Heisman goes to the wrong Pac-10 quarterback

Sporting News, The, Dec 23, 2002 by Tom Dienhart

M@IL BONDING

TOM DIENHART ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Any West Virginia fan who wants to whine about his team not getting into the Gator Bowl is pathetic. Perhaps the West Virginia mountain air is making Mountaineers fans forget their 48-17 loss to the Maryland team that Notre Dame spanked, 22-0.

Derek Schultz, Bloomington, Ind.

Derek: Notre Dame does look like the better team, but you have to appreciate the frustration of the Mountaineers and coach--Rich Rodriguez. They were squeezed out of the Gator by a team that isn't even part of their league.

The Big East cut a deal with the Irish after the 1997 season, when the league's teams went 0-4 in the postseason. The Gator, Insight, Continental Tire and San Francisco bowls, which all have ties to the Big East, can pick Notre Dame up to two times in a four-year span. And with ND as a Big East "member," the league is more attractive to bowl and TV officials, which ensures more money.

Because Notre Dame didn't get a BCS bowl bid, it became available to be selected by the Gator. It's hard to pass up the Irish and their fan following and TV power. West Virginia just picked the wrong year to finish second in the league.

Upon further review ...

The Kentucky football team has been banned from bowl play for one season. The information was incorrect in the December 2 Issue.

SPEED READS

* Kudos to Boise State coach Dan Hawkins for staying true to his school. Though Baylor and Utah expressed Interest, Hawkins pledged his allegiance to the Broncos. It's nice that big-school glory doesn't mean everything to everybody. Of course, Hawkins recently had his salary bumped to $300,000 a year, making him Idaho's top-paid state employee.

* East Carolina should be ashamed for forcing Steve Logan, who has the most coaching victories in school history, out the door after a 4-8 season. The Pirates were in a bowl just last season, and in 11 years, Logan compiled a 69-58 record with five bowl trips.

* Kentucky A.D. Mitch Barnhart made the right decision not to match Baylor's offer to Guy Morriss. Yes, Morriss did a nice job in Lexington, going 9-14 in two seasons under trying circumstances after the Hal Mumme regime left the program on probation. But an unproven coach such as Morriss isn't worth $1 million per year.

INSIDE DISH

By TOM DIENHART

Though Florida State has lost four games in back-to-back seasons, coach Bobby Bowden says he has no plans to shake up his staff. The last time the program lost four or more games in two straight seasons was in 1975 (3-8) and '76 (5-6), Bowden's first year in Tallahassee. On offense, FSU was plagued by inconsistencies in the passing game, and the defense struggled to cover and get a steady pass rush.... Looking for any edge it can get against Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, NC State plans to tap the expertise of former Wolfpack offensive coordinator Norm Chow. His USC offense ripped the Irish defense for 610 yards of total offense in a 44-13 triumph. Wolfpack assistant Mike Canales will meet with Chow in California to discuss strategy.... Iowa hopes it can close a recruiting deal with high school QB Chris Leak, who visited Iowa City last weekend. Leak, a Charlotte native, also is being recruited by Florida, Florida State and USC. He is considered by most to be the nation's top high school quarterback and, according to Hawkeyes coaches, could he the next Brad Banks. One school not in the running is Tennessee, where things haven't gone as expected for Chris' older brother, QB C.J. Leak.... Oregon coach Mike Bellotti plans to play Jason Fife and Kellen Clemens at quarterback in the Seattle Bowl against Wake Forest. Fife, a junior, started every regular-season game but was uneven down the stretch as the Ducks lost their last three. Clemens, a redshirt freshman, played sparingly but was a touted high school prospect.... Pittsburgh's program could be in for a tough offseason. Nebraska is interested in filling its vacant athletic director job with Panthers A.D. Steve Paderson, who once worked at Nebraska. The Huskers also might woo Panthers defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, one of the best in the business, to fill a similar position in Lincoln. And schools, including UCLA and Michigan State, continue to flirt with Pitt coach Walt Harris.... Michigan scored a big commitment when high school QB Clayton Richard pledged to come to Ann Arbor. A 6-5 lefthander from Lafayette, Ind., Richard also is a pitching prospect who likely will be taken in the first round of the June baseball draft. But, just as former Wolverines quarterback Drew Henson did, Richard wants to play football in the fall for Michigan and pro baseball in the summer. The way coaches handled Henson's two sport commitment was one of the appealing things to Richard about Michigan.... Since the end of the regular season, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has lost two key assistants--running hacks coach Art Briles became head coach at Houston, and special teams coach Manny Matsakis took over at I-AA Southwest Texas State. Plus, defensive coordinator Greg McMackin was a candidate for the Utah job that went to Urban Meyer. That's a great testament to the staff Leach built, but one has to wonder how the movement will impact the Red Raiders' bowl preparations.... Give Clemson credit for creative ticket marketing. If fans purchase tickets to the Tangerine Bowl, in which Clemson will play Texas Tech, they get a coupon for a free ticket to one of two Tigers home games in 2003: Furman or Middle Tennessee State. That might be an idea for schools such as Maryland and Virginia, which are struggling to sell bowl tickets.