For college football knuckleheads, Signing Day is like Christmas. And that's been seen by not only the around the clock coverage on things like ESPN, but also sites like rivals and scout, which rank the players starting in their freshman years of high school. Now I admit, I look at those sites constantly, so I'm not really one to talk but giving out these "stars" is ridiculous.
The stars and rankings given to these kids are what going to ruin the high school sports world, if it hasn't already. But what is truly sad about it all, is whether it is the kids, the "experts,", coaches or PARENTS that are doing the "pimping out" of the student-athletes.
To be on one of those sites, someone needs to send in a video of the athlete, so he can be "evaluated" and then given a ranking or star. A five-star ranking means you are one of the top kids in the nation, a three-star means you are pretty much an average player, while anything lower usually means you are a fringe player. If a parent or athlete sees they are "only" s three-star and want to get better scholarship offers, which might mean doing anything going from extra lessons from professionals to possibly doing steroids. The extra push, however, can also burn out the kid.
The one thing the coaches, parents or kids seem not to realize is that all these stars, rankings and such are all other people's OPINIONS. There are time where the different sites disagree with how good of a kid is. I'll give you the example of Missouri, since it's my alma mater and a school that has been known for getting lesser rated kids and getting them to play better than those rankings. Let's look at the Tigers' last three first round draft picks, Jeremy Maclin, Sean Weatherspoon and Ziggy Hood. Sean Weatherspoon came to Mizzou as a two-star safety prospect and left as the third-highest tackler in school history with 413 tackles and a two-time All-American. Maclin was the highest rated of the three, garnering four stars from rivals and three from scout, but was rated the 70th best wideout by scout. All he did was leave as the school's all-time leader in all-purpose yards, third in career receiving yards and fourth in career receptions. All in two years. Hood is now a starter on the Super Bowl-bound Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of the 62 athletes that were given five stars by scout, 11 made it to the NFL or lived up to expectations. That's 17 percent. Now that may seem a lot, but let's not forget these were cream of the crop kids who people expect to come in and have a big effect on their teams. Well that wasn't the case for 52 of them. In a smaller sample size of 26 five stars, the 2006 class also had 11 players that made an impact of play(ed) in the NFL.
Now don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate and respect what all of the analysts who go out all across the country all year. But my problem is that everyone takes too much stock into these stinking rankings. Sure, most of the time it turns out to be right, as you see the Alabama's USC's, Florida's, etc. always getting top classes and succeeding. But what about the schools like TCU or Boise State and up to this year, Oregon? The rankings are good and all, but they're mainly there to make all the fans and those associated with the program go crazy. As long as a school gets players they need, that fit their system and those who they feel are perfect for the, who says they won't succeed?
Showing posts with label University of Missouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Missouri. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
College Basketball Previews
While this weekend's matchups may not be as sexy as last week's there are some very intriguing games that might go a long way in determining how a team ends up in the conference. There are four games featuring ranked teams and those will be previewed here.
Game of the Week: Missouri vs. Texas
Missouri comes into the game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated both Kansas State and Iowa State handily. The Tigers come in at 17-3, but two of their losses have been on the road (at Colorado and at Texas A&M by two points in overtime). Junior guard Marcus Denmon leads five Tigers in double figures with 17.3 points per game. Missouri uses a 10-man rotation and eight of the ten play 17 minutes per game or more (the other two play 11-12 mpg). The Tigers average 85 ppg, which is good for fifth nationally and dish out 18 ppg, which is good for sixth in the nation. Three players could be key factors in the game, besides Denmon. Ricardo Ratliffe, who is second on the team with 12 ppg and seven rpg, will be looked upon to neutralize the Texas big men. The other two keys are Kim English and Phil Pressey. English was expected to have a breakout season, but has struggled early in the season and Pressey has come back from an early season wrist injury to be second on the team in assists with nearly four dimes per game. Texas was featured in last week's preview as well. The team is led by the frontcourt duo of Justin Hamilton and Tristan Thompson. Cory Joseph will be the key for Texas in this game. How he reacts to the "Fastest Forty Minutes in Basketball" will be crucial. The Tigers love to press and create turnovers after made baskets so how he will be able to handle the pressure will be the difference. Joseph has only turned the ball over more than three times once and has had some of his cleanest games against UNC, UConn and USC. Prediction: Mizzou pulls the road upset: 78-76
Louisville at Connecticut
The Cardinals come in having won three of their last five, including two buzzer beaters over Marquette and West Virginia. Louisville is led by Preston Knowles, who averages just over 15 points per game and is hitting 40 percent of his three point attempts. Two others, Peyton Siva and Chris Smith, are also averagibg double figures. Siva, who hit the game-winner against West Virginia, is going for nearly 11 points per game and a team-high five assists per game. Smith averages 10 ppg and leads the team, hitting nearly half of his three pointers. Three of Louisville's bog men (Rakeem Buckles, Jared Swopshire and Gorgui Dieng) are out with injuries. The key could be Kyle Kuric. He is an on and off player, who when he is hot, is able to put up 20 ppg but has also had five games of zero points. The Huskies rely on guard Kemba Walker and their inside presence, which is helping them average 41 rebounds per game. Walker is being considered as one of the top two contenders for NCAA POY, averaging 24 ppg, five rpg and four apg. Big man Alex Oriakhis is the only other Huskie averaging double figures at 11, but leads the team with nine boards per game. The key could be freshman Shabazz Napier, who is averaging 8.4 ppg and over three assists per game. Like Kuric, he is hot and cold, going for double digits in six games, including three this month. Prediction: The Huskies' depth and Louisville injuries help the Huskies pull out a 75-60 win.
Georgetown at Villanova
Georgetown has been on a bit of a slide lately, going 4-4 in their last eight and are coming into a hostile environment on Saturday. The Hoyas are riding a three-game winning streak, however. They are led by Mr. Do-It-All Austin Freeman, who is averaging over 18 points per game. The senior guard has scored in double digits in all but two games and has scored 25 points or more in two of the last three. Georgetown has two others, Jason Clark and Chris Wright, who are averaging double digits. Clark is pouring in 13 points a game, while wright is averaging over 10 and leads the team with 5.6 assists per game. Guard play will be the key in this game. If one guard is having a rough night, there will have to be others to pick up the slack. And if the guards struggle, the frontcourt has to be able to bail them out too. After knocking off Syracuse on the road, Villanova got blown out in their game against Providence. Villanova has won two of the three, losing the last to Connecticut on a last-second shot by Kemba Walker. The Wildcats have three players who average double figures, including two seniors: Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, both of whom are scoring 15 points per game. While Stokes leads the team in free throw (94) and three point (44) percentage, Fisher is second on the team in assists per game, with five. The other player in double figures, Maalik Wayans (13.5 ppg), also leads the team with 5.3 dimes per game. Prediction: Villanova is just too good and wins 80-65
Minnesota at Purdue
Minnesota, on a four-game winning streak, started that streak with a home win against Purdue. A key piece from that win, Al Nolen, is out for the season with an injury however and that has caused Blake Hoffarber to take over PG duties. Three of the Gophers' four losses have been on the road. Hoffarber is one of three Minnesota players in double digits, averaging 14 points per game. He not only leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game, but also three-point percentage, knocking in 40 percent of his treys. Trevor Mbakwe is second in points with 13.4 and leads the team with 10.5 rebounds per contest. Ralph Sampson III is the other Gopher is double figures, throwing in 11 ppg. The key will be the play of Mbakwe and Sampson, as they will have to go up against the beasts of Purdue. The Boilermakers, on the other hand, have been on a bit of a skid lately, dropping three of their last five. JaJuan Johnson continues to be a beast for them inside, averaging nearly 21 ppg and eight rebounds per game. Johnson has scored 20 points or more in his last five games. He is supported by guard E'Twaun Moore, who is averaging 18 ppg. No other Purdue player is averaging over six points per game. The key here is for Johnson to continue his hot streak. Prediction: Purdue pulls out a squeaker, 67-64
Game of the Week: Missouri vs. Texas
Missouri comes into the game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated both Kansas State and Iowa State handily. The Tigers come in at 17-3, but two of their losses have been on the road (at Colorado and at Texas A&M by two points in overtime). Junior guard Marcus Denmon leads five Tigers in double figures with 17.3 points per game. Missouri uses a 10-man rotation and eight of the ten play 17 minutes per game or more (the other two play 11-12 mpg). The Tigers average 85 ppg, which is good for fifth nationally and dish out 18 ppg, which is good for sixth in the nation. Three players could be key factors in the game, besides Denmon. Ricardo Ratliffe, who is second on the team with 12 ppg and seven rpg, will be looked upon to neutralize the Texas big men. The other two keys are Kim English and Phil Pressey. English was expected to have a breakout season, but has struggled early in the season and Pressey has come back from an early season wrist injury to be second on the team in assists with nearly four dimes per game. Texas was featured in last week's preview as well. The team is led by the frontcourt duo of Justin Hamilton and Tristan Thompson. Cory Joseph will be the key for Texas in this game. How he reacts to the "Fastest Forty Minutes in Basketball" will be crucial. The Tigers love to press and create turnovers after made baskets so how he will be able to handle the pressure will be the difference. Joseph has only turned the ball over more than three times once and has had some of his cleanest games against UNC, UConn and USC. Prediction: Mizzou pulls the road upset: 78-76
Louisville at Connecticut
The Cardinals come in having won three of their last five, including two buzzer beaters over Marquette and West Virginia. Louisville is led by Preston Knowles, who averages just over 15 points per game and is hitting 40 percent of his three point attempts. Two others, Peyton Siva and Chris Smith, are also averagibg double figures. Siva, who hit the game-winner against West Virginia, is going for nearly 11 points per game and a team-high five assists per game. Smith averages 10 ppg and leads the team, hitting nearly half of his three pointers. Three of Louisville's bog men (Rakeem Buckles, Jared Swopshire and Gorgui Dieng) are out with injuries. The key could be Kyle Kuric. He is an on and off player, who when he is hot, is able to put up 20 ppg but has also had five games of zero points. The Huskies rely on guard Kemba Walker and their inside presence, which is helping them average 41 rebounds per game. Walker is being considered as one of the top two contenders for NCAA POY, averaging 24 ppg, five rpg and four apg. Big man Alex Oriakhis is the only other Huskie averaging double figures at 11, but leads the team with nine boards per game. The key could be freshman Shabazz Napier, who is averaging 8.4 ppg and over three assists per game. Like Kuric, he is hot and cold, going for double digits in six games, including three this month. Prediction: The Huskies' depth and Louisville injuries help the Huskies pull out a 75-60 win.
