ACC Wrap Up Week 5
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region
and William Queen contributing writer
 
VIRGINIA TECH – 34 DUKE – 26
Coming within 10 points, the Blue Devils nearly pulled off the upset vs. #5 Virginia Tech this weekend. However, Duke couldn’t convert red-zone possessions into touchdowns and had to settle for field goals more often than not. I think this game showed the Hokies true colors and despite the win, may push them down a few spot in the rankings. Duke scored 26 on their defense and really just came to play. But what surprised me the most is that every time that Virginia Tech got a big play, it was a lucky catch on solid man-to-man coverage. I think that the Hokies let their guard down, thinking Duke would be a push over. If the Hokies were playing a slightly more talented team on defense, they would have had no shot.
 
MIAMI – 21 OKLAHOMA – 20
Perhaps the heart and soul of the team, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris got off to a slow start Saturday, throwing 2 interceptions in the opening 6 minutes. Harris eventually settled down and the Hurricanes defense went to work, ultimately pulling out yet another huge win. The Canes had more turnovers and penalties than Oklahoma, yet the Sooners couldn’t take advantage of early mistakes by Miami and in the end that proved to be the difference maker as the Canes stole a one-point victory. I’ve heard every last Sooner fan complain that the reason that they’re losing is because of Sam Bradford’s injury. But a football team takes a TEAM to win games. Despite one player being out, the next one has to step up and make a play. Landry Jones did just that, going 18-30, 188 yards, and 1 touchdown. You can’t ask much more out of a true freshman.
 
GEORGIA TECH – 42 MISSISSIPPI STATE – 31
The ball must’ve been awfully slippery Saturday night, as the Bulldogs turned the ball over five times, four of which were fumbles, and one of which were returned for a touchdown. You can’t stress enough how important turnovers are to a ballgame and I guarantee that’s exactly head coach Dan Mullen is telling his team right now. If just a few of those fumbles had been recovered in the arms of the Bulldogs, the score could have very easily been reversed. On a different note, with 226 yards and one touchdown, Georgia Tech surprised many with their passing success. Primarily a run n’ gun football team, the Yellow Jackets haven’t been known for throwing the rock and they certainly proved themselves vs. a tough SEC defense. This game couldn’t have gone better for Georgia Tech, as they have a couple of tough games ahead of them; Florida State, followed by Virginia Tech.
 
MARYLAND – 24 CLEMSON – 21
The Terps were in need of an ACC win and they got it vs. Clemson on Saturday. Special teams were the story; as both teams returned punts/kicks for touchdowns and 2 missed field goals ultimately spurred Maryland’s dramatic ACC win. Once again, one is never sure which Clemson team is going to show up.
 
 
VIRGINIA – 16 NORTH CAROLINA – 3
Inconsistency is the word of the day. The Tar heels started off 3-0 and ever since have lost two very meaningful games. And what’s up with Virginia? After losing to William & Mary, TCU, and Southern Miss, the Cavaliers come back and win over UNC? As I said, inconsistent.
 
BOSTON COLLEGE – 28 FLORIDA STATE – 21
Eagles running back Montel Harris made the difference in this one, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns, one of which proved to be the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Boston College has a better record than Florida State, who would have thought?
 
WAKE FOREST – 30 NC STATE – 24
Both teams turned the ball over three times in this one and it proved to be a game with plenty of ups and downs. Finding the end zone 3 times was Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner, as the Wolfpack seemed to have trouble putting points on the score board all night.
 
 

                                              OVC Wrap Up Week 5
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
 
Eastern Kentucky 36 Eastern Illinois 31
The Colonels and the Panthers came into this conference clash 2-0. One was going to come out undefeated and it was a good one. E. Ky. Quarterback T.J. Pryor started the scoring with a four-yard pass to Ryan Aldrin. It was 9-0 when the Panthers Mon Williams ran it in from one-yard out to make it 9-7. The momentum would turn and next thing it was 24-16 E. Ill. Then the momentum did one of those turns and for the next nine minutes E. Ky. scored in a variety of ways. They had another touchdown pass from Pryor, a one-yard run by C.J. Walker and a 10-yard interception return. E. Illinois scored again at the 5:05 mark to end the scoring. The Colonels are now in sole possession of first place at 3-0 but there is plenty of time left.
 
Tennessee St. 23 SE. Missouri 17
There was a thought about the two-quarterback rotation for the Tigers but eventually they stuck with Calvin McNairl and he shined. He ran for two touchdowns, passed for another and accounted for 217 yards of offense. Tenn. St. racked up 259 yards on the ground and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes in an impressive showing. McNairl finished 10-15 for 95 yards passing and added 20 carries for 122 yards.
 
