resigned. We lost Marvin Gaye and Indira Gandhi. Madonna caused a controversy, and the Miami Hurricanes were the No. 1 football team at preseason.

It was the year of “Where’s the beef” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

As the year began, Brunei became a fully independent state, and “Night Court” debuted on ABC. Still in January, Wendy’s “Where’s the beef” commercial, with Clara Peller, made its first broadcast on television.

Later in January, a coal mine explosion in Japan killed 83. In Tampa, Florida, the Oakland Raiders beat the Washington Redskins, 38-9, in the Super Bowl. Barry Manilow sang the National Anthem, and the Raiders’ Marcus Allen was named the most valuable player.

Two days later, the Apple Macintosh personal computer was introduced and available for purchase. Before January came to a close, Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

In early February, Dr. John Buster and the research team at UCLA Medical Center announced the first embryo transfer from one woman to another, resulting in a live birth. On the same day, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched – the 10th Space Shuttle mission.

A few days later, astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made the first untethered space walk, and the Winter Olympics opened in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

At the end of February, the U.S. Marine Corps pulled out of Lebanon. Michael Jackson won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards, and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced his retirement.

On the first of March, Sting played his last concert with the Police. (The band would regroup 23 years later for a reunion tour.) A few days later, Iran accused Iraq of using chemical weapons, and a year-long strike began in the British coal industry.

In the middle of March, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and three others were seriously injured in a gun attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force. The CIA’s station chief in Beirut, William Francis Buckley, was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad. Buckley later died in captivity. And “Kate and Allie” debuted on CBS.

As April began, Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father, one day before his 45th birthday. In Seattle, Washington, Georgetown, under coach John Thompson, beat Houston, 84-75, to win the NCAA basketball championship. Patrick Ewing was named the most valuable player. Kentucky and Virginia were the other two Final Four teams.

A week later, the 56th Academy Awards were hosted by Johnny Carson. “Terms of Endearment” won Best Picture. Robert Duval won Best Actor for “Tender Mercies” and Shirley MacLaine won Best Actress for “Terms of Endearment.”

In mid-April, in Augusta, Georgia, Ben Crenshaw won the Masters, beating out Tom Watson by two strokes. More than one million people occupied the streets of Sao Paulo to demand direct presidential elections. It was the largest protest and public demonstration in the history of Brazil.

Near the end of the month, “Advance Australia Fair” was proclaimed the national anthem of Australia. Green and Gold were proclaimed Australia’s official colors. In the United States, medical researchers announced the discovery of the Aids virus.

On May 2, the International Garden Festival opened in Liverpool, England. Three days later, Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Diggi-Loo, Diggi-Ley,” sung by the Herreys. Swale, ridden by jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. won the Kentucky Derby.

Three days after that, the Soviet Union announced it would boycott the Summer Olympics, and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6, in the longest game in Major League Baseball history – 25 innings. The game lasted eight hours and 26 minutes.

Still in May, the New Orleans World’s Fair opened, while the one-dollar coin was introduced in Australia. On the 19th of May, Everton beat Watford, 2-0, to win the FA Cup in Wembley Stadium, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders, 4-matches-to-1, to win the Stanley Cup. Mike Messier of the Oilers was named the most valuable player.

You can’t go on
Thinking nothing’s wrong
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

Before May came to a close, overnight floods raged through neighborhoods of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as nearly 15 inches of rain fell in four hours. Fourteen people were killed.

A week into June, a deadly F5 tornado destroyed the town of Barneveld, Wisconsin, killing nine people and injuring 200. The tornado caused $25 million in damage. On the same day, Billy Joel performed at Wembley Stadium in London.

Two days later, in Paris, Ivan Lendl beat John McEnroe to win the men’s singles at the French Open. Martina Navratilova beat Chris Everett to win the women’s singles. Two days after that, in one of the greatest NBA finals ever, the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the seventh game to capture their 15th NBA championship. The Celtics Larry Bird was named most valuable player.

Summer was underway and while not yet able to listen to the games on the radio, college football fans were listening to “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before” by Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson; “You Might Think” by The Cars; “Borderline” by Madonna; “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger; “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel; “Breakdance” by Irene Cara; “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Deniece Williams; “Run Runaway” by Slade; “Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry; “I’ll Wait” by Van Halen, and “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.

In mid-June, the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil was founded. In Mamaroneck, New York, at the Winged Foot Golf Club, Fuzzy Zoeller defeated Greg Norman in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open Golf Championship.

Meanwhile, the radio stations were playing “Self Control” by Laura Branagan; “Dance Hall Days” by Wang Chung; “The Heart Of Rock & Roll” by Huey Lewis & The News; “The Reflex” by Duran Duran; “Jump (For My Love)” by The Pointer Sisters; “Eyes Without A Face” by Billy Idol; “I Can Dream About You” by Dan Hartman; “Stay The Night” by Chicago; “No Way Out” by Jefferson Starship; “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno & Ann Wilson; “It’s A Miracle” by Culture Club, and “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again” by Peabo Bryson.

