NCAA 2004 Dynasty: Georgia Tech (2004 Season) [Archive]

Celeval

07-24-2003, 09:29 PM

2004 Roster: Quarterbacks - Grade B

#8 Damarius Bilbo, Jr-RS
6'3", 225 lbs
168-332 passing for 2622 yards, 11 TD, 24 Int
94-(-62) rushing for 1 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
88 71 57 75 73 70 57 55 87 82
Bilbo was our starting quarterback for the majority of last season. He had a number of games with good yardage amounts, but had a lot of trouble with interceptions. He didn't throw a lot of touchdowns, but that was due mostly to the lack of a large target (tight-end type) in the red zone; we went heavily with Tony Hollings in short yardage situations. He got a nice 13 point boost in Awareness in the offseason, and looks to be our starter coming into this season.

#19 M.J. Burnett, Fr
6'0", 211 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
82 84 49 52 86 74 55 50 88 80
Burnett is our prize recruit; the #1 High School quarterback in the country last season. Had he been with us last year at this time, he would have been the starter; but after Damarius Bilbo's offseason dedication and improvement, he will redshirt to begin the year. He is comparable across the board to Bilbo right now, and would edge him for the starting role if not for the low Awareness - Burnett needs a year to learn the game, but should challenge for the starting spot next season (Bilbo's senior year).

#12 LaShaun Haston, Fr
6'1", 191 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
73 40 48 57 41 44 44 41 83 86
Another solid recruit from the 2004 offseason, Haston is a pure drop-back passer with very little mobility. What he does have is a very good arm, and is probably the most accurate of our three quarterbacks. He will serve as the backup to Damarius Bilbo, and will most likely see a good bit of playing time this season.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

Celeval

07-24-2003, 09:39 PM

2004 Roster: Running Backs - Grade C+

#28 Ajenavi Eziemefe, So-RS
6'2", 227 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
81 83 64 52 80 84 61 71 72 81
Ajenavi Eziemefe (or Ace) redshirted last season with an eye towards being the starter this year. With Tony Hollings gone, he inherits that role. The fastest running back on the roster, that's not saying too much; he'll share some time with the others on the field.

#45 P.J. Daniels, Jr-RS
5'10", 205 lbs
38-145 Rushing for 1 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
77 76 60 63 76 76 60 69 70 85
P.J. Daniels backed up Tony Hollings during the 2003 season, and will serve in the same role to Ace this year. Not someone who we want to get a ton of carries, he'll handle a solid enough workload if Ace goes down with an injury or needs a breather.

#26 Mike Hanson, Fr
5'10", 214 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
69 77 61 44 73 74 55 65 61 70
A true freshman this season, Hanson won't see the field unless there are serious injuries. We'll start him off with a redshirt (and FB Jimmy Dixon working as the third running back), but will bring him off if (and only if) injuries warrant. He needs a good bit more seasoning if he's going to put in any kind of time during his career here.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

Celeval

07-24-2003, 09:45 PM

2004 Roster: Fullbacks - Grade C-

#32 Johnathan Jackson, Sr-RS
6'2", 228 lbs
59-197 Rushing
OV SP ST AW AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
69 69 62 41 67 65 69 68 43 56 77
Jackson is our starter at Fullback by default - we'd love to get a real slobberknocker type in here to pound away; and may end up using an Offensive Lineman or Tight End out of position in some short-yardage situations. Jackson is our starter in the meantime.

#47 Jimmy Dixon, Sr-RS
6'1", 222 lbs
3-7 Rushing
OV SP ST AW AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
61 72 57 49 73 61 67 64 41 41 71
Jimmy Dixon is a converted running back into a fullback, and has never had the blocking capabilities we're looking for in our fullbacks. He won't be starting at fullback unless injuries cause all kinds of problems - most likely we'd find a backup blocker in his place. Dixon will serve as the third running back in the depth chart, and the second fullback in normal occasions.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

Celeval

07-24-2003, 09:46 PM

2004 Roster: Wide Receivers - Grade C+

FYI, all - I'm going out of town for the weekend, and will pick up either when I find time to do so before I leave or when I get back. Just so people know I'm not dropping this, I've been posting pretty frequently. :)

Kevin

MizzouRah

07-25-2003, 01:41 AM

Great read thus far!

I wish I had the time to post a dynasty, at least I can follow yours. Good luck this year!

Tpdd

Buzzbee

07-25-2003, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by Celeval
2004 Schedule<OL><LI>at Navy
<LI>vs. UConn
<LI>
<LI>vs. Florida State
<LI>at Clemson
<LI>
<LI>at #5 NC State
<LI>vs. Wake Forest
<LI>vs. #18 LSU
<LI>at #9 Maryland
<LI>
<LI>vs. Duke
<LI>at North Carolina
<LI>vs. Virginia
<LI>at #11 Georgia
</OL>

What a sweet schedule! Two nice breaks which result in two four game streches. And you don't have two weeks in a row where you are on the road. I would consider this just about the perfect schedule. If only NC State and Maryland were home rather than away. Oh well. Best of luck! Look forward to your return.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:14 PM

2004 Roster: Wide Receivers - Grade C+

#82 Benjamin Holmes, So
6'2", 188 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
78 90 41 42 87 91 80 46 94 42 89
Benjamin Holmes is a Junior College recruit from last season who immediately becomes our top wide receiver, as well as our fastest overall player. I'd love to be able to redshirt him - that awareness may turn out to be a problem - but we're very thin at wideout, and need the help. He'll be stepping into the role Jonathan Smith vacated with his graduation. Smith set a couple school records for catches and yardage in a season last year, and Holmes has the natural ability to do the same.

#5 Nate Curry, Sr-RS
5'10", 190 lbs
51 catches, 989 yards (19.4 avg), 6 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
77 82 47 75 83 80 76 62 82 48 86
Curry was a solid threat at the #2 wideout position last season, and should be again this year. Nate isn't a burner, but sees the field well; he'll line up opposite Holmes. We may play him at the number one spot if Holmes has problems with the role.

#7 Levon Thomas, Sr
6'0", 196 lbs
27 catches, 433 yards (16.0 avg), 2 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
72 83 43 68 80 80 74 58 77 37 77
Our third wideout, Levon Thomas will see time mostly on passing downs. He's a balanced third option, and generally a peg below Nate Curry in most game aspects. The advent of some talent at Tight End will probably see a reduction in the role of our third receiver; and that'll most likely carry over to Levon's game.

#80 George Cooper, So-RS
6'3", 215 lbs
8 catches, 105 yards (13.1 avg)
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
67 76 51 51 78 78 69 59 87 47 78
Good size, but not a lot else for Cooper. He's the leading candidate for the #2 role next year behind Holmes; which will be a problem - he's more suited for a #3 spot. Cooper saw time as a redshirt freshman at the fourth WR spot, and will play in the same position. Hopefully some early-season laughers will result in playing time.

#85 LeKeldrick Bridges, So-RS
6'0", 172 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
67 78 41 53 82 82 66 49 78 43 89
A similar player to George Cooper, Bridges will see less time this season, but may step into the #3 role next year. The same note as applied to Cooper applies here - we'll have to work him into the rotation to gain at least some experience.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:15 PM

Originally posted by Buzzbee
What a sweet schedule! Two nice breaks which result in two four game streches. And you don't have two weeks in a row where you are on the road. I would consider this just about the perfect schedule. If only NC State and Maryland were home rather than away. Oh well. Best of luck! Look forward to your return.

It's not half bad. It's basically the schedule I was randomly assigned, although I pulled out one scheduled cupcake (Rice, maybe? Hehe) for UConn, since they're actually on Tech's schedule next season; and swapped Syracuse for LSU since I wanted another ranked team in there.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:25 PM

2004 Roster: Tight End - Grade C

#88 Maurio Altman, Fr
6'3", 255 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
76 67 71 51 68 72 72 67 64 64 66 83
The first of two Tight End recruits, Altman moves right to the top of the depth chart. I love getting the tight end involved in the passing game, but that couldn't happen due to a lack of some talent last season; Mario should help that right away. I expect Mario to be in contention for freshman All-American; a 45-catch season is not out of the question.

#83 Darius Williams, Sr-RS
6'6", 266 lbs
6 catches, 67 yards (11.2 avg)
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
65 57 67 65 59 64 56 76 66 50 63 71
Darius Williams is the second highest-rated tight end we have, but I'm not happy with him in the second TE role. He'll play the third TE spot, but will be seeing some time at Fullback as well.

#84 Max Vance, Fr
6'4", 235 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
64 69 60 41 66 71 68 66 57 50 53 81
Vancey will play the second tight end, and will see a good bit of time out of the double-TE sets. He'll play the H-back role in the Goal-Line sets as well. He won't be as big a target as Altman, but I still am counting on Vance to take some pressure off the WRs in the passing game.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:38 PM

2004 Roster: Tackle - Grade B-

#70 Nat Dorsey, Sr
Pre-Season First Team All-American
6'6", 331 lbs
58 pancakes, 6 sacks allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
99 94 84 94 92 88
Nat Dorsey is the cornerstone of our offensive line. A second-team All-American last year, and preseason first-team this year; he's one of the best Left Tackles in college football, and should be taken high in the draft. We're lucky to get him back this season, and will be doing a good bit of running right behind him once more. He'll be inked in as starting at LT.

#77 Kyle Wallace, Sr
6'6", 285 lbs
32 pancakes, 5 sacks allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
90 82 80 85 86 71
The other reason our offensive line is a strength; Kyle Wallace holds down the right tackle spot. Not quite as strong as Big Nat, but still a great player and an anchor of our line.

#75 Jeremy Phillips, Sr-RS
6'7", 286 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
75 81 61 74 81 75
A solid second stringer, and backup to both Wallace and Dorsey. We'll be losing each of our top 3 guys this season; that will turn into a major problem at year's end.

#79 Jerrell Craig, Jr
Redshirting
6'4", 283 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
69 80 54 67 77 71
A pretty good run blocker right off the bat, Jerrell was recruited as a JuCo 3-star tackle. He'll need to step right into that role next season, when he'll be most likely our starter at RT. He will be redshirting this season.

#71 Davon Brown, Jr
Redshirting
6'3", 281 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
58 72 56 64 59 70
Davon Brown was a JuCo recruited for depth (1* tackle). He'll redshirt this season in hopes of a breakout, but if he actually plays for us next season, we have major trouble.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:43 PM

2004 Roster: Guard - Grade C+

#74 Leon Robinson, Sr-RS
6'4", 321 lbs
17 pancakes, 2 sacks allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
85 84 67 81 84 73
Another senior on the offensive line, Leon Robinson is our starting Left Guard, next to Dorsey. He consistantly paved the way for Hollings last season, and will be a key cog doing the same for Ace.

#72 Brad Honeycutt, Jr-RS
6'4", 297 lbs
13 pancackes, 3 sacks allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
74 84 56 76 77 78
One of the weaker points on the interior line, Honeycutt is still a solid starter. He'll be one of the returning starters next season, and will be counted on to provide some sort of consistantly. He starts at Right Guard.

#65 Andy Tidwall-Neal, Jr-RS
6'4", 299 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
66 79 52 64 72 66
Our third (and backup) guard, Tidwall-Neal isn't a half-bad run blocker, but will have trouble if we need to throw behind him.

#73 Merrill Ashley, Fr
Redshirting
6'1", 279 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
64 72 44 72 70 74
Ashley isn't someone we want on the field right away, but we're redshirting him with an eye towards a starting spot next season.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:47 PM

2004 Roster: Center - Grade C-

#66 Joseph Hayes, Fr
6'2", 278 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
73 71 52 71 83 81
A freshman, and very raw at that - but Hayes is already a nasty run blocker, which is what we want from him most of all. He'll most likely be a four-year starter for us in the middle of the line.

#68 Devin Duffy, Fr
6'4", 294 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
49 70 46 61 65 63
If Devin Duffy is playing Center for us, we're in trouble. He's basically a camp body; Jeremy Phillips will be our #2 Center in case of fatigue or injury.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 10:57 PM

2004 Roster: Defensive End - Grade B-

#56 Eric Henderson, Jr-RS
Second Team All-American
6'3", 268 lbs.
43 tackles, 13 sacks, 5 FF, 1 FR
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
89 67 77 73 69 71 77 79
Eric Henderson was a surprise on the right side of the defensive line last season; breaking out with a solid 13-sack season. He did that opposite pro prospect Greg Gathers (and outshone GG), but this year offensive lines will be focusing on Eric. He'll be our starter and leader at Right End, and will be counted on to provide a lot of pressure with our inexperienced linebacking corps.

#93 Terron Pullen, So-RS
6'2", 277 lbs
8 tackles
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
77 63 68 58 63 66 70 73
Our new starter at LE, Pullen has three years ahead of him to step up. This year we're looking for solid work, if not the kind of season Eric Henderson enjoyed last year. He will be our starter, but will swap some time with the senior Hargrove.

#44 Tony Hargrove, Sr
6'4", 268 lbs
6 tackles
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
77 63 70 64 64 65 67 76
A very similar player to Pullen, Hargrove will be the third end. As such, he'll see a good bit of playing time spotting Pullen and Henderson for rests. Pullen gets the nod for the starting spot due basically to youth - this is Tony's last year in a Yellow Jacket uniform.

#91 Chirod Williams, Sr-RS
6'4", 237 lbs
4 tackles, 1 sack
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
68 58 66 52 70 62 61 66
Chirod will play in the second team defensive set, and will possibly make appearances in the goal-line defensive set.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:04 PM

2004 Roster: Defensive Tackle - Grade C+

#92 Alfred Malone, Sr-RS
6'4", 302 lbs
29 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 FF
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
79 52 83 63 55 53 78 75
While not a standout, Alfred Malone did a solid job plugging the middle during much of last season, and will return there. Malone leads the returning corps of Defensive Tackles - we return all players here from last season, and the depth chart doesn't change much.

#94 Travis Parker, Jr-RS
6'5", 267 lbs
25 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FR
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
77 54 77 69 52 52 78 82
Travis Parker returns to his starting defensive line spot. We counted on Travis to provide some good pressure on the passer last season, and hope he can bring the same this year.

#99 Omar Billy, Jr-RS
5 tackles, 1 sack
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
73 55 76 50 57 60 72 72
First off the bench for the second straight year. Billy looks to start next season once Malone graduates.

#50 Brad Brezina, So-RS
3 tackles, 2 sacks
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
69 48 77 51 48 49 71 70
Brezina fills in the depth chart for us at DT, playing in goal-line sets and in the second string defense

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:09 PM

2004 Roster: Outside Linebacker - Grade C+

#16 Kingi McNair, So-RS
6'1", 222 lbs
39 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR, 1 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
80 76 65 61 73 78 56 74 84
Kingi McNair was a pleasant surprise at LOLB last season, and will need to be the leader of the linebackers this season. As the only returning starter, McNair will play on the left side, and will have to be a force on the edge for us to be competitive on defense.

#57 Tabugbo Anyansi, Sr
6'1", 223 lbs
21 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
70 74 63 60 66 75 46 64 71
A solid player, but not a good tackler. With the ROLB starting spot open to competition, I was hoping Anyansi would step up to make a play, but he'll only be starting in the 4-backer sets (3-4, 4-4). He'll be the top player off the bench in the 3-back sets.

#49 Gerris Wilkinson, Jr-RS
6 tackles, 1 FR, 1 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
67 64 68 51 63 64 47 68 71
Second string at OLB still means a good bit of playing time.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:15 PM

2004 Roster: Inside Linebacker - Grade C-

#43 Trent Ball, Fr
6'2", 231 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
73 70 59 54 75 70 51 83 81
Trent Ball has all the talent in the world, and will be our starting MLB right off the bat. Trent is coming in highly rated, and has the potential to make all kinds of plays for us. He'll need to, filling in for Daryl Smith.