Georgetown at Villanova
Georgetown has been on a bit of a slide lately, going 4-4 in their last eight and are coming into a hostile environment on Saturday. The Hoyas are riding a three-game winning streak, however. They are led by Mr. Do-It-All Austin Freeman, who is averaging over 18 points per game. The senior guard has scored in double digits in all but two games and has scored 25 points or more in two of the last three. Georgetown has two others, Jason Clark and Chris Wright, who are averaging double digits. Clark is pouring in 13 points a game, while wright is averaging over 10 and leads the team with 5.6 assists per game. Guard play will be the key in this game. If one guard is having a rough night, there will have to be others to pick up the slack. And if the guards struggle, the frontcourt has to be able to bail them out too. After knocking off Syracuse on the road, Villanova got blown out in their game against Providence. Villanova has won two of the three, losing the last to Connecticut on a last-second shot by Kemba Walker. The Wildcats have three players who average double figures, including two seniors: Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, both of whom are scoring 15 points per game. While Stokes leads the team in free throw (94) and three point (44) percentage, Fisher is second on the team in assists per game, with five. The other player in double figures, Maalik Wayans (13.5 ppg), also leads the team with 5.3 dimes per game. Prediction: Villanova is just too good and wins 80-65
Minnesota at Purdue
Minnesota, on a four-game winning streak, started that streak with a home win against Purdue. A key piece from that win, Al Nolen, is out for the season with an injury however and that has caused Blake Hoffarber to take over PG duties. Three of the Gophers' four losses have been on the road. Hoffarber is one of three Minnesota players in double digits, averaging 14 points per game. He not only leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game, but also three-point percentage, knocking in 40 percent of his treys. Trevor Mbakwe is second in points with 13.4 and leads the team with 10.5 rebounds per contest. Ralph Sampson III is the other Gopher is double figures, throwing in 11 ppg. The key will be the play of Mbakwe and Sampson, as they will have to go up against the beasts of Purdue. The Boilermakers, on the other hand, have been on a bit of a skid lately, dropping three of their last five. JaJuan Johnson continues to be a beast for them inside, averaging nearly 21 ppg and eight rebounds per game. Johnson has scored 20 points or more in his last five games. He is supported by guard E'Twaun Moore, who is averaging 18 ppg. No other Purdue player is averaging over six points per game. The key here is for Johnson to continue his hot streak. Prediction: Purdue pulls out a squeaker, 67-64
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Insight.com Bowl
Missouri vs. Iowa
This matchup features teams going in different directions. Iowa started the season ranked ninth and started the season 7-2, including a demolishing of then- fifth-ranked Michigan State. But the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch, losing their last three and struggling to defeat Indiana. The Tigers, on the other hand, are on a three-game winning streak, one in which they have scored 35 points or more twice.
Not only has Iowa had its problems on the field, but it has ended the season with some major off the field problems as well. All-time leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested on drug charges and therefore suspended by Coach Kirk Ferentz, Then Adam Robinson, the team's leading rusher who had rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns was also suspended, he for failing to "comply with team expectations and policies." The two backup running backs also left the team, leaving true freshman Marcus Coker as the starter.
Luckily for Iowa, they still have quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who threw for 2,804 yards and 25 touchdowns, while throwing a career-low four interceptions. With Johnson-Koulianos out, he will rely on St. Louis-native Marvin McNutt, who led the team with 51 grabs for 798 yards and eight touchdowns. Coker rushed for 403 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty.
But it'd not only the offense that the Tigers need to worry about. The Iowa defense is quite stout itself being led by yet another St. Louis-native, defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn has 51 tackles, including seven for loss and three and a half sacks. The defensive backfield is also quite talented, led by Tyler Sash and Shaun Prater also were named first-team all-Big Ten. Sash was third on the Hawkeyes with 73 tackles and Prater tied for the team lead with four interceptions.
Up to this year, Missouri had been known for its explosive offense. Well this year, the Tigers have their best defense in years and it is paying off for them. They are giving up only 15 ppg, which is fifth in the nation. Linebackers Andrew Gachkar and Zaviar Gooden lead the team with 81 and 79, tackles, respectively, while six players have two interceptions and four more with one. The team has forced 27 turnovers on the year.
But that's not to say the Tiger offense hasn't been explosive. The team is averaging 30 points per game and has become a more balanced offense this year. While Blaine Gabbert has thrown for over 2,700 yards and 15 touchdowns, four Tigers, including Gabbert have rushed for 239 yards or more. The team is led by De'Vion Moore who has run for 485 yards and eight touchdowns.
After losing starters Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, everyone wondered who would step up to be the next in a recent run of great receivers. Four receivers have 32 catches or more. T.J. Moe leads the squad with 77 catches for 893 yards and six touchdowns. Michael Egnew continues the line of recent Mackey Award finalists/winners and All-American tight ends after catching 83 balls for 698 yards and four touchdowns.
Prediction: Missouri 34, Iowa 21
This matchup features teams going in different directions. Iowa started the season ranked ninth and started the season 7-2, including a demolishing of then- fifth-ranked Michigan State. But the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch, losing their last three and struggling to defeat Indiana. The Tigers, on the other hand, are on a three-game winning streak, one in which they have scored 35 points or more twice.
Not only has Iowa had its problems on the field, but it has ended the season with some major off the field problems as well. All-time leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested on drug charges and therefore suspended by Coach Kirk Ferentz, Then Adam Robinson, the team's leading rusher who had rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns was also suspended, he for failing to "comply with team expectations and policies." The two backup running backs also left the team, leaving true freshman Marcus Coker as the starter.
Luckily for Iowa, they still have quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who threw for 2,804 yards and 25 touchdowns, while throwing a career-low four interceptions. With Johnson-Koulianos out, he will rely on St. Louis-native Marvin McNutt, who led the team with 51 grabs for 798 yards and eight touchdowns. Coker rushed for 403 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty.
But it'd not only the offense that the Tigers need to worry about. The Iowa defense is quite stout itself being led by yet another St. Louis-native, defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn has 51 tackles, including seven for loss and three and a half sacks. The defensive backfield is also quite talented, led by Tyler Sash and Shaun Prater also were named first-team all-Big Ten. Sash was third on the Hawkeyes with 73 tackles and Prater tied for the team lead with four interceptions.
Up to this year, Missouri had been known for its explosive offense. Well this year, the Tigers have their best defense in years and it is paying off for them. They are giving up only 15 ppg, which is fifth in the nation. Linebackers Andrew Gachkar and Zaviar Gooden lead the team with 81 and 79, tackles, respectively, while six players have two interceptions and four more with one. The team has forced 27 turnovers on the year.
But that's not to say the Tiger offense hasn't been explosive. The team is averaging 30 points per game and has become a more balanced offense this year. While Blaine Gabbert has thrown for over 2,700 yards and 15 touchdowns, four Tigers, including Gabbert have rushed for 239 yards or more. The team is led by De'Vion Moore who has run for 485 yards and eight touchdowns.
