ESPN Independents and Others Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

As we head into the summer, it's a good time to get to know the names of some players that might not otherwise be on your radar. So I've compiled a list of 10 players that you should know in the fall.

Daryl Washington, LB, TCU -- Washington spent the past couple years in the shadow of Robert Henson and Jason Phillips, but emerged this spring and should be a key component for the Horned Frogs' defense.

Emmett Merchant, DB, Navy -- Merchant quit the team this spring because he wanted to transfer, but after talking with teammates, he was convinced to stay and should be a key component in the Midshipmen's secondary.

McKay Jacobson, WR, BYU -- Jacobson was a standout his freshman season, but spent the past two years on a mission. He figures to be the perfect replacement for Austin Collie.

Desmond Johnson, RB, Southern Miss -- With Damion Fletcher missing spring practice because of suspension, Johnson got a chance to impress coaches and earn some playing time in the fall.

Dwight Dasher, QB, Middle Tennessee -- Dasher is the full-time starter in an offense directed by new coordinator Tony Franklin. Dasher is a dual-threat that should play off the talent already on the roster.

Aiona Key, WR, Utah -- With all three of the Utes top receivers gone, Key is expected to fill the void quickly. He had a great spring and should be the go-to receiver in the fall.

DeRon Furr, DB, Memphis -- Furr, a transfer from Auburn, looked like a difference maker for the Tigers this spring. He was named MVP of the spring game and should help their struggling defense.

Brandon Bice, DE, Northern Illinois -- Bice will be called upon to make up where former defensive end Larry English left off. Bice was a third-team All-MAC player last season.

Jovonte Taylor, WR, Hawaii -- Taylor, a junior college transfer, played three games with the Warriors last season before suffering a season-ending viral infection. He also missed some of the offseason with knee surgery. But he's back and could be the top target in the Hawaii offense.

Braxton Amy, DB, UTEP -- Amy missed all of last season after tearing his ACL, but is back this season and should be a key component in a depleted UTEP defense. In 2007, Amy led the team with 9.3 tackles per game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

BRISTOL, Conn. –- Blogging from the home base today because of meetings with the ESPN.com bloggers, but I didn't want you guys to miss out on any pertinent non-BCS news.

Speaking of that, here are a few notes that came across my e-mail this morning:

• The Utah-San Jose State football game on Sept. 12 will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPNU.

• The GMAC Bowl announced today that the 2010 game would feature an ACC participant against the first selection from the Mid-American Conference. The game will be held Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. CT.

• Representatives from Army and Navy could make their decision this week regarding a new site for the annual Army-Navy game for 2010 to 2014 and possibly beyond. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and the new Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., are the final four sites in contention.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Spring practice is over, and it's now up to the players to determine what type of team they want to be a part of. These rankings are different from my last set because they reflect the teams' having gone through spring football and filling major needs. These rankings are probably closer to what the rankings will look like at the start of the season, but a couple of teams still have big questions to answer and holes to fill.

	AP Photo/Donna McWilliam
	Andy Dalton and the Horned Frogs have the potential to compete for a spot in a BCS bowl.

1. TCU -- This spring the Horned Frogs made up for their losses on defense and developed some good depth on both sides of the ball. The Horned Frogs have a favorable schedule and should be the frontrunner as a BCS buster when the season begins.

2. Boise State -- The Broncos have just five seniors on the team, but the young guys got it done last year and can do so again. An early win against Oregon would set the tone for the entire season.

3. Notre Dame -- It's hard not to like the Irish, especially with lots of talent returning on offense and an incredibly favorable schedule. The Irish also bring in some high-level recruits who should be able to provide immediate help.

4. BYU -- The Cougars changed their attitude this spring and decided to detach themselves from the expectations of fans and media and start focusing on the fun aspects of football. Whether that will translate into wins, especially with a tough nonconference schedule, is to be determined.

5. Utah -- The Utes still have questions on offense, mostly at quarterback, and there's a lot of young, unproven talent at the skill positions. The defensive front will be the strength, while the question is whether the secondary can be as strong as in the past.

6. East Carolina -- The reigning Conference USA champs will again be favored with almost the entire team returning. Players said they were more confident this spring and are ready to take the next step toward changing the program.

7. Nevada -- The Wolf Pack might have the best running game in the country this year with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running backs Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott. But if Kaepernick can throw, this team could be every bit as dangerous as Boise State.

8. Houston -- The offense is going to be strong, but the defense suffered some major losses to graduation. The Cougars had a good spring, though, and developed some of the depth waiting in the wings.

9. Troy -- I know the Sun Belt isn't one of the higher-level conferences, but the Trojans are for real. Their offense will give its opponents fits and their defense is littered with potential draft picks.

10. Navy -- The Midshipmen lost their entire backfield, but quarterback Ricky Dobbs had a great spring and the rest of the team came along as spring progressed. I even think we'll see a passing game in the Navy offense this year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

On Tuesday, Navy junior defensive back Emmett Merchant announced that he was rejoining the Navy football team.

Merchant missed spring football because he told coaches that he intended to leave the Naval Academy after the spring semester. Well, Merchant had a change of heart and it's a good thing he did. Navy was depending on Merchant in the secondary and struggled to find a suitable replacement this fall. With Merchant's return, Navy will have a dynamic safety duo with Wyatt Middleton.

GoMids.com did a one-on-one interview with Merchant that somewhat explains his decision to leave and ultimately return. His answers are a little ambiguous, but he does stress that the brotherhood of the Navy football team was a main factor in his return.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy has inked deals to play a couple other non-automatic qualifying teams in the coming years.

The Midshipmen will play a home-and-home series with Troy during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The two schools have never met.

"I am excited about the opportunity to add the Naval Academy to our schedule for the 2011 and 2012 seasons," Troy athletics director Steve Dennis said. "Navy has had the top service academy football program for several years, their team plays in bowl games on an annual basis, and the games should be something for our fans to get excited about."

