SB Nation - Ryan Mathews

Wyoming pulls out Double OT thriller in New Mexico Bowl

The Road — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:01:30 -0000

Final - 12.19.2009	1	2	3	4	2OT	Total
Fresno St. Bulldogs	0	14	7	7	0	28
Wyoming Cowboys	7	7	3	11	7	35

Complete Coverage >

Did you really expect anything less from the Wyoming Cowboys after this season? After coming back from 11 down in the fourth quarter to force the game into over time. David Leonard caught a touchdown pass to give the Cowboys the lead, then the defense stepped up and stopped Fresno State on downs to give the Cowboys (7-6) the New Mexico Bowl title in a 35-28 2OT victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs (8-5).

This is an underrated bowl that always has close games and the fourth edition was certainly the best. The Cardiac Cowboys certainly lived up to their nickname with this game.

The finish was amazing but the journey to get there was just as good. Full recap after the jump.

Quarter 1

On their second drive Alvester Alexander busted through the right side untouched and took it 68 yards to give Wyoming a 7-0 lead.

Quarter 2

Ryan Mathews busted out a 29 yard run on a fourth and four from the Wyoming 33. One the next play he picks a 6 yard TD run. Tied at 7's.

Austyn Carta-Samuels finds Senior Greg Bolling for a jump ball 21 yard TD catch. Wyoming up 14-7.

Ryan Colbrun shoots a laser and Jamel Hamler makes a great catch to tie things up at 14.

Wyoming drives down the field with time winding down in the half. Ian Watts has his 50 yard field attempt blocked to end the half.

Quarter 3

Fresno does a reverse that turns into a pass by WR Chastin West to find a wide open Jamel Hamler for a 43 yard touchdown. Fresno up 21-14.

Watts kicks a 40 yard field goal on the follow drive. Fresno up 21-17.

Here is where we'll pick up the action in the fourth quarter. Chris Lewis picks off a tipped pass by Austyn Carta-Samuels and returns it to the Wyoming 6. Two plays later Ryan Mathews grabs his second touchdown of the game and the Bulldogs now lead 28-17.

Wyoming drives downs the field and Austyn Carta-Samuels hits Dave Leonard a short pass then Leonard takes it 12 yards up the middle for the score. Down 28-23 Coach Christensen decides to go for two and make it a three point game. ACS hits Greg Bolling for the conversion and now
Fresno is up just 28-25.

On the ensuing kickoff Marlon Moore has a big return and gets the ball inside the Wyoming 50. Fresno looks to be rolling until Mitch Unrein strips the ball from Ryan Mathews. The ball never hit the ground and no one seemed to notice including the referees. Unrein came up with the ball and pleaded his case but the refs said that Fresno had the ball and the first down. Right before the ball was snapped the played was finally reviewed. Without that review the game would have been over for the Cowboys. The review comes back and it's Wyoming ball at their own 26. What makes the strip by Unrein even more impressive is the fact this is first time EVER that Ryan Mathews has fumbled in his collegiate career. With over 500 rushes over three seasons Mathews had never fumbled until now. Humongous play by Senior Mitch Unrein in his final game as a Cowboy.

"The Drive"

With 8:08 left on the clock Wyoming is down by three and struggling to move the ball. On 4th and 2 from their own 34 Wyoming lines up to punt. P Austin McCoy rolls out to the right for rugby style punt but instead finds David Leonard on a short pass, Leonard then fights for a yard and grabs the first down. On the next set of downs Wyoming faces itself in another 4th and 2 situation, this time at their own 45. ACS finds a gap and scrambles to the left and picks up 8 yards and first down. Three plays later Wyoming finds itself with 4th and 4 and time starting to tick off the clock. David Leonard is on the ground but is able to maintain control and grab a 6 yard pass for another first down. On 3rd and 15th from the Fresno State 40 ACS is under pressure and rolls out to the right and hits Zach Bolger at the 27 and Bolger winds his way through traffic to get the ball to the 20. The Pokes have no luck in moving the ball and in comes Ian Watts. Watts the true freshman walk on lines up and hooks a 37 yard field goal just inside the right upright to tie the game at 28. Fresno just kneels the ball after the kickoff and we are headed to over time. Wyoming used 19 plays and took 7:48 off the clock to raise the blood pressure of everyone watching the dramatic drive.

"The Stop"

Wyoming wins the coin toss and wants the ball second. Fresno slowly works their way down towards the end zone and are looking good. Ryan Colburns busts out a 9 yard run and is stopped at the Wyoming 1. Ryan Matthews is stopped twice and then Colburn is stuffed on a QB sneak and Fresno comes up empty. Pat Hill decides to go for it instead of hitting a chip shot field goal and the move backfired. Ryan Mathews is stoned on 4th and Goal from the 1. Kudos to Wyoming's goal line D for keeping the dangerous Bulldog offense out of the end zone.

The Pokes get the ball and try a couple of runs with ACS but basically just try and lineup Watts for the game winning field goal. Watts aka "Mr. Clutch" has come big for the Cowboys all season long and helped win the Bronze Boot which let the Cowboys become bowl eligible. Making 10/11 for the season Watts seemed like a sure thing. Watts ends up pulling a 40 yards field goal waaaay to the left and it looks like disaster for the Pokes. It would be the easiest thing in the world for the Cowboys to crumble and become defeated. Fans, players and coaches had started to rush the field in anticipation of the victory. Everyone had to go back to their spots and the fans to get back in the stands.

2OT

Wyoming gets the ball to start the second half. On second and 10 from the 25 ACS runs to the right then scrambles all the way back to the left with two Bulldog defenders about to drop him for a loss but attempts a forward pitch to David Leonard that is too far. On 3rd and 10 ACS is hit while looking for Greg Bolling near the endzone. Phillip Thomas is called for interference and Wyoming gets a fresh set of downs and the ball at the Fresno 10 yard line.

Brandon Stewart gains three yards on first down but Wyoming is called for holding on the next play to move the ball back to the 18. Samuels find Bolling for a 5 yard pickup. On 3rd and 12 ACS is nearly sacked but sneaks out to his left and puts up a floating pass that finds David Leonard in the endzone. Watts makes the extra point and Wyoming leads 35-28.

Fresno gets the ball and on 3rd and 5 Ryan Colburn can't hang onto a bad snap that goes back 15 yards. He picks up the ball at the 35 and escapes the Wyoming pressure but makes bad throw misses a wide open receiver. On 4th and 5 Colburn scrambles and is tackled but the ball comes out and a linemen recovers for the Bulldogs. Two Cowboys tackle him before and get any yards and the game is finally over.

