College FB '12 Dread News - Bowl Review (Part 2)

Let's continue now with part 2 of my recap of the action involving players with dreads from the 2012 postseason in college football.

IN THE FCS

North Dakota State and Sam Houston State met in the championship game for the 2nd year in a row; but how the Bison and Bearkats got there turned out to be far more dramatic than the championship game itself.

Georgia Southern Coach Monken was in tears at the post-game media session after his team was eliminated at North Dakota State for the 2nd straight year. "It hurts. It hurts bad," said Monken after the Eagles dropped a hard fought 23-20 heartbreaker in the semifinals despite outgaining the Bison 430-276 in total yards.
Making a rare appearance on offense, senior S J.J. Wilcox scored the 1st TD of the night on a 4-yard run on a sweep on 4th and 1. After the Bison tied it, GSU went back in front 13-6 in the 2nd when sophomore RB Dominique Swope was left uncovered deep down the middle of the NDSU secondary, made the catch (top photo below) and then bounced off a poor attempt at a tackle by junior CB Marcus Williams at the 15-yard line (bottom photo below) as he took it to the house for a 49-yard TD. Swope would finish with 77 yards rushing on 14 carries in addition to his TD catch.

The Bison made it 13-9 with a FG just before halftime then took their first lead early in the 3rd on a 53-yard TD run by junior RB Sam Ojuri. GSU went back ahead 20-16; but with their season season on the line, after punting on their two previous possessions, the defending champs drove 53 yards yards in 7 plays, taking the lead on a 5-yard TD run by QB Brock Jensen on 4th and 3 with 3:05 to play. GSU, an option team offense with a poor passing attack, appeared to be doomed. But wouldn't you know it, Williams, an FCS all-America CB, inexplicably got beat deep one-on-one for a 40-yard completion on 4th and 11, giving GSU a chance at the 36-yard line. But the Eagles gained just 3 yards the next three plays and elected to attempt a 50-yard FG on 4th and 7. The kick was blocked with :34 to play, sealing the victory for the Bison.
The other semifinal was no contest - for one half, that is. I actually turned the game off after Sam Houston State, playing on the road, jumped to a 35-0 halftime lead over Eastern Washington, totally dominating the Eagles in the process in total yards 418-42 (!). But EWU came out smoking in the 2nd half, outgaining SHSU 481-85 (that's right, 481 yards in one half) and scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions of the half to pull within 35-28 early in the 4th. But the Bearkats kept their composure, put 10 more points on the board, then recovered an onside kickoff after EWU scored their final TD with 3:04 to play and ran out the clock to hold on for a scary 45-42 victory. Senior LB Darius Taylor had 1 sack among his 4 tackles (4-0) for SHSU, and twin brother S Darnell Taylor had 6 tackles (4-2). With EWU trailing the whole game, RBs Quincy Forte and Demetrius Bronson had just 6 carries between them for 23 yards rushing.

And so, it was SHSU against NDSU - again - for the Jan. 5 championship game at Frisco, TX. Similar to last year's meeting won by North Dakota State 17-6, it was a close 1st half followed by domination by the Bison in the 2nd half. NDSU held only a slight 441-391 advantage in total yards but had a huge +4 advantage in turnovers (all interceptions) as they whipped the Bearkats 39-13. I didn't watch most of the game, but the Bearkats' D no doubt was hurt by the absence of Darnell Taylor, an FCS all-America safety, who missed the 2nd half after being injured late in the 1st half.

The Bison started the 2nd half with a 10-play, 60-yard TD drive to take the lead 17-10 and then, after stopping SHSU on 4th and 1 on the ensuing drive, went 65 yards in 6 plays on their next drive, making it 25-10 on Ojuri's 2-yard TD run late in the 3rd. SHSU scored their only points of the 2nd half on their next drive, but NDSU answered with another TD. And then an INT by senior CB Andre Martin and 37-yard return to the SHSU 30 midway through the 4th set up the Bison's final TD, scored by Ojuri on an 11-yard run. Williams put the icing on the cake with his 2nd INT of the day and new school record 18th of his career. Williams (raising the trophy in photo above) also had 6 tackles (4-2) in the game, and Martin (on the right in photo above) had 7 (3-4). Ojuri (photo below) barely missed the dread stars list, rushing for 92 yards on 14 carries. Darius Taylor had 11 tackles (5-6) in his final game for SHSU. Next season look for the Taylor twins in the NFL - maybe, hopefully. Ojuri and Williams will still be in Fargo - trying for the three-peat.

