Let's Get Zippy...

[Its Vanilla]

This is a dynasty using NCAA 2004 for PlayStation 2.

Date: 1/3/04
Time: 11:30 PM

I was sitting in my chair in my darkened living room, lit only by the glare of the television. I, along with the rest of the nation, had just finished watching 11-1 Virginia Tech upset heavily favored 14-0 Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. Kevin Jones led the charge as he scored 2 touchdowns in the Hokies 21 point 4th quarter.
I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly, the phone rang. I was jolted from my chair.
"Hello!", I said.
"Hello, is this Cody Myers?"
"Uh...yeah, who's calling?"
"This is Mike Thomas."
"Look, I told you guys yesterday, I'm not interested in refinancing my mortgage!"
As I was about to slam the phone onto the receiver, the man on the other end told me to stop.
"I'm Mike Thomas, the Athletic Director of the University of Akron."
Well, that's where I'm going to stop with that story. In short, I accepted the job as Head Coach of the Akron Zips. I signed a 3 year contract, with a stipulation that I receive at least 1 bowl bid.


And now, some backround on last season.

Akron(**) finished 4-8, good enough for 6th in the MAC East.

Toledo(12-1) defeated UCF(9-4) 32-20 in the MAC Championship.

HB Shaud Williams of Alabama won the Heisman Trophy. He ran 416 times for 2,236 yards and 25 touchdowns.

And, as you already saw, Virginia Tech defeated Kansas State in the National Championship.

And that's where my job begins...

[Its Vanilla]

Day 1:

I had just finished walking around the Rubber Bowl facilities and sat down in my new office. Mr. Thomas came in and congratulated me on my appointment as coach. Then he handed me a paper and left. Here's what it said:

Players Graduating:

QB Micah Faler - Backup who filled in excellently while Charlie Frye was hurt. He went 85/174 for 1,168 yards with 8 TD/1 INT.
HB Bobby Hendry - Last year's starter who got hurt. Ran only 21 times for 124 yards.
HB Matt Carter - Backup who ran for 200 yards and 3 TDs.
FB Ashanti Barbee - Backup.
WR Nick Sparks - 63 OVR backup.
WR Matt Cherry - 926 receiving yards.
WR Miquel Irvin - 725 receiving yards.
TE Mike Brake - 67 OVR starter.
LT Jud Cummins - 22 pancakes.
RT Bryan Shaw - 29 pancakes.
LG Matt Piccirillo - 74 OVR.
DT Marques Hayes - 60 OVR backup.
LOLB Matt Robinson - 51 tackles.
CB Rickie McKenzie - 78 OVR starter.
CB Jessie Smith - 67 OVR.
P Andy Jerdon - 40.7 yard average.

That's 16 players graduating from an already poor team. I will have my work cut out for me.

[Its Vanilla]

Recruiting:

Week 1:

I have only 175 points to spend this week. Looking around, I see that 2 **** recruits are interested in Akron. A WR and a P. I need both.

I decided to visit Wilmington, Oh to see P Mike Hooper. He only has a C+ in kick power, but an A in accuracy. My assistant John Albright and I also called him later in the week.

John and I then drove to Blue Ash, Oh to see WR Tye McCormick. He stands 6'4" and runs a 4.48 40 yard dash. He can catch too, with a B+ hands grade. The only question mark is his 2.05 GPA. Whlle in Blue Ash, we talked with WR Elijah Jones, Tye's teammate.

John and I then split up and he went to Warrensville Heights, Oh to visit JUCO transfer Conrad Kincaid. He's not high on my list, but I need a corner. John followed up with a call later in the week.

John and I met back up in North Canton to take a look at QB Michael Huff. He's a pocket passer with a 5.05 40 time and a 2.91 GPA. I called him later, hoping to convince him that Michigan was too far away.

In Mount Vernon, Oh we met up with HB Michael Ricks. He's a quick back with good hands, which is what I'm looking for. We would both call back later in the week.

I ventured on my own to Ravenna, Oh to meet TE Ahmaad Burton. He's strong with good hands. I called him also.

In Streetsboro, Oh we met RT John Hollins, a 6'5" monster blocker.

DT J.D. Sutton of Eastlake, Oh was our pick to fill our need on the defensive line.

Cambridge, Oh's D'ondre London caught our attention for our need at LB. He's 5'11", which is his only drawback.

We finished the week by contacting WR Jamie Broussard of Wadsworth, Oh and LG Heath Lindsay of Tallmadge, Oh.


Week 2:

Commitments:
RT John Hollins(****) - Streetsboro, Oh(#30 RT)
QB Michael Huff(**) - North Canton, Oh(#57 QB)
LOLB D'ondre Lindsay(**) - Cambridge, Oh(#53 LOLB)

Rejections:
None!

In our only new contact this week, we traveled all the way to Fort Knox, Ky to meet FB John Christensen. He looks to be a great blocker.


Week 3:

Commitments:
HB Michael Ricks(***) - Mount Vernon, Oh(#49 HB)
WR Elijah Jones(**) - Blue Ash, Oh(#88 WR)
JR CB Conrad Kincaid(**) - Warrensville Heights, Oh(#117 CB)

Rejections:
None!

We withdrew our offer to LG Heath Lindsay. We made new contacts to LT Sean Warren of St. Johns, Mi and LG Jeff Prce of Allen Park, Mi.


Week 4:

Commitments:
P Mike Hooper(****) - Wilmington, Oh(#4 P)
TE Ahmaad Burton(**) - Ravenna, Oh(#58 TE)
DT J.D. Sutton(**) - Eastlake, Oh(#66 DT)

Rejections:
LG Jeff Pryce(**) - Allen Park, Mi(#75 LG) - Western Michigan
WR Tye McCormick(****) - Blue Ash, Oh(#25 WR) - Ohio State

The only new contact this week was LG David Kelly of Oil City, Pa.


Week 5:

Commitments:
WR Jamie Broussard(**) - Wadsworth, Oh(#120 WR)
CB Frederick Foster(**) - Medina, Oh(#92 CB)

Rejections:
LT Sean Williams(***) - St. Johns, Mi(#49 LT) - Michigan State
FB John Christensen(*) - Fort Knox, Ky(#76 FB) - Northwestern
LG David Kelly(*) - Oil City, Pa(#136 LG) - Kent State

We contacted LT J.D. Myers of Lancaster, Oh, LG O.J. Green of Shoreview, Mn, and LG Sammy Myles of Jasper, In in last ditch efforts to get players.


Signing Day:

Commitments:
LG O.J. Green(*) - Shoreview, Mn(#101 LG)

Rejections:
FB Tyson O'Neill(**) - Country Club Estates, Ga(#49 FB) - Miami(Fl)
FB Maurice Rawls(**) - Lawrenceburg, Ky(#66 FB) - Virginia
LG Sammy Myles(**) - Jasper, In(#62 LG) - Virginia
LT J.D. Myers(*) - Lancaster, Oh(#121 LT) - None


Class Rankings:

1.) Oklahoma
2.) Kansas State
3.) Miami
4.) Virginia Tech
5.) Ohio State

30.) Toledo
33.) UCF
36.) Marshall
40.) Miami(Oh)
56.) Western Michigan
77.) Bowling Green
79.) Ohio
80.) Akron
91.) Northern Illinois
98.) Central Michigan
100.) Kent State
105.) Buffalo
113.) Eastern Michigan
115.) Ball State

117.) Wyoming


Walk-ons:

None.

[Its Vanilla]

Oops...

While tuning my sliders, I accidently saved at the beginning of week 2 of the season. My next post will have the depth chart. I will also miss all the preseason stuff. I do know that we were picked to finish 5th in the East. They finished 6th last year.

[Its Vanilla]

Akron's 2004 Schedule:

8/26 - at Kent State - Battle for the Wagon Wheel
9/4 - NORTHWESTERN
9/11 - at Eastern Michigan
9/18 - MAINE
9/25 - BUFFALO
10/2 - MIAMI(Oh)

10/16 - at UCF
10/23 - at Virginia
10/30 - MARSHALL
11/6 - CENTRAL MICHIGAN
11/13 - at Ohio
11/20 - TROY STATE

[Its Vanilla]

Your 2004 Akron Zips:

Offense:

Quarterback(C+):

#5 Charlie Frye, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 213 Ovr: 88
The 88 overall starter won't burn anyone with his low speed and agility, but he has great touch on his passes. If he can stay healthy, he should have a great year.

#6 Michael Huff, Fr
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 179 Ovr: 66
A far cry from Frye, the true freshman is the best backup we got. May see limited action this year.

#17 John Ferguson, Fr-RS
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 215 Ovr: 60
He's our emergency QB. Otherwise, he most likely won't see the field.


Halfback(C+):

#30 Thomas Plummer, Jr-RS
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 206 Ovr: 80
He ran for 1,200 yards and 11 TDs subbing last year. He only has an 80 speed, so his production may drop off this year.

#29 Michael Ricks, Fr
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 211 Ovr: 75
The freshman may see some time if Plummer can't get going.

#40 HB#40, Jr-RS
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 205 Ovr: 68
He's not fast and he's small. He probably won't see the field much.


Fullback(C-):

#32 Dan Basch, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 249 Ovr: 74
Great blocker. May see some action as a 3rd down back.

#42 Tim Eldridge, Fr
Ht: 6'5" Wt: 244 Ovr: 56
Not sure when teams get walk-ons, but apparently I did get on. Shouldn't see much time this year, but looks to have good potential.


Receiver(C-):

#19 Morris Ellington, Sr-RS
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 182 Ovr: 66
Part of the reason I can't really focus on the pass this year. He's decent, but doesn't have the skills I'm looking for.

#84 Elijah Jones, Fr
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 186 Ovr: 66
Still not at the level I need. But he has good potential to get to that level soon.

#86 Jamie Broussard, Fr
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 175 Ovr: 65
He's got good hands, so he should be a great #3.

#15 WR#15, Jr-RS
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 165 Ovr: 63
Doesn't have the talent or the size to get onto the field much.

#81 WR#81, Jr-RS
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 168 Ovr: 61
He's in the same boat as #15.


Tight End(C-)

#88 Ahmaad Burton, Fr
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 255 Ovr: 67
The young guy is forced into the starting role. I think he can perform.

#85 Aaron Holderman, So-RS
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 255 Ovr: 56
Should see some decent time.

[Its Vanilla]

Linemen:

Left Tackle(C):

#76 Justin Hein, Jr-RS
Ht: 6'5" Wt: 340 Ovr: 64
Our line is weak this year. We only have 1 LT, but at least he's huge.


Left Guard(C):

#70 O.J. Green, Fr
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 280 Ovr: 59
He's my best and only LG, but won't start. He'll backup both guard positions.


