Patrick Peterson – awesome playmaker

Thanks to a blocked field-goal, Patrick Peterson (LSU) avoided becoming the goat at the end of game.  Thanks to an amazing punt return, he became the hero in overtime.

Peterson was flagged for pass interference as time was winding down against the St. Louis Rams Sunday.  The subsequent field-goal attempt was blocked and the 13-13 game went to overtime.

When the Cardinals defense forced the Rams into punting in the overtime’s first possession, it was Peterson’s time to shine.

Fielding the punt at the 1-yard line, Peterson streaked 99 yards for the game winning touchdown.

“I knew that was gutsy,” Peterson said afterward. “I decided to catch the ball and run for my life.”

The Cardinals have won two games this year (2-6) and in both wins, Peterson has scored the game-winning touchdown via punt returns.

“He has such a great feel and he is definitely a force,” said Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt. “The thing that gives you comfort is that he doesn’t drop balls.”

Eli Manning – elite QB?

When Eli Manning (Ole Miss) faced the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, he walked off the field a world champion.  Sunday in Foxborough, he once again came out a winner thanks to a last-minute rally.

Down 20-17, Manning led the Giants on an 80-yard drive, capping it off with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left in the game.

So is Manning now an elite quarterback?  His teammates think so.

“To me, he’s better than ‘12’ [Brady],’’ running back Brandon Jacobs said. “Twelve couldn’t get it done today. Ten [Manning] got it done.’’

Yahoo! Sports columnist Jason Cole has a different take.

“If you’re looking for a bottom line answer to whether New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is the equal of New England Patriots counterpart Tom Brady, the answer is still no.”

Manning’s teammates disagree “You can’t spell elite without Eli,” said defensive end Justin Tuck.

Tim Tebow – option QB

Tim Tebow (Florida) and the Denver Broncos took the Oakland Raiders to school on Sunday, using a read-option offense that’s more at home in the college game.

Tebow rushed for 118 yards – the Broncos ran for 299 yards total – and the Broncos blitzed the Raiders 38-24.

“That’s hard to defend,” said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (Georgia).  “Especially when you have a quarterback who’s as explosive as Tebow is.  Tebow doesn’t get enough credit for his explosiveness.  I know he would love to sharpen up his passing, but at the same time he’s running the ball extremely well.”

Tebow and running back Willis McGahee become the first Denver quarterback/running combination to each cross 100 yards in a game since Norris Weese and Otis Armstrong in 1976.

Tebow also threw two touchdowns on the afternoon.

“All in all, he progressed,” said coach John Fox. “I think it was, by far, (Tebow)’s best game to date.”

A few other notes from around the league:

Cold Hard Football Facts calls Andy Dalton and A.J. Green (Georgia) “the best QB-WR rookie combo maybe ever.” Green caught 7 passes for 83 yards on Sunday in the Bengals 24-17 win over Tennessee.

Rookie wide receiver Julio Jones (Alabama) had another nice game on Sunday for the Falcons – catching three passes – two of them for touchdowns – in Atlanta’s 31-7 victory over Indianapolis. One of those TD catches went for 80 yards.

Running back Arian Foster (Tennessee) crossed the 100-yard mark for the third straight week, the fourth time this season, as the Houston Texas rolled over the Cleveland Browns 30-12.

Peyton Hillis (Arkansas) and Monterio Hardesty (Tennessee) have already been ruled out for this week’s game against St. Louis. Hillis has been battling hamstring problems and Hardesty tore his calf muscle against San Francisco.

ProFootballTalk.com says Albert Haynesworth  (Tennessee) of the New England Patriots “is giving Ochocinco a run for his money as the biggest acquisition bust on the team.”

1.  Some Florida players still hold a grudge from Georgia’s unsportsmanlike touchdown celebration way back in 2007.

2.  The Gators know how much this game means as they try to improve upon UF’s 18-3 mark against UGA since 1990.

3.  This writer says the Dawgs will have to be calm to tame the Gators.

4.  Rather than put all the focus on Florida, Mark Richt continues to talk to his team about winning the SEC East.

5.  Receiver Malcolm Mitchell suffered a setback in practice and may miss Saturday’s game due to a hamstring injury.

6.  When the hometown team is as bad as Kentucky, it’s no wonder the media continues to buzz about the school’s new black uniforms…

7.  And it’s basketball team.  John Calipari says Terrence Jones is more focused this season.

8.  South Carolina held a players-only, team meeting on Monday to remind themselves that an East Division title can be won with victories of Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida over the next three weeks.