After losing starters Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, everyone wondered who would step up to be the next in a recent run of great receivers. Four receivers have 32 catches or more. T.J. Moe leads the squad with 77 catches for 893 yards and six touchdowns. Michael Egnew continues the line of recent Mackey Award finalists/winners and All-American tight ends after catching 83 balls for 698 yards and four touchdowns.
Prediction: Missouri 34, Iowa 21
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Rivalry Week Part 1
The last couple of weeks of the college football season always brings us some of the nation's top rivalries, and that is the case again this year. There is a minimum of 13 rivalry games this weekend, highlighted by Missouri-Kansas, Texas-Texas A&M, Ohio State-Michigan and . Here's a look at some, if not all, of them.
Texas-Texas A&M
This is the first time the teams have met without Texas (5-6, 2-5) ranked in the Top 25 since 1998, when the Longhorns defeated the then-No. 6 Aggies 26-24 on a late field goal. The Aggies started the season sluggishly, but have won five straight, pushing them into the top 20 in the country. The Longhorns were unable to recover from theirs and need a win to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1997 -- also the last time they had a losing season.
The football series between the two universities is the third longest running rivalry in all of college football. Since 1900, the last regular season football game is usually reserved for their matchup. Each school mentions the other in their fight song (Texas with "and it's goodbye to A&M" in Texas Fight and the Aggies singing about Texas for essentially the entire second verse of the Aggie War Hymn). In the past, mischief has preceded the annual game, such as "kidnapping" each other's mascots. The Longhorns lead the series 75-36-5.
Auburn-Alabama
The Iron Bowl is a common name for the college football game between the Auburn University Tigers and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Auburn and Alabama played their first football game in Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 22, 1893. Disagreement between the schools began immediately as Alabama considered the game to be the final matchup of the 1892 season and Auburn recorded it as the first of 1893. The series was indeed suspended after the 1907 game when the schools could not come to agreement over the amount of expenses to be paid players, as well as from where officials for the game should be obtained.
In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools." Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn (then named the Alabama Polytechnic Institute), and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series. The games would be played in Birmingham because it had the largest stadium in the state, 44,000-seat Legion Field, and the tickets would be split evenly between the two schools. Alabama won the first game when the series renewed 55–0, the most lopsided victory of the series.
Auburn desired to make the Iron Bowl a "home-and-home" series, and the schools reached an agreement where Auburn could play their home games for the Iron Bowl in Auburn starting in 1989 (except for the 1991 game, which was played at Legion Field), and Alabama would have a "home" ticket allocation for games in Legion Field. Since 1893, the Crimson Tide and Tigers have played 74 times. Alabama leads the all-time series, with 40 wins to Auburn's 33, with one tie. The game has been played in four cities: Auburn, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. Alabama leads the series in Birmingham (34–18–1). Auburn leads the series in Tuscaloosa (6–1–0) and Auburn (7–3–0). The series is tied in Montgomery (2–2–0).
Kansas-Missouri
The intense rivalry between the two universities can be traced to the open violence involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery elements that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of Missouri throughout the 1850s. These incidents were attempts by Missouri (a slave state) to influence whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. The term Bleeding Kansas is often used to refer to the pre-war conflict, culminating with the burning and looting of Osceola, Missouri in 1861 by James Lane's Kansas Jayhawkers, which was a contributing factor to the Lawrence Massacre reprisal two years later. The raid on Lawrence was led by William Quantrill, a Kansas citizen who had actually taught school in Lawrence prior to the Civil War. SI.com supervising producer Dan George summed up the rivalry by stating "It's more than the schools -- it's a state thing going back to before the Civil War, when William Quantrill's Confederate guerillas burned Lawrence and murdered nearly 200 people. Neither Missouri nor Kansas folks have forgotten it." Those on the Missouri side are quick to point out that the Jayhawkers were guilty of the same things - crossing into Missouri, leading brutal raids and burning towns, and that Quantrill was part of a group that almost burnt down Columbia due to it being a Union stronghold.
The 2007 football season brought the origins of the rivalry between the two states back into the spotlight. A t-shirt created by a Missouri alumnus gained national attention with its reference to Quantrill's Raid of 1863. The shirt depicted the burning of Lawrence in 1863 following the raid of William Quantrill and his Bushwhackers against the Jayhawkers of Kansas. The image of Lawrence burning was paired with the word “Scoreboard” and a Mizzou logo. On the back of the shirts, William Quantrill was quoted, saying "Our cause is just, our enemies many." Some Kansas fans interpreted these shirts as supporting slavery. KU supporters returned fire with a shirt depicting abolitionist John Brown with the words, “Kansas: Protecting America from Missouri since 1854.”
The Missouri-Kansas football series is the second-most-played rivalry in college football history. The teams first matched up in football on October 31, 1891. There have been 9 ties in the 118 games played. On November 24, 2007, the two teams entered the game both ranked in the top five in the nation: Kansas at #2 and Missouri at #3. On the heels of #1 LSU's loss the day before, Missouri won the game 36-28 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with a near-record 80,537 people (the second-largest crowd in stadium history) in attendance and the largest TV audience to watch any 2007 regular season game, and therefore became #1 in both the Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press polls.
Although 55-54-9 for MU is the official series result, there is an ongoing discussion about whether the 1960 games should have been counted as a win for Kansas, making the series 55-54-9 in their favor. The Big 8 forfeited the win to Missouri due to Kansas' ineligible player, Bert Coan. The University of Kansas still considers the game a Kansas win, fueling the controversy. Due to the Kansas win on the field, several other publications have also referenced the series record more to the favor of Kansas.
Texas-Texas A&M
This is the first time the teams have met without Texas (5-6, 2-5) ranked in the Top 25 since 1998, when the Longhorns defeated the then-No. 6 Aggies 26-24 on a late field goal. The Aggies started the season sluggishly, but have won five straight, pushing them into the top 20 in the country. The Longhorns were unable to recover from theirs and need a win to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1997 -- also the last time they had a losing season.
The football series between the two universities is the third longest running rivalry in all of college football. Since 1900, the last regular season football game is usually reserved for their matchup. Each school mentions the other in their fight song (Texas with "and it's goodbye to A&M" in Texas Fight and the Aggies singing about Texas for essentially the entire second verse of the Aggie War Hymn). In the past, mischief has preceded the annual game, such as "kidnapping" each other's mascots. The Longhorns lead the series 75-36-5.
Auburn-Alabama
The Iron Bowl is a common name for the college football game between the Auburn University Tigers and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Auburn and Alabama played their first football game in Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 22, 1893. Disagreement between the schools began immediately as Alabama considered the game to be the final matchup of the 1892 season and Auburn recorded it as the first of 1893. The series was indeed suspended after the 1907 game when the schools could not come to agreement over the amount of expenses to be paid players, as well as from where officials for the game should be obtained.
In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools." Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn (then named the Alabama Polytechnic Institute), and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series. The games would be played in Birmingham because it had the largest stadium in the state, 44,000-seat Legion Field, and the tickets would be split evenly between the two schools. Alabama won the first game when the series renewed 55–0, the most lopsided victory of the series.
Auburn desired to make the Iron Bowl a "home-and-home" series, and the schools reached an agreement where Auburn could play their home games for the Iron Bowl in Auburn starting in 1989 (except for the 1991 game, which was played at Legion Field), and Alabama would have a "home" ticket allocation for games in Legion Field. Since 1893, the Crimson Tide and Tigers have played 74 times. Alabama leads the all-time series, with 40 wins to Auburn's 33, with one tie. The game has been played in four cities: Auburn, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. Alabama leads the series in Birmingham (34–18–1). Auburn leads the series in Tuscaloosa (6–1–0) and Auburn (7–3–0). The series is tied in Montgomery (2–2–0).
Kansas-Missouri
The intense rivalry between the two universities can be traced to the open violence involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery elements that took place in the Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of Missouri throughout the 1850s. These incidents were attempts by Missouri (a slave state) to influence whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. The term Bleeding Kansas is often used to refer to the pre-war conflict, culminating with the burning and looting of Osceola, Missouri in 1861 by James Lane's Kansas Jayhawkers, which was a contributing factor to the Lawrence Massacre reprisal two years later. The raid on Lawrence was led by William Quantrill, a Kansas citizen who had actually taught school in Lawrence prior to the Civil War. SI.com supervising producer Dan George summed up the rivalry by stating "It's more than the schools -- it's a state thing going back to before the Civil War, when William Quantrill's Confederate guerillas burned Lawrence and murdered nearly 200 people. Neither Missouri nor Kansas folks have forgotten it." Those on the Missouri side are quick to point out that the Jayhawkers were guilty of the same things - crossing into Missouri, leading brutal raids and burning towns, and that Quantrill was part of a group that almost burnt down Columbia due to it being a Union stronghold.