Troy will play at Navy on Nov. 12, 2011, and the Midshipmen will make the trip to Troy on Nov. 10, 2012.

Navy has also agreed to a home-and-home series with Toledo for the 2013 and 2015 seasons. The Rockets will host the Midshipmen on Oct. 19, 2013 and travel to Navy on Oct. 17, 2015.

The two teams have met three previous times, the last was a 21-20 Toledo win in the Glass Bowl in 2001. Toledo owns a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Three Naval Academy players -- running back Eric Kettani and wide receivers Shun White and Tyree Barnes -- signed free-agent contracts with the New England Patriots.

None of the three players will be immediately available because of their military commitments, which for the Naval Academy is currently five years. But the players, and the Patriots, are holding out hope that Navy will fall in line with its military academy brethren and allow potential professional athletes a two-year stint of active duty and six years in the reserves.

All three players gathered a lot of attention from scouts leading up to the draft. In mid-April, the trio participated in a combine-type tryout with the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. A week later, the Baltimore Ravens did drills with the three players. However, the fact that none will be available immediately, and might not be available until 2015, likely scared off some prospective teams despite the fact that the trio was impressive in all of their workouts.

Kettani is the best prospect of three. Kettani was invited to the NFL combine, but was told by the Naval Academy that he couldn't attend because they didn't want to support him pursuing a career in professional football when the academy is supposed to be encouraging active duty. During his individual workouts, Kettani ran the 40-yard dash in around 4.6 seconds, according to the Annapolis Capital.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

While I've been away the past couple days, there have been a couple schedule announcements for the various teams of the Independents and Others.

* Navy has agreed to a deal with the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to compete in the 2013 game. The bowl game has featured a military academy team since 2006.

The Air Force Academy has participated in the game the past two seasons at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

* Nevada will play host to Arizona and UCLA at Mackay Stadium in 2015 and 2016 respectively as part of multi-game deal with each school.

Nevada and UCLA will engage in a three-game series that will have the Wolf Pack travelling to UCLA on Aug. 31, 2013 and again Sept. 19, 2015. The Bruins come to Nevada on Sept. 17, 2016.

The series with Arizona will begin Sept. 13, 2014 in Tucson, Ariz., and will conclude on Sept. 12, 2015 when the Wildcats come to Reno.

"The benefit of these series is twofold," said Nevada senior associate athletic director Rory Hickok, who oversees football scheduling. "First, we are able to continue our philosophy of bringing high-level opponents to Mackay Stadium. Moreover, we've been able to do that with a pair of BCS schools on the West Coast and the road games are easier trips for our fan base to make.

"I'm optimistic that we will be able to pursue further scheduling avenues along these lines."

* Notre Dame announced that its Nov. 28 game against Stanford will kickoff at 5 p.m. This announcement means that only the Irish's games at Michigan on Sept. 12 and at Pittsburgh on Nov. 14 are without kickoff times.

* Navy has agreed to play Georgia Southern on Sept. 11, 2010 at Navy. The Midshipmen are the only FBS team on the Georgia Southern's 2010 schedule.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

When Ricky Dobbs was asked why he chose the Naval Academy, he said it wasn't about football, it was about security.

Graduation from the Academy meant a guaranteed job, health insurance and a better life for his future family.

It was a guarantee Dobbs didn't have growing up.

	AP Photo/Rob Carr
	Quarterback Ricky Dobbs appreciates Navy for reasons beyond football.

Dobbs, who will be Navy's starting quarterback in the fall, chuckles when talking about the structured environment he's been in the past few years. After spending most of his childhood coming and going as he pleased, the regimen of the Academy has been something he's surprisingly embraced.

When Dobbs was young, his parents split up and he stayed with his mother. He bounced around from house to house and often, even at a young age, found himself surrounded by people who were drinking and doing drugs. He had no accountability. He could leave the house and go anywhere he wanted without telling anyone where he was going. It was far too much freedom for a third grader.

"Growing up, I never really got the discipline," Dobbs said. "With my mom, I was able to do what I wanted. I was able to rip and run the street. Just leave the house in elementary school, walking around with everybody who was older, like when I was 7 or 8 years old I'd be wandering around by myself. My mom let me do what I wanted to do because I was a boy and she wanted me to just be a boy and go out there and have fun."

But sometimes fun turned to trouble. Most of the boys Dobbs found himself running with were either doing or selling drugs. Although he never slipped into that lifestyle, the temptation was always there. That's when his uncle Thomas Cobb stepped in. Cobb had been Dobbs youth football coach and Dobbs would spend the weekend at his house with Cobb's wife and two daughters.

By the time Dobbs entered the fourth grade, Cobb asked his sister, Dobbs mother, if Dobbs could stay with his family permanently.

"We had to put some discipline on him a little bit because he did want to kind of stray just a little bit," Cobb said. "He never was a bad kid, he just kind of wanted to be a people person and kind of go with some of the guys that were doing some of the things that was really not healthy. In our area, we really didn't have gangs, but we had a lot of guys that eventually grew up to try to sell drugs and do drugs. And with Ricky's character, he was the kind of person that could have easily went into that lifestyle. He probably would have done good with it because everyone kind of liked him. It could have been a huge low for him had we not set a lot of discipline and just kind of worked with him."

At first, Dobbs resisted the discipline and moved back with his mother. But he still stayed with his uncle on the weekends as he continued to learn about football and refine his skills at quarterback. Cobb said he would keep Dobbs as occupied with football as he could, teaching him things that were often four or five years ahead of what his teammates were learning. In between those lessons, Cobb tried to build a foundation of discipline and help keep Dobbs on the right path.

Dobbs also started to notice the stability in the Cobb household. They would eat together, spend time with each other, and attend church. As Dobbs got older, he realized he wanted that life and he moved back in with the Cobb's in the eighth grade.

