November 10, 2002
Not that anyone asked, but. . .
ESPN The Magazine | |
Nothing against Bobby Williams, but he was canned Spam no matter what happened after the 49-3 loss at Michigan Nov. 2. The only thing missing after that defeat was President George Dub surveying the damage from a helicopter and declaring Michigan State a football disaster area.
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| Bobby Williams learned the Big Ten is a tough place to make your debut. |
The point is this: the Big Ten isn't the best place to make your head coaching debut. Nick Saban left Michigan State's program in nice shape, but Williams couldn't sustain the success. In the end he was undone by his own inexperience, by politics, and by some of the very players who had campaigned for him when Saban reluctantly left for LSU three seasons ago.
Michigan State botched this thing by letting Saban leave in the first place. If you hooked him up to a polygraph machine, here's guessing Saban would admit that he really wanted to stay in East Lansing. But then the president got involved, silly things were said, sensibilities were bruised. Hello, Baton Rouge.
Along comes assistant Williams -- the players' choice. There were moments to remember during his tenure, but ultimately there were too many to forget. And it didn't help that several of his most prominent players required rehab (quarterback Jeff Smoker) or attended the Randy Moss School of Driving (running back Dawan Moss).
So Williams is gone, replaced on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Morris Watts. Watts led the Spartans to a 56-21 victory at Indiana Saturday, which gives them a grand total of two Big Ten wins this season. Beat Purdue at home and then figure out a way to beat Penn State at Happy Valley and the Spartans are bowl eligible. We're rooting for it, just to see Charles Rogers for one more game. Then again, we still leave milk and cookies for Santa, too.
19. Michigan State -- Part II
We talked to a couple of athletics directors -- two of the best in the business -- and asked them what they would do if they were MSU's Ron Mason. And by that, we mean, how would the ADs negotiate the tricky waters of hiring someone after the the number of African-American D-IA head coaches has just been reduced by 25 percent? And given the recent pressure brought to bear (and rightly so) by the Black Coaches Association, should Mason feel compelled to hire a minority candidate?
One of the athletic directors said, in part, that Mason will have to deal with the controversy that comes with firing one of the four minority head coaches in D-IA. And because of the sensitivity of that issue, he said Mason will "look hard" at replacing Williams with another African-American coach, such as former Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green, Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, or perhaps former Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell, who now works for the NFL.
Fair enough.
But the other athletic director said Mason shouldn't limit his search to a specific pool of candidates. "I don't think you have to replace a black coach with a black coach," said the AD.
But you do have to create legitimate opportunities for minority candidates. "You must make sure you explore that to the fullest degree," said the AD. "But on my list, I'm more concerned with a person's qualifications. What's his knowledge of the game? How will he fit into the [athletic] department? How will he fit into the community. I keep color out of it."
18. Candidates
Barring some unexpected firings or resignations, Michigan State will likely be the most high-profile D-IA job available at season's end. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the best job.
Anyway, almost every athletic director keeps a wish list of coaching replacements in his top desk drawer. Mason, an old-school hockey coach who knows the MSU organ-I-zation will not tolerate failure, certainly jotted down a few names.
Not that he asked, but here's our list of folks worthy of exploring "to the fullest degree:"
The fishing enthusiast could try to hook a decent-size Spartan, or wait and try to land an NFL whale.
"I don't think I'd look further than Bowling Green," said our second athletic director. "That guy's good."
His teams are always tough outs. Just think if he got his hands on a major program.
Should have been a head coach by now. Talented and respected. Will Mississippi State make a run at him if it pink-slips Jackie Sherrill?
Should have been a head coach by now. It isn't an accident that his quarterbacks (Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer, to name a few) win games and awards. (Memo to Utah AD Chris Hill, should he dismiss good-guy Ron McBride: Chow and his family still have their home in Provo. Salt Lake is just down the road.)
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| George O'Leary has paid his penance and deserves another head coaching shot. |
Penance paid. Time for O'Leary to return to the college game.
The former offensive coordinator at Alabama has done a boffo job churning out quality, NFL-ready backs at UT. Like everyone else, just waiting for a chance.
A pipe dream? Probably. But what's the harm in asking?
See above.
Young, but an up-and-comer. Folks questioned Larry Coker when he promoted Chudzinski from tight ends coach to coordinator. They're not questioning him anymore.
