College Football Capsules: Texas G Allen aggravates foot injury
AUSTIN (AP) — Texas right guard Tray Allen will likely miss the rest of training camp after aggravating a left foot injury he suffered this past spring.
The announcement came Monday from team trainer Kenny Boyd.
Texas is trying to rebuild an offensive line that lost three multiyear starters from the team that won the Big 12 last season.
Texas reported to training camp on Saturday. Allen's absence opens the door for freshman Mason Walters, who played in one game last season and red-shirted after battling his own foot injury.
Oral arguments set in Leach suit vs. Texas Tech
LUBBOCK (AP) — The Texas appeals court handling former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's lawsuit against the university over his 2009 firing has set Oct. 7 for oral arguments.
The school is appealing a judge's ruling that the university waived its right to sovereign immunity in Leach's breach of conduct claim.
The university fired Leach last Dec. 30, two days after suspending him amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion. Leach has denied mistreating receiver Adam James and his attorneys have suggested an $800,000 bonus he was to have received Dec. 31 was the reason he was fired.
James is the son of former NFL player and ESPN analyst Craig James.
Two UTEP football players suspended
SOCORRO, N.M. (AP) — Two Texas-El Paso football players, including a projected defensive starter, will miss the start of the season after violating team rules.
Coach Mike Price on Monday said Travaun Nixon, who is listed as a starting cornerback, will miss the opener. Backup receiver Marlon McClure will miss UTEP's first two games.
UTEP opens Sept. 4 at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Miners on Sept. 10 visit Houston.
Both players violated team rules, but Price did not say exactly what led to the suspensions.
Features
Notre Dame finally catches the rising star
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — This is all you really need to know about new Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly: His football teams win.
They win far more than they lose. They win more than they did before he arrived. They win championships.
The secret, if there is one, is this: Kelly is a smart and charismatic leader with an almost mystical ability to make any quarterback he touches play like an All-American.
But why get bogged down in the details? What truly separates Kelly from the last three Notre Dame coaches (four, if you count George O'Leary) is this number: .747. That's Kelly's winning percentage in 19 seasons as a college football coach.
For all those who have reveled in Notre Dame's misery as the Fighting Irish suffered through 13 mostly mediocre seasons under Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis, the party just might be over.
It looks as if Notre Dame got it right this time.
"We need to start holding up our end," Kelly said in an interview with the AP just a few hours before Notre Dame's first preseason practice. "I kind of empathize with the sentiment out there that, you know what, there is no reason why Notre Dame football can't be among the elite programs. We have all the things we need. Let's go do it."
Not since Lou Holtz replaced Gerry Faust in 1986 have the Fighting Irish hired a coach as accomplished as Kelly. And history shows some of Notre Dame's best runs have come with coaches who were proven winners before they got to South Bend.
"When Notre Dame hires a successful college coach, national championships follow," Holtz said recently in a phone interview. "When you go look at Frank Leahy at Boston College. Ara Parseghian at Northwestern. Dan Devine at Missouri. Myself at Arkansas and NC State, Minnesota and other places.
"It can't be your first job, because of the complexities of it and the pressure of it."
Neither Davie nor Weis had been a head coach before taking over at Notre Dame. As for Willingham, he had three losing seasons in seven years at Stanford before becoming the head man at Notre Dame in 2002. Willingham's best records on the Farm were 9-3 and 8-4.
Kelly has had one losing season as a head coach (4-7 in 2004, his first season at Central Michigan). He won two Division II national championships at Grand Valley State. Central Michigan had won 12 games in four seasons before he arrived. It took Kelly three seasons to win the Mid-American Conference with the Chippewas.
Then it was off to Cincinnati. With the Bearcats, Kelly went 34-6 in three seasons with two Big East titles and two BCS appearances. If he can turn Cincinnati, with its disinterested fans and rundown stadium, into a national title contender, just think what Kelly can do when he's got Touchdown Jesus and the Golden Dome on his side.
"What Notre Dame needed was a program changer and a coach who had a proven resume of doing such," said former Fighting Irish offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, who works as an analyst for CBS College Sports Network.
"Brian Kelly is on par with the Nick Sabans and the Urban Meyers of the world: A proven program builder at every level he has been at."
