College Top 25 Capsules: Stakes never higher for No. 3 Boise State
No. 3 Boise State has in many ways never played a more important game than it will Monday night, when the Broncos face No. 10 Virginia Tech at FedEx Field.
For all Boise State has accomplished in the last decade — more wins than any major college team and two BCS victories — never before have the Broncos been a serious national championship contender.
That changes if Boise State beats the Hokies at the home of the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., a far from neutral field, far away from their home blue turf.
With a win, the Broncos take a giant first step toward becoming the first team from a conference without an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series to reach the BCS title game.
Of course, Boise State coach Chris Petersen wants nothing do with that subject — even though it's been topic No. 1 for Broncos fans since the clock struck 0:00 on their 17-10 Fiesta Bowl victory against TCU in January.
"In terms of a national title, so many things have to happen, even when you're in a BCS conference, let alone where we're sitting now," he said. "So we don't even go there. We just worry about the things we control. My mindset never wavers from that."
That's fine for Petersen, but it's almost impossible to look at the Broncos' schedule and not see grand possibilities if they start 1-0.
Boise State's remaining nonconference slate is at Wyoming and home against Oregon State and Toledo. The last time the Broncos lost a regular-season game on their home blue turf was 2001. As for their Western Athletic Conference opponents, well, the Broncos have lost one conference game in the past four seasons.
So from all angles, the Hokies look like the tallest hurdle between the Broncos and a third consecutive perfect regular season.
Virginia Tech has been one of the nation's best programs for more than a decade and once again the Hokies are one of the favorites in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor and star tailback Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech's offense should be dynamic.
Boise State's defense, which played its best against the best last season, will be tested.
The Hokies are rebuilding on defense, but defensive coordinator Bud Foster's crew is rarely a pushover. And few teams make as many game-changing plays on special teams as the Hokies.
"Without playing them, but what we know about them, what we've seen on tape, where we're going, I think this is the toughest opponent we've had yet," Petersen said.
For years Boise State has been trying to prove itself worthy of being ranked among the nation's elite teams. Despite all the victories — 112 since 2000 — the Broncos' competition from week-to-week just doesn't stack up to that of teams from leagues such as the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten.
But when they've played top teams in recent years, they've beaten them.
There was the memorable breakthrough victory against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Last season, Boise State opened by beating eventual Pac-10 champion Oregon and finished with a gritty win against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
On the strength of that TCU victory and 20 returning starters, Boise State begins this season with its best preseason rankings.
"In the past it was always prove them wrong, now it's been a little bit of a switch," quarterback Kellen Moore said. "The mentality can't change, I still think it's the same preparation needed and all those characteristics have to stay the same. "
There's no need to convince Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer about Boise State's credentials.
"I'm nervous about this game," Beamer said, noting Boise State's experience advantage.
Moore can make opponents uneasy. The junior threw 39 touchdown passes and only three interceptions last year.
"You've got a great quarterback," Foster said. "Their running game is completely underrated. ... And you've got two receivers that are as good as anybody in the country. And then a very, very good offensive line."
With so much talk about what this game could mean to Boise State, it's almost been lost that Virginia Tech could also vault into national title contention by beating the Broncos.
The past three seasons, Virginia Tech has been deflated by an early season loss.
"I think this team is different than the previous teams that lost those games," Taylor said. "This team is more jelled and more together and I think we are at the ultimate goal of playing for the national championship. We all know it starts off with this first game."
Features
No. 1 Alabama breaks in youngsters in rout
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama took advantage of an opening rout to get plenty of youngsters on the field.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide's top tackler in Saturday night's 48-3 route of San Jose State was freshman linebacker C.J. Mosley. The leading rusher was redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy. Both the kicker and punter were freshmen.
And coach Nick Saban said he had other freshmen ready to go, including No. 3 quarterback Phillip Sims.
Besides the kickers, 13 players made their first college starts for the Tide: seven defenders, two offensive linemen, tailback Trent Richardson and their long snapper.
It was enough to make Saban consider giving his players a refresher course on little things like what to wear on the road.
"It's the first time since we've been here that I have felt the need to talk about things that you take for granted, like the dress code for a trip," Saban said. "We had guys who had been here for two or three years that know what's going on. Now we have a significant number of guys that don't know what's going on, haven't played before and haven't traveled before, that I find myself saying I need to spend some time explaining this stuff that we explained three years ago."
The road dress code can wait another week. The Tide (1-0) is preparing to host No. 19 Penn State, coming off a 44-14 win over Youngstown State, in what will surely be a more telling game for the youngsters.
Saban has had freshmen play key roles in each of his three seasons with Alabama, ranging from Rolando McClain to Julio Jones, Mark Ingram and Richardson. Two opened as starters in both 2007 and 2008, only the second and third time that's happened at Alabama.
