1996 College Football

1. Danny Wuerffel: Won the Heisman Trophy. He was the MVP of the Sugar Bowl (national championship).

He won player of the year awards (Maxwell and Camp), and QB of the year (Unitas and O’Brien).

He was 1^st team All-America and led the NCAA in TDs (39) and set a SEC record with 3,625 yards.

Wuerffel set a SEC championship game record with 401 yards and 6 TDs in a 45-30 rout of #11 Alabama.

He helped UF past #9 Tennessee with 4 TD passes.

He had 277 yards and 3 TDs in the Gators 56-13 pounding of #12 LSU, and 346 yards and 3 scores the following week against #24 Auburn.

In the rematch with bitter rival and undefeated then #1 Florida St., Wuerffel torched the Seminoles for 306 yards and 3 TDs. He also ran 10 yards for another TD as Florida routed FSU 52-20.

Florida won their first ever national championship. They won their 4^th straight SEC Championship and was 12-1. They outscored their opponents by 390 points (30 per game).

2. Jake Plummer: He was PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He was 2^nd team All-American.

He finished 3^rd in the Heisman voting.

He threw for 2,575 yards and 23 TDs.

The “Snake” led Arizona St. to stunning upset over then #1 Nebraska 19-0. The win broke the Cornhuskers 26 game winning streak. He was 20-36 for 292 yards and a TD.

He threw for 3 TDs in an opening win over #16 Washington. He single handily carried the Sun Devils to a 42-35 win over UCLA. He threw 275 yards and three scores. He also ran for a TD and caught 16 yard TD on a halfback pass.

In the Rose Bowl against #2 Ohio St. Plummer tied the score at 7 in the second quarter with a 25 yard scoring strike. He gave ASU the lead with his iconic 11 yard TD run with 1:40 to go.

He finished with 201 yards passing on 19-35.

Arizona State was the Pac-10 champion and went 11-0 in regular season (#2 before the bowls). They lost 20-17 in the Rose Bowl to Ohio St and finished #4 in the final poll.

3. Peyton Manning: He was the MVP of the Citrus Bowl with a record breaking performance.

He threw for 407 yards and 4 TDs (still Tennessee bowl records) with then school record 27 completions. His first 3 TDs gave UT a 21-0 lead over #15 Northwestern. He added a 10 yard TD scamper in the Vols 48-28 romp.

Manning was named third team All-American (behind Wuerffel and Plummer) and second team All-SEC. He finished 8^th in the Heisman voting.

He was twice named SEC Player of the Week. He threw for 371 and 2 scores vs. Georgia and 362 and two more TDs vs. South Carolina.

For the season, he passed for 3,278 yards and 20 TDs while completing 64% of his passes.

He set a school record with 492 yards and had 4 TDs vs. #1 Florida but the Volunteers fell behind 35-0, only to lose 35-29.

They were 10-2 overall and 7-1 in SEC play. Tennessee finished ranked #9 in the final polls. Manning directed an offense that put up over 36 points per game.

MLB 1996

1. John Smoltz: Won the NL Cy Young. He was the starter for NL All-Stars (Winning pitcher with two scoreless IP).

He was named the Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News and Baseball Digest. He was the Pitcher of the Month in April and May.

He led the NL in wins (24), winning percentage (.750), IP (253.7), and strikeouts (276).

He was 4^th in the league with a 2.94 ERA.

Smoltz started the season with an 11-1 record, on his way to winning the Cy Young.

During the postseason, he went 4-1 in the postseason with a tiny 0.95 ERA and had 33 SO in 38 IP.

Against LA in the division series Game One Smoltz tossed a complete game.

four-hitter, while just giving up one run in the Braves 2-1 win.

He won games one and five in the NLCS. In Game One went eight giving up two earned.

He helped the Braves erase a 3-1 series defect in Game Five with seven shutout innings.

Smoltz won Game One of the World Series in Yankee Stadium.

He was a tough luck loser in Game Five (1-0 New York win). He gave up one unearned run in eight IP and stuck out ten.

Atlanta won their second straight pennant and fourth in six years after sweeping the Dodgers and outlasting the Cardinals in seven games.

They fell to New York in the World Series in six games after taking the first two games on the road.

The Braves won the NL East with a 96-66 record.

2. John Wetteland: Was the World Series MVP. He saved all four of New York’s wins (the only closer ever to do that in the WS).

He was named the Rolaids Relief Man Award and TSN’s Reliever of the Year. He also was named to the AL- All-Star squad.

During the regular season he led the AL in saves with 43. He posted a 2.83 ERA and 69 K’s in 63 IP.

He closed out Games Two and Three with scoreless ninth innings against Texas.

He picked up the save in Game Three of the ALCS to put NY up 2-1 in the series vs. Baltimore.

In the Fall Classic, Wetteland allowed just one ER in 4.3 IP (2.08 ERA) and struck out six.

New York won the AL East with 92 wins. They beat the Rangers in four and Orioles in five to get to the World Series.

They won their first title since 1978 in six games over the Braves.

3. Albert Belle: Finished 3^rd in the MVP. He was the AL All Star’s clean up hitter and starting LF. He also was a Silver Slugger.

He led the AL in RBIs for the 3^rd time in four years with 148, a career high.

Belle was 2^nd in the league in total bases (375), 4^th in HR (48). He was also in the top 10 in slugging, OPS, runs (124), hits (187), and walks. He also hit .311.

He was known for his powerful swing and rage.

In the division series against Baltimore, he homered twice and drove in six runs.

His bottom of the seventh grand slam in Game Three off Armando Benitez broke a 4-4 tie. The Indians would eventually win 9-4.

Cleveland was upset in four games by Baltimore. The Indians won 99 games and AL Central by 14.5 games and had the top record in baseball.