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Clay rushes for 121 yards, two TDs in Champs Sports Bowl win
CBSSports.com wire reports
December. 29, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla — All that Miami speed was no match for the big, bad Badgers.
John Clay had 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns, powering No. 24 Wisconsin past 14th-ranked Miami 20-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl on Tuesday night.
Clay ran through, over and around the Hurricanes to help the Badgers (10-3) earn their first victory over a ranked opponent this season and claim a big win for the Big Ten.
Scott Tolzien threw for 260 yards, and Montee Ball added 61 yards rushing for a Wisconsin team touted as too big and too slow for the dynamic Hurricanes.
Miami's Jacory Harris struggled before throwing a touchdown pass to Thearon Collier with 1:22 remaining. The Hurricanes recovered the onside kick, but Harris threw incomplete on fourth down to end any hope of a comeback.
Harris, who threw for 188 yards, was slowed by an injured right thumb, brace around his left leg and a Badgers team that smothered him with four sacks. Miami also lost Graig Cooper to a right knee injury in the second quarter.
The Hurricanes (9-4) will have to wait at least another year to end their drought of 10-win seasons. The Badgers made sure of that. Even if they didn't show it at the start.
Cooper took a reverse from Sam Shields on the opening kickoff, zipped up the middle, then cut down the left sideline for a touchdown. But an illegal block in the back on the play returned the ball to the Wisconsin 16-yard line.
Cooper was credited with an 84-yard return, a Hurricanes bowl record. He had a 16-yard touchdown run on the next play that gave Miami the lead 23 seconds into the game.
That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Badgers.
Their big and bulky lines bullied the speedy Hurricanes, whose all white jerseys -- almost all complete with long sleeves on the brisk 50-degree night -- parted to a sea of Wisconsin red on both sides of the ball.
Clay had all sorts of seams to run through, and he bulldozed his way to the rest of his yards.
The Big Ten offensive player of the year ripped through a hole for a 52-yard run, and followed that with his second 3-yard TD run of the game to put Wisconsin ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. The Badgers would then add a 37-yard field goal by Phillip Welch.
But they blew a chance to send Miami home early.
Garrett Graham caught a 20-yard pass at the Hurricanes 5, fumbled after a hard hit by Brandon Harris and the ball was recovered by Miami's Randy Phillips in the end zone.
The Hurricanes never could take advantage.
Harris later fumbled after being sacked by O'Brien Schofield with 7:49 remaining. The ball was recovered by J.J. Watt.
The Hurricanes tried to rally late, but Harris' errant pass to Collier on fourth down ended Miami's hopes of its first 10-win season since 2003.
Only adding to Miami's offseason problems was Cooper's nasty fall.
He took a second-quarter kickoff 27 yards before he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground on the patchy Florida Citrus Bowl field. He clutched his right knee on the ground and was examined by trainers for about 5 minutes.
Cooper was barely able to stand as he was helped off the field by teammates Javarris James and Damien Berry. He did not return.
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UCLA downs Temple for first winning season since 2006
CBSSports.com wire reports
December 29, 2009
WASHINGTON — Sure, Temple was playing its first bowl game in 30 years, but what about those Bruins from UCLA? They were playing in the school's first cold-weather, East Coast bowl on a field so icy it caused the coaches to change the game plan at halftime.
Wearing those soft blue and gold hues that don't look right in subfreezing weather, UCLA rallied from a two-touchdown, first-half deficit Tuesday to spoil the new bowl kids' day, beating Temple 30-21 in the EagleBank Bowl.
"I know they were saying the West Coast Cali boys were going to be soft and used to surfing and things like that," linebacker Reggie Carter said. "I'm not going to lie; it was cold. But football is football, the field is still 100 yards long and we still played. They ran the ball; we stuffed it. We got the victory, so hopefully they can never say we're soft. We were down 21-7, and you never seen us quit."
Akeem Ayers returned an interception 2two yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and UCLA's defense allowed Temple to complete only one pass in the second half. The Bruins (7-6), completing their second season under coach Rick Neuheisel, finished with a winning record for the first time since 2006.
"It's a start," Neuheisel said. "The pendulum was sitting right in the middle; we were 6-6. This was going to determine what kind of season we had in the eyes of a lot of people. Now we're a winning team in 2009, so the expectation is they're going to take a notch forward. ... We want to start collecting these wonderful trophies and memories that college football provides."
UCLA's mini-slump of losing seasons paled next to the decades of futility endured by the Owls (9-4), whose only previous bowl appearances in school history were the inaugural Sugar Bowl in 1935 and the Garden State Bowl in 1979. But Temple coach Al Golden has engineered a four-year turnaround after inheriting a program that went 0-11 in 2005, exciting a fan base led by No. 1 alum, comedian Bill Cosby.
"It's definitely come a long way," senior safety Dominique Harris said. "We've been through a lot together. We've been through a one-win season, four-win, then it just built up. To end it the way we did, we wish we could have won this game, but at the end of the day we did have a successful season."
