1.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
2.
Birmingham, Alabama
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Birmingham is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Jefferson County. The citys population was 212,237 in the 2010 United States Census, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of about 1,128,047 according to the 2010 Census, which is approximately one quarter of Alabamas population. Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and it was named for Birmingham, England, one of the UKs major industrial cities. The Alabama city annexed smaller neighbors and developed as an industrial and railroad center, based on mining, the new iron and steel industry. Most of the settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry. From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was an industrial center of the southern United States. Its growth from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames as The Magic City and its major industries were iron and steel production, plus a major component of the railroading industry. Rails and railroad cars were manufactured in Birmingham. The two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South have been nearby Atlanta and Birmingham, since the 1860s, the economy has diversified since industrial restructuring in the latter half of the 20th century. Banking, telecommunications, transportation, electrical transmission, medical care, college education. Except for coal mining, the industry has declined in the Birmingham area, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and as one of the largest banking centers in the nation. In higher education, Birmingham has been the location of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, since that time it has also gained the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one of three main campuses of the University of Alabama System. It is also home to three institutions, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, and Miles College. In total, the Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, pharmacy, law, engineering, the city has three of the states five law schools, Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham School of Law, and Miles Law School. Birmingham is also the headquarters of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and Southeastern Conference, Birmingham was founded on June 1,1871, by the Elyton Land Company, whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near the crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre, the site of the railroad crossing was notable for its proximity to nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel. Birmingham is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in close proximity, from the start the new city was planned as a center of industry
3.
Alabama Crimson Tide football
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The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the team is currently coached by Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history, since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 16 national championships, including 11 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul Bear Bryant, despite numerous national and conference championships, it was not until 2009 that an Alabama player received a Heisman Trophy, when running back Mark Ingram became the universitys first winner. In 2015, Derrick Henry became the universitys second Heisman winner, Alabama has 878 official victories in NCAA Division I, has won 30 conference championships and has made an NCAA-record 64 postseason bowl appearances. Other NCAA records include 23 winning streaks of 10 games or more and 19 seasons with a 10–0 start, the program has 34 seasons with 10 wins or more, and has 37 bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama has completed 10 undefeated seasons,9 of which were perfect seasons, the Crimson Tide leads the SEC West Division with 12 division titles and 11 appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press ranks Alabama 4th in all-time final AP Poll appearances, Alabama plays its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium, located on the campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 101,821, Bryant-Denny is the 8th largest non-racing stadium in the world, Alabama has had 28 head coaches since organized football began in 1892. Adopting the nickname Crimson Tide after the 1907 season, the team has played more than 1,100 games in their 114 seasons, in that time,12 coaches have led the Crimson Tide in postseason bowl games, Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Harold D. Red Drew, Bear Bryant, Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Shula, Joe Kines, and Nick Saban. Eight of those coaches also won championships, Wade, Thomas, Drew, Bryant, Curry, Stallings, DuBose. During their tenures, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, Stallings, of the 27 different head coaches who have led the Crimson Tide, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, and Stallings have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The current head coach is Nick Saban, who was hired in January 2007, National championships in NCAA FBS college football are debated as the NCAA does not officially award the championship. Despite not naming an official National Champion, the NCAA provides lists of championships awarded by organizations it recognizes, beginning in 1936, the Associated Press began the best-known and most widely circulated poll of sportswriters and broadcasters. Before 1936, national champions were determined by research and retroactive ratings. The criteria for being included in this historical list of poll selectors is that the poll be national in scope, either through distribution in newspaper, television, since World War II, Alabama only claims national championships awarded by the final AP Poll or the final Coaches Poll
4.
Samford Bulldogs football
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The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and are members of the Southern Conference. Samfords first football team was fielded in 1902, the team plays its home games at the 6,700 seat Seibert Stadium in Homewood, Alabama. The Bulldogs are coached by Chris Hatcher, bobby Bowden James Bradberry Cortland Finnegan Jimbo Fisher Jaquiski Tartt Fabian Truss Corey White Nick Williams Michael Pierce 2017 at Georgia Official website
5.
Quarterback
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A quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the team and line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is considered the leader of the offensive team. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, the quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and his successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of his team. Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified and scrutinized positions in team sports, prior to each play, the quarterback will usually tell the rest of his team which play the team will run. After the team is lined up, the center will pass the ball back to the quarterback, usually on a running play, the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a half back or full back. On a passing play, the quarterback is almost always the responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver downfield. Depending on the scheme by his team, the quarterbacks role can vary. While quarterbacks in Canadian football need to be able to throw the ball often, in the NFL, quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 19. In the CFL, the quarterback can wear any number from 0 to 49 and 70 to 99. Because of their numbering, quarterbacks are eligible receivers in the NCAA, NFHS, after a Super Bowl victory, the starting quarterback is the first player to be presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The starting quarterback of the victorious Super Bowl team is chosen for the Im going to Disney World. Campaign, whether they are the Super Bowl MVP or not, examples include Joe Montana, Trent Dilfer, Dilfer was chosen even though teammate Ray Lewis was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, due to the bad publicity from Lewis murder trial the prior year. In addition to their role, quarterbacks are occasionally used in other roles. Most teams utilize a backup quarterback as their holder on placekicks, in the Wildcat, a formation where a halfback lines up behind the center and the quarterback lines up out wide, the quarterback can be used as a receiving target or a blocker. A more rare use for a quarterback is to punt the ball himself, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was known to perform quick kicks occasionally, typically when the Broncos were facing a third-and-long situation. As Roger Staubachs back-up, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White was also the teams punter, ascending the starting role upon Staubachs retirement, White held his position as the teams punter for several seasons—a double duty he performed to All-American standard at Arizona State University. White also had two touchdown receptions as a Dallas Cowboy, both from the halfback option, if quarterbacks are uncomfortable with the formation the defense is using, they may call an audible change to their play
6.
Running back
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A running back is an American and Canadian football position, a member of the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a play, to catch passes from out of the backfield. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback or a fullback, a running back will sometimes be called a feature back if he is the teams starting running back. The halfback or tailback position is responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays, in the modern game, an effective halfback must have a blend of both quickness and agility as a runner, as well as sure hands and good vision up-field as a receiver. Quarterbacks depend on halfbacks as a safety valve receiver when primary targets downfield are covered or when they are under pressure, occasionally, halfbacks line up as additional wide receivers. As a trick play, running backs are used to pass the ball on a halfback option play or halfback pass. The difference between halfback and tailback is the position of the player in the offensive formation. In historical formations, the lined up approximately halfway between the line of scrimmage and the fullback. Because the halfback is usually the main ball carrier, modern offensive formations have positioned the halfback behind the fullback. As a result, some systems or playbooks will call for a tailback as opposed to a halfback, in most modern college and professional football schemes, fullbacks carry the ball infrequently, instead using their stronger physiques as primary lead blockers. On most running plays, the leads the halfback, attempting to block potential tacklers before they reach the ball carrier. When fullbacks are called upon to carry the ball, the situation calls for gaining a short amount of yardage. Fullbacks are technically running backs, but today the term running back is used in referring to the halfback or tailback. Although modern fullbacks are rarely used as carriers, in previous offensive schemes fullbacks would be the designated ball carriers. In high school football, where player sizes vary greatly, fullbacks are still used as ball carriers. In high school and college offenses, the triple option uses the fullback as a primary ball carrier. The fullback plays a role by establishing an inside running threat on every play
7.
South Georgia State College
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South Georgia State College is a four-year, state-supported, residential state college located in Douglas and Waycross, Georgia, United States. Created by an act of the Georgia Legislature on August 18,1906 as the 11th District A & M School, it became Georgias first state-supported two-year college in 1927. In 1932 South Georgia State College emerged as one of the original 26 institutions of the University System of Georgia which traces its origins to the chartering of the University of Georgia in 1785. Joseph Meriwether Thrash joined the faculty in 1907, and later served as the principal of the A & M School. He became the colleges first president in 1927, the Eleventh District A & M School-South Georgia College Historic District was named a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Other buildings include the IT-Nursing Building, Stubbs Hall, Tanner Hall, holdings in the South Georgia State College William S. Smith Library exceed 100,000 items, including reference books, bound periodicals, government documents, pamphlets, maps and videotapes. The library subscribes to 327 journals and ten newspapers, back issues are available in a variety of formats, CD-ROM, paper, microfiche and microfilm. GALILEO links SGSCs library with others in Georgia to offer more than 100 generalized and specialized research databases, the reference area also offers CD-ROM based indexes to general periodicals and newspapers. Computer workstations offer access to the Internet through the campus network, South Georgia State College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certificates and associate degrees. South Georgia State College is also certified under the National League for Nursing, about half of all faculty members have Ph. D. degrees or equivalent. There are no graduate assistants teaching classes at South Georgia State College, students at SGSC go on to four-year institutions as SGSC is a two-year and four-year residential campus. The Wellness Center Complex features racquetball courts, an area, an aquatic center, exercise rooms, aerobics. The aquatic center features a swimming pool, locker rooms, outdoor patio. In 2007, the completed construction of Tiger Village, a 250-bed residence hall featuring two-room and four-room suites. In 2010, Tiger Village II opened, a 300-bed residence hall that features two-bedroom apartments, one of the two older dorm facilities on campus is used to house overflow from Tiger Village I and II. One of the two older dorm facilities on campus is used to overflow from Tiger Village I and II. South Georgia State Colleges Financial Aid Office awards over $3 million in every year. Seven out of 10 SGSC students receive aid in the form of scholarships, grants
8.
