Wednesday, December 31, 2008

INSIGHT BOWL PREVIEW

Kansas vs Minnesota on NFL Network at 6pm

Kansas Jayhawks will need quarterback Todd Reesing to have big game today throwing the ball. Todd has thrown for 3,575 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. This is way the Jayhawks are ranked number 7 in passing yards. Todd's main target in this game will be Dezmon Briscoe. Dezmon has 1,206 receiving yards with 12 receiving touchdowns. Kansas will have to rely on there offense to score alot of points to win this game. There defense isn't that bad, but they need to score points or this game could get ugly. If there defense can make a few stops then they will beable to win. There offense is going to score some points, it is up to the defense to make a stand.

The Golden Gophers need wide receiver Eric Decker to have a big game tonight if they want to win. He had 925 receiving yards with 6 receiving touchdowns. Decker is one of the best receivers in the Big Ten and if he can't get going to night then Minnesota is going to have some problems. If Decker can get open, and start to dominant then they will start to double team him and that will leave other guys wide open. The guy throwing Decker the ball is Adam Weber. Weber threw for 2,585 yards with 14 touchdowns passes. Weber needs to find the open receiver and move around the pocket to make things happen. Minnesota needs to play a great game on defense. Kansas has a good offense and Minnesota needs to force turnovers if they want this game. They need there front four to get in the backfield and force pressure on the quarterback.

My Pick- Minnesota - 24-21
Flip's Pick - Kansas- 30-20

My Player to watch - WR Erik Decker
Flip's Player to watch - Todd Reesing

Chick-Fil-A Bowl Preview

LSU vs Georgia Tech, 7:30PM on ESPN

Georgia Tech is the hottest team in the nation. Their option offense is been unstoppable lately. RB Jonathon Dwyer has averaged 110.7 rushing yards, leading the 3rd ranked rushing offense. Dwyer averaged 7.0 yards a carry during the regular season. The Yellow Jackets had 4 TD passes, but their play action can catch defenses off guard. Georgia Tech has a great defensive line that can get pressure on the QB, without needing the linebackers to blitz. The game is virtually a home game for the Yellow Jackets, playing at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

LSU has not played like Coach Les Miles has wanted them too. Their halfback, Charles Scott, averaged 92.4 rushing yards a game, 4th in the SEC and scored 15 TD's. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson will will need to stay calm, make accurate throws, and avoid any turnovers that could give the Yellow Jackets momentum. LSU wideout Demetrius Byrd has posed a threat for the secondary, expect him to see a lot of attention from Tech's defense. LSU is the defending National Champs, they know how to win bowl games, expect the team to be fired up.

Flip's Pick: Georgia Tech, 36-27
Chris's Pick: Georgia Tech, 42-37

Flip's Player 2 Watch: Georgia Tech's Offensive Linemen
Chris's Player 2 Watch: RB Jonathon Dwyer

SUN BOWL PREVIEW

Oregon State vs Pittsburgh 2pm on CBS

Leading the attack for the Pitt Panthers is running back LeSean McCoy. LeSean had 1,403 yards rushing on the year with 21 rushing yards. If the Big O-Line can block for McCoy then he will run all over Oregon state. If they can run the ball then they can air it out with quarterback Bill Stull. Stull threw for 2,304 passing yards with 9 touchdown passes. Stull can't make any stupid throws or it will be a long day for the Pitt defense. Pitt's defense will have to play physical going up against a good offense from Oregon state. If they can force three and outs then they are in good shape.


The Freshmen Star Jacquizz Rodgers will be the got to go today for the Beavers. Rodgers rushed for 1,253 yards and had 11 rushing touchdowns. Rogers will need blocking today if he wants to have a big game. If they can get a running game going then they can air to Sammie Stroughter, and Shane Morales. It will be hard to contain these guys if they get out in the open field. Oregon State will need to contain LeSean McCoy on defense. If they can stop him and make Pitt throw the ball, then they can maybe force a turnover.

