COLLEGE FOOTBALL - 2008 SEASON
19/04/08 - Texas Tech Defense (Black) (29) v (23) Texas Tech Offense (Red) - The annual Texas Tech Spring game showcased the new-look Red Raider defense, and they didn't disappoint as they forced 9 sacks and 3 interceptions. Texas Tech QB's Graham Harrell (17-29-209-1), Taylor Potts (28-37-159-0) and Stefan Loucks (9-13-80-1) + WR Michael Crabtree (6-54-1) had good games but the real stars were on defense as DT Richard Jones had 3 sacks and LB's Sam Fehoko, Chris Wallace and Tyrone Sonier each had an interception (10, 1 Disc, NFL Network - Dougherty/Level, NTSC)
28/08/08 - Oregon State (28) @ (36) Stanford - In the season and conference opener for both teams, it was Stanford that came out on top as they survived a 4th quarter fight-back from the Beavers to hold on. Stanford were driven by the play of RB Toby Gerhart (19-147-2) and the play of the defense that intercepted OSU QB Lyle Moevao (34-54-404-3) twice, returning 1 for a TD, and also forced a Safety (10, Missing last 8:50 of the 1st quarter, 2 Discs, ESPN 2 - Franklin/Cunningham/Arute, PAL)
29/08/08 - SMU (27) @ (56) Rice - The 1st game as Head Coach of SMU for June Jones was spoiled by an offensive explosion from the Rice Owls. In a shootout, Rice QB Chase Clement (24-37-258-6) and WR Jarrett Dillard (7-89-3) had big games as did SMU's True Freshman QB Bo Levi Mitchell (25-43-244-3), but the game was decided by the Rice defense as they forced 2 fumbles and 3 interceptions, returning 1 for a TD (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tessitore/Gilmore, PAL)
30/08/08 - Alabama (34) v (10) Clemson - In the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, #24 ranked Alabama dominated #9 ranked Clemson, holding the Tigers to zero yards rushing. The offense was led by QB John Parker Wilson (22-30-180-2) who helped the Tide to 419 yards of total offense compared to 188 for the Tigers. The Tide also featured WR Julio Jones (4-28-1) in his debut. The Tigers featured QB Cullen Harper (20-34-188-0) and RB's CJ Spiller (2-7-0) and James Davis (6-13-0) (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
30/08/08 - Illinois (42) v (52) Missouri - A wild shootout between 2 teams in the top 20 went the way of the Tigers from Missouri. Led by QB Chase Daniel (26-45-323-3) and WR's Jeremy Maclin (4-31-0 + 99 yard kick-off return TD) and Chase Coffman (9-120-1), Missouri posted a 31-13 lead at the half before Illinois QB Juice Williams (26-42-451-5 + 19-10-0) inspired a comeback in the 2nd half (10, Re-Broadcast missing 1st Quarter action between 10:19 and 4:42 + 1:28 and 0:00, No scoring missed, 2 Discs, ESPN - Jones/Davie/Harris, PAL)
31/08/08 - Tennessee (24) @ (27) UCLA - In a rollercoaster of a game, UCLA survived a dire 1st half to take the lead with 27 seconds left in the game only to see Tennessee force Overtime with a last play FG. UCLA booted a FG in OT then watched Tennessee miss theirs, and UCLA had won coach Rick Neuheisel his first game in charge. UCLA QB Kevin Craft (25-43-259-1) threw 4 interceptions in the 1st half before rallying with a stunning 2nd half display. Tennessee were led by QB Jonathan Crompton (19-41-189-0) in his 1st start (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Patrick/Blackledge/Rowe, PAL)
06/09/08 - BYU (28) @ (27) Washington - BYU ended a 9 game road losing streak but only just as Washington QB Jake Locker (17-32-204-1 + 18-62-2) scored with 2 seconds left to pull within 1 point of the tie but he was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty for throwing the ball in the air in celebration of scoring and the resulting long PAT attempt was blocked, giving BYU the win. BYU were led by QB Max Hall (30-41-338-3) and RB Harvey Unga (23-136-0) (10, 1 Disc, FOX - Tompkins/Papadakis/Watson, PAL)
12/09/08 - Washington State (17) @ (45) Baylor - Baylor routed the Cougars as QB Robert Griffin (7-15-129-1 + 11-217-2) had a sensational game in only his 2nd career start. He ran for a school record 217 yards including 3 runs over 50 yards as he led the Bears to their 2nd straight win of over 40 points (10, Audio problems during Pre-Game, 2 Discs, FOX - Morris/Joe/Thompson, NTSC)
12/09/08 - Kansas (34) @ (37) South Florida - An offensive shootout ended with an upset as #13 Kansas were beaten by a 43 yard FG from a freshman kicker on the last play of the game. #19 ranked South Florida had a 34-20 lead into the 4th quarter before Kansas rallied and tied the game with 5 minutes left. While trying to win the game, Kansas then turned the ball over allowing the Bulls an opportunity to win the game. Kansas were led by QB Todd Reesing (34-51-373-3). South Florida was led by QB Matt Grothe (32-45-338-2) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - McDonough/Spielman/Stone, PAL)
13/09/08 - Temple (28) @ (30) Buffalo - In a wild game, Buffalo won it on the final play with a 35 yard TD pass. The lead changed 3 times in the final 2:27 as both starting QB's refused to let their teams lose. Temple QB Adam DiMichele (24-33-285-3) and Buffalo QB Drew Willy (29-42-348-3) both had big games but it was Willy that had the ball last and made the most of it with a Hail Mary pass that WR Naaman Roosevelt (8-132-1) outfought 2 defenders in the end-zone to claim the victory (10, 2 Discs, ESPN+ - Reghi/Chapman, NTSC)
