My First Attempt At a Dynasty - Army 2003 Season

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob (The Reporter): Congratulations on your first win as a head coach!

Brian: Thanks, I promised all of the Army fans that we would improve on last year's record and we will. Furthermore, we will grow together as a team and become more complete athletes and will continue to be first class men.

Bob: What do you think was the difference between this week and last week when you lost to UConn 34-17?

Brian: Well, #5 our QB made much better decisions with the ball. We didn't air it out as much, but when we did he made great throws. By the way, I just got word that his injury is not too serious as only the big toe is broken. The other big difference was #30 our halfback. He made some great runs. They weren't big yardage runs, but he got 2 or 3 yards when we really needed it. Finally, number 18. He is such a big wide receiver, that he gives us a good target. He didn't have a lot of catches today, but the punt return for 94 yards which set up our 2nd touchdown was big.

Bob: Yeah, I was very impressed with 18, he has really improved as a punt returner.

Brian: Yes, he had 3 good punt returns which were all important in the battle of field position.

Bob: Talk about your defense a little.

Brian: Well the interception at the end of the game was nice as it made the scoreboard appear less close then this game actually was. Also, our fumble recovery in the 4th quarter really helped a lot. Our LB #40 has such good instincts.


Bob: We just got word that Rutger's Starting QB had his shoulder seperated on that play in the 2nd quarter and will miss 7-10 weeks. Your thoughts?

Brian: Well the sack was nice and clean. I know some people might complain that our DE drove him down hard, but it was a clean hit and tackle. Of course, I'm sorry to see the young man hurt and I hope he has a quick recovery. You know, I'm not sure it would have been the same type of game if he stayed healthy.

Bob: Speaking of QB injuries, do you worry about throwing #7 out there. He only weighs a buck sixty and he got crushed out there a few times today.

Brian: Bob, you should know better. He is a young man who is well sculpted. He can take the punishment, but of course I worry whenever our offensive line gives up that many hits on the QB. We will work on that in practice this week.

Bob: What do you think you will have to do to win next week's game?

Brian: Well Tulane has a solid team just like Rutgers, but I believe if we can run the ball again this well next week, then we can beat them.

Bob: Thanks for your time.

Brian: Your welcome.

Bob: Alright fans, the final score is 35-14 Army over Rutgers. The stars of the game are the tandem of HB's #30 and #25 with 84 yards and 2TD for #30 and 54 yards and 2TD for #25. We will be back again next week with all of the highlights of Army Football.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well, here we are again after another great Army win, 38-20 over Tulane. Coach, how does it feel to win your second game and come through on your promise to beat last year's win total?

Brian: Obviously, it feels great. But this is just the start of a long road to improve and bring back the proper glory to this great program.

Bob: You told me you were going to use the ground game and you did, but what a great passing performance from your QB. But, he got hurt again at least temporarily, do you think you should stop running him on options and attempt to keep him in the pocket? Also, did you ever consider keeping him out of the 2nd half?

Brian: Well, the option is an important part of our game. #30's 85 yard run came on an option pitch from our QB. As far as the injury to our QB, the pocket is just as dangerous as scrambling and we all know this is a violent game. We just have to go out there and play, fortunately he just had the wind knocked out of him and he went on to have a great game. What were his stats (checks his board): 11 of 13 for 219 yards with 3TD and 0 INT. Obviously #18 was a big part of our success today, he made some great run after the catch moves, but #5 played a smart game running when nothing was there. I won't change that.

Bob: Point well taken, they controlled #18 for the kick and punt returns, but he had some incredible runs after the catch. What did you see out there that made you decide to go to him?

Brian: Well he is a solid 5'11" and the CB on him was 5'8" and I thought we had to exploit the height advantage. The first long catch (87 yards) was a great read and recognition on the blitz. Perfectly thrown jump ball that 18 jump outbattled for and then he broke the tackle and turned on the speed. The second long catch wasn't a very good throw, but fortunately their CB just didn't play it well and 18 again broke the tackle. He finished the game with (checks his clipboard again): 3 catches for 155 and 2 TD. If we get those kind of mismatches with single coverage again in the future, I expect we will take advantage of them.

Bob: Well, you've certainly helped the offense, what about the defense?

Brian: I have to give all of the credit to my defensive coordinator. He knew Tulane had a potentially explosive offense, so he called a lot of cover 2 zone defense. It worked for the most part, except for a couple of bombs they completed. I also can't say enough about our FS #21. He has been an unsung hero of this defense, with lots of big hits on WR's over the middle preventing them from catching the ball. Today he had a big game.

Bob: I agree. He is the player of the game today with 8 tackles, 2 INT, 1 Forced Fumble and 1 Fumble Recovery. Our other star of the game is #18. We will join you next week with the highlights of the next Army Football Game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well fans here we are again after another exciting win! Army pulled this game out over previously undefeated USF to win 24-14! Let's talk to the coach. Coach before this game everyone was talking about USF's QB #14 and how he had 1000 yards with 8TD and 4INT in 3 games. How did you stop him?

Brian: (laughs) Actually we didn't really stop him. If you noticed, he had over 350 yards passing on us. We got lucky and made some key turnovers in the red zone. That was the key today. Anytime we get 5 turnovers and don't give up any, I expect us to win. This even applies to a top notch team such as USF. The first two interceptions were not even 14's fault. He threw the first ball perfectly and his WR tipped the ball right into #38's hands. #38 is a heck of a corner. On the 2nd interception, #21 crushed the receiver tipping the ball up into #38's hands again. Only the 3rd interception was the QB's fault because he panicked and was trying to make a play. We are fortunate their top WR was out with an injury. We also were fortunate that their WR's fumbled the ball twice inside the 20. Of course, we hit hard! That made those plays happen and I'm proud of our guys.

Bob: Yeah, you really made them pay for their catches with hard hits. However, your team absorbed a couple of hard hits too. Any word on your Tight end #85?

Brian: Well as you know, he made the touchdown catch but was driven into the turf hard. Unfortunately, our doctors believe he may have a broken clavicle, but we won't know for sure until the X-rays our back.

Bob: You lost your other TE (83) on a latter special teams play. Any word on him?

Brian: We don't know his status either. Fortunately, we don't rely on our Tight End's to catch too many balls, but you always hate to see good young men hurt.

Bob: You really ran the ball a lot tonight, it may be surprising to fans who thought you were going to use the spread attack more this season. Any comment on this?

Brian: Well, when you are going against such a good QB, you need to keep the ball out of his hands. We ran the ball 43 times to keep possession of the ball. #30 didn't get us many big gains, but he kept the chains moving.

Bob: Yeah, you worried about using him too much? He had 28 carries for 99 yards, but he looked very tired at the end of the game? How come we didn't see #25 more.

Brian: Well as to the first question, he is a healthy strong young man who has plenty of ability and can easily carry it 30 times in a game if we need him to do so. As for #25, you saw it tonight, Turnovers can win or lose a game. #25 fumbled early, even though we got it back, he needs to work on ball control or he won't play. It's that simple.

Bob: Well coach, any comments on next weeks opponent, TCU, you are playing in their stadium in Fort Worth and they are 4-0.

Brian: They are a tough team, and they will be a real challenge for our team. But I like our chances and I feel we are going to go there and compete real hard. Hopefully, we will come home with a win.

Bob: Thanks for your time Coach. Well fans, our stars of the game are the running back #30 with 28 carries for 99 yards and 2TDs to go with his 4 catches for 26 yards, and #38 the young corner back who had 8 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass deflections. Please join us again next week for Army Football!

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well fans, that was a disappointing game. TCU beat Army 42-21 to raise their record to 5-0 while Army drops to 3-2. We don't know if Coach is going to join us, but we will attempt to get him here for some thoughts. TCU came into this game with a top 5 rushing attack in the nation and a top 10 defense overall, and those numbers held throughout this game. Army couldn't get anything going against the 1st team defense as all of their points came in the 4th quarter against the 2nd team defense. That brings up an interesting point, fans. Do you think Coach was smart in leaving in his 1st team offense and defense when the game was clearly out of control and TCU was playing their 2nd and 3rd stringers?

Bob: Let's review the stats while we wait to see if Coach is going to make an appearance for us. TCU's young Sophomore QB threw the ball 15 times with 9 completions for 170 yards with 1TD and 2 picks. He also ran the ball 2 times for 7 yards. TCU's running backs as a group ran for 290 yards which is just under their average of 303 per game. Their star sophomore RB #30 ran the ball 15 times for 166 yards and 2 TD's. Their leading WR was #85 who had 3 catches for 89 yards. The statistical leaders of the defense were the Junior Cornerback #14 who had 2 interceptions and the strong safety who had 6 tackles.

Bob: Army's leaders were #5 the QB who had thrown the ball 34 times with 16 completions for 279 yards with 2TD and 3 picks. It is worth noting both TD's came against the second team defense in the 4th quarter. The leading rushes was the QB with 10 rushes for 40 yards, while their leading HB #30 had 12 carries for 10 yards. #18 was the only bright spot today as he had 7 catches for 182 yards including a 86 yard reception in the beginning of the 4 quarter where he broke 2 tackles and turned on the jets. He had 1 TD catch and the young sophomore number 11 had the other TD catch. The defense was led by the FS #21 who had 9 tackles, unfortunately most of them were deep in the secondary and none were for a loss. The junior cornerback #38 had a pick to continue his strong season, although he did get burned for a 42 yard completion in the 1st quarter. We just got word, coach is going to join us for a brief visit.

Bob: Well coach, thanks for visiting us after this tough loss. Any bright spots in the game today?

Brian: Well our guys kept fighting until the very end. I'm proud of them for that. We got beat by a superior team today, but we didn't get outworked by them. We competed all day.

Bob: Coach, did you worry about injury when you left your starters in during the 4th quarter with the game obviously out of hand? What about the criticism if one of your stars got hurt during that time?

Brian: We had to build momentum even if it was against their second string defense. Injury can happen anytime during the game, so I don't worry about it more in the 4th quarter then say the 1st quarter. People can criticize me if they want for leaving the starters in, but I believe it was the right thing to do for our team's confidence going into next week.

Bob: I see. Coach what did you think of the early erratic throws by your QB?

Brian: He was overhyped at the beginning of the game and it showed. He started off 0 for 9. But he really settled down in the 2nd half. If the line had given him a little more time to think and throw, I think we could have made this game even closer. #18 continues to really impress me. He is a heck of a ball player.

Bob: Thank you for your time Coach, one last question: Any comment on your next game against Louisville in their stadium?

Brian: Well they are 4-1 and playing really good defense right now. They are going to be another very tough challenge. But I know our men will fight through this hurdle.

Bob: Thanks for your time coach. The stars of this game are TCU's HB #30 with 15 carries for 166 yards and 2TD, and Army's WR #18 who had 7 catches for 182 yards with a TD reception. Please join us again next week for Army Football.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well fans, another disappointing loss. The final score of this game was 49-14 Louisville over Army. Louisville increases it's record to 5-1 and Army drops to 3-3. The stat leaders for Louisville were #17 their Junior QB with 23 attempts and 13 completions for 321 yards with 4 touchdowns and 0 picks. The leading rusher was the big junior halfback #23 who had 7 carries for 42 yards with no touchdowns. Their leading receiver was the huge junior WR #9 who by the way is 6' 3" 215lbs approximately and he had 5 catches for 169 yards with 2 TD including a long of 80 yards where he broke through 2 tacklers and then turned on the speed. The leading defender was the MLB #54 who had 5 tackles and an interception.

Bob: The leaders for Army were the JR QB #5 who had 48 attempts with 23 completions for 318 yards. He didn't throw any touchdowns but he did throw 2 picks, both of which were in the redzone and 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. The leading rusher was #30 who ran the ball 13 times for 35 yards with 1 TD. The leading receiver was again #18 who is the lone bright spot today with 8 catches for 90 yards but no touchdowns. The leading tackler was the junior corner back #29 who tackled their receivers 8 times. Unfortunately, it was often after a big catch and gain. It is worth noting that he is only 5'9" and often was outjumped by Louisville's bigger receivers. Here comes the coach to give us his thoughts on the game.

