Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

[cubsfan203]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

This = greatness.

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Here's a familiar sight: T.J. Pitts reaches the end zone for his 10th score of 2008

Steven Black makes the highlight reel once again with his 149 yard, 1 TD performance

A New Hope

Memphis keeps conference title hopes alive with second straight win

MEMPHIS, TN -- Here's hoping that all you Star Wars geeks out there got the reference.

...

21 must be travis a.d.'s lucky number.

For the second game in a row Memphis' opposition put 21 tallies on the scoreboard, and both of those games resulted in fairly easy wins for his Tigers.

The boys in blue took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter thanks to an 8 yard TD scamper by T.J. Pitts, and they never looked back.

The usual suspects lit up the scoreboard all game long, as QB Arkelon Hall nearly totalled 300 yards passing and had no trouble finding two of his favorite targets: receiver Steven Black and the affor-mentioned Pitts.

The duo combined for three of the Tigers' four TDs and should both be likely candidates for the C-USA All-America team by season's end.

Things are starting to look up, as the win propelled Memphis to a 5-4 record on the season, after beginning the year 0-2 and struggling with chemistry on offense during the initial few games.

That's not all. With the win Memphis also leapfrogged Southern Miss for the top spot in the Conference-USA East as 2008 begins its final stretch toward the end of the regular season.

"We only need one win in the final three games to become bowl eligible. I honestly did not expect this much success in my first season at Memphis, but I must say I am pleasantly surprised".

travis a.d. hopes to make it three-in-a-row when his team travels to Dallas, TX next week to take on conference-foe SMU.

First Quarter
3:41: T. Pitts, 8 yd run (M. Reagan kick)

Second Quarter
3:00: T. Pitts, 5 yd run (M. Reagan kick)
1:08: M. Reagan, 45 yd FG
0:07: A. Davis, 4 yd run (J. Estes kick)

Third Quarter
5:41: D. Fletcher, 70 yd run (J. Estes kick)
3:13: M. Reagan, 22 yd FG
2:20: D. Fletcher, 51 yd pass from A. Davis (J. Estes kick)
1:14: S. Black, 39 yd pass from A. Hall (2-Pt)

Fourth Quarter
1:38: M. Reagan, 20 yd FG
0:19: M. Reagan, 30 yd FG

Around the Conference-USA
Week 9 Results
Rice 52, Tulane 28
Navy 38, Southern Methodist 35
Tulsa 45, Central Florida 21






Heisman Watch

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: at Kansas (W 48-14)
35-for-52, 339 yards, 5 TD

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: vs. Colorado (W 49-21)

Matthew Stafford, To-Hell-With-Georgia, Junior
Last Game: at Louisiana State (W 31-27)

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: vs. UNLV (W 28-17)

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech, WR, rSophomore
Last Game: at Kansas (W 48-14)

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

This = greatness.

thanks, cubsfan (even though you don't mention them as one of your favorite teams in your signature?! )

i should have reports from the last three games of the season up in the next day or two. i have been crazy busy with work, but i will try and get them up ASAP.

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Whew, finally a week off.

Around the Conference-USA
Week 10 Results
Marshall 31, Houston 21
Tulsa 24, Arkansas 13
Alabama-Birmingham 27, Southern Mississippi 13
Texas-El Paso 38, Rice 31
Louisiana State 47, Tulane 17
East Carolina 23, Central Florida 20 OT

Week 10 Heisman Update

Chase Daniel took over the top spot in the Heisman voting following Missouri's dominating
win over Baylor in week 10.

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: at Baylor (W 54-7)

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: vs. Texas (L 32-30)

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: at Colorado State (W 49-7)

Matthew Stafford, To-Hell-With-Georgia, Junior
Last Game: vs. Florida (W 40-21)

Marcus Thigpen, Indiana, HB, rSenior
Last Game: vs. Central Michigan (W 24-13)

[Cane_Mutiny]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Matthew Stafford, To-Hell-With-Georgia, Junior

Last Game: vs. Florida (W 40-21)

Heh heh... nice job on the dynasty, man. Keep up the good work.

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

The face says it all: it was a rough-and-tumble day for SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell

"Who's number 1?!"...Well, it sure isn't Carlos Singleton. He is #89.