13/09/08 - California (27) @ (35) Maryland - The Terps of Maryland upset the #23 ranked Bears as they took an early 21-3 lead and held on at the death. The stars for the Terps were RB's Da'Rel Scott (19-87-2) and Davin Meggett (13-82-1), son of NFLer David Meggett. Cal's fightback was keyed by QB Kevin Riley (33-58-423-3) who set a team record for attempts, but he ran out of time (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Pasch/Ware, PAL)
13/09/08 - SMU (7) @ (43) Texas Tech - In the battle of air-attacks, it was the #12 ranked Red Raiders that overwhelmed the Mustangs. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell (31-48-418-5) and WR Michael Crabtree (8-164-3) had big games while the Tech defense forced 5 interceptions from SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell (13-24-155-0). Tech also rushed for 180 yards en-route to 693 yards of total offense (10, 1 Disc, FOX - Meyers/Reasons/Jones, PAL)
13/09/08 - Ohio State (3) @ (35) USC - #5 Ohio State travelled to Los Angeles to take on the #1 ranked Trojans and left with a big defeat as USC QB Mark Sanchez (17-28-172-4) and a big defensive effort (5 sacks, 2 interceptions with 1 returned for a TD) proved too much. Ohio State featured back-up QB Terrelle Pryor (7-9-52-0 + 11-40-0) but were missing Heisman-Hopeful Chris Wells (10, 3 Discs inc. College Gameday Live, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
25/09/08 - USC (21) @ (27) Oregon State - For the 2nd time in 3 years, the Beavers upset the Trojans. This time USC was ranked #1. The Beavers pulled out to a 21-0 lead in the 1st half and never looked back. Oregon State were led by Freshman RB Jacquizz Rogers (37-186-2). USC were led by QB Mark Sanchez (18-29-227-3) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Fowler/James/Palmer/Andrews, PAL)
27/09/08 - Mississippi (31) @ (30) Florida - Ole Miss upset #4 ranked Florida as Rebels QB Jevan Snead (9-20-185-2) out-dueled Florida QB Tim Tebow (24-38-319-1 + 15-7-2). The game was decided with 4 minutes to go after Florida had scored a TD to pull within 1 point but the PAT was blocked. Florida had one last chance to get into FG range but the Rebels defense held firm on 4th-and-1 to seal the upset win (10, 2 Discs, Raycom - Neal/Archer/Baker, NTSC)
27/09/08 - Illinois (24) @ (38) Penn State - #12 ranked Penn State won a shootout with Illinois with WR Derrick Williams the hero. He caught a TD pass, had a TD run and scored on a 94 yard kick-off return en-route to 241 all-purpose yards. He was also helped by QB Daryll Clark (14-20-181-2) and RB Evan Royster (19-139-0). The Illini were led by QB Juice Williams (13-24-183-2) and WR Aurelius Benn (4-110-2) (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
27/09/08 - Wisconsin (25) @ (27) Michigan - Michigan recovered from a 19-0 deficit at the half to record their biggest ever comeback at home. Even then, the Wolverines had to survive a tieing 2 point play with 13 seconds left before celebrating the win against #9 ranked Wisconsin, Michigan were led by QB Steven Threet (12-31-96-1 + 9-89-0). Wisconsin were led by QB Allen Evridge (20-37-226-1) and RB PJ.Hill (22-70-0) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
27/09/08 - Alabama (41) @ (30) Georgia - Alabama completely dominated the #3 ranked Bulldogs, opening up a 31-0 lead at the half and cruising home. The stars for the Tide were QB John Parker Wilson (13-16-205-1), WR Julius Jones (5-94-1) and a defense that held Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno to 34 yards. Georgia were led by QB Matthew Stafford (24-42-274-2) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Patrick/Blackledge/Rowe, PAL)
02/10/08 - Pittsburgh (26) @ (21) South Florida - Pitt upset #10 ranked South Florida, using a strong game from RB LeSean McCoy (28-142-2) and a stingy defense that held the Bulls to 77 yards of Offense in the 1st half. The Bulls QB Matt Grothe (11-21-129-1 + 11-25-1) did all he could to bring South Florida back but Pitt held on to win (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Fowler/James/Palmer/Andrews, PAL)
04/10/08 - Texas Tech (58) @ (28) Kansas State - Texas Tech started Big 12 play with a big win on the road. Red Raider QB Graham Harrell (38-51-454-6) had a big game, becoming the schools all-time passing yards leader. He was helped by WR Michael Crabtree (9-107-2) and 136 yards rushing from the RB's (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Franklin/Cunningham/Arute, NTSC)
11/10/08 - Texas (45) v (35) Oklahoma - #5 Texas and #1 Oklahoma played out the highest scoring Red River rivalry ever, and it was Texas that forced the upset with a 4th quarter comeback. Texas QB Colt McCoy (28-35-277-1) led from the front and was supported by WR Jordan Shipley (11-112-1) and RB Chris Ogbonnaya (15-127-0). Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (28-39-387-5) had a big game but had no help from a rushing game held to 48 yards (2 versions : 10, 2 Discs, ABC, NTSC / 9, Slight Ghosting, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