The 2007 football season brought the origins of the rivalry between the two states back into the spotlight. A t-shirt created by a Missouri alumnus gained national attention with its reference to Quantrill's Raid of 1863. The shirt depicted the burning of Lawrence in 1863 following the raid of William Quantrill and his Bushwhackers against the Jayhawkers of Kansas. The image of Lawrence burning was paired with the word “Scoreboard” and a Mizzou logo. On the back of the shirts, William Quantrill was quoted, saying "Our cause is just, our enemies many." Some Kansas fans interpreted these shirts as supporting slavery. KU supporters returned fire with a shirt depicting abolitionist John Brown with the words, “Kansas: Protecting America from Missouri since 1854.”
The Missouri-Kansas football series is the second-most-played rivalry in college football history. The teams first matched up in football on October 31, 1891. There have been 9 ties in the 118 games played. On November 24, 2007, the two teams entered the game both ranked in the top five in the nation: Kansas at #2 and Missouri at #3. On the heels of #1 LSU's loss the day before, Missouri won the game 36-28 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with a near-record 80,537 people (the second-largest crowd in stadium history) in attendance and the largest TV audience to watch any 2007 regular season game, and therefore became #1 in both the Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press polls.
Although 55-54-9 for MU is the official series result, there is an ongoing discussion about whether the 1960 games should have been counted as a win for Kansas, making the series 55-54-9 in their favor. The Big 8 forfeited the win to Missouri due to Kansas' ineligible player, Bert Coan. The University of Kansas still considers the game a Kansas win, fueling the controversy. Due to the Kansas win on the field, several other publications have also referenced the series record more to the favor of Kansas.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Week 7 College Football Observations
For seven weeks, we have been waiting for the so called "Upset Saturday." Well this past Saturday, we all got what we have been waiting for: seven Top 25 teams were knocked off by opponents either ranked lower than them or not ranked at all. The latter was the case in six of the seven upsets.
- For the second week in a row, the top-ranked team in the nation lost, this time Ohio State losing to Wisconsin on the Badgers' Homecoming date, 31-18. Wisconsin hadn't defeated a No. 1 since 1981, when the Badgers knocked off Michigan 21-14. For Ohio State, its national title hopes are in critical condition after a third straight loss as the No. 1 team in the country. The last two came in the 2007 season, to Illinois in the regular season and in the BCS title game to LSU. That season was also the last time No. 1 in the AP poll lost in consecutive weeks.
- Florida lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2003 and dropped three in a row for the first time since the Steve Spurrier era. Urban Meyer has accomplished something that former coach Ron Zook never did. Mississippi State won in Gainesville for the first time since 1965. They snapped a 16-game losing streak at Florida Field. It is the first time since 2004 that the Gators have not been ranked.
- Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman completed 15 passes in 16 attempts Thursday in the Wildcats' 59-7 romp at Kansas. That 93.8 completion percentage is the best among FBS players this season (min. 15 attempts). Kansas lost 55-7 to Baylor last week and 59-7 to Kansas State tonight. Kansas has been playing football since 1890. Only once before in school history have they have allowed at least 55 points in consecutive games. In 1988 they lost 63-24 to Oklahoma State on November 12 and 55-17 to Missouri on November 19.
- Missouri has allowed 65 points this season, including a shutout last week and nine points Saturday. That's the Tigers fewest through six games since 1973, when they allowed 49. It was the first time since 1967 that Missouri had held conference opponents scoreless for six straight quarters. Missouri is 6-0 for just the third time in the last 50 years and fifth ever.
- The Texas defense held Nebraska to 202 yards as the Longhorns beat the Huskers for the ninth time in 10 games since joining the Big 12. Nebraska ran for 125 yards. It was averaging over 337 yards a game on the ground entering Saturday, which ranked second in the nation. Texas ran for 209 yards. It averaged less than 130 on the ground entering the game. Nebraska had not trailed all season. Counting sacks, QB Garrett Gilbert entered with 19 career rushing yards. He had 51 in the 1st quarter
- Eastern Michigan head coach Ron English gets his 1st win. He started his career losing 18 straight games before finally winning on Saturday in overtime at Ball State. The Eagles trailed 28-7 in the second quarter, before scoring 28 unanswered points
- Colorado State ended a 10-game conference losing streak with a 43-10 victory over UNLV on Saturday.
- Auburn QB Cam Newton over 100 yards rushing for the 4th time in 7 games this season. In that same game, Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett left the game with a concussion
- Matt Barkley passed for 352 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns, and Southern California roared to a 42-point halftime lead while snapping its first losing streak in nine years with a 48-14 victory against California on Saturday. Cal hasn't won at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a decade. USC hadn't lost back-to-back games since early in 2001, former coach Pete Carroll's first season. The Trojans' dominant performance brightened a gloomy, gray day at the Coliseum, where USC had lost three of its past five games after a 47-1 stretch.
- Iowa won in Ann Arbor for the first time since 2002 despite allowing three fourth-quarter touchdowns. The Hawkeyes allowed more than seven points for the second time this season. Rich Rodriguez fell to 2-8 against AP top 25 teams as Michigan coach.
- SMU ended up losing its 20th consecutive nonconference road game, a streak that began after a win against Navy in 1998.
- Justin Blackmon had a career-high 207 yards receiving with a touchdown for Oklahoma State, who beat Texas Tech 34-17 on Saturday for its first win in Lubbock since 1944. Oklahoma State is 6-0 for the second time in three seasons. The Cowboys won their first seven games in 2008 before losing four of their last six. It was the first time the road team has won in this series since 2001 when the Red Raiders won in Stillwater.
- Ross Jenkins threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Louisiana Tech had 678 yards of offense in a 48-35 win over Idaho on Saturday. The Bulldogs needed their fifth-highest offensive total in school history as the Vandals totaled 526 offensive yards.
- Kentucky had its first win over a ranked team since beating then-No. 1 LSU in 2007. South Carolina's win over Alabama last week was the seventh win at home by a team ranked outside of the top 10 over a conference opponent ranked No. 1. The Gamecocks became the fourth straight such team to lose the following Saturday.
- T.J. Yates threw for three touchdowns and North Carolina won for the first time since 1981 at Scott Stadium, beating Virginia 44-10 Saturday night.
- North Texas is on their fourth starting quarterback of the season, after Chase Baine had to replace Riley Dodge two weeks ago. Dodge recently had surgery to insert a screw in his broken wrist.
- The San Diego State Aztecs beat a ranked team for the first time since defeating No. 16 Wyoming 28-24 on Nov. 7, 1996. Since then, they'd lost 25 straight games to ranked opponents. Overall, SDSU is 6-55 against ranked teams dating to 1973.
- San Jose State was outgained 537-80 by Boise State on the night, the fewest yards in a game for the Spartans since also getting 80 in a 13-12 win Stanford in 1971. The Broncos have the nation's longest active win streak at 20 straight games. They've also won 16 straight road games, 18 straight conference games, and 31 straight regular season games. All of their marks are the longest active streaks in the nation.
- Alabama has won 10 straight home games vs. Ole Miss. It's 24-1 overall in Tuscaloosa against the Rebels.
- After an upset loss at Hawaii, Nevada remains winless at Hawaii since joining the WAC in 2000, falling to 0-6 and hasn't won at Hawaii since 1948
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Football Preview: Missouri
In the early 2000's, an eight-win season would be considered a great success for the Missouri Tigers. But that isn't the case anymore and for a fan base that now expects nine wins or more, last season's 8-5 season could have been seen by some as a disappointment. But unlike last year, when the Tigers were one of the youngest teams in the country, the team brings back 16 starters and many others who have seen the field in their days in the Black and Gold.
Offense - The team brings back seven starters from last year's squad, most notably quarterback Blaine Gabbert. But it is replacing who the offense lost that will define the season. Last year's top two receivers, Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, both have moved onto the NFL. The team will also be without two-year starting running back and co-captain Derrick Washington, as he has encountered some legal problems that have caused him to be permanently suspended.
As of right now, Gabbert is the star of the offense and deservedly so. He is only the most recent quarterback at a school that has had some of the best quarterbacks in the nation since 2002. Gabbert is coming off a sophomore year where he threw for 3,593 yards, 24 touchdowns and only nine interceptions, despite playing with a severely injured ankle for half the season. As was the case last year, the quarterbacks will be very inexperienced behind Gabbert. Gabbert's backup is a true freshman from Texas, James Franklin, who has impressed coaches so much that he has moved past returning players Jimmy Costello and Ashton Glaser to win the backup role. In fact, Glaser, a redshirt freshman, has also moved past Costello, who was Gabbert's backup last season. The team also has Gabbert's younger brother, Tyler, who will be another highly recruited true freshman in the fall.
