August 13, 2001
Groin PainsMike Winklepleck of Heelan High in Sioux City can't avoid the tag by pitcher Zach Smith of Waverly-Shell Rock High while trying to score in the Iowa Class 3-A playoffs. Heelan went on...
August 13, 2001
1. Oregon State2. Florida3. Miami4. Texas5. Oklahoma6. Florida State7. Oregon8. Nebraska9. Tennessee10. Virginia Tech11. Georgia Tech12. Northwestern13. LSU14. Michigan15. Kansas State16....
After going 11-1 last year, the even-better Beavers are eager to take a shot at the title
2000 record: 11-1 (7-1, TI in Pac-10)
31,000-yard rushing seasons by Ken Simonton, who shares the Pac-10 record with six others.
RB Ken Simonton [Sr.]79 points shy of Pac-10 career scoring lead
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Beavers
Strength: 45th of 117
The Gators' toughest task may be choosing which passer will run their potent attack
2000 record: 10-3 (8-1, 1st in SEC East)
185Weeks in a row, dating to 1990, that Steve Spurrier's Gators have been in the AP Top 25.
DE Alex Brown [Sr.]Two-time Lombardi Trophy semifinalist
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Gators
Strength: 15th of 117
The Hurricanes rode out a stormy off-season and stayed on course for another title run
2000 record: 11-1 (7-0, 1st in Big East)
14Touchdowns needed by quarterback Ken Dorsey to become Miami's alltime leader.
QB Ken Dorsey [Jr.]2,727 passing yards, only five interceptions
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Hurricanes
Strength: 36th of 117
The Longhorns spent the summer talking the talk. Now it's time to walk the walk
2000 record: 9-3 (7-1, 2nd Big 12 South)
7,974Texas record for career passing yards, held by second-string quarterback Major Applewhite.
QB Chris Simms [Jr.]383-yard passing day third best at Texas
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Longhorns
Strength: 48th of 117
Anyone trying to grab the Sooners' national crown will have to go through Rocky
2000 record: 13-0 (8-0, 1st Big 12 South)
16Rushing TDs by Quentin Griffin, the most by a Sooners halfback since Billy Sims's 22 in 1979.
RB Quentin Griffin [Jr.]1,189 all-purpose yards (406 receiving)
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Sooners
Strength: 51st of 117
The Seminoles lack big-name players and experience but haven't lost their swagger
2000 record: 11-2 (8-0, 1st in ACC)
549Average yards of total offense by Florida State in 2000, best in the nation.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Seminoles
Strength: 14th of 117
The Ducks, winningest Pac-10 team the past six years, will again fly in V formation
2000 record: 10-2 (7-1, T1 in Pac-10)
15Consecutive home wins for the Ducks, at Autzen Stadium, nine short of the Pac-IO record.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Ducks
Strength: 25th of 117
Behind run-pass threat Eric Crouch, the Huskers eye the title run they blew last year
2000 record: 10-2 (6-2, 2nd in Big 12 North)
25Sacks by the Cornhuskers in 2000, the lowest total since the school started keeping the stat in 1981.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Cornhuskers
Strength: 53rd of 117
The Vols have vowed to return to the elite, and a large defensive tackle shall lead them
2000 record: 8-4 (5-3, T2 in SEC East)
5Opponents held below 50 yards rushing by the Volunteers in 2000, their most in 50 years.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Volunteers
Strength: 9th of 117
While the Hokies reload at quarterback, the veteran defense will take care of business
2000 record: 11-1 (6-1, 2nd in Big East)
46Rushing touchdowns by the Hokies last season, ranking them first in the nation.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Hokies
Strength: 58th of 117
Pass master George Godsey could be the Goose that lays the Jackets' golden egg
2000 record: 9-3 (6-2, T2 in ACC)
+1.7Turnover differential per game last season, second best in the nation, as Tech forced 43 miscues.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Yellow Jackets
Strength: 55th of 117
Skeptics beware: The Wildcats should score in droves again and play better defense too
2000 record: 8-4 (6-2, T1 in Big Ten)
103Offensive plays run by the Wildcats in last year's 61-23 win over Illinois, a season high in 1-A.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Wildcats
Strength: 50th of 117
The resurgent Tigers are loaded at the skill positions and have big expectations to fulfill
2000 record: 8-4 (5-3, 2nd SEC West)
22.4Difference in points per game scored at home (34.7) and away (12.3) by LSU in 2000.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Tigers
Strength: 41st of 117
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
Damn Yankees made the Wolverines' uphill struggle on offense an even steeper test
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
2000 record: 9-3 (6-2, T1 in Big Ten)
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
72.4Percentage of offense produced last year by departed Drew Henson and Anthony Thomas.