Center(C):

#61 Jim Borriecci, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 304 Ovr: 69
The best guy I got at C.

#71 Mike Grdzeskowiak, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'6" Wt: 341 Ovr: 65
A solid backup.


Right Guard(C):

#69 Aaron Conley, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 293 Ovr: 76
He's one of my best lineman and will start at RG.

#65 Aaron Feller, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 320 Ovr: 73
My second best lineman. He will start at LG.


Right Tackle(C):

#73 John Hollins, Fr
Ht: 6'5" Wt: 320 Ovr: 72
He's a new recruit and my top tackle.

#72 Tim Crouch, So-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 298 Ovr: 62
He's an injury away from starting. I'm not comfortable with that.


Left End(C):

#48 Brian White, Jr
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 245 Ovr: 68
He's small, but came up with 6 sacks last year.

#53 Charlton Lewis, Jr-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 255 Ovr: 60
Not that great and small. Should only see limited action.


Defensive Tackle(C-):

#98 J.D. Sutton, Fr
Ht: 6'0" Wt: 263 Ovr: 68
He's small for a DT, but one of our better linemen.

#63 Andy Wills, Jr
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 283 Ovr: 68
Only had 23 tackles last year. Will need to improve.

#79 Antonio Shippy, So-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 346 Ovr: 64
This guy's a wall. And he should see some decent time because of lack of depth.

#95 Bobby Gardner, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 264 Ovr: 62
Backup. That's about all I can say.


Right End(C):

#83 Dwayne LeFall, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 254 Ovr: 81
He's a monster. His 71 speed helped him get 9 sacks last year.

#99 Jermaine Reid, So-RS
Ht: 6'4" Wt: 254 Ovr: 66
Shouldn't see much time behind LeFall this year.

[Its Vanilla]

Defense:

Left Outside Linebacker(C)

#45 D'ondre Lindsey, Fr
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 204 Ovr: 65
He's tiny. But he's got the talent to start.

#8 Jared Smith, Sr
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 232 Ovr: 61
May see some time if Lindsay can't adjust to the college game.


Middle Linebacker(C-)

#51 Diontre Earl, Jr-RS
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 241 Ovr: 80
He's short, but by far, the best MLB on the team.

#57 Joe Radich, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 242 Ovr: 52
My second best, who will see action if I switch to a 3-4 defense.

#47 Yohance Scott, Fr
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 229 Ovr: 51
A walk-on who won't see much time.


Right Outside Linebacker(C)

#44 Chase Blackburn, Sr
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 245 Ovr: 81
Had 97 tackles last season.

#35 Jay Rohr, Jr
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 213 Ovr: 60
He's pretty small for an LB and will only see limited action.


Cornerback(C-)

#1 Fredrick Foster, Fr
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 182 Ovr: 69
The freshman gets the immediate start.

#3 Conrad Kincaid, JUCO-Jr
Ht: 6'3" Wt: 181 Ovr: 63
The transfer will start. I'm happy about his good height.

#24 Montae Russell, Sr
Ht: 5'9" Wt: 180 Ovr: 61
He's small and had 1 tackle last year, yet he's my #3.

#10 Mike Bradshay, So-RS
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 171 Ovr: 59
Will be behind HB Michael Ricks on the depth chart.


Free Safety(C)

#23 Domenik Hixon, Jr
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 193 Ovr: 78
He is by far my best defensive back.

#12 Greg Williams, Sr
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 201 Ovr: 54
A far drop from Hixon, hopefully he'll only see limited time.


Strong Safety(D+)

#18 John Fuller, Sr-RS
Ht: 6'2" Wt: 193 Ovr: 64
Had 4 interceptions last year.

#37 Jason Nedd, Jr
Ht: 5'10" Wt: 191 Ovr: 55
Not much more than a backup.

[Its Vanilla]

Special Teams:

Kicker(C-):

#14 Billy Sullivan, Jr-RS
Ht: 5'11" Wt: 180 Ovr: 64
Only hit 16/29 with a long of 43 last year.


Punter(C)

#11 Mike Hooper, Fr
Ht: 6'1" Wt: 227 Ovr: 68
He has potential to be a great player. Will do kickoffs.

[Its Vanilla]

I'm a bit upset right now. I was booted offline as I was typing up the game, so I lost everything. Here is a basic outline of how things went.

We came out in front of a crowd of about 3,000. We played terribly. Halftime score was 24-0 Kent State.

We continued to play badly, and at the beginning of the 4th, it was 45-0.

That's when I put Michael Huff in. He managed to get our offense to move, though I'm not sure if Kent State was playing soft. Either way we still lost. Frye will probably start against Northwestern.

Final Score: Kent State - 45, Akron - 21

Players of the Game:
Kent State: WR Darrell Dowery - 6 rec, 133 yds, 3 TD
Akron: HB Thomas Plummer - 15 carries for 111 yards, 2 TD

Stat Leaders:

Passing:
Kent State - Joshua Cribbs - 15/29 for 267 yards, 4 TD/1 INT
Akron - Michael Huff - 7/8 for 123 yards, 1 TD
Akron - Charlie Frye - 5/19 for 36 yards, 2 INT

Rushing:
Kent State - Elijah Brooks - 18 carries for 66 yards, 1 TD
Akron - Thomas Plummer - 15 carries for 111 yards, 2 TD

Receiving:
Kent State - Darrel Dowery - 6 rec, 133 yards, 3 TD
Akron - Jamie Broussard - 2 rec, 54 yards, 1 TD

Defense:
Kent State - Duncan Flynn - 5 tackles, 4 for loss, 4 sacks
Akron - Diontre Earl - 6 tackles


AD Comments:
"Okay, so we lost. Now regroup and prepare for next week's game against Northwestern."
Job Security: C

[Its Vanilla]

Week 2 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"Starting Strong! The Buckeyes open 2004 with a huge victory over #1 Miami."


Top 25 Polls:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"Rough Road - Ohio State sends the Hurricanes back to Miami with a loss."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 4 Ohio State(39) W 38-22 Miami 1-0
2 2 Virginia Tech(20) Bye 0-0
3 3 Georgia W 47-7 UTEP 1-0
4 5 Oklahoma W 45-3 Illinois 2-0
5 6 Texas W 63-3 BGSU 1-0
6 7 Maryland W 36-14 Tulsa 1-0
7 8 Auburn W 34-21 PSU 1-0
8 1 Miami L 38-22 OSU 0-1
9 9 Florida State W 48-6 UNC 1-0
10 10 UCLA W 27-10 Mizzou 1-0


Heisman Watch:
HB Tyler Ebell - UCLA
"A Cruel Twist - UCLA loses their Heisman canidate for the season with a hand injury."

<>HB Lonta Hobbs - TCU
20 carries for 106 yards, 2 TD
<>HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
27 carries for 153 yards, 4 TD
<>HB Tyler Ebell - UCLA
7 carries for 43 yards
<>HB T.A. McClendon - NC State
17 carries for 111 yards, 1 TD
/\WR Fred Gibson - Georgia
9 receptions for 251 yards, 2 TD


Players of the Week:
CB #6 - Notre Dame
"Super Start! CB #6 is honored after Notre Dame opens 2004 with a victory over Indiana."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
27 carries for 153 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
ROLB #46 - Arkansas State
10 tackles(1 TFL), 1 INT, 1 TD


Conference Standings:
QB #12 - Ole Miss
"The Way to Play - Ole Miss opens conference play with a win over Vanderbilt."

MAC East:

1.) Kent State(1-0)
2.) UCF(0-0)
3.) Miami(Oh)(0-0)
4.) Ohio(0-0)
5.) Marshall(0-0)
6.) Buffalo(0-0)
7.) Akron(0-1)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 3 Game:

Northwestern(0-0) at Akron(0-1)
Time: 12:30 pm
Weather: Moderate Rain

We win the toss and defer to the second half.

Things start off well for us as we hold them to a 3 and out on their first drive. Frye comes out and immediately looks better than he did against the Golden Flashes. We convert a 3rd and 9, which set up an 8 yard TD pass to Jamie Broussard, which makes the score 7-0. The Wildcats' ensuing drive stalls on our 27 yard line and they settle for a Slade Larscheid field goal to make it 7-3.

That's when things got bad. On the first play of our next drive, Frye is sacked and strains his back. His injury would keep him out at least 2 quarters. I didn't mind at the time. Huff would come in and he did well last week. Huff misses 2 passes and we are forced to punt the ball away, which ends the first quarter.

On a 3rd and 13 on our 18 yardline, we get a break when Domenik Hixon steps in front of QB Brett Basanez's pass to give us back the ball. Huff once again fails to complete a pass and the Wildcats get the ball right back. They drive down the field and on 3rd and goal from the 6, Basanez finds TE Lacy for the TD, making it 7-10. Knowing that Huff can't pass when we get the ball back, I decide to run Plummer. Northwestern thought the same thing I did and stuffed him on 2 consecutive plays. Then on 3rd down, Huff was forced to pass. He got hit and fumbled the ball inside our own 20. They only manage a field goal to make it 7-13. Huff's struggles continue and right before the end of the half, a Noah Herron dive makes the score 20-7.

I thought it was over then. But on our next drive Huff manages to complete a pass, for a touchdown, too. But unfortunately, the receiver was Northwestern CB Jeff Backes.

Halftime: Northwestern - 27, Akron - 7

Things continued to go bad, even when Frye got back. He led us to several scores, but the Wildcats continuously countered them.

Final Score: Northwestern - 55, Akron - 24

Players of the Game:
Northwestern: WR Ashton Aikens - 3 rec, 119 yds, 2 TD
Akron: QB Charlie Frye - 12/20 for 215 yards, 2 TD

Stat Leaders:

Passing:
Northwestern: Brett Basanez - 11/19 for 234 yards, 3 TD/2 INT
Akron: Charlie Frye - 12/20 for 215 yards, 2 TD/ 1 INT
Akron: Michael Huff - 1/9 for 19 yards, 1 INT

Rushing:
Northwestern: Terrell Jordan - 6 carries for 93 yards, 1 TD
Akron: Thomas Plummer - 19 carries for 35 yards, 1 TD

Receiving:
Northwestern: Ashton Aikens - 3 rec, 119 yards, 2 TD
Akron: Elijah Jones - 3 rec, 79 yards

Defense:
Northwestern: Wendell Douglas - 8 tackles(2TFL), 1 sack
Akron: D'Ondrey Lindsey - 5 tackles(2 TFL)


AD Comments:
"Tough luck on the loss to Northwestern last week. Let's hope this week's result will be better."
Job Security: C-

[Its Vanilla]

Week 3 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
CB #13 - Florida State
"Yes! - Seminoles win their conference game 25-20."