11/10/08 - Notre Dame (24) @ (29) North Carolina - North Carolina defeated the Irish for the first time since 1960 by using an opportunistic Defense and an Offense that made the big plays when it needed to. Tarheel QB Cameron Sexton (18-32-201-0) had a solid game and the Defense forced 4 turnovers in the 2nd half to take the lead and close out the game. Irish QB Jimmy Clausen (31-48-383-2) set a career high for passing yards but his 3rd quarter interception returned for a TD started the slide towards the loss (9, JIP 13:19 1st Quarter, Slight Ghosting, ABC - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
11/10/08 - Nebraska (31) @ (37) Texas Tech - Unranked Nebraska played almost a perfect game against the #7 ranked Red Raiders, using a mix of run and pass to keep the ball away from the high-powered Tech Offense, but their one mistake ended up costing them the game. Nebraska forced overtime with 29 seconds left with a TD pass from QB Joe Ganz (36-44-349-2) to WR Todd Peterson (8-77-1) and then thought they had a chance to win as Texas Tech scored a TD but missed the PAT. But the Tech defense made the miss a non-factor by intercepting QB Ganz on their possession. Tech QB Graham Harrell (20-25-284-2) had a good game in leading the Red Raiders on the little chances they had while WR Michael Crabtree (5-89-2) came up with the big plays when they were needed (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Meyers/Reasons/Knox, NTSC)
11/10/08 - LSU (21) @ (51) Florida - Florida gained revenge against the National Champions handing them their worst loss since 2002. The hero for Florida was QB Tim Tebow (14-21-210-2 + 12-22-1) who guided the Gators to a 20-7 lead at the half and didn't look back. The Tigers were led by QB Jarrett Lee (23-38-209-2) who was making his 1st road start (9, Slight Ghosting, CBS - Lundquist/Danielson/Wolfson, PAL)
18/10/08 - Missouri (31) @ (45) Texas - #1 ranked Texas cemented their position with a beat-down of #11 ranked Missouri. Texas QB Colt McCoy (29-32-337-2) had a big game, leading the Horns to a 35-3 lead at the half. Missouri QB Chase Daniel (31-41-318-2) tried to rally his team late but without success (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
18/10/08 - Kansas (31) @ (56) Oklahoma - #4 ranked Oklahoma took out their frustrations from losing to Texas on #16 ranked Kansas as QB Sam Bradford (36-53-468-3) had a huge game, setting the school record for passing yards in a game. His favourite target was Juaquin Iglesias (12-191-0). Kansas QB Todd Reesing (24-41-342-2) also had a big game and kept his team close into the 3rd quarter before the Sooner defense finally bottled him up. His favourite target was Dezmon Briscoe (12-269-2) who also set a school record for receiving yards in a game. (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Franklin/Cunningham/Arute, PAL)
18/10/08 - Texas Tech (43) @ (25) Texas A&M - Texas Tech recovered from a 23-20 deficit at the break to out-score the Aggies 23-2, progress to 7-0 and win their 7th meeting out of the last 8 against their big rivals. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell (44-56-450-3 +2 TD's rushing) had a big game and was backed up by the Defense that held the Aggies to 32 yards of total offense in the 2nd half (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Land/Lapham/Knox, NTSC)
24/10/08 - Boise State (33) @ (16) San Jose State - In the battle for the lead in the WAC title race, it was the #13 ranked Broncos that staked their claim by holding off a tough Spartan team. San Jose State used big plays from the Offense (60 yard TD run) and Defense (62 yard interception return TD) to hang with the Broncos but Boise State scored the final 13 points to close out the game. The Broncos were led by QB Kellen Moore (26-40-244-2) and RB Ian Johnson (16-66-2), whose 2 TD runs set a school record for career rushing TD's (10, Re-Broadcast missing from 15:00 to 7:17 of the 4th Quarter, 2 Discs, ESPN - Lamont/Gilmore, PAL)
25/10/08 - Texas Tech (63) @ (21) Kansas - #8 ranked Texas Tech finally put together a complete game against the #19 ranked Jayhawks. The Offense scored 49 unanswered points through the 2nd and 3rd quarters whild the Defense chipped in with 5 turnovers including 3 interceptions by DB Darcel McBath. Red Raider QB Graham Harrell (34-42-386-5 + 1 TD rushing) had a big game as he led a Tech offense that amassed 556 yards of total offense (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Pasch/Ware/Stone, PAL)
25/10/08 - Oklahoma State (24) @ (28) Texas - #1 ranked Texas beat their 2nd top-10 opponents in as many weeks, holding on against the #7 ranked Cowboys. Texas built a 21-7 lead then made big mistakes to let OSU back into the game before making a big defensive stand in the final minutes to win the game. Texas QB Colt McCoy (38-45-391-2) had a big game statistically but threw 1 interception and had a big fumble in the 4th quarter. OSU were led by QB Zac Robinson (17-26-199-1) and WR Dez Bryant (6-74-0) (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