Florida State Seminoles football
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The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in the sport of American football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the team is known for its storied history, distinctive helmet, fight song and colors as well as the many traditions associated with the school. They are considered to be one of the most successful football programs ever. Florida State has won three championships, eighteen conference titles and six division titles along with a playoff appearance. The Seminoles have achieved three undefeated seasons and finished ranked in the top four of the AP Poll for 14 straight years from 1987 through 2000, ESPN ranks the 1999 team among the top teams in college football history. The team has produced three Heisman Trophy winners, quarterbacks Charlie Ward in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000 and Jameis Winston in 2013, the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the top receiver in college football, is named for Florida State hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff. Many former Seminoles have gone on to have careers in the NFL. The program has produced 218 All-Americans and 250 professional players, the Seminoles have the tenth-highest winning percentage among all college football programs in Division I FBS history with over 500 victories. Florida State has appeared in postseason bowl games and rank ninth nationally for bowl winning percentage. The Seminoles archrivals are Florida, whom they meet annually in the last game of the regular season, a rivalry with Clemson has developed and grown due to both teams competing yearly for the ACC Atlantic division. Florida State University joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in July 1991, Florida State is considered one of the teams that brought the conference to its pinnacle becoming the overall most successful program in the ACC. Since the ACC expanded from nine to twelve universities in 2005, and instituted divisional play in football, Florida State plays an eight-game ACC football schedule. Six of these contests pit the Seminoles against the members of the ACC Atlantic Division, Boston College, Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse. Throughout a rotation schedule, Florida State plays each coastal division team at least twice every six years with possible meetings in the game in between regular season meetings. Florida State will also play Notre Dame as a home-and-home twice every six years per a conference agreement, in addition to the conference foes, the Seminoles face in-state rival Florida from the SEC at the end of the regular season. The two teams emergence as perennial football powers in the 1980s and 1990s helped build the Florida–Florida State football rivalry into a game that has held national title implications. Florida State remains the team in the state of Florida to play both powers, Florida and Miami, every year. The remaining dates on Florida States regular season schedule are filled with various non-conference opponents that vary year to year
9.
West Virginia Mountaineers football
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The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision of college football. Dana Holgorsen is WVUs current head coach, the 33rd in the programs history, West Virginia plays its home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers compete in the Big 12 Conference, West Virginia was originally classified as a College Division school in the 1937 season, and joined the University Division, forerunner of Division I, in 1939. It has been a member of Division I FBS since 1978, the Mountaineers have registered 82 winning seasons in their history, including one unbeaten season and nine seasons with at least ten wins. The Mountaineers have won or shared a total of 15 conference championships, including eight Southern Conference titles, the West Virginia University football program traces its origin back to November 28,1891 when its first team fell to Washington & Jefferson 72–0 on a converted cow pasture. Despite its humble beginning, West Virginia enjoyed a 25–23–3 overall record prior to 1900, the early 1900s brought about early successes for the program, namely during the 1903 and 1905 seasons when WVU posted records of 7–1 and 8–1 respectively. WVU produced a 6–3 record in the 1904 season, despite losing to Penn State, Pitt, the 1908–20 period produced the four-year head coaching tenures of C. A. Lueder and Mont McIntire, representing the longest coaching tenures during this period of Mountaineer football. Lueders Mountaineers produced a 17–13–3 record, while McIntires teams produced the most success of any Mountaineer team prior to 1921 and that same Mountaineer team also produced West Virginias first ever Consensus All-American and potential College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ira Errett Rodgers. Rodgers scored 19 touchdowns and kicked 33 extra points for WVU in 1919 season, Rodgers also threw 11 touchdown passes that season, an unheard of feat at the time and a Mountaineer record until 1949. The Mountaineers enjoyed their first period of success during the 1920s, coinciding with the successful coaching tenures of Clarence Spears, under the tutelage of Spears, West Virginia compiled a 30–6–3 record with its best performance coming in the 1922 season. The 1922 edition of the Mountaineers remains the team in West Virginia history to produce an unbeaten season. Spearss Mountaineers surrendered only 34 total points in 1922, posting six consecutive shutouts to finish the regular season, the 1922 season also produced notable victories against rival Pitt and against Gonzaga in the East-West Bowl, the programs first bowl game appearance. Offensive tackle Russell Meredith garnered First-Team All-American honors, in homage to the successes of the 1922 season, West Virginia University undertook construction of what became the first incarnation of Mountaineer Field. The Mountaineers continued their success under Spears in posting subsequent one-loss seasons in 1923 and in 1924, Ira Errett Rodgers replaced Spears and the Mountaineers posted an 8–1 record in 1925. After a 6–4 finish in 1926 and a 2–4–3 record in 1927, rodgerss first tenure as West Virginia coach ended with records of 4–3–3 in 1929 and 5–5 in 1930. Although West Virginia posted a 3–4–2 record in 1935, the program produced an All-American in Joe Stydahar, jumbo Joe later became both a College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Despite his winning record, Tallman resigned after the 1936 season to pursue his career in law enforcement as Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police, Marshall Glenn picked up right where Tallman left off, leading West Virginia to an 8–1–1 record in 1937
10.
College Football Hall of Fame
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The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation launched the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players, from 1995 to 2012, the Hall was located in South Bend, Indiana. It was connected to a center and situated in the citys renovated downtown district,2 miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. In August 2014, the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience opened in downtown Atlanta, rutgers donated land near its football stadium, office space, and administrative support. In response, the Foundation moved its operations to New York City, when the New York Attorney Generals office began its own investigation, the foundation moved to Kings Mills, Ohio, where a building finally was constructed adjacent to Kings Island in 1978. The Hall opened with good attendance figures early on, but visitation dwindled dramatically as time went on, nearby Galbreath Field remained open as the home of Moeller High School football until 2003. A new building was opened in South Bend, Indiana on August 25,1995. Despite estimates that the South Bend location would more than 150,000 visitors a year, the Hall of Fame drew about 115,000 people the first year. In 2009, the National Football Foundation decided to move the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta, the possibility of moving the museum has been brought up in other cities, including Dallas, which had the financial backing of billionaire T. Boone Pickens. However, the National Football Foundation ultimately decided on Atlanta for the next site, the new $68.5 million museum opened on August 23,2014. It is located next to Centennial Olympic Park, which is near other attractions such as the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, CNN Center, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The Hall of Fame is located near the Georgia Institute of Technology of the ACC, the new building broke ground on January 28,2013. Sections of the architecture are reminiscent of a football in shape, the facility is 94,256 square feet and contains approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibit and event space, interactive displays and a 45-yard indoor football field. Atlanta Hall Management operates the College Football Hall of Fame, as of 2017, there are 987 players and 214 coaches enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, representing 306 schools. The National Football Foundation outlines specific criteria that may be used for evaluating a candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame. A player must have received major first team All-America recognition, a player becomes eligible for consideration 10 years after his last year of intercollegiate football played. Football achievements are considered first, but the record as a citizen is also weighed. Players must have played their last year of football within the last 50 years
11.
1993 Florida State Seminoles football team
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The 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University and were the national champions of the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their games at Doak Campbell Stadium. The season gave the Seminoles their first national title as well as their first Heisman winner in quarterback Charlie Ward, FSU beat its first five opponents by an average score of 46–3, during which linebacker Derrick Brooks outscored all five opponents combined. The Seminoles first real contest didnt come until October 9, when the third ranked Miami Hurricanes came to Tallahassee with a 31-game regular season win streak. That game was sealed when FSU safety Devin Bush picked off a Frank Costa pass and ran it back 40 yards for a Florida State touchdown, on November 13,1993, Florida State played Notre Dame in a matchup of unbeaten teams. FSU was ranked #1 and Notre Dame was ranked #2, with the Bowl Coalition in place the winner of this game, at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, seemed certain to play #3 Nebraska in the 1994 Orange Bowl for the National Championship. In a matchup hailed as the Game of the Century, the Seminoles bid for a perfect season fell short as Notre Dame prevailed, the Irish had leads of 24–7 and 31–17 before the Seminoles scored late to cut the final margin to seven points. After that game, Notre Dame was voted #1, but FSU only dropped to #2, however, #1 Notre Dame lost the following week to #17 Boston College 41–39 on a 41-yard field goal as time expired. The voters returned the Seminoles to the #1 spot, and they were matched against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, Florida State rallied late to eke out an 18–16 win, as Nebraska missed a potential game-winning 45-yard field goal on the games final play. After the bowl games, 12–1 Florida State was voted #1, the following were selected in the 1994 NFL Draft. The following would play in the NFL in later years
12.
