Round 2-Bracket 20

RESULTS - BRACKET 20
Round 2
(seed) year school - score


Swarming Defense.
(109) 1990 Miami - 31
(916) 2007 Connecticut - 16

Donald Brown the Star of UConn got the team started with a opening drive run of 40 yards for a score, that had the Canes wondering if upset was on the menu. But that was the last time the Huskies found the endzone and the Overmatch was in effect as the Cane Defense and QB Craig Erickson then went on a 31-3 scoring rampage. Craig Erickson had touchdowns of 50(Lamar Thomas), 32(Randall Hill) and 72(Wesley Carroll) and the starters were done at the half. The Cane Defense was swarming all day and QB Tyler Lorenzen had no time and Donald Brown was limited to 47 yards. DL Russell Maryland tipped a Lorenzen duck and LB Michael Barrow went 15 yard for Defensive TD. The Huskies had no chance here. Other Stat Lines: LB Darrin Smith 12 tackles, 5 tfls 3 sacks, LB Maurice Crum 8 Tkl 1 tfl 2 sax,DB's Ryan McNeil and Darryl Williams held the Huskies to 62 yards passing, Also in the shadow of Donald Brown, Cane RB Stephen McGuire ran for 120 yards.


Play of the Game
(621) 2007 South Florida - 36
(404) 1995 Texas - 39 (2 OT)

This game is a perfect example of why these matchups are great and this one did not disappoint. And it answers a question is a mid major team as good as a dominant team 12 years ago....USF looked like it would be but here's what happened. At the beginning of this game it looked like the Longhorn's were in trouble when Ricky Williams left the game with a ankle issue, but Shonn Mitchell came in and plunged for the 1 yard score. USF QB Grothe and RB Mike Ford had 10 straight rushing plays to knot the score at 7-7. After that the Ricky Show was back in effect as Mr. Williams ran for 3 scores and finished the day with 248 yards. The USF defense featuring DE George Selvie, LB's Tyrone McKenzie and Ben Moffitt were being manhandled by the Longhorns OL. So with the score 29-14 in the 3rd quarter all looked lost for the Bulls, but that's when Grothe used his arm and hit WR Taurus Johnson for a 33 yard touchdown and on the ensuing kickoff KR Bryant Westbrook was leveled by SS Carlton Williams and forced a fumble which set up Grothe to WR Jessie Hester and the two point was converted and it was knotted up at 29-29 which stayed that way until OT. USF got the ball first and Grothe rushed 5 straight times to give the Bulls the 36-29 lead. When Texas got it was QB James Brown and his legs on a 11 yard scamper to tie the game back up at 36-36. On the play of the game Grothe passed to Taurus Johnson who was leveled by CB Bryant Westbrook(who fumbled earlier) and DL Tony Brackens was around the ball and picked it off. After that it was up to Phil Dawson who hit 4-4 FG on the day including the game winner. Great Game! Other Stat Lines: Texas Mike Adams 3-102(2 over 40, two over 20), QB Matt Grothe 137 passing 120 rushing,


Great Catch but not enough
(365) 1979 Penn State - 17
(660) 1977 Clemson - 15

In a game that was one in the trenches it was a 42 yard FG by Herb Menhardt to close out the Tigers and one of only 2 Charley Pell coached Clemson teams in the Tournament. Clemson QB Steve Fuller was held in check all day by LB Lance Mehl(14 tck, 2 tfl), one of Fuller's only highlights was captured by a circus catch by WR Jerry Butler for a 25 yard score. Penn State on the other hand was very methodical and was basically run right with RB Curt Warner or run left with Matt Suhey which really forced Clemson DB's Eddie Geathers and Rex Varn to cheat up, and on a fake pitch it was QB Dayle Tate hitting WR Tom Donovan to set up the winning FG. Stat Line: PSU DL Bruce Clark 7 tkl 4 tfl 3 big sacks on 3rd down.




(1172) 2001 Texas Tech - 20
(148) 1988 UCLA - 33

The Tech spread offense with all its glitz comes into this game with a lineup featuring QB Kliff Kingsbury, HB Ricky Williams, WR Wes Welker, WR Carlos Francis, WR Nehemiah Glover, WR Mickey Peters which on paper seems like whoever they are playing don't have a chance. But as this game progressed it was the ones on the otherside of the ball that made the Raiders re-evaluate the spread offense. It seemed that every other play Kingsbury was throwing the ball away or being pressured by LB's Marvcus Patton or Carnell Lake which combined for 21 tkl, 6 tfls and 5 sax. Which sounds like they were the story, but look at the level behind them and you got the headline as DB's Darryl Henley, Marcus Turner, Eric Turner and Matt Darby controlled this game from the start. They were constantly bumping and bringing the lumber causing the very finesse WR's of Tech to hear footsteps. Also in a side story QB Troy Aikman connected with 8 different recievers and ended the day spinning the heads of DL Aaron Hunt and LB Lawrence Flugence.