The temperature was 32 at kickoff with the wind chill was 19. Still, both teams said they were less affected by the cold and more by a field Neuheisel described as "an ice rink." One of UCLA's halftime adjustments was to run plays that required little or no change of direction.
"The icy field affected everything we did," said fullback Chane Moline, who benefited with a straight-ahead running style that produced 69 yards on 15 carries.
The biggest difference was a UCLA defense that limited Vaughn Charlton to 1-for-7 passing for six yards with two interceptions in the second half. Charlton's strong practices gave him the starting nod over Chester Stewart, who had started Temple's last four regular-season games, and the choice seemed like the right one when Charlton went 12 for 16 for 153 yards in the first half.
Temple also played much of the game without Bernard Pierce, who left after re-injuring his shoulder. Pierce ran for 1,308 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season, but he had only 12 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown on Tuesday -- all in the first half.
The ice played a factor in the interception that gave UCLA the lead when the Bruins were trailing 21-20. Ayers slipped at the beginning of the play, but he recovered and found himself in the perfect spot to step in front of Charlton's screen pass and stroll into the end zone with 6:01 remaining.
"I didn't see him," Charlton said. "The kid came out of nowhere."
It was Ayers who also had one of the most amazing interceptions of the college football season in October, when he leaped to snag a pass in the back of the end zone in a loss to Oregon. Asked which play he liked better, he said "Both of 'em" before Neuheisel interrupted.
"This one," the coach said, "because we won the game."
The Bruins got a 2-point conversion, then added two more when Temple snapped the ball over its punter's head and out of the own end zone for a safety with 4:29 to play.
Kevin Prince completed 16 of 31 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Bruins. He had a 46-yard TD throw to Nelson Rosario, who made a juggling catch down the left sideline in the first quarter, a play set up by Terrence Austin's 47-yard punt return.
In the second half, Austin caught a fourth-and-1 pass in the flat and took it 32 yards up the right sideline for a score. Temple tried to answer, but Matt Brown was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the UCLA 9, and Bruins sophomore Rahim Moore's 10th interception of the season ended another Owls drive. Moore leads major college football in interceptions.
The game drew 23,072 to RFK Stadium, a decline of more than 5,000 from last year's inaugural game. Organizers had to dig deep for participants because the original matchup -- Army vs. an Atlantic Coast Conference team -- didn't pan out because Army finished with a losing record and the ACC lacked enough bowl-eligible schools.
But UCLA and Temple weren't complaining -- not even in the cold.
"Some of our best players are young players," Golden said. "We're excited about the direction we're going. ... To go toe-to-toe and mix it up with that kind of team, we haven't been able to do that."
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Griffin thinks Berry will head to NFL after bowl
CBSSports.com wire reports
December 29, 2009
ATLANTA — Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin believes Eric Berry will play in the NFL next year.
Virginia Tech is just trying to figure out what position Berry will play on Thursday night.
Berry, a junior safety, could play his last game for Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia Tech. He is projected as a high first-round pick if he enters the NFL Draft. Most mock drafts list Berry among the top five picks.
Berry said the draft decision is "kind of made." He said he wants to play the bowl game in his Atlanta hometown before he discusses his plans.
"I want to focus on Virginia Tech," he said.
Virginia Tech's biggest concern is following Berry on the field. He has 14 career interceptions but the safety often plays in the middle of the defense like a linebacker.
"We've asked Tennessee to put a little red light on top of Eric and so we'll know where he is all the time," Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring joked Tuesday. "They haven't really gotten back with us to let us know if they're going to do that."
Berry (5 feet 11, 203 pounds) is an effective run-stopper. He is second on the team with 83 tackles, including six for losses.
"From what I've seen they use him more like a linebacker, putting him in the box," Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. "He's a big hitter. He's strong in defending the running game.
"We know he can run the field and he does cover the field well. But as far as the tapes I've seen, he's down playing linebacker and he gets to the ball quick."
Free safety? Strong safety? Linebacker? Nickel cornerback? Return specialist? Berry has filled each role, and Kiffin said the junior's versatility will pay off big in the draft.
"What Eric has done such a remarkable job of is the ability to do so many different things and to put that on film," Kiffin said. "Your film is your resume. ... You're going to have to do the things that the NFL wants to see when they come to watch your film.
"Eric's played man-to-man coverage, we've blitzed him, he's played back in the middle and he's played down. So to be able to do all those things and then also to play on our special teams as many snaps as he has, he's created a lot of draft value for himself."
Berry smiled as he heard Kiffin add "I would think he'd go extremely high -- whenever he leaves."
When making a bowl appearance in Atlanta earlier this month, Kiffin said "I would anticipate him probably not being with us next year."
Kiffin said he won't try to convince Berry to return for his senior season.
"This may be the only conversations that I don't recruit in, is with these guys because it's too important for them to make the right decision," Kiffin said. "This isn't about me and it's not about Tennessee. This is about Eric and Eric's family."
Kiffin said he advised the junior to seize the NFL opportunity.