Bowl Championship Series
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The system was in place for the 1998 through 2013 seasons and in 2014 was replaced by the College Football Playoff. The BCS was created to end split championships and for the champion to win the title on the field between the two selected by the BCS. The system also selected match-ups for four other prestigious BCS bowl games, the ten teams selected included the conference champion from each of the six Automatic Qualifying conferences plus four others. The BCS was created by agreement by those six conferences. For the 1998 through 2005 seasons eight teams competed in four BCS bowls and it had been in place since the 1998 season. The BCS replaced the Bowl Alliance, in place from 1995 to 1997, prior to the Bowl Coalitions creation in 1992, the AP Polls number one and two teams had met in a bowl game only 8 times in 56 seasons. The APs top two teams met 13 out of the 16 seasons the BCS was in place, in the 2014 season, the BCS was discontinued and replaced by the College Football Playoff, which organizes a four-team playoff and national championship game. The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is the only NCAA-sponsored sport without an officially organized NCAA tournament to determine its champion, instead, the postseason has historically consisted of individual bowl games. The bowl system began in 1902 with the first ever East-West game in Pasadena, California and this game was an exhibition game pitting a highly rated team from the west coast against a team from east of the Mississippi River. This was a time for a postseason game, as fans could take off work or school during this holiday period to travel to the game. In the first game, the University of Michigan Wolverines represented the east, due to the lopsided victory the game did not resume until 1916. The game was renamed the Rose Bowl in the 1920s when play shifted to the Rose Bowl stadium, by the 1930s, the Cotton Bowl Classic, Orange Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl were also held on January 1 to showcase teams from other regions of the country. By the 1940s, college football conferences began signing contracts that tied their team to a particular bowl. This system raised the possibility that the two top-ranked teams in the poll would not play each other in a bowl game. Under these circumstances, it was not uncommon to have the Coaches Poll crown a different national champion than the AP Poll and this situation arose a total of ten different seasons before BCS was formed. For example, in 1991, the University of Miami Hurricanes, since the Huskies were locked into the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10 Conference champion against Big Ten champion Michigan, they could not play then-independent Miami, who played in the Orange Bowl. Both teams won their bowl games convincingly and shared the championship, Miami winning the Associated Press poll. A split national championship has happened on occasions since then as well
13.
2000 Sugar Bowl
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The Florida State Seminoles, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies, representing the Big East Conference, by a score of 46–29. With the win, Florida State clinched the 1999 BCS national championship, an estimated total of 79,280 people attended the game in person, while approximately 18.4 million US viewers watched the game on ABC television. The resulting 17.5 television rating was the third-largest ever recorded for a BCS college football game, tickets were in high demand for the game, withs tens of thousands of fans from both teams attending, many using scalped tickets to gain entry. The game kicked off at 8 p. m. EST, though Tech advanced down the field, Florida State scored first and took advantage of a blocked punt for a touchdown, giving the Seminoles a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. Tech answered with a drive of its own before the end of the quarter. Virginia Tech scored a touchdown before halftime, but halfway through the game, in the third quarter, Virginia Techs offense gave the Hokies a lead with a field goal and two touchdowns. Tech failed to convert two two-point conversions, but held a 29–28 lead at the end of the third quarter, Florida State answered in the fourth quarter, however, taking a 36–29 lead with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion early in the quarter. From this point, the Seminoles did not relinquish the lead, extending it to 46–29 with another touchdown, for his performance in the game, Florida Statewide receiver Peter Warrick was named the games most valuable player. Although Tech lost the game, several of its players won postseason awards—most notably Michael Vick, who earned an ESPY for his performance during the Sugar Bowl and the regular season. Several players from each team entered the National Football League after graduation, by contract, the top two teams in the BCS Poll at the conclusion of the regular season were invited to the BCS national championship game. Under the BCS, the site of the championship game rotated every year. In 2000, there were four BCS bowl games, the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the national championship game rotated to a different location each year, and the other three games served as bowl games for lower-ranked teams. Later, in 2007, the BCS National Championship was created, in 2000, the Sugar Bowl was scheduled to host the national championship game. The Florida State Seminoles ended the 1998 college football season with a 23–16 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, which was the national championship game that year. The loss was only the second of the season for Florida State, Florida State lived up to its No.1 ranking in its first game of the 1999 college football season, routing unranked Louisiana Tech, 41–7. The following week, in their ACC opener, the Seminoles had a closer contest against Georgia Tech, as the weeks went by, the wins continued to accumulate. FSU defeated North Carolina State, 42–11, North Carolina, 42–10, in the seventh week of the college football season, the Seminoles faced off against a traditional rival, the Miami Hurricanes. Despite the loss of Warrick, Florida State eked out a 31–21 victory over the Hurricanes after being tied, 21–21, the week after the Miami game, the Seminoles had an even closer call against the Clemson Tigers—their closest, in fact, of the entire season
14.
1999 Florida State Seminoles football team
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The 1999 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University and were the national champions of the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their games at Doak Campbell Stadium. Wide receiver Peter Warrick finished in place as a Heisman finalist. QB Chris Weinke, 232/377 for 3,103 yards with 25 TD vs.14 INT, RB Travis Minor,180 carries for 815 yards with 7 TD.16 catches for 102 yards and 0 TD. WR Peter Warrick,71 catches for 934 yards with 8 TD.16 carries for 96 yards and 3 TD, WR Ron Dugans,43 catches for 644 yards with 3 TD. WR Marvin Minnis,19 catches for 257 yards with 3 TD, WR Laveranues Coles,12 catches for 179 yards with 1 TD. WR Anquan Boldin,12 catches for 115 yards with 2 TD.4 carries for 33 yards and 0 TD, K Sebastian Janikowski,23 FGM and 47 XPM. P Austin Haywood,1 punt for 73 yards First team in history to go wire to wire #1 in all three major polls, lou Groza Award – Sebastian Janikowski, K Season Statistics
15.
Atlantic Coast Conference
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The ACC sponsors competition in twenty-five sports with many of its member institutions athletic programs held in high regard nationally. ACC teams and athletes have claimed dozens of championships in multiple sports throughout the conferences history. Generally, the ACCs top athletes and teams in any sport in a given year are considered to be among the top collegiate competitors in the nation. Also, the conference enjoys extensive media coverage, the ACC was one of the six collegiate power conferences, which had automatic qualifying for their football champion into the Bowl Championship Series. With the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014, the ACC is one of five conferences with a contractual tie-in to an access bowl, the additions in recent years extended the conferences footprint into the Northeast and Midwest. The most recent expansion in 2013 saw the additions of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburgh, in 2012, the University of Marylands Board of Regents voted to withdraw from the ACC to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1,2014. On November 28,2012, the ACCs Council of Presidents voted unanimously to invite the University of Louisville as a full member, replacing Maryland effective July 1,2014. Seven universities in the South Atlantic States were charter members of the ACC, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, previously members of the Southern Conference, they left partially due to that leagues ban on post-season football play. After drafting a set of bylaws for the creation of a new league, the bylaws were ratified on June 14,1953, and the ACC was created, becoming the second conference formed by schools collectively withdrawing from the SoCon, after the Southeastern Conference. On December 4,1953, officials convened in Greensboro, North Carolina, and admitted Virginia, in 1960, the ACC implemented a minimum SAT score for incoming student-athletes of 750, the first conference to do so. This minimum was raised to 800 in 1964, but was struck down by a federal court in 1972. In 1971, South Carolina left the ACC to become an independent, the ACC operated with seven members until the addition of Georgia Tech from the Metro Conference on April 3,1978. The total number of member schools reached nine with the addition of Florida State, also formerly from the Metro Conference, on July 1,1991. The expansion was controversial, as Connecticut, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia filed lawsuits against the ACC, Miami, and Boston College for conspiring to weaken the Big East Conference. The ACC Hall of Champions opened on March 2,2011, next to the Greensboro Coliseum arena, on September 17,2011, Big East Conference members Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh both tendered formal written applications to the ACC to join its ranks. The two schools were accepted into the conference the day, once again expanding the conference footprint like previous expansions. Because the Big East intended to hold Pitt and Syracuse to the 27-month notice period required by league bylaws, however, on July 16,2012, the Big East and Syracuse came to an agreement that allowed Syracuse to leave the Big East on July 1,2013. Two days later, the Big East and Pittsburgh reached an identical agreement, on September 12,2012, Notre Dame agreed to join the ACC in all sports except football and hockey as the conferences first member in the Midwestern United States
16.
