Winners and Losers from the First Big Weekend of Spring Football Games

This past weekend, 43 schools played spring games. With spring practice drawing to a close for a number of top programs, there are a host of winners and losers in the wake of the first big weekend of spring football’s glorified scrimmages.

There were some pleasant surprises for some teams, as young players showed a lot of potential. There were also just as many veterans who looked terrible, helping to balance the scales. 

Spring has reached previously unseen heights in the past few years, as college-football fans continue to beg for more coverage of their teams. Looking at the weekend that was, here are the winners and losers from the first round of spring-football games.

Loser: Thunderstorms Ruining Games

A slew of spring games were delayed, moved indoors or cancelled due to inclement weather this past Saturday. No fan likes to sit through a rainy game, especially when it is just spring.

For fans, spring games are huge, as they show off some of their favorite players. They're also infamous for promoting false hope, as the players with names fans have never heard of make huge plays, only to disappear from the spotlight as quickly as they grabbed it.

Thunderstorms shifting the schedule and delaying games is an annoyance. Don’t the clouds understand that football will be on hiatus again for at least three months?

Winner: Clemson Kicking Game

Clemson had a successful and competitive spring game this past weekend, finishing in a tie, which resulted in two overtime periods and extra work for the kickers.

Clemson kicker Chandler Catanzaro won the game with a 45-yard kick. Earning game-like experience is difficult for special teams during the spring, so hats off to the kickers for getting the game-like reps.

The fact that Dabo Swinney put the Tigers into double-overtime in the spring game is questionable, however. More on that next.

Loser: Dabo Swinney

Did Clemson really have two overtime periods in their spring game? Why yes, they did.

While I give the Clemson kickers a win for their extra work and game-like experience that came with the overtime periods, Dabo Swinney is a loser for putting his team through overtime.

Setting the Tigers up for more injuries to place in favor of a few kicks is not the smartest decision in my book. It seems as if Dabo simply likes making headlines.

Double-overtime in a spring game will get them.

Loser: O.J. Ross, Purdue, WR

Ross was a winner for the Boilermakers during the spring game, but overall, his spring performance gives Purdue and its fans a loss. Ross is currently a walk-on for the Boilermakers, but not for lack of talent.

Ross, who made a spectacular 46-yard-touchdown catch on a throw from Robert Marve, is being held off of scholarship for academic issues, according to an ESPN.com report. 

For Purdue to be effective this season through the air, Ross needs to be on the field. How can he ensure that happens? Get it in gear in the classroom. Losing a star to academic issues is never a positive. 

Winner: Robert Marve, QB, Purdue

Robert Marve transferred to Purdue out of Miami (Fla.) after the 2008 season. He is a rising senior for Purdue, looking to secure the starting position for the Boilermakers heading into the fall.

Marve made a solid case for himself, having the best day of the quarterbacks, as he went 14-of-24 with 134 yards in the game. Purdue could use his talent this season, as they face a tough stretch during October this fall.

Winner: Travis Bridges, Navy, DL

Navy was facing a lot of questions this spring that surrounded the defensive line. Travis Bridges made the move to nose guard after playing defense sparingly in high school.

Bridges showed why it was a good move for the Midshipmen this past Saturday. He finished the game with seven tackles and a sack. It looks like the line may not pose many questions for the Midshipmen after all. 

Winner: Baylor Offense

The loss of Robert Griffin III to the NFL draft was a blow to the Baylor offense. This spring, they had to find options to continue the production that would be lost as a result of his absence. 

Nick Florence looked very good in his outing for the Bears, completing 14-of-18 passes for 180 yards. He also added three touchdowns to the stat line. 

Lache Seastrunk was electric for the Bears as well, rushing seven times for 135 yards. 

The Bears will miss Griffin III, but the loss will not be as harsh if these guys continue to produce as well as they did this spring for Baylor. 

Winner: Chris Campbell, QB, Southern Miss

Southern Miss ushered in a new era of football when Ellis Johnson took over as the program’s head coach this winter.

One of the first orders of business for Johnson and Co. is to find a replacement for graduated quarterback and offensive leader Austin Davis. Chris Campbell may have taken the lead on Saturday. 