25/10/08 - Georgia (52) @ (38) LSU - In a rare SEC shootout, #9 ranked Georgia out-lasted #11 LSU and handed LSU only their 3rd home loss under coach Les Miles. Georgia took a 38-17 lead in the 3rd quarter and held off an LSU comeback to win the game. Georgia made big plays on Defense (2 Interception return TD's) and Offense (49 yard TD pass + 68 yard TD run). The Georgia big guns QB Matthew Stafford (17-26-249-2) and RB Knowshon Moreno (21-163-1) both had big games. LSU RB Charles Scott (21-144-2) also had a huge game (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Lundquist/Danielson/Wolfson, PAL)
31/10/08 - Wofford (24) @ (70) Appalachian State - #2 and defending National Champion Appalachian State dominated the #3 ranked Terriers of Wofford, with ASU QB Armanti Edwards (17-19-367-5 + 14-73-1) the main weapon. ASU opened up a 42-14 lead at the half and scored 4 TD's over 45 yards (10, 2 Discs, ESPN 2 - Wischusen/Huard, PAL)
01/11/08 - Florida State (28) @ (31) Georgia Tech - Georgia Tech beat #16 Florida State for the 1st time since 1975 but only just. The Tech defense forced a fumble at their own goal-line in the final minute to stop FSU taking the lead and the win. Tech amassed 288 yards rushing and 4 TD's with RB Jonathan Dwyer (13-145-2) the main weapon. He had TD runs of 36 and 66 yards (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
01/11/08 - Michigan (42) @ (48) Purdue - In his 1st career start, Purdue QB Justin Siller (21-34-266-3) kept the Boilermakers close to Michigan before leading them to the game winning TD pass with 26 seconds left. The winning score was a Hook-and-Lateral pass play that covered 32 yards. Michigan were led by QB Steven Threet (9-21-123-2) and RB Brandon Minor (24-155-3). The loss ensured Michigan's first losing season since 1967 and ended their streak of 33 consecutive bowl games (10, 2 Discs, BIG 10 - Larrivee/Davis/Thompson, NTSC)
01/11/08 - Texas (33) @ (39) Texas Tech - In a wild shootout #7 Texas Tech upset #1 Texas with the winning TD pass coming with 1 second left. Tech dominated the 1st half on both sides of the ball, taking a 22-6 lead in at the break. Texas made their comeback with Heisman hopeful QB Colt McCoy (20-34-294-2) leading the charge and took their first lead of the game with 1:29 remaining. But that left enough time for Tech QB Graham Harrell (36-53-474-2) to march down the field and throw the winning 28 yard TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree (10-127-1) with 1 second left (2 versions : 10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, NTSC / 10, Includes Gameday Live and Gameday Final, 4 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
08/11/08 - Alabama (27) @ (21) LSU - #1 Alabama were taken to Overtime by a game LSU team that struggled at the QB position all game, throwing 4 INT's and having 1 returned for a TD. LSU forced Overtime by blocking a chip-shot FG attempt on the last play of regulation. Then LSU QB Jarrett Lee (13-34-181-1) threw his 4th INT allowing the Tide to win the game on a QB sneak. Tide QB John Parker Wilson (15-31-215-0) and RB Glen Coffee (26-126-1) had big games as did LSU RB Charles Scott (24-92-2). The game marked the return to Baton Rouge of ex-LSU coach Nick Saban, now the coach of Alabama (10, Including Gameday Live, 3 Discs, CBS - Lundquist/Danielson/Wolfson, PAL)
08/11/08 - Oklahoma State (20) @ (56) Texas Tech - #2 Texas Tech faced their 2nd top ten team (#1 Texas, #8 Oklahoma State) in as many weeks and ran out easy winners, scoring TD's on 7 straight possessions. The main weapons for the Red Raiders were QB Graham Harrell (40-50-456-6), WR Michael Crabtree (8-89-3) and RB Barron Batch (11-79-0). The defense held the Cowboys only 6 points in the 2nd half. OSU WR Dez Bryant (4-86-0) had good stats but only had 1 catch at half-time (10, Includes Gameday Final, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
08/11/08 - Penn State (23) @ (24) Iowa - #3 ranked and unbeaten Penn State were knocked out of the BCS title reckoning, losing to a last second FG from Iowa. Penn State had a 23-14 lead into the 4th quarter before Iowa started their comeback, led by RB Shonn Greene (28-117-2) (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
15/11/08 - Tulsa (30) @ (70) Houston - Unranked Houston exploded on 24th ranked Tulsa with QB Case Keenum (24-37-402-6 + 4-43-1) passing for a career single game high 6 TD passes. Tulsa QB David Johnson (18-29-271-4) had a good game in defeat. Both teams combined for 1,142 yards of total offense. Houston led 42-17 at the half (10, 2 Discs, CSN - Blackburn/Fouts, NTSC)
15/11/08 - Troy (31) @ (40) LSU - Troy thought they had done enough for the upset win but LSU fought back from a 31-10 deficit in the 4th quarter to steal the victory. LSU QB Jarrett Lee (20-34-216-1) was both the villain and the hero, having an interception returned for a TD but also led 3 scoring drives in the 4th quarter to rescue the game. Troy QB Levi Brown (34-72-312-2) had a big game in defeat (10, JIP 9:18 1st Quarter 7-0 Troy, 1 Disc, Tigervision - Greengard/Nadeau/Guidry, PAL)
15/11/08 - Arizona (45) @ (55) Oregon - A wild shootout turned into a game of 2 halves, as Oregon racked up a 48-17 lead early into the 2nd half before Arizona scored 28 unanswered points to pull within 3 points. But Oregon killed the game off with a 40 yard run to seal the win. Oregon scored on TD passes of 66, 65 and 44 yards. Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli (21-26-298-2) and RB LeGarrette Blount (9-75-1) had big games as did Arizona QB Willie Tuitama (29-45-328-2). Oregon debuted their all black uniforms (10, Low Audio, 1 Disc, FOX - Sitton/Kennedy, PAL)
