RESULTS - BRACKET 64 Round 1 (seed) year school - score
(65) 1982 Georgia - 27 (1984) 1987 Kentucky - 10 The Wildcats couldn't compete with Bulldog Fever. Herschel Walker runs for 142 and QB John Lastinger was shredded the poor Wildcats. The Bulldog D shut down Mark Higgs and limited him to 5 yards. Blowout!
(960) 1984 Notre Dame - 26 (1089) 2002 Tennessee - 23 (OT) In one of the better first round matchups of the tournament QB Steve Buerlein hit Mark Bavaro for a 30 yard reception to set up he winning FG by John Carney. But for the Irish Allen Pinkett was the story, he scored all 3 touchdowns. This Tennessee team hung with the Irish on the Arm of Casey Clausen to TE Jason Witten but a late fumble by Cedric Houston set up the Irish connection. Also the Voluteers were desperate in this one and put Jason Witten back to receive kicks.
(577) 2002 Virginia Tech - 31 (1472) 2000 Stanford - 17 This was the Suggs and Jones show and there were virtually untouchable rushing for 250 and this was over at the half poor Randy Fasani.
(448) 1993 UCLA - 27 (1601) 1986 Tulsa - 18 This Bruin team rotated personal all game it wore out this poor Tulsa team. JJ Stokes was the story 4 catches for 168 and UCLA was very creative on special teams and Tulsa like many other bad teams in this tourny took the time to promote the school.
(321) 1990 Penn State - 25 (1728) 1999 Air Force - 15 Tony Sacca led the Lions to the easy victory over the Air Force, this one was over at the half with a 22-0 lead at the half and Leroy Thompson and Sam Gash salted away the game in the second half.
(704) 1995 Texas Tech - 39 (1345) 2004 Hawaii - 26 We have a Zebbie Letheridge sighting but this game was controlled by Byron Hanspard and Monte Reagor forced Timmy Chang into several bad decisions, this was one of Hawaii best teams in the tournament. But the Raiders gave the Rainbows a Heartache in this one.
(833) 1995 Iowa - 26 (1216) 2000 Pittsburgh - 21 Can you say Tim Dwight! All purpose yards for Dwight on the day were 300 yards and this was a very good Pitt team with Antonio Bryant and Kevan Barlow on the squad, can you believe Antonio split time with RJ English?
(192) 1978 Clemson - 30 (1857) 2004 North Carolina State - 13 The great Steve Fuller took advantage of the undersized AJ Davis and Devonte Edwards and got Dwight Clark and and Jerry Butler whenever he wanted. Clemson DE Charlie Bauman got a Pick against QB Jay Davis but after the play chaos came from a very pissed off Chuck Amato.
(193) 2004 Boise State - 39 (1856) 1994 Clemson - 14 The Broncos ripped the Tigers and it was all Jared Zabransky and the Bronco D. Zabransky threw for 414 and 4 td's to TJ Acree, two to Dristan Davis and Dereck Schouman. This was a laffer from the start but if Clemson has Raymond Priester in the lineup his luck isn't good in this tournament. The Tailback was shut down by Andy Avalos and Korey Hall. Boise kept all starters in well into the second half we will see if that matters in their next matchup.
(832) 1990 Illinois - 22 (1217) 2008 Connecticut - 20 This was a great game from start to finish but a late 4th quarter stop by Moe Gardner and Derrick Brownlow stopping Donald Brown short of the first down sealed the slight victory for the Illni. This game was all about the RB's as UCONN RB Donald Brown ran for 192 and Illini FB Howard Griffith scored all 3 TD's and rushed for 167 on 8 carries.
(705) 1985 Texas - 20 (1344) 1984 Wisconsin - 18 This one came down to pass by Wisconsin QB Mike Howard to WR Al Toon that was broken up Eric Jefferies to preserve the victory for the horns.
(320) 2005 Oklahoma - 30 (1729) 2004 UCLA - 22 This game was a lot closer then it should have been as Maurice Jones Drew and Mercedes Lewis kept the Bruin in this one but a late pick 6 by Reggie Smith thrown by Drew Olson secured the victory for the Sooners. Adrian Peterson had a big day with 150 but Rhett Bomar mistakes, mainly two interceptions to Jerad Page kept this game close.
(499) 1980 Mississippi State - 35 (1600) 1993 BYU - 25 The Bulldogs took down this Cougar team with no issues, RB Michael Haddix had 120 and QB John Bond played steady enough to beat this very average QB John Walsh team.
(576) 2000 Wisconsin - 24 (1473) 1998 BYU - 21 This bracket wouldn't have been mine without several BYU teams for some reason but at least another BYU squad was knocked out. Michael Bennett used his speed to catch a screen pass late in the 4th quarter to set up a Vitaly Pisetsky FG to win it. Oh and BYU RB Ronnie Jenkins got rocked.