Wyoming wins an amazing game in which they were 10 point underdogs and nearly everyone in the nation predicted a Fresno State blowout. On the year the Cowboys know have five fourth quarter come backs and finish the season at 7-6. This is the first winning season for the Cowboys since 2004 when they also finished 7-6 and won the Las Vegas Bowl over UCLA.

Austyn Carta-Samuels was named New Mexico Bowl MVP. For the game he finished with 201 yards passing and 3 touchdowns plus 71 more yards on the ground. Cowboy RB Alvester Alexander had 137 yards rushing on just 12 attempts. David Leonard hauled seven catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Leonard led the team in receptions and recieving yards this season but only had one touchdown coming into tonight's game. The Pokes put up 438 total yards with 204 passing and 234 on the ground.

Fresno State came into the game averaging 435 yards a game this season but were held to just 366 yards by a Wyoming defense that many thought would be over matched. Ryan Mathews finished with 144 yards (7 below his average) and two touchdowns. Ryab Colburn was 13 of 19 for just 126 yards. Jamel Hamler grabbed 7 catches for 85 yards and two scores.

The big problem for Fresno was their inability to convert on key third and fourth down situations. On 3rd downs the Bulldogs were just 2 for 10 compared to the Cowboys who were 9 of 20. Fresno converted 2 of 4 fourth downs while Wyoming was a perfect 4 for 4. The Cowboys had over a six minute advantage in time of possession.

Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs	19	26
Total Yards	366	438
Passing	169	204
Rushing	197	234
Penalties	5-61	3-19
3rd Down Conversions	2-10	9-20
4th Down Conversions	2-4	4-4
Turnovers	2	1
Possession	26:47	33:13

Bowl Games Gameday Thread: Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Drew K — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:30:15 -0000

Let me begin by introducing myself and just give a brief history of my interest in college football. I began watching football in general at a very young age and my passion for the sport has just increased more and more as the years have gone by. I did not start paying very close attention to college football, religiously like I do now, until I was a freshman in college, but had always watched games here and there since I was a teenager. I went to school at a private University in Oklahoma not too far from Norman and naturally found myself rooting for the OU Sooners being that my school did not have a football team of it's own. I still have a lot to learn about the sport as the game is constantly evolving. I believe that one can never know enough about something and there is always something new to learn. My role on this site will be to continue posting the offseason discussions for Niners Nation and to help carry us through the bowl season in looking at some of the key players that will be playing in these games. The main objective I think is to provide more insight for those that don't follow as regularly and give a more clear picture as to who we should be looking at for now and for the future. This will help in the process of scouting and preparing for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bowl Season for college football has approached us as quickly as the year has passed us by. The first set of Bowl Games kick off with two games beginning today. The first of the two begin with The New Mexico Bowl which will be played at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The second of the two will be The St. Petersburg Bowl, which will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The two teams that will match-up in the New Mexico Bowl are going to be the Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4, 6-2 WAC) vs the Wyoming Cowboys (6-6, 4-4 MWC). The two teams facing off in the St. Petersburg Bowl will be the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-4, 3-4 Big East) vs the UCF Golden Knights (8-4, 6-2 C-USA). Both of these games will be broadcast on ESPN. Further down I will be analyzing the games in a little more depth with some of the key players in each game to watch, as well as some of the key stats on both sides.

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS VS. WYOMING COWBOYS

UCF GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS

Now that we have that out of the way we can focus in on the games.

NEW MEXICO BOWL GAME PREVIEW:

The Bulldogs finished in third place of the WAC with an overall record of 8-4 and were 6-2 in the conference. In their second appearance of The New Mexico Bowl, the Bulldogs look to be favored in this one against the Cowboys. This will be Fresno State's third straight bowl game and the eighth postseason game in the last decade.

Key players to watch for the Bulldogs:

Ryan Mathews RB (Junior):

Mathews led the nation in rushing yards per game, topping Heisman Trophy finalists Toby Gerhart (Stanford) and Mark Ingram (Alabama) with 151.3 yards per game. Mathews averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns on the season. Before a mid season concussion Mathews led the nation in rushing yards as well.

Ryan Colburn QB (Junior):

Ryan Colburn has the skill-set to be an amazing QB. Colburn’s size will be a positive attribute as he can sit in the pocket and take a hit. If pressured, Colburn has the ability to take off and scramble; he has no problem lowering the shoulder to plow into a defender.

Seyi Aijirotutu WR (Senior):

Has emerged as a big-play threat and will contend for All-WAC honors as a senior. Seyiis a great athlete with range and ability to stretch a defense. He can go up and get the deep passes and is coming off his best season as a Bulldog averaging 16.9 yards per reception in his career.

Ben Jacobs LB (Junior):

7.7 Tackles a game Jacobs leads the defense coming in to this one. Jacobs flies to the ball on every snap and should be fun to watch today.

Chris Carter DL (Junior):

One of the top returning defensive players in the WAC ... coming off a season in which he split time at linebacker and finished the year as a defensive end ... earned Second-Team All-WAC honors at end ... an explosive player who puts great pressure on offensive tackles

Kevin Goessling K (Sophomore):

Probably one of the single most accurate kickers in college football right now. I would not be surprised at all if I saw Goessling playing on Sundays someday soon.

Led by Coach:

Pat Hill (76-51-0 11th year)

The Wyoming Cowboy's finished the season the same way they started it...at .500. They went 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the MWC which placed them 5th overall. This will mark the first time since 2004 that the Cowboys have been involved in a bowl game.

Key players to watch for the Cowboys:

Austyn Carta-Samuels QB (Freshman):

Carta-Samuels led the Wyoming offense to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and a total of 24 fourth-quarter points as the Cowboys came back from a 21-point deficit to win on the road at San Diego State. He is mobile out of the pocket and make plays when he is forced to.

David Leonard WR (Junior):

A tall possession receiver, Leonard can go above the defensive secondaries to get the ball. He made the 2009 All-Mountain West Team and I look for him to be the primary target for Carta-Samuels in this match-up.

Fred Givens DL (Senior):

Givens lost his starting job before the season started, but has won that job back for good reason. He will be the guy in the middle that will be key in shutting down Mathews and the Bulldogs rush game. Short and stout he should be able to create some push in the middle.

Mitch Unrein DE (Senior):

Unrein is perhaps the one player in the league who is flying under the radar and will have a chance to become a household name for those watching this weekend if he can play the way he has all year.