Hello, December

Memphis is goin' bowlin' in travis a.d.'s first season as coach

DALLAS, TX -- It wasn't pretty, but it was enough to get the job done.

The Memphis Tigers held off a late fourth-quarter surge from the SMU Mustangs to take home their 6th win of 2008, 31-28; a game which Memphis had earlier led by 17 points.

But, a win is a win.

"Sure, the final minute wasn't pretty, but we held in there long enough to take the win", travis a.d. began, "at the beginning of the season I never would have dreamed we would make the postseason. This sure takes a load off my shoulders, becoming bowl eligible in my first year".

It sure wasn't pretty. With under a minute left, SMU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was staring a 31-14 defeat in the eyes, but a gaping hole in the Memphis secondary allowed him to connect with receiver Emmanual Sanders for a 56 yard score.

This brought the Mustangs within 10 points of tying the game. With 41 seconds left all Memphis needed was an onside kick recover to be able to run out the clock and call it a day. Simple, right?

Wrong.

Kicker Matt Szymanski somehow put a beautiful bounce on the ball and SMU was able to retain possession.

travis a.d. called for a prevent defense on every play for the rest of the game, and it nearly worked until Mitchell launched a prayer into the end zone and with 5 seconds left, a Mustang receiver was somehow able to come down with it.

"At this point I was thinking, you have got to be s&!#ing me!" travis a.d. commented about EA Sports' uncanny ability to make the CPU come back late in far too many games.

A second successful onside kick try would stop the bleeding and wrap up the sloppy win, and kicker Brent Sutherland did exactly that. travis a.d. breathed a sigh of relief as his team sneaked away with a 31-28 win.

Memphis now leads East Carolina by a half-game in the Conference-USA East. They are the only two teams still mathematically eligible to claim the division crown. Undefeated Tulsa has already wrapped up the West division.

"See you in December!" concluded a jubilant travis a.d. Evidently the coach forgets he still has two games left in the regular season, not to mention the possibility of a trip to the conference championship game.

First Quarter
3:08: C. Singleton, 61 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)
0:48: D. Farr, 6 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)

Second Quarter
5:48: E. Sanders, 22 yd pass from B. Mitchell (M. Szymanski kick)
3:56: S. Black, 11 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)
1:54: A. McKinney, 1 yd run (M. Szymanski kick)

Third Quarter
0:42 B. Russell, 1 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)

Fourth Quarter
1:07: M. Reagan, 21 yd FG
0:41: E. Sanders, 56 yd pass from B. Mitchell (M. Szymanski kick)
0:05 D. Martin, 44 yd pass from B. Mitchell (M. Szymanski kick

Around the Conference-USA
Week 11 Results
Texas-El Paso 46, UL-Lafayette 37
Houston 17, Tulane 7
East Carolina 28, Marshall 14
Central Florida 34, Southern Mississippi 31 OT
Army 36, Rice 29





Heisman Watch

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: vs. Oklahoma State (W 55-14)
40-for-54, 442 yards, 6 TD

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: vs. Kansas State (W 54-14)
22-for-36, 184 yards, 5 TD, 7 carries, 59 yards

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: vs. San Diego State (W 68-14)
27-for-39, 376 yards, 5 TD

Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB, Junior
Last Game: at Kentucky (W 44-14)
24-for-33, 232 yards, 12 carries, 21 yards, 3 total TD

Noel Devine, West Virginia, HB, Sophomore
Last Game: vs. Cincinnati (W 38-17)
28 carries, 181 yards, 2 receptions, 34 yards

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Recruiting Update
3-star DT commits to Memphis during bye week

MEMPHIS, TN -- During Memphis' week 12 bye weekend, travis a.d. was able to coax 3-star prospect Dustin Noel of Knoxville to hard commit to his school. The defensive tackle chose Memphis after receiving heavy interest from some big-time schools that include Georgia Tech, Alabama, and South Carolina.

"He wants to play early, we'll let him play early. Feels pretty good to get a commitment from a solid player like this, especially with a bunch of BCS schools breathing down his neck".

