College FB '14 Dread News - Bowl Review (Part 2)

In Part 2 of my final dread news report for the 2014 season we'll look at the final dread stars list of the season as well as have a season recap of the weekly honors. But before then let's continue the dread gallery section.

The stats sheet may say that Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire and LSU RB Leonard Fournette were the stars of the Music City Bowl at Nashville on Dec. 30; but as we all know the real star was Jalen Collins' dreads. Frustratingly Collins kept his long dreads bottled up one way or another throughout the season; but in his final game in an LSU uniform he finally unleashed them.

11. As he fights off a block by sophomore WR Will Fuller with one hand, junior CB Jalen Collins tries to stop RB Tarean Folston with the other near midfield on 4th play of Notre Dame's opening drive. Collins was able to help slow Folston up, but LB Kwon Alexander (#4) got credit for the tackle after a gain of 9. Watching the play from behind is junior LB Lamar Louis (#23), who had no tackles in the game. The drive ended 11 plays later with a 12-yard TD reception by Fuller, giving the Irish a 7-0 lead.
 

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12. On 3rd and 8 early in 2nd quarter junior WR Chris Brown makes the catch and breaks a tackle attempt by Jalen Collins at the LSU 37-yard line and picks up 14 more yards before being tackled at the 23 after a 29-yard gain. The Irish scored a TD 4 plays later to regain the lead 14-7. Brown, whose dreads should be long enough by next season that they'll start coming outside his helmet a little bit, finished with 4 catches for 49 yards.

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13. The same as with Chris Brown, Will Fuller has dreads too short to be seen on most plays; but every now and then you get a glimpse of them. Here Fuller makes a leaping catch at the LSU 26-yard line for an 11-yard gain to convert a 3rd and 7 and keep the drive alive with 8:50 to go in 2nd quarter. Fuller finished his outstanding season by making 5 receptions for 57 yards and 1 TD.

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14. On the next play, after trying to run up the middle but finding no room, QB Malik Zaire breaks to the outside, and Jalen Collins is waiting for him and drops him for a 2-yard loss. Two plays later, however, ND converted on 3rd and 11, and two plays after that they scored another TD to regain the lead again 21-14. 

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15. Senior RB Terrence Magee has sophomore CB Cole Luke in his way as he tries to pick up a 1st down after taking the handoff on 2nd and 2. Luke, another player for the Irish whose dreads are just starting to escape his helmet, stopped Magee at the ND 36-yard line after only a 1-yard gain. The drive ended 9 plays later with a controversial stop at the 1-yard line on a fake FG attempt. (QB Brad Kragthorpe, the holder on the play, tried to run it in from the 3-yard line and clearly broke the plane before he went down; but somehow both the game officials and the replay official blew the call, allowing ND to keep the lead 21-14 at halftime.) Luke had 2 tackles (2-0) in the game. Magee had 7 carries for 26 yards and 1 catch for 9 yards in his final game before hopefully moving on to the NFL.

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16. Yes, Notre Dame has some sick dreads too. Junior DT Sheldon Day, who made both of my all-America teams, ends a promising LSU drive midway through 3rd quarter with this FR at the ND 44-yard line. QB Anthony Jennings and RB Leonard Fournette brushed against each other on a fake handoff, and the ball popped out of Jennings' hands and into the air, and Day made the catch on the fly before going down, keeping the game tied at 21.

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17. With the game tied at 28 and :04 on the clock, Jalen Collins arrives too late to block a 32-yard FG attempt by K Kyle Brindza .....

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18. ..... and after the kick is good, the celebration is on for the Irish as Collins stays there stunned for a moment. Notre Dame began their drive with 5:41 remaining and converted on 3rd down three times as they moved from their 15-yard line to the LSU 14 in 13 plays. Notre Dame finishes at 8-5 with the 31-28 win. Collins had 5 tackles (5-0) and 1 TFL in his final game for the Tigers, who also finished 8-5. Jalen will be playing on Sundays next season, although sadly it will be with his dreads quite a bit shorter. 

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19. Redshirt freshman CB Jamil Collins, the little brother of Jalen Collins, has a close-up view from the Memphis sideline as WR Tevin Jones tries but fails to make a circus catch late in 1st quarter of the Miami Beach Bowl on Dec. 22. Collins had no stats in the Tigers' wild 55-48 victory over BYU in 2 overtimes. And Jamil had no tackles all season, with most of his playing time coming on special teams; but he should be on the field much more often in the seasons ahead.

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20. It's the Military Bowl, Dec. 27 at Navy's home stadium in Annapolis, MD, so Cincinnati junior WR Chris Moore figures it's appropriate to give a quick salute (left photo) after scoring the 1st TD of the game. But apparently the officials didn't think so and flagged Moore for the salute even before he's done celebrating (right photo, doing the air bump with WR Nate Cole). The 31-yard TD catch gave the Bearcats a 7-0 lead over Virginia Tech in 1st quarter and was the first of 2 TD in the game for Moore, who made the dread stars list.

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21. On 3rd and 5 from the UC 15-yard line junior CB Leviticus Payne, playing as a LB in this game, is not called for pass interference as he breaks up a pass in the end zone intended for freshman TE Bucky Hodges with 8:57 remaining in the game. Virginia Tech kicked a FG on the next play to increase their lead to 33-17. Payne finished the game with 2 tackles (2-0) and 2 PBU. Hodges, who the same as with Ricky Seale at Stanford I did not find out had started growing dreads until after the season was over, had 3 catches for only 9 yards. If you save the photo on the right, it's large enough that you can see a lock or two of Hodges' dreads barely peeking out from under his helmet. Hodges had a fine freshman season, but his 45 catches for 526 yards didn't include any games where he would have made the dread stars list.

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22. Senior OT Laurence Gibson gives the trophy a kiss after the Hokies' finish at 7-6 with the 33-17 victory over the Bearcats, who finished 9-4. If he makes the team, the 6-6, 300-pound Gibson will be suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys next season.

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23. Pittsburgh junior CB Lafayette Pitts tries a new tackling technique, but it doesn't stop Houston RB Kenneth Farrow from finishing his 8-yard TD run, pulling the Cougars to within 31-13 early in 4th quarter. Actually what happened (and you may have noticed it if you clicked on the link of the highlights in Part 1) was that Pitts tried to make a conventional tackle at the 3-yard line but ended up on his rear end instead after Farrow pancaked him. Lafayette finished with 3 tackles (3-0), and the Panthers finished at 6-7 after blowing a 25-point lead and losing 35-34 to Houston (8-5).

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24. On the 2nd play from scrimmage in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 23 Northern Illinois tries a trick play, with senior RB Akeem Daniels pitching to sophomore WR Aregeros Turner on the double reverse; but the play ends disastrously as Marshall DE Arnold Blackmon stays at home and flings Turner to the ground for a 12-yard loss. Things didn't go a whole lot better for the Huskies the rest of the night either. Turner racked up a game high 196 all-purpose yards, but 146 of those came on his 6 kickoff returns. 55 came on his 4 receptions. Daniels had 2 carries for 7 yards rushing and a 29-yard reception in his final game for NIU. Marshall finished 13-1 after rolling over Northern Illinois 52-23. NIU ended up 11-3.