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Wolverines
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
Strength: 24th of 117
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
Can the Wildcats maintain their recent high rate of success? The pressure is on
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
2000 record: 11-3 (6-2, 1st Big 12 North)
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
4Consecutive 11-win seasons by K-State, a feat previously achieved only by Florida State and Nebraska.
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Wildcats
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
Strength: 38th of 117
After turning a cameo role into a smash hit, running back Rich Alexis now plays the lead
2000 record: 11-1 (7-1, T1 in Pac 10)
13Come-from-behind victories by Washington among its last 18 wins, including eight of 11 last season.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Huskies
Strength: 17th of 117
The Badgers have long relied on the run; now they will ride the arm of their quarterback
2000 record: 9-4 (4-4, T5 in Big Ten)
67Consecutive seasons Wisconsin has played Northwestern, a streak that comes to an end this year.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Badgers
Strength: 39th of 117
With few turnovers—on the field and on the roster—the Irish may not need much luck
2000 record: 9-3
4Fumbles lost in 2000, the fewest in school history and the third fewest in Division 1-A last fall.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Irish
Strength: 6th of 117
Lou Holtz's Gamecocks have turned things around, but they're not finished yet
2000 record: 8-4 (5-3, T2 in SEC East)
59.5%Gamecocks' red zone scoring efficiency, last in the SEC in 2000.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Gamecocks
Strength: 29th of 117
Past glory spurs the Tigers to reach for the stars in coach Tommy Bowden's third year
2000 record: 9-3 (6-2, 2nd in ACC)
1,028Yards rushing in 2000 for Woodrow Dantzler, the most ever by an ACC quarterback.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Tigers
Strength: 64th of 117
Can latecomer Mark Farris wheel the Aggies into a Big 12 showdown in November?
2000 record: 7-5 (5-3, 3rd Big 12 South)
455Rushing yards by Richard Whitaker in 2000, the lowest team-leading total in 17 seasons.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Aggies
Strength: 42nd of 117
The Bulldogs will go as far as the arm and legs of a seasoned Wayne Madkin take them
2000 record: 8-4 (4-4, T3 in SEC West)
-78Rushing yards allowed last Sept. 30 against Florida, shattering the team record of -21 yards set in 1939.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Bulldogs
Strength: 40th of 117
After two dismal seasons, the retooled Bruins are saying they have something to prove
2000 record: 6-6 (3-5, T5 in Pac-10)
31.5Points allowed per game last season, the most of any team with a nonlosing record.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Bruins
Strength: 5th of 117
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
The Pirates will pull out all the stops in a bid for their first Conference USA title
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
2000 record: 8-4 (5-2, T2 in Conf. USA)
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
103Games Steve Logan has coached at East Carolina, making him the team's longest-tenured coach.
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Pirates
August 13, 2001 | Kelly King
Strength: 81st of 117
John Robinson's gamble will continue to pay off for the up-and-coming Rebels
2000 record: 8-5 (4-3, 3rd in Mountain West)
30Sacks by the Rebels' defensive line in 2000, doubling its 1999 total.
