Collegiate Times

By Nick Cafferky, news editor

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster spoke at his press conference in New Orleans this morning and addressed an array of topics from his defensive scheme, to the challenges of going up against a player like Denard Robinson. Here are a few highlights.

ON KYLE FULLER’S SEASON THUS FAR: “He has really had a great football season for us.  In my opinion, I think he’s our MVP.  If I had my pick, he just made some big plays at opportune times, and some important times and key games for us.  And I’m really, really proud of him.  He’s just one of those ?? he’s just a complete football player.  And he’s had a heck of a year for us.”

ON HOW HE WOULD DESCRIBE HIS DEFENSIVE SCHEME: “You know, we’ve tweaked it over the years.  We’ve done a lot of different things. We’ve been very versatile over the years.  You know, I’d like to think that we have been an attacking aggressive style defense over time.  I think we’ve tweaked things because of what offenses have done and how offenses have changed.  I think we’ve done a good job over the years of changing with them and adapting to the different styles that you’re seeing today.”

ON QB DENARD ROBINSON AND HOW TO CONTAIN HIM: “Denard has had a great year and is a great athlete and dynamic player with the ball in his hand.  And unfortunately throws the ball a little better than I want him to. We played some guys over the years, the Pat Whites and guys of that nature when we played them they were dynamic ball carriers. If you stop the run, then I think you gained a huge advantage.”

ON HIS THOUGHTS OF MICHIGAN’S OFFENSE IN GENERAL: “Without giving away anything we’re wanting to do, we obviously have to get off on the football and be physical.  That’s what they’re going to do.  That’s one thing I’ve been impressed with, is just their toughness and their play.  They play for 60 minutes.  And that’s one thing we’ve really prided ourselves in over the years is being a team that’s going to play from the opening whistle to the final whistle and play hard. … Whoever wins the line of scrimmage is going to win the football game.  And obviously that’s a tremendous challenge for us, but as I’ve also told our kids it’s a great opportunity.”

ON HOW THIS YEAR’S UNIT COMPARES TO THOSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS: “I think we’re in the top 12 or 15 in a lot of categories, if not most of them.  But that’s still not where we want to be yet. But we’ve made tremendous strides from last year to this year.  Started back in January when we came back from our previous Bowl game.  I didn’t think we played a great second half.  But I think part of our youth we were very young last year, and I think it was exposed a little bit and our kids have ?? they’ve made a commitment and we made a commitment that we need to take that next step.”

Be sure to follow @NickCaffCT, @MattJonesCT and ZMarinerCT all week for the Collegiate Times coverage of the Sugar Bowl.

By Matt Jones, sports editor

Barring some unforeseen law enforcement steps, Virginia Tech starting placekicker Cody Journell won’t be suiting up for the Jan 3 Sugar Bowl.

For more on the arrest: Story

Journell, the Hokies’ leading scorer this season with 85 points, was 14-17 on field goal attempts this year and 43-44 on extra points.

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Journell was ranked the No. 3 kicker nationally by ESPN coming out of high school. The redshirt-sophomore is from Ripplemead, Va.

In his first-year starting, Journell has given the Hokies stability at a position normally held by an upperclassman.

The Hokies now turn to their other options at kicker for the Sugar Bowl, a precarious situation for any team this late in the season. In what figures to be a close game, the kicking game is a huge question mark for Frank Beamer’s team.

Justin Myer, who handles the kickoff duties and long field goal attempts, is one option for Beamer. In his career Myer is 0-2 on field goals — both from 50-plus yards.

The only other option the Hokies have is Tyler Weiss, a redshirt-senior transfer from Murray State. After kicking in 2007 for Murray State, Weiss transferred to Blacksburg, where he has attempted only one kick. That kick, a miss from 29 yards this season against Duke, came in fill-in duty for the injured Journell.

It’s not a situation any team wants to be in, and the doubt at kicker possibly pushes the Hokies to a place they’d rather not be. Will Beamer make the call and go with one kicker, or will he mix-and-match with both Weiss and Myer.

Follow the Collegiate Times for more coverage of the kicking situation.

Twitter: @MattJonesCT

By Nick Cafferky, sports special sections editor

 At the mature age of 21, I stand at an intersection of my life as to what Christmas means to me. The magical feeling of Santa Claus’ arrival on Christmas Eve is no longer there, but I’ve seen “A Christmas Carol” way too many times to voluntarily become Ebenezer Scrooge.