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25. Three players with dreads are involved on this key play during 4th quarter of the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26. Louisiana Tech junior FB Ricky Jones carries out his assignment, blocking Illinois senior LB Earnest Thomas (on right part of photo), while senior LB DeJazz Woods (#90) can't shed his block in time to stop RB Kenneth Dixon from scoring a 1-yard TD run, increasing the Bulldogs' lead to 28-18 with 6:15 to play. Thomas had a team-leading 5 tackles (4-1) in his final game for the Illini. Woods had 2 tackles (0-2) in his final game. Jones, as usual, had no stats (he touched the ball only 3 times all season). Louisiana Tech won 35-18 to finish at 9-5. Illinois finished 6-7.   

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26. On 4th and 2 midway through 2nd quarter of the Cactus Bowl at Tempe, AZ, on Jan. 2, Oklahoma State freshman CB Ramon Richards comes in unblocked on a poorly executed option play and drops Washington RB Dwayne Washington for a 4-yard loss at the OSU 34-yard line, ending the drive and keeping the Cowboys' lead at 17-0. Richards finished with 6 tackles (6-0), 1 TFL, and 2 PBU to help the Cowboys win 30-22 and finish at 7-6. UW finished 8-6.

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27. On 3rd and 3 from the San Diego State 18-yard line on the opening drive of the Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego on Dec. 23, sophomore S Na'im McGee, after being cut-blocked to the ground, gets back to his feet but is unable to make the stop as Navy RB Ryan Williams-Jenkins gets past him and runs for a 14-yard gain. The drive ended with a TD 3 plays later. McGee, a starter in his first season with SDSU after transferring from junior college, had 5 tackles (5-0) and 1 PBU in the game as the Aztecs, thanks to a missed 34-yard FG with 20 seconds to play, fell at home to Navy 17-16 to finish at 7-6. Navy finished 8-5.

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28. Sophomore CB Zack Sanchez grabs a hold of the leg of Clemson RB Wayne Gallman at the Oklahoma 17-yard line and does not let go as Gallman tries to break away during 1st quarter of the Russell Athletic Bowl at Orlando on Dec. 29. Gallman fell forward to the 14 for a gain of 4; and 3 plays later the Tigers, after missing a 39-yard FG attempt but having it nullified because Sanchez was offside, made the FG from 34 yards to up their lead to 10-0.

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29. With the score now 40-0, Clemson goes for more on the first play after recovering a fumble by OU late in 3rd quarter, but the deep pass is just out of the reach of sophomore WR Mike Williams (whose dreads are too short to be seen) as Zack Sanchez defends. Although Williams didn't make this catch, he finished with 9 catches and made the dread stars list.

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30. Zack Sanchez speaks for the way all of Sooner Nation felt at the end of this game, as he trudges off dejectedly. Most teams are motivated to play their bowl game; but every now and then you get a team that for whatever reason just isn't ready to play. Oklahoma was that team on this night. Clemson scored on their first play from scrimmage and enjoyed a +5 turnover margin as they cruised to a 40-6 victory to finish at 10-3. Sanchez had 4 tackles (4-0), 1 TFL, and 1 PBU for the Sooners, who finished 8-5.

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It was a much happier time for some other players with dreads after their bowl games ....

31. Junior RB Jay Ajayi enjoys a moment with family members during the celebration at the end of the Fiesta Bowl during the afternoon on New Year's Eve at Glendale, AZ. Ajayi made the dread stars list one last time in his final game in a Boise State uniform, scoring 3 TD to help the Broncos defeat Arizona 38-30. Ajayi had already announced his plans to enter the NFL Draft about a week before the game; but wow, did he ever get the short end of the stick in the draft, not getting picked until the 5th round. Damn! All you can do, Jay, is go prove them wrong.

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32. Senior S Jordan Haden didn't even play in Toledo's 63-44 win over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl on Jan. 4; but that didn't keep him from being in the middle of the celebration after the game. Haden suffered an injury to his abdomen during the Rockets' Week 12 loss to Northern Illinois and missed the rest of the season. The younger brother of Cleveland Browns star CB Joe Haden, Jordan (for now at least) has decided not to pursue a career in football: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/toledo-safety-jordan-haden-joe-hadens-younger-brother-not-pursuing-nfl-career-to-join-work-force/ 

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33. Dwarfed by his teammates in this shot, 5-foot-8 junior WR Alton "Pig" Howard enjoys his moment with the trophy after Tennessee's first bowl victory in 7 years. Howard had 2 carries for 24 yards rushing and 2 catches for 29 yards as the Volunteers finished at 7-6 after whipping Iowa (also 7-6) in the TaxSlayer Bowl 45-28 on Jan. 2. In his first season with dreads Pig led the team in receiving with 54 catches for 618 yards and also rushed for 96 yards.

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34. Because he's a senior and he has dreads Texas A&M S Floyd Raven gets first dibs on the trophy as Coach Sumlin passes it down from the podium during the celebration after the Aggies' 45-37 win over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl at Memphis on Dec. 29. The official stats give Raven credit for a FF in the game (on the key fumble by Kevin White in the 4th quarter); but in reality although Floyd was in on the tackle, the ball was actually stripped by LB Tommy Sanders. Raven was not selected in the NFL Draft; but if can make the team (and that's not out of the question), he'll be giving Reggie Nelson a run for his money for the longest dreads on the Cincinnati Bengals roster this fall. 

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35. On the kickoff following the TD that brought Michigan State to within 41-28 of Baylor with 12:09 remaining in the Cotton Bowl, the Spartans try an onside kickoff and junior CB Trae Waynes prevents Baylor CB Terrence Singleton from recovering the ball, allowing the Spartans to eventually get the recovery at their 47-yard line. Waynes was back on the field less than a minute later though, after the Spartans turned the ball over on the 2nd play of their possession.

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36. Trae Waynes gets slapped in the face by his own dreads as he does a high-altitude air bump with RB Delton Williams after the Spartans intercept a pass with 2 seconds remaining to clinch their come-from-behind victory. Waynes had 3 tackles (3-0) and 1 PBU as MSU outscored Baylor 21-0 in 4th quarter to win 42-41. Both teams finished 11-2. Trae's bank account has a lot more digits now than it did 6 months ago after he, as expected, was picked in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.

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37. Redshirt sophomore DT Darius Philon of Arkansas goes hog wild as he celebrates his sack of Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes during 1st quarter of the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29 at Houston. Philon came through unblocked on a line stunt on 3rd and 11 and dropped Swoopes at the UT 10-yard line for a 9-yard loss, ending the Longhorns' first drive of the evening. It was Philon's only tackle of the game and his last tackle in an Arkansas uniform. Despite having two seasons of eligibility remaining, he declared for the NFL Draft. In a battle of 6-6 teams, it was the Razorbacks finishing with a winning record after easily beating the Longhorns 31-7.

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38. Mississippi State senior CB Jamerson Love is called for pass interference but still can't prevent Georgia Tech WR Darren Waller from making a 41-yard TD catch late in 1st quarter of the Orange Bowl on New Year's Eve. The TD completed a 9-play, 88-yard drive and was the only pass on the drive, upping GT's lead to 14-0.