Bob: Coach, that was a tough loss and now you are 3-3. Do you think you can produce a winning season like the local media was speculating two weeks ago?

Brian: Bob, you know I just take the games one game at a time. I'm disappointed with our lack of discipline today. We were beaten by a physically superior team, but we aided them with too many mental mistakes. I plan on having a very hard practice tomorrow to get our men in line.

Bob: What part of the team disappointed you the most?

Brian: Bob, it was a total team effort or lack thereof that was upsetting. Excuse me, but I gotta go.

Bob: Thanks for your time coach. We are going to have the half year in review show next. Please Stay tuned! The stars of this game were Louisville QB #17 and Army's WR #18. We will back with the half year in review after this message.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Greetings football fans. This is the half year in review show. You know me, and this is my usually silent partner Jay. Also, we have our expert analyst Larry. So Larry, what do you think of Army's Season so far.

Larry: Well let's review all of the stats.

First the QB's:

The Junior QB #5 has made the most of his talent with 161 throws in 6 games with 91 completions for 1250 yards and 7 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. That is a 56% completion rate. He has been sacked 11 times with countless more hurries. He also has run for 51 times for 223 yards with no touchdowns. Given his relatively limited speed, he has run well. He has only fumbled three times which is not terrible for a QB. I would give him a grade of a B-

His backup the slight sophomore #7 has not played enough to really evaluate but he is 6 of 10 for 71 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. His grade will be incomplete for now.

Moving onto the RB's:

#30 is a slow but shifty sophomore who has run mostly between the tackles with the occasional option pitch. He has gained 422 yards on 112 attempts. He has 8 TD's. However, he has fumbled the ball twice. He did break one long run early in the year for 82 yards but hasn't had any other runs longer then 20 yards. However, one must factor in his relatively week offensive line in determining his grade which is a B

#25 is a junior halfback who has an upright running style and unfortunately has been prone to fumbling the ball during practice this season. He has 22 carries for 78 yards and is mostly used when 30 needs a breather. He has managed to get 4 Touchdowns. He has fumbled the ball only once during an actual game, but it was a fumble that was costly. His grade is a C

Moving onto the receivers:

#18 has been an exciting player this year who has been a key part of the offense. He has caught the ball 25 times for 557 yards with 3 touchdowns. His average gain is 20.6 yards. His longest reception is 87 yards and he averages 7.3 yards after the catch. He breaks a lot of tackles. The only problem is he has dropped 4 passes this year. Otherwise he would get an A. Instead his grade is an A-

#11 is a big sophomore who is 6'1 and 196 pounds. He has 21 catches for 326 yards. His average per catch is 15.5 yards and he has 1 touchdown reception. His longest gain is 34 yards and he works the middle of the field particularly well with only 1 dropped pass. He averages 3.8 yards after the catch. His grade is a B.

#81 is a very big senior receiver who is 6'5" and 230 pounds. He has been underutilized this year in my opinion. He has 15 catches for 174 yards and has mostly been used as a 3rd or 4th receiver. He doesn't have much speed and he has only averaged 11.5 yards per reception but he is good at shielding defenders with his big body. He averages 3.5 yards after the catch. His grade is a B, but this is not entirely his fault as the coaching staff is not using him enough.

#19 is another big receiver who is a junior who is 6'6" and 203 pounds. He has not justified his place as the 2nd wide receiver with poor hands and poor routes. He only has 10 catches for 94 yards with 1 touchdown. He is only gaining 0.5 yards after the catch. Officially, they don't have him making many drops, but his routes are so poor that he isn't even getting his hand on the ball. I believe the coaching staff needs to drop him down on the depth chart. My grade is a D-

Finally, among the receivers we will talk about the Junior TE #85. He was having a spectacular first two games until he was injured. We all know coach used to be a tight end, and you can tell he really knows how to utilize this player. He had 6 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown before he broke his clavicle. He is expected back on the playing field in the next week or two. For now his grade is incomplete due to injury.

Now onto the offensive line: I'm going to talk about them as a group. They have been overmatched but they have fought hard. Simply put, they are not good enough. Too many pressures on the QB, too much scrambling needed by him to survive. They need to get bigger and stronger. Grade D-

Since, we are running out of time, and we need to move onto the rest of the NCAA football scene, let me take the time to talk about the defense as a group and then highlight one or two individuals. The defense as a group has not gotten enough pressure on the QB's. They only have 7 sacks in 6 games. They are giving up a lot of yardage and rank 96th in the NCAA in total defense. The only good thing is that they have caused 10 interceptions and recovered 3 fumbles. The junior corner back #38 has been the most consistent defender with 4 interceptions and 5 pass deflections.

Now after this commercial break, Bob, Jay, and I will break down the rest of college football.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back fans to the second part of our half year in review show. I'm here with Jay, my usually silent partner, and Larry our expert analyst. Larry who do you think is at the forefront of the Heisman race at this point?

Larry: Well Sports Illustrated believed that the University of Georgia Junior Quarterback David Greene will win it. He has thrown the ball 203 times with 126 completions for 1869 yards with 16 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. However, I really like LSU's sophomore halfback Joseph Addai. I know! I know! Sophomores rarely ever win the Heisman, but this kid is on pace for a possible 2000 yard season. He already has 193 carries for 999 yards with 13 touchdowns. He has only fumbled once. Also, he has 9 catches for 145 yards. The dark sleeper in this field is Chris Gamble of Ohio State. Defensive players rarely win, but Gamble is something special. He has 15 catches for 229 yards on offense with 4 touchdowns. He only has 1 interception, but he is taking away half of the field every single game. His kickoff returns have been solid if not spectacular with 7 returns for 133 yards and no touchdowns. However, his punt returns have been spectacular with 2 touchdown returns and 26 returns overall for 406 yard. His dynamic 73 yard return last week was special. He is a big part of the reason Ohio State is #1 in the polls.

Bob: Good point, which brings us to my next question. Who should be #1 in the polls right now.

Jay: (Sits silently)

Larry: Well, we have 9 undefeated teams at this point! Ohio State has played the toughest schedule to date and I believe they deserve to be #1 as they have a tough running game and a great defense. However, Miami also is playing excellent football. It is going to be close as to who is #1. Virginia Tech is also undefeated and some would argue that they should be #1. These are the only three teams with the aura about them to lay claim to the title at this point in my opinion. Other undefeated teams need to keep winning to move up. Georgia did have an impressive win against Tennesee last week but they need to keep winning. If they go undefeated, then they will make things very interesting. Michigan also had a great 34-14 win over Minnesota last week and if they can continue to go undefeated, well this BCS might get very messy.

Virginia is undefeated, but their wins have not been overly convincing to this point in the season and I would agree with the polls that place them 8th below the other teams. They barely beat Clemson last week! Nothing against Clemson, but they should have blown Clemson out secondary to their injuries if they really want to lay claim to the top spot in the polls.

Bob: What about Oregon State, they are 6-0, do they deserve to be 14th in the polls?

Larry: No, they deserve to be higher then Notre Dame who is 4-1, but we know how the voters love Notre Dame. But I wouldn't put Oregon State above Oklahoma and some of the other 1 loss teams. They need to play a tougher schedule. The win loss record of the other PAC-10 teams have hurt them.

Bob: Nebraska is 6-0, why are they 17th in the polls?

Larry: I just don't understand this. Nebraska is playing a hard schedule. They have been barely winning. For example they barely beat Mizzou 38-31 last week. But they are winning! Give them some love voters!

Bob: Finally, let's talk about Air Force, the biggest surprise to be undefeated?

Larry: Not really, they are a good team playing a weak schedule. I do believe Colorado State is going to be a wake up call for them next week. If they can somehow win that one, I will believe in Air Force and I would move them higher in the polls then #24.

Bob: Thanks for joining us Larry, let's put up the pertinent standings on the screen for our fans.

Coaches Poll:

1. Ohio State (34) 6-0
2. Miami (23) 6-0
3. Virginia Tech (1) 6-0
4. Georgia (1) 6-0
5. Michigan 7-0
6. Oklahoma 5-1
7. Kansas State 6-1
8. Virginia 6-0
9. Texas 5-1
10. Auburn 5-1
11. Notre Dame 4-1
12. Washington 5-1
13. Florida State 5-1
14. Oregon State 6-0
15. Pittsburgh 4-1
16. LSU 6-1
17. Nebraska 6-0
18. Purdue 5-1
19. Tennesee 4-2
20. NC State 5-2
21. USC 4-2
22. Maryland 5-2
23. UCLA 4-2
24. Air Force 7-0
25. Arkansas 3-2

Bob: Thanks to the whole crew for producing this show. Thanks to you football fans for watching. Please join us next week for our regularly scheduled highlights of Army Football. Good night.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: What an exciting game fans! Army beats ECU 28-26. This is one of the great games I've seen in some time! Of course, Army's kicker should have sealed the game with a minute left but he missed a 35 yard field goal kick wide left. ECU's QB ran an incredible 2 minute drill to drive down the field in only 45 seconds. Then, Army stops the 2 point conversion on the 1 inch line with a great tackle by their middle linebacker. What a game! The statistical leaders for Army are the QB #5 with 20 of 39 completions for 309 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. He also made several key scrambles for 1st downs. The leading rusher is #30 with 33 carries for 66 yards with 1 touchdown. The leading receiver is #18 with 5 catches for 76 yards but #19 finally broke out of his funk and had 4 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown reception. That was a great play with a wonderful downfield block by #18 to spring him for a 45 yard Run after the catch. The leading tackler was the junior cornerback #38 who had 7 tackles. The FS #21 led the team with 1 sack. There were no interceptions made by Army's defenders. The field goal kicker missed 2 from 35 and 38 yards.

Bob: The statistical leaders for ECU were the big junior QB #4 who completed 19 of 32 passes for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. The leading rusher was the senior halfback #33 with 10 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver was the senior wide receiver #7 with 5 catches for 111 yards and 3 TD. He really burned the secondary deep. The leading tackler was the senior strong safety #45 with 8 tackles. No one had a sack for ECU and no one had an interception for them either. They did not try any field goal kicks.

Bob: Here comes Coach now. Thank you for joining us coach. This was a great win today, but all the fans want to know, how is the right tackle #66. That looked like a brutal play in the 2nd quarter.

Brian: Well unfortunately, he was hurt pretty seriously. Their defensive tackle landed with his full weight on our kids neck at an awkward angle. The good news is he finally was able to move his fingers. But he will be in the hospital for a few days. Our main thoughts are for his health right now.

Bob: I understand coach, we are all sad to see when a player gets seriously hurt like that. What were the highlights of the day as far as you are concerned?

Brian: Well Bob, I thought our QB did a fine job of spreading the ball around. We had 5 receivers with at least 3 catches. That is a nice job ob ball distribution. I also liked how our secondary rebounded from that bad first quarter when they got 13 points. We really shut them down in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

Bob: Yeah, I thought that was a very drastic change from the 1st quarter. How did you do it?

Brian: Our defensive coordinator really developed some exotic zone blitzes that really seemed to slow them down. Certainly our cover 2 in the 1st quarter wasn't doing the job. Even though we didn't get many sacks the defense really put pressure on the QB for most of the game.

Bob: Speaking of spreading the ball, I noticed you used #81 quite a bit more, did you listen to our half year in review show?

Brian: Honestly, no. But our quartback might have.

Bob: One last question coach, I know you are anxious to get over to the hospital to see your lineman. What are your thoughts about next week's opponent, Cincinatti?

Brian: Well the thing that stands out about them, is that they are very good at creating turnovers. They are in the top 10 in the nation for turnover margin. So, we will be concentrating on taking care of the ball this week in practice. If we can win the turnover battle, I believe we can win the game next week.

