College FB '13 Dread News - Bowl Review (Part 2)

With 5 of the 9 wide receivers who made this season's all-America with dreads team either being seniors or underclassmen who entered the NFL draft, it figured to be a wide open race for spots on the 2014 team. And now that race will be even more up for grabs after the disheartening discovery that two players who very likely would have filled a couple of those spots are no longer eligible to be considered for the team. Much to my disappointment, shortly after playing in their teams' bowl games, seniors-to-be Jameon Lewis of Mississippi State and Rannell Hall of UCF cut off their long dreads that we've enjoyed seeing so much during the last three seasons. So instead of writing about both of their fantastic bowl performances with a lot of excitement, it'll feel more like a eulogy.

Lewis put in a serious bid for head dread honors, setting both new Mississippi State and Liberty Bowl records for most yards receiving in a game.
And to think his total of 220 yards probably would have been even higher if he had played in the 4th quarter. But the Bulldogs were so far ahead of CUSA champ Rice that they didn't need their starters in the 4th quarter. MSU won 44-7 and completely dominated the Owls in total yards in the process 533-145. Lewis had 5 receptions that gained 20 or more yards, including a 65-yard catch and run in the closing seconds of the 1st half (photo above and video on link below) to set up a TD that upped MSU's lead to 27-7. The only thing Jameon didn't do was score a TD for himself, as he was tackled inside the 5-yard line after three of his receptions.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10223654

Freshman RB Ashton Shumpert did score a TD - two plays after a 35-yard reception by Lewis to the 2-yard line - on a 2-yard line plunge (photo above) that put the Bulldogs ahead to stay 14-7 in the 2nd quarter. Shumpert finished with 7 carries for 29 yards. Freshman WR De'Runnya Wilson had 3 catches for 37 yards. Senior DE Denico Autry had a sack for his only tackle in his final game before hopefully moving on to the NFL.

I didn't find out about Lewis and Hall's haircuts until I saw photos of them in spring practice, but evidently the dreads came off long before then. Jameon was in the barber's chair (left photo below) three weeks after the Liberty Bowl (he also tweeted, "When I get to the league then I'll get them back!" - and I'm holding him to that), while Rannell's dreads were already gone in time for UCF's pep rally (right photo below) on Jan. 9. UCF was holding that pep rally because 8 days earlier ......

Despite being a 16-point underdog, Hall and his teammates proved to be too much for Baylor to handle in the Fiesta Bowl. In what ended up as the second highest scoring bowl game ever, UCF won 52-42 to finish their best season ever at 12-1 (losing only to South Carolina) and at #10 in the final AP rankings. Baylor (11-2) racked up 550 total yards to finish the season with a new Big 12 record of 8,044; but both the 550 yards and the 42 points were way below their season averages.

The Knights jumped out to a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions then survived an awful stretch in the 2nd quarter during which they turned the ball over on three consecutive offensive snaps. Baylor cashed in on only one of the turnovers though, allowing UCF to keep the lead 14-13. From there the Knights scored touchdowns on 5 of their next 6 possessions. The Bears kept pace for a while; but after a 10-yard TD catch by sophomore WR Breshad Perriman (photo above) put UCF ahead 35-28 with 5:38 remaining in the 3rd, the Knights led for the rest of the game.

Of great interest to me, of course, were the plays where Hall was matched up against senior CB K.J. Morton, a player with dreads even longer than he had. Looking at the game highlights, you'd be right if you said Morton did not have the coverage on either of Hall's 2 TD catches nor on any of UCF's big plays. But make no mistake, K.J. played just as poorly as the rest of his teammates in the Baylor secondary. In the 2nd quarter Morton was called for an interference penalty, grabbing Perriman to keep from getting beat deep for a big gain. Two plays later Hall caught a screen pass, made S Terrell Burt miss in the open field (upper left photo), and followed good blocking (lower left photo) all the way to the house for a 50-yard TD, making the score 21-13.

The Bears struck right back to make it 21-20 and were poised to get the ball back with UCF facing a 3rd and 10. But Morton, this time covering Hall, again was called for pass interference, first grabbing Hall with one hand, then the other - blatantly - and still had the nerve to complain to the officials for calling the penalty. Damn, K.J. Two plays later, with Baylor blitzing, Rannell caught a pass in the right flat, again eluded Burt, and scored - this time from 34 yards out. Although Hall finished with only 4 receptions for the game (including a 23-yarder against Morton on a TD drive in the 4th quarter), he gained enough yards to make the dread stars list one last time.

Having recovered enough from a wrist injured suffered in November, senior WR Tevin Reese was in action for Baylor - but he wasn't making the dread stars list. A dangerous deep threat throughout his career, Reese didn't hurt UCF at all, finishing with 5 catches for 43 yards, no big plays, and 7 passes intended for him were incomplete. A quiet ending for Tevin at Baylor, but hopefully he'll be continuing his career in a San Diego Chargers uniform next season.
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The bowl schedule got underway on Dec. 21 with a wild and crazy New Mexico Bowl. With the game seemingly in the bag, Washington State instead refused to win, blowing a 45-30 lead in the final 3 minutes in a 48-45 defeat to Colorado State. Freshman WR Jordon Vaden had 8 catches for 60 yards, including a 12-yard TD that made the score 45-37 with 2:52 to play and made up for a fumble earlier in the game.

