Fives to Watch
Posted: Tue August 18, 1998
by Brian Hamilton and Dan Shanoff, CNN/SI
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Quarterback |
| Michael Bishop, Sr., Kansas
State: Threw for 317 yards and ran for 73 in 35-18 Fiesta Bowl
win over Syracuse. If he passes as well as he did in Tempe,
and ups his 43 percent completion rate, K-State could
improve on last year's 11-1
record. |
| Tim Couch, Jr.,
Kentucky: Co-authors the Kentucky record book, after just his
sophomore year. Set marks for passing yards in a game (428)
and a season (3,884); and touchdowns in a game (7) and a
season (37). He also holds 10 SEC records, with more to
come. |
| Daunte Culpepper, Sr., Central
Florida: Give the best QB talent in the country one of the deepest
receiving squads, then turn 'em loose against a
mild-to-soft schedule.
Yikes. |
| Brock Huard, Jr.,
Washington: Opted against the NFL, and returns to a team whose leading
returning receiver yanked in all of six passes last
year. |
| Cade McNown, Sr.,
UCLA: Returns with six other starters to the Bruins' offense.
McNown—whose 168.6 rating set a conference
record—will have plenty of talent to work with. Three
returning starters on the offensive line and great depth at
tight end will
help. |
|
| Running
Back
|
| Ron Dayne, Jr.,
Wisconsin: Enjoyed 1,421-yard sophomore campaign despite a sprained
right ankle, a pinched shoulder nerve and a pulled groin.
Now he has four returning 300-pound-plus starters opening
holes for his 258-pound
body.
|
| Kevin Faulk, Sr.,
LSU: Said no to the NFL. In a crowded backfield with Cecil
Collins and Rondell Mealy, Faulk still ran for 1,144 yards
and 15 TDs in 1997. Collins was booted off the team this
summer; Faulk and Mealy will get more carries as a
result—they combine to form one
of the nation's best running
tandems.
|
| Sedrick Irvin, Jr., Michigan
State: Became the first Spartan to rush for 1,000 yards as both
a true freshman and sophomore, and was second in the Big
Ten in all-purpose yards (160.8 per game) in 1997.
Do this, do
that—Michigan State expects the world of
Irvin.
|
| Jamal Lewis, Soph.,
Tennessee: Rushed for 1,364 yards as a true freshman and will be
relied on heavily as Tee Martin, Peyton Manning's
successor, gets comfortable. Jamal's Joint doesn't have the
same ring as Peyton's Place, but it's just as
true.
|
| Ricky Williams, Sr.,
Texas: Led the nation in rushing (1,893 yards) and scoring (25
TDs) last year. He decided to stick around Austin and forgo
the NFL for a year. The Heisman Trophy will likely be his
reward.
|
|
| Wide
Receiver
|
|
D'Wayne Bates, Sr.,
Northwestern: Suffered a broken leg three catches into last season. Now
Bates will have to prove, with an inexperienced signal
caller at the helm, that he's still an elite
receiver.
|
| David Boston, Jr., Ohio
State: Leads one of the top receiving units in the country.
Boston is looking to improve upon Big Ten-leading 70
catches and 14
TDs.
|
| Troy Edwards, Sr., Louisiana
Tech: Caught 102 passes for 1,707 yards, best in Division I-A,
while toiling in near-anonymity in Ruston, La. Betcha
didn't know
that.
|
| Torry Holt, Sr., N.C.
State: Surprisingly led the ACC in receiving yards (1,099) and TDs
(16). He returns with junior quarterback Jamie Barnette and
fellow receiver Chris Coleman, a junior who will help
distract opposing
secondaries.
|
| Peter Warrick, Jr., Florida
State: Serves as the Seminoles'—and the nation's—best
big-play guy, both receiving and on returns. He'll be
charged with making shaky new QB Chris Weinke look
good.
|
|
| Offensive
Line
|
| Florida
State: Led by two sophomores (guard Donald Heaven and tackle Ross
Brannon), the Seminoles' precocious group will provide
26-year-old rookie
QB Chris Weinke lots of time, and star sophomore tailback
Travis Minor lots of
holes. |
|
LSU: Geez, one of the nation's best backfields gets to run
behind one of the nation's best lines? Guess it's like the
chicken or the egg—which comes first, the holes or the
runners?
All-SEC center Todd McClure leads the
way.
|
| Michigan: Win a national title and return four starters, each with a
shot at All-America honors. Life is good. Tackle Jon
Jansen, the only senior, is the best of the
group.
|
| Texas: Ricky Williams had five reasons to skip the
NFL Draft—the Heisman and the four returning starters on
the Longhorns' line. Two 300-pound senior tackles
(Octavious Bishop and Jay Humphrey) will share in Williams'
glory.
|
| UCLA: Mammoth 6'9" tackle Kris Farris is so good it's not
fair.
Senior guard Andy Meyers and senior center Shawn Stuart are
back,
too.
|
|
| Defense
|
| Florida: Awesome OLB Jevon Kearse anchors a speedy veteran unit
that will carry the team until the offense
gels.
|
| Kansas
State: All three starting linebackers from '97 return. Secondary
is always
sticky.
|
| Michigan: The defense that won the national championship last year
returns nine starters but loses Heisman winner Charles
Woodson.
|
| Nebraska: It's all about the weight room. Lombardi Award-winner
Grant Wistrom is gone, but seven starters
return.
|
| Ohio
State: Four starters are back in the secondary, plus all-world
linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer anchors the
middle.
|
|
| Coaches
|
| John Cooper, Ohio
State.
Haunted by:
Michigan. Consensus preseason top-three ranking doesn't faze him.
The specter of another loss to the Wolverines sure
should.
|
| Philip Fulmer,
Tennessee.
Haunted by:
Florida. Pop quiz, hotshot. After four years, no more Manning.
What do you do? WHAT DO YOU
DO?
|
| Bill Snyder, Kansas
State.
Haunted by:
Nebraska. Best chance ever to take down the Big 12's perennial
bully, especially because the game is a homer in Manhattan.
|
| Steve Spurrier,
Florida.
Haunted by: Florida
State. The Gators haven't won in Tallahassee since 1986. The
nightmare could end when the 'Noles play host on Nov.
21.
|
| Carl Torbush, North
Carolina.
Haunted by: Florida
State. First-year Heels coach has solid foundation and 'Noles
are breaking in Weinke, the 26-year-old rookie
QB.
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