Make that four. Punter Cody Mandell and kicker Cade Foster both started in their first college games. Both had nice debuts and answered a couple of the team's biggest question marks.
Mandell's first two punts each went for 52 yards. Foster made field goals of 41 and 24 yards.
The Tide also started junior college cornerback DeQuan Menzie, six sophomores and a redshirt freshman.
Mosley led Alabama with seven tackles. Starting linebacker Courtney Upshaw sprained his ankle, but Saban said he should be available against Penn State. Redshirt freshman quarterback A.J. McCarron completed 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.
Richardson got his first start in place of Heisman Trophy winner Ingram, who is out because of a knee injury. Fellow sophomore Damion Square started for defensive end Marcell Dareus, serving a two-game NCAA suspension pending the results of Alabama's appeal.
The defense gave up a 49-yard pass and a 32-yard run, but only 94 yards on the other 46 plays. San Jose State converted only 1 of 13 third downs. Mosley's seven tackles led the team.
"We have a lot of young guys, but they have shown a lot of improvement," said sophomore safety Robert Lester, who had an interception and a sack in his first start. "They have been able to learn the system quickly and go out there and show that. You don't see many freshmen like C.J. Mosley come in and lead the team in tackles like he did and make that many big plays."
Other freshmen who played included cornerback John Fulton and linebacker Jalston Fowler.
Saban said even more freshmen were ready to go, including Sims in case there's an emergency situation later.
"One of the toughest decisions that you have to make as a coach is if I play a guy in a game like this, he loses a whole year," he said. "So unless he's going to play a significant amount ... then you don't play the guy.
"Phillip is really ready to play and I'd love to play him. You don't have a crystal ball. I'm telling you all in advance that. You can second-guess me for all this if it happens."
-- John Zenor
No. 19 Penn State's focus turns to top-ranked Tide
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The game Penn State fans have circled on their calendars for years is almost here.
After manhandling FCS school Youngstown State, the level of competition increases dramatically in Week 2 for the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions with a visit to No. 1 Alabama.
"It's awesome. It gets to show the world what you have," linebacker Nate Stupar said about the marquee matchup. "You've got to show people what your team can do and show people who you are."
Penn State (1-0) goes from an overwhelming favorite in its 44-14 season-opening rout Saturday of the Penguins to a decided underdog for its trip to Tuscaloosa. The defending national champions beat San Jose State 48-3 without Heisman Award winner Mark Ingram (knee) or suspended defensive end Marcell Dareus.
With or without them, Alabama will pose a stiff challenge to Penn State's true freshman quarterback Rob Bolden — if he gets the starting nod. Bolden showed poise, a strong arm and nice touch in throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns, the best passing performance by a true freshman at the school.
But the Crimson Tide are no Penguins.
And coach Joe Paterno is loath to heap any added pressure on a first-year player who turned 18 in February. Bolden beat out returning sophomores Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin in a tight race for the starting job.
Maybe that's why the 83-year-old Hall of Famer was noncommittal about Bolden after Saturday's impressive debut.
"The competition that might work best for us to be at least competitive with a team that is as sound as Alabama, and as well coached as Alabama (may be) a whole different combination of people (than) what we used today," Paterno said. "I don't know. I will need to spend more time looking at Alabama."
Quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno — the head coach's son — said Bolden would likely enter practice this week as the starter, though there would still be competition.
While the offensive line protected Bolden fairly well, the running game mostly sputtered early with star tailback Evan Royster gaining just 40 yards on 11 carries. The Nittany Lions were a little unsure of what kinds of blitzes or schemes Youngstown State would use because of the school's new coaching staff.
Penn State did adjust, and the insertion of Johnnie Troutman at left guard helped give the line and Royster a boost in the second quarter.
"We may have been a little better than I think we were on the offensive line, but we certainly did not dominate them in the run game," Paterno said. "They made us run the football and thank goodness (Bolden) did a pretty good job."
Defensively, Penn State got just one sack against a Penguins offense that often resorted to screens, quick passes or a no-huddle scheme. Redshirt freshman Kurt Hess was 21 of 25 for 189 yards in his debut, including a middle screen to Dominique Barnes that turned into an 80-yard touchdown.
Some missed tackles hampered Penn State early, but the defense settled down, with Stupar (one sack) and Chris Colasanti (13 tackles) leading the way for the new-look linebacking corps.
Lost in the attention on Bolden was the notable improvement for the Nittany Lions' special teams — a season-long concern in 2009. Collin Wagner kicked three field goals of over 40 yards; new punter and kickoff specialist Anthony Fera performed well; Chaz Powell had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown; and Penn State was solid on kick coverage.
"We have been waiting for this time so we can strictly focus on" Alabama, linebacker Michael Mauti said. "We did not want to look past Youngstown State. ... Now we can 100 percent focus on Alabama."
