Thursday, December 9, 2010

COLLEGE FOOTBALL - 14 YEAR TOURNAMENT - CHAMPION: 2008 FLORIDA GATORS

East Region - First Round
2009 TCU 32 - 1998 Arizona 7   Box
(Ross Evans kicks 6 FG's and the Horned Frogs defense is stingy in a rout of the Wildcats)
2007 Boston College 14 - 2004 Auburn 10   Box
(Matt Ryan throws for 325 yards and 2 TD's, including the go-ahead TD to Rich Gunnell with 6:57 left in the fourth to propel the Eagles)
1998 Air Force 47 - 1998 UCLA 34   Box
(The Falcons outrush the Bruins 462-76 to pull off the upset)
2002 Iowa 27 - 2003 Kansas State 10   Box
(Brad Banks throws for 3 TD's and the Hawkeyes hold the Wildcats to 273 yards in the victory)

South Region - First Round
2006 Rutgers 41 - 1996 Northwestern 20   Box
(Ray Rice carries 34 times for 214 yards and 2 TD's to lead the Scarlett Knights)
2006 Boise State 28 - 2009 Oklahoma State 23   Box
(Ian Johnson rushes for 141 yards and 2 TD's as the Broncos hold off the Cowboys)
2007 Missouri 40 - 1998 Tulane 30   Box
(Jeremy Maclin catches and rushes for a score as the Tigers win a shootout)
1997 Washington State 28 - 2002 Georgia 19   Box
(Michael Black totals 116 yards and 3 scores for the Cougars in an upset of the favored Bulldogs)

Midwest Region - First Round
2005 Notre Dame 28 - 1998 Texas A and M 13   Box
(The Fighting Irish erupt for 3 fourth quarter TD's to put away the Aggies)
2000 Washington 20 - 2001 South Carolina 17   Box
(The Huskies ride 80 yards and a TD from Rich Alexis to squeak past the Gamecocks)
1996 BYU 44 - 2000 Purdue 9   Box
(Steve Sarkisian goes 22-26 for 283 yards and 3 TD's leading a Cougar rout of the Boilermakers)
2004 California 49 - 2009 Georgia Tech 17   Box
(J.J. Arrington erupts for 282 yards and 4 TD's as the Golden Bears cruise)

West Region - First Round
2008 Texas Tech 50 - 2006 Arkansas 33   Box
(Graham Harrell passes for 352 yards and 5 TD's as the Red Raiders score 33 first half points)
1999 Wisconsin 46 - 2004 Pittsburgh 14   Box
(Ron Dayne plows for 182 yards and 4 TD's to spearhead a Badger rout of the Panthers)
1999 Virginia Tech 68 - 2007 Illinois 7   Box
(Michael Vick totals 5 TD's [3 rushing, 2 passing] and the Hokies destroy the Fightless Illini)
2009 Oregon 37 - 2007 Hawaii 3   Box
(LaMichael James total 172 yards and TD on the ground and the Ducks stifle the high-powered Rainbows)

East Region - Second Round
2009 TCU 22 - 2005 Texas 20   Box
(A frustrating day ended just short of the goal line for Vince Young and the Longhorns were stunned by the Horned Frogs in Round 2.  Young's run for the game-tying 2-point conversion was stopped just short and TCU recovered the ensuing on-side kick to seal the victory)
2007 Boston College 20 - 2005 Penn State 14   Box
(Matt Ryan threw for 397 yards and 2 first quarter TD's and the Eagles upset the Nittany Lions to advance to the Sweet 16.  Despite being outgained 198-71 on the ground, B.C. dominated the time of possession and rode Ryan's arm to victory)
2001 Miami FL 70 - 1998 Air Force 6   Box
(Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore combined for 327 yards and 6 TD's as the Hurricanes were the first team with a bye to breakthrough in the region.  Ken Dorsey threw 4 TD's as the Falcons had no answers from the start)
1998 Tennessee 41 - 2002 Iowa 13   Box
(Travis Stephens and Travis Henry each went over 100 yards rushing and Jamal Lewis added two TD runs and the Volunteers blew past the Hawkeyes and into Round 3)

