Tag: Jerome Ford

Giants select QB Matt Corral in latest PFN mock draft

In the latest mock draft from Pro Football Network, the New York Giants address the OL and LB positions while also landing QB Matt Corral.

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In the latest four-round mock draft from Pro Football Network, the New York Giants focus their attention on two very specific areas of need: offensive line and linebacker.

However, the Giants do make an interesting pick later on in the PFN mock draft. But we’ll get to that later.

At No. 5 overall, PFN has the Giants selecting NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu with Evan Neal already off the board.

Between the Jets and New York Giants, there wasn’t much to celebrate from a football perspective in the Big Apple this last year. The Giants will have a new head coach in place in April, and that could lead the franchise to move on from quarterback Daniel Jones. New coaches often want a clean slate on which to judge their tenure.

However, it would be wiser to avoid this quarterback class and focus on strengthening the trenches to maximize the potential on the roster. That starts with the selection of Ikem Ekwonu with the fifth overall pick in this 2022 4-Round NFL Mock Draft. A violent, mauling offensive tackle who has experience on the interior, the NC State lineman instantly upgrades the Giants’ offensive front no matter where they line him up.

We’ve gone over Ekwonu at length, so there’s no reason to beat a dead horse further.

At No. 7 overall, PFN has the Giants selecting another player who is become a familiar mock to them of late: Michigan linebacker David Ojabo.

There was a serious consideration to doubling up on offensive line prospects with the Giants’ second selection in this 2022 4-Round NFL Mock Draft. However, the defensive need is almost as pressing as the problems along the offensive line. Games are won and lost in the trenches, after all.

Michigan’s David Ojabo has become familiar with winning football games this season. Alongside teammate Hutchinson, Ojabo was a key component of the most successful season in recent Michigan Wolverines history. A fast, agile, pass rusher whose plethora of moves is impressive for a relatively inexperienced player, Ojabo will become a dynamic menace alongside Azeez Ojulari.

Again, we’ve offered our take on Ojabo recently. Plus, it’s the next couple of projected picks where things get really interesting for the Giants.

At No. 36 overall, the Giants land Alabama linebacker Christian Harris before nabbing Virginia Tech guard Lecitus Smith at No. 67 overall. Then, at No. 81 overall, PFN make the noisy pick for the Giants — Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.

And finally, at No. 109 overall, PFN closes things out for the Giants with Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford.

36) New York Giants
Christian Harris, LB, Alabama

67) New York Giants
Lecitus Smith, G, Virginia Tech

81) New York Giants
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

109) New York Giants
Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati

There are some new names in this mock, which are always welcome. And with those — particularly Corral — will come controversy. So let us know how you’d feel about these picks in the comments section below.

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5 Bearcats to watch in the Alabama vs. Cincinnati Cotton Bowl matchup

5 Bearcats that Tide fans should be watching during the Alabama vs. Cincinnati Cotton Bowl matchup

The stage is set and the anticipation is mounting as Alabama and Cincinnati prepare to clash on New Year’s Eve in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Like most contests of this magnitude, a handful of plays made by a handful of players will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.

Today we are going to highlight a few players for the Cincinnati Bearcats that I believe Crimson Tide fans will need to be on the lookout for come Friday afternoon.

Let’s do this!

Alabama will have to slow down a familiar face in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Alabama will have to slow down a familiar face in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Alabama is set to battle the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31. This will mark the first time in playoff history that a Group of 5 school has made it to the College Football Playoff.

The Bearcats will present several challenges on each side of the ball to the Crimson Tide when we get to the New Year’s Eve matchup.

Quarterback Desmond Ridder is a talented player who can beat you with both his arm and his legs.

Defensively, the Bearcats will attack and rely on their star defensive backs to shut down the Alabama passing attack.

In my mind of the keys to the game will be how well Alabama defends the run.

Cincinnati has a great rushing attack led by former Alabama running back Jerome Ford.

Ford has had a phenomenal junior season for the Bearcats. On the season, Ford has amassed 1,242 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging a whopping 6.2 yards per carry.

Ford has been a home run hitter for the Bearcats this season. He has two runs of 79 yards on the season plus additional runs of 43, 50, and 75.

Alabama will need to contain the explosive Ford to keep the Bearcat offense in check.

Kickoff for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89

Know your foe: What Alabama fans should know about Cincinnati

Let’s get to know Cincinnati a little more before Alabama heads to Dallas to take on the Bearcats!