Dustin Noel
Position: Defensive Tackle
Caliber:
Hometown: Albertville, AL
Ratings: C OVR, B+ TAK, C- SPD
Pitch: Early Playing Time
Top 3 Schools: Memphis, Georgia Tech, Alabama



Around the Conference
Week 12 Results
Southern Mississippi 35, East Carolina 28 OT
Tulsa 29, Houston 13
Marshall 29, Central Florida 25
Texas-El Paso 27, Southern Methodist 24
Alabama-Birmingham 23, Tulane 21



Heisman Watch

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: at Iowa State (W 55-45)
34-for-47, 449 yards, 5 TD, 10 carries, 39 yards

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: at Air Force (W 42-7)
19-for-24, 375 yards, 5 TD

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: vs. Oklahoma State (W 55-14)
40-for-54, 442 yards, 6 TD

Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB, Junior
Last Game: at Auburn (W 30-7)
20-for-28, 303 yards, 3 TD, 9 carries, 25 yards

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, WR, rSophomore
Last Game: at Iowa State (W 55-45)
14 receptions, 232 yards, 3 TD

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

T.J. Pitts leaps a snowed-in defender en route to paydirt

One Step Closer to Tulsa
Not even a snow day could keep Memphis from 4th straight win

MEMPHIS, TN -- UCF fans will blame the weather for their team's embarrassing performance Saturday night in Memphis where they were whalloped 34-12 by travis a.d.'s Tigers.

After all, it never snows in Florida.

Memphis kept the Knights scoreless in the first half and finished the game's second half with a "bend-but-don't-break" mentality, allowing a pair of touchdowns that both ended in failed 2-point conversions.

Arkelon Hall threw 3 interceptions in this turnover-fest, one of which was returned 49 yards for a score early in the fourth quarter. The junior had his second-lowest performance of the year, throwing for 189 yards and one TD.

T.J. Pitts ran all over the UCF defense with 120 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. travis a.d. decided to be better safe than sorry and bench him midway through the third quarter with the game already well in-hand.

With the defeat of the Knights, Memphis extends their win streak to four games and clinches a spot in the Conference-USA championship game against Tulsa on December 6, 2008. The Tigers finish up their regular season schedule when they host the Tulane Green Wave on November 29.

First Quarter
0:52: T. Pitts, 40 yd run (M. Reagan kick)

Second Quarter
4:50: M. Reagan, 30 yd FG
1:11: S. Jones, 0 yd run (M. Reagan kick)

Third Quarter
1:07: A. Hall, 0 yd run (M. Reagan kick)
0:16: R. Ross, 59 yd pass from M. Greco (2-Pt failed)

Fourth Quarter
5:33: J. Burnett, returned interception 49 yds, (2-Pt failed)
4:01: B. Russell, 7 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)
0:37: M. Reagan, 30 yd FG

Around the Conference-USA
Week 13 Results
Rice 34, Marshall 25
Tulsa 45, Tulane 10
Texas-El Paso 44, Houston 24
East Carolina 17, Alabama-Birmingham 10





Heisman Watch

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: at Utah (W 35-21)
22-for-25, 300 yards, 4 TD

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: at Iowa State (W 55-45)
34-for-47, 449 yards, 5 TD, 10 carries, 39 yards

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: at Oklahoma (W 40-37 OT)

Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB, Junior
Last Game: at Auburn (W 30-7)
20-for-28, 303 yards, 3 TD, 9 carries, 25 yards

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, WR, rSophomore
Last Game: at Iowa State (W 55-45)
14 receptions, 232 yards, 3 TD

[Cane_Mutiny]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Nice wins - looks like you have the CUSA East pretty much locked up (since you hold the tiebreaker over East Carolina, if I'm not mistaken). Good luck vs. Tulsa

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

T.J. Pitts breaks three tackles on his way to yet another score


This game should not have been nearly as close as it ended up being

Late-Game Heroics
TD run with 2 minutes left gives Memphis 8th win

MEMPHIS, TN -- Firefox crashed when I was almost finished with my report, so this article will be pretty scarce. Sorry folks.

Even though the Tulane Green Wave only won 1 game all season, they sure didn't play like it against Memphis in this years' season finale.

Player-of-the-Game T.J. Pitts' 6 yard TD run with just over 2 minutes left gave Memphis the 20-17, their first lead since early in the second quarter. The Tigers never relinquished the lead and squeaked by the 1-11 Green Wave.