The loss of Washington can be one that is devastating to the Tiger offense. It could also be a blessing in disguise, as it will give Mizzou an opportunity to see some of the younger players. The team will look to sophomore Kendial Lawrence or De'Vion Moore to carry the load. Lawrence was a Parade All-American in his senior year of high school and rushed for 219 yards as a true freshman. Moore is coming into his junior year after backing up Washington last year as well. He rushed for 258 yards and a touchdown in 2009. The other two players on the depth chart are true freshmen Henry Josey and Marcus Murphy.
Replacing Perry and Alexander will be key for the Tiger offense. The two helped combine for 66 percent of the receiving yards lost. But the cupboard isn't bare in Columbia. The team does return numerous players who saw action last year, as well as a cast of young players who will be looking to make their mark. Wes Kemp started all 13 games for the Tigers last year and caught 23 balls for 418 yards and three touchdowns. The only other player with starting experience, Jerrell Jackson, is coming off of wrist surgery. Jackson, however, is the team's top returning receiver after he had 37 catches for 458 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore T.J. Moe will be the other starter in the Missouri spread attack. The Tigers also have redshirt freshmen L'Damian Washington and Jaleel Clark, sophomores Rolandis Woodland and Gahn McGaffie, as well as highly regarded true freshmen Bud Sasser and Marcus Lucas. The Tigers will be young at the receiver position but quite talented. The team is also one who uses the tight end in the spread offense and numerous players who have seen playing time return there as well. Michael Egnew will be looking to make his first start of the year as he replaces last year's starter, junior Andrew Jones.
Defense - The defense returns eight starters from last year's team, one which finished 26th in rushing defense. The team does lose linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, but the teams' recruiting has prepared them to overcome such a great loss.
End Aldon Smith, is back for his second time around in a Tiger uniform, and he’s looking to build on his redshirt freshman season from a year ago that saw him earn Big 12 Defensive Freshman & Newcomer of the Year, as well as 1st-Team Freshman All-American honors. Smith ended his freshman season with 64 tackles, including team-high totals in tackles for loss (19) and sacks (11.5). The sack total broke the MU single-season sacks record of 11.0 set in 2000 by All-American DE Justin Smith, who has been in the NFL for a decade now. Smith’s sack total led all of the NCAA’s freshmen in 2010, and ranked 9th among all players. Dominique Hamilton started 12 games last year and pitched in with 46 tackles. The other two starters on the line figure to be Terrell Resonno and Jacquies Smith.
Replacing Weatherspoon's 111 tackles will be no easy task, but the Tigers will look to sophomore Zaviar Gooden, who saw action in all 13 games last season. Gooden has improved his speed this offseason and hopes to provide Missouri a spark at the third linebacker position. Andrew Gachkar returns as another linebacker after finishing second on the team in tackles with a career-high 80, in 2009. The middle linebacker position looked to be a battle between Luke Lambert and Will Ebner, until Ebner
The defensive secondary boasts five players who have started games in their Missouri careers. Of those five, four are seniors. Jasper Simmons returns at the free safety position after finishing fourth on the team with 73 tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Corner Carl Gettis started every game last year for the Tigers, on the way to 61 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Fellow senior Kevin Rutland started opposite of Gettis in all 13 games. He came up with 47 tackles and a team-high two interceptions. Kenji Jackson and Jarrell Harrison split time at the strong safety spot and it looks as if they will continue to do the same in 2010. Harrison was in on 47 tackles and three passes broken up. He also chipped in with two tackles for loss, an interception and a sack. Jackson, on the other hand, had 41 tackles, one for loss and one pass broken up. A good but also potentially bad thing for the secondary is that there is little experience behind the starters, as most are either sophomores or redshirt freshmen.
Recruiting - Missouri signed 23 recruits in it's 2010 class and nine of them will play this year. James Franklin checks in as the backup quarterback after having a stellar career in the state of Texas, a state Missouri has recruited very well. He comes in after being ranked no lower than No. 11 on any quarterback list. As a senior, he threw for 2,360 yards, rushed for 1,282 yards and accounted for 41 total touchdowns. Marcus Lucas and Bud Sasser are both third on the depth chart at receiver positions and deservedly so. Lucas comes in as a four star recruit and, despite being blanketed his senior year, still managed to come up with 38 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns. Sasser finished with 64 catches for 1,250 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns. The only defensive player getting playing time will be defensive back E.J. Gaines. He had a monster senior season, as he ran for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 400 yards, while also starring in the secondary by making 72 tackles and 2 interceptions. This is after a junior season where he had 89 tackles and five interceptions and a sophomore year when he had 88 tackles and five picks as well.
Schedule - As they have for the majority of the decade, the Tigers start the season with a game against Illinois in St. Louis. This, however, will be the last game of the Arch Rivalry for the foreseeable future. The team then gets its next four games at home, while preparing for the rough stretch of the season. The four games include tilts against McNeese State, San Diego State, Miami (Ohio) and Colorado. The Tigers have a good shot at being 5-0 as they head to a grueling four-game stretch which will ultimately decide what type of season it will be. The stretch starts off with a game at Texas A&M before the Homecoming game against Oklahoma. Did you know Missouri is home to the first-ever Homecoming? The team finishes the rough stretch with away games at Nebraska and Texas Tech. The Tigers then finish with a home game against Kansas State, a road game at Iowa State and the traditional regular season finale against Kansas in Kansas City.
Offense - The team brings back seven starters from last year's squad, most notably quarterback Blaine Gabbert. But it is replacing who the offense lost that will define the season. Last year's top two receivers, Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, both have moved onto the NFL. The team will also be without two-year starting running back and co-captain Derrick Washington, as he has encountered some legal problems that have caused him to be permanently suspended.
As of right now, Gabbert is the star of the offense and deservedly so. He is only the most recent quarterback at a school that has had some of the best quarterbacks in the nation since 2002. Gabbert is coming off a sophomore year where he threw for 3,593 yards, 24 touchdowns and only nine interceptions, despite playing with a severely injured ankle for half the season. As was the case last year, the quarterbacks will be very inexperienced behind Gabbert. Gabbert's backup is a true freshman from Texas, James Franklin, who has impressed coaches so much that he has moved past returning players Jimmy Costello and Ashton Glaser to win the backup role. In fact, Glaser, a redshirt freshman, has also moved past Costello, who was Gabbert's backup last season. The team also has Gabbert's younger brother, Tyler, who will be another highly recruited true freshman in the fall.
The loss of Washington can be one that is devastating to the Tiger offense. It could also be a blessing in disguise, as it will give Mizzou an opportunity to see some of the younger players. The team will look to sophomore Kendial Lawrence or De'Vion Moore to carry the load. Lawrence was a Parade All-American in his senior year of high school and rushed for 219 yards as a true freshman. Moore is coming into his junior year after backing up Washington last year as well. He rushed for 258 yards and a touchdown in 2009. The other two players on the depth chart are true freshmen Henry Josey and Marcus Murphy.
Replacing Perry and Alexander will be key for the Tiger offense. The two helped combine for 66 percent of the receiving yards lost. But the cupboard isn't bare in Columbia. The team does return numerous players who saw action last year, as well as a cast of young players who will be looking to make their mark. Wes Kemp started all 13 games for the Tigers last year and caught 23 balls for 418 yards and three touchdowns. The only other player with starting experience, Jerrell Jackson, is coming off of wrist surgery. Jackson, however, is the team's top returning receiver after he had 37 catches for 458 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore T.J. Moe will be the other starter in the Missouri spread attack. The Tigers also have redshirt freshmen L'Damian Washington and Jaleel Clark, sophomores Rolandis Woodland and Gahn McGaffie, as well as highly regarded true freshmen Bud Sasser and Marcus Lucas. The Tigers will be young at the receiver position but quite talented. The team is also one who uses the tight end in the spread offense and numerous players who have seen playing time return there as well. Michael Egnew will be looking to make his first start of the year as he replaces last year's starter, junior Andrew Jones.
Defense - The defense returns eight starters from last year's team, one which finished 26th in rushing defense. The team does lose linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, but the teams' recruiting has prepared them to overcome such a great loss.
End Aldon Smith, is back for his second time around in a Tiger uniform, and he’s looking to build on his redshirt freshman season from a year ago that saw him earn Big 12 Defensive Freshman & Newcomer of the Year, as well as 1st-Team Freshman All-American honors. Smith ended his freshman season with 64 tackles, including team-high totals in tackles for loss (19) and sacks (11.5). The sack total broke the MU single-season sacks record of 11.0 set in 2000 by All-American DE Justin Smith, who has been in the NFL for a decade now. Smith’s sack total led all of the NCAA’s freshmen in 2010, and ranked 9th among all players. Dominique Hamilton started 12 games last year and pitched in with 46 tackles. The other two starters on the line figure to be Terrell Resonno and Jacquies Smith.
