Herschel Walker Award Finalists

HERSCHEL WALKER AWARD

We created the Herschel Walker Award because there isn't an award to honor the top freshman in the nation. And who better to name an award given only to a freshman than Herschel Walker?

The following list contains five worthy finalists for the Walker Award.

J.Pike's Finalists

ROBERT GRIFFIN
(Freshman QB, Baylor)
Key Stats
Passing: 2,091 yards, 15 td, 3 int;
174.2 passing yards per game;
Freshman record for consecutive attempts without an interception;
Rushing: 843 yards, 13 td;
70.2 rushing yards per game;
244.4 yards total offense per game, 28 total touchdowns;
The most exciting freshman quarterback talent in the country

JULIO JONES
(Freshman WR, Alabama)
Key Stats
Receiving: 51 receptions, 847 yards, 4 td;
13 starts as a true freshman;
16.6 yards per catch;
65.2 yards per game;
Jones already has the look of a veteran - and freakish skills


JACQUIZZ RODGERS
(Freshman RB, Oregon State)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,253 yards, 11 td;
113.9 yards per game;
Receiving: 29 receptions, 247 yards, 1 td;
136.4 all purpose yards per game
The mighty mite Rodgers carried the Beavers to an upset win over USC earlier this season


SEAN SPENCE
(Freshman LB, Miami)
Key Stats
62 tackles (third on team);
2 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss;
1 interception, 2 passes broken up;
1 forced fumble
One of the most gifted linebackers anywhere


RUSSELL WILSON
(Redshirt Freshman QB, N.C. State)
Key Stats
Passing: 1,769 yards, 16 td, 1 int;
176.9 passing yards per game;
Rushing: 342 yards, 4 td;
211.1 yards total offense per game;
Wilson is the most polished freshman quarterback anywhere - with Wilson in the lineup, the Wolfpack is a different team

Thursday Night Football

#20 Miami (7-3) at Georgia Tech (7-3)

(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
The ACC Coastal Division is up for grabs Thursday night as Miami puts their five game winning streak on the line in Atlanta. The Hurricanes cranked up the intensity on ESPN last Thursday night, thanks in large part to a sizable freshman contingent.

Offensively there aren't two phrases more troubling to most head coaches than "quarterback rotation" and "freshman quarterback". But at Miami, Robert Marve and Jacory Harris (both freshmen, both receiving significant snaps) are making it work. Harris in particular has the look of a big time college quarterback on the verge of a big breakout game.

On defense the Canes feature an excellent trio of freshmen, Sean Spence, Marcus Robinson, and Marcus Fortson. Spence, a linebacker, has been solid all season, ranking third on the team in tackles. Robinson, a defensive end, had his breakout game against Virginia Tech last Thursday night with three sacks. He'll give a banged up Georgia Tech offensive line all they can handle.

The Ramblin' Wreck O-line was already dealt a blow when senior Andrew Gardner, who had started every game since he's been on campus, went down with a shoulder injury. Now it looks like fellow starter David Brown is going to miss the Miami game due to injury as well.

With the injuries piling up for Georgia Tech, and with all the momentum on the side of the Hurricanes it would appear to be a no brainer as to who to pick. But this is the ACC. Up is down; black is white; right is wrong; and the ranked team seems to lose every time.

Miami has continually stalled out in the red zone this season, and the Yellow Jacket defensive line is more than capable of continuing that trend. Georgia Tech will get outplayed most of the night, but Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt will find a way to steal the victory in the end.
J.Pike's Pick: Georgia Tech 16, Miami 12

WEEK TWELVE - Midweek Games

#19 Virginia Tech @ Miami

(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
Miami’s group of super-frosh encounter yet another hurdle tonight with the 19th ranked Hokies coming to town. Virginia Tech has a freshman phenom of its own in running back Darren Evans. Evans ripped off 253 yards on the ground a week ago in the Thursday night win over Maryland. He’ll need to keep up the production because both Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon are suffering through nagging injuries. In fact, Taylor might have to sit out his second straight game thanks to an injured ankle. In the end it won’t matter which quarterback plays though. Miami’s Sean Spence and Marcus Fortson will be more than enough to slow down Evans and the Hokie offense. Also look for dazzling freshman return man Travis Benjamin to exploit the sub-par Virginia Tech special teams with a big punt return to break the game open at some point.
J.Pike’s Pick: Miami 26, Virginia Tech 13