Pitts rushed for 182 yards and a pair of TDs. Quarterback Arkelon Hall couldn't get things going and had his worst performance of the season, throwing for just 126 yards and a pick.

travis a.d.'s 8-4 Tigers are now slated to do battle with undefeated Tulsa in the Conference-USA championship game on December 6, 2008. Can they knock the Golden Hurricane off their high-horse? Personally, I wouldn't count on it...

First Quarter
5:12: A. Anderson, 48 yd pass from J. Kemp (R. Thevenot kick)
3:07: M. Reagan, 44 yd FG
0:17: M. Reagan, 30 yd FG

Third Quarter
3:37: R. Thevenot, 45 yd FG
2:54: T. Pitts, 55 yd run (M. Reagan kick)
1:36: A. Anderson, 4 yd run (R. Thevenot kick)

Fourth Quarter
2:10: T. Pitts, 6 yd run (M. Reagan kick)

Around the Conference-USA
Week 14 Results
Houston 35, Rice 28
Southern Methodist 30, Southern Mississippi 27
East Carolina 38, Texas-El Paso 31
Tulsa 42, Marshall 21
Central Florida 30, Alabama-Birmingham 14





Heisman Watch

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Last Game: vs. Kansas (W 41-17)
21-for-28, 395 yards, 6 carries, 5 total TD

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Last Game: vs. Baylor (W 49-7)
27-for-29, 485 yards, 5 TD

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Last Game: at Utah (W 35-21)
22-for-35, 300 yards, 4 TD

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, WR, rSophomore
Last Game: vs. Kansas (W 41-17)
8 receptions, 204 yards, 2 TD, 11 car yards

Matthew Stafford, To-Hell-With-Georgia, WB, Junior
Last Game: vs. Georgia Tech (W 52-7)
24-for-36, 346 yards, 9 car, 34 yards, 4 total TD

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Recruiting Update
Three more recruits become Tigers as regular season concludes

MEMPHIS, TN -- travis a.d. got his wish, as his team's top-rated recruit officially commited to Memphis prior to Conference Championship Week.

Four-star Defensive tackle Jonathan Ingram headlined a solid trio of prospects hard-committed to Memphis after week 14. The Goodlettsville, TN-native had nine other big-name BCS schools hot on his trail, but decided to take a chance with the Tigers.

Two other 2-star recruits, a hard-hitting OLB and scrambling QB will also be wearing royal blue beginning next fall. Here is an outline of the three newest members of the Memphis football squad:

Jonathan Ingram
Position: Defensive Tackle
Caliber:
Hometown: Goodlettsville, TN
Ratings: C+ OVR, B+ AWR, B- ACC
Pitch: Pro Factory, Coach Experience, Athletic Facilities
Top 3 Schools: Memphis, South Carolina, Arkansas

Eric Rose
Position: Outside Line Backer
Caliber:
Hometown: Troy, AL
Ratings: C- OVR, A+ AWR, B- SPD
Pitch: Program Stability, Pro Factory, Coach Experience
Top 3 Schools: Memphis, Maryland, Utah State

Casey Holt
Position: Quarterback
Caliber:
Hometown: Lynchburg, TN
Ratings: C- OVR, B- SPD, B THP, C+ THA
Pitch: Pro Factory, Coach Experience, Coach Prestige
Top 3 Schools: Memphis, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

A Tulsa receiver celebrates after the game-clinching TD in the 4th quarter

One of 5 INTs thrown by Memphis backup Will Hudgens. Ouch.

Blown Away by Tulsa
Injuries and turnovers plague Memphis in C-USA championship

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa kept alive its hopes of a trip to the BCS National Championship and snapped Memphis' five-game conference winning streak under a barrage of sacks and interceptions.

It also helped that Tigers QB Arkelon Hall and HB T.J. Pitts were both injured in the first quarter. Pitts later return in the third quarter but Hall was forced to sit out the rest of the game with a sprained ankle.

Tulsa linebacker Tanner Antle had 2 sacks and forced a fumble, part of an overwhelming performance by the Golden Hurricane defense in a 31-17 victory over the Tigers on December 6.

