NCAA Football Quiz: The other week, when doing the Notre Dame-Pitt game, Brent Musburger mentioned Pitt’s 7-year stretch, 1976-82, when they finished in the top 10 six of those years. Name the three main quarterbacks during this period. I think one is very hard, and don’t say Robert Haygood. Answer below.
College Football Review
[The following comments are prior to the release of the AP and BCS polls.]
Around Wednesday, I take out my legal pad and jot down the games of interest for the coming weekend in college football and this week I put down all of six when I normally list about 15. By the end of Saturday night, I had filled up the page and now I’ll do my best to make sense of one of the crazier days of the season.
No. 1 Alabama was unimpressive in its 20-7 win over 4-6 Mississippi.
No. 2 Florida State destroyed Syracuse 59-3 as quarterback Jameis Winston, in the midst of an investigation looking into his role, if any, in a sexual assault case from a year ago, went 19 of 21 for 277 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 3 Ohio State outlasted a lousy Illinois team 60-35. The Buckeyes were leading only 47-35 with 8:50 to go but then Carlos Hyde ripped off touchdown runs of 51 and 55 on his way to 246 yards on the ground in 24 carries. Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller added 184 yards rushing in just 16 carries. But all in all, not a helpful effort for OSU in terms of the BCS.
No. 4 Stanford was stunned by USC 20-17 on a last-minute Andre Heidari 47-yard field goal as the Trojans defense held Stanford in check, with the Cardinal failing to score on its last six drives, managing just 88 yards, while USC picked off Kevin Hogan twice in the fourth quarter. USC has won five of six under interim coach Ed Orgeron, who deserves a full-time contract. Suddenly the Nov. 30 USC-UCLA contest has huge ramifications.
[Orgeron was 10-25 in his only other head coaching stint, at Mississippi, but as Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times put it, “he has clearly matured as a leader and is beloved by the sort of USC players and recruits whose presence here is vital.”]
No. 5 Baylor moved to 9-0 as it blasted a reeling Texas Tech 63-34 with the Bears racking up another 675 yards of offense.
[Baylor coach Art Briles received a new 10-year contract. The Dallas Morning News reported Briles will make more than $4 million next season. Not bad…not bad at all…]
No. 6 Oregon beat Utah 44-21 and with Stanford’s loss is suddenly back in the driver’s seat to host the Pac-12 title game and move on to the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Marcos Mariota threw three touchdown passes and now has 25 on the season with zero interceptions. But he clearly is bothered with a knee injury that has limited his rushing ability.
As for Utah, talk about the best 4-6 team in the country. Recall the Utes defeated Stanford 27-21, but aside from yesterday’s loss to Oregon….the other five are as follows:
L 51-48 Oregon State in OT
L 34-27 UCLA
L 35-24 Arizona
L 19-3 USC
L 20-19 Arizona State
In an incredible ending, No. 7 Auburn kept its title hopes alive in beating No. 25 Georgia on a desperation fourth and 18 heave with 25 seconds to play that was tipped by two Georgia defenders into the hands of receiver Ricardo Louis who took it 73 yards for the score. This after Georgia QB Aaron Murray brought the Bulldogs back from a 37-17 fourth-quarter deficit with two touchdown passes and a five-yard (controversial) TD run with less than two minutes to play to give Georgia the 38-37 lead. Remarkable game. Auburn gets a needed week off before the big one on Nov. 30 against Alabama.
On Thursday night, No. 8 Clemson defeated a solid Georgia Tech team 55-31 to keep its BCS bowl game hopes very much alive. Quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns in becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in TD passes. The only blemish on Boyd’s record this year is that egg he laid against Florida State.
No. 10 South Carolina stayed in both the SEC title and BCS bowl game picture with a 19-14 win over Florida, which fell to 4-6.
Friday night, No. 13 UCLA defeated Washington 41-31 as freshman linebacker turned running back Myles Jack continues to carve out a super story. Two weeks ago, he appeared as a running back for the first time and gained 120 yards on just six carries. He also had eight tackles in the game. Friday, Jack carried it 13 times for 59 yards and four touchdowns, as well as making five tackles. It’s been a long time since football saw a legitimate two-way star at this level.