I don't think I watched Colorado State at all during the regular season; so while going through the photos of this game, I for the first time noticed that the Rams have two D-linemen worthy of consideration for my dread all-America team. Both are juniors, so maybe they'll both be on the team next season - Terry Jackson, who had 2 TFL, including 1 sack, in the game, and LaRyan King, who was on the field as a blocker (#94 in photo above) when CSU kicked the game-winning FG on the final play. Senior CB Shaq Bell had 4 tackles (3-1) in his final game in a CSU uniform. Senior CB Damante Horton had 6 tackles (5-1) and 1 FF in his final game for WSU.
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After junior CB Corey Trim took an INT return 82 yards to the house (photo above) to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 21-0 lead in the 2nd quarter of the New Orleans Bowl, Tulane Coach Johnson had seen enough. Out was starting QB Nick Montana, and into the game came the awesome dreads of freshman QB Devin Powell (photo below). I'd love to say that the Green Wave's rally was a result of Powell's pinpoint passing that sliced up the ULL defense. But honesty requires me to report that Powell was more of a mad bomber, throwing the ball deep and letting his receivers go up and make great catches. 

Tulane closed within 21-14 by halftime and scored again late in the 3rd to tie it; but on their next possession Powell, trying to avoid being sacked in the end zone, threw another one up for grabs, and this one happened to be intercepted. It was his only INT of the game, and it set up what turned out to be the game-winning FG. Devin did drive the Green Wave from their own 5-yard line to the ULL 30 in the final 1:35 of the game; but their kicker (who btw probably will be do his kicking on Sundays next season) missed a 47-yard FG attempt with :13 remaining, allowing the Ragin Cajuns to hold on to win the New Orleans Bowl for the 3rd year in a row, 24-21. Powell finished 10 for 21 for 223 yards with 0 TD.
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Meeting on Jan. 1 for the 2nd straight year, Nebraska got their revenge against Georgia, hanging on to defeat the Bulldogs 24-19 in the Gator Bowl after losing to them in last season's Outback Bowl. Sophomore RB Todd Gurley's 25-yard catch for Georgia's only TD of the day brought UGA to within 5 early in the 4th quarter; but on both of their last two drives (both of which reached the red zone) the Bulldogs dropped passes on 4th down to end the drives. Gurley made the dread stars list, as usual, but the Nebraska defense really made him work for his yards (details froma the Omaha World Herald article on link below). Junior WR Chris Conley had 3 catches for 46 yards; and junior LB Ramik Wilson, who surprisingly and unfortunately was on the field with reduced dreads, had 5 tackles (4-1). 
http://www.omaha.com/huskers/nu-defenders-praise-georgia-s-star-running-back-but-limit/article_682db5b4-faf3-5624-a58c-4ad83a4a19c4.html

For Nebraska junior S Corey Cooper finished with a game high 10 tackles (10-0), the last of which was a TD-saving and game-saving stop of Gurley in the open field (photo above) on the Bulldogs' final drive. Senior DE Jason Ankrah, now hoping to be Jadeveon Clowney's teammate with the Houston Texans next season, had 5 tackles (3-2), 2 sacks, and 1 FF in his final game for the Cornhuskers. And senior DT Thad Randle (photo below, pressuring QB Hutson Mason) had a career high 8 tackles (4-4) in his final game.

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Fresno State came into the Las Vegas Bowl averaging a flashy 572 total yards per game on offense, but the Bulldogs were almost shut down completely by USC - held to only 254 yards in a 45-20 defeat to the Trojans. Sick senior WR Isaiah Burse's 6th TD catch of the season, an 8-yarder (photo below), pulled Fresno State within 7-6 midway through the 1st quarter; but then the Trojans went on a 28-0 run to take a 35-6 halftime lead.

Junior S Josh Shaw had 6 tackles (3-3), 1 PBU, and his 4th INT of the season for USC; and sophomore CB Kevon Seymour was named defensive player of the game (photo below), although his team-leading 7 tackles (7-0), 1 TFL, and 1 PBU weren't quite enough to make the dreads stars list. Probably had he not dropped an INT in the end zone in the 3rd quarter (Fresno State scored a TD 4 plays later) he would have made it.