Campbell went 12-of-18 in the game for 167 yards and a touchdown. According to Johnson, “nobody's really, really stepped up, but I would have to say that Chris has been a little bit more consistent this spring.” A vote of confidence from the head coach is always a positive.

Loser: Missouri Fans Looking for Starters to Shine

As the Missouri football team heads into SEC play this season, the excitement surrounding the team couldn’t be higher. Unfortunately, if fans were looking to catch a glimpse of the starting lineup this past Saturday, they were disappointed. 

Missouri starting quarterback James Franklin and running back Henry Josey were among the starters that sat out of the game, according to an ESPN.com report. 

Winner: Jersey Wearers

While spring practice was getting underway, the nontraditional jersey-wearer hit the 2012 version of the jersey jackpot. Missouri and TCU both announced new uniform options to come this fall.

Missouri unveiled the new digs during halftime of the spring game. It was a win for college-football-jersey-wearers and deserves a mention. I have to give it to Mizzou; the new helmets are studly. 

Loser: Iowa Hawkeyes Lack of a Spring Game

I know that it is nothing new, but why does Kirk Ferentz not hold a spring game?

I know that the Hawkeyes have an open-scrimmage type of practice that they put on, but it is obviously not the same. Maybe Hawkeye fans can ignore the lack of pageantry that has taken over spring football and spring games, but it would be a great opportunity to build national attention around the program.

Sorry Kirk, you lose on this one. 

Loser: Coke Zero

The Coca-Cola Company really hit the jackpot by sponsoring the Iowa non-spring game this past weekend. Ok, no they didn’t.

The Iowa spring practice was brought to you by Coke Zero. Who noticed that it happened? Better yet, why would Coke Zero sponsor an event that wasn’t promoted nationally as a spring game? They sure got their money’s worth.

Losers: Boise State Quarterbacks

No matter how good the Boise State quarterbacks looked this past Saturday, replacing the legend that was Kellen Moore will not be easy. 

Joe Southwick looks to be the heir apparent to the position, finishing the spring game 14-of-19 for 145 yards and a touchdown. Despite the strong showing, the level of expectations that the Broncos faithful will carry this season will be hard to meet.

For that, the quarterbacks were losers this past weekend. 

Losers: Michigan Fans Looking for Denard Robinson

If you are a Michigan fan that was expecting to see the electric play of your beloved quarterback, Denard Robinson, over the weekend, you were let down in a terrible way. 

Robinson only played for one series in the spring game, a far cry from what some fans may have been expecting. 

It makes sense, as Robinson has proved his worth to the team and spring games are for show. But give the fans a little more than one series, Brady Hoke. Jeez. 

Winner: Mott Children's Center

Despite the lack of explosive plays for Michigan from Denard Robinson on Saturday, fans can be happy with the results that followed the game.

The Wolverines donated $260,888 to Mott Children’s Hospital, a hospital that is affiliated with the University of Michigan hospital systems. 

Hats off to the Michigan administration for providing funds raised from the game to a great cause.  

Winner: Vanderbilt Faithful

Vanderbilt has been a lower-tiered SEC team for a very long time. The Commodores seek excellence in the classroom, but fall far behind on the football field. 

As of late, the Commodores have seen a bit of a resurgence and have hope heading into the second season under James Franklin. The Commodores faithful didn’t have to travel to Nashville to see their team play in the spring game this past Saturday, as it was one of the many games that ESPN3.com carried.

That is huge for the Commodores, not only for exposure, but for the fans desperately wanting their team to earn some national attention.

Winner: James Franklin, HC, Vanderbilt Commodores

James Franklin is doing work at Vanderbilt. The guy has done a great job garnering national attention and winning games in his first season with the Commodores. 

This spring, Franklin is continuing that pattern, as the Commodores made it to the ESPN3.com broadcast on Saturday. If Franklin continues to grow a national presence, his recruiting will climb accordingly, and the Commodores may find their way into the storyline this fall as a winner, not a door mat. 

Loser: Charlie Strong, HC Louisville Cardinals

Louisville came out of spring with a lot of good news surrounding the program. Too bad Charlie Strong is trying to keep the news locked up by kicking out the local media from the Louisville football press room.

In a bizarre move, Strong banned the local Louisville media from practice because he thought they had disrespected his program by failing to cover the football team in depth, while the Cardinals basketball team made a run at a national title. 