FINALLY

Better late than never ...... The most unlikely TD by a player with dreads this postseason came during the closing minutes of the Heart of Dallas Bowl, long after most of the fans in attendance had left and most of the fans in front of their TV sets had stopped watching Oklahoma State's 58-14 slaughter of Purdue. Similar to what happened with George Bell for Arizona State last season, Purdue senior WR Tommie Thomas scored his 1st career TD on the Boilermakers' final offensive snap of the season.

Thomas, who went his entire career without a single reception until finally getting one against Indiana in the final regular season game this season, caught 3 passes for 28 yards against OSU. And even though it made no difference in the outcome of the game, Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 195-pounder from the same suburban Chicago high school as Dwyane Wade, no doubt will never forget the cold New Year's Day in Dallas when he caught a pass at the line of scrimmage and (thanks to a nice block downfield) took it 16 yards to the house. Congratulations on the TD, Tommie, and best wishes in achieving your life's goals in the years ahead.

DG

1. After Central Michigan began the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl with an 83-yard TD drive in 8 plays, Western Kentucky went to a trick play on their first offensive snap; and it worked, as sophomore WR Rico Brown is uncovered and in the clear after making the catch in stride just past midfield, with CB Lorenzo White in pursuit .....
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2. ..... But Brown slipped slightly just after making the catch, allowing White to gain ground on him near the 30-yard line .....
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3. ..... With Brown back up to full speed, White realizes he's not going to catch him and makes a desperation dive, barely managing to trip him up at the 20-yard line. Rico stumbled forward but couldn't regain his balance and finally went down 7 yards short of his 1st career TD. The 70-yard gain was his only reception of the game. WKU tied the game with a TD two plays later.
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4. Senior S Jahleel Addae, who made the 1st team on my dread all-America team, goes for the choke hold as he and two teammates tackle RB Antonio Andrews.
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5. Jahleel Addae raises the trophy after the Chippewas, 6-6 during the season and lucky to get a bowl invite, defeat WKU in a thriller at Detroit 24-21. Addae finished with 8 tackles (3-5) and 1 PBU in his final game in a Central Michigan uniform. Will we be seeing these awesome dreads on Sundays? Maybe. Jahleel might sneak into the last round of the NFL draft but more likely will have to impress as an undrafted rookie.
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6. Assigned to block the gunner as Northern Illinois lined up for a punt on 4th and 3, Florida State freshman CB Ronald Darby moved inside when the gunner went in motion, and TE Desroy Maxwell runs through the space he vacated on a fake punt late in 1st quarter of the Orange Bowl .....
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7. ..... As RB Devonta Freeman (#8) and the rest of his teammates look on from the bench, Darby finally runs down Maxwell and makes the tackle, but not until Maxwell gains 35 yards to the FSU 33-yard line. NIU got on the board with a FG 6 plays later, cutting the Seminoles lead to 7-3. Darby, likely to be in the NFL a few years from now, finished the game with 4 tackles (4-0) and 1 PBU.
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8. Junior WR Greg Dent makes the catch as CB Sean Evans defends during 1st quarter. Dent finished with 3 receptions for for 42 yards, all in the 1st half. Clearly overmatched, NIU hung tough for 3 quarters before FSU put them away with 2 TD early in the 4th to win 31-10 as both teams finished with 12-2 records. 
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9. Already trailing Duke 9-0 in 1st quarter of the Belk Bowl, things get even worse for Cincinnati as none of the three blockers in front of P Pat O'Donnell picks up senior CB Tony Foster on 4th and 9, and Foster blocks the punt at the 15-yard line ..... 
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10. ..... The ball takes a beeline into the end zone after deflecting off Foster's hands ......
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11. ..... And Foster easily beats O'Donnell to it and makes the recovery for his 1st career TD, and the only Duke TD this season by a player with dreads .....