Notre Dame tried to get Meyer when Willingham was dismissed in 2004, but had to settle for Weis when Meyer decided it was easier to scoop up blue-chippers in his backyard at Florida than try to lure them to South Bend.
This time the Irish caught the rising star, a coach capable of ending an era of errors.
In the last 13 years, Notre Dame is 91-67. Purdue went 92-69 during that same period. Essentially, the only thing separating the Fighting Irish and a middling Big Ten program has been a network television deal.
Taylor said Notre Dame has suffered from a lack of leadership more than a lack of talent.
"(Kelly) has identified the sense of entitlement that had encroached the Notre Dame program," he said. "It became OK to be a me guy."
Kelly had no problem with Taylor's assessment.
"Self-inflicted wounds," Kelly said when asked what has gone wrong with Notre Dame. "Not everybody rolling in the right direction."
Kelly knows he needs to get the Irish rolling in a hurry — a "five-minute plan" he has called it.
He's accelerated the learning process with this team mentally and physically.
"It put a lot of pressure on guys to spend the time away from here to learn the offense, to learn the scheme, but there was never an issue of buying in or not buying in with these guys," new starting quarterback Dayne Crist said.
Notre Dame's first practice — which began under a blue-gray sky if you're looking for positive omens, Irish fans — could be summed up in three words: fast and loud. The players run to where they need to be and when coaches need to get a point across, it's often shouted from afar — no time to walk across the field to correct a mistake.
"I need to get to Year 2 in Year 1," Kelly said.
The Notre Dame brand still opens doors, but as Kelly out it, "the clock is ticking."
"Up to this point, I can get in the game with the players I need throughout the country that can make us a championship football team," he said. "But we got to win."
The table is set for Kelly to do just that.
For all the talk about how Notre Dame's academic standards and location have stacked the deck against an Irish return to glory, Holtz believes Notre Dame is in better position to compete for championships now than during his years.
Back then, Notre Dame's facilities were woeful compared to other top programs. Now they are on par.
Notre Dame is also playing a schedule more in line with what national powers do. The 2010 slate is indicative of what a typical Notre Dame schedule will look like from now on: seven home games, one neutral site game and some, let's say manageable, nontraditional opponents (Tulsa and Western Michigan).
"It's very doable," said Holtz, whose 1988 team won Notre Dame's last national championship. "The changes that Notre Dame made were made so that they could be very competitive."
Kelly could also benefit from his rivals problems.
Michigan has spent two years foundering under Rich Rodriguez and NCAA sanctions could be coming the Wolverines way, too. Who knows when Michigan will be Michigan again?
Then there is Southern California, Notre Dame's No. 1 rival. The Trojans have dominated the Irish in recent years, winning eight straight meetings and providing an annual reminder of just how far away Notre Dame is from being an elite team.
Well, the dynasty days are over at USC. Pete Carroll is gone, Lane Kiffin is in and the NCAA hammer has dealt a potentially devastating blow to the Trojans. Suddenly, those USC games don't look quite so daunting for the Irish.
The ramifications of Notre Dame renaissance reach beyond South Bend.
If Notre Dame is routinely winning 10 games, the Irish can bank on a BCS bid (worth $4.5 million). Their current NBC deal runs through 2015 and makes Notre Dame an estimated $15 million per year. More Notre Dame wins generally equals higher ratings for NBC, which leads to more money in the Irish coffers.
All that talk about Notre Dame giving up its football independence and joining a conference could go away if the Irish are playing as they did in the good ol' days.
Kelly has been lauded by Taylor and other former Fighting Irish coaches and players for trying to reconnect the current Notre Dame players with the school's glorious past.
Kelly showed his players a highlight reel filled with former Notre Dame greats and flipped out when he found out one of his guys could not identify Jerome Bettis.
"We did some history lessons," Kelly said. "Nobody knew some of the real traditions of Notre Dame football.
"When there's respect, there's not entitlement," he said. "In this locker room, many have come before you. There needs to be that respect for it."
Of course, Weis brought back "Rudy" to speak at the pep rally and what good did that do in the end?
There's only one tradition that really matters at Notre Dame, and Kelly's track record shows he is capable of restoring it.
"I've got to bring the winning back."