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Playing his final game in a Bowling Green uniform, senior S BooBoo Gates returned the 2nd half opening kickoff of the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl 94 yards to the house (photo below) - the 4th TD of his career on either a kickoff or punt return - to tie the game against Pittsburgh at 17; but there was even more action back behind the play, where a couple of players with dreads were down of the turf going at it. After finishing his key block on Pitt junior TE Manasseh Garner, junior LB D.J. Lynch then tried to finish off Garner with a couple of right hands. Somehow they both managed to keep their helmets on: http://www.totalprosports.com/2013/12/27/d-j-lynch-bowling-green-punches-manasseh-garner-gif-video/

Can't we all get along? I couldn't find anything on what Garner did to provoke Lynch (maybe D.J. was just jealous of Garner's longer dreads), but the scuffle didn't last long because Garner wasn't interested in escalating it. Luckily for Lynch, the officials were generous enough not to throw him out of the game. And better yet, the officials also allowed the TD to count, even though the offsetting personal fouls that were called clearly were live-ball penalties. Lynch ended up with 7 tackles (1-6) in the game, including a half TFL. Gates finished with 8 tackles (3-5), 1.5 TFL, and a half sack. For Pittsburgh sophomore DE Darryl Render, whom like the two guys for Colorado State I overlooked for inclusion on the dread all-America team, finished with 3 tackles (0-3), including a half sack. And sophomore CB Lafayette Pitts had 4 tackles (1-3) along with 3 kickoff returns for 84 yards, including a 43-yarder. Despite dominating in total yards 487-289, the Panthers needed a FG with 1:17 remaining in the game to defeat Bowling Green 30-27. 
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ELSEWHERE

Senior RB John Hubert rushed for 80 yards and 1 TD and in the process surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his Kansas State career as the Wildcats spanked Michigan 31-14 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl ..... Senior RB Senorise Perry had 46 yards rushing on 6 carries and 5 catches for 50 yards, including a 23-yard TD (photo on right); and junior S Calvin Pryor had 6 tackles (6-0) as Louisville defeated a team from the state of Florida in a bowl game for the 2nd straight season, this time whipping Miami 36-9 in the Russell Athletic Bowl ..... Junior CB Steven Nelson had 6 tackles (5-1), and sophomore CB Larry Scott had 2 tackles (2-0), on one of which he forced a fumble that resulted in a teammate's 70-yard scoop and score, for Oregon State in a 38-23 victory over Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl ..... Senior WR Devon Smith (photo on left) had 5 catches for 54 yards along with 3 punt returns for 24 in the final game of his first and only season in a Marshall uniform to help the Thundering Herd beat Maryland 31-20 in the Military Bowl .....

Senior S Craig Loston nearly made the dread stars list in his final game for LSU, finishing with a team-leading 6 tackles (6-0), 3 TFL, 1 sack, an INT (photo below), and a highlight reel PBU; and senior LB Lamin Barrow added 5 tackles (3-2), including 1 TFL, as the Tigers defeated Iowa 21-14 in the Outback Bowl ..... Sophomore WR Chris Brown, who previously had only 10 receptions all season, caught 5 passes for a season high 54 yards; and freshman LB Jaylon Smith added 6 tackles (3-3) as Notre Dame topped Rutgers 29-16 in the Pinstripe Bowl; sophomore LB Quentin Gause had 9 tackles (5-4), 1 TFL, and 1 FR for RU ..... Star sophomore WR Deontay Greenberry fell just short of the dread stars list, finishing with 6 catches for 97 yards, including a 67-yard TD; and freshman LB Steven Taylor had a game high 14 tackles (9-5), including 3.5 TFL for Houston, but the Cougars fell to Vanderbilt 41-24 in the BBVA Compass Bowl ..... And sick senior DT Ken Bishop finished with 5 tackles (2-3), including 1.5 TFL, and got his 2nd INT of the season in his last game in a Northern Illinois uniform before moving on to the NFL, but the Huskies dropped their 2nd in a row after a 12-0 start, losing to Utah State 21-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl.

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IN THE FCS

For everybody else it already has gotten old - too old; but for the players, coaches, and fans for North Dakota State the more (championships) the merrier. NDSU got their three-peat, and they got this championship with a perfect record, finishing 15-0 after going 14-1 the previous two seasons. As expected, there were RB Sam Ojuri (with both hands on trophy in photo below) and CB Marcus Williams (#1) right in the middle of the celebration as the Bison raised yet another trophy after defeating Towson 35-7 in the championship game at Frisco, TX, on Jan. 4 for their 24th victory in a row.

That it was Towson who was NDSU's opponent in the championship game likely is still an open wound at Eastern Washington - even 6 months later. After wiping out Towson's 21-0 early lead with a 31-0 run in the semifinals, EWU looked like they were headed to Frisco. Even after Towson drove 75 yards to pull within 31-28 with 5:09 remaining, the Eagles still had a great chance to win. But on 4th and 2 from the Towson 29-yard line and with the Towson defense going all out to stuff the run, WR Cooper Kupp was left all alone - completely uncovered - deep down the middle for what looked like was going to be an easy TD, only to have the pass be just barely overthrown and go off of his fingertips and fall incomplete. Towson took possession with 1:35 to go and, of course, marched right down the field, 71 yards in 10 plays, scoring the TD with :17 on the clock to win it 35-31. It was the 12th straight road win for the Tigers, who got 7 tackles (4-3) from senior LB Monte Gaddis (photo below) and 4 (1-3) from junior DE Ryan Delaire. Backup RB Darius Victor had 5 carries for 23 yards on the ground and contributed an 11-yard reception (converting a 2nd and 9) on the game-winning drive.  