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39. On one of his rare carries, senior RB B.J. Bostic tries to run past Jamerson Love and LB Zach Jackson late in 2nd quarter. Despite being blocked, Love was able to knock Bostic off balance, allowing Jackson to make the tackle at the GT 42-yard line after a gain of 10. The drive ended with a TD 9 plays later, making the score 21-13. Bostic didn't get to touch the ball the rest of the night, finishing with 2 carries for 15 yards in his final game for Tech. Love finished with 1 tackle (1-0) in his final game for State. Although he was a fringe NFL prospect, I didn't include Love in my draft preview because I knew the small chance he had of being drafted became no chance at all after he was arrested for domestic violence a couple of weeks before the draft. But shortly after the draft, the charges were dropped and the arrest erased from his record; so maybe he'll end up in somebody's training camp this summer after all.

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40. Half of the Georgia Tech defense tries but can't get sophomore RB Ashton Shumpert on the ground on this 1st down play late in 3rd quarter. Forward progress was ruled to have been stopped after a 13-yard gain. Shumpert finished with 4 carries for 25 yards in the game (all on the same drive) and had 47 carries for 274 yards for the season. Hopefully (and it's not out of the question) he'll be the Bulldogs' starting RB in 2015. 

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41. Seven plays later sophomore WR De'Runnya Wilson is open against soft coverage by CB Step Durham on an out route and makes a leaping catch for a 12-yard gain to the GT 21-yard line. 4 plays later Wilson finished the 85-yard drive with a 7-yard TD catch, cutting Tech's lead to 42-27 on the first play of 4th quarter. Wilson later scored another TD and made the dread stars list, but it wasn't enough. MSU actually outgained GT 605-577 in total yards; but Tech dominated in rushing yards 452-152 and went 9 for 13 on 3rd down conversions as they cruised to a 49-34 win. It was the first Orange Bowl victory in 63 years for the Yellow Jackets (they were 0-2 since winning on 1/1/1952), who finished at 11-3. The Bulldogs finished 10-3.

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42. A couple of #7's with dreads battle it out early in 3rd quarter of the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31. On 3rd and 11, after TCU returned the 2nd half opening kickoff to the Ole Miss 34-yard line, junior S Trae Elston is in good shape to get the INT on a deep pass, but junior WR Kolby Listenbee tries to wrestle the ball away from him .....

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43. ..... And Listenbee wins the battle, gaining possession and coming down in the front left corner of the end zone for a 35-yard TD, upping TCU's lead to 35-0. Listenbee finished with 3 catches for 44 yards and earlier threw a 31-yard TD pass as the Horned Frogs crushed the Rebels 42-3 to finish at 12-1. Elston had 3 tackles (3-0) for Mississippi, which finished 9-4 after a 7-0 start.
In Part 1 I mentioned that Listenbee, who had a breakout junior season in football, had even more success running track in the spring. If you can stand to wait through a 30-second commercial, here's a brief video report on TCU's 4x100 relay team done by Dallas TV station KTVT just before they competed for the NCAA championship: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/06/11/tcu-sprint-relay-team-aims-for-national-title/
..... As it turned out, TCU finished in 2nd place in the championship race; Listenbee was already about 2 meters behind when he got the baton for the anchor leg and didn't come close to catching the runner for Arkansas.

Shortly after that he ran in the 100 final and finished 7th, after which his coach said, "Kolby has a bright future in track if he chooses to use it. Kolby may not be back (on the track team) because of football. God willing, he'll be playing football on Sundays. But running 10.03 puts him in a category to be a player in this meet on a regular basis." Well, Kolby didn't have dreads when he first got to TCU, and I don't think he started growing them to be on the track team; so hopefully, God willing, next summer we'll be talking about him being the fastest rookie receiver in an NFL training camp.
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ABC's Wide World of Sports said it best: The thrill of victory .....

44. As a mentioned in Part 1, Ohio State is not completely without dreads. Here redshirt freshman DT Tracy Sprinkle and injured LB Devan Bogart celebrate with fans following the Buckeyes' thrilling 42-35 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Sprinkle played in only 1 game and had no tackles this season. But if you're on the Ohio State roster, you must be very talented; so maybe we'll hear something from him in the seasons ahead.
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...... and the agony of defeat .....

45. Alabama sophomore WR Chris Black seems to be having a hard time dealing with the Crimson Tide's defeat. If Black played for any other team, I'm sure we'd be talking about him having some of the best dreads in college football. But he chose Alabama, so they look like this - like a clump of hair sticking out of his helmet. That's something I've been having a hard time dealing with. Anyway, Chris had 2 catches for 10 yards in the defeat and 15 catches for 188 yards for the season. With starting WRs Amari Cooper and DeAndrew White both moving on, Black is likely to be in the Tide's starting lineup next season.

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Minnesota DBs Derrick Wells and Briean Boddy-Calhoun had interceptions in the 1st quarter of the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1; but not everything went right for them .....

46. It's not bad coverage, but it's not good enough as junior CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun gets beat for a 25-yard TD by Missouri WR Bud Sasser on a back shoulder pass on 2nd and 10 late in 2nd quarter, giving the Tigers a 10-7 lead. Boddy-Calhoun finished with 4 tackles (4-0) and 1 PBU in addition to his INT.

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47. Sick senior S Derrick Wells tries to stop QB Maty Mauk at the goal line on 2nd and 12 in 3rd quarter - but that turned out to not be such a great idea. Mauk finishes his 18-yard TD run and wins the collision with Wells in the process, putting Missouri ahead to stay 19-14 with 9:16 remaining in the 3rd. Wells had 3 tackles (2-1) in addition to his INT in his final game in a Minnesota uniform; but none of that happened after this play, as he had to sit out the rest of the game with concussion symptoms.

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48. Missouri senior DE Markus Golden tells Minnesota senior RB David Cobb, "See you in the NFL," as they meet after the game. Cobb, who scored 13 TD for the Gophers this season, was kept out of the end zone by the Mizzou D despite gaining 114 total yards in the game. Golden had a great game in his final game for the Tigers, being the only defensive player to make the bowl games dread stars list while helping the SEC East champs win 33-17 and finish 11-3. Minnesota ended up 8-5. And btw, Golden - drafted by Arizona - and Cobb - picked by Tennessee - probably won't be seeing much of each other in the NFL. 

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49. The Independence Bowl featured a pair of #9s with sick dreads on Dec. 27. As sophomore WR Malcolm Lewis of Miami blocks S Brison Williams further downfield, S Sharrod Golightly comes in from behind to make sure RB Duke Johnson doesn't do any more damage than he already has on 2nd and 13 during 1st quarter. Golightly made the tackle at the South Carolina 12-yard line after a 26-yard gain. Four plays later the Hurricanes' opening drive ended with a FG for a 3-0 lead. Golightly had 8 tackles (6-2), 2 of which were TFL, in his final game for the Gamecocks. 

