Florida Sports Wires

 By Joey Johnston Elite college football players are often described as "difference-makers.'' It refers to their speed, their size, their ability to take over a game at the crucial moment. When the Michigan Wolverines (7-5) face the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) in the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium, fans can witness one of the foremost difference-makers in college football. But it has little to do with what occurs on the field or what the scoreboard says. Michigan quarterback Davis Warren has become a difference-maker in life. "You grow up and you see the stuff on College Game Day, the make-a-wish pieces and (inspirational) stuff like that,'' Warren said. "I was a huge football fan growing up and I'd always see stories like that. But you never expect that to be you, right? You never think that you could really be the kid that's in those shoes and you'd have to deal with something like that.'' In 2019, Warren heard those...

By Joey Johnston When the college football season began, practically no one expected the Illinois Fighting Illini and Mississippi State Bulldogs to be surrounded by beaches, palm trees, world-class attractions and the Tampa Bay area's inviting destination for a New Year's weekend bowl game. Let's roll the preseason predictions: Illinois: Picked sixth among seven teams in the Big Ten Conference's West Division. Mississippi State: Picked sixth among seven teams in the Southeastern Conference's West Division. Needless to say, the coaches, players and fans from Illinois and Mississippi State aren't just happy to be invited to the Jan. 2 ReliaQuest Bowl at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. They are thrilled. And after remarkably productive seasons that have stamped the Illini (8-4) and Bulldogs (8-4) as surprise contenders, they are determined to erase the last question marks with a resounding exclamation point. "For this season, it's more of a leap start f...