Bob: Thanks for your time coach. The stars of the game are Army's QB #5 and ECU's WR#7. Thanks for joining us fans and please tune in next week for the Army Football post game show.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Hello football fans. Unfortunately, this was a disappointing loss for Army today as they were beaten by Cincinatti 48-24. Coach talked last week about the need to control the turnover margin, but Army lost that battle 3-1. The game was a tight game until the end of the 2nd quarter when trailing 17-10, #5 threw an interception right into the hands of a thankful Cincinatti defender who returned the ball for 82 yards and a touchdown. That momentum turn devasted Army who never recovered in the 2nd half. The running game of Cincinatti really pounded the Army defense in the 2nd half as number #24 ran the ball 16 times for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns for Cincinatti. Cincinatti's QB also had a great game with 18 of 22 passes completed for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns with zero interceptions. They are our stars of the game tonight. Due to the severe thunderstorm delay in the 2nd half we are almost out of time. But I want to remind you to watch Army Football again next week and tune into our show for the postgame report. Army is now 4-4 and they will be playing UAB next week who is also 4-4. It will be a key game, if coach is going to give Army a winning record this season. Good night football fans.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well Army Fans, that was a disappointing loss to UAB 31-14. Our starting QB #5 injured his foot in the 3rd quarter and Army quickly seemed to fade from the game. Hopefully, he will be back soon and we will check with the doctors as soon as they have some news. Meanwhile, coach should be joining us in just a few moments I've been informed. Let's review somehighlights of the game as well as the statistical leaders. UAB jumped to an early 21-0 lead thanks to their option toss to their HB #34 who had two dynamite runs at the beginning of the game for 61 and 53 yards respectively, and each of them were for touchdowns. UAB then scored on a floater to the back of the endzone from their sophomore QB #4 to their big junior WR #87 to go up 21-0. At the end of the half, Army drove down the field but they could not run the ball in on 3 attempts despite being within the 5 yard line. They ran out of time before getting off a field goal attempt despite having a time out left! Army really mismanaged the clock at the end of the half folks. Then, in the 3rd quarter they played like they were on a mission as they intercepted UAB's first pass. Then, the junior QB #5 efficiently led them 25 yards with a strike to #19 in the back of the endqone. #19 made a great stretchedout catch for the score! Army, then promptly made another interception on their own 32 yard line. Again, nifty passing from #5 drove them down the field with a great long pass to #18 for a 1st down on the 1. #30 the halfback then pounded the ball into the end zone for the score. Then Army forced a punt from UAB, and #5 began working his magic again. Unfortunately, the shaky line play which had been causing #5 to hurry his throws all day, cost Army as #5 was sacked and broke a bone in his foot. Again, we do not know how many weeks he will miss at this time, folks. From there it was all UAB as the backup Army QB threw 3 interceptions and there were no more scores in Army's favor. Let's review the statistical leaders:

For Army, #5 threw 21 of 37 passes complete for 281 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. The leading rusher for Army was #30 with 12 carries for 38 yards with 1 TD and 1 fumble. The leading receiver for Army was the tall rangy #11 who had 8 catches for 139 yards with no touchdowns but 1 fumble. The leading tackler for Army was the junior strong safety #36 with 5 tackles. The leading playmaker in the secondary was the sophmore cornerback #29 with 1 interception.

For UAB, the leading passer was their starting QB #4 with 13 of 25 passes complete for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Their leading rusher was the aforementioned #34 with 9 rushes of 131 yards with 2 touchdowns. Their leading receiver was #10 with 4 catches for 76 yards. Their leading defender was the cornerback #35 with 6 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. Now here is coach.

Coach, what did you do differently in the 2nd half to bring Army back into the game, at least for a brief period of time?

Biran: Well, Bob, we really began running the ball just a little bit better in addition to our passing attack which was already being effective despite good pressure up front from their front 7.

Bob: Do you still think a winning season is possible?

Brian: I never promised a winning season, that was the media's speculation at the beginning of the season when we were winning our first few games. I promised improvement, which we have definitely made. I will continue to help these players improve as young men and as football players. I DO expect a winning season within the 3rd year. I've promoted a 5 year plan all along, and part of that plan is to have a winning record as soon as possible, but definitely by the 3rd year.

Bob: How serious is #5's injury?

Brian: We know that he has broken a bone in his foot, unfortunately. Our doctors have not determined how much time he will miss yet.

Bob: Will this affect your use of the option plays?

Brian: Obviously, he was our fastest athlete at QB. If he does play again soon, he won't be as fast as he recovers. Therefore, we certainly will not run as much option as before.

Bob: I know you have to go in a second coach, but what do you think are your biggest needs for next year?

Brian: I think it is too early to talk about next year. Talk to me after this year is over about that.

Bob: One final question coach, what do you need to do to win next week against your opponent?

Brian: We need to win the turnover battle. We haven't done that in our losses. Today we lost the ball 5 times, and we only took it from them twice. If we win the turnover war, I expect us to win the game.

Bob: Thanks for your time coach. Join us again next week Army football fans as the 4-5 Army team faces an 8-1 Air Force team in the Battle for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in Colorado!

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well Army football fans, this was a heartbreaking loss to Air Force 20-10. This was a close game throughout most of it. What a courageous performance by Army's QB #5, he played most of the game with a slight limp, but did he ever play. Let's review the highlights and statistical leaders.

Army started off with a strong defensive stand that help Air Force to a field goal. Army clearly was much better prepared for the option attack this week then last. On Army's first drive they drove down the length of the field only to get inside the 10 yard line and have a fumble on a pass over the middle by #18. He has had a great season, but this game was not a great game for him. Army played strong defense though with Air Force backed inside their 15 yard line and forced a punt which 18 returned for 20 yards to set up nice field position. Then, Army managed to run the ball into field goal position where #23 hit a 34 yarder that barely squeaked over the crossbar. This tied the game 3-3 which lasted into overtime as both teams played good defense in the 1st half. Then in the 2nd half, Army fumbled the opening kickoff, specifically #28 fumbled the ball. Air Force's potent ground attack took advantage and rumbled 21 yards on the ground for a 10-3 lead. Then, Army really did a nice job of driving down the field again with crisp efficient passing. #18 had a nice juggling catch on that drive. Unfortunately, #5 stumbled as he threw the ball inside the redzone and he threw a pick right into the arms of Air Force's Senior Cornerback #22. #22 wisely downed it in the endzone for a touchback. Army's defense held tight as the score remained 10-3 going into the fourth quarter. Then, at the beginning of the 4th quarter Air Force rumbled into field goal range and managed to hit another chip shot to make it 13-3. Army began pressing then, and #5 risked a rush where he actually made a 20 yard gain on his bad foot! Unfortunately, I think he tweaked something then. He continued to play, but he looked to be in pain. He managed to throw the ball to #19 who got the ball inside the 5. Unfortunately, #19 was hurt on this play. We are not sure how badly the wide receiver is hurt at this time. #30 the sophomore halfback ran the ball into the endzone behind good goal line blocking to make it 13-10. Unfortunately, this was the end of the scoring for Army as on their next possession #5 injured his thigh, or as I believe reexacerbated his old injury. Either way, he couldn't finish the game. #7 game into the game and he was too immobile a target for the tough Air Force Defense. Army attempted to convert a 4th and 3 with 2 minutes left that would have given them a chance to win the game, but with a lot of pressure up the middle #7 threw the ball over his intended receiver #18's head. That ended the game as Air Force had a short field to score the final touchdown to ice the game.

The statistical leader's for Army were the courageous QB #5 who threw the ball 26 times with 14 completions for 177 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Sophomore running back #30 led the ground game or lack there of with 13 carries for 34 yards with 1 touchdown. The leading receiver was #18 with 5 catches for 83 yards with no touchdowns. The leading defenders were the junior free safety #21 with 5 tackles including 2 for a loss, and the corner back #29 who had a sack.

For Air Force, the air game was an afterthought as their quarterback #11 threw the ball 9 times with 4 completions for a total of 26 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. However, the potent ground game remained true to form with #15 receiving many options pitches from the QB for 18 carries which netted 150 yards and 2 touchdowns. The leading receiver was also #15 with 1 catch for 15 yards. The leading defenders for Air Force were the strong safety #17 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception, as well as the senior cornerback #22 with 1 interception, and 5 tackles as well.

Coach unfortunately is unable to join us tonight. Hopefully, we will get to talk to him again later this week. Our stars of the game are Air Force's running back #15, and their strong safety #17. Good night and please join us again next week for the Army Football Post Game show.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: What an exciting game, and a heartbreaking defeat. Army drops to 4-7 against Houston who raises their record to 4-7. Army loses this game in triple overtime 38-35. #5 played courageously today, but you have to wonder if the injured foot cost Army the game. Let's review the highlights. Army scored on it's first drive with an efficient short passing attack. At the end of the drive 3 minutes into the game #5 rushed 3 yards for his first rushing touchdown of the season. Then, shortly thereafter the Houston RB #6 fumbled the ball and Army had another short drive which ended in a 9 yard run by the QB #5 for his second rushing touchdown of the season. It looked like all Army, until at the end of the 1st quarter #5 threw his first interception which seemed to breath life into Houston. Houston's prolific QB managed to drive the ball 45 yards in 3 quick passes for the score, and before you knew it Houston was on the march. Houston managed to intercept the ball again on Army's next drive which led to a quick 37 yard drive to tie the game 14-14 on a 5 yard fade touchdown pass from Houston's QB #16 to the huge wide receiver #86. They went into the half tied 14-14, but only because Army blew another chance to score right before the half ended. On a perfectly thrown ball by #5, 18 caught the ball, broke away from two tacklers and ran 28 yards before being caught from behind and fumbling the ball on the 2 yard line. Unfortunately, Houston recovered the ball. That was the second really costly fumble by #18 this season.

In the third quarter, Houston overpowered Army through the air with a quick efficient passing attack which culminated in a touchdown run of 3 yards by the big burly fullback #35. This gave Houston a 21 to 14 lead over Army. Army's quarterback attempted to scramble for a first down at the end of the 3rd quarter but he fumbled the ball away. Subsequently, Houston's backup running back #27 made a twenty yard scamper to make it 28-14 Houston. It looked like Army was done, but the QB #5 made a courageous throw where he was hit as he released the ball but not before the Tall sophomore receiver #11 caught the ball and broke two tackles to run 26 yards into the end zone. Army was back in the business. This led to a kickoff with 4 minutes left. Coach Isaacson trusted his defense and he kicked off to Houston. His defense did not let him down as Army forced a 3 and out. Unfortunately, Army subsequently was unable to complete a 4th and 3 and it looked like Army was done with 2 minutes left. Houston attempted to run out the clock but #6 fumbled the ball again!! Army, gained the ball on Houston's 33 yard line and efficiently moved down the field before #30 pounded the ball into the end zone with 7 seconds left on the clock.

Houston won the first overtime toss and chose to defend. Army's QB was unable to avoid a sack on 3rd and 4 that pushed them into the far reaches of their kicker's range. Coach decided to go for it on 4th and 10 but the QB's pass was dropped by #11 for what would have been a sure 1st down! Houston, went on the offensive, and on their third play they ran the ball with #6 and he fumbled a third time! Army recovered the ball to end the threat. In the second overtime, both teams traded touchdowns as Army's #30 ran his second touchdown into the endzone. Houston scored through efficient passing capped by a 1 yard rumble from their FB #35. This game was so exciting, could Army win it in their the third overtime. Unfortunately not, those of you who watched the game saw the sad floating duck that #5 threw as he was being hit by the defensive linemen. It was an easy interception which ended Army's Drive. Subsequently, Houston ran the ball twice for a first down and then kicked a chip shot to win the game.

