2010 Music City Bowl: North Carolina 30, Tennessee 27

www.tennessean.com

December 30, 2010
UT loses Music City Bowl in double OT

By Jeff Lockridge
THE TENNESSEAN

Casey Barth's 23-yard field goal in double overtime gave North Carolina a 30-27 win over Tennessee in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
North Carolina (8-5) got the opportunity to win after intercepting Tyler Bray in the second overtime.

In the first overtime, T.J. Yates rushed for a 1-yard touchdown for North Carolina. Bray's 20-yard touchdown pass to Luke Stocker sent the game to double overtime.

Barth kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to tie the game 20-20 and send it to overtime.

Bray's 8-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter with five minutes left had given Tennessee (6-7) a 20-17 lead.
The teams traded touchdowns just before halftime. The Vols, who have taken their shots deep with regularity, took a 14-10 lead when a pair of freshmen hooked up on Bray’s 45-yard toss to Da’Rick Rogers down the middle of the field with 1:30 left in the half.

Not to be outdone, North Carolina answered with a five-play, 72-yard drive in just over a minute to retake the lead on T.J. Yates’ 39-yard touchdown pass to Erik Highsmith with 27 seconds in the half.

Highsmith was able to get behind cornerback Prentiss Waggner on the left sideline when Yates extended the play by scrambling out of the pocket.

Bray completed 13-of-27 passes for 162 yards, two scores and two interceptions in the first half. The Vols had just 18 rushing yards on 12 carries.

North Carolina was more balanced, rushing for 88 yards and throwing for 119.

Casey Barth’s 28-yard field goal at 10:24 of the second quarter staked the Tar Heels to a 10-7 advantage. North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown’s 43-yard interception return to the Vols 10 provided the field position for the score. Brown snagged his third pick of the season when the ball caromed off tight end Luke Stocker’s hands.

It was tied 7-7 after one quarter. The Vols rallied to knot the score with 2:10 in the first quarter on Bray’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones, who was left uncovered on a blown assignment by the Tar Heels.

Senior tailback Shaun Draughn covered 58 yards on North Carolina’s third offensive play of the game to stake the Tar Heels to a 7-0 lead with 10:58 in the quarter.

Draughn, getting his second start of the season, sidestepped Vols safety Janzen Jackson to turn the toss sweep into a touchdown.

North Carolina missed an opportunity to pad its lead when cornerback Kendric Burney fumbled at the Vols 28 while returning a Bray interception. Stocker recovered for Tennessee.

The Tar Heels also suffered a key injury in the first quarter. Senior safety Deunta Williams, the team’s sixth leading tackler, was carted off the field with a broken right fibula after colliding with Stocker at the 5:32 mark.


2010 Pinstripe Bowl: Syracuse 36, Kansas State 34

A Pinstriped Thriller
Syracuse Outlasts Kansas State 36-34 at Yankee Stadium
By JARED DIAMOND
Wall Street Journal

New York City has long been considered a college football wasteland—a region oversaturated with professional teams and lacking a natural rooting interest. But by agreeing to host the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl, the Yankees demonstrated their confidence in the long-term viability of college football in a market noted for its apathy toward the sport.
It seems their gamble worked. Syracuse came away with a thrilling 36-34 victory over Kansas State in the first bowl game at Yankee Stadium since 1962. After a questionable excessive-celebration penalty, the Wildcats had a two-point conversion try from the 18-yard line with a chance to tie the game, but failed to convert.

"The financial story of this bowl game has been outstanding," Yankees' President Randy Levine said. Even with the extra expense involved in a massive snow removal project, Mr. Levine said the game has already exceeded revenue expectations.More importantly, the event showed that with the right event—and a little help from the Yankees—local fans may be able to carve out a small place in their hearts for college football.
In the days leading up to the game, the Yankees employed more than 400 workers to remove approximately 1.5 million pounds of snow from Yankee Stadium. By the time kickoff rolled around Thursday afternoon, the field was completely clear.
The work showed. Mountains of gray-white slushy snow surrounded the field, blanketing the area around home plate and sitting in massive piles in left and right field.
Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost said in a news conference before the game that the team sold 44,133 tickets, including 6,000 donated to various charities. The club announced an in-stadium attendance of 38,274.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation predicted that the staging of the Pinstripe Bowl would bring between $20 million and $30 million of extra revenue to New York City, a figure Mr. Levine said they matched or exceeded.