#59 Anthony Banks, Fr
6'2", 222 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
71 85 62 44 82 73 55 81 86
Not too far off from Trent Ball, Anthony Banks is another stellar Inside Backer recruit. The thing that jumps out at me about Banks is his speed - he can stay right with almost all our WRs and just about all our corners. With that in mind, he'll be moving right in at ROLB, we need a player of his caliber on the field. He'll shift inside during the 3-4 and 4-4 sets, and may even see playing time in the Nickel with that speed.

#51 Charles Roberts, Fr
6'3", 220 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK ST
52 57 57 44 52 56 42 66 62
Roberts is a walkon at MLB, and fills out depth.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:23 PM

2004 Roster: Cornerback - Grade C

#9 Reuben Houston, Jr-RS
6'0", 195 lbs
49 tackles, 3 Int, 2 FF, 1 TD, 5 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
79 87 47 62 86 85 51 88 46 89
Reuben Houston moves from a very successful #2 corner to our top slot. He had good hands last season, and didn't get burnt nearly as often as Jonathan Cox did. We find out this year if that was due to talent, or facing the #2 receiver.

#27 Venice Gilliam, Jr
5'10", 196 lbs
5 tackles, 1 FF
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
68 79 45 55 79 75 47 81 48 86
We tried to redshirt Gilliam last season, but had to pull him off when injuries in the secondary became a problem. He'll be our #2 corner this year by a slim margin over I-Perfection Harris - Harris has the speed, but Gilliam outplays him nearly everywhere else. We'll need to rely on safety help badly here, however.

#11 I-Perfection Harris, So-RS
5'10", 171 lbs
33 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 Int, 1 FF, 6 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
68 88 37 47 79 82 46 73 39 75
A freshman All-American last season, Harris has this spot due mostly to his speed. He has the potential to be a solid player, but is very lacking in some of the skills needed to be successful at more than a nickel corner spot.

#25 Dennis Davis, Sr
6'0", 186 lbs
14 tackles, 1 Int, 1 TD, 4 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
68 83 42 54 75 85 42 76 45 63
Davis is a guy I'd almost feel comfortable starting, but his stanima won't let him stay on the field long enough. He'll be our Dime back this year.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:28 PM

2004 Roster: Free Safety - Grade C

#22 James Butler, Sr
6'3", 211 lbs
62 tackles, 2 Int, 1 FF, 2 FR, 5 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
75 77 56 65 77 78 57 79 59 82
Butler did a solid job as a roving safety last season, but will be moving up this year to play in the Strong Safety spot. If he falls through there, we may move him back to FS and move our 'backer Anthony Banks in to play SS.

#24 Jamar Simms, Fr
5'11", 202 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
73 83 50 50 86 82 57 86 59 89
A starter right away at FS - Simms has the speed we like back in the deep area, and will push Butler forward to SS. If Simms gets consistantly burnt early, we may need to make a move; but the spot is his to win right here.

#15 Nathan Burton, Sr-RS
6'2", 205 lbs
24 tackles, 1 FF
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
62 70 53 54 75 73 48 72 51 73
Burton had a good bit of playing time last year, but will see his tackles come in relief time this season.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:31 PM

2004 Roster: Strong Safety - Grade C

#20 Dawan Landry, Jr-RS
6'2", 216 lbs
43 tackles, 2 Sacks, 3 Int, 1 FF, 5 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
64 72 56 59 76 73 51 75 58 82
Landry was a warm body in the SS spot last year. He had a couple of very good games, but will be playing mostly Special Teams and backup in the secondary this season.

#29 Tracy Cage, Fr
Redshirting
6'0", 182 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK ST
62 77 45 53 75 74 56 80 52 79
Cage has the tools to be a solid player in the ACC, but he's not nearly there. He'll redshirt this season, as while the depth we have isn't great in the secondary; he wouldn't be a large enough improvement to justify.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:36 PM

2004 Roster: Kicker - Grade C+

#33 David Jordan, So-RS
First Team All-American
6'4", 200 lbs
19-19 FG, 46 Long; 43-44 XP, 0 Blocked
OV AW KP KA
78 54 89 82
David Jordan was another nice surprise last season; his accuracy from mid-long range helped our offense a good bit. He's the hands-down kicker this season; although another big surprise with the First-Team All-American selection.

2004 Roster: Punter - Grade C

#41 Jermaine MacPherson, Fr
6'0", 194 lbs
OV AW KP KA
70 55 81 85
Jermaine MacPherson is one of two very solid recruits coming in to compete at the punter spot. He has the slight edge in current ability, so will be the starter this year. The competition will be wide open next season again, however, with Beasley coming off the redshirt year.

#48 Andrea Beasley, Fr
Redshirting
6'1", 180 lbs
OV AW KP KA
65 49 78 80
Beasley is redshirting, as Jermaine MacPherson has the starting job locked up.

korme

07-29-2003, 11:42 PM

celeval is back!

woot

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:42 PM

2004 Roster: Special Teams

Kick Returners:
CB I-Perfection Harris: 34 Returns, 747 Yards, 1 TD
WR Benjamin Holmes

Punt Returner:
CB I-Perfection Harris

I like the idea of using defensive players as my returners, mostly because that means I will always trot out rested players on offense. The need for Ben Holmes to return kicks, however, is one I can't overlook right now - simply because he is the fastest on the team and I need that kind of speed on the field for a kick return. I-Perfection nailed down his spot here thanks to the 96-yard TD return last season.

Celeval

07-29-2003, 11:54 PM

Coach Report Card
Kevin Donnelly (8-5), 1 Year
Coach Prestige: ****

"Okay, Coach Donnelly, Fall's here and you know what that means...time to play some football."

Job Security: B

Next Game: Week 1 at Navy

Celeval

07-30-2003, 12:07 AM

Preseason Sports Illustrated: College Preview Issue

SI Cover:
HB Selvin Young, Texas (Jr)
Oh So Special...
Young and the Longhorns look to take home the title in 2004.

Preseason 117 (top 25):
Ready to Rumble: Buckeyes look to take home the title in 2004.
1. Texas
2. Miami
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. NC State
6. Virginia Tech
7. Texas A&M
8. Auburn
9. Maryland
10. Oregon State
11. Georgia
12. Tennessee
13. Nebraska
14. Kansas State
15. Iowa
16. Michigan
17. Pittsburgh
18. LSU
19. Colorado
20. Notre Dame
21. USC
22. Ole Miss
23. South Carolina
24. West Virginia
25. Alabama
26. Florida State
27. Virginia
33. Georgia Tech
41. Clemson
68. Wake Forest
86. Duke
98. North Carolina

Heisman Watch
Believe the Hype: The 6'0", 231 lb Junior Running back has performed well in the spotlight
QB Timmy Chang, Hawaii (Sr-RS)
HB Maurice Clarett, Ohio State (Jr)
HB Wali Lundy, Virginia (Jr)
HB Lonta Hobbs, TCU (Jr)
WR Broderick Clark, Louisville (Jr-RS)

Pre-season All-Americans
T Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech - First Team
G Nathan Bennett, Clemson - First Team
DE Chris Canty, Virginia - First Team
K David Jordan, Georgia Tech - First Team
WR Steve Suter, Maryland - Second Team
DE Eric Henderson - Second Team
CB Justin Miller, Clemson - Second Team

Conference Outlook
ACC:
1. NC State
2. Maryland
3. Florida State
4. Virginia
5. Georgia Tech
6. Clemson
7. Wake Forest
8. Duke
9. North Carolina

Big Ten: Ohio State
Big 12 (N): Nebraska
Big 12 (S): Texas
Big East: Miami
C-USA: Louisville
MAC (E): UCF
MAC (W): Northern Illinois
Mountain West: New Mexico
PAC-10: Oregon State
SEC (E): Georgia
SEC (W): Auburn
Sun Belt: Arkansas State
WAC: Hawaii

Celeval

07-30-2003, 12:09 AM

Originally posted by Shorty3281
woot

w00t!

Right. It's a full night's work to get my depth chart worked out - will play Navy (at least) tomorrow night and get that posted then. Gah, this game makes me want to miss work badly. :-D

Buzzbee

07-30-2003, 04:21 PM

Glad you're back Celeval!

Celeval

07-30-2003, 11:47 PM

Week One Action:

Georgia Tech at Navy

Preview:
Navy (0-0)
Overall: D+
Offense: D
Defense: C
Special Teams: C

Key Players:
OLB L. Jackson, 73 OVR
G L. Jones, 72 OVR
OLB E. McGill, 71 OVR

Navy wins the toss, and elects to receive - they go three and out, testing our young linebackers with a couple runs up the gut. We move right down the field on the Navy defense - Bilbo completes two passes to Maurio Altman before Altman is knocked out of the game with back spasms, and Eziemefe gets our first score of the season. We move up and down the field pretty easily, as expected - a pair of turnovers and the halftime clock is all that stops Bilbo and the Jackets in the first half.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 28, Navy 3

Bilbo takes a seat after halftime, and we'll get our first look at Haston. His one eventual mistake results in Navy's only touchdown of the day on a 93-yard interception return.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 49, Navy 10

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 11-13, 152 yards, 1 TD
GT QB LaShaun Haston 16-26, 247 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int
NAVY QB Lamar Owens 9-23, 77 yards, 1 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 22-145 yards, 3 TD
NAVY HB Alex Watkins 6-28 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 7-130 yards, 1 TD
GT WR Levon Thomas 5-84 yards, 1 TD
GT WR Nate Curry 4-67 yards
NAVY WR Dan Gibbon 2-19 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Trent Ball 7 Tackles (3 TFL)
GT FS Jamar Simms 6 Tackles (2 TFL)
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 5 Tackles, 1 Int, TD
NAVY FS Wayne Irons 9 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Sack
NAVY MLB Jeremy Chase 7 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Sack
NAVY CB Colby Sampson 5 Tackles, 1 Int, TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 5 Tackles, FF, 1 Int, TD
NAVY CB Colby Sampson 5 Tackles, 1 Int, TD

Celeval

07-30-2003, 11:57 PM

Week One:
SI Cover:
DE Marcus Spears, LSU (Sr)
A Strong Start
The Tigers open 2004 with a huge victory against #7 Texas A&M.

Top 10:
Hopes Dampened: Tigers drop Texas A&M to 0-1 after 28-24 cliffhanger.
1. Texas (39) (0-0): BYE
2. Miami (20) (0-0): BYE
3. Oklahoma (1-0): W 42-3 RICE
4. Ohio State (0-0): BYE
5. NC State (0-0): BYE
6. Virginia Tech (0-0): BYE
7. Auburn (0-0): BYE
8. Maryland (0-0): BYE
9. Oregon State (0-0): BYE
10. Georgia (0-0): BYE

Dropped out of Top Ten: #7 Texas A&M

Heisman Watch:
Household Name: Ohio State's Clarett has all the ingrediants of a Heisman-quality running back.
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State
HB Wali Lundy (Jr), Virginia
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU
WR Broderick Clark (Jr-RS), Louisville

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Ajenavi Eziemefe, Georgia Tech (So-RS): 22 carries, 145 yards, 3 TD; 2 rec, 26 yards
MLB Anthony Blanks, Georgia Tech (Fr): 5 tackles, Int, FF, TD
(ACC)
HB Ajenavi Eziemefe, Georgia Tech (So-RS): 22 carries, 145 yards, 3 TD; 2 rec, 26 yards
MLB Anthony Blanks, Georgia Tech (Fr): 5 tackles, Int, FF, TD

Celeval

07-31-2003, 01:17 AM

Week Two Action:

UConn (0-0) at Georgia Tech (1-0)

Preview:
UConn (0-0)
Overall: C+
Offense: B-
Defense: C+
Special Teams: C+

Key Players:
T R. Krug: 89 OVR
HB T. Caulley: 87 OVR
OLB M. Lloyd: 81 OVR

Our home opener against the University of Connecticut Huskies. We elect to kick in order to get the ball at the start of the second half. Alfred Malone comes up with back-to-back sacks on the first two plays of the game, and we're off and running. Our offense sputters out of the gate - an Eziemefe fumble puts the Huskies in good enough field position to garner a 7-0 lead. Our defense continues to play well - we come up with six sacks in the first half, three by Alfred Malone; but Bilbo has thrown two interceptions into the end zone at this point, and we only manage a tie at the half. Even worse, we learn during the half that Benjamin Holmes will be out for three weeks after tearing an abdominal muscle.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 7, UConn 7

We don't get on the board again until late in the third quarter, after an extended ground drive. P.J. Daniels picks up his second touchdown on the year to give us a 14-7 lead; but after Bilbo fumbles the ball on our next possession inside the red zone; Connecticut has a short drive to tie the game at 14 in the fourth quarter. We swap scores halfway through the fourth - a field goal for a touchdown, and we find ourselves trailing 21-17 with 3:29 to play, in a game which should have been a win from the start. Lucky for us, we have Nate Curry. First play from scrimmage, Curry takes a short hitch and turns it into a 70 yard touchdown reception. We lead 24-21 and need to hold on. Three and out with 2:42 to play, and we let Eziemefe do his stuff. We pick up two first downs - not enough to run out the clock - but set up a 50 yard field goal attempt for David Jordan - good! 1:20 left on the clock, and we lead by six. UConn is not giving up, and comes right down the field - 25 seconds left, and they have the ball at our 31 yard line, within striking range. A third and four play into the end zone is missed - and we're looking at fourth and four with 0:17 left, on our 25 yard line. Our defensive call is a Dime set, the Cover Three Switch zone. They come out in an I-Slot formation, motion the Fullback out to the right - and Pullen comes up with the biggest sack of the game. Bilbo sits on the ball, and that'll do it. Not exactly the warmup we had in mind, but we come out of it with a win.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 27, UConn 21

Greatest Game: 407 (2nd)

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 13-24, 246 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
UConn QB Jermell Williams 14-30, 183 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 24-95 yards
GT HB P.J. Daniels 8-55 yards, 1 TD
UConn HB Terry Caulley 18-78 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Nate Curry 4-113 yards, 1 TD
UConn WR Keron Henry 6-83 yards, 1 TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT FS James Butler 11 Tackles
GT DE Terron Pullen 5 Tackles (3 TFL), 3 Sacks
GT DT Alfred Malone 5 Tackles (3 TFL), 3 Sacks
GT CB Venice Gilliam 5 Takles, 2 Int
UConn MLB Alfred Fincher 7 Tackles (2 TFL), 1 Sack
UConn FS Brooks Hester 7 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT CB Venice Gilliam 5 Takles, 2 Int
UConn FS Brooks Hester 7 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Int, FF, FR

Celeval

07-31-2003, 01:24 AM

Week Two:
SI Cover:
QB Zack Mills, Penn State (Sr-RS)
Stunned!
Auburn's high hopes are dismantled on opening weekend.

Top 10:
Auburn Stumbles: The #7 Tigers are surprised by Penn State on opening weekend.
1. Texas (37) (1-0): W 34-6 BGSU
2. Miami (21) (1-0): W 42-7 BUCKS
3. Oklahoma (1) (2-0): W 60-0 ILLINI
4. NC State (1-0): W 33-23 TAMU
5. Virginia Tech (0-0): BYE
6. Maryland (1-0): W 45-20 TULSA
7. Oregon State (1-0): W 44-3 WMU
8. Georgia (1-0): W 45-3 UTEP
9. LSU (2-0): W 38-6 NAVY
10. Ohio State (0-1): L 7-42 MIAMI

Dropped out of Top Ten: #7 Auburn

Heisman Watch:
He Got Next?: Oklahoma's Jones has big hands to go along with his big heart.
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii - 26-49, 373 yards, 2 TD
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 27 carries, 158 yards; 2 rec, 15 yards
HB Wali Lundy (Jr), Virginia - 15 carries, 122 yards, TD; 2 rec, 40 yards
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 22 carries, 192 yards, 2 TD; 5 rec, 89 yards, 2 TD
WR Brandon Jones (Sr), Oklahoma - 10 rec, 208 yards, 3 TD

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Lonta Hobbs, TCU (Jr): 22 carries, 192 yards, 2 TD; 5 rec, 89 yards, 2 TD
MLB Abraham Reese, BC (Fr): 8 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 sacks, TD

(ACC)
QB Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson (Jr-RS): 18-31, 470 yards, 4 TD; 4 car, 22 yards
CB Venice Gilliam, Georgia Tech (Jr): 5 Tackles, 2 Int

Buzzbee

07-31-2003, 03:20 PM

Hmmm. First week - #7 Texas A&M gets upset and drops out of the top 10. Second week - #7 Auburn gets upset and drops out of the top 10. I'd hate to be Oregon State right now.