There was no such drama in the other semifinal at Fargo, where North Dakota State dominated in total yards 509-184 and scored their most points ever in a playoff game, crushing New Hampshire 52-14. It was a bit of a shaky start for NDSU. Ex-dread CB Steven Thames' 38-yard pick 6 on the 3rd play from scrimmage gave the Wildcats a quick 7-0 lead. And on the 2nd play of the Bison's next drive, UNH recovered a fumble by Ojuri at the NDSU 29. But rather than attempting a FG, the Wildcats went for it on 4th and 5 and were stopped. It was the beginning of a nightmare that lasted all game for the UNH offense, which had been averaging 450 total yards per game. They went scoreless on their next 10 possessions as well - 7 punts and 3 turnovers. Meanwhile, after failing to score on their first three possessions, NDSU went TD, FG, TD, and TD on their next four, and scored a defensive TD too to make it a 31-7 blowout by the end of the 1st half. Ojuri would finish 75 yards rushing and 1 TD on 13 carries. Williams had 3 tackles (3-0) and 1 PBU. And reserve CB Brendin Pierre got a chance to play late and was credited with his 1st PBU of the season in his final home game. Freshman LB DeVaughn Chollette had 7 tackles (3-4) for New Hampshire.
  
I was working on getting my Week 17 NFL report posted while the FCS championship game was being played, so I didn't see any of it. The offensive lines for both teams featured players who made both of my all-America teams: Billy Turner for North Dakota State and Randall Harris for Towson, both seniors (and both who hopefully we'll be seeing playing on Sundays next season). Although the final margin of victory wasn't close, the game was close during the 1st half. Towson actually finished with a 373-345 advantage in total yards.

The turning point came with about 5 minutes remaining until halftime and the score tied at 7. The Bison blocked a Towson FG attempt and returned it all the way to the TU 5-yard line to set up a TD. An INT on the Tigers' next possession set up a 43-yard drive for another TD. And when the Bison went 88 yards on their first drive of the 2nd half, just that quickly it was 28-7. Ojuri scored the final TD of his career on a 1-yard run early in the 4th quarter to close out the scoring.

Ojuri finished with 106 total yards - 84 rushing on 15 carries and 2 catches for 22 yards. Williams had 3 tackles (2-1) in his final game, including a half TFL when he helped LB Grant Olson stop star RB Terrence West at the Towson 1 for a 1-yard loss in the 3rd quarter (photo above). For Towson, Victor rushed for only 11 yards on 5 carries. With West moving on to the NFL, Victor figures to get much more playing time next season. Gaddis had 7 tackles (5-2) in his final game, and Delaire (the transfer from UMass) finished with 2 tackles (1-1).

No doubt the end of the game marks the end of an era at NDSU as far as I'm concerned. The Bison may very well continue their winning ways in the seasons ahead. But if so, it appears they'll be doing it without any good players with dreads. Williams and Taylor - both of whom were 4-year starters - along with Ojuri have been major contributors to the three-peat. In fact, Taylor and Williams are talented enough that you might see them in the NFL next season. But with them gone, the cupboard is now bare when it comes to dreads. Sophomore CB Jordan Champion will be the only player with dreads on the roster returning next season. I guess all good things must come to an end sometime; and Turner, Williams, and Ojuri certainly were good things during their seasons in Fargo.
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FINALLY

As long as they are, Devin Powell's dreads still were not the longest dreads on the Tulane sideline during the New Orleans Bowl. What, you didn't think Devon Walker was going to miss the Green Wave's first bowl game in 11 years, did you? Walker might not be able to use his arms and legs anymore, but his hair certainly hasn't stopped growing. As you probably already know, Devon didn't make my dread all-America team as a senior in 2012, but only because his season and career ended after a scary collision with a teammate left him paralyzed. The play remains Exhibit A as for why there is such an emphasis on eliminating helmet-to-helmet hits from football as much as possible:  http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2012/09/08/tulane-football-player-devon-walker-given-cpr-on-field-video/

I just thought I needed to give one final shout out to Walker. I'm pretty weak when it comes to dealing with adversity, and I can't fathom having to go through life without being able to use your arms and legs; so it brings a smile to my face to see Devon battling his hardest to make the best of a heartbreaking situation. Although he likely won't ever walk again, his condition has improved enough for him to be able to return to school; and on May 17 incredibly, against the odds, he graduated from Tulane, earning a degree in cell and molecular biology. Nice going Devon! Hopefully someday everybody will be calling you Dr. Walker.