(961) 1990 Southern Miss - 39 (1088) 1998 Kentucky - 32 (2 OT) Another fantastic game in this bracket with Brett Farve going against Tim Couch. This game was a tennis match but it came down to a Farve 1 yard dive into the endzone and dropped pass by Kentucky WR Craig Yeast to get Farve to second Round.
(64) 1994 Florida State - 44 (1985) 2008 Fresno State - 14 WOW! This will be a team to keep an eye on!!! Danny Kanell, Warrick Dunn and Kez McCorvey all had career days against a very below average Fresno St Defense. QB Tom Brandstater threw 5 picks, 3 to Clifton Abraham, 2 Derrick Brooks. This will be a team to watch out for they are stacked. 62 Y Middle sure didn't work today.
Round 2 Matchups- (65) 1982 Georgia vs (960) 1984 Notre Dame (448) 1993 UCLA vs (577) 2002 Virginia Tech (321) 1990 Penn State vs (704) 1995 Texas Tech (192) 1978 Clemson vs (833) 1995 Iowa (193) 2004 Boise State vs (832) 1990 Illinois (320) 2005 Oklahoma vs (705) 1985 Texas (449) 1980 Mississippi State vs (576) 2000 Wisconsin (64) 1994 Florida State vs (961) 1990 Southern Miss
Round 2 Matchups- (53) 2005 USC vs (1077) 1983 Arizona (460) 1981 Washington vs (565) 1996 Notre Dame (309) 2007 Virginia Tech vs (716) 1994 Washington State (204) 2000 Florida vs (821) 1993 California (181) 1977 Arkansas vs (844) 1979 Tulane (332) 2004 Tennessee vs (693) 2007 Illinois (437) 1992 Hawaii vs (588) 1989 Texas Tech (76) 1993 Auburn vs (949) 1995 Colorado State
(77) 1993 Notre Dame - 40 (1972) 1989 Iowa - 12 This was no contest. One of the best Notre Dame teams in the field quickly dismissed the '89 Hawkeyes. QB Kevin McDougal and RB Lee Becton ran the option to perfection (with some assistance from Bob Seger), and a loaded Irish defense shut down QB Matt Rodgers and the Iowa offense.
(948) 2007 Mississippi State - 14 (1101) 1988 Fresno State - 27 Sylvester Croom's best team in the field didn't last long. Fresno RB Aaron Craver surprisingly found plenty of running lanes against Mississippi State's usually stout defense. The only highlight for the Croomdawgs was this Derek Pegues punt return for touchdown.
(589) 2007 Cincinnati - 24 (1460) 1977 Tennessee State - 17 Tennessee State brought an excellent defensive game plan (and some excellent songs) into their first round matchup with heavy favorite Cincinnati. It took a Mike Mickens interception in the final minute to stave off a huge upset bid.
(436) 1985 Florida State - 35 (1613) 2001 Rice - 19 Florida State quarterbacks Danny McManus and Chip Ferguson each hooked up with WR Hassan Jones on touchdown throws against an overmatched defense. Rice QB Kyle Herm made some plays early running Ken Hatfield's wishbone, but that didn't last long.
(333) 1994 Colorado State - 29 (1716) 2006 Nevada - 22 The best Colorado State team in the tournament got off to a slow start. Nevada QB Jeff Rowe kept the Wolfpack in the game with his arm, but it was Ram QB Anthoney Hill who had the last laugh, finding WR Eric Olsen for what ended up being the game winning TD early in the fourth quarter.
(692) 2000 Louisville - 33 (1357) 2002 Iowa State - 24 There were plenty of highlights in this first round matchup. Dave Ragone threw for 412 yards, including a pair of touchdowns each to Arnold Jackson and Deion Branch. But the highlight of the day had to be this amazing run by Seneca Wallace. This tournament will definitely miss Seneca.
(845) 1978 Pittsburgh - 23 (1204) 1981 Tennessee - 16 Johnny Majors and the Volunteers stumbled against the Jackie Sherrill-led 1978 Pitt Panthers. Sophomore OL Mark May won the day in the trenches against Reggie White, opening enough holes for the RB duo of Freddy Jacobs and Rooster Jones to operate effectively.
(180) 1997 UCLA - 42 (1869) 2001 Wisconsin - 17 UCLA QB Cade McNown hit RB Skip Hicks on this 42-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter and the rout was on. Lee Evans could only watch as Wisconsin's overmatched defense gave up point after point on their way to elimination.
(205) 2000 Oregon - 34 (1844) 1978 New Mexico State - 17 The Oregon offense had no trouble moving the ball on the Aggie defense. They took a 27-7 lead into the half thanks in part to this Keenan Howry 27-yard touchdown catch from Joey Harrington.