Led by Coach:

Dave Christensen (1st year HC)

Kickoff time and networks:

Time: 4:30 PM ET/ 1:30 PM PST

Television:ESPN & ESPN-HD

Radio: ESPN Radio

Satellite: Sirius

Past Winners:

December 20th, 2008-- Colorado State- 40, Fresno State 35

December 21st, 2007-- New Mexico- 23, Nevada 0

December 23rd, 2006-- San Jose State 20, New Mexico 12

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL GAME PREVIEW:

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights finished the reglarseason with an (8-4, 3-4 Big East) record. Rutgers had been regarded as one of the worst teams in Division I-A in the last couple decades, posting several losing seasons in a row and raising discussion of possibly reducing the team to Division I-AA competition up until now. This will be a good opportunity for the Scarlet Knights to prove that they belong still in Division I-A.

Key players to watch for the Scarlet Knights:

Tim Brown WR (Senior):

You have to appreciate the name although I don't think there is any relation to thee Tim Brown. Brown happened to be the best friend of UConn's Jasper Howard (the player who was murdered earlier in the season on campus). Brown is a bit small but an explosive quick player. Brown is only the 4th player in Rutgers history to record 1000+ yards receiving. Kenny Britt the only other notable player to accomplish this out of the other three.

Joe Martinek RB (Junior):

Besides Brown, Martinek is probably the next best thing the Scarlet Knights have going for them on offense. The 6'0 215 LB. Junior RB has 1300+ career rushing yards and 13 career TD's. He will need to be a big contributor in this game to give Rutgers a chance in this one.

Anthony Davis OT (Junior):

Davis is a big mobile Tackle and as far as the Niners are concerned, we should all be keeping an eye on this one. On my original list before some of the others climbed the board for me, Davis was in my top five. He has fallen off the radar a bit, but it will be interesting to see how well he does against the Golden Knights. He is projected by some to now go in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft. 6'6" 325 Lbs.

Kevin Haslam OG (Senior):

Great at run blocking Haslam stands 6'7" and weighs 300 Lbs. Get's off the snap fast and pulls really well. Again, another interesting possibility we should keep an eye out for in this matchup.

Ryan D’Imperio, Rutgers ILB (Senior):

D'Imperio will be the anchor of this defense in this one serving as one of the team captain's. Earlier in his career, the now Senior, had to have several surgeries to repair a severe leg injury. As a junior last season, the veteran middle linebacker started all 13 games and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with more than seven tackles for game and 10thin the league with nearly a tackle for loss per contest. He has a lot of football knowledge and plays the game very smart. I am not sure if he will be drafted and if he is not, I think he should work out with some team and try and make it as an undrated free agent. We will see how he performs this evening.

Led by Coach:

Greg Schiano (54-55 9th year)

The UCF Golden Knights have the same record as their opponent with exception to conference record at (8-4, 6-2 C-USA). Although UCF has never won a bowl game and are in fact 0-2 in their postseason bowl record, it would not surprise me if the Golden Knights manage to get their 1st bowl win against Rutgers. Rutgers are favored but it is college football and anything can happen as the polls have been drawing closer in this one.

Key players to watch for the Golden Knights:

Brynn Harvey RB (Sophomore):

Harvey rushed for nearly 1100 yards with 14 TD's this year. He has been their bell cow this year and they have made it to a bowl game on large part to this young and very talented athlete.

Josh Robinson CB (Freshman):

Give this kid a few years and you are going to be looking at one dynamite CB. If he continues to get better, he could be at the top of the list as an NFL prospect. Robinson has 6 INT's with 84 return yards. He could make it difficult on the opposing QB today.

Since UCF's players play so well as a team, the statistics are pretty spread out and there is not many players besides Harvey and Robinson that really stand out as a possible recruits in to the NFL in the future. But it should be fun to watch the offensive line and Harvey have success against the Scarlet Knights this evening. And someone else may make showcase themselves to the nation tonight and jump their way on to some teams board.

Kickoff time and networks:

Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PST

Television: ESPN Mark Jones- Play-by-Play, Bob Davie- Color Analyst, Rob Stone - Sideline Reporter
Internet: ESPN360.com
Radio: Rutgers Football Radio Network
Affiliates: WOR 710-AM (New York City); WCTC 1450-AM (Central Jersey); 97.5 FM "The Fanatic" (Philadelphia and South Jersey)
Student Radio: WRSU 88.7 FM
Satellite Radio: Sirius/XM
National Radio: ESPN Radio

Past Winners:

December 20th, 2008-- South Florida 41, Memphis 14

This will mark the 2nd year for this specific Bowl Game.

Preview: 2009 New Mexico Bowl

The Road — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:53:44 -0000

Next Game

Fresno St. Bulldogs
@ Wyoming Cowboys

Saturday, Dec 19, 2009, 1:30 PM PST
New Mexico Bowl - University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM

TV: ESPN

Complete Coverage >

College Bowl season kicks off on Saturday and it all begins in Albuquerque with the New Mexico Bowl. This is the fifth edition of this bowl that features a WAC-MWC match up. This year the Fresno State Bulldogs take on the Wyoming Cowboys. This will be the second consecutive appearance for the Bulldogs (8-4) in the Land of Enchantment. Meanwhile the Cowboys (6-6) have exceeded expectations all year long under new head coach Dave Christensen and a youthful roster.

The media has written this bowl off but there are several reasons to tune in on Saturday.

- Ryan Mathews of the Bulldogs leads the nation with 151 yards rushing per game. This could be your final chance to see him as he may bolt for the NFL after Saturday.

- Wyoming is led by true freshman and dual threat qB Austyn Carta-Samuels. ACS has led the Pokes to four fourth quarter comebacks this year including a 24 point comeback over San Diego State.

- Fresno features the nations 14th rated offense averaging 34 points a game. Their defense has struggled this year and this could turn into a high scoring affair. Wyoming averages just 17 points a game but has averaged nearly 29 points in their victories. The Cowboys have not lost when scoring more than 11 points this year.

These two teams have met six times before with the home team winning each time. This time they face off on a neutral site but the bowl is hosted at a Mountain West school - The University of New Mexico. The Bulldogs are favored by 10-13 points but are 0-4 versus Mountain West teams in bowl games including a loss to 6-6 Colorado State in last years New Mexico Bowl.

Fresno Coach Pat Hill was rumored to be on his way out but just had contract extended this week. Coach Christensen is making his appearance in a bowl game as a head coach but has a 5-2 record as an assistant and has this will be his fifth straight year with a bowl game.

Players to watch:

Fresno State

QB Ryan Colburn - 2333 yards passing and 18 touchdowns.