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12. ..... Foster accepts congratulations from his teammates, including sophomore LB Britton Grier after the TD increases the Blue Devils' lead to 16-0 with 4:45 remaining in 1st quarter. If you like, here is the video of the play: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8784948
But things didn't go as well for Foster later in the game as he got beat for a 25-yard TD to give UC a 34-31 lead in the 4th quarter. With the game tied at 34, Duke snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, turning the ball over on 2nd and goal from the 5-yard line with 1:20 to play and then allowing Cincinnati to score 2 TD in the final :44 and win 48-34.
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13. Louisiana-Lafayette sophomore WR Jamal Robinson is tackled by East Carolina senior CB Jacobi Jenkins after making his 1st catch of the game, a 14-yard reception on 3rd and 7 for a 1st down at the ECU 33-yard line on the opening drive of the New Orleans Bowl. ULL got the TD 5 plays later to complete the 73-yard drive. Jenkins had 4 tackles (1-3) and 1 PBU in his final game for ECU. 
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14. Jamal Robinson beats ex-dread CB Leonard Paulk and makes the over-the-shoulder catch for a 39-yard gain to the 6-yard line early in 2nd quarter. Ragin Cajuns got the TD on the next play for a 21-7 lead. Robinson didn't score a TD, but 5 of his 6 catches picked up 1st downs, and all 6 came on scoring drives as he made the dread stars list for the 3rd time this season. ULL won the New Orleans Bowl for the 2nd straight year, 43-34 over East Carolina.
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15. On 3rd and goal from the USC 17-yard line, junior CB Nickell Robey can't wrap up RB Orwin Smith at the 5-yard line and can't knock him out of bounds either as Smith breaks the tackle and scores standing up to give Georgia Tech a 21-7 lead early in 4th quarter of the Sun Bowl. Tech went on to win 21-7, finishing a highly disappointing 7-6 season for USC. Robey had 3 tackles (2-1) in his final game for the Trojans. Look for these dreads in the NFL next season.
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16. Senior S Anthony Watkins gets the Alamo Bowl off to a good start for Oregon State, stopping Texas RB D.J. Monroe at the 17-yard line after a 12-yard return of the opening kickoff. Watkins had 3 tackles (3-0), including his 3rd sack of the season, in his final game for the Beavers. But don't look for these dreads in the NFL next season. 
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17. Senior WR Markus Wheaton turns into the defender here as he prevents CB Quandre Diggs from getting an INT on 3rd and 12 early in 4th quarter. Wheaton had a great 2012 season, and we'll have a chance to see these dreads grow longer on Sundays in the years ahead. But he was shut down in his final game for the Beavers. QB Cody Vaz was just 3 for 7 for 37 yards with 1 INT on passes intended for Wheaton. Markus also had 26 yards rushing on 4 carries. Texas scored 2 TD in 4th quarter, including the game winner with 2:24 remaining, in their 31-27 victory over Oregon State.
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18. On the first play after Wisconsin was stopped on 4th and goal at the 1-yard line, Stanford tries to get some breathing room, but FB Ryan Hewitt is stopped for no gain and then driven back into the end zone by junior S Dezmen Southward and LB Ethan Armstrong during 2nd quarter at Pasadena. By rule, of course, this was not a safety. Southward finished with 7 tackles (5-2), including 1 TFL; but the Badgers lost the Rose Bowl for the 3rd straight year, 20-14 to Stanford.
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19. On 1st down from the Notre Dame 11-yard line late in 2nd quarter of the BCS title game, LBs Dan Fox (#48) and Danny Spond move in to tackle Alabama junior RB Eddie Lacy at the 5-yard line on the run after a catch, but Lacy puts on the brakes and brings out his patented spin move .....
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20. ..... causing Fox and Spond to miss the tackle and crash into each other .....
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21. ..... Lacy heads for the end zone, leaving the two defenders sprawled on the turf .....