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50. After catching a short pass on 2nd and 9 late in 3rd quarter, Malcolm Lewis makes Brison Williams (with dreads too short to be seen) miss at the SC 45-yard line, then spins away from a couple of other defenders and runs after the catch for a 48-yard gain before being knocked out of bounds at the 9-yard line - the biggest gain of his career. After the 93-yard drive ended with a TD three plays later, Lewis made the catch for a successful 2-point conversion, cutting the Gamecocks' lead to 17-14. Malcolm finished with 2 receptions for a career high 56 yards.

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51. Senior G A.J. Cann lifts a very big trophy after the Gamecocks hang on to win the battle of 6-6 teams, 24-21. Cann, a 4-year starter on the Gamecocks' O-line, may not have made it to any SEC championship games (actually he redshirted as a freshman when Carolina lost to Auburn in 2010), but he went 4-0 in bowl games. A.J. will have a chance to be a starter next season too, as the Jacksonville Jaguars need much better play from their offensive line than they've gotten recently. 

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52. Two plays after taking the snap as a QB in the wildcat formation and running for a 61-yard gain against UTEP in the final minute of the 1st half of the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 20, and one play after throwing a deep pass that resulted in a defensive PI penalty, Utah State senior WR Ronald Butler busts out his version of "The Whip" dance - which became football's most popular touchdown celebration dance in 2014 - after taking another QB keeper 14 yards to the house. Unfortunately for Ronald, the flag (next to his left leg in the photo) isn't for the celebration, it's because the Aggies lined up in an illegal formation; so the TD didn't even count. 2 plays later the Aggies wasted all of Butler's good work when they missed a simple 28-yard FG attempt on the last play of the half, keeping their lead at 7-3. Butler had no catches in his final game in a Utah State uniform but had 69 yards rushing on 2 carries. USU won a bowl game for the 3rd year in a row, finishing at 10-4 with a 21-6 win over UTEP (7-6).  

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53. Sick senior RB Kendall Houston of South Alabama (I wish more RBs would have dreads like these) can't shake a leg free from Bowling Green CB Jude Adjei-Barimah on his 1st carry of the game midway through 1st quarter of the first ever Camellia Bowl on Dec. 20 at Montgomery, AL. Houston was tackled at the BG 44-yard line after a gain of 3; but there was no stopping him on the next play, as he scored USA's first ever TD in a bowl game on the longest run of his career. Houston had 53 yards and 2 TD rushing on 5 carries in the final game of his 6-year career for the Jaguars, who finished at 6-7 after losing to Bowling Green (8-6) 33-28.

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54. As he did all afternoon, junior RB Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin tries to get away from Auburn LB Kris Frost on a play during the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 at Tampa. Gordon and Frost had several close encounters. Frost finished with 12 tackles, and 10 of the 12 were stops of Gordon.

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55. Auburn has a #25 with dreads too, as senior CB Trovon Reed closes in on Gordon during 1st half.

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56. On 3rd and 25 - after Gordon was tackled for a 5-yard loss on 2nd and 20 - Trovon Reed gets his 3rd INT of the season, picking off the pass intended for WR Jordan Fredrick midway through 2nd quarter. Trovon had a lot of room in front of him for a big return, but couldn't stay on his feet and fell down at the Auburn 33-yard line immediately after making the catch. Actually though, he didn't need a big return, as two plays later the Tigers scored a TD on a 66-yard pass to take a 14-7 lead. Reed finished with 3 tackles (3-0) in addition to his pick in his final game for Auburn.

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57. Trailing 17-14 late in 4th quarter the Badgers go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 47, and Melvin Gordon breaks through the line and into the clear past Johnathan Ford ......

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58. ..... After catching Gordon at the 13-yard line, S Jermaine Whitehead gets stiff-armed in the face and is still struggling to get Gordon down or out of bounds as they get to the 7-yard line .....

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59. ..... and he doesn't get Gordon down until it's too late as Melvin finishes off his spectacular 53-yard TD run to give Wisconsin the lead. In Whitehead's defense, it does look like Gordon's grabbing his facemask, not just stiff-arming him; so I think Melvin may have gotten away with one there.

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60. On the 3rd play from scrimmage after Auburn scored a TD to regain the lead 21-17, senior WR Kenzel Doe breaks loose on a jet sweep and runs for a 25-yard gain before Jermaine Whitehead knocks him out of bounds at the Auburn 29. Doe had 39 yards rushing on 2 carries and also a key 10-yard reception late in 4th quarter in his final game in a Wisconsin uniform.

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61. 4 plays later the drive nearly ends disastrously for the Badgers as Melvin Gordon is stripped of the ball by DE Gimel President inches short of the goal line on 2nd and goal. Luckily for Gordon he was able to pin the ball under his arm immediately after it hit the ground, before it had a chance to roll away. And since he recovered it in the end zone it goes down as a 6-yard TD run, his 3rd TD of the game, giving the Badgers the lead back at 28-24 with 7:58 remaining.

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62. On the 4th play of Auburn's next drive junior WR Sammie Coates checks for danger approaching from the blind side as he tries to break away from CB Sojourn Shelton after catching a pass on 2nd and 5. Outweighed by 27 pounds, Shelton hangs on for dear life until help comes in the form of S Peniel Jean, and they tackle Coates at the UW 40 after an 8-yard gain ..... 6 plays later on 4th and 11 from the 15, Shelton was called for interference while defending a pass intended for Coates in the end zone, and the Tigers scored on the next play to regain the lead 31-28 with 2:55 to go. Sammie had a quiet afternoon, finishing with 4 catches for 24 yards in his final game for Auburn before moving on to the NFL.

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63. After the Badgers tie the game on a FG with 7 seconds remaining and take the lead with a FG in overtime, the celebration is on as Auburn misses a 45-yard FG (it hit the right post) on their possession in overtime to end the game. In the middle of the shot is senior S A.J. Jordan (#1), who had 1 tackle (0-1) in his final game.

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64. Melvin Gordon gets ready to hug Aunt Chevette (Cockrom) after winning a bowl game for the first time in his career in his final game in a Wisconsin uniform.

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65. All of the Badgers players with dreads (except one) find their way into this shot as the celebration continues after the game. Starting from the upper left and going clockwise it's junior CB Terrance Floyd, sophomore WR Robert Wheelwright (gesturing with right hand), Melvin Gordon, Kenzel Doe (tongue out), A.J. Jordan, and sophomore RB Dare Ogunbowale (#23).
After losing their bowl game 4 years in a row, the Badgers finally win one, defeating Auburn 34-31 in OT to finish 11-3. Auburn, playing a schedule that included 11 teams that made it to bowl games, went 8-5.