#20 Cincinnati @ Louisville
(Friday, 7 pm, ESPN 2)
Don’t ever bet against a Tony Pike-led team. Not even on the road. Cincinnati is finally hitting their stride now that they have a healthy quarterback to stabilize the offense. Pike led the Bearcats to a big win at West Virginia a week ago. Louisville on the other hand has not looked good during its current two game losing streak. The Cardinals got hammered by Pitt last week 41-7, and lost to cellar dwelling Syracuse two weeks ago.
J.Pike’s Pick: Cincinnati 27, Louisville 20

News & Notes

*Minnesota will be without leading receiver Eric Decker for their matchup with rival Wisconsin on Saturday. Decker has a high ankle sprain and should be ready for the season finale against Iowa. The absence of Decker, the Big Ten's leader in receptions, opens the door for speedy freshman Brandon Green to take center stage in trying to get the Golden Gophers season back on track.

*The revolving door at quarterback for California continues. Kevin Riley will get the start against Oregon State on Saturday a week after Nate Longshore drew the starting assignment against USC. Riley won't impress you stats-wise, but he is much more confident in the pocket and less likely to make big mistakes that cost his team wins.

*Miami left tackle Jason Fox is listed as doubtful for the Canes Thursday night matchup with Virginia Tech. Fox sprained his ankle against Virginia and has not been able to practice since. With Jason Worilds and the active Hokie front coming to town, now is not the best time for Miami to have to shake up their offensive line.

NEWS & NOTES - NEBRASKA EDITION

*Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini finally handed out the Blackshirts on Tuesday. The defense's performance against Kansas on Saturday wasn't quite up to the standards set by Blackshirt units of the past, but defensive coordinator Carl Pelini liked the physical play and felt like the time was now. The first eleven Blackshirts of the Pelini era were awarded to Pierre Allen, Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard, Eric Hagg, Armando Murillo, Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler, Clayton Sievers, Ndamukong Suh, Anthony West and Tyler Wortman.

*Notably absent from the list of Blackshirt recipients is linebacker Cody Glenn. Glenn was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday for violating team rules. Carl Pelini wouldn't give any further explanation other than to say "there's lots of rules that cause suspension, let's move on to another topic." Glenn was easily one of the most athletic players on the Nebraska defense and his presence in the lineup will be missed.

Gameday Commentary - 5:30 pm

*Kansas State is a bad team. There are no fundamentals at all; nobody on defense can tackle; there are breakdowns in the special teams; and worst of all, the team has no confidence. I feel bad for the players in this situation. The coaching staff is clueless from and X's & O's standpoint, and on top of that, Ron Prince made them run laps in the middle of the night when they got back from a road loss against Louisville a couple weeks ago. Ron Prince looks like he's in his final season as head coach in Manhattan.

*I still like Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. He's a fiery head coach who doesn't let his team quit. Even when his team trailed 28-7 in the third quarter, the Cardinal never quit and Harbaugh was fighting for calls. Stanford ended up cutting the lead to 28-21 and had the ball with a chance to tie.

*I have to give Chris Smelley some credit. He played a great game today in South Carolina's win over Ole Miss.

*Kentucky is giving Alabama all they can handle. Alabama has been great this year, and the defense is playing up to those standards today. But Kentucky is laying the blue print for how to stop the Crimson Tide offense. John Parker Wilson hasn't been a big part of the conservative game plan, but he's not doing his part. Wilson has struggled mightily on throws down the field. Also, kicker Leigh Tiffin has been awful today.

*I've said it once, I'll say it again: I'm not sure there's a quarterback in the country with a stronger arm than Juice Williams.

*Michigan quarterback Steven Threet is coming around. He looked very average early in the season, but his accuracy has improved, particularly on the deep throws that you have to complete to keep defenses from loading up the box.

*Tommy Tuberville is taking his team back! After putting up with Tony Franklin's ridiculous spread offense for the first several weeks (and getting poor results), Tuberville clearly straightened things out this week. The first few drives included more non-shotgun formations than Auburn has run all season. That allowed them to take advantage of Ben Tate's strengths and build a 13-0 lead. Also, Auburn's defense is as good as it has ever been. If the offense keeps playing REAL football (as opposed to that shotgun every play/sideways running nonsense Franklin has been running all year), Auburn is a team that can have legit national title dreams.

*The discovery of the day: Miami WR/KR Travis Benjamin. The freshman has incredible speed and agility and has played a huge role in getting Miami back in the game in the second half against Florida State. Keep an eye on this kid because he'll be making some big plays this year and beyond.