Interesting, to say the least, and for that bold and questionable move, Charlie Strong and the Cardinals are losers. Nobody cares about the results of spring now, especially since the local media will so favorably carry football news from now on. Right?

Winner: Ken Malcome, RB, Georgia

With the drama that surrounded big-time running back Isaiah Crowell last season, Georgia is looking for a consistent presence at the position this fall. Ken Malcome came close to transferring a year ago, but stuck with the Bulldogs. 

It appears the decision is paying off. Malcome had a strong day for Georgia and will look to continue his push for a starting position this fall. It will be a tough battle to find a starter with Crowell and incoming freshman Keith Marshall looking for carries as well. 

Winner: James Wilder Jr., RB, Florida State

Florida State didn’t show a lot of great things offensively on Saturday, but one bright spot for the Seminoles was James Wilder Jr. Wilder Jr. only accounted for 32 rushing yards in the game, but he showed promise for a team that was ranked No. 104 in rushing a year ago. 

Wilder Jr. will be special for the Seminoles this fall, likely securing a starting spot this spring.

Loser: E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State

E.J. Manuel returned to his inconsistent ways on Saturday during the Florida State spring game. Head coach Jimbo Fisher said, “It’s not a game. It’s spring. That’s what spring is for,” when asked about the inconsistency of Manuel.

Manuel was 28-of-51 for 255 yards, adding two touchdowns. He also tossed two interceptions. For a team that has high aspirations for the coming season, Manuel needs to get it in order, spring game or not. 

Loser: Adam Hall, S, Arizona

Spring injuries are never fun. Losing a starting safety to an ACL tear for the second season in a row is never a positive. Unfortunately for Adam Hall, that is exactly what happened.

The injury is expected to sideline Hall for the entire 2012 season. 

Losers: Arizona Wildcats Spring Efforts

The Arizona Wildcats had a bad spring game this past Saturday. There were five offensive fumbles, three of which were lost, and more than a few big plays from the offense, making the defense look silly.

While adding Rich Rodriguez as a coach looked to be a positive for the Wildcats, it will not be an easy transition. The Wildcats have a lot of room to grow, but Saturday’s overall performance was not the best.  

Winner: Matt Scott, QB, Arizona

Despite the bad showing that the Wildcats had over the weekend in the spring game, a bright spot for the Wildcats was quarterback Matt Scott.

Finishing the game with 315-passing yards and four touchdowns, Scott looked comfortable in the Cats' new system that head coach Rich Rodriguez is implementing. He also added 11 yards on the ground. The Wildcats have a lot of growth left to do, but they appear to have a leader to help guide that growth. 

Winner: Connor Wood, QB, Colorado

Connor Wood transferred out of Texas at the beginning of last season. Wood took his skills to Colorado, looking very good in the spring game this past Saturday. 

Wood finished the game 7-of-10 for 137 yards and two touchdowns. With the performance on Saturday, Wood likely solidified his position as the starter, as the team heads into summer workouts and fall camp.

Winner: Washington State Cougars

Washington State held its spring game this past Saturday under the guidance of new head coach Mike Leach.

Leach is famous for his electric attitude on the field and with the media, which will be welcomed in the Cougars' program. Washington State has a long way to go before they are competitive in the Pac-12, but Leach is the guy for the job, proving at Texas Tech that he can win in tough spots.

With the addition of Leach in the offseason and the strides they are making under his tutelage, the Cougars are winning. 

Winner: Trey Metoyer, WR, Oklahoma

With the return of Landry Jones, the Sooners are looking for an impact receiver to help the Sooners' vertical game this fall.

Enter Trey Metoyer.

Metoyer is an early enrollee this spring for the Sooners, and he has the skills that will get him into the rotation this fall.

During the spring game, he had six catches and 72 yards. 

Loser: De'Andre Johnson, RB, Iowa

The Hawkeyes' coaches were looking for something from De’Andre Johnson this spring. Unfortunately, he gave them more than they asked for. Two fumbles in the spring game show why the talented back can’t climb the depth chart. 

Johnson is a strong, low-to-the-ground runner that can grind out the tough yards. If he continues to have fumble-itis, the spring game will be his only time to shine in the future. 