Who’s gonna pick you up
When you fall
Who’s gonna hang it up
When you call

On June 22, Virgin Atlantic Airways made its inaugural flight, while five days later, France beat Spain, 2-0, to win the Euro Soccer Championship. On the last day of June, John Turner became Canada’s 17th prime minister, and Elton John played the famous “Night and Day” concert in Wembley Stadium in London.

As July began, Liechtenstein became the last country in Europe to grant women the right to vote. A week later at Wimbledon, John McEnroe defeated Jimmy Connors for the men’s singles title, and Martina Navratilova beat Chris Everett-Lloyd for the women’s singles title.

In mid July, Beverly Burns became the first female captain of a Boeing 747. Near San Diego, California, 41-year-old James Oliver Huberty sprayed a McDonald’s restaurant with gunfire, killing 21 people.

As the summer air grew thicker and warmer, the DJs were playing and college football fans were listening to “Legs” by ZZ Top; “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner; “Magic” by The Cars; “Doctor! Doctor!” by The Thompson Twins, and “Infatuation” by Rod Stewart.

On the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, Seve Ballesteros won the British Open Golf Tournament, with a two-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson. The next day, Vanessa Williams became the first Miss America to surrender her crown, after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine.

The summer airwaves were filled with music, including “Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen; “Don’t Walk Away” by Rick Springfield; “Sunglasses At Night” by Corey Hart; “When Doves Cry” by Prince, and “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” by Elton John.

At the end of July, the summer Olympics opened in Los Angeles.

Early in August, the African republic of Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso. During the middle of the month, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released their first album – The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Summer was coming to an end and football fans couldn’t wait for the season to begin. Miami (Florida) was the No. 1 team in the preseason polls. The top songs on the radio were “The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E.; “Round And Round” by Ratt; “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.; “I’m Free (Heaven Help The Man)” by Kenny Loggins; “Missing You” by John Waite; “Panama” by Van Halen; “Stuck On You” by Lionel Richie; “The Warrior” by Patty Smyth & Scandal, and “She’s Mine” by Steve Perry.

Who’s gonna pay attention
To your dreams
Who’s gonna plug their ears
When you scream

In Birmingham, Alabama, at the Shoal Creek Golf Club, Lee Trevino won the PGA Championship, beating Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins by four strokes.

Just days before the first games of the season, college football fans were grillin’ and chillin’ to “State Of Shock” by The Jacksons; “Sexy Girl” by Glen Frey; “Rock Me Tonite” by Billy Squier; “All Of You” by Julio Iglesias & Diana Ross; “Lights Out” by Peter Wolf; “When You Close Your Eyes” by Night Ranger; “If This Is It” by Huey Lewis & The News; “She Bop” by Cyndi Lauper; “Dynamite” by Jermaine Jackson, and “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama.

At the end of August, the Space Shuttle Discovery took off on its maiden voyage.

A few days into September, the Sandinista Front won the Nicaraguan general elections, and the Space Shuttle Discovery landed after its maiden voyage at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

On September 8, Louisiana-Lafayette beat Louisiana Tech 17-16 on a 21-yard field goal by Patrick Broussard as time expired. The same day, Michigan beat Miami 22-14. Two days later, Nebraska became the No. 1 team in the country.

At the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, John McEnroe beat Ivan Lendl for the men’s singles title, and Martina Navratilova defeated Chris Everett-Lloyd for the women’s singles title.

Meanwhile, the college football season was underway and fans were tailgating to “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince & The Revolution; “Hard Habit To Break” by Chicago; “The Lucky One” by Laura Branagan; “There Goes My Baby” by Donna Summer; “Cover Me” by Bruce Springsteen; “Caribbean Queen” by Billy Ocean, and “I Just Called To Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder.

The next day, the game show “Jeopardy” returned to television with new host Alex Trebek. A day later, country music singer Barbara Mandrell suffered serious injuries in a head-on automobile collision on a Tennessee highway.

In mid-September, Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosted the first MTV Music Video Awards show. The Cars won Video of the Year for “You Might Think.” Madonna stole the show with a controversial performance of her hit song “Like a Virgin.”

You can’t go on
Thinking nothing’s wrong
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

On September 15, Syracuse beat Northwestern 13-12 on a two-yard touchdown pass from Todd Norley to Jim Tait as time expired. Don McAulay kicked the extra point to secure the win.

On television, “E/R,” “Punky Brewster,” “Highway to Heaven,” “The Cosby Show,” “Who’s the Boss,” “Three’s a Crowd,” “Miami Vice,” and “Murder She Wrote” all premiered in September.

A first class postage stamp cost 20 cents. A gallon of gas was $1.27, and the price of a loaf of bread was 71 cents.

Brian Mulroney was sworn in a Prime Minister of Canada. Joe Kittinger became the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean, solo in a hot-air balloon, and Hezbollah car-bombed the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 24 people.