2009 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
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The 2009 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2009. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. The Mountaineers finished the season 9–4 and lost in the Gator Bowl 21–33 against Florida State, West Virginia was able to overcome a mistake filled day to gain some payback on the East Carolina Pirates. Quarterback Jarrett Brown had a career day completing 24 of 31 passes for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, Brown also picked up 73 yards on the ground. All-time record, Tied 1-1 This was the meeting between West Virginia and Auburn, with the Mountaineers winning the first game 34–17 during the 2008 season. All-time record, Tied 1–1 This was the meeting between West Virginia and Colorado, with the Buffaloes winning the first game 17–14 in overtime during the 2008 season. The game was designated a Gold Rush, meaning that fans attended the game wearing all gold, West Virginia scored early with a Noel Devine 77 yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. Colorado responded with a 36-yard run from tailback Rodney Stewart and they then took the lead by making a 39-yard field goal. West Virginia responded with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Brown to Jock Sanders. Despite 4 fumbles lost in the first half for West Virginia, in the 4th quarter, freshmen fullback Ryan Clarke rumbled for a 1-yard touchdown run, and later ran for an 8-yard run putting the Mountaineers up 35–17 with 2 minutes to play. Colorado scored the touchdown of the night with 3 seconds left. Noel Devine had a career high 220 yards rushing with an average of 10 yards per carry, WVU jumped out to a 27–0 halftime lead en route to beating the Orange for an 8th straight time. Jarrett Brown completed 22–30 passing for 244 yards and a TD pass to Noel Devine, starting QB Jarrett Brown was knocked out of the game on the Mountaineers opening drive, forcing true freshman Geno Smith to step in. The emotional punch of having Brown out of the game showed as Marshall was able to head into the half with a 7–3 lead, WVU responded by scoring on its first possession of the second half, on the way to 21 second half points. The 2009 Backyard Brawl, broadcast by ESPN2, was the most watched football game in the history of ESPN2. 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl marked the game for legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden
17.
Florida State University
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Florida State University is an American public space-grant and sea-grant research university. Its primary campus is located on a 1,391. 54-acre campus in Tallahassee, Florida and it is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida, the university is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university comprises 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, the university has an annual budget of over $1.7 billion and an annual economic impact of over $10 billion. Florida State is home to Floridas only National Laboratory – the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and is the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol. Florida State University also operates The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Florida State University leads Florida in four of eight areas of external funding for the STEM disciplines, FSU officially launched the Raise the Torch, The Campaign for Florida State on October 17,2014. The campaign has a goal of more than $1 billion which will improve academics, research. As of September 30,2016, Florida State Universitys Raise the Torch campaign has raised $938,972,249, for 2017, U. S. News & World Report ranked Florida State as the 38th best public university in the United States. FSUs intercollegiate sports teams, commonly known by their Florida State Seminoles nickname, compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, in their 113-year history, Florida States varsity sports teams have won 20 national athletic championships and Seminole athletes have won 78 individual NCAA national championships. In 1819 the Florida Territory was ceded to the United States by Spain as an element of the Adams–Onís Treaty, the Territory was conventionally split by the Appalachicola or later the Suwannee rivers into East and West areas. Florida State University is traceable to a set by the 1823 U. S. Congress to create a system of higher education. The 1838 Florida Constitution codified the system by providing for land allocated for the schools. In 1845 Florida became the 27th State of the United States, in 1851 the Florida Legislature voted to establish two seminaries of higher education on opposite sides of the Suwannee River. Francis W. Eppes and other city leaders established an academy called the Florida Institute in Tallahassee as a legislative inducement to locate the West Florida Seminary in Tallahassee. The East Florida Seminary opened in Ocala in 1853, closed in 1861, the East Florida Seminary is the institution to which the modern University of Florida traces its foundation. Two years later the institution absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy founded in 1843 as the Misses Bates School, the West Florida Seminary stood near the front of the Westcott Building on the existing FSU campus, making this site the oldest continually used location of higher learning in Florida. In 1860–61 the legislature started formal training at the school with a law amending the original 1851 statute
18.
Woodlawn High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
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Woodlawn High School is a four-year magnet high school in Birmingham Alabama, United States. It is one of seven schools in the Birmingham City School System. The school colors are green and gold, and the mascot is the Colonel, Woodlawn competes in AHSAA Class 6A athletics. Woodlawn High School was established in 1916 when the community of Woodlawn was annexed into the city of Birmingham, the present building on 1st Avenue North was designed by architect William B. Ittner of St Louis, Missouri, in association with Birmingham architect Harry B, charles Hall was the contractor for the construction, which was completed on January 30,1922. The initial enrollment was 901, of whom 700 were transferred from Birminghams Central High School, the dedication was held on February 3 of that year. The student body selected chose Junior Colonels as their name and gold. An addition to the school was completed in February 1926 and the schools 4, 208-seat athletic stadium was completed in 1929, with eight classrooms and a small auditorium underneath. A large mural around the arch in the high schools auditorium was painted between 1934 and 1939 by Sidney van Sheck and Richard Blauvelt Coe for the Works Progress Administration. It is the largest WPA mural in the South, the school was further expanded with a $282,000 delta-shaped two-story band and shop building, completed before the 1954 fall session. After World War II, white flight resulted in the loss of many families in the Woodlawn area. The situation was greatly accelerated by the desegregation of Birmingham City Schools, in the ensuing decades the school deteriorated along with the neighborhoods economic profile. Conditions reached the point where the school was placed on the states Academic Alert list. Extracurricular activities were dropped in favor of at-risk counseling and programs for unwed mothers, the building itself became so dilapidated that teachers would walk to McDonalds rather than use the schools bathrooms. There was discussion of closing the school before a decision was made to renovate it for use as a high school with a smaller enrollment. The Montgomery architecture firm of Sherlock, Smith and Adams coordinated plans for the renovation, the Woodlawn High School Alumni Association helped raise $190,000 for restoration of the auditorium mural. Significant landscaping work at the school was done by volunteers from the Church of the Highlands in the summer of 2008, enrollment in grades 9-12 for the 2013-14 school year was 857 students. Approximately 95% of students were African-American, 4% were Hispanic, roughly 91% of students qualified for free or reduced price lunch
19.
University of Alabama
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The University of Alabama is a public research university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, and the flagship of the University of Alabama System. Founded in 1820, UA is the oldest and largest of the universities in Alabama. UA offers programs of study in 13 academic divisions leading to bachelors, masters, Education Specialist, the only publicly supported law school in the state is at UA. The school was a center of activity during the American Civil War, the University of Alabama varsity football program, which was inaugurated in 1892, ranks as one of 10 winningest programs in US history. In a 1913 speech then-president George H. Denny extolled the university as the capstone of the school system in the state, lending the university its current nickname. The University of Alabama has consistently ranked as one of the top 50 public universities in the nation by the U. S. News & World Report. In 1818, U. S. Congress authorized the newly created Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a seminary of learning. When Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14,1819, the board chose as the site of the campus a place which was then just outside the city limits of Tuscaloosa, the state capital at the time. The new campus was designed by William Nichols, also the architect of newly completed Alabama State Capitol building, the universitys charter was presented to the first university president in the nave of Christ Episcopal Church. UA opened its doors to students on April 18,1831, an academy-style institution during the Antebellum period, the university emphasized the classics and the social and natural sciences. There were around 100 students per year at UA in the 1830s, consequently, only a fraction of students who enrolled in the early years remained enrolled for long and even fewer graduated. Those who did graduate, however, often had distinguished careers in Alabama, early graduates included Benjamin F. Porter and Alexander Meek. As the state and university matured, a literary culture evolved on campus. UA had one of the largest libraries in the country on the eve of the Civil War with more than 7,000 volumes, campbell, novelist William Gilmore Simms, and Professor Frederick Barnard. The addresses to those societies reveal a vibrant intellectual culture in Tuscaloosa, they illustrate the proslavery ideas that were so central to the university. Discipline and student behavior was an issue at the university almost from the day it opened. Early presidents attempted to enforce strict rules regarding conduct, Students were prohibited from drinking, swearing, making unauthorized visits off-campus, or playing musical instruments outside a one-hour time frame. Yet riots and gunfights were not an uncommon occurrence, to combat the severe discipline problem, president Landon Garland lobbied and received approval from the legislature in 1860 to transform the university into a military school
20.
Samford University
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Samford University is a private, coeducational, Christian university located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College, Samford University is the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford University is Alabamas top-ranked private university, the university enrolls 5,471 students from 47 states and 29 countries. Samford University has been ranked for academic programs, value and affordability by Kiplingers Personal Finance. In 1841, Samford University was founded as Howard College in Marion, some of the land was donated by Reverend James H. DeVotie, who served on the Samford Board of Trustees for fifteen years and as its President for two years. The first financial gift, $4,000, was given by Julia Tarrant Barron, the university was established after the Alabama Baptist State Convention decided to build a school for men in Perry County, Alabama. The colleges first nine students began studies in January 1842 with a curriculum of language, literature. In October 1854, a fire destroyed all of the colleges property, one student and a slave owned by the Universitys president died in the fire. The slave, Harry, was buried in the city cemetery with a significant obelisk marking his grave. Harry was remembered as a faithful servant, while the college recovered from the fire, the Civil War began. Howard College was converted to a hospital by the Confederate government in 1863. During this time, the remaining faculty offered basic instruction to soldiers recovering at the hospital. For a short period after the war, federal troops occupied the college, Howard Colleges board of trustees accepted real estate and funding from the city of Birmingham, Alabama in 1887. In 1913, the college became fully and permanently coeducational, Howard College added its School of Music in 1914 and School of Education and Journalism the following year. The college introduced its Department of Pharmacy in 1927, at the time, it was the only program of its kind in the Southeastern United States. During World War II, Howard College hosted a V-12 Navy College Training Program, the number of veterans attending the college after the war boosted enrollment beyond capacity. In result, the college was moved to the Shades Valley in Homewood, the new campus opened in 1957. In 1961, the college acquired Cumberland School of Law, one of the nations oldest law schools, in addition to the law school, Howard College added a new school of business and reorganized to achieve university status in 1965
21.