Celeval

07-31-2003, 03:27 PM

Been giving some thought to a strategy change here - with Florida State at home next on our schedule; and Ben Holmes going to be out for that game, it leaves us with a pretty thin receiver lineup. I'm debating changing playbooks for the FSU game and moving to more much of a running attack - one-wideout, using the tight ends. Thoughts?

Buzzbee

07-31-2003, 11:38 PM

Before I could answer, I'd need to know a little about FSU's defense. What are their strengths and weaknesses? If they have a shutdown corner, but are weak at linebacker, then shifting the load to the TE's might be a good call. However, if they have solid backers but weak corners, then sticking with the passing game might be a better call. Who knows, Bridges and Cooper might suprise you.

Celeval

08-01-2003, 07:22 AM

Week Three:

We have a bye to prepare for the Florida State game.

SI Cover:
CB J.C. Jamison, Maryland (Fr)
Ready for Prime Time?
The overconfident Terrapins get a wake-up call from Florida State.

Top 10:
How It's Done: Florida State drops Maryland, increases its ACC record to 1-1.
1. Texas (37) (2-0): W 62-0 MTSU
2. Miami (21) (2-0): W 65-14 SJSU
3. Oklahoma (1) (3-0): W 47-17 UTAH ST
4. NC State (2-0): W 37-27 WAKE
5. Virginia Tech (1-0): W 41-16 UNC
7. Oregon State (2-0): W 40-3 BALL ST
8. Georgia (2-0): W 44-0 BAYLOR
9. LSU (3-0): W 45-14 BYU
9. Kansas State (2-0): W 35-14 UVA
10. Ohio State (1-1): W 51-16 ZIPS

Dropped out of Top Ten: #6 Maryland

Heisman Watch:
Maurice! The 6'0", 231 lbs Junior running back has performed well in the spotlight.
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii - 48-86, 781 yards, 7 TD; 5 car, 13 yards
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 43 carries, 293 yards, 3 rec, 109 yards, 3 Total TDs
HB Wali Lundy (Jr), Virginia - 31 carries, 182 yards, 3 TD; 6 rec. 80 yards
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 49 carries, 369 yards, 6 TD; 8 rec, 145 yards, 2 TD
WR Devard Darling (Sr-RS), Washington State - 16 rec, 424 yards, 6 TD

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Maurice Clarett, Ohio State (Jr): 16 carries, 135 yards; 94 rec yards, 3 Total TDs
MLB Robert Watts, Utah State (Sr-RS): 18 tackles (3 TFL), 3 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR

(ACC)
HB T.A. McLendon, NC State (Jr): 11 carries, 59 yards, TD
CB Antonio Cromartie, Florida State (Fr-RS): Tackle (1 TFL), Int, TD

Celeval

08-01-2003, 07:43 AM

Some news and notes about Florida State:

Last season we lost 27-21 after coming back from a 21-7 halftime deficit, in Tallahassee. In fact, we got noted as a Greatest Game, after being shut down inside the five yard line on fourth and two with under a minute left. Stats from that game:

Leading Passers
GT QB D. Bilbo 9-18, 270 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
FSU QB C. Rix 19-28, 332 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int

Leading Rushers
GT HB Tony Hollings 20-57 yards, 2 TD
FSU HB Greg Jones 17-67 yards, 2 TD

Leading Receivers
GT WR Nate Curry 5-176 yards, 1 TD
FSU WR Donnie Carter 4-86 yards

This Year's Florida State Team:
#24 Florida State 1-1 (1-1): W1
Overall: A-
Offense: A-
Defense: B
Special Teams: A

Points Per Game: 36.0 (25th)
Total Offense: 424.0 (38th)
Rush Offense: 153.0 (59th)
Pass Offense: 271.0 (31st)
Total Defense: 446.0 (91st)
Rush Defense: 145.5 (49th)
Pass Defense: 300.5 (104th)
Turnover Diff: +1.50 (16th)

The averages are tough to figure after only the two games - Maryland was down to FSU 31-7 at the half, so must have thrown a good bit in the second half and may have skewed those numbers.

As noted in the Week Three roundup; FSU is 1-1 now, (1-1 in conference) after losing to North Carolina (! - their first win since 2002!) 31-34 in the opener; and beating the crap out of #6 Maryland 41-17 in Week three. Impact players from those games:

[Game One]
A. Bowman (UNC): 3 rec, 47 yards, 15 car, 44 yards
C. Rix (FSU): 13-26, 231 yards, 5 car, 32 yards, 2 total TD

[Game Two]
A. Cromartie (FSU): 1 Tackle (1 TFL), Int, TD
J.Jamison (UMD): 2 Tackles, Int, FF, FR

FSU Unit Rankings:
DE: B (Chauncey Davis: 90 OVR, Eric Moore: 82 OVR - Kamerion Wimbley: 80 OVR)
DT: C (Broderick Bunkley: 74 OVR, Kendrick Norman: 70 OVR - Jelani Walden: 69 OVR)
OLB: C+ (Ernie Sims: 88 OVR, A.J. Nicholson: 82 OVR - (MLB) Landon Monroe: 71 OVR)
MLB: C (Thomas Scott: 69 OVR - Landon Monroe: 68 OVR)
CB: B- (Antonio Cromarte: 87 OVR, Bryant McFadden: 84 OVR, (WR) P.K. Sam: 78 OVR)
FS: B (Kyler Ball: 88 OVR)
SS: C+ (Jerome Carter: 75 OVR)

The players after the dashes are the backups. As noted, the OVR ratings of players change based on position - each position calculates OVR differently. Their weakness seems to be the middle of the field - if we can get them to pull their OLBs to the outside or run out of the Nickel set (their Nickel lineup has Nicholson and Scott), we might have some success up the middle. Nickel set would actually be the best bet for us - as we'd be tiring out P.K. Sam as well, who's had success against us last year, and is their #3 WR.

The playbook I'm considering:

UTAH STATE
Ace-Big (HB, WR, 3 TE) - 2 TE to weak side bunched, WR/TE to strong
Ace-Bunch (HB, 4 WR) - 1 WR to weak side, 3 to strong
Ace-Empty (HB as slot, 4 WR) - WR/HB to weak side, 3 WR to strong
I-Form-Y-Trips (HB, FB, TE, 2 WR) - HB/FB in straight I, TE & WRs on strong side
Maryland I (2 HB, FB, 2 TE) - HB/HB/FB in straight I, TEs balanced
Power-T (2 HB, FB, 2 TE) - HB/HB/FB in flat T, TEs balanced
Shotgun-Ace (2 TE, 2 WR, HB) - fully balanced save for HB next to QB on strong side
Shotgun-Bunch (TE, 3 WR, HB) - 2 WR/TE to strong side
Wishbone (2 HB, FB, 2 TE) - HB/HB/FB in wishbone, TEs balanced
Goal Line (3 TE, HB, FB)
Hail Mary (5 WR)

The Ace-Bunch and Ace-Empty sets should be good to get at least Nickel defense out of, with the Empty set having three running plays (QB Draw, and a pair of Options which involve the HB coming into motion). The Ace-Bunch has a handful of Draw/Dive/Toss plays to the HB as well.

Buzzbee

08-01-2003, 03:41 PM

It looks like they have a pretty strong secondary, but are weak up the middle. If they were running a 3-4 it would be a no brainer to run over center, but since it looks like they are running a 4-3, it might be a little more difficult. Especially with the rookie centers you have.

Picking on the MLB looks to be a sound strategy. Slants and short In routes seem to be a good bet.

Good luck!

I said it's GREAT, to be, a fuuuuuzzy bee. I said it's GREAT, to be, a fuuuuuzzy bee. I said it's Great, to be, a fucked up bee!

digamma

08-01-2003, 04:21 PM

I'm reading.

I'm also playing with the Jackets in my dynasty, but I'm using DT Linden's rosters with incoming freshman, and with the exception of Alfred Malone, I don't have any of the 10 academic casualties in the depth chart.

I'm playing on All American with 6 minute quarters (I may need to up the quarter length for next season and fiddle with the sliders some). So far I'm 3-2, with losses to FSU and ClemPson. Upset Auburn 7-6 to make the SI cover. I lost Bilbo for the season handing the ball off (he tore an abdominal muscle) in the third quarter vs. BYU, and Suggs is struggling. If EA (or DT Linden, really) has any predictive value, Kenny Scott will be an immediate contributor this fall.

tucker342

08-01-2003, 04:28 PM

great stuff so far:D

Celeval

08-02-2003, 12:03 AM

Week Four Action:

#25 Florida State (1-1) at Georgia Tech (2-0)

Preview:
Florida State (1-1)
Overall: A-
Offense: A-
Defense: B
Special Teams: A

Key Players:
QB C. Rix: 542 pass yards
CB B. McFadden: 2 Ints
CB A.Cromartie: 2 Ints

Things look good at the start - we stop Florida State 3 and out on their first possession and drive right down the field for a score. End of the first quarter sees a 14-14 score, and we seem to be matching the Seminoles blow-for-blow. But for all the defensive analysis we did on them, we have plenty more weaknesses on defense, and FSU exploits them all. We get blown up on big plays - both from Reid out of the backfield and a couple big third downs from the wideouts, and trail too far back at the half to make much of a comeback.

Halftime: Florida State 35, Georgia Tech 14

The second half is basically watch us turn the ball over - needing to go to the air, Bilbo gets intercepted three more times (twice in the end zone), and Haston ends the game with a desperation pick himself.

Final Score: Florida State 52, Georgia Tech 26

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 16-31, 211 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
GT QB LaShaun Haston 3-6, 46 yards, 1 Int
FSU QB Chris Rix 14-22, 249 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 20-58, 1 TD
GT FB Johnathan Jackson 6-38
FSU HB Willie Reid 10-111, 2 TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Nate Curry 5-91 yards
GT TE Maurio Altman 5-85 yards
FSU WR Dominic Robinson 5-102 yards, 2 TD
FSU WR Chauncey Stovall 3-62 yards, 1 TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Trent Ball 5 Tackles
GT DE Terron Pullen 3 Tackles (2 TFL), 1 Sack
FSU OLB A.J. Nicholson 8 Tackles, 1 Int
FSU MLB Thomas Scott 8 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Sack

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 20-58, 1 TD; 2 rec, 19 yards, 1 TD
FSU QB Chris Rix 14-22, 249 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int

Celeval

08-02-2003, 12:05 AM

Regarding the playbook change - I think the offensive planning helped. Our offense wasn't terrible, and I think we showed up well outside of the 5 interceptions. Okay, that sounds bad. Until it got to the 'We need to pass and they know it' stage, we did fine.

I like the Utah State playbook and will stick with it for a couple more games to see how it pans out. I liked getting the fullback into more of the offense as well.

Celeval

08-02-2003, 12:13 AM

Week Four:

SI Cover:
Defender, Georgia
Staying the Course?
The brash Bulldogs look to extend their win streak against #8 LSU.

Top 10:
Snatch and Run!: Wolfpack withstand a tough road trip, winning 44-41
1. Texas (31) (3-0): W 43-16 HOU
2. Miami (24) (3-0): W 30-3 BOISE
3. Oklahoma (3) (4-0): W 33-10 IU
4. NC State (1) (3-0): W 44-41 LOUIS
5. Virginia Tech (2-0): W 41-3 ECU
7. Oregon State (3-0): W 35-12 BGSU
8. Georgia (3-0): W 41-35 SCAR
9. LSU (4-0): W 30-10 CIN
9. Kansas State (3-0): W 28-17 ILLINI
10. Ohio State (2-1): W 31-20 UK
UNR Georgia Tech (2-1): L 26-52 FSU

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Heisman Watch:
Who is this guy?: McLendon is mentioned on everybody's Heisman List.
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii - 63-113, 1013 yards, 9 TD; 5 car, 13 yards
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 73-542-7 Rushing, 13-205-3 Receiving
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 63-448 Rushing, 3-109 Receiving, 6 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), North Carolina State - 64-380 Rushing, 4-57 Receiving, 5 TDs
WR Devard Darling (Sr-RS), Washington State - 20-521-6 Receiving

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Cedric Cobbs, Arkansas (Sr): 21 carries, 135 yards, 4 TD; 5 Rec. 99 yards
CB Kelly Jennings, Miami (Jr-RS): 3 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

(ACC)
HB Sam Maldonado, Maryland (Jr-RS): 37 carries, 209 yards, 16 receiving yards, 2 TDs
CB Ryan Hemby, Clemson (Sr-RS): Int, TD

Celeval

08-02-2003, 01:33 AM

Week Five Action:

Georgia Tech (2-1) at Clemson (1-1)

Preview:
Clemson (1-1)
Overall: B
Offense: B
Defense: C+
Special Teams: B+

Key Players:
QB C. Whitehurst: 767 Pass Yards
WR D. Hamilton: 251 Rec Yards
WR A. Currie: 3 Rec TD

Clemson has the potential for an awesome offense - a great if immobile quarterback in Charlie Whitehurst, a very speedy freshman halfback, and a trio of solid receivers. The offensive line is no great shakes, however; and the only redeeming quality of their defense is Second-Team All-American Cornerback Justin Miller, who is rated a 99 overall. We'll be throwing away from him all day.

Clemson comes out with a page from the Florida State playbook - nothing but shotgun for two drives and an early 14-3 lead. We're getting absolutely killed in the defensive secondary. Late in the second quarter, we toss the passing game out the window and focus on running the ball with much success.

Halftime: Clemson 21, Georgia Tech 10

We cut the lead to 21-16 during the third quarter, and take a 24-21 lead late in the fourth. Our ball, under two minutes to play, and a fourth and seven call from the Clemson 33 yard line. A tough decision to make - we choose to go for the field goal rather than a long fourth down conversion. There's a reason we have a pre-season All-American at kicker - a 50 yard field goal is good, and we lead 27-21. Clemson's passing game is too much for us, and right down the field for a 28-27 lead. We couldn't cover a bed at this point. We get the ball with a minute to play and drive down, but Bilbo throws an interception down at the Clemson 10 with a few seconds to play, and that's the game.

Final Score: Clemson 28, Georgia Tech 27

Greatest Game #1: 835 Points

Well, that makes me feel better.

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 14-32, 187 yards, 0 TD, 4 Int
CLEM QB Charlie Whitehurst 24-41, 372 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 22-91 yards, 1 TD
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 17-60 yards
GT HB Jimmy Dixon 6-27 yards, 1 TD
CLEM HB Tramaine Billie 7-46 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 8-131 yards
CLEM WR Derrick Hamilton 11-175 yards, 1 TD
CLEM WR Kelvin Grant 5-80 yards, 1 TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Trent Ball 8 Tackles (1 TFL), 1 Sack
GT CB Rueben Houston 1 Tackle, 2 Int
CLEM DE Kwame Fitzpatrick 8 Tackles (2 TFL)
CLEM MLB Roosevelt Nelson 7 Tackles (2 TFL), 1 Sack

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT CB Rueben Houston 1 Tackle, 2 Int
CLEM QB Charlie Whitehurst 24-41, 372 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

MrBug708

08-02-2003, 01:55 AM

Ouch Ouch Ouch

Buzzbee

08-02-2003, 07:12 AM

Originally posted by MrBug708
Ouch Ouch Ouch

Ditto.