"When I asked them to let Ricky come live with us, I told my sister that I didn't think they were doing anything wrong as far as raising Ricky," Cobb said. "But after having him Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, I saw the impact as far as him listening to me and giving me the respect that a son would do, I asked them why don't they let him come live with me. Let me get him ready and prepared to play high school ball and make sure he's got the right character to try to get a scholarship to go to school."

Dobbs continued to hang out with the friends he had in his younger years, but they respected his decision to focus on school and football. Dobbs said his friends and cousins wouldn't allow him to get involved with drugs because they knew he was destined for bigger things.

"They totally supported me in everything that I did because they told me that I was going to make it one day," Dobbs said of his cousins. "I was just fortunate enough to be blessed with guys like that who cared enough about me and my future. They just want to see me succeed."

When Dobbs took his official visit to Navy, he knew right away that it was the place he wanted to go to school. Even though Cobb told him not to commit right away, Dobbs did anyway.

After three years, Cobb agrees that it was the right place for Dobbs. Cobb said watching Dobbs play for Navy last season made him as proud as a father would feel of a son. And though there were times when Dobbs would get discouraged by the discipline, Cobb always found a way to relate it back to the changes he made while growing up.

"Being with my uncle helped a lot when I came here because I was used to the discipline," Dobbs said. "There are still parts of me that struggle because I wasn't really used to being held back like this. But it got me started on the right track to where I could withstand it and not let it get the best of me. That's why I'm still here today and haven't left."

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Bill Wagner of the Annapolis Capital had an interesting blog post about NFL scouts working out fullback Eric Kettani, slot back Shun White and wide receiver Tyree Barnes during the offseason.

Why's this interesting?

Well, unlike the other military academies, the Navy strictly enforces that Naval Academy graduates serve a five-year commitment in the Navy after graduation. Army and Air Force both allow graduates with professional sports potential to serve two years on active duty and then six years in the reserves.

So, really, there's no way that any of the Navy grads, no matter how talented they might be, could be legitimate prospects for the NFL draft.

Or is there? (See, you knew there was a twist coming.)

According to Wagner, the Navy's policy could fall in line with its academy brethren with a new Secretary of the Navy in place. Wagner writes that Army, Air Force and Navy officials met recently to discuss a uniform policy across all of the academies.

This makes sense especially since the academies are starting to produce some upper-tier talent. Kettani played in the Senior Bowl and was considered a viable midround draft pick. White and Barnes also have been mentioned as possible late-round draft picks or free agent pick-ups.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The Navy football team made what is seemingly becoming an annual trip to the White House on Tuesday to receive the coveted Commander In Chief trophy from President Barack Obama.

The trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the football series between Army, Navy and Air Force. Navy won the trophy for the sixth consecutive season.

"Welcome to the White House," President Obama said to the Midshipmen as they walked into the White House. "By now you know your way around here better than I do."

Navy's captains presented the president with a gold helmet signed by all the members of the team. The president also made sure to point out fellow Hawaiians coach Ken Niumatalolo and quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.

"So I want to congratulate coach Ken, as I said, from my original home state, also the first Samoan-American head coach in the history of Division I-A, just the third Navy coach since World War II to have a winning record in his first season," President Obama said.

"Your starting quarterback's also Hawaiian. Where is he? Kaipo, where is he? This guy right here ... I hear Kaipo's a pretty easygoing guy, he doesn't get rattled easily, performs under pressure. That's the Hawaiian spirit ... That's how we roll."

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs "tweaked" his ankle during the Midshipmen's spring game last Friday, but it didn't stop him from participating in the Naval Academy's International Ball on Saturday.

The International Ball is an event hosted by the Naval Academy's International Programs Office, which recognizes the international officers and Midshipmen at the Naval Academy. Dobbs and two of his female classmates performed a series of dances, including a Caribbean-style dance that he'd been practicing for several months.

"One of my good friends went to the prep school with me asked me to do it," Dobbs said. "It was an opportunity for me to do something a little different because a lot of people say I try to dip into everything, but I'm all about networking and trying to become friends with everybody. It was just another way for me to broaden my horizons."

Dancing for an audience isn't something new for Dobbs. He said he routinely dances in the Midshipmen locker room or whenever the beat moves him. Dobbs said he and a few teammates were even thinking of doing a spirit spot during last year's Army-Navy game, but it didn't work out.

"They say I have dance fever," Dobbs said. "It's just a way to express how I feel on a daily basis."

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Welcome to another round of links from around the schools of the Independents and Others. There's a lot of stuff going on this week as several spring practices begin to wrap. A lot of teams are looking for players to fill holes and assert themselves as starters and maybe even find an identity as a team.

• The Annapolis Capital writes that freshman Alexander Teich has pretty much secured the top fullback spot for the Naval Academy.

• UAB has been known for its ability to score, but defense was a point of contention heading into this spring and a lot of questions remain unanswered.

• New head coach Gary Andersen is beginning the process of turning Utah State into a contender in the WAC.

• Coaches from Boise State are taking time to get new ideas from other college coaches and coaches in the NFL that could help the Broncos this year.

• Notre Dame redshirt freshman John Goodman might be taking snaps at quarterback as the Irish finish up their spring football, he just doesn't know when.

• New Mexico State defensive lineman Justen Alford has been catching the eye of his new coaching staff and hopes that will translate into more playing time.

• Don't be surprised to see running back Phillip Tanner catch more passes than he takes handoffs in Middle Tennessee's new offensive scheme.

• ECU running back Dominique Lindsay, who was injured prior to the 2008 season, is back for his senior year hoping to be the player he was in 2007.

• Wyoming is looking to restore the tough-guy image for which it used to be known.

• It's never too early to prepare for the opening game of the season and that's what Hawaii is doing as it devotes time to the option, an offense the Warriors will see from several early opponents.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs is doing a spring practice blog on the Navy Web site and he posted his second entry today.

