College Football Capsules: Longhorns bracing for Buckeyes' power game

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - In the Big 12, where offenses are built on the spread, speed and on-target quarterbacks, the Texas defense got the job done with a fierce pass rush, swift linebackers and plenty of help from its own high-scoring offense.

Now it's time to play power football, Ohio State style. The No. 3 Longhorns (11-1) meet the 10th-ranked Buckeyes (10-2) on Monday in the Fiesta Bowl.

"I've been waiting for a smash-mouth running game all year. I think our whole defensive line has. That's our mentality," Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller said.

They will be plenty of big collisions in this one.

Buckeyes tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, 6-foot-1, 237 pounds, ran for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing three games with a foot injury, including a 35-3 loss at Southern California early in the season. Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, 6-6, 235 pounds, picked up another 553 yards and ran for six TDs.

Pound-for-pound, those two are as big and fast as Texas' linebackers.

Wells "is by far the best back we'll see this year," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "It's a shame we didn't get to see USC and Ohio State with Beanie Wells healthy. He is a game-changer."

Texas ranked No. 1 against the rush in the Big 12, allowing only 2.8 yards per carry and 73 yards per game. But that came in a passing league that produced only three 1,000-yard rushers.

"We get credit for great run defense in a year the Big 12 didn't run the ball," Brown said.

Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter, the Big 12's rushing leader with 1,518 yards, was the only back to hit Texas for big gains, rushing for 161 yards in a 24-20 Texas win. Several times, Hunter cut back against over-pursuing linebackers for big runs.

"We've got some great backs in the Big 12, but not a big back with quick feet and capable of doing what he (Wells) is doing," Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy said. "You live for these games like this."

Wells was supposed to be a Heisman Trophy contender this season, then hurt his foot in the third quarter of the Buckeyes' season-opening win against Youngstown State.

When healthy, Wells gives Ohio State power and finesse. He's strong enough to rip through tackles, yet athletic enough to leap over tackles.

On one highlight-reel play against Illinois, Wells vaulted safety Donsay Hardeman, leaving the defender to grab at the air as if Wells disappeared on a 25-yard run. Wells said this week he feels as good as he has all season.

"Every time I watch him, he reminds me of Brandon Jacobs with the New York Giants. He's so big and so fast," said Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo, who won the Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defender.

Orakpo led Texas with 10½ sacks and expects to spend a lot of time chasing Pryor. Some Texas players compare him to former Longhorn Vince Young, who got his first start as a freshman in 2003 and led Texas to the 2005 national championship.

"He has a little bit of Vince in him," Longhorns cornerback Ryan Palmer said. "Once he gets all his tools down, he's going to be a scary player."

Brown is wary of expecting Ohio State to do nothing but try to pound the ball against his defense.

Brown remembers Ohio State's 24-7 over the Longhorns in 2006. He expected the Buckeyes to try to run the ball all night, only to watch quarterback Troy Smith throw for 269 yards and two touchdowns to jump-start his Heisman-winning season.

"They threw it every time and caught us off guard," Brown said. "And we didn't respond very well."

Haden, Florida secondary playing with confidence

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Florida cornerback Joe Haden arrived in Miami with a new haircut, a fitting style for the Bowl Championship Series title game.

He had "BCS 1" shaved into the left side of his head and a star along with his number, 5, on the right. It could be considered a bold move, especially since the Gators are getting ready to face high-scoring Oklahoma in the championship game Thursday.

But given the way Haden and the rest of Florida's secondary have played this season, they have reason to be confident heading into their toughest test.

"It's definitely not guaranteeing victory," Haden said Saturday. "It's not like that. We made it to the championship game. It's the No. 1 game. I just wanted to do something different."

The Gators (12-1) would like to do something different on the field, too. They want to be the first this season to slow down the Sooners (12-1), who have set all sorts of offensive records while becoming the first major college team in 89 years to score at least 60 points in five consecutive games.

Although Florida believes getting pressure on Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is the key to keeping Oklahoma out of the end zone, there's little doubt the secondary will play an equally vital role.

"It's definitely the way we want it," Haden said. "We wanted it like that the whole season. We feel like the way we practice and the way we've been playing, we're confident we can get the job done."

That wasn't always the case.

The Gators struggled most of last season in coverage. Haden and safety Major Wright started as freshmen, and their inexperience showed. Florida gave up 260 yards a game through the air, more than defensive coordinator Charlie Strong wanted and more than any of the players expected a year after the Gators won the 2006 national championship with defense.

LSU, Kentucky, Georgia and South Carolina pretty much threw the ball at will against Florida's secondary. Troy and Florida Atlantic also had success, but the real eye-opener came against Michigan in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

The Wolverines racked up 524 yards of offense and scored on seven of 13 possessions. It could have been worse, too, had it not been for four Michigan turnovers.