College football fans were celebrating their wins and mourning their losses to “Drive” by The Cars; “Torture” by The Jacksons; “Our We Ourselves?” by The Fixx; “On The Dark Side” by John Cafferty; “Some Guys Have All The Luck” by Rod Stewart; “Lucky Star” by Madonna; “Strut” by Sheena Easton, and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister;

Late in September, the first compact disc manufacturing plant in North America opened in Terre Haute, Indiana. Previously, CDs had to be imported from Japan or West Germany. The United Kingdom and the Peoples Republic of China signed the initial agreement to eventually return Hong Kong to China.

September 29, Syracuse beat Nebraska 17-9. Two days later, Texas became the No. 1 team in the country.

On the first of October, Montana, the only state in the United States without its own Public Broadcasting Service, launched Montana PBS. A few days later, Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

NBC broadcast “The Burning Bed,” featuring Farah Fawcett as a woman who kills her abusive husband. The fact-based film was televisions highest-rated show for the year. Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a space walk.

Who’s gonna hold you down
When you shake
Who’s gonna come around
When you break

On October 13, UCLA beat Washington State 27-24 on a 47-yard field goal by John Lee, as time expired. The same day, Oklahoma tied Texas 15-15. Two days later, Washington became the No. 1 team in the country.

During the middle of October, the Provisional Irish Republican Army attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the British Cabinet in a hotel bombing in Brighton, England. The Detroit Tigers beat the San Diego Padres 4-games-to-1 to win the World Series. The Tigers’ Alan Trammell was named the most valuable player.

A few days later, in October, the Polish secret police kidnapped Jerzy Popieluszko, a Catholic priest who supported the Solidarity movement. His dead body was found 11 days later.

The world first learned of the severe famine in Ethiopia, where thousands of people had already died from starvation and 10 million more lives were at risk. Two days later, the European Economic Community made more than $2 million available to help combat the famine in Ethiopia.

At Halloween, college football fans were being tricked or treated to “Swept Away” by Diana Ross; “Out Of Touch” by Daryl Hall & John Oates; “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan; “Who Wears These Shoes?” by Elton John; “Desert Moon” by Dennis DeYoung; “Better Be Good To Me” by Tina Turner; “I Can’t Hold Back” by Survivor; “What About Me?” by Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes & James Ingram; “Blue Jean” by David Bowie; “Teacher Teacher” by 38 Special, and “It Ain’t Enough” by Corey Hart.

On the last day of October, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India was assassinated by her two Sikh security guards in New Delhi. Riots broke out, killing 20,000 Sikhs. Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister.

Early in November, Bryan Adams released his breakout album “Reckless.” The album topped the charts in the U.S. and spawned several hit singles.

November 10, USC beat Washington 16-7. Two days later, Nebraska became the No. 1 team in the country.

In mid-November, the New Orleans World’s Fair closed.

As the college football season was nearing the end, college football fans were singing to “Penny Lover” by Lionel Richie; “When Doves Cry” by Prince & The Revolution; “All Through The Night” by Cyndi Lauper; “We Are The Young” by Dan Hartman; “The War Song” by Culture Club, and “No More Lonely Nights” by Paul McCartney.

On November 17, Louisiana-Lafayette beat Tulsa 18-17 on a 45-yard field goal by Patrick Broussard, as time expired, and Temple beat West Virginia 17-16 on a 36-yard field goal by Jim Cooper, as time expired. The same day, Oklahoma beat Nebraska 17-7. Two days later, BYU became the No. 1 team in the country.

Who’s gonna tell you when
It’s too late
Who’s gonna tell you things
Aren’t so great

On November 23, Boston College beat Miami (Florida) 47-45 on a 48-yard, Hail-Mary touchdown pass from Doug Flutie to Gerald Phelan.

At Thanksgiving, college football fans were stuffing themselves with turkey and pumpkin pie, while listening to “Sea Of Love” by The Honeydrippers; “All I Need” by Jack Wagner; “Walking On The Thin Line” by Huey Lewis & The News; “Valotte” by Julian Lennon; “Jungle Love” by The Time; “Do What You Do” by Jermaine Jackson, and “We Belong” by Pat Benatar.

At the end of the month, in London, Band Aid, assembled by Bob Geldof, recorded the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” to raise money to combat the famine in Ethiopia.

On December 2, Bob Hawke’s government was reelected in Australia. The next day, a lethal gas leak at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killed more than 8,000 people and sickened more than 500,000. The final death toll reached 23,000.

A couple days later, Hezbollah militants hijacked a Kuwait Airlines plane and killed four passengers.

The consensus All-American first team offense consisted of wide receiver David Williams – Illinois (6-3, 195) Los Angeles, CA; wide receiver Eddie Brown – Miami of Florida (6-0, 185) Miami, FL; tight end Jay Novacek – Wyoming (6-4, 211) Gothenburg, NE; tackle Bill Fralic – Pitt (6-5, 285) Penn Hills, PA; tackle Lomas Brown – Florida (6-5, 277) Miami, FL; guard Del Wilkes – South Carolina (6-3, 255) Columbia, SC; guard Jim Lachey – Ohio State (6-6, 274) St. Henry, OH; guard Bill Mayo – Tennessee (6-3, 280) Dalton, GA; center Mark Traynowicz – Nebraska (6-6, 265) Bellevue, NE; quarterback Doug Flutie – Boston College (5-9, 177) Natick, MA; running back Keith Byars – Ohio State (6-2, 233) Dayton, OH; running back Kenneth Davis –TCU (5-11, 205) Temple, TX; running back Rueben Mayes – Washington State (6-0, 200) North Battleford, SK, Canada, and placekicker Kevin Butler – Georgia (6-1, 190) Stone Mountain, GA.

Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy, beating out Keith Byars (Ohio State running back), Robbie Bosco (BYU quarterback) and Bernie Kosar (Miami quarterback).

Flutie also won the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award, given to college football’s most outstanding player.

You can’t go on
Thinking nothing’s wrong
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

Virginia Tech defensive tackle Bruce Smith won the Outland Trophy, given to the most outstanding interior lineman. Texas defensive tackle Tony Degrate won the Lombardi Award, given to the most outstanding lineman or linebacker.

“All Through the Night” became the fourth single to make the Top 5 from Cyndi Lauper’s album “She’s So Unusual.” As a result, Lauper became the first woman to have four singles from one album reach Billboard’s Top 5.

Some of the best albums of the year were “Reckoning” by R.E.M.; “The Unforgettable Fire” by U2; “The Swing” by INXS; “Learning to Crawl” by The Pretenders; “Heartbeat City” by The Cars; “Sparkle in the Rain” by Simple Minds; “Into the Gap” by The Thompson Twins, and “Red Hot Chili Peppers” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Also, “Tonight” by David Bowie; “Love Life” by Berlin; “Hysteria” by The Human League; “All Over the Place” by The Bangles; “Shout” by Devo; “The Story of a Young Heart” by A Flock of Seagulls; “Parade” by Spandau Ballet; “New Sensations” by Lou Reed, and “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen.

Also, “Purple Rain” by Prince and The Revolution; “The Smiths” by The Smiths; “Hatful of Hollow” by The Smiths; “Stop Making Sense” by The Talking Heads; “Alchemy” by Dire Straits; “Reckless” by Bryan Adams; “The Works” by Queen; “Private Dancer” by Tina Turner; “Grace Under Pressure” by Rush; “Body and Soul” by Joe Jackson, and “Isolation” by Toto.

During the middle of December, Cisco Systems was founded, and ABC purchased ESPN from Getty Oil.

With Christmas in the air and bowl games near, college football fans were doing their shopping to “The Wild Boys” by Duran Duran; “Run To You” by Bryan Adams; “Born In The USA” by Bruce Springsteen; “Understanding” by Bob Seger; “The Boys Of Summer” by Don Henley; “Call To The Heart” by Giuffria; “Solid” by Ashford & Simpson; “Jamie” by Ray Parker Jr.; “Like A Virgin” by Madonna; “You’re The Inspiration” by Chicago, and “Tender Years” by John Cafferty.

In the first bowl games of the year, Air Force downed Virginia Tech, 23-7, in the Independence Bowl, while in the California Bowl, UNLV beat Toledo, 30-13.

Oh you know you can’t go on
Thinking nothing’s wrong
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

Some of the popular movies of the year were “Footloose;” “Blame It On Rio;” “Against All Odds;” “Splash;” “Police Academy;” “Romancing The Stone;” “The Natural;” “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom,” and “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.”

Also, “Ghostbusters;” “The Karate Kid;” “The Muppets Take Manhattan;” “Revenge of the Nerds;” “Purple Rain;” “Red Dawn;” “Tightrope;” “A Soldier’s Story;” “Amadeus;” “The Little Drummer Girl;” “The Terminator,” and “The Killing Fields.”

BYU beat Michigan, 24-17, in the Holiday Bowl. The very next day, Florida State and Georgia tied 17-17 in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Maryland edged Tennessee in the Sun Bowl, 28-27, and in the Cherry Bowl, Army downed Michigan State, 10-6.

Some of the better reads during the year included “Poland” by James Michener; “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco; “Berlin Game” by Len Deighton; “The Auerbach Will” by Stephen Birmingham; “Almost Paradise” by Susan Isaacs; “The Aquitaine Progression” by Robert Ludlum; “The Danger” by Dick Francis; “The Haj” by Leon Uris; “Floodgate” by Alistair MacLean; “Deep Six” by Clive Cussler; “The Witches of Eastwick” by John Updike, and “. . . And Ladies of the Club” by Helen Hooven Santmyer.

Also, “The Wheel of Fortune” by Susan Howatch; “Possessions” by Judith Michael; “Lincoln” by Gore Vidal; “First Among Equals” by Jeffrey Archer; “The Fourth Protocol” by Frederick Forsyth; “Tough Guys Don’t Dance” by Norman Mailer; “Crescent City” by Belva Plain; “The Outsider” by Howard Fast; “The Miko” by Eric Van Lustbader; “Love and War” by John Jakes; “Strong Medicine” by Arthur Hailey; “Ride a Pale Horse” by Helen MacInnes, and “The Sicilian” by Mario Puzo.

Well-known people who were born during the year included Jeff Francoeur; Cheryl Burke; Prince Fielder; Mark Zuckerburg; Scarlett Johansson; Katy Perry, and LeBron James.