RB Ryan Mathews -1664 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns.

WR Seyi Ajirotutu - 671 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Wyoming

QB Austyn Carta-Samuels -1752 yards passing and 295 rushing yards plus 10 total touchdowns.

WR David Leonard - 70 receptions for 645 yards.

RB Alvester Alexander - 503 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Poll

Who will win the New Mexico Bowl?

Wyoming

27 votes

Fresno State

71 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

We're All Americans, But We're Not All All-Americans

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:28 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Iowa's Pat Angerer (43) celebrates with teammates Allen Reisner and Dace Richardson, right, after Iowa blocked a Northern Iowa field goal on the final play. Iowa won 17-16. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

View full size photo »

As is usually the case after a 10-win season, the accolades are beginning to pour in for the Iowa Hawkeye football team. Everyone and their mom has an all-conference or All-American team, but the two that actually matter--Walter Camp and the AP--are now out. And for the 33th year in a row, the unanimous selection for player of the year is Frank Stallone*.

More importantly, the AP named three Hawkeyes to their All-American teams. While nobody made it onto the first team, thanks to Ricky Stanzi's ankle injury--come on, you know if he stays healthy and Iowa goes 11-1 and finishes at #5 or so, even the guys on defense get a little bit more of a bump--both Bryan Bulaga and Pat Angerer made it to the second team, while Tyler Sash made third-team AA as a sophomore. A fine moment for all three players (two of whom, as we insular and provincial types are quick to point out, are native Iowans).

Meanwhile, the Walter Camp Foundation agreed with the AP, naming Bulaga and Angerer to their second team as well and effectively establishing the two as the de facto MVPs of their respective sides of the ball. We have a little beef with each designation, but for wholly different reasons.

First, though Bulaga is by far the best pro prospect on the line as of right now and was utterly dominant in 2008, the reality is that even notwithstanding the 3-week absence as he recovered from thyroid issues, he struggled in 2009. Brandon Graham and O'Brien Schofield manhandled Bulaga. And while those are two very good defensive ends, so was Aaron Maybin, the 11th pick of the 2009 by the Buffalo Bills and Bryan Bulaga's personal prison bitch after Iowa-PSU 2008. There was a substantial dropoff in play by Bulaga in 2009, and voters just didn't notice it when it came time to hand out awards.

Meanwhile, Dace Richardson was actually very good in his return to the line, and he got a fair amount of media attention when mid-season awards were being handed out. Then his ankle was rolled up on against Michigan State, and he disappeared from both the depth chart and voters' attention. But why should he have been punished for an ankle injury while voters looked past Bulaga's absence of a similar length? It's all past reputation, and that's not really fair to guys who come from nowhere and work their butts off--especially in their senior year, where there's no chance for any payoff in the "rewarded in Year X for play in Year X-minus-1" system that's come to be when it comes to honoring offensive linemen.

What this comes down to is that if the AP were to select an Iowa lineman for All-American this season, we'd have preferred it be Dace--though we'll certainly "settle for" Bulaga instead. If both men are playing their last game for Iowa next month, as lots of speculation suggests, then they've both had stellar careers in the black and gold and we wish them well.

On defense, on the other hand, Pat Angerer didn't really establish himself as the most dominant player for that Iowa defense, but that's hardly through any fault of his own. After all, one usually does so by being simply better than his teammates, and the talent level on the Iowa defense this year was both so high and so consistent that it was hard to see Angerer as someone who was the best player on defense. After all, you could always come back with, "well why not Sash? Or Adrian Clayborn? Or Amari Spievey? Or A.J. Edds? Or, hell, Jeremiha Hunter?" We're not saying that Angerer was the 6th best player on the Iowa defense by any means--just that ranking the top 5 or 6 or so would be impossible, because the gaps would be so miniscule that personal preference could easily mean a 3- or 4-spot swing here or there and it wouldn't even be objectionable.

Angerer's accolades, then, come from two areas: 1) his name, which is everything you could ever hope for times infinity; 2) and his stats, which sort of sneak up on you for the same reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph. As mentioned before, he was 5th in the nation in tackles at 11.3 a game. That's pretty outstanding, especially since--as TRE noticed during the season--Angerer's real strength might have been in pass coverage, not run support.

Still, absent game-changing plays, it's somewhat difficult to notice the overall impact a player has on a game. And all of those game-changing plays seemed to happen to other players--most notably Sash and Clayborn, and to a lesser extent Spievey.

Thus we have a weird ambiguity about how we look at Angerer's standing as the most highly-lauded member of the 2009 Iowa defense. It's not that he didn't deserve it--far from it--but with a defense like Iowa's, you could basically pick a name out of a hat and feel relatively confident that you made a good choice. It was that kind of year. Effectively singling out Angerer for praise, then, seems unusual and almost a little unfair. Oh well. There are worse problems to have.

Full AP All-American teams are after the break.