Top 25 Polls:
Coach - Maryland
"No Place Like Home? - Seminoles invade Maryland's turf and walk away with a 25-20 victory."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(35) W 37-10 So Car 2-0
2 2 Virginia Tech(21) W 31-3 UNC 1-0
3 3 Georgia(2) W 52-6 Baylor 2-0
4 4 Oklahoma(1) W 59-6 Utah St 3-0
5 5 Texas W 24-10 Pitt 2-0
6 9 Florida State W 25-20 UMD 2-0
7 7 Auburn W 38-3 Bama St. 2-0
8 8 Miami W 44-7 SJST 1-1
9 10 UCLA W 70-29 Mich. St. 2-0
10 11 Notre Dame W 32-29 Purdue 2-0

Dropping Out:
13 6 Maryland L 25-20 FSU 1-1


Heisman Watch:
HB Tyler Ebell - UCLA
"Bad Break - Can the Bruins survive without Heisman canidate Ebell?"

<>HB Lonta Hobbs - TCU
20 carries for 106 yards, 2 TD
<>HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
55 carries for 397 yards, 8 TD
/\WR Fred Gibson - Georgia
18 receptions for 420 yards, 6 TD
\/HB Tyler Ebell - UCLA
7 carries for 43 yards
/\WR #17 - Oklahoma
11 receptions for 276 yards, 4 TD


Players of the Week:
CB #13 - Florida State
"Steppin' it Up - CB #13 earns Player of the Week as Seminoles slip by Maryland."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
28 carries for 244 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LE Calvin Thibodeaux - Oklahoma
6 tackles(2 TFL), 1 Sack, 2 FF, 1 TD


Conference Standings:
CB #13 - Florida State
"House Broken - #6 Maryland fails to defend their home turf against Florida State."

MAC East:

1.) Kent State - 1-1(1-0)
2.) Ohio - 1-1(0-0)
3.) UCF - 1-1(0-0)
4.) Marshall - 1-1(0-0)
5.) Buffalo - 0-2(0-0)
6.) Miami(Oh) - 0-1(0-0)
7.) Akron - 0-2(0-1)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 4 Game:

Akron(0-2) at Eastern Michigan(1-1)
Time: 12:30pm
Weather: Sunny

We open up the game by kicking off. Their freshman QB starts immediately with a 10 yard completion. A sack by DT Andy Wills set up a 3rd and 17 for the Eagles and they just couldn't get the 1st. Our first play from scrimmage is a 9 yard run by Plummer. We started off well, but the drive stalled on their 39 yard line.

The first score would come from the Eagles on a 3rd and 5 play. Clark hooked up with WR#6 for a 45 yard touchdown pass to put us down 0-7. The first play of the 2nd quarter would see them make the score 0-10.

A huge interception by CB/HB Michael Ricks on a 3rd and 13 inside our red zone may have begun a swing of momentum in this game. A couple big passes by Frye and a big run by Plummer set up an 18 yard touchdown pass from Frye to Elijah Jones, making the score 7-10. The Eagles however, not to be outdone, drove down field and scored on a 22 yard touchdown pass to increase their lead to 7-17.

We did try to make a drive for the endzone, but Frye stopped that by throwing an interception, whcih EMU returned to inside our 10 yardline. Our defense rose to the occasion and kept them to only a field goal. We would just run down the clock after that.

Halftime: Eastern Michigan - 20, Akron - 7

We came alive in the 2nd half and our first possesion ended with a 39 yard TD toss to Elijah Jones, his 2nd of the day, making the score 14-20. Our defense came alive too, and on 2nd down for the Eagles, Domenik Hixon came up with a big INT. Sullivan came on and made the score 17-20.

On our next drive, Michael Ricks pounded it in from the 2 to give us the 24-20 lead. Our next drive netted us a field goal, increasing our lead to 27-20.

Our next drive wasn't nearly as successful as Frye was picked off by an EMU linebacker. The desperate Eagles then turned a short HB screen pass into a 70 yard touchdown to tie it up at 27-27.

We got the ball back with 1:16 left. A couple of misfires put us in a 3rd and 10 on our 41, but Frye came back with a 12 yard pass to Ellington. He then overthrew Jones, but completed a huge pass to #15 to put him over 300 yards in the game. He would add 24 more on the next play, a TD pass to Jamie Broussard, with just :35 left on the clock. A couple sacks on the freshman QB would end the game and give us our first win of the season. Actually I got angry trying to kneel it and having them call a timeout. So I called a field goal for good measure.

Final Score: Akron - 37, Eastern Michigan - 27

Players of the Game:
Eastern Michigan: WR#6 - 6 rec, 141 yds, 1 TD
Akron: WR Elijah Jones - 2 rec, 57 yards, 2 TD

Stat Leaders:

Passing:
Eastern Michigan: D'Ondre Clark - 14/30 for 290 yards, 3 TD/2 INT
Akron: Charlie Frye - 18/39 for 337 yards, 3 TD/ 2 INT

Rushing:
Eastern Michigan: HB#25 - 14 carries for 29 yards
Akron: Thomas Plummer - 23 carries for 98 yards

Receiving:
Eastern Michigan: WR#6 - 6 rec, 141 yds, 1 TD
Akron: Morris Ellington - 6 rec, 89 yards

Defense:
Eastern Michigan: SS#35 - 8 tackles(2 TFL)
Akron: Diontre Earl - 5 tackles(3 TFL), 2 sacks


AD Comments:
"Great teams don't settle for a win, the find ways to keep winning."
Job Security: C

[Its Vanilla]

Week 4 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
Thomas Davis - Georgia
"Slam Dunked! - South Carolina surprises #3 Georgia with a solid 46-16 performance."


Top 25 Polls:
Cedric Humes - Virginia Tech
"Wilting Violets - ECU hands #2 Virginia Tech a cushing 34-13 defeat."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(36) W 59-10 UL Laf 3-0
2 4 Oklahoma(22) W 16-15 IU 4-0
3 5 Texas(1) W 45-6 Houston 3-0
4 6 Florida State W 33-10 GT 3-0
5 7 Auburn W 41-13 Vandy 3-0
6 9 UCLA W 48-7 CSU 3-0
7 8 Miami W 52-16 Boise 2-1
8 10 Notre Dame W 25-22 UNLV 3-0
9 11 Alabama W 63-28 UK 3-0
10 12 Oregon State W 47-7 BGSU 3-0

Dropping Out:
14 3 Georgia L 46-16 S Car 2-1
18 2 Virginia Tech L 34-13 ECU 1-1


Heisman Watch:
WR Fred Gibson - Georgia
"Who is This Guy? - Gibson, Georgia's senior WR has fans outside of Athens talking about the Heisman."

<>HB Lonta Hobbs - TCU
20 carries for 106 yards, 2 TD
<>HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
76 carries for 535 yards, 10 TD
<>WR Fred Gibson - Georgia
23 receptions for 475 yards, 6 TD
/\HB Joseph Addai - LSU
95 carries for 607 yards, 7 TD
/\HB Lorenzo Booker - Florida State
49 carries for 218 yards, 3 TD


Players of the Week:
HB #21 - UCLA
"Steppin' it Up - CB #13 named Player of the Week for performance against Colorado State."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Marlon Brown(Fr) - West Virginia
58 carries for 286 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Maurice Lloyd(Sr) - UConn
16 tackles(2 TFL), 1 Sack, 1 INT, 1 TD


Conference Standings:
Auburn player breaking tackle
"The Way to Play - Auburn's sitting pretty after conference opener against Vanderbilt."

MAC East:

1.) Kent State - 1-2(1-0)
2.) Akron - 1-2(1-1)
3.) Buffalo - 1-2(0-0)
4.) Ohio - 1-1(0-0)
5.) UCF - 1-2(0-0)
6.) Miami(Oh) - 0-2(0-0)
7.) Marshall - 1-2(0-1)

[Its Vanilla]

I've decided not to do game recaps for the rest of the season. I will still be playing all the games, but this way I'll get to the offseason faster.

[Its Vanilla]

Week 5 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Jabari Davis - Tennessee
"Important Step - The Gators lose a heartbreaker to rival Tennessee in Knoxville."


Our Game:

Akron - 35, Maine - 28

AD Comments:
"Akron fans love a win. Good job against Maine last week."


Top 25 Polls:
Head Coach - Alabama
"Whose Laughing Now? - A visit to Hattiesburg knocks the #9 Crimson Tide back to earth."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(31) W 25-22 KSU 4-0
2 2 Oklahoma(21) Bye 4-0
3 3 Texas(6) W 42-19 Utah 4-0
4 4 Florida State(1) W 30-10 Ohio 4-0
5 5 Auburn Bye 3-0
6 6 UCLA W 52-21 TCU 4-0
7 7 Miami W 38-21 BC 3-1
8 8 Notre Dame W 41-24 Mich St 4-0
9 10 Oregon State W 38-20 Duke 4-0
10 11 Tennessee W 30-24 UF 4-0

Dropping Out:
19 9 Alabama L 28-17 USM 3-1


Heisman Watch:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"A New Favorite? - There's a new leader atop the Heisman list."

/\HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
76 carries for 535 yards, 10 TD
/\HB #21 - UCLA
119 carries for 689 yards, 10 TD
/\HB #29 - Iowa
103 carries for 662 yards, 9 TD
\/HB Lonta Hobbs - TCU
20 carries for 106 yards, 2 TD
\/WR Fred Gibson - Georgia
26 receptions for 510 yards, 6 TD


Players of the Week:
DT Arrion Dixon - Akransas
"Call Him Bus Driver! - Arkansas clobbers the Aztecs as Dixon earns Player of the Week honors."

Offensive Player of the Week:
QB Darian Durant(Sr-RS) - North Carolina
24/44 for 490 yards, 2 carries, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
DT Travis Watkins(Sr-RS) - Kansas
8 tackles(6 TFL), 4 Sacks, 3 FF, 3 FR


Conference Standings:
HB Jabari Davis - Tennessee
"No Love Lost - Tennessee inches passed the Gators in a Rivalry Game."

MAC East:

1.) Kent State - 2-2(1-0)
2.) Akron - 2-2(1-1)
3.) Miami(Oh) - 1-2(0-0)
4.) Ohio - 1-2(0-0)
5.) UCF - 1-3(0-0)
6.) Buffalo - 1-3(0-0)
7.) Marshall - 2-2(0-1)

[General Mike]

Great stuff so far!

[Its Vanilla]

Week 6 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
WR Troy Williamson - South Carolina
"In the Zone... - All's well in Columbia as Gamecocks down SEC rival Tennessee."