-- Genaro C. Armas
Ohio State week churns some bad memories for Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Margaret Belch still has the picture she snapped of the American flag being unfurled moments before Miami played Ohio State for the national championship game eight seasons ago.
Another flag, however, is the one she can't forget.
From her spot at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl — Section 228, row 27, seat 18 — the Miami graduate thought she witnessed the Hurricanes beating Ohio State 24-17 in overtime to win their second straight national championship. In one crazed moment, nearly everyone on the Miami sideline rushed the field, players threw helmets in celebration, and even fireworks started illuminating the night. And then ...
"What is THAT?" Belch, now a member of Miami's athletic communications staff, remembers shrieking.
That, of course, was a late-arriving penalty flag. The game wasn't over. Moments later, Ohio State was the national champion.
Nearly eight years later, the Hurricanes and Buckeyes will play again, set to meet Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Miami coach Randy Shannon insists it's just another big game, that the national championship that slipped away won't be a motivating factor for his team as it prepares for the nation's No. 2 club. He's probably wrong.
"It's like everyone is making sure," quarterback Jacory Harris said, "that we remember what happened."
Ohio State's 31-24 double-overtime win on Jan. 3, 2003, was a Miami debacle in many ways. There was running back Willis McGahee getting his knee shredded on a tackle in the fourth quarter. The season-highs of five turnovers and four sacks allowed.
On the biggest stage, Miami played its worst game of the 2002 season. So it's odd that something most Hurricanes considered to be a great play is perhaps the only one many recall.
"I just remember walking off the field," said Miami baseball coach Jim Morris, who watched from the Hurricanes' sideline. "I thought we had won."
He wasn't alone. Fourth down from the 5-yard line, overtime, Miami up 24-17. Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel throws to the right corner of the end zone, intended for Chris Gamble. Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe defends, and the ball tumbles to the turf.
"I couldn't have done it any better," Sharpe said in 2008.
Line judge Derick Bowers, nearest the play, motioned the pass was incomplete and the Hurricanes started jumping for joy. Sean Taylor threw his helmet in the air, parts of it breaking upon landing. Krenzel sat on the turf, clearly distraught. Miami coach Larry Coker started walking across the field to shake Ohio State coach Jim Tressel's hand.
Field judge Terry Porter ended the party. From the back of the end zone, Porter threw a flag that arrived late. He motioned Miami was guilty of holding, then made the pass-interference sign instead. ABC immediately started showing replays.
"Bad call. Bad call!" analyst Dan Fouts said.
"Well, he waved it incomplete and then threw the flag," offered play-by-play man Keith Jackson.
Ohio State scored later in that extended possession, then again in the second overtime. Miami's crown was gone.
"You had to give a little bit of credit to the guys at Ohio State," said Stewart Cramer, Miami's video coordinator who was perched atop the stadium for that Fiesta Bowl. "And I hate to say that. I'm born and bred in Detroit. It's bred into us to not like Ohio State. Every time someone plays them, I just wish them defeat."
Only the most ardent Miami fans may recall what happened the next night. The Hurricanes opened their on-campus basketball arena Jan. 4, 2003, beating North Carolina 64-61 — in overtime, naturally.
Miami's basketball win came tinged in irony: Replays showed Paulo Coelho fouled the Tar Heels' Jawad Williams as he tried what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer, and then-Carolina coach Matt Doherty was livid over the non-call.
"The people in Miami can understand that better than anybody," Doherty said.
Along the same lines, it's understandable why the Hurricanes of today have been getting calls, e-mails, text messages, even handwritten notes, from the Hurricanes of yesteryear about why Saturday's trip to Ohio State carries a bit more weight than just any other big game.
Shannon said he won't discuss the 2003 title game this week, unless to say he doesn't want his team thinking about something that happened years ago.
He won't have to say anything. It's all already been said.
"All the alumni who comes back to train, they all leave us with that note," Miami cornerback Brandon Harris said. "'Go get 'em for us. We owe them one.' So we feel this game isn't just for us. It's going to be for the fans and the former players who played in that game."
-- Tim Reynolds
Meyer: Gators have 'long way to go' after opener
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Urban Meyer expected some growing pains.
After all, the fourth-ranked Gators entered the post-Tim Tebow era with four new assistant coaches, a new quarterback, a patchwork offensive line, inexperienced receivers and a revamped defense.
But Meyer certainly didn't envision what happened Saturday against five-touchdown underdog Miami (Ohio).
Florida fumbled early and often, botched several snaps, muffed two exchanges, shanked a punt, missed a field goal and an extra point, and watched way too many plays go nowhere. The Gators pulled away down the stretch thanks to two late touchdowns, including a fluky score in the closing minutes, but the 34-12 victory left plenty of cause for concern.
"We've got a long way to go," Meyer said.
The Gators get a chance to correct the problems Saturday against South Florida (1-0). In the meantime, they expect to spend extra time on ball security.