BigDPW

08-02-2003, 07:28 AM

Originally posted by MrBug708
Ouch Ouch Ouch

Couldn't have saod it better myself...

Why did you have Bilbo throwing down by 1 on their 10 yard line??? Or was that just where the ball was intercepted not where you were on the field???

That was a tough loss... Hope you bounce back next game...

I am enjoying this dynasty alot... Keep up the good work... It is nice to see my Wolfpack in the top 5 and TA running his *ss off!!!

Celeval

08-02-2003, 08:25 AM

It was intercepted there on the field - we had it at about the Clemson 41 or so. /Just/ out of field goal range - we hit a 50 yarder earlier, but just barely, and that was with the wind. I figured we needed about ten yards to get back into FG range, but Clemson called a cover two zone; the only guy with a shot of getting out of bounds (out of timeouts) was Curry running a corner route.

Celeval

08-02-2003, 08:41 AM

Week Five:

SI Cover:
WR Michael Clayton, LSU (Sr)
Down to the Wire!
#8 LSU Slips by #7 ranked Georgia 32-25.

Top 10:
No Place Like Home?: Kansas State is still shaken following a home loss to Ohio State.
1. Texas (39) (4-0): W 27-24 UTAH
2. Miami (20) (4-0): W 37-6 BC
3. Oklahoma (4-0): W BYE
4. NC State (4-0): W 65-20 IDAHO
5. Virginia Tech (3-0): W 44-20 VANDY
6. Oregon State (4-0): W 38-0 DUKE
7. LSU (5-0): W 32-25 UGA
8. Ohio State (3-1): W 34-12 KSU
9. Alabama (4-0): W 35-21 USM
10. USC (3-0): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (2-2): L 27-28 CLEMSON

Dropped out of Top Ten: #7 Georgia, #9 Kansas State

Heisman Watch:
Gaining Momentum: Clarett credits his O'line for allowing him to put up the numbers he has.
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 97-673 Rushing, 15-248 Receiving, 12 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), North Carolina State - 77-474 Rushing, 9-126 Receiving, 6 TDs
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 87-585 Rushing, 4-115 Receiving, 7 TDs
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii - 63-113, 1013 yards, 9 TD; 5 car, 13 yards
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 141-876-9 Rushing, 13 Rec Yds

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Jabari Davis, Tennessee (Sr): 30 carries, 184 yards, 3 Rec, 23 yards, 4 Total TDs
FS Tab Walker, Tulane (Fr): 5 Tackles, 2 Int, FF, TD

(ACC)
HB Jacque Lewis, North Carolina (Sr): 23 carries, 126 yards, 2 Total TDs
CB Lamont Reid, North Carolina State (Sr): 3 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

Celeval

08-02-2003, 08:49 AM

Week Six:

We have a bye to lick our wounds before facing the Wolfpack.

SI Cover:
WR Terry Richardson, Arizona State (So-RS)
Starting Strong!
Sun Devils win their conference opener against Oregon State

Top 10:
Last Minute Madness!: #6 Oregon State loses an overtime stunner to Arizona State.
1. Texas (30) (4-0): BYE
2. Miami (28) (5-0): W 38-14 ND
3. Oklahoma (1) (5-0): W 27-21 MISS
4. NC State (5-0): W 24-14 UNC
5. Virginia Tech (4-0): W 43-16 UNM
6. LSU (6-0): W 28-24 MISS ST
7. Ohio State (4-1): W 52-3 NU
8. USC (4-0): W 38-35 Cal
9. Auburn (3-1): W 45-21 TXTECH
10. Georgia (3-1): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (2-2): L 27-28 CLEMSON

Dropped out of Top Ten: #6 Oregon State, #9 Alabama

Heisman Watch:
Heisman Material?: Maldonado's performance has the fans in College Park believing in their Terrapins.
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 118-786 Rushing, 17-290 Receiving, 13 TDs
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 1415 All-Purpose Yards, 9 TDs
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 176-1134-13 Rushing, 3-53 Receiving
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 139-850 Rushing, 5-47 Receiving, 8 TDs
WR Josh Davis (Sr-RS), Marshall - 32-558 Receiving, 4-15 Rushing, 9 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB David Horne, Nebraska (Jr): 35 carries, 258 yards, 4 TD; 2 Rec, 40 yards
CB Sharriff Gillon, Illinois (So): Tackle, Int, 2 TD

(ACC)
HB Sam Maldonado, Maryland (Jr-RS): 31 carries, 189 yards, 2 Tota.l TD
LE Kendall High, North Carolina (Jr): 6 Tackles (4 TFL), 3 Sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR

Celeval

08-02-2003, 09:17 AM

A checkup on the team just past a third of the way through the season.

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (4-1, 3-1)
2. NC State (5-0, 2-0)
3. Virginia (3-1, 2-0)
4. Clemson (3-1, 1-0)
5. North Carolina (3-2, 1-1)
6. Maryland (4-1, 0-1)
7. Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-2)
8. Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2)
9. Duke (0-4, 0-2)

Team Statistics:
Offense:
Total YPG: 602.5 (18th NCAA, 4th ACC)
Offensive YPG: 433.0 (28th/3rd)
Passing YPG: 272.2 (25th/4th)
Rushing YPG: 160.7 (52nd/6th)
Points Per Game: 32.2 (35th/5th)
Passing TD: 4 (77th/8th)
Rushing TD: 11 (13th/2nd)
1st Downs: 102 (45th/6th)
Sacks Allowed: 18 (100th/9th)
Redzone Attempts: 14 (66th/7th)
Redzone TD: 12 (27th/2nd)
Redzone FG: 1 (102nd/8th)
Redzone %: 92 (18th/2nd)

Offensively, we haven't moved the ball a heck of a lot. And when we have, as seen later, we turn it over.

Defense:
Total YPG: 320.5 (24th/1st)
Passing YPG: 240.5 (80th/7th)
Rushing YPG: 80.0 (2nd/1st)
Avg Pts Against: 27.7 (67th/7th)
Sacks: 16 (27th/2nd)
Interceptions: 5 (42nd/6th)
Fumbles Recovered: 2 (71st/6th)
Redzone Attempts: 8 (6th/1st)
Redzone TD: 3 (3rd/1st)
Redzone FG: 2 (12th/2nd)
Redzone %: 62 (7th/1st)

Defensively, the numbers are somewhat misleading. We're top ten in Redzone Scoring Pct and Redzone attempts, but 67th in Points Against - that just means out of 111 points scored against us, only 27 of which were from inside the red zone. Hence 84 points scored from beyond the 20 yard line - we get killed by the big play. Rushing yards are down, but teams' haven't needed to /try/ to rush against us.

Efficiency:
3rd Down Conv: 26 (82nd/6th)
3rd Down Att: 57 (104th/8th)
3rd Down %: 45 (46th/5th)
4th Down Conv: 11 (1st/1st)
4th Down Att: 11 (3rd/1st)
4th Down %: 100 (1st/1st)
2 Point Conv: 1 (8th/1st)
2 Point Att: 3 (4th/1st)
2 Point %: 33 (34th/3rd)
Penalties: 14 (1st/1st)
Pen Yards: 117 (2nd/1st)

The fourth down conversion stat means nothing other than a lot of 4th and inches, I'm not quite as aggressive as that seems to imply.

Turnovers:
Int (Thrown): 12 (115th/9th)
Fum (Lost): 4 (73rd/5th)
Giveaways: 16 (115th/9th)
Int (Defensive): 5 (42nd/6th)
Fum (Recovered: 2 (71st/6th)
Takeaways: 7 (67th/7th)
Turnover Diff: -9 (112th/9th)
Avg TO Diff: -2.2 (114th/9th)

Ah, the crux of the problem. The numbers speak for themselves.

Player Statistics
Passing:
QB Damarius Bilbo: 54-100, 796 yards, 3 TD, 10 Int
QB LaShaun Haston: 19-32, 293 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int

Bilbo is killing me with the picks. Okay, so really I'm killing me with the picks, but still. We face North Carolina State next week in a do-or-die game for D-Bo - Haston will be getting the start in Week Seven if Bilbo doesn't come through with a decent game.
Grade: D

Rushing:
HB Ajenavi Eziemefe: 88-389, 5 TD (4.4 avg)
HB P.J. Daniels: 20-99, 3 TD (4.9 avg)
FB J. Jackson: 11-65 (5.9 avg)
FB J. Dixon 6-27 (4.5 avg)
QB D. Bilbo 52-54, 2 TD (1.0 avg)

Here is where I note something left out of the Clemson game - Johnathan Jackson is done for the season. Our rushing attack has improved, after putting up 200 yards on the ground against Clemson. Eziemefe is breaking a good number of tackles, although hasn't really broken a huge run (36 long).
Grade: B-

Receiving:
WR Benjamin Holmes: 16-282, 1 TD
WR Nate Curry: 14-283, 1 TD
WR Levon Thomas: 11-174, 1 TD
TE Maurio Altman: 10-129

The receiving corps is about where we expected it, save for Altman. We still need him to step up a bit.
Grade C+

Blocking:
T Nat Dorsey: 24 Pancakes, 2 Sacks Allowed
G Leon Robinson: 18/1
T Kyle Wallace: 11/5
C Joseph Hayes: 6/1
G Brad Honeycutt: 3/3

The problem here is obvious - the Right Side of the line is responsible for 8 sacks, while the left side has allowed 3 (1 right up the middle). Hayes isn't being dominant, but is playing very solidly. Dorsey's 24 pancakes puts him second in the NCAA (Leon Robinson is 12th).
Grade: B+

Defensive: Tackling
MLB Trent Ball: 25 Tackles, 4 TFL
FS (SS) James Butler: 22/0
FS Jamar Simms: 15/2
DE Eric Henderson: 12/2
CB Venice Gilliam: 12/1
OLB Tabugbo Anyansi: 12/1
OLB Anthony Blanks: 11/0
DE Terron Pullen: 11/8
DT Alfred Malone: 11/5

The trouble here is a sign of a problematic defense - too many tackles being made in the defensive secondary. Of course, a lot of this is because of the ball being thrown so often - it's not that the tackles are being made after a back breaks through, but more after the catch. Either way, the defensive line should be making more plays.
Grade: C

Defensive: Sacks
DE Terron Pullen: 5
DT Alfred Malone: 5
CB I-Perfection Harris: 2

Justin Tuck (ND) and Caleb Fleming (Illinois) lead the NCAA with 8 sacks apiece. Pullen and Malone are doing solidly; although there's very little pressure from the right side, including AA-Candidate Eric Henderson.
Grade: B

Defensive: Pass Defense
CB Rueben Houston: 5 Pass Defl, 2 Int
CB Venice Gilliam: 3/2
FS Jamar Simms: 2/0
OLB Anthony Blanks: 2/1
FS (SS) James Butler: 2/0

For all the passing that's being done against us, this ain't so much.
Grade: D

Kicking:
K David Jordan: 6-7 FG (long 50), 13-13 XP

Nothing to really complain about here, although we could use more distance on the kickoffs - Jordan has yet to kick one into the end zone for a touchback in his two seasons (consistantly drops at the -1 - 1).
Grade: A-

Punting:
P Jermaine MacPherson: 11 Punts, 458 yards (41.6 avg)

Last in the ACC in punting average, but not by a ton (46.0 is the leader). Solid enough for a freshman.
Grade: C

Returns:
CB I-Perfection Harris: 10-218 KR, 13-189 PR
WR Benjamin Holmes: 5-175 PR

Holmes' numbers are bumped up by a nice 61 yard KR early on in the year. Either way, we're decent if not great here.
Grade: C

Celeval

08-02-2003, 09:25 AM

Schedule

1. at Navy (1-5) W, 49-10
2. vs. UConn (2-3) W, 27-21
3. BYE
4. vs #22 Florida State (4-1) L, 26-52
5. at Clemson (3-1) L, 27-28
6. BYE
7. at #4 NC State (5-0)
8. vs Wake Forest (2-3)
9. vs #6 LSU (6-0)
10. at #12 Maryland (4-1)
11. BYE
12. vs Duke (0-4)
13. at North Carolina (3-2)
14. vs Virginia (3-1)
15 at #10 Georgia (3-1)

The outlook isn't brilliant for the Atlanta 22... while I think we can stick in with Maryland, LSU, and NC State; we can't reasonably expect to do better than 1-3 (and we could go 0-4) in our next four games. That puts us at 3-5 at best; needing to beat Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia to even get bowl eligible. This is going to be an ugly season unless things turn around quickly.

Job Security: B-
This could plummet quickly.

Celeval

08-02-2003, 03:03 PM

Week Seven Action:

Georgia Tech (2-2) at #4 North Carolina State (5-0)

Preview:
NC State (5-0)
Overall: B+
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
Special Teams: B+

Points Per Game: 40.6 (6th)
Total Offense: 418.4 (38th)
Rush Offense: 191.6 (34th)
Pass Offense: 226.8 (52nd)
Total Defense: 345.6 (35th)
Rush Defense: 124.2 (29th)
Pass Defense: 221.4 (62nd)
Turnover Diff: +1.80 (3rd)

Key Players:
HB McLendon 474 Rush Yards
HB Blackman 454 Rush Yards
K McKinney 15 FGs Made

State has already lost their starting QB for the next five weeks, but is playing fine under his backup - it was a tough competition in the offseason for the starting spot anyhow, so not much of a loss. Jay Davis has a decent arm, but is a smart kid on the field. He's 38-72-490-5-3 passing the ball. But no bones about it - the guy to watch out for on the Wolfpack is T.A. McLendon - he's averaging 6.2 yards a carry, and has 4 rushing TDs on the year. The 'pack has some serious speed on offense - three WRs with speeds of 90+, including their top two in Richard Washington (11-111-1) and Tramain Hall (16-216-1). The offensive line is only decent, after losing their two best starters (C Jed Paulsen - 92 OVR, T Derek Morris - 89 OVR) to injury. Defensively, strong across the board. With the offensive injuries, we may be catching NC State at the right time to hold their score down - but we could just as easily be blown away by the speed on the ends.

It's pouring out as the game starts - regional broadcast opens with Lee Corso letting everyone know we should get shut out. Great.

State gets the ball first, and we hold them to a punt. Bilbo fumbles on his first possession; we come up with an interception and then punt the ball away. So far, our defense at least is playing well - but they can only do so much. State picks up their first touchdown on a pass to Washington, then picks up ten more points on turnovers. Halfway through the second quarter we trail 24-0, Bilbo has thrown his second pick of the day; and Haston is into the game.

Haston plays pretty well, actually - we put two scores on the board before the end of the first half, but stay tantalizingly out of reach.

Halftime: NC State 31, Georgia Tech 13

Turnovers are still the order of the day - wideouts fumbling the ball after the catch, interceptions... we threaten a few times, but never really make a game out of it. The story of the second half is LaShaun Haston - much more accurate than Bilbo typically is. He's earned the next start, and perhaps the biggest game of our season so far against Wake Forest.

Final Score: NC State 44, Georgia Tech 20

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 25-43, 416 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 4-11, 26 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
NCS QB Jay Davis 28-41, 330 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 7-19 yards
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 2-17 yards
NCS HB T.A. McLendon 13-29 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 9-163 yards, 1 TD
GT WR Nate Curry 7-119 yards, 1 TD
GT TE Maurio Altman 4-81 yards
NCS WR Richard Washington 9-131 yards, 1 TD
NCS TE Jamesly Jean 4-44 yards, 1 TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT CB Reuben Houston 7 Tackles (1 TFL)
GT MLB Trent Ball 6 Tackles (2 TFL), 1 Sack
NCS CB Lamont Reid 8 Tackles
NCS SS J.J. Jones 8 Tackles
NCS OLB Pat Thomas 6 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks, 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 9-163 yards, 1 TD
NCS OLB Pat Thomas 6 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks, 2 Int

Celeval

08-02-2003, 03:12 PM

Week Seven:

SI Cover:
#7 Texas
Streak Squaker!
Texas keeps 12-game win streak alive with tough win.