Our Game:

Buffalo - 45, Akron - 24

AD Comments:
"Sports writers are writing of wasted talent and botched coaching."


Top 25 Polls:
WR Troy Williamson - South Carolina
"Big SEC Win - Spirits are high in Columbia as their Gamecocks beat #10 Tennessee 26-20."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(35) W 45-24 NU 5-0
2 2 Oklahoma(22) W 24-6 Miss 5-0
3 3 Texas(1) Bye 4-0
4 4 Florida State(1) W 38-3 Duke 5-0
5 5 Auburn W 59-28 Tx Tech 4-0
6 6 UCLA Bye 4-0
7 7 Miami W 49-18 ND 4-1
8 9 Oregon State W 41-38 ASU 5-0
9 12 USC W 47-30 Cal 4-0
10 13 Georgia Bye 3-1

Dropping Out:
13 8 Notre Dame L 49-18 Miami 4-1
17 10 Tennessee L 26-20 So Car 4-1


Heisman Watch:
HB #29 - Iowa
"Checking the Ballots - HB #29 jumps to first place following a 774 rush yards, 10 TD performance."

/\HB #29 - Iowa
121 carries for 774 yards, 10 TD
\/HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State(+2 Wks)
76 carries for 535 yards, 10 TD
\/HB #21 - UCLA
119 carries for 689 yards, 10 TD
/\HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
127 carries for 781 yards, 6 TD
/\HB Jerious Norwood - Mississippi State
1,048 All-Purpose yards, 9 TD


Players of the Week:
FS Kyler Hall - Florida State
"Another Level - Hall named Player of the Week for performance against Duke."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Lydell Ross(Sr) - Ohio State
42 carries, 265 yards, 3 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Pat Bennett(Sr) - Washington State
13 tackles(4 TFL), 2 Sacks, INT, 3 FF, 3 FR


Conference Standings:
2 Players - Oregon State
"Beavers Still Rolling - Oregon State keeps 10-game win streak alive with tough win."

MAC East:

1.) Buffalo - 2-3(1-0)
2.) UCF - 2-3(1-0)
3.) Kent State - 2-3(1-1)
4.) Akron - 2-3(1-2)
5.) Miami(Oh) - 2-2(0-0)
6.) Marshall - 2-3(0-1)
7.) Ohio - 1-3(0-1)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 7 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Cedric Houston - Tennessee
"Go Big Orange! - Houston and Tennessee knock off SEC opponent Auburn 35-28.."


Our Game:

Miami(Oh) - 33, Akron - 14

AD Comments:
"Did you see the look on the faces on your players after that game? They weren't pretty."

Coach's Comments:
This was a close game for 3 quarters, and we actually had a chance to win. Thomas Plummer fumbled deep in our own territory when it was 19-14. That shifted the momentum and we couldn't turn it around. Ricks will start against UCF.


Top 25 Polls:
CB Stanley Wilson - Stanford
"How About That! - Stanford hands their rival Notre Dame a 49-27 defeat."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(32) Bye 5-0
2 2 Oklahoma(24) W 48-23 ISU 6-0
3 3 Texas(2) W 55-21 KSU 5-0
4 4 Florida State(1) Bye 5-0
5 6 UCLA W 38-17 Wash 5-0
6 7 Miami W 44-24 WVU 5-1
7 9 USC W 38-31 ASU 5-0
8 10 Georgia W 27-20 Bama 4-1
9 12 Washington St W 33-28 Arizona 6-0
10 17 Tennessee W 35-28 Auburn 5-1

Dropping Out:
11 5 Auburn L 35-28 Tenn 4-1
16 8 Oregon State L 44-42 Cal 5-1


Heisman Watch:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
"To Early to Tell? - Leinart has led USC 5-0 record and has fans in Los Angeles talking about Heisman."

<>HB #29 - Iowa
132 carries for 839 yards, 11 TD
/\WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
36 receptions for 539 yards, 9 TD
/\QB Matt Leinart - USC
111/197 for 1,594 yards, 22 TD/1 INT, 23 Total TD
/\HB Cedric Houston - Tennessee
96 carries for 569 yards, 8 TD
/\LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
55 tackles(9 TFL), 4 sacks, 4 INT


Players of the Week:
CB Kelly Jennings - Miami
"A Hero Emerges - Miami's Jennings is named Player of the Week after convincing victory."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB #20(Jr-RS) - Colorado
30 carries, 163 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Ricardo Hurley(Jr) - South Carolina
9 tackles(3 TFL), 2 Sacks, TD


Conference Standings:
QB #14 - Oklahoma
"Starting Strong - Sooners win their Big 12 opener 48-23 over Iowa State."

MAC East:

1.) UCF - 3-3(2-0)
2.) Kent State - 3-3(2-1)
3.) Miami(Oh) - 3-3(1-0)
4.) Ohio - 2-3(1-1)
5.) Buffalo - 2-4(1-1)
6.) Akron - 2-4(1-3)
7.) Marshall - 2-3(0-1)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 8 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
"New Batch of Rankings - The first Bowl Rankings of 2004 are unveiled."


Our Game:

We have a bye week before we travel to Orlando to face rival? Central Florida.

AD Comments:
"Hopefully, the week off was put to good use."

Coach's Comments:
There is a lot to work on here. My main concern had been my pass defense, which gave up 3 100 yard receivers to Buffalo. But they stepped it up against Miami and almost won us the game. Which brings me to my main concern. Plummer blowing the game. He will play against UCF, but Michael Ricks will start.


Bowl Rankings:
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
"Where Do They Stand? - Where are the Buckeyes in the very first Bowl Rankings?"

BCS Top 5:

1.) Ohio State(6-0) - 3.23
2.) Oklahoma(7-0) - 6.17
3.) Florida State(6-0) - 8.71
4.) USC(6-0) - 11.38
5.) Georgia(5-1) - 12.48


Top 25 Polls:
HB #21 - UCLA
"Beatin' Up the Bruins - Arizona proves once again that games aren't played on paper."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Ohio State(38) W 45-13 Wisc 6-0
2 2 Oklahoma(21) W 27-20 Texas 7-0
3 4 Florida State W 30-24 Miami 6-0
4 7 USC W 41-34 Stan 6-0
5 8 Georgia W 30-10 Tenn 5-1
6 9 Washington St Bye 6-0
7 3 Texas L 27-20 Okla 5-1
8 12 Virginia Tech W 35-3 SU 5-1
9 13 Virginia W 26-17 Clemson 6-0
10 14 Arkansas W 31-26 Auburn 5-1

Dropping Out:
11 6 Miami L 30-24 FSU 5-2
14 5 UCLA L 49-46 Arizona 5-1
17 10 Tennessee L 30-10 UGA 5-2


Heisman Watch:
HB Frank Gore - Miami
"In the Bag? - Gore credits his O-line for allowing him to put up the numbers he has."

/\WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
40 receptions for 686 yards, 10 Total TD
/\HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
170 carries for 1,079 yards, 9 TD
<>QB Matt Leinart - USC
137/236 for 1,925 yards, 22 TD/1 INT, 24 Total TD
/\HB Frank Gore - Miami
114 carries for 668 yards, 10 TD
\/HB #29 - Iowa
132 carries for 839 yards, 11 TD


Players of the Week:
CB #6 - Notre Dame
"Another Level - Notre Dame's CB #6 has a spectacular game against an overpowered UConn team."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Lydell Ross(Sr) - Ohio State
43 carries, 298 yards, 3 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
WR Chris Talley(Sr) - Eastern Michigan
3 tackles(1 TFL), 1 Sack, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, TD


Conference Standings:
HB #26 - Georgia
"Bulldogs Win! - Athens is celebrating after a sweet victory over SEC foe #10 Tennessee."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 4-2(2-0)
2.) Ohio - 3-3(2-1)
3.) UCF - 3-4(2-1)
4.) Kent State - 3-4(2-2)
5.) Marshall - 3-3(1-1)
6.) Buffalo - 2-5(1-2)
7.) Akron - 2-4(1-3)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 9 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
"Upended! - Stanford proves once again that games aren't played on paper."


Our Game:

UCF - 38, Akron - 13

AD Comments:
"We dropped a game to UCF, but we can't win 'em all, Coach."

Coach's Comments:
We played great on offense. Ricks did a decent job in his first start, although we will go back to Plummer against Virginia. Frye had over 400 yards passing. We just couldn't stop anything on defense. That needs to be worked on.


Bowl Rankings:
HB #2 - Virginia
"Where Do They Rank? - Check out the latest movement in the Bowl Rankings."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Oklahoma(8-0) - 4.36
2.) Florida State(7-0) - 5.59
3.) USC(6-0) - 9.26
4.) Georgia(6-1) - 12.80
5.) Texas(6-1) - 13.53


Top 25 Polls:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
"Shocked! - The shocker of the week is #6 Washington State falling to Pac-10 rival Stanford."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 2 Oklahoma(35) W 31-21 Mizzou 8-0
2 3 Florida State(23) W 20-19 Virginia 7-0
3 4 USC(1) Bye 6-0
4 5 Georgia W 41-13 Vandy 6-1
5 7 Texas W 38-21 ISU 6-1
6 8 Virginia Tech W 44-10 WVU 6-1
7 1 Ohio State L 28-17 Iowa 6-1
8 10 Arkansas W 51-10 UF 6-1
9 11 Miami W 35-17 Temple 6-2
10 19 Iowa W 28-17 OSU 7-0

Dropping Out:
13 9 Virginia L 20-19 FSU 6-1
14 6 Washington St L 36-30 Stan 6-1


Heisman Watch:
HB #2 - Virginia
"A Star in the Making - HB #2 has become a threat every week as the Cavaliers focus on the running game."

<>WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
47 receptions for 837 yards, 10 Total TD
/\HB Frank Gore - Miami
133 carries for 781 yards, 13 TD
/\HB #2 - Virginia
126 carries for 903 yards, 4 TD
\/HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
183 carries for 1,142 yards, 10 TD
<>HB #29 - Iowa(+ 5W)
1348 carries for 906 yards, 11 TD


Players of the Week:
LOLB Ernie Sims - Florida State
"Big Man on Campus - Being named Player of the Week can't top beating your rival."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB P.J. Pope(Jr) - Bowling Green
27 carries, 258 yards, 4 Total TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Joe Maningo(Sr) - California
7 tackles(1 TFL), 1 Sack,INT, 2 FF, 2 FR


Conference Standings:
LOLB Ernie Sims - Florida State
"Battle for the ACC - Florida State, 7-0(5-0), triumphs over #9 Virginia."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 5-2(3-0)
2.) UCF - 4-4(3-1)
3.) Ohio - 3-4(2-1)
4.) Marshall - 4-3(2-1)
5.) Kent State - 3-4(2-2)
6.) Buffalo - 2-6(1-3)
7.) Akron - 2-5(1-4)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 10 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
WR Brandon Jones - Oklahoma
"Can They Do It? - The Jones-led Sooners are looking at a potential NC appearance."