The Times-Picayune did a three-article series on Walker last month. If you have an extra half hour sometime to read it, please do so. I think you'll find it very interesting. The first link below is to the first article in the series. And below that is a video featuring Walker's appearance with Coach Johnson on the Good Morning America TV show.

http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2014/05/tulane_4.html

http://wgno.com/2014/05/22/devon-walker-to-inspire-millions-on-good-morning-america/#axzz34co88ADl
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DG 

1. Playing his final game in a Ball State uniform, senior WR Jamill Smith begins the GoDaddy Bowl with a 21-yard kickoff return against Arkansas State on Jan. 5 at Mobile, AL. The Cardinals promptly went three-and-out on their opening drive. With his 4 catches  for 56 yards in the game, Smith surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in yards receiving for his career; and his 3 kickoff returns for 68 yards also moved him over 2,000 yards in career kickoff return yardage.

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2. CB Eric Patterson can't quite make the interception of the pass intended for senior WR Julian Jones on a 2nd and 7 play during 1st quarter. Patterson did not get credit for a PBU because Ball State accepted a holding penalty against ASU instead. Jones had 1 catch for 11 yards and 1 kickoff return for 25 yards in his final game for the Red Wolves.

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3. Sophomore WR J.D. McKissic is tackled by LB Kenneth Lee as he runs for a gain of 11 yards on a reverse on ASU's first offensive play from scrimmage. The drive ended with a missed FG attempt 4 plays later. McKissic finished the game with 21 yards rushing on 2 carries and 9 catches for 72 yards, including a 26-yarder to the BSU 19-yard line with 1:00 to play on the game-winning drive. The Red Wolves scored a TD two plays later to take a 3-point lead then blocked a FG attempt by Ball State on the final play of the game to win it 23-20. The loss by Ball State capped winless (0-5) performance by MAC teams in this season's bowl games. 

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4. After breaking two tackles, Boise State sophomore RB Jay Ajayi can't break a third, but still manages to fall forward for a couple extra yards before he goes down as he runs for a gain of 8 to the Oregon State 13-yard line on 2nd and 12 on the final play of 3rd quarter in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve. The drive ended with a stop on 4th and 1 two plays later. Ajayi barely missed making the dread stars list, finishing with 97 yards rushing and 1 TD on 23 carries and 6 catches for 33 yards in the Broncos' disappointing 38-23 loss to Oregon State.

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5. Senior CB Shaq Bell gets credit for the first tackle of the game in the New Mexico Bowl as he tries to stop Washington State RB Marcus Mason after the catch on the first play from scrimmage on Dec. 21. Mason actually broke the tackle but couldn't stay in bounds and settled for a gain of 3 yards. WSU's opening possession ended with an INT on the next play. Bell, whose dreads had to settle for a honorable mention on my dread all-America team, had 4 tackles (3-1) in his final game in a Colorado State uniform.

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6. Junior DT Terry Jackson gets his 1st sack of the season, dropping QB Connor Halliday at midfield for an 8-yard loss during 4th quarter. Both of Jackson's tackles in the game (2-0) were TFL, and he finished the season with 5.5 TFL in his first season for Colorado State after a transfer from JC. Washington State scored a TD 5 plays later to take a 45-30 lead; but the Rams scored a TD with 2:52 to go, a TD and 2-point conversion with :33 to go, and a 41-yard FG on the last play of the game to win a thriller in the New Mexico Bowl 48-45.

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7. Junior S Witney Sherry of Buffalo makes one of his 4 tackles (3-1) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, getting a hold of San Diego State RB Adam Muema and dragging him out of bounds 3 yards short of the end zone early in 2nd quarter on Dec. 21. The flag was for a holding penalty back at the 13-yard line, so Muema was credited with only a 12-yard gain instead of 22. Muema got the TD 4 plays later, however, and finished the game with 229 yards rushing to lead SDSU to a 49-24 win. Sadly though, Muema - a junior who declared for the NFL draft - suddenly decided to throw away his football career and a shot at the NFL and instead became a follower of some internet false god. Very sad.

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8. After making the catch for enough yards (12) to convert a 3rd and 10, junior WR Ronald Butler of Utah State is stripped of the ball by Northern Illinois CB Sean Evans at the NIU 23-yard line during 1st quarter of the Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego on Dec. 26. Luckily for Butler an alert teammate recovered his fumble at the 21, and 4 plays later USU kicked a FG to take a 3-0 lead. This was Butler's 3rd reception of the game already; but after he nearly turned it over, he caught only 1 more pass the rest of the game, finishing with 4 catches for 33 yards in Utah State's 21-14 victory.

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9. After jumping a route on 2nd and 10 and intercepting a pass intended for Alabama WR Amari Cooper at the Oklahoma 44-yard line, freshman CB Zack Sanchez tries to take the return to the house, with Cooper in hot pursuit late in 2nd quarter of the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 .....

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10. ..... Cooper makes a desperate lunge to tackle Sanchez at the 13-yard line but can't force him to fumble after a 43-yard return. The Sooners scored a TD on the next play to up their lead to 31-17. It was the 2nd INT of the season for Sanchez, who started every game in 2013 as a redshirt freshman. He also had 3 tackles (3-0) and 1 PBU in the game.