An opposing team's coach sizes up the Rebels
Strength: 57th of 117
Our Ranking from Top to Bottom
August 13, 2001
Conferences are listed in order of strength. Each team's SI national ranking is in parentheses
August 13, 2001
•Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.•Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans•Jan. 2 Orange Bowl in Miami•Jan. 3 Rose Bowl in Pasadena
Georgia Southern's Adrian Peterson and Furman's Louis Ivory are two reasons the Southern Conference is the toughest Division I-AA league
The locker next to Derek Jeter's in the New York Yankees' home clubhouse throbs with his unopened mail. It piles up in feet. Spills onto the carpet. Gives off odd smells. Aches to be opened. So I...
August 13, 2001
Thanks for the MemoriesThanks for your Where Are They Now? issue (July 2-July 9). It was great to see what the Bad News Bears are up to, but please let Gabriela Sabatini know that no warm-blooded...
August 13, 2001
Letters
August 13, 2001 | Bill Colson/Managing Editor
SI Adventure or Golf Plus can be yours for the asking
August 13, 2001 | Will Kimmey
DECEMBER 2, 1968
It took his untimely death for the world to learn about Korey Stringer's gentle soul
Highlights
Customized highlights have arrived, courtesy of Major League Baseball's revamped website
They've been together in TV and radio booths for eight seasons, but Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, the Giants' broadcast team on Fox Sports Net Bay Area, called their first games 16 years ago in...
Last Saturday's final of the U.S. Women's Amature golf tournament on ESPN, won by Meredith Duncan over Nicole Perrot on the first extra hole, used close-up camera angles to showcase enthusiastic...
August 13, 2001
Despite recent tragedies, says one NFLer, players will still go all out
August 13, 2001
If a Packer loses seven pounds during practice, he must drink seven 20-ounce bottles of water or of an electrolyte-boosting drink before the next practice.
For basketball fans it's hard not to think of the NBA as a "Nike league," given the strong link between the two in the decade and a half since Michael Jordan turned pro. That's why last week's...
August 13, 2001
Austin Powers would love Wilt Chamberlain's old Los Angeles abode. The Big Dipper's house, designed in 1971 by Chamberlain and architect David Rich and nestled atop a hill in Bel Air, is...
2Consecutive Red Sox Family Days on which outfielder Carl Everett has been ejected: last year for head-butting an umpire and this year for throwing his bat between an ump's legs after a called...
August 13, 2001
In the 10 months since it was announced that the Red Sox were for sale (bids must be in by Aug. 15), interested buyers have courted celebrities to join their efforts. Here's a look at the pros and...
When I was 10, I would pull the stirrups of my Little League uniform high, triple-knot the laces on my rubber spikes and, if I was pitching that day, slather Vaseline on the underside of the bill...
August 13, 2001
Sacked•Caddie Miles Byrne, by golfer Ian Woosnam. Two weeks after he failed to notice that Woosnam had too many clubs in his bag during the British Open, Byrne overslept and failed to turn up for...
August 13, 2001
Golfer John Daly had a wild weekend in Las Vegas recently—but not of the kind for which he's infamous. On his way to last week's International tournament in Colorado, Daly and girlfriend Sherrie...
August 13, 2001
Trade mix-ups are rare, but they happen
August 13, 2001
Tony Ayala Jr., who served 16 years for rape and faces trial on charges of burglary with intent to commit sexual assault, beat Santos Cardona in a bout while wearing an electronic monitoring...
August 13, 2001
BILL MAZEROSKINew Hall of Famer, just before cutting his tearful induction speech short: "I want to thank all the friends and family who made this long trip up here to listen to me speak and hear...
Ramogi Huma's Collegiate Athletes Association is organizing Division I players
D.C.'s Santino Quaranta, an All-Star at 16, typifies the MLS youth movement
Michigan's one-day gridiron camp for women of all ages is a runaway success
August 13, 2001 | Charles Hirshberg
A scrambling par for the old pro and a kick-in birdie for the rookie
Like his old flame Jennifer Capriati, Xavier Malisse is a hot commodity again
August 13, 2001
Allyson Felix, SANTA CLARITA, CALIF.Track and FieldAllyson, 15, won the gold medal in the 100 meters and was a member of the world-record-setting U.S. girls' sprint medley relay team at the World...