The Gators couldn't tackle Mike Hart, couldn't pressure Chad Henne and couldn't cover Adrian Arrington or Mario Manningham. The 41-35 loss haunted defensive players throughout the offseason.

It also served as motivation.

"We (stunk) that game," Wright said. "We knew we couldn't have another game like that. Now, we're more dedicated. We don't want to let the man beside us down."

Although the Gators have been considerably better this season - they allowed 85 fewer yards passing a game - things haven't been perfect. The secondary shouldered much of the blame for a 31-30 loss against Mississippi, Florida's only defeat on the way to Miami.

With the game tied at 24 and the Rebels facing a third-and-7 from their 14, Jevan Snead found Shay Hodge open behind Wright for an 86-yard touchdown with about 5 minutes to play. That proved to be the difference, and it reminded players, coaches and fans of the meltdown against Michigan.

"We're not going to let ourselves play like that anymore," Haden said. "This is a whole different team."

Haden and his teammates believe the Ole Miss game was merely a glitch, and the other 12 performances are a better indication of how the Gators match up against Oklahoma.

Florida is tied for second in the nation with 24 interceptions. Haden (10 pass breakups, three INTs) and freshman cornerback Janoris Jenkins (team-high 11 PBUs, three INTs) have lined up against bigger receivers all season and held their own.

Wright (three INTs) has started focusing on making big plays instead of looking for big hits. And fellow safety Ahmad Black has been the surprise of the group, turning out to be a sure tackler and instinctive leader after coach Urban Meyer indicated he was too slow to be a starter last season.

"They're very aggressive in the secondary," Bradford said. "They play a lot of man coverage, a lot of press. Their corners aren't scared to jump routes. We have to run clean routes to get separation, and then I have to put the ball in a place they can't get to it."

Florida's toughest challenge might come against Oklahoma's no-huddle offense and five-receiver sets, something the Gators have seen little of this season. But given a month to prepare, they believe they can handle anything. Haden's haircut, at the very least, shows confidence.

"I don't know where he got that from," Strong said. "But it's not that bad."

-- Mark Long

The comforts of road? For Sooners, there are many

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Chances are, if there's a Florida logo posted on BCS championship game sign around Miami this week, there's an Oklahoma emblem right next to it. The gift bags doled out to players from both teams were exactly the same, and one school won't be invited to more events than the other.

Forgive the Sooners, though, if they don't find all things to be equal in South Florida.

They know the reality - the Bowl Championship Series title matchup Thursday night takes place in the Gators' home state.

Even though that crystal trophy will be awarded 324 miles south of The Swamp in Gainesville, it seems much like a road game for the Sooners. Facing a hostile crowd in Miami will only make winning that much sweeter, they say.

"It's in Florida. It's where they're from," Sooners wide receiver Manuel Johnson said. "But we feel like it's us against the world. And we've been great on the road this year."

He's not just saying that.

No team in the country was better away from home than Oklahoma.

The Sooners averaged 57.8 points in five road games, and that doesn't even count the 62 they put up against Missouri in the Big 12 championship game at Kansas City. Only one other school this decade - Boise State in 2004 - averaged more than 50 in road contests. And only four schools finished this year unbeaten on opposing turf: Besides Oklahoma, there was Utah, Georgia and, yes, Florida.

"Obviously, we're coming to Florida, so we know there's going to be a lot of Florida fans here," Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford said Saturday, the teams' first full day in South Florida. "But we can't let that affect the way we prepare and get ready for this game."

Of course, that doesn't mean Bradford and the Sooners won't tap into that for a little extra motivation.

One of the end zones will be painted in each team's colors, so it'll seem even. By coincidence, the national championship logo has been done in a tropical blue and orange design - Florida's primary colors - and the BCS logo itself is scarlet, looking almost identical to the same shade as Oklahoma's helmets.

And while each school received the same number of tickets, some estimates suggest that Gator fans could outnumber Sooner backers by a 2-to-1 margin at kickoff.

"It could be a little something extra, knowing they're probably going to have more fans than we are here, and that the whole stadium is probably going to be against us," Bradford said. "There is a little bit of motivation in knowing that."

Oklahoma didn't just win on the road this season, it won big.

The closest of the five road games was a 61-41 win at Oklahoma State, a game where the Sooners scored the final 17 points. The others were full-fledged blowouts: 55-14 at Washington, 49-17 at Baylor, 58-35 at Kansas State and 66-28 at Texas A&M.

Consider: Oklahoma's 289 points in five road games were more than 39 major-college teams scored all season - anywhere.

"You want to play the best," Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said, "and we get a chance to do that."