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11. Freshman CB Dakota Austin celebrates at the end of the game, as the Sooners - a 17-point underdog - upset the Crimson Tide 45-31. Austin played but had no stats in the game. Hopefully he'll join
Sanchez in the starting lineup next season so that both of OU's starting corners will have dreads. Austin had 4 tackles and 1 INT as a true freshman in 2013.

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12. Cincinnati sophomore DE Silverberry Mouhon stays at home on a read option play and tackles North Carolina QB Marquise Williams for a 1-yard loss on the first play from scrimmage in the Belk Bowl at Charlotte on Dec. 28. UNC punted three plays later. Mouhon, who nearly made my all-America with dreads team, finished the game with 4 tackles (2-2), including 2 TFL.

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13. After fighting off a block by RB Romar Morris (#21), senior CB Deven Drane is able to make the tackle at the UNC 41-yard line, but not until Marquise Williams runs for a gain of 4 to convert a 2nd and 3 midway through 4th quarter. The Tar Heels kicked a FG 8 plays later to complete the scoring for the game. Drane, who had the longest dreads on the team, finished with 6 tackles (5-1) in his final game in a Cincinnati uniform as the Bearcats were routed by North Carolina 39-17.

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14. Sick sophomore S Trevon Stewart of Houston has close coverage but doesn't turn to locate the ball, and star WR Jordan Matthews of Vanderbilt catches a deep pass with one hand for a 39-yard reception to the 9-yard line early in 2nd quarter of the BBVA Compass Bowl at Birmingham on Jan. 4. Vanderbilt kicked a FG 4 plays later to up their lead to 17-0. And on the Commodores' next drive Matthews burned the Cougars for his second 50-yard TD catch of the game as VU took a 24-0 lead into the locker room.

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15. Sophomore WR Deontay Greenberry finishes off a 67-yard catch and run for a TD with a dive into the end zone, as senior CB Steven Clarke looks on with :19 remaining in 3rd quarter. Apparently the officials ruled that Clarke, who came all the way over from the sideline to the middle of the field, was close enough to Greenberry to allow him to legally dive, so Deontay was not flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The TD capped a 24-0 run by the Cougars in the final 10:30 of 3rd quarter, tying the game at 24 heading into the 4th. At this point Greenberry had 6 catches for 96 yards in the game; but he had no receptions in the 4th quarter and missed making the dread stars list.

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16. After missing a tackle on the previous play and allowing RB Jerron Seymour to break loose for a 38-yard gain, Trevon Stewart tries to bring down RB Brian Kimbrow with 10:03 remaining in 4th quarter .....

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17. ..... Kimbrow breaks away from Stewart but then is tackled by freshman LB Steven Taylor as he runs for a 13-yard gain to the 21-yard line. Kimbrow then scored a TD on the next play to give Vanderbilt a 31-24 lead, and they went on to win 41-24. Stewart had 10 tackles (8-2) and 2 PBU in the game; and Taylor finished with a game high 14 tackles (9-5), 3.5 of which were TFL.

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18. Steven Clarke makes his only tackle of the game (he also had 2 PBU) and his final tackle in a Vanderbilt uniform, stopping WR Demarcus Ayers at the UH 27-yard line after a 10-yard reception late in 3rd quarter, two plays before Greenberry scored his TD. Very sadly you will not be seeing these great dreads at Miami Dolphins training camp this summer. Clarke signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, but he cut off the dreads before participating in Vanderbilt's pro day in March.

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Unfortunately, Clarke was not the only player from the SEC playing his last game with dreads. There were two more in the Outback Bowl .....

19. Senior LB Lamin Barrow stops Iowa RB Mark Weisman for no gain on 3rd and 10 (right photo) late in 2nd quarter and again later after a 7-yard run to the LSU 18-yard line midway through 4th quarter (left photo) on Jan. 1 at Tampa. Barrow had 5 tackles (3-2) and 1 TFL in his final game for LSU. When the NFL draft was finished, I thought there were 29 players with dreads who had been drafted. But after seeing Barrow without dreads at the Denver Broncos rookie minicamp a week later, I got the rude awakening that there actually were 28.

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20. With LSU clinging to a 7-point lead, three plays after Barrow's tackle in (left) photo 19, senior S Craig Loston is knocked out of bounds by QB C.J. Beathard at the end of a 19-yard return after he intercepted a pass on 4th and 1. It was his 3rd INT of the season and the 7th of his career. Although the return yardage was wiped out by a penalty, LSU then drove 92 yards in 6 plays to increase their lead to 21-7.

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21. With perfect timing, Craig Loston clobbers RB Damon Bullock to break up a pass on on a trick play on 1st and 10 with 10:58 remaining in 4th quarter. What perfect timing, this looks like pass interference, you ask? Well, it only looks like PI. What actually happened was that Bullock, hearing Loston's footsteps, bobbled the on-target pass, and when Loston hit him - perfectly timed - he separated Bullock from the ball even further. Loston nearly made the dread stars list in his final game for LSU, finishing with 6 tackles (6-0), 3 TFL, and 1 sack in addition to his PBU and INT. Unfortunately these are more dreads you won't be seeing on Sundays next season. Just the same as with Barrow, Loston had his dreads at the NFL Combine in late February, but they were gone at LSU's pro day 5 weeks later. 

