University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia's Bobo Earns Recognition From Master Coaches
November 16, 2007 | Football
Wearing black jerseys for the first time ever, and in front of 92,000 plus black-clad fans, Georgia pounded Auburn 45-20 in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The Bulldogs matched their highest point total of the year and topped the 40-point plateau for the third straight game against the tough Tiger defense. Moreno rushed for two scores and 101 yards, his fourth consecutive 100-yard output. Thomas Brown added 81 yards rushing in relief of Moreno. After falling behind 20-17, the Bulldog offense erupted for four unanswered touchdowns, all on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 11-of-19 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yarder to Mohamed Massaquoi for the game's first score.
For his team’s outstanding play, Coach Mike Bobo is awarded the “MCS Nike Game Ball” for the National Offensive Coordinator of the Week.
Each week during the 2007 college football season, the 17 Master Football Coaches will award an MCS Nike Game Ball to the respective schools of a National Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week. The Master Coaches will also present a game ball to the offensive and defensive coordinator whose game plans made the biggest impact in their respective teams' victory.
In addition to Coach Bobo, the Master Football Coaches will also award MCS Nike Game Balls to Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, Mississippi State defensive back Anthony Johnson, Oklahoma kicker returner Demarco Murray and Virginia Defensive Coordinator Mike London.
Offense - Juice Williams, QB Illinois
Illinois quarterback Juice Williams had a career day through the air against Ohio State, and his Illini shocked the nation by knocking off the No. 1 team in Columbus.
Williams' tallied a career-high four touchdown passes and rushed for 70 yards in Illinois' first win over a top-ranked team since 1956. Juice, known more for his running abilities than his arm, completed 12-of-22 passes for 140 yards. He also carried the ball 16 times, averaging 4.4 yards per rush. The sophomore quarterback completed touchdown passes to four different wide receivers to give Illinois a 28-14 advantage in the third quarter.
The No. 1 Buckeyes added one more score, but were intercepted with eight minutes left in the game. Juice Williams made sure that Ohio State would not get their chance to tie the game at 28. On the game-ending drive, Williams converted a fourth-and-short on a quarterback sneak and then converted three consecutive third-down attempts with rushes of 12, 12 and three yards to exhaust the clock and clinch the upset victory for the Illini. In the game, the Illinois offense rushed for 260 yards against an OSU defense which entered the game ranked third in the country allowing only 65 rushing yards per contest, and Williams was a huge part of the triumph.
Defense - Anthony Johnson, DB Mississippi State
Mississippi State is bowl eligible for the first time under Sylvester Croom following the Bulldogs win over Croom's alma mater for the second year in a row.
The Mississippi State defense held Alabama to just four field goals and more than 100 total yards below their average in the 17-12 win. With 21 seconds remaining in the first half, Bama faced a third-and-one and the Bulldog one-yard line. Under severe pressure, quarterback John Parker Wilson heaved the ball into the end zone where sophomore defensive back Anthony Johnson was waiting. Johnson intercepted the pass and took off, returning the pick 100 yards for the score. The play turned the momentum in the favor of the Bulldogs and gave them a 10-9 lead that they would not relinquish. The return set an MSU school record and tied the NCAA record for the longest interception return for a touchdown. Johnson added two tackles and pass breakup while helping to hold the SEC's leading receiver, D.J. Hall, to just 46 yards.
Special Teams - Demarco Murray, KR Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners have moved to No. 3 in the Master Coaches Poll as they are just one win a way from a berth in the Big XII championship game. DeMarco Murray scored four touchdowns in the Sooners' 52-21 thrashing of Baylor last Saturday.
The highlight of the game belongs to Murray as he returned a kickoff 91 yards late in the first half. Murray initially mishandled the kick but regained control of the ball at the nine yard line, where he reversed his field and blasted past the converging defenders. He gathered a wall of blockers and found his way into the end zone to give Oklahoma a 28-14 lead going into the locker room. The thrilling return was Murray's second score of the game. At the running back position, he added touchdown runs of 25, one and 21 yards respectively.
Defensive Coordinator - Mike London, Virginia
The finale at Orange Bowl was a somber sight for the Hurricane faithful as No. 18 Virginia blanked Miami 48-0.
Under the guidance of defensive coordinator Mike London, the Cavalier defense held Miami to just 189 total yards, including only 94 yards through the air. Miami's standout running back Javarris James managed to gain just 53 yards on the ground against the Wahoo defense. Virginia sacked senior quarterback Kyle Wright four times in the victory and intercepted three of his passes, one of which led to a Chris Gould field goal.
"We just kept coming up to each other and just saying, you know, 'Soak this one up because you're going to remember it for the rest of your life," Virginia defensive end and Lott Trophy Semifinalist Chris Long said. "This is a building (the Orange Bowl) with a tremendous amount of history." Chris Cook returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown with 2:26 remaining in the game to put the Cavaliers on top 48-0. The loss became the worst in Miami history, topping the 44-0 defeat by Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl in 1973.
About the Master Coaches Survey
The Master Coaches Survey, an advisory poll comprised of 17 former college football coaches, includes 11 College Football Hall of Fame Members and represents eight national championships and over 3,000 victories combined. Based on the MCS system, the voters review all of the relevant game tapes following each week of competition, discuss each teams’ performance during a weekly conference call, then establish a ranking of the Top 25 teams. The Master Coaches Poll Top 25 can be found on the MCS website (www.mcspoll.com), including a breakdown of how the coaches voted.
As part of their selection process, the coaches not only attend games across the nation, but spend countless hours reviewing the DVDs of the previous weekend’s match-ups. Through this extensive process, the expert panel of coaches also selects the top players and assistant coaches who will be awarded game balls each week. The Master Coaches Survey is proud to announce that Nike has become the official provider of the MCS Game Balls.