I found it interesting not because he's the new starting quarterback for the Midshipmen and he's trying to become a "natural" at running the option, but because of all the activities he's involved in this semester.

The demands of any military academy are already great, but to heap football, performing at the International Ball and being the vice president of your class to the list seems a little extraordinary.

I only point this out because next week I have an interview scheduled with Dobbs and I'm interested to learn how he balances everything. The standards are very high at Navy not only for academics, but also football. I can't imagine how many stress balls he keeps around his room.

He does a nice job with his blogs posts and gives good perspective into his life and the life of Navy football. Just something to check out in your spare time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The search for a backup to quarterback Ricky Dobbs continues to rage as Navy enters yet another week of spring football.

Coach Ken Niumatalolo said Mike Stukel and Kriss Proctor have progressed the most so far this spring, which prompted him to move highly-touted recruit Brian Blick to safety just to get him some playing time.

"It was a numbers game," Niumatalolo said. "We are kind of low at that position and at quarterback, unlike other positions, you can't rotate guys. You only play one guy at a time and we have three other quarterbacks right now in the same class as Brian. We knew we were going to move somebody. It was between Brian and Kameron [Smith]."

Blick was expected to be a challenger for the backup role the spring, but had fallen to third and then fourth string during the past week. Although Blick hasn't played as well as some of his quarterbacking counterparts, he does have the best pedigree. He was 32-0 as a starter at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, N.C. He has shown quickness and playmaking ability through work with the JV and scout team, and knows the triple option from playing with the Naval Academy Prep School. Still, he's undersized at quarterback compared to his competitors, but he's athletic enough to give the Midshipmen another option.

Niumatalolo said Blick might not be the only quarterback moving. Stukel or Proctor could move to slotback, a position that lists a slew of players, led by sophomore Marcus Curry, who were not on last year's depth chart. Slotback was a role backup quarterback Jarod Bryant initially filled last season before starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada was injured early in the season and Bryant had to step in. Both finished their eligibility at the end of the 2008 season.

The only player who will definitely stay at quarterback, Niumatalolo said, is Smith.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Orlando Sentinel reporter Iliana Limon looks back on the life of former Central Florida head coach Lou Saban.

• Mike Rose of Newsday thinks Temple would be the perfect addition to the Big Ten.

• First-year player Brady DeMell could be Navy's starting center when the season opens. It's rare that a first-year player would be so highly regarded on the offensive line.

• New Mexico State is eager to begin spring practice and learn exactly what new head coach DeWayne Walker has in store.

• Central Florida released its findings after a review of the football training program, which deemed some aspects of the program as good while others need work.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Navy football opens today and Bill Wagner from the Annapolis Capital writes that though the defense returns seven players, it also needs to fill key vacancies.

• Ryan Bass of the Central Florida Future outlines several questions the Golden Knights must address this spring.

• Only one linebacker returns for Middle Tennessee State in 2009, so the newly named starters need to grow up in a hurry.

• Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune writes that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis' future will be defined by what he does, not by what he says.

• Colorado State begins practice today and has several vacancies in the offensive backfield.

• Tulsa is also seeking replacements for its backfield the spring.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Steve Fairchild, Colorado State

Summary: Fairchild turned a three-win team into a seven-win team during his first season with the Rams. And while that's impressive, almost all of his wins came against teams with losing records. There's no doubt the Rams are headed in the right direction, but they still have a ways to go before they can climb back into the Mountain West spotlight.

Key Win: The 40-35 win over Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. It gave CSU only its second win of the season against a team with a winning record.

Key loss: It's hard to pinpoint a key loss since the Rams beat all the teams they were supposed to, but they could have put up a better fight in the 38-17 loss to Colorado. Still, that was Fairchild's first game of the season.

Defining moment: The Rams' 31-20 win over Wyoming in the final game of the regular season secured them a bowl berth, a six-win season for the first time since 2005 and showed the resiliency of the team as it came back from a 14-3 deficit.

Grade: B

Greg McMackin, Hawaii

Summary: McMackin inherited a tough situation, especially since he didn't have a starting quarterback. His team lived up to expectations on defense, but the offense let the team down. Things started to come together toward the end of the season, but it has a long way to go to get back to 2007 form.

Key Win: The 32-29 overtime win against Fresno State that moved the Warriors to 2-3 overall and gave their season new life.

Key loss: A 49-21 dismantling by Notre Dame in the Hawaii Bowl. It was Hawaii's chance to redeem itself after last year's bowl debacle, but a sub par Notre Dame squad manhandled the Warriors.

Defining moment: During the 29-23 loss to Cincinnati, the Warriors showed there was some fight in them, but it never came to fruition. Part of that was because of inconsistent quarterback and offensive line play.

Grade: B-

Kevin Sumlin, Houston

Summary: Sumlin inherited a talented Houston team and though it struggled at the beginning of the season, it more or less lived up to expectations. The Cougars will be good for the next couple years. It's when Sumlin has to replace Case Keenum that the grade might drop.

Key win: Houston's stunning 70-30 win over Tulsa gave the Cougars hope for a conference title when it looked like the Golden Hurricane had it locked up.

Key loss: The 56-42 loss to Rice in the final conference game of the season cost the Cougars the C-USA West title and a shot at the C-USA championship against East Carolina, a team they'd already beaten.

Defining moment: The 41-24 win over No. 23 East Carolina snapped a 1-3 start and put the Cougars on a path to challenge for the conference championship. Houston lost just two games after that 1-3 start.

Grade: A-

Ken Niumatalolo, Navy

Summary: Of all the new non-BCS coaches this season, Niumatalolo had the biggest advantage because he was the head coach during the Midshipmen's 2007 bowl game and because he inherited quite a bit of talent. Still, winning eight games is quite a feat for an academy coach in his first season.

Key Win: A 24-17 domination at No. 17 Wake Forest. It was Navy's first win over a ranked team in 23 years.