On the field, the win marked a significant step forward for Syracuse, a program that calls itself "New York's College Team." The Orange (8-5) had been mired in its worst stretch in school history, winning just 14 games in the last five seasons. before this year"In the face of the sixth-largest snowstorm in the history of New York City, we still were able to have a field and a stadium and a facility that the fans can enjoy, the players will enjoy," Mr. Trost said.
But under second-year head coach Doug Marrone, Syracuse began its turnaround, ending with Thursday's win.
Playing in its first bowl since 2004, Syracuse compiled 498 yards of total offense and put on a show in the market it desperately wants to dominate both for recruiting and exposure.
Running back Delone Carter won game MVP honors by rushing for 198 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Receiver Marcus Sales made five catches for 172 yards and three scores.
The victory was especially important to Mr. Marrone. He grew up in the Bronx, and his grandfather worked as an usher at the old Yankee Stadium. For one day, Syracuse lived up to its slogan.
"There was a moment out there tonight where I truly did almost break down and go to my knee," Mr. Marrone said, "because this really was a dream come true for me."

2010 Kohaku Uta Gassen roll call!



aiko / Mukai awase (9)
Angela Aki / Kagayaku hito (5)
Ikimono gakari / Arigato (3)
Ishikawa Sayuri / Amagigoe (33)
Uemura Kana / Toilet no kami-sama (1)
AKB48 / Kohaku 2010 AKB48 Kamikyoku SP (3)
Kawanaka Miyuki / Nirinsou (23)
Kumiko / INORI ~Inori~ (1)
Koda Kumi / KODAKUMI 2010 Special Medley (6)
Godai Natsuko / Hitorizake (17)
Kobayashi Sachiko / Kaa-chan no hitorigoto (32)
Sakamoto Fuyumi / Mata kimi ni koi shiteru (22)
Tendo Yoshimi / Jinsei michizure (15)
DREAMS COME TRUE / Ikite yuku no desu feat. The Kohaku Special Brass band (14)
Nakamura Mitsuko / Kawachi otokobushi (15)
Nishino Kana / Best Friend (1)
Hamasaki Ayumi / Virgin Road (12)
Perfume / Nee (3)
Hirahara Ayaka / Voyagers (7)
Mizuki Nana / PHANTOM MINDS (2)
Mizumori Kaori / Matsushima Kiko (8)
Wada Akiko / AKKO ii!!! Kohaku 2010 Special (34)
ARASHI / 2010 Kohaku Original Medley (2)
Itsuki Hiroshi / Oshiroi hana (40)
HY / Toki wo koe (1)
EXILE / I Wish For You (6)
NYC / Yoku asobi yoku manabe 100% NYC (2)
Kayama Yuzo / Wakadaisho 50-nen Special Medley (17)
Kitajima Saburo / Fusetsu nagaretabi (47)
Go Hiromi / GO! GO! Iya~ Kohaku Special Medley (23)
Kobukuro / Ryusei (6)
SMAP / This is love’10 SP Medley
TOKIO / advance (17)
Tokunaga Hideaki / Toki no nagare ni mi wo makase (5)
AAA / Aitai riyu (1)
Hikawa Kiyoshi / Niji-iro no Bayon (11)
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS / Ato hitotsu (2)
Fukuyama Masaharu / Michishirube (3)
flumpool / Kimi ni todoke (2)
Hosokawa Takashi / Naniwabushi da yo jinsei wa (34)
Porno Graffitti / Kimi wa 100% (9)
Mori Shinichi / Erimomisaki (43)
Yusuke / Hito (2)
L’Arc~en~Ciel / BLESS (4)

2010 Armed Forces Bowl: Army 16, SMU 14

Black Knights earn 16-14 victory for first winning season since 1996 and first bowl win since 1985

