The South has opened it up in the 2011 Senior Bowl, leading 17-0. The new assortment of offensive talent took a little bit longer to reach the end zone than did Miami Hurricanes WR Leonard Hankerson’s crew, but Alabama Crimson Tide QB Greg McElroy and company did manage to score a touchdown.
West Virginia Mountaineers RB Noel Devine ran in the fourth-down score after running up the gut. Hey look, Chan Gailey sent a little back up the middle a few times in a row. Devine was a big part of this drive, as was Kentucky Wildcats RB Derrick Locke at points during the first quarter.
Georgia Bulldogs OL Cling Boling threw in the block of the afternoon on a screen from McElroy to Devine, blasting Notre Dame Fighting Irish DT Ian Williams off his feet. And those are some really big feet.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets RB Anthony Allen toted the ball a time or two, looking about the same from seven yards deep as he did from three.
TCU Horned Frogs QB Andy Dalton took over for the final drive of the half, and the farther west we travel for quarterback talent the less productive the South is. Purdue Boilermakers DE Ryan Kerrigan sacked Dalton to basically kill the South’s last drive, and then forced a flagrant hold on the next play by Arkansas Razorbacks RT DeMarcus Love.
Dalton couldn’t even get the ball to Leonard Hankerson! Everybody gets the ball to Hankerson! I’m kidding. Dalton did OK.
Clemson Tigers CB Marcus Gilchrist, Baylor Bears DT Phil Taylor, California Golden Bears DE Cameron Jordan, the two Boise St. Broncos receivers, and Kerrigan are a few of the players Mike Mayock listed as especially impressive near the end of the half.