Seeking to extend their win streak to 6 games and bury Tulsa's BCS-buster hopes, Memphis claimed an early 10-0 lead after a field goal by Matt Reagan and a TD pass by backup quarterback Will Hudgens. By the time the Tigers finally stopped the Tulsa attack, on a 1-yard run by Pitts, Tulsa was ahead 24-10.

Any chance the Tigers had of mounting a comeback ended when Hudgens tossed his fourth interception with 3:55 left and the Hurricanes up 24-17. Tulsa turned that turnover into 6 points, the final nail in the coffin for the Tigers who hoped to claim their first C-USA championship.

Second-string QB Hudgens had a miserable outing in Tulsa, completing just 13 of 33 passes for 111 yards. His 5 interceptions, the last of which came on a desperation pass in the final minute of the game, were the most by Memphis so far in this dynasty.

T.J Pitts also had a game to forget, spending more than half the game on the sideline and coming away with a mere 28 yards.

"I am just thankful the score wasn't more lopsided than 31-17. Tulsa clearly had the advantage in this game, but thanks to crappy AI-decision making, the final score wasn't as embarrassing as it probably should have been".

With the loss Memphis closes out the regular season with an 8-5 overall record, and a solid 7-2 record in the conference. Stay tuned to find out which bowl game the Tigers will be appearing in!

First Quarter
4:29: M. Reagan, 42 yd FG
0:53: D. Farr, 1 yd pass from W. Hudgens (M. Reagan kick)
0:09: J. Meyer, 57 yd pass from D. Johnson (J. Tracy kick)

Second Quarter
2:44: J. Tracy, 23 yd FG
1:18: B. Marion, 3 yd pass from D. Johnson (J. Tracy kick)

Third Quarter
3:41: J. Collums, 4 yd pass from D. Johnson (J. Tracy kick)

Fourth Quarter
5:38: T. Pitts, 1 yd run (M. Reagan kick)
3:32: A. Whitmore, 6 yd pass from D. Johnson (J. Tracy kick)

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

2008 Conference Championship Games
ACC: #9 Virginia Tech 29, #16 Clemson 21
SEC: #6 Georgia 43, #25 Mississippi State 10
Big XII: #2 Missouri 59, #7 Texas Tech 42
MAC: #23 Temple 24, Western Michigan 14

Other Conference Champs
Big East: #3 West Virginia, 12-0 (7-0)
Big Ten: #1 Indiana, 12-0 (8-0) -- WHAT?!
Mountain West: #4 Brigham Young, 12-0 (8-0)
Pac-10: #16 Arizona State, 10-2 (8-1)/#7 Southern Cal, 11-1 (8-1)
Sun Belt: Florida Atlantic, 8-4 (7-0)
WAC: Fresno State, 9-3 (7-1)

Memphis Goes Bowling in Own Backyard

MEMPHIS, TN -- Literally.

At the conclusion of Conference Championship weekend travis a.d. and his Memphis Tigers received a rather convenient bowl invite from the NCAA.

The Tigers won't have to travel far, as they drew the AutoZone Liberty Bowl which is played, literally, in Memphis' backyard on December 29, 2008. Their opponent will be the 7-5 Alabama Crimson Tide.

"Hopefully the home field advantage will give the team a better result than the slashing they received from a so-so Florida Atlantic team in last year's real-life New Orleans Bowl. That was, of course, before I was coaching them, so this year should play out a bit differently".

The highest-scoring team in the country, #2 Missouri (13-0) and the cinderella #1 Indiana Hoosiers (12-0) will play for the national championship January 8 in Miami.

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Tulsa/Memphis Well-Represented in All-Conference Teams

MEMPHIS, TN -- There may as well have been two teams playing C-USA ball all season. The Tulsa Golden Hurricanes and Memphis Tigers landed the most players in the All-Conference teams by a landslide over the other ten members.