My Pick: Oregon State 27-17
Flippy's Pick: Pitt 31-30

Player 2 Watch
My Pick: RB Jacquizz Rodger
Flippy's Pick:K Conor Lee

Music City Bowl Preview



Boston College vs Vanderbilt, 3:30 PM on ESPN


Freshman QB Dominique Davis is making his 3rd career start for the Eagles today. In the games he has played, Davis has 4 TD's and just over 500 passing yards. Boston College's big offensive linemen will need to open up holes for RB Montel Harris. The Eagles will win this game with their defense. Defensive Tackles Ron Brace and B.J Raji are dominant, and will make it tough for Vandy to estabilish the run. Boston College has a very good pass rush, which will force the Commodores to make quick, accurate throws. Before last week's loss to Virginia Tech, Boston College had a streak of 7 games in which that had scored a touchdown on defense or special teams.

Vandy QB Chris Nickson hit 55% of his passes when Vandy was 5-0, but 44% since then. Today, he will need to make accurate throws to avoid hits and sacks. Expect Vanderbilt to bring out different blitz packages and mix up their coverage to confuse QB Dominque Davis. Vandy will be without top sacker Broderick Stewart, who is sidelined with a broken leg. Vandy should have leading rusher Jared Hawkins back for the game, but don't be surprised if you see WR Jamie Graham take some time in the backfield. Vanderbilt basically has a home game today, playing about a mile from their campus.

Flip's Pick: Boston College, 20-13
Chris's Pick: Boston College, 27-20

Flip's Player 2 Watch: DT Ron Brace
Chris's Player 2 Watch: QB Dominque Davis

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL PREVIEW

Houston vs Air Force 12pm on ESPN

Houston will look for quarterback Case Keenum to continue his dominant play when he takes on Air Force. Keenum threw for 4,768 passing yards with 43 touchdown passes. Helping Keenum out at the wide receiver positions are Tyron Carrier, and Mark Hafner who have combined for 20 receiving touchdowns and 1,869 receiving yards. Houston's defense is going to have to force turnovers to win this game. We know that there offense is going to score points, but they need to play good defense, or there offense is going to have to score alot of points.


Air Force will need Todd Newell, and Asher Clark to have a big day running the ball. The running backs combined have rushed for 1,125 yards, and have rushed for 9 touchdowns. Air Force is ranked #5 in the run so they will be running the ball alot today. The Falcons defense must play good if they want to win. They are going against the number 1 offense in passing yards and total yards. If Air Force can make some key stops, then they might win this game

My Pick- Air Force 42- 38
Flippy's Pick- Houston 38-24

My Player 2 Watch: RB Todd Newell
Flip's Player 2 Watch: QB Case Keenum

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Texas Bowl Preview

Rice vs Western Michigan, 8PM

Rice has a dominant passing game, led by QB Chase Clement. He threw for 41 TD's and over 3,800 yards. Senior WR Jarett Diller has 19 TD's along with 1,224 receiving yards. Clement and Dillard have connected for 50 career TD's, an NCAA record for a passing duo. Dillard has atleast 2 catches in all of his 48 career games. Chase Clement has also rushed for 11 TD's, proving he's a running threat for opposing defenses. The Owls average 144.4 rushing yards, ranked 61st in the nation. Rice has 14 sacks in their last 6 games, but ranked last in pass defense in Conference USA.

The Western Michigan Broncos will rely on their defense tonight. They ranked 2nd in the MAC at 140.9 yards allowed. Cornerback London Fryar is a 2 time All-MAC performer, and DB Louis Delmas is one of the hardest hitters in the nation. QB Tim Hiller led the MAC with 293.9 yards per game and 34 TD's. The Broncos played terrible in their two key MAC matchups against Central Michigan and Ball State, losing by 10 to Central Michigan and 23 to Ball State.