9.  In discussing Justin Worley — the Carolina native who’ll start at QB for the Vols on Saturday — Steve Spurrier makes it sound like he has no idea who his program recruits.

10.  The Volunteers have got to overcome their second-half woes.

11.  They’ll have a chance to do that against a team that’s still recovering mentally from the loss of Marcus Lattimore.

12.   Tailback Zac Stacy could be Vanderbilt’s first 1,000-yard rusher in 16 years.

13.  Arkansas’ players have noticed Vandy’s “improved and energetic play.”

John Brantley is out with what’s believed to be a high ankle sprain.  Will Muschamp and Charlie Weis haven’t said for sure which of Florida’s three remaining quarterbacks will get the start at LSU on Saturday.  Most assume the starter will be freshman Jeff Driskel.

But according to defensive tackle Michael Brockers, that doesn’t matter to the Tigers:


“We’re preparing to take care of the offense.  It really doesn’t matter who plays.  We’re preparing for the offense in general.  Brantley, Driskel, whoever.”


Les Miles doesn’t sound overly concerned about the Gator quarterback situation either:


“Playing different quarterbacks gives you certain things and challenges that must be met.  I think that we’re very comfortable.  We’ve faced a number of offenses to this point.  Our defense has been tested against a wide range of attacks and can easily make an adjustment that fits the opponent.”


If so, the UF’s gamesmanship with its QB situation is nothing more than wasted time.

The Southeastern Conference is the best in the world at a lot of things, but overall quarterback play isn’t one of them. There are some really good ones but, top to bottom, that’s not a deep position in the conference right now.

So which SEC football programs should truly feel good about their quarterback situations right now?

Here’s a look at what I think.

Truly Feel Good

Tennessee

Tyler Bray has been phenomenal. Even amongst adversity at Florida, he gave the team hope. No one is playing better, top to bottom, than Bray. The Vols have an experienced veteran back-up in Matt Simms. Tennessee also has a young QB of the future in freshman Justin Worley. It’s a perfection situation.

Arkansas

Tyler Wilson has put up big numbers as expected. No one expected him to be slung around like a chew doll in a big dog’s mouth. The coaching staff is excited about the future with dual threat back-up Brandon Mitchell. The position is in good shape right now under Bobby Petrino.

Georgia

Aaron Murray started out slow but is coming on. Overall, as talented and hyped as he was, he hasn’t done a chin-up to reach that bar just yet. Nonetheless, he’s still a Top 3 QB in the SEC. Hutson Mason and Christian LeMay are highly recruited young QBs of the future. This is another good situation, short-term and long-term.

Alabama

A.J. McCarron has been outstanding. He’s protected the football, he’s been accurate, he has a strong arm, he’s been a leader, he handled the competition well, he has swagger and he carries himself well on the field. Don’t focus on the stats. He’s doing what’s asked and doing it well. Phillip Sims is unproven but very skilled and smart as the back-up. Athlete Blake Sims could play some emergency quarterback. Phillip Ely is another young QB for future development.

Auburn

Barrett Trotter has been better than many thought he’d be, including myself. He’s been solid and not trying to do too much. He knows the offense. Back-up Clint Moseley doesn’t have game experience and isn’t talented enough to be the QB of the future but he knows the system as well if he needed to play. The X-Factor is true freshman Kiehl Frazier that is starting to play more and should be a big part of the offense before long as a run/pass dual threat, ala Cam.

Might Feel Good

LSU

Jarrett Lee has been very good overall. Former starter Jordan Jefferson is back from suspension. That’s a great problem to have right? I have a bad feeling that Les Miles is going to incorporate Jefferson more and more as time goes on and that negatively affect Lee. This has a chance to be mismanaged. Zach Mettenberger is by far the most talented QB on the team, and the one many fans most want to see. He doesn’t have true game experience but could be great in the future.

