College FB '09 Dread News - Week 1

I just hate it when Miami and Florida State are scheduled to play each other in the opening game of the season. I understand why they have to (TV!); but this is a matchup that should always be saved for later on in the season, when the teams are in mid-season form and when the stakes are higher. Anyway, regardless of when they meet, it is hard to find anyone who will say they didn't get their money's worth. And that certainly was the case again on Monday night at Tallahassee.

Welcome to season #2 of my weekly reports focusing mainly on the hundreds of players with dreads currently playing NCAA Division 1 football. We have to start, of course, with the 2009 edition of Miami-FSU. The Hurricanes pulled off the minor upset, hanging on to defeat the Seminoles 38-34 when FSU WR Jamon Fortson dropped a low but very-catchable pass in the end zone on the final play of the game. Unlike last year's crazy, mistake-filled, 41-39 thriller won by FSU, this year's game was good to the last drop, a well played contest featuring two high-powered offenses going up against defenses struggling mightily to stop them. A couple of things were like deja vu from the '08 game: FSU QB Christian Ponder continued to plague Miami with both his arm and his legs; UM sophomore WR Travis Benjamin once again hurt the Noles big time, with a 39-yard TD catch to open the scoring in the 1st quarter and then a huge 40-yard catch to the 3-yard line with 1:56 to play, which set up the winning TD on the next play; and UM Coach Shannon still probably thinks that NCAA rules should allow each team 5 timeouts per half, because 3 just ain't enough for the Canes.

The biggest difference from last year's game was Jacory Harris, who played only briefly (and not very well) last year. Miami's sophomore QB was awesome in this game, passing for almost 400 yards and doing whatever it took to make sure his team didn't lose. And, of course, another big difference was that players with dreads were a much bigger factor in the game. Last year Benjamin was pretty much a one-man show, but this time there were several others with dreads who played a major role, both good and bad.

Graig Cooper had a big night for the Canes, mostly on kickoff returns early in the game before scoring two huge TD in the 4th quarter, including the game-winning 3-yard run with 1:53 to go. UM LB Sean Spence is listed at 6-0 212, so it's fair to say that he has to rely on his speed to be effective. Knowing that, it's hard to believe how clueless he looked while trying to cover FSU's 270-pound TE Caz Piurowski on a couple of plays, including a TD in the 1st quarter. What's up with that, Sean? With the Canes trailing 23-17 in the 3rd and the Noles driving, sophomore DE Marcus Robinson came up with a big sack and strip of Ponder, a turnover the Canes converted into the go-ahead TD. For FSU, senior WR Richard Goodman got off to a shaky start but had a nice game with 5 catches for 82 yards and also a catch on a 2-point conversion that put FSU ahead 31-24. But it definitely was a forgettable performance by senior CB Patrick Robinson. Next April Robinson is expected to be one of the first DBs selected in the NFL draft. But he won't be if he keeps playing like he did on Monday. Robinson likely has already burned the tape from the 2nd half of this game. He had two costly penalties (including a pass interference call while trying to cover Benjamin) on the TD drive that put UM ahead 24-23. But the real killer came early in the 4th. On 3rd and 15, right after FSU had just taken a 31-24 lead and had the momentum, Robinson inexcusably missed a tackle on a short pass, allowing Leonard Hankerson to get away for about 10 yards after the catch to pick up the first down. Come on, P-Rob, you're better than that. Hankerson's play was the first first down of what turned into a 10-play, 73-yard TD drive that tied the score with 7:14 to play. Hopefully there will be much better days ahead for Patrick.

Miami has a killer September schedule, so all this win means is that they might start 1-3 instead of 0-4. But Canes fans certainly have to be excited with what they saw on Monday. For FSU, the defeat is hardly the end of the world. Last season, both divisions of the ACC were won by teams with two losses. So the Noles still will have every chance to finish 1st, and who knows, maybe they'll meet Miami again in December. But only if they find a pass rush.

At about 4 PM EDT on Saturday came the moment Michigan fans had been waiting for ever since Denard Robinson signed his letter of intent back in February to play for the Wolverines. The freshman from Deerfield Beach, FL, muffed a shotgun snap, picked up the ball, broke to the outside, made a man miss, cut back inside, then suddenly turned on the jets and sprinted 43 yards untouched into end zone so quickly that that Western Michigan defense didn't even know what hit them. Or maybe they did know, since the player he made miss was former high school teammate David Lewis (photo 1). It was a moment that surely had everyone in the Big house thinking, "You've got to be kidding me", but it was nothing out of the ordinary for Robinson, who brings near world-class speed to the QB position. Robinson, who finished with 74 yards on 11 carries in Michigan's 31-7 victory, is sharing time at QB with fellow freshman Tate Forcier, who is a better passer and who threw three TD passes against WMU. But if Denard can improve enough to become a reliable passer, he will be something else. And might even win the Heisman some day.