Our producers are informing us that Coach will not be joining us tonight unfortunately. I think some fans will be calling for the benching of #5 until he is completely healed, despite his courageous play. Let's review the statistical leaders:

For Army, #5 was the leading passer with 28 of 45 passes complete for 286 yards with 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. He also rushed an amazing 11 times for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns despite his bad foot. The leading rusher for Army was the halfback #30 who ran the ball 27 times for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. The leading receiver for Army was #11 with 7 carries for 84 yards and 1 touchdown. The leading defenders were the junior cornerback #38 with 10 tackles, and the right end #95 with his first multisack game of the year with 2 sacks.

For Houston, the air attack was led by the very efficient QB #16 who passed the ball 31 times with 17 completions for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. On the season, he passed the 2500 yard mark and has 17 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions. The rushing game for Houston was the sophmore running back #6 who had 18 carries for 60 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 fumbles. The leading receiver for Houston was #86 with 4 catches for 44 yards and 1 touchdown. The leading defenders for Houston were the strong safety #29 with 10 tackles and an interception, and the middle line backer #33 with 8 tackles and an interception.

The stars of the game are Houston's Quarterback and their strong safety #29. This loss officially ensures that Army cannot have a winning record this year, but they still are going to fight for a win next week against the 7-3 Hawaii team. Hawaii's offense is 1st in the nation in total yards and pass offense so this should be a challenging exciting game for the Army secondary. We will see you next week here on the Army Football Post Game show. Good night fans.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well football fans, here we are after an improbably exciting Army win over Hawaii 42-28. This is a beautiful day in Hawaii and not just because of the weather. We will have coach joining us shortly, so let's recap the statistical leaders:

For Army, #5 came through in a big way with 18 of 27 completions for 342 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 7 times for 97 yards including a 52 yard lumbering run where he broke 2 tackles. He was the leading rusher for Army today. However, #30 also had 17 carries for 79 yards with 3 touchdowns and he caught one screen pass for 51 yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver was #18 who fumbled once but atoned for that fumble with 4 catches for 88 yards including a 36 yard play in which he broke a tackle to set up the first rushing touchdown. The leading defenders for Army were the strong safety #36 who had 6 tackles and 1 interception and the junior cornerback #37 who had 2 interceptions!

For Hawaii, their star QB #14 was held in check to some extent as completed 21 of 35 passes for 341 yards, but he threw 3 interceptions against 2 touchdowns. The leading rusher for Hawaii was their mighty mouse junior halfback #1 who had 13 rushes for 82 yards with no touchdowns. The fullback powered the ball into the endzone twice for Hawaii. Their leading receiver was their star senior wide receiver #19 who had 9 catches for 135 yards with 1 touchdown. Their leading defenders were the strong safety #33 who had 12 tackles and 1 interception which was returned 75 yards, and the senior cornerback #27 who had 4 defended passes and an interception. Here comes Coach.

Bob: Coach, how did you keep your team in the game after fumbling the ball on the 1st play of your first two possessions?

Brian: Well Bob, I'm really proud of the way our men didn't hang their heads. That was a devastating start to the game which gave Hawaii a quick 14 point lead, and believe me I was upset. But, I calmed myself and told our men that this was a long battle and if we didn't give up we would prevail.

Bob: Coach, a lot of fans were calling for you to bench #5. Did you ever consider doing it?

Brian: Well, I considered it last week only because I knew his foot wasn't healed completely. However, he is a leader of our team and he fought through the pain in practice this week. The doctors assure us he can't harm it any further by playing. Therefore, if he was cleared by the doctors, I was going to play him.

Bob: He really vindicated your decision to stick with him. He was making such good decisions on your option plays that you installed in the game plan.

Brian: Yes, he had a brilliant run on that one play although I worried about the hit he took at the 43 yard line, but he ran that defender over (laughing). He really played great except for the one pick at the end of the first half where we should have had at least a field goal.

Bob: What is happening to #18? This is three straight games with a fumble that has been costly.

Brian: Quite frankly, I am not sure. He is not injured. He is still making some great plays, but he needs to take better care of the football.

Bob: Coach, you can't make a winning season this year, but I'm sure all of the fans want to see you win your last game against Navy in Philadelphia. What are your thoughts on that game?

Brian: Well Navy has a diversified running attack that will be challenging. They already have 6 wins and they have improved drastically from past years. Whenever we play them it is almost always a great game. I have a lot of respect for them and their program and I'm sure they have a similar degree of respect for our program. I can't wait to play.

Bob: Thanks for your time Coach. The stars of this game are Army's Halfback #30 with 17 carries for 79 yards with 3 touchdowns and one reception for 51 yards with a touchdown and the QB #5 with 18 of 27 passes complete for 342 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 7 times for 97 yards including a big gain in the first quarter of 52 yards. Please join us again for the Army Football Post Game Show.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well fans, what an exciting way to end the year. Army had it's most complete game with a victory over Navy 42-10! Coach even played his 2nd and 3rd string players in the 4th quarter. Army beat Navy at it's own game with a strong running attack, thanks to their sophomore halfback #30 who made some really nifty runs and also ran over people when appropriate. Coach will be with us in a minute, but let's review the statistical leaders for each team.

Army's QB didn't throw the ball much today, but he did complete 12 of 17 passes for 147 yards with 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The leading rusher was #30 with 24 carries for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. The sophomore halfback showed that he has a bright future today. The leading receiver was the junior wide receiver as far as catches go with 5 for 59 yards. However, a big part of the offensive outburst was #17 the sophmore wide receiver who had only 2 catches for 30 yards but they were both touchdowns. He broke some big tackles out there today. The leading defenders were the junior cornerback #38 with 6 tackles and an interception. Also, #98 the defensive tackle had 3 big tackles and a sack.

For Navy, their vaunted ground game was shut down. Their senior quarterback #11 threw the ball 16 times with 8 completions for a total of 96 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. #11 was also the leading rusher with 6 carries for 36 yards. #34 who had been having a big season was held to 28 yards on 15 carries. The leading receiver was the junior #89 who had 2 catches for 29 yards. The leading defenders for Navy were the strong safety #14 who had 8 tackles including 2 for losses with a forced fumble and the junior cornerback #23 who had 6 tackles with 2 for losses. Coach is here.

Coach how did you dominate the game so well tonight?

Brian: It all came together, our defense played superb. Our offense really clicked and we even had a few big plays from our special teams. I'm really proud of the way our guys played tonight. #30 showed me some good power and shiftiness. Our Quarterback took good care of the ball and made some great throws.

Bob: You really leaned on the ground game tonight. Is this a preview of the future?

Brian: Well that really depends on what kinds of men we recruit this upcoming year.

Bob: Can you tell me about anyone you might have your eye on?

Brian: You know that would be against the rules. Perhaps you experts can figure out some of the people we might be recruiting, but I'm not going to tell you.

Bob: Coach, you managed 6 wins in your first year, quite a remarkable accomplishment considering the records of the past few years; what do you predict for next year?

Brian: I'm not going to predict any specifics. But, I guarantee we will continue to grow as a team and individuals.

Bob: Coach, thank you for your time, and we look forward to seeing all of your offseason recruits in spring practice.

Brian: You're welcome.

Bob: Well, that is all the time we have for now. Our stars of the game are #30 for Army with 2 big rushing touchdowns, and the Quarterback #5 who also threw 2 touchdowns. Join us for our next show which will be at the end of the bowl season where we will break down the year and review it. Thanks for tuning in fans!

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome sport's fans to our year in review show, where we not only review Army football but all of the big stories of this college football season! First off, let's introduce the team members. To my right is Jay, my usually silent partner. We also have Larry to his right, our expert Analyst.

Larry: Hello Bob and hello fans.

Bob: And to my left is our special guest Terry Shaw, he will provide further insight into many of the interesting stories of the year.

Let's talk about the national championship game first! What a great year Miami had. They went 13-0 this year. How did they do it Terry?

Terry: Skill, skill positions to be exact. They have high caliber players making big plays. The Sugar Bowl wasn't even close as they beat Ohio State in 52-16. Frank Gore sure played like an upperclassman in that game as he ran the ball 18 times for 88 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 3 receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown. Kellen Winslow also played like a man with 5 catches for 69 yards and a 2 big touchdowns. What an excellent offesive display by Miami this year.

Jay: (stares silently)

Larry: Miama had the 12 ranked offense this year with a total of 7,628 yards and a total of 6,358 yards of offense. The passing game produced 3,818 yards with most of that being produced by Derrick Crudup who threw 206 completions on 366 attempts for 3,241 yards with 30 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Jarrett Payton ran the ball most of the year for Miami and he was their leading gainer with 214 attempts for 1252 yards with 15 touchodowns, unfortunately, he tore his ACL just before the championship game. What a disappointing way to end his senior year, even though the team won.

Terry: Don't forget about Miami's defense. They played a big part in this year as well.

Larry: How can we forget about them! They were the #1 defense overall this year allowing a total of only 3552 yards all year long. Their pass defense was very impressive as they only allowed 1971 yards through the air all year. Their running defense wasn't ranked quite as high, but was a respectable 14th place in the nation with only 1581 yards given up. Furthermore, they allowed the fewest points per game in the nation at just 14.6 points/game. They were a truly dominating defense led by D.J. Williams the outside linebacker from California who had 86 tackles this year. Their defensive front was also led by Vince Wolfork, the mammoth defensive tackle who had 13 sacks!

Bob: Truly a great season, let's talk about some of the other teams which had great years.

Terry: I think you have to look at what Ty Willingham has done at Notre Dame. They are sure to finish 2nd in the final polls after an impressive game in which they beat Oregon State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl. They had an impressive 12-1 year and never looked back after that one loss.

Larry: You're right Terry. They did have an impressive year. I'm surprised that Coach has turned them around so quickly. Notre Dame really won this year through their ground game which is really no surprise. The offense ranked #35 overall in the nation with a total of 5318 yards of offense and if you factor in special teams they had 7080 yards for #33 in the nation. Their running game was 13th in the nation with 2961 yards. Their passing game was more pedestrian with 2357 yards good for 86th in the nation.

Terry: Yeah, Notre Dame will never be confused with BYU, but that is good too, because look at the Notre Dame Defense! They finished 20th in the nation and they were very solid in the red zone only giving up 16.2 points per game in total. That stat is good for 5th in the nation. Their running defense was the backbone of the team as their front seven played exceptionally well against the run. They only gave up 1367 yards on the ground which is 6th in the nation. Their passing game gave up some yardage but their defensive backs were 3rd in the nation with 24 interceptions throughout the year.

Bob: We need to take a commercial break. We'll be back after these messages.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back fans. Let's continue our year in review of the big stories. We don't have time to go over every team unforunately, so let's post the final poll as we project it.

#1 Miami (59) 13-0
#2 Notre Dame 12-1
#3 Virginia Tech 12-1
#4 Ohio State 12-1
#5 Kansas State 13-2
#6 Tennessee 10-3
#7 Michigan 11-2
#8 Arkansas 11-3
#9 Georgia 11-3
#10 Maryland 10-3
#11 Oklahoma 10-3
#12 Texas 11-3
#13 Oregon State 10-3
#14 UCLA 10-3
#15 LSU 10-3
#16 Georgia Tech 9-4
#17 NC State 9-4
#18 Pittsburgh 9-4
#19 Auburn 9-4
#20 Nebraska 10-3
#21 Florida State 9-4
#22 Minnesota 10-3
#23 Colorado 8-5
#24 Virginia 9-4
#25 Purdue 8-5

Bob: Let's also display the scores of all of the bowl games for the fans out there on the screen, please.