WEEK FIVE - Top 25 Preview (Part I: 11-25)

#12 BYU is Idle

Tennessee at #13 Auburn
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, CBS)
The Auburn defense is one of the best in the nation. They’ll have no problem shutting down the woeful Tennessee offense by pressuring quarterback Jonathan Crompton into turnovers. Auburn’s offense is by no means a juggernaut either, but they’ll be good enough in this matchup.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 23, Tennessee 10

#14 South Florida at N.C. State
(Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN U)
A week after their upset of #18 East Carolina, N.C. State faces yet another top 20 team in Raleigh. Unfortunately for the Wolfpack they will be without the services of their best offensive and defensive players this time around. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who had a breakout game against the Pirates, and linebacker Nate Irving will both be held out of the game due to injuries suffered a week ago. Harrison Beck, who will start in Wilson’s place at quarterback, is in for a long night. I expect USF DE George Selvie to harass him into a ton of mistakes and turnovers.
J.Pike’s Pick: South Florida 27, N.C. State 10

#15 Texas Tech is Idle

Maryland at #16 Clemson
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN360.com)
This is a good test for both teams. Is Clemson as good as the preseason hype surrounding them or are they the chumps that barely showed up against Alabama? Is Maryland really as good as they looked against Cal or was that an aberration? Look for this game to be a slugfest decided by mistakes.
J.Pike’s Pick: Clemson 26, Maryland 18

Weber State at #17 Utah
(Saturday, 7 pm)
This matchup has an interesting subtext: Weber State head coach Ron McBride coached the Utes for 12 seasons, compiling an 88-63 record prior to the arrival of Urban Meyer. McBride brings a fairly explosive offense averaging 38.8 points per game in his return to Salt Lake. But Brian Johnson and the current Ute squad are far too much for the Wildcats. Utah must work on committing fewer penalties if they want to compete with BYU in the Mountain West.
J.Pike’s Pick: Utah 43, Weber State 24

#18 Kansas is Idle

Navy at #20 Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:45 pm, ESPN U)
Wake Forest has quietly compiled a 3-0 record while playing very solid football so far this season. Their defense nearly pitched a shutout against overmatched Florida State last week (never thought I’d say that). The Demon Deacons need to be careful not to overlook Navy though. Navy is coming off a mild upset over Rutgers last week and they finally have quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada Nahasapeemapetilon back in the fold after he missed the first three games due to injury.
J.Pike’s Pick: Wake Forest 23, Navy 15

#21 Vanderbilt is Idle

Virginia Tech at #22 Nebraska
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
Breakdown can be found here: [LINK]
J.Pike’s Pick: Nebraska 32, Virginia Tech 24

North Carolina at #23 Miami
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN 2)
This is a game that is only going to get more important over the next few years. Both programs appear to be on the rise and both are playing a number of talented freshmen and sophomores. Don’t be surprised if this is a top 10 matchup in two years. I’ll give Miami the nod this year thanks in large part to their talented freshmen, QB Robert Marve and LB Sean Spence. Also, North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates will miss the game due to an ankle fracture.
J.Pike’s Pick: Miami 24, North Carolina 14

Houston at #25 East Carolina
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, CBS College Sports)
East Carolina finally lost a game last week, but I still thought they played well. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney continues to impress, and East Carolina still plays as physical as any non-BCS conference team. Houston got beat pretty bad by Colorado State a week ago, so expect ECU to roll here.
J.Pike’s Pick: East Carolina 30, Houston 17

Gameday Commentary - Night Games

Alabama 20, Tulane 6
This is more like the Alabama I was expecting to see this year. Bama needed a punt return for touchdown and a blocked punt returned for touchdown to win the game. The offense was anemic all day, compiling only 172 total yards. Youch.

Florida 26, Miami 3
Miami hung around in the first half, but couldn't generate enough offense to make a game of it. Florida held the Canes to 140 total yards and Tim Tebow fought off a barrage of blitzes to lead three scoring drives and ice the game in the second half.
J.Pike's Thoughts:
*Miami has an impressive collection of freshmen. Linebacker Sean Spence is going to be a player. He's fast and physical. Quarterback Robert Marve struggled in the second half, but he has a strong arm and came out with great poise early in the game. Miami will win some games in the ACC this year.
*Florida has quite an impressive collection of athletes. There was so much speed an athleticism wearing blue tonight that it almost doesn't matter what schemes you teach them. Florida started slow but got better as the night went along. By the end of the game the Gators looked like a top five team with national title aspirations.
*The defensive game plan called by Bill Young of Miami was impressive. The continuous pressure they put on Tim Tebow, particularly with constant blitzes off the edge, really disrupted Tebow and the offense. Tebow adjusted in the second half, but his accuracy was clearly diminished with all the pressure in the first half.