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BOWL GAME DREAD STARS 

• Darren Carrington - Oregon - 7 receptions for 165 yards and 2 TD in 59-20 W over Florida State in Rose Bowl (playoff semifinal)
• Josh Hicks - Rutgers - MVP of Quick Lane Bowl - 19 carries for 202 yards and 1 TD rushing in 40-21 W over North Carolina

• Deontay Greenberry - Houston - 4 receptions for 85 yards and 2 TD (all in 4th quarter) and made catch for game-winning 2-point conversion in 35-34 W over Pittsburgh in Armed Forces Bowl
• Jay Ajayi - Boise State - 134 yards and 3 TD rushing on 22 carries in 38-30 W over Arizona in Fiesta Bowl

• Mike Williams - Clemson - 9 receptions for 112 yards and 1 TD in 40-6 W over Oklahoma in Russell Athletic Bowl
• Markus Golden - Missouri - MVP of Citrus Bowl - 10 tackles (5-5), 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and 1 FF in 33-17 W over Minnesota

• Paul Perkins - UCLA - offensive MVP of Alamo Bowl - 194 yards and 2 TD rushing on 20 carries in 40-35 W over Kansas State

• Kevin White - West Virginia - 7 receptions for 129 yards and 1 TD in 45-37 L to Texas A&M in Liberty Bowl
• Breshad Perriman - UCF - 9 receptions for 138 yards in 34-27 L to North Carolina State in St. Petersburg Bowl
• J.D. McKissic - Arkansas State - 7 receptions for 99 yards and 9 yards rushing on 1 carry in 63-44 L to Toledo in GoDaddy Bowl

• Derrick Henry - Alabama - 13 carries for 95 yards and 1 TD rushing, and 2 receptions for 54 yards in 42-35 L to Ohio State in Sugar Bowl (playoff semifinal)
• De'Runnya Wilson - Mississippi State - 9 receptions for 105 yards and 2 TD in 49-34 L to Georgia Tech in Orange Bowl
• Chris Moore - Cincinnati - 4 receptions for 103 yards and 2 TD in 33-17 L to Virginia Tech in Military Bowl

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CATCHING UP (an abbreviated version of the dread stars lists I did not do earlier in the season)

WEEK 1
Lynquez Blair - Georgia State                                       Lamont Brown - Morgan State 
Malcome Kennedy - Texas A&M                                 Terryon Robinson -Western Carolina
Akeem Daniels - Northern Illinois                                  Kalif Phillips - UNC-Charlotte

Kaelin Clay - Utah - (Pac-12 special teams player         Julian Burton - Missouri State
    of the week - 46-yard PR TD, 100-yard KR TD)          Darius Victor - Towson
Jay Ajayi - Boise State                                                  Tom Smith - Tennessee State
Prince-Tyson Gulley - Syracuse                                    Mark Roberts - Lamar
Dee Hart - Colorado State (MWC offensive player          Janawski Davis - Murray State
    of the week)
Kevin White - West Virginia
Derrick Henry - Alabama
Jarvis Cooper - Memphis
Bradley Marquez - TexasTech
Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin

Bradley Marquez had 11 catches for a career high 184 yards, including 2 key 4th quarter TD, as Texas Tech defeated Central Arkansas 42-35.

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WEEK 2 (add to list)                                                     WEEK 3 (add to list)
Malcolm Cyrus - Alabama State (SWAC                     Darius Victor
offensive player of the week)                                           De'Angelo Henderson (Big South offensive 
Najee Bright - Alabama State                                         player of the week)
De'Angelo Henderson - Coastal Carolina (Big            Marquis Smith - Savannah State
South offensive player of the week)                                 Malcolm Cyrus
Roland Jackson - Cal Poly                                           Khalid Thomas - Alabama State (SWAC special
Gus Johnson - Stephen F. Austin (SLC                            teams player of the week)
offensive player of the week)                                          Lorenzo Long - Wofford
Tyre Bracken - Southern                                              Gus Johnson
Demarcus Rouse - Presbyterian
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WEEK 4
Jowan Davis - Rice                                     Malcolm Cyrus (SWAC offensive player of the week)
Prince-Tyson Gulley                                  Jerami Singleton - Stetson
Breon Allen - East Carolina                         Ify Imodu - Northern Arizona
Derrick Henry                                            De'Angelo Henderson
Marken Michel - Massachusetts                Gerald Hearns - FAMU          
Keon Hatcher - Arkansas                           Darius Victor
Kevin White                                                Lorenzo Long
Ryan Jackson - Houston                            Julian Burton (MVFC offensive player of the week -
Jay Ajayi                                                            10 receptions for 194 yards)   
                                                                  Taj Rich - North Dakota                                            
                                                                  Keavon Madison - Stephen F. Austin

Breon Allen rushed for a career high 211 yards, had 3 catches for 22 yards, and scored 2 TD as East Carolina thrashed North Carolina 70-41, racking up a school record 789 total yards in the process.

                      
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WEEK 5 (add to list)
De'Angelo Henderson
Darius Victor 
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WEEK 6
Darius Joseph - SMU                                       Cameron Molina - Columbia
Matt Jones - Florida                                          De'Angelo Henderson
Dee Hart                                                          Gus Johnson
Mike Williams - Clemson
Melvin Gordon
Kolby Listenbee - TCU
Cole Luke - Notre Dame
Todd Gurley
Kevin White
J.D. McKissic - Arkansas State
Trae Waynes - Michigan State
Jay Ajayi
Germod Williams - Texas State        

In Georgia's 44-17 victory over Vanderbilt, Todd Gurley rushed for 163 yards and 2 TD, had 2 catches for 24 yards, and lofted this pass that went for a 50-yard completion.

                                                                                                                          
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WEEK 7 (add to list)
P.J Hall - Sam Houston State (SLC
     defensive player of the week)
Jakori Ford - Idaho State
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WEEK 8
Jay Ajayi                                                        Darius Victor
Greg Howell - FAU                                        Christian Dorsey - Albany (CAA defensive player
Lucky Whitehead - FAU                                           of the week)
Kevin White                                                   Shepard Little - Eastern Illinois
Mike Williams                                                Lorenzo Long
Paul Perkins - UCLA                                       Verlon Hunter - Grambling
Chris Conley - Georgia                                   Spearman Robinson - Western Carolina (SOCON
Terrence Magee - LSU                                     offensive player of the week)
D'Vario Montgomery - Iowa State                   Jaleel Lorquet - Western Carolina (SOCON defensive
                                                                             player of the week)
                                                                       Mark Roberts
                                                                       Larry Brihm - Bethune-Cookman
                                                                       Gus Johnson 

The FAU coaching staff changed their mind, deciding not to redshirt freshman RB Greg Howell; and in his first career game Howell carried 21 times for 118 yards and 1 TD to help the Owls beat Western Kentucky 45-38.

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WEEK 9 (add to list)
De'Angelo Henderson
Ify Imodu
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WEEK 10
Dalvin Cook - Florida State                                         Janawski Davis
Mike Boone - Cincinnati                                             Jonathan Epps - Abilene Christian (SLC defensive
Melvin Gordon                                                              player of the week - 2 INT in his first game after
Shaq Thompson - Washington (174 yards and                switching positions from WR to CB)           
    1 TD rushing on 15 carries)                                       De'Angelo Henderson
Matt Jones                                                                 Brian Handley - Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Shaquille Murray-Lawrence - UNLV                         Darius Victor
Sammie Coates - Auburn                                           Gus Johnson
Dee Hart                                                                    Anthony Jordan - Bethune-Cookman

Pig Howard - Tennessee                                             Larry Brihm
Rakeem Nunez-Roches - Southern Mississippi           Mark Roberts (SLC offensive player of the week)
                                                                                   Malcolm Cyrus

Matt Jones had a career high 192 yards rushing and 2 TD in Florida's 38-20 upset of Georgia.