New Orleans Bowl - Southern Miss over North Texas 21-7
GMAC Bowl - Cincinatti over Marshall 45-28
Tangerine Bowl - Georgia Tech over Texas Tech 41-34
Fort Worth Bowl - Arizona State over Penn State 31-24
Las Vegas Bowl - Washington over Air Force 45-24.
Hawaii Bowl - TCU over Louisiana Tech 44-15.
Motor City Bowl - Northern Illinois over Ball State 44-31.
Insight Bowl - West Virginia over Washington State 20-17.
Continental Tire Bowl - Virginia over UCF 45-16.
Humanitarian Bowl - Toledo over Boise State 28-24.
Alamo Bowl - Oklahoma over Purdue 21-14.
Houston Bowl - Texas A&M over UAB 45-23.
Holiday Bowl - UCLA over Colorado 28-12
Silicon Valley Bowl - Fresno State over New Mexico 41-27
Sun Bowl - Wisconsin over USC 27-13
AXA Liberty Bowl - Colorado State over Louisville 48-34.
Music City Bowl - Auburn over Iowa 37-30
Independence Bowl - Nebraska over Mississippi State 41-10
San Francisco Bowl - UNLY over Syracuse 23-13
Outback Bowl - LSU over Minnesota 34-14
Gator Bowl - Florida State over Pittsburgh 31-17
Capitol One Bowl - Georgia over Michigan 49-25.
Peach Bowl - Maryland over Ole Miss 31-24.
Rose Bowl - Notre Dame over Oregon State 20-17.
Orange Bowl - Virginia Tech over NC State 42-21.
Cotton Bowl - Tennessee over Texas 31-24.
Fiesta Bowl - Kansas State over Arkansas 24-20
Sugar Bowl - Miami over Ohio State 52-16.

Terry: What an exciting couple of weeks of college football. I thought there were several big surprises. I truly didn't expect Virginia Tech to dominate so much against NC State. What was your biggest surprise Larry?

Larry: Certainly, I thought the national championship game would be closer between Ohio State and Miami. I knew Miami's defense was good but I didn't think they would be that dominate against another great opponent. I'm also surprised Ohio State's defense was beaten that badly.

Bob: Ok, we need to take another break. When we come back we will review the surprising Heisman decision and other awards. Please don't change that channel, as you won't want to miss these announcements.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back fans, Let's review the surprising Heisman winner.

Jay: (Stares Silently)

Terry: Well, I can't stand the suspense any longer. In a surprising decision, Northern Illinois Halfback Michael Turner won the Heisman! He ran the all an amazing 438 times for an even more amazin 2,769 yards breaking a school record for most yards in a season. He also had 24 catches for 366 yards. He had an amazing 6.3 yards per carry given the number of carries that is amazing. Furthermore, he had 26 rushing touchdowns and 5 receiving touchdowns. Yes, he didn't compete against some of the tough competition that some of the other finalists did, but you couldn't ignore his numbers. I would have voted for him too if I had a vote.

Larry: Yeah, he had an amazing year, but I feel the runner-up Fred Gibson from Georgia should have won it. He played against a much higher level of competition and had a pretty amazing 93 catches for 1470 yards with 12 touchdowns. His 80 yard reception against Florida won that game for them, and he had the better year because of the level of competition in my mind. Also, we can't forget his 49 kick returns for 1249 yards, that is a 25.5 average and his 1 touchdown return. He only dropped 3 passes all year. I think he should have won it!

Bob: You both make some good points, but I would argue that the voters got it right because Fred Gibson also had a much higher level of talent around him helping him with those stats. I think that is what hurt him in the end for the final vote. What did you all think about Daniel Davis of Kansas State who had a pretty big year with 395 carries for 1972 yards with 19 touchdowns but ended up third?

Larry: I think he did have a very nice year, but he played against some weak competion at the beginning of the year where he padded his numbers. He had over a 1/3 of his yardage in the first 2 games against inferior competition and I think the voters realized this.

Terry: I have to agree with you Larry, he didn't come up big enough down the stretch. That is the reason he didn't get more votes.

Bob: Let's move onto other awards. Given the controversy he had in the off season, is anyone surprised Maurice Clarett won the Maxwell award?

Terry: No, he had a great year with 340 carries for 2162 yards and he ran the ball into the endzone 20 times. That is going to get some voter's recognition.

Larry: I'm surprised, the Heisman voters obviously factored in his problems and left him off their ballots, I didn't think he would win any awards to be truthful. I really thought David Greene of Georgia would win it. He completed 270 of 444 pass attempts for 3,963 yards with a completion percentage of 60%. He also had 34 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. If that wasn't enough, he ran the ball 52 times for 128 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Terry: Ah, but he fumbled it 8 times including a heartbreaking loss earlier in the year. However, I do agree he had a great year, and I remind you I think he cost Fred Gibson some of those Heisman votes as the Georgia players split the vote some.

Bob: Good points, gentleman. Let's move onto the award for top QB.

Larry: Finally, the voters get it right and give this award to Georgia's own David Greene. He clearly deserved this over Michigan's John Navarre. John onlt had 22 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Both are worse then David. Also, he only completed 51% of his passes for 3131 yards.

Terry: I can't argue with your logic on this one. Pretty clear cut case here.

Bob: Maurice Clarett won the best running back award, but let's move onto the best wide receiver, which was a little bit of a surprise as well. Washington's Reggie Williams won the best wide receiver award.

Terry: This isn't too surprising, Reggie became the best receiver in college after Roy William's injury earlier in the season. Reggie had 103 catches! He also had over 2000 yards with 2,063 yards receiving! He also managed to catch 12 touchdowns. Those are some big numbers.

Larry: Yeah, but I would again argue he did it against inferior talent compared to Fred Gibson of Georgia who should have won it.

Terry: Come on, Reggie had better numbers in every category except for touchdowns.

Bob (chuckling): Ok gentlemen, let's keep this civilized and move onto the Bednarik award. We had another small suprise here as newcomer Fresno State has a major award winner with outside linebacker Bryce McGill of Bakersfield, CA.

Larry: Again, we have a player who put up gaudy numbers against lesser players winning an award. I'm very upset with voters this year.

Terry: You can't ignore these numbers. He was consistent every game with at least 7 tackles, and he finished with 108 tackles for the year with 18 tackles for a loss. He also had 9 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles forced, and 3 fumbles recovered. He was a dynamo on the field.

Larry: Alright, I will admit his numbers were better then anyone near him, but still..

Bob: Ok gentlemen, moving along, let's talk about the Thorpe award, where we had a sophmore winner in Texas Tech's Free Safety Vincent Meeks.

Larry: He had a great year with 85 tackles to go with 8 interceptions. He played an excellent center field. He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns and he forced 3 fumbles, and recovered 2 fumbles.

Terry: Yeah, none of the other finalists even approached his raw numbers.

Bob: Let's move onto the Groza award

Jay: We are actually going to talk about a kicker!?! We never talk about kickers.

Larry: Yeah, let's talk about Hawaii's own Justin Ayat. He connected on 29 of 33 kicks including a long of 50 yards. He was consistent and he was powerful. He also made all 39 extra points.

Terry: His runner-up was Georgia's Billy Bennett who connected on 30-38 field goals with a long of 51 yards for a slightly lower percentage. Billy also missed a key extra point earlier in the year that was blocked.

Larry: Yeah, I think this was just a case of the higher field goal percentage winning out.

Bob: Finally, let's talk about the coach of the year award. In another surprising move, the voters gave the award to Joe Novak who guided the surprising Northern Illinois Huskies to a 12-2 record. Their only losses were to Bowling Green and Ball State in the regular season, although they avenged the loss to Ball State in the bowl game.

Larry: I would have given this award to Tyrone Willingham. What he has done in resurrecting Notre Dame so quickly is truly amazing. Wait til he gets his guys in there, it will be scary.

Terry: I agree with you on this one, I would have given this to Tyrone as well. But, I must admit I'm very impressed with Joe Novak. It will be interesting to see how long he stays in Northern Illinois.

Bob: Well considering Michael Turner is now on his way to the NFL, my guess would be not long. We need to take a break. When we come back, we will analyze Army's Season in depth. Please don't change that channel.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back Fans, Let's review the season of our beloved Army Team. Coach Isaacson led the Army Black Knights to a 6-7 record including a 3-5 Conference USA record. Factoring in special teams Army finished 49th in the nation for total yardage with 6,721 yards. Total offense was also a respectable 59th in the nation with 4,845 yards. Army gained most of their yards through the air with 3,284 yards of passing for 28th in the nation. The ground game was more anemic until the last week or two and they finished with 1561 yards on the ground for 78th in the nation. 27 points a game put them at 58th in the nation. Their 16 passing touchdowns puts them at 70th in the nation. Their 31 rushing touchdowns puts them at 13th in the nation! They really pounded it into the endzone once they got within the 10 yard line. Thanks to decent mobility by their quarterback Reggie Nevels (#5) they only were sacked 24 times.

The team defense was also respectable, placing 43rd in the nation in total yardage allowed with 4,547 yards. They gave up the majority of these yards through the air as their passing defense was ranked 67th in the nation with 2,825 yards allowed. Their running defense was more stout with only 1,722 yards allowed good for 32rd in the nation. However, they did not do well in points allowed giving up 28.6 points per game for 79th in the nation. Their pass rush was too weak getting to the quarterback only 21 times which was 103rd in the nation. Despite the lack of pressure from the front 7, the secondary did make some plays as they had 17 interceptions, good for 21st in the nation.

Let's break down into individual analysis of each position.

First let's start with the Quarterback position:

Larry: Reggie Nevels (#5) played most of the year well, but he had a couple of rough stretches. He completed 219 of 390 passes for 3048 yards with 15 touchdowns versus 16 interceptions. This calculates to a 56% completion percentage. He also ran the ball 107 times for 482 yards with 2 touchdowns. He fumbled the ball 6 times during the year.

Terry: Yes, but you have to factor into how much pressure he faced. He didn't give up a lot of sacks. He kept a lot of plays alive with his feet.

Larry: I agree, I would give him a final grade of B- for this year.

Terry: I think this is a little harsh, because of his offensive line and their breakdowns I would give him a B.

Bob: Thank you gentlemen, let's move onto halfback. The leading rusher was Carlton Jones (#30). He ran the ball 242 times for 947 yards with an impressive 20 touchdowns. His longest run was for 82 yards. Our stat keepers note that he broke 74 tackles during the season, but he fumbled 5 times. 470 yards were gained after the 1st hit.

Larry: Ah, that is the key stat. He managed to gain 470 yards after the 1st hit! The line didn't give him much room, but he created plays. Especially, in the final game against Navy. I think he could become a really great back. As it is, he is a very good back. Let's not forget, he had 22 receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown, including that big 51 yard screen play. Army needs to get him the ball more next year.

Terry: I agree with that last statement. They also need to give him more creases to run into. If he gets a little room, he could be very dangerous.

Larry: I'll give him a B for this season.

Terry: I agree with that grade, since we are factoring in the lack of a good offensive line in front of him, but he really needs to work on taking care of the ball better next year.

Bob: Let's also look at the back-up running back, La'berrick Williams (#25). He had 40 carries for 128 yards with 8 touchdowns.

Larry: Well, he was a big weapon around the goal line. For that, I give him a B. Especially considering the aforementioned shortcomings of the O-line.

Terry: I agree. He frequently powered his way through his own man to make the short yardage play happen. He is quite a weapon in that situation. This tandem of running backs will be important to improvement next year.

Bob: Let's move onto the receivers. What can we say about William White (#18). He was spectacular most of the time, but he made some costly fumbles. He had 57 receptions for 1025 yards with a whopping 17.9 yards per catch. He only had 3 touchdowns however, and he had 6 6 fumbles.

Larry: The kid has to develop a better instinct for holding onto the ball inside the 10 where 3 of his fumbles occurred. He also has to do a better job of consistently breaking tackles. He had a couple of monster plays where he broke a tackle. If he can become consistent, he can be a BIG weapon for Army.

Terry: I'm not sure he is going to develop much more. He could, but it would surprise me. I just wish he would cover up the ball better. He cost Army a game or two, of course, he also made a lot of plays that set up those rushing touchdowns.

Larry: I give him a B-, too many fumbles to have anything higher.

Terry: I'll agree with that, but for a different reason. He didn't find the end zone enough. He needs to work on finishing off his runs after the catch with better control and better more consistent after the catch runs.