Image: Patrick Mealy, Trent SteelmanAP
Army's Patrick Mealy, right, takes the ball from quarterback Trent Steelman in the first half of the Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas. Mealy rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries for the Black Knights.
DALLAS - Josh McNary scooped up a fumble and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and Army held on to beat SMU 16-14 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Thursday, giving the Black Knights their first winning season since 1996 and first postseason win since 1985.
Army (7-6) had a 16-0 halftime lead on SMU's home field, then ran out the final 4 minutes after Matt Szymanski was wide left on a 47-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Mustangs ahead.
SMU (7-7) still hasn't had consecutive winning seasons since resuming play in 1989 after being the only team ever given the NCAA's so-called death penalty.
Army got the ball back with 4:05 left and quarterback Trent Steelman converted a pair of third downs. He ran for 6 yards on third-and-5 after SMU called its final timeout, then later rolled right and threw a 22-yard pass on third-and-4 for only his second completion in the game before a final kneel-down.
The Black Knights doused second-year coach Rich Ellerson with the contents of a water cooler. They ran to the far end of the field to share the victory with their fans.
When Ellerson was hired, Army was coming off three consecutive 3-9 seasons. The Black Knights had won only 30 games over 12 seasons since their 1996 Independence Bowl appearance that capped a 10-2 season and was its last winning record until now. They last won a postseason game in 1985, defeating Illinois in the Peach Bowl.
The Mustangs last season ended a 25-year bowl drought with a win in the Hawaii Bowl that gave them an 8-5 record. That was only the second winning season since the death penalty, and this was the second .500 record in that span.
SMU's Kyle Padron completed 23 of 34 passes for 302 yards, including touchdowns on consecutive drives in the second half before the Mustangs got their last chance. He had two interceptions and a fumble before halftime.
SMU faced fourth-and-6 after Padron scrambled to avoid a sack and dumped a 3-yard pass to Darius Johnson. After a timeout, and coach June Jones exchanging a fist pump with Szymanski, the kick fluttered wide left.
Jared Hassin ran for 82 yards to lead Army, which got 199 of its 229 total yards on the ground.

The matchup provided a reunion for Jones and Ellerson, who were teammates at Hawaii in 1974 and later spent a season there together on the same coaching staff. They played against each other in college and coached against each other in Canada.
Jones removed his name from consideration for the Maryland job this week, saying he was committed to the Mustangs. They are 15-12 since going 1-11 in Jones' first season after he left Hawaii following an undefeated regular season and BCS appearance.
Padron hit Aldrick Robinson for a 45-yard pass on the first play of the game, but two plays later fumbled while being sacked by Zach Watts. McNary picked it up and ran untouched to the end zone.
The Mustangs used a little trickery to keep their next drive alive when Szymanski, also the punter, ran 18 yards to convert fourth-and-6 from their 33. The drive stalled at the Army 18, and Szymanski was wide right on a 35-yard field goal attempt at the same open end of the stadium into the breeze.
Padron threw the first of consecutive drive-ending interceptions when SMU got the ball back.
Despite gaining 156 total yards and getting inside the Army 30 on all three of their drives in the first quarter, the Mustangs trailed 13-0.
After Malcolm Brown took a pitch left 13 yards for a touchdown to put Army up 13-0, the extra point was blocked by 6-foot-8 Margus Hunt, a world-class shot put and discus thrower from Estonia who had never played football before getting to SMU last year. It was his third blocked kick this season and the 10th in his career, already a school record.
Alex Carlton, kicking at the same end where Szymanski had both of his misses, made a 44-yard field goal with 2:39 left in the first half.
SMU finally scored when Padron capped a 92-yard drive with an 8-yarder to Robinson, the eighth consecutive game the senior receiver caught a TD pass. Padron threw a 28-yard touchdown to Johnson in the fourth quarter.
Zach Line ran 17 times for 103 yards for SMU.
The Armed Forces Bowl is usually played on TCU's campus, but the main grandstand at 80-year-old Amon G. Carter Stadium was brought down earlier this month as part of a $105 million modernizing renovation. Bowl officials said before the season that their game was temporarily moving to SMU, with plans to return to Fort Worth as early as 2011.
© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2010 Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State 36, Arizona 10

Magnificent 11

by: BILL HAISTEN Tulsa World Sports Writer
Thursday, December 30, 2010
12/30/2010 8:43:00 AM

SAN ANTONIO - It wasn't the statistical fireworks show that was typical during Oklahoma State's only season with Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator, but the Cowboys closed 2010 by achieving a milestone.

