NEWS & NOTES: Sept. 5

Wisconsin appeared to be in a transitional or rebuilding mode heading into the 2001 campaign. There were many key graduation losses on both sides of the ball (14 players were either drafted or signed as free agents in the NFL). But based on a surprisingly strong effort Saturday on the road at Oregon, Barry Alvarez is once again proving why he has been regarded as one of the elite head coaches in college football.

Heading into the 2001 campaign, I don't think many observers were marking down Fresno State at Wisconsin as one of the more intriguing games.

While the Badgers fell 31-28 to Oregon, they were in a position to snap the Ducks' 20-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium. Sophomore QB Jim Sorgi was outstanding, connecting on 16-of-32 passes for 231 yards and two TDs. With Brooks Bollinger out indefinitely due to a bruised kidney, Sorgi will be need to provide a similar effort this week against the red-hot Fresno State Bulldogs.

A major plus for Sorgi has been the stellar play of redshirt freshman RB Anthony Davis and junior wideout Lee Evans. Thought to be a questionable area, with Michael Bennett's departure for the NFL after his junior year, the Badgers' running game hasn't missed a beat so far with the hard-nosed Davis.

Davis is decisive, showing the ability to maximize each carry, while another redshirt freshman, Jerone Pettus, provides a nice change of pace with his shifty, elusive style. Against Oregon, Evans was one of the most impressive players on the field; the athletically gifted 5-10½, 188-pounder had eight catches for 168 yards.

FRESNO STATE GAME TAKES ON NEW MEANING
Heading into the 2001 campaign, I don't think many observers were marking down Fresno State at Wisconsin as one of the more intriguing college football games. Well, after the Badgers took Oregon to the wire and Fresno State pulled off a pair of impressive upset victories against Colorado and Oregon State, that's exactly the case.

Fresno State is led into battle by senior QB David Carr, who is on his way to establishing himself as a potential early round draft choice. The 6-3, 230-pounder combines impressive arm strength, a linebacker's toughness and a take-charge approach in the huddle. What really jumped out at me was the touch and accuracy he showed on the deeper throws. If there is a concern with Carr, it would be that he doesn't snap the ball off from his ear, instead coming more three-quarters or sidearm when delivering his aerials.

GEORGIA TECH STARTERS GET SOME REST
With a pivotal battle against Florida State looming on the horizon, Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary opted to play it safe against The Citadel this past week. Electrifying big-play wideout Kelly Campbell was held out of action due to a bruised shin, while the key starters, particularly on the defensive side, only saw limited playing time. It will be interesting to see if O'Leary takes a similar approach if his squad establishes dominance early against Navy this week.

Anytime you have a Heisman candidate at QB (George Godsey) and a dynamic super blue-chip wideout like Campbell, it's easy to see why the defensive stars on the Rambling Wreck squad could be a bit under-appreciated.

Senior DE Nick Rogers falls into this category. Even on the defensive front, he plays in the shadow of highly regarded junior DE Greg Gathers in terms of overall publicity. However, when you watch the Rambling Wreck defense at work, Rogers is definitely one of the top performers. In the NFL, the 6-1½, 251-pounder has the look of a very effective OLB.

QB KEY FACTOR IN NATIONAL-TITLE PICTURE
When I was finalizing my thoughts on a prediction for which teams would meet in the Rose Bowl to decide the national championship, the Florida Gators were obviously one of the teams I considered before settling on Texas and Miami (Fla.).

In fact, I had the Gators marked down from the outset, before a late switch to Miami. The reason was this: I don't feel you can win a national championship without an established No. 1 QB. While the two-QB system is the only way to go in some cases, history tells us it isn't the right formula to end up No. 1 in the nation after all is said and done.

Just look at the recent national champions and their No. 1 signal callers:
Oklahoma: Josh Heupel
Florida State: Chris Weinke
Tennessee: Tee Martin
Michigan: Brian Griese
Nebraska: Scott Frost
Florida: Danny Wuerffel

Keep in mind that in '96, the Gators were a scoring machine, led by eventual Heisman Trophy-winning QB Danny Wuerffel. That season, the Gators averaged a remarkable 46 points per game, the best ever in SEC history. In the two years prior to the Gators' national-championship season and from '97 through 2000, they lacked stability at QB.

Heading into the 2001 campaign, there was still a question about whether the Gators would have a clear-cut No. 1. Rex Grossman had shown flashes of brilliance but lacked consistency, allowing former prize recruit Brock Berlin to provide some competition.

But based on early returns, it looks as though Grossman has taken control of the Gators' offense. In the first half alone against Marshall, Grossman threw for a career-high 343 yards, finishing with three TD passes and one interception. Berlin was 5-for-8 in the fourth quarter with one TD pass.

In addition to the lofty stats, what impressed me with Grossman was his sound decision-making and ability to involve just about all of his key pass-receiving options. He completed passes to nine different players, with talented wideout Jabar Gaffney coming through with a five-catch effort for 102 yards.

On a key fourth-down play, Grossman was flushed out of the pocket and while rolling right located Robert Gillespie out of the backfield, where he proceeded to make defenders miss on his way to a 27-yard TD reception (Gillespie accounted for 120 all-purpose yards).

If Grossman can build on his strong performance against Marshall and there is no QB controversy in Gainesville, this would definitely bode well in terms of the Gators' chances of winning the SEC and remaining in the hunt for their second national championship.