There's a true home-game feel for some of the Gators, too - even though the game is being held in the stadium rival Miami calls home. Thousands of Florida alumni live within a 2-hour drive of South Florida, so interest has been overwhelming from the moment the Gators secured their spot in the title tilt.

"We try to take every game as a home game, try to make it our stadium," said Florida safety Major Wright, who went to high school in nearby Fort Lauderdale - and has gotten dozens of calls from people looking to get one of his six tickets.

Thirteen Florida players won high school state championships at Dolphin Stadium, and more than a dozen Gators call the greater Miami area home. Plus, since Urban Meyer took over in Gainesville, his teams are 31-4 in games in the Sunshine State.

"We think about it and we've played other road games this year, so we're not too, too worried about it," said Oklahoma center Jon Cooper. "We're going to take it like another road game."

Until kickoff, that is.

Even with stands that'll be dominated by fans in blue and orange, Oklahoma will be on the home sideline Thursday night.

-- Tim Reynolds

Stoops shoots down Denver rumors

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - It's becoming an annual event: A prime coaching job opens up, Bob Stoops' name lands on the supposed short list of candidates, only for him to say he's happy at Oklahoma.

The latest supposed will-he-or-won't-he scenario: Stoops to the Denver Broncos?

Not happening, Stoops said Saturday after his team practiced at Barry University, just a few miles south of the site of Thursday's Bowl Championship Series title game between his Sooners and the Florida Gators.

"What situation? That's a rumor that I have not heard and no one has contacted me about that so I don't know anything about it," Stoops said. "We're preparing for a national championship, that's all my focus, all my concentration is on that, so obviously I'm not a candidate. I'm sure someone might have told me ... if I was."

The Broncos fired Mike Shanahan after 14 seasons on Tuesday.

"There's no story," Stoops said. "I'm not a candidate. This is the first I've heard about it."

Maybe so, but Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson - who's from Colorado - said he heard rumblings of Denver having interest in his boss, who just completed 10 years with the Sooners and earned a $3 million bonus for lasting a decade at the school.

"I love Colorado, but I don't know if that's for him," Wilson said.

Denver already has put together a list of strong candidates, including New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Also, Rick Dennison - the offensive coordinator under Shanahan - wants an interview as well.

Stoops indicated that he would try to shoot down the rumor with his players.

"It won't take long," Stoops said.

Still, even if there really is no interest in the Denver job, Stoops hasn't closed the door on one day giving the NFL a try.

"At some point in my life or career, that may be the case," Stoops said.

STOP CALLING

Florida safety Major Wright is from Miramar, Fla., just a bit north of the BCS title game site, meaning he's not far from virtually all his friends and family as the Gators prepare this week to face Oklahoma.

Most of those people have his phone number.

And most of those people are calling with one request: "Hey, can you get me a ticket?"

No, he can't, unless you're one of the chosen six family members he's selected to take care of on game night - his mother, his sister, his grandparents, and maybe an uncle or two.

Players get six tickets apiece, Wright said he can't get more, and therefore is getting used to turning down a lot of people.

"A lot of my family's kind of mad at me," Wright said. "I can't do anything about it."

So, too, are a lot of people that Wright hadn't heard from in years, who decided to take a chance nonetheless.

"Some of my middle-school friends called me," Wright said. "I mean, that's not going to happen."

SPECIAL GUEST

Bill Parcells will have his attention solely directed toward the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, when the AFC East champions host the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL wild-card matchup.

But Saturday, the Dolphins' football operations head took some time to watch Oklahoma practice.

"It was great. He's just evaluating our players, I'm sure, but it was great to have him here," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "I've always been a big fan of the way he coaches - and the way he handles you media guys, too."

Parcells has not granted interviews this season.

"I think it's always important when you get a legendary figure and a guy that's a Hall of Fame coach," Stoops said. "I just like to have our players see and hear from those kind of guys and he always has a great message for them."

SPIKES-NFL

Florida's Brandon Spikes expects to hear back from the NFL's advisory board about his draft stock. The junior linebacker leads the Gators with 87 tackles. He also has two sacks and four interceptions.

Spikes said Saturday he hasn't made up his mind about turning pro, but acknowledged it would be difficult to return for his senior season if the NFL expected him to be a first-round pick. He added that his brother would play a part, too.

Breyon Middlebrooks was sentenced in 2003 to life in prison without parole for a murder during a drug deal in 2001. Middlebrooks is being held at Scotland Correctional Institute in Laurinburg, N.C., and Spikes hopes to make enough money in the NFL that he can get his brother more legal help and maybe a new trial.

"I'm pretty sure he would want me to make the best decision for me," Spikes said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, on whether his team is ready to face Florida: "Not yet, but that's what this week's for."