Also, Theo James; Prince Harry; Fernando Torres; Carmelo Anthony; Tim Lincecum; Ryan Lochte; Lindsey Vonn; Chris Bosh; Charl Schwartzel, and Sasha Cohen.

Who’s gonna pick you up
When you fall
Who’s gonna hang it up
When you call

The consensus All-American first team defense consisted of defensive lineman Bruce Smith – Virginia Tech (6-4, 275) Norfolk, VA; defensive lineman Tony Degrate – Texas (6-4, 280) Snyder, TX; defensive lineman Ron Holmes – Washington (6-4, 255) Lacey, WA; defensive lineman Tony Casillas – Oklahoma (6-3, 272) Tulsa, OK; linebacker Greg Carr – Auburn (6-2, 215) Birmingham, AL; linebacker Jack Del Rio – USC (6-4, 235) Hayward, CA; linebacker Larry Station – Iowa (5-11, 233) Omaha, NE; defensive back Jerry Gray – Texas (6-1, 183) Lubbock, TX; defensive back Tony Thurman – Boston College (6-0, 179) Lynn, MA; defensive back Jeff Sanchez – Georgia (6-0, 183) Yorba Linda, CA; defensive back David Fulcher – Arizona State (6-3, 220) Los Angeles, CA; defensive back Rod Brown – Oklahoma State (6-3, 188) Gainesville, TX, and punter Ricky Anderson – Vanderbilt (6-2, 190) St. Petersburg, FL.

Right after Christmas, Iowa beat Texas, 55-17, in the Freedom Bowl, and Auburn downed Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, 21-15.

Famous people who passed away during the year included Ansel Adams; Walter Alston; Richard Basehart; Count Basie; Ellsworth Bunker; Richard Burton; Truman Capote; Frank Church; Jackie Coogan; Diana Dors; Indira Gandhi, and Marvin Gaye.

Also, Janet Gaynor; Sam Jaffe; Andy Kaufman; Ray Kroc; Peter Lawford; James Mason; Ethel Merman; Sam Peckinpah; Walter Pidgeon; William Powell; Ernest Tubb; Fred Waring; Johnny Weissmuller; Meredith Wilson; Jackie Wilson; Lillian Hellman, and Waite Hoyt.

Near the end of December, Oklahoma State downed South Carolina, 21-14, in the Gator Bowl. Kentucky edged Wisconsin in the Hall of Fame Bowl, 20-19, and in the Aloha Bowl, SMU beat Notre Dame, 27-20.

The most popular TV shows of the year were “Murder She Wrote;” “Crazy Like A Fox,” “The A-Team;” “Dynasty;” “Simon & Simon;” “Knots Landing;” “The Cosby Show;” “Family Ties;” “Dallas;” “Falcon Crest;” “Kate & Allie,” and “Newhart.”

Also, “Riptide;” “Hotel;” “Highway To Heaven;” “Magnum P.I.;” “Cheers;” “Night Court;” “Trapper John, M.D.;” “Scarecrow and Mrs. King;” “Cagney & Lacey;” “Remington Steele;” “The Fall Guy;” “Hill Street Blues,” and “Webster;”

During the final days of the year and on New Year’s Eve, college football fans were partying, drinking and singing to “Foolish Heart” by Steve Perry, “Misled” by Kool & The Gang; “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins; “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid; “Love Light In Flight” by Stevie Wonder; “Missing You” by Diana Ross; “Loverboy” by Billy Ocean; “Operator” by Midnight Star; “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey, and “I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner.

At the close of the year, the unemployment rate was 7.5% and the DOW closed at 1,211.

On New Year’s Eve, Virginia edged Purdue in the Peach Bowl, 27-24, while West Virginia beat TCU, 31-14, in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

At the 13th annual “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC television, Jermaine Jackson, Ronnie Milsap, Night Ranger, Scandal, John Waite and Barry Manilow were the featured performers.

In the final bowl games of the season, Boston College beat Houston, 45-28, in the Cotton Bowl, while UCLA beat Miami (Florida) in the Fiesta Bowl, 39-37.

Also, USC took the Rose Bowl, beating Ohio State, 20-17. In the Sugar Bowl, Nebraska beat LSU, 28-10. And finally, Washington beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, 28-17.

BYU, under coach LaVell Edwards, finished the season at 13-0. The Cougars were declared the national champions by AP and UPI.

Who’s gonna drive you home tonight

“Drive” was recorded by the Cars, an American rock band. The song was written by band member Ric Ocasek and sung by bassist Benjamin Orr. “Drive” hit the charts on August 4 and remained there for 21 weeks, throughout the entire football season, until mid-December. It was the Cars biggest international hit and their highest charting single, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Cars were a Boston-based band that got its start at the Rat Club. The other members of the band were Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson.

The year and football season was 1984.

Touchdown Tom
December 18, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S. The Cars disbanded in 1988. Benjamin Orr died from cancer in 2000.