Wednesday, after I last posted, No. 15 Northern Illinois (10-0) passed a big test in whipping Ball State (9-2) 48-27 as QB Jordan Lynch had a Heisman worthy performance; 345 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and another 123 yards and two scores on the ground. But it’s not going to be enough to pass Fresno State in the BCS rankings
No. 16 Michigan State was unimpressive in beating Nebraska 41-28 but remains on a collision course with Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Nebraska had five turnovers, but outgained the Spartans 392-361.
No. 20 Louisville should be moving back up in the polls in rapid fashion after a 20-13 win over 7-3 Houston. In the Cardinals nine wins, they have held their opponents to 13 or fewer points. The only blemish is that 38-35 loss to UCF or else Louisville would be about No. 5 in the polls.
Speaking of UCF, they get the automatic BCS bowl berth for the American Athletic Conference if they can win out, but on Saturday, against lowly 1-9 Temple, UCF needed a stupendous touchdown catch by J.J. Worton, a one-handed grab in the end zone with a minute to play that tied it at 36-36, and then after UCF held Temple, got a 64-yard reception that set up a game-winning field goal…final score 39-36. So the Knights’ dream season continues.
In Durham, speaking of dream seasons, Duke, playing in its biggest game in decades, beat No. 23 Miami 48-30 as the Blue Devils rushed for 358 yards. Duke (8-2, 4-2), now has the inside track to meet Florida State in the ACC championship game. Remarkable. I’m happy for some good friends from high school that went there.
[Duke-Wake Forest next Saturday in Winston-Salem. Huuuuge.]
Congrats to Boston College for becoming bowl eligible at 6-4 as Andre Williams rushed for a school-record 339 yards on 42 carries to become the single-season ACC rushing leader. Williams’ 339 was also a new ACC single-game record, breaking the old mark of 329 by none other than John Leach of Wake Forest (1993). Williams now has 1,810 yards on the season with road games against Maryland and Syracuse still ahead. NFL teams should be drooling.
Pitt was down 27-3 to North Carolina, tied it at 27, but lost 34-27 as the Tar Heels moved to 5-5 with their fourth straight.
Big win for Maryland (6-4, 2-4) as it beat struggling Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3) in overtime, 27-24, down in Blacksburg.
Kansas broke its 27-game Big 12 losing streak with a 31-19 win over West Virginia.
Lehigh beat Colgate 31-14.
Princeton walloped Yale 59-23 to move to 8-1. I can’t believe the Tigers entered the week ranked just No. 24 in the FCS, with its lone loss being to Lehigh 29-28.
But Fordham suffered a bad first loss, 27-14 to Lafayette. The Rams are 10-1.
Awful loss for Rutgers at home, 52-17 to Cincinnati. This came after another week of turmoil in the RU sports program as a story emerged that a Rutgers player quit the team after reportedly being bullied by a coach, defensive coordinator Dave Cohen. The alleged incident happened last spring but was just made public.
–There was an ugly incident prior to what was to have been a CIAA football championship game between Winston-Salem State and Virginia State. At an awards luncheon on Friday, with both schools in attendance at a center on the WSSU campus, Winston QB Rudy Johnson was jumped in the restroom and beaten about the head. One Virginia State player has been arrested thus far. A WSSU player said it was an attack not a fight: “They decided to go in there and try to hurt Rudy.”
Chancellor Donald Reaves of WSSU released a statement hours after:
“I am saddened to report that at today’s CIAA pre-championship game luncheon…our starting quarterback, Rudy Johnson, was viciously beaten by one or more members of the Virginia State football team. There is no excuse for the behavior of the Virginia State players.”
The game was canceled. Both teams are 9-1 and ranked in the top 25 of Division II.
And the new AP Poll….