All-American wide receiver Justin Blackmon had a 71-yard touchdown catch, strong safety Markelle Martin scored on a 62-yard interception return and Groza Award recipient Dan Bailey booted three field goals - all from 40 yards or longer - as the 16th-ranked Cowboys conquered Arizona 36-10 in Wednesday's Alamo Bowl.

The Alamodome crowd of 57,953 saw Oklahoma State reach the 11-win mark for the first time in school history.

During the preseason, the Cowboys were picked to finish fifth in the six-team Big 12 South. Instead, they captured a share of the title.

"I can't (overstate) the importance of what this senior class accomplished," Cowboy coach Mike Gundy said.

With a four-year total of 36 wins, these OSU seniors are the most successful class in program history.

"This is pretty special," said Cowboy quarterback Brandon Weeden, who passed for 240 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona. Redshirt freshman running back Jeremy Smith also scored on a 6-yard run as the 11-2 Cowboys ended a two-game losing streak in bowls.

OSU prevailed for the first time in three Alamo Bowl appearances.

Former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, ending his seventh season as the Arizona head coach, watched his Wildcats (7-6) stumble to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Blackmon, whose pregame status had been uncertain because of an ankle sprain sustained in November, also had a 3-yard TD reception during the third quarter. He was voted the Alamo Bowl's offensive MVP. The defensive award went to Martin.

Last season's Cotton Bowl is regarded as perhaps Martin's best performance. Apparently, he likes bowl games. With 12:33 remaining in Wednesday's first half, he picked off a Nick Foles pass and raced down Arizona's sideline for the touchdown.

OSU's third-down defense was deficient, but the Cowboys did intercept Foles three times. In addition to Martin's big play, Cowboy free safety Johnny Thomas had an interception near the goal line and linebacker James Thomas had one near midfield.

"Turnovers certainly were a big part of it," Stoops said. "... We'll retool and regroup and bounce back. Tomorrow, I'll be excited about the future."

The Cowboys made their eighth bowl appearance in nine seasons and their fifth consecutive bowl appearance with Gundy as the head coach.

Having a month between games resulted in rust for the Cowboys' offense, which entered with national rankings of No. 1 in total offense, No. 2 in passing and No. 3 in scoring.

OSU was held under the 400-yard mark in total offense for only the third time this season. The Cowboys had 351 yards against Texas A&M, 379 against Oklahoma and a season-low 312 against Arizona.

Before the Alamo Bowl, OSU averaged 538 total yards per game. In his final game as a Cowboy, running back Kendall Hunter was limited to 32 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

Hunter dwelled not on his tough night, but on the unprecedented 11th victory for the Cowboys.

"It's the greatest feeling as a senior to make history and set a standard for the younger players," said Hunter, a two-time All-American.

With nine catches for 117 yards, Blackmon became the first player in major-college football history to have at least 100 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch in 12 consecutive games.

For the season, Blackmon has 20 touchdown receptions, breaking Dez Bryant's 2008 school record of 19. Also, with a season total of 1,782 receiving yards, Blackmon has the distinction of being the most prolific sophomore pass-catcher in college football history.

After recovering a first-quarter punt that was muffed by Arizona's William Wright, OSU struck for a quick Smith touchdown. The Cowboys followed with Blackmon's 71-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.

Arizona countered with a 63-yard drive, capped by Juron Criner's 5-yard TD reception. In 54 game minutes after the Criner touchdown, the Wildcats mustered only one more score - an Alex Zendejas field goal in the third period.



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