Flip's Pick: Rice, 36-23
Chris's Pick: Rice, 24-23

Flip's Player 2 Watch: WR James Casey
Chris's Player 2 Watch: WR Jarret Dillard

Holiday Bowl Preview

Oklahoma State vs Oregon, 8 PM

Oklahoma State is led by QB Zac Robinson. During the season, Robinson threw for 24 TD's with only 8 INT's. He is lost in the Big 12 quarterback list, with names like Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell getting all the media attention. Sophomore RB Kendall Hunter ran for 1,518 yards and 14 TD's. He is the Big 12's leading rusher in a conference dominated by Quarterbacks. Backing up Hunter is Keith Toston, who found the endzone 9 times this year. Standout Wide Receiver Dez Bryant is an animal at catching, reeling in 18 TD's and over 1,300 yards. The Cowboys have a great special teams unit, led by punter Matt Fodge.

Oregon will look for Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to get thm going. Masoli threw for 1,486 and 12 TD's. The Ducks have a dynamic duo at tailback. Jeremiah Johnson, who rushed for 1,082, and Garrete Blount, who had 928 yards with 16 TD's, are a "Lightning Squared" threat. Wideout Terence Scott can threaten the secondary, along with big TE Ed Dickson. Oregon is riding all momentum into this game, with a big win over rival Oregon State. The Ducks have averaged 41.9 points per game, while the Cowboys average 41. 6.

Flip's Pick: Oklahoma State, 45-41
Chris's Pick: Oklahoma State, 35-31

Flip's Player 2 Watch: WR Dez Bryant
Chris's Player 2 Watch: QB Zac Robinson

Pistons End Orlando's Streak

The Magic held an 8 game winning streak going into last night's matchup with Detroit. The Magic left the stadium with their streak no longer intact. The Magic had their seven-game win streak snapped, dropping them to 11-4 on the road. Orlando's big man, Dwight Howard, scored 18 points while bringing in 18 rebounds and 3 blocks. Rashard Lewis led all scorers in the game with 23 points.
Rookie Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 19 points along with Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince who scored 16 points each. Detroit's Rodney Stuckey has averaged 21.4 points in his last five games. Allen Iverson had 15 points, which he considers not to be a good game for himself.

"I'm not used to seeing myself with 15 points and knowing that I had a good game," he said. "Before, even if I only had 20 points, I didn't think I was doing my job."

The Pistons have won four straight games and eight of nine against the Magic. Detroit now holds an 18-11 record, which is the 5th best record in the East. The Orlando Magic have the 3rd best record in East, 24-7, just behind Boston and Cleveland.

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Preview


Maryland vs Nevada, 4:30 PM

The Terrapins should be glad to make this bowl, as they went 1-3 to close out their regular season. Maryland must prepare for one of the nation's top offenses, Nevada. Th Wolf Pack have the 2nd best running game and 5th best passing game in all of college football. If the Wolf Pack can get rolling on offense, the Terrapins may have a very long day.

Maryland is led by Junior QB Chris Turner. He threw for over 1,100 yards with 11 TD's, but struggled this season with throwing interceptions. He goes up against a Nevada defense that ranks last in pass defense. Maryland's halfback, Da'Rel Scott, goes up against a stout defense. The Wolf pack have specialized in stopping the run, ranked 3rd in the nation for run defense. Maryland will need to put up up points to keep up with the Wolf Pack's high, octane offense.

Nevada averaged 510.6 yards on the season, 5th in the nation, and has scored 41.0 points per game since a 69-17 loss to then-No. 6 Missouri on Sept. 13. Vai Taua leads the Wolf Pack in rushing with 1,420 yards and 14 TD's. Sophomore QB Colin Kaepernick is the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. Colin passed for 2,479 yards and 19 TDs while rushing for 1,115 yards and 16 scores. Senior WR Marko Mitchell has over a 1,00 receiving yards while reaching the endzone 9 times.


Flip's Pick: Nevada, 43-20
Jeezy's Pick: Maryland, 28-14


Flip's Player 2 Watch: QB Colin Kaepernick
Jeezy's Player 2 Watch: QB Chris Turner

Monday, December 29, 2008

From Worst to First

The Chargers were 4-8 and stuck in last place, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The Chargers amazingly won 3 in a row, while the Broncos lost 3 in a row. The Chargers forced a Week 17 game for the AFC West title. The Broncos held onto 1st place for 16 weeks, never in 2nd place once this season. San Diego appeared to have no chance after Week 12 to make the playoffs, but they have battled back to set up this AFC West rivalry game.