(820) 1989 Northern Illinois - 32 (1229) 1986 Temple - 30 If a 1989 Northern Illinois vs 1986 Temple showdown doesn't get your blood boiling, you might want to check your pulse to see if you're still alive! 2000 Oregon had better be careful in the second round because NIU QB Stacey Johnson is capable of taking a game over at any time. NIU - Blood on Blood!
(717) 1980 Washington - 23 (1332) 1989 Florida - 17 Despite being arguably the most talented team on the field, Florida wasn't able to pull out the victory. DB Ray Horton returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter that gave the Huskies the lead for good. Emmitt Smith, thinking this was his best chance to advance in The Greatest Tournament of All Time, devastated after the loss.
(308) 1996 Alabama - 26 (1741) 1980 Princeton - 12 The Alabama defense locked down on Princeton and led the way to an easy first round win. The loaded secondary, including Kevin Jackson and DeShea Townsend, blanketed the Tiger receivers and limited QB Mark Lockenmeyer to only 87 passing yards.
(461) 2003 Bowling Green - 30 (1588) 1978 Tennessee - 19 Johnny Majors may have had the advantage of experience over Bowling Green's rookie head coach Gregg Brandon, but he never had a QB like Josh Harris. Harris paced an explosive Falcon offense with 264 yards passing, including this 7-yard TD strike to the talented Charles Sharon.
(564) 1991 BYU - 33 (1485) 1994 TCU - 22 BYU QB Ty Detmer was up for the challenge of this tournament. The senior out-dueled TCU QB Max Knake by throwing for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns.
(973) 1996 West Virginia - 38 (1076) 2003 Oregon State - 41 (3 OT) With all the playmakers on the field, this game needed overtime to decide a winner. Mountaineer DB Mike Logan made a remarkable defensive play early in the game that appeared to set the tempo for the rest of the game. But Oregon State WR Mike Hass had other ideas. In a game that featured stars Steven Jackson, Derek Anderson, and Amos Zereoue, it was Hass who shined the brightest. Hass collected 197 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game winner in the third overtime.
(52) 2002 USC - 35 (1997) 1987 North Carolina - 12 UNC DBs Derrick Donald and Dan Vooletich were no match for the USC passing attack. Carson Palmer hit Mike Williams and Keary Colbert on twin 37-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter and RB Sultan McCullough took over from there. UNC QB Mark Maye is sent packing.
Round 2 Matchups- (77) 1993 Notre Dame vs (1101) 1988 Fresno State (436) 1985 Florida State vs (589) 2007 Cincinnati (333) 1994 Colorado State vs (692) 2000 Louisville (180) 1997 UCLA vs (845) 1978 Pittsburgh (205) 2000 Oregon vs (820) 1989 Northern Illinois (308) 1996 Alabama vs (717) 1980 Washington (461) 2003 Bowling Green vs (564) 1991 BYU (52) 2002 USC vs (1076) 2003 Oregon State
(733) 1977 North Carolina State - 27 (1316) 1990 Arizona - 14
(292) 2003 Georgia - 28 (1757) 1998 Utah - 17
(477) 1995 Michigan - 30 (1572) 1994 Nevada - 22
(548) 2002 North Carolina State - 31 (1501) 1989 Texas - 14
(989) 1984 Hawaii - 17 (1060) 1979 UT-Arlington - 22
(36) 2008 Florida - 47 (2013) 1993 Rice - 10
Round 2 Matchups- (93) 2004 Utah vs (932) 1984 Miami (420) 2004 Michigan vs (605) 1984 Auburn (349) 2003 Utah vs (676) 1996 Wyoming (164) 1995 Colorado vs (1188) 1983 Southern Miss (221) 2004 Georgia vs (804) 1978 East Carolina (292) 2003 Georgia vs (733) 1977 North Carolina State (477) 1995 Michigan vs (548) 2002 North Carolina State (36) 2008 Florida vs (1060) 1979 UT-Arlington
RESULTS - BRACKET 49 Round 1 (seed) year school - score
(49) 1997 Florida State - 45 (2000) 2008 Hawaii - 13 FSU signal caller Thad Busby connected with EG Green for two scores while senior end Andre Wadsworth and the formative Noles front four set up camp in the Hawai'i backfield forcing QB Greg Alexander into three interceptions.
(976) 2008 Boston College - 23 (1073) 1995 Arkansas - 19 LB Mark Herzlich was all over the field (as usual) in this one. The Arrington Trophy winner was in on 12 tackles, and a key component to shutting down Arkansas RB Madre Hill.
(561) 2003 Kansas State - 28 (1488) 1986 Colorado - 14 Colorado struck first on this trick play out of the wishbone, but several breakdowns on special teams did the Buffs in. HB Darren Sproles and QB Ell Roberson capitalized on Colorado's inability to stop the run, combining for 228 yards on the ground.
