Week 5 - Saturday, September 29, 2012 The Road To South ... · Virginia Tech rebounded from its loss to Pitt well in a 37-0 shutout of Bowling Green last week, ... was the Commodore’s

ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN PRESS BOXES THIS WEEK

N.C. State at Miami..........................Art Hertz, Don Kubit, Peyton Lumpkin

*OBC members are easily identified by their Orange jackets

WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING

Mark Schlabach Brad Edwards Stewart Mandel Jerry PalmMatt MurschelBrant Parsons

Oregonvs.

Alabama

Oregon vs.

Alabama

Alabama vs.

Oregon

Alabama vs.

Florida State

Alabama vs.

Texas

Oregonvs.

Alabama

Florida Statevs.

Rutgers

Florida Statevs.

Louisville

Florida Statevs.

Louisville

Notre Damevs.

Boise State

Florida Statevs.

Rutgers

Florida Statevs.

Louisville

Michigan Statevs.

Stanford

Michigan Statevs.

USC

Nebraskavs.

USC

Nebraskavs.

USC

Michigan Statevs.

Oregon

Michigan Statevs.

USC

Georgiavs.

Texas

Georgiavs.

Kansas State

Georgiavs.

Texas

LSUvs.

Louisville

Notre Damevs.

Georgia

LSUvs.

Kansas State

West Virginia vs.

Notre Dame

Texasvs.

Notre Dame

Kansas Statevs.

Notre Dame

West Virginiavs.

Oregon

Kansas Statevs.

USC

West Virginiavs.

Notre Dame

DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMEWed. Dec. 26 Team Arrivals / HC Press Conference Wed. Jan.2

Thur. Sun.

Dec. 27Dec. 30

HC/Student-Athlete Media Availability(post practice) Sat. Jan. 5

Fri. Sat.

Dec. 28Dec. 29 Coordinators Press Conferences Thur.

Fri.Jan. 3Jan. 4

N/A Media Day Sat. Jan. 5

Mon. Dec. 31 HC Press Conferences Sun. Jan. 6

Mon. Dec. 31 AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon presented by Deloitte N/A

Mon. Dec. 31 Media Party Sun. Jan. 6

Tue. Jan. 1 Orange Bowl Game Day Fan Zone2013 Discover Orange Bowl (ESPN) N/A

N/A National Championship Game Day Fan Zone2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game (ESPN) Mon. Jan. 7

ORANGE BOWL COMMITTEE

Officers

President & Chair.............................O. Ford GibsonChair-Elect......................................Andrew P. HertzVice Chair.............................................Luis E. BouéVice Chair......................................Lee E. StapletonSecretary..............................................Ann E. PopeTreasurer..........................................Shaun M. DavisPast President...............................Jeffrey T. RobertsCEO......................................................Eric L. Poms

Communications Staff305-341-4700

[email protected]

Larry WahlVP, Communications & Community Outreach

Noah SharfmanCommunications Associate

Kristina TaylorCommunications Assistant

Ryan TrappCommunications Assistant

IMPORTANT MEDIA DATES

Sun. Oct. 16 BCS Standings Released

Thur. Nov. 1 2013 Discover Orange Bowl Online Credential Application Opens

Sat. Dec. 1 Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game (EPSN)

Across College Football

Coaches Poll Movers and Shakers - For the fourth week in a row, Alabama holds steady as the number one team in college football, but there was a lot of movement by teams behind the Crimson Tide. After Oregon’s dominating defensive performance in a 49-0 win over Arizona, the Ducks move past LSU to the number two spot in the Coaches Poll while the Tigers drop to number three. Notre Dame moves up four spots for the second straight week, climbing to No. 11 after a win over then-ranked Michigan, dropping the Wolverines out of the poll. Kansas State and Mississippi State climb four spots in the poll as well. Four new teams enter the top 25, with Oregon State at No. 21, Baylor at No. 24 and both Rutgers and Virginia Tech tying at No. 25. No. 16 Clemson and No. 15 Oklahoma both drop out of the top 10 with losses to FSU and Kansas State respectively, while UCLA and Arizona join the Wolverines as teams to drop out entirely.

One for the Books - Saturday saw two of the most impressive individual performances in college football history. Arkansas wide out Cobi Hamilton hauled in an SEC-record 303 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the Razorbacks’ 35-26 loss to Rutgers. He had collected just 126 yards all season up until the breakout performance. Over in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke captured two Division I records in passing for 730 yards (55-of-79) and accounting for 791 yards of total offense in a 64-61 win over New Hampshire. He was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, and currently leads all FCS players with 1,921 passing yards and 529 yards of offense per game.