Key loss: A 41-31 loss at Duke, which looked like a decent team early but ended the season 4-8. The Midshipmen's loss to a weak Notre Dame team also could be construed as a bad loss.

Defining moment: During the final two games of the regular season, the Midshipmen posted shutouts of Northern Illinois and Army, the team's first back-to-back shutouts since 1986. It showed that Navy wasn't just about its option offense.

Grade: A

Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois

Summary: Not sure anyone expected much from the Huskies this season, but Kill took them to a bowl game and restored some hope back to the program. It helped that most of the team stayed healthy throughout the year and that he had the Mid-American Conference's best defensive player.

Key Win: The 42-14 win at Kent State gave the Huskies the sixth win necessary for bowl eligibility and NIU went to its first bowl since the 2006 season.

Key loss: There's not one loss that defined the season, but four of Northern Illinois' losses were by four or fewer points. Pull those out and it's a completely different season.

Defining moment: The 31-27 loss at Minnesota to begin the season proved to the team and the Mid-American Conference that this was not going to be another 2-10 team. Kill transformed the team and made it a decent contender in just his first season as coach.

Grade: B

June Jones, SMU

Summary: "June Cometh." That was the theme when Jones took the job at SMU. His first season wasn't quite what was expected or promised especially after Jones was coming off an undefeated regular season with Hawaii. Jones is trying to do away with some of the "bad seeds" on his team in an effort to revamp the commitment to winning in Dallas.

Key win: The 47-36 win over FCS opponent Texas State was the Mustangs only win of the season so that would have to be the key win.

Key loss: Pick one. Although the Mustangs were one of the most dynamic teams in the country with their passing offense, the defense left something to be desired. SMU was outscored by about 17 points per game.

Defining moment: When June Jones announced that his quarterback two-deep would be filled with freshmen, he set the tone that 2008 was going to be a learning season. Just don't know that anyone thought the learning curve would be so steep.

Grade: F

Larry Fedora, Southern Miss

Summary: Few coaching changes were criticized more than the one at Southern Miss, and after the Golden Eagles started the season 2-6, the criticism basically overran the fan base. But something clicked with the team in the final couple months and they turned out to be one of the best teams to end the 2008 season.

Key win: The 70-14 win over UAB kicked off a five-game winning streak to end the season. Southern Miss was one of the hottest teams by the end of 2008.

Key loss: The 34-27 loss to Marshall was a bad one, but understandable considering the Golden Eagles were still learning Fedora's system. Still, a win in that game might have gotten the Golden Eagles to buy in a month earlier than they did.

Defining moment: The win over Troy in the R+L Carriers Bowl was huge, especially since it came in overtime against a team that is regarded as one of the better among the non-automatic qualifying schools.

Grade: A-

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

I wanted to add one more team to my position battles post from Tuesday. Navy has as much of a position battle raging at running back as any team in the country. The Midshipmen lost an entire backfield -- quarterback, running back and fullback -- that led the nation in rushing last season.

The most productive of those backfield players was running back Shun White, who averaged 84 yards per game. His replacement heading into the spring will be Bobby Doyle, a rising senior who had 16 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown last year.

But Doyle will have to win the job from several other backs, including Cory Finnerty, who had eight carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, and junior Andre Byrd, whom the coaching staff believed would contribute a ton last season, but suffered an ankle injury in camp and never recovered.

The Midshipmen also have a trio of sophomores -- Corey James, Marcus Curry, and Aaron Santiago -- that could challenge for playing time.

More than likely, the Navy running game will be done by committee unless one of these players happens to have an exceptional spring.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy and Notre Dame announced Monday their 2010 game will be played at the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey.

"We are thrilled to play Notre Dame in the inaugural season at the spectacular New Meadowlands Stadium," said Navy athletics director Chet Gladchuk. "This will be a very special day for our program playing one of our traditional rivals in an area that is not only an easy drive for our fans, but has a great history of hosting some very special Navy games in the past."

The game marks the sixth time these teams have played in the Meadowlands complex, but the first since the 2004 season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

• Spring practice starts: March 20
• Spring game: April 18

What to watch

• Quarterback Jimmy Clausen showed flashes of the quarterback many thought he would be when he signed at Notre Dame, but rarely were those flashes over the span of more than a couple games. He'll need to gain consistency for the Irish to play to their potential.

• Frank Verducci and Tony Alford will begin their on-field process of turning Notre Dame from an average rushing team into a rushing power. The Irish already have good backs who will be duking it out this spring, but the addition of Cierre Wood, if he plays offense, should make things interesting.

• The Irish are still looking for a defensive line coach after Jappy Oliver left the team to pursue other opportunities. The next hire likely will be more in tune with the high-pressure defense Notre Dame is trying to play.

Navy Midshipmen

• Spring practice starts: March 23
• Spring game: April 17

What to watch

• Quarterback Ricky Dobbs gave Navy fans a glimpse of the future and now the starting role is his for the taking. He'll have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.

• The Midshipmen lost both slotbacks and their fullback to graduation, and should fill all of those roles with seniors-to-be. Bobby Doyle, Kevin Campbell and Cory Finnerty all played in every game last season, but the three combined for 31 carries for 324 yards and two touchdowns.

• Navy's defense returns seven players, including all of a defensive line that allowed just 346.69 yards per game and 22 points per game. The defense was the strength of the team and should be again as the offense breaks in new starters.

Army Black Knights

• Spring practice starts: March 6
• Spring game: April 10

What to watch

• Rich Ellerson begins his first spring with a team that has not won more than four games in a season since 1996. He'll bring over his option offense that will make Army's scheme look a little more like Navy or Georgia Tech.

• Army returns 13 players, but just five are on offense. The Black Knights do return quarterback Chip Bowden, but will have to replace fullback Colin Mooney, who carried the bulk of the offense in 2008.