They fumbled on their first three possessions. Mike Pouncey zipped a snap past John Brantley, Chris Rainey coughed the ball up following a short reception and Emmanuel Moody bobbled a pitch on fourth down. Those were just the beginning of Florida's miscues.
Pouncey rolled two shotgun snaps to Brantley and delivered a few more offline.
"We couldn't get nothing going," Pouncey said. "It's part my fault we couldn't get the offense going with the snaps. I pride myself on being great, and that just killed me. I didn't play great."
He wasn't alone.
Deonte Thompson dropped a pass in the end zone. Brantley overthrew Carl Moore deep and Omarius Hines near the sideline. Mike Gillislee fumbled late. Caleb Sturgis pushed a 44-yard field goal right, then badly hooked an extra point.
Things would have been even worse had the Gators not converted three times on fourth down.
"I'm just happy to get that first game out of the way," said Brantley, who spent three years playing behind Tebow and waiting for his first start. "First-game jitters and new offense. I think we'll definitely build off this game and get a lot better."
Florida had negative yardage in the first quarter, 13 yards at halftime and a measly 25 yards entering the fourth. Nonetheless, they led 21-12 because of Miami's miscues. The RedHawks had three interceptions, a failed fake punt and some costly penalties.
Janoris Jenkins returned one interception 67 yards for a touchdown. Ahmad Black gave Florida first-and-goal at the 2-yard line with another. The RedHawks also misfired on a fourth-down pass at their own 21, and settled for three short field goals.
Florida had 28 yards when Jeff Demps took a handoff and sprinted untouched for a 72-yard score early in the fourth, about the time the RedHawks looked exhausted from the sweltering heat and humidity. Brantley tacked on his longest pass of the day with a little more than a minute remaining.
On fourth-and-21 from the Miami 25, Brantley rolled right under pressure and threw a ball up for grabs in the end zone. Hines jumped between two defenders and tipped the ball, which landed in Rainey's arms for a score.
"I was just throwing it up to see if anything good could happen, and it did," Brantley said. "It wasn't our day, but we did a lot of great things out there. We'll learn from our mistakes, just like any other team would."
There were some bright spots.
Defensive tackle Jaye Howard dominated inside (two sacks), Black finished with 12 tackles and the interception, and several youngsters showed promise.
But the focus was on the offensive woes. The Gators managed 12 first downs and finished with 212 yards — the second-worst total in Meyer's six seasons.
"It was not that shocking that we didn't play well," Meyer said. "It was shocking the ball's on the ground. ... There's a sense of urgency. I felt it in the locker room. There should be. We'll come back and work hard. That's what we do around here: Work hard and try to get better."
-- Mark Long
With Hampton out, Robinson shines for No. 9 Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The anticipation for Iowa sophomore running back Jewel Hampton's return from knee surgery and a one-game suspension has reached a fevered pitch in Iowa City.
Meanwhile, Adam Robinson keeps moving the chains.
Robinson, an unheralded sophomore from Des Moines, rushed for 109 yards and three first-half touchdowns on Saturday as the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes overwhelmed Eastern Illinois 37-7.
Hampton will finally be back for next week's home game with rival Iowa State, and many believe he'll give the Hawkeyes a much-needed home threat out of the backfield. He and Robinson will split the carries next week, but in the opener, Robinson continued to display the type of gritty, well-rounded play that's won over Iowa's players and coaches.
"Adam is just a tough guy and he runs hard," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "You have to really work to bring him down, and I thought he gave us a real spark out there and helped our young offensive line."
Hampton has always been seen as the future star of Iowa's backfield after shining as a backup to Shonn Greene in 2008. But he tore his ACL last summer, and Iowa split the duties between a pair of untested freshmen: Robinson and Brandon Wegher.
Wegher set Iowa's freshman record with eight touchdowns, and Robinson set the school record for rushing yards by a freshman with 834. But Wegher lasted just two days in fall camp before leaving for undisclosed personal issues, and while the door is open for him to return, the Hawkeyes have moved on as though Wegher isn't coming back in 2010.
That left Robinson and Hampton to battle it out for carries, and it's clear that Hampton opened eyes with his play in August. Even Ferentz, whose not one to dole out praise lightly, said Hampton looked "terrific" in practice, and it's not hard to envision how much better Iowa's often-languid offense could look with a truly explosive back like Hampton carrying the mail.
But Robinson has shown the ability to do all the little things needed to win games.
None of his runs on Saturday went longer than 16 yards, but he averaged 5.6 yards per carry in the first half and helped put the game essentially on ice by the break. Robinson also caught three passes for 43 yards, and the value of his ability to pick up blitzes and help keep quarterback Ricky Stanzi's shirt clean was certainly amplified during the brief period when Stanzi went to the bench after tweaking his knee.