2001 Broyles Award winner, which goes to assistant of the year. His peers know how good he is.
Will get a shot somewhere.
Intense, committed, a history of success.
Now working in NFL's headquarters in New York as appeals officer, but aware of Michigan State talent and history. Shell led the Raiders to three playoff appearances in five full seasons and was the 1990 NFL coach of the year. He interviewed for Cal job last year.
Anyone notice how much better the Aggies' offense performed once he was put in charge?
NMSU has become the "Nebraska Lite" of the Sun Belt Conference.
It isn't Wisconsin, so would he leave ISU for East Lansing?
Has done a nice job at Pitt. Time to rotate, though?
Other qualified candidates: Kelly Skipper, UCLA offensive coordinator; Lou West, Toledo defensive coordinator; Chuck Long, Oklahoma offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, former Georgia coach Jim Donnan, former Ohio State coach John Cooper, former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie, Montana coach Joe Glenn.
17. Truth In Advertising
You've got to admire the chutzpah of the Northern Illinois marketing department. Read the headline at the top of their Nov. 6 newspaper ad in one of the Chicago dailies: "Best Div. I-A Team in Illinois."
Can't argue with the record. With its win against then-No. 16 Bowling Green, NIU improves to 7-3. Even with its victory against Wisconsin, Illinois is only 4-6, while Northwestern's blowout loss to Iowa drops the Wildcats to 3-8.
16. Lord Byron
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| Byron Leftwich couldn't even walk off the field after trying to rally Marshall on Nov. 2. |
The Marshall quarterback has spent the better part of the last eight days (and counting) in the training room trying to recover from a severe contusion to the shin suffered in the loss at Akron. Marshall officials don't know if, or how long he can play Tuesday, but they do know Leftwich will give it his best. At last check, he was listed as doubtful.
Did you see the video of Leftwich being carried down the field by his teammates, and then limping to the line of scrimmage as he tried to rally Marshall against Akron? MU quarterbacks coach Larry Kueck will never forget the sight.
"It put tears in my eyes," said Kueck, who was up in the MU coaches box at the time. "It was the most amazing performance, win, lose, or draw I've seen. Most manly-damn thing I've ever seen. Absolutely unselfish."
Leftwich is projected as a top-5 pick in the 2003 NFL draft. Depending on how the season shakes out, Leftwich is only a few games removed from preparing for his pro career. That's what makes his return to the Akron game, and his effort to play in Tuesday's game, so impressive.
"I couldn't believe the kid did that," said Kueck of Leftwich, who was taken to the hospital for an exam during the Akron game. "How many kids are going to do that these days? The NFL? It crossed my mind, but it didn't cross his mind. It shows you his personality. His only thought was to win the football game.
"That may be the toughest son of a [gun] I ever know. It was a combination of being tough, being manly and caring enough about the guys on your team."
15. Field Of Injuries
If it were up to Florida State running back Greg Jones, he'd bulldoze the Groves Stadium field at Wake Forest. Jones, who tore his ACL in the Nov. 2 game at Wake, told reporters that poor field conditions contributed to his season-ending injury.
"The field was terrible," he said. "The last time we went down there, a bunch of people got hurt and this time a bunch of us got hurt again.
"You can't change some things and that's the way they like it up there."
If you're keeping count -- and Jones certainly is -- at least three FSU players were hurt during the game. Two seasons ago, three Seminole running backs suffered injuries at Groves Stadium.
As you might expect, the folks at Wake Forest weren't buying any of this.
"Our field is fine," said coach Jim Grobe. "Our kids haven't had any problems with it all season and I didn't see anyone on Florida State's team, other than Greg, have any problems with it. I'm truly sorry that Greg was injured, regardless of the venue. I think he is an outstanding football player.
"We've had discussions about resurfacing the field, but I haven't seen any need for it. [AD] Ron Wellman would gladly resurface the field. And if I thought the field was any type of problem for our kids, we would get it resurfaced."
14. Shake Down The Laundry
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| Don't be surprised if Notre Dame's green jerseys appear again this season. |
"We'll hold onto them," said ND equipment manager Henry Scroope. "We'll keep them right here. There's always a possibility they'll come out again."