First team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Colt McCoy, senior, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Texas.
	   Running backs -- Toby Gerhart, senior, 6-1, 235, Stanford; Mark Ingram, sophomore, 5-10, 212, Alabama.
	   Tackles -- Russell Okung, senior, 6-5, 301, Oklahoma State; Trent Williams, senior, 6-5, 318, Oklahoma.
	   Guards -- Michael Johnson, senior, 6-6, 305, Alabama; Mike Iupati, senior, 6-6, 330, Idaho.
	   Center -- J.D. Walton, senior, 6-3, 305, Baylor.
	   Tight end -- Aaron Hernandez, junior, 6-2, 250, Florida.
	   Wide receivers -- Golden Tate, junior, 5-11, 195, Notre Dame; Jordan Shipley, senior, 6-0, 190, Texas.
	   All-purpose player -- C.J. Spiller, senior, 5-11, 195, Clemson.
	   Kicker -- Leigh Tiffin, senior, 6-2, 212, Alabama.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jerry Hughes, senior, 6-3, 257, TCU; Derrick Morgan, junior, 6-4, 272, Georgia Tech.
	   Tackles -- Ndamukong Suh, senior, 6-4, 300, Nebraska; Terrence Cody, senior, 6-5, 365, Alabama.
	   Linebackers -- Rolando McClain, junior, 6-4, 258, Alabama; Greg Jones, junior, 6-1, 228, Michigan State; Eric Norwood, senior, 6-1, 252, South Carolina.
	   Cornerbacks -- Joe Haden, junior, 5-11, 190, Florida; Javier Arenas, senior, 5-9, 198, Alabama.
	   Safeties -- Eric Berry, junior, 5-11, 203, Tennessee; Earl Thomas, sophomore, 5-10, 197, Texas.
	   Punter -- Drew Butler, sophomore, 6-2, 201, Georgia.
Second team
	   Quarterback -- Tim Tebow, senior, Florida.
	   Running backs -- Ryan Mathews, junior, Fresno State; Dion Lewis, freshman, Pittsburgh.
	   Tackles -- Bryan Bulaga, junior, Iowa; Chris Marinelli, senior, Stanford.
	   Guards -- Rodney Hudson, junior, Florida State; Mike Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Center -- Maurkice Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Tight end -- Dennis Pitta, senior, BYU.
	   Wide receivers -- Mardy Gilyard, senior, Cincinnati; Danario Alexander, senior, Missouri.
	   All-purpose player -- James Rodgers, junior, Oregon State.
	   Kicker -- Kai Forbath, junior, UCLA.
Defense
	   Ends -- Von Miller, junior, Texas A&M; Brandon Graham, senior, Michigan.
	   Tackles -- Gerald McCoy, junior, Oklahoma; Jared Odrick, senior, Penn State.
	   Linebackers -- Pat Angerer, senior, Iowa; Brandon Spikes, senior, Florida; Sean Weatherspoon, senior, Missouri.
	   Cornerbacks -- Perrish Cox, senior, Oklahoma State; Kyle Wilson, senior, Boise State.
	   Safeties -- Taylor Mays, senior, Southern California; Rahim Moore, sophomore, UCLA.
	   Punter -- Zoltan Mesko, senior, Michigan.
Third team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Kellen Moore, sophomore, Boise State
	   Running backs -- LaMichael James, redshirt freshman, Oregon; Jacquizz Rodgers, sophomore, Oregon State.
	   Tackles -- Dennis Landolt, senior, Penn State; Ciron Black, senior, LSU.
	   Guards -- Brandon Carter, senior, Texas Tech; Jeff Byers, senior, Southern California.
	   Center -- Chris Hall, senior, Texas.
	   Tight end -- Dorin Dickerson, senior, Pittsburgh.
	   Wide receivers -- Freddie Barnes, senior, Bowling Green; Demaryius Thomas, junior, Georgia Tech.
	   All-purpose player -- Dexter McCluster, senior, Mississippi.
	   Kicker -- Hunter Lawrence, senior, Texas.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jeremy Beal, junior, Oklahoma; Brandon Sharpe, senior, Texas Tech.
	   Tackles -- Brian Price, junior, UCLA; Dan Williams, senior, Tennessee.
	   Linebackers -- Sergio Kindle, senior, Texas; Cody Grimm, senior, Virginia Tech; Navorro Bowman, junior, Penn State.
	   Cornerbacks -- Brandon Harris, sophomore, Miami; Alterraun Verner, senior, UCLA.
	   Safeties -- Tyler Sash, sophomore, Iowa; Mark Barron, sophomore, Alabama.
	   Punter -- Matt Reagan, senior, Memphis.

*Did you know he was in Tombstone, a.k.a. the SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE IN HISTORY? And in a phenomenal scene, to boot.

New Mexico Bowl: A look at the stats

The Road — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:59:49 -0000

The Wyoming Cowboys are going bowling for the first time since 2004 and they face a tough challenge as they take on the Fresno Sate Bulldogs. Fresno features an explosive offense led by the Ryan's. Ryan Mathews is one of the nations leading rushers and Ryan Colburn is a quality gunslinger.

Wyoming didn't have have any victories over teams with winning records and Fresno only had one which was a victory over Idaho. If this game turns into a shootout then the Bulldogs should win easily. Wyoming needs to control the game clock and win the turnover battle.

Stats are after the jump. A full game preview will be up next week.

Category	Wyoming	Fresno State
Scoring Offense (PPG)	#111 - 16.9	#14 - 34.3
Rushing Offense (Yards)	#86 - 128.0	#7 - 231.58
Passing Offense (Yards)	#103 - 107.7	#79 - 204.8
Total Offense (Yards)	#112 - 298.7	#19 - 435.9
Turnover Margin (season)	#20 +7	#105 -9
Penalties (Yards per G)	#91 - 61.7	#6 - 37.8
3rd Down Conversions	#102 - 33.87	#20 - 45.73
Red Zone Conversions	#100 - 74.19%	#63 - 81.63%
Time of Possession	#103 - 28:22	#11 - 32:19
Total Defense (Yards)	#83 - 394.3	#97 - 411.7
Opponent 3rd Down Conv.	#75 - 40.24	#62 - 39.04
Sacks (Per Game)	#78 - 20	#120 - 9

Illini fall to Fresno State in least likely way possible.

Joe Kutsunis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:11:05 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

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Do you ever feel like God is laughing at you? Well maybe not God per se, but some sort of supernatural force that wants to make sure you learn every sort of disappointment thoroughly. I have seen the Illini lose in a lot of ways, both blowouts and heart breakers, and let me tell you, this was by a wide margin the least likely thing that has ever happened. .

But I digress. For many, many reasons, it has taken me quite some time to write about this game. The last game of any real meaning happened back before Thanksgiving, and without even the selling point of making the entire city of Cincinnati cry there was very little interest left for this last game.

It was senior day though, and the last opportunity for all of us to see #7 go out there and try and recapture the glory one last time. I think a full retrospective on the career of Juice Williams deserves its own dedicated post, so I wont go into the melancholy feelings even I had about realizing it was his last game as an Illini. For now I'll just stick to the game at hand.

I remember hearing in the pressbox that up until the final 8 minutes, this had to be the most boring yet high scoring game there was. And for the most part, it was true. What we saw yesterday were two teams with pretty damn good running backs run almost completely unchecked up and down the field. Ryan Mathews with his 32 carries for 172 yards and Mikel LeShoure with his much more efficient 11 carries for 184 yards. Yes, that is a 16 yard per carry average. I will now, if you will indulge me, try and communicate to you my frustrations with the coaching staff concerning Mikel LeShoure and his playing time.

Mikel LeShoure is, at this very moment, and will be next year the best running back option on this team. It has been proven just about every week since Purdue. That said, Mikel LeShoure had over 200 yards of all purpose yardage, but was given the ball 4 fewer times than his teammate Jason Ford. Ford of course had a decent game with 65 yards, but he had no where near the game that LeShoure did. If ford has any advantage on LeShoure it is in the red zone, where Jason Ford can use his strength to get short yardage. But in the open field, on the read option and on the speed option, or just plain old fashion down hill running Leshoure has proven himself the superior back. The numbers don't lie.