Robinson was also running behind a line with three new starters, but he helped that transition appear seamless in the opener.
"(Robinson) is an interesting guy. He never seems like he's too fazed by anything," Ferentz said. It "looked like he really did a good job of making decisions out there and he's a good pass protector. He's not at all bashful about doing that. He really quietly has developed into a pretty good football player and we are really excited about his future."
Still, there are those that see Robinson as a placeholder until Hampton comes back.
If ever there was a moment that encapsulated Robinson's time with the Hawkeyes, in came in the second quarter on Saturday. With Stanzi on the sideline because of the tweaked knee, Robinson ran for 14, 2, 14 and 6 yards to complete Iowa's third scoring drive of the day.
Hardly anyone noticed, though. Everyone was focused on Stanzi, who quickly bounced up and returned to the game.
"He's a gamer. He's always there and you know he's going to make huge plays," Stanzi said of Robinson. "He was able to run the ball very hard, very effective, made a lot of guys miss. Then in the pass game he opened up really nice for a couple of check-downs and once again made a lot of guys miss and made some first downs and that's huge for us."
-- Luke Meredith
RB Kenjon Barner shines for the Ducks
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — It was as if Kenjon Barner had just won an Academy Award.
After scoring five touchdowns in No. 11 Oregon's 72-0 rout of New Mexico on Saturday, Barner gave credit to the coaches, the offensive line, and yep, even his mom.
"Not too bad at all. I was remembering that the coaches had faith in me," he said. "I have to thank my mother. The coaches told me to be prepared, but I didn't know how many touches I'd get."
Barner was making his first career start at running back for the Ducks, subbing for LaMichael James, who was suspended for the opener.
He scored on runs of 1, 25, 10 and 41 yards, before a 60-yard catch-and-dash from quarterback Darron Thomas. And that was all in the first half — Oregon rested him in the second.
Even Barner, a sophomore, seemed a little stunned by his stand-in performance.
"I didn't ever imagine that'd happen," he said. "They were all fun. I had five touchdowns in high school, but I never expected five in college, unbelievable."
Barner's five touchdowns matched a modern day school record set by Saladin McCullough in 1996.
He finished with 17 carries for 147 yards. With his scoring reception and returns, he contributed 225 all-purpose yards. The sophomore had 1,553 all-purpose yards last season.
Barner's start came at the expense of James, who was among several Oregon players who had trouble in the offseason. James pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment stemming from an altercation with his ex-girlfriend.
Last season James grabbed national attention by rushing for a team-high 1,546 yards, setting a new record for freshmen in the Pac-10. He averaged 6.7 yards and added 14 TDs to earn the league's freshman of the year honors.
James watched from the sideline Saturday wearing an "O'' T-shirt and khaki shorts. He will return to the Ducks next weekend when they visit Tennessee.
Along with James, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli also got into offseason trouble — so much so that coach Chip Kelly kicked him off the team.
Masoli was accused in a fraternity house theft in January and wound up pleading guilty to a burglary charge. Later he was stopped by police for a traffic violation and marijuana was found in the car.
Masoli has since gone to play at Mississippi, which was upset by Jacksonville 49-48 in double overtime Saturday.
The Ducks replaced Masoli with another first-time starter, Darron Thomas, who also performed well, completing 13 of 23 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
Does the emergence of Barner give the Ducks a running back controversy? Hardly, said Kelly, who at times uses two backs in his spread-option offense.
"We've always felt that we've had 1A and 1B," Kelly said. "We run the ball 40 times a game: one guy is not going to get all the carries. Hopefully that's a good question to ask and we'll split it up."
Barner didn't seem overly concerned.
"We're ready to have LaMichael back," he said. "He makes special plays, going to be special when we can run side by side again."
-- Anne M. Peterson
Georgia Tech opens with balanced run game
ATLANTA (AP) — The day after No. 16 Georgia Tech beat South Carolina State 41-10, Paul Johnson scoffed at less important numbers from the game.
Johnson said Sunday he may be the only one who isn't worried that Joshua Nesbitt completed only one pass. Johnson sounded even less concerned that new starting running back Anthony Allen did not have big numbers in the opening win.
The Yellow Jackets enjoyed good balance, rushing for 372 yards as six players had at least 30 yards rushing in Saturday's opening win. Allen, who has replaced Jonathan Dwyer as the team's featured B-back, had only six carries for 28 yards.
"I think they came in with the mindset they were going to stop the B-back position," Johnson said. "That's pretty much all it was. I don't care who's carrying the ball. As long as the quarterback and the A-backs are making yards, so be it."
Nesbitt ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns as he kept the ball on option plays while the South Carolina defense consistently focused on Allen and the other B-backs.
"The last time I looked it's a team game," Johnson said. "It's not a question of can I get this guy this many yards. The bottom line is you're trying to win."