South Region - Second Round
2009 Alabama 35 - 2006 Rutgers 13   Box
(Mark Ingram gave the Tide the lead for good with a 73 yard TD scamper and finished the day with 194 yards and 2 TD's.  Ray Rice tallied 157 yards rushing and a score for Rutgers who could not capitalize on four Alabama turnovers)
2006 Boise State 41 - 1996 Arizona State 35   Box
(Jake Plummer overthrew Steve Bush on fourth down with 1:18 to play and the Broncos rode the big-play legs of Ian Johnson to the mild upset.  Johnson scored on TD runs of 79, 72 and 45 yards while totaling 282 yards on the day.  Plummer had 3 TD passes in the loss for the Sun Devils)
1997 Michigan 38 - 2007 Missouri 14   Box
(Brian Griese tossed 2 first quarter TD passes and Chris Howard ran for 154 yards and 2 scores as the Wolverines downed the Tigers.  The Michigan defense harassed Chase Daniel all day and held the Tigers to just 243 yards of offense)
1999 Florida State 44 - 1997 Washington State 37   Box
(The Seminoles raced to a 34-7 halftime lead and hung on for dear life to beat the pesky Cougars and advance to face Michigan.  Peter Warrick had 189 yards receiving and 2 TD's while Travis Minor added tow TD's on the ground for FSU.  Ryan Leaf threw 3 TD's and Washington State had 575 yards of offense but ran out of time against the Seminoles)

Midwest Region - Second Round
2005 Notre Dame 38 - 2002 Ohio State 21   Box
(The Buckeyes became the second top seed to fall as the Irish got 170 yards and a score on the ground from Darius Walker and 3 TD passes from Brady Quinn to pull the shocker.  Craig Krenzel threw 2 INT's and had a miserable game as OSU fell behind 21-0 and could never get even with Notre Dame)
2005 West Virginia 37 - 2000 Washington 21   Box
(Steve Slaton gashed the Huskies defense for 293 yards and 2 TD's and the Mountaineers ran for 451 yards in disposing of Washington in Round 2.  Rich Alexis and Willie Hurst each ran for 100 yards for the losers, but Slaton was too much and West Virginia advances)
1996 BYU 31 - 2003 LSU 28   Box
(Ryan Gaudet had a day to forget, missing 3 FG's and an XP in the Tigers 3 point loss to the Cougars.  BYU stunned LSU with 28 second quarter points and then held on to pull another second round upset)
2000 Oklahoma 21 - 2004 California 13   Box
(There will be better days for Aaron Rodgers.  The Cal QB threw 2 INT's and could only direct the high-powered Bears offense to 13 points.  Josh Heupel threw for 325 yards and a couple scores as the Sooners smothered California and moved to Round 3)

West Region - First Round
2004 USC 76 - 2008 Texas Tech 20   Box
(LenDale White lumbered for 230 yards and 5 TD's and the Trojans intercepted Graham Harrell 6 times and pummeled the Red Raiders.  Matt Leinart added 312 yards passing and 4 TD's as the Trojans eclipsed 700 yards of offense and dash into the 3rd Round)
2008 Utah 30 - 1999 Wisconsin 10   Box
(Utah outgained the vaunted Badger rushing attack 269-195 and cruised to a victory over Wisconsin.  QB Brian Johnson hit 17 of 21 passes for 160 yards and a score as the Utes move on to face the Trojans)
1997 Nebraska 20 - 1999 Virginia Tech 12   Box
(One pass is all it took.  Ahman Green scored on TD runs of 62 and 50 and Nebraska completed the only pass they attempted in dismissing the Hokies.  Virginia Tech could only muster 4 Shayne Graham FG's after scoring 68 points in Round 1)
2008 Florida 45 - 2009 Oregon 21   Box
(Midway through the 3rd quarter the Ducks were sitting pretty - then the Gators started chomping.  Florida finished the game with 35 unanswered points after Oregon took a 21-10 lead.  Percy Harvin ran for 155 yards and scored on 2 long TD runs, while Tim Tebow scored 2 short TD's to pull the Gators through to Round 3)