That's because Tyrone Willingham, who ordered the green jerseys for the BC game, isn't much for superstitions. So the jerseys are back on a rack in the Notre Dame equipment room.
Turns out Scroope isn't superstitious, either. He still has a backup No. 3 Ron Powlus green jersey from the 1995 Fiesta Bowl.
Notre Dame lost that game.
13. Players Of The Week
A "Giants-win-the-pennant!" moment. Randall and Henderson will never have to buy a meal in Louisiana again after Saturday's game-winning 75-yard touchdown pass as time -- and Kentucky -- expired. (Of course, the NCAA enforcement people would prefer the two players pick up their own dinner tabs until they leave LSU.)
Randall threw the ball at least 60 yards -- farther than he's ever thrown a pass. Henderson caught the bomb after several UK defenders tipped the thing, then he dodged a tackle, and then he ran into the end zone for the miraculous score. Meanwhile, Kentucky fans -- thinking their Wildcats had won the game -- were already tugging at the goal posts at the other end.
And then, depression set in.
What is it about Kentucky and "Hail Marys?" First, UK gets beat by the Grant Hill-to-Christian Laettner pass in the waning moments of the 1992 NCAA East Regionals at the Philly Spectrum. Now this.
Runners-up
The freshman comes off the bench and completes eight passes, four of them for touchdowns, as the Aggies upset No. 1 Oklahoma.
Throws for 403 yards in triple-overtime upset victory against Virginia Tech.
Who says he can't throw? Randall completes 23-of-35 passes for 504 yards and five TDs in loss to Orangemen.
Kingsbury added to his astounding numbers by passing for 425 yards and four touchdowns in the win against Oklahoma State. He is now No. 5 on the Division I-A all-time passing list.
Four TD passes in win against Oregon.
Four TD passes in win against Stanford.
Rushes for 192 yards in NIU upset of previously unbeaten Bowling Green.
Returns two interceptions for TDs in blowout win against Seneca Wallace's Iowa State team.
Rushes for 188 yards and a TD in win against Virginia.
Three TDs and 211 yards in OT win against Missouri.
Honorable Mention
Iowa QB Brad Banks, Virginia Tech WR Ernest Wilford, Texas A&M P Cody Scates, Texas WR Roy Williams, Miami Offensive and Defensive Lines, Michigan State WR Charles Rogers, West Virginia RB Avon Cobourne, Georgia WR Terrence Edwards, Kent State QB Josh Cribbs.
12. Coach Of The Week
The Aggies' first-ever win against a No. 1 ranked team should pretty much quiet that talk of replacing Slocum.
Runners-up
Through thick and thin (mostly thin), Novak has been a picture of patience and persistence. Huskies unbeaten in MAC.
Not hearing a peep from Pasqualoni critics these days.
Masterful job of preparing Hurricanes both mentally and physically for season stretch run.
Watts and Miami's Coker still undefeated in their Division I-A head coaching careers. Watts gets win against Indiana as interim caretaker of Spartans.
Terps have won seven consecutive games after 1-2 start. Latest victory comes against late, great NC State.
K-State's players once again are chugging the Snyder Kool-Aid. The Snyder mantra: play tough defense, eliminate mistakes, run the ball. The Wildcats have recorded two shutouts and have given up 10 or fewer points in four other wins.
11. Flyer Picks
Just guesses, nothing more:
Ohio State beats Michigan Nov. 23. . . Mississippi State turns on Jackie Sherrill. . . Florida State will play in a BCS bowl despite four losses (we think FSU loses to Florida). . . Auburn beats Georgia this Saturday. . . Baylor will receive a harsh reality check when it begins its coaching search. . . Southern Cal beats Notre Dame Nov. 30. . . There will be more different names on Heisman ballots than ever before. . . Charlie Strong will get his job offer. . . Tyrone Willingham will have more effect on minority hiring than anything the BCA could ever do. . . Washington won't win six games. . . Nebraska's Frank Solich isn't going anywhere. . . The same isn't true for Nebraska defensive coordinator Craig Bohl. . . Your 2003 Heisman finalists: Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett, Missouri QB Brad Smith, Miami RB Willis McGahee, Florida QB Rex Grossman, Auburn RB Cadillac Williams. . . Maryland's Ralph Friedgen probably won't get any national coach of the year votes, but he should. . . Mark Mangino will turn Kansas around before Baylor finds someone who can do the same. . . Whatever they're paying the sports information directors at Michigan State and Wisconsin, it isn't enough.