Top 10:
Sic 'Em: Spirits are high in Athens as their Bulldogs beat #17 Alabama 27-21
1. Texas (33) (5-0): W 31-24 KSU
2. Miami (21) (6-0): W 48-34 WVU
3. Oklahoma (1) (6-0): W 27-22 IU
4. NC State (2) (6-0): W 44-20 GT
5. Virginia Tech (1) (5-0): W 48-14 RU
6. LSU (1) (7-0): W 30-24 S CAR
7. USC (5-0): W 42-35 ASU
8. Ohio State (4-1): BYE
9. Georgia (4-1): W 27-21 BAMA
10. Oklahoma State (5-0): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (2-3): L 20-44 NCSTATE

Dropped out of Top Ten: #9 Auburn

Heisman Watch:

HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 146-978 Rushing, 19-309 Receiving, 14 TDs
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 171-1038 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 9 TDs
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 1415 All-Purpose Yards, 9 TDs
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 177-872 yards, 7 Rec 116 yards, 13 TD
HB Dwight Wright (Sr-RS), Oregon State - 1400 All-Purpose Yards, 9 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
QB Kyle York, Mississippi State (Jr-RS): 20-32, 398 yards, 5 TD
FS Marviel Underwood, San Diego State (Sr-RS): 5 Tackles (1 TFL), Int, 2 FF, TD

(ACC)
QB Jay Davis, NC State (Jr-RS): 28-41, 330 yards, 4 TD
CB Gino Kennard, Virginia (Fr): 3 Tackles, Int, FF, TD

ACC Standings
1. NC State (6-0, 3-0)
2. Virginia (4-1, 3-0)
3. Florida State (4-1, 3-1)
4. Maryland (5-1, 1-1)
5. Clemson (3-2, 1-1)
6. North Carolina (3-3, 1-2)
7. Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2)
8. Duke (1-4, 0-2)
9. Georgia Tech (2-3, 0-3)

Ugh.

tucker342

08-02-2003, 03:54 PM

ouch, tough start to ACC play.... Hopefully it will turn around....

Celeval

08-02-2003, 05:38 PM

Week Seven Action:

Wake Forest (2-3) at Georgia Tech (2-3)

Preview:
Wake Forest (2-3)
Overall: B-
Offense: B
Defense: C+
Special Teams: B-

Points Per Game: 26.0 (54th)
Total Offense: 396.0 (44th)
Rush Offense: 216.0 (18th)
Pass Offense: 180.0 (85th)
Total Defense: 335.0 (30th)
Rush Defense: 145.2 (50th)
Pass Defense: 189.8 (33rd)
Turnover Diff: +0.00 (56th)

Key Players:
HB C. Barclay 570 Rush Yds
OLB B. Andrews: 36 Tackles
K M. Wisnosky: 6 FG

Wake Forest is a running team - we beat them pretty well at their place last season, but they did a lot of fooling with the option. So that's what we expect again this year. Cory Randolph is their quarterback - he's thrown for 5 TDs (7 picks), and is averaging 3.7 yards/carry. Chris Barclay is their top back and a speed guy, and they also have speed at the wideout positions. Defensively, their best player is MLB Brad White (83 OVR) - he has 24 tackles this season.

This game is not televised, which is good for us - we seem to play better when no one is watching. We win the toss, take the ball, and come out throwing. We move right down the field - until the first interception of the game returned for a touchdown, down 7-0. Unlike Bilbo, however, Haston seems to bounce back. We match scores early - Wake gets their first 13 points off turnovers (2 Ints, Fumble), and we only lead 17-13 at the half; thanks to a last-second field goal by David Jordan.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 17, Wake Forest 13

Wake takes their first lead of the game by driving right down the field out of the gate - coming up with the first third down conversions by either team of the game to this point, three of them - to lead 20-17 on a 1-yard run by Barclay. A field goal makes it 23-17, but the rest of the game is LaShaun Haston and our running backs. Ajenavi Eziemefe turns out on the poor end of the final stats, simply because he would get subbed out by the time a drive got into the red zone; P.J. Daniels was the recepient of a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second half after one in the first. Haston hooks up with Holmes and Altman in the fourth quarter for 28 unanswered points, and we come away with this one.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 45, Wake Forest 23

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 19-29, 322 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int
WF QB Cory Randolph 11-29, 197 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 17-104 yards
GT HB P.J. Daniels 12-62 yards, 3 TD
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 6-24 yards
WF HB Chris Barclay 22-106 yards, 1 TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Nate Curry 8-74 yards
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 3-95 yards, 2 TD
GT WR Maurio Altman 1-35 yards, TD
WF TE R.D. Montgomery 5-50 yards
WF WR Chris Davis 3-77 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 8 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack, 2 FF
GT MLB Trent Ball 6 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks, Int
GT DE Terron Pullen 5 Tackles (4 TFL), Sack
WF MLB Brad White 10 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack
WF DE John Finklea 7 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack, FF, FR
WF CB David Blount 2 Tackles, Int, TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB P.J. Daniels 12-62 yards, 3 TD
WF DE John Finklea 7 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack, FF, FR

Celeval

08-02-2003, 05:57 PM

Week Eight:

SI Cover:
OLB Markus Clayton, Miami (Fr)
Where do they Stand?
Where are the Hurricanes in the very first Bowl Rankings?

Top 10:
Big 12 Fight: Jackson and Sooners are confident after conference victory over Texas
1. Oklahoma (39) (7-0): W 31-24 TEXAS
2. Miami (20) (7-0): W 27-24 FSU
3. NC State (7-0): W 42-37 VANDY
4. Virginia Tech (6-0): W 49-14 SU
5. LSU (8-0): W 38-31 UF
6. USC (6-0): W 37-17 STAN
7. Texas (5-1): L 24-321 OU
8. Ohio State (5-1): W 37-16 WISC
9. Maryland (6-1): W 24-7 DUKE
10. Arkansas (6-0): W 35-24 AUBURN
UNR Georgia Tech (3-3): W 45-23 WAKE

Dropped out of Top Ten: #9 Georgia, #10 Oklahoma State

Bowl Rankings:
New Batch of Rankings: The first Bowl Rankings of 2004 are unveiled.
1. Miami: 4.19
2. Oklahoma: 5.82
3. NC State: 11.35
4. Virginia Tech: 11.68
5. LSU: 14.18
6. USC: 14.69
7. Ohio State: 17.96
8. Texas: 19.85

BCS Busters
UNR Fresno State (6-0, 2-0): W 31-19, Hawaii - Next: at Rice
#18 Colorado State (6-0, 2-0): W 41-23 BYU - Next: at Air Force

Heisman Watch:
The New Favorite?: Maryland's Maldonado takes over the top spot in our Heisman Watch
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 216-1369 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 11 TDs
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 155-1023 Rushing, 19-309 Receiving, 14 TDs
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 189-978 yards, 7 Rec 116 yards, 14 TD
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 106-567 Rushing, 12-149 Receiving, 10 TD
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 205-1285-14 Rushing, 5-90 Receiving

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Erick Phillips, West Virginia (So-RS): 29 carries, 223 yards, 4 TD
SS Chris Carr, Boise State (Sr): 4 Tackles, 4 Int, TD

(ACC)
HB Sam Maldonado, Maryland (Jr-RS): 45 carries, 331 yards, 2 TD
OLB D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland (Jr): 8 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack, Int, 2 FF, 2 FR

ACC Standings
1. NC State (7-0, 3-0): W 42-37 Vanderbilt
2. Virginia (4-2, 3-1): L, 30-35 Clemson
3. Florida State (4-2, 3-1): L 24-27 Miami
4. Maryland (6-1, 2-1): W 24-7 Duke
5. Clemson (4-2, 2-1): W 35-30, Virginia
6. North Carolina (3-4, 1-2): L, 20-26 Memphis
7. Georgia Tech (3-3, 1-3): W, 45-23 Wake Forest
7. Wake Forest (2-4, 0-3): L, 23-45 Georgia Tech
8. Duke (1-5, 0-3): L, 7-24 Maryland

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 18 Tackles, 2 Int, 4 Pass Defl

Celeval

08-02-2003, 11:32 PM

Week Eight Action:

#5 LSU (8-0) at Georgia Tech (3-3)

Preview:
LSU (8-0)
Overall: B+
Offense: B+
Defense: B-
Special Teams: B

Points Per Game: 33.6 (27th)
Total Offense: 427.1 (26th)
Rush Offense: 233.8 (14th)
Pass Offense: 193.2 (79th)
Total Defense: 354.5 (38th)
Rush Defense: 136.7 (39th)
Pass Defense: 217.8 (56th)
Turnover Diff: +1.10 (8th)

Key Players:
QB Mauck: 1417 Passing Yards
HB Addai: 752 Rushing Yards
DE Spears: 39 Tackles

The fifth-ranked team in the country wasn't what I bargained for when I put LSU on the schedule, and I'm somewhat wishing I had went with a mid-level team rather than a ranked one - we could use an easy win right now. LSU has a solid offense - three QBs who could start for many teams, but the #1 guy is Matt Mauck (93 OVR), he is 92-168 for 1417 yards, 144 TD, and only 5 picks. The top back is Joseph Addai (91 OVR); he is 148-752 yards and 4 TD right now. Their wideouts are average after Senior Michael Clayton (97 OVR), who has 517 yards receiving this season. We're also looking at a second team All-American at Center (Ben Wilkerson). Defensively, no real weaknesses or strengths; although their cornerbacks are deep. Nothing much at Strong Safety, but a quick look at the depth chart shows they shouldn't be playing much anyhow.

A familiar refrain - turnovers kill. We don't need to punt you the ball, we'll just fumble it away. The backbreaker was just before the half - we trail 21-3, but have moved the ball well; turned it over twice on our side of the field. Under a minute to play, and Haston tosses an ill-advised pass inside the ten yard line; LSU returns the pick 99 yards for a score. So rather than 21-10 with us receiving the ball after halftime, we trail 28-3.

Halftime: LSU 28, Georgia Tech 3

We come on strong in the fourth quarter, but I have a sneaking suspicion we were facing the second team defense. Either way, the stats get padded a bit, but we pick up an expected loss.

Final Score: LSU 42, Georgia Tech 24

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 25-51, 480 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int
LSU QB Matt Mauck 13-20, 206 yards, 1 TD

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 14-74 yards
LSU HB Joseph Addai 22-130 yards, 4 TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 10 catches, 206 yards, 3 TD
GT WR Nate Curry 6 catches, 71 yards
GT TE Maurio Altman 3 catches, 104 yards
GT WR Gary Cooper 3 catches, 56 yards
LSU WR Bennie Brazell 6 catches, 74 yards
LSU WR Michael Clayton 3 catches, 105 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT FS James Butler 7 Tackles
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 6 Tackles (3 TFL)
LSU SS Jeff Cook 7 Tackles
LSU CB Travis Daniels 4 Tackles, Int, TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 10 catches, 206 yards, 3 TD
LSU HB Joseph Addai 22-130 yards, 4 TD

Celeval

08-02-2003, 11:44 PM

Week Nine:

SI Cover:
MLB John Rudzinski, Air Force (Sr)
So Close!
Air Force hangs on to knock the Rams from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Top 10:
Not Getting it Done: Beavers return home after a 41-34 nightmare to Washington.
1. Oklahoma (33) (8-0): W 38-31 MIZZOU
2. Miami (23) (8-0): W 56-7 TEMPLE
3. NC State (1) (8-0): 38-3 CLEM
4. Virginia Tech (1) (7-0): W 41-13 WVU
5. LSU (1) (9-0): W 42-24 GT
6. USC (6-0): BYE
7. Texas (6-1): W 58-14 ISU
8. Ohio State (6-1): W 37-0 IOWA
9. Arkansas (7-0): W 44-14 UF
10. Maryland (6-1): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (3-4): L 24-42 LSU

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Bowl Rankings:
Hurricanes in the List?: Check out the latest movement in the Bowl Rankings
1. Miami: 4.83
2. Oklahoma: 6.37
3. NC State: 10.56
4. Virginia Tech: 11.56
5. LSU: 13.96
6. USC: 14.64
7. Ohio State: 18.03
8. Texas: 19.30

BCS Busters
UNR Fresno State (6-0, 2-0): W 31-19, Hawaii - Next: at Rice
<S>#18 Colorado State (6-1, 2-1)</S>: L 24-31 Air Force

Heisman Watch:
Mid-season Form: McLendon has become a threat every week with the Wolfpack focus on the running game.
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 216-1369 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 11 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 126-671 Rushing, 15-164 Receiving, 12 TD
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 211-1072 yards, 9-133 Receiving, 14 TD
HB Lonta Hobbs (Jr), TCU - 162-1045 Rushing, 22-335 Receiving, 14 TDs
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 209-1306-14 Rushing, 5-90 Receiving

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Lydell Ross, Ohio State (Sr): 47 carries, 272 yards, 4 TD
MLB Joe Lobendahn, Washington (Sr): 12 Tackles (1 TFL), Int, TD

(ACC)
WR Benjamin Holmes, Georgia Tech (So): 10 Receptions, 206 yards, 3 TD
CB Bryant McFadden, Florida State (Sr-RS): 6 Tackes (1 TFL), 2 Int

ACC Standings
1. NC State (8-0, 4-0): W 38-3 Clemson
2. Florida State (5-2, 4-1): W 38-21 Virginia
3. Virginia (4-3, 3-2): L, 21-38 Florida State
4. Maryland (6-1, 2-1): BYE
5. Clemson (4-3, 2-2): L 3-38 NC State
6. North Carolina (3-4, 1-2): BYE
7. Georgia Tech (3-4, 1-3): L 24-42 LSU
8. Wake Forest (3-4, 1-3): W, 42-21 Duke
9. Duke (1-6, 0-4): L, 21-42 Wake Forest

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 5 Tackles, 1 Int (23 Tackles, 3 Int, 4 Pass Defl Season)

Vegas Vic

08-03-2003, 02:48 AM

Originally posted by Celeval
Big 12 Fight: Jackson and Sooners are confident after conference victory over Texas

What was Mack Brown's excuse this year? Perhaps that will be a built in feature for NCAA 2005.

Celeval

08-03-2003, 09:02 PM

Week Nine Action:

Georgia Tech (3-4) at #10 Maryland (6-1)

Preview:
Maryland (6-1)
Overall: B+
Offense: B
Defense: B+
Special Teams: A+

Points Per Game: 31.7 (30th)
Total Offense: 468.9 (5th)
Rush Offense: 258.7 (6th)
Pass Offense: 210.2 (66th)
Total Defense: 330.4 (23rd)
Rush Defense: 93.1 (6th)
Pass Defense: 237.2 (74th)
Turnover Diff: -0.80 (98th)

Key Players:
HB S. Maldonado: 1369 Rush Yards
QB R. Gates: 1431 Pass Yards
WR Steve Suter: 569 Rec Yards

Maryland's stats are surprisingly similar to ours - points per game (31.1 (31st) and 31.7 (30th)), Total Offense (462.4 (6th) and 468.9 (5th)), Total Defense (338.8 (25th), 330.4 (23rd)), Rush Defense (91.4 (4th), 93.1 (6th)), and Pass Defense (247.4 (92nd) and 237.2 (74th)) are all directly the comparable. The big difference - and the reason for the difference in records - is our -3.20 per game turnover differential (117th).