East Region Semifinals
2009 TCU 16 - 2007 Boston College 0   Box
(Andy Dalton hit Logan Brock with a 17 yard TD pass in the 1st quarter for the games only TD and the Horned Frogs defense pitched a shutout as TCU advances to the East Region Final with a dominating performance.  Matt Ryan was just 17-37 for 167 yards and was intercepted twice as the TCU defense frustrated him all day.  Dalton finished with 214 yards passing and the TD to Brock)
2001 Miami FL 28 - 1998 Tennessee 10   Box
(Ken Dorsey threw for 293 yards and a 2 yard TD to Willis McGahee and the Hurricane defense used a bend but don't break approach to thrust Miami into an East Region Final matchup with TCU.  Clinton Portis had 112 yards of total offense and a 5 yard TD run for the Hurricanes, who also got 5 FG from Todd Sievers.  Jeff Hall missed 3 FG's for Tennessee that could have kept them in the game)

South Region Semifinals
2009 Alabama 34 - 2006 Boise State 6   Box
(Boise State - meet Mark Ingram.  Ingram ran for 159 yards and three TD's and added a fourth score on a 41 yard TD catch and the Crimson Tide cruised into the South Region Final.  Greg McElroy was an efficient 15-20 passing for 169 yards and the TD to Ingram.  Boise State could only muster 221 yards total offense and two field goals against the Tide defense)
1997 Michigan 27 - 1999 Florida State 13   Box
(Brian Griese tossed 3 touchdown passes and the Wolverines chopped down the Seminoles and advanced to play Alabama in the South Region Final.  Chris Weinke had a forgettable day for Florida State, hitting just 16 of 44 passes with two interceptions.  Chris Howard ground out 128 yards for Michigan who held Florida State to just 70 yards rushing on the day)

Midwest Region Semifinals
2005 Notre Dame 28 - 2005 West Virginia 23   Box
(Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted a Pat White pass in the end zone with 32 seconds remaining as the Fighting Irish staved off the Mountaineers and forged into the Midwest Region Final.  Darius Walker ran for 130 yards and 2 TD's for Notre Dame, who also got 242 yards passing and 2 scores from Brady Quinn.  West Virginia rushed for 276 yards, but had to settle for 3 FG's while the Irish were able to cash in touchdowns)
2000 Oklahoma 27 - 1996 BYU 7   Box
(Quentin Griffin exploded for 213 yards rushing and 4 TD's as the Sooners ran past the Cougars into the Midwest Region Final against Notre Dame.  Oklahoma ran for 333 yards as a team, with Renaldo Works adding 111 to Griffin's superb day.  Steve Sarkisian threw for 296 yards in the losing effort, but was intercepted 3 times as BYU never posed a threat)

West Region Semifinals
2004 USC 44 - 2008 Utah 20   Box
(Matt Leinart threw for 366 yards and 5 scores and the Trojan offense marched their way into the West Region Final with a victory over the Utes.  Utah kept the game within reach, rushing for 283 yards and cashing in 2 touchdowns.  After Utah cut the score to 17-14 early in the 2nd quarter, Leinart and Steve Smith took over with 3 TD's between the duo as the Trojans eventually pulled away for the victory)
2008 Florida 31 - 1997 Nebraska 27   Box
(Jeffery Demps broke through the Cornhusker defense for a 70 yard TD run with 1:41 to play and the Gators defense made it hold up as Florida squeaked into the West Region Final against USC.  Ahman Green ran for 234 yards and 2 scores, including a go-ahead TD with 2:28 to play before Demps heroics.  For the day, Nebraska gashed the Gator run defense for 394 yards, but had to settle for 4 FG's that kept Florida in the game)

EAST REGION FINAL
2001 Miami, FL 24 - 2009 TCU 17   Box
(Clinton Portis scored on a 1 yard TD plunge in overtime as the Hurricanes survived a stern test from the Horned Frogs but advanced to the Final Four.  TCU got the ball first in overtime, but Andy Dalton was intercepted by Phillip Buchanan on the first play and Miami marched it in culminating with the Portis run.  For the day, Portis rushed for 195 yards and 2 TD's.  Edward Wesley scored 2 TD's for TCU, as both teams struggled passing all day.  Dalton ended with 3 INT's, his last the most costly.)