Tulsa had 10 players on the first team alone, while adding another 8 to the second team. The Tigers were represented by 8 first teamers, along with left tackle Brent Todd being awarded a second team position. Here is the all-conference breakdown:

2008 All-Conference-USA Team
First Team
QB, David Johnson, Tulsa
HB, Damion Fletcher, Southern Mississippi
HB, T.J. Pitts, Memphis
WR, Jamar Bryant, East Carolina
WR, Trae Johnson, Tulsa
TE, Davon Drew, East Carolina
LT, Tyler Holmes, Tulsa
LG, Terrence Echols, Memphis
C, Sean Allen, East Carolina
RG, Justin Morsey, Tulsa
RT, Travis Wike, Tulsa
LE, Tate Stewart, Houston
LE, Moton Hopkins, Tulsa
DT, Rolando Barragan, Southern Mississippi
DT, Terrel Nemons, Tulsa
LOLB, George Clinkscale, Tulsa
MLB, Winston Bowens, Memphis
ROLB, A.J. Johnson, Houston
CB, Deante Lamar, Memphis
CB, Kenny Sims, Tulsa
FS, Brandon Patterson, Memphis
SS, Roy Roberts, Tulsa
K, Matt Reagan, Memphis
P, Kase Whitehead, Marshall
Returner, Earnest Williams, Memphis

Second Team
QB, Chase Clement, Rice
HB, Ronnie Weaver, Central Florida
HB, Tarrion Adams, Tulsa
WR, Jarett Dillard, Rice
WR, Brennan Marion, Tulsa
TE, Jeffrey Anderson, Alabama-Birmingham
LT, Brandon Thomas, Tulsa
LT, Brent Todd, Memphis
LG, Curt Puckett, Tulsa
C, Nick Gates, Tulsa
RG, Shawn Santos, Tulsa
LE, Joe Happe, Alabama-Birmingham
LE, James Olalekan, Texas-El Paso
DT, Chris Parham, Southern Methodist
DT, Chris Ptaszek, Rice
LOLB, Joe Henderson, Alabama-Birmingham
MLB, Gerald McRath, Southern Mississippi
ROLB, Quentin Cotton, East Carolina
CB, Brandon Brinkley, Houston
CB, C.J. Bailey, Southern Mississippi
FS, Charles Davis, Tulsa
SS, Ade Manga, Tulsa
K, Jose Martinez, Texas-El Paso
P, Matt Dodge, East Carolina
Returner, Patrick Edwards, Houston


2008 Award Winners
Maxwell: Chase Daniel, Missouri
Bednarik: Darryl Gamble, To-Hell-With-Georgia
O'Brien: Chase Daniel, Missouri
Walker: Noel Devine, West Virginia
Best WR: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
Best TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri
Best OL: Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech
Rimington: Ryan Shuman, Virginia Tech
Lombardi: Carlos Dunlap, Florida
Best LB: Darryl Gamble, Georgia
Thorpe: Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh
Groza: Jeff Wolfert, Missouri
Best Punter: Chas Henry, Florida
Best Returner: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri



Stafford snags Heisman Hardware thanks to Impressive SEC championship outing

NEW ORLEANS -- Thanks to a 4 TD, 261 yard performance against Mississippi State in the SEC Championship game, Matthew Stafford managed to leapfrog Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, and Max Hall in the final week of Heisman voting.

Two of the three previously mentioned players likely dropped in the voting chiefly due to EA's programming which did not take into account that their teams didn't play in conference championship week. The exception, however, was Harrell, who only mustered a 8-for-12, 153 yard, TD performance due to an injury against Missouri in the Big XII title game. Because of this result he fell to 4th when the final Heisman trophy votes were tallied.

In real life, Stafford is now headed into the NFL, awaiting draft day at the end of next month to see where he will be starting his pro ball career. Will he declare for the draft a year early in NCAA 09? We will soon find out.

Heisman Winner:
Matthew Stafford, Georgia, QB, Junior
Stats: 275-for-378, 3705 yards, 124 carries, 470 yards, 50 total TD

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, WR, rSophomore
Stats: 104 receptions, 1596 yards, 22 TD

Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB, Senior
Stats: 316-for-451, 4450 yards, 109 rush, 497 yards, 58 total TD

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, QB, rSenior
Stats: 308-for-450, 4334 yards, 53 TD

Max Hall, Brigham Young, QB, rJunior
Stats: 314-for-429, 4112 yards, 48 TD

[travis a.d.]