• The Army defense was one of the bright points from last season, and most of it returns. It allowed just 339.50 yards per game and 23 points. Sophomore linebacker Stephen Anderson led the Black Knights.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

I think there was a little confusion yesterday about the list I posted in the morning. And that's my fault. I posted it without any sort of blurb about what the list entailed.

That's not my preseason top 10. That's the spring top 10 based on what's remaining on the team and what the team added with recruiting. It's also a reflection of which teams need to find key players this spring. That's why Utah isn't on the list. It needs a lot of its backups and new players to fill key roles from last year's team. And Boise State is low because it needs to basically find a new starting receiver corps and heart-and-soul running back.

Below is a list of teams to watch heading into the spring. None of these teams are on the list I posted yesterday, but could be on the preseason top 10 after a strong spring.

For those of you who think that spring football doesn't matter, it does to teams like the ones listed below that have to fill major holes either left by graduation or guys leaving early for the NFL. Spring is where a championship season begins.

Top 10 teams to watch this spring (in no particular order):

1. Utah -- The Utes have a lot of skill and leadership to account for this spring with the loss of almost all of their key players. The biggest hit is at quarterback. While Corbin Louks is a good player, he'll need to develop the leadership that Brian Johnson possessed. That's going to be tough to replace.

2. Tulsa -- Last year wasn't exactly how Tulsa wanted the season to go and it might be awhile before it's in the hunt for a BCS game again. The Golden Hurricane has to find a new quarterback, running back and a receiver to replace Brennan Marion and complement Damaris Johnson.

3. Navy -- The Midshipmen have a nice nucleus of defensive players returning, but lost all of their key offensive players, including the entire backfield that was the No. 1 rushing offense last season. Ricky Dobbs already has shown he can run the Midshipmen offense, but he'll need help.

4. Troy -- The Trojans will have a quarterback controversy on their hands with the return of Jamie Hampton, who suffered a torn ACL in the middle of the season. Levi Brown, Hampton's replacement, led the Trojans to a Sun Belt title. A fierce battle like this could be difficult on the team.

5. Rice -- The Owls have had two winning seasons in the past three, but those days will be gone if coach David Bailiff can't find a group of players to replace Chase Clement, Jarett Dillard and James Casey, one of the most prolific scoring trios in the country this past season.

6. Florida International -- The Golden Panthers started to show some life and gain some confidence with their five-win season. With several of those players returning and a great recruiting class on the way, there's a good chance FIU could be the Sun Belt team to beat.

7. Ball State -- The loss of Nate Davis is huge, but new head coach Stan Parrish contends that he has a gem in quarterback Kelly Page, a redshirt freshman from Dallas. The Cardinals do return several key defensive players, and running back MiQuale Lewis, who ranked fifth in the country in rushing.

8. Buffalo -- Coach Turner Gill is determined to prove that this past season's Mid-American Conference championship was no fluke, but he'll have to do so with a new quarterback and almost an entirely new offensive line. Buffalo does return star running back James Starks and wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt.

9. Florida Atlantic -- After a slow start to the season, the Owls went on to win six of their final seven, including a victory in the Motor City Bowl. The Owls return 12 starters, but almost all of those players are on offense. FAU will need to almost completely rebuild its defensive line.

10. Louisiana Tech -- The Bulldogs have 17 starters returning from last season's team that won eight games. The thing the Bulldogs will need to refine this spring is consistency so they can go up against Boise State and perhaps steal the WAC in 2009.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Since national signing day is really a six-month extravaganza, what's one more day of looking at the various classes of the non-BCS?

• Like Wyoming's class, which features six players from the state of Colorado, a new stomping ground for head coach Dave Christensen. Despite being on the job just a few months, Christensen might have brought in the best class of any new coach.

• Boise State's class is considered one of the best among the nonautomatic qualifying schools, and the Idaho Statesman provides some insight into several of those prospects.

• Coach Steve Fairchild has set the bar high for his future at Colorado State and he believes he has the class to keep the program moving forward.

• Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has been preaching the need for bigger, stronger, faster players and might have found one in Lake Havasu running back Brent Michaels.

• San Diego State might not have put together one of the best classes, but it has a few pieces that are expected to make an immediate impact, namely La Costa Canyon High (Calif.) linebacker Jacob Driver.

• Those recruits looking to enroll in a military academy overwhelmingly chose Navy over Air Force and Army, according to the Annapolis Capital, which means the Midshipmen don't have any plans to relinquish their dominance over their military brethren any time soon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• New Miami-Ohio coach Mike Haywood is close to falling victim to a recruiting ploy his former employer Notre Dame likely used several times to score recruits late.

• Several recruits from Hawaii are finding their way to Laramie, Wyo.

• Speaking of Hawaii... Navy picked up a commitment from Kalaheo linebacker Shawn Reed.

• Florida Atlantic will honor its football team on Feb. 6 for its Motor City Bowl championship.

• West Seattle High cornerback Aaron Grymes changed his commitment from Washington to Idaho after the Huskies asked him to grayshirt.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy defensive lineman Jabaree Tuani was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Freshman of the Year.

	Icon SMI
	Navy's Jabaree Tuani had 42 tackles and three forced fumbles this season.

The award is voted on by the coaches on the Eastern seaboard and includes teams from Connecticut, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Temple, Syracuse, Boston College, Buffalo and Army.

Tuani, who didn't start until the fifth game of the season, finished the season with 42 tackles, the second-most among Navy defensive linemen.

Tuani joins a prestigious list of players who have won freshman of the year honors, including Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick (1999), Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2002), West Virginia running back Steve Slaton (2005), and Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy (2007).

Other non-BCS ECAC All-Stars include Temple offensive lineman Alex Derenthal, Temple returner Travis Shelton and Buffalo defensive back Davonte Shannon.

The players will be honored at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 24.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Two more non-BCS coaches received contract extensions this week. Navy's Ken Niumatalolo was awarded a contract extension -- the details and length of the extension were not disclosed -- after he led the Midshipmen to an 8-5 season and their sixth consecutive Commander In Chief Trophy during his first year as head coach.