-- Ralph D. Russo
Jayhawks ready to put turmoil behind them
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Most head football coaches inherit a situation that is less than ideal when they change jobs and take over a failing program.
Turner Gill's mess at Kansas was worse than most. The Jayhawks not only ended the season on a seven-game losing streak, but spent the final weeks embroiled in an embarrassing imbroglio regarding head coach Mark Mangino.
Several former players, perhaps with the encouragement of some of Mangino's enemies, came forward and described instances of shocking verbal abuse. Other players stood loyal to the man who'd led them to their greatest season in school history just two years earlier and been named consensus national coach of the year.
As expected, Mangino was fired. He has not spoken publicly since. Gill, who was highly successful at Buffalo, said he came in and confronted the situation head-on.
"I came in here and told them, I said, 'We're moving on. What has happened in the past is in the past. We have a plan here for you. We have a vision,'" Gill said Monday at Kansas' media day.
The former star quarterback at Nebraska said he told the Jayhawks that coaches had a vision and core values for them.
He recalls telling them, "All I ask you to do is follow these things. Then this will give you the byproduct of being able to be successful in the classroom, to be successful in the community, and you'll be able to be successful on the football field."
Mangino was famed for his strictness and Gill seems a bit more easygoing, said sophomore cornerback Greg Brown.
"It's a freer environment. It's not all strict," Brown said. "Back when Mangino was here, it was real strict. Everything was stuck-up. Now it's a more relaxed environment."
The turmoil of 2009 is all in the past, said senior cornerback Chris Harris.
"That's long gone. Nobody's worried about that any more," he said. Gill, Harris added, has "that little swagger to him, that confidence he has in us. We've gotten a lot better. He's taught us a lot. We're ready to go out there and end this losing streak."
It's not that Gill doesn't have rules, Harris said. In fact, they're much the same rules.
"Now coaches want us to come in and talk to them. They want us to engage with them," he said. "We've gotten used to it now."
Gill as much as promised the players they would be successful if they follow his formula.
"I laid down that foundation to them, and again, unfortunately, there has been a handful of guys, or less than a handful of guys, that didn't follow some of those things," he said
"I just told them, 'You're either going to be part of the problem or you're going to be part of the solution. You decide that, not me.' We're going to have people here who will follow through and that we can trust, on that football field."
-- Doug Tucker
Nebraska WR Paul regrets underage drinking ticket
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — On the day became old enough to drink legally, Nebraska's Niles Paul apologized for the second of his two alcohol offenses.
"It was me making another silly mistake," Paul said after Monday's practice. "I know I made a mistake, and I try to move past that."
Paul, one of the Big 12's top threats as a receiver and return man, was sentenced to community service for his conviction for underage drinking. Paul pleaded guilty to being a minor in possession of alcohol. A charge of public urination from the May 28 encounter was dropped. A breath test measured his blood-alcohol at .104.
The senior from Omaha was suspended for the balance of spring practice in April 2009 following his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving. He was not charged with DUI. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and being a minor in possession of alcohol.
"No matter what everybody believes, I don't drink a lot," Paul said in his first public comments about the May incident. "That night, guys convinced me, 'Let's go out.' I let that get to me. I went somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. I went down there, got into some trouble, and the hardest thing was apologizing to my teammates, coaches and my dad. You feel like you let them down."
Paul said his teammates have been supportive. Coach Bo Pelini did not announce any disciplinary action against Paul.
Paul was the Huskers' top receiver a year ago, and he produced five of Nebraska's eight longest plays. Paul averaged almost 28 yards a kickoff return, the Huskers' best mark in two decades. He also is remembered for costly fumbles in losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State.
"I got to college, things didn't go my way and kind of put a damper on my dreams," he said. "I get in trouble, mistakes happen on the field that normally don't happen. It's just a whole growing-up process for me, maturing and becoming a man."
Paul didn't say which Lincoln bar he went to or how he got past an ID check.
"I knew I wasn't old enough to go out," he said.
Paul said he hopes the team has a no-alcohol policy during the season. As for his birthday, he planned to go to dinner with his family.
"No beer for me," he said.
-- Eric Olson
Ingram returns to Alabama's practice from funeral
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama tailback Mark Ingram returned to practice Monday after going home for his grandfather's funeral over the weekend.