  Tennessee Tech 31 Austin Peay 23
This was a good game that went as most thought it would. Quarterback Lee Sweeney led Tech to the win going 21-29 for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to Antonio Robinson who had nine catches for 130 yards. Ryan White had 100 yards rushing for Austin Peay and Terrence Holt added 71 on 14 carries with two rushing touchdowns. Peay did not help themselves with 13 penalties and stayed winless in the conference and Tech goes to 1-1 
 
Jacksonville State 52 UT Martin 7
Folks it was as bad as the score indicated. Ryan Perriloux threw four touchdown passes and State had almost 500 yards of offense in a rout. T. J. Heath started with a band returning two interceptions for touchdowns for the first two scores of the game. Running back Calvin Middleton ran for 121 yards, a touchdown and receiver James Wilkerson did one better with 133 yards, and two scores. It was 31-0 at the half and things never got better for UT Martin.

                                                   SEC Wrap Week 5
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
 
LSU 20 Georgia 13
This is another reason the SEC is the best football conference in the nation and here is some proof. This is a conference where you are made or broken. Ole Miss found that out when they could not produce in primetime against a conference foe. This week it was LSU’s turn to prove the voters right and the doubters wrong. They were ranked fourth in the nation just like Ole Miss was last week and were the underdogs in this one. True to form, you never know which Tiger team is going to show up. They were able to move the ball in the first half, control the clock, but had only six points for all the effort. Georgia was trying to make a statement in the conference as well. So they took the hit from LSU for three quarters and were only down six. In the third quarter the momentum seemed to shift towards the Dawgz. After a good drive they opened the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Shaun Chapas that gave Georgia a 7-6 lead. For all the Tigers had done, mistakes kept them from leading by a few touchdowns. They had two chances inside the Georgia ten and came away empty after a pick in the end zone and a failed fourth and inches. So after the Georgia touchdown the Tigers went to work on a 13 play 88 yard drive that ended in a two yard Charles Scott run that made it 12-7. The two-point conversion failed and Georgia got the ball back with just under three minutes to go and time to answer the latest Tiger score. So that is exactly what they did as QB Joe Cox led them on a six-play 79 yard drive to put Georgia up 13-12. They also went for and failed on their two-point conversion and the stage was set for the finish. There was 1:09 left in the game and the Tigers found themselves suddenly fighting for their season. They knew that next week was Florida so they had to take care of business today. There were reasons to pack it in and say they tried but it would not be. On the Georgia score wide receiver A.J. Green was penalized for excessive celebration so his team had to kick off from the 15. Trindon Holliday returned the kick to the Dawgz 43 and another penalty put the ball at the Georgia 38 with a chance to win the game with a field goal. Instead Scott took the second down handoff and fought of defenders on his way to the game winning 33-yard touchdown. So it was now done and the Tigers could move forward to the huge task at hand next week. They face Florida for power positioning in the SEC. This is the way football is played here and the teams that are real will go to the head of the class. Slip up and this conference will expose you quickly.
 
(3) Alabama 38 Kentucky 20
When things go your way they just go your way. Alabama was up when they were pinned deep in their territory. Running back Trent Richardson took a handoff and appeared to be tackled in the end zone. The officials came back and ruled that he just got the ball out of the end zone on time. The Tide would then move the football the length of the field and go ahead for good. It was that kind of day as Alabama basically dominated the Wildcats in every form and fashion. They were so dominant in the second half the outcome was never in doubt. Running back Mark Ingram had a career day as has had 140 yards on 22 carries to go with two touchdowns. Quarterback Greg McElroy was efficient in going 15-26 for 148 yards and two scores. More importantly he did what was expected of him when he was needed. This game showed that the Tide have earned their number three national ranking. They are deep everywhere with depth and experience as well as a load of talent. In order to get past this team you are going to have to come well prepared for a long hard fought game. Kentucky on the other hand has work to do. They can feel good about what they were able to do in this game. They were able to move the ball for the most part but were sabotaged by three Mike Hartline interceptions and another time he completed the pass but it was knocked free and Courtney Upshaw scooped it up and ran it back 45 yards for the score. That pretty much did it for the Wildcats and now they have faced the two of the top three teams in the nation the past two weeks and as head coach Rich Brooks said, “They're a great football team. I expect to see them in the SEC championship game."
 
Ole Miss 23 Vanderbilt 7
Speaking of being broken in the conference we check in on the Rebels. Last week they were riding high before game time. They had the highest ranking in forever at number four. They were being cast into the spotlight in primetime and got whipped. So now they had to regroup and quarterback Jevon Snead would lead the way against a weak Vandy team that has struggled this season. Instead he threw three interceptions when the team had already built a rhythm in the first half. Head coach Houston Nutt said that he was disappointed that Snead did not make better decisions and tried to force things. Yes he had three touchdown passes in the first half but the second half breakdown worries his coaches and himself. He came into the season much hyped and is now trying to hold it together so that his team may have a shot a major bowl. Vanderbilt came in ranked third nationally in pass defense but was lit up at the start. Mistakes helped give them a chance but they could not capitalize. Larry Smith was ineffective going 10-27 for 69 yards. He was sacked four times and when he drove Vandy to a possible score his pass got picked off. So there is plenty of work to do as Head coach Bobby Johnson knows. The Dores have to find some form of offense because defense wont win it here alone.
 