SOUTH REGION FINAL
2009 Alabama 21 - 1997 Michigan 13   Box
(A defensive struggle turned on three key plays, as Alabama downed Michigan despite being outgained 350-141.  Javier Arenas was responsible for two of the plays, returning a first quarter punt to the Michigan 3 where Trent Richardson took it in one play later.  Arenas also set up a FG with an interception at the Michigan 20.  Mark Ingram finished off the big plays with a 35 yard TD scamper in the 3rd and the Crimson Tide held off the Wolverines to set-up a Final Four match-up with Miami FL.  Chris Howard was the offensive bright spot of the day with 187 yards on the ground for Michigan, but the Wolverines last gasp was halted with 44 seconds left as they turned it over on downs.)

MIDWEST REGION FINAL
2000 Oklahoma 27 - 2005 Notre Dame 19   Box
(Oklahoma erupted for 21 second quarter points and held on to beat Notre Dame and advance to the Final Four.  Josh Heupel threw for 313 yards and 2 scores and the Sooner defense intercepted Brady Quinn 3 times in the win.  The Fighting Irish got 71 yards and 2 TD's on the ground from Travis Thomas, but 4 turnovers and a missed FG proved too much to overcome.)

WEST REGION FINAL
2008 Florida 35 - 2004 USC 20   Box
(Florida scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to stun the Trojans and advance to play Oklahoma in the Final Four.  Jeffrey Demps ran for 3 second half scores as the Gators pounded the USC defense for 428 yards on the ground.  USC was staked to a 20-7 halftime lead with a balanced attack.  Matt Leinart threw for 236 yards and LenDale White ran for 158 as the Trojans looked strong early.  The Gators were much too strong despite only 2 completed passes all day by Tim Tebow)

FINAL FOUR
2009 Alabama 22 - 2001 Miami, FL 21   Box
(Alabama came from 21-13 down in the 4th quarter and Leigh Tiffin's 29 yard FG with 4:14 left provided the winning score as the Crimson Tide nipped the Hurricanes and advanced to the Championship Game.  Mark Ingram rushed for 182 yards and a 5 yard TD that cut the Miami lead to 21-19 with 12:58 left.  Two possessions later Tiffin kicked the game-winner.  Clinton Portis ran for 177 yards and a TD for the Hurricanes, but Todd Sievers missed two FG's that proved costly in the end for Miami.)

2008 Florida 36 - 2000 Oklahoma 7   Box
(Trailing 13-7 with 8 minutes left, the Sooners had the Gators pinned on their own 10 after a punt.  5 plays later Chris Rainey broke through for a 65 yard TD run and the Gators added 16 more points in the final 6 minutes to thrash Oklahoma and set-up an all-SEC Title Game against Alabama.  Rainey ran for 102 yards and 2 scores and Major Wright returned an interception 75 yards for the Gators.  Despite 368 yards of offense, the Sooners could only muster a 36 yard TD from Quentin Griffin to open the scoring.  Florida scored the final 36 points as the Sooners turned the ball over 4 times in the rout.)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
2008 Florida 31 - 2009 Alabama 24   Box
(Tim Tebow connected with Louis Murphy on a 15 yard TD with 58 seconds remaining to crown Florida as the 14 year College Football Tournament Champion.  Alabama was unable to move the ball on the ensuing possession and a Greg McElroy pass fell incomplete on 4th and 15 allowing Florida to take the title.  Jeffery Demps scored two long TD's, a 55 yard catch and run to open the scoring and a 40 yard scamper to even the score at 24.  Alabama roared back with 21 unanswered points after falling behind 14-0, but could not hold the lead against the big-play Gators.  Tebow finished with 194 yards passing and 2 TD's, while his counterpart McElroy had 218 and 2 scores.  Florida won the title by defeating 4 former undefeated National Champions in their last 4 games (Nebraska, USC, Oklahoma and Alabama).)

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