Replacing Weatherspoon's 111 tackles will be no easy task, but the Tigers will look to sophomore Zaviar Gooden, who saw action in all 13 games last season. Gooden has improved his speed this offseason and hopes to provide Missouri a spark at the third linebacker position. Andrew Gachkar returns as another linebacker after finishing second on the team in tackles with a career-high 80, in 2009. The middle linebacker position looked to be a battle between Luke Lambert and Will Ebner, until Ebner
The defensive secondary boasts five players who have started games in their Missouri careers. Of those five, four are seniors. Jasper Simmons returns at the free safety position after finishing fourth on the team with 73 tackles, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Corner Carl Gettis started every game last year for the Tigers, on the way to 61 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Fellow senior Kevin Rutland started opposite of Gettis in all 13 games. He came up with 47 tackles and a team-high two interceptions. Kenji Jackson and Jarrell Harrison split time at the strong safety spot and it looks as if they will continue to do the same in 2010. Harrison was in on 47 tackles and three passes broken up. He also chipped in with two tackles for loss, an interception and a sack. Jackson, on the other hand, had 41 tackles, one for loss and one pass broken up. A good but also potentially bad thing for the secondary is that there is little experience behind the starters, as most are either sophomores or redshirt freshmen.
Recruiting - Missouri signed 23 recruits in it's 2010 class and nine of them will play this year. James Franklin checks in as the backup quarterback after having a stellar career in the state of Texas, a state Missouri has recruited very well. He comes in after being ranked no lower than No. 11 on any quarterback list. As a senior, he threw for 2,360 yards, rushed for 1,282 yards and accounted for 41 total touchdowns. Marcus Lucas and Bud Sasser are both third on the depth chart at receiver positions and deservedly so. Lucas comes in as a four star recruit and, despite being blanketed his senior year, still managed to come up with 38 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns. Sasser finished with 64 catches for 1,250 yards and a school-record 24 touchdowns. The only defensive player getting playing time will be defensive back E.J. Gaines. He had a monster senior season, as he ran for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 400 yards, while also starring in the secondary by making 72 tackles and 2 interceptions. This is after a junior season where he had 89 tackles and five interceptions and a sophomore year when he had 88 tackles and five picks as well.
Schedule - As they have for the majority of the decade, the Tigers start the season with a game against Illinois in St. Louis. This, however, will be the last game of the Arch Rivalry for the foreseeable future. The team then gets its next four games at home, while preparing for the rough stretch of the season. The four games include tilts against McNeese State, San Diego State, Miami (Ohio) and Colorado. The Tigers have a good shot at being 5-0 as they head to a grueling four-game stretch which will ultimately decide what type of season it will be. The stretch starts off with a game at Texas A&M before the Homecoming game against Oklahoma. Did you know Missouri is home to the first-ever Homecoming? The team finishes the rough stretch with away games at Nebraska and Texas Tech. The Tigers then finish with a home game against Kansas State, a road game at Iowa State and the traditional regular season finale against Kansas in Kansas City.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
NCAA Softball Super Regionals Part 1
So last week I previewed some of the Regionals in the NCAA Softball Tournament. Well, 16 teams advanced to the Super Regionals portion and I am going to do a quick preview of those. This is a head-to-head best two-of-three series. The winner goes to The College World Series.
Super-Regional # 1 : Alabama vs. Hawaii
Alabama: The top-seeded Crimson Tide, behind the bat of freshman Courtney Conley and the arm of junior Kelsi Dunne, the No. 1 seeded Alabama softball team claimed the NCAA Softball Tuscaloosa Regional Championship Sunday afternoon, defeating Lipscomb 6-0.
With the win the Crimson Tide improves to 51-9 and ties the school record with its 27th straight victory. The regional title is the sixth in a row and eighth overall for Alabama.
Dunne (29-4) earned her second win of the weekend on the strength of a 14-strikeout, two-hit shutout. The win is the 16th in a row for the right-hander. She had 10 strikeouts in the first game against Lipscomb, while only allowing five hits in that game.
The team wasn't really challenged, cruising past Alcorn State 9-0 before beating Lipscomb twice, 5-2 and 6-0. Kayla Braud led the team with a homer and four RBI on the weekend, while Conley added three RBI of her own.
Hawaii - It is the second time in school history that the 'Bows have advanced to the Super Regionals. Hawaii is the only school in the WAC to make it to the "sweet sixteen" in softball.
Kelly Majam hit her 29th home run in the Regional-clinching win. Traci Yoshikawa, Melissa Gonzalez, Jenna Rodriguez, and Katie Grimes added homers in the 7-1 win over Texas Tech. As a team, the 'Bows had six players hit .300 or over for the Regionals, outscoring their opponents 23-6 with eight home runs and 23 RBI. The team has combined to hit 149 home runs as a whole, having two players, Gonzalez (25) and Majam (29) with over 25 home runs, as well as five players with over 50 RBI, led by Gonzalez's 60.
Missouri - For the first time in the history of the program, the Missouri softball team will play host to the NCAA Super Regional round. The Tigers advance to the Super Regional for the third consecutive season after winning the Columbia Regional on Sunday. Mizzou used a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Creighton on Friday before defeating Illinois 3-1 on Saturday, setting up a 4-2 victory over the Illini again on Sunday to clinch the title. Missouri looks to return to the Women's College World Series for the second straight year.
The Tigers used a balanced effort offensively over the weekend, as Catherine Lee, Nicole Hudson and Ashley Fleming each had thee RBI on the weekend. Rhea Taylor raised her stolen base total to 45, which is third on the all-time season list, and her 62 runs scored are second, behind her record of 64 set in her freshman year, 2008.
Although the offense was balanced, the star of the weekend was pitcher Kristin Nottleman, who improved her record to 22-7 on the season with her three wins during the Regional. She had 14 strikeouts over the three games, including 11 in the two games against Illinois.
Missouri is 2-1 against Oregon, winning last year in the San Diego Classic, 8-7 in eight innings.
Oregon - The No. 20-ranked University of Oregon softball team (36-19) battled back for a dramatic 4-3, eighth-inning victory over the NCAA tournament’s eighth overall seed Georgia Tech (51-11) Sunday afternoon at Mewborn Field to earn its first Super Regional trip since 1989.
The team was 12-15 against NCAA Tournament teams, including wins over seeded teams Arizona, Washington, California and Arizona State.
Sam Pappas is the main threat for the Ducks, as she leads the team in HR (11), RBI (48) and stolen bases (11), while having the second highest batting average at .389. Allie Burger leads the team in the postseason with a .545 average, while Kaylan Howard leads the team with one home run and five RBI.
Jessica Moore leads the team with a 16-7 record and a 1.87 ERA. She ahs struck out 232 batters this year while walking only 66. Moore has pitched 18 1/3 innings in three postseason games, striking out 16. In the postseason, Mikayla Endicott has struck out four of the five batters she has faced.
Super-Regional # 3: UCLA vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
UCLA - The Bruins are hosting their third Super-Regional in a row. Last year they were upset by an unseeded Missouri team in three games.
Arizona State: The Regional Championship was the fifth consecutive for the 13th-seeded Sun Devils. They managed to make it through the Regional without dropping a game, dispatching Boston University and an underrated Long Island University team twice.
If the Devils' schedule didn't prepare them for postseason play, I don't know what can. They faced 17 tournament teams, including 11 nonconference foes.
The team has always been known as one to pack an offensive punch and that has continued to be the case this year. Of their regular starters, all of them except one are hitting above .300 and three have double-digit home runs, as well as four who have over 40 RBI. Katelyn Boyd is the table-setter, as she leads the team in average (.414), hits (70), home runs (15), RBI (49) and stolen bases (27). Lesley Rogers is a perfect 22-of-22 on the basepaths.
Hilary Bach is the ace of the staff, having compiled a 25-7 record in 37 appearances. She picked up two wins on the weekend, while Megan Elliott pitched a gem in the first game against LIU, only giving up four hits in over five innings.
ASU is 2-1 against Florida, with their last meeting being a loss last year, 8-2.
Florida - The fourth-seeded University of Florida softball team used a 13-3, five-inning victory over FIU on Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in front of 1,503 fans to advance to its fourth straight NCAA Super Regional appearance. With the three Regional wins, Florida improved its all-time record to 16-15 in NCAA Regional action and 29-21 overall in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators finished the season 10-1 against in-state rivals, defeating all three Florida teams in the Gainesville Regional. Florida is hosting Super Regionals for the third time in program history
Part 2, the other side of the bracket will try to be up before I leave for Cleveland Thursday afternoon.
Super-Regional # 1 : Alabama vs. Hawaii
Alabama: The top-seeded Crimson Tide, behind the bat of freshman Courtney Conley and the arm of junior Kelsi Dunne, the No. 1 seeded Alabama softball team claimed the NCAA Softball Tuscaloosa Regional Championship Sunday afternoon, defeating Lipscomb 6-0.