Our Game:

Virginia - 31, Akron - 24 - OT

AD Comments:
"We can't win every game, but let's try to win the rest of them."

Coach's Comments:
This was a great game. We couldn't run at all. Plummer had around 10 yards on 11 carries, but Frye lit it up. We managed to force overtime, but after gaining a first down, Jamie Broussard fumbled and the Cavaliers picked it up. Now I know this team is capable of winning games.


Bowl Rankings:
DT Brooks Williams - Florida State
"The Race is On! - Latest Bowl Rankings have Seminoles playing for title."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Oklahoma(9-0) - 5.18
2.) Florida State(8-0) - 6.44
3.) USC(7-0) - 9.75
4.) Georgia(6-1) - 12.93
5.) Iowa(8-0) - 14.35


Top 25 Polls:
HB Bryson Sumlin - Fresno State
"Robbed! - The #17 Bulldogs hope to garner national considerations."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(31) W 41-0 CU 9-0
2 2 Florida State(25) W 34-31 Wake 8-0
3 3 USC(2) W 41-34 Wash 7-0
4 4 Georgia Bye 6-1
5 5 Texas W 51-7 Baylor 7-1
6 6 Virginia Tech Bye 6-1
7 7 Ohio State W 45-20 IU 7-1
8 8 Arkansas W 52-10 Miss 7-1
9 10 Iowa(1) W 40-33 PSU 8-0
10 9 Miami Bye 6-2

Dropping Out:

None

BCS Breaker(s):

17 22 Fresno St W 34-7 Rice 7-0


Heisman Watch:
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
"Looking Ahead - Ross has rushed for 1,327 yards and 12 TD in his senior year."

/\HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
210 carries for 1,327 yards, 12 TD
/\HB #2 - Virginia
139 carries for 1,041 yards, 7 TD
/\HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
216 carries for 1,274 yards, 14 Total TD
\/WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
50 receptions for 907 yards, 10 Total TD
/\QB Matt Leinart - USC
158/267 for 2,266 yards, 25 TD/2 INT, 27 Total TD


Awards Semifinalists:
HB Joseph Addai - LSU
"Respect! - LSU's Addai is more concerned with team goals than the Maxwell."

I will update this when it's narrowed down to three players.


Players of the Week:
ROLB Clarke Moore - Arkansas
"Steppin' it Up - An easy win against Ole Miss earns Arkansas's Moore Player of the Week."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB #22(Fr-RS) - Minnesota
28 carries, 225 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Derrick Johnson(Sr) - Texas
5 tackles(2 TFL), 1 Sack, INT, 2 FF, TD


Conference Standings:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
"Still Perfect - Leinart and the 7-0 Trojans breathe easy following a near loss to Washington."

MAC East:

1.) UCF - 5-4(4-1)
2.) Ohio - 4-4(3-1)
3.) Miami(Oh) - 4-3(3-1)
4.) Marshall - 5-3(3-1)
5.) Kent State - 4-4(3-2)
6.) Buffalo - 2-7(1-4)
7.) Akron - 2-6(1-4)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 11 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Frank Gore - Miami
"The Class of Big East - Gore and Miami knock off conference opponent Virginia Tech 38-17."


Our Game:

Akron - 38, Marshall - 31

AD Comments:
"Review what worked against Marshall and carry it over to the Central Michigan game coming up."

Coach's Comments:
This could be the turnaround we need. Frye is starting to gel in the offense and it is showing. We do need to win against CMU without Morris Ellington, who pulled his groin.


Bowl Rankings:
LOLB Ernie Sims - Florida State
"Seminoles Take Top Spot - Florida State is the top dog in the latest Bowl Rankings."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Florida State(9-0) - 4.81
2.) Oklahoma(10-0) - 5.60
3.) Ohio State(8-1) - 7.43
4.) Iowa(9-0) - 10.76
5.) Miami(7-2) - 11.88

Some intrigue here. Miami's 2 losses came to now #1 FSU and now #3 OSU.

Iowa actually beat Ohio State in head to head matchup.


Top 25 Polls:
Coach - Georgia
"Devastated! - Florida shocks Georgia in their annual Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(36) W 40-34 Ok St 10-0
2 2 Florida State(22) W 62-14 USM 9-0
3 7 Ohio State W 45-13 PSU 8-1
4 10 Miami W 38-17 VT 7-2
5 9 Iowa(1) W 28-17 Illini 9-0
6 8 Arkansas W 47-24 UK 8-1
7 3 USC L 37-23 Wash St 7-1
8 11 South Carolina W 38-7 Miss 8-1
9 12 Oregon St W 36-35 Arizona 8-1
10 16 Nebraska W 34-20 Texas 8-2

Dropping Out:

11 5 Texas L 34-20 Nebraska 7-2
13 6 Virginia Tech L 38-17 Miami 6-2
17 4 Georgia L 27-17 UF 6-2

BCS Breaker(s):

16 17 Fresno St W 30-24 SMU 8-0


Heisman Watch:
HB Michael Johnson(#2) - Virginia
"Heisman Buzz Grows - Virginia's Johnson has garnered some Heisman hype after rushing for 1,156 yards & 8 TD."

/\HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
163 carries for 1,156 yards, 8 TD
/\HB Frank Gore - Miami
156 carries for 925 yards, 16 TD
\/HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
218 carries for 1,362 yards, 12 TD
<>WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
51 receptions for 931 yards, 10 Total TD
\/HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
216 carries for 1,274 yards, 14 Total TD


Awards Semifinalists:
MLB Freddie Roach - Alabama
"Could He Win? - Can Alabama's Roach win the 2004 Bednarik?"

I will update this when it's narrowed down to three players.


Players of the Week:
LOLB Ernie Sims - Florida State
"Player of the Week - Sims collects Player of the Week honors following a laugher vs. Southern Miss."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Maurice Clarett(Jr) - Ohio State
35 carries, 176 yards, 4 Total TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Ernie Sims(Fr-RS) - Florida State
9 tackles(1 TFL), 1 Sack, INT, FF, TD


Conference Standings:
QB Troy Hardin - Iowa
"Conference Clash! - Hawkeyes notch another W, this time against Big Ten foe Illinois."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 6-3(4-1)
2.) UCF - 5-4(4-1)
3.) Ohio - 4-4(3-1)
4.) Marshall - 5-4(3-2)
5.) Kent State - 5-4(3-2)
6.) Akron - 3-6(2-4)
7.) Buffalo - 2-8(1-5)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 12 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
QB Paul Pinegar - Fresno State
"Stiffed! - The #12 Bulldogs hope to garnish national considerations."


Our Game:

Akron - 37, Central Michigan - 0

AD Comments:
"Great teams don't settle for a win, they find ways to keep winning."

Coach's Comments:
This was a well executed game on both sides of the ball. The damper on the day was WR Elijah Jones dislocating his knee. He's out for 6 weeks, meaning his season is over.


Bowl Rankings:
CB Leroy Smith - Florida State
"The Bigger Picture - Florida State's excited about the possibilies of playing in the championship game."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Oklahoma(11-0) - 5.21
2.) Florida State(10-0) - 5.23
3.) Ohio State(9-1) - 8.29
4.) Iowa(10-0) - 9.02
5.) Arkansas(9-1) - 13.11


Top 25 Polls:
QB Kyle York - Mississippi State
"Business Trip - Mississippi State wins their conference battle at Alabama 20-9."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(30) W 24-10 TAMU 11-0
2 2 Florida State(28) W 32-13 Clem 10-0
3 3 Ohio State W 31-13 MSU 9-1
4 5 Iowa(1) W 24-3 Purdue 10-0
5 4 Miami Bye 7-2
6 6 Arkansas W 37-10 S Car 9-1
7 7 USC W 15-7 Oregon St 8-1
8 10 Nebraska W 47-10 KU 9-2
9 11 Texas W 57-10 Okla St 8-2
10 12 Washington St W 17-14 UCLA 8-2

Dropping Out:
14 8 South Carolina L 37-10 Arkansas 8-2
15 9 Oregon St L 15-7 USC 8-2

BCS Breaker(s):
12 16 Fresno St W 45-20 Nevada 9-0


Heisman Watch:
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
"Making a Statement! - Ross has rushed for 1,440 yards and 12 TD in his Senior year."

<>HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
163 carries for 1,156 yards, 8 TD
/\HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
243 carries for 1,405 yards, 15 Total TD
\/HB Frank Gore - Miami
156 carries for 925 yards, 16 TD
\/HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
243 carries for 1,440 yards, 12 TD
/\HB #35 - Oklahoma
251 carries for 1,357 yards, 12 TD


Awards Finalists:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
"Down to Three! - Oklahoma's HB #35 is still in the running for the 2004 Maxwell."

Maxwell:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB David Horne - Nebraska
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State

Best QB:
QB #14 - Oklahoma
QB Matt Leinart - USC
QB Andrew Walter - Arizona State

Best RB:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB David Horne - Nebraska
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
WR Ashton Aikens - Northwestern

Best OL:
RT Erik Pears - Colorado State
RT Jammal Brown - Oklahoma
RT Greg Wilson - Rice

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU

Best DL:
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
RE Brady Poppinga - BYU
RE Marquise Hill - LSU

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
ROLB Banks Floodman - Kansas
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
FS Darrell Brooks - Arizona
FS Michael Hess - Oregon State

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
K Connor Hughes - Virginia
K Todd Pegram - Texas A&M

Best Coach:
(****)Iowa - 10-0
(******)Oklahoma - 11-0
(*)Arkansas State - 8-2


Players of the Week:
HB Cory Ross - Nebraska
"A Hero Emerges - Nebraska's Ross is named Player of the Week after convincing victory."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB DonTrell Moore(Jr-RS) - New Mexico
33 carries, 177 yards, 3 Total TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
SS Herana-Daze Jones(Sr-RS) - Indiana
6 tackles(1 TFL), 1 Sack, INT, FF, TD


Conference Standings:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"Easy Does It - Ohio State, 9-1(5-1), wallops conference rival Michigan State 31-14."

MAC East:

1.) Marshall - 6-4(4-2)
2.) UCF - 5-5(4-2)
3.) Kent State - 6-4(3-2)
4.) Miami(Oh) - 6-4(4-2)
5.) Ohio - 4-5(3-2)
6.) Akron - 4-6(3-4)
7.) Buffalo - 2-9(1-6)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 13 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
FS Jason Shivers - Arizona State
"Finding a Way - Arizona State, 8-4(3-4), holds on to beat Washington State 48-45."