HERE AND THERE

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is wearing a splint on his left (nonthrowing) hand after surgery to repair thumb ligaments last month. "Not an issue," coach Bob Stoops said. ... Florida coach Urban Meyer expects to announce the hiring of a quarterbacks coach in the next few days. Dan Mullen was the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach before he got hired as head coach at Mississippi State. The Gators promoted offensive line coach Steve Addazio to offensive coordinator, but Mullen will call plays against Oklahoma. ... Gators LB Ryan Stamper is from Jacksonville, but is seeing South Florida for the first time. He turns 22 next month. "The palm trees and the beaches and the big hotels and all that is new for me, probably just like Oklahoma," Stamper said.

-- Tim Reynolds

UConn's Brown commits to NFL after beating Buffalo

TORONTO - Connecticut's Donald Brown showed he has nothing left to prove at the college level.

Brown ran for a career-best 261 yards in his final college game, helping the fumble-prone Huskies overcome a mistake-filled first half and defeat Buffalo 38-20 in the International Bowl on Saturday.

After becoming the 14th player in major college history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, the junior running back broke the bad news to UConn fans.

"OK, tell them, bud," coach Randy Edsall said, slapping Brown on the back at the postgame interview table.

"I'm not coming back," Brown said. "I'm going to pursue the NFL."

He then apologized for saying three weeks ago that he planned to return to Connecticut for his senior season.

The nation's leading rusher said he made the commitment to return to stop speculation and negate a potential distraction for his team heading into the game at Toronto.

"I apologize for quote, unquote lying, but I did it to protect my team," Brown said. "They mean the world to me, so I'm willing to put my neck on the line for them."

He proved that in the first half against the Bulls, when he had 208 yards rushing - 6 short of matching a career best - and kept the Huskies in a game. UConn turned the ball over five times in the first 30 minutes.

Brown scored on a 45-yard run and then added a career-best 75-yarder to set up quarterback Tyler Lorenzen's touchdown run.

Lorenzen then put the Huskies ahead for good 10 minutes into the third quarter by completing his first pass, a 4-yarder to tight end Steve Brouse for a 24-20 lead.

In overcoming a 20-10 deficit, the Huskies (8-5) won their second of three bowl appearances since joining the Big East in 2004.

The Mid-American champion Bulls (8-6) had their breakout season under coach Turner Gill end with a loss in their bowl debut. Buffalo scored all its points off turnovers.

Gill wasn't too disappointed for a team that registered its first winning season since 1996 and orchestrated one of the most monumental turnarounds in college football. The Bulls were 10-69 in seven seasons prior to Gill's arrival three years ago.

"Obviously, we didn't come out on the right end of it, but I'm still going to have a smile on my face. I'm so proud of this football team," Gill said. "This isn't going to be a one-year wonder. I do believe we're going to be vying for championships year after year."

The Huskies defense - ranked 10th in the nation in yards allowed - played to its stout reputation, containing a Bulls offense that had produced a school-record 404 points. UConn limited Buffalo to 237 yards offense and 10 first downs - and only five through three quarters.

Safety Dahna Deleston dealt the final blow, intercepting Drew Willy's pass intended for Naaman Roosevelt at the goal line and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown.

Deleston was so exhausted after matching the school's longest interception return he collapsed in the end zone.

Brown, by comparison, was still fresh after being held out for the most of the final quarter with the game in hand. He finished with 29 carries.

Edsall's only disappointment in losing Brown to the NFL was a belief the running back didn't get enough recognition for his achievements this season.

"It's just a shame that the people in Connecticut won't get one more year to see him play, and the people around the nation who missed out on honoring this kid for what he did this year," Edsall said, his voice beginning to tremble with emotion. "I told him I'll be his biggest fan as he moves forward. I love the kid to death and I know he's going to be very successful."

Edsall said the next step is for Brown to fill out an application to submit to the NFL, a process required by all juniors requesting to enter the draft.

Brown ends this season with 2,083 yards rushing - the 11th best total in college football's top division - and he set a school record with 18 TDs.

The game didn't start well for UConn, a team that looked very much like the one that committed five turnovers in a regular season-ending 34-10 loss to Pittsburgh.

Buffalo's Ray Anthony Long recovered Jasper Howard's muffed punt in the end zone. Starks' score came after another Huskies' miscue.

Robbie Frey had a kickoff go off his hand and into the end zone. Rather than downing the ball for what would've been a touchback, Frey ran the ball out and had it jarred loose by Justin Winters and recovered by Buffalo's John Syty at the UConn 4.

When UConn stopped helping the Bulls, Buffalo couldn't get it done on its own.

"I wish we could have done more on offense," Willy said. "They're a good defense, I'll give it to them. But we left some plays on the field."

-- John Wawrow