(464) 2003 Washington State - 24 (1585) 1980 Harvard - 14 With bookend DEs D.D. Acholonu and Isaac Brown harassing Harvard QB Brian Buckley from the opening kickoff, the Cougars got good field position all day long. QB Matt Kegel was solid, but not spectacular in guiding a WSU attack that was expected to score more than 24 points.
(305) 1996 North Carolina - 25 (1744) 1985 Southern Miss - 10 Mack Brown's Carolina defense completely dominated this one from the get go. USM RB Vincent Alexander never got going, and coach Jim Carmody didn't have many other options.
(720) 2005 Michigan - 26 (1329) 1999 Clemson - 20 In a star studded game, it was the 2005 Wolverines who came out on top. Clemson QB Woodrow Dantzler was fantastic, running circles around Gabe Watson and the Michigan defense, but he couldn't find WR Rod Gardner in the end zone with time winding down.
(817) 1983 Central Michigan - 21 (1232) 1993 Cincinnati - 17 CMU coach Herb Deromedi decided the game plan going into this one would be to hand the ball off to RB Curtis Adams as much as possible. It worked, and Adams finished with 42 carries for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
(208) 2001 Colorado - 37 (1841) 1994 Louisville - 22 The buildup for Howard Schnellenberger's Louisville team was much greater than their performance on the field. Colorado RBs Chris Brown and Bobby Purify pounded the Cardinal defense, meaning the question mark at QB (Craig Ochs or Bobby Pesavento?) didn't get a chance rear its ugly head. But that issue will come up at some point in this tournament, as the competition only gets tougher.
(177) 1987 Oklahoma - 38 (1872) 1995 Maryland - 9 Maryland and QB Scott Milanovich didn't have a chance against the mighty Sooners. Barry Switzer's wishbone attack steamrolled the Terps, including this 65-yard TD run by Patrick Collins.
(848) 1986 Boston College - 20 (1201) 1985 Colorado - 17 Boston College LB Bill Romanowski kept the Colorado running game in check, and even took time to send Buffs coach Bill McCartney this holiday greeting.
(689) 1988 Houston - 37 (1360) 1993 Ball State - 20 Ball State head coach Paul Schudel allowed himself to get caught up in the passing game as he tried to match Houston QB Andre Ware point for point. That didn't work, of course, and WRs Jason Phillips and James Dixon had a field day against Ball State's overworked secondary.
(336) 1978 Texas - 24 (1713) 1982 Cincinnati - 12 Another Cincinnati team bites the dust. Johnny "Lam" Jones showed off his blazing speed on a 103-yard kick return for touchdown in the third quarter that broke the game open for the Longhorns. RB Allen Harvin had a solid game, but he was the only offensive weapon for Mike Gottfried's Bearcats.
(433) 1999 Florida - 28 (1616) 1977 Baylor - 17 Florida freshman DE Alex Brown "teed off" on Baylor QB Steve Smith to the tune of 5 sacks and an interception. His remarkable performance upstaged Baylor's freshman LB Mike Singletary, who led a defense that surprisingly held Florida below their scoring average.
(592) 1978 Arizona State - 24 (1457) 1981 Southern Illinois - 17 QB Mark Malone did everything for the Sun Devils in this contest against Rey Dempsey's Salukis. Malone threw for 197 yards, ran for another 86, and accounted for all three of ASU's touchdowns.
(945) 2001 Hawaii - 27 (1104) 1989 Virginia Tech - 21 Although the Hokie defense held June Jones' run & shoot under 72 points, Nick Rolovich and the Rainbow Warriors were still able to score enough points to advance to the second round. Virginia Tech tried to control the clock with the freshman RB duo of Vaughn Hebron and Tony Kennedy, and it almost worked. But Rolovich found Ashley Lelie in the end zone for the game winner with 2:43 left on the clock, and the Hokies couldn't answer.
(80) 1991 Florida - 34 (1969) 1985 North Carolina - 12 RB Errict Rhett paced a workmanlike effort for the Gators in their first round matchup with Dick Crum's Tar Heels. UNC QB Kevin Anthony never had time to find WR Earl Winfield because defensive linemen Brad Culpepper and Kevin Carter were so disruptive.
Round 2 Matchups- (49) 1997 Florida State vs (976) 2008 Boston College (464) 2003 Washington State vs (561) 2003 Kansas State (305) 1996 North Carolina vs (720) 2005 Michigan (208) 2001 Colorado vs (817) 1983 Central Michigan (177) 1987 Oklahoma vs (848) 1986 Boston College (336) 1978 Texas vs (689) 1988 Houston (433) 1999 Florida vs (592) 1978 Arizona State (80) 1991 Florida vs (945) 2001 Hawaii