(237) 1999 Marshall - 31
(788) 1999 Texas - 20
The Thundering Herd continued it's way thru the tourny and came back in the second half to move to the second round. The Longhorns led by a Hodges Mitchell 1st quarter 42 yard run took the lead of 10-7 at the half, but unfortunately for the Horns there was a second half. Marshall QB Chad Pennington started the scoring barrage by throwing for 3 touchdowns(one to Nate Poole, Llow Turner, Scott Pettit)and then Marshall DB Maurice Hines picked off Major Applewhite and returned it for a touchdown to seal the victory for the Herd.
Key Stats of the game:
Tex QB Major Applewhite 23-42 311 1 TD 1 int
Tex RB Hodges Mitchell 140 yards 1 TD,
Tex WR Ryan Nunez 4-98 1 TD,
Tex WR Kwame Cavil 8-67 can dance
Marshall QB Chad Pennington 24-39 238 yards 3 TD 1 Int



(1300) 2005 Boise State - 23
(276) 1994 Auburn - 32

The Stephen Davis show was barreling thru the mid major Boise State as the Tigers out muscled the Broncoes. RB Stephen Davis rushed for 185 yards and 3 TD before he sat out the 4th Quarter. Boise St defenders LB Korey Hall and S Cam Hall were the only ones that were mentioned all day as QB Patrick Nix didn't make any mistakes and when he did pass it was the sure handed Frank Sanders on the recieving end with 11 catches for 128. Boise State QB Jared Zabransky couldn't use any magic in this one as he was held to 212 yards and 2 interceptions both by Chris Shelling. Other Stats:
Boise State RB Lee Marks 25 yards on 10 carries

(493) 2005 Notre Dame - 24
(532) 2000 Toledo - 31
Rocket, Rocket all of my Rocket Sauce! They have been Cinderella in this tournament and the dream continues as Toledo moves on. In Charlie Weis first season it started with a thud and this game wasn't as close as the score indicates as QB Tavares Bolden got the rockets out to a quick 24-7 lead by the half. Bolden was Golden and hit Donta Greene on a 72 yard pass on the first drive of the game and then again in the back of the endzone for a 2 yard score in the 2nd, Greene only had three catches on the day. Irish QB Brady Quinn the hyped QB going into this game, made two mistakes in the 1st half by trying to force the ball to Maurice Stovall and Rhema McKnight which proceed to bounce off his wideouts hands into the hands of Toledo DB Brandon Hefflin. Check out some of the key stats:
Irish:
QB Brady Quinn 21-34 238 yards 2 INT
RB Darius Walker 86 yards 1 TD
WR Maurice Stovall 5-99 yards
WR Jeff Samardzija 8-70 yards
DB Tom Zbikowski 11 tkls 1 INT
Rockets:
QB Tavares Bolden 11-18 270 yards 3 TD 1 Int
RB Chester Taylor 123 yards 1 TD 37 Rec Yards
WR Greg Grothous 3-87 1 TD
WR Donta Greene 2-74 2 TD
DB Brandon Hefflin 10 tkls 2 INT


(1005) 1978 Yale - 13
(20) 1978 Alabama - 27

The Tide rolled out to a 27-0 lead in this one led by HB Tony Nathan(137 yards 2 TD) and QB Jeff Rutledge(9-13 210 yards 2 TD's) accounting for the majority of the offense and the Steller Bama Defense gave the Tide great field position all day led by DL's EJ Junior, Marty Lyons, LB Barry Krause, and DB Don McNeal stifled the poor overmatched Yale Bulldogs, how they got to the second round I don't know but the reverse play worked once for them in this one leading to their only score. Check out the replay.

Round of 512 Matchups:
(109) 1990 Miami vs (404) 1995 Texas
(148) 1988 UCLA vs (365) 1979 Penn State
(237) 1999 Marshall vs (276) 1994 Auburn
(20) 1978 Alabama vs (532) 2000 Toledo