In terms of Maryland the team, they're running a true freshman at quarterback - Robin Gates has thrown for 1400 yards (14/11 TD/Int), and is averaging 4.8 yards a carry. Their #1 running back is a Heisman Candidate (another one?); Sam Maldonado has rushed by himself for nearly as many yards as Gates has thrown for - indeed, he's only about 85 yards behind. Senior WR Steve Suter is a second team All-American, and LG C.J. Brooks (99 OVR) probably should have been. Defensively, their top cornerback is injured - Domonique Foxworth is a 96 OVR and not available for the game against us. Their three remaining CBs are no great shakes; and being that we're facing the single best Defensive Tackle we'll see all year (Randy Starks - 28 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 95 OVR), we'll probably be throwing a good bit.

Beautiful weather for a Thursday night game, and the stadium is packed. We start off playing well, moving the ball on offense and holding Maryland up on defense. We trail 7-0 after the first quarter, and 7-3 midway through the second before falling well behind. Again, just before halftime kills us - down 17-3 heading into the half is something I'm willing to deal with; but a 46-yard pass play to Suter, including three missed tackles, puts Maryland up three scores at the half.

Halftime: Maryland 24, Georgia Tech 3

The second half is a different story. Our first drive takes up nearly five minutes and ends in a touchdown - Jimmy Dixon's first. Swapping field goals in the third puts us down 27-13, and within two scores - then Ace Eziemefe breaks off a run with 7:20 on the clock to put us only back one at 27-20. Third and long for Maryland, and they break out an 80-yard play to get into the red zone. Novak with another field goal is 30-20 with six minutes to play. Another extended drive puts us third and goal from the 11 yard line. Benjamin Holmes comes open in the end zone... and drops the pass. Not only drops the pass, but drops it, and it's picked off by the free safety. Instead of pulling within one score either on a touchdown or a field goal, we're still down two scores. Maryland is able to run out the clock with a two-and-a-half minute drive to end the game, and we leave depressed after a solid effort.

Final Score: Maryland 30, Georgia Tech 20

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 16-36, 259 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
MARY QB Robin Gates 14-33, 311 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 16-58 yards, TD
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 11-41 yards, TD
MARY HB Mario Merrils 16-70 yards, TD
MARY HB Sam Maldonado 7-28 yards, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Nate Curry 5-66 yards
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 4-74 yards
GT TE Maurio Altman 4-82 yards
MARY WR Ryan Hogan 4-118 yards
MARY WR Steve Suter 3-65 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT FS Jamar Simms 7 Tackles (1 TFL), Sack
MARY FS Raymond Custis 6 Tackles, Int
MARY MLB William Kershaw 6 Tackles, Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT K David Jordan: 2-2 FG (29 long), 2-2 XP
MARY K Nick Novak: 3-3 FG (45 long), 3-3 XP

MrBug708

08-03-2003, 10:07 PM

Dude, you need a QB....

Celeval

08-03-2003, 10:35 PM

Week Ten:

SI Cover:
MLB Caleb Miller, Arkanasas (Sr-RS)
Razorbacks Upset!
#9 Arkansas loses a shocker to SEC opponent Ole Miss 24-19.

Top 10:
Downed!: The SEC race takes an unexpected turn as Arkansas stumbles.
1. Oklahoma (34) (9-0): W 28-6 CU
2. Miami (22) (8-0): BYE
3. NC State (1) (9-0): W 41-7 DUKE
4. Virginia Tech (1) (7-0): BYE
5. USC (7-0): W 43-13 WASH
6. Texas (7-1): W 38-20 BAYLOR
7. Ohio State (7-1): W 48-13 IU
8. Maryland (7-1): W 30-20 GT
9. Tennessee (7-1): W 37-21 BAMA
10. Nebraska (7-1): W 42-7 ISU
UNR Georgia Tech (3-5): L 20-30 Maryland

Dropped out of Top Ten: #5 LSU, #9 Arkansas

Bowl Rankings:
In the Driver Seat: Miami's excited about the possibilities of playing in the championship game.
1. Miami: 4.73
2. Oklahoma: 5.91
3. NC State: 10.70
4. Virginia Tech: 11.67
5. USC: 12.08
6. Ohio State: 16.03
7. Texas 17.34
8. Maryland 21.84

BCS Busters
#19 Fresno State (7-0, 3-0): W 63-16, Rice - Next v. SMU

Heisman Watch:
Heisman Buzz Grows: No one is putting up better Heisman numbers than Maryland's Maldonado
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 223-1397 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 12 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 144-754 Rushing, 18-210 Receiving, 13 TD
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 237-1503-15 Rushing, 5-90 Receiving
HB Dwight Wright (Sr-RS), Oregon State - 1844 All-Purpose Yards, 12 TDs
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 211-1072 yards, 9-133 Receiving, 14 TD

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Uluis Jaunarajs, Colorado State (Jr-RS): 45 carries, 209 yards, 4 TD
RE Jason Wardlow, Boise State (Jr): 6 Tackles (4 TFL), 4 sacks, 3 FF, 3 FR

(ACC)
HB Alvin Pearman, Virginia (Sr): 38 carries, 190 yards, 3 TD; 3 rec, 38 yards
MLB Leroy Hill, Clemson (Sr): 10 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR

ACC Standings
1. NC State (9-0, 5-0): W 41-7 Duke
2. Florida State (6-2, 5-1): W 42-25 Wake Forest
3. Maryland (7-1, 3-1): W 30-20 Georgia Tech
4. Clemson (5-3, 3-2): W 28-12 North Carolina
5. Virginia (5-3, 3-2): W, 44-0 Akron
6. North Carolina (3-5, 1-3): L 12-28 Clemson
7. Georgia Tech (3-5, 1-4): L 20-30 Maryland
8. Wake Forest (3-5, 1-4): L 25-42 Florida State
9. Duke (1-7, 0-5): L, 7-41 NC State

Award Semifinalists
Maxwell Award:
HB David Horne, Nebraska (Jr)
QB Matt Mauck, LSU (Sr-RS)
HB De'Arrius Howard, Arkansas (Jr-RS)
HB Lonta Hobbs, TCU (Jr)
HB Cedric Humes, Virginia Tech (Jr-RS)
HB Joseph Addai, LSU (Jr-RS)
HB Donta Jackson, Oklahoma (Jr-RS)
HB Darrell Blackman, NC State (Fr-RS)
HB Darnell Stephens, Air Force (Sr)
HB Sam Maldonado, Maryland (Jr-RS)
HB Brian Calhoun, Colorado (Jr)
HB T.A. McLendon, NC State (Jr)

Bednarik Award:
OLB Pat Thomas, NC State (Sr)
DE Marcus Spears, LSU (Sr)
OLB Manny Lawson, NC State (Jr)
DE Jeremy Van Alstyne, Michigan (Jr)
DE Matt Sanders, Louisville (So-RS)
DT Vince Wilfolk, Miami (Sr)
CB Marcus Hudson, NC State (Sr)
MLB Caleb Miller, Arkansas (Sr-RS)
OLB Clarke Moore, Arkansas (Jr-RS)
DE Bill Swancutt, Oregon State (Sr)
MLB Robert Watts, Utah State (Sr-RS)
DE Dan Cody, Oklahoma (Sr-RS)

T Nat Dorsey (Sr) has been named a Semi-Finalist for Best OL

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): Bye Week (23 Tackles, 3 Int, 4 Pass Defl Season)

Celeval

08-03-2003, 10:37 PM

Originally posted by MrBug708
Dude, you need a QB....

Well, most of the QB mistakes now are because I'm passing the ball. The QBs are wild enough that passes will go awry - but with Haston in there, it happens much less often than with Bilbo; so I'm happy about that.

What I need is a defense. More specifically, what I need, is a pass defense.

Celeval

08-03-2003, 10:50 PM

Week Eleven:

We have a bye week to prepare for the last run in the schedule. We need at least 3 of 4 from Duke, UNC, Virginia, and Georgia - not an easy road to plow.

SI Cover:
Coach, Virginia Tech
Smash Mouthed!
Hurricanes knock off previously-unbeated Virginia Tech 34-17.

Top 10:
Stunned!: The shocker of the week is #3 NC State falling to ACC rival Virginia.
1. Oklahoma (36) (10-0): W 35-31 OK ST
2. Miami (22) (9-0): W 34-17 VT
3. USC (8-0): W 30-10 WSU
4. Ohio State (8-1): W 52-31 PSU
5. Nebraska (9-1): W 34-6 TEXAS
6. Maryland (8-1): W 34-16 UNC
7. Tennessee (8-1): W 60-3 DUKE
8. Virginia Tech (7-1): L 17-34 MIAMI
9. LSU (9-1): BYE
10. Georgia (6-2): W 37-14 UF
UNR Georgia Tech (3-5): BYE
Dropped out of Top Ten: #3 North Carolina State, #6 Texas

Bowl Rankings:
Will They Be There?: The lastest bowl rankings have Miami playing for the National Title
1. Miami: 3.15
2. Oklahoma: 6.24
3. USC: 8.51
4. Ohio State: 10.06
5. Nebraska: 13.48
6. Maryland 18.16
7. Tennessee: 18.40
8. Virginia Tech: 20.17

BCS Busters
#3 USC (8-0, 5-0): W 30-10 Washington State, Next at #16 Oregon State
#17 Fresno State (8-0, 4-0): W 51-10 SMU, Next v. Nevada

Heisman Watch:
Watch Out!: Horne has rushed for 1725 yards and 17 TD in his Junior Year
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 235-1465 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 13 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 186-1116 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving 18 TDs
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 274-1725-17 Rushing, 6-101 Receiving
HB Dwight Wright (Sr-RS), Oregon State - 2042 All-Purpose Yards, 14 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 160-840 Rushing, 19-216 Receiving, 13 TD

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Lydell Ross, Ohio State (Sr) - 51 carries, 306 yards, 4 TD; 3 rec, 51 yards
RE Eric Moore, Florida State (Sr): 8 tackles (1 TFL), Sack, FF, FR

(ACC)
HB Alvin Pearman, Virginia (Sr): 37 carries, 156 yards, 4 Rec, 43 yards, 2 TDs
RE Eric Moore, Florida State (Sr): 8 tackles (1 TFL), Sack, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. NC State (9-1, 5-1): L 25-37, Virginia
2. Florida State (7-2, 5-1): W 47-27. Southern Mississippi
3. Maryland (8-1, 4-1): W 34-16 North Carolina
4. Clemson (6-3, 4-2): W 26-10 Wake Forest
5. Virginia (6-3, 4-2): W, 37-25 NC State
6. Georgia Tech (3-5, 1-4): BYE
7. North Carolina (3-6, 1-4): L 16-34 Maryland
8. Wake Forest (3-6, 1-5): L 10-26 Clemson
9. Duke (1-8, 0-5): L, 3-60 Tennessee

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 2 Tackles, 3 Passes Deflected (25 Tackles, 3 Int, 7 Pass Defl Season)

Celeval

08-04-2003, 12:25 AM

Week Twelve Action:

Duke (1-8) at Georgia Tech (3-5)

Preview:
Duke (1-8)
Overall: C
Offense: C-
Defense: C+
Special Teams: C+

Points Per Game: 11.9 (114th)
Total Offense: 267.7 (113th)
Rush Offense: 91.5 (106th)
Pass Offense: 185.2 (86th)
Total Defense: 514.8 (117th)
Rush Defense: 226.2 (114th)
Pass Defense: 288.6 (115th)
Turnover Diff: -0.20 (72nd)

Key Players:
OLB Aguano, 57 tackles
DE Martin, 50 Tackles
WR Sharpe, 686 Rec. Yards

After finishing in front of North Carolina last season, Duke is back to their regular position as doormat of the ACC. Their best player is on the defensive line - Senior Orrin Thompson (76 OVR) has 31 tackles and 2 sacks on the year. There is hope, as two decent true freshmen running backs have combined for 650 yards between them. The (slightly) better of the two is injured, and we get Dylan Glover up against us - he's averaging 3.4 yards per carry on the season.

A safety and a punt return for a touchdown in the first half. Also four interceptions... okay, I was getting greedy. We were never in danger in this one.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 19, Duke 0

Heh. I spoke too soon. Not for the score, but for our quarterback - LaShaun Haston is out, he'll be gone for six weeks (strained back). It'll be Bilbo the rest of the way. He already has an interception by this point (Haston was hurt for some of the second quarter as well), but throws a pair more before the end of the game. Not fun. Of course, he didn't fail to complete a pass the entire game!

Final Score: Georgia Tech 40, Duke 21

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 9-18, 154 yards, 4 Int
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 6-10, 146 yards, 3 Int
DUKE QB Adam Smith 12-19, 183 yards, 2 TD, 4 Sacks
DUKE QB Chris Dapolito 9-17, 92 yards, 4 Sacks

I've got to admit, I was playing this one after midnight, with a desire to get some damn passing going. I pushed more than a few of those passes through - and I'm regretting it with Haston done for the season.

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 19-162 yards, TD
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 10-30 yards, 2 TD
DUKE HB Dylan Glover 15-24 yards (Long 33 - this with under a minute to play)
DUKE WR Godfrey Dalton 1-4 yards
DUKE HB Cedric Dargan 1-3 yards
DUKE QB Adam Smith 10-(-17) yards
DUKE QB Chris Dapaliot 4-(-28) yards

Duke ends with -14 yards rushing. This was -47 with a minute to play, before Glover broke off a 33-yarder.

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Nate Curry 7-86 yards
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 3-98 yards
GT TE Maurio Altman 3-74 yards
DUKE WR Lance Johnson 6-79 yards, TD
DUKE WR Charlie Johnson 5-73 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT CB Venice Gilliam 8 Tackles
GT OLB Kingi McNair 7 Tackles (6 TFL), 4 Sacks
GT MLB Trent Ball 6 Tackles (4 TFL), 2 Sacks
DUKE CB Kenneth Stanford 10 Tackles
DUKE FS Alex Green 7 Tackles (1 TFL), Int
DUKE OLB Guiseppe Aguanno 3 Tackles (3 TFL), 3 Sacks
DUKE SS Mark Thompson 3 Tackles, 4 Int
DUKE WR Senterrio Landrum 2 Tackles, 2 Int, Def. TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT OLB Kingi McNair 7 Tackles (6 TFL), 4 Sacks
DUKE SS Mark Thompson 3 Tackles, 4 Int

Celeval

08-04-2003, 12:45 AM

Week Twelve:

SI Cover:
Coach, Georgia
Tough Loss
Georgia is stunned in a nail-biter to Notre Dame.