With the win the Crimson Tide improves to 51-9 and ties the school record with its 27th straight victory. The regional title is the sixth in a row and eighth overall for Alabama.
Dunne (29-4) earned her second win of the weekend on the strength of a 14-strikeout, two-hit shutout. The win is the 16th in a row for the right-hander. She had 10 strikeouts in the first game against Lipscomb, while only allowing five hits in that game.
The team wasn't really challenged, cruising past Alcorn State 9-0 before beating Lipscomb twice, 5-2 and 6-0. Kayla Braud led the team with a homer and four RBI on the weekend, while Conley added three RBI of her own.
Hawaii - It is the second time in school history that the 'Bows have advanced to the Super Regionals. Hawaii is the only school in the WAC to make it to the "sweet sixteen" in softball.
Sophomore pitcher, Stephanie Ricketts, earned her third complete game win of the Regional. She comes into Super Regionals with a 27-7 record and 2.35 ERA. Kaia Parnaby has been a stud on the mound for the Rainbows as well, putting up a 19-6 record and 2.89 ERA.
The 16th-seeded Rainbows went 12-11 against NCAA teams this year, including a win over 11th-seeded California.
Super-Regional # 2: Missouri vs. Oregon
Missouri - For the first time in the history of the program, the Missouri softball team will play host to the NCAA Super Regional round. The Tigers advance to the Super Regional for the third consecutive season after winning the Columbia Regional on Sunday. Mizzou used a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Creighton on Friday before defeating Illinois 3-1 on Saturday, setting up a 4-2 victory over the Illini again on Sunday to clinch the title. Missouri looks to return to the Women's College World Series for the second straight year.
The Tigers used a balanced effort offensively over the weekend, as Catherine Lee, Nicole Hudson and Ashley Fleming each had thee RBI on the weekend. Rhea Taylor raised her stolen base total to 45, which is third on the all-time season list, and her 62 runs scored are second, behind her record of 64 set in her freshman year, 2008.
Although the offense was balanced, the star of the weekend was pitcher Kristin Nottleman, who improved her record to 22-7 on the season with her three wins during the Regional. She had 14 strikeouts over the three games, including 11 in the two games against Illinois.
Missouri is 2-1 against Oregon, winning last year in the San Diego Classic, 8-7 in eight innings.
Oregon - The No. 20-ranked University of Oregon softball team (36-19) battled back for a dramatic 4-3, eighth-inning victory over the NCAA tournament’s eighth overall seed Georgia Tech (51-11) Sunday afternoon at Mewborn Field to earn its first Super Regional trip since 1989.
The team was 12-15 against NCAA Tournament teams, including wins over seeded teams Arizona, Washington, California and Arizona State.
Sam Pappas is the main threat for the Ducks, as she leads the team in HR (11), RBI (48) and stolen bases (11), while having the second highest batting average at .389. Allie Burger leads the team in the postseason with a .545 average, while Kaylan Howard leads the team with one home run and five RBI.
Jessica Moore leads the team with a 16-7 record and a 1.87 ERA. She ahs struck out 232 batters this year while walking only 66. Moore has pitched 18 1/3 innings in three postseason games, striking out 16. In the postseason, Mikayla Endicott has struck out four of the five batters she has faced.
Super-Regional # 3: UCLA vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
UCLA - The Bruins are hosting their third Super-Regional in a row. Last year they were upset by an unseeded Missouri team in three games.
The Bruins went 17-9 against NCAA Teams this year, facing teams such as Michigan and Ohio State in their nonconference portion of the schedule, in addition to their tough Pac 10 schedule.
Megan Langenfeld, when healthy, is one of the most dangerous dual-threats in college softball and that has been the case this year. While she has not been as great of a presence on the mund, her production at the plate is something to be in awe of. She has knocked out 16 home runs on her way to a team-high 49 RBI. Her 16 HR are matched by teammate Julie Burney, who also has 44 RBI. Andrea Harrison (13) and Samantha Camuso (11) each have double digit home runs as well.
Donna Kerr has been the UCLA workhorse this year, starting a team-high 29 of 54 games. Despite this fact, she is one of three pitchers who has double digit wins on the year. She holds an 18-7 record and 2.41 ERA, while teammates Langenfeld and Aleah Macon each have 10-1 records. Macon leads the team with a 0.92 ERA.
Louisiana-Lafayette: A complete team effort secured Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns softball team a spot at the NCAA Super Regionals after the Cajuns downed Texas A&M, 6-1, at LSU's Tiger Park in the Baton Rouge Regional Championship.
The Cajuns put on a hitting clinic, rattling off 14 hits, including a three-run home run by Gabriele Bridges. Eight Cajuns recorded a hit in the win with Vallie Gaspard, Melissa Verde, Nerissa Myers and Bridges boasting multi-hit performances. For the day, UL posted at least two hits in each inning.
For her effort, Bridges was tabbed as the Baton Rouge Regional's Most Valuable Player. For the weekend, the junior first baseman hit .444. She had four hits, three of which went for extra bases, a slugging percentage of 1.222. She racked up six RBI in nine at bats against the competition.
Gabrielle Bridges leads the Cajuns with 17 HR and 55 RBI, while Chrisiy Orgeron has 15 HR and 56 RBI.
Brittany Cuevas was stellar in the circle. In the complete game victory, the senior hurler allowed just four hits and forced the Aggies into 12 ground outs. She struck out three, including the final out, to improve to 22-7 this season. She is only one part of a stellar two-headed monster. Her counterpart in the circle is Donna Bourgeois, who leads the team with 23 wins and a 1.78 ERA.
The Cajuns went 8-10 against NCAA teams this year.
Super-Regional # 4: Arizona State vs. Florida
Arizona State: The Regional Championship was the fifth consecutive for the 13th-seeded Sun Devils. They managed to make it through the Regional without dropping a game, dispatching Boston University and an underrated Long Island University team twice.
If the Devils' schedule didn't prepare them for postseason play, I don't know what can. They faced 17 tournament teams, including 11 nonconference foes.
The team has always been known as one to pack an offensive punch and that has continued to be the case this year. Of their regular starters, all of them except one are hitting above .300 and three have double-digit home runs, as well as four who have over 40 RBI. Katelyn Boyd is the table-setter, as she leads the team in average (.414), hits (70), home runs (15), RBI (49) and stolen bases (27). Lesley Rogers is a perfect 22-of-22 on the basepaths.
Hilary Bach is the ace of the staff, having compiled a 25-7 record in 37 appearances. She picked up two wins on the weekend, while Megan Elliott pitched a gem in the first game against LIU, only giving up four hits in over five innings.
ASU is 2-1 against Florida, with their last meeting being a loss last year, 8-2.
Florida - The fourth-seeded University of Florida softball team used a 13-3, five-inning victory over FIU on Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in front of 1,503 fans to advance to its fourth straight NCAA Super Regional appearance. With the three Regional wins, Florida improved its all-time record to 16-15 in NCAA Regional action and 29-21 overall in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators finished the season 10-1 against in-state rivals, defeating all three Florida teams in the Gainesville Regional. Florida is hosting Super Regionals for the third time in program history
Stephanie Brombacher picked up wins in all three games, improving her record to 32-6, while only giving up three runs and eight hits the entire weekend. She has struck out 221 batters over her 199 innings pitched.
The Gator offense is stacked as well, as no player is hitting below .266. Francesca Enea leads the team with 20 home runs and 65 RBI. She leads a total of four players who have hit 13 or more home runs on the year. In addition five players have over 40 RBI. Florida also has some speed on the basepaths, swiping 75 of 95 opportunities.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
NCAA Softball Tournament Part 2
The next Regional may be the most balanced. The Missouri Regional has three teams in the top 20 RPI rankings.
Regional # 9: Hosted by the University of Missouri
Missouri - Coming off of a dream season that saw them make the College World Series, the Tigers will be hosting a Regional for the second year in a row and will be joined by Illinois, DePaul and Creighton. Illinois and DePaul were in Missouri's Regional last year as well. Missouri is coming off of a loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game, but has won 10 of its last 13 games and 19 of its last 22.
The Tigers have faced 15 NCAA Tournament teams, including Alabama, Arizona and Michigan, amongst others, in non conference play, going 13-11 against those foes. While the record may not be sparkling, the team did take two-of-three from Alabama, split with Arizona and defeated Michigan. Most of their struggles came as they were trying to recover from the loss of star pitcher Chelsea Thomas for the season, but they have obviously regrouped nicely and ended the regular season on a high note.
After losing some of their big boppers from last year, one would have thought that the offense would not be as prolific as last year. But thanks to a junior transfer and a couple freshmen that has turned out not to be true. Rhea Taylor, as she has been her first two years, continues to be the table setter for the Tiger offense, leading the entire Big 12 with a .455 average and 41 steals. Taylor has 134 career steals in three years, a Mizzou record. Freshman Jenna Marston is only two players below with a .389 average and 55 RBI. Ashley Flemming and Marla Schweisberger are tied for the lead in home runs with nine, while frosh Nicole Hudson has eight, Taylor seven and Marston five.