Texas 42, UTEP 13
After a slow start, the Longhorns put it together and ran away with a big win in El Paso. It was sort of a ho-hum game, but Texas proved their superiority in the trenches, and Colt McCoy played another excellent game.
J.Pike's Thoughts:
*Quan Cosby is a super solid receiver. He and McCoy seem to be on the same page which will come in handy in those third down situations against Missouri and Oklahoma in a few weeks. The young receivers are also showing more and more promise every week. For some reason I'm not sure about Dan Buckner yet - he doesn't seem to play as big as he is - but Malcolm Williams and Brandon Collins are going to be good.
*By the end of the game the Texas defense was pressuring UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe on every snap. Vittatoe hung in there pretty well for the most part, but you can't expect him to win a game when he's under that kind of pressure.
*Overall it was a spotty performance by the Longhorns, but the good spots were really good. The defense is still a work in progress, but they are definitely coming along. At the end of the day it's hard to complain too much when the strength of the team is on both lines.

It's been a long, glorious day of college football. Good night now!

News & Notes

* Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn named JC transfer Dax Crum the starting quarterback. That leaves Karsten Sween, who started for the Cowboys the past two seasons, relegated to backup duty. Which begs the question: what the hell kind of name is “Dax Crum”?

* USC’s Matt Sanchez and Joe McKnight each suffered minor injuries in practice. Both are expected to be fine for the regular season, but this offense has been slipping recently, and these are two first time starters who could use the repetitions to gel with the rest of the offense.

An interesting side note to the Sanchez injury – redshirt freshman Aaron Corp is taking the snaps with the first team offense in his place instead of the highly touted Mitch Mustain. I’m guessing Pete Carroll is going to receive an angry call from Momma Mustain soon.

* Virginia Tech lost another wide receiver when Frank Beamer suspended Zach Luckett from the team indefinitely. The Hokies top four receivers from last season all graduated and the top three heading into ‘08 have all been lost due to injury or suspension. Now Poly must rely on true freshmen to get the job done. Tyrod Taylor better be ready to take over the QB job full time because he’s the only playmaker left on this depleted offense.

* Colorado named Demetrius Sumler the starting running back ahead of stud true freshman Darrell Scott. Sumler is a fine player, so all this means is the Buffs will have excellent depth in the running game.

* Tennessee tight end Brandon Warren has been cleared to play this season after transferring from Florida State. Two years ago Warren was one of the most impressive freshmen in the country, and he’ll make an immediate impact at Tennessee.

This news couldn’t come at a better time for the Vols either. After losing tight ends Chris Brown and Brad Cottam to the NFL draft, projected starter Jeff Cottam injured his knee in practice and will be miss the first half of the season.

* Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor tore up his knee and will miss the 2008 season. Kory Sheets will take over full time, but he doesn’t have quite the same ability Taylor does.

* SMU senior quarterback Justin Willis has been demoted to third string on new head coach June Jones’ depth chart behind somebody called Bo Levi Mitchell. Willis has started for the Mustangs the past three years so the move comes as a surprise.

* As expected, UCLA has named Kevin Craft the starting quarterback. Craft, a transfer from San Diego State, got the nod in large part because Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan are the two most injury-prone players to ever play major college football. But Craft can play a little bit too, so expect him to have a fine season playing for Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow.

* Ralph Friedgen has changed his starting quarterback again. Chris Turner, who played well in spots last season, has been replaced in the lineup by injury-plagued Jordan Steffy. Josh Portis, a transfer from Florida, is expected to see action as well. Friedgen said Portis has as much athleticism as any player he’s ever coached, so expect him to contribute a highlight reel play at some point this year.

* In another quarterback competition that went as expected, Cal has named Kevin Riley the starter over Nate Longshore. Long”spare” has been playing mediocre football for far too long, and Riley proved in the Bears’ bowl win over Air Force that he has what it takes to succeed in Jeff Tedford’s offense.

* Oregon quarterback Nate Costa suffered an injury to the same knee that caused him to miss all of last season. As of now the severity of the injury is unknown, but I have a hunch that Justin Roper is warming up in the bullpen already. Get your panic buttons ready Duck fans.

* Miami has suspended projected starting quarterback Robert Marve for the season opener against Charleston Southern. That means true freshman Jacory Harris will have the first shot at filling the ballerina slippers of Kirby Freeman and Kyle Wright.