Pi Kappa Alpha
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Pi Kappa Alpha or Pike is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States, on March 1,1869, exactly one year after the Alpha Chapter at the University of Virginia was formed, the Beta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha was founded at Davidson College. Theta Chapter, at Rhodes College, took over the responsibilities of Alpha chapter when the Fraternity was in decline in its infancy, john Shaw Foster, a junior founder from Theta Chapter, helped to reestablish Alpha Chapter at the University of Virginia. Theta Chapter is the longest continual running chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha since its inception in 1878, after almost a decade of decline, Pi Kappa Alpha was re-founded as part of the Hampden-Sydney Convention, held in a dorm room at Hampden–Sydney College. The four delegates to the Hampden-Sydney Convention are referred to as the Junior Founders, Pi Kappa Alpha was not originally organized as a sectional fraternity, however by constitutional provision it became so in 1889. It remained a fraternity until the New Orleans Convention in 1909 when Pi Kappa Alpha officially declared itself a national organization. Its rituals are based on Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Shield & Diamond is the official quarterly publication of Pi Kappa Alpha. It was first printed in December 1890 by Robert Adger Smythe, the name was changed to Shield & Diamond in 1891. Pike University is the used for all of the fraternitys leadership programs. The program is administered by the professional staff. Founded in 1948 as a 501 tax exempt organization for charitable, events held by the university include International Convention, the Academy, the Chapter Executives Conference, and several regional Leadership Summits. Pike University grants more than $100,000 in scholarships each year, in 1948, Pi Kappa Alpha established and chartered the Pi Kappa Alpha Memorial Foundation as a 501 organization. The foundation grants $350,000 in scholarships and grants to members each year. It also provides funding to the fraternity and its chapters for leadership programs, scholarships, the foundation grants initiation fee scholarships to undergraduates inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Order of Omega, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Pi honoraries. The Pike Foundation also maintains and operates the Memorial Headquarters in Memphis and this facility houses professional staffs, the Harvey T. Newell Library, and the Freeman Hart Museum, the building is a war memorial built in 1988 to recognize the military services of members who died in the line of duty. A Gold Star Memorial was dedicated on August 1,2008, Pi Kappa Alphas move to start a chapter at the historically black Howard University in 2006 was opposed by some students and alumni. In 2014, the leaders of the fraternitys University of Arkansas chapter were asked to resign following an unauthorized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day party that incorporated racist stereotypes
22.
Track and field
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Track and field is a sport which includes athletic contests established on the skills of running, jumping, and throwing. The name is derived from the sports venue, a stadium with an oval running track enclosing a grass field where the throwing and jumping events take place. Track and field is categorised under the sport of athletics, which also includes road running, cross country running. The foot racing events, which include sprints, middle- and long-distance events, the jumping and throwing events are won by the athlete who achieves the greatest distance or height. Regular jumping events include long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault, while the most common throwing events are shot put, javelin, discus and hammer. There are also combined events or multi events, such as the pentathlon consisting of five events, heptathlon consisting of seven events, in these, athletes participate in a combination of track and field events. Most track and field events are individual sports with a victor, the most prominent team events are relay races. Events are almost exclusively divided by gender, although both the mens and womens competitions are held at the same venue. It is one of the oldest sports, in ancient times, it was an event held in conjunction with festivals and sports meets such as the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece. The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the city of Elis, won the stadium race. According to some traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals. In modern times, the two most prestigious track and field competitions are athletics competition at the Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The International Association of Athletics Federations is the governing body. Records are kept of the best performances in specific events, at world and national levels, however, if athletes are deemed to have violated the events rules or regulations, they are disqualified from the competition and their marks are erased. In North America, the track and field may be used to refer to other athletics events, such as the marathon. The sport of track and field has its roots in human prehistory, Track and field-style events are among the oldest of all sporting competitions, as running, jumping and throwing are natural and universal forms of human physical expression. The first recorded examples of organized track and field events at a festival are the Ancient Olympic Games. At the first Games in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, only one event was contested, Track and field events were also present at the Panhellenic Games in Greece around this period, and they spread to Rome in Italy around 200 BC
23.
Alma mater
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Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
24.
Bill Parcells
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Duane Charles Bill Parcells, also known as The Big Tuna, is a former American football coach, best known as a head coach in the National Football League for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the coach of the New York Giants. Parcells later served as the coach of the New England Patriots, New York Jets. Throughout his career, he coached teams that were in a period of decline and he is the only coach in NFL history to lead four different teams to the playoffs and three different teams to a conference championship game. Parcells brought new success to the team and within four years and his tenure with the Giants spanned eight seasons and concluded with a second championship victory in Super Bowl XXV. After the Super Bowl win, Parcells retired as a coach in 1991, in 1993, Parcells came out of retirement to become the head coach of the Patriots, another struggling franchise at the time. Once again, Parcells changed the fortunes for the team and led them to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXI during his season as their coach. Amid conflicts with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, he left the franchise after their Super Bowl loss and became the head coach of the Jets for the next season. Under Parcells, the Jets went from having only one victory in the season to obtaining a winning record. After three seasons as the Jets head coach, Parcells retired for a time in 1999. He coached the Cowboys for four seasons and helped them qualify for the playoffs twice, following the teams loss in a 2006 NFC Wild Card game, Parcells retired from coaching for good in 2007. Since his final retirement from coaching, Parcells currently serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN and he was also the Vice President of Football Operations with the Miami Dolphins, a position he held from 2008 to 2010. In 2013, Parcells was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Parcells was born in Englewood, New Jersey, on August 22,1941. He grew up in the town of Hasbrouck Heights. His mother, Ida Parcells, was a housewife while his father, Charles Parcells, played quarterback at Georgetown University, Bill Parcells is of Irish, Scottish, English, and Italian descent. Prior to his year in high school, the Parcells family moved a few miles north to the town of Oradell. While he was at River Dell, he was mistaken for another boy named Bill. As he had disliked his given name of Duane, he decided to adopt Bill as his nickname
25.
Joe Gibbs
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Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, current NASCAR Championship team owner, and former NHRA team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins, during his first stint in the National Football League, he coached the Redskins for 12 seasons and led them to eight playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl titles. After retiring at the end of the 1992 season, he switched focus to his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, which has won four Sprint Cup championships under his ownership. On January 7,2004, Gibbs came out of retirement to rejoin the Redskins as head coach and team president, signing a five-year and he remains with the organization as Special Advisor to the team owner Daniel Snyder. Born in Mocksville, North Carolina, Gibbs is the son of Jackson Ceufud, Joe graduated from Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe Springs, California, in 1959 where he was the star quarterback. Gibbs attended Cerritos Junior College and then San Diego State University, Gibbs graduated from SDSU in 1964 and earned a masters degree in 1966. Gibbs began his career with a stint as offensive line coach at San Diego State under Coryell and he held the same position under Bill Peterson at Florida State before serving under John McKay at Southern California and Frank Broyles at Arkansas. Gibbs then rose up to the National Football League, hired as the backfield coach for the St. Louis Cardinals by head coach Don Coryell. After a season as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under McKay, as the offensive coordinator for San Diego, Gibbs spearheaded the highly successful Air Coryell offense. Using a sophisticated passing attack, the Chargers and quarterback Dan Fouts set multiple records during Gibbs two seasons there. Remarkably, the Chargers averaged more than 400 yards of offense per game during their 1980 season, after 17 years of coaching as an assistant, in 1981 Gibbs was offered a job as the head coach of the Washington Redskins by Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke. After firing then-head coach Jack Pardee, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke was on the lookout for candidates, Gibbs first season with the Redskins started inauspiciously when the team lost their first five games. Cooke famously expressed confidence in Gibbs, declaring that the team would finish 8-8, the losses and Cookes confidence served as a catalyst, and the newly motivated team improved and reached an even 8-8 record in 1981. Gibbs second season with the Redskins realized the dreams of the entire Redskins fanbase, an NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl victory. The following season, Gibbs surprising success continued with a 14–2 regular season record, the Redskins then once again won an NFC Championship, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 24–21 on a last-second field goal, advancing to Super Bowl XVIII. The Redskins were installed as a 2-point favorite by Nevada books going into the game, some call this Redskins team one of the better teams to not win the Super Bowl. The 1984 Redskins won the NFC East with an 11–5 record and hosted a playoff game against the Chicago Bears. Gibbs coached the 1985 Redskins to a 10–6 regular season record, during the season Joe Theismann broke his leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, but the Redskins still won the game with Jay Schroeder at quarterback
26.