Bob: Let's move onto the next leading receiver, who really developed in the second half of the season. I'm talking about the sophomore Blaine Cooper (#11). He had 51 catches for 819 yards and 5 touchdowns. He only fumbled once and he only had 3 dropped passes all year.

Larry: I said on the previous half season special that this player really worked the middle of the field well, and he kept this up all season. He held onto the ball despite taking big hits. This kid isn't the fastest, but he is big and strong and he makes plays and holds onto the ball. I see this kid becoming a big time receiver next year.

Terry: I'm not sure about that last statement, but I agree he had a nice year. He really was the most reliable receiver for Army, and he found the endzone the most among the receivers.

Larry: I give him a B+ with room for growth.

Terry: I only give him a B, but I feel if he can work on his route running over the next season he could be a B+ type receiver next year.

Bob: Let's talk about the tall Clint Woody (#81)

Jay: (Starts laughing out loud)

Bob: Clint Woody had 38 catches for 455 yards as the #3 receiver for Army. He had 0 touchdowns but he never fumbled the ball or dropped a pass that was catchable.

Larry: I love that. I love his dependability. He isn't very fast, but he is a big targer who is going to catch the ball if you get it to him. I wish Coach had used him more in the red zone. He is quite a young man too.

Terry: Yeah, he is going to go into special operations after his career in football is over this year. I think men like him are a real asset to this country.

Larry: I give him a B for his dependability.

Terry: I agree, but I value ball protection so I'll give him a B+.

Bob: Very good gentleman, let's move onto the last receiver who saw significant playing time. He was 2nd on the depth chart all year, but arguably the least productive of the top 4. I'm talking about Aaron Alexander (#19). He played the most, yet he only had 30 receptions for 404 yards and he had 3 touchdowns. He fumbled the ball twice and he dropped 2 passes.

Larry: Well in this young man's defense, Reggie Nevels didn't look his way enough. Reggie liked to run to his right and throw to the right side of the field and so playing split end really hurt Aaron's numbers. I like the fact that he didn't complain even if I wish he had been more vocal in a positive way.

Terry: I disagree. I think Reggie ran to the right because he knew those are where the receivers who would get open would be. Aaron never worked enough on the art of getting open. Frequently, he would depend on his size instead of honing his technique.

Larry: I disagree. I blame his numbers on the quarterback and hence give him a B

Terry: I give him a C+ for not working hard enough to hone his potential.

Bob: Doug Horaist (#85) was the starting tight end for several weeks. He made some good catches when healthy. But he missed several games with injury. He only played in 7 games, but he had 18 catches for 188 yards with 1 touchdown. Thoughts gentlemen?

Larry: I liked Doug's work ethic in getting back on the field quickly from his vicious injury. He didn't shy away from contact after the injury either.

Terry: I agree. He is a tough man. Kind of reminds me of coach.

Larry: I'll give him a B for effort, resiliency, and skill.

Terry: I'll give him a B as well.

Bob: Who on the offensive line stood out? Anyone stand out?

Larry: Most of the line gets a D. However, Joel Glover the LT did a surprising good job giving up only 1 sack and pancaking people several times throughout the season. Too bad the rest of the line didn't perform as well.

Terry: I agree most of the line was a disappointment and I give them a D+ as a group, but I thought Jake Holley the RG stood out the most. He actually had at least 10 pancakes and he only allowed 3 sacks.

Bob: Let's move onto the defense right after this commercial break.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back fans to our final segment of the show. Let's review the defense and finally kickers. The defensive line was generally poor totaling only 92 tackles between them and only 13 sacks. The statistical and spiritual leader of the line was Odene Brathwait (#95) who had 34 tackles including 8 for a loss along with 4 sacks.

Terry: Odene is such a great name. He also is a good player. He is a little undersized at 6'4 260 and some of the big LT's ate him up, but he kept battling. I like that in a player.

Larry: Yeah, Odene and Will Sullivan (DT #98) are the only players on the line who really impressed me at all..

Terry: Yeah, Will is so undersized so to play Defensive Tackle at only 260 pounds but he used his quickness to collect 6 sacks for the year.

Larry: So, I'll give the D-line as a unit a D+, I'll give Odene a C+ for his heart, his hustle, and his cool name. I'll give Will Sullivan a C+ as well for being the little guy who can and does.

Terry: I give Will Sullivan a C+, and Odene a C+, but I give the line a C. They generally kept the offensive line off of the linebackers which was a big part of their job. I think they don't enough credit for a good season defensively against the run. In fact, I'm changing my mind, B- for those two guys and a C+ for the line.

Bob: Ok, gentlemen, let's move onto the linebackers.

Terry: Now, this is a group that didn't actually produce enough. They made the defensive line take the blame, but they didn't make enough big plays with the exception of one or two games.

Larry: I would agree that they didn't do a good job getting pressure. However, I thought Brian Hill (#40) really stood out at middle linebacker. He doesn't have great speed but he has good instincts.

Terry: I know he is a heck of a man who is going to do wonderful things after graduation, but his stats don't bear out your claims. He only had 39 tackles and only 3 were for a loss. He is an acceptable player at Middle Line Backer, but coach needs to upgrade, I give the unit a D, and I'll give Brian a C-.

Larry: I disagree, I give the unit a C, with Brian getting a B-.

Bob: Ok, finally we move onto the secondary. Let's talk about this exciting young unit.

Larry: Well this unit was led by Jonathan Lewis (#38) who had 5 interceptions and almost single handledly won the game against South Florida with his dramatics. He really made solid plays all year long and he had an impressive 52 tackles with his 5 interceptions and he had 11 passes defensed.

Terry: I agree with you, Jonathan was the leader of this unit. This unit as a group had 15 interceptions and each of the base defenders in the secondary had at least 2 for the season. I think they did a good job even though the team gave up a lot of yardage.

Larry: I agree, I give the group as a whole a B- with Jonathan getting a B+

Terry: I would give the group as a whole a B- too since they did give up so many yards, however, I would give Jonathan an A-, if you review the film, not many of the yards were given up against Jonathan and even though he had a lot of tackles it was usually him chasing down another player's defender.

Bob: Last but not least, we need to talk about the kickers.

Jay: Finally, the most exciting part. Let me talk about these two exciting kickers. Joe Riley won the job early, and was generally dependable from within 40 yards with 5 of 7 kicks completed and with both misses coming on the edge of 40 yards. He also made all of the extra points. I would give him a B- with the need to improve his leg strength and range.

Larry: I disagree, coach didn't trust him because he was too erratic and his leg is too weak, I would give him a C.

Terry: I agree with Larry.

Bob: What about the punter?

Jay: Alex Bradford did a heck of a job punting the ball with 38 punts which averaged 42.3 yards gross average. His long was 55 yards. He managed to put 4 inside the 20. His net average was 31.5 yards and this demonstrates adequate hangtime. I'd give him a B+

Larry: Jay, His net average was 11 yards less then his gross. His hang time was not sufficient and he kept outkicking the coverage. I can't give him anything higher then a B-

Terry: I agree with Jay on this one. He put enough air under it, but the special teams coach needs to work on getting his guys down field quick enough to cover the punt. It wasn't the punter's fault.

Bob: Well this debate could go on for a while, but unfortunately, we are out of time. I hope you enjoyed our year in review show. We will be back once recruiting gets underway with our entire team to review what we think Army should be looking for and who we think they are looking at, and to see who is committing where. Please join us for our next show. Good night.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome Army Football Fans to this special recruiting update. First of all let's look at who Army lost last season to graduation. This is a fairly young team and they only lost 5 seniors.

Clint Woody a 6'5 230 pound wide receiver has graduated

Jay: (giggles)

Bob: Also graduating, 6'4 267 pound LG Adam Wojcik.

Bob: Also, 6'1 298 pound Center Josh Davis.

Bob: Also at 6'0 215 pound LOLB Ryan Kent

Bob: Finally, at 6'3 and 233 pounds the Middle Line Backer, Brian Hill.

Bob: Larry, what do you think the team will be concentrating on during the upcoming recruiting sessions?

Larry: Honestly, the team needs better athletes at pretty much every position. However, the top 5 priority positions in my mind are at Center, Tackle, DT, all three line backer positions, and strong safety. I believe the coach would also like to add a young athletic QB to to groom as he has two quartbacks who are juniors and one who is a senior.

Terry: Thanks for having me on the show again. I believe the coach would really like to upgrade his receving core. We know that this coach was known for his spread offense before coming to Army, and he hasn't been able to make that as effective as he would like even though the numbers were much improved last year.

Bob: Who are the top recruits at each position?

Larry: Well at QB I like Simon Gaffney of Clawson, MI. Most people believe he is the consensus top QB in this year's graduating class. He isn't believed to be very quick, but does have a nice arm and he is just nimble enough to avoid the draft. Most people think Steve Siegel of Cypress, CA is the number 2 QB available to be recruited. The drawback to Steve is that he is a Junior College Transfer and will have limited eligibility left. I should point out both are considering top schools and neither is realistic for Army's team. The third quarterback is Jimmy Bacon of El Cajon, CA. He is a pocket passer with a deadly arm that can carve up a defense. He is believe to be considering Florida State according to the early reports.

Terry: Unfortunately, Army doesn't have a shot at any of these blue chip prospects. I believe they should turn their attention to Nick Kelley who is from West Seneca, NY. This is close to Army's home base of recruiting and he is a young man who might consider their program. However, he is a top 50 QB and he might be out of Army's reach. He also doesn't have the athleticism that coach is believed to want, and he only runs the 40 in about 5.3 seconds.

Bob: Army has 4 halfbacks, including the exciting soon to be junior who got most of the carries this year. Do you think they will recruit a halfback?

Larry: No, they have 4 good halfbacks on the roster. Well 2 good ones and 2 servicable ones. I believe they have too many pressing needs to consider halfback, unless someone clearly wants to be on their team.

Terry: I agree Bob. I don't see a halfback being signed by Army this year.

Bob: What about a fullback?

Larry: Considering they only have one fullback on the roster, I believe they will likely recruiting a fullback.

Terry: I agree Bob. Let me outline the top 3 halfbacks and fullbacks that are being recruited as well as who I believe Army might go after.
The number 1 halfback is probably Nolan Kerr fropm Manassas Park, VA and I believe he will probably end up at Virginia Tech. The 2nd best halfback is probably Jamael Woods of Oro Valley, AZ. He is reportedly considering Tennessee. Finally, the third best halfback would likely be Jamey Moore of Highland Park, TX. He is believed to strongly be considering going to Texas.

As far as Fullbacks, there are very few regarded highly, but the top 3 are Cash Herring of Abilene Texas. He is 6'2 205 pounds and he blocks like a mack truck. He is undecided but is very unlikely to attend army I would imagine. The second best fullback is probably Nick Talley of Stanton CA. He is 6'2 225 pounds and he runs the 40 in 4.6 seconds. He is going to be a valuable receiver to some team. Finally, third on our list of top Fullbacks is Pat McClure of Florida. He is likely to stick in Florida. He runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds.

Larry: As far as Fullbacks which might be obtainable by Army, what do you think?

Terry: I really like Dave Andersen of Cohoes, NY. He is 6'3 225 pounds and he reportedly runs the 40 in 4.69 seconds. He has fairly good hands as well and he is strong.

Bob: What about the wide receivers? Who are the top men and who might Army recruit if they do recruit a wide receiver?

Larry: I think the top wide receiver is without a doubt Leigh Paulding of Beaufort, NC. He reportedly runs a blazing 4.39 on the 40 yard dash. Even more exciting, this kid caught everything thrown his way in high school. He has amazing hands.

The second wide receiver would be Richard Huffman of Marlow, OK. He runs even faster then Leigh according to most experts, but his hands aren't quite as sure.

Finally, to round out the top three I would recommend Huey Ellington of Euless, TX. He is likely to stay at Texas where his blazing 4.30 speed will be well used in their attack.

