Sark and Nick Holt jacked up after manhandling Nebraska
Early in the season, Nebraska finished with 533 total yards in defeating Washington 56-21 in Seattle. The Huskers actually had three rushers top 100 yards on the ground.
Last night was a different story in the Holiday Bowl. UW manhandled the Huskers, limiting Nebraska to only 189 total yards in the 19-7 win.
Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt said, "They were embarrassed the first time. And they just said it wasn't us that first game. We weren't ready to play. I didn't get them ready to play. But they were ready to play (this game), and this is what happens."
UW running back Chris Polk went 11 carries for 59 yards in the first matchup. Last night, Polk went for 177 yards on 34 attempts. That’s pretty stout.
Sark explained, “I think we are playing the brand of football that we always thought we could. It just took us a little longer than maybe we all wanted to. But we are running the football and playing defense, and it's a physical brand of football and it's something we always wanted to play and we are just there now."
After the game, Sark said, "We're on our way." He later added, "Exactly where we're going, that's for us. We don't have to tell everybody our map. They'll beat us to the treasure before we get there. But we're moving in the right direction."
"Through it all, our defense was fantastic, really responded to the challenge. Great plan by Nick (Holt) and the guys. Just proud of our offensive line and our running game to create some movement and control the football game. All in all, it was a fantastic effort."
Washington AD Scott Woodward must be proud of the coaching staff. Woodward said earlier in the week that UW has changed dramatically from the “physically inferior and mentally scarred from losing” group that Sarkisian inherited just two years ago.
UW finished 7-6 on the season.
Derek Dooley reacts to Chaos - Part Two
Derek Dooley had a sick feeling when the clock hit zero in Nashville. He had been there before (in Baton Rouge). After chaos PART-TWO, the first-year head coach wants to see a 10-second run-off rule implemented in the college game.
Following the 30-27 (2OT) loss to UNC, Dooley said, “There were a lot of opportunities before the end to win the game. Anytime the result doesn’t go your way, you ask yourself, ‘What could you have done differently to change the outcome?’ And there were a lot of things there, especially down the stretch.”
“Well, I thought I had seen it all in Baton Rouge. But once you think you’ve seen it all, you hadn’t.”
“It’s why they have the 10-second run-off rule in the NFL and we don’t have it in college. And we should probably get it.”
“It was chaos again.”
“When they ran guys on the field for the field-goal unit, the rule states that the umpire should step over the ball and allow a substitution to happen.”
“I don’t know. Maybe there wasn’t enough time to do that.”
“What do you say? There will be a lot of things that will be brought up for discussion on game management and end of the game management and end of the game rules.”
Interesting stuff from Brent Pease, Bronco Mendenhall, and Dan Mullen
Brent Pease says he wouldn’t be going to Indiana if Byran Harsin was set to leave Boise State: "If I did know he's moving on, I wouldn't be doing this, but I don't know right now."
Bronco Mendenhall praises his quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman, says “He’s my guy.” : "I love Coach Doman to death. He's my guy. He has developed me into what I'm doing right now. I can't say enough good things about that guy; it's kind of like we were made for each other. He's a tremendous guy and a tremendous coach; I really rely heavily on him. He still pushes me harder and harder. It's almost as if when I'm doing better, he's going to be pushing me even more."
"Coach Doman, is really, in my opinion, the one that is responsible. Coach Doman is not only so helpful in helping Jake develop and reach his potential--which is going to be amazing when that happens--but his relationship that Jake has with Coach Doman is one that will surpass any I could ever have with any of our players."
Interesting quote from Dan Mullen: "There's no secrets around here and I kept (Scott Stricklin) informed. I never had, really, any interest in leaving here this year."
“Really excited with the direction the program is going, with the leadership of Scott and within the athletic department, and with Dr. (Mark) Keenum. The vision they have, and the vision I have, everybody’s on the same page. We see a great future at Mississippi State, and we’re going to do some great things.”
Clemson defensive ends coach Chris Rumph jokes with running backs / special teams coordinator Andre Powell:
Smart talks to Muschamp, Bradley talks to Golden, Foley talks about Muschamp
Quoting Kirby Smart: "I talk to Will (Muschamp) all the time, but not about working for him."
Quoting Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley: "I called [Golden] to congratulate him on the Miami job. I kinda teased him. I said, 'Al, you'd have been better off with the Miami job when you were single, not when you're married with three kids.' ''
Quoting Florida AD Jeremy Foley: “We’ll find an office for Urban. He may be sitting in a chair in my office. We’ll be looking at each other all day.”
(on if Meyer will coach again) “Yeah, as long as it’s not at Georgia or something. I’m just kidding.”
(on Muschamp) “He's certainly respectful of the fact that this is Urban's last deal. He's not going to be in the forefront. He's back in Austin. We probably talk every day. He's, trust me, rocking and rolling hard putting a staff together.”
