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Friday TIME: US | UK WEATHER: US | UK HOME THE NEIGHBORHOOD "Life in the UK" American Groups Essential Contacts Money Education Driving WHAT'S ON US Group Events Diary Dates Music Live FEATURES Politics blog SPORTS Features Sideline blog NFL Draft THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE ONLINE |
SIDELINE ARCHIVE Unnecessary Hits To The Pocket / Upset: BYU October 17, 2008 Romo's Pause / Seattle Seahawks October 15, 2008 Weekend Prep: Red River and More October 10, 2008 College Football's 'Crossroads' Weekend October 9, 2008 Gramatical Error October 7, 2008 Turning The Page September 30, 2008 So Cal 'Quizzed — But Who Will Answer? September 26, 2008 3rd Tuesday Panic Button / Forté Yard Dash September 23, 2008 Two and Oh; Oh and Two September 22, 2008 No More NCAAffeine September 11, 2008 Week 1 College Football September 6, 2008 How To Spell Heisman / Chad Ocho Cinco September 1, 2008 Why the Favre story STILL won't go away August 18, 2008 Olympic Notes / Ricky's Still Relevant August 14, 2008 Committee Meetings August 9, 2008 Let the QB Battles Begin August 8, 2008 Slinging The Slinger — More Favre August 6, 2008 Welcome to the 2008 season July 28, 2008 Plus One May 27, 2008 Draft: The Morning After April 28, 2008 Draft: Thinking the Unthinkable April 25, 2008 Draft: Ready For The Long Haul April 23, 2008 Sofa–bound Sport April 16, 2008 Post–Winter Wonderland April 11, 2008 Six Impossible Things February 4, 2008 Brady's Misdirection Play February 3, 2008 Colorful Language January 23, 2008 Let the Romo–bashing begin: Dallas lost January 14, 2008 Bowl Bites: The Wrap January 10, 2008 All About The Coaches January 1, 2008 Bowl Bites 3 and A Communication Breakdown December 29, 2007 Bowl Bites 2 December 27, 2007 Bowl Bites 1 December 23, 2007 The Empty Chair - Coach Situations Vacant December 22, 2007 For Some, The Playoffs Are Now December 15, 2007 A Certain Lack Of Welcome December 13, 2007 Unrelated Notes November 29, 2007 Two Thanksgiving thoughts November 22, 2007 Halftime: NFC November 9, 2007 Halftime: AFC November 8, 2007 London, Part 2 / A Tale of Two Chads / A Game of Intimidation November 4, 2007 Damp Squib / Other London Notes October 29, 2007 Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em / Dolphins – The Aftermath October 23, 2007 The Dolphins Did What? October 18, 2007 Notes on the Defenses October 13, 2007 Habits to be Broken October 12, 2007 Overtime October 13, 2007 This Week's Starters October 6, 2007: USF: Covering The Spread / Fantastic Football September 27, 2007: Grossman: The Final Act? / McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007: Eagles QB in Slight Controversy September 21, 2007: Leftwich's Parting Gift to Jacksonville? / Boos cruise September 18, 2007: Notre Dame M.I.A. September 16, 2007: Looking Beyond NFL Wk. 1 September 12, 2007: Best Hope For Heisman September 10, 2007: Coaching Hot Seats / AP Poll Feeling ’Appy September 7, 2007: The NFL’s Prime Cuts September 5, 2007: Michigan Falls to Killer Apps September 3, 2007: Look Out Couch / The Taint's On You, Bud September 1, 2007: |
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SPORTS SIDELINE 
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale BOWL BITES 2 Throughout Bowl Season, I'll be hitting you with my 'Bowl Bites' on the games that matter ...and the plenty that don't. Here's the second installment. Bowl Bites: Will Holtz Skip Town After '08? Win or lose, the Boise State Broncos certainly know how to entertain in bowl games. It was all there: the late comeback, the improbable turnover, the massive upset (even if it was the Broncos themselves getting upset this time). Sadly, most of the viewing public — certainly those with teams still scrabbling for the NFC wildcard — were watching Washington and Minnesota instead on Monday night. What they missed was Boise State being upstaged by East Carolina running back Chris Johnson, whose 223 yards rushing were only part of a 208–yard all–purpose performance. For those that did catch the Hawaii bowl, they might have caught a glimpse of next year's draft steal; if Darren McFadden has everybody talking about the next Adrian Peterson, Johnson may be the next Reggie Bush — a triple threat back who can be worked in as an offensive utility player. And probably at half the price. Draft addicts (yup, guilty) have been aware for a while that Johnson has been hovering around the second round in projections, and the Hawaii Bowl performance — however missed by the general public — could have him creeping upwards when his 4.3 speed is confirmed at the combine. By my reckoning, he's a dangerous return specialist and third down back. It isn't improbable to project him as a Brian Westbrook type. At worst, he's Vai Sikahema. He may not be the only one headed out of East Carolina. The ongoing vacancies at West Virginia and UCLA are supplying prolonged attention for coaches on the rise, and the Pirates' victory does nothing to halt growing regard for Skip Holtz. After two bowl appearances in three years, Holtz may have lucked out with his decision to insert No.2 QB Rob Kass into the game late, but Kass' lone completion was a 36–yard completion to set up the winning fieldgoal, and Holtz is starting to get more media attention than dad Lou's occasional references on EPSN. Of course, Skip's three seasons at East Carolina have coincided with Johnson's time there. If Holtz can produce another bowl season next year, he could be on the short list for some marquee university. Bowl Bites: Curtis Paints A Masterpiece Purdue QB Curtis Painter has spent his college career in the shadow of former Boilermaker QB Drew Brees, even while rewriting some of Brees' old school records. Painter moved out of that shadow Wednesday night, and if Painter decides to head for the NFL this next season — he redshirted as a freshman and still has a year of eligibility — his 546 yard performance in the 51–48 Motor City Bowl victory may have given him a platform. It wasn't just the numbers that were impressive, but his cool, especially late in the game when digging the team out of a hole one yard from their endzone, and later getting the Boilermakers in position to win with a one–minute drive. Three different Purdue receivers finished the game with over 100 yards receiving. |
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