Re: Better Late Than Never: travis a.d.'s Memphis Tigers (NCAA 09)

Arkelon Hall tosses a crazy lateral to T.J. Pitts to set up 1st & Goal


Duke Calhoun caught 8 passes for 128 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl


The Memphis defense sacked John Parker Wilson 5 times

Arkelon Hall somehow reaches the endzone as time expires, dragging two 'Bama defenders with him for the ride

The Memphis Miracle!
Last-second QB scramble lifts Tigers in Liberty Bowl

MEMPHIS, TN -- A professional writer could not have scripted a more thrilling end to travis a.d.'s first season with the Memphis Tigers.

After leading his team to a postseason appearance in Memphis' home stadium, the Liberty Bowl, travis a.d.'s Tigers were staring a hearbreaking loss in the face, trailing the Alabama Crimson Tide 28-24 with under a minute left on the clock.

"After the failed fourth down at the end of the game, I threw my headset on the ground and nearly stomped on it. I figured this thing was over".

But no one, especially travis a.d., anticipated what would immediately follow Memphis' desperation turnover-on-downs.

Instead of running the ball to kill the clock, the CPU decided it would be more fun for John Parker Wilson to make a pass into double coverage on first down. Junior cornerback Deante Lamar came down with the ball, his first interception of the day, giving Memphis one last chance with 50 seconds to go and just one timeout to burn.

Memphis reclaimed possession right at mid field, and after two mid-range passes from Arkelon Hall to receiver Duke Calhoun, the Tigers needed both a hurry-up offense and a miracle to reach the end zone and pull off the upset.

T.J. Pitts pounded the ball inside the 5 yard line with two straight HB dives, and with 7 seconds left was tackled less than a yard short of the goal line. He was, however, able to stop the clock temporarily with a first down as the Memphis offense hurried to the line to attempt one last shot at the end zone.

travis a.d., who at this point was frantically jumping up and down in front of the TV, managed to snap the ball with, literally, one second left.

Hall dropped back to pass, rolled out to the right and, with no open receivers, decided to make a mad dash for the endzone. The junior quarterback dodged a pair of Alabama defenders who had some trouble bringing him down, and reached the end zone as time expired.

The Memphis sideline erupted (and by that I mean I literally yelled at the top of my lungs, fortunately I think there was no one home, haha). EA Sports still made both teams line up for a useless extra point attempt, giving Memphis a 31-28 win over the heavily-favored Crimson Tide.

"It still hasn't sunk in that we actually won this game. I honestly expected to get our rear-ends handed to us on a silver platter by Alabama. What a way to end 2008, and we even got to do it on our own field".

Of the three touchdowns scored by Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Arkelon Hall was responsible for all of them. He connected with halfback T.J. Pitts for two TD passes in the first half. The Memphis Player Of The Game also ran in for another TD, earlier in the fourth quarter.

As has been the case for several of Memphis' 2008 opponents, turnovers turned out to be the ultimate downfall for Alabama. John Parker Wilson threw 4 interceptions and also lost a fumble in the first half.

Perhaps if he had gotten the ball to receiver Mike McCoy a few more times, his team could have turned the tide (no pun intended) in their favor. McCoy still caught 7 balls for 171 yards and a second quarter touchdown.

With the win Memphis ended the 2008 season with a 9-5 overall record. Alabama finished 7-6.

First Quarter
1:21: T. Pitts, 10 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)

Second Quarter
3:17: M. Maze, 10 yd pass from J. Wilson (missed kick)
1:02: T. Pitts, 3 yd pass from A. Hall (M. Reagan kick)
0:46: M. McCoy, 63 yd pass from J. Wilson (2-Pt)

Third Quarter
3:46: R. McClain, 2 yd pass from J. Wislon (L. Tiffin kick)
1:48: M. Reagan, 23 yd FG

Fourth Quarter
3:57: A. Hall, 0 yd run (M. Reagan kick)
1:24: W. Oakley, 8 yd pass from G. McElroy (L. Tiffin kick)
0:00: A. Hall, 2 yd run (M. Reagan kick)

Player of the Game: Cory Reamer 9 tackles, tackle for loss, sack, 2 INT
Player of the Game: Arkelon Hall 27-for-46, 282 yards, 2 INT, 11 rush, 29 yards, 4 total TD