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Wake-Up Call: Caldwell crucial to Cardiac Cats

The Associated Press

Andre Caldwell celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown for the Bengals against the Ravens on Sunday.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2009

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

Welcome (back) to the jungle.

If you're looking for an early surprise team in the NFL, look no further than the Cincinnati Bengals, who are 4-1 with sole possession of first place in the rugged AFC Central Division.

Wide receiver Andre Caldwell (Jefferson) has had plenty to do with the turnaround.

In the past three weeks, Caldwell twice had a game-winning touchdown reception in the final seconds to defeat each of last season's AFC Championship Game participants.

Sunday, Caldwell caught a 20-yard scoring pass from Carson Palmer with 22 seconds remaining as the Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-14.

On Sept. 27, Caldwell had a 4-yard reception with 14 seconds remaining to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20.

"Andre is really doing like we expect Andre to do," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.

Caldwell, a third-round pick in 2008, already has 18 receptions, along with serving as Cincinnati's primary kickoff returner.

"We really felt comfortable and confident that he would grow into this," Lewis said. "Every week, he gets better. And he has given us quality snaps at returner. If we have to put him out there on the punt team, he'll give us quality snaps. The evolution of the position and what he means to the 45-man roster is huge."

Versatility is important.

Of late, though, Caldwell has proven himself as a big-play receiver, no easy task on a team that features the ubiquitous Chad Ochocinco.

Caldwell has been in the right place at the right time - and quarterback Carson Palmer has been most appreciative.

"I think they (Ravens) were overaggressive trying to make a play to end (the final drive) and it cost them," Caldwell said. "I figured they were coming to me (on the touchdown play). I had one-on-one and it was time for me to make a play."

It's something the Bengals have come to expect.

Blackout time?

The last time a Bucs' home game was blacked out on local television, Raheem Morris was a senior at Hofstra University.

The last time a Bucs' home game was blacked out on local television, Raymond James Stadium was under construction.

The last time a Bucs' home game was blacked out on local television, Ronde Barber was a rookie.

Yes, it was a long, long time ago.

We're just setting you up for what's bound to become the week's major storyline - can the Bucs (0-5) get an advance sellout for Sunday's home game against the Carolina Panthers?

The last time a Bucs' home game wasn't shown on local television, it was Oct. 26, 1997 - a 10-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the old Tampa Stadium (that same night, the Florida Marlins defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series - some five months before the Rays played the first regular-season game in franchise history).

The 1997 campaign, of course, was when the Bucs ended their 14-consecutive-year run of losing seasons. On Nov. 16, 1997, the Bucs had a sellout against the New England Patriots (27-7), beginning a string of 98 consecutive advance sellouts (including playoff games) that continued until the Sept. 27 home game against the New York Giants.

Now that streak is on the line.

Jackson with 13 tackles

Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (Seminole) had 13 tackles in Sunday's 6-3 win against the Buffalo Bills. It was the fourth time in five games this season that Jackson hit the double-digit tackle mark.

Garcia's leap of faith

University of South Carolina sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia (Jefferson) knows it's sometimes difficult to receive a compliment from Coach Steve Spurrier.

It's downright impossible when Garcia leaves the pocket and tries to improvise.

Not on Saturday.

"Coach Spurrier strives for perfection," Garcia said. "He demands perfection. I'm trying to get every single week."

Garcia, who had a career-high three touchdown passes in Saturday's 28-26 win against Kentucky, closed out the game with a 5-yard run on third-and-4, hurdling Wildcats cornerback Cartier Rice to reach the first-down marker.

"I saw the little cornerback there, and I wasn't about to be stopped," Garcia said.

Spurrier's reaction: Bravo!

"That was a big-time play there by Stephen," Spurrier said. "That might be his best play as a Gamecock. That sort of shows what he's capable of doing."

Garcia has improved greatly this season, avoiding the big mistake. In fact, he had a streak of 124 consecutive pass attempts without an interception until Kentucky linebacker Sam Maxwell picked him off in the second quarter.

Overall, Garcia was 16 of 23 for 223 yards.

Saturday night, South Carolina (5-1, 2-1 SEC) travels to Alabama (6-0, 3-0).

Javier Arenas watch

And speaking of Alabama, Crimson Tide senior Javier Arenas (Robinson) was headed for an assault on the SEC and Division I-A career punt-return records, but he has suddenly slowed to a crawl.

After having no punt returns against Kentucky on Oct. 3, he had just one punt return for 2 yards on Sunday at Ole Miss. Arenas needs 163 yards to become the SEC's all-time leader in punt returns (and 229 yards for the all-time career mark in Division I-A).

Arenas still registered an impact in Alabama's 22-3 win against Ole Miss, though. He had an interception, setting up the second of five field goals by Alabama's Leigh Tiffin.

ACC race: All shook up?

It looks like the ACC has a surefire national-title contender in No. 4-ranked Virginia Tech (5-1, 3-0 ACC), which conceivably could enter the Dec. 5 ACC Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium with an 11-game winning streak (after dropping the opener against Alabama on a neutral field).

On the other hand, the Hokies travel to Georgia Tech on Saturday. If the Yellow Jackets pull an upset - a very real possibility - the ACC race will devolve into an unpredictable mess that we haven't seen since, um, last season.

Here are the standings:

Atlantic Division

Wake Forest 2-1 (4-2 overall).

Boston College 2-2 (4-2).

Maryland 1-1 (2-4).

Clemson 1-2 (2-3).

N.C. State 0-2 (3-3).

Florida State 0-3 (2-3).

Coastal Division
Virginia Tech 3-0 (5-1).

Virginia 1-0 (2-3).

Georgia Tech 3-1 (5-1).

Miami 2-1 (4-1).

Duke 1-1 (3-3).

North Carolina 0-2 (4-2).

A few more thoughts:

• Don't count out Miami in the Coastal race. The Hurricanes are capable of winning their next six games and taking advantage of a possible Virginia Tech stumble. The Hurricanes also are capable of losing to the University of South Florida on Nov. 28 at Raymond James Stadium (and wouldn't that sting, particularly if UM had to return to the same stadium one week later to play for the ACC title?).

• The Atlantic Division appears so mediocre that no one can be dismissed, not even the Florida State Seminoles, who already have lost three games at Doak Campbell Stadium FSU is incredibly 6-8 in its last 14 ACC home games stretching over four seasons. And to think, the Seminoles won 54 of their first 55 ACC home games since entering the league in 1992.

Wise decision?

Dewayne Wise, the Chicago White Sox outfielder who leaped high over the wall to pull back a probable ninth-inning home-run ball by Gabe Kapler and preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game against the Rays on July 23, has refused his outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte and now becomes a free agent.

Jason Romano update

Former Hillsborough High School infielder Jason Romano, a first-round pick in 1997 who played major-league baseball with the Rangers, Rockies, Dodgers, Rays and Reds, has been hired as spokesman for Speed Gel, a pain-relief and anti-inflammatory product. Romano, who retired from baseball last spring after a series of injuries, will be touring throughout Florida's professional and amateur sporting events, offering samples of the products and speaking about its benefits.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey, who turns 48 today.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Friday's trivia question:

Robinson High School's football team last hosted a state playoff game in 1977. The opponent was Largo. Robinson defeated the Packers 14-0.

Monday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Rick Casares scored 60 career touchdowns (mostly with the Chicago Bears), the highest total for a former Jefferson High School player. Which former Jefferson player was next with 33 career NFL touchdowns?

Check for the answer in Tuesday's Wake-Up Call.

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