Associated Press

In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl became a series of wind sprints.

Long gains were the rule and hard hitting was the exception as the AFC beat the NFC 41-34 on Sunday, Feb. 8, night.

Light showers fell for much of the game, stirring memories of a rainy Super Bowl in Miami three years ago. But uniforms remained mostly spotless, with more pushing and shoving than tackling.

“It’s different. It was like 7 on 7,” NFC linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “Everybody came out here trying not to get hurt and give the fans a good show”

Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans threw for 189 yards and two AFC scores, and was chosen the most valuable player.

“It’s a game you watch growing up as a kid and wonder if you could ever be in,” Schaub said. “To actually be a part of it is incredible.”

Aaron Rodgers also threw two touchdown passes, and NFC teammate DeSean Jackson had two scoring catches.

From the standpoint of ticket sales, this year’s new venue and slot on the league calendar was a success. The crowd of 70,697 was the largest for a Pro Bowl since 1959 in Los Angeles.

Spectators included Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and other Pro Bowl players from the Super Bowl teams. Manning and the Indianapolis Colts will face Brees and the New Orleans Saints on the same field next Sunday in the biggest game of the season.

The NFL sought to transform the Pro Bowl into a bigger game by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. In a one-year experiment, the league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980.

The stadium was half empty by the third quarter, perhaps partly because of the rain and temperatures in the 60s. It was sunny and 82 in Honolulu at game time.

Did the weather dampen the players’ enthusiasm for Miami?

“It’s beautiful. It’s paradise,” NFC receiver Steve Smith said. “Too bad it’s not Hawaii.”

Eager to host more big events, the Dolphins have proposed adding a roof that would cover fans as part of stadium improvements that could cost $250 million or more. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the upgrades are needed if South Florida is to remain competitive in bidding for future Super Bowls.

Nearly 40 percent of the players originally selected for the game didn’t play. One of the AFC replacements, David Garrard, threw for 183 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson.

“It’s so awesome,” Garrard said. “One of my goals coming into the game was to just be relevant and show all the people who said, ‘What is he doing in there? The Pro Bowl has dropped off a few pegs,’ that I do belong.”

Vincent Jackson made seven catches for 122 yards. Chad Ochocinco had a 40-yard reception but didn’t do any kicking after practicing placements and punts for the AFC during the week.

“That’s OK. It was fun anyway,” Ochocinco said.

DeSean Jackson scored on a 7-yard pass from Rodgers and a 58-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, his regular quarterback with the Eagles.

“I’m just out here having a great time,” Jackson said. “And at the same time I’m trying to put out a little effort.”

There were plenty of other big plays. Joshua Cribbs caught a punt at the goal line and returned it 65 yards. A penalty negated LaMarr Woodley’s 64-interception return for a touchdown.

“I slowed up to get a little camera time,” Woodley said.

The AFC totaled 517 yards and the NFC 470. Both teams threw for more than 400 yards.

Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, a 12-year veteran playing in his first Pro Bowl, found the AFC’s offensive approach exhausting.

“They came out with a bunch of screens and had us running around,” Fletcher said.

But there were no complaints from Fletcher’s teammate on defense, first-time Pro Bowler Justin Smith of the 49ers.

“The pace is nice,” Smith said. “You don’t have to worry about working too hard.”

The game will return to Honolulu in 2011 and 2012, but the league hasn’t decided whether to hold those games before or after the Super Bowl.

The Pro Bowl site for 2013 and beyond hasn’t been determined.

Senior defensive tackle Dee Peeler celebrates after a defensive stop against Jacksonville State Oct. 31. Peeler was named All-OVC second team ans was credited 30 tackles this season.

Junior Taylor Skinner goes up for the kill against the Tennessee State defender Sept. 18. Skinner and her teammates had a successful season finishing second in the OVC regular season 22-9 overall record

Captain Hannah Jones attempts to make a play during the game against Eastern Kentucky, Sept.27. The Lady Govs struggled all season and remained winless in the OVC. Their one win was against Cumberland University, Sept. 1.

Sophomore Ryan White breaks through the whole for positive yardage against Jacksonville State on Oct. 31. White was a huge part of the Govs’ offensive rush strategy, gaining 1,081 yards during the season with an average of 4.7 yards per carry. White was named to the First Team All-OVC and helped the Govs to a 4-7 record.

All Photos by Lois Jones | Senior Photographer

The Govs wrapped up the 2009 season with what some would believe to be a disappointment, finishing with a 4-7 overall record and 3-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. APSU graduates 25 seniors, which includes the first senior class to play for the Govs during the reinstatement of scholarship football four years ago.