Under Niumatalolo, the Midshipmen earned an NCAA-record fourth consecutive national rushing title and led the nation in graduation rate for a fourth straight year.

Niumatalolo's eight wins are the most by a first-year Navy coach since 1926, and the win over No. 16 Wake Forest in September was Navy's first win over a ranked opponent since 1985.

TCU coach Gary Patterson was awarded an extension that runs through the 2014 season. The financial details were not disclosed. TCU just finished an 11-2 campaign, including a 17-16 win over previously undefeated No. 9 Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. The Horned Frogs should finish the season ranked in the top 10 and should start next season with a Top 25 ranking.

Patterson has won at least 10 games in five of his eight seasons, including four 11-win campaigns in the last six years. He is 73-27 overall, one win shy of tying Abe Martin (74, 1953-66) for second place on the Horned Frogs' all-time victory list.

Both of these extensions are deserved and both of these coaches stand to have good teams in the coming years.

After an eight-win season last year, TCU is right back on track and was really a game away from sneaking into the BCS. It's one of the best teams in the country regardless of BCS affiliation and its defense was superb and should continue to be next year. The Horned Frogs schedule, which still has a nonconference open date, should put them in a position to be a factor in the BCS next season.

Niumatalolo had no trouble carrying on the tradition that Paul Johnson formed while he was there. Although the Midshipmen suffered injury setbacks at key positions, they pushed through and still gathered wins. A lot of key components are gone after this season, especially on offense, so it will be interesting to see how Niumatalolo is able to build on the youth that saw spot time this year. One positive is the defense should be solid with a young line that will be coming into its own next season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Had Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada kept running, Navy might have had a chance.

	AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
	Wake Forest's Ben Wooster (85) celebrates his touchdown against Navy during the fourth quarter of the EagleBank Bowl.

With less than two minutes remaining and Navy facing fourth-and-10, Kaheaku-Enhada scrambled from the pocket. Instead of running hard to the first-down marker, he looked to pass the ball, hesitated and was tracked down. He fumbled the ball before he reached the marker and Wake Forest ultimately scored to put the game away.

Now, I'm not blaming Navy's 29-19 loss to Wake Forest in the EagleBank Bowl on Kaheaku-Enhada. Quite the contrary. Kaheaku-Enhada helped the Midshipmen to a lead in the first half and kept them in the game late.

But there were several things that led to the loss, including Navy's inability to throw the ball on key downs and when it trailed late in the fourth quarter. Navy was 2-for-7 passing, and while that's not uncommon for the Midshipmen, they needed to have some variance in their game plan considering Wake Forest was an opponent they'd already faced and already knew what to expect. The Wake Forest defense was ready for the option and more times than not, stopped Navy behind the line of scrimmage.

Also, the Navy defense allowed Wake Forest receivers to get behind them multiple times. In the first meeting, Navy did a better job of reading Wake quarterback Riley Skinner and jumping routes. Skinner had a great game in the EagleBank Bowl and made amends for the four interceptions he threw in the first meting. He finished 11-for-11 for 166 yards and a touchdown.

But Wake Forest's offense belonged to the rushing game. After much had been made about Navy's ability to control the game on the ground, Wake running back Kevin Harris rushed for 136 yards, his best game of the year by far (previous high was 36 yards against Vanderbilt in the final game of the regular season), and the Deacons outrushed the nation's leading rushing offense 239-221.

Saturday's loss was the third consecutive bowl loss for Navy. The last two losses were by an average of two points. First-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo is now 0-2 in bowl games as the head coach of Navy.

Despite the loss, though, Navy still had a great season. The Midshipmen capped their sixth consecutive season of at least eight wins and several young players got valuable playing experience, which will serve this team well in coming seasons.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Navy and Wake Forest kick off the 2008 bowl season in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C. Here's a quick primer for those interested in the Navy side of the game.

WHO TO WATCH: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, QB, Navy

Kaheaku-Enhada left the first bout with Wake Forest because of a hamstring injury that had him in and out of the lineup all season long. The 34-0 rout of Army to end the regular season was his second full game this year and it re-energized the Midshipmen. If Kaheaku-Enhada can stay healthy against Wake Forest, the Mids will have a great chance of coming away with another win.

WHAT TO WATCH: Turnovers

The teams combined for eight turnovers in the first meeting, including six by Wake Forest. It's unlikely that will happen again, but turnovers will play a key role especially since Wake Forest has struggled on offense all season and Navy's defense hasn't allowed a point in its past two games.

WHY TO WATCH: It's bowl season

While Wake Forest vs. Navy isn't the sexiest of matchups -- we have seen it before -- it is the start of several weeks of bowl games leading up to a near eight-month drought from football Saturdays. So, better get a fix while you can.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

EAGLEBANK BOWL: Navy 28, Wake Forest 13
Navy is playing so well right now, especially on defense, that it's hard to pick against the Midshipmen. Navy is coming off two consecutive shutouts and will have more confidence going into this game than it did during the first matchup. The Midshipmen picked off Wake quarterback Riley Skinner four times and Wake had six turnovers overall. And with a healthy offense, Navy should be able to pick up some yards on the ground.

NEW MEXICO BOWL: Fresno State 24, Colorado State 16
There have been a lot of distractions around Fresno State since the season ended with a 61-10 drubbing by Boise State. Coach Pat Hill has interviewed for another position, he's been the subject of rumors, and the overall feeling about the team is down. All of those factors make this game difficult to pick for the Bulldogs, but they are the better team in this game. After a few weeks of rest, the Bulldogs should come in fairly healthy, which hasn't been the case since early in the season.

MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG: South Florida 28, Memphis 23
South Florida will have the home advantage, playing just a short distance from their campus, but they'll also have the defensive advantage. In the two games since Memphis quarterback Arkelon Hall has returned from breaking his thumb, the passing game was sparsely effective. The Tigers have leaned on their running game, an area where South Florida has excelled defensively. South Florida allowed 97.67 rushing yards per game this season, though the Bulls allowed more than 100 rushing yards in each of their last seven games, five of which have been losses.

PIONEER LAS VEGAS: BYU 28, Arizona 17
BYU has had a long time to shake off the Utah loss and the worst game of quarterback Max Hall's career. Hall could have flashbacks against Arizona if he's not careful against the nation's No. 14 defense. The Wildcats have 15 interceptions, two that have been run back for touchdowns, and they've allowed their opponents just 169.75 yards in the air per game. Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta will again be BYU's top targets but look for more production out of some of the other receivers and Harvey Unga catching passes out of the backfield. Hall's play will dictate the game.

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS: Troy 35, Southern Miss 21
Southern Miss is hitting its stride, winning its last four games to get to bowl eligibility, but Troy comes into the game having blown out its last two opponents and playing some of its best football of the season. Both of these teams are versatile with strong passing and running games. They both have dynamic playmakers on offense, but the defense is going to be the difference here and Troy has the slightly better group. Troy is allowing its opponents 319.58 yards per game while Southern Miss is allowing 369.25. Both defenses are allowing more than 20 points per game. Expect to see a lot of scoring as both of these offenses like to light up the scoreboard.

SAN DIEGO CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA: TCU 31, Boise State 20
There's that old adage that defense wins championships, and there aren't many defenses better than TCU's. It ranks first against the run and second in total and scoring defense. But the real advantage for TCU in this game is that it's played competition similar to Boise State many times this season. Boise State can't say the same thing. The Broncos have had a couple challenges against Oregon and Nevada, but neither of those defenses is as solid as TCU's. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who has been one of the coolest signal callers all season, will have his hands full with Jerry Hughes and the rest of the TCU defensive line. And don't discount the TCU offense, it's put up 32 or more points in four of its last five games.

SHERATON HAWAII: Hawaii 24, Notre Dame 21
Notre Dame has not won a road game against a quality team all year, which makes it hard to pick them to win on Hawaii's home field. Although this was the most favorable of all the matchups offered to Notre Dame this bowl season, Hawaii has gotten steadily better both on offense and defense as the season has progressed. The key to this game will be turnovers. Both teams have a lot of giveaways and a lot of takeaways. The game will be decided on defense since both offenses are good, but too erratic to be relied on.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Bowl season is upon us.

The EagleBank Bowl kicks us off bright and early on Saturday and there are seven bowls leading up to Christmas. So, let's look at the top things to watch heading into the early portion of the bowl season.

1. Put it on the line: Boise State coach Christ Petersen has shuffled his offensive line around all year because he hasn't felt comfortable with any one combination. He'll have to hope the lineup he picks for the Poinsettia Bowl is right because it will be going up against a TCU defensive front that is healthy, rested and the fastest the Broncos have seen this season.

2. The rematch: Navy took advantage of an underdog situation against Wake Forest earlier in the year, but the Midshipmen won't have that element of surprise this time around. Watch for a more confident Navy group, though, especially on defense after ending the season with two consecutive shutouts.

3. Keep the streak alive: Southern Miss enters the R+L Carriers Bowl against Troy with a streak of 14 consecutive winning seasons on the line. With a 6-6 record, a loss to the Trojans would guarantee a losing season and put a damper on the Golden Eagles late half run to bowl eligibility.

4. End on a high note: No team needs to end its season on a high note more than Notre Dame. After a miserable second half of the season and calls for its coach's ousting, Notre Dame needs to prove to itself and its fans that the tradition is still alive, even if it's just a little spark.

5. Live up to the hype: Few non-BCS players have received as many postseason accolades as TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes, and now it's time to live up to the hype. Hughes will have to be on his game to disrupt Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, who has't been rattled much this season.

6. Solidify the starting spot: Troy quarterback Levi Brown came into the season as third-string, but during the second half of the season he's lead Troy to its first outright conference title and put up ridiculous numbers doing it. He'll need another stellar performance against Southern Miss to strengthen his grip on the starting role for next season.

7. Pat Hill's Swan song: According to reports from various outlets, Pat Hill has fallen out of favor with Fresno State and has been shopping his coaching services. The New Mexico Bowl against Colorado State could very well be the last game Hill coaches with the Bulldogs.

8. Quest for perfection: BYU won't finish the season perfect, but a third consecutive 11-win season is not something to take lightly. BYU has a chance to complete that quest with a win over Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl, a game the Cougars have won each of the past two seasons.

9. Thumbs up: Memphis quarterback Arkelon Hall played the last couple games of the season with a slightly healed broken thumb and it hurt the Tigers' passing game. Subsequently, Memphis' running game has carried it, but that won't be the case against a South Florida defense that is allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground this season.

10. Redemption on the island: Unfortunately for Hawaii, its bowl history is marred with the pounding by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last season. Although Notre Dame isn't what it used to be, a win over the Irish would give Hawaii a huge lift heading into next season and put the Warriors right back on the national map.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan writes that Buffalo coach Turner Gill deserved his shot at a major school after the success he's had at Buffalo.

• UAB added eight new players to its team on Wednesday and coach Neil Callaway thinks they're all going to play next season.

• Stan Parrish will lead the Ball State football program for now, but how long he'll hold that role is unknown. Parrish has been offered a chance to join Brady Hoke at San Diego State.

• Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun has a nice profile of Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and how he helped Navy stay the course.

• Colorado Springs Gazette columnist David Ramsey writes that freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson was good this season, but he'll be much better in years to come.

• Four TCU fans wrote angry e-mails to the Las Vegas Bowl about choosing BYU over TCU, but Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Sun writes that the right choice was made.

• John Moredich of the Tucson Citizen writes that BYU and Arizona are mirror images of each other as they prepare for this week's Las Vegas Bowl.