Florida

Just when John Brantley had started to prove himself as an improved passer, he gets hurt. That leaves true freshman Jeff Driskel and true freshman Jacoby Brissett as highly-rated high school QBs who have little college experience. There’s no guarantee Brantley would have panned out anyways. Then again, maybe he comes back soon and plays well and the ship is righted somewhat. It doesn’t look good, but you can’t totally give-up on the position until we see how long Brantley is out and we see how the highly-touted Driskel does.

Texas A&M (just kidding, not yet)

Hardly Feel Good

South Carolina

Stephen Garcia has fallen apart and has now been benched. Connor Shaw wasn’t good enough to keep his starting spot in the first place. Can he develop? It’s possible, I guess. I’m skeptical. There’s no big-time quarterback of the future on the roster either.

Mississippi State

I’ve never been sold on Chris Relf. Tyler Russell could give them the passing threat they need but he’s so inconsistent. The coaching staff was so desperate last week it went to Dylan Favre, who’s hardly #4. This situation has gone south in a hurry.

Ole Miss

Three different guys have played and have been “the guy” at one time this season. That uncertainty and unknown hasn’t been a good situation that’s conducive to winning.

Vanderbilt

Larry Smith isn’t getting it done. Aaron Rodgers’ little brother hasn’t resembled his older brother yet.

Kentucky

Morgan Newton has been bad. No true young hope.

Vince Ferrara has more than 10 years experience in sports broadcasting, in numerous SEC and Big 12 markets, working in sports radio, play-by-play and television. You can hear him host the “News Sentinel Sports Page” weekdays 10am-12pm ET on WNML - “The Sports Animal” in Knoxville and read more of his work at Examiner.com. 

According to a report by ESPN’s Joe Schad — the same man who reported last Saturday morning that Jordan Jefferson wouldn’t play for LSU over the weekend (and he did) — Florida’s John Brantley will sit versus the Tigers this weekend.


“Florida quarterback John Brantley is not expected to play against No. 1 LSU on Saturday after suffering a high ankle sprain against Alabama last week, a person close to the QB confirmed Sunday night.”


When Alabama’s defense was finished with Brantley, it looked as though the senior signal-caller had suffered a knee injury and the worst was feared.  If you believe Schad and his source, it seems as though that more serious injury has been averted.

Stephen Garcia might not be the best passer in college football.  And we all know of his off-field issues.  (Heck, the guy reminds those of us at MrSEC.com of Joe Kane from “The Program,” a film shot in Columbia and featuring CSS’ Bob Neal as the voice of the Eastern State Timberwolves.)

But while the QB might cause Steve Spurrier to pull his hair out at times, Garcia brings about a different reaction from his teammates:


“You can tell when he went in, momentum switched over.  He’s a fifth-year guy.  Guys rally around him.  I really understand that.  I rally around him.”


That’s what Connor Shaw — the man who started in place of Garcia last Saturday — had to say.  And how ’bout this one:


“Stephen got us riled up.  He was excited to get out there.  He made a lot of plays for us.”


Those are the words of Marcus Lattimore.

Garcia may struggle to the point of costing Carolina a ballgame at some point this year. 

But #5 is the guy Gamecock players trust.  He’s the guy who gives USC its best chance of winning.  And he’s the guy Spurrier should put on the field.

“Let’s put the women and children to bed and go lookin’ for dinner.”  (NSFW language.)

Timing is everything

Last week, after Steve Spurrier had announced that Connor Shaw would be the Gamecocks starting quarterback to open the season against East Carolina, I said very publicly that while I was OK with the decision if it was based solely on football, I thought the timing of the move was poor.  It was literally 48 hours before kickoff and almost no one saw it coming.  Needless to say it was distracting, and may have had an effect on the team’s mental focus Saturday against the Pirates.  Timing, in so many facets of life, is everything.

Flash forward now and the overall picture of where South Carolina football is in 2011 becomes clearer: this is Stephen Garcia’s team.  Period.