1. Alabama 10-0 (55 first-place votes)…1495 points
2. Florida State 10-0 (5)…1445
3. Baylor 9-0…1351
4. Ohio State 10-0…1343
5. Oregon 9-1…1210
6. Auburn 10-1…1205
7. Clemson 9-1
8. Missouri 9-1
9. Texas A&M 8-2
10. Stanford 8-1
11. Oklahoma State…9-1…plays Baylor next week
12. South Carolina 8-2
13. Michigan State 9-1
14. UCLA 8-2
15. Fresno State 10-0
17. UCF 8-1
20. Northern Illinois 10-0….a joke
21. Louisville 9-1…UCF’s ugly win didn’t help Cardinals
23. USC 8-3
25. Duke 8-2
And the new BCS Poll…analysis next chat.
!. Alabama .991
2. Florida State .966
3. Ohio State .887
4. Baylor .886
5. Oregon .792
6. Auburn .786
7. Clemson .768
8. Missouri .723
9. Stanford
10. Oklahoma State
11. South Carolina
12. Texas A&M
13. Michigan State
14. UCLA
15. Fresno State
16. Northern Illinois
18. UCF
21. Louisville…unreal
My Jets, despite coming off a bye week, failed to break their pattern of inconsistency and are now the first team in NFL history to open a season without winning or losing consecutive games through the first ten contests…W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L…add it up and it’s 5-5 after getting their butts whipped by 4-7 Buffalo, 37-14. Geno Smith threw another three interceptions, giving him 16 on the year, and the rookie finished the game with a 10.1 QB rating. 10.1. Any one of us could get a 10.1. The entire team, though, was awful, especially the offensive line and, once again, the secondary. New acquisition Ed Reed didn’t make a difference. Now the Jets have a must win down in Baltimore next Sunday. [I should note Buffalo’s EJ Manuel had a solid game…20/28, 245, 2-0, 121.9.]
In a further blow to the Jets, Miami evened its mark at 5-5 in defeating San Diego (4-6) 20-16, though the Jets and Miami play twice down the stretch.
Philadelphia is suddenly 6-5 after beating Washington (3-7) 24-16. Nick Foles still hasn’t thrown an interception for Philly. For Washington, RG III had two turnovers and was once again highly mediocre at best.
Arizona stayed relevant in beating Jacksonville (1-9) 27-14 as the Cardinals go to 6-4. Carson Palmer threw for 419 yards and two touchdowns.
Cincinnati moved to 7-4 in defeating the now 4-6 Browns, 41-20. It wasn’t about a return to form for QB Andy Dalton, but rather a blocked punt returned for a score and a fumble returned for another. Cleveland turned it over four times.
Detroit was leading Pittsburgh 27-20 at half, scoring all 27 in the second quarter, as quarterback Matthew Stafford had 327 passing yards in the first 30 minutes of play, thereby threatening Norm Van Brocklin’s all-time single-game mark of 554. But then in the second half, Stafford had all of 35 yards! Pittsburgh rallied to win 37-27 and is now 4-6 and still in the wildcard picture. Detroit falls to 6-4.
It’s startling Atlanta is 2-8 after losing to Tampa Bay 41-28 for the Bucs’ second consecutive win. Tampa Bay QB Mike Glennon was near perfect, 20/23, 231, 2-0, 137.5. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw another two picks and has 12 on the year.
The Giants started the season 0-6 but have reeled off four straight and at 4-6 remain relevant as they defeated the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers 27-13. Next up Dallas at home.
Chicago moved into a tie with Detroit at 6-4 as they beat the Super Bowl champ Ravens (4-6), 23-20 in overtime, in a game delayed two hours due to severe weather in the Chicago area.
Seattle is now 10-1 as quarterback Russell Wilson had his usual superefficient game, 13/18, 230, 2-0, 151.4, in the Seahawks 41-20 win over the Vikings (2-8).
New Orleans moved to 8-2 in beating San Francisco (6-4) on a last-second Garrett Hartley field goal. The 49ers will have to step it up to make the playoffs.