Elsewhere:
 
Auburn 26 Tennessee 22
The rebuilding continues as Auburn gained 459 yards of offense as they were balanced and never trailed. Vols manage to show some of their own offense with 410 yards but the game was not as close as the score would indicate.
 
South Carolina 38 South Carolina St. 14
The Gamecocks tie their best start in the Steve Spurrier era and Stephen Garcia ran for a touchdown and passed for two more. Still the small Bulldogs squad held their own showing S.C. they better be prepared when the big boys come a knocking.
 
Arkansas 47 Texas A&M 19
 
Georgia Tech 42 Miss. St 31 

Week five NCAA Predictions
By Max Baez
Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online

What a week last week was. Ole Miss showed it was certainly no where near a top five team, Miami flew back to earth, and Oregon skyrocketed off the planet. Definitely some intriguing games coming up this week as conference play is about to heat up, and maybe a few pretenders will be separated from the pretenders this week. Two games that really had potential to be marquee matchups (Oklahoma/Miami and Cal/USC) lost a good deal of their luster with Miami and Cal’s performances last week, but this week is really important for those two if they want to get into the BCS picture at the end of the season.

LSU @ Georgia

This is a tough game to predict. On one hand, #4 LSU is definitely not the fourth best team in the country, at least in my opinion. On the other hand, Georgia isn’t really that great either. They needed a last second field goal to beat Arizona State, a team that will probably finish in the bottom half of the Pac-10, and their defense hasn’t looked good in their other games. However, I do like the Bulldogs in this one, for two reasons. First is their home field advantage, and secondly, their offense has been pretty impressive. This could involve into a mini shoot out, and that’s why I like Georgia: their receivers are better (especially since they have AJ Green) and QB Joe Cox has been solid.

Georgia 42, LSU 31


Oklahoma @ Miami

Will Sam Bradford be back? That’s the big question going into this battle of elite programs. Miami’s comeback took a hit last week when they got drubbed by Virginia Tech, but at least they get to host the Sooners in this one. However, Sam Bradford or no Sam Bradford, Oklahoma is a really good team. Their defense has only allowed 14 points all season, and that includes games against two really good offenses in BYU and Tulsa. Miami is still on the upswing, but Oklahoma is simply the better team, and since Landry Jones has been playing well in place of Sam Bradford, I’m thinking the Sooners can win this one either way.

Oklahoma 24, Miami 14


USC @ Cal

This game would be way bigger if Cal had won last week. If so, this game would have been an opportunity for Cal to be a great position to win the Pac-10. However, last week Oregon cleared something up: Cal won’t be winning the Pac-10. Cal got beat in every way, and after being completely exposed, they get to face the Pac-10’s best team. Now, for USC, they simply don’t lose these types of games. They will lose to Oregon State or Washington, but not a Pac-10 power. It doesn’t matter if the game is on the road. USC is USC, and USC this game. Plus, Matt Barkley is supposed to be back, just adding fuel to the USC bandwagon (to win this game, at least).

USC 35, Cal 20


Auburn @ Tennessee

Auburn isn’t ranked in the top 25, but they haven’t looked like an unranked team. The firing of Tommy Tuberville (and subsequent hiring of Gene Chizik) was highly criticized, but things are looking great at Auburn, especially on offense. Tennessee is their toughest test so far this season, but the Volunteers haven’t looked particularly strong this season, with wins against miniscule programs and a loss against UCLA. Tennessee looks like they will improve in the future under Lane Kiffin, and they have some good players for the future like RB Bryce Brown, but Auburn’s lowest point total this season is 37 points, and they should score a good amount against Tennessee as well.

Auburn 38, Tennessee 30


Arkansas @ Texas A&M

This game was selected on default. Really, any of the five other games to watch could have been picked for this (well, maybe not the military academy one), but both of these programs are improving, and games at neutral locations are always fun, especially when it’s at a stadium with the biggest TV screen in the world (okay, well that’s bad logic, but the neutral site should give this game a unique atmosphere.) As for who is going to win, Arkansas looks like they are emerging faster than the Aggies. Their offense looks great, and QB Ryan Mallett is just going to get better with every game, so I’ll go with the Razorbacks. Bobby Petrino’s offense certainly looks a lot better this year than it did a year ago.

Arkansas 34, Texas A&M 20


Five other games to watch: Wisconsin @ Minnesota, Michigan @ Michigan State, Florida State @ Boston College, UCLA @ Stanford, Air Force @ Navy

Last week: 3-2
Season to date: 8-2