Quoting Ralph Friedgen: "It's been real surreal. To be honest with you, I'm a little bit overwhelmed by it. I really had no idea that people even thought that much of me."
Mike Gundy says Blackmon was just proving his ankle was healed during his first TD: "I don't like to taunt. But he cut across the field and was having a little fun, and proving his ankle was back to normal."
Ruffin McNeil says month off hurt his offense: “The time off may have hurt us just a little but in timing. But Maryland did a good job so you can't anything away (from the Maryland defense). We could have executed better.”
Up 33-10, Holgorsen crushes a Red Bull
Up 33-10 near the end of the third quarter, Dana Holgorsen crushed a Red Bull last night.
Beautiful.
No word yet on if Holgorsen was setting the stage for a long night of post-game celebration OR if he was trying to figure out how in $H*T his guys had only scored a season low of 33 points.
Either way, sources tell us that Ed Orgeron watched Holgorsen take action. Orgeron exploded, “Now that’s some good $#*T. That’s my kinda guy.”
Here’s the evidence of Holgo fueling the tank:
Country roads
Take me home
To the place
I belong
West Virginia
Mountain Mama
Take me home
Harbaugh: I don't want to put a timeline on it
Jim Harbaugh, the “Jackhammer,” is one busy dude right now.
He’s got Virginia Tech, a new baby girl named Katherine, a large contract proposal, and options about his future on his mind. No confirmation (at the time of print) was available on his priority.
When asked yesterday if he had spoken with the 49ers, Harbaugh responded, “I only talk about the job I have now.”
The Jackhammer added, “You know, my dual focus is on the Orange Bowl and the baby.”
So Jim, when will you resolve your future?
“I don’t want to put a timeline on it.”
According to Bay Area writer Jon Wilner, Stanford has placed a new deal in front of the Jackhammer. The new deal is worth approximately $3 million per year and includes huge amounts of deferred money and housing assistance, according to sources.
Friedgen sends warning to the next Maryland head coach
Ralph Friedgen sent a warning to the next Maryland head coach during his post-game press conference on Wednesday evening.
The Terps had just defeated East Carolina 51-20 when Friedgen explained to anyone who would listen that Maryland isn’t the job it appears to be.
Friedgen said, "I can tell you this — it's not an easy job. There's a lot of things that really have to change to help it reach its potential. And, to be honest with you, I don't know if the university is willing to do that. You've kind of got to know that going in. What happens to a lot of coaches who come to Maryland, they think it's like every other place, and after their third year they realize it isn't, and they're stuck.”
"People are concerned about my legacy, and my legacy is what it is — 75-50. I gave it the best I had for 10 years, and obviously that's not good enough right now, and that's what hurts. I leave the job a lot better than when I got it, so if someone else can come in and do better, my hat's off to them."
"I haven't been sleeping very well," Friedgen said. "I've been in a pattern where I can't keep my eyes open at 10 o'clock and they're wide open at 2 o'clock in the morning. It kind of got to the point where I wanted to get this game over with and kind of get on with the rest of my life."
Maryland finished 9-4 in Friedgen’s final season as head coach. It was nice to see Friedgen receive a standing ovation as he exited the field. Fans chanted, "Friedgen, Friedgen, Friedgen."
Quick Hits: Dantonio, Stoops, Ferentz, Pinkel, and June Jones
Mark Dantonio says the Spartans’ great players have to play great in order to beat Bama: “Our great players have to play great. Our players who are outstanding in their own right need to play at that level for us to be successful in this game. We can't have a substandard or an average performance by Greg Jones or Eric Gordon and expect to win. So this is about offense vs. defense, this is about individual matchups at times, this is about us measuring up. It's about the focus and us being emotionally ready.”
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops started 7-1 before losing the final 4 games of the season: “ I would say disappointed would be an accurate assessment of where we finished. A little frustrated. But, again, I have to look at where you are at as a team and as a program and the way you compete and how realistic (are) chances you have of winning every time you step on the field. And that's the overall view that I take and really don't feel bad about where we are at as a program and how close we are. Certainly there are some areas we need to improve to take the next step in trying to accumulate more wins and continually compete for championships. We fell short in November and December, but, again, I still feel like our program is stronger and is continually getting stronger each year.”
Quoting Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz following 27-24 win over Mizzou: "We've been in a lot of close games - in the past three years, actually - and it's a lot more fun when they come out the right way. It's a credit to our players. They believe in themselves and prepared for this."
Quoting Gary Pinkel following 27-24 loss to Iowa: "I'm very disappointed. It is very difficult in the locker room with kids that you love and you have been through so much this year and you come out of a tough, close game and a loss."
SMU head coach June Jones talks about preparing for Army:
