A LITTLE BIT OF DISA AND DATA ...

 

So, what do you think … was MARIO 

CRISTOBAL’s reason for not using CAM 

WARD in the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, 

won by Iowa State 42-41? … The Miami, Fla., 

coach left the media guessing with some mumble 

jumble about it being between Ward and him … 

Naturally, they jumped to the conclusion it was all 

about not risking injury to the All-American 

quarterback, who is expected to be among the top 

three players chosen in the 2025 NFL draft … and, 

at least, he didn’t totally bail on his teammates, 

which has become the norm nowadays … 

Midway, 13th-ranked Miami led 31-28 … and 

Ward did set a record with his 156th career 

passing touchdown. That obviously was important 

to him … All of which sounded reasonable and 

was undoubtably true … except there probably 

was more, like … what if Cristobal sacrificed 

victory at another of a growing list of nothing 

bowls to prove a point?… To wit, if the Hurricane 

hope to remain a playoff contender, it will have to 

take a deep plunge into the transfer portal pool 

and come up with a worthy successor to Ward … 

because current backup EMORY WILLIAMS

 isn’t the answer … A sophomore, the 6-5, 220-

pounder had an encouraging first season, the 

highlight beating Clemson, but the arrival of Ward 

put Williams on the bench for all but one regular-

season game in 2024 … Against No. 22 Iowa 

State, he completed 5 of 14 passes for 26 yards 

and one INT. 



------- CAMERON SELDON reportedly has had 

it with the University of Tennessee. After two 

seasons of limited duty as backup running back, 

Virginia’s top-rated prep player in 2023 from 

Northumberland High in the Northern Neck is 

said to be coming to Virginia Tech … as a 6-2, 

222-pound wideout … In other news from the 

UT/VaTech pipeline,HENDON HOOKER told

reporters he’s all right with the NFL Lions 

replacing him as No. 2 QB with TEDDY 

BRIDGEWATER, who signed last week after 

coaching his former high school in Miami to the 

state championship … Hooker, a 2023 third-round 

draft pick of Detroit out of Tennessee (after 

beginning his college career in Blacksburg, Va.), 

apparently believes Bridgewater, who was

 JARED GOFF’s backup with the Lions last year, 

is returning on a temporary basis only because 

they have a chance to win the Super Bowl … In 

three blowout wins this season, Hooker has 

completed six of 9 passes for 62 yards – no TDs, 

no INTs.


-------  Did you happen to catch the post-game 

fracas between East Carolina and N.C. State in the 

Military Bowl? Here’s a chance for the ACC to let 

the world know it won’t tolerate such behavior by 

cracking down HARD on the Wolfpack players 

involved … as well as coaches who created the 

atmosphere and, thereby, allowed it to happen … 

Don’t hold your breath … not when education in 

this country has been guilty of pandering to the 

lowest common denominator.


Actually, there were numerous examples of: ... 

went to watch football ,,, and a hockey game 

broke out … recently … Like Sunday’s Dallas-

Eagles NFL affair … One of these days somebody 

is going to get hurt.


-------  From the Dept. of Meaningless But Fun 

Statistics:


NHL Toronto was 14-1-1 this season when 

scoring the first goal … until Saturday night when 

the Washington Capitals built their record to 15-4-

1 after allowing the first goal.


-------  Some teams never learn … the 

dysfunctional New York Jets will interview RON 

RIVERA in their search for a new coach. He was 

26-40-1 in four years with the Washington 

Football Team … 4-13 a season ago.


Until next time …




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