I was planning to include Minnesota RB Kevin Whaley in the top 5 of the all-dread top 50 list I posted last week. That was until I was horrified when I saw his photo on the Gophers website (photo 2). Whaley's dreads were so long that I figured there was no way he could get them all bundled together behind his head without seeing at least a little bit of them. I tried (believe me) to find any other evidence that he still had his dreads, and when I didn't find any, I had to put him on the ex-dread list. Thankfully, while watching Minnesota play Syracuse on Saturday, I got the proof I was hoping for. #6 is still sick, and that's a very good thing. Take him off the ex-dread list and include him in what is now the top 6 of my all-drerad list. But Kevin, what I don't understand is with dreads like yours, why would you even want to hide them like that?

Two of the best in the FCS were denied in the attempts to upset highly-regarded FBS teams on Saturday. Playing without injured star QB Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State rallied from a 24-0 2nd quarter deficit against defending CUSA champion East Carolina but ran out of time, losing 29-24 after a 4th quarter that no doubt had ECU fans scared to death. And Northern Iowa, in the heartbreaker of the week, not once but twice had their attempt for the game winning FG blocked in the final 10 seconds of a 17-16 loss at Iowa. The televised FCS game with the best dreads had to be South Carolina State vs. Grambling in the SWAC/MEAC Challenge. SCSU was absolutely sick, with Lenell Elmore, Dominique Ellis, and Razzie Smith, among others, including Terrance Smith, the player wearing #10 whose dreads we saw often because he had trouble getting his helmet to stay on. SCSU is not scheduled for any more TV games; but please, somebody, we've got to see them again.

Elsewhere .... With Ohio State leading by two and on the brink of a 4th quarter collapse, Navy lined up for the two-point conversion attempt with 2:23 remaining that would tie the game. But junior LB Brian Rolle saved the day for the Buckeyes, not only intercepting the pass on the conversion attempt but returning it almost 100 yards to the house to give OSU a safer 31-27 lead. Rolle also had 9 tackles (3-6) in the game as OSU held on to win. OSU hosts USC next week. .... Virginia Tech lost star RB Darren Evans to a torn ACL during training camp, but a player with dreads is still the starting RB for the Hokies. Freshman Ryan Williams got mixed reviews in Saturday's 34-24 loss to Alabama: 71 yards and 2 TD rushing but also a muffed punt that set up a FG for Bama. ..... Gartrell Johnson has moved on to the NFL, but a player with dreads is still the primary ball carrier for Colorado State. JC transfer Leonard Mason made the dread stars list for his performance in the Rams' satisfying 23-17 win at Colorado. ..... Josh Smith may have transferred from Colorado, but there still is a WR with dreads wearing uniform #1 for the Buffaloes. JC transfer Andre Simmons had 1 catch for 44 yards in the loss to CSU. .... If you read the "Sands' Plans" article I posted last week, then you already know how pleased I am to report that West Virginia sophomore S Robert Sands got has 1st career INT midway through the 4th quarter Saturday, helping preserve a 26-13 lead in what ended up a 33-20 victory over Liberty. .... Future NFL draft pick Trevard Lindley returned an INT 25 yards to the house in Kentucky's 42-0 win over the other Miami .... Dwight Bentley and Maurice Rolle each had an INT in Louisiana-Lafayette's 42-19 win over Southern U. ..... And finally, Richard Sherman, playing his first game at CB for Stanford, did not get an INT; but he did finish with 5 tackles (4-1), 1 pass broken up (PBU), and barely missed a TD on a 59 yard punt return in a 39-13 conference win at Washington State.