All of this evidence being in place, no one yet has been able to explain to me why, on the last Illini possession, with only a few minutes left on the clock and all that was needed to finish the game off was a first down or two, Jason Ford, and not Mikel Leshoure lined up as the running back.

It was LeShoure after all that had caught the pass for the go ahead touchdown just before. When asked why Mikel was not out there, he simply explained that "we like all of our backs." I interpret that to mean that in the normal rotation of backs, it was Ford's turn. Ford got 3 yards on a run, Juice got 2 yards on a run, and Benn got 3 yards on a catch, not enough for the first down. I am not saying that Leshoure would have been meant a first down, but with his 16 yard per carry average, it could not have hurt.

But the Illini didn't get the first down. And they ended up giving up another touchdown. And then Fresno elected to go for 2. and then this happened.

I was standing on the field with the rest of the media, waiting for the post game interviews etc. I was standing just behind the cameramen, directly parallel with the end zone. I saw the whole thing happen in front of me. I saw the QB chased out of the pocket, I saw him seemingly wrapped up for a sack, I saw his desperate flail of a pass to the end zone, I saw Tavon Wilson and the Fresno receiver grasp at the ball, I saw it bounce into the arms of David Cunningham. I saw the officials signal for a successful conversion, and I don't think I'll be able to figure out all of the things that had to go wrong for the Illini for that to happen. Six feet away from me the Fresno State AD was going absolutely insane yelling at the officials that the conversion had to stand. And it of course did.

This was one of the weirdest plays around, and while it sucked for my team, I suppose I am glad to have seen it in person. Along with being at the 2007 Ohio State game, I guess this the most significant football moment I have seen in person. As an Illini fan, you don't get to see many in the first place, so I guess I should be appreciative.

So closed the 2009 season of Illini football, fitting with the rest of the season, it was not good, but it was exciting.

Stay tuned for a full season in review later this week.

Ryan Mathews' biggest run could be straight to the NFL

Mocking Dan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:34:04 -0000

More photos » by CRAIG KOHLRUSS - AP

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Finally healthy, Fresno State junior running back Ryan Matthews is pondering a jump to the NFL.

Following this season, Bulldogs coach Pat Hill will get advice from NFL evaluators on where his star player could be taken in the draft. If it's inside the first 30 or 40 picks, Hill said he's suggest to Matthews that he turn pro.

"We talked about it, and [Hill] is going to get evaluations on me and if I'm going to go in the top couple rounds, he's going to tell me to go because it's good money," Mathews told the Fresno Bee. "But if not, I'll just play here another year and have fun."

Matthews currently leads the nation in rushing. In seven games, he has rushed for 1,131 yards and nine touchdowns. Against Boise State he had 233 yards rushing and 145 against Cincinnati.

Those games put Matthews on the national spotlight. Here at MTD we currently have Matthews rated as the fifth-best junior running back, but he is rising. What will always be in question about Matthews is his health.

He was banged up a lot as a freshman, but played well when healthy. As a sophomore in 2008, Mathews suffered from nerve damage and played in only eight games.

Opponent preview: Can San Jose State slow the Broncos' running game?

Kevan Lee — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:20:08 -0000

The San Jose State - Boise State matchup typically is one of the better WAC tests for the Broncos, but this season's affair has "blah" written all over it. What will it take for SJSU to make a game of it? What has gone wrong for the Spartans in 2009? Is San Jose underrated and possibly dangerous?

Join me after the jump as I answer some of these questions and take a look at the SJSU run defense versus Boise State's rush offense. What factors do you think will be important on Saturday? Make yourself heard in the comments.

1-5, (0-2)

No. 7 Boise State at Hawaii

Kickoff: Saturday, 1:00pm MT, TV: KTVB, Radio: 580 KIDO

Weather forecast: 40 percent chance of showers, high of 54

Spread: Boise State by 35

7-0, (2-0)

San Jose State last week

Bye

The Spartans will have had 13 days to recuperate, plan, and prepare for the Broncos by the time gametime rolls around on Saturday afternoon. Will it make a difference? It certainly won't hurt. One thing's for sure, San Jose State is better than a 1-5 team, and you can bet they'll be motivated and ready to prove it on Saturday against the Broncos. Boise State's reaction? Get in line. Teams have been singing the same tune all season long.

San Jose State season-to-date

Safe to say that the Spartans did not see their season going this way. A brutal opening schedule really did a number on San Jose State, kicking them into an 0-3 hole after games against Utah, USC, and Stanford. A gimme win against Cal Poly followed (and by "gimme," I mean "19-9") and then the WAC schedule came aboard. SJSU dropped a winnable game at home against Idaho - a game that saw Nathan Enderle get pulled and the Vandals slip away with a four-point win following a final minute TD plunge by Demaundray Woolridge. The week after, Ryan Mathews and the Fighting Pat Hills scored 34 unanswered points after falling behind 14-7 and cruised to an easy 41-21 win over Sparta.

San Jose has had a hard time of it. Starting QB Kyle Reed found his way to the bench about a month ago. Rumors have swirled about the financial misery surrounding the athletic department. Dick Tomey could be out once the year is done.

At least they haven't had a Jason Street episode.

"I'm just going to emotionally stare at this ground for 10 or 15 minutes." via featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com

San Jose State offense

OT Fred Koloto
OG Isaac Leatiota
C Ronnie Castillo
OG Steve Lightsy
OT John Konye
TE Ryan Otten
QB Jordan La Secla
RB Lamon Muldrow
RB Brandon Rutley
WR Kevin Jurovich
WR Jala Beauchman

The San Jose offense had the slightest glimmer of hope of being spectacular this offseason, but only a complete fool would have believed that was possible. Kyle Reed's benching has improved the offense; La Secla is at least middle of the pack when it comes to WAC quarterbacks.

The huge disappointment has been the San Jose running game. Going into Saturday, the Spartans have rushed for only 466 yards in six games, which is way, way behind the production of every other WAC team. Under a new offensive coordinator, SJSU just hasn't run the ball as much, logging the second fewest carries in the conference. Muldrow averages a solid 5.5 yards per rush, but he's only carried the ball 56 times. A different gameplan might be needed if the Spartans hope to hang with the Broncos.

One other note: Kevin Jurovich no longer has mono, so he's catching lots of passes again.

San Jose State defense

DE Joe Nigos
DT Justin Willis
DT Pablo Garcia
DE Carl Ihenacho
LB Travis Jones
LB Ryno Gonzalez
LB Justin Cole
CB Peyton Thompson
CB Devin Newsome
S Duke Ihenacho
S Tanner Burns

San Jose's defense is traditionally the team's calling card. Not so much this year, though.