Nesbitt, the senior who is being pushed by the school as a Heisman Trophy candidate, was 1-for-6 passing for 8 yards with an interception.
"Josh played well," Johnson said. "I didn't think he passed particularly well. ... He had a couple that were off line."
Nesbitt had at least one pass dropped as Georgia Tech adjusts to playing without NFL first-round pick Demaryius Thomas, the team's leading receiver the last two years.
"There's a bunch of areas we need to improve on," Johnson said before mentioning "a ton of missed assignments" on defense.
"Offensively, I don't think we played as fast as we can play," he said. "I certainly don't think we executed as well when we decided to throw the ball. We didn't throw it much. I'm probably not as worried about that as everybody else."
Backup Tevin Washington completed one pass for 4 yards, leaving the Yellow Jackets with 12 yards passing. That's not a major surprise in the spread option offense.
Nesbitt completed 75 of 162 passes (46.3 percent) for 1,701 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions last season, when Georgia Tech ranked second in the nation in rushing but only 116th of 120 FBS schools in passing.
The poor passing numbers became an afterthought when the Yellow Jackets finished 11-3 and won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
Georgia Tech (1-0) plays at Kansas next week.
"The bottom line is you try to score more points than the other team," Johnson said. "We scored 41 points and they had 10. That will leave everybody else to talk about how we can't throw it. Maybe they're right and maybe they're not. We might throw it next week at Kansas. We might throw it better."
-- Charles Odum
Arkansas sharp in opener, but far from perfect
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — If this was Ryan Mallett's idea of a so-so performance, then No. 17 Arkansas has high expectations indeed.
Mallett completed 21 of 24 passes Saturday night, leading the Razorbacks over Tennessee Tech 44-3. He threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns, but the Hogs were shut out in the first quarter, which was apparently enough to give their quarterback some concerns.
"We didn't execute to our standards," Mallett said. "We really got it going coming into the second half. We've got to come out of the gates faster."
Arkansas might not have been perfect, but the Razorbacks showed plenty of their usual explosiveness while winning easily in their opener. Joe Adams caught six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and the Arkansas defense played well after finding itself in a tough situation early.
Mallett threw for 30 touchdowns a season ago and became an immediate Heisman Trophy contender when he decided to pass up the NFL for another season with the Razorbacks. He was sharp from the start against the Golden Eagles, missing on just two of his first 18 throws, with the only blemishes a deflected pass that was intercepted and a dropped ball that should have been a touchdown.
Still, that occasional sloppiness caught Arkansas' attention. The Razorbacks also fumbled twice in the first half, although they recovered both. They finished with three turnovers, two in the fourth quarter.
"I thought our offense struggled at times," coach Bobby Petrino said. "We can't be satisfied on our offensive performance with three turnovers."
When the Razorbacks weren't making mistakes, this game was no contest. Arkansas trailed 3-0 after the first quarter but scored touchdowns on six straight possessions in the second and third. Mallett's 85-yard touchdown pass to Adams in the second quarter was the longest completion of his Arkansas career, and the Hogs led 23-3 at halftime. On the long touchdown, Adams outran the Tennessee Tech defenders down the sideline even though at least one appeared to have a good angle to catch him.
"We've got to get him more touches," Petrino said. "When that ball's under his arm, he's special."
Adams also scored the game's final touchdown, a 15-yard reception that included a nifty move immediately after the catch.
"Whenever I touch the ball, I try to make guys look silly," Adams said. "Coach is always preaching to make one guy miss. I made that one guy miss, and the rest just happened."
After stopping the Razorbacks on fourth down on the game's first drive, Tennessee Tech moved all the way to the Hogs' 1-yard line. The Arkansas defense, maligned throughout last season, rose to the challenge and held the Golden Eagles to a field goal. The defense came up big again in the second quarter, near the other goal line this time. The Razorbacks swarmed Jocques Crawford for a safety that made it 9-3.
Anthony Leon, moved recently from the secondary to linebacker, had two sacks and four tackles for loss.
"I liked what our defense did. They were out there really flying around. We got a lot of people to the football," Petrino said. "I liked the move from safety to linebacker for Anthony Leon. His speed and toughness really showed up. I think we are much faster in the secondary with Rudell Crim there instead of Leon."
The Razorbacks also entered the season with uncertainty at running back and kicker. On Saturday, Dennis Johnson, Broderick Green and Ronnie Wingo Jr. each ran for touchdowns. Those three running backs are competing with Knile Davis for playing time. Green led the foursome with nine carries.
Johnson and Davis both fumbled in the first half.
Freshman Zach Hocker handled extra points for the Razorbacks instead of senior Alex Tejada, but Tejada was outstanding on kickoffs, consistently putting the ball into the end zone. Petrino said he was planning to switch the kickers in the fourth quarter, putting Tejada in for extra points and Hocker for kickoffs.