10. No Go To Bowl
It figures. Two of the three programs banned from making a postseason bowl appearance -- Alabama and Kentucky -- have enough wins to be bowl eligible. And the third program serving NCAA big-house time -- Cal -- reached the six-victory mark with the W against Arizona State.
Alabama played in last season's Independence Bowl, but isn't eligible for postseason play until the year after next. Cal's last bowl appearance was in 1996, while Kentucky last played a postseason game in 1999.
By the way, Kentucky's sixth win came with a price tag attached: an angry coach Guy Morriss punched a locker during his Nov. 2 fire-and-brimstone halftime speech (UK trailed Mississippi State by a point) and broke his right hand. The Wildcats outscored MSU, 28-8, in the second half.
No word yet if he broke his other hand pounding a locker after Kentucky's heartbreaking, last-second loss to LSU Saturday.
9. "East Coast Bias"
A little more than a year ago, after his Oregon program was excluded from the national championship game, Ducks athletic director Bill Moos told USA Today that there existed "an East Coast bias against the Pac-10, and we have to find a way to correct that."
Moos was mad because Oregon finished 10-1, won the Pac-10 title, was ranked second in both the coaches and media polls -- and finished fourth in the final BCS Standings, behind a third-place Colorado team with two losses, and a second-place Nebraska team that didn't win its conference and lost its final regular season game, 62-36. Not only that, but Oregon didn't even get a chance to play in the Rose Bowl, what with Pasadena being the site of last season's BCS Championship.
"My comment to my peers in my conference was that we need to stand up and be heard," Moos said a few days ago. "Most everyone would have agreed that perhaps we belonged in that Rose Bowl against Miami."
We've never quite figured out the East Coast bias thing. The Ducks finished right behind Miami in the final regular season polls that year, so no problem there. And of the eight computer rankings used in the 2001 BCS formula, two California-based services gave Oregon its lowest numbers.
Now granted, Moos can probably make a case about Joey Harrington, the Heisman, and East Coast bias. We voted for Nebraska's Eric Crouch last year, but it wasn't because we have a jones against anything west of the Rockies.
So, a season has almost passed since Moos made his initial BCS comments. Have the post-2001 BCS formula tweaks made him a believer?
Uh, no.
"I still feel the same way about how to fix it," Moos said.
Moos' solution: Play the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls on Jan. 1. Then use the BCS formula to choose the final two teams for a championship game a week later.
Sounds good to us.
Of course, Oregon won't have to worry about being stiffed by the BCS this season. The Ducks lost their third game in their last four (this time to Washington State) to drop to 7-3.
8. Quote Of The Week
"And remember, it's a great day to be a Wildcat."
-- No, not really. Office answering machine greeting of Kentucky football sports information director Tony Neely the day after the "Hail-Mary-the-Lord-is-with-LSU" loss.
7. Stat Of The Week
Few teams have suffered more injuries than Tennessee. In all, 13 players have missed a combined 42 games' worth of playing time. The number will grow after the loss to Miami with injuries to quarterback Casey Clausen and linebacker Robert Peace, among others.
6. Congratulations
News item: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has been elected to the Syracuse Board of Trustees. McNabb is a 1998 SU graduate.
"Donovan brings a unique combination of leadership and civic and philanthropic interest to the board," trustee chairman Joe Lampe told reporters.
What he brings is a 12-year Eagles contract worth as much as $115 million. Plus, the board of trustees will get all the Campbell's Chunky Soup they can eat.
If Lampe really wanted to inject a "unique combination" of interests to the board, he should have added former Orangeman star Jim Brown to the mix.
5. We're No. 1
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| Ken Dorsey may find a home with the 49ers. |
In a week's time Miami fixed everything that had caused it to scuffle in the previous three games. The checklist:
The result? A lopsided 26-3 victory that felt double that score.
"It should have been a lot more," said Romberg.
He's right. Miami had 15 more first downs, nearly double the offensive yardage, 15 more plays, and seven sacks.
"Right now, I think we're a B [grade]," said running back Willis McGahee, who finished with 154 yards and a touchdown. "We're starting to click.