The Chargers entered the game with all the momentum. The Chargers showed why they deserve a playoff spot, blowing out Denver 52-21. The Chargers got 3 TD's from LaDanian Tomlinson, while Darren Sproles rushed for 115 and 1 TD. In addition, FB Jacob Hester scored a TD in the final minutes. San Diego totaled 2839 rushing yards, compared to Denver's 90 yards. Philip Rivers threw for over 200 yards and 2 TD passes to Brandon Manummaleuna and Darren Sproles. At 8-8, the Chargers became the first division champ with a non-winning record since the 1985 Browns. San Diego is also the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting a season 4-8.
Denver suffered a heart breaking loss to San Diego. With the loss, Denver now drops to 2nd place for the first time all season. In the game, Jay Cutler threw 2 INT's and only 1 TD pass to tight end Tony Scheffler. Tatum Bell had a good game, rushing for 86 yards and finding the endzone twice. Eddie Royal caught 11 passes, while star receiver Brandon Marshall only had 55 yards. With the loss, the Broncos became the third team in NFL history to have a three-game division lead at one point and then fail to make the postseason, joining the 2003 Vikings and 1978 Packers for the honor.


Sunday, December 28, 2008

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL Preview

Rutgers will be taking on North Carolina State today at 3pm on ESPN. Rutgers started out the season 1-5, but got on a six game winning streak to end up 7-5. During there six game winning streak Rutgers played great offense and defense. The Scarlet Knights were averaging 40 points a game on offense, and were allowing 15 points a game on defense. Rutgers finished the regular season with a dominating performance against Louisville beating them 63-14. North Carolina State was 2-6 during the season and ended up going on a 4 game winning streak beating two ranked teams. North Carolina State beat Wake Forest in a close game 21-17, and then destroyed North Carolina 41-10. They ended the season with a 38-38 win over Miami FL. They faced three bowl teams and beat them. During there four game winning streak the wolf pack averaged 32 points on offense and allowed 18 points per game. This should be a good game to watch.

Leading the way for the Scarlet Knights is Senior Quarterback Mike Teel, who had 3,099 passing yards with 23 passing touchdowns. At the wide receiver positions are Kenny Britt, and Tiquan Underwood. Britt had 1,252 receiving yards with 6 receiving touchdowns. Underwood had 443 receiving yards and had 4 receiving touchdowns. The key thing for Rutgers in this game is to stop the pass on defense and score points on offense. They need to force pressure on defense and make North Carolina State run the ball. Mike Teel needs to play good in his last game.



The Wolf Pack leader is Quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson threw for 1,769 yards with 16 touchdown passes. Andre Brown is their halfback who will need to get loose for NC State. Brown had 164 carries for 728 yards with 6 rushing touchdowns. The key thing for the Wolf Pack in this game is to stop the passing game and make Rutgers run the ball. Rutgers is ranked 21st in passing, but is ranked 82 in rushing. So you can see that Rutgers isn't a good running team. They need to force turnovers and get there offense in good field position. If North Carolina State can score points on offense then it will put more pressure on Rutgers to score.

My Pick- Rutgers 31-21
Flippy's Pick- Rutgers 37-20

Player 2 Watch
My Pick- Rutgers defense
Flippy's Pick- WR Kenny Britt

The New Windy City

We all know that Chicago is the Windy City, but today, Buffalo was the Windy City. The winds were 60 mph and made field goal kicking a problem. The field goal posts were shaking, rattling and bouncing during the game. The wind was so strong, that Matt Cassel had a 57 yard punt!

How the Kickers Fared:
Gostkowski: 2-3
Lindell: 0-1

A Stunning Day In The NFL

Week 17 was the last chance for teams to earn the right to compete for the Super Bowl. The games today were crazy and heart breaking for teams. The wrap up goes like this:

The Raiders pull a huge upset over the Bucs, ending their playoff hopes.