Our Game:

Ohio - 27, Akron - 7

AD Comments:
"Be honest. We were not prepared for that Ohio team. Live and learn."

Coach's Comments:
We came out flat. Simply put. Not having your 2 top WRs does hurt, but Broussard was expected to step up. He ended up fumbling a sure TD pass on the 2 yard line in the 2nd quarter, killing anything we had going. We need to work in hopes of beating Troy State and going 5-7.


Bowl Rankings:
HB Leon Washington - Florida State
"Look Who's #1! - There's a new king on top of the Bowl Rankings mountain."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Florida State(11-0) - 5.09
2.) Oklahoma(12-0) - 5.56
3.) Iowa(11-0) - 8.53
4.) Ohio State(10-1) - 9.37
5.) Arkansas(9-1) - 13.34


Top 25 Polls:
Coach - Washington State
"Upsets Galore! - Washington States' loss to unranked Arizona State tops a wild weekend in football."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(32) W 42-13 Baylor 12-0
2 2 Florida State(23) W 34-31 NC St 11-0
3 4 Iowa(3) W 20-17 Minn 11-0
4 3 Ohio State W 35-20 Purdue 10-1
5 5 Miami W 38-13 SU 8-2
6 6 Arkansas Bye 9-1
7 7 USC W 55-10 Arizona 9-1
8 9 Texas W 35-31 TxTech 9-2
9 12 Fresno St(1) W 51-10 SJSt 10-0
10 11 Virginia Tech W 42-21 Temple 8-2

Dropping Out:
14 10 Washington St L 48-45 Arizona St 8-3
15 8 Nebraska L 31-21 KSU 9-3


Heisman Watch:
HB Frank Gore - Miami
"The One to Watch - Gore is the biggest reason why the 8-2 Hurricanes are playing well in 2004."

<>HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
190 carries for 1,299 yards, 11 TD
<>HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
271 carries for 1,549 yards, 16 Total TD
/\WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
55 receptions for 1,091 yards, 13 Total TD
\/HB Frank Gore - Miami
169 carries for 1,002 yards, 16 TD
<>HB #35 - Oklahoma
270 carries for 1,496 yards, 13 TD


Awards Finalists:
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
"Junior Standout! - Oregon State's Boyd is named one of the three finalists for the Best WR."

Maxwell:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska

Best QB:
QB #14 - Oklahoma
QB Matt Leinart - USC
QB Andrew Walter - Arizona State

Best RB:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
WR Ashton Aikens - Northwestern

Best OL:
RT Greg Wilson - Rice
RT Erik Pears - Colorado State
RT Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii

Best DL:
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
RE Marquise Hill - LSU
RE Brady Poppinga - BYU

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
ROLB Banks Floodman - Kansas

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
FS Michael Hess - Oregon State
FS Darrell Brooks - Arizona(+5 Weeks)

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
K Todd Pegram - Texas A&M
K Connor Hughes - Virginia

Best Coach:
(****)Iowa - 11-0
(******)Oklahoma - 12-0
(***)Fresno State - 10-0


Players of the Week:
CB DeAngelo Hall - Virginia Tech
"Another Level - Virginia Tech's Hall has a spectacular game against an overpowered Temple team."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB DeWhitt Betterson(Sr) - Troy State
28 carries, 183 yards, 5 Total TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
FS Keone Kauo(Sr) - Nebraska
3 tackles, 3 INT, TD


Conference Standings:
WR #85 - Iowa
"Rivals Collide - Iowa survives a major scare against the rival Golden Gophers."

MAC East:

1.) UCF - 6-5(5-2)
2.) Miami(Oh) - 6-4(4-2)
3.) Ohio - 5-5(4-2)
4.) Marshall - 6-5(4-3)
5.) Kent State - 6-5(4-3)
6.) Akron - 4-7(3-5)
7.) Buffalo - 2-9(1-6)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 14 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
QB Matt Leinart - USC
"Rivals Collide - UCLA couldn't quite pull off the upset against rival USC."


Our Game:

Akron - 42, Troy State - 21

AD Comments:
"Now that the season is over, hit the road and get some student athletes in here."

Coach's Comments:
A great way to finish the year. The team showed some improvement after a 4-8 campaign last year, but there is still a long road ahead. I will need to find a new QB in the recruiting pool because Frye graduates. On the WR front, Broussard could be huge - if he works on his hands. He fumbled and dropped too many balls this year.


Bowl Rankings:
HB Lorenzo Booker - Florida State
"Latest Rankings - Latest Bowl Rankings have Seminoles playing for title."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Florida State(11-0) - 5.18
2.) Oklahoma(13-0) - 5.74
3.) Ohio State(11-1) - 7.24
4.) Arkansas(10-1) - 10.97
5.) Miami(9-2) - 11.91


Top 25 Polls:
QB #10 - Wisconsin
"Big 10 Shocker! - #3 Hawkeyes are stunned 25-17 by an overachieving Wisconsin team."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(37) W 58-7 TxTech 13-0
2 2 Florida State(21) Bye 11-0
3 4 Ohio State W 30-27 Mich 11-1
4 5 Miami W 62-0 Rutgers 9-2
5 6 Arkansas W 44-20 Miss St 10-1
6 7 USC W 27-20 UCLA 10-1
7 9 Fresno St(1) W 27-6 Boise 11-0
8 8 Texas Bye 9-2
9 10 Virginia Tech W 35-10 BC 9-2
10 11 Notre Dame W 31-24 Wake 9-2

Dropping Out:
11 3 Iowa L 25-17 Wisc 11-1


Heisman Watch:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
"Looking Ahead - No one is putting up better Heisman numbers than USC's Leinart."

<>HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
218 carries for 1,432 yards, 12 TD
/\HB Frank Gore - Miami
185 carries for 1,148 yards, 18 TD
<>WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
61 receptions for 1,246 yards, 14 Total TD
\/HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
289 carries for 1,643 yards, 16 Total TD
/\QB Matt Leinart - USC
227/394 for 3,357 yards, 34 Total TD


Awards Finalists:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
"Finalists Tabbed - The Sooners have a Maxwell finalist in the Junior HB #35."

Maxwell:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+3 Weeks)

Best QB:
QB #14 - Oklahoma
QB Matt Leinart - USC
QB Andrew Walter - Arizona State

Best RB:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+3 Weeks)

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
WR Ashton Aikens - Northwestern

Best OL:
RT Greg Wilson - Rice
RT Erik Pears - Colorado State
RT Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii

Best DL:
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
RE Marquise Hill - LSU
RE Brady Poppinga - BYU

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
ROLB Banks Floodman - Kansas

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
FS Michael Hess - Oregon State
FS Darrell Brooks - Arizona(+5 Weeks)

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
K Todd Pegram - Texas A&M
K Connor Hughes - Virginia

Best Coach:
(***)Fresno State - 11-0
(******)Oklahoma - 13-0
(****)Iowa - 11-1

Players of the Week:
LOLB John Thorpe - Notre Dame
"Mr. Clutch - Thorpe earns Player of the Week as Fighting Irish slip by Wake Forest."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB J.R. Lemon(Jr-RS) - Stanford
43 carries, 256 yards, 3 Total TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
MLB John Rudzinski(Sr) - Air Force
14 tackles(2 TFL), 2 Sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR


Conference Standings:
HB Cedric Cobbs - Arkansas
"Time to Celebrate! - Arkansas improves to 6-1 in SEC play with a 44-20 win over #17 Mississippi State."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 7-4(5-2)
2.) UCF - 6-5(5-2)
3.) Kent State - 7-5(5-3)
4.) Marshall - 6-5(4-3)
5.) Ohio - 5-6(4-3)
6.) Akron - 5-7(3-5)
7.) Buffalo - 2-10(1-7)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 15 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
HB Lorenzo Booker - Florida State
"Whoa! - Florida stuns rival Florida State 44-41."


Our Game:

Our season has ended.


Bowl Rankings:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"Will They Be There? - Latest Bowl Rankings have Ohio State playing for the National Title."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Ohio State(11-1) - 5.28
2.) Oklahoma(13-0) - 5.74
3.) Arkansas(11-1) - 8.76
4.) Miami(10-2) - 11.82
5.) USC(11-1) - 12.69


Top 25 Polls:
QB Gavin Dickey - Florida
"Classic Matchup - The Gators steal one from their bitter rival Florida State."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(58) Bye 13-0
2 3 Ohio State Bye 11-1
3 4 Miami W 42-20 Pitt 10-2
4 5 Arkansas W 30-14 LSU 11-1
5 6 USC W 54-14 ND 11-1
6 7 Fresno St(1) W 35-13 UTEP 12-0
7 8 Texas W 33-16 TAMU 10-2
8 2 Florida State L 44-41 UF 11-1
9 11 Iowa Bye 11-1
10 13 Washington St Bye 9-3

Dropping Out:
16 9 Virginia Tech L 20-11 Virginia 9-3
17 10 Notre Dame L 54-14 USC 9-3


Heisman Watch:
HB Frank Gore - Miami
"The Real Deal - Gore has rushed for 1,279 yards and 20 TD in his Junior year."

<>HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
247 carries for 1,565 yards, 14 TD
<>HB Frank Gore - Miami
207 carries for 1,279 yards, 20 TD
<>WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
61 receptions for 1,246 yards, 14 Total TD
<>HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
309 carries for 1,784 yards, 17 Total TD
<>QB Matt Leinart - USC
243/421 for 3,637 yards, 38 Total TD


Awards Finalists:
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
"Making the Cut - Ross, the Maxwell hopeful from Ohio State, has been steady all year."

Maxwell:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+2 Weeks)

Best QB:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
QB #14 - Oklahoma
QB Andrew Walter - Arizona State

Best RB:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+2 Weeks)

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
WR Ashton Aikens - Northwestern

Best OL:
RT Greg Wilson - Rice
RT Erik Pears - Colorado State
RT Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii

Best DL:
RE Marquise Hill - LSU
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
RE Brady Poppinga - BYU

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
ROLB Banks Floodman - Kansas

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
FS Michael Hess - Oregon State
FS Darrell Brooks - Arizona(+3 Weeks)

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
K Todd Pegram - Texas A&M
K Connor Hughes - Virginia

Best Coach:
(***)Fresno State - 12-0
(******)Oklahoma - 13-0
(****)Iowa - 11-1

Players of the Week:
CB #21 - Miami
"Taking the Lead - CB #21 has a great day in leading the Hurricanes to a win."