"Unfortunately, we didn't score any more touchdowns," he said.
-- Noah Trister
McCalebb, Dyer led No. 22 Auburn's backfield
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Mario Fannin was back playing his old role instead of being the go-to guy in No. 22 Auburn's backfield.
Fannin logged more catches (four) than carries (three) and lost a fumble while Onterrio McCalebb and Michael Dyer were the primary runners in Saturday night's 52-26 victory over Arkansas State.
"That's the coaches' call," Fannin said on Sunday. "It's something that I really can't control, but hopefully that does go up. The coaches know what they're doing. You've just got to put your trust in them and just keep pressing forward."
Fannin had been listed as the No. 1 tailback since the spring, and running backs coach Curtis Luper even predicted he'd run for 1,000 yards. He finished with 65 receiving yards and two touchdowns while fumbling on his third — and final — carry of the game in the third quarter.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Sunday the fumble didn't keep him from getting more runs.
"It's just kind of how the game unfolded," Chizik said. "I wouldn't read anything into that."
Then again, moments later his praise of the highly touted freshman Dyer focused on his ability to hold onto the ball.
"I thought he protected the football," Chizik said. "There were a couple of runs in there where they were really, really trying to claw after the ball and try to punch it out and strip it out. He really protected the ball well.
"I thought when he saw an opening or a seam in the defense, he hit it downhill and made some physical type yards. There wasn't a lot of indecision, when he saw something, bang, he hit it. When he felt he needed to bounce it outside, he hit that pretty quick, too. I thought he did well for his first night."
Dyer ran 14 times for 95 yards and a touchdown in his college debut. McCalebb started and ran for 76 yards on nine carries.
Dyer was surprised by how much he played.
"I just thought I was going to get in and get some carries and try to figure out the pace of the game from high school to college," he said. "Something happened in the game situations and they put me in more than I expected. I was just trying to fulfill my role."
Quarterback Cam Newton led the way with 171 yards and two TDs to pace the Tigers' 367-yard rushing impact.
Lost in the shuffle was Fannin, who had been considered Ben Tate's heir apparent. He's been patient throughout his role switches, and isn't switching his approach now.
"You've just got to look at it as, it was the first game," Fannin said. "Yeah, the carries weren't big, but at the same time you've just got to keep working and just stay humble. At the end it will work out for you. That's something that my mom's told me and I've grown to learn, that the humble person is the one that comes out in the end. You've just got to sit back and let the coaches do their job and keep pressing forward."
-- John Zenor
Georgia braces for test against South Carolina
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia never has the luxury of relishing an opening win over an nonconference opponent, because South Carolina always awaits early in the Bulldogs' schedule.
Georgia, which beat Louisiana-Lafayette 55-7 on Saturday, opens its Southeastern Conference schedule at South Carolina next week. The No. 23 Bulldogs quickly shifted their focus to the important game in the SEC East.
"It's always been the biggest test and the most honest test of where you are," coach Mark Richt said Sunday. "You can have your first game against a nonconference opponent and maybe not know what it's really gonna be like once you get in league play."
The game could establish a top contender to Florida in the SEC's Eastern Division. South Carolina beat Southern Miss 41-13 on Thursday night.
South Carolina's defense will provide a big test for Georgia's offense, led by freshman quarterback Aaron Murray.
Murray was 17-for-26 passing for 160 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in his debut. He also had a 16-yard touchdown run.
Richt said Sunday that Murray hasn't faced a defense with South Carolina's talent.
"He played a game and he played a game in front of a big crowd," Richt said. "He got a chance to get hit a little bit here and there and make plays and make some mistakes and all that kind of thing, but I think next week is gonna be another new experience for him, playing away, playing in a hostile environment, playing against a Southeastern Conference opponent, playing against maybe a little different brand of athlete, on defense especially."
Georgia and South Carolina have been connected to the NCAA probe into possible contact with player agents.
Georgia star receiver A.J. Green was held out of Saturday's game as the school awaits a ruling from the NCAA on Green's status. Georgia also had its leading returning rusher, Washaun Ealey, serve a one-game suspension for a hit-and-run incident.
Georgia receiver Tavarres King, who was charged with underaged possession of alcohol this summer, served a one-game suspension against Louisiana-Lafayette. Also, freshman safety Alec Ogletree was suspended for at least one game by Richt last week following a misdemeanor theft charge.
Green's status for the South Carolina game remains uncertain. The suspended players are expected to return. Richt said Sunday King "will definitely have an impact on this game."
Richt said Ealey will have to earn his share of the carries after Caleb King and Carlton Thomas shared the lead role in the opener.
"It will be very competitive," said Richt of the depth chart at tailback. "It will be very interesting to see who gets what."
Louisiana-Lafayette coach Rickey Bustle didn't seem to miss the Georgia players who were held out.
