ÐÔÊӽ紫ý

Below are my top-10 highlights of the 2010-2011 athletic year. Note, there were many worthy moments in all ÐÔÊӽ紫ý sports but the ranking is based on games which I broadcast from September through June. Also, games are ranked on many factors including excitement factor, not just importance of win.

10. Jonathan Griffin launches grand slam to beat FSU: On a hot and humid night in Tallahassee on May 7, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý broke a 6-6 tie with sixth-ranked FSU with a seven-run seventh inning. The inning’s highlight was a crushing grand slam homer by Jonathan Griffin. The blast came one pitch after FSU coach Mike Martin made a trip to the mound and opted to leave his relief pitcher in. One pitch later, Martin was back out to make a change. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý won the game 14-10 and it took nearly four hours to get the victory.

9. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý men’s basketball wins first game as ranked team at UMass: Just days before Christmas and with its top scorer wearing a walking boot nursing an ankle injury, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s stay in the poll was expected to be a short one as they faced a hungry UMass team on the road. Marcus Jordan was not going to play and in the first half, Donnie Jones lost two more players with ankle injuries, but the Knights kept the game close. At halftime, Jordan told Jones he was playing the second half. While Jordan scored just one field goal, his presence was a big factor as ÐÔÊӽ紫ý moved to 11-0 with a 64-59 win.

8. Weaver runs for 180 in shootout win against East Carolina: It was the biggest regular season conference home game at Bright House Network Stadium. The high-powered offense of ECU came rolling into Orlando putting up big numbers. In the end, the Knights put up a bit more. Ronnie Weaver ran over Pirate defenders all day en route to a 180-yard performance and two touchdowns as ÐÔÊӽ紫ý took control of the Conference USA East Division race with a 49-35.

7. Knights win matinee game at UTEP: After having its first game in El Paso postponed because of a snow storm, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý returned to play a President’s Day game against UTEP, who had become the hottest team in the league. The Knights were already road weary from flying back and forth across the country the previous two weeks. With a sparse crowd at tipoff, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý hit shots early and often and built a big lead. By halftime, almost 10,000 fans made the Don Haskins Center an atmosphere to remember. Despite a big UTEP rally, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý handed the home team its first loss in 15 games in El Paso with a 74-68 win.

6.ÐÔÊӽ紫ý wins second conference title, topping SMU 17-7: The Knights’ defense got to shine before the nationally televised audience. Josh Robinson has a big day and the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý defensive front kept pressure all day on SMU’s quarterback. Latavius Murray earned MVP honors and highlighted his day with a 36-yard touchdown run. After the game, the question about where ÐÔÊӽ紫ý was going was no longer a question. The Knights had secured their second trip to the Liberty Bowl and would face Georgia.

5. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý baseball rallies to beat fourth-ranked ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in dramatic fashion: Shortstop Darnell Sweeney’s error in the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and put the Gators on top headed into the ninth in Gainesville. The sophomore made up for his mistake with a crushing two-run double to center that put the Knights up 4-3. Yet drama awaited the bottom of the ninth as centerfielder Ronnie Richardson came to the mound to pitch and proceeded to strikeout two of the three batters he faced to hand ÐÔÊӽ紫ý their only loss of the season when leading after eight innings.

4. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý hoops moves to 10-0 with win over Miami: The game was played in south ÐÔÊӽ紫ý at the BankAtlantic Center as part of the Orange Bowl Classic and was the first contest before nationally ranked teams ÐÔÊӽ紫ý and Kansas State squared off. But ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, by far, had the best performance of all four teams. The Knights, with a large contingent of black and gold supporters executed late en route to a 84-78 win. Marcus Jordan scored 23 before injuring his ankle with 90 seconds left and by the time ÐÔÊӽ紫ý was back on the bus to Orlando, the team had a legitimate claim at being the best in the state.

3. Key drive at Houston sparks big road win: After seeing Houston’s football team score two quick third quarter touchdowns, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý trailed 24-23. Freshman Jeff Godfrey huddled his team as a key series was about to begin and had a message for them: “We are going to score.” And the kid delivered. He converted a third down and then a fourth down and then a huge pass to Jamar Newsome and ended the drive with his own touchdown run. The nationally televised college football world saw Godfrey dazzle, going 15-of-19 for 294 yards and he ran for another 105 yards.

2. Knights top Gators with stunning win: It was supposed to be a nice gesture. The first college basketball game played at the new Amway Center was going to give Donnie Jones a nice night to face his former boss in Billy Donovan and his ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Gators. A crowd of almost 14,000 got more than a nice night out. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý fans witnessed something special as the Knights smothered then 16th-ranked ÐÔÊӽ紫ý defensively and got big shots from Marcus Jordan and Keith Clanton as ÐÔÊӽ紫ý won 57-54. It set off a ÐÔÊӽ紫ý celebration that many Knight followers had waited long enough for.

1. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý beats Georgia in Liberty Bowl and earns first bowl win: No ÐÔÊӽ紫ý fan could relax until that final pass hit the ground. The wait was over. The mission was accomplished. On a misty, cloudy and gray New Year’s Eve in Memphis, Jeff Godfrey battled through an ankle injury. Latavius Murray ran when needed and the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý defense made one lasting impression. The 10-6 win over Georgia placed ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in both major voting polls and the school also earned its first BCS ranking. The record setting season was, and still is today, celebrated by ÐÔÊӽ紫ý fans young and old and those memories will last forever.

Final thought: While shopping for a card for a special occasion I came across selections with pictures of people on the card. Why would anyone buy a card to give to someone that has a picture of complete strangers on that card?

Source: Marc Daniels’ From the Press Box runs several times per month on ÐÔÊӽ紫ýAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during ÐÔÊӽ紫ý football, men’s basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.