Outrunning injury as well as a brilliant new challenger, Maurice Greene claimed a third 100-meter world title, while Marion Jones lost for the first time in four years
Major league scouts and general managers are panting over very tall pitchers, because they believe that, indeed, bigger is better
The roll call of great tall pitchers is, in a word, short. Only one pitcher 6'6" or taller has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame: Don Drysdale. To honor the best of those who stood tall on the...
August 13, 2001
Motor Sports
Birthday PresenceNever trust anyone over 30 with your car at the Brickyard—unless it's Jeff Gordon
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is looking into becoming a part owner of a Winston Cup team. Reports have linked him with owner Richard Childress, but it's more likely that Jones will invest in a...
Kenny Brack, CART's leading driver, is a terror on the track or on guitar
In Good HandsBrian Griese has the tools, and the moxie, to help Broncos fans forget John Elway
No team is in a rush to talk trade with the Redskins for the "retired" Deion Sanders. For starters, no one is sure about Sanders's intentions, though he'll probably try to play again. Washington,...
August 13, 2001 | Stephen Canned
Comfort ZoneSome former National League hitters return to find there's no place like home
August 13, 2001 | Stephen Canned
Two advance scouts, one from each league, reflect on what they saw and heard last week:
August 13, 2001 | Stephen Canned
INDIANS 15, MARINERS 14Aug. 5
Boston's Trot Nixon has made a name for himself with hustle and hitting
Pursuit of a national title is now a year-round job, with a summer full of "voluntary" workouts and activities. Is it excessive? The players don't think so, claiming that male bonding builds champions
Chris Simms is all football, all the time in his fervent quest to quarterback the Longhorns to a national title and find his place in Texas football lore
August 13, 2001
For complete scores, stats and rankings throughout the season, plus Ivan Maisel's weekly Heisman watch, go to cnnsi.com/football/college.
He always loved basketball best. But now the time has come for North Carolina's Julius Peppers to devote himself to one sport year-round—and it's football
Oregon and Oregon State both have Heisman candidates and national title hopes, so their cute little rivalry has suddenly turned very, very serious
Women's British Open winner Se Ri Pak is only one step from a career Grand Slam
Every day is distaff day at Formby Ladies, the only women's club in Great Britain that owns and operates an 18-hole course
August 13, 2001
•Pricelessif anyone knows the value of a win, it's Tom Pernice, who spent 12 years out of the top 125.
August 13, 2001 | Richard Urban
This Connecticut course owner doesn't kid around when it comes to catering to women golfers
Short on workers, the Florida project taps into an unlimited resource—college interns
"Ditch digging is my life," says Mike Hill (above), owner and president of International Irrigation, Inc., of Jupiter, Fla. As irrigation subcontractor on the Florida renovation, Hill and his...
Battle at Bighorn RevisitedA Night To Forget
If the Europeans lose the Sept. 28-30 Ryder Cup at the Belfry, they will point to the selection process for their team as an excuse, and rightly so. Because so many of the leading Europeans now...
What do these players have in common?
Which would you prefer to see, a mixed-team match such as Annika Sorenstam and Tiger Woods against Karrie Webb and David Duval, or Sorenstam and Webb versus Duval and Woods?
My problems with the fans are slightly different from Tiger's
I have been clinging to my spot on the Ryder Cup team, and it hasn't been easy
August 13, 2001
Next week's PGA Championship is the final event in which a Tour player can earn points for this year's Ryder Cup team. Numbers 1 through 6 in the standings—Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David...
The much-maligned PGA Championship shapes up as the year's top major
David Gossett and his best buddy, Charles Howell, have taken different paths to the head of this year's rookie class on the PGA Tour