As far as who Army might actually get, I'm still not sure if they will recruit anyone, but I have heard that Leonard Dickey of East Massapequa, NY truly wants to go to Army. I'm just not sure he would bring much to the team. He runs the 40 fairly quick at 4.58, but his hands were very unreliable in high school. Furthermore, he is only 160 pounds and I don't think he can take the pounding. Also, he is not very strong. It will be interesting if we can get any information on what coach might do at this position.

Bob: What about tight end? Army only has 2 seniors and surely one would think they would recruit someone this year? right?

Larry: Yes, I do believe Army will be looking to add a tight end. Let's review the top three in the nation according to most experts, then talk about who Army might go after.

Terry: Ok, I really like Gred Bland who is a sophomore transfer from Salem OH originally. He is 6'5 259 and he has pretty good movement for such a big guy. He will really be a good player for some lucky team. The second best tight end is likely Jason Jackson of Opa-Locka, FL. He runs a quick 4.7 for a guy who is 6'6 and 255 pounds. He is believed to be leaning towards going to Georgia. Finally to round out the top trio, I really like Roger Moody. He is a mammoth 6'4 265 pounds and he is mostly muscle. This guy can really block but he also has good hands, although his mobility is not too good. He is likely to go to either Georgia or Texas per the early reports.

Bob: Who is Army likely to go after?

Terry: I believe Antoine Johnson of Millburn, NJ is a likely target. He is small at 6'1 and 247 pounds but he has good hands and could be a nice addition to the team, and he is believed to have some interest in at least considering Army.

Bob: Thank you gentleman, we will take a break and be right back with further recruiting predictions and analysis.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back Gentlemen, let's talk about tackles.

Larry: Army needs a young tackle with 3 seniors on the roster who will all be graduating this year. I think they could get a good one.

Terry: I agree, let's review the top 3 first though before we discuss who Army might go after.

Larry: Well Zeke Barton of Johnson City, TN is most expert's consensus top tackle in high school. He is believed to bench press over 500 pounds and squat over 700 pounds. He is 6'3 and approximately 300 pounds. This guy is powerful and quick for his size. Our second best tackle is believed to be Corey Baker of Cypress, CA. He is 6'4 295 pounds and he benches approximately 450 pounds and squats close to 600 pounds.
The third best tackle availabe is believed to be Johnathan Reed a sophomore juco transfer who is originally from Marrero, LA. He is 6'6 283 pounds and data is limited on him at this time regarding workout numbers but he is believed to squat close to 700 pounds.

Terry: None of those guys is likely to join Army, but I do like their chances of getting Demetrios Houston of Mechanicsburg, PA. He is 6'5 338 and he would add some real nastiness to their offensive line. I hope they can convince him to come play Army football.

Larry: Yeah, he would be a great pickup.

Bob: What about Guards? Will they recruit any this year?

Larry: Well they have 2 seniors and 1 junior, so I would suspect so. However, they might wait til next year due to necessity. However, then they would be starting a true freshman the following year.

Terry: I think they will go after a guard. Let's review the top three who I think are just excellent football players. Pat Malone is 6'4 291 pounds from Carteret, NJ and he is believed to be interested in playing for the Buckeyes. Cameron Terrell is from West Palm Beach, Florida and he is 6'5 291 pounds and rumors have him going to Miami. Finally, we have Dallas Polk who is from Washington, NC and is only 6'4 266. However, he is believed to have a lot of potential and he has surprising strength for his size. None of these players is believed to have any interest in Army.

Larry: I'm really not sure about this one, but I would guess possibly Wayne Floyd of PA who weighs 297 pounds and is 6'5. He is believed to be interested in more prestigious schools however, and this would be a gamble.

Bob: What about centers? Clearly Army needs a center as they only have 1 senior on the roster.

Larry: Unfortunately, this is not a good year for centers and there is no real clear consensus #1. Some would argue that Quincy Halloway a junior transfer from Hawaii is probably the best available player. He is 6'4 297 pounds and a very strong good run blocker. Thornton Barnett might be #2 and he is also a big guy at 6'5 282 pounds but he plays with better leverage then his height might indicate. Merrill Hardy is the biggest of the three at 6'6 310 and some say he is the best. It will be an interesting to see how this group turns out. As far as Army's best hope for a recruit.. well, I think it might be Kevin Tidwell of Millville, NJ who is interested in transferring to Army. However, I hear a rumor that coach might try to recruit Jeff Farrell of Naugatuck, CT and who is ranked quite highly and would be quite a reach for Army. It will be interesting to see if this rumor is true. Jeff is 6'3 288 pounds and he is a very powerful blocker.

Bob: What about defensive end? Army has 4 seniors at this position who will all be graduating?

Terry: Clearly, Army needs to try to get 1 defensive end at least, so they won't be starting 2 true freshman in 2 years. I think this is a deep position and they might be able to get a quality player.

Larry: Yeah, I really find this position to rank hard for who is in the top 3, they are 10 guys who can really lay claim to that title, but let me try. I like DeShaun Branch of Hollandale, MS. He is 6'6 251 and he has a nasty bull rush move as well as a good counter swim. I also really like Rod Cox

Jay: (Giggles)

Larry: Rod is 6'5 and 245 pounds but he is lightning quick and will be a good speed rusher who has power. He could get a lot of sacks.

Larry: Finally, I really like Alfred Perkins of Indianola, MS. He is 6'5 and 240 and he has a nice assortment of pass rush moves.

Bob: I see. Who do you think Army will get?

Terry: I really like Ben Smalley of Spring Valley, NY. He has shown some interest in Army and he would be an excellent addition if they can convince him. He is a little small at 6'3 229, but he has good quickness and he would be a definite upgrade at that position.

Bob: Army has a sophmore, junior, and 2 senior defensive tackles, do you see them pursing more this year?

Terry: No, not with all of their other needs. The coaching staff has only so much time in a day to visit all the recruits. I think they will wait til next year for this position.

Bob: Who are the top three that we should watch?

Larry: This is another deep group with no clear leader. But, I really like Guy Givens of Hernando, MS. He is 6'5 275. He is very good at batting balls down. He also is a fierce run stuffer. I think he is leaning towards moving up to Notre Dame and he will be a fine addition there or anywhere. I also like Tim Kirk of Mohave Valley, AZ. He is 6'5 and 311 and he moves decently for a big man. He can really push the pile back. Finally, I like Jason Roach. My only concern with him is that he might be too tall. He is 6'7 309 pounds but he is very powerful.

Bob: I see, what do you think Terry?

Terry: I pretty much agree with Larry, but I wouldn't put Jason third because of the concern about his height and lack of center of gravity. Instead, I would put Raleigh McPherson 3rd. He is 6'2 281 from Carlin, NV. He is a load to handle.

Bob: Thank you gentlemen, what about Outside Line Backer? Army had some problems at this position during the last year according to you all earlier?

Larry: Yeah, I think Army needs to recruit some quality players and fortunately this is a deep position so they may get someone of quality.

Terry: I really like Dane Downing from Springfield, IL. He reportedly runs a 4.4 40 and is a hard hitter. He is 6'1 247 and he is clearly the top linebacker if he really runs that fast, and perhaps even if he doesn't. I also like Bruce Boldin of Seminole, OK. He is 6'3 228 and he is a fierce tackler. Finally, for the top 3 I would select Perry Earl of Pauls Valley, OK. He is only 213 at 6'2 but he is really quick as well.

Larry: I would reverse the 2nd and 3rd picks but otherwise agree with your reasoning.

Bob: Who will Army likely go after?

Larry: Well, the rumors suggest they migh try a real stretch and try to convince Jimi Smith of Bradford, PA to come play for them. That would be surprising as he is believed to be considering Miami. However, this would be a great pickup if they can get him. Other reaches they might try include Louis Metcalf of Albany, NY. He is 6'2 231 and runs fairly well. He is believed to be considering Notre Dame and might be too much of a reach as well. Maurice Smith of East Meadow, NY might be more realistic and may be a better pickup as he is believed to be a real speed demon. He is 6'3 and 223 and runs the 40 in 4.55 reportedly. This would be a real nice addition if he can tackle well which it appears he can according to most recruiting experts.

Bob: Excellent Analysis. Who do you think are the top three middle line backers, and will army go after a middle line backer?

Terry: They have 1 sophomore and 2 seniors, so I believe it is likely they will go after a middle line backer, but it won't be the top priority. I really like the top three at this group which most people agree are the top 3 but some argue the order.

Larry: Yeah, I have a feeling we are going to disagree on number 1 here.

Terry: I really like Scott Gore of Cathedral City, CA. He is 6'4, 240 and he runs a 4.6 How can you disagree with him as your top pick Larry?

Larry: Because Jason Mitchell is 6'3 242 and he runs just as fast but he has much better hands then Scott.

Terry: But he is a junior college transfer with limited eligibility.

Larry: He will be ready to play right away though, unlike Scott. He can put a top notch team over the top, right now. In any case, we both agree who is third behind these two.

Terry: That's right. It would be Marlon Kirk of Thomaston, GA. He is 6'3 250. He reportedly runs a 4.8 but he is a ferocious tackler who is very strong.

Larry: I'd hate to be running a route across the middle underneath and be hit by him.

Bob: Thanks, gentlemen. Let's move onto who Army might go after?

Larry: I think it will most likely be Jarrett Randle of Belleville, NJ. He is 6'2 and 235 pounds but he runs a 4.55 in the 40. His strength or lack there of might be his big weakness.

Bob: Thanks gentlemen, let's move onto cornerbacks.

Terry: One of my favorite positions to discuss.

Bob: Army, has 2 juniors and 2 seniors, are they likely to go after another cornerback.

Terry: I believe you can never have enough good corner's so it is possible.

Larry: I don't think it is high on the list, we'll see.

Bob: Who are the top three this year?

Terry: I love Cornell Woods. He isn't the fastest guy. But this guy is 6'2 an 200 pounds of solid muscle. He is a great player at jamming up on his receivers. He is likely to stay close to home and attend Georgia.

Larry: I agree he is the top corner because of his raw strength and speed combination, but I also like Jed Dale, a sophmore transfer originally from Bartlesville, OK. He is 5'11 and 177 but this guy can fly and he can cover too. He is going to be an intercepting maching I believe.

Terry: Yeah, I would agree he is a good pick for the 2nd best cornerback. I really like Darrell Jackson almost as much. He just has poor technique at time, but that can be coached. His raw ability is electricfying. He is 6'2 190 and he runs 4.4 He will be scary good when he overcomes his technique flaws.

Larry: I agree with that. I think Army's likely target is Ahmad Williams of Philadelphia, PA. He runs a 4.56 and he is 6'0 170. He is good at zone coverage, but has some difficulties with man to man that might scare some places away from him.

Bob: Ok gentleman, we are running short on time. Any thoghts on who they might go after at Safety? Also quickly who are the top three free safeties?

Larry: Demetri Bishop of Bell, CA is clearly the top Free Safety. He is 6'1 188 and he runs a 4.35 reportedly. He also has great hands. The guy has cover skills of a corner in a saftie's body. He could also move to CB. The second best would have to be Travis Morton of Cleveland, TX. He is 6'2 185 and he runs a 4.4. He is believed to be leaning towards LSU which would be an interesting choice. Finally, for my third terrific free safety, I would pick Willie Doyle of Columbus, MS. He is 6'3 190 and he reportedly is in the 4.5 range on his times. He also is surprisingly strong per the expert's scouting reports.

Terry: I like those picks. I don't see Army going after a Free Safety due to the lack of depth and the small possibility of recruiting a good free safety.

Larry: I agree, they still have their junior backing up the senior and I think they will probably wait til next year to recruit this position.

Bob: Ok, let's move onto free safety.

Larry: There is only one consensus type guy here, then it is a sticky jam for 10 other guys who could lay claim to #2. I'm not going to try to sort that mess out.. But remember this name. Tayshaun Harrell. This guy is going to be a star in college. He is 6'3 222 pounds. He runs a 4.5. He has dynamite hands and he hits as hard as anyone in high school football. I think we'll soon say the same thing about except it will be in regards to college football. He hits cleanly too using his shoulder and not his helmet. The guy is strong as well. He squats well over 500 pounds reportedly.