Loser: Nathan Scheelhaase, QB, Illinois

Nathan Scheelhaase is the starting quarterback for the Illinois Fighting Illini, but he didn’t look that way in the Illini’s spring game. Maybe it was the tough defense, maybe he just had a bad day.

Either way, Scheelhaase had a terrible day, going 11-of-26 for only 65 yards. 

Winner: Josh Ferguson, RB, Illinois

Despite the struggles of Scheelhaase, running back Josh Ferguson looked great. Ferguson finished with 150 yards on the day, far and away stealing the offensive show for the Illini. 

Ferguson will hope to build on this performance as the Illini head into spring, with expectations running high for the freshman ball-carrier. 

Winner: USC Defense

The USC defense will be stout this season. On Saturday, they showed that they will be one of the most elite units in college football this coming fall.

They gave Matt Barkley fits, pulling down two of his passes for interceptions. The USC secondary looked scary good. They will be a force this season. 

Losers: Auburn Media Relations Department

The Auburn spring game has become an event for fans, one that has been televised the past few seasons. This spring, ESPN3.com listed the Tigers as a covered game for much of the week. But by Friday, the game had been removed from the television provider’s online-streaming service. Talk about mad people.

To make matters worse, the game was replayed on tape delay on CSS, a sports channel only provided to customers of Comcast and Charter. Another conspiracy theory against the Tigers has been born. 

Winners: Auburn Fans in Attendance

The Auburn faithful who stayed home may have missed the game, but for those that were in attendance, the Tigers unveiled three Heisman commemorative statues outside of the stadium to honor the three Tigers who have won the award.

It was a rare occasion to get all three winners together in Auburn, and one that became even more special with a poem from Cam Newton. 

Being a part of history was a win for the Tigers fans that were in the crowd for the unveiling. 

Winner: Kiehl Frazier, QB, Auburn

Kiehl Frazier has come on strong for the Tigers this spring. With an injury to Clint Moseley earlier this year, Frazier has captured the majority of the practice reps. It showed in the spring game, as Frazier finished the game 7-of-9 for 92 yards.

He was held from competition during the second half, which did nothing to squelch the belief and rumors that he will be the starter for the Tigers this fall. 

Winner: T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama

Early enrollees have become increasingly popular for football teams, as getting guys in the mix a semester early helps young freshmen contribute in the fall. T.J. Yeldon is a great example why early enrollees are key to a team’s success.

With starter Eddie Lacy out with an injury, incoming freshman T.J. Yeldon had a great day for Alabama, racking up 179 total yards and the game’s MVP award. 

Loser: A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama

A.J. McCarron showed a ton of development and growth as the season progressed in 2011, leading his team to a national title.

This past Saturday, he struggled to find consistency, however, finishing the game 29-of-42 for 304 yards and two scores. The problems came when he tossed three interceptions. 

Granted, it’s a spring game, but McCarron looked very erratic with the ball at times throughout the game.

Winner: Alabama Defense

The Alabama defense is in reload mode, as they lost a host of starters to graduation and the NFL draft after the 2011 season.

The defense looked good for the Tide, intercepting three of starting quarterback A.J. McCarron’s passes and flying to the football on most every occasion.

Adrian Hubbard and Vinnie Sunseri had big games for the Tide, looking to build names for themselves and earn starting positions heading into the fall.

Losers: Nebraska Nation

Is Bo Pelini serious?

Due to an awful system of storms, the Cornhuskers had to cancel their spring game. Unfortunately for the fans, the game was cancelled and not rescheduled, leaving fans hanging that wanted to see the Cornhuskers' progress this spring. 

To make matters worse, Nebraska's administration is not issuing refunds for the game. Great job, Nebraska. I am sure there are a number of really happy fans right now. 

Winners: Nebraska Softball and Baseball Teams

If you were one of the many thousands of fans that headed to Lincoln, Neb. in hopes of seeing football this past Saturday, you might have been let down. If you bought your ticket, you are really not too happy.

Not only did Nebraska cancel the spring game, but they refused refunds. Instead, you can attend a baseball or softball game for free. Great consolation prize, guys. 

Winner: Bryn Renner, QB, North Carolina

Rising junior Bryn Renner ran away with Larry Fedora's offense on Saturday, going 22-of-28 for 295 yards and two touchdowns.