Shaw started against the Pirates because, in Spurrier’s words, he’d had a better summer and had earned the nod.  Fine.  I, and many others, believe Shaw to be a good QB who should have a solid career at Carolina – eventually.  Barring injury to Garcia, or a complete mechanical meltdown by the senior, that time is not now.

Shaw played well enough in the first quarter against ECU.  He threw some nice passes that were well defended.  One in particular was simply missed by a wide open receiver.  He ran a few times for positive gain.  He seemed focused and ready to lead – all good signs from a true sophomore QB in the SEC.  The problem he faces isn’t even of his own making.  It’s a combination of a coach who pushes QBs hard, a fanbase that wants to win now and a team that has come to rely on the intangibles a gutsy, brash and talented fifth year senior brings to the game each week.

This is Stephen Garcia’s team.

Shaw is a coach’s son who prepares well, practices hard and does the extra little things that make him a textbook “student of the game.”  Garcia has a rep for partying, chasing girls, staying up late and being a video game junkie.  The fact that Spurrier can’t combine one’s preparation with the other’s talent has driven him to the edge a few times, but, as he is so famous for saying, “it is what it is.”

Garcia, as planned, came off the bench in the second quarter.  His play seemed to inspire his team and it led the Gamecocks to a rousing 56-37 win in Charlotte, this after a bunch of screw-ups had put Carolina in a 17-0 hole with ten minutes left in the first half.  It wasn’t Shaw’s fault they were down, it wasn’t all Garcia’s play that brought them back.  However, in today’s “what have you done for me lately” society we all live in, it sure felt like it.

Garcia has earned his reputation, both the good and bad parts of it.  He’s been in trouble a bunch, yet has the chance to leave as the school’s best QB ever.  He’s been in Columbia a long time and folks around here have learned to accept the whole package.  The greatest example of that acceptance comes from his teammates.  They love him.  He battles for them and with them and they know it.  That matters.  Steve Spurrier knows that too.

Carolina has been picked to repeat as SEC Eastern division champions in 2011.  Bigger goals have been set and seem more realistic than ever for this program.  Quality depth abounds at most positions, including quarterback.  That said, there is a clear line between the present and the future at QB, and for the Gamecocks to realize their full potential this season, one fact above all others should be clear.

This is Stephen Garcia’s team.

Jay Philips has covered the Gamecocks and the SEC since 1995, and has been a Columbia talk show host since 2002.  He is currently the host of “The Halftime Show” on 107.5 The Game and is part of the Gamecock Radio Network pre and post game shows during football season.  You can listen live at 1075thegame.com and follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/JayPhilips1075.

With the results below in mind, here’s a look at what we learned about each SEC team after Week 1’s college football games. It won’t be everything, but it’s an important thing.

SEC Results – Week 1

SEPT. 1

Kentucky 14, Western Kentucky 3 (24,599 at Nashville)

Mississippi State 59, Memphis 14 (33,990 at Memphis)

SEPT. 3

Alabama 48 Kent State 7 (101,821 at Tuscaloosa)

Arkansas 51 Missouri State 7 (70,607 at Fayetteville)

Auburn 42 Utah State 38 (85,245 at Auburn)

Florida 41 Florida Atlantic 3 (88,708 at Gainesville)

Boise State 35 Georgia 21 (73,614 at Atlanta)

LSU 40 Oregon 27 (87,711 at Arlington, Texas)

Brigham Young 14 Ole Miss 13 (55,124 at Oxford)

South Carolina 56 East Carolina 37 (58,272 at Charlotte)

Tennessee 42 Montana 16 (94,661 at Knoxville)

Vanderbilt 45 Elon 14 (27,599 at Nashville)

What Did We Learn In The SEC

South Carolina:  Stephen Garcia is a better quarterback than Connor Shaw and should start.

Georgia:  The offensive play-calling continues to hold this team back and defense remains inconsistent.

Florida:  There may be hope that Charlie Weis can have some success with this group of players on offense.

Tennessee:  The passing game is much farther along than the running game, as expected.

Kentucky:  The ‘Cats won’t be beating anyone outside of Nashville by playing offense like that, or lack thereof.