But just when I was giving up on the idea that Dec. 25 would be special, I thought of the perfect gift — one that would make me feel giddy like a 10 year-old-boy again: the end of coach speak.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the term, coach speak is the unique language coaches use when talking to the media that allows them to talk for minutes, but not actually say anything useful. It is a way of stringing sports clichés together, so you don’t have to say anything worthwhile to the media and to keep all real emotions in the locker room.

Frank Beamer is the king of coach speak and is qualified to teach a lecture on the subject. Listen to the press conference following the 2010 loss to James Madison and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Without further ado, here is a list of phrases I would like stricken from the vocabulary of every coach and analyst covering sports. If someone grants me this wish, feel free to donate all of my gifts to Africa.

“You have to give ____________ a lot of credit.”

No, I don’t. As the great Herman Edwards once said, “You play to win the game! Hello?!” In sports, all people care about is wins and losses. We give people credit when they win by talking about them and forget them when they’re losing. If a player has great numbers on a bad team, that is what statistics are used for.  Furthermore, what do these people even mean when the want us to do to give someone “credit”? Acknowledge his/her performance? If it was that impressive, I would have noticed myself thank you very much. I don’t need anyone to force the idea on me.

“The refereeing …”

This one is more for fans than coaches (coaches rarely talk about this because they prefer not to be fined), but please don’t blame the refereeing for a loss. Even on a last second call that affects the score of the game, it isn’t the refereeing. That last-second call might not have gone your way, but I bet the exact same thing happened in the first quarter in your favor. Just because the one that “screwed” your team was a last second call, it doesn’t mean its impact was greater, it just happened at a more climactic point of the game. Over the course of a game, or the entire season, human error balances itself out. Fans just don’t want to believe it.

“They played a great game.”/ “They are a good team.”

When Tech lost to JMU in 2010, I think Beamer used these, and different variations of the two, about 20 times in a ten minute press conference. Everyone knew he had to be lying. I mean, it was after the most embarrassing loss in the program’s history and he was sitting there acting like the Hokies lost to elite competition. Just once, I would like to be in a press conference where the coach flat out said, “Wow, I’m embarrassed. That team we lost to is nowhere near as good as we are and if you excuse me, there are a couple players on my team that I need to yell at until they cry.”

“Take it one game at a time.”

I understand this one in theory, but it still is a horrible way to answer a question. If the reporter asks, “you’ll have to win your next three to win the division, what will you have to do?” he wants you to give him a generalized synopsis of what you think the team needs to improve on. I understand that coaches can’t think too far ahead because they have to focus on that particular week’s game plan, but that isn’t what the reporter was asking about. And of you happen to be 4-6 and a reporter asks about the playoffs, feel free to follow after Jim Mora and give us a rant we can talk about for decades.

“They have the same number of scholarship athletes we do.”

This one should be called “The Seth Greenberg” because I think I’ve heard him say it a dozen times. Whenever Tech plays bad team and a reporter asks Greenberg about the quality of the opponents, he is quick to point out that all teams have 13 scholarships, as if that somehow makes the quality of athletes UNC gets equal to that of St. Bonaventure. Not all teams are equal, and no one should try to spin it that way. There are teams on everybody’s schedules that are inferior and they are there to provide some competition in the down time before conference games. Can those teams catch you by surprise? Yes. But it isn’t because it has the same number of scholarship athletes, it’s because you had a bad day and a basketball game is only 40 minutes long.

“I don’t think the BCS is the problem”

Yes it is. Please stop talking.

Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCaffCT

By Zach Mariner and Matt Jones, sports editors

Well, that was absolutely miserable.

After a hard-fought first half that ended in a 10-10 tie, the Clemson Tigers came out and absolutely took it to Virginia Tech in the second half, scoring touchdowns on their first four second-half possessions to win the ACC Championship Game 38-10.

“I think you’ve got to congratulate Clemson,” said Frank Beamer, head coach. “They came in here and played great, didn’t turn the ball over, played great.  I think for us, it was just ‑‑ it was one of those things that things just didn’t happen right.”

The Hokies (11-2, 7-1 ACC) simply could not get anything going on the ground against a run defense that came in ranked 92nd in the nation. As a team, they finished with 56 yards rushing on 1.9 yards per carry.

ACC Player of the Year David Wilson ran the ball just 11 times, and finished with 32 yards. His previous season-low was 82 against North Carolina on Nov. 17.