As advertised, the Govs’ weapons were and will continue to be the monsters in the backfield. Explosive sophomore Ryan White rushed for 1081 yards averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Terrence Holt, his speedy and dangerous counterpart, finished the season with 793 rushing yards, averaging about 5.4 yards per carry. He led the conference with 13 total touchdowns. The passing game showed promise at times, but inexperience at the wide receiver position showed its face at crucial situations when the Govs needed the big play. Though the future of the passing game isn’t totally bleak, when redshirt Jake Ryan stepped in, he guided the Govs to a 2-3 record over the final five games of the season.

Defensively, the Govs were loaded with experience starting eight seniors including First Team All-OVC award winner Daniel Becker and Second Team award winners Dee Peeler and Kevis Buckley to lead the charge. The Govs’ run defense ranked in the top half of the conference. The “herd” stopped some of the conference’s best running teams, as well as getting key takeaways at pertinent times to get the Govs offense going. Graduation is going to plague the soon to be young Govs squad, but there is potential in the secondary with two key underclassmen in sophomore Amius Smith and freshman Jeremy Ross. Ross started for the Govs because of injury and is going to be a key part of the Govs success in the future.

Holt broke the APSU all-purpose yard record with 2, 373 total yards, averaging 215.7 all-purpose yards per game. Being a dynamic force on the offensive front makes Holt someone to look forward to see perform in the next season. One spot the Govs drastically improved on is the kicking game with freshman kicker Stephen Stansell. Any recent APSU fan can remember not being very confident in the APSU kicking game. Well, Stansell’s kicking was noticed in the early part of the season when he nailed a 41 yard field goal as the time expired to get the three points in the game against Southeast Missouri. As Stansell ages, the Govs kicking game should only improve.

The graduating seniors left their mark after coming back from a four game skid with a come-from-behind win to defeat SEMO. The win against SEMO was the turning point of the Govs season. The very next week the hard-nosed Govs defeated Eastern Kentucky, to end the nation’s third longest losing streak of 22 straight games and sent shockwaves through the conference. APSU struck again when they knocked off Tennessee State at their homecoming. The season saw the Govs finish higher than what the preseason ranking suggested. With graduation hitting the Govs, they need to replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball, as well as recruit a dynamic receiver with speed. Next season looks to be exciting with the return of both first-team OVC backs White and Holt hopefully complete with age and experience to continue to move the ball.  Hopefully coach Rick Christophel will let Jake Ryan grow at quarterback to gain some consistency in the Govs passing game.

The APSU Govs traveled to face the Skyhawks of UT-Martin Saturday for the Ohio Valley Conference season finale, where the Govs comeback came up short, falling 48-38 to end the season.

The Skyhawks (5-6 overall, 4-4 OVC) were led by Cade Thompson’s season high 378 yards passing which helped him become the program’s all-time career passing leader with 6,260 yards.

The Govs (4-7 overall, 3-5 OVC) had 277 total yards on offense in the losing effort.

With UT-Martin’s Stephen Shiver 14-yard touchdown catch from Cade Thompson, pushing the lead to 24-0, The Govs’ Terrence Holt burst through the seams for 57 yards gain to put the ball at the Skyhawk 19 yard line. From there, Ryan White dashed 19 yards to cut the Skyhawk lead 24-7.

APSU’s struggles in the first half could be witnessed on the offensive end, as the Govs tallied only 77 total yards and four first downs, and did not convert on third down in the first half.

The Govs scored to get back in the game 27-17, on a 10-yard jolt from Terrence Holt.
But by the next Skyhawk’s possession, APSU defense would force a punt. The Govs were, however, flagged for roughing the kicker, resulting in a first down. Thompson ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Jones, making the score 34-17.

The very next drive, Jake Ryan threw an interception, setting up another Thompson pass to Mike Hicks for his second touchdown of the game to push the lead to 41-17.
With the Skyhawks in the lead, Thompson was looking for the UT-Martin all-time leading passer Miguel Barnes, and continued the passing attack. He would get the record in setting up Barnes’ five-yard touchdown run, to push the lead to 48-17.

From there, APSU played for pride and clawed away at the Skyhawk lead to score 21 straight points on a Gary Orr pass to Scott Thomas. Daniel Swenson’s fumble recovery and 25-yard run and Ryan White one yard run pushed the score to 48-38.
Offensively, APSU was led by Terrence Holt’s 312 all-purpose yards, which helped him surpass Jay Bailey’s 2002 record.

Orr converted 9 of 18 passes for 84 yards one touchdown and one interception, while starter Jake Ryan was 9 of 29 for 92 yards and two interceptions. Orr replaced Ryan after a hard hit on a sack in the fourth quarter.
White finished with 13 carries, 58 yards and two touchdowns, while his counterpart Holt had 11 carries for 44 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, the Govs picked off three of Thompson’s passes, with two coming from LaDarius Davis, and one from Kevis Buckley who moved into third place on the APSU all-time list for interceptions in a career.