Cotton Bowl 2010: Ole Miss peanut brittles Oklahoma State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Ole Miss Rebels met today for the rights to embrace the Cotton Bowl.  Televised by Fox, and seen by 77, 928 spectators at Cowboy Stadium, the first quarter was relatively uneventful until eight minutes into the game when Rebels quarterback Jevan Snead threw an incomplete touchdown pass to wide receiver Jesse Grandy.  A replay of Snead’s reaction had him doing a duck-and-cover kind of maneuver.  The Cowboys defense was able to prevent the Rebels’ subsequent attempts at getting into the end zone.

The second quarter began with Snead throwing an interception to Cowboys safety Lucien Antoine and then getting slammed to the ground by one of the Cowboys.  Nathan Stanley went in as QB for the Rebels, handed the ball off to running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster for an eighty-six yard rushing TD.  Ole Miss 7 and Oklahoma State 0.  Snead returned to the game a minute before halftime.

Rebels cornerback Marshay Green made a nice sixty-some-yard punt return in the top of the third quarter.  They couldn’t get into the end zone and a field goal attempt was no good.  Cowboys linebacker Andre Sexton got his hands on Nathan Stanley’s pass towards the middle of the third quarter.  A few plays later, Cowboys running back Keith Toston threw a TD pass tight end Wilson Youman.  Ole Miss 7 and Oklahoma State 7.  Jevan Snead went back in as QB and fumbled the ball several plays into offense mode.  Oklahoma State recovered the ball, and after many tries, was unable to get into the end zone.

The fourth quarter started with Cowboys quarterback Zac Robinson getting picked off by Rebels safety Kendrick Lewis.  Another go at the red zone and another missed field goal.  Shortly thereafter, Kendrick Lewis got his hand around Robinson’s pass again for a touchback.  Nearing the bottom of the quarter, Dexter McCluster ran and hurled himself into the end zone.  Ole Miss 14 and Oklahoma State 7.  Oklahoma State’s next offensive opportunity resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Trahan, who  then ran for a TD and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “attention to oneself.”  Robinson threw another interception with under two minutes left to play.  Ole Miss 21 and Oklahoma State 7.  Final score.  Ole Miss Rebels have captured the 2010 Cotton Bowl castle.

Observations & Miscellania:

1. Krista Voda voice-overed for the telecast before the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner.”

2.  The Eli Young Band performed the National Anthem.  One dude sang, the other three just stood and swayed.  All of them wore jeans and black-dark gray tops.  Not a bad job…vocally.

3.  Pat Summerall and Daryl Johnston were the commentators.

4.  Oklahoma State wore white jerseys and white helmets with orange bottoms.  Ole Miss players had on navy jerseys and navy helmets with gray pants.

5.  Whenever I see “Snead,” I think “Sinead.”

6.  Both schools’ marching band performed during halftime.  Ole Miss’s band got more airtime, though.  The Rangerettes performed as well.

7.  Jerry Jones watched the game from a private suite.

8.  Patrick Trahan’s unsportsmanlike behavior included standing in the back of the end zone and gesturing with his hands as though he were playing Cat’s Cradle with himself.

Get  game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

Sugar Bowl 2010: Florida caramelize Cincinnati

I only watched the fourth quarter of the Florida Gators tossing horseshoes with the Cinncinati Bearcats for the 2010 Sugar Bowl crown.  Televised by Fox, the Gators were astronomically on top of the Bearcats at the top of the fourth with a score of 44 to 10.  Actually, I did see Bearcats linebacker Marcus Waugh make a touchdown in the third quarter.  I did not see which Gators player made a TD to bring up his team’s point total to 44 as of the fourth quarter.  Linebacker Brandon Spikes nearly intercepted Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike with ten minutes left to play.  Replay footage consisted of Spikes looking down and gesturing in a way that suggested he was very disappointed he didn’t make the interception.  “Man, gawd. Man.”  Yes, it is the Sugar Bowl and he’s probably having one of many times of his life, but his fellow Gators could not lose the game.  Don’t be so hard on yourself, Spikes.

Shortly thereafter, Bearcats wide receiver Armon Binns made a TD.  The Gators increased their score with another TD in the middle of the quarter, thanks to running back Chris Rainey.  With just under four minutes left on the clock, Bearcats tight end Kazeem Alli made a TD catch.  Florida 51 and Cincinnati 24.   Final score.  The Florida Gators claimed the 2010 Sugar Bowl sweets.

For pride, to save face, or to lighten the load of shame and pain, should there be an unwritten, tacitly enforced measure where a team down by a ludicrous number of points could cede victory to the other team at any point between such and such time frames of a game?  Every medium to close-up shot of a Bearcat from the middle of the fourth on evoked nothing but demoralization, anger, and fatigue.

But who wants to quit, right?  What team would even consider tactfully stepping out of competition because its arse-bottom was being kicked offensively and defensively and there was no way to tie the game let alone win it by the smallest of margins?  No team.

Play until the whistle blows.  It’s not over until the fat lady sings.  Even if you know you’re still going to lose, at least lose by a smaller amount.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

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Well, isn’t Riley Cooper a handsome pebble.