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22. ..... S Zeke Motta finally makes the tackle on Lacy, but it's too late as Eddie finishes off the 11-yard reception for his 2nd TD of the game, increasing the Crimson Tide's lead to 28-0 with :31 remaining in 1st half. Lacy made the dread stars list and was named offensive MVP of the game in his final game in an Alabama uniform as the Tide rolled to their 3rd victory in the BCS title game in the last 4 years, crushing Notre Dame 42-14. Like RBs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson before him, Lacy also will be skipping his senior year with the Tide and also should be a 1st round NFL draft pick. Hopefully when he scores his next TD, we'll see his dreads back to normal; rumor has it that they are sick when he doesn't have them reduced.
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23. Sam Houston State WR Trey Diller has both hands on the ball, but only for a moment, and North Dakota State all-America junior CB Marcus Williams takes it away for his 6th INT of the season during 2nd quarter of the FCS championship game at Frisco, TX .....
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24. ..... After returning the pick 11 yards, Williams is upended by Diller at the NDSU 28-yard line. Williams later added another INT and finished the game with 6 tackles (4-2).
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25. Sick senior LB Darius Taylor moves in to stop junior RB Sam Ojuri. Taylor had 11 tackles (5-6) in the game, including 5 tackles of Ojuri. But none of the tackles was a TFL. Ojuri nearly made the dread stars list, rushing for 92 yards and 2 TD.
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26. Look what I found! ..... After the pass deflected off the hands of intended receiver Trey Diller and then off of CB Bryan Shepherd (on ground), it pops right up to senior CB Andre Martin for his 1st INT of the season midway through 4th quarter. Martin went 37 yards on the return to set up the Bison's final TD of the game. He finished the day with 7 tackles (3-4). North Dakota State made it back-to-back FCS titles, defeating Sam Houston State in the championship game for the 2nd year in a row, 39-13.
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27. On 2nd and goal on Minnesota's opening drive of the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, Texas Tech junior DT Dennell Wesley gets his 1st sack of the season, dropping QB Philip Nelson at the 17-yard line for a loss of 10. Dennell enjoyed the sack so much that he did it again on the next play, sharing a sack with ex-dread DT Kerry Hyder. Minnesota settled for a FG to take a 3-0 lead. Wesley finished with 7 tackles (1-6).
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28. With Minnesota leading 10-7, Texas Tech finally runs their first snap on offense with 5:46 remaining in 1st quarter, and WR Eric Ward is smothered by senior CB Troy Stoudermire and sophomore S Derrick Wells after a 2-yard reception. Wells finished with 5 tackles (2-3) and Stoudermire had 4 (3-1).
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29. Enemies during the game but still friends after it. Junior OT Rashad Fortenberry has a laugh as he meets with RB James Gillum after the Red Raiders' last-second 34-31 victory. Fortenberry, who helped Gillum to a couple of 1,000-yard seasons when they were teammates in junior college, was not in uniform due to a back injury that caused him to miss the last 2 months of the season; but he is expected to be in the starting lineup in 2013.
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30. After Toledo took a 3-0 lead in 1st quarter of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Utah State senior WR Chuck Jacobs has his forward progress come to an abrupt halt on the ensuing kickoff return, as he is upended by S Ethan Kagy at the 21-yard line after a 20-yard return. Jacobs had 4 returns on the day, the longest of which was for 30 yards.
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31. Chuck Jacobs does his best Michael Jackson imitation on the sideline near the end of the game. Jacobs had 147 all-purpose yards in his final game in a Utah State uniform, including 5 catches for 58 yards.
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32. Junior CB Nevin Lawson decides to kiss rather than eat the trophy following USU's 41-15 victory over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise. Lawson had 2 tackles (1-1) in the game as the Aggies finished with their best record ever (11-2) and won a bowl game for the first time since 1993.
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33. On the first play from scrimmage in the Sugar Bowl from the Florida 31, the pass bounces off the hands of WR Andre Debose and into the hands of sophomore CB Terell Floyd for his 3rd INT of the season .....