Mark Roberts had 5 catches for 205 yards and 4 TD - all in the 1st half (!) - including this 61-yard TD in the 1st quarter, as Lamar slaughtered Houston Baptist 72-14.

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WEEK 11
Brian Hill - Wyoming                                            Verlon Hunter
Melvin Gordon (249 total yards and 2 TD)             Kalif Phillips
Jowan Davis                                                         Janawski Davis
Malcome Kennedy                                              Xavier Williams - Northern Iowa (named MVFC 
Deontay Greenberry - Houston                               defensive player of the week as Panthers defeated
Parry Nickerson - Tulane                                         North Dakota State 23-3, ending the Bison's
D'Vario Montgomery                                              33-game winning streak)
Kevin White                                                         Darius Victor
Dee Hart
Shaq Thompson
 

Freshman CB Parry Nickerson had a season high 7 tackles and got his 5th and 6th INT of the season to earn AAC defensive player of the week honors in Tulane's 31-24 win at Houston.

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WEEK 12 (add to list)
De'Angelo Henderson
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WEEK 13
Brison Williams - South Carolina                                      Marquis Hayes - Southeastern Louisiana
David Washington - ODU                                                Kalif Phillips
Tyshon Dye - Clemson                                                    Asia Bolling - Central Connecticut State (NEC
Melvin Gordon (Big 10 offensive player of                               co-defensive player of the week)
   the week - 264 total yards and 2 TD)                             Shepard Little
Will Fuller - Notre Dame                                                 Lorenzo Long
Derrick Henry                                                                 Malcolm Cyrus
Chris Black - Alabama                                                    Janawski Davis
Anthony Harris - Virginia                                                 Mark Roberts
Markus Golden - Missouri (SEC defensive                      Gus Johnson (rushed for 161 yards to set
   player of the week)                                                             Stephen F. Austin school records for yards
Jay Ajayi (202 total yards and 3 TD)                                     rushing in a season and in a career)

Finally healthy, redshirt freshman RB Tyshon Dye rushed for 124 yards and his first 2 TD in a Clemson uniform as the Tigers shut out Georgia State 28-0.

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WEEK 14
Travis Greene - Bowling Green                    P.J. Hall
Paul Perkins                                               Verlon Hunter
Dee Hart
Vic Beasley - Clemson
Bud Dupree - Kentucky
Gregory Hogan - New Mexico State
Brian Hill
Dalvin Cook
Janarion Grant - Rutgers
De'Runnya Wilson - Mississippi State       
Melvin Gordon
Bradley Marquez
Sammie Coates
Shaquille Murray-Lawrence

Sammie Coates scorched the Alabama secondary for 206 yards and 2 TD on 5 receptions, but it wasn't enough as the Crimson Tide won the highest-scoring Iron Bowl ever 55-44.

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WEEK 15 (add to list)
Darren Carrington - Oregon
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SEASON RECAP
124 different Division 1 players made the dread stars list at least once (almost the same number as the 126 last year). To the surprise of nobody Melvin Gordon made the most appearances. Here are the 17 players who made the list at least 5 times.

• 12 TIMES - Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon
• 11 TIMES - Boise State RB Jay Ajayi
• 10 TIMES - Coastal Carolina RB De'Angelo Henderson
• 9 TIMES - West Virginia WR Kevin White, Alabama State RB Malcolm Cyrus, Stephen F. Austin RB Gus Johnson
• 8 TIMES - UNC-Charlotte RB Kalif Phillips, Towson RB Darius Victor
• 7 TIMES - Colorado State RB Dee Hart, UCLA RB Paul Perkins
• 6 TIMES - Murray State WR Janawski Davis
• 5 TIMES - Alabama RB Derrick Henry, Georgia RB Todd Gurley, Bowling Green RB Travis Greene, Florida State RB Dalvin Cook, Lamar WR Mark Roberts, Wofford RB Lorenzo Long

Most appearances by a defensive player was 2 - by Washington LB Shaq Thompson (who also had 2 appearances on offense for a total of 4), Missouri DE Markus Golden, and Sam Houston State DE P.J. Hall

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HOUSE OF DREAD

There were touchdowns scored by players with dreads in 24 of the 42 bowl games (including the FBS championship game and the final two rounds of the FCS playoffs); but there were no more than 3 scored in any one game, and that happened in four different games.

Two different players accounted for the 3 TD in the end zone at the Cramton Bowl (Stadium) in Montgomery, AL, on Dec. 20 as Bowling Green edged South Alabama 33-28 in the first ever Camellia Bowl. Junior RB Travis Greene scored on runs of 1 and 17 yards for BG, and senior RB Kendall Houston had a 44-yard TD run for USA. In the end zone at Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis on Dec. 29, where Texas A&M beat West Virginia 45-37 in the Liberty Bowl, Texas A&M senior WR Malcome Kennedy had TD catches of 11 and 9 yards, while senior WR Kevin White scored on a 49-yard reception for West Virginia. Boise State junior RB Jay Ajayi scored 3 TD by himself in the end zone at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, in a 38-30 victory over the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, scoring on runs of 56 yards (on his 1st carry of the game), 16 yards (photo above), and 1 yard. And the last of the 4 house of dreads was the end zone at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, where the head dread for this season's bowls scored 3 TD.
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CATCHING UP (Here are the house of dread awards I didn't do during the regular season)

WEEK 4 
The end zone at Camp Randall Stadium at Madison, WI, was the HOD for Week 4, thanks to a season-high 5-TD performance by the player of the week.
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WEEK 6 (addition)
Thanks to my discovery near the end of the season that RB De'Angelo Henderson has dreads, the end zone at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, SC, joins Sanford Stadium (mentioned in my Week 7 report) as the HOD winner for Week 6. There were 4 TD by Coastal Carolina players with dreads in their 37-31 win at Furman: junior WR John Israel had a 12-yard reception, and Henderson, the sophomore RB, scored on runs of 4 and 7 yards and had the game-winning 17-yard TD reception in the 2nd overtime.
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WEEK 8
There was a 3-way for the Week 8 house of dread. 4 touchdowns were scored by players with dreads in the end zone at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, FL: In the Owls' 45-38 win over Western Kentucky freshman WR Kalib Woods (11-yard reception) and freshman RB Greg Howell (4-yard run) both scored their 1st TD in an FAU uniform, and senior WR Lucky Whitehead had a 20-yard TD reception and then the game-winning 61-yard TD catch with 1:23 remaining in the game. 
In the end zone at Mercer University Stadium in Macon, GA, there were 4 TD by Western Carolina players with dreads in their 35-21 win over Mercer. Sophomore WR Spearman Robinson (SOCON offensive player of the week) scored 3 times, on receptions of 33, 3, and 42 yards; and junior CB Jaleel Lorquet (SOCON defensive player of the week) took a fumble return 10 yards to the house.
And at War Memorial Stadium at Little Rock, AR, the Razorbacks' home away from home, sophomore RB Alex Collins scored on runs of 1 yard and 6 yards (photo above) in Arkansas' 45-32 loss to Georgia. Junior WR Keon Hatcher (#4 in photo) scored on an 8-yard reception; and senior WR Chris Conley had a 36-yard TD catch for Georgia.
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WEEK 9 (correction)
Thanks to my discovery near the end of the season that De'Angelo Henderson has dreads, the three end zones I mentioned in my Week 9 report are no longer the winners for Week 9. Instead the winner is Brooks Stadium in Conway, SC, the home of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. CCU scored 6 TD in their 43-22 homecoming win over Charleston Southern, and 5 of them were by players with dreads. Henderson had 3 of those on runs of 3, 18, and 1 yard, and WR John Israel had TD receptions of 74 and 51 yards.
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WEEK 10