Offensive Player of the Week:
HB Dan Burks(Jr) - UAB
33 carries, 211 yards, 3 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LOLB Derrick Johnson(Sr) - Texas
12 tackles(4 TFL), 2 Sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR


Conference Standings:
K Mark Gent - Miami
"The 12th Man - Miami guards their turf against Big East rival Pittsburgh."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 8-4(6-2)
2.) UCF - 6-6(5-3)
4.) Marshall - 7-5(5-3)
3.) Kent State - 7-5(5-3)
5.) Ohio - 5-7(4-4)
6.) Akron - 5-7(3-5)
7.) Buffalo - 2-10(1-7)

[Its Vanilla]

Week 16 Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
DT Tommie Harris - Oklahoma
"Fighting for it All - On deck, Oklahoma and Nebraska fight it out for Big 12 supremacy."


Our Game:

Our season has ended.


Bowl Rankings:
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
"In the Hunt... - Latest Bowl Rankings have Buckeyes playing for title."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Ohio State(11-1) - 5.24
2.) Oklahoma(13-0) - 5.78
3.) Arkansas(11-1) - 9.58
4.) Miami(10-2) - 11.90
5.) Fresno State(12-0) - 12.82


Top 25 Polls:
CB Antrel Rolle - Miami
"Success! - Miami wins the Big East after going 7-0 in conference play."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(58) Bye 13-0
2 2 Ohio State Bye 11-1
3 3 Miami Bye 10-2
4 4 Arkansas Bye 11-1
5 5 USC Bye 11-1
6 6 Fresno St(1) Bye 12-0
7 7 Texas Bye 10-2
8 8 Florida State Bye 11-1
9 9 Iowa Bye 11-1
10 10 Washington St Bye 9-3

Dropping Out:

None.


Heisman Watch:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
"The One to Watch - Leinart continues to impress voters with his great decision-making ability."

<>HB Michael Johnson - Virginia
247 carries for 1,565 yards, 14 TD
<>HB Frank Gore - Miami
207 carries for 1,279 yards, 20 TD
<>WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
61 receptions for 1,246 yards, 14 Total TD
<>HB Walter Reyes - Syracuse
309 carries for 1,784 yards, 17 Total TD
<>QB Matt Leinart - USC
243/421 for 3,637 yards, 38 Total TD


Awards Finalists:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
"Junior Standout! - Maxwell names Oklahoma HB #35 a finalist."

Maxwell:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+1 Week)

Best QB:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
QB #14 - Oklahoma
QB Andrew Walter - Arizona State

Best RB:
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Lydell Ross - Ohio State
HB David Horne - Nebraska(+1 Week)

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
WR Ashton Aikens - Northwestern

Best OL:
RT Greg Wilson - Rice
RT Erik Pears - Colorado State
RT Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU

Best DL:
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
RE Marquise Hill - LSU
RE Brady Poppinga - BYU

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
LOLB Martin Patterson - TCU
ROLB Banks Floodman - Kansas

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
FS Michael Hess - Oregon State
FS Darrell Brooks - Arizona(+2 Weeks)

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
K Todd Pegram - Texas A&M
K Connor Hughes - Virginia

Best Coach:
(***)Fresno State - 12-0
(******)Oklahoma - 13-0
(****)Iowa - 11-1

Players of the Week:
LE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
"Another Level - Boyer and the Warriors have a field day against Boise State."

Offensive Player of the Week:
QB Timmy Chang(Sr-RS) - Hawaii
23/37 for 301 yards, 4 TD

Defensive Player of the Week:
LE Rod Boyer(Fr) - Hawaii
9 tackles(6 TFL), 4 Sacks, FF, FR


Conference Standings:
CB Antrel Rolle - Miami
"Victory! - Miami takes home the Big East Championship."

MAC East:

1.) Miami(Oh) - 8-4(6-2)
2.) UCF - 6-6(5-3)
4.) Marshall - 7-5(5-3)
3.) Kent State - 7-5(5-3)
5.) Ohio - 5-7(4-4)
6.) Akron - 5-7(3-5)
7.) Buffalo - 2-10(1-7)

[Its Vanilla]

Championship Wrap Up:

Sports Illustrated
QB #14 - Oklahoma
"Sooners Risk it All - Oklahoma(14-0) looks forward to playing the #2 team in the nation."

MAC Championship:
Northern Illinois(8-4) - 29
Miami(Oh)(8-4) - 28

Big 12 Championship:
#11 Nebraska(10-3) - 16
#1 Oklahoma(13-0) - 42

SEC Championship:
#14 South Carolina(9-3) - 14
#4 Arkansas(11-1) - 37


Bowl Rankings:
CB Antrel Rolle - Miami
"The Bowl Map - See where the Hurricanes are playing this bowl season."

BCS Top 5:

1.) Oklahoma(14-0) - 5.38
2.) Ohio State(11-1) - 6.25
3.) Arkansas(12-1) - 10.45
4.) Fresno State(12-0) - 10.89
5.) Miami(10-2) - 11.94


Top 25 Polls:
HB Cedric Cobbs - Arkansas
"No Contest in Atlanta - There's little doubt that Arkansas is the best team in the SEC."

Coach's Top 10:

Rk LW Team Result Record
1 1 Oklahoma(54) Bye 14-0
2 2 Ohio State Bye 11-1
3 3 Miami Bye 10-2
4 5 Fresno St(5) Bye 12-0
5 4 Arkansas Bye 12-1
6 6 USC Bye 11-1
7 7 Texas Bye 10-2
8 8 Florida State Bye 11-1
9 9 Iowa Bye 11-1
10 10 Washington St Bye 9-3

Dropping Out:

None


Heisman Winner:
HB Michael Johnson(Jr) - Virginia
Stats:
247 carries for 1,565 yards, 14 TD
29 receptions for 326 yards, 3 TD
"Winner! - Johnson earns Heisman honors after rushing for 1,565 yards and 14 scores."

Voting:

Player 1st 2nd 3rd Total
HB Michael Johnson 353 359 97 1774
HB Frank Gore 154 311 208 1232
WR Braylon Edwards 31 91 269 544
HB Walter Reyes 16 43 122 256
QB Matt Leinart 12 31 89 187



Awards Winners:
LOLB Pat Bennett - Oklahoma
"And Then There's One - Senior LOLB Bennett is honored with the 2004 Bednarik."

Maxwell:
HB #35(Jr-RS) - Oklahoma
307 carries, 1,653 yards, 13 TD

Best QB:
QB Matt Leinart(Jr-RS) - USC
243/421, 3,637 yards, 38 Total TD

Best RB:
HB #35(Jr-RS) - Oklahoma
307 carries, 1,653 yards, 13 TD

Best WR:
WR Daryl Lightfoot(Sr) - Arizona State
90 receptions, 1,411 yards, 9 TD

Best OL:
RT Greg Wilson(Sr) - Rice
54 Pancakes, 3 Sacks Allowed

Bednarik:
LOLB Pat Bennett(Sr) - Washington State
118 tackles(19 TFL), 9 Sacks, 4 INT, 8 FF, 4 FR

Best DL:
LE Rod Boyer(Fr) - Hawaii
85 tackles(28 TFL), 19 Sacks, 4 FF, 5 FR

Best LB:
LOLB Pat Bennett(Sr) - Washington State
118 tackles(19 TFL), 9 Sacks, 4 INT, 8 FF, 4 FR

Thorpe:
FS Ernest Shazor(Jr-RS) - Michigan
56 tackles(3 TFL), 7 INT, 2 FF, 1 FR

Groza:
K Jared Siegel - Oregon
32/37 FG, 22/22 EP

Best Coach:
(***)Fresno State - 12-0


All-Americans:
HB Frank Gore - Miami
"The Next One? - Find out if your favorite player made the elusive list of All-Americans."

First Team:
QB #14 - Oklahoma
HB Jerious Norwood - Mississippi State
HB #35 - Oklahoma
HB Frank Gore - Miami
WR Daryl Lightfoot - Arizona State
WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan
TE Charlie Parsons - Fresno State
C Mike Holiday - Rice
G Mike Nelson - Ohio
G Davin Joseph - Oklahoma
T Greg Wilson - Rice
T Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

DE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
DE Marquise Hill - LSU
DT Anthony Montgomery - Minnesota
DT Tommie Harris - Oklahoma
OLB Derrick Johnson - Texas
OLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
MLB LaMar McClure - Oregon State
CB Antwaun Rogers - Purdue
CB #4 - Oklahoma
CB Jovan Johnson - Iowa
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
SS Jamaal Brimmer - UNLV
K David Carlton - Arkansas


Second Team:
QB Matt Leinart - USC
HB Maurice Clarett - Ohio State
HB #21 - UCLA
WR Chad Owens - Hawaii
WR Rod Wilkerson - BYU
WR Brandon Jones - Oklahoma
WR Jayson Boyd - Oregon State
TE Dominique Byrd - USC
C Mike Holiday - Rice
G Mike Nelson - Ohio
G Davin Joseph - Oklahoma
T Greg Wilson - Rice
T Jammal Brown - Oklahoma

DE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
DE Marquise Hill - LSU
DT Anthony Montgomery - Minnesota
DT Tommie Harris - Oklahoma
OLB Derrick Johnson - Texas
OLB Pat Bennett - Washington State
MLB LaMar McClure - Oregon State
CB Antwaun Rogers - Purdue
CB #4 - Oklahoma
CB Jovan Johnson - Iowa
FS Ernest Shazor - Michigan
SS Jamaal Brimmer - UNLV
K David Carlton - Arkansas


Freshman Team:
QB #16 - UCF
HB Marlon Brown - West Virginia
HB Ahmaad Harris - TCU
WR Leon Mayfield - Western Michigan
WR Nick McLean - USF
TE Charlie Parsons - Fresno State
T Alex Calloway - Nebraska
T Zach Malone - Ohio
C Mike Holiday - Rice
G Trevor Nicholson - Arizona State
G Seneca Nixon - Toledo

DE Rod Boyer - Hawaii
DE Monty Wright - Houston
DT Freddie Spivey - Boise State
DT Kevin Pittman - Ohio State
OLB Ernie Sims - Florida State
MLB LaMar McClure - Oregon State
OLB Corey Watson - LSU
CB Akil Kerr - Washington State
CB Terrell Booth - San Jose State
CB Renaldo Tolbert - Louisiana Tech
FS DeMarco Weathers - Oregon
SS Eugene Sanders - Louisiana
K #17 - Syracuse

Conference Standings:
HB Cedric Cobbs - Arkansas
"Razorbacks Cruise - #4 Arkansas dominates South Carolina 37-14 in SEC Championship."