Quarterback Logan Thomas had a career-high 44 pass attempts, and completed 22 of them for 274 yards and a 46-yard first quarter touchdown to DJ Coles. He ran for just two yards on 12 carries, and was also sacked twice.

This was a rough finish for Tech, who had won seven straight games dating back to their regular-season matchup with Clemson on Oct. 1 — a game the Hokies lost 23-3. They had a chance to win 12 games for the first time in school history, and they came up very, very short.

Chances are they’ll end up in the Chick-fil-A bowl on New Year’s Eve, more than likely lining up opposite Auburn.

“You know, I’m disappointed for our players, but I don’t want one thing to take away from all the great things this team has accomplished throughout the season,” Beamer said. “They’ve hung in there and we’ve accomplished some super things.  We feel like we’re going to go to a good Bowl.  They’ve earned a right to go to a good bowl, and I feel like learn from it and play better in the bowl game, and I feel like we will.”

Follow us on Twitter: @ZMarinerCT and @MattJonesCT.

**

Hosley’s injury hurts D-Block

Junior All-American cornerback Jayron Hosley injured his neck early in the game after leading with his head while tackling Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins.

As fellow starting cornerback Kyle Fuller was already playing whip linebacker, the Hokies were forced to go to their bench, as Cris Hill, Detrick Bonner, and Kyshoen Jarrett all saw significant time at corner.

“That was definitely tough,” Fuller said. “We had guys coming in that weren’t familiar with playing that side of the field. But, that’s how it is sometimes. You have to have guys that can step up and make plays like Jayron can do.”

Hosley’s absence helped pave the way for a 240-yard, three-touchdown effort from Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd, who also finished 20 of 29 passing.

“I think Jayron could’ve made a difference if he was able to stay in the game,” Hill said. “I think that might’ve had something to do with it.”

Boykin pass interference changes game

Momentum swung on one Hokies penalty early in the third quarter.

Trailing 17-10 and with the ball, the Hokies were facing a big third and eight situation at their own 22-yard line. Thomas completed what looked like a pass to Jarrett Boykin down the right side, which would have gone for 24 yards. Move the chains, get momentum, and win the game.

One problem: a flag lying near the spot Boykin caught the football.

“We thought we had a 1st down, we got an offensive pass interference,” Beamer said.

Boykin’s push-off offensive pass interference changed the complexion of the game, as on the ensuing Clemson possession, Sammy Watkins caught a 53-yard touchdown to go up two touchdowns.

“Well, any time they score like that, I think you go back and look, you didn’t play your defense properly,” Beamer said.

The penalties (the Hokies had nine for 91 yards) were part of a game that just didn’t flow right for the No. 5 Hokies.

“It was just — it was a game that just didn’t fit up right,” Beamer said. “Penalties is not something that is our nature.”

Wilson bottled up

Wilson struggled all night to get anything going, and his frustration showed during postgame interviews.

“I mean I only had three carries (early on), and they were already keying on me. I never got to get in a rhythm,” Wilson said. “They were blitzing, and a lot of the times we had the runs called straight into their blitzes.”

He had six carries for 21 yards in the first half, and five carries for just 11 yards in the second. He didn’t exactly call out his coaching staff on their play-calling, but he came pretty close.

“Part of the reason we stopped running the ball was because I guess the coaches felt we weren’t (having success doing so),” he said. “But, you’ve gotta get your guys going. You’ve gotta get your offensive line moving, and you’ve gotta get your running back into the flow of the game.”

It was by far his worst performance of the season, and on a night when many expected he would break Ryan Williams’ single-season school record for rushing yards (he need 61 to do so) he came up very short. He’ll need 29 in the bowl game to get it done.

Third quarter meltdown

Clemson really pulled away from Tech midway through the third quarter when they scored 21 points in a four and a half minute span to take a 31-10 lead.

The Hokies went three-and-out on their first three drives to start the half, and the Tigers answered every single one of them with touchdowns.

“It was tough, being scored on like that,” Fuller said. “The leaders on our defense tried to keep the guys staring ahead, (saying) ‘The game’s not over, just keep playing, we can’t let these guy’s keep on scoring on us, we can’t give up.’”

While having young guys like Bonner and Jarrett in the game didn’t help, the defense just didn’t have an answer for Boyd and his arsenal of weapons.

“We weren’t too shocked,” Hill said. “It was a long game. Like I said, it definitely shifted the momentum going their way.”

The biggest dagger in the heart of the Hokie defense was the 53-yard strike from Boyd to Watkins that resulted from Boykin’s offensive pass interference.

