Thoughts on Yesterday

Here's what struck me yesterday, game-by-game:

1. Pat White, badass. See the post below.

- He had a 300+ QB rating on 1st and 3rd down and is the first QB to go 4-0 in bowl games. This really was a good game. I missed most of it early, but caught the end and the late night replay on ESPN.

- Overlooked in all the glory of White's finale? Hakeem Nicks. He had a monster day and a one-man highlight reel of catches.

- Butch Davis has done a good job here at UNC and I think they'll only get better. It would have been great to see him go to Auburn and square off with Saban for in-state dominance.

- Noel Devine will have 500 carries next year.



2. How overrated was Wisconsin this year? Very.

- I thought it was character building when they eked out that win at Fresno State. Wisky usually plays bad on the road and the Bulldogs were supposed to be good this year. But, as the season wore on, we saw Fresno collapse against real competition (2nd half at Boise - yikes!) and Wisconsin lose to Michigan. The worst of it all? Cal-Poly being 3 missed XP's away from actually beating the Badgers in Camp Randall.

- I'm not taking anything away from Florida State, they deserved that win and looked good getting it. I think the key to everything was the punting; Wisky played from behind their 10 four times in the first half.

- All that said, when will Florida State turn that corner and start winning big again with their talent? If it's not next year, It ain't happening under Bowden.



3. I feel really bad for Nate Longshore. I know Cal won, but he has taken a lot of crap in Berkley. And, playing last night, in his last game in his own backyard, the crowd rained boos down upon him. Has he been great? No. Good? Rarely. But he strikes me as a kid who would have thrived somewhere else if he could have relocated after his injury. Like a pro QB who gets a fresh start. But, you don't get that in college. You get 40 year old men and women insulting and cursing 22 year old kids. Oh, well.

- Jahvid Best is a beast. Tedford could have saved Longshore some criticism if he'd just went to Best the entire game. Forget the cutesy shit, just run him right at Miami. Did you see the Georgia Tech game? The Canes couldn't stop the run then, they can't stop it now.

- Miami will get better under Shannon. He's finally brought discipline to a program that needed it. And that kid at QB looks pretty good, too.

- Cal will continue to live in USC's shadow along with the rest of the PAC 1+9.