The Heisman Trophy winner, who called Arthur Johnson "like my second father," left practice early Friday for the funeral. Johnson, a former Michigan State player, died of a heart attack the previous Saturday at age 75.
"This was my first time losing somebody in my family, and he was a special person to me and my family," Ingram said Monday. "But I know he would want me to be here practicing and getting ready for the season, because that's always what he looked forward to."
Ingram recalled Johnson taking him to football, basketball and soccer games and meetings when Mark Ingram Sr. was playing for the Miami Dolphins.
"He'd always sit on a hill and watch me practice," Ingram said. "My senior year, he was at all the games. He came to the games for me here whenever he could. He was just there for me ever since I was little. He's always been there, a part of my life."
He had a short visit with Johnson the day before he died and said he'd come see him the next day.
"I was blessed, and God was good to me because I got to go home and see him one more time before he passed," Ingram said.
Asked for his favorite memory of Johnson, Ingram recalled how excited he was after the Heisman presentation.
"Just him being at the Heisman, he was the happiest dude ever," Ingram said. "We were trying to take pictures and stuff and he was just talking through the pictures. He's smiling and he's just grabbing the trophy like it was his.
"He had three daughters, so I guess I was like a son to him. He was like my second father. Anything I needed or anything my mom or my family needed, he was always there to give it to us. He'll be missed."
-- John Zenor
Buckeyes backs ready to run, or to catch
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — There is no Archie Griffin, Eddie George or Beanie Wells in Ohio State's backfield.
Instead, the Buckeyes have a lineup full of choices at tailback, with several players who can do different things all clamoring for carries. And no one knows for certain how they're going to be used.
"No matter what happens, it's going to be fun," said Brandon Saine, the top candidate to be Ohio State's top runner. "We have so many options that anything the coaches decide to do, we can win."
A year ago, while going 11-2 and winning the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes ran roughly twice as many times as they threw the ball. But with quarterback Terrelle Pryor back for his junior year and healthy after offseason knee surgery, it's altogether possible they might just go to the air more this season. If that's the case, there are plenty of options out of the backfield.
"We have really capable running backs. We have so much depth back there. I look back and it's crazy," lineman Justin Boren said.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Saine is a former high school sprint champion who also has the size to take on a linebacker filling up a hole. As a junior, he rushed for 739 yards last year, averaging more than 5 yards a carry.
Although smaller than Saine, Dan "Boom" Herron (5-10, 202) is more physical and actually prefers to run between the tackles. He netted 600 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a sophomore.
Adding to the intrigue at the position are Jordan Hall, who chipped in with 248 yards in limited duty, along with touted freshmen Jaamal Berry, Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith.
Zach Boren, the brother of starting guard Justin, holds down the fullback spot along with Adam Homan, but coach Jim Tressel sees the position as a complement to the tailbacks. The fullbacks seldom carry the ball or go out for a pass because they're used primarily as battering rams to protect Pryor and spring their running mates.
The Buckeyes' biggest weapon out of the backfield is Pryor. He's a factor whenever he elects to head upfield.
Last year he became the first Ohio State quarterback to lead the team in rushing since the school began keeping records back in 1944. He totaled 1,014 yards on the ground and scored seven times, also passing for 2,094 yards and 18 TDs with 11 interceptions.
No one knows for certain how much he was hindered by the knee injury a year ago, when Tressel basically had him handing off for the final four games of the regular season. Can he become more of a passer? Will he, like former Buckeyes quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, disdain the run as he grows into the job?
Answers will start coming as soon as the Buckeyes' season-opener on Sept. 2 against Marshall.
The backs are trying to prepare for a continuation of the run-first philosophy from late last season, while also being ready in case Pryor is allowed to go to the air more.
"We're ready for that. Toward the end of last year we got the passing game going," said Saine, who was Ohio State's third-leading receiver a year ago with 17 catches. "Terrelle is definitely ready and excited for it and, being able to catch the ball out of the backfield, I'm excited for it, too."
Pryor is noncommittal about whether the offense might have some new wrinkles.
"We'll be multiple. Ohio State always has to have that, so the quarterback makes plays," he said. "It's on the quarterback. He has the ball. That's on me. I'm willing to take that. We'll be multiple."