Don James (American football)
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Donald Earl Don James was an American football player and coach. He served as the coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992. His 1991 Washington team won a share of the championship after completing a 12–0 season with a win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. James was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1997, born and raised in Massillon, Ohio, James graduated from Massillon High School in 1950. The 2nd youngest of five boys, his oldest brother was Tommy James, a player on Ohio States first national championship team in 1942. As a quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes, James set five school passing records and he earned a bachelors degree in education in 1954 and then was commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Army. James then was assistant for the Jayhawks at the University of Kansas under his former high school coach, Chuck Mather. He coached high school football in Florida at Southwest Miami High School in 1959, then was an assistant coach for 12 seasons at Florida State, Michigan. James was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, in 1971, James became the head coach at Kent State in Ohio, where he compiled a 25–19–1 record in four years. There he coached future NFL great Jack Lambert, current college head coach Nick Saban of Alabama, during his tenure at Kent, the Golden Flashes won their only Mid-American Conference title, in 1972, and played in their first bowl game, the 1972 Tangerine Bowl. In December 1974, Don James was hired by University of Washington athletic director Joseph Kearney to succeed Jim Owens as head coach, James served in this capacity for 18 seasons, from 1975 to 1992. He led the Huskies to a championship in 1991, shared with Miami. James teams won four Rose Bowls, the Orange Bowl in January 1985, overall, James tallied a 153–57–2 mark for a winning percentage of.722 at Washington, including a then-record 98 wins in Pacific-10 Conference play. Washington won 22 consecutive games from 1990 to 1992, during the 1992 season, it was revealed that several Huskies players had received improper benefits. Among them, starting quarterback Billy Joe Hobert had received a series of loans totaling $50,000 made by a friends father-in-law. The Huskies received sanctions from both the NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference, though notably James and the staff were not specifically cited as having broken any rules. James resigned from his coaching position on August 22,1993. James won national coach of the year honors in 1977,1984
27.
Jim Carlen
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James A. Carlen was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the football coach at West Virginia University. He served as both the football coach and athletic director of the University of South Carolina. Carlen compiled a career college football record of 107–69–6. Carlen coached the West Virginia Mountaineers from 1966 to 1969 with a record of 25–13–3, then he coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 1970 to 1974, where he amassed a 37–20–2 record. From 1975 to 1981, he was the football coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks where he coached Heisman Trophy running back George Rogers. Carlen 45 wins are third most in the history after Steve Spurriers 85. In 1979 and 1980, Carlen led the Gamecocks to consecutive 8–4 campaigns with appearancess in the Hall of Fame Classic and his career bowl game record is 2–5–1. In July 2008, four years before his death, Carlen was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor, coach Carlen was actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes during his entire post-coaching life. In April 2011 he was quoted as saying, “I was one of the six members of the FCA. FCA started very small, and then it snowballed, when I hired a coach I always took a close look at his spiritual life, ” Carlen said. “When you have God on your side you don’t have to worry. ”Carlen died on July 22,2012, a memorial service was scheduled for Friday, July 27, at 4 p. m. at the Trenholm Road United Methodist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Jim Carlen at the College Football Data Warehouse
28.
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University. The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, the program began in 1925 and has an overall winning record, including a total of 11 conference titles and one division title. On December 12,2012, former Red Raider quarterback Kliff Kingsbury became the teams 15th head coach, home games are played at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech fielded its first intercollegiate football team during the 1925 season, the team was known as the Matadors from 1925 to 1936, a name suggested by the wife of E. Y. Freeland, the first football coach, to reflect the influence of the Spanish Renaissance architecture on campus, in 1932, Texas Tech joined the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, also known as the Border Conference. That same year, the team won its first conference championship and was invited to the Sun Bowl, the game was played on January 1,1938, and resulted in a 7–6 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Texas Tech suffered four more losses before their first postseason win in the 1952 Sun Bowl. Before withdrawing from the Border Conference in 1956, the Red Raiders won eight championships and one co-championship. In 1956, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference and it gained full SWC membership and began official conference play in 1960. The Red Raiders won conference co-championships in 1976 and 1994, the team remained in the SWC until the conference dissolved in 1996. The university was invited and became a member in the South Division of the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech was the member in the history of the Big 12 to boast a winning record every year since the conferences formation. In 2003, Texas Tech was the team to ever have 5 or more players with at least 60 receptions in a single season. In 2008, the Red Raiders were one of three teams involved in the first three way conference division tie. Texas Tech has competed as a member of three different conferences since 1925, the Red Raiders have won National Championships and 11 conference championships, the first 9 were Border Conference championships, and the most recent was the Big 12 South Championship won in 2008. The Red Raiders were previously members of the Big 12 South between its inception in 1996 and the dissolution of divisions within the Big 12 in 2011. † Denotes co-champions Texas Tech has played in 37 postseason bowl games with an record of 14 wins,22 losses. The 37 bowl game appearances by the Red Raiders rank the program 17th in all-time in bowl games played, Texas Techs first bowl game was at the conclusion of the 1937 season, only 13 years after the program was established
29.
Marshall Thundering Herd football
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The Marshall Thundering Herd football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Marshall University. The team represents the university as a member of the Conference USA Eastern division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Marshall plays at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, which seats 38,227 and is expandable to 55,000. As of the end of the 2015 football season, Marshall has an impressive 148-26 overall record at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for a percentage of.851. The University of Alabama ranks second with an.825 winning percentage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the stadium opened in 1991 as Marshall University Stadium with a crowd of 33,116 for a 24-23 win over New Hampshire. On September 10,2010, the Thundering Herd played the in-state rival West Virginia Mountaineers in Huntington in front of a crowd of 41,382. Joan C. Edwards Stadium is one of two Division I stadium named solely for a woman with South Carolinas Williams-Brice Stadium being the other, the playing field itself is named James F. Edwards Field after Mrs. Edwards husband, businessman and philanthropist James F. Edwards. Marshall first fielded a team in 1895. The team didnt have a coach that year or from 1897–1901, the first coach in Marshall football history was George Ford from 1902–1903. Boyd Chambers was Marshalls head football coach from 1909-1916 and he is most well known for calling the Tower Play, where one receiver lifted another up on his shoulders to complete a pass, during the 1915 season, leading to a rule change in 1916. Arch Reilly led the Herd to an undefeated 8-0 record in his season as Marshalls head coach in 1919. Charles Tallman would lead the Thundering Herd from 1925-1928, compiling a 22-9-7 record before moving on to coach rival West Virginia, tallmans Thundering Herd won conference championships in 1925 and 1928. Tallman was succeeded by John Maulbetsch, who posted an 8-8-2 record in his two years, tom Dandelet led the Thundering Herd from 1931-1934, compiling a record of 18-16-2. Dandelets 1931 team won a conference championship, cam Henderson led the Marshall Thundering Herd for a total of twelve seasons and posted 69 wins. Hendersons teams were tough and physical and liked to run the football, hendersons 1947 Herd was 9-2, then received a bowl bid from the second Tangerine Bowl to face Catawba College. His top assistant, Roy Straight, took the team minus the two starting ends who went with Henderson, and after a four-day bus trip to Orlando. 1,1948, 7-0 to Catawba, despite out-gaining and having more first downs, after a 6-41949 season, Henderson resigned as head football coach but continued to lead Marshalls basketball program until 1954-55. Coach Pete Pederson tried to take the Herds wing-T offense and use the NFL-popular T-Formation, the Herd were mostly mediocre during this time period, winning no conference championships and home attendance was up and down. During this time, Marshall joined the Ohio Valley Conference, but left in 1952 to join the Mid-American Conference in 1953, the Herd finished second under Royer in 1957 and under Snyder in 1964, when future head coach Bobby Pruett was a senior receiver
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Marshall University
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Edwards School of Medicine, and a regional center for cancer research, which has a national reputation for its programs in rural healthcare delivery. The forensic science program is one of nearly twenty post-graduate-level academic programs in the United States accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. The universitys digital forensics program is the first program in the world to receive accreditation in digital forensics from the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, the College of Business has achieved AACSB accreditation. Marshall University also operates the Robert C. Byrd Institute, with operations on both the Huntington and South Charleston campuses, as well as in Fairmont, West Virginia. The institutes goal is the transfer of technology from the departments to private industry to support job development in the region. Marshall University was founded in 1837 as a subscription school by residents of Guyandotte. In 1858, the Virginia General Assembly changed the name to Marshall College, the Civil War closed the often financially challenged school for much of the 1860s. In 1867, the West Virginia Legislature resurrected the institution as a training facility. This began the history of the college as a state-supported post-secondary institution, at that time, enrollment surpassed 1,000 students. The school began offering degrees for the first time in 1920. In 1937, the college suffered through a devastating flooding by the Ohio River, numerous structures, such as Northcott Hall and the James E. Morrow Library were extensively flooded. Much of Huntington was also damaged, and as a result. In that year the school was accredited as a university institution, however. Further expansion accelerated after World War II, in 1960, John F. Kennedy spoke at the college during his cross-country campaign for the presidency. On March 2,1961, West Virginia Legislature finally elevated Marshall to university status, the student newspaper, The Parthenon, prepared two front pages for the day, depending on the outcome of the legislatures vote. Also in 1961, WMUL-FM began operations as the first public station in West Virginia. The station, which began in the Science Building at 10 watts of power, the university rebuilt its athletic program back to respectability, and in 1977, the university joined the Southern Conference. On the evening of November 14,1970, the Thundering Herd football team, along with coaches and fans, was returning home to Huntington from Kinston, the team had just lost a game 17–14 against the East Carolina University Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina
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Southern Airways Flight 932
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At 7,36 pm on November 14,1970, the aircraft crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 people on board. The plane was carrying 37 members of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, nine members of the staff,25 boosters. The team was returning home after a 17–14 loss to the East Carolina Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, at the time, Marshalls athletic teams rarely traveled by plane, since most away games were within easy driving distance of the campus. The team originally planned to cancel the flight, but changed plans, the accident is the deadliest tragedy affecting any sports team in U. S. history. The aircraft was a 95-seat, twin jet engine Douglas DC-9-30 with tail registration N97S, the airliners crew was Captain Frank H. Abbot,47, First Officer Jerry Smith,28, flight attendants Pat Vaught and Charlene Poat. All were qualified for the flight, another employee of Southern Airways, Danny Deese, was aboard the flight to coordinate charter activities. This flight was the flight that year for the Marshall University football team. The airliner left Stallings Field at Kinston, North Carolina, the crew established radio contact with air traffic controllers at 7,23 pm with instructions to descend to 5,000 feet. The controllers advised the crew there was rain, fog, smoke. At 7,34 pm, the crew reported passing Tri-State Airports outer marker. The controller gave them clearance to land, the aircraft began its normal descent after passing the outer marker, but did not arrest its descent and hold altitude at 1240 ft, as required by the assigned instrument approach procedure. Instead, the descent continued for another 300 ft for unknown reasons, the airliner continued on final approach to Tri-State Airport when it collided with the tops of trees on a hillside 5,543 feet west of runway 11. The plane burst into flames and created a swath of charred ground 95 feet wide and 279 feet long, according to the official NTSB report, the accident was unsurvivable. The aircraft dipped to the right, almost inverted and had crashed into a hollow nose-first, by the time the plane came to a stop, it was 4,219 feet short of the runway and 275 feet south of the middle marker. The fuselage was reduced to what the NTSB described as a powder-like substance, the remains of six passengers were never identified. The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and their report was issued on April 14,1972. At least one source says that water that had seeped into the planes altimeter could have thrown off its height readings, leading the pilots to believe the plane was higher than was actually the case. On November 15,1970, a service was held at the indoor,8, 500-seat Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse with moments of silence, remembrances
32.