"I'm getting my swagger back. All of us are getting our swagger back."
With Oklahoma's loss to Texas A&M and Ohio State's struggle against Purdue, the rejuvenated Hurricanes are the best team in the country. When interested and focused, this is the sort of thing Miami can do: humble a team in its own stadium -- and not just any program, but a Tennessee team and crowd accustomed to success.
"At this point, they are as gifted a team as we have played," said Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer. "We've played a lot of good teams in the past and have been one of those teams -- and that's where we want to get back to."
4. We're No. 1 -- Part II
It was almost comical to hear Miami coach Larry Coker grope for negatives in his postgame assessment. Let's see: the Hurricanes could have finished the game better. . . there was that missed field goal at the end of the first half. . . Houston had that 74-yard run. . . someone didn't properly insert a thigh pad into their pants. . .
Ah, what the heck. Why sweat the small stuff?
"Our guys played hard, fast and relaxed," Coker said. "We were solid in every phase of play."
To Miami's credit, the Hurricanes didn't go overboard with the postgame we-don't-get-any-respect stuff. McGahee grumbled a little about the recent criticism, but his heart wasn't into it. After all, there's a reason why Romberg ripped his team about two weeks ago: the Hurricanes were complacent, even a little lazy. No more.
"It was definitely a statement game," said quarterback Ken Dorsey.
And the statement was this: "We're back."
Now Miami controls its own Fiesta Bowl destiny. Beat Pitt Nov. 21 at the Orange Bowl, Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Nov. 30 and Virginia Tech at home Dec. 7 and the Hurricanes are in the BCS Championship, no matter what anyone else does.
Good thing, too, since Dorsey's head was beginning to hurt from all the BCS possibilities.
"I couldn't sit down for a whole week and figure that thing out," Dorsey said of the BCS formula. "I'm no math major."
Thanks to the win against Tennessee and Oklahoma's upset loss, he doesn't have to worry about it.
3. Heisman Trophy Race
Bring a coat and tie to the Yale Club: Miami RB Willis McGahee, Colorado RB Chris Brown, Marshall QB Byron Leftwich.
Moving up: USC QB Carson Palmer, Penn State RB Larry Johnson, Iowa QB Brad Banks, Washington State QB Jason Gesser.
On the radar: Miami QB Ken Dorsey, Oklahoma RB Quentin Griffin, West Virginia RB Avon Cobourne.
Slipping: No victims.
Thanks for stopping by the booth: Oregon RB Onterrio Smith, Iowa State QB Seneca Wallace.
2. Whatever Happened To. . .
. . . UNLV assistant head coach John Jackson?
Jackson is the knucklehead who left the Nov. 2 game against Wyoming so he could beat the traffic and make it to the MGM Grand to promote a fight between his guy Marco Antonio Barrera and Johnny Tapia. In a weird way, you almost have to respect the sheer audacity of the decision to duck out early.
Problem is, UNLV blew an eight-point lead after Jackson's departure with a little less than three minutes left in regulation. Vegas won in OT, while Barrera won a unanimous decision in 12 rounds.
UNLV head coach John Robinson stuck an internal reprimand in Jackson's permanent file (whoo). Jackson was at Utah on Saturday, presumably for the entire game.
One Hack's Weekly Elite
Fiesta Bowl Matchup
Miami vs. Ohio State -- 'Canes don't play again until Nov. 21 game against Pitt at home -- their first game at Orange Bowl since Oct. 12. Ohio State travels to Champaign to play Illinois team that has won three of its last four.
3. Oklahoma -- Sooners' turn to hope an unbeaten stumbles.
4. Texas -- Longhorns still have BCS life, but need more help.
5. Iowa -- Hawkeyes finish regular season with trip to Minnesota.
6. Washington State -- If Cougars beat U-Dub Nov. 23, they're in Rose.
7. USC -- Trojans rooting hard for Washington and UCLA to beat Cougs.
8. Georgia -- Ends SEC season with crucial game at Auburn.
9. Notre Dame -- Irish starting to get sloppy. Have two weeks to fix it.
10. Alabama -- The Tide is bowl-quality in our book.
Waiting list: Kansas State, Florida, Auburn, Michigan, Florida State, Colorado.
Gene Wojciechowski is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at gene.wojciechowski@espnmag.com.
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