SJSU ranks dead last in yards per game and points per game in the WAC, allowing well over 400 and 30, respectively. Part of that has to do with their daunting nonconference schedule. Part of it has to do with their just not being good.

Star players Duke and Carl Ihenacho have lived up to their billing, but there have been few other bright spots. Bronco fans might not recognize this Spartan defense when it takes the field on Saturday.

San Jose State special teams

P Philip Zavala
K Tyler Cope
KR Brandon Rutley
PR Michael Avila

Rutley was the RB who broke the long TD run against the Broncos last season, making that game a whole lot closer than it needed to be. Collectively, the Spartan special teams are average.

San Jose State's run defense in 2009

In a word, "disastrous." San Jose has been a RB freeway so far this year, giving up an average of 260 rushing yards per game. That's right. 260. Surprisingly, this is not dead last in the country, but third to dead last behind the ~~Valure~~ Velour Curtains of Western Kentucky and Eastern Michigan and just ahead of several vaunted Florida directional schools.

What gives? Well, the loss of DT Jarron Gilbert, the WAC's co-defensive POY in 2008, has been huge. Among the SJSU front seven, only DE Carl Ihenacho and LB Justin Cole have any name recognition inside the WAC. The personnel just hasn't been nearly as good as recent years.

Again, part of it is facing daunting running games like USC and Utah. Another part of it is San Jose State just being undisciplined, out-physicaled, and bad. You don't give up 260 yards per game in six games without having some major problems. Bring in the fail whale.

via www.inquisitr.com

Boise State's rush offense in 2009

The Broncos have been vastly improved in the running game this season, as Jeremy Avery, D.J. Harper, Doug Martin, and Matt Kaiserman have each taken turns running through and around opposing defenses. Boise State's style can still sometimes be feast or famine, but when the feasting is on, times are good.

Consistency, really, is the only thing that the running game has lacked. There are times (UC Davis, for instance) when things just weren't clicking. There were games (Fresno State, for one) where big runs made the end result look a lot better than it was. Here are Boise State's rush averages in all seven of the games so far this season:

vs. Oregon 2..8
vs. Miami (OH) 4.4
vs. Fresno 10.3
vs. Bowling Green 7.6
vs. UC Davis 3.1
vs. Tulsa 4.4
vs. Hawaii 4.8

What game do you think had the most consistent Bronco rushing performance?

I'd have to point to Doug Martin's second half against Tulsa and last week's grind-it-out affair in Hawaii. The Broncos looked unstoppable at times in the running game, and they were doing it with big gains on virtually every carry.

Part two: Why do you think the Broncos are better in the running game this year?

I think it's a combination of running backs being more decisive to the hole and a cohesive offensive line that is owning the line of scrimmage. Anybody else?

Irresistible force meets very movable object?

So what will happen when the strong Bronco running game meets the underwhelming SJSU run defense? Are we in store for another big rushing day from the Broncos?

There will be several factors that will play a role in just how big the ground game is for Boise State For instance:

Will the Broncos focus on the run? The gameplan could be to let Kellen Moore beat the Spartans, which would not be a bad gameplan in the least bit.
Are Bronco running backs healthy? Doug Martin was dinged up last week, but you'd have to believe that between a healthy Avery, Kaiserman, and Hodge that Boise State has the horses to put up a big day.
Will the game be a runaway? The bigger margin the Broncos lead by, the more the running backs will get to carry the ball. It is doubtful Kaiserman would have had 100 yards if the Broncos weren't ahead by 40 points at the end of the game.

What other circumstances can you think of? Expecting a big rushing day for the Broncos?

Other factors

So many different aspects could come into play on Saturday afternoon. Here are a couple more that I'll be watching. Which ones are you keying on?

Big plays. The Broncos avoided the big play bug against Hawaii, but they were not so lucky last time they faced the Spartans. A pick-six and a long TD run were all SJSU needed to keep the game uncomfortably close. Eliminate big plays, and the Broncos will have an easier time of it on Saturday.
Fumbled snaps. I don't think I need to explain this one.
Weather. It looks like we're in store for a wet, cold afternoon on Saturday. Reminiscent of UC Davis? I hope not.
Third down conversions. Keeping the ball away from Boise State will be huge for SJSU, and keeping the chains moving for the Broncos will help put the game away.

Your Turn

What are you looking for when the Spartans come to town on Saturday? What's your over/under on how many yards the Broncos will get on the ground? Nervous about facing a typically tough SJSU team? Let's hear it in the comments.

Montario Hardesty for the Doak Walker Award

Will — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

The best single season RB performance in Tennessee football history? You could be seeing it.

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Eric Berry for Heisman? Well, it was a longshot from the beginning, and while the fact that EB is second in the SEC in solo tackles may ultimately help keep him in the race for the Thorpe Award, only one pick in six games has effectively put him out of the Heisman race.

And besides, we all secretly believed that the very best Eric Berry was ever going to do was finish second to ESPN's flavor of the month. It's better this way.

Much more realistic, however, is Montario Hardesty being in the running for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's best running back. The Vols haven't had a player win a national individual award since John Henderson won the Outland in 2000, and the first half of Hardesty's season was certainly good enough to get him in the conversation.

Hardesty's first half rushing numbers: 160 vs WKU, 89 vs UCLA, 96 at Florida, 140 vs Ohio, 90 vs Auburn and 97 vs Georgia. He's been one carry away each week from having six consecutive 100 yard games.

Through six games, Hardesty is eighth nationally and second in the SEC in rushing, averaging 112 yards per game. This goes along with 8 catches for 94 yards, 7 total touchdowns and several highlight reel plays, including the screen pass against Auburn and this little beauty:

Hardesty benefits from the absence of a true signature running back in college football this season, now that Jahvid Best has been bottled up by Oregon and USC to the tune of 102 yards and zero touchdowns combined in those two games. The nation's top four rushers are Toby Gerhart, Ryan Mathews, Dion Lewis and Darius Marshall - can you name the schools any of them play for?* Gerhart, the leader, is still only 74 yards ahead of Hardesty.

Hardesty plays in the SEC and plays for Lane Kiffin, two things that mean increased media attention. And unless Jonathan Crompton continues to throw for 300 yards and 4 TDs every week, Hardesty is the home run hitter of the Vol offense, and at times throughout the season has been the only viable option. Despite the entire world knowing that earlier this season, it didn't keep #2 from being productive against good UCLA and Florida defenses. He is alarmingly consistent, going for 89+ yards and one rushing touchdown in each of the Vols' first six games.