22/11/08 - Michigan State (18) @ (49) Penn State - A snow flurry at the start of the game wasn't enough to cool off a red hot Penn State team that clinched a share of the Big 10 title with a big win against #17 ranked Michigan State team. Penn State raced to a 28-7 half-time lead and cruised home. Penn State QB Daryll Clark (16-26-341-4) had a huge game as did the Defense that held Spartan RB Javon Ringer to 42 yards rushing and forced 4 turnovers (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Nessler/Griese/Maguire/Dales, PAL)
22/11/08 - Syracuse (24) @ (23) Notre Dame - Syracuse rallied from a 23-10 deficit in the 4th quarter to win on an 11 yard TD pass with 42 secs left. The Irish still had a chance to win with a last play 53 yard FG but it fell short and the 2-8 Orangemen secured their 1st ever win in South Bend. The heroes for Syracuse were QB Cameron Dantley (13-25-122-1) and RB Antwon Bailey (16-126-1). Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen (22-39-291-2) had a good game in defeat (10, 2 Discs, NBC - Hammond/Haden/Flanagan, NTSC)
29/11/08 - Houston (42) @ (56) Rice - In the battle for the "Bayou Bucket", Rice managed a double-whammy by beating Houston and denying them a chance to play in the Conference USA title game. The Owls took a 49-28 lead into the 4th quarter on the arm of QB Chase Clement (28-41-381-5) and the receiving of WR's James Casey (12-172-3) and Jarett Dillard (4-43-0). Houston then mounted a comeback with QB Case Keenum (30-54-494-5) doing his best to close the gap but Rice held on for the big win (10, 2 Discs, CSS - Blackburn/Taylor, NTSC)
29/11/08 - Oklahoma (61) @ (41) Oklahoma State - Needing to win to stand a chance at reaching the Big 12 Championship game, the Sooners crushed the Cowboys in the highest scoring game in the rivalry. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (30-44-370-4) enhanced his Heisman credentials with a big game. The Cowboys stayed within 3 points until midway through the 4th quarter thanks to QB Zac Robinson (17-26-254-3 + 17-90-1 ), WR Dez Bryant (6-91-2) and RB Kendall Hunter (18-84-0) but the Sooners proved to much in the end (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
29/11/08 - Notre Dame (3) @ (38) USC - In a one-sided game, USC dominated their big rival and stretched their series win streak to 7 games. USC outgained Notre Dame by 449 yards to 96 yards and held them scoreless until the 4th quarter. USC QB Mark Sanchez (22-31-267-2) had a good game but Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen (11-22-41-0) was terrible, throwing 2 interceptions and was sacked 4 times (10, Includes Great Rivalries:USC/ND - 50 mins, 2 Discs, ESPN - Patrick/Blackledge/Rowe, PAL)
29/11/08 - Baylor (28) @ (35) Texas Tech - Texas Tech ended their season 11-1 with a come-from-behind win against the Bears. Baylor led 21-14 at the half through the play of QB Robert Griffin (12-15-91-1 + 18-99-2), but Tech QB Graham Harrell (41-50-309-2) and the Tech running game (56 yards, 3 TD's) brought the Red Raiders back with 3 TD's to win the game. Harrell was playing in his last home game and finished the game despite badly injuring his left hand in the 2nd quarter. The injury required surgery and 17 pins and 2 plates. Tech WR Michael Crabtree (9-63-0) had a good game going before leaving with a sprained ankle in the 2nd quarter (10, 1 Disc, Versus - Thulin/Stouffer/Hummer, PAL)
29/11/08 - Georgia Tech (45) @ (42) Georgia - #18 ranked Georgia Tech finally beat #13 ranked Georgia for the first time in 7 years as they used a punishing ground game to comeback from a 28-12 deficit at the break. Georgia started the stronger as QB Matthew Stafford (24-39-407-5) had a big 1st half but Georgia Tech finally got their option attack going in the 3rd quarter, racking up 4 unanswered TD's and 201 yards rushing. Georgia closed to within 3 points but Tech held on for a big win. The Yellowjackets were led by QB Josh Nesbitt (1-6-19-0 + 18-40-0) and RB's Roddy Jones (13-214-2) and Johnathan Dwyer (20-144-2). The Bulldogs also featured RB Knowshon Moreno (17-94-1) and WR Mohamed Massaquoi (11-180-3) (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Bolerjack/Alberts, PAL)
29/11/08 - Missouri (37) v (40) Kansas - In a hard-hitting game, Kansas used a last minute TD pass and a blocked FG on the final play to beat #12 Missouri. Kansas led 19-10 at the half with QB Todd Reesing (37-51-375-4) leading the way. But Missouri fought back in the 2nd half, led by QB Chase Daniel (25-41-288-4), and the Tigers led 37-33 with 1:50 left. But Reesing, suffering from the effects of a hard hit and a bleeding hand, countered and led the Jayhawks to the go-ahead TD with 26 seconds left. Missouri had 1 last chance, but a last play 54 yard FG was blocked and Kansas took the upset win. Kansas also featured WR's Kerry Meier (14-106-2) and Dezmon Briscoe (9-115-1). Missouri also featured WR Jeremy Maclin (9-123-1) and TE Chase Coffman (6-53-2) (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Land/Lapham/Knox, NTSC)