Justin Boren welcomes a more open offense, featuring passes to the backs, but he also knows that the Buckeyes never stray far from running the ball and daring a defense to stop them.
"If we're running the ball for 200-plus yards per game, we're going to be winning ballgames," he said. "You develop the run and then you can pass a little bit and open it up. I think definitely developing the run is the most important thing."
-- Rusty Miller
Boise State's Hout hopes punch can be put in past
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — No matter what Byron Hout does on the field during the rest of his career at Boise State, he'll never escape the emotional words he said and the right hand rebuttal that followed.
Getting clocked in the jaw on national television in the seconds after a stirring victory, and setting off a melee that cost an expected star player most of his final college season, is a tough image to erase.
"I don't think he changed significantly, but I certainly think it had an affect on him without question," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "That's a hard thing for anyone to have to go through and really be with him the rest of his career. It was just so unfortunate that whole thing shook down like that."
Rewind nearly 12 months ago to a muggy Thursday night on Boise's famous blue turf. In the ticks after Boise State's 19-8 victory over Oregon, Hout was celebrating on the field when he happened upon Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, limited to (minus)-5 yards on eight carries on a night that was supposed to be the kickoff to his campaign as one of the top running backs in the country.
Hout decided to repeat the words Blount had told a reporter during the summer about how the Ducks owed the Broncos for a victory a year earlier in Eugene.
Hout's words: "how about that (expletive)-whooping?"
Before anyone could blink — or Petersen could pull Hout away — Blount's right fist connected with Hout's jaw, changing both of their futures.
"It's tough. It's always a shadow. It's always going to be a shadow in my career, a dark point," Hout told Boise-area media last Friday in his only availability during the Broncos' fall camp. "I just try and learn from it. Everything happens for a reason and that happened to teach me and hopefully a lot of other players you can't let your emotions get out of control."
Instantly Hout, then a reserve defensive end and now a middle linebacker, became a lightning rod for criticism for poor sportsmanship in the wake of arguably the biggest home-field victory in the program's history. Everywhere he went Hout was hounded by the question of what he said, why he said it and the fallout thereafter.
Petersen chose not to suspend Hout, instead issuing an internal punishment. Meanwhile, Blount was very publicly suspended by Oregon coach Chip Kelly, then reinstated late in the year as the Ducks won the Pac-10 title and played in the Rose Bowl.
"When you meet somebody new, they're 'Oh, you're that guy,'" Hout said. "I always have to retell the story over and over again, and say the same thing over and over again."
Petersen said any impact the incident had on Hout wasn't visible on the field, but the coach could tell it bothered him once the pads were put away.
"Byron was giving great effort and seemed like the same old Byron," Petersen said. "(But) I know that as a person it affected him."
Hout finished the season with 27 tackles and two sacks. He played in the Broncos' Fiesta Bowl victory over TCU, but in the offseason was given his second position switch since arriving in Boise. Hout started as a linebacker, then was told to pack on weight and was moved to defensive end. Now with some depth along the defensive front, Hout dropped 20 pounds and returned to middle linebacker, where he's competing for playing time.
But no matter how many things Hout does on the field, he already realizes the run-in with Blount is something he'll be explaining to his kids years from now.
"We all kind of walk such a fine line in competing on the football field. There has got to be some nastiness you bring to the table. That's a fine line, you want to bring that but in a good way, in a sportsmanship way," Petersen said. "And when it's such an emotional game, it's very easy to cross that line with some words being said."
-- Tim Booth
Ole Miss' Masoli meets with reporters for 1st time
New Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli knows this is his last chance.
Masoli met with reporters Monday for the first time since joining the Rebels late last week and made clear he understands the remainder of his college career hangs on his ability to stay out of trouble.
"I was just happy to have that opportunity and to get this chance, and thankful to Ole Miss, the athletics director and the chancellor for giving me my last chance," Masoli told reporters during media day. "I understand that and I'm determined to do everything with it."
The former Oregon player was once thought to be a Heisman Trophy candidate, but he fumbled that away after two brushes with the law led to his dismissal. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt brought Masoli in under a zero-tolerance contract after the departure of backup Raymond Cotton on the eve of preseason practice left the Rebels with just two scholarship quarterbacks.