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22. WR Jordan Cotton dives into the end zone, but it's to no avail, as sophomore CB Jalen Collins already has forced him out of bounds at the 4-yard line at the end of a 98-yard kickoff return late in 4th quarter. Collins was blocked at the Iowa 30-yard line then sprinted back to make the TD-saving tackle - his only tackle of the game. The Hawkeyes got the TD 2 plays later to close within 21-14, but LSU then recovered the ensuing onside kickoff and held on for the win.

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23. Jalen Collins celebrates his first bowl victory with LSU fans after the game (the Tigers lost to Clemson in their bowl game last season). How did these dreads not make my dread all-America team? Well, I admit I might have erred, although I will say that all the corners who did make the team deserved it just as much as Collins did. I think Jalen needs to lose that second rubber band; that certainly would make his dreads appear more impressive when he's on the field. Collins wasn't on the field as much this season as he was as a freshman. He finished the season with only 22 tackles (15-7) and 2 PBU - but still remains a highly ranked prospect for the 2016 NFL draft. 

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24. After Kansas State FB Glenn Gronkowski runs after the catch for a huge gain, Michigan senior S Thomas Gordon at least makes sure he doesn't get the TD, grabbing his facemask to make the tackle at the 8-yard line midway through 2nd quarter of the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. K-State gained 50 yards on the play - 46 on the reception and 4 on the penalty - and scored a TD 2 plays later to up their lead to 21-6. Gordon had a game high 9 tackles (5-4) in his final game in a Michigan uniform, but the Wolverines lost 31-14.

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25. No-Fly Zone, eh?
Stanford tests the Michigan State secondary, the self-proclaimed "No-Fly Zone", with a deep pass on the second play from scrimmage in the Rose Bowl, and WR Michael Rector makes the catch against the coverage by sophomore CB Trae Waynes at the MSU 35-yard line .....








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26. ..... Waynes drags Rector down to the ground at the 32-yard line .....

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27. ..... and then stands Rector on his head for his trouble: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10227922 ..... The play went for a 43-yard gain, and Stanford scored a TD 5 plays later to take an early 7-0 lead.

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28. It's Michael Rector vs. Trae Waynes II on Stanford's first possession of 2nd half. And again Rector has a chance to make a big play. But this time he can't make the catch cleanly, and Waynes takes the ball away from him for the interception at the MSU 22-yard line - his 3rd INT of the season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcPpr_vUIDY ..... Waynes, whom CBS Sports.com has ranked as the #2 CB prospect for the 2016 NFL draft, finished the game with 3 tackles (3-0).

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29. Senior DE Denzel Drone lets out a yell on the sideline after a video replay confirmed that the MSU defense stopped Stanford short of a 1st down on 4th and 1 with 1:43 remaining in the game. With Stanford out of timeouts, the Spartans were then able to run out the clock. Drone had 1 tackle (1-0) in his final game in a Michigan State uniform, and it was a key sack early in 4th quarter on a drive on which Stanford had to settle for a FG, keeping the Spartans in the lead. Ranked #1 in the FBS in total defense (248 yards allowed per game), MSU allowed 305 to Stanford, but the Spartans came back from a 17-7 deficit to win 24-20 - their 1st Rose Bowl victory in 26 years.

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30. On 2nd and 1 late in 1st quarter of the Capital One Bowl, South Carolina junior DE Jadeveon Clowney breaks into the backfield unblocked, wraps up Wisconsin sophomore RB Melvin Gordon, .....

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31. ..... and throws him to the ground at the UW 43-yard line for a loss of 1. On 3rd and 2 on the next play the Badgers turned the ball over on an INT, setting up South Carolina's 1st TD of the game.

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32. On the 4th play of the Badgers' next drive Melvin Gordon runs through a big hole in the Gamecocks defense and picks up 20 yards before S Chaz Elder makes a TD-saving tackle at the Carolina 37-yard line. The Badgers scored a TD 2 plays later to tie the game at 7 early in 2nd quarter. This 20-yard run was Gordon's biggest gain of the day; but he gained enough yards in the game to make the dread stars list.

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33. Jadeveon Clowney did not have any sacks in his final game for the Gamecocks but comes close here, forcing QB Joel Stave to throw the ball away on 2nd and goal with 19 seconds remaining in 1st half. Wisconsin scored a TD on the next play to take a 14-13 lead at the half.

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34. Two plays after being beat by WR Bruce Ellington for a 22-yard reception on 4th and 7, senior S Dezmen Southward gets beat by Ellington again - on the same route - this time for a 22-yard TD reception to give South Carolina the lead 20-17 late in 3rd quarter. Southward finished with 3 tackles (2-1) in his final game before being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Ellington will be joining his cousin, Arizona Cardinals RB Andre Ellington, in the NFC West after being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.