There were three games that had 4 TD scored by players with dreads. The end zone at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium picked up its 2nd HOD award of the season, as Bethune-Cookman defeated North Carolina Central 34-20. Senior RB Anthony Jordan scored on runs of 1, 1, and 30 yards - all in the 4th quarter - as the Wildcats came back from a 20-13 deficit. Earlier freshman QB Larry Brihm ran 6 yards for B-C's 1st TD of the game.
Senior WR Mark Roberts went crazy in Lamar's 72-14 home win over Houston Baptist, scoring 4 TD in the end zone at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, TX - 31, 61, and 81-yard receptions in the 1st quarter, and a 26-yarder in the 2nd quarter. Damn, what would have happened if he had played in the 2nd half?
And at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, CA, Colorado State junior RB Dee Hart took four of his 24 carries to the house in a 38-31 win over San Jose State, all on short runs of 6, 1, 7, and 7 yards (the second 7-yarder in photo above, giving the Rams a 38-24 lead with 5:09 remaining in the game).
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WEEK 11
There was another 3-way tie for the HOD in Week 11, with only 3 touchdowns needed to claim the award. With Coastal Carolina playing against UNC-Charlotte, Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, NC, figured to be a serious contender for the honors; and with Coastal winning 59-34, it's actually kind of disappointing there were only 3 TD by players with dreads. De'Angelo Henderson (1-yard run) and sophomore WR Devin Brown (10-yard run) scored for the Chanticleers, while sophomore RB Kalif Phillips had a 51-yard TD run for UNCC.
In the end zone at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, MO, where Southern Illinois defeated Missouri State 32-22, senior WR Tay Willis scored on receptions of 4 and 36-yards for SIU, while senior WR Julian Burton had a 32-yard TD catch for Missouri State.
And at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM, the head dread for Week 11 scored 3 TD.
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WEEK 13
Hughes Stadium in Ft. Collins, CO, was the HOD winner for Week 13 thanks to a huge performance by the head dread of the week.
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WEEK 14
Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID, was the HOD winner for Week 14 thanks to a huge performance by the head dread of the week (although not quite as huge as the one in Week 13).
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SEASON RECAP
There was only one game all season in Division 1 with as many as 6 TD by players with dreads. That was the Week 13 game between New Mexico and Colorado State (which I'll let you read about in the head dread section).
As for the teams winning the most HOD awards, there were no surprises. Wisconsin games were the HOD winner 4 times. Georgia, Boise State, Coastal Carolina, and UNC-Charlotte games were the runners up with 3 times each.
==============================================================================
HEAD DREAD

I had to laugh when I heard what Auburn RB Cameron Artis-Payne had to say about Melvin Gordon a couple of days before the Outback Bowl: "I would've loved to play against Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue." Apparently Artis-Payne felt the only reason Gordon rushed for 854 more yards than him during the regular season (2,336-1,482) was that Gordon faced softer defenses than him. Well, Cam, if that's the case, then you need to put one more team on your list - Auburn. That's right, your own teammates. Because in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 at Tampa, Gordon, the Wisconsin junior RB, in his first game since being named winner of the Doak Walker Award and finishing 2nd in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, shredded the Auburn defense the same way he shredded just about everyone else during his record-setting season.

If you're one of those people who think bowl games are meaningless, I get your point. But don't try telling that to the players in those bowl games. They're not meaningless to them. Gordon, determined (or should I say desperate) to win one bowl game before ending his college career, with not a whole lot to gain and millions of dollars to lose if he were to suffer a serious injury, carried the ball a season high 34 times against Auburn, rushing for 251 yards and 3 TD to earn game MVP honors (photo above, presented at a press conference after the game) as well as claim the final head dread award of the season as the Badgers won a thriller over the Tigers 34-31 in overtime. He also had 2 receptions for 2 yards.

With Boise State RB Jay Ajayi sitting in the clubhouse after rushing for 3 TD in the Fiesta Bowl a day earlier, Gordon needed 3 touchdowns to tie and 4 to win in the race for the most TD in the FBS this season. Melvin got the tie, scoring on a 25-yard run (photo above) on the Badgers' first possession of the 2nd half, a highlight reel 53-yard run on 4th and 1 later in the 3rd, and a 6-yard run on which (as was shown in DG photo #61) he got a lucky break, recovering his own fumble in the end zone.
http://www.oanow.com/sports/college/auburn/football/article_74196236-9216-11e4-bcd1-f3c7c1ec2673.html

As was the case all season, the 3rd quarter was the money quarter for Gordon, as he picked up 121 yards on just 9 carries. In all he accounted for 11 of the Badgers' 31 first downs in the game. The 251 yards rushing extends his Big 10 record to 2,587 for the season - a record that hopefully will stand a little longer than the single-game record he set in Week 12. The 2,587 yards also ranks #2 in FBS history to the 2,850 yards gained by Barry Sanders for Oklahoma State in 1988.

As I'm sure you know by now, Gordon was selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft 2 months ago, and there's a lot worse places to go than San Diego. Picked by a team with a good quarterback already on their roster, Melvin has a great chance to continue to be successful on Sundays in the years ahead.
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CATCHING UP (Who were the players of the week for Weeks 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 14? I'm glad you asked.)

WEEK 4

Mercy! You wonder what Melvin Gordon would have done had he gotten more than 13 carries. In a game in which Wisconsin set a new Big 10 record for one game with 644 yards rushing as a well as a school record with 756 total yards, Gordon rushed for 253 yards and 5 TD on those 13 carries in a 68-17 slaughter of Bowling Green. Actually he did it on 12 carries, because he was stopped for no gain and fumbled the ball away on his 1st carry of the game. He then spent the rest of the day making the BG defense pay for his mistake, scoring a 2-yard TD on his 2nd carry of the game later in the 1st quarter, scoring on runs of 50, 3, and 21 yards in the 2nd quarter, and taking his 1st carry of the 2nd half 69 yards to the house. Here's more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/badgers/melvin-gordon-has-monster-day-for-badgers-b99354786z1-275909391.html 
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WEEK 8

