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Skill saw Receivers, running backs are crashing 'Year of the QB'Posted: Sunday September 22, 2002 7:47 PM
When the season began, all signs pointed toward 2002 being the Year of the Quarterback. A month later, any talk about the Heisman Trophy begins with a receiver and two running backs -- one of them a freshman, the other only made a starter after someone got hurt. Ain’t college football grand? Certainly, we as fans love a strong-armed quarterback as much as anyone, and we’ll worship our share of bruising linemen and swift defenders. But no creature has the capacity to blow us away more than an explosive skill player, and that’s just what Charles Rogers, Maurice Clarett and Willis McGahee are doing. No one raised his profile more this weekend than Michigan State receiver Rogers, which is remarkable considering A) he was already considered the top player at his position, and B) his team lost. But thanks to single-handedly keeping the Spartans afloat with a couple earth-defying catches in what became the day’s showcase game -- not to mention finishing with 175 yards and catching touchdowns for an NCAA-record 12th consecutive game -- the junior may have staked a claim as the nation’s top player. Maybe you prefer the runners. In terms of value to his team, Ohio State’s Clarett may have proved as much by missing Saturday’s game as he did by running for 230 yards against Washington State. Lydell Ross had an admirable 130 in Clarett’s absence, but it’s hard to believe Cincinnati would have kept the Buckeyes at bay as much if the frosh had been present. In terms of pure production, though, it’s hard to take anyone over Miami’s McGahee, who has quietly supplanted Ken Dorsey as the 'Canes’ true star. His 212 rushing/receiving yards against Boston College included one extraordinary 77-yard dash in which he changed direction halfway downfield and put him at 662 just four games into the season. Granted, we’re a long, long way from handing out any hardware, and there are many more names still to consider. Florida’s Rex Grossman is back in the mix, though it’s unlikely in this offense he’ll put up numbers like last year. Iowa State’s Seneca Wallace has a chance to shine on a bigger stage Saturday against Nebraska. And until the day he uses up his eligibility, Texas’ Chris Simms will still manage to receive votes. But the good thing is, there can't be too many stars in this sport. Ain’t college football grand?
What’d you think, after that lead I was going to choose Taylor Jacobs?
You know why? Because this is a team in every sense of the word. Carlyle Holiday goes down? No problem, Pat Dillingham to the rescue. Need to come up with a big defensive play? No problem, they’ll force 13 turnovers in four games. Never thought I’d be saying this, but brace yourself for ND-Air Force, possibly a battle of undefeateds, Oct. 19.
Actually, it was probably Notre Dame-Michigan State, but I can’t write anything more about that one. This one was fairly incredible, too, in that Tech rallied from a 38-10 third-quarter deficit just to send it to overtime, and may have won if not for a missed 39-yard field goal in the final minute. Add the Wolfpack’s T.A. McClendon to the list of impact freshmen -- he ran for 150 yards and five touchdowns.
Live, work and study in lovely Ann Arbor, Mich. Earn free tuition, room and board and complete and utter seclusion from the media. Only job requirement: must be able to kick a ball through two uprights. Stewart Mandel covers college football for CNNSI.com. Got a comment, question or scoop for Stewart? Click here. |
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