–We are catching a little break in the Jonathan Martin / Richie Incognito issue. Martin even took time out to be on the sidelines for the Stanford-USC game. After meeting with the NFL counsel for seven hours on Friday, he said he still wants to play in the NFL. [Martin stayed mum on his discussions with the league.]
Incognito filed a non-injury grievance against the Dolphins in response to his being suspended. For each week he’s out, he loses $235,000 of his $4 million base salary (pro-rated over 17 weeks).
–In an interview taped for Monday’s “Today” show with Matt Lauer, Brett Favre said if he had a son (he has two daughters) he would be “leery” of letting him play football. Favre also talks about his problems with memory loss. Just what the NFL doesn’t need at this point.
–The Star-Ledger here in New Jersey had a story the other day on the Super Bowl weather forecast. Truth is, despite the Farmer’s Almanac’s dire report, which was preceded by that of your editor, the average early February day would have game time temps in the mid- to upper-30s. But this time of year in these parts is also normally an active one for weather systems, one every four days or so.
It’s kind of funny that records do show the period between 6 and 9 p.m. is the most likely time for rain, snow or ice to occur. But winds also tend to subside during these hours.
[I continue to refine my own forecast, but it gets worse and worse.]
–Hall of Fame offensive lineman Mike McCormack died. He was 83. McCormack played nine seasons for Cleveland (after one in New York) from 1954-62, making six Pro Bowls. Coach Paul Brown called him, “The finest offensive lineman I have ever coached.”
McCormack was later a head coach in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Seattle, compiling a 29-51-1 mark, and played a leading role in gaining Carolina its franchise.
–Finally, we note the passing of five-time Pro Bowl tight end Todd Christensen. Christensen was just 57 and died from complications during liver transplant surgery. He had been battling other illnesses for several years it seems.
Christensen starred at BYU and was drafted in the second round by Dallas in 1978, playing one game for the Giants after being claimed on waivers, before spending the rest of his time, 136 of his 137 career games, with the Raiders, winning two Super Bowls with them (1980, 1983).
He retired after the 1988 season with 461 receptions for 5,872 yards and 41 touchdowns.
The Heidi Game…45 years ago
[The following was previously posted in 2008]
We take you back to November 17, 1968, one of the worst days for the NBC network. It was also a great time for fans of AFL football. The games were fun to watch and full of legendary characters. As the November 17 battle between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets drew near, both teams were at 7-2 and seemed on a collision course for the AFL championship and the right to represent the league at Super Bowl III.
The game was living up to its billing when with 65 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Jets’ Jim Turner kicked a 26-yard field goal to put the Jets up 32-29.
The game was being televised on NBC and had started at 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time. As 7:00 p.m. drew near, executives at the network were preparing to make television history…and they didn’t know it.
After the kickoff from the Jets, the Raiders had 60 seconds on the clock to try and at least tie the game. They took the ball on their own 22-yard line and quarterback Daryl Lamonica threw a 20-yard pass play to Charlie Smith. But a 15-yard facemask penalty moved the ball down to about the Jets 43 when suddenly the millions of viewers watching across the land, including yours truly, were treated to 60 seconds of commercials and a musical billboard leading into the movie “Heidi.”
The switchboard lit up at NBC’s New York City headquarters, as well as stations across the land. I remember how ticked off I was…even though I wanted to watch the movie as well, I have to admit.
Actually, at 6:53 p.m. ET, network officials had decided to stick with the game but NBC later said it was confusion in their communications system that caused the cutoff.
And so what we all missed was seeing a 43-yard touchdown pass from Lamonica to Smith that put Oakland ahead, 35-32, with 42 seconds to play. Then on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets’ Earl Christy fumbled and the Raiders recovered in the end zone with 33 seconds left for the final score, Raiders 43 – Jets 32.
The calls into the network were so crushing that the board shut down. It wasn’t until 22 minutes into “Heidi” that NBC ran a crawl on the bottom of the screen giving the final score. [This was long before ESPN or the Internet, folks. If you couldn’t quickly switch on the Raiders’ or Jets’ radio networks, you were totally in the dark.]