Top 10:
So Close!: Notre Dame defeats #10 Georgia in one of the largets upsets in school history.
1. Oklahoma (39) (11-0): W 36-6 TAMU
2. Miami (20) (9-0): BYE
3. Ohio State (9-1): W 49-19 MSU
4. Nebraska (10-1): W 44-30 KU
5. Maryland (8-1): BYE
6. Tennessee (8-1): BYE
7. Virginia Tech (8-1): W 38-6 PITT
8. LSU (9-1): BYE
9. USC (8-1): L 14-29 OR ST
10. NC State (9-1): BYE
20. Georgia (6-2): L 17-23 ND
UNR Georgia Tech (4-5): W 40-21 DUKE
Dropped out of Top Ten: #10 Georgia

Bowl Rankings:
Can They Do It? Hurricanes are slated to play in the championship game at season's end
1. Miami: 2.46
2. Oklahoma: 6.04
3. Ohio State: 8.30
4. Nebraska: 11.86
5. Maryland 15.92
6. Tennessee: 17.18
7. Virginia Tech: 17.85
8. USC: 20.50

BCS Busters
<S>USC (8-0, 5-0)</S>: L 14-29, Oregon State
<S>Fresno State (8-0, 4-0)</S>: L 6-20, Nevada

Heisman Watch:
Heisman Hopeful: Maldonado is the biggest reason why the 8-1 Terrapins are playing well in 2004
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 303-1921-20 Rushing, 7-126 Receiving
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 235-1465 Rushing, 6-68 Receiving, 13 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 194-1167 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving 18 TDs
HB Dwight Wright (Sr-RS), Oregon State - 2178 All-Purpose Yards, 14 TDs
WR Josh Davis (Sr-RS), Marshall - 2081 All-Purpose Yards, 12 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State: 29 Carries, 222 yards, 4 TD; 2 Rec, 27 yards
OLB Spencer Toone (Jr), Utah: 8 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

(ACC)
HB Lorenzo Booker (So-RS), Florida State: 24 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD; 2 Rec, 43 yards
SS Mark Thompson (Jr-RS), Duke: 3 Tackles, 4 Int

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (8-2, 6-1): W 41-18 Clemson
2. NC State (9-1, 5-1): BYE
3. Maryland (8-1, 4-1): BYE
4. Virginia (6-3, 4-2): BYE
5. Clemson (6-4, 4-3): L 18-41 Florida State
6. Georgia Tech (4-5, 2-4): W, 40-21 Duke
7. North Carolina (4-6, 2-4): W 17-14 Wake Forest
8. Wake Forest (3-7, 1-6): L 14-17 North Carolina
9. Duke (1-9, 0-6): L, 21-40 Georgia Tech

Bowl Projections
Tangerine Bowl: Missouri (3-7) at Clemson (6-4)
Continental Tire Bowl: Georgia Tech (4-5) at Pittsburgh (5-4)
Gator Bowl: Virginia Tech (8-1) at NC State (9-1)
Peach Bowl: Auburn (7-3) at Virginia (6-3)
Rose Bowl: UCLA (8-1) at Ohio State (9-1)
Fiesta Bowl: Maryland (8-1) at Nebraska (10-1)
Sugar Bowl: Florida State (8-2) at Tennessee (8-1)
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma (11-0) at Miami (9-0)

Awards Finalists
Maxwell Award:
HB David Horne, Nebraska (Jr)
HB De'Arrius Howard, Arkansas (Jr)
QB Matt Mauck, LSU (Sr-RS)

Best QB:
QB Paul Thompson, Oklahoma (So-RS)
QB Matt Mauck, LSU (Sr-RS)
QB Andrew Walter, Arizona State (Sr-RS)

Best RB:
HB David Horne, Nebraska (Jr)
HB De'Arrius Howard, Arkansas (Jr)
HB Cory Ross, Nebraska (Jr)

Best WR:
WR Britton Komine, Hawaii (Sr-RS)
WR Bill Flowers, Ole Miss (Sr-RS)
WR Will Peoples, Oklahoma (Sr-RS)

Best OL:
T Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech (Sr)
T Shawn Andrews, Arkansas (Sr)
T Bryce Cowan, Nebraska (Fr)

Bedarnik Award:
OLB Pat Thomas, NC State (Sr)
DE Marcus Spears, LSU (Sr)
DT Vince Wilfork, Miami (Sr)

Best DL:
DE Brady Poppinga, BYU (Sr)
DE Marcus Spears, LSU (Sr)
DT Vince Wilfork, Miami (Sr)

Best LB:
OLB Pat Thomas, NC State (Sr)
MLB Caleb Miller, Arkansas (Sr-RS)
OLB Manny Lawson, NC State (Jr)

Thorpe:
FS Jaxson Appel, Texas A&M (Jr-RS)
FS Marvel Underwood, San Diego State (Sr-RS)
CB Brandon Cathy, Colorado State (So-RS)

Groza:
K Dusty Magnum, Texas (Sr)
K Kevin McKinney, NC State (Fr)
K Michael Baker, Buffalo (Jr-RS)

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): BYE (25 Tackles, 3 Int, 7 Pass Defl Season)

MrBug708

08-05-2003, 01:44 PM

Go UCLA!

Celeval

08-05-2003, 05:51 PM

Well, my laptop crashed while I was playing the UNC game, so the thread misses out on my insightful pre-game commentary. Quick notes:

o UNC ain't great, but ain't bad
o Bilbo is starting, SS Dawan Landry (a converted QB) is our backup
o We need to run the ball, since their run D sucks.

Ace Eziemefe has an outstanding game - breaking off a couple long runs; although he gets caught from behind eventually on all of them. He's not the fastest guy - but I'm drooling over getting someone with serious speed in the backfield. Must make a note of it.

I'm much better playing this game awake. We play very well - Bilbo throws a pair of interceptions; but one was on an end-of-half Hail Mary, and the other was tipped. I've caught onto audibling extra players into blocking - the RB, TE, or slot receiver - out of necessity, since I don't want to get Bilbo hurt too. That's helped a ton, and I'm beginning to realize how many of my bad throws were thrown because I had to rush it and pick someone; or I was on the run. We're up three scores heading into the fourth quarter, and put Dawan Landry in to see how he does - not great, but not outstanding either. 1-4 passing. The Tarheels score twice in the final minute to put a scare into us, but we draw even at a 5-5 record.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 38, North Carolina 31

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 10-14, 245 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
UNC QB Matt Baker 20-35, 402 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 32-202 yards, TD
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 8-35 yards, TD
UNC HB Jacque Lewis 14-44 yards, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT TE Maurio Altman 3-57 yards, TD
GT WR Nate Curry 3-61 yards
GT WR Levon Thomas 1-83 yards, TD
UNC WR Jarwarski Pollock 9-207 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 11 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack
GT DT Travis Parker 3 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks
GT CB Rueben Houston 3 Tackles, Int, 3 Pass Defls.
UNC FS Chris Curry 9 Tackles (1 TFL), 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ajenavi Eziemefe 32-202 yards, TD
UNC QB Matt Baker 20-35, 402 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

MrBug708

08-05-2003, 06:07 PM

I'm assuming a heavy emphasis on DB's in this next recruiting class?

Celeval

08-05-2003, 06:39 PM

Yes. Corners. Safeties. With speed.

Kevin

Celeval

08-05-2003, 09:59 PM

Week Thirteen:

SI Cover:
HB Brandon Jacobs, Auburn (Jr-RS)
Time to Celebrate!
Jacobs and Auburn knock off SEC opponent Georgia 34-14.

Top 10:
Too Little, Too Late: Oregon State can't overcome the road crowd, loses 24-6 to Stanford.
1. Oklahoma (34) (12-0): W 45-7 BAYLOR
2. Miami (25) (10-0): W 30-10 SU
3. Ohio State (10-1): W 42-10 PURDUE
4. Nebraska (11-1): W 37-7 KSU
5. Maryland (9-1): W 33-7 UVA
6. Tennessee (9-1): W 52-30 MISS ST
7. Virginia Tech (9-1): W 45-0 TEMPLE
8. LSU (10-1): W 42-38 BAMA
9. USC (9-1): W 27-10 ARIZONA
10. Auburn (8-3): W 34-14 UGA
23. Georgia (6-3): L 14-34 AUBURN
UNR Georgia Tech (5-5): W 38-31 UNC

Dropped out of Top Ten: #10 North Carolina State

Bowl Rankings:
Title Bound?: The Gore-led Hurricanes are looking at a potential NC appearance.
1. Miami: 2.82
2. Oklahoma: 6.44
3. Ohio State: 8.66
4. Nebraska: 11.63
5. Maryland 15.37
6. Tennessee: 16.92
7. Virginia Tech: 17.89
8. LSU: 20.38

Heisman Watch:
Making a Statement!: Horne has rushed for 2117 yards and 20 TD in his Junior year.
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 335-2117-20 Rushing, 10-50-1 Receiving
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 1999 All-Purpose Yards, 16 TDs
HB Sam Maldonado (Jr-RS), Maryland - 247-1516 Rushing, 7-101 Receiving, 13 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 177-903 Rushing, 22-256 Receiving, 15 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 194-1167 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving 18 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Jabari Davis (Sr), Tennessee: 20 carries, 111 yards; 2 rec, 11 yards; 5 TDs
OLB Roy Manning (Sr-RS), Michigan: 13 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 Sacks, FF, TD

(ACC)
HB Mario Merrills (Jr-RS), Maryland: 31 carries, 118 yards, 3 TD; 2 rec, 17 yards
OLB Kai Parham (So-RS), Virginia: 11 Tackles (2 TFL), Int, TD

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (9-2, 7-1): W 49-28 North Carolina State
3. Maryland (9-1, 5-1): W 33-7 Virginia
2. NC State (9-2, 5-2): L 28-49 Florida State
5. Clemson (7-4, 5-3): W 47-7 Duke
4. Virginia (6-4, 4-3): L 7-33 Maryland
6. Georgia Tech (5-5, 3-4): W 38-31 North Carolina
7. North Carolina (4-7, 2-5): L 31-38 Georgia Tech
8. Wake Forest (3-7, 1-6): BYE
9. Duke (1-10, 0-7): L, 7-47 Clemson

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 3 Tackles, Pass Defl (28 Tackles, 3 Int, 8 Pass Defl Season)

MizzouRah

08-06-2003, 01:37 PM

Have you changed slider settings since the dynasties inception?

Todd

Celeval

08-06-2003, 07:18 PM

Once halfway through the first season; the changes are reflected in the first post of the dynasty.

I'm going to be making some more slider changes during the offseason - penalties for certain, possibly some general tweaking; but not until the offseason.

Kevin

Celeval

08-07-2003, 07:21 PM

Week Fourteen Action:

Virginia (6-4) at Georgia Tech (5-5)

Preview:
Virginia (6-4)
Overall: B
Offense: B
Defense: B
Special Teams: B+

Points Per Game: 27.8 (40th)
Total Offense: 393.1 (45th)
Rush Offense: 160.9 (51st)
Pass Offense: 232.2 (49th)
Total Defense: 341.4 (26th)
Rush Defense: 133.0 (28th)
Pass Defense: 208.4 (46th)
Turnover Diff: -0.20 (76th)

Key Players:
OLB K. Parham: 73 Tackles
DE C. Canty: 50 Tackles
HB A. Pearman: 543 Rush Yards

Possibly the game to decide our season, we come home for a matchup against the Cavaliers needing that home field advantage. Virginia has cracked the top 25 a couple of times this season, although not quite there at this point. Offensively, they have four quarterbacks who could push for playing time; the starter is redshirt sophmore Anthony Martinez. Martinez (77 OVR) is an accurate passer - completing 121 of 226 for 1600 yards and 14 TDs against 8 interceptions. His receiving corps is unspectacular, but we've been burnt by decent corps before. The focus of this offense is the running backs; headlined by on-again, off-again Heisman candidate Wali Lundy. Lundy is carrying for a 6.3 ypc average, but with only four touchdowns. He's shared carries with Michael Johnson (314 yards - injured) and Alvin Pearman (543 yards, 5 TDs). On defense, we're looking at an extremely strong defensive line anchored by an All-American at Right End - Chris Canty has 50 tackles and 9 sacks. The secondary is decent but not great.

Our strategy is similar to the Carolina game - Bilbo behind center with Landry an emergency in the wings. In case of catastrophe, we can take off Burnett's redshirt, but I don't want to do that at this point in the season. To keep DeBo safe, we'll be audibling backs in to block during passing downs - a good bet against this defensive line to begin with.

Bah. Damarius Bilbo is not the answer to this Georgia Tech team. It's killing me, here. He just isn't making the throws Haston could while healthy. After interceptions on three of the first four drives (and negative total yards rushing), we trail 21-0 in the second quarter. Oh, and we've lost Ace Eziemefe for the rest of the season (torn pectoral). We finally show life in the second quarter, getting the ground game going some, and a great catch by Benji Holmes puts us on the board for the second time in under a minute to end the half.

Halftime: Virginia 21, Georgia Tech 10

We immediately turn the ball over (P.J. Daniels fumbles) and give up a touchdown to fall behind 28-10. Bilbo is still throwing regular interceptions, but the defense somehow keeps us in the game - looking back, we don't allow anything other than a three-and-out the entire second half. Still, movement up the field. 28-17. With three minutes to play and a fourth-and-thirteen at the UVa 30, we elect to kick, and move to 28-20. I-Perfection Harris just... misses... an onside kick, so we have to wait out the Cavelier attack. Three incomplete passes later (a surprise mistake by the AI), and we get the ball back. Bilbo promptly throws an interception. So we wait UVa out again, using all three timeouts... under 30 to play, and no timeouts. One complete pass over the middle, and we're at midfield with the clock running. A deep incompletion (towards Curry), and we're at 0:04 with fifty yards to go for a chance to tie. The deep ball toward Holmes is tipped away, and we drop a game that we should have been closer to. Too. Many. Interceptions. I think this game made the decision for me to move the defensive sliders next season, nobody is really this bad.

Final Score: Virginia 28, Georgia Tech 20

Greatness Score: 333 (#5)

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 20-42, 325 yards, 2 TD, 6 Int
UVA QB Anthony Martinez 10-25, 134 yards, 2 TD

Leading Rushers:
GT HB P.J. Daniels 13-40
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 5-27
UVA HB Wali Lundy 17-80, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 6-118 yards, 2 TD
UVA WR Ron Morton 5-70 yads

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 5 Tackles (1 TFL)
UVA SS Joey Sands 7 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack
UVA CB Robbie Catterton 6 Tackles, 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 6-118 yards, 2 TD
UVA CB Robbie Catterton 6 Tackles, 2 Int

tucker342

08-07-2003, 08:13 PM

Damn tough loss!

Celeval

08-07-2003, 10:05 PM

Week Fourteen:

SI Cover:
HB Joseph Addai, LSU (Jr-RS)
Rivals Collide
THe #8 Tigers flirt disaster against rival Ole Miss.

