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| Saturday, October 14 Surprising Players By John Crowley ESPN.com | |||||
| If you ask, they'll all tell you that all they needed was a chance. And with their results this year, who can argue. None of these players made anyone's preseason lists, but you can bet they'll be collecting some honors at season's end. In the meantime, they'll just worry about collecting big plays.
1. Ladainian Tomlinson, TCU Bonner opened the season as an answer to a trivia question: Who followed Tim Couch at quarterback for Kentucky? Whalen began the year with just 30 career catches and three TDs. Fast-forward to mid-October and no introductions are necessary in Lexington. Bonner has thrown for 2,152 yards and 17 TDs, with just six interceptions. And 57 of his 196 completions have gone to Whalen, the 6-4, 231-pound tight end. Whalen also has five scores. Is it coincidence that the Wildcats are 5-2 in a season that was assumed to be a rebuilding campaign? Not if you ask the pitch-and-catch combo that has helped bring Kentucky the conference's third-ranked offense 3. A.J. Feeley, Oregon A year ago he was the No. 3 quarterback on campus. Today he's the leading passer in the Pac-10 with 1,702 yards, 13 TDs and just three interceptions. Blessed with considerable physical ability, the 6-4, 220-pound quarterback is also a solid student, carrying a 3.66 GPA into the fall. No doubt that has played a role in his rapid development under coach Mike Bellotti. 4. Michael Wallace, Army A backup a year ago who finished the season with the seventh-best yardage total on the team, he is currently averaging 7 yards per carry. He broke out in a big way against Louisville, rushing for a school-record 269 yards and four touchdowns.The scoring runs covered 32, 1, 78 and 67 yards. He was held to just 49 yards in a shutout loss to Southern Miss on Saturday, but the pride of San Antonio's Robert E. Lee High School remains one of the most explosive backs in the nation. 5. Julius Jackson, Nebraska Not even listed as a starter in the preseason, the 6-1, 240-pound senior has cemented a spot with the first team emphatically. The list of big plays is a season-long, but the schedule only shows six games in the books. The message is as clear as it is threatening: Jackson is just hitting his stride. Against Missouri, the linebacker had an interception and a fumble recovery, both setting up Husker touchdowns. Against Southern Miss, he provided Nebraska with the winning margin in a 20-14 contest. Jackson scored a pair of touchdowns on a fumble recovery and a deflected pass to keep Nebraska in the ranks of the unbeaten. | ALSO SEE
Chalk Talk: Who will be No. 1?Midseason Report: Top 10 games Midseason Report: Top Moments Midseason Report: Games to watch Midseason Report: Top Upsets Midseason Report: Surprising Teams Midseason Report: Disappointing Teams Midseason Report: Disappointing Players Midseason Report: Herbstreit's fabulous freshmen Midseason Report: Conference highs and lows  Harig: Halftime showVideo Plays of the Season | ||||
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