Gold Sheet Newsletter 12/30
Nebraska 22 - Arizona 16—This is a rematch of the 1998 Holiday Bowl, won 23-20 by Dick Tomey and Arizona over Frank Solich’s first Nebraska team.
The 2009 versions of the Wildcats and Cornhuskers have played 2009 with eerily similar results. Both teams have lost four games, three of the defeats in unusual fashion. Nebraska did everything but beat host Virginia Tech, losing 16- 15 in the waning minutes due to a blown deep coverage and a “miracle” scrambling TD pass by QB Tyrod Taylor. NU lost 9-7 to Iowa State on eight Cornhusker giveaways. And Nebraska lost 13-12 to Texas in the Big XII title game in a way that will not soon be forgotten in Lincoln.
Arizona’s four losses included a 36-33 defeat at Washington on an apparent incomplete pass kicked into the air for the winning UW interception TD! Then at Cal, while already in FG range, a Wildcat pass was batted back to QB Nick Foles, who threw it again (illegal forward pass), penalizing the Wildcats out of FG range. Then, a 44-41 loss vs. Oregon in double OT after the Ducks tied the game with :06 left in regulation.
The top RBs for both teams—Roy Helu for NU & Nic Grigsby for U of A— battled painful shoulder injuries and missed time. Both teams had first-year starting QBs who were benched. Nebraska jr. Zac Lee (59%, 13 TDs, 10 ints.) regained his spot. Arizona’s Matt Scott gave up his starting job to 6-5 soph passer Nick Foles (66%, 19 TDs, 8 ints.). And both teams boosted their ground games as the season progressed, the Wildcats turning to QB Scott as valuable runner (305 YR, 7.6 ypc), and the Huskers turning to former HC and current AD Tom Osborne for hints on deception & misdirection.
DE Ricky Elmore had 101⁄2 sacks and DT Earl Mitchell 61⁄2 for U of A. A-A DT Ndamukong Suh had 12 sacks and DT Jared Crick 91⁄2 for NU. PK Alex Henery hit 20 of 24 FGs for the Huskers; PK Alex Zendejas 17 of 22 for the Cats.
Arizona coach Mike Stoops will get a report on Nebraska from brother Bob at Oklahoma. But Mike probably won’t like what he hears. As the nation witnessed vs. Texas, Bo Pelini has developed one of the best spread-attack defenses in the nation—pressuring mightily with the much-decorated, unstoppable Suh and the front four, employing sticky man coverage on the WRs. No surprise that Suh & Co. were 10-3 “under” TY.
(DNP...SR: Arizona 1-0-1)
IDAHO 43 - Bowling Green 38—Ah, where else but in bowl season can we be treated to a matchup between Bowling Green and Idaho, playing on a blue field in a game sponsored by a truck stop? Not to mention providing a litmus test for college football fans, whose loyalty to ESPN and its Bowl Week will be severely tested by this Wednesday afternoon kickoff between WAC and MAC also-rans.
Those who do tune in might watch a pretty good show, however, as prospects for this one have us considering gridiron analogies to the George Foreman-Ron Lyle heavyweight slug-out in 1976. In other words, don’t expect much defense. Idaho wasn’t stopping the wind down the stretch, yielding a staggering 50 ppg its last five games, and its prospects of coping with the Falcons’ record-threatening WR Freddie Barnes (138 catches TY; needs just five to break NCAA season mark) are a bit frightening, especially since first-year BGSU HC Dave Clawson has promised to “make sure Freddie would get his touches.” Duly warned, expect the Vandals to counter with their best defense, which happens to be their offense, better balanced than the Falcs’ version and capable of playing some real smashmouth with a stable of RBs led by slamming Washington State sr. transfer DeMaundray Woolridge and darting soph Princeton McCarthy, both gaining a healthy 5.7 ypc while rambling behind an OL that starts 4 srs., including 340-lb G Mike Iupati, a likely NFL first-round pick. That’s bad news for a Falcon “D” that was hardly robust vs. the run (ranking 103rd). And though BGSU is familiar with this venue (played here LY), the regional advantage in Boise should be worth something to Idaho. (DNP...SR: FIRST MEETING)
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Originally Posted by LLXC