College Football Week 16 – Five Bowl Games Saturday
It came upon a bowl game clear

Touchdown Tom’s predicting
Are you listening?
On the field, the teams are glistening
The bowls are alright
We’re happy tonight
Picking all the teams that will win


Touchdown Tom’s Annual Bowl Game Predictions:

New Mexico Bowl – Albuquerque, New Mexico
(University Stadium)
2:00 pm ET, December 19 – ESPN
Rich Rod sings “La Bamba”
Arizona 34, New Mexico 28

Las Vegas Bowl – Las Vegas, Nevada
(Sam Boyd Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 19 – ABC
The Utes throw a BYOB party. BYU can’t come
Utah 30, BYU 29

Camellia Bowl – Montgomery, Alabama
(Cramton Bowl)
5:30 pm ET, December 19 – ESPN
The Little Eers beat the Little Tails
Appalachian State 26, Ohio 24

Cure Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium)
7:00 pm ET, December 19 – CBSSN
Nothing Fatty about this Arbuckle
Georgia State 25, San Jose State 23

New Orleans Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
9 pm ET, December 19 – ESPN
Driskel sings “How Do You Like Me Now,” Florida
Louisiana Tech 35, Arkansas State 34

Miami Beach Bowl – Miami, Florida
(Marlins Park)
2:30 pm ET, December 21 – ESPN
These Bulls aren’t lonely
South Florida 30, Western Kentucky 27

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Boise, Idaho
(Albertson’s Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 22 – ESPN
The Aggies burn some rubber
Utah State 20, Akron 14

Boca Raton Bowl – Boca Raton, Florida
(FAU Stadium)
7 pm ET, December 22 – ESPN
The Owls Rhule
Temple 22, Toledo 19

Poinsettia Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
4:30 pm ET, December 23 – ESPN
Horse sense
Boise State 31, Northern Illinois 21

Go Daddy Bowl – Mobile Alabama
(Ladd-Peebles Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 23 – ESPN
Freddie the Falcon says: “That’s what it sounds like when Eagles cry”
Bowling Green 33, Georgia Southern 25

Bahamas Bowl – Nassau, Bhahmas
(Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium)
12 noon ET, December 24 – ESPN
There’s a reason the Raiders are Blue
Western Michigan 32, Middle Tennessee 30

Hawaii Bowl – Honolulu, Hawaii
(Aloha Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 24 – ESPN
Gunner Kiel’s over
San Diego State 28, Cincinnati 26

St. Petersburg Bowl – St. Petersburg, Florida
(Tropicana Field)
11 am ET, December 26 – ESPN
A Connecticut Husky disrupts King Marco’s Court
Connecticut 25, Marshall 20

Sun Bowl – El Paso, Texas
(Sun Bowl Stadium)
2 pm ET, December 26 – CBS
Luke is no fluke, but Brad’s just a fad
Washington State 36, Miami (Florida) 34

Heart of Dallas Bowl – Dallas, Texas
(Cotton Bowl Stadium)
2:20 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
The Husky has the heart of a winner
Washington 30, Southern Miss 20

Pinstripe Bowl – Bronx, New York
(Yankee Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 26 – ABC
Is this a football game?
It’s the Dookies at the buzzer
Duke 35, Indiana 32

Independence Bowl – Shreveport, Louisiana
(Independence Stadium)
5:45 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
The Hokies trot through the Hurricane
Virginia Tech 32, Tulsa 17

Foster Farms Bowl – Santa Clara, California
(Levi’s Stadium)
9:15 pm ET, December 26 – ESPN
Can’t grow Corn on Foster’s Farm
UCLA 34, Nebraska 28

Military Bowl – Annapolis, Maryland
(Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
2:30 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN
The Middies take the Panthers on a Chesapeake Bay cruise
Navy 29, Pitt 27

Quick Lane Bowl – Detroit, Michigan
(Ford Field)
5 pm ET, December 28 – ESPN2
The Gophers dip the Chips
Minnesota 27, Central Michigan 26

Armed Forces Bowl – Fort Worth, Texas
(Amon G. Carter Stadium)
2 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
The Fly Boys can’t plug the Dykes
California 31, Air Force 25

Russell Athletic Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium)
5:30 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
The Smurfs flunk Art class
Baylor 34, North Carolina 30

Arizona Bowl – Tucson, Arizona
(Arizona Stadium)
7:30 pm ET, December 29 – ASN
The Rams scatter the Pack
Colorado State 26, Nevada 22

Texas Bowl – Houston, Texas
(NRG Stadium)
9 pm ET, December 29 – ESPN
The Red Raiders lose that smile
Because all the while
The Tigers can see for Miles
LSU 37, Texas Tech 35

Birmingham Bowl – Birmingham, Alabama
(Legion Field)
12 noon ET, December 30 – ESPN
Amazing what you can do when Muschamp is gone
Auburn 27, Memphis 24

Belk Bowl – Charlotte, North Carolina
(Bank of America Stadium)
3:30 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
Dapper Dan sours the Howlers
Mississippi State 35, NC State 26

Music City Bowl – Nashville, Tennessee
(LP Field)
7 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
The Aggies harmonize
Texas A&M 25, Louisville 23