Masoli said he had inquiries from about six Football Bowl Subdivision schools, but that Nutt sold him on Ole Miss.
"Coach Nutt is the main reason I came here, first and foremost," Masoli said. "Just him as a person, that's what really caught my attention. I could hear the genuineness in his voice. There's just something about him that made me feel comfortable."
How quickly Masoli can become comfortable with his new teammates and playbook will likely determine how much he'll play.
Masoli was a two-year starter at Oregon who last season led the Ducks to their first Pac-10 title since 2001 and their first Rose Bowl since 1995. He was a dual threat in 2009, passing for 15 touchdowns and rushing for another 13.
By the time he spoke with reporters, he had practiced just once. But Nutt liked what he saw in Masoli's presence.
"You're talking about a brand new playbook, brand new terminology, brand new snap count — didn't phase him," Nutt said. "It didn't phase him at all. He steps right in the huddle, commands respect, talks with authority. You could see how smooth he was with his ball-handling skills and taking a brand new playbook. He jumped right in and you could tell that he's played in the Rose Bowl."
Masoli's new teammates say they are excited about his arrival too.
The Rebels, who lost then-junior quarterback Jevan Snead to the NFL after last season, were picked to finish at or near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference Western .
That was before Masoli joined the group.
"You have a Heisman-caliber quarterback, a Rose Bowl quarterback, so he's been at that top level of competition," defensive end Kentrell Lockett said. "He can bring that poise and attitude to our team, something that we might need when we're in big-time games against LSU and Alabama."
Stanley, who expected to be in a battle for the starting job anyway, said he supported bringing in Masoli when Nutt first told him about the possibility.
"I'm interested in doing what's best for the team," Stanley said. "We were thin at quarterback and bringing him in is definitely going to help us out at quarterback."
That doesn't mean Stanley's stepping aside.
"I'm going to keep continuing to do what I do and what I've done the last two years," Stanley said. "Whatever happens happens."
-- Chris Talbott
Oregon RB James moves on from troubled offseason
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon running back LaMichael James said he has learned the responsibility that comes with playing football.
James spoke Monday as the Ducks opened fall camp with high expectations tempered by offseason trouble. The rusher who set a Pac-10 freshman record last season pleaded guilty in February to misdemeanor harassment stemming from an altercation with a former girlfriend.
James, who admits his mistake, said he cannot measure the lessons he took from the experience.
"You have to fly straight and narrow — that's just what you have to do," he said.
Oregon went 10-3 last season, knocking Southern California from its seven-year-perch as Pac-10 champions and advancing to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995.
But the Ducks' offseason was marred with misdeeds by several players. Most notable among them were James and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was dismissed from the team and is now a walk-on at Ole Miss.
James was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 24 months of probation. His ex-girlfriend claims he grabbed her neck and pushed her to the ground during an argument.
James apologized to the woman in writing and accepted responsibility for his actions. Coach Chip Kelly suspended him for the season opener against New Mexico on Sept. 4
James rushed for 1,546 yards last season, the ninth-highest total in the nation. He had seven consecutive 100-yard games before Ohio State limited him to 70 in Oregon's 26-17 loss in the Rose Bowl.
James excelled in the absence of running back LeGarrette Blount, who was suspended for much of last season after punching a Boise State player in the aftermath of the season opener.
James said that ultimately he didn't fully understand the responsibility of his position.
"You're in a fishbowl. Either you're at the top and everybody's waiting for you to fall, or you're at the bottom and everybody's waiting for you to screw up," he said.
Masoli, who was expected to be a possible Heisman Trophy candidate this season for the Ducks, pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in the theft of a pair of laptops and a guitar from a campus fraternity in late January.
Kelly suspended him from the team for the season, then kicked him off when Masoli was stopped for a traffic violation with marijuana in his car.
Place-kicker Rob Beard was also suspended for the opener after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge for his role in a Jan. 24 street fight that left him seriously injured.
Kelly dismissed defensive end Matt Simms for his alleged involvement in an assault and receiver Jamere Holland for posting vulgar comments on the Facebook social networking site.