It is just a spring game, and that is something to note, but Renner looked very good in the new scheme that new head coach Larry Fedora has installed. 

As North Carolina heads into summer workouts, the Tar Heels offense looks to be in very good hands.

Loser: Miami Offense

The Miami offense looked terrible this past Saturday. Dropped passes and five turnovers ruled the day for the Hurricanes in a game that finished with a 7-6 score.

7-6 in a spring game is laughable. If there was one bright spot offensively, it was the lone touchdown run from Mike James. 

Al Golden needs to get the ball rolling offensively, or it will be a long season for the Hurricanes this fall. 

Loser: Pittsburgh Doesn’t Keep Score

No score in a spring game? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of even calling it a game? I would think so, but obviously, Pitt head coach Paul Chryst thinks it is a great idea. 

While Pitt is ushering in a new era of football with Chryst, failing to keep score in a spring game is just not cool.

Winner: Isaac Bennett, RB, Pitt

Isaac Bennett may not have been able to score a touchdown in the Pitt spring game, but he did pound 23 carries out, gaining 121 yards in the game.

With his performance, Bennett solidified his stance as the Panthers' starting running back. It was a great day for Bennett.

Winner: Clinton Granger, QB, Temple

Temple struggled last season to find a quarterback that could get the ball to the receiver consistently. In fact, the quarterback play was terrible for the Owls. Any progress is a positive for the Owls, with Clinton Granger giving the Owls something to build on.

Granger finished the game 14-of-20 with 125 yards. It wasn’t a stat-filled game that will earn him any awards, but it shows positive growth at the position. 

Winner: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

Teddy Bridgewater had a huge day this Saturday for Louisville. Bridgewater finished the game 19-of-21 with 257 yards and three touchdowns. Bridgewater is a rising sophomore for the Cardinals, and the future looks bright with him at the helm.

Expect big things from the Cardinals, as Bridgewater continues to grow this summer and into the fall. 

Winner: Northwestern 2013 Recruiting Class

Northwestern went through the spring game pitting offense against defense. The Wildcats had some good showings on both sides of the ball, but one of the biggest scores of the day was when quarterback Matt Alviti committed to the Wildcats. 

Northwestern has really expanded its image on the national-football stage over the past few seasons. That success will continue if Pat Fitzgerald can continue to recruit top athletes like Alviti. 

Loser: Kain Colter, QB, Northwestern

Northwestern heads into the post-Dan Persa era with a few options at quarterback, but not a lot of excitement will come from their performance in the spring game.

Kain Colter is the listed starter, and he had a terrible day for the Wildcats. He took five sacks and was only 7-of-12 for 56 yards. Not a good sign for the Wildcats heading into the summer-workout session. 

Loser: Iowa State Quarterback Competition

The Cyclones were hoping to settle on a starting quarterback this spring, but unfortunately, nobody has stepped up as a leader. 

The spring game did nothing to solidify a leader, with Jared Barnett and Steele Jantz both having mediocre showings. Barnett was the starter a year ago, but struggled midseason and was replaced by Jantz in the bowl game.

Iowa State will head into summer and fall with a quarterback controversy for the second time in as many years.

Loser: Josh Nunes, QB, Stanford

There is a quarterback competition brewing at Stanford, and the hope was that the spring game would show a bit of separation after a long spring-practice session.

Josh Nunes is a leader for the Cardinal, but he did nothing to help his march toward the starting position on Saturday. Nunes finished the game 11-of-29 with 167 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are a far cry from the accuracy that the Cardinal faithful have become accustomed to with Andrew Luck leading the charge.

Heading into summer, the competition is wide open, with Nunes having ground to gain before fall. 

Winner: Stanford Defensive Front

The front seven for the Stanford Cardinal has gotten increasingly more potent in the past few seasons. They showed out against the Cardinal offense on Saturday. 

With the departure of Andrew Luck, the Cardinal will need the defense to help ease the pain of the loss this fall, and it all starts up front.

Head coach David Shaw acknowledged the defensive prowess of his front seven after the game, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, "Our front seven is about as good as you'll find in our conference.” They will have to be if the Cardinal want to stay in the Pac-12 discussion this fall.

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