29/11/08 - Oregon (65) @ (38) Oregon State - In Oregon coach Mike Bellotti's final "Civil War" game, his team sent him out a winner. The Beavers knew that a win would send them to the Rose Bowl for the 1st time since 1964 but the Ducks rolled up 694 yards of Total Offense and scored the most points ever against the Beavers. Oregon dominated the 1st half and held a 37-17 lead at the half. The Beavers fought back to within 13 points in the 3rd quarter but the Ducks out-scored Oregon State 21-7 in the 4th quarter to wrap up the win. Oregon were led by QB Jeremiah Masoli (11-17-274-3 + 12-53-1), RB's Jeremiah Johnson (17-219-1) and LeGarette Blount (17-112-1) and WR Terrence Scott (2-93-1). The Defense also chipped in with 2 interceptions, both returned for TD's. Oregon State were led by Lyle Moevao (27-51-374-5), RB James Rodgers (7-56-0) and WR's Sammie Stroughter (7-145-0) and Shane Morales (5-68-2) but were missing star RB Jaquizz Rodgers to injury (8, Slight pixellation, 1 Disc, Versus - Neverett/Parker/Anderson, PAL)
04/12/08 - Louisville (14) @ (63) Rutgers - On Thursday Night Football, Rutgers dismantled Louisville by scoring 49 unanswered points in the 1st half. Rutgers QB Mike Teel (21-26-447-7) had a sensational game in his final home game. His 7 TD passes were a Rutgers record as were his passing yards. Rutgers finished with 671 yards of total offense (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Fowler/James/Palmer/Andrews, PAL)
05/12/08 - MAC Championship - Ball State (24) v (42) Buffalo - In a big upset, Buffalo won their 1st ever Championship by beating #12 ranked and unbeaten Ball State. A close game at the half was blown open by 2 defensive scores as the Bulls defense returned 2 fumbles 92 yards and 74 yards. The heroes on Offense for Buffalo were QB Drew Willy (19-28-206-3) and WR Naaman Roosevelt (10-116-3). Ball State QB Nate Davis (31-48-351-1) had a big game statistically but was responsible for 4 fumbles that resulted in points for the Bulls (10, Re-Broadcast missing the 1st Bulls drive between 11:31 and 6:50, no scoring missed, 2 Discs, ESPN 2 - McDonough/Spielman/Stone, PAL)
06/12/08 - SEC Championship - Alabama (20) v (31) Florida - In a hard hitting battle between #1 Alabama and #4 Florida, Florida earned themselves a berth in the National Championship game with a come-from-behind win. Alabama controlled the clock, field position and scoring until the 4th Quarter when Florida QB Tim Tebow (14-22-216-3 + 17-57-0) took over. He led the Gators to 14 unanswered points while the defense held the Tide to -1 yard of total offense and sealed the win with an interception in the final 90 seconds. Alabama were led by QB John Parker Wilson (12-25-187-0) and WR Julio Jones (5-124-0) (10, Including Gameday Live, 3 Discs, CBS - Lundquist/Danielson/Wolfson, PAL)
06/12/08 - Big 12 Championship - Missouri (21) v (62) Oklahoma - #3 ranked Oklahoma demolished Missouri to book a place in the National Championship game. The North champions Missouri fell behind 38-7 at the half and couldn't recover. Oklahoma set an NCAA record by scoring 60 points for the 5th straight game, with Heisman-hopeful QB Sam Bradford (34-49-384-2) the triggerman. Missouri QB Chase Daniel (27-43-255-3) had a good game but threw 2 interceptions and lost a fumble (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
20/12/08 - EagleBank Bowl - Navy (19) v (29) Wake Forest - In the inaugural EagleBank Bowl, Wake Forest rebounded from an early 13-0 deficit to win the game. The hero for the Demon Deacons was QB Riley Skinner (11-11-166-1) who set an NCAA record for completion percentage. Navy scored on 2 FG's and a 50 yard fumble recovery return to take the early lead before Skinner and the running game (3 TD's) staged the comeback. Navy were led by QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (2-7-32-0 + 15-83-1) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Gannon/Norrie, PAL)
20/12/08 - New Mexico Bowl - Colorado State (40) v (35) Fresno State - In a wild shootout, Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson (27-285-2 + 5-90-0) had an MVP performance in his final college game. He set a Div-1A NCAA record for total offense in a game with 375 yards as the Rams rolled to an upset win. Both teams used a strong running game to move down the field but it was the passing game of the Rams that was the difference as QB Billy Farris (17-29-257-2) threw a 22 yard TD pass just before the half that kept them in the game and had a 69 yard TD pass in the 4th quarter to Rashaun Greer that extended their lead. Fresno State were led by QB Tom Brandstater (13-23-186-1) and RB's Lonyae Miller (13-113-2) and Anthony Harding (18-120-2) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tessitore/Gilmore, PAL)
20/12/08 - Las Vegas Bowl - BYU (21) v (31) Arizona - Arizona ended it's bowl drought with it's 1st win in 10 years as the Wildcats upset the #17 ranked Cougars. In his final college game, Arizona QB Willie Tuitama (24-35-325-2) turned in an MVP performance, throwing 3 TD passes in the 2nd half to break open the game. Arizona WR Mike Thomas caught 4 passes to become the PAC-10's All-Time receptions leader with 259. BYU QB Max Hall (30-46-328-1) had a good game statistically but couldn't make the big plays when the team needed them. BYU WR Austin Collie (11-119-0) had his 11th consecutive 100 yard game, tying an NCAA record. Both teams combined for 7 fumbles (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Patrick/Blackledge/Rowe, PAL)