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34. ..... Debose gets up, but his chase is futile as Floyd takes the return 38 yards to the house .....
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35. ..... Floyd is mobbed by teammates as his 1st career TD gives Louisville a quick 7-0 lead. Here is a video of the play: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8807528 ..... And how about a little face time for Terell, here in an interview after the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tCboPZ9XZg 
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36. Senior CB Adrian Bushell gets credit for a PBU on a 3rd and 13 pass into the end zone intended for former teammate and former roommate, WR Frankie Hammond, on first play of 2nd quarter. Gators settled for a FG on the next play to cut Louisville's lead to 14-3.
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37. Adrian Bushell congratulates QB Teddy Bridgewater after the game. Bridgewater passed for 266 yards and 2 TD and was named game MVP as Louisville upset Florida 33-23. Bushell finished with 3 tackles (2-1) and 2 PBU in his final game before (hopefully) moving on to the NFL.
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38. Sick senior S Josh Evans can't make the tackle but slows down senior WR Andrell Smith so that he doesn't advance any further, and Smith gets tackled by S Matt Elam at the 50-yard line after a 12-yard reception on 3rd and 5. The drive ended with a FG 6 plays later, upping Cardinals' lead to 33-10. Smith had 4 catches for 55 yards in his final game for Louisville. 
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39. Josh Evans goes 7 yards on the return to the Louisville 37 after getting his 3rd INT of the season. Evans finished with 4 tackles (4-0) in his final game in a Florida uniform before moving on to the NFL. Very sadly though, these dreads won't be going along with him. Josh decided to cut them off before going to the NFL Combine back in February. What a shame. .....
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40. ..... Also playing his last game with dreads was LSU junior RB Spencer Ware, here being tackled by Clemson LB Spencer Shuey after a 14-yard reception on 3rd and 8 on first play of 2nd quarter in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Ware gained 27 total yards in his final game in an LSU uniform. The dreads were gone when he showed up to perform at LSU's pro day a couple of weeks ago.
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41. After making a couple of defenders miss, WR DeAndre Hopkins is stopped by junior S Craig Loston at the LSU 38-yard line after a 14-yard reception late in 2nd quarter. Loston gave Hopkins a little extra shove after driving him out of bounds, resulting in both players being called for offsetting personal fouls. The drive ended 4 plays later with a stop on 4th and 9, and LSU remained ahead 14-13 at halftime. 
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42. As S Eric Reid knocks down WR DeAndre Hopkins at the LSU 43-yard line, he takes out his teammate too, slamming into junior LB Lamin Barrow and temporarily knocking him out of the game. Hopkins gained 21 on the catch to convert a 2nd and 14 early in 4th quarter. The drive ended with a FG 9 plays later as Clemson closed to within 24-16. Barrow was mistakenly credited with the tackle on this play on the official play-by-play and finished the night with a career high 12 tackles (9-3), 2 TFL, and 1 PBU.
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43. Fooled by Clemson's hook-and-lateral play with 4:30 remaining in 4th quarter, S Craig Loston makes a desperate and futile grab at the dreads of senior RB Andre Ellington as Ellington goes past him at midfield. Loston came forward when a short pass was caught by WR Adam Humphries and was out of position when Humphries pitched the ball to Ellington. The play gained 21 yards before Ellington was tackled at the LSU 33. Clemson got the TD 5 plays later to pull within 24-22. Loston finished the game with 7 tackles (4-3), 1 PBU, and 1 FR. Ellington gained 85 total yards on 13 touches and lost 1 fumble in his final game for Clemson before moving on to the NFL.
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44. A couple of players who made my dread all-America team have their backs to the camera in this shot of (mostly) Clemson players praying after their last-second 25-24 victory. That's LSU junior DT Cleveland Davis standing near freshman CB Cortez Davis (#29 on the right). #53 is freshman DE Martin Aiken. I thought that Cleveland Davis still had a year of eligibility remaining, but he was at LSU's pro day, so I guess he doesn't. In search of more playing time and a school closer to home (Daytona Beach), Cortez Davis will be playing in the FCS next season. Look for his sick dreads in a Bethune-Cookman uniform. 