The viewer outrage lasted well over 24 hours. NBC president Julius Goodman issued a statement from his home around 8:30 p.m. telling the world that he, too, was a bit miffed he hadn’t seen the conclusion of the game either, but that “it was a forgivable error committed by humans who were concerned about children expecting to see Heidi.”
As for the Jets and Raiders, the Jets recovered to win their last four games, finishing 11-3, while the Raiders went on to close with a 12-2 record. The Raiders then had a playoff with the 12-2 Kansas City Chiefs for the right to meet the Jets for the AFL Championship.
The Raiders whipped the Chiefs 41-6 and then the Jets defeated the Raiders in the grudge match, 27-23. For Joe Namath and Company, it was on to the Super Bowl and destiny.
One other postscript: Seven years later, the Raiders and Washington Redskins were tied at 23-23 at the end of regulation with “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” scheduled to begin when the game ended. NBC wisely stuck with the game for 45 minutes before George Blanda’s field goal gave the Raiders a 26-23 victory. In the Eastern time zone, viewers missed the movie’s first 45 minutes. [Source: “Total Football”]
NBA Bits
—Indiana finally lost on Saturday to Chicago, 110-94, so the Pacers and Spurs are atop the East and West with 9-1 marks. Gregg Popovich is amazing.
–Former Wake Forest star, Jeff Teague, is thriving under new Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer. In his first ten games he is averaging career bests in points, 19.4, and assists, 9.0. Budenholzer told Teague to drive more to the hoop, which he was terrific at in college but hadn’t done much of in the pros thus far. In each of Teague’s last three games he has attempted at least 10 free throws.
–In his four games since returning from his weed suspension, the Knicks’ J.R. Smith is 12 of 53 from the field, .226. He’s picked right up from his awful playoff performance last spring. Brooklyn’s Kevin Garnett is shooting just .300 from the field.
The Knicks and Nets have identical 3-6 marks and Knicks coach Mike Woodson is feeling major heat, especially after five straight losses at the Garden.
–Sports Illustrated didn’t have its college hoops issue until this week, so for the record….
SI’s Men’s Top Ten
1. Louisville
2. Kentucky
3. Michigan State
4. Duke
5. Kansas
6. Arizona
7. Michigan
8. Syracuse
9. Florida
10. Oklahoma State
16. VCU….I’m tellin’ ya….this is your Pick to Click!
20. Harvard…very intriguing come March
So I was all set to post this and say there haven’t been any upsets of note yet, but then on Sunday, No. 21 Notre Dame fell to Indiana State, 83-70, and down in Chapel Hill, Belmont stunned No. 12 North Carolina 83-80 as the Tar Heels continue to play without leading scorer P.J. Hairston, he of the many issues.
But to be totally accurate, Belmont was 20-22 from the free throw line while Carolina, get this, was 22-48. Yes, they made 22 of 48 from the charity stripe. That’s beyond embarrassing. Sophomore J.P. Tokoto was 4 of 16.
Lastly, and also Sunday, Iowa State defeated No. 7 Michigan 77-70, though it’s too early to know if this is really an upset.
SI’s Women’s Top Ten
1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Louisville
4. Kentucky
5. Notre Dame
6. Tennessee
7. Maryland
8. Stanford
9. Oklahoma
10. California
Golf Balls
—Harris English, 24, won his second PGA Tour event at the OHL Classic in Mexico. The new wraparound 2013-2014 season is now officially on hiatus until the Tournament of Champions, Jan. 3-6.
–One week after winning the Australian PGA Championship, Adam Scott defended his Australian Masters title with a two-shot victory over Matt Kuchar. Vijay Singh was third. In two weeks, Scott will attempt to win the triple crown at the Australian Open.
—Henrik Stenson won the season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai by six shots over Ian Poulter, thus becoming the first golfer to win the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and European Tour’s Race to Dubai in the same season.