“It was a double move,” Hill said of the score. “I was playing the deep half (of the field). I saw the quarterback scrambling, so I went to go match him up, and that’s when he hit the double move.”

—

Photo by Trevor White, SPPS

By Tommy Christie, sports staff writer

In this weekend’s ACC championship game, two very different defenses, in very different forms, will be on display. Bud Foster and the Hokies rank sixth in the country in scoring defense (giving up 15.5 ppg), whereas the Tigers come in at 66th (conceding 27.5 points per game). One thing’s for sure, though: both defenses will have their hands full on Saturday. Here’s your defensive positional breakdown:

Defensive Line:

Clemson’s defensive line is anchored by first team All-ACC selection Andre Branch. Branch has been a stud from the defensive end position this season. He has been a stout run-stopper (14 tackles for loss) and a relentless pass rusher (10.5 sacks). Clemson’s defensive line is also led by senior defensive tackle, Brandon Thompson. Thompson, a second team All-ACC selection, has been a 310 lb. plug in the middle for the Clemson defense this season. His presence could present a problem for the QB-sneak happy Virginia Tech offense.

James Gayle has been the star performer for the Virginia Tech D-line in the 2011 season. His seven sacks, and nine tackles for loss have rightfully earned the defensive end a spot on the All-ACC second team. J.R. Collins plays opposite of Gayle, and has had a solid season in his own right, as well. Collins has picked up six sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.

Verdict: Both teams have fairly deep defensive line rotations replete with playmakers and size, but I’m giving the nod to Clemson here.

Linebackers:

A pair of juniors leads Clemson’s linebacking corps: Corico Hawkins and Jonathan Willard. Clemson’s linebacker play has been solid, but unspectacular. The Hawkins-Willard duo has registered 151 tackles between them, but has failed to register an interception or sack. In other words, these guys haven’t been playmakers.

Mike linebacker Bruce Taylor has been Tech’s leading tackler the past two seasons. Taylor, however, was struck down with a season-ending foot injury during the Boston College game in mid-October. The new leader of the Hokies’ LB crew is sophomore Tariq Edwards. Edwards has been a steady performer for the Hokies all season long. He has compiled 59 tackles (9.5 for loss), 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions.

Verdict: The linebacker position seems to be a bit weak for both sides (definitely the weakest facet of the Hokie defense). This is a draw, in my mind.

Secondary:

If there were a standout performer in Clemson’s secondary, it’d have to be junior safety Rashard Hall. While Hall hasn’t been spectacular, he’s been their best defensive back.  He leads the team in tackles and has picked up an interception and a sack. Clemson’s secondary has been porous in their last two losses. They’ll certainly have their hands full with a hot-handed and confident Logan Thomas firing passes around the field.

The Hokie’s secondary has to be considered the strength of the defense as three defensive backs were elected to the All-ACC second team. The cornerback tandem of Kyle Fuller and Jayron Hosley has performed very well this season. Though the 2011 campaign has been a bit of a letdown for Hosley, given his All-American 2010 season, he still leads the team in interceptions, with three. Fuller, on the other hand, has had a breakout season. He has proven himself as an excellent tackler from the cornerback position, and also has 4.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, in addition to an interception and seven defended passes. The Hokies also have a potent safety combo in sophomore Antone Exum, and senior All-ACC second team member, Eddie Whitley. Exum and Whitley are the team’s leading tacklers, as well.

Verdict: The Hokies definitely have the stronger secondary. They have four consistent defensive backs that should be able to keep Tajh Boyd and co. in check.

Overall Verdict:

The Hokies are clearly the better defensive team. They’ve produced better results throughout the season and have more overall talent on the defensive side. Barring a choke, I see Orange in the Hokies’ immediate future.

By Mike Platania, sports staff writer

As Clemson and Virginia Tech prepare for a spot in The Orange Bowl this weekend in Charlotte, N.C., their last meeting must be remembered.

Clemson rode into Blacksburg after two big home wins. The Tigers had just snapped Auburn’s 17 game winning streak, and followed up that result with a win over Florida State, who had just come off a loss to then-No. 1 Oklahoma.

The Hokies, on the other hand, had hardly been tested. Save for a close escape in East Carolina, the Hokies had rolled all of their opponents, winning by an average of over 24 points. Virginia Tech’s hosting of red-hot Clemson was their first real test of the year, and they failed to answer the call.

Clemson played confident, poised and efficiently, while the Hokies looked rattled and out of a rhythm. Logan Thomas’ first game starting against ACC competition was forgettable as he threw for 125 yards and one interception.