Terry: I gotta agree with you Larry. I won't try to sort out the mess after Taushaun either.

Bob: Will Army go after a strong safety?

Terry: No, it's the same situation as Free Safety. The junior will backup the senior this year, and there is too poor of depth in the highschool pool to expect anyone of any talent to be willing to come to Army. I expect Army will wait til next year and hope for a deeper pool of highschool talent at the position.

Bob: Finally, we come to kickers. But who cares about kickers.

Jay: I do.

Bob: Ok Jay can you quickly tell us about the top place kicker and punter?

Jay: Sure, Terry Whitehead is undoubtedly the top place kicker in the country. He is from Centreville, VA and he is very accurate with good range. He is believed to be laning towards the Buckeyes.

It is unclear who the top punter is, but I believe it is Johnathan Crayton of Druid Hills, GA. He is averaging 45 yards per punt in high school. He is believed to be leaning towards Georgia Tech.

Bob: It is unlikely Army will go after any kickers this year with all of the other needs to fill. Fans we will be back with the recruiting news as it unfolds. Good night.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Well, we unfortunately, didn't have much to report during most of the recruiting season, so this is our first show on recruiting at the end of the season. The whole team is here including our newest permeant member Terry. Let's talk about the recruits that Army got first.

Army surprised everyone by landing a top #50 QB. Well everyone except for Terry. He called it as Army landed Nick Kelley. Although our inside sources tell us they initially went after a quicker QB who ended up somewhere else, Army landed their man. Nick Kelley has had several workouts and he has looked sharper throwing the ball.

Larry: Yeah, Nick is a real nice fit for Army. Again, he is 6'4 214 pounds. He has a nice accurate arm with fairly good pop on the ball. In fact, I would say it is likely he will have the best arm of any quarterback on the roster right now. It will be interesting to see what happens in spring camps. He doesn't provide much mobility however, as his most recent 40 time attests: 5.27. He will need good offensive line play for him to thrive.

Terry: I hope Army can recruit a good line to protect this guy, if so he could do some great things.

Bob: Let's talk about their next recruit, Wide Receiver Michael Blackwell.

Terry: Well, I know for a fact they went after several other players who declined before settling on Michael. Michael is a junior transfer from a junior college. He is 6'5 and 187 pounds. He has fair hands, but poor seperation. I'm not sure how much he will really help.

Larry: Yeah, I agree Terry. I'm also concerned how his skinny body would take the pounding of regular football from NCAA players. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Bob: What about this tight end they signed?

Larry: Taveres Rivera from Carnot-Moon, PA. He is a large man at 6'7 242 but he is very raw. He doesn't move very well and he doesn't have great hands. I'm not sure if he is a very good blocker yet either, as he tends to stay too upright. Army failed to get several other recruits at this position I believe.

Terry: Yeah, I heard they got passed up by 3 other tight ends before settling on Mr. Rivera.

Bob: Really, well that is concerning. We will see what develops. Let's move onto the next player they recruited.

Terry: I hope you are talking about Nathan Eliis! He is a big steal for Army. How they pried this guy away from the big programs is a mystery to me. I guess he really wants to serve his country, and that is just great. This guy is 6'7 295 and he plays left tackle. Many experts agree he is among the top 20 LT's in the country. He is originally from Parsippany-Troy, NJ. I expect him to start playing soon.

Larry: I gotta agree. This is the best signing of this year for Army in my opinion. What a great recruiting job by the coach.

Bob: Yeah, I wish we got more steals like this. Let's talk about Ben Smalley, the defensive end.

Terry: Another player that I correctly predicted. It was clear that Ben wanted to play at Army, and Army should be glad they got Ben. I hear he has surprised people with his recent 40 yard dash times which are much quicker then originally thought. This guy might develop into a bona fide star.

Larry: Yeah, I think he has a lot of potential to grow into during the next few years. Hopefully, Army's staff can bring the potential out of him.

Bob: Alright gentlemen, let's move onto the next recruit who is unfortunately, the last recruit they managed to get. Marcus Rivers.

Terry: This match surprised me a little. I thought Marcus was going to Rutgers. He is an interesting recruit. He doesn't run real fast, he isn't huge to compensate for his lack of speed but he seems to have good instincts and he makes plays.

Larry: Yeah is 6'3 225 and he only runs a 4.9 40. I think his lack of speed might come back to haunt Army in the future. You can't coach speed.

Bob: That is unfortunately true. We will be back after these messages with the remainder of our recruiting analysis.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome back fans to the remainder of our recruiting analysis. Let's look at the national publications summary of Army's recruiting period.

Larry: Well most publications would list Army's class at 94th in quality and quantity which is not too good. They did get many players including a center which they really needed. They also didn't get a full back which they needed, so they will have to hope for good walkons at those positions. However, I really like a few of the players they did get. Most experts agree that their three key players they recruited are Nathan Ellis at Tackle, Nick Kelley at QB, and Michael Blackwell at Wide receiver.

Terry: Yeah, I agree with the rankings for the most part. Let's take a look at the consensus top 10 draft classes and compare them to Army:

1. Miiami 10 - 5 star players, 3-4stars, 4-3 stars, 4-2 stars
2. Kansas State - 9-5 stars, 5-4 stars, 4-3 stars, 2-2 stars
3. Ohio State - 9-5 stars, 3-4 stars, 4-3 stars, 3-2 stars
4. UCLA - 7-5 stars, 7-4 stars, 4-3stars, 3-2 stars
5. Notre Dame - 8-5 stars, 3-4 stars, 4-3 stars, 1-2star
6. Florida State - 4-5 stars, 10-4 stars, 4-3 stars, 3-2stars, 2-1stars
7. Tennessee - 6-5 stars, 5 - 4 stars, 4-3 stars, 1-2star
8. Oklahoma - 5-5stars, 7-4 stars, 2-3stars
9. Florida 3-5 stars, 10-4 stars, 2-3stars, 3-2stars, 2-1stars
10. Texas - 6-5stars, 3-4 stars, 5-3stars, 1-star

94. 1-4 star (Nathan Ellis), 4-3 stars, and 1 star.

Bob: Let's quickly review where the top players went.

Larry: QB Simon Gaffnew went to Michigan, QB Steve Siegel stayed close to home at Fresno State, and #3 QB Jimmy Bacon also stayed close to home at UCLA. Among the running backs, #1 Nolan Kerr went to Virginia Tech, #2 Jamael Woods went to Kansas State University, and #3 Jamey Moore went to Texas as predicted.

Terry: Among the fullbacks, #! Cash Herring committed to Oklahoma, #2 Nick Talley went to Nebraska, and #3 Pat McClure went to Auburn. Among the receivers #1 Leigh Paulding went to Georgia, Richard Huffman went to Kansas State University, and #3 Huey Ellington stayed close to home at Texas as predicted.

Larry: Among tight ends, a mild surprise as the #1 prospect Greg Bland went to Akron which is very close to his home. #2 Jason Jackson went to Georgia, and #3 Roger Moody went to Marshall. It's interesting that Jason Jackson and Leigh Paulding were not able to push the national ranking of Georgia's class above 20th.

Terry: Among tackles, the top tackle Zeke Barton left Tennessee to come play for Texas, Corey Baker traveled north from California to play for Oregon State, and Johnathan Reed left Louisiana to go to Oklahoma. Among guards, as expected, Pat Malone went to the Buckeyes, Cameron Terrell left Florida to go play for Tennessee, and Dallas Polk went to Miami.
Among Centers, Qunicy Holloway left the island of Hawaii to play at UCLA, Thronton Barnett stayed at Miami close to home, and Merrill Hardy went to play for the dangerous Kansas State Team..

Larry: Yeah, that team is stocking up. Let's look at the top defensive recruits. DeShaun Branch just made Virginia Tech's defense even more dangerous. Rod Cox

Jay (Giggles)

Larry: Rod Cox went to Kansas State as well. And the 3rd ranked defensive end (at least by some national experts) Zac Hendricks went to Florida.

Terry: Guy Givens the top defensive tackle went to Kansas State. Raleigh McPherson went to Notre Dame as some had predicted, and Tim Kirk surprised many by going to UNLV.

Larry: Dane Downing the outside line backer didn't really surprise anyone when he chose the Buckeyes. Bruce Boldin went to stayed in Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma. Perry Earl joined him to give Oklahoma fierce set of outside linebackers to terrorize opponents for years.

Terry: They just keep reloading that defense in Oklahoma. Among middle line backers, Scott Gore chose to stay in California and attend UCLA, disappointing many Trojan fans. Marlon Kirk committed to Notre Dame and Jason Mitchell surprisingly committed to UCLA. I imagine they will make a fiercesome basis of a 3-4 defense.

Larry: It will be interesting to see how that works out. Among cornerbacks, Cornell Woods stayed close to home and will be attending Georgia. Jed Dale surprised many by leaving Oklahoma and going to Arkansas. Darrell Johnson is going to bolster the Boilermaker's defense.

Terry: Demetri Bishop passed up USC and stayed close to home at UCLA. He will make a big difference as their free safety in the pass defense. Travis Morton is also staying close to home and playing for Texas. Willie Doyle completes the trifecta as another who is staying close to home, he will attend Southern Mississippi.

Larry: Tayshaun Harrell will stay close to home and really bolster the already potent Tennessee defense. Kelly Pace is going to attend Auburn where he should be a big contributor. Earnest Braxton is going to attend Florida which is close to his hometown.

Terry: As far as the kickers go

Jay: Ahh.. Terry Whitehead will be joining the buckeyes, and Johnathan Crayton will be joining NIU!

Bob: We are just about out of time, final thoughts gentlemen?

Terry: I think Georgia has a much class then they have been given credit for and I think this could bring some final pieces into place for a possible national championship.

Larry: I really like what Kansas State did, and also Miami continues to reload with top guys.

Bob: Well, it will be interesting to see how the players develop during spring practices. We will bring you all of that coverage as it occurs. Thank you for joining us football fans and good night.

[Eaglesfan27]

Bob: Welcome football fans to our coverage of Army Football Spring Practice. It's been a distressing couple of weeks for the coaches as some players just don't seem to be working as hard as they need to improve this year. In particular, Reggie Nevels, last year's starting QB looks he might be in danger of losing his job to this year's new recruit true freshman Nick Kelley who already seems to be making more sounds decisions then Reggie as well. The big question is can the line give Nick enough time to make those plays in a real game?

Larry: I'm not sure, I think I would stick with Reggie unless the line really shows some improvement. I believe the Tackle positions are solid, but the interior of the line needs to improve more before the first game if you are going to put the relatively immobile Mr. Kelley back there.

Terry: Yeah, I would hate to see this kid's confidence destroyed by an ineffective O-line in front of him. Of course, his release has been surprisingly quick and Carlton Jones is looking like he is going to have a big year as he looks quicker, more elusive, and more powerful. If he can provide a solid running game it would make it easier to break in the freshman.

Larry: It really looks like William White has improved his ball carrying habits quite a bit.

Terry: Yes, I'm pleasantly surprised by how he has looked in practice so far. He also seems to be breaking tackles a little more consistently and catching balls that are a bit off target more consistently as well.

Bob: Yes, I really like what I've seen of #18 this year, William is going to have a great senior year I believe.

Larry: The only other player who I believe has made huge strides that we haven't mentioned is Lucius Weaver, the Free Safety. He looks like he is ready to play at a very high level.

Terry: He will need to because his partner back there Scott Eden has look lost back there, and Rob Davis the other strong safety looks even more lost. What happened to those guys?

Larry: I'm not sure, but hopefully they will get it during the next few months before actual games begin.

Bob: So, to summarize, Reggie Nevels has not shown much improvement and we believe there is a chance Nick Kelley will move ahead of him on the depth chart by opening day. That is all of the news and time we have right now. Good night football fans.