Miller Time - A dual-threat quarterback in the Big Ten has been generating some Heisman buzz, and it isn’t Denard Robinson. Ohio State sophomore Braxton Miller has led the Buckeyes to an early 4-0 record and has been turning some heads in the process. Already, Miller has accounted for 754 yards and seven touchdowns passing, while adding on another 441 yards and seven scores on the ground. He’s on pace to account for over 3,500 yards of total offense and 42 touchdowns when it’s all said and done. His Michigan counterpart has tallied a total of 1,178 yards and 12 touchdowns in his own right, but has thrown an FBS-high eight interceptions and coughed up three fumbles as well.

Mountaineer Debut - West Virginia will make its Big 12 debut this weekend with a matchup against Nick Florence and the undefeated Baylor Bears. In 1991, the Mountaineers lost their first game as members of the Big East in a 34-3 rout at the hands of Pittsburgh, but quarterback Geno Smith has WVU flying high into the contest with the nation’s third-ranked passing attack. Smith has thrown for 1,072 yards and 12 touchdowns so far, with no interceptions. TCU, the Big 12’s other new member, won its conference opener against Kansas 20-6 two weeks ago.

Across the ACC

Steady at the Top - Florida State is still ranked fourth in the USA Today Coaches Poll following their win over fellow ACC member Clemson, who drops from No. 9 to No. 16 after the defeat. Virginia Tech re-enters the top-25 picture, coming in tied at No. 25 along with Rutgers. Miami (2) is the only other ACC school to receive any votes.

Charlotte Dreaming- For the past three years, the winner of the Clemson/Florida State matchup has gone on to represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship Game. Clemson appeared in the game in 2009 and 2011 (defeating Virginia Tech last season), while the Seminoles did it in 2010 (Florida State also appeared in the first-ever ACC Championship game in 2005). Considering the winner of the Virginia Tech/Georgia Tech matchup has represented the Coastal Division the past seven years, history says there is a good chance we will see the Hokies and the Seminoles squaring off in Charlotte on December 1st .

Working Overtime - Georgia Tech’s 42-36 overtime loss to Miami on Saturday marked the second time this season that the Yellow Jackets have gone into extra time, the first coming in their week one loss to Virginia Tech. Over its history, Georgia Tech is 4-6 in overtime games, and just 2-5 in such games against ACC opponents. The contest also marked the 60th time in conference history an ACC team has been involved in an overtime game.

Sun. Dec.2 BCS Selection Show / Coaches’ Teleconference

Sat. Dec. 15 Credential Application / Media Hotel Reservations Closed

Sat. Dec. 29 2012 MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic (FSN)

14360 NW 77th Ct. Miami Lakes, FL 33016 = 305.341.4700= www.orangebowl.org

The Road To South Florida

Week 5 - Saturday, September 29, 2012

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Weekend Watch ListNo. 9 Stanford at Washington Thursday. Sept. 27, 9:00

Pac-12 rivals face-off against one another as Stanford looks to continue its impressive climb up the polls against division foe Washington and quarterback Keith Price. The Huskies will try to slow down a Cardinal offense that has put up a combined 105 points in the teams’ past two meetings. No. 24 Baylor at No. 7 West VirginiaSaturday, Sept. 29, 12:00 p.m.

Two of the nation’s top air attacks meet in Morgantown for West Virginia’s Big-12 debut. Mountaineer quarterback Geno Smith is second in the nation with a 191.2 passer rating, but Baylor’s Nick Florence brings 1,004 passing yards and 11 touchdowns of his own to the fight. Ohio State at No. 18 Michigan StateSaturday, Sept. 29, 3:30 p.m.

Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller will look to continue his impressive sophomore campaign on the road against Michigan State and one of the conference’s top defenses. Spartan running back Le’Veon Bell will try and exploit the youth in the Buckeye’s front seven and lead MSU to their second straight win over Ohio State.

No. 25 Virginia Tech vs. CincinnatiSaturday, Sept. 29, 3:30FedEx Field - Landover, MD

Virginia Tech rebounded from its loss to Pitt well in a 37-0 shutout of Bowling Green last week, but it will have to go through a Cincinnati defense that has allowed just 17 points all season if it wants to hold on to its spot in the rankings. It is the first meeting between the two teams since the 2009 Orange Bowl. Tennessee at No. 5 GeorgiaSaturday, Sept. 29, 3:30 p.m.

Georgia’s 48-3 drumming of Vanderbilt last week was the Commodore’s worst loss in almost 10 years. However, the Bulldogs will need to contain gunslinger Tyler Bray and the nation’s eighth-rated passing game if they want to make it three straight over the Vols. No. 4 Florida State at South FloridaSaturday, Sept. 29, 6:00 p.m.