The Tiger pitching staff took a big hit in mid-March when ace Chelsea Thomas went down with an arm injury. After the injury sophomore Kristin Nottelman and senior Jana Hainey were thrown into the fire more than they had originally planned. Nottelman brings a 19-7 record to the tournament and Hainey checks in at 10-2. Nottelman has struck out 135 hitters on the year.
Illinois - Illinois is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and second straight (both in Columbia). The Illini are 5-6 all-time in the tournament, going 4-2 and reaching the Regional Final in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. That year the 48-team field consisted of eight six-team regionals and was prior to the era of the Super Regionals. Illinois has the fewest losses (6) of any team in the tournament, tied with Washington and Michigan. The Illini have won 16 of their last 17 games. The only loss in that stretch has come to DePaul. The Illini won 12 straight prior to that meeting and ended the season winning four in a row.
The Illini have faced nine NCAA Tournament teams, compiling a 4-6 record against those teams. The team was scheduled to face Regional opponent Missouri in the Missouri Invitational, but the game was cancelled due to weather. Of the Regional opponents they have only faced DePaul, whom they lost to on May 6th.
Illinois is led by three hitters who are all hitting above .400. Danielle Zymkowitz leads the team in average at .421 and has swiped 35 bases. Meredith Hackett provides the power for the Illini, knocking 15 round trippers and leading the team in RBI with 55. Hollie Pinchback and Ashley Conrad add nine homers each and the aforementioned three are three of five players who have over 30 RBI.
Monica Perry and Pepper Gay make up a formidable 1-2 punch on the mound. Perry has gone 23-5, while Gay has a 16-1 record. Perry has struck out 163 and boasts a 2.30 ERA, while Gay has struck out 105 and has a 1.53 ERA.
DePaul - DePaul is headed back to the "Show-Me State" for the NCAA Championship tournament.
Last year, the Blue Demons advanced to the NCAA regional finals before losing to Missouri 1-0 on the Tigers' home field. This is the fourth-straight NCAA tournament appearance for DePaul and 13th in the last 14 years. They have a 1-0 record against Illinois in NCAA tournament play and are 3-1 against Missouri. They have never played Creighton in the NCAA tournament.
This year the Demons have played a total of 13 tournament teams and gone 10-12 against them. One of those 10 wins, however, includes a victory over the defending champs Washington Huskies. They also have a win over 16th seeded Hawaii.
Sam Plese leads a Demon offense that has six players hitting over .300, with a .356 average. The offense is pretty balanced however, as three hitters have over 30 RBI. All three lead DePaul in homers as Tara Voss leads the team with nine and Becca Heteniak and Brittney Yniguez have seven each.
As with other teams, the Demons have a solid two pitchers leading their staff. Heteniak is also a stud on the mound and if she gets hot, it will be tough for teams to beat DePaul. She leads the team in wins (20), ERA (1.77) and strikeouts (204). Her partner in crime, Bree Brown, has had a nice coming out party in her freshman year, going for an 16-5 record and 2.43 ERA. She adds an impressive 186 strikeouts.
Creighton - Creighton makes its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance when it travels to Columbia, Mo., for regional play this weekend. The Bluejays are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight years and the seventh under head coach Brent Vigness.
Creighton is 23-5 over its last 28 games after starting the season 14-16. They are 2-8 against NCAA Tournament opponents this year.
Regional # 9: Hosted by the University of Missouri
Missouri - Coming off of a dream season that saw them make the College World Series, the Tigers will be hosting a Regional for the second year in a row and will be joined by Illinois, DePaul and Creighton. Illinois and DePaul were in Missouri's Regional last year as well. Missouri is coming off of a loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game, but has won 10 of its last 13 games and 19 of its last 22.
The Tigers have faced 15 NCAA Tournament teams, including Alabama, Arizona and Michigan, amongst others, in non conference play, going 13-11 against those foes. While the record may not be sparkling, the team did take two-of-three from Alabama, split with Arizona and defeated Michigan. Most of their struggles came as they were trying to recover from the loss of star pitcher Chelsea Thomas for the season, but they have obviously regrouped nicely and ended the regular season on a high note.
After losing some of their big boppers from last year, one would have thought that the offense would not be as prolific as last year. But thanks to a junior transfer and a couple freshmen that has turned out not to be true. Rhea Taylor, as she has been her first two years, continues to be the table setter for the Tiger offense, leading the entire Big 12 with a .455 average and 41 steals. Taylor has 134 career steals in three years, a Mizzou record. Freshman Jenna Marston is only two players below with a .389 average and 55 RBI. Ashley Flemming and Marla Schweisberger are tied for the lead in home runs with nine, while frosh Nicole Hudson has eight, Taylor seven and Marston five.
The Tiger pitching staff took a big hit in mid-March when ace Chelsea Thomas went down with an arm injury. After the injury sophomore Kristin Nottelman and senior Jana Hainey were thrown into the fire more than they had originally planned. Nottelman brings a 19-7 record to the tournament and Hainey checks in at 10-2. Nottelman has struck out 135 hitters on the year.
Illinois - Illinois is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and second straight (both in Columbia). The Illini are 5-6 all-time in the tournament, going 4-2 and reaching the Regional Final in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. That year the 48-team field consisted of eight six-team regionals and was prior to the era of the Super Regionals. Illinois has the fewest losses (6) of any team in the tournament, tied with Washington and Michigan. The Illini have won 16 of their last 17 games. The only loss in that stretch has come to DePaul. The Illini won 12 straight prior to that meeting and ended the season winning four in a row.
The Illini have faced nine NCAA Tournament teams, compiling a 4-6 record against those teams. The team was scheduled to face Regional opponent Missouri in the Missouri Invitational, but the game was cancelled due to weather. Of the Regional opponents they have only faced DePaul, whom they lost to on May 6th.
Illinois is led by three hitters who are all hitting above .400. Danielle Zymkowitz leads the team in average at .421 and has swiped 35 bases. Meredith Hackett provides the power for the Illini, knocking 15 round trippers and leading the team in RBI with 55. Hollie Pinchback and Ashley Conrad add nine homers each and the aforementioned three are three of five players who have over 30 RBI.
Monica Perry and Pepper Gay make up a formidable 1-2 punch on the mound. Perry has gone 23-5, while Gay has a 16-1 record. Perry has struck out 163 and boasts a 2.30 ERA, while Gay has struck out 105 and has a 1.53 ERA.
DePaul - DePaul is headed back to the "Show-Me State" for the NCAA Championship tournament.
Last year, the Blue Demons advanced to the NCAA regional finals before losing to Missouri 1-0 on the Tigers' home field. This is the fourth-straight NCAA tournament appearance for DePaul and 13th in the last 14 years. They have a 1-0 record against Illinois in NCAA tournament play and are 3-1 against Missouri. They have never played Creighton in the NCAA tournament.
This year the Demons have played a total of 13 tournament teams and gone 10-12 against them. One of those 10 wins, however, includes a victory over the defending champs Washington Huskies. They also have a win over 16th seeded Hawaii.
Sam Plese leads a Demon offense that has six players hitting over .300, with a .356 average. The offense is pretty balanced however, as three hitters have over 30 RBI. All three lead DePaul in homers as Tara Voss leads the team with nine and Becca Heteniak and Brittney Yniguez have seven each.
As with other teams, the Demons have a solid two pitchers leading their staff. Heteniak is also a stud on the mound and if she gets hot, it will be tough for teams to beat DePaul. She leads the team in wins (20), ERA (1.77) and strikeouts (204). Her partner in crime, Bree Brown, has had a nice coming out party in her freshman year, going for an 16-5 record and 2.43 ERA. She adds an impressive 186 strikeouts.
Creighton - Creighton makes its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance when it travels to Columbia, Mo., for regional play this weekend. The Bluejays are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight years and the seventh under head coach Brent Vigness.
Creighton is 23-5 over its last 28 games after starting the season 14-16. They are 2-8 against NCAA Tournament opponents this year.
Creighton leads the MVC with a school-record 66 home runs this season. Renae Sinkler has an impressive 24 home runs, which is fourth in the nation and is enjoying the greatest offensive season in Creighton history, as she also owns school-records with 58 runs, 58 RBI and 144 total bases this season.
The Bluejays are led by a pitcher, Tara Oltman, who has been one of the best pitchers in the nation all four of her years as a starter. She enters the postseason with school and MVC career records in wins (118), strikeouts (1,076), appearances (185), starts (141), complete games (126) and innings (1,049.2). She was named the MVC Tournament MVP, going 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA, pitching every inning of the event. Oltman has a 22-12 record, 1.62 ERA and 281 strikeouts on the year.
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