The Texans spank the Bears, crushing their playoff chances.

The Vikings kick their way over the Giants, clinching the NFC North.

The Panthers get by the Saints, clinching the NFC South.

The Eagles demolish the Cowboys, earning the last NFC Wild Card spot.

The Ravens easily defeat the Jaguars, clinching the AFC Wild Card.

The Dolphins emerge victorious over the Jets, winning the AFC East.

The Chargers battle the Broncos tonight, which will decide the AFC West.

The Patriots win puts them at 11-5, but their season is over.

The Lions, well they lose again, and become the 1st team to finish 0-16.

NFL Week 17 Picks

St.Louis vs Atlanta: Flip-ATL Jeezy-ATL

New England vs Buffalo: Flip-NE Jeezy-NE

Kansas City vs Cincinatti: Flip-KC Jeezy-CIN

Detroit vs Green Bay: Flip-DET Jeezy-GB

Tennessee vs Indianapolis: Flip: TEN Jeezy:IND

New York Giants vs Minnesota: Flip-MIN Jeezy-NYG

Carolina vs New Orleans: Flip-NO Jeezy-CAR

Cleveland vs Pittsburgh: Flip-PIT Jeezy-PIT

Oakland vs Tampa Bay: Flip-OAK Jeezy-TB

Chicago vs Houston: Flip-HOU Jeezy-HOU

Miami vs New York Jets: Flip-NYJ Jeezy-MIA

Dallas vs Philadelphia: Flip-DAL Jeezy-PHI

Seattle vs Arizona: Flip-ARI Jeezy-ARI

Washington vs San Francisco: Flip-WAS Jeezy-WAS

Jacksonville vs Baltimore: Flip-BAL Jeezy- BAL

Denver vs San Diego: Flip-DEN Jeezy-SD

Ohio State Loses It's First Game

Ohio State entered Saturday's game with a 14 game winning streak, the longest in the nation. During the game, the Buckeyes were overmatched by Alex Ruoff and the Mountaineers. Ruoff scored 17 points, leading his team to a 76-48 victory. West Virginia has won four straight. The Mountaineers won their 10th game of the season, in a game in which their largest lead was 32 points.

Ohio State suffered its worst home loss since Feb. 7, 1998 when Purdue defeated them 107-75. The Buckeyes drop to 9-1 on the season, currently 3rd in the Big Ten. Ohio State now prepares for their conference games, going up against Iowa on Wednesday, undefeated Minnesota on Saturday, and #18 Michigan State on Tuesday.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Emerald Bowl Preview

Miami (FL) vs California, 8 ET

California's star halfback, Jahvid Best, will look to rip apart the Miami defense tonight. Jahvid Best has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 13 TD's. The Golden Bears will have Senior QB Nate Longshore start tonight over Kevin Riley. California has averaged 33 points a game, 26th in the nation. Cal is 3rd nationally in interceptions on defense, which both Miami QB's are known to throw picks. Freshman punter Bryan Anger has one of the best legs in the nation. Expect to see him pin Miami deep in their territory.

Miami will go with QB Robert Marve, who has thrown 6 picks while playing in limited action. Graig Cooper and Javarris James are much more explosive then their numbers say, as both can easily break through the hole. Miami's young defensive line will need to get pressure on Longshore, especially with Cal's struggling offensive line. If the Hurricanes allow Pac 10 rushing leader Jahvid Best to get outside, they will be on the field for a while.

Flip's Pick: Cal, 40- 20
Jeezy's Pick: Cal, 28-13

Flip's Player 2 Watch: RB Shane Vereen
Jeezy's Player 2 Watch: RB Jahvid Best

West Virginia Wins A Thriller

Pat White entered today's bowl game needing just one more win to cap of his 4 bowl wins. No other collegiate player has ever won 4 bowls in his career, so White was playing for a record. Pat White certainly played like a champion, throwing for 332 yards with 3 TD's. White led the game winning drive with 7 minutes left, finding Alric Arnett for a 20 yard TD strike. Noel Devine rushed for 61 yards and scored the opening TD for the Mountaineers. The first quarter was a shootout with West Virginia scoring 21 points, tying a Meineke Car Care bowl record.
North Carolina had two TDs in the first quarter as well, both by Hakeem Nicks. North Carolina's receiver, Hakeem Nicks set a Meineke Bowl record with 217 receiving yards. North Carolina suffered a tough loss, hanging with the Mountaineers all game, but were unable to finish them off. T.J Yates threw 2 TD's with 209 passing yards. The Tar Heels had one last drive to make a comeback, but Yates was picked off by Pat Lazear.