21/12/08 - New Orleans Bowl - Southern Mississippi (30) v (27) Troy - Southern Miss, in their All-Gold uniforms, recovered from a 10 point deficit in the 4th quarter to force overtime where they won the game. Troy, led by QB Levi Brown (26-43-255-1), took a 27-17 lead into the 4th quarter before Southern Mississippi QB Austin Davis (20-34-276-2) brought the Golden Eagles back. Firstly, he threw a 35 yard TD pass on 4th down to get within 3 points then led the drive to the tying FG with 2 minutes remaining. Once in Overtime, the Golden Eagles could only manage a FG but blocked the Troy FG to escape with the win (10, 2 Discs, ESPN 2 - Collins/King, PAL)
24/12/08 - Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii (21) v (49) Notre Dame - Notre Dame finally ended their 9 game and 15 year Bowl win drought with a dominating victory over Hawaii. Notre Dame ran out to a 28-7 lead at the half and coasted home. Irish QB Jimmy Clausen (22-26-401-5) was the hero, setting a Notre Dame Bowl record for passing yards. His favourite target was WR Golden Tate (6-177-3). The defense also did their part, forcing 8 sacks and 1 interception. The Special Teams also contributed with a 96 yard kick-off return (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Pasch/Ware, PAL)
27/12/08 - Meineke Car Care Bowl - North Carolina (30) v (31) West Virginia - The storied career of West Virginia QB Pat White (26-32-332-3 + 21-55-0) ended in story-book fashion as he rallied the Mountaineers to a bowl win with his first ever 300 yard passing game. A wild 1st quarter went back and forth with the Tarheels scoring on 66 and 73 yard TD passes to WR Hakeem Nicks (8-217-3) and the Mountaineers scoring on 35 and 44 yard TD passes. The Tarheels took a 30-24 lead into the 4th quarter before Pat White threw a 20 yard TD pass with 6 minutes remaining that won the game. The Tarheels also featured QB TJ Yates (15-25-211-2). The Mountaineers also featured RB Noel Devine (13-61-1) (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - McDonough/Spielman/Stone, PAL)
30/12/08 - Texas Bowl - Western Michigan (14) v (38) Rice - Rice finally won a bowl game for the first time since the 1954 Cotton Bowl with a big win against the Broncos. Rice took a 31-0 lead into the 4th quarter on the arm of QB Chase Clement (30-44-307-3) who had an MVP performance. He was helped by WR's James Casey (7-112-1) and Jarett Dillard (8-86-1). Dillard also threw a TD pass to QB Chase Clement. Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller (19-42-198-2) had a quiet game but revealed after the game he was playing on a torn ligament in his knee (10, 2 Discs, NFL Network - Charles/Waddle/Henderson, NTSC)
30/12/08 - Holiday Bowl - Oklahoma State (31) v (42) Oregon - The annual wild shootout in the Holiday bowl lived up to expectations as both teams put up 1,066 yards of total offense. Oregon finally found some defense in the 2nd half to shut-down the Cowboys and win the game. Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli (18-32-258-1 + 16-106-3) put in an MVP performance and he was well supported by RB Jeremiah Johnson (12-119-1). Oklahoma State were led by QB Zac Robinson (27-50-329-1) and WR Dez Bryant (13-167-1) but the running game was not effective (10, JIP 12:45 1st Quarter 0-0, 2 Discs, ESPN - Fowler/James/Palmer/Andrews, PAL)
30/12/08 - Humanitarian Bowl - Maryland (42) v (35) Nevada - On the Blue turf of Boise State's home field, Maryland held off a strong fightback from Nevada to win the game. The villain-turned-hero for Maryland was RB Da'Rell Scott (14-174-2) who was suspended for the 1st half of the game for breaking curfew before the game but responded with a big 2nd half. He was helped by QB Chris Turner (13-27-198-2). Nevada were led by QB Colin Kaepernick (24-47-370-3) who had a big game in defeat (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Wischusen/Huard, PAL)
31/12/08 - Music City Bowl - Boston College (14) v (16) Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt finally ended their bowl win drought by beating the Eagles on a 45 yard FG with 3:26 left. The Eagles held the Commodore Offense to under 200 yards but gave up a TD on a fumbled punt return and 3 FG's. Vanderbilt used 3 different QB's to manage the game but the stars were CB DJ Moore, playing on a twisted ankle, and kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt. This was Vanderbilt's 1st bowl game since 1982 and their 1st bowl win since 1955 (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Jones/Davie/Harris, PAL)
01/01/09 - Capital One Bowl - Georgia (24) v (12) Michigan State - After a slow start, #16 ranked Georgia finally got their act together and sealed the win with 21 points in the 2nd half. The Bulldogs defense, led by Asher Allen (9 tackles) and Jarius Wynn (4 tackles + 2 sacks), forced 6 sacks and 1 interception and kept Michigan State's star RB Javon Ringer (20-47-1) in check until the offense finally started to click. In the 2nd half QB Matthew Stafford (20-31-250-3) and RB Knowshon Moreno (23-68-0 + 6-63-1) accounted for 3 TD's. The game proved to be the final college game for both players as they declared for the NFL Draft after the game (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Patrick/Blackledge/Rowe, PAL)