The Hokies started slow, as their first possession of the game ended when a tipped ball off the fingertips of WR Jarrett Boykin landed in the hands of Clemson CB Xavier Brewer. Things weren’t much different on their second possession, as they turned it over again on a David Wilson fumble.

Clemson turned the fumble into a field goal, which the Hokies would later answer in the first half. Late in the second quarter, Tech was able to drive all the way to the Clemson three-yard line, but failed to get the ball into the end zone and had to settle for a field goal. Unfortunately, that would be the only time the Hokies would light the scoreboard.

The Hokies looked content to take a 3-3 tie into the half, but with just over three minutes until halftime, QB Tajh Boyd wasn’t done. The Tigers went all the way to the Virginia Tech one-yard line and scored the game’s first touchdown on an Andre Ellington run.

Whatever adjustments Tech made at halftime weren’t very effective, as Clemson quickly struck again. Clemson doubled its lead when Boyd found TE Dwayne Allen down the middle of the field for a 32-yard score. Then again in the fourth quarter, Clemson tacked on an insurance score when RB Mike Bellamy ran 31 yards untouched into the end zone. Giving up big plays is uncharacteristic of Bud Foster’s defense, but Clemson’s high-powered offense proved too much for the Hokies to handle.

The difference in the game was how dominant Clemson was in the trenches. Both their offensive and defensive lines handled the Hokies up front, which made Boyd’s life easier and Thomas’ life much more difficult. Clemson’s four sacks on Thomas kept him out of any sort of rhythm, while Boyd often had plenty of time in the pocket. David Wilson was often shifting in the backfield and few holes to run through.

Turnovers, lack of offense and allowing the big play on defense were what caused the Hokies fall to 0-1 in the ACC at the time.

Since then, both teams have gone in very different directions. Clemson has lost three of their last four games, and the Hokies have reeled off seven straight wins after falling at home. Logan Thomas bounced back by playing nearly flawlessly against Miami (FL) the following week, and the Hokies offense has averaged over 31 points per game during their seven game winning streak.

The rematch should be an emotional and physical game between the Hokies and Tigers. Clemson is up against the ropes, trying to save what might end up being a disappointing season, while the Hokies will be looking to get revenge on the team that handed them their only loss of the year.

By Adam Norman, sports staff writer

In two short days, the Hokies will face off against Clemson, looking to redeem themselves after one of their worst displays of offense in over a decade.

Since that game, Tech has looked like a completely different team. Redshirt sophomore Logan Thomas has come to be one of the nation’s premiere young quarterbacks with the help of a receiving corps consisting of Tech’s number one and two all-time reception and receiving yardage leaders.

The running game has also continued to flourish behind David Wilson, who only needs 204 more yards to break the ACC single-season rushing yardage record.

As for Clemson, they also look like a different team, but in a way no one predicted.  Since playing the Hokies, Clemson has gone 4-3 while losing three of their last four games. Quarterback Tajh Boyd — first team All-ACC quarterback — has looked awful and the Tigers’ defense hasn’t played any better, giving up at least 28 points in each of their last six games.

Here is a breakdown of both team’s offenses, and who has the upper hand.

Quarterback

A real David vs. Goliath matchup… well, sort of. Most Hokie fans know that Thomas is enormous for a quarterback. At a towering 6’6” and 254 lbs. Thomas runs over defenses, literally. Since the Clemson game, Thomas has been on fire while throwing 14 touchdowns with only two interceptions. To add to the threat in the air he has also rushed for nine touchdowns and is second only to Wilson in rushing yards on the team.

Boyd is 6’1” 220 lbs. but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed. While he began the season as the nation’s hottest quarterback, he’s cooled down considerably in the past four weeks throwing four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Don’t get too excited, though, Hokie fans, as last week’s loss to in-state rival South Carolina may have lit a fire in Boyd to return to his old ways.

Who has the edge at quarterback? Based on recent performance I have to give the upper hand to Thomas and the Hokies. Boyd just hasn’t been playing up to par the past few weeks, and with Clemson’s defense giving up so many points the past few games, expect to see Thomas help Tech put up big numbers.

Running back:

David Wilson. Need I say more? Wilson is the nation’s No. 3 leading rusher and one of the nation’s most dynamic players. He never gives up on a play and he never gets brought down by the first defender. If it weren’t for the fact that he has only ten total touchdowns, Tech may have had its first legitimate Heisman candidate since Michael Vick.