Yet the Ducks remain the team to beat in the Pac-10. Oregon was picked by the media to finish atop the league, and was ranked No. 11 in the USA Today preseason coaches poll.
The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released on Aug. 21.
-- Anne M. Peterson
Orange to get Carter back
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse coach Doug Marrone began preseason practice on Monday with a pained smile.
Before taking questions at the team's media day, Marrone announced that star running back Delone Carter was returning. Moments later, he added that tailback Averin Collier, who would have been starting his junior year, would not be back because of academic issues.
"People have to look forward to step up," said Marrone, who begins his second year as head coach at his alma mater.
Marrone was facing some uncertainty at tailback with junior Antwon Bailey as the only returning player with significant playing time. Bailey was second on the team in rushing in 2009 with 312 yards on 67 carries and one touchdown.
That all changed when Carter called early Monday afternoon.
"We look forward to him coming back and being part of this team," Marrone said of Carter, who was suspended last semester and did not participate in spring practice.
Carter's troubles began when he was charged with misdemeanor assault after a one-punch fight that followed a snowball-throwing incident on campus in February.
Marrone said it was too early to tell if Carter will start because he hasn't seen what kind of condition the redshirt senior is in.
"It's for me to judge whether he's playing or not," Marrone said. "We'll see the physical shape."
Carter, who suffered a dislocated hip in the 2007 spring scrimmage and missed that season while he recuperated, led Syracuse last fall with 1,021 yards rushing and 11 TDs.
Marrone, a stern disciplinarian, said the team had already punished Carter and no further action would be taken.
Carter's attorney said in April that Carter had worked out a settlement with the university that called for Carter to perform 200 hours of community service.
Marrone said the Orange welcome 30 new players into the program, which will bring the scholarship total to around 95 for the preseason. That's 10 below the NCAA limit.
"There's still a major concern with depth," Marrone said. "We feel a level of confidence will rise throughout this preseason camp and how we improve as a football team. It's hard to say. A lot of things have to happen for us to be successful. We have to stay healthy, that's the No. 1 thing.
"I know we're not going to be a team that hangs their head," he said. "We're going to be a team that's gonna fight back and get through."
-- John Kekis
UConn enters season with great expectations
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut opened football practice Monday afternoon with a call from defensive captain Scott Lutrus to get ready to do big things in the Big House.
The Huskies return 15 starters from a squad that went 8-5 last season and won the PapaJohn's Bowl. They are expected to contend for the Big East championship this season, after opening on the road on Sept. 4 at Michigan inside its newly renovated 110,000-seat stadium.
"Since we realized we were playing Michigan, this has been on our mind," junior tailback Jordan Todman said. "When we were working out in the summer we put their helmet up in the weight room to remind us of what we are working for."
The Huskies joined what is now the BCS eight years ago and have been to three consecutive bowls under head coach Randy Edsall. Last year, their five losses came by a total of 15 points, and three of those occurred after the stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard.
They snapped that losing streak with a signature victory by beating Notre Dame in South Bend.
That double-overtime win impressed the biggest addition to this year's team, D.J. Shoemate, who transferred from USC this summer to join his high school quarterback Johnny McEntee, a backup for the Huskies.
"The guys executed on every play (against the Irish)," Shoemate said. "They showed heart, camaraderie. That really, really stuck out to me when I was considering going to another university."
When the NCAA handed down sanctions on the Trojans and allowed their upperclassmen to transfer without penalty, Shoemate talked to McEntee and then Edsall, who told him he'd get an opportunity to play tailback for the Huskies.
Todman, who rushed for nearly 1,200 yards last year while splitting time with Andre Dixon, says he's not worried about having to share the ball.
"I'm OK with everything," he said. "It just makes us a better team. We're a team. Nobody's selfish here at all. We'll take on anybody who can help us in winning games."
Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazer, a senior who started seven games for UConn a year ago, won the starting job again in spring practice but is expected to be pushed this summer by junior Cody Endres.
On defense, the Huskies are expected to be strong up front, despite a decision to redshirt linebacker Greg Lloyd Jr., who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered late last season.
The Huskies return seven defensive starters but still are clearly concerned about a secondary that ranked last against the pass in the conference last year.