And now for this week's honors

DREAD STARS

• Jacquizz Rodgers - Oregon State - began his Heisman Trophy campaign with a modest 103 yards and 3 TD rushing on 16 carries and added 4 catches for 32 yards in a 34-7 win over Portland State
• James Rodgers (photo 4) - Oregon State - Jacquizz's older brother had 2 catches for 95 yards, including an 87-yard TD on the Beavers' first play from scrimmage, and added 23 yards rushing on 2 carries
• Brandon Maye - Clemson -13 tackles (5-8), 1 forced fumble, and his 1st career INT by the sophomore LB in 37-14 home win over MTSU
• Andre Dixon (YES!) - Connecticut - 100 yards rushing on 19 attemps and added 2 catches for 20 yards in 23-16 road win over Ohio U.
• Travis Benjamin - Miami (F) - 128 yards receiving and 1 TD on 4 catches in thrilling 38-34 road win over Florida State
• Graig Cooper (photo 5) - Miami (F) - 31 yards rushing, 24 yards receiving, and 177 yards on kickoff returns (35.4 average per return) for a total of 232 all purpose yards and 2 TD, including the game-winning 3-yard run with 1:53 remaining
• Robert Turbin - Utah State - 13 carries for 148 yards rushing, including a 96-yard TD on which he incredibly went straight up the middle and ran the length of the field untouched in a 35-17 loss at Utah
• Reggie Arnold - Arkansas State - 126 yards rushing and 4 TD on 12 carries in 61-0 slaughter of Mississippi Valley State
• Nic Grigsby - Arizona - 118 yards and 1 TD rushing on 23 attempts in 19-6 home win over Central Michigan
• Leonard Mason - Colorado State - 107 yards rushing and 3 catches for 20 yards in 23-17 road win over Colorado
• Vince Anderson - Louisville - 93 yards and 2 TD rushing and 12 yards receiving on 2 catches in 30-10 win over Indiana State (the Sycamores' 28th straight defeat)
• Brynn Harvey -UCF - 31 carries for 111 yards and 2 TD in 28-24 win over Samford
• Dominique Lindsey - East Carolina - 105 yards and 1 TD rushing on 15 carries and 1 catch for 9 yards in 29-24 home win over Appalachian State
• Montel Harris - Boston College - 113 yards and 2 TD rushing (including 48-yard run on first play from scrimmage) and added a 6-yard TD catch in 54-0 blowout of Northeastern
• Junior Hemingway - Michigan - 103 yards receiving and 2 TD on 5 catches in 31-7 home win over Western Michigan
• Rock Dennis - SMU - 8 tackles (5-3), 2 INT, and 1 fumble recovery in 31-23 home win over Stephen F. Austin
• Mike Brown - Liberty - 11 catches for 157 yards and 1 TD receiving, 2 carries for 7 yards and 1 TD rushing, and 3 kickoff returns for 107 yards (total of 271 all-purpose yards) in 33-20 loss at West Virginia
• Pat Paschall - North Dakota State -21 carries for 146 yards rushing and 1 TD and added 2 catches for 32 yards in 34-17 loss at Iowa State
• Ray Fry - Portland State - 146 yards on 10 receptions in 34-7 loss at Oregon State
• Jamal Shuman - Elon - 115 yards rushing, 32 yards receiving, and 1 TD in 56-0 rout of Davidson
• Miguel Barnes - Tennessee-Martin - 115 yards and 3 TD rushing on 12 attempts in 56-0 rout of Iowa Wesleyan
• Tony Nelson -Massachusetts - 19 carries for 107 yards in 21-17 road loss to Kansas State
• Frantz Placide - Wagner - named NEC special teams player of the week - 89-yard return for TD on opening kickoff, blocked a punt and returned it 17 yards for a TD in 2nd quarter, then recovered Wagner's successful onside kick with 49 seconds left, but Wagner still lost to Stonehill 45-42 on a missed 29-yard FG with 1 second remaining (I guess they needed Frantz to kick the FG too)

HOUSE OF DREAD

There is a two-way tie for this week's HOD, awarded to the end zone where the most TD were scored by players with dreads. The end zone at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis was the house of dread Sunday as 5 TD were scored by players with dreads in Ole Miss's 45-14 victory over Memphis. Dexter McCluster had a 1-yard run and a 17-yard catch and Markeith Summers had an 18-yard catch for the Rebels. Curtis Steele scored both Memphis TD on 2 and 5-yard runs. .... And the end zone at Stewart Stadium in Murray, KY, was the house of dread last Thursday, thanks to 2 TD runs by Charlie Jordan (2 and 7 yards) and 3 TD by star WR Marcus Harris, on an 86-yard kickoff return, 13-yard reception, and 75-yard punt return in a 66-10 win over Kentucky Wesleyan.

DREADEST

The player of the week award goes to two players for week 1. On 2nd and 17 on the third play of the game, Purdue sophomore RB Ralph Bolden (photo 6) went 78 yards for a TD. That was the start of something big as Bolden finished the day with 234 yards rushing (third highest single-game total in Purdue history) and 2 TD on 21 carries and added a 13-yard reception in a 52-31 win over Toledo. Bolden shares the dreadest award with William & Mary freshman CB B.W. Webb (photo 7), who had 3 INT, the last of which he took 50 yards to the house with 2:39 to play to clinch the Tribe's glorious 26-14 win Virginia. You can read details on Webb's special game on this link: http://www.tribeathletics.com/story.php/9168/

NEXT WEEK

There are a whole bunch of games with great dreads on Saturday. The ones I will be watching the closest are North Carolina-UConn and Troy-Florida early Saturday, Howard-Rutgers and Richmond-Delaware midday, and Memphis-MTSU, FIU-Alabama, and Jackson State-Tennessee State Saturday night. And for starters, don't miss the two Thursday night games later today - FAMU at WSSU and Clemson at Georgia Tech. For a great website that lists all of the games televised, click on this link and add it to your favorites' list: http://mattsarzsports.com/football2009.aspx