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45. All-America junior LB Jarvis Jones waves goodbye to Georgia fans as he exits after playing his final game in a Georgia uniform. Jones had 8 tackles (5-3), 2 sacks (increasing his total for the season to a school record 14.5), and 1 PBU in a 45-31 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. It seemed certain that Jones would be the first player with dreads selected in the 2013 NFL draft; but word is he ran slower than expected at Georgia's pro day, so we'll see if that causes him to fall out of the 1st round or not.
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46. Coach Marrone shows some love for Prince-Tyson Gulley's dreads as the junior RB returns to the sideline after scoring the 1st TD of the Pinstripe Bowl, a 33-yard run that gave Syracuse a 12-0 lead over West Virginia midway through 2nd quarter. It was the start of something very big for Gulley, who finished with 3 TD and 250+ total yards in the Orange's 38-14 victory.
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47. Junior WR Ja-mes Logan outfights S Ray Vinopal for the ball and makes the catch for a 14-yard TD on 3rd and 13, giving Mississippi a 7-0 lead early in 1st quarter of the BBVA Compass Bowl. It was the 3rd TD of the season for Logan, who finished with 6 catches for 36 yards in the Rebels' 38-17 victory over Pittsburgh.
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48. South Carolina senior LB Shaq Wilson moves in to tackle Michigan QB Devin Gardner during 2nd quarter (I think) of the Outback Bowl. Wilson tied for the team lead with 9 tackles (7-2) in his final game for the Gamecocks.
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49. Senior RB Kenny Miles fumbles the ball at the Carolina 33-yard line as he is hit in the backfield by DE Mario Ojemudia midway through 2nd quarter. Michigan got the FR and kicked a FG 8 plays later to pull within 21-13 of the Gamecocks. Miles starred in the Gamecocks' bowl win over Nebraska last season but had a tough day against the Wolverines, finishing with 1 yard rushing on 5 carries along with 4 catches for 22 yards.
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50. Senior TE Justice Cunningham looks for somebody to run over after making the catch in the open field on 2nd and 10 midway through 3rd quarter, and junior S Thomas Gordon is the first defender in his path. With help from teammate Jordan Kovacs, Gordon was able to stop Cunningham after a 37-yard gain to the Michigan 38. Gordon finished with 6 tackles (4-2), but he and his secondary mates had a tough day, allowing 341 yards and 4 TD passing. This was Cunningham's only reception of the day in his final game before (hopefully) moving on to the NFL.
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51. A couple more players who hope to be playing on Sundays next season avoid a close encounter as Michigan senior RB Denard Robinson tries to elude senior S D.J. Swearinger. Robinson, the FBS record holder for most career yards rushing by a QB, played mostly at RB in his final game in a Michigan uniform, and that's likely the position he'll have to play (either that or WR) if he wants to play football for a living. Swearinger tied for the team lead with 9 tackles (7-2) and had 2 PBU and 1 FF in his final game for the Gamecocks before moving on to the NFL. South Carolina scored a TD with 11 seconds to play to edge Michigan 33-28.
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52. And to wrap up the dread gallery section, here's what hopefully will not be our last look at the colorful sick dreads of Arkansas State senior WR Josh Jarboe, here avoiding the tackle attempt of CB Dylan Farrington during the Go Daddy.com Bowl. Jarboe had -1 yard rushing and 3 catches for 24 yards in his final game as ASU defeated Kent State 17-13. Josh has the size and the talent to play in the NFL; but all the trouble he endured before he got to Arkansas State may cause him to not be drafted (or drafted by the Bengals, lol). Whether he gets drafted or not, it's all up to him whether he makes it or not in the NFL. Will he be willing to put in the effort to make the necessary improvements in his game or not. That's what will determine if we'll be seeing these dreads anymore. Here's his draft bio/rap sheet from NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/josh-jarboe?id=2539971 
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BOWL GAME DREAD STARS