Keeping a 112 yard per game pace in a year with no Heisman candidates at the position will keep you in the conversation, but it may not be good enough to win it. Here are the other names Hardesty will have to compete with:

Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech: a good story on a top five team, turning Darren Evans' preseason ACL injury into a fantastic start. Scored twice on Alabama, and has four 100+ yard days in six tries. I saw him drop 150 and two scores in the rain against Miami, and was incredibly impressed with his balance. If I had a vote and the award was given today, I'd give him the nod.
Ben Tate, Auburn: the SEC's new leading rusher after blasting Arkansas for 184 yards on only 22 carries. Outrushed Hardesty head-to-head with 128 yards in a game Auburn won. In Gus Malzahn's offense and with Onterrio McCalebb also getting carries, you never know how many carries he's going to get each week, but he's making the most of all of them.
Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State: 13 touchdowns in six games for the 5'7" star, who has name recognition after his performance against USC last year, and...well, he's got a cool name. However, the Beavers are yet to play any of the top teams in the Pac-10, so the jury's still out.
Mark Ingram, Alabama: getting more and more carries each week for arguably the best team in the country, Ingram went dark for three weeks after outrushing Ryan Williams in the season opener with 150 yards, but once Alabama started giving him 20+ carries again, he dropped 140 on Kentucky and 172 on Ole Miss. If those carries continue and Alabama keeps winning, he may become the frontrunner.
Noel Devine, West Virginia: another guy with name recognition, Devine blasted Colorado for 220 for the best individual game of any of these candidates, and put 128 and 3 scores on Auburn in a losing effort. The Big East will allow lots of opportunities for yards but few opportunities for an audience to appreciate them.
Others: *The nation's four leading rushers that play for Stanford, Fresno State, Pittsburgh and Marshall, plus John Clay at Wisconsin, and Jahvid Best (Cal) and Jonathan Dwyer (GT) if they turn in huge performances in the second half to make up for poor play against good teams.

Hardesty will get a huge opportunity against Alabama, in a game where he may be leaned on more than the Vols did against Auburn or Georgia. Against Ingram and against an Alabama defense that leads the conference in rushing yards allowed (65.7 per game, 2.3 per carry) Hardesty can make a real statement.

From there, he'll have a chance to pad his stats against the Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky defenses of the world. He's already on pace to run for almost 1,500 yards (counting a bowl game), which means we can also talk about the UT single season record (1,464 yards by Travis Stephens in 2001).

Hardesty has played well enough to put himself in the conversation. Against Alabama and for the rest of the year, he'll have a chance to continue to be the go-to guy for this offense, to chase the best single season in Tennessee football history, and to be one of the best running backs in the nation.

Well…We’re Movin on up

MBoz126 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:15:02 -0000

These are players I have been amazed by at some point of this young season. Feel free to inform me of players you feel should be on here, because I’m open ears at this point of the season.

Ryan Matthews
Fresno State- Running Back
NFL Comparison - Ryan Grant

At 220 pounds, Matthews is a tough runner, that is capable of cracking a huge run on any carry. I’ll admit I didn’t know who he was until I watched the Wisconsin game a few weeks back.

The nation's leading rusher has put up 592 yards in the first four games this season. He has five runs of 55 yards or more. In week three vs. Boise State, he ran the ball 19 times for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns (69, 68 and 60 yards). This last week, Matthews showed he is more than capable of handling the work load, with 40 offensive touches. He finished with 177 total yards of offense, verse a tough Cincinnati defense. Keep your eye on Matthews this season, because I don’t see him slowing down a bit. Fresno has a very weak remaining schedule, so Matthews should finish with some huge 2009 numbers and have a decision to make about his future.

Eric Norwood
South Carolina - Outside linebacker
NFL Comparison - LaMar Woodley

Norwood is a player I thought had the talent to leave early last year, but he has put himself into position to land a much fatter paycheck in the 2010 NFL draft. I decided to wait until the Ole Miss game to make my final evaluation of Norwood before I put him on this list. He came into the game with 4 sacks and a pick for six. He dominated the Ole Miss offense. He added two more sacks (6 on the year), partially blocked a punt, and commanded a double/triple team the rest of the game. Eric Berry is my favorite player in all of football, but I won’t be a bit surprised if Eric Norwood is the SEC player of the year. Big props to my man Mocking Dan…He gave everyone a huge heads up last week….This guy is a player.

Alterraun Verner My NFL Mock Draft- #32 to the Pats
UCLA- Cornerback
NFL Comparison - Asante Samuel

Yes, I’m still big on Verner. More than likely Verner is a zone guy. He reads routes well, and is the type of corner that likes to look at the QB in his back pedal. Verner has had 3 picks in the last two games, with a nice 24 yard average on returns. Corners like Verner don’t usual go in the first or second round, but I am one that feels this guy will perform well at the next level. I don’t feel this class is stacked at the position, so he has a chance to sneak up on draft boards.

Marshawn Gilyard
Cincinnati- Wide receiver
NFL Comparison- Eddie Royal

After the first four games, Gilyard has 32 catches, 442 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also has a punt return for a touchdown. He is a very explosive player that knows how to get open. I had him ranked higher than most before the 2009 season, but I'm even higher on him now, as continues to make plays every time I see him. I agree with Mocking Dan, that he probably isn’t a number one. I still think because of his return ability and the need for an explosive receiver, he will land in the first or very early second round. I think he will be an Eddie Royal/ Santonio Holmes type of player at the next level.

Keep an eye on

Montario Hardesty
Tennessee- Running back NFL Comparison- Julius Jones

Hardesty is a hard runner. He has made it very hard for prized freshman Bryce Brown to steal carries. No one in the country has run harder or done more for his team than Hardesty. Playing in an offense that has no chance of stretching the field, Hardesty’s hard nose running has put him seventh in the nation in yards (485). After battling knee injuries, this guy has proven he is worthy of being evaluated by NFL teams. If he continues to impress verse the tough SEC teams, Hardesty could be a big surprise when it comes to draft day evaluations.

DeAndre McDaniel
Clemson- Safety NFL Comparison- Antonie Bethea

Capable of covering a ton of ground, McDaniel caught my eye early in the Thursday night game vs. GTech week two. He plays the deep ball well, and has great hands for a defensive back. With four picks in 2009, McDaniel has shown he is more than just a ballhawk. He has 35 tackles in the first four games and shown he can deliver big time hits. The safety class in loaded in the 2010 draft, but if McDaniel continues his impressive play, he might leave early and be worth a high 2010 draft pick.