Clemson’s primary back, Andre Ellington, has been solid all year averaging 4.9 yards per carry, but has only gone over the 100-yard mark in three games all year (Wilson’s done it 10 times). Clemson’s secondary back is freshman Mike Bellamy. You remember him right? No. 5’s 31-yard run at the end of game eliminated any glimmer of hope that Tech fans had of a possible comeback.  Averaging 6.0 yards per carry, Bellamy doesn’t get the ball too much, but when he does, he makes the most of them.

Who has the edge at running back? The edge once again has to go to the Hokies. David Wilson is just a beast in the backfield. He is almost uncatchable in the open field and if he can get to the outside he makes the opposing team pay. Expect him to get at least 100 yards in the game.

Wide receivers:

Tech’s receiving corps may be the best it has ever had. The Hokies are led by seniors Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale, who are number one and two, respectively, on Virginia Tech’s all-time receptions and receiving yardage lists. Also making a big impact is junior Marcus Davis, who left the last game against Clemson in the first quarter. Against UVA he racked up 119 yards on five catches and a touchdown.

Sammy Watkins is the best freshman wide receiver in the country, period. He can run the fly routes and is willing to take the big hit coming across the middle. Clemson also uses him in a kind of spread-option where Watkins comes in motion and either acts like he’s taking the handoff or actually takes it. The person that separates Clemson’s receivers from other ACC schools is the play of tight end Dwayne Allen.  Allen has 10 touchdown catches on the season, and back in October had four catches for 75 yards and a pivotal third quarter touchdown. He is a big tight end but can run and catch with the best of ‘em.

Who has the edge at wide receivers? This one has to go to Clemson almost solely because of Sammy Watkins. The guy is just good, plain and simple. Don’t worry too much though, last time the Tech defense held the outstanding freshman to only three catches for 38 yards and four rushing yards on three attempts. If Clemson has success throwing the ball in this game, expect Allen to be the difference-maker.

Offensive line:

The Hokies have a veteran offensive line this year with four seniors starting at both the guard and tackle positions. This O-line is a vast improvement from last year when it seemed that on almost every play Tyrod Taylor was running for his life. They have allowed only 13 sacks this year and have been a huge reason why Wilson is having a record-breaking year. However, during the first meeting between these two teams Thomas was sacked four times, but since that game the O-line has given up just six sacks in seven games.

Clemson’s offensive line also has some experience, with seniors at every position except center. Although they are experienced, they have still given up a large number of sacks to opposing teams (27 on the season). Although over-looked by most fans, this is arguably the most important position on the field, and if Clemson wants to play well they need their offensive line to protect Boyd.

Who has the edge on the offensive line? Based on the number of sacks allowed and the way they have protected their QB lately, Tech has to be given the upper hand. Thomas has had plenty of time to find his receivers the past few weeks, while Boyd on the other hand has been made to throw on the run.

By Tommy Christie, sports staff writer

I’m glad my roommate showed me this, because it is just plain filthy. I mea,n I’ve seen all sorts of one-handed, off-balanced, acrobatic catches before, but this raises the bar. Somewhere Marshall alum and spectacular catch maestro Randy Moss is smiling, because this really was Moss-esque. The 6’3’”, former two-sport athlete, Aaron Dobson, made a regulation sized football look like a squishy, backyard Nerf ball. You’ve really got to tip your hat to Dobson, his incredible coordination and his flypaper set of mitts. This is college football’s catch of the year. No questions asked. In the words of the immortal Matthew McConaughey: WE ARE MARSHALL.

I realize this is a week old, but I have some legitimate beef with Ndamukong Suh’s actions in the Thanksgiving game against the Pack (I would never say this to his face, mind you). I love Suh’s game. He’s a great player, with a great motor. It’s his second year in the league, and he’s already one of the better DT’s in football. It’s really too bad that he has the restraint of a frustrated seven year-old, though. Malicious kicking has no place in football. It’s a pathetic act meant only to inflict pain. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, the most macho action is to simply walk away. I might’ve been willing to semi-dismiss Suh’s actions if he had fessed up and apologized for his actions like a mature, 24-year old man should, but Suh described his apparent kick in the following way: “I’m on one leg and I’m trying to get off that myself and at the same time being pushed by his teammates.” What does that even mean? Just apologize Ndamukong and stop adding to your growing laundry list of childish and immature actions. The league has taken appropriate action and has suspended Suh for the Lions next two games.