• Eddie Lacy - Alabama - named offensive MVP of BCS title game - 140 yards and 1 TD rushing, and 2 receptions for 17 yards and 1 TD in 42-14 romp over Notre Dame
• Prince-Tyson Gulley - Syracuse - named MVP of Pinstripe Bowl - 25 carries for 208 yards rushing, including TD runs of 33 and 67 yards; and 5 catches for 56 yards and 1 TD in 38-14 W over West Virginia

• Jamal Robinson - Louisiana-Lafayette - 6 receptions for 116 yards in 43-34 W over East Carolina in New Orleans Bowl
• Ace Sanders - South Carolina - named MVP of Outback Bowl - 9 receptions for 92 yards and 2 TD, and had 63-yard punt return for TD in 33-28 W over Michigan

• J.D. McKissic - Arkansas State - named offensive MVP of Go Daddy.com Bowl - 11 receptions for 113 yards, including 31-yard TD, in 17-13 W over Kent State
• Taylor Reed - SMU - 9 tackles (9-0), 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR, and 1 INT, which he returned 69 yards to the house, in easy 43-10 W over Fresno State in Hawaii Bowl

• Will Sutton - Arizona State - named defensive MVP of Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - 5 tackles (3-2), including 3.5 TFL, 2.5 of which were sacks, in 62-28 W over Navy

• Todd Gurley - Georgia - 125 yards rushing and 1 TD on 23 carries in 45-31 W over Nebraska in Capital One Bowl

•  Denard Robinson - Michigan - 23 carries for 100 yards rushing, and 1 catch for 7 yards in 33-28 L to South Carolina in Outback Bowl

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SEASON RECAP
There were 16 chances to make the weekly dread stars list, and 129 different players made it at least once. Of those, 61 players made it exactly once. There was a tie between two players for the most appearances with 10. Here are the top 10 players with the most times appearing on the dread stars list.

• 10 TIMES: Georgia RB Todd Gurley, Cal Poly RB Deonte Williams
• 9 TIMES: Tennessee State RB Trabis Ward
• 7 TIMES: Bryant WR Jordan Harris, Appalachian State WR Sean Price, Michigan QB Denard Robinson, Illinois State WR Tyrone Walker
• 6 TIMES: Kent State RB Trayion Durham, Clemson WR DeAndre Hopkins, Alabama RB Eddie Lacy, ODU WR Nick Mayers, Georgia Southern RB Dominique Swope, Eastern Illinois RB Jake Walker

Most appearances by a defensive player: 3 times by Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene
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HOUSE OF DREAD

For games during the period from Dec. 14 through the end of the season, the most number of TD by players with dreads in any single game was only 3 (a season low). And there were 3 games where that happened. So the final house of dread award of the season goes to the end zones at the Fargodome in Fargo, ND, at Yankee Stadium in New York, and at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

• At the Fargodome during North Dakota State's thrilling 23-20 victory over Georgia Southern in the FCS semifinals, sophomore RB Dominique Swope scored on a 49-yard reception, and senior S J.J. Wilcox had a 4-yard TD run for GSU; and junior RB Sam Ojuri scored on a 53-yard run for NDSU.
• At Yankee Stadium, Pinstripe Bowl MVP Prince-Tyson Gulley scored 3 TD for Syracuse in a 38-14 win over West Virginia. The junior RB scored on runs of 33 and 67 yards as well as on a 10-yard reception (photo below).

• And at Tampa, junior WR and Outback Bowl MVP Ace Sanders was also a one-man house of dread for South Carolina, with TD catches of 4 and 31 yards along with a 63-yard punt return TD, in a 33-28 victory over Michigan.

SEASON RECAP
The most TD by players with dreads in a single game in 2012 was 7, which happened twice - the Presbyterian at Charleston Southern game in Week 8 (4 by RB Teddy Allen and 3 by RB Demarcus Rouse for CSU and PC respectively) and the Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern Louisiana game in Week 11 (4 by SFA RB Gus Johnson and 3 by SELA RB Xavier Roberson). Twice during the season the HOD winner had 6 TD, 4 times it had 5 TD, and 7 times HOD honors went to games with 4 TD.
Games involving Alabama State took the HOD award the most times - 4 - with ODU games coming in in 2nd place with 3 times. Which end zone had the most TD cumulatively for the whole season? Wow, I'd like to know that myself; but I don't want to spend the next month trying to figure it out. Sorry.