Holiday Bowl – San Diego, California
(Qualcomm Stadium)
10:30 pm ET, December 30 – ESPN
The Cheese goes soft
USC 27, Wisconsin 20

Peach Bowl – Atlanta, Georgia (CFP/NY6)
(Georgia Dome)
12 noon ET, December 31 – ESPN
Sammy’s a peach; Shasta’s a pit
Florida State 37, Houston 29

Orange Bowl – Miami Gardens, Florida (CFP Semifinal No. 1)
(Sun Life Stadium)
8 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
Stoops remembers
Oklahoma 35, Clemson 33

Cotton Bowl – Arlington, Texas (CFP Semifinal No. 2)
(AT&T Stadium)
4 pm ET, December 31 – ESPN
Saban never loses to a former assistant
Alabama 26, Michigan State 16

Outback Bowl – Tampa, Florida
(Raymond James Stadium)
12 noon ET, January 1 – ESPN2
Smokey sniffs out a Wildcat
Tennessee 17, Northwestern 14

Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Florida
(Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium)
1 pm ET, January 1 – ABC
Harbaugh traps a Gator
Michigan 16, Florida 14

Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Arizona (CFP/NY6)
(University of Phoenix Stadium)
1 pm EST, January 1 – ESPN
Brutus spikes the holy water
Ohio State 26, Notre Dame 18

Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California (CFP/NY6)
(Rose Bowl Stadium)
5 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Roses grow on Trees
Stanford 20, Iowa 17

Sugar Bowl – New Orleans, Louisiana (CFP/NY6)
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
8:30 pm ET, January 1 – ESPN
Chip Kelly can’t ride a horse
Oklahoma State 31, Ole Miss 30

Tax Slayer Gator Bowl – Jacksonville, Florida
(EverBank Field)
12 noon ET, January 2 – ESPN
Uga is a Lion slayer
Georgia 22, Penn State 16

Liberty Bowl – Memphis, Tennessee
(Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium)
3:20 pm ET, January 2 – ESPN
Bielema jumps on his wife
Arkansas 33, Kansas State 27

Alamo Bowl – San Antonio, Texas
(Alamodome)
6:45 pm ET, January 2 – ESPN
Kermit’s green
Oregon 27, TCU 23

Cactus Bowl – Tempe, Arizona
(Chase Field)
10:15 pm ET, January 2 – ESPN
The Devil burns the Musket
Arizona State 33, West Virginia 30

College Football Playoff National Championship – Glendale, Arizona
(University of Phoenix Stadium)
8:30 pm ET, January 11 – ESPN
Bob Stoops was never a Saban assistant
Oklahoma 21, Alabama 18

Touchdown Tom
December 14, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

What’s new? – Navy 21, Army 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 31, Army 16). Navy does this all the time – for the 14th-straight time. But Army did make it close this year. I suspect that was because Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo appeared to have his head in Salt Lake City instead of Philadelphia. Navy’s play calling was awfully conservative. Navy finished its season at 10-2. Attendance in Philadelphia: 69,722

Week 15 Pick: 1 correct, 0 wrong (100%)
Season Results: 162 correct, 80 wrong (67%)


Heisman Trophy Presentation:

Alabama running back Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy at the presentation ceremonies in New York Saturday night. Henry received 1,832 points. Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey came in second with 1,539 points. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was third with 1,165 points. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield (334 points) was fourth and Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds was fifth (180 points).


FCS Quarterfinals:

Jacksonville State 58, Charleston Southern 38
Richmond 39, Illinois State 27
Sam Houston State 48, Colgate 21
North Dakota State 23, Northern Iowa 13


Division II Semifinals:

Shepherd 34, Grand Valley State 32
Northwest Missouri State 38, West Georgia 23


Division III Semifinals:

Mount Union 36, Wisconsin-Whitewater 6
St. Thomas 38, Linfield 17


Quotes of the Week

“Hiring Will Muschamp is like going to the dog pound and picking out that dog that’s forming at the mouth,” an Auburn caller on the Paul Finebaum Show.

“For whatever reason down at Florida the offense never quite got going, but I’m sure he learned a lot and he’s ready to go,” Steve Spurrier, on Will Muschamp’s new job at South Carolina.


Signs of the Week

Why Army Doesn’t Have Its Own Website? They Can’t String Together 3 Ws

I Tried To Change My Password To Navy, But Gmail Said It Was Too Weak

Army Was The Underdog In 1776

Battleship Is A Stupid Game


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Third-year Temple coach Matt Rhule got a six-year contract extension. Under Rhule, Temple has gone from 2-10, to 6-6, to 10-3 in three seasons…. South Carolina signed Will Muschamp to a five-year, $16 million deal, paying Muschamp $3.2 million a year…. Georgia signed Kirby Smart to a six-year deal.

Tennessee special teams coach Mark Elder was named the new coach at Eastern Kentucky…. Temple linebacker Tyler Metakevich won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive back, and the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player…. Former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier donated his final paycheck from the University ($70,000 plus) to the Gamecocks Club.