The votes are in and the matchups are finally set. The Alabama Crimson Tide scurried its way to the top of the final College Football Playoff rankings while Cincinnati held firm at No. 4.

Now that the Tide will officially be matching up with the Bearcats, I thought it was time to take a closer look at how Cincinnati punched its ticket to the final four.

We will take a quick look at their coaching staff, schedule, and stats, so each of you knows a little more about the Bearcats.

First …team info…

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

And that’s all she wrote.

Notre Dame had a nice run of 26 consecutive home wins, but all good things must come to an end. It happened Saturday with a 24-13 loss to Cincinnati, and the Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes likely died along with the aforementioned streak. Meanwhile, the Bearcats’ playoff hopes remain alive, and they have their revenge against Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman.

The Bearcats (4-0) looked to be in business early in the fourth quarter when Desmond Ridder completed a 44-yard pass to Alec Pierce to get to the 25-yard line of the Irish (4-1). They barely got into the red zone, prompting a call to Cole Smith to attempt a 37-yard field goal. Smith missed his second field goal of the half, and the score remained 17-7.

Drew Pyne came on to lead a drive that included completions of 14 yards to Lorenzo Styles and 20 yards to Michael Mayer. It culminated in a 32-yard touchdown pass to Braden Lenzy, putting the Irish within an extra point of a three-point deficit. Instead, Jonathan Doerer picked a bad time to miss his first extra-point kick since Oct. 2018, meaning the Irish would need another touchdown without giving one up to take the lead.

The Bearcats’ offense went right back to work. Jerome Ford ran for 16 yards on one play, and Leonard Taylor had a 36-yard reception on the other. After another Ford run that went for 11 yards, Ridder took the ball himself to earn a 6-yard touchdown run. Notre Dame Stadium was silent once again except for the large contingent of Bearcats fans in attendance.

Pyne did his best to manufacture a response with time running out, getting the offense to the Bearcats’ 41. That’s where Jabari Taylor and Malik Vann sacked Pyne on second down, and the Irish’s last flickering hopes went out with the back-to-back incomplete passes that followed. Let the party begin in Ohio for the Bearcats’ biggest win ever.

Alabama football countdown: 27 days until kickoff

We are 27 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of weeks, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.

With it now being Aug. 30, we are officially 27 days away from the start!

Two current players wear the No. 27 for Alabama: true freshman running back Kyle Edwards, a three-star prospect out of Destrehan (La.), and walk-on defensive back Joshua Robinson out of Hoover (Ala.).

Prior to Edwards, now former Tide running back Jerome Ford wore the number. He has since transferred to Cincinnati, however, to be reunited with former Alabama quarterbacks coach Dan Enos.

Jerome Ford
Sep 29, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jerome Ford (27) carries the ball against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide defeated the Ragin Cajuns 56-14. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

2020 Alabama football schedule

  • Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
  • Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
  • Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
  • No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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Report: Alabama RB Jerome Ford now in transfer portal

Former four-star running back Jerome Ford is now in the transfer portal. Could USF be a potential destination?

Alabama backup running back Jerome Ford, a former four-star prospect according to the 247Sports composite rankings in the 2018 class, has entered the transfer portal, according to a tweet from Joey Knight with The Tampa Bay Times.

Alabama is still waiting on a NFL decision from its top rusher in 2019, Najee Harris, but regardless of that decision, the running back position looks loaded as the team enters the offseason.

Brian Robinson Jr. should be back after totaling 1,002 yards (878 rushing, 124 receiving) and nine touchdowns through three seasons. Former five-star running back Trey Sanders will also be back from a foot injury.

In addition, the Crimson Tide signed three players at the position: four-star, top-50 player Jase McClellan out of Aledo (Tex.), four-star Roydell Williams out of Hueytown (Ala.) and three-star Kyle Edwards out of Destrehan (La.).

In two seasons at Alabama, Ford has rushed for 151 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns while also adding two receptions for 11 yards through the air. Some of that action, however, has come during mop up duty in the second half of games.

The biggest impact Ford has made throughout his career, at least up to this point, was in Week 1 of this past season when Harris and Robinson Jr. were suspended for the first half against Duke. In that game, Ford rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, but he also had a costly fumble.

With how loaded the Crimson Tide are at the running back position, the news of Ford’s potential transfer isn’t all that surprising. He did post this tweet on Tuesday:

Whether he stays or leaves, good luck to Jerome Ford in the future!

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