TicketsHeading out to practice Wednesday evening in search of some bye week fodder, I wasn't able to talk to a few players I had in my mind for a story due to meetings, so I changed to scramble mode at the last second.
Once I was done with a couple quality interviews with Deven Drane and Kenbrell Thompkins, there was one player left in the bubble: Isaiah Pead.
Now, anybody who reads the blog here knows I talk to Pead after practice and games regularly. Probably too much. But the guy always lends a real, genuine perspective. Plus, his Kid-N-Play high fade haircut is rising to epic proportions. The thing is really filling in here, people. It's nearly surpassed Johnny Gill status.
However, the normally confident, positive Pead took on a different attitude when discussing the running game Saturday. USF did a better job containing Pead than any team this season.
Overall, the 3.47 yard per carry average was the worst for UC on the year. Pead's 3.6 yards per carry were half of his average the previous week against Louisville.
For him, this wasn't a matter of the Bulls playing great run defense or the holes not being there. He says this one was on him.
" I couldn't tell you what I was doing," Pead said. "You can see it on film, it looks disgusting. I couldn't even finish watching the film. I made it to maybe the first couple plays of the third quarter and I said, 'Man, I can't even see this.'"
Similar issues to those that dogged Pead in the first half of the Louisville game were to blame. He was looking too much for the big play instead of following his reads and focusing on hitting the correct gap.
Searching for the big play amounted to none of them. His long on the day was a 14-yarder.
"I was just trying to do what is best for my team instead of taking it back to what we are coached, what we are taught," Pead said. "The runs were there, I was just looking at everything. My coach used to say, when you see everything you see nothing. You got to look at your read, what does your read tell you to do. That is what I was doing. I was battling myself."
You got to hand it to Pead. The guy is accountable. Not a lot of college football players would take the fall for struggles in the running game like that -- especially in a winning effort. Pead did just that. More than confessing his wrongs to this reporter, he took ownership of it to his team.
"I made vows to myself that I would never play like that again," Pead said. "I told the coach. I told the players. But we all had mistakes and we are all here to fix it."
Plus, he's gone over 150 yards rushing in every other game this season. After the 79-yard effort against USF, he's due to breakout at Pitt. Considering his attitude, no reason to put it past him.
Let's eat...
--- Speaking of Pitt, Tino Sunseri threw for over 400 yards last night. OK, go get your coffee, wash out your eyes, sit back down, read it again. Yes, that's right. Tino Sunseri, the guy from the University of Pittsburgh. The one who accumulated 38 yards against Utah. He threw for 419 yards last night against UConn. Here's video evidence, which I expected to be hazy and out of focus and through trees like a Big Foot sighting film.
Over the last two games he was a combined 18 of 39 for 165 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Then, he morphed into Dan Marino against the Huskies to go 29 of 42 for 419 and three touchdowns without a pick.
Should we bronze the right arm of Sunseri right now or look deeper? Let's look deeper.
The Huskies have now allowed more than 400 yards passing in three of the last four games. The 433 yards racked up through the air by Pittsburgh was only the third-highest total gained against UConn. Western Michigan (!) passed for 479 yards and West Virginia passed for 469 yards. Yikes.
--- The bigger news to come out of the game was the injury to Pitt star running back Ray Graham. He hurt his knee and it didn't look pretty. He's undergoing further evaluation today, but judging by what we saw last night there is almost no way he plays against UC.
Consider this, only four RBs at BCS schools have received more carries than Graham this year (164). He also leads Pitt in receptions. He owns the fifth most yards from scrimmage of any player in the country at 145.5 a game. Just a devastating loss for the Panthers from any angle.
--- Another day another change in the outlook of the conference realignment story. Just when you thought West Virginia was bound for the Big 12, word surfaces that Louisville made a late push and now the entire process is on hold again.
Until the presidents are at the podium shaking hands with the commissioners, nothing is for sure at this point. What is obvious is that Louisville and West Virginia are both standing on the edge of the boat begging for the Big 12 to make room in their life raft. How much room there will be, if any, or if friends are allowed join, is anybody's guess. Plus, politicians are now involved, so it's about to get ugly. Or we may see a sex scandal thrown into it.
--- Mike DeCourcy says the time is now to swoop in and add Memphis.
--- Great night for UC Athletics Wednesday as new members were inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Among those was Jason Maxiell. Dan Hoard caught up with him to talk about his induction among other topics. In my opinion, Maxiell was the epitome of what Bob Huggins basketball was all about. Powerful, relentless, intimidating, physical at all costs basketball.
Great to see him get his due.
--- Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com posted thoughts on his tour stop at UC basketball practice. Some great nuggets here. Among the best, Kelvin Gaines is wearing knee pads on his elbows to keep from injuring his teammates.
Randomness...
--- This is no Baby Mangino, but the mini-Dooley costume this Tennessee fan put on his son is strong.
Then there is Toddler Mr. T.
--- Best. Goalie. Mask. Ever.
--- There's a college football running back who is 4-foot-9, 135 pounds.
--- I wish crazy men with chainsaws could randomly enter more arguments with authority. I feel like it makes every situation better.
--- Has Steve Buscemi ever lived through an entire movie? Here's a mash up of all the times he was killed.