Ohio Bobcats football
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The Ohio Bobcats football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as a member of the Mid-American Conference, the Bobcats have played their home games in Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio since 1929. Ohio Bobcats football began in 1894 with an 8–0 loss to Marietta College, since then, the Bobcats have posted a 532–535–48 record over their 120-year existence and a 215–248–11 record over their 68 years in MAC games. The Bobcats have won five MAC championships, in 1953,1960,1963,1967, and 1968, prior to joining the MAC, the Bobcats won six Buckeye Athletic Association championships, in 1929,1930,1931,1935,1936, and 1938. In 1960, the Bobcats were crowned National Small College Champions after compiling a 10–0 record under Bill Hess, Ohio won their first bowl game on December 17,2011 with a 24–23 victory over the Utah State Aggies in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Ohio followed up that win with another in 2012 over Louisiana–Monroe in the 2012 Independence Bowl. In 2013, Ohio played in their fifth consecutive bowl game, in 1892, Ohio University became a member of a four-school conference—the Athletic League of Ohio Colleges—which included Otterbein College, Wittenberg University, and Marietta College. A schedule never materialized, however, and the league dissolved before even a game was played. In preparation, though, a team was formed on Ohios campus and he soon began coaching the team, according to the student newspaper, the Panorama. For the first time, the team was given space in the Athena yearbook in 1892. The entire team was listed by position and name, the first intercollegiate football game involving an Ohio University team was played in Athens in 1894 against Marietta College. It was the only contest played that year by Ohio, with Marietta winning by a score of 8–0, the next year the Bobcats faced a five-game schedule, under the leadership of coach Harvey Deme. The 1895 squad was 2-3, with wins against Parkersburg High School and Lancaster High School, from 1896 to 1905, the football program was in a state of flux, with a new coach taking over the reins every year. The best records of time period were forged in 1897 and 1901 under Warwick Ford and Art Jones. The Cats were 7–2 in their 1897 campaign, and posted a 6–1–2 record in 1901, the 1897 season, which produced the best record of any of the 19th Century campaigns, started with two straight losses—to Marietta College and Cincinnati. The team then reeled off seven straight victories over Muskingum College, Dennison College, Ohio Medical University, West Virginia University, Otterbein College. The 1906 squad exploded for a 7–1 record, with wins over respected programs such as West Virginia University, the program tailed off considerably in 1907, however, and would not post a.500 record until 1911 under coach Arthur Hinaman. The 1911 squad outscored all opponents 88–44, but only managed to post a 3–3–2 record, arguably the greatest Ohio team of the early era was Mark Banks 1915 squad
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Veer
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The Veer is an option running play often associated with option offenses in American football, made famous at the collegiate level by Bill Yeomans Houston Cougars. The Veer is a ball control offense that can help minimize mismatches in a game for a team. However, it can lead to turnovers with pitches and handoff option reads, the Veer can be run out of any variety of formations, although it was primarily designed to be run out of the split-backed, aptly named veer formation. It has been used out of the I-formation and the wishbone formation, the Veer option is generally regarded as a triple option. It is designed as an attack with one player taking a dive course, one taking a pitch course. The QB makes reads on defensive players and then distributes the ball according to the reaction to the offense. A typical play proceeds as follows, the quarterback takes the snap, the split-back halfback on the right side, who in this situation is the dive back, goes forward into the line to where the quarterback is and meets in an area called the mesh point. This is where the idea of the Veer begins to take shape and this man is being Read by the QB. The defender is being forced to choose between tackling the dive back or the quarterback, the dive back explodes forward, puts his arms around the ball that is being extended, but does not take it. This is where the name of the offense, the veer and this is just one part of the four-part option. If the quarterback keeps the ball, he attempts to cut up the field with the opposite side halfback and this entire action takes no longer than a few seconds. The fourth player in the split-veer would be a receiver or tight end. His job, depending on the formation, would be to block the player who is responsible for the flat on the side being attacked. The offense relies on the making the proper reads, turning up the field. The dive back must remember to not take the football from the quarterback, the pitch man must maintain proper spacing from the quarterback to ensure that the quarterback can make an effective pitch that can ensure more yardage. The College Football Hall of Fame credits Bill Yeoman with the invention of the veer formation, Yeoman ran that offense with the Houston Cougars beginning in the mid-1960s and continuing through his career at Houston, which concluded in 1986. When an offensive system is devised for a team, the coach must take into account his players and it can be used for undersized players so that double teams and angles can be used to block defenders. It can be used to isolate defenders and create predictable responses to the offenses actions, if a team is very disciplined it can take advantage of an undisciplined defense that can not execute their responsibilities precisely on each snap of the game
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Option offense
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The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such because of the predominance of option running plays employed in them, Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running plays, though modern option offenses now incorporate a large number of passing plays. Because they are run-based, option offenses are very effective in managing the game clock, giving the team less time to score. However, this means that when the option team is losing near the end of the game. These schemes rely on timing, deception, and split-second decision-making under pressure, an option offense is any football scheme that relies on option running plays as its cornerstone. There are a variety of such schemes, the result is a backfield alignment that resembles the shape of a wishbone. While the wishbones success reached its zenith in the 1970s, it remains popular at the high school, wing T offense The traditional wing T offense employs many of the concepts of the wishbone offense. It often employs three running back formations, especially in the Bay City version of the offense, as the triple-option became prominent, the wing T quickly incorporated the veer into its arsenal. In conjunction, it tends to significantly more misdirection running plays. The traps, crosses, fakes, pulls, sweeps, the veer is well suited to the wing T offense, especially the Delaware version. It continues to be employed by schools and small college teams. Flexbone option offense The Flexbone was invented by Emory Bellard at Mississippi State in 1979 and it was called the Wingbone, a variation of the Wishbone Bellard originally invented. A variant of the offense, the flexbone came to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. The flexbone offense varies from the wishbone in a few fundamental ways, first, and most notably, the flexbone replaces the halfbacks that are aligned in the backfield of a wishbone with one or two wingbacks or slot backs, that align off-tackle or off-end. These hybrid players are very quick and must be adept at running, blocking. Because of their positioning, they can more easily facilitate the game in the flexbone. Teams that employ this scheme tend to consistently high rushing averages. The name flexbone is somewhat controversial and usually reflects the school of thought from which the offense was born, some practitioners, such as Air Forces famed former head coach, Fisher DeBerry, welcomed the name flexbone because the offense was seen as a modification of the traditional wishbone
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We Are Marshall
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We Are Marshall is a 2006 American historical drama biopic film directed by McG. It also addresses the rebuilding of the program and the healing that the community undergoes, then-governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue has a cameo role as an East Carolina University football coach. It was scored by Christophe Beck and written by Jamie Linden, dr. Keith Spears was the Marshall University consultant. Dedmon travels to Kansas City, where he pleads with the NCAA to waive their rule prohibiting freshmen from playing varsity football, the new team is composed mostly of the 18 returning players and walk-on athletes from other Marshall sports programs. Due to their lack of experience, the Young Thundering Herd ends up losing its first game, 29–6, the loss weighs heavily on Dawson and Ruffin, who had been hurt in the first play of the game. The Herds first post-crash victory is a 15–13 win against Xavier University in the first home game of the season, the premiere for the film was held at the Keith Albee Theater on December 12,2006, in Huntington, other special screenings were held at Pullman Square. The movie was released nationwide on December 22,2006, several aspects of the film were changed for dramatic purposes, although the gist of the story was retained. We Are Marshall was released on DVD, HD DVD, novak, who directed Marshall University, Ashes to Glory, is a Huntington native and Marshall alumnus. In October 2008, a judge dismissed the lawsuit in a summary judgment in favor of Warner Bros. The film received mixed reviews from critics, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 49% out of 124 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5. The films directing was criticized by many reviewers, peter Howell from the Toronto Star said the film lacked genuine drama or conflict. McConaugheys performance was, according to critics, one of the films highlights. Roger Moore from the Orlando Sentinel gave it 4 stars out of 5 and said in his review that We Are Marshall doesnt always have a handle on the grief and that allows McConaughey to be the most refreshing, funny and believable he ever has been. The real William Red Dawson can be seen in the movie as the coach of Morehead State,1971 quarterback Dave Walsh can be seen in the movie as an assistant for Xavier. Walsh was working as a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch at the time of filming. The real Jack Lengyel had an appearance in the movie. Dorsey Levens, a former Green Bay Packers running back, has a cameo as the Xavier head coach Keith Morehouse, Morehouse is the current sports director for WSAZ-TV in Huntington and is a former play-by-play announcer for Marshall broadcasts. His father, Gene Morehouse, was Marshalls play-by-play announcer when he was killed in the crash, Keith Morehouses future wife was one of the 18 children left orphaned by the crash