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35. On the first play of Wisconsin's next drive QB Joel Stave decides to scramble for yardage but forgets to slide, and junior CB Victor Hampton lays a crushing hit on him at the UW 30-yard line after a gain of 5. Stave stayed in the game for a few more plays before having to leave with an injured shoulder. The drive ended 8 plays later with a stop on 4th and 1.

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36. After the Gamecocks scored a TD to up their lead to 27-17, junior WR Kenzel Doe takes the kickoff at the 9-yard line breaks into the clear in front of the South Carolina sideline .....

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37. ..... Doe gets past the last man, WR Kane Whitehurst, at the 30-yard line and takes it to the house for a 94-yard TD, pulling the Badgers to within 27-24 with 10:54 remaining in the game. Doe gained 16, 12, and 23 yards on his three returns earlier in the game before breaking this one. He also had 1 catch for 3 yards.

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38. Victor Hampton (with helmet off) and Jadeveon Clowney no doubt are enjoying this, as they drown Coach Spurrier with ice water at the end of the game and the end of their college careers. Clowney had 5 tackles (4-1), 1 TFL, and 2 PBU in his final game in a South Carolina uniform; and Hampton finished with 6 tackles (6-0) and 1 TFL in his. While Clowney did not have to wait very long to hear his named called in the NFL draft, Hampton (thanks to his off-field problems) never heard his called and then had to wait for a month after the draft before finally signing as a free agent.

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39. Sophomore LB Kaiwan Lewis spends a little time with the trophy after the Gamecocks' 34-24 victory, their 3rd straight bowl win over a Big 10 team in the last three seasons. Lewis nearly made the dread stars list, finishing with a team high 9 tackles (5-4), 1 FR, and his 2nd INT of the season.

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40. Senior WR Devon Smith of Marshall makes his 1st reception of the game, good for an 18-yard gain to the Marshall 44-yard line to convert a 2nd and 10 with 11:21 remaining during 2nd quarter of the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 at Annapolis, MD. Marshall kicked a FG 8 plays later to increase their lead to 17-10. Smith finished with 5 catches for 54 yards, and returned 3 punts for 24 yards in his final game as the Thundering Herd defeated Maryland 31-20. 

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While the Military Bowl was being played on their home field, Navy was in Fort Worth, TX, for the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30 against Middle Tennessee State .....

41. On 3rd and goal from the Navy 7 midway through 2nd quarter MTSU QB Logan Kilgore scrambles out of the pocket and sees senior WR Kyle Griswould running all alone across the back of the end zone; but by the time the pass gets to him, WR Marcus Henry, thinking the pass was intended for him, cuts in front of Griswould, can't make the catch, and prevents Griswould from making the catch too. Wow. The Blue Raiders settled for a FG on the next play to cut Navy's lead to 10-6 and ended up never scoring a TD all day.

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42. Kyle Griswould tries to scoop up the ball after it was stripped from him by S Lonnie Richardson (#3) after a reception for a 10-yard gain with :54 remaining in 1st half. Griswould never got the handle on the ball, but MTSU kept possession after it rolled out of bounds. The drive (and half) ended before MTSU got into FG range. Griswould made the dread stars list in his final game for the Blue Raiders.

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43. Junior LB Christian Henry makes the tackle at the Navy 48-yard line and prevents an even bigger gain as QB Keenan Reynolds runs for 11 yards to convert a 2nd and 6 midway through 3rd quarter. The drive ended with a fumble 8 plays later. Henry finished the game with 8 tackles (3-5). MTSU, which was snubbed for a bowl bid last season despite an 8-4 record, went 8-4 again this season to earn a trip to a bowl. But it was not a good day for them, as Navy held an opponent without a TD for the first time all season in a 24-6 win over the Blue Raiders. 

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44. Sophomore RB Dallas Crawford is nailed by Louisville LB James Burgess for a 4-yard loss at the Miami 29-yard line late in 2nd quarter of the Russell Athletic Bowl at Orlando. Crawford finished the game with 57 total yards on 14 touches. In his first season as a full-time RB, Dallas rushed for 558 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and had 20 catches for 171 yards as the Hurricanes finished with a 9-4 record.

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45. Junior S Calvin Pryor gives QB Teddy Bridgewater a hug as he leaves the game with 1:38 remaining after throwing his final pass in a Louisville uniform. Bridgewater, a Miami native, burned the 'Canes with a career high 446 yards passing in leading the Cardinals to an easy 36-9 victory. It was also the final game in a Louisville uniform for Pryor, who had 6 tackles (6-0). Pryor and Bridgewater were both selected in the 1st round of the NFL draft.

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We haven't even hit the midway point yet of this mega dread gallery, but we have reached the end of part 2 of my bowl review. In part 3, I'll have the rest of the DG as well as the final dread stars list of the season.