Vanderbilt:   LB Chris Marve is still the team’s best player.

————————————————————–

Alabama:  AJ McCarron is ahead of Phillip Sims in the QB competition.

LSU:  The defense is great and players always play hard and physical for Les Miles.

Arkansas:   Joe Adams (2 punt returns for TDs) can make the ‘Backs even more dangerous with a special teams threat.

Mississippi State:  Chris Relf may be a better  quarterback after all.

Auburn:  Even with decent QB play, last year’s BCS title team may drop-off even more than we thought.

Ole Miss:  The Rebels are just snake-bitten and may have missed a chance at bowl eligibility.

Vince Ferrara has more than 10 years experience in sports broadcasting, in numerous SEC and Big 12 markets, working in sports radio, play-by-play and television. You can hear him host the “News Sentinel Sports Page” weekdays 10am-12pm ET on WNML - “The Sports Animal” in Knoxville and read more of his work at Examiner.com. 

Over the past few weeks, John Brantley has been dealing with a sore lower back.  Even his practice load has been lessened at time as a result.  But Florida’s quarterback says he’s A-OK and ready for action:


“I’m feeling good.  I’ve been in that training room a lot lately just trying to make it feel good.  It’s just been a bunch of little soreness and tightness, nothing major at all.”


Raise your hand if that’s the kind of comment you want to hear your QB making just days before the season opener.  Anyone?

Obviously, the big question will come when Brantley takes a hit… especially if it’s a blindside hit.  Will he bounce right back up, or will soreness impact his passing mechanics?

Backs can be notoriously slow to heal.  Just ask anyone who’s ever dealt with back pain.  So for a starting SEC quarterback to be dealing with a sore one before the season even starts, well, it’s far from ideal.

Still, Brantley believes “UF fans are going to like” Charlie Weis’ new offense.  “We’re ready to show everybody what we’ve got.”

The senior also says he learned a lot while struggling through a disappointing 2010 campaign.  “I definitely learned last year that when things aren’t going right or when things are just going wrong you need to forget about it and just move on.”

Brantley will be working in a new system Saturday against Florida Atlantic.  He’ll be hoping that the skill players around him can pick up more of the slack in Weis’ offense than they were able to in Urban Meyer’s spread last season.  The last thing he needs to be worried about is his sore back.

Yet as the season opener approaches, that’s a topic he is still having to discuss.

After a week of questions, a couple of big ones was answered last Friday — LSU starting senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson was arrested and charged with second degree battery.  That’s a felony charge for his involvement in a Baton Rouge bar fight two weeks ago.

Soon after Jefferson’s arrests, Miles suspended his quarterback and fellow-arrestee, linebacker Josh Johns.

But many more questions remain unanswered.  Jefferson’s case can still play out in a number of ways, including:

* Miles could decide to “un-suspend” his QB before his case goes to trial.  The coach, however, says that won’t happen “unless we had further information.”  Still, he hasn’t ruled it out as a possibility.

* The case could come to some form of quick, unexpected resolution — new evidence clears Jefferson, charges are dropped on some technicality, or Jefferson reaches a very-good-for-him type of plea agreement.  All in short time.  Unlikely, but possible.

* The whole matter could be taken out of Miles’ hands if the university suspends or expels Jefferson for violating code of conduct clauses in the LSU student handbook.  The school doesn’t have to wait for a court decision to rule in such matters.  It’s unlikely Jefferson would get the boot — pun intended, considering what he’s accused of — but as with the other possibilities, this can’t be ruled out.

Glenn Guilbeau of The Shreveport Times lays out one other option for Miles and Jefferson today.  And it’s likely not what Tiger fans were wanting to hear — the senior still has a redshirt year available.

“Yeah, I’ve not crossed that bridge just yet, but that’s a very, very interesting piece,” Miles said.  (Listen closely and you can hear the groans of thousands of fans already fed up with Jefferson emanating from The Bayou.)

In the minds of many Tiger fans, the Zach Mettenberger era can not begin quickly enough.  So the idea of Jefferson — a player who Miles clearly likes — returning for another year in 2012 might be the least popular possibility on the board.