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Morgantown, West Virginia
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Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. With a permanent population of 31,073 per the 2015 U. S. Census estimates, the Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176, and is the 3rd largest in West Virginia. West Virginia University adds several thousand residents to the city. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University, Morgantown is closely tied to the Anglo-French struggle for this territory. Until the Treaty of Paris in 1763, what is now known as Morgantown was greatly contested by settlers and Native Americans, and by the British, the treaty decided the issue in favor of the British, but Indian fighting continued almost to the beginning of the American Revolution. As well, several forts were built in the area during this time, Fort Pierpont near the Cheat River, in 1769, Fort Coburn, near Dorseys Knob, zackquill Morgan settled the area about 1772 by establishing a homestead near present-day Fayette Street and University Avenue. Morgan fought in both the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of colonel, by 1783, following his wartime duties, Colonel Morgan commissioned Major William Haymond to survey his land and divide it into streets and lots. Colonel Morgan then received a certificate for 400 acres in the area of his settlement near the mouth of Deckers Creek. 50 acres were appropriated for Morgans Town by the Virginia General Assembly in October 1785, on February 3,1838, the Virginia General Assembly enacted a municipal charter incorporating the city, now with a population of about 700, as Morgantown, Virginia. The town became part of the newly created state of West Virginia on June 20,1863, the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit has been in use since 1975. University students use the system for free to travel between the spread-out campuses. Morgantown is located 75 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,208 mi north-northwest of Washington, D. C.204 mi east of Columbus, Ohio, Morgantown is just south of the Mason–Dixon line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 10.62 square miles. Morgantown lies in the transition between a subtropical and humid continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to cold with a January daily mean temperature of 31.3 °F, Summers are hot and humid with a July daily mean temperature of 73.2 °F and 12 days of 90 °F + highs annually. Precipitation is generous, with winter being the driest period and May through July the wettest, Morgantown is made up of several neighborhoods, some of which had been independent towns that were annexed by the city as it continued to grow. Neighborhoods include First Ward, Woodburn, South Park, Jerome Park, South Hills, Second Ward, Greenmont, Suncrest, Evansdale, Wiles Hill, Sunnyside, Sabraton, the Mileground, and North Hills. While some of these, such as the Mileground, Easton, the City of Morgantown contained an estimated 31,073 residents in 2014
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Tallahassee, Florida
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Tallahassee /ˌtæləˈhæsi/ is the capital of the U. S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2015, the population was 189,907, making the city the 126th-largest city in the United States, the population of the Tallahassee metropolitan area was 377,924 as of 2015. Tallahassee is the largest city in the Northwest Florida region as well as the center for trade and agriculture in the Florida Big Bend. Tallahassee is home to Florida State University, ranked the nations thirty-eighth best public university by U. S. News & World Report and it is also home to the Florida A&M University, one of the countrys largest historically black universities by total enrollment. Tallahassee is home to the Florida State Capitol, Supreme Court of Florida, Florida Governors Mansion, the city is also known for its large number of law firms, lobbying organizations, trade associations and professional associations, including the Florida Bar and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It is also a regional center for scientific research. In 2015, Tallahassee was awarded the All-American City Award by the National Civic League for the second time, Tallahassee is currently ranked as the 18th best college town in the nation by Best College Reviews. During the 17th century several Spanish missions were established in the territory of the Apalachee to procure food, the largest, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, has been partially reconstructed by the state of Florida. They found large areas of cleared land previously occupied by the Apalachee tribe, earlier, the Mississippian Indians built mounds near Lake Jackson around AD1200, which survive today in the Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park. The expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez encountered the Apalachees, although it did not reach the site of Tallahassee, hernando de Soto and his expedition occupied the Apalachee town of Anhaica in what is now Tallahassee in the winter of 1538–1539. Based on archaeological excavations this site is now known to be located about 0.5 miles east of the present Florida State Capitol, the DeSoto encampment is believed to be the first place Christmas was celebrated in the continental United States. During the First Seminole War, General Andrew Jackson fought two separate skirmishes in and around Tallahassee, the first battle took place on November 12,1817. Chief Neamathla, of the village of Fowltown, just west of present day Tallahassee had refused Jacksons orders to relocate, Jackson responded by entering the village, burning it to the ground, and driving off its occupants. The Indians later retaliated, by killing 50 soldiers and civilians, Jackson reentered Florida in March 1818. According to Jacksons adjutant, Colonel Robert Butler, they advanced on the Indian village called Tallahasse two of the enemy were made prisoner, Tallahassee became the capital of Florida during the second legislative session. It was chosen as it was equidistant from St. Augustine and Pensacola. The first session of Floridas Legislative Council—as a territory of the United States—met on July 22,1822 at Pensacola, the second session was in St. Augustine and required western delegates to travel perilously around the peninsula on a twenty-eight-day trek
38.
Auburn Tigers football
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The Auburn Tigers football program represents Auburn University in the sport of American college football. Auburn competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Auburn officially began competing in intercollegiate football in 1892. The Tigers joined the Southeastern Conference in 1932 as one of the members of the conference. Auburn officially claims two national championships, but has been recognized with five championships from NCAA documented selectors. Auburn has achieved twelve undefeated seasons and won conference championships. The Tigers have made forty-one post season appearances, including eleven historically major bowl berths. The Tigers have produced three Heisman Trophy winners, quarterback Pat Sullivan in 1971, running back Bo Jackson in 1985, Auburn has also produced twenty-nine consensus All-American players. The College Football Hall of Fame has inducted a total of 12 individuals from Auburn, including 8 student-athletes and four coaches, John Heisman, Mike Donahue, Ralph Jordan. Ralph Shug Jordan, who coached from 1951 to 1975, led Auburn to its first national championship and won a total of 176 games, the most by any Auburn coach. Auburns home stadium is Jordan–Hare Stadium, which opened in 1939, Auburns archrival is in-state foe Alabama. The Tigers and Crimson Tide meet annually in the Iron Bowl, the Tigers are currently led by head coach Gus Malzahn. Auburn has the 13th most wins in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, in terms of winning percentage, Auburn ranks as the 9th most successful team in the past 25 years with a 71% win rate and 9th over the last half century with 69%. Of the 93 current I-A football programs that been active since Auburn first fielded a team 116 years ago, the College Football Research Center lists Auburn as the 14th best college football program in history, with eight Auburn squads listed in Billingsleys Top 200 Teams of All Time. The Bleacher Report placed Auburn as the 18th best program of all time in their power rankings conducted after the 2010 season, in 2013, College Football Data Warehouse, a website dedicated to the historical data of college football, listed Auburn 13th all-time. After the 2008 season, ESPN ranked Auburn the 21st most prestigious program in history, the Associated Press poll statistics show Auburn with the 11th best national record of being ranked in the final AP Poll and 14th overall, with an average ranking of 11.2. Since the Coaches Poll first released a poll in 1950. Auburn has also had success against teams ranked number one in the nation, the Tigers have beaten four teams ranked number one in the nation. Three Auburn players, Pat Sullivan in 1971, Bo Jackson in 1985, the Trophys namesake, John Heisman, coached at Auburn from 1895 until 1899