--- For future reference, when a ninja challenges you to fight in the streets of Toronto, you don't say yes.
Once I was done with a couple quality interviews with Deven Drane and Kenbrell Thompkins, there was one player left in the bubble: Isaiah Pead.
Now, anybody who reads the blog here knows I talk to Pead after practice and games regularly. Probably too much. But the guy always lends a real, genuine perspective. Plus, his Kid-N-Play high fade haircut is rising to epic proportions. The thing is really filling in here, people. It's nearly surpassed Johnny Gill status.
However, the normally confident, positive Pead took on a different attitude when discussing the running game Saturday. USF did a better job containing Pead than any team this season.
Overall, the 3.47 yard per carry average was the worst for UC on the year. Pead's 3.6 yards per carry were half of his average the previous week against Louisville.
For him, this wasn't a matter of the Bulls playing great run defense or the holes not being there. He says this one was on him.
" I couldn't tell you what I was doing," Pead said. "You can see it on film, it looks disgusting. I couldn't even finish watching the film. I made it to maybe the first couple plays of the third quarter and I said, 'Man, I can't even see this.'"
Similar issues to those that dogged Pead in the first half of the Louisville game were to blame. He was looking too much for the big play instead of following his reads and focusing on hitting the correct gap.
Searching for the big play amounted to none of them. His long on the day was a 14-yarder.
"I was just trying to do what is best for my team instead of taking it back to what we are coached, what we are taught," Pead said. "The runs were there, I was just looking at everything. My coach used to say, when you see everything you see nothing. You got to look at your read, what does your read tell you to do. That is what I was doing. I was battling myself."
You got to hand it to Pead. The guy is accountable. Not a lot of college football players would take the fall for struggles in the running game like that -- especially in a winning effort. Pead did just that. More than confessing his wrongs to this reporter, he took ownership of it to his team.
"I made vows to myself that I would never play like that again," Pead said. "I told the coach. I told the players. But we all had mistakes and we are all here to fix it."
Plus, he's gone over 150 yards rushing in every other game this season. After the 79-yard effort against USF, he's due to breakout at Pitt. Considering his attitude, no reason to put it past him.
Let's eat...
--- Speaking of Pitt, Tino Sunseri threw for over 400 yards last night. OK, go get your coffee, wash out your eyes, sit back down, read it again. Yes, that's right. Tino Sunseri, the guy from the University of Pittsburgh. The one who accumulated 38 yards against Utah. He threw for 419 yards last night against UConn. Here's video evidence, which I expected to be hazy and out of focus and through trees like a Big Foot sighting film.
Over the last two games he was a combined 18 of 39 for 165 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Then, he morphed into Dan Marino against the Huskies to go 29 of 42 for 419 and three touchdowns without a pick.
Should we bronze the right arm of Sunseri right now or look deeper? Let's look deeper.
The Huskies have now allowed more than 400 yards passing in three of the last four games. The 433 yards racked up through the air by Pittsburgh was only the third-highest total gained against UConn. Western Michigan (!) passed for 479 yards and West Virginia passed for 469 yards. Yikes.
--- The bigger news to come out of the game was the injury to Pitt star running back Ray Graham. He hurt his knee and it didn't look pretty. He's undergoing further evaluation today, but judging by what we saw last night there is almost no way he plays against UC.
Consider this, only four RBs at BCS schools have received more carries than Graham this year (164). He also leads Pitt in receptions. He owns the fifth most yards from scrimmage of any player in the country at 145.5 a game. Just a devastating loss for the Panthers from any angle.
--- Another day another change in the outlook of the conference realignment story. Just when you thought West Virginia was bound for the Big 12, word surfaces that Louisville made a late push and now the entire process is on hold again.
Until the presidents are at the podium shaking hands with the commissioners, nothing is for sure at this point. What is obvious is that Louisville and West Virginia are both standing on the edge of the boat begging for the Big 12 to make room in their life raft. How much room there will be, if any, or if friends are allowed join, is anybody's guess. Plus, politicians are now involved, so it's about to get ugly. Or we may see a sex scandal thrown into it.
--- Mike DeCourcy says the time is now to swoop in and add Memphis.
--- Great night for UC Athletics Wednesday as new members were inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Among those was Jason Maxiell. Dan Hoard caught up with him to talk about his induction among other topics. In my opinion, Maxiell was the epitome of what Bob Huggins basketball was all about. Powerful, relentless, intimidating, physical at all costs basketball.
Great to see him get his due.
--- Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com posted thoughts on his tour stop at UC basketball practice. Some great nuggets here. Among the best, Kelvin Gaines is wearing knee pads on his elbows to keep from injuring his teammates.
Randomness...
--- This is no Baby Mangino, but the mini-Dooley costume this Tennessee fan put on his son is strong.
Then there is Toddler Mr. T.
--- Best. Goalie. Mask. Ever.
--- There's a college football running back who is 4-foot-9, 135 pounds.
--- I wish crazy men with chainsaws could randomly enter more arguments with authority. I feel like it makes every situation better.
--- Has Steve Buscemi ever lived through an entire movie? Here's a mash up of all the times he was killed.
--- For future reference, when a ninja challenges you to fight in the streets of Toronto, you don't say yes.