"Georgia is a heck of a football team," Bustle said. "They have great talent at a lot of positions. I haven't seen running backs run like that in a very long time."
South Carolina star tight end Weslye Saunders has been part of the NCAA probe, but he did not play against Southern Miss because of an unrelated team suspension.
South Carolina did not say why it held out two starters — left tackle Jarriel King and cornerback Chris Culliver — right before kickoff.
Georgia has won seven of the last nine games in the series.
-- Charles Odum
Defense comes up big for Mountaineers
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia is accustomed to scoring in bunches. What stood out after the season opener was an effort unseen from its defense in quite some time.
The Mountaineers earned their first home shutout win in 13 years on Saturday, giving up just 186 yards in a 31-0 victory over Coastal Carolina.
"Having a shutout is huge for this defense," senior defensive lineman Chris Neild said. "This is the first shutout that I've been a part of since I've been playing here. We knew that we had to come out fast and make a statement and I think we did with this game."
The Mountaineers returned nine starters on defense this season, led by a three-man front consisting of Neild, Julian Miller and Scooter Berry, so the result against an FCS opponent wasn't too surprising.
No. 25 West Virginia also rolled out a new defensive formation with four linemen on passing downs that included junior college transfer Bruce Irvin. Coastal Carolina quarterback Zach MacDowall hurried many of his passes and often threw to spots where he didn't have any receivers.
"We put so much pressure on that quarterback on third down that he had a hard time releasing the ball," said West Virginia safeties coach Steve Dunlap. "If we can continue to do that, it makes the secondary coaches look awfully smart."
The pursuit to the ball also showed on running downs.
West Virginia was maligned for allowing six 100-yard individual rushing efforts last season, but eight different Coastal Carolina players combined for just 63 yards.
Safety Terence Garvin, a new starter, had 10 tackles to match his total for all of last season.
"We were flying around out there and I thought we looked real fast," Neild said.
Maybe not fast enough at times. The Mountaineers were unable to register any sacks and forced only two turnovers. They'll get the chance to improve on that Friday night at Marshall (0-1).
"I'm pleased with the way our defense played, reacted and took control of the game," said West Virginia coach Bill Stewart. "The most important thing is that we played with reckless abandonment. There were collisions and not just contact."
Some of the collisions came at a cost. Safety Robert Sands, the Big East's interception leader last season, hurt a thumb and his right shoulder on consecutive plays in the third quarter. Stewart said Sunday that Sands was fine.
West Virginia earned its first shutout since a 38-0 win at Cincinnati in 2005 and its first home shutout win since beating Rutgers 48-0 in 1997.
The defense might be counted on for more such efforts until the offense can put together a complete game.
West Virginia led only 10-0 at halftime but scored on three of its first four drives of the second half. Geno Smith, making his first career start, completed 20 of 27 passes for 216 yards before taking a seat early in the fourth.
"I don't want to make excuses for Geno, but this was his first complete game and he's a sophomore," Stewart said. "He'll get better and he's my guy."
Noel Devine rushed for 111 yards, but the largest chunk of his yards came on a 39-yard run late in the game to set up West Virginia's final touchdown.
West Virginia has been looking for another offensive weapon to emerge to help out Devine and slot receiver Jock Sanders and the Mountaineers may have found that in sophomore Tavon Austin.
Austin, hoping to become more than just a return specialist for the Mountaineers, showed his speed at wide receiver against the Chanticleers, coming up with two nice runs after catches. He led the team with 90 yards on five receptions.
"The object was to get the ball in our playmakers' hands and I think that's something that we did today," Smith said.
-- John Raby
Notes
Amid NCAA probe, Blake steps down at UNC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — John Blake has resigned his position on North Carolina's football staff, effective immediately, school officials said Sunday night.
Blake, who was in his fourth season working with Butch Davis, said in a statement issued by the school that he stepped down because "my presence has become a distraction" to the university.
"Consequently, I have determined that it is in the best interests of my family, the university community at large, and the football program for me to step down from my position as associate head football coach," Blake said.
The NCAA has spent much of the summer investigating whether defensive lineman Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little received improper benefits from agents.
That probe has since expanded to include possible academic misconduct, and 13 players did not travel to Atlanta for Saturday night's game against LSU. Also drawing the NCAA's interest is Blake's longtime friendship with California-based agent Gary Wichard.
"Coach Blake had indicated to me in previous conversations that he would step down if he felt his presence with the football program would become a distraction," athletic director Dick Baddour said. "I know the young men he coached are tremendously disappointed, but Coach Davis and his staff will help and support them as the season moves forward."
Blake will be paid $74,500, an approximation of the salary he would have received had he finished the season, and it will be paid by football revenues, the school said in the statement. His contract, which includes an annual base salary of $240,000, would have expired June 30, 2011, the school said.
