Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: The incredible catch by Alabama's Tyrone Prothro against Southern Mississippi could be the start of something big for the Crimson Tide.
Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Louisiana State's JaMarcus Russell was rewarded Saturday for all his good deeds (subscription, so story is in comments tab).
Leila Wai, Honolulu Advertiser: June Jones misses Hawaii's practice and Jerry Glanville says he might swap his all-black attire and wear an aloha shirt.
Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah and Brigham Young each have played two games and observers are trying to figure where the teams might be headed.
The Hlist
ReplyDeleteMike Hlas
Cedar Rapids Gazette
First downs
1. Saints be praised: Sometimes, things play out right.
The New Orleans Saints kicked a field goal with three seconds left Sunday to beat the Carolina Panthers, 23-20.
"If there's anybody left on Bourbon Street, I'm sure they're partying right about now," said Saints receiver Joe Horn.
"All we're missing now is some crawfish, corn bread, crab and smoked sausage," Steven Williams of New Orleans told the New York Times after watching the game in a Houston center for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. "I swear the Saints did this for us. Football is a game of fate also."
2. And LSU, too: Saturday night, LSU's JaMarcus Russell threw a 39-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-10 to put LSU ahead of Arizona State, 35-31, with 1:13 left in the game. The Tigers then kept ASU out of the end zone for the win.
Rhythm and blues great Fats Domino was believed to be missing in New Orleans during the first days of Katrina's aftermath, but was rescued from his home by boat and spent two nights in the rot of the Superdome. Then he was bused to the LSU campus with other evacuees.
Russell, who with his teammates delivered supplies to hurricane victims on the LSU campus, opened his apartment to Domino and many of his relatives for two nights.
Fats and his family were then able to travel west by car.
Russell left the bench to throw two fourth-quarter TD passes and almost rally LSU to a Capital One Bowl triumph over Iowa last Jan. 1. He is, it seems, a winner.
3. Shiny Nicholls: Nicholls State, a I-AA school, is 60 miles west of New Orleans in Thibodeaux, La. Seven of its football players lost their homes to the hurricane.
The Colonels had their season opener at Utah State canceled, and didn't know until last Tuesday that they'd make it to their game at Indiana on Saturday. But they pushed the Hoosiers hard, losing on an Indiana TD with 47 seconds left, 35-31.
Student-athletes from all Hoosiers teams donated $1,850 to aid Nicholls State's student-athletes. A check for $1,000 was delivered by Indiana Coach Terry Hoeppner to Nicholls
State Coach Jay Thomas Friday on behalf of IU football players.
"When he brought me that check, I have to tell you it just sent chills down my spine," Thomas said.
4. Silver lining: Coe and Cornell lost their record for most total points in a Division III game Saturday when Earlham beat Manchester, 69-62, in Richmond, Ind.
The Kohawks edged the Rams, 66-63, on Oct. 25, 2003.
But take heart, Cornellians. You still hold the D-III mark for points by a losing team.
Fumbles
1. Thorns, not roses: The chances of a Big Ten team going to the Rose Bowl/national title game Jan. 4 were trimmed when Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State lost.
It was the first time since Associated Press began ranking teams in 1936 that three Top Ten teams from one conference were defeated on the same day.
Yet, this was the headline on the Big Ten's Web site Saturday night: "Big Ten Football Teams See Another Successful Weekend."
When did Karl Rove begin working for the conference?
2. Vikings and Packers and Bears, oh why?: Three-fourths of the NFC North went south in Week One. The offenses of Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago combined for just one touchdown in their three losses.
Last week, ABC's John Madden said no one had explained to him how not having Randy Moss would help the Vikings. The answer wasn't given in Minnesota's 24-13 loss to Tampa Bay. The Vikings' offense failed to score a touchdown for the first time in four years.
Green Bay had its lowest scoring output since 1992 in a 17-3 loss at Detroit. Packers quarterback Brett Favre was sacked four times and hit on many more occasions.
"We can't play like that again or we're going to get him killed," Green Bay tackle Mark Tauscher said.
Chicago did score an offensive touchdown in its 9-7 loss at Washington. The Hlist didn't see that game. The Hlist isn't complaining.
3. Mizzou misery: Missouri lost at home to New Mexico, 45-35.
"Obviously, it's a very devastating loss," said Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel.
Maybe he should lighten his nonconference schedule. Wait, he already has.
4. Dumb as a Fox: Three New Orleans Saints games will be played in San Antonio this year.
But the Fox Network's viewers in that city, including hundreds of Louisiana evacuees, missed the game-winning field goal in the Saints' win Sunday.
With the Saints driving into position for the decisive kick, the telecast of the game from local Fox affiliate KABB abruptly ended. Several commercials later, the station switched to the kickoff of the Dallas-San Diego game.
Dan Bell, a Fox flack, said the network's hands were tied because of its agreement with the NFL on which games it can feed affiliates and when.
Do you ever wonder if a shred of common sense is left in the country?
From the papers
"But we thought this offense was too high-powered to be stopped by anything. We thought (quarterback Chad) Henne was experienced enough to handle anything. We were horribly mistaken." - Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News on Michigan's 17-10 loss to Notre Dame.
Final word
"I guess he's got to be running to the ball. They said just watch out next time. Now I know." - Miami Dolphins rookie defensive end Matt Roth of Iowa, who got a 15-yard personal foul penalty for leveling Denver quarterback Jake Plummer after an interception during Miami's 34-10 victory.