Fresh off a top-10 win over ACC Atlantic rival Clemson, Bjoern Werner and the Florida State defense hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to South Florida for an in-state matchup against B.J. Daniels and the Bulls. South Florida upset the 18th-ranked Seminoles in the only prior meeting of the two teams back in 2009. No. 10 Texas at No. 22 Oklahoma StateSaturday, Sept. 29, 7:50 p.m.

Texas runs into its first conference test of the season in a meeting with the top scoring offense in college football. Questions surround whether it’ll be Wes Lunt or back-up J.W. Walsh under center for the Cowboys, but both quarterbacks have shown the ability to put up big numbers this season. No. 23 Wisconsin at No. 20 NebraskaSaturday, Sept. 29, 8:00 p.m.

In a matchup of ranked Big Ten opponents, Nebraska’s deadly ground game that has racked up a combined 1,270 yards on 6.6 yards per carry will try and break through a Wisconsin rush defense that has surrendered just 323 yards all season. However, the Badgers face several questions on offense: like whether quarterback Danny O’Brien can reclaim the starting job and whether or not Montee Ball will be able to suit up for the contest.

USA Today Coaches Poll

1. Alabama (57)2. Oregon (5)3. LSU (1)4. Florida State (1)5. Georgia6. South Carolina7. West Virginia8. Kansas State9. Stanford10. Texas11. Notre Dame12. Florida13. USC14. TCU15. Oklahoma16. Clemson17. Louisville18. Michigan State19. Mississippi State20. Nebraska21. Oregon State22. Oklahoma State23. Wisconsin24. Baylor25. Rutgers25. Virginia Tech

Photo of the Week

This week’s matchup between Virginia Tech and Cincinnati is the first time the two have met since the 2009 Orange Bowl. Virginia Tech won the contest 20-7, and tailback Darren Evans (pictured above moving past Cincinnati linebacker Ryan

Manalac) ran for 153 yards and a touchdown en route to Most Outstanding Player honors. The Hokies defense held all-Big East quarterback Tony Pike and the

Bearcats to just 137 yards of offense on the game.

Clemson’s Rodriguez nominated for Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award

DALLAS (FWAA) – Clemson’s Daniel Rodriguez is the first weekly nominee for the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Rodriguez, a redshirt freshman receiver from Stafford, Va., is playing for the Tigers after earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in Afghanistan.

Rodriguez, 24, was wounded Oct. 3, 2009, during a battle near Kamdesh, Afghanistan, while serving in the U.S. Army. Combat Outpost Keating, in a mountainous region near the Pakistan border, was ambushed by nearly 300 Taliban insurgents. Eight Americans were killed; 22 were injured. Rodriguez was shot and wounded in the leg, neck and shoulder.

Once recovered and discharged from the military, Rodriguez kept a promise to his friend, Pfc. Kevin Thompson, who was killed during the initial moments of the attack. Rodriguez had told Thompson if he made it home from Afghanistan, he would find a way to play college football.

After enrolling at Germanna Community College, he began training for football. He sent a video of himself catching passes, spliced with video he’d shot during combat, to four-year schools. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney offered Rodriguez a spot on the team.

“I was mesmerized by his video,” Swinney told the New York Times. “I’m watching and thinking, ‘Holy cow, he’s amazing.’”

Rodriguez enlisted in the Army after high school shortly after the unexpected death of his father, also an Army veteran. He served from 2006-10, spending 18 months in Iraq and a year in Afghanistan. He is attending Clemson on the GI Bill.

The 5-8, 175-pounder has played on kickoff coverage in the Tigers’ first four games, and saw action at receiver against Furman and Ball State.

“You always dream of that second chance to play football again,” Rodriguez said. “I’m in that position. I have that second opportunity that so many people have said, ‘I wish I could get one more shot.’ Well, now it is my shot. I have that opportunity.”

For the seventh straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the Discover Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy during the week of the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game.

The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine’s senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include displaying courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship.

Quick HitsIn its 42-36 win over Georgia Tech, Miami had a running back score four times for the second straight week. After freshman Duke Johnson accomplished the feat in week three, senior Mike James collected 124 all-purpose yards to go along with his four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) over the weekend.

South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw missed on his first pass attempt of Saturday’s blowout win over Missouri, but was perfect after that. The junior completed a school-record 20 consecutive passes, finishing 20-of-21 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Marcus Lattimore leapt into the Gamecocks’ history books himself, becoming the school’s all-time rushing touchdown leader with a two-yard score in the second quarter.

Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel threw for over 380 yards and rushed for over 102 more in Florida State’s 49-37 win over Clemson. The last Seminole quarterback to post at least 300 passing and 100 rushing yards was Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward back in 1993.