It looked like Eastern Kentucky was certain to improve their record to 7-0 as they took a 31-10 lead to the 4th quarter at Tennessee Tech. But then the Golden Eagles exploded for 4 unanswered touchdowns to come back and win 39-31. Thanks largely to a couple a big plays in the middle of that comeback, junior RB Ladarius Vanlier finished the night with 264 all-purpose yards and claimed head dread honors for the week.
With TTU trailing 31-24, Vanlier ran for a 34-yard gain to the EKU 28-yard line on the 1st play of a 62-yard drive that ended with a TD and a 2-point conversion. Then Ladarius gave the Golden Eagles some breathing room with a 63-yard TD run on the 1st play of their next drive to make it 39-31 with 2:01 to play. Up until the 4th quarter, Tech's only TD came on Vanlier's 79-yard punt return to the house on the 1st play of the 2nd quarter - a play that earned him OVC special teams player of the week honors. The 264 APY consisted of 140 yards rushing on 19 carries, 6 catches for 45 yards, and the return. I couldn't find a photo of Ladarius from this game; so instead of including his headshot from the team's website, the photo above is one of him from Tech's game at Indiana State in Week 2.
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WEEK 10 
Brian Hill had the kind of game that gets coaches in trouble. That is, with the way he played, you wonder what the coaching staff was thinking keeping him on the bench all season. Actually Hill, the freshman RB for Wyoming, began making some noise in Week 9, giving everybody a sneak preview as he made the dread stars list in a loss to Colorado State. He followed that 121-yard game with one for the record books at Fresno State in Week 10. Making his 1st career start, Hill was the obvious choice the MWC offensive player of the week and the head dread after rushing for 281 yards and 2 TD on 23 carries and catching 3 passes for 106 yards as the Cowboys defeated Fresno State to 45-17 to end a 4-game losing streak.
 

Hill had a 32-yard TD run to tie the game at
 7 midway through the 1st quarter and a 66-yard TD run for a 21-7 lead with 9:33 remaining in the 2nd quarter. Brian had other outbursts of 33, 36, 40, and 89 yards, most of which can be seen in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_C0k68-XAA
I just about cracked up the first time I saw that shot of him lying on the ground gassed after he was caught from behind on that 89-yard run. Somebody get the oxygen. Luckily the Cowboys had enough of a lead that he was able to take the rest of the night off.
Hill by no means was perfect: he was called for a facemask penalty on his 33-yard gain; he fumbled the ball away at the end of his 40-yard reception; and he had a false start penalty. But I think we can pardon him for those. The 281 yards rushing were the second most in a game in Wyoming history. The 387 total yards are both school and conference records in both total yards and all-purpose yards in one game. And he became only the 5th player ever to rush for 200+ yards and have 100+ receiving yards in the same game. For more on Hill's great game, here's an article from the Casper Star-Tribune: http://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming/football/wyoming-rb-brian-hill-shatters-records-in-victory-at-fresno/article_9f61032c-8d46-52ac-8e11-d7a28dd8bd4b.html
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WEEK 11
Even though Melvin Gordon rushed for 205 yards at Purdue, I gave the head dread nod to Jay Ajayi, because his 252 total yards in Boise State's 60-49 win at New Mexico bested (barely) Gordon's 249 total yards. After the Lobos scored a 75-yard TD on their first play from scrimmage, the Broncos struck back immediately, as Ajayi caught a pass and took it 75 yards to the house on their first play from scrimmage, tying the game at 7 only 23 seconds after the opening kickoff. Ajayi scored his 2nd TD of the game on a 4-yard run in the 2nd quarter, cutting New Mexico's lead to 28-21. Then in the 4th quarter Jay carried on all 6 plays of a drive that began with 4:09 on the clock, finishing the 49-yard drive with a 14-yard TD run with 38 seconds to play to finally finish off the Lobos.





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WEEK 13

Having the best game of your career is great; but when you have that career game in your final home game, it makes it extra special. Colorado State fans hoped it wasn't but probably suspected it was the final home game for Dee Hart, who had graduated at Alabama and transferred to CSU with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Hart treated them to a fantastic farewell performance, racking up 272 total yards and 6 TD in the Rams' 58-20 win over New Mexico to earn MWC offensive player of the week honors. Dee rushed for a career high 230 yards and 5 TD on 20 carries and caught 2 passes for 42 yards and 1 TD.

Hart's 1st TD was a 2-yard dive into the end zone (photo above) that capped an 86-yard drive, making the score 14-0 early in the 2nd quarter. 77 seconds later he scored on a 6-yard run to make it 20-0 then scored again on a 76-yard run the next time he touched the ball to make it 27-7. Dee scored his 4th TD of the 2nd quarter on a 20-yard reception with 3:30 remaining then scored again on a 4-yard run early in the 3rd before taking his final carry of the afternoon 55 yards to the house late in the 3rd. More details from the CSU website on the first link below; and below that is the video version of the 6 TD.
http://www.csurams.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112414aaa.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tvtvj2W8V4
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WEEK 14

Jay Ajayi earned his 3rd MWC offensive player of the week award as well as his 3rd head dread selection of the season, rushing for a career high 229 yards and 5 TD on 27 carries as Boise State spanked Utah State 50-19 to capture the MWC's Mountain Division crown. USU entered the game ranked #17 in the FBS in rushing defense and had allowed just 13.9 PPG in their first 7 conference games; but the Broncos showed them who's boss, scoring on their first 5 possessions to take a 34-9 lead with still 11:47 to play until halftime.

Ajayi ended 3 of those 5 drives, scoring on a 9-yard run on the opening drive, a 19-yard run late in the 1st, and an 8-yard run 3 minutes later to make it 27-9 early in the 2nd. Jay carried 2 times for 78 yards on a 2-play, 78-yard drive, breaking loose for a 62-yard TD on the first play of the 4th quarter to make it 41-12; and then he capped a 50-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run to make it 48-12 on his final carry of the night with 9:21 to play. More details from the BSU website on their first link below; and below that is the video version of the 5 TD.
http://broncosports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120114aaa.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_8GkWqx_0
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SEASON RECAP

A total of 30 defensive players made the dread stars list in 2014, but none of them had a game sensational enough to be the head dread for any week. As a result, the HD award this season turned into a weekly parade of outstanding performances by running backs (some coming back for second and third helpings) with a couple of receivers thrown in.
Here in order are all of the players of the week for 2014.

• WEEK 1: Georgia RB Todd Gurley
• WEEK 2: Boise State RB Jay Ajayi
• WEEK 3: West Virginia WR Kevin White
• WEEK 4: Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon
• WEEK 5: Georgia RB Todd Gurley
• WEEK 6: Auburn WR Sammie Coates
• WEEK 7: Stephen F. Austin RB Gus Johnson
• WEEK 8: Tennessee Tech RB Ladarius Vanlier
• WEEK 9: UCLA RB Paul Perkins
• WEEK 10: Wyoming RB Brian Hill
• WEEK 11: Boise State RB Jay Ajayi
• WEEK 12: Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon
• WEEK 13: Colorado State RB Dee Hart
• WEEK 14: Boise State RB Jay Ajayi
• WEEK 15: Florida State RB Dalvin Cook
• BOWL WEEK: Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon 

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==============================================================================
NEXT

Phew! I finally got that finished. I didn't intend to go 2 months without posting anything; but for real the longer I worked on this bowl report, the further away the finish line seemed to get. Anyway, there's one more thing on tap for the 2014 College Football season, and that's my annual house calls report. As you can probably understand, with the way the season went, I've been very eager to do this post. So I promise, it won't be another 2 months before I have it ready.