HEAD DREAD

If Prince-Tyson Gulley and Ace Sanders didn't do enough to be the head dread, then you know something really special must have happened somewhere else. Indeed that somewhere else was the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where junior WR DeAndre Hopkins made his farewell performance in a Clemson uniform one to remember in a 25-24 victory over LSU.
With fellow WR Sammy Watkins down and out early with an ankle injury, Hopkins picked up the slack, making a bunch of big plays, several of them in the clutch. After finishing the night with 13 receptions for 191 yards and 2 TD, DeAndre was not named the game MVP. That honor deservedly went to QB Tahj Boyd, who delivered on-target passes despite having to run for his life half the time trying to avoid a strong pass rush. But make no mistake, Boyd wouldn't have been the MVP if he didn't have Hopkins to throw to.

 With his 11-yard TD catch on 3rd and 4 that pulled Clemson to within 14-13 in the 2nd quarter, Hopkins set a new ACC record with at least 1 TD reception in 10 straight games. But most of his damage was done on Clemson's final three drives of the game as they erased a 24-13 deficit in the 4th quarter. On the drive that ended with a FG to make it 24-16, Hopkins had a 21-yard reception to convert a 2nd and 14 (DG photo 42) and later drew a pass interference penalty on 3rd and 6. Hopkins then finished Clemson's 11-play, 77-yard drive with a 12-yard TD reception on 2nd and 8 (photo below). But CU still trailed 24-22 after the 2-point conversion attempt failed. 

DeAndre saved his best for last. On the game's final drive, which began with 1:39 on the clock, he made a sliding catch at the Clemson 40 to convert a 4th and 16 (!) (photo below), then had a 7-yard catch to the 47, drew an 11-yard interference penalty to the LSU 42, and then made a 13-yard reception to move the ball into FG range at the 26-yard line. That 13-yarder - his 13th catch of the game - tied the Clemson record he already held for most receptions in one game.

For more on Hopkins' huge game, I'm including four links you can click on if you have the time.
This is a story on Hopkins from the Anderson Independent Mail.
http://www.orangeandwhite.com/news/2013/jan/01/watkins-injured-nuk-hopkins-steps-again-when-tiger/

This is a 2-minute video with some of the game's highlights, including Watkins' injury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQgArIeuZt0

And for hardcore DeAndre Hopkins fans, it's all DeAndre all the time in this 8-minute video that includes every pass thrown to him during the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCVWGxNjF_k

To the surprise of no one, Hopkins decided to to skip his senior year and enter the NFL draft.
http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=205913367

Hopkins lacks blazing speed, so he's not going to be a 1st round selection. But I'd be shocked if he's not drafted by the end of the 3rd round. And if he gets picked by the right team (not the Jaguars, lol), you can bet we'll be seeing his dreads in the end zone many times as they continue to grow longer in the years ahead.

SEASON RECAP
Once again, here are the players of the week for the previous 15 weeks of the 2012 season.

• WEEK 1: Clemson RB Andre Ellington
• WEEK 2: Michigan QB Denard Robinson
• WEEK 3: Jackson State WR Rico Richardson, Fresno State S Phillip Thomas, St. Francis (PA) RB Keion Wade
• WEEK 4: Arkansas WR Cobi Hamilton, ODU WR Nick Mayers
• WEEK 5: Furman RB Jerodis Williams
• WEEK 6: Michigan QB Denard Robinson
• WEEK 7: Tennessee State RB Trabis Ward
• WEEK 8: East Carolina RB Vintavious Cooper
• WEEK 9: Georgia LB Jarvis Jones
• WEEK 10: Appalachian State WR Sean Price
• WEEK 11: UAB RB Darrin Reaves
• WEEK 12: Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene
• WEEK 13: South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
• WEEK 14: Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon
• WEEK 15: Georgia Southern RB Dominique Swope

NEXT
We'll wrap up my coverage of 2012 with a look at this season's house calls.