Bowling Green hired Texas Tech associate head coach Mike Jinks as its new coach…. Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz is the new football coach at Tulane…. Former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Bucs coach Greg Schiano is the new defensive coordinator at Ohio State…. Fordham coach Joe Moorhead is the new offensive coordinator at Penn State.

University of Maryland regents voted to change the name of the 65-year-old home of the Terrapins from Byrd Stadium to Maryland Stadium. The stadium was named after former university president H.C. “Curley” Byrd. Byrd was president of Maryland from 1935 to 1954. He was a noted supporter of segregation. A student-led initiative spurred the regents to change the name.

The five priciest bowls in the country, according to what tickets are going for on SeatGeek and StubHub are the Rose Bowl (Stanford-Iowa) $691; the Orange Bowl (Clemson-Oklahoma) $333; the Cotton Bowl (Alabama-Michigan State) $323; the Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State-Notre Dame) $226, and the Citrus Bowl (Michigan-Florida) $169…. Pitt offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is the new OC at Georgia…. Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery was named the new coach at East Carolina.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there were five passings of note last week – Ray Gandolf, Dolph Schayes, Bonnie Lou, John Williams and Marjorie Lord.

Ray Gandolf, a sportscaster for CBS who went on to work for ABC, died last week at his home in New York City. He was 85. An experienced actor, Gandolf broke into television news in the early 1960s. He began as a news writer before he started reporting sports and anchoring segments in 1974. In 1979, he became the sportscaster for “Sunday Morning” a CBS news program. He left CBS to become the weekend sports anchor for ABC in the early 1980s. In 1986, he co-hosted a show with Linda Ellerbee called “Our World.” “Our World” went off the air in 1987. Gandolf retired from ABC in the early 1990s. Raymond Gandolf was born on April 2, 1930, in Norwalk, Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in speech from Northwestern in the early 1950s. He went to New York City where he worked in the theater until the early 1960s.

Dolph Schayes, who polished his game on the Bronx playgrounds and played 15 seasons in the NBA, died last week in Syracuse. He was 87. At 6-feet, 8-inches and 220 pounds, Schayes played the position now known as power forward, becoming a stalwart for the Syracuse Nationals from 1949 to 1963, after earning All-American status at NYU. When the Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963-64, he was the player-coach. Over his 15 seasons in the NBA, Schayes averaged 18.2 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. He made 84.9 percent of his free throws during his career. Adolph Schayes was born on May 19, 1928, in New York City. In 1945, as a freshman, he helped NYU reach the NCAA finals, where it lost to Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State). In 1948, as a senior, he became an All-American and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering.

Bonnie Lou, a singer who achieved national stardom in the 1950s by singing and recording country and rockabilly hits and performing on television and radio, died last week in Cheviot, Ohio. She was 91. Bonnie Lou, a talented banjo and guitar player who sang and yodeled, began working on country radio as a teenager. She signed on to WLW-AM, a Cincinnati radio station, in the 1940s and stayed with the station after it expanded into television. She became a regular on “Midwestern Hayride,” a country music variety program that was broadcast nationally on NBC in the 1950s. She remained with the show until it went off the air in 1972. Bonnie Lou’s breakout hits in the 1950s, “Seven Lonely Days” and “Tennessee Wig Walk,” reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Country Chart in 1953. Her rockabilly song “Daddy-O,” released two years later made it to No. 14 on Billboard’s Pop chart. Her television schedule kept her from touring extensively, and she passed on a deal that would have brought her to New York and, perhaps, greater fame. She recorded more albums and made rockabilly versions of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” Bonnie Lou was born Mary Joan Kath on October 27, 1924, in Towanda, Illinois. Her parents were farmers. She won a local talent contest at age 15 and a year later was singing on the radio in Bloomington, Indiana. At 18, she sang with a group called the Rhythm Rangers on KMBC in Kansas City, before moving to WLW. The name Bonnie Lou was invented by WLW’s station manager.

John Williams, a versatile sixth man for the Cleveland Cavaliers, died last week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 53. Williams, better known by the nickname Hot Rod, was a solid shooter and dogged defender during his 13 seasons in the NBA. Williams was drafted by the Cavaliers when he was embroiled in a point-shaving scandal that shut down Tulane University’s basketball program for several years. Williams was born on August 9, 1962, in Sorrento, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. He was drafted by the Cavaliers in 1985. He left Cleveland after the 1994-95 season and played for the Phoenix suns and the Dallas Mavericks, retiring in 1999.

Marjorie Lord, an actress who achieved success as Danny Thomas’ wife on the comedy series “The Danny Thomas Show,” died last week at her home in Beverly Hills. She was 97. Lord played Bob Hope’s wife in the 1966 movie “Boy, Did I Get the Wrong Number!” She also kept busy on television with roles on “The Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island” and other shows. She also acted in several Broadway plays. Marjorie Wollenberg was born in San Francisco on July 26, 1918. Her family moved to New York City when she was a teenager. She began her movie career in “Border Café” and “Forty Naughty Girls,” both released in 1937. She later appeared in “Johnny Come Lately” and “Sherlock Holmes in Washington,” both released in 1943.