Champs Sports Bowl Preview

Wisconsin wants to finish strong after an 8-5 season that saw the Badgers drop from a No. 8 national ranking to out of the AP poll after losing their first four Big Ten games. Wisconsin junior Dustin Sherer didn't throw his first TD pass until mid-October, a month after replacing injured starter Allen Evridge. He's completed 55 percent of his passes, with five TDs and five INTs.

Florida State has relyed on its defense this season. The Noles need to get pressure on the Wisconsin passing game, and must get big P.J Hill down before he gets going. Ponder, a sophomore, returns from injury to direct a Seminoles attack predicated on his ability to run and spread the field.

Flip's Pick: Florida State, 27- 13
Jeezy's Pick: Wisconsin, 24-17

Flip's Player 2 Watch: CB Myron Rolle
Jeezy's Player 2 Watch: WR David Gilreath

Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview

Both teams appeared to be heading to bigger bowls then the Meinke Bowl, until they both struggled down the stretch, West Virginia and North Carolina both competed for the top spot in their conferences, but neither team finished strong. So now, both teams meet today.

West Virginia's QB, Pat White, has a chance to win his 4th bowl game in his 4 years at West Virginia. This will be a school-best seventh-straight bowl appearance for the Mountaineers. Pat White and Noel Devine are one of the best backfield tandems in the nation. Both have blazing speeed that defenses can't stop. North Carolina's Linebackers will have to be able to prevent them from getting outside.


North Carolina opened its season with 7 wins in 9 games, a run that included impressive victories over Top 25 foes Connecticut, Boston College and Georgia Tech by an average of 22.6 points. QB T.J Yates has been great for the Tar Heels since coming off a broken ankle injury. In six games, Yates completed 60.0 percent of his passes for 957 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. If Yates struggles, don't be surprised to see Cameron Sexton to come in. Sexton threw for 1,261 yards with 9 TD's while Yates was injured.

Flip's Pick: West Virginia, 37-26
Chris's Pick: West Virginia 23-17
Xbox 360 NCAA 09 Pick: West Virginia, 20-16
Flip's Player 2 Watch: RB Noel Devine
Chris's Player 2 Watch: QB Pat White

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Motor City Bowl Preview


Tonight is a battle between Central Michigan and Florida Atlantic. The game will be airing out on ESPN at 7:30. Central Michigan is lead by quarterback Dan LeFevour who is the Passing and rushing leader. Dan threw for 2,531 yards with 19 touchdown passes and rushed for 536 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns. Central Michigan is 13Th in passing yards so they will be throwing the ball alot in tonight's game.Wide receiver Antonio Brown is another guy to look for in the game tonight. He has 906 receiving yards with 6 receiving touchdowns.


Leading the for Florida Atlantic is quarterback Rusty Smith who has 2,918 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes. Another play to look out for is running back Charles Pierre who rushed for 937 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns. Florida Atlantic likes to throw the ball too, so it will be an offensive game. Whoever is going to win this game is going to have to make plays on defense. We know that the offense on these teams can score points, but these teams need to play good on defense, or it is going to be a high scoring game. Each team needs to force turnovers, and play well.