Conference Champions:

ACC: Florida State(11-1)
Big 10: Iowa(11-1)
Big 12: Oklahoma(14-0)
Big East: Miami(10-2)
C-USA: Louisville(10-2)
MAC: Northern Illinois(9-4)
Mountain West: Air Force(8-4)
Pac-10: USC(11-1)
SEC: Arkansas(11-1)
Sun Belt: North Texas(8-4)
WAC: Fresno State(12-0)

[Its Vanilla]

Bowl Week 1:

Sports Illustrated
DT Tommie Harris - Oklahoma
"#1 vs. #2! - The Orange Bowl welcomes the #1 Oklahoma Sooners to Miami."

New Orleans Bowl:
TCU(8-4) - 35
North Texas(8-4) - 19

GMAC Bowl:
Toledo(9-3) - 27
UAB(9-3) - 20

Tangerine Bowl:
Texas A&M(8-5) - 17
Georgia Tech(6-6) - 30


Bowl Week 2:

Sports Illustrated
DT Tommie Harris - Oklahoma
"Big Bowl Blowout - Sooners concentrate on the title game amidst all the media hoopla."

Fort Worth Bowl:
#19 Florida(6-6) - 52
Oklahoma State(6-6) - 21

Las Vegas Bowl:
#16 Arizona State(9-4) - 7
Colorado State(9-3) - 24

Hawaii Bowl:
Hawaii(7-6) - 52
USF(6-6) - 49

Motor City Bowl:
#24 Auburn(8-4) - 56
Northern Illinois(9-4) - 0

Insight Bowl:
#15 Notre Dame(9-3) - 41
#10 Washington State(9-3) - 38

Continental Tire Bowl:
Clemson(6-6) - 35
West Virginia(7-5) - 12

Humanitarian Bowl:
Tulsa(7-5) - 10
UCLA(7-5) - 42

Alamo Bowl:
Kansas State(7-5) - 42
Indiana(6-6) - 16


Bowl Week 3:

Houston Bowl:
Southern Miss(9-3) - 14
Missouri(6-6) - 37

Holiday Bowl:
#11 Oregon(9-3) - 17
#7 Texas(10-2) - 43

Silicon Valley Classic:
Stanford(7-5) - 38
Nevada(8-4) - 44 OT

Sun Bowl:
#13 Oregon State(9-3) - 7
Purdue(6-6) - 17

AXA Liberty Bowl:
Air Force(8-4) - 24
#21 Louisville(10-2) - 14

Music City Bowl:
#17 LSU(9-4) - 24
Wisconsin(7-5) - 45

Independence Bowl:
#20 Tennessee(8-4) - 42
Colorado(6-6) - 14

San Francisco Bowl:
San Diego State(8-4) - 32
Temple(7-5) - 21

Outback Bowl:
Mississippi State(8-4) - 13
Northwestern(7-5) - 31

Gator Bowl:
#14 Virginia Tech(9-3) - 28
Maryland(7-4) - 23

Capital One Bowl:
#22 South Carolina(9-4) - 31
Michigan(8-5) - 13

Peach Bowl:
#23 Alabama(8-4) - 23
#12 Virginia(9-3) - 13

Rose Bowl:
#6 USC(11-1) - 34
#9 Iowa(11-1) - 3

Fiesta Bowl:
#3 Miami(10-2) - 28
#4 Fresno State(12-0) - 16

Cotton Bowl:
#25 Georgia(8-4) - 17
#18 Nebraska(10-4) - 28

Sugar Bowl:
#8 Florida State(11-1) - 25
#5 Arkansas(12-1) - 32

*-Akansas K David Carlton sets a new season record with 35 field goals.

Orange Bowl:
#2 Ohio State(11-1) - 31
#1 Oklahoma(14-0) - 24

Sports Illustrated
Coach - Ohio State
"Champions! - The Buckeyes add the exclamation point to a great season."

[Its Vanilla]

I won't be doing final stats because I want to get into recruiting for next season.

[Its Vanilla]

Players Graduating:

QB Charlie Frye
-He had over 3,000 yards and 26 TDs last year and will be hard to replace.
FB Dan Basch
-Didn't have many yards, but played a major role. On 3rd down he usually "Basch-ed" it in there.
WR Morris Ellington
-#1 on the depth chart, but missed a couple weeks with an injury. Had nearly 600 yards.
RG Aaron Feller
-A 73 overall lineman. He led the team in pancakes last year.
RG Aaron Conley
While Feller moved to LG, Conley stayed at right and had a solid season.
C Mike Grzeskowiak
-Backup who didn't play last year.
C Jim Borriecci
-Starter who had a good season.

LE Dwayne LeFall
-Didn't have amazing stats, but a good performance could turn a game around. He will be missed.
DT Bobby Gardner
-Backup who didn't see the field.
ROLB Chase Blackburn
-A captain on defense. There is now a big hole on the right side of the field with him gone.
LOLB Jared Smith
-Solid backup.
MLB Joe Radich
-Saw some playing time, but was mostly a backup.
CB Montae Russell
-Mostly a nickle and dime back. He had a great game against Ohio, despite a loss.
FS Greg Williams
-Backup who only had 3 tackles.
SS John Fuller
-The leader of my secondary and maybe my defense. He was a playmaker and will be missed.

That's 15 players.

[Its Vanilla]

Recruiting:

Week 1:

The first thing I notice is that winning 1 more game than last year made an impact on some recruits. We have a few good players interested in Akron.

Our first visit is to Troy, Oh, where we meet LOLB Gaylon Simmons. He's only 6', but makes up for it with good strength. Plus, he runs a 4.84 in the 40. We promptly tell him about Akron's wonderful location.

The search for a new QB begins in Circleville, Oh, with Brandon Smith. He's got one of the strongest arms of all the recruits. His only problem may be his accuracy. We tell him about his opportunity of playing early if he comes here.

Next, it's off to Canton, Oh, to see JUCO-So RG Roland Carer. I don't usually like to go for transfers, but we really have a need at RG.

We go all the way to Alsip, Il to see C Kevin McDonald. He's not exactly what we're looking for, but we need players. I tell him of my offensive plans for the future.

In Celina, Oh, we meet Earnest Hunter. He's a big and fast ROLB and the perfect replacement for Blackburn. We tell him about the proximity of Akron compared to Virginia Tech.

In Perrysburg, Oh MLB Adam Blanton expresses some interest in us. He's not really what I'm looking for, but looks like he could develop. I tell him about my defensive coaching style.

Richmond Heights, Oh features CB Blane Ramsey. I feel that a lack of speed hurt my defense last year, and have lowered my standards for catching ability for my DB recruits. I tell him about my defense.

We meet SS Jabari Rose, a JUCO-So from Sidney, Oh. He's got great abilities and I hope to land him. I tell him about the playing time he'll get here.

The QB search continues in Mansfield, Oh, with Brendan Davis. He's got good speed, which he may need with next year's O-Line.

WR Tory Weathers attracts our attention with his A+ hands. He's also got decent speed and would make a good addtion to our offense.

We make a few more contacts to end the week.


Week 2:

Commitments:
QB Brandon Smith(**) - Circleville, Oh(#72 QB)

Rejections:
SS Jabari Rose(***) - Sidney, Oh(#21 SS) - Kent State

In our only major contact this week, we traveled to Westlake, Oh to meet SS Courtney Earl. We also changed some pitches.


Week 3:

Commitments:
RG Roland Carter(***) - Canton, Oh(#53 RG)
C Ray Jeffery(***) - Madeira, Oh(#22 C)
LG Damon Minor(***) - Willoughby, Oh(#33 LG)

Rejections:
QB Brendan Davis(***) - Mansfield, Oh(#50 QB) - Duke
FB Brady Klein(****) - Brecksville, Oh(#12 FB) - Miami(Oh)
MLB John Montgomery(****) - Toledo, Oh(#6 MLB) - Toledo

A couple new contacts and pitch changes. Not much to note.


Week 4:

Commitments:
LG Byron Murray(***) - North Canton, Oh(#50 LG)
LOLB Gaylon Simmons(***) - Troy, Oh(#42 LOLB)
FS Eddie Barnes(**) - Eastlake, Oh(#60 FS)

Rejections:
CB Toby Mayer(***) - Trotwood, Oh(#65 CB) - Cincinatti
QB Quinton Flynn(*****) - Northview, Oh(#9 QB) - Toledo

Reinforcements and pitches...


Week 5:

Commitments:
SS Courtney Earl(****) - Westlake, Oh(#7 SS)
DT Jimi Harden(***) - Defiance, Oh(#32 DT)
WR Tory Weathers(***) - Tallmadge, Oh(#58 WR)
MLB Adam Blanton(*) - Perrysburg, Oh(#123 MLB)

Rejections:
RE Doug Stanton(***) - Oakwood, Oh(#44 RE) - Toledo
LT Jed Merritt(***) - North Madison, Oh(#46 LT) - Ohio
QB Tra Ballard(**) - Lower Burrell, Pa(59 QB) - Boston College
FB Sandy Samuel(**) - Whitehall, Oh(#60 FB) - Kent State

We make a last ditch effort to fill our needs.


Signing Day:

Commitments:
ROLB Earnest Hunter(***) - Celina, Oh(#34 ROLB)
CB Blane Ramsey(*) - Richmond Heights, Oh(#164 CB)

Rejections:
CB Jason Clement(*) - Bloomington, In(#144 CB) - None
FB Grant Felton(**) - Rockville, Md(#44 FB) - West Virginia
MLB Sammy Donnely(**) - Orange, Ct(#54 MLB) - Syracuse
C Kevin McDonald(*) - Alsip, Il(#69 C) - Wisconsin
RE Nick Henderson(*) - Riverdale, Ga(#100 RE) - Clemson
LT Nick Beal(*) - Evansville, In(#131 LT) - Michigan State


Class Rankings:

1.) Oklahoma(14-1)
2.) USC(12-1)
3.) Fresno State(12-1)
4.) Toledo(10-3)
5.) Arkansas(13-1)

19.) Miami(Oh)(8-5)
29.) Ohio(5-7)
60.) Kent State(7-5)
61.) Northern Illinois(9-5)
63.) UCF(6-6)
67.) Akron(5-7)
68.) Western Michigan(6-6)
78.) Marshall(7-5)
91.) Eastern Michigan(5-7)
92.) Bowling Green(6-6)
103.) Central Michigan(1-11)
113.) Buffalo(2-10)
115.) Ball State(2-10)

117.) Kansas(4-8)


Akron's Key Players:
1.) SS Courtney Earl
2.) RG Roland Carter
3.) WR Tory Weathers


Walk-Ons:
C Mark Garrison - San Diego, Ca(#96 C)
FB Casey Hester - Myrtle Grove, NC(#68 FB)