01/01/09 - Rose Bowl - Penn State (24) v (38) USC - #5 USC dominated #6 Penn State, racing out to a 31-7 lead at the half, then coasting home depite a brief 4th quarter fightback by the Nittany Lions. The star for the Trojans was QB Mark Sanchez (28-35-413-4) who was guided by Offensive co-ordinator Steve Sarkisian, coaching his last game for the Trojans. Penn State were led by QB Darryl Clark (21-36-273-2) and he had to carry the team after they lost RB Evan Royster early to a twisted knee (10, 2 Discs, ABC - Musberger/Herbstreit, PAL)
02/01/09 - Cotton Bowl - Mississippi (47) v (34) Texas Tech - In the last game at the Cotton Bowl stadium, Ole Miss upset #8 Texas Tech with a strong all-around game. On offense, QB Jevan Snead (18-29-292-3) and RB Dexter McCluster (14-97-1 + 6-83-0) had big games while the blitzing defense, led by DL Peria Jerry, put pressure on the Texas Tech Offense all game. Tech started the quicker as QB Graham Harrell (36-58-364-4) set the NCAA record for career TD's (134) and the defense chipped in with a 45 yard interception return TD. But the Rebels fought back with QB Snead leading the attack and went in at the break 24-21 up. The 2nd half was all Rebels as they started with a 65 yard interception return TD and held the Red Raiders in check. The Rebels then closed out the game with a strong running game that kept the ball away from Texas Tech (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Summerall/Baldinger, PAL)
02/01/09 - Sugar Bowl - Utah (31) v (17) Alabama - #7 Utah completed the season as the only unbeaten team with an upset of #4 Alabama. Utah raced out to a 21-0 lead in the 1st quarter with Utah QB Brian Johnson (27-41-336-3) leading the way. Alabama fought back to within 21-17 in the 3rd quarter with a 73 yard punt return from Javier Arenas before Utah scored the final 10 points to close out the game. Alabama were led by QB John Parker Wilson (18-30-177-1) and RB Glenn Coffee (13-36-0) (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Alberts/Johnson, PAL)
05/01/09 - Fiesta Bowl - Ohio State (21) v (24) Texas - #3 Texas ended their season with a comeback win against #10 ranked Ohio State. After a close-fought 1st half that ended in a 6-3 lead for the Buckeyes, Texas rallied to take a 17-6 lead into the 4th quarter but Ohio State fought back with 15 unanswered points to take the lead with 2:05 left. At this point Texas QB Colt McCoy (41-59-414-2) took control and marched the Longhorns downfield to the winning TD pass with 16 seconds left. Ohio State were led by 2 QB's ; Senior Todd Boeckman (5-11-110-1) and Freshman Terelle Pryor (5-14-66-0 + 15-78-0 + 1 TD catch) while RB Chris Wells (16-106-0) played only the 1st half before leaving with a concussion (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Vasgersian/Ryan, PAL)
06/01/08 - GMAC Bowl - Ball State (13) v (45) Tulsa - In rainy Mobile, Tulsa won 11 games for the first time in school history with a big win over Ball State. Tulsa out-gained Ball State 632 yards to 223 yards with a balanced attack. Tulsa QB David Johnson (15-25-193-3) had a big game and was supported by RB Tarrion Adams (19-207-3) who adapted to the soggy conditions with 3 TD runs including a 56 yarder. Ball State QB Nate Davis (9-29-145-0 + 9-35-1) had a rough game, with 3 turnovers in the 1st half and no completions in the 2nd half (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Pasch/Ware, PAL)
08/01/09 - BCS Title Game - Florida (24) v (14) Oklahoma - #2 ranked Florida won their 2nd National Championship in 3 years as they beat #1 ranked Oklahoma. Florida, led by QB Tim Tebow (18-30-231-2 + 22-109-0), broke open a 14-14 tie in the 4th quarter with a FG and a TD pass while the defense kept the high-scoring Sooners under-wraps. Oklahoma were restricted to just 363 yards of total offense as Heisman Trophy-Winning QB Sam Bradford (26-41-256-2) was frustrated into 2 interceptions including one at the Florida goal-line to end the 1st half (10, Includes College Gameday Live, 3 Discs, FOX - Brennaman/Davis/Myers, PAL)
24/01/09 - Senior Bowl - South (35) v (18) North - In the annual All-Star game for college seniors, the South beat the North with great play from all 3 of their Quarterbacks. The South opened up a 21-0 lead at the half but the North closed to within 28-18 before South DL Peria Jerry closed out the game with a fumble recovery in the North end-zone for a TD. The South QB's were Pat White (West Virginia), John Parker Wilson (Alabama) and Cullen Harper (Clemson). The North QB's were Graham Harrell (Texas Tech), Rhett Bomar (Sam Houston State) and Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas). The North also featured RB Jeremiah Johnson (Oregon). The South also featured WR's Quan Cosby (Texas) and Patrick Turner (USC) + OL Michael Oher (Mississippi) + DL Peria Jerry (Mississippi) + USC LB's Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing (10, 2 Discs, NFL Network - Papa/Mayock/Davis, PAL)