My Pick- Central Michigan 42-21
KJ Flip's Pick- Central Michigan 30-20
Xbox 360 NCAA 09 Pick- Florida Atlantic 24-7
Players 2 Watch
My Pick- Central Michigan's Defense
KJ Flip's Pick- Dan LeFevour

The Bowl drought has ended


Notre Dame ended its bowl drought with a 49-21 victory over Hawaii. Jimmy Clausen threw for 401 yards with 5 touchdown passes which were Notre Dame bowl records. Golden Tate had 177 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns. Notre Dame was determined to win this game. They haven't won a bowl game since 1994, and wanted to win to stop the drought and they did. Hawaii's offense couldn't get anything going in the first half. They had one nice drive in the second quarter that helped them cut the lead to 14-7. After Hawaii had some confidence going Notre Dame came right down the field and scored. Notre Dame took a 28-7 lead at halftime, and u could tell that the game was over. Notre Dame's defense was stopping Hawaii's offense forcing three an outs, and Hawaii couldn't stop Notre Dame's offense. Hawaii's quarterback Greg Alexander struggled to complete passes and was getting pressure on him on most of the plays.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Preview

Notre Dame vs Hawaii, 8PM

Notre Dame has an NCAA-record nine-game bowl losing streak. Tonight, they are looking to get in the Christmas spirt with a win over Hawaii. The Irish finished 6-6, but lost 4 of their last 5 games. Notre Dame ranks 99th in rushing yards, and 44th in passing yards. The Irish will need Jimmy Clausen to avoid throwing interceptions if they want to win this game.


The Warriors are led by QB Greg Alexander, who has thrown 12 TD's with only 4 INT's. Hawaii has allowed an NCAA-leading 48 sacks. They will need to prevent the Notre Dame pass rushers from breaking through and forcing Alexander to throw dangerous passes. Hawaii has a home game, playing in Aloha Stadium tonight.


My Pick: ND 17 - HAW 13
Chris's Pick: HAW 31-28
Xbox 360 NCAA 09's Pick: HAW 27 - ND 9

My Player 2 Watch: LB Maurice Crum
Chris's Player 2 Watch: RB/WR Daniel Libre

Gonzaga and Xavier Both Upset

Both teams played their last game before Christmas yesterday. The players of Gonzaga and Xavier were expecting to have a merry christmas, until they bumped into Butler and Portland State.

#12 Xavier was stunned by Butler, who was led by Matt Howard and Gordan Hayward as they both scored 19 points. Butler's starters accounted for 67 of the team's 74 points. Matt Howard also had 14 boards, and Gordan Hayward had 4 blocks. Derrick Brown led Xavier with 17 points, but in the end, Butler topped Xavier 74-65.

#7 Gonzaga couldn't believe the outcome of their game against Portland State. Portland State had not beaten a Top 25 team since reinstating its basketball program in 1996-97. Jeremiah Dominguez scored 25 points with 6 rebounds. The Vikings outrebounded the Zags 39-30, and forced 11 turnovers. Gonzaga was shocked by Portland St, 77-70.

TCU Ends Boise State's Perfect Season

Boise State held a 13-0 lead throughout the first half, until Aaron Brown scored on a 16 yard run with 24 seconds left to keep TCU alive. TCU went on to scored 17 unanswered points. Boise State trimmed the deficit to 1 point on a Kyle Brotzman 33 yard FG with 4:47 left. TCU was forced to punt on their next possession, giving Boise a chance. The first play was an interception thrown by Kellen Moore. TCU went on and won the game 17-16.

TCU's ground game proved the difference. The Horned Frogs outrushed Boise State 275-28 on Tuesday, the most rushing yards allowed by the Broncos this season. The Horned Frogs' seniors have won 41 games in their four seasons at TCU, making them the winningest class in school history. TCU's 2nd ranked defense showed up today, not allowing Boise St. to take control on offense.

The highlight of this game, especially for Boise State was when Ian Johnson scored on a 20 yard run. This TD set the record for most rushing TD's ever by a single play in the WAC, surpassing Marshall Faulk and Ladanian Tomlinson. Johnson's role diminished this season, carrying the ball the least amount of times in his career. Since he is a senior, hopefully he gets a shot in the NFL because he is a very talented player and a great team player.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Shaun Ellis Fined For Snowball Incident

After the game, as the Jets' players headed to the tunnel, a pesky fan was shouting remarks about the Jets' team. Several fans threw snowballs at New York players and staff as they walked off the field after the Seahawks' 13-3 victory. Jets DE Shaun Ellis did not tolerate the man, picking up a snowball ( actually it was a giant chunk of snow ) and throwing it at the fan. The fan got hit by the chunk of snow as Ellis passed by. It was announced today that Shaun Ellis would be fined $10,000 for this incident.