* Gene Chizik has chosen a winner in the heated quarterback competition at Iowa State. Austen Arnaud will get first crack at the job. Phillip Bates will see the field though - he played wide receiver last season and has too much athleticism to keep on the sidelines.

* N.C. State redshirt freshman Russell Wilson was tabbed by head coach Tom O’Brien as the starter for the Thursday night opener against South Carolina. Wilson beat out incumbent Daniel Evans, Nebraska transfer Harrison Beck, and Justin Burke, who is transfering to Louisville.

* Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone tore up his knee and will sit out the season. The Domers were already thin at tight end, so it will be up to incoming freshmen to handle an important position in Charlie Weis’ offense.

ACC Preview

Favorites

Coastal: Clemson
The Tigers return a loaded roster in a league that is not very good at the moment. With question marks all over the rest of the league, Tommy Bowden’s squad holds the keys to their own fate. It’s not out of the question for this team to run the table and crash the National Championship game.

Atlantic: Virginia Tech
This pick shows just how weak the rest of the ACC is. Virginia Tech lost virtually every significant playmaker from last year’s roster, and suffered further losses at running back and wide receiver in the off season due to injury and off-the-field issues. Yet the Hokies are still the favorite to take home the Atlantic division.

Sleepers
Coastal: Boston College
For some reason, everybody seems to be writing off Boston College this year. I’m sure that reason has to do with Matt Ryan, but again, I’m not sure Ryan was worth all the hype. The defense was pretty good though, and a significant portion of that unit returns. If there’s a team in this conference capable of knocking off Clemson, it’s BC.

Atlantic: Miami
Who knows what to expect from Miami in 2008? This is the kind of team that could go 4-8 and not really surprise anybody. They could also just as easily go 9-3 and win an Atlantic Division that is completely up for grabs due to the questions surrounding Virginia Tech. Randy Shannon looked downright overwhelmed in his first season as a head coach, but he learned a lot in some difficult losses. Expect him to take a step forward as a coach this year. Helping him out will be new defensive coordinator Bill Young, who coached Kansas’ surprisingly stout D last year.

On the Rise: North Carolina
Butch Davis quietly made progress at UNC last season. He brought in a solid recruiting class - many of which saw action right away - and gave the program the leadership and direction it had lacked. It's hard to believe there isn't more buzz in Chapel Hill right now because the Tar Heels could take a couple more sneaky steps in the right direction and find themselves as top dogs in the conference. In the current state of the ACC, that's not too far out of the question.

Declining: Wake Forest
Jim Grobe is a fantastic coach, there’s no doubt about that. He was also fortunate to have a strong core group of players the last few seasons. Wake Forest doesn’t get players like Kenneth Moore, Jon Abbate, Steve Justice, or speedsters like Willie Idlette and Kevin Marion very often, and I don’t see anybody on the roster capable of filling their shoes anymore. Now raised expectations and preseason top 25 recognition are a part of the program, but unfortunately I don’t think players like Riley Skinner are up to the task of maintaining the momentum.

PROJECTED STANDINGS & RECORDS

Coastal
1. Clemson	11-1 (7-1 conference)
2. Boston College	9-3 (5-3)
3. Florida State	7-5 (4-4)
4. Maryland	7-5 (4-4)
5. Wake Forest	6-6 (3-5)
6. N.C. State	5-7 (3-5)
Atlantic
1. Virginia Tech	8-4 (5-3)
2. Miami	7-5 (5-3)
3. North Carolina	7-5 (4-4)
4. Georgia Tech	6-6 (4-4)
5. Virginia	5-7 (3-5)
6. Duke	3-9 (1-7)

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Offense: James Davis (RB, Clemson)
Defense: Victor “Macho” Harris (DB, Virginia Tech)
Special Teams: C.J. Spiller (KR, Clemson)

NATIONAL AWARDS CANDIDATES
James Davis (RB-Clem) – Bo Jackson, J.Pike’s Fave
Graham Gano (K/P-FSU) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Macho Harris (DB-VT) – Arrington, Deion
Josh Portis (QB-UMD) – Frazier
Alphonso Smith (CB-WF) - Deion
C.J. Spiller (RB-Clem) – Sayers, Sproles/Sauerbrun
Sam Swank (K/P-WF) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Tyrod Taylor (QB-VT) - Frazier
Gold Wrenches:
Clemson defensive line
Boston College defensive line
Georgia Tech defensive line
Virginia Tech offensive line
Florida State defensive line