Top 10:
Whoa!: Los Angeles is deathly quiet following the upset loss to the hated Bruins.
1. Oklahoma (34) (13-0): W 34-3 TXTECH
2. Miami (25) (11-0): W 37-6 RU
3. Ohio State (11-1): W 49-16 MICH
4. Nebraska (11-1): BYE
5. Tennessee (10-1): W 34-24 VANDY
6. Virginia Tech (10-1): W 30-6 BC
7. LSU (11-1): W 44-41 MISS
8. Auburn (9-3): W 45-20 BAMA
9. Texas (9-2): BYE
10. Florida State (9-2): BYE
21. Georgia (7-3): W 31-10 UK
UNR Georgia Tech (5-6): L 28-20 UVA

Dropped out of Top Ten: #5 Maryland, #9 USC

Bowl Rankings:
Alive and Well: Miami's excited about the possibilities of playing in the championship game
1. Miami: 3.70
2. Oklahoma: 6.46
3. Ohio State: 8.46
4. Nebraska: 11.75
5. Tennessee: 15.58
6. Virginia Tech: 15.80
7. LSU: 18.45
8. Auburn 18.97

Heisman Watch:
Heisman BUzz Grows: If the Buckeyes keep on winning, Clarett supporters will continue to grow.
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 335-2117-20 Rushing, 10-50-1 Receiving
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 2330 All-Purpose Yards, 17 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 196-1021 Rushing, 23-263 Receiving, 16 TDs
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 2770 All-Purpose Yards, 18 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 209-1230 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving, 19 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Frederick Collins (Jr), San Diego State - 15-65 Rushing, 4 TDs
OLB Derek Wake (Sr-RS), Penn State - 7 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack, Int, TD

(ACC)
QB Matt Baker (Jr-RS), North Carolina - 21-35, 247 yards, 4 TDs
CB Lamont Reid (Sr), North Carolina State - 4 Tackles, 2 Int, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (9-2, 7-1): BYE
2. NC State (10-2, 6-2): W 27-17 Maryland
3. Maryland (9-2, 5-2): L 17-27 NC State
4. Clemson (8-4, 5-3): W 29-22 South Carolina
5. Virginia (7-4, 5-3): W 28-20 Georgia Tech
6. Georgia Tech (5-6, 3-5): L 20-28 Virginia
7. North Carolina (5-7, 3-5): W 47-28 Duke
8. Wake Forest (4-7, 1-6): W, 35-16 Notre Dame
9. Duke (1-11, 0-8): L, 28-47 North Carolina

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 2 Tackles (30 Tackles, 3 Int, 8 Pass Defl Season)

Celeval

08-07-2003, 11:36 PM

Week Fifteen Action:

Georgia Tech (5-6) at #21 Georgia (7-4)
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Preview:
Georgia (7-4)
Overall: B+
Offense: B+
Defense: B+
Special Teams: B+

Points Per Game: 31.8 (27th)
Total Offense: 443.0 (17th)
Rush Offense: 195.8 (25th)
Pass Offense: 247.2 (36th)
Total Defense: 329.4 (21st)
Rush Defense: 138.6 (36th)
Pass Defense: 190.8 (23rd)
Turnover Diff: +0.80 (14th)

Key Players:
QB Shockley: 2559 Pass Yards
HB Browning: 734 Rush Yards
WR Hicks: 8 Rec TDs

The game of the year, every year. The Georgia game. After being embarressed for the last two seasons, we travel to Sanford Stadium as pretty solid underdogs. We'd like nothing better than to knock them out of the top 25, but they'd like nothing better than to keep us from going bowling, so this has enough meaning on both sides. The Bulldogs are led by redshirt Junior D.J. Shockley (91 OVR), an option quarterback similar to Bilbo but more accurate (23 TD, 11 Int). At least we're not facing David Greene, who burned us for seven touchdown passes last season. Shockley also has 3 rushing TDs, and is averaging 4.9 yards/carry. The top halfback is Tony Milton; but he is out for the season so we'll be facing Sophmore Tyson Browning. Browning is a scatback type with great speed; but not so good between the tackles. He has just over 700 yards on the year. There isn't a standout receiver like Fred Gibson last year; there are three WRs over 450 yards but none over 600. Domingo Hicks is the top guy with 564 yards and 8 scores. The stud on the offensive line (Max Jean-Gilles) is also hurt; which leaves them just solid.

Junior Kedric Golston (91 OVR) is the latest in the line of NFL-caliber defensive linemen coming out of Georgia; he has 32 tackles and 6 sacks on the season. He had 6 in 2003 as well, and is looking to bump that up. MLB Chris Shaw (90 OVR) owns the middle of the field, but is coming off injury. The final piece of the puzzle for the Dawgs is their true freshman cornerback J.B. Gant - out of the game for injury as well. He's the best on the squad; and that leaves Georgia with a very thin secondary; although talented.

Our game plan is to leave it all on the table. We're planning to try and keep some semblance of a ground game; but with an opportunity in the secondary and Eziemefe's injury, we may have more success through the air.

Kirk Herbstreit predicts the Bulldogs by two touchdowns; Corso agrees.

Georgia wins the toss and elects to receive - and FUMBLE! But Georgia recovers. Damn. Still, we get a three-and-out on the first series. I-Perfection Harris comes up with maybe his best punt return of the season - we start on the UGA 37. We pick up two yards, and try a 52-yard field goal... perhaps a mistake, as Jordan misses it short two yards. Another three and out by the Bulldogs leads to Bilbo's traditional first quarter interception (to Chris Shaw), but our defense is playing well. In fact, they're playing outstanding. Neither team can get something going; both teams get inside the fifty, and each start from inside their own 10. Finally the Bulldogs get first blood - catching a seam on 3rd and 17 with under a minute left in the half for a touchdown and the first score of the day. Bilbo then tosses an interception returned to the three yard line; which, of course, goes in for a score just before the half.

Halftime: Georgia 14, Georgia Tech 0

We're still within striking distance of this game, if we can solve some of this Georgia defense. Early on - we can't. Bilbo's third pick, and a 21-0 lead. The game gets out of hand soon after, with three Georgia scores in the third quarter. We pick up a score late in the game to avoid the goose egg, but that's going to be all, folks.

Final Score: Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 7

Leading Passers:
GT QB Damarius Bilbo 18-42, 187 yards, TD, 5 Int
UGA QB D.J. Shockley 19-34, 306 yards, 2 TD

Leading Rushers:
GT HB P.J. Daniels 9-9
GT FB Jimmy Dixon 3-5
UGA HB Tyson Browning 18-37, TD
UGA FB Blake Cross 6-18, 2 TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 6-51, TD
GT TE Maurio Altman 4-38
UGA WR Domingo Hicks 7-146

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT FS Jamar Simms 7 Tackles
UGA CB DeMario Minter 6 Tackles (TFL), 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT FS Jamar Simms 7 Tackles, FF, FR
UGA QB D.J. Shockley 19-34, 306 yards, 2 TD

Celeval

08-07-2003, 11:48 PM

Week Fifteen:

SI Cover:
WR Akiemm Jolla, Miami (So-RS)
Heading for the Title
Miami has secured one of the two spots in the championship game.

Top 10:
Dazed and Confused: #9 Texas loses a stunner to Texas A&M in the annual Lone Star Showdown.
1. Oklahoma (36) (13-0): BYE
2. Miami (23) (12-0): W 41-24 PITT
3. Ohio State (11-1): BYE
4. Nebraska (12-1): W 45-31 CU
5. Tennessee (11-1): W 24-6 UK
6. Virginia Tech (11-1): W 30-20 UVA
7. Auburn (9-3): BYE
8. Florida State (10-2): W 51-21 UF
9. Arkansas (11-1); W 34-16 LSU
10. NC State (10-2): BYE
20. Georgia (8-3): W 45-7 GT
UNR Georgia Tech (5-7): L 7-45 UGA

Dropped out of Top Ten: #7 LSU, #9 Texas

Bowl Rankings:
Clinched It!: Hurricanes clinch a spot in the National Championship game.
1. Miami: 3.70
2. Oklahoma: 6.56
3. Ohio State: 8.50
4. Nebraska: 11.93
5. Tennessee: 15.31
6. Virginia Tech: 15.64
7. Auburn: 18.44
8. Arkansas: 18.87

Heisman Watch:
Closer to the Heisman?: No one is putting up better Heisman numbers than Nebraska's Horne
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 357-2246-20 Rushing, 10-150-1 Receiving
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 2330 All-Purpose Yards, 17 TDs
Hb Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 3037 All-Purpose Yards, 19 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 196-1021 Rushing, 23-263 Receiving, 16 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 219-1273 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving, 19 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
HB Walter Reyes (Sr-RS), Syracuse: 22 carries, 224 yards, 4 TD; 2 Rec, 27 yards, TD
MLB Ryan Brown (Fr), UCF: 11 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack, FF, FR

(ACC)
QB Robin Gates (Fr), Maryland: 12-17, 257 yards, 7 car, 40 yards, 6 TDs
FS Kyler Hall (Sr), Florida State: 3 Tackles, Int, TD

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (10-2, 7-1): W 41-21 Florida
2. NC State (10-2, 6-2): BYE
3. Maryland (10-2, 6-2): BYE
4. Clemson (8-4, 5-3): BYE
5. Virginia (7-5, 5-3): L 20-0, Virginia Tech
6. Georgia Tech (5-7, 3-5): L 7-45, Georgia
7. North Carolina (5-7, 3-5): BYE
8. Wake Forest (4-7, 1-7): L 20-59, Maryland
9. Duke (1-11, 0-8): BYE

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): 5 Tackles, 2 Pass Defl (35 Tackles, 3 Int, 10 Pass Defl Season)

Celeval

08-07-2003, 11:56 PM

Week Sixteen:

Our season is over.

SI Cover:
DT Tommie Harris, Oklahoma (Sr)
Let's Settle This
The Big 12 Championship features #1 Oklahoma against #4 Nebraska.

Top 10:
A Job Well Done: Gore and the Hurricanes celebrate winning the Big East Championship
1. Oklahoma (35) (13-0): BYE
2. Miami (24) (12-0): BYE
3. Ohio State (11-1): BYE
4. Nebraska (12-1): BYE
5. Tennessee (11-1): BYE
6. Virginia Tech (11-1): BYE
7. Auburn (9-3): BYE
8. Florida State (10-2): BYE
9. Arkansas (11-1): BYE
10. NC State (10-2): BYE
20. Georgia (8-3): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (5-7): BYE

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Bowl Rankings:
Go Hurricanes!: The latest Bowl Rankings have Miami playing for the National Title.
1. Miami: 3.66
2. Oklahoma: 6.56
3. Ohio State: 8.54
4. Nebraska: 11.93
5. Tennessee: 15.27
6. Virginia Tech: 15.64
7. Auburn: 18.44
8. Arkansas: 18.75

Heisman Watch:
The Real Deal: If the Buckeyes keep winning, Clarett supporters will continue to grow.
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 357-2246-20 Rushing, 10-150-1 Receiving
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State - 2330 All-Purpose Yards, 17 TDs
Hb Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia - 3037 All-Purpose Yards, 19 TDs
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State - 196-1021 Rushing, 23-263 Receiving, 16 TDs
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas - 219-1273 Rushing, 14-270 Receiving, 19 TDs

Players of the Week:
(NCAA)
QB Timmy Chang (Sr-RS), Hawaii: 22-32, 314 yards, 6 TDs
FS Matt Manuma (Sr-RS), Hawaii: 2 Tackles, FF, TD

(ACC)
[No Games]

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (10-2, 7-1): BYE
2. NC State (10-2, 6-2): BYE
3. Maryland (10-2, 6-2): BYE
4. Clemson (8-4, 5-3): BYE
5. Virginia (7-5, 5-3): BYE
6. Georgia Tech (5-7, 3-5): BYE
7. North Carolina (5-7, 3-5): BYE
8. Wake Forest (4-7, 1-7): BYE
9. Duke (1-11, 0-8): BYE

huve Watch
CB Glenn Sharpe, Miami (Jr): BYE (35 Tackles, 3 Int, 10 Pass Defl Season)

Celeval

08-08-2003, 12:17 AM

Conference Championship Week

MAC: UCF (9-4) over Toledo (8-5) 21-3
Big 12: Oklahoma (14-0) over Nebraska (12-2) 31-7
SEC: Tennessee (12-1) over Arkansas (11-2) 15-10

SI Cover:
RB Donta Hickson, Oklahoma (Jr)
Top 10 Showdown
Oklahoma downs rival Nebraska 31-7 with the help of Junior Hickson.

Top 10:
Rivals Collide!: The Sooners triumph over #4 Nebraska 31-7
1. Oklahoma (31) (14-0): W 31-7, NEB
2. Miami (28) (12-0): BYE
3. Ohio State (11-1): BYE
4. Tennessee (12-1): W 15-10, ARKANSAS
5. Virginia Tech (11-1): BYE
6. Auburn (9-3): BYE
7. Florida State (10-2): BYE
8. NC State (10-2): BYE
9. Nebraska (12-1): L 7-31, UO
10. Maryland (10-2): BYE
20. Georgia (8-3): BYE
UNR Georgia Tech (5-7): BYE

Dropped out of Top Ten: #9 Arkansas

Bowl Rankings:
Holiday Madness! The Buckeyes are going to the Rose Bowl
1. Miami: 3.61
2. Oklahoma: 5.81
3. Ohio State: 8.62
4. Tennessee: 12.80
5. Virginia Tech: 13.75
6. Auburn: 15.65
7. Florida State 16.14
8. NC State 20.89

Heisman Trophy:
The Elite Fraternity: Voters name Nebraska's HB Horne the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner.
HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska - 369-2340-21 Rushing, 10-150-1 Receiving

HB David Horne (Jr), Nebraska: 264-329-146 : 1596
HB Maurice Clarett (Jr), Ohio State: 88-190-219 : 863
HB Jason Collins (So-RS), West Virginia: 65-158-269 : 780
HB T.A. McLendon (Jr), NC State: 42-102-140 : 470
HB De'Arrius Howard (Jr-RS), Arkansas: 2-6-11 : 29

Award Winners:
Maxwell Award: HB David Horne, Nebraska (369-2340-21 Rush, 10-150-1 Rec)
Best QB: QB Matt Mauck, LSU (146-259, 2171 yards, 25 TD)
Best RB: HB David Horne, Nebraska (369-2340-21 Rush)
Best WR: WR Britton Komine, Hawaii (74 catches, 1353 yards, 17 TD)
Best OL: T Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech (57 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed)
Bednarik: DT Vince Wilfork, Miami (74 tackles (19 TFL), 12 Sacks)
Best DL: DT Vince Wilfork, Miami (74 tackles (19 TFL), 12 Sacks)
Best LB: OLB Pat Thomas, NC State (81 tackles (13 TFL), 3 Sacks, 4 Int)
Thorpe: FS Jaxon Appel, Texas A&M (62 tackles (4 TFL), Sack, 5 Int, 3 FF, TD)
Groza: K Kevin McKinney, NC State (27-32 FG (52 long), 49-50 XP)
Best Coach: Oklahoma Coach (14-0)

All-Americans of Note
T Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech: First Team T
G Leon Robinson, Georgia Tech: First Team G
CB Bryant McFadden, Florida State: First Team CB

HB Chris Barclay, Wake Forest: Second Team HB
G C.J. Brooks, Maryland: Second Team G
OLB Pat Thomas, NC State: Second Team LB
K DeMarco Livingston, Clemson: Second Team K

Congratulations to Nat and Leon!

Celeval

08-08-2003, 12:24 AM

Bowl Matchups
New Orleans Bowl: TCY (6-6) at New Mexico State (8-4)
GMAC Bowl: Ohio (7-5) at Cincinnati (6-6)
Tangerine Bowl: #25 Oklahoma State (8-4) at Clemson (8-4)
Fort Worth Bowl: Washington (7-5) at #24 Oregon State (8-4)
Las Vegas Bowl: #19 Oregon (9-3) at San Diego State (10-2)
Hawaii Bowl: SMU (6-6) at Utah (6-6)
Motor Cit Bowl: Marshall (9-3) at UCF (9-4)
Insight Bowl: Notre Dame (7-5) at Stanford (7-5)
Continental Tire Bowl: Virginia (7-5) at Buffalo (7-5)
Humanitarian Bowl: Nevada (10-2) at Hawaii (7-5)
Alamo Bowl: #18 Texas (9-3) at #22 Iowa (8-4)
Houston Bowl: Southern Mississipi (8-4) at Kansas State (7-5)
Holiday Bowl: USC (9-3) at #23 Texas A&M (8-5)
Silicon Valley Classic: Toledo (8-5) at #16 Fresno State (11-1)
Sun Bowl: Arizona State (9-4) at Indiana (7-5)
AXA Liberty Bowl: #15 Colorado State (11-1) at #11 Louisville (11-1)
Music City Bowl: Washington State (6-6) at Air Force (8-4)
Independence Bowl: North Texas (8-4) at Colorado (6-6)
San Francisco Bowl: UNLV (7-5) at West Virginia (7-5)
Outback Bowl: Alabama (7-5) at #21 Michigan (10-3)
Gator Bowl: Pittsburgh (7-5) at #8 NC State (10-2)
Capital One Bowl: #14 Arkansas (11-2) at #13 Penn State (11-1)
Peach Bowl: #20 Georgia (8-4) at #10 Maryland (10-2)
Cotton Bowl: #12 LSU (11-2) at #9 Nebraska (12-2)
Rose Bowl: #17 UCLA (9-2) at #3 Ohio State (11-1)
Fiesta Bowl: #6 Auburn (9-3) at #5 Virginia Tech (11-1)
Sugar Bowl: #7 Florida State (10-2) at #4 Tennessee (12-1)
Orange Bowl: #1 Oklahoma (14-0) at #2 Miami (12-0)