"I told him from my perspective he's done everything he can do," Kiffin said. "If he wants to go, this is the time to go. I would never want to hold someone back from that, because it would be real hard to live with yourself if you tried to convince someone to stay and then something happened to him injury-wise and they weren't able to get what they had worked so hard for."
Berry said he has been thorough in studying his options.
"I really just wanted to make sure there was no stone unturned," he said. "I sat down with coach Kiffin and talked about it and talked with my family and talked with some of my close teammates and friends about the whole situation. I wanted to make sure I weighed every possible scenario or situation that could happen."
Berry won the Jim Thorpe Award honoring the nation's top defensive back earlier this month. He was a first-team All-America selection by the Associated Press.
Kiffin said it's a compliment to Berry that he won the Jim Thorpe Award even though only two of his 14 career interceptions came this season. He had seven interceptions in 2008 to lead all FBS players.
The 14 interceptions rank fifth in school history and third among active NCAA players.
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Georgia drops Texas A&M 44 - 20 in Indy Bowl
By Chris Talbott
December 29, 2009
SHREVEPORT, La. — Mark Richt spent most of the season worrying about the Georgia defense. With only one full-time defensive assistant still on staff entering the Independence Bowl, Richt had reason to be even more concerned.
Then the beleaguered Bulldogs defense picked off two passes by Jerrod Johnson to end Texas A&M threats in the third quarter Monday, and allowed only two touchdowns against one of the nation’s hottest offenses in a 44-20 victory.
“I think we probably need to start out by saying what a fantastic job our defensive coaches did,” said Richt, who made the long anticipated move of firing defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and two other defensive assistants after the regular season.
They declined Richt’s invitation to stick around through the bowl.
“We just wanted to show the world that even though we lost most of our coaching staff we could still come out and play,” said defensive end Geno Atkins, who blocked a field goal.
Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Rod Gardner, a former all-SEC player from Auburn who’s been at Georgia (8-5) since 2005, stepped into the void with some help from graduate assistants Mitch Doolittle and Todd Hartley.
Richt set the parameters—keep it simple and familiar—and the coaches took it from there.
“It’s satisfying to see young coaches get an opportunity and do what they were able to do,” said Richt, who is still searching for replacements. “One of my big concerns was how the players were going to react to the young coaches and the situation, and there was never a moment when I felt like the defensive players didn’t rally around all of that.”
Georgia’s defense was stingy early, holding Texas A&M (6-7) in its own territory for much of the first half. It took a couple of big special teams plays after Johnson took the Aggies down for their first score with 2:33 left before halftime.
Brandon Boykin took the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, setting a school record and tying the SEC mark held by Tennessee’s Willie Gault.
“The kick return that I had I really couldn’t take credit for that,” Boykin said. “The kick was short and my blocking, I felt like it parted just like the Red Sea.”
The return hardly qualified as a miracle, but it was just what the Bulldogs needed.
Fifty-six seconds later Georgia blocked a punt, setting up another touchdown, and a game that was supposed to be an offensive showdown turned into yet another contest decided by the unit most folks usually forget about.
“The bottom line is you’ve got offense, defense and special teams and you hope to win 2 out of the 3 phases,” Richt said. “We could’ve been down 14-0 if it weren’t for the special teams and who knows what would’ve happened after that.”
Georgia blocked two kicks and Joe Cox threw his first touchdown pass after the snap sailed over the Texas A&M punter’s head in the third quarter. In all, special teams play led to 24 points for the Georgia, which also got a 49-yard field goal from Blair Walsh.
“It was a huge swing,” Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. “When you talk about the kickoff return, the ball sailing over our punter’s head, the blocked punt, the blocked field goal, there’s 24 points there possibly. Special team miscues was a huge part of the game that you can’t get back.”
Cox hit offensive MVP Aron White on touchdown passes of 24 and 2 yards in the second half and the Bulldogs scored a bowl record 30 points in the final two quarters for their fourth straight postseason victory.
It was the fourth straight postseason loss for the Aggies, who have not won a bowl game since 2001.
Christine Michael scored from 14 yards out on Texas A&M’s first drive of the second half and seemed to have the Aggies rolling again. Their next three drives were disastrous, though.
The first ended on the botched snap over the punter’s head, which gave Georgia the ball at the Texas A&M 24. Three plays later, Cox hit White with a touch pass down the middle of the field with a rusher in his face to make it 24-14. Johnson threw interceptions on consecutive drives after that.
Georgia was unable to score the first time, but Reshad Jones’ 59-yard interception return on the second gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Aggies 28.
Five plays later, Cox faked the handoff from the 2, rolled right on a naked bootleg and found the wide-open White in the right corner of the end zone for a 31-14 lead.
Caleb King, who scored twice, and Shaun Chapas tacked on rushing scores in the fourth quarter to pad Georgia’s lead and gave the Bulldogs a share of the bowl record with six touchdowns scored.
The Bulldogs improved to 7-2 in bowls under Richt. More importantly they salvaged some joy from a season that didn’t go as expected.
“With the year we had it could’ve ended up a lot worse if we’d lost this game,” Cox said.
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