|
| ||
Sport Sections |
||
|
|
||
| | |||||
| Saturday, October 14 Disappointing Players By John Crowley ESPN.com | |||||
| Everyone loves a happy ending. But reality often intrudes and sidelines the best plans of players and coaches alike. For a variety of reasons, the ball hasn't bounced these players' way this season.
1. Peter Warrick, Florida State This entry requires little explanation. There was nothing disappointing about his play, but his judgment clearly left a little to be desired. Not only did Warrick inadvertently pull the plug on one of the of the decade's most electric Heisman candidacies, he cast the Seminole program in an unfavorable light and jeopardized plans to erase the memories of last year's Fiesta Bowl loss with a win in the national title game in New Orleans. Now, if FSU ends up in The Big Easy for the Sugar Bowl, it appears Warrick won't be there. If only staying out of trouble was as easy as beating double-coverage.
2. DeAngelo Evans, Nebraska The receiver who talks the No. 1 game in the Pac-10 is currently sixth in the conference in receiving, trailing such luminaries as Imani Percoats of Oregon State and Washington State's Leaford Hackett. His 337 yards is good for 13th -- in the conference! Saturday he coughed up a late fourth-quarter fumble that helped the Irish preserve their biggest come-from-behind win (Notre Dame trailed at one point, 21-0) since 1979. Coming into the year he had scored a TD every seven touches of the ball. To date he's reached the end zone just three times in '99. 4. Jamie Barnette, N.C. State Many expected Barnette to share the stage with Joe Hamilton as the ACC's most exciting quarterbacks, but to date the Wolfpack's signal-caller has had little bark or bite. After starting the season 3-0, N.C. State has dropped three of its last four, including a one-sided defeat at the hands of Wake Forest. Barnette has struggled, completing just 48.8 percent of his throws, with eight TDs and seven interceptions. The Wolfpack offense is ranked 108th in the nation and has appeared lost without the leadership of NFL first-round pick Torry Holt. 5. Jamal Lewis, Tennessee The preseason Heisman candidate is ranked 40th in the nation in rushing right now. He even trails Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El. Granted, his knee might not be back to full strength for another six months after a devastating injury that cost him much of the 1998 season, but few could have predicted such a drastic dropoff for the back that ran for 1,364 yards as a freshman and managed 497 in just four games a year ago. | ALSO SEE
Chalk Talk: Who will be No. 1?Midseason Report: Top 10 games Midseason Report: Top Moments Midseason Report: Top Upsets Midseason Report: Games to watch Midseason Report: Surprising Teams Midseason Report: Surprising Players Midseason Report: Disappointing Teams Midseason Report: Herbstreit's fabulous freshmen Midseason Report: Conference highs and lows  Harig: Halftime showVideo Plays of the Season | ||||
|
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Click here for a list of employment opportunities at ESPN.com. |
