BARNEStorming: Thoughts around the college football world
OXFORD, Miss. – Trinidad Chambliss has not only become a huge story at Ole Miss, but the transfer from Division II Ferris State is getting a lot of national attention.
The senior has led the Rebels to three consecutive wins – two against SEC teams – and has thrown for 1.033 yards and five touchdowns while running for 266 yards and a pair of scores.
If Chambliss is having this success in the SEC, obviously he was the best player last season while leading Ferris State to the national title, right?
Not so fast.
The Harlon Hill Tophy is the Division II Heisman Trophy, and it went to Central Missouri’s Zach Zebrowski last season. Charleston running back Chavon Wright was the runner up. Chambliss finished third.
In his three starts for the Rebels this season, Chambliss has thrown for 353 yards against Arkansas, 307 against Tulane and 314 against LSU. Last season, he threw for 300 yards in just one game.
Chambliss did not leave the Ferris State cupboard bare. The Bulldogs are undefeated and currently the top-ranked team in Division II.
AW, WAIT A MINUTE, MEN
Give first-year UMass coach Joe Haraysmiak credit. He is not afraid of a challenge. So far this season, the Minutemen have lost at Iowa and Missouri.
In the next five years, UMass will have games at Iowa, Missouri, Colorado and Penn State.
But this is not an anomaly, this is a trend. In the past four years, the Minutemen have lost at Missouri, Mississippi State, Georgia, Auburn, Penn State, Tulane, Texas A&M, Pitt, Boston College and Florida State.
Yet look at the bright side, UMass gets to see a lot of homecomings around the country.
Good luck coach.
A TRAVEL AGENT’S BEST DREAM
When the former PAC 12 teams left for the Big Ten, not many really took notice of the distance between schools. They should.
This week we have two games that have a long travel itinerary. And keep in mind, this mileage is only one way:
Penn State at UCLA: 2,246 miles.
Washington at Maryland: 2,747 miles.
That is just Saturday. This was last week:
Ohio State at Washington: 2,011 miles.
Oregon at Penn State: 2,292 miles.
USC at Illinois: 1,699 miles.
By the way, next week:
Rutgers at Washington: 2,388 miles.
UCLA at Michigan State: 1,912 miles.
Indiana at Oregon: 1,905 miles.
Michigan at USC: 1,945 miles.
Football can afford that. Imagine the conference schedule when women’s tennis season rolls around.
MULLEN IS NOT THE FIRST
Dan Mullen is the head coach at UNLV and used to be the head man at Mississippi State. That is a rare feat. He has been in charge of the Bulldogs and Rebels. Although now it is the Runnin’ Rebels.
But he is not the first to have the distinction of being a head coach for both the Rebels and Bulldogs.
In 1917-18, Dudy Noble was the head coach at Ole Miss and compiled a 2-7-1 record. He also was the head man at State in 1922 and went 3-4-1. State must’ve liked him better. The MSU baseball stadium is named for him.
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