–I can’t believe the PGA of America is considering holding the PGA Championship overseas, perhaps as soon as 2020. Ted Bishop, president of the PGA of America, actually told the Golf Channel the other day that Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush “would be a great first international major. I think given the powerful effect that Irish golfers have on the professional game today, that might be a good place to start.”
You know I love golf in Ireland, I just don’t see holding the PGA overseas.
–Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jason Day, one of the good guys in the sport, who learned he lost eight family members in Typhoon Haiyan, including his grandmother. Day’s mother emigrated to Australia from the Philippines.
–It was great to see Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen win the N.L. MVP award, surprisingly (to some) taking 28 of the 30 first-place votes. [Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt was second.]
Miguel Cabrera beat Mike Trout for a second straight year to take the A.L. hardware. I’d say Trout’s career is off to a pretty good start.
Back to McCutchen, he’s the first African-American to win an MVP award since Jimmy Rollins in 2007. When it comes to raising baseball’s profile in Black America, former player Cliff Floyd told the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner what kind of impact McCutchen’s honor may have.
“I think it’s huge that McCutchen is one of the faces of Major League Baseball. I think that’s going to help. When you look at this game, we know the percentages. In my opinion, the only way to change that is to have guys like McCutchen step up and win MVPs. That’s the only way you’re going to see this game get back to the point where African-Americans believe this is a great game.”
As I noted at the time of the World Series, when there was just one African-American between Boston and St. Louis, black players comprised 8.5% of opening day rosters this season, down from a 1986 peak of 19%.
Personally, I think the face of the sport is going to change in a big way in just another 5-6 years. The more stories we have like Brett Favre’s, Tony Dorsett’s and the rest, the more parents of gifted athletes, including African-Americans, will steer their kids to baseball (and also basketball). It’s not that complicated. Football has peaked. Baseball’s future is terrific.
—Jimmie Johnson wrapped up his sixth Sprint Cup championship at Homestead-Miami. Johnson previously won five straight, 2006-2010, and is right there with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the greatest ever in his sport…Petty and Earnhardt holding the record with seven Cup titles. [Denny Hamlin won the race.]
—Sebastian Vettel won the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, his eighth consecutive Formula One win, an all-time record. Absolutely spectacular. The four-time world champion is just 26.
–If Iceland defeats Croatia on Tuesday, it will become the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup. In the first game of their two-leg playoff on Friday, they played to a scoreless draw.
—Mary Cain, the great high school middle-distance runner from Bronxville, New York, is opting to turn pro and not go to college.
Top 3 songs for the week 11/17/73: #1 “Keep On Truckin’” (Eddie Kendricks) #2 “Midnight Train To Georgia” (Gladys Knight & The Pips…can’t stand this one…) #3 “Heartbeat – It’s A Lovebeat” (The DeFranco Family…this one hasn’t aged real well…sorry, LT…)…and…#4 “Photograph” (Ringo Starr) #5 “Space Race” (Billy Preston) #6 “Paper Roses” (Marie Osmond…still hot…) #7 “Top Of The World” (Carpenters) #8 “Angie” (The Rolling Stones…was #1 four weeks earlier…) #9 “Just You ‘N’ Me” (Chicago) #10 “I Got A Name” (Jim Croce…well good for you, Jim…I have one too, just choose not to put it at the end of this particular column…)
NCAA Football Quiz Answer: Pitt’s great seven-year stretch, 1976-82….AP rank
1976: 12-0…#1…QB Matt Cavanaugh…Coach Johnny Majors
1977: 9-2-1…#8…Cavanaugh…Jackie Sherrill
1978: 8-4………….QB Rick Trocano…Sherrill
1979: 11-1…#7…QB Dan Marino…Sherrill
1980: 11-1…#2…Marino…Sherrill
1981: 11-1…#4…Marino…Sherrill
1982: 9-3…#10…Marino…Foge Fazio
So if you got Rick Trocano, pour yourself a Yuengling! The premium domestic.
Pitt was actually #15 in 1975 (8-4) and #18 in 1983 (8-3-1)…so you can extend this terrific era two years.
Tom Seaver turned 69 on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Mr. Seaver!!!