"It was all in fun," Ellis said.

"That situation in the stadium in general was not a very safe situation for anybody involved," Mangini said. "That doesn't justify us getting involved in it on the flip side of that. He understands that. We thought that there could've been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety from snowballs coming down."



Celtics Set Franchise Record at 19

The Boston Celtics defeat the 76ers to improve their streak to 19, setting the franchise record.

The Celtics have gotten off to one of the fastest starts in NBA history, in fact, they have just set their franchise record with 19 wins in a row. The Celtics defeated the 76ers, 110-91 on Tuesday night. The Celtics improved to 27-2, the best start for a 2 loss team in NBA history. The Celtics have their sights set on getting back-to-back NBA Championships.

Against the Sixers, the Celtics were led by Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, who both put up 18 points. Kendrick Perkins chipped in with 8 points, and brought in 11 boards. Ray Allen had a solid night, putting up 16 points. Off the bench, Eddie House and Leon Powe combined for 28 points and 8 rebounds. The 76ers got 14 from Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller, while rookie Mareese Speights put up 18 points along with Lou Williams' 18. Samuel Dalembert continued to bring in the boards, finishing with 13 rebounds. The 76ers couldn't avoid turnovers, as the Celtics scored 27 points off their mistakes.

BREAKING NEWS: Teixera To Yankees


When all seemed quiet in the Bronx, Mark Teixera agreed to a deal with the Yankees. The deal is worth $160 million over 8 years. New York has spent $423.5 million in salary in the last month, grabbing C.C Sabathia and A.J Burnett. The Yankees now hold the four highest-paid players in Major League Baseball, including third baseman Alex Rodriguez, shortstop Derek Jeter and C.C Sabathia. Teixiera appeared to have narrowed his choices between the Red Sox and Nationals, until the Yankees swooped down and offered him a deal you can't pass up.

Teixera now completes the Yankees lineup, providing the power they need in the middle of the order. The Yankees have found the first baseman they have searched for continously in the offseason. Teixera provides the bat they want, and also is an excellent fielder.

You can say the Yankees are similar to the Boston Celtics, since they have got their Big 3, with Sabathia, Burnett and Teixera. But don't forget about Jeter, A-Rod, Wang, Cano, Nady, and Posada. The Yankees lineup contains many all star appearances, a Cy Young winner, an MVP, and muliple gold glove performers.

Monday, December 22, 2008

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL PREVIEW

The (9)Boise State Broncos will be taking on the(11) TCU Horned Frogs tonight at 8pm on ESPN. Tonight's game should be a great game. Boise State is lead by quarterback Kellen Moore, and running back Ian Johnson. Kellen Moore threw for 3,264 passing yards with 25 touchdown passes. Ian Johnson rushed for 738 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns. TCU is lead by running back Joseph Turner, and wide receiver Jimmy Young. Joseph Turner rushed for 494 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns. Jimmy Young had 926 receiving yards with 5 receiving touchdowns. Tonight's game will be a run, pass game. Boise State is ranked 14Th in passing yards, and TCU is ranked 13Th in rushing yards. TCU has the second best defense in the nation so it will be interesting to see how Boise State will do on offense. Boise State's defense is pretty good too. They allow 12 points a game, which is very good.


Keys To The Game- Boise State needs to play tough defense and develop a run game. If they develop a run game then it will be easier to throw the ball. TCU needs to play good defensive game, like they have been the whole season. They need Joseph Turner to have a big game on offense so they can score. Whoever doesn't turn the ball over is going to win the game.

KJ Flip's Pick- Boise State- 35-20

My Pick- Boise State- 31-27

Players 2 Watch

KJ Flip's Pick- Ian Johnson, RB

My Pick- TCU Defense