Edsall spent a lot of Monday's practice working with the safeties, a job he says he'll keep all season, leaving defensive backs coach Darrell Perkins to work with the corners.
"Those are things as a CEO, as a president, as a head coach, you've got to take a look at your organization and figure out how you can be the strongest," he said. "And that's how we can be the strongest."
The Huskies were picked to finish fourth in the conference in a recent media poll but will play home games against Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Cincinnati, the three teams that finished ahead of them.
Lutrus said their focus for now is Michigan, but the goals are bigger than just beating the Wolverines.
The key, he said, will be turning those close losses into wins.
"Five games and 15 points, that was tough," he said. "We didn't finish games, and that's what we want to focus on and do work on. That's what started today."
-- Pat Eaton-Robb
Fall camp starts for Washington
SEATTLE (AP) — On the first day of fall camp a year ago, Chris Polk still didn't understand all his assignments or what exactly Washington coach Steve Sarkisian wanted out of his starting tailback.
By the end of the season, Polk had figured it out — running for more than 1,100 yards.
On Monday, as Washington kicked off its fall camp, Polk was sprinting around with ease, making sharp cuts and racing on the Husky Stadium turf now confident in his understanding of the Huskies system.
"It feels a lot different," he said. "A year ago today I couldn't tell you I knew all my assignments, so I'm out here playing a lot faster than I was last year, being that I was in here a year and know all my assignments, have a feel for the game, know what to expect and play faster and not second guess myself."
Now with a full year under Sarkisian as their baseline, the Huskies began their preparations for the Sept. 4 season opener at BYU. The nearly 2½-hour session Monday was crisp and energetic, with coaches bouncing around nearly as much as the players.
But unlike Sarkisian's first fall practice last August, after taking over an 0-12 program, there were fewer questions and fewer mistakes, especially among his veterans.
"It's easy to say it was a much better practice this year than last year, if we had to compare," Sarkisian said. "But I thought our kids played fast. We were competitive. By no means were we perfect, but I just liked the energy they brought. For not having pads on it was relatively physical, which was good. And I thought it was efficient."
Much of the attention throughout camp, will fall to quarterback Jake Locker and his improvement in the second year under Sarkisian. Locker decided to return to Washington for his senior season instead of leaving early for the NFL. He was sharp on Monday, completing most of his throws during the team portion of the practice.
NFL draft pundits believed at the end of last season Locker would be a high first-round pick. He put those dreams to rest by coming back for one more chance at reaching a bowl game during his Washington career.
"We're comfortable with what we're doing," Locker said. "We're comfortable with our offensive unit and we're able to just go out and play and react."
Just as intriguing as Locker's continued development is finding out who will be his backup. Redshirt freshman Keith Price and freshman Nick Montana, the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, are competing for the spot. Each got about an equal split of reps both during spring practice and on Monday, although Montana owns at least one edge having led his team to a late score and the win in the Huskies' spring game in April.
Montana enrolled at Washington during spring quarter in time to participate in spring practices.
"It's been a great deal of help," Montana said Monday, his first time speaking to the media after being off-limits during spring practice as part of Sarkisian's policy on newcomers. "Just being able to work with coach (Doug) Nussmeier, seeing how Jake does it, being able to go over the play for two and a half more months, it feels more natural and I can try and relax now."
-- Tom Booth
Running back a work in progress for Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Gaffney essentially took Toby Gerhart's spot on the Stanford baseball team last spring. He wouldn't mind repeating that in football.
Stanford hit the practice field for the first time without their Heisman Trophy runner-up on Monday. Gaffney is one of several candidates for the starting job.
"We're pretty solid at running back. We all have our own strengths," said Gaffney, who hit .328 and was a Pac-10 honorable mention in baseball. "We're looking for who can help us win, who is the biggest threat and who brings the most to the table."
Gaffney figures he's learned a great deal from balancing two sports and school.
"It leads to more organization in putting forth the effort to know both sports," he said. "Baseball is more mental and football is physical and you have to keep flipping back and forth. Last year I learned what I had to do in baseball and I can bring that back here and see where it goes. This is like starting a new life."
Gaffney rushed for 87 yards last year and then won a starting job for the baseball team in the spring.
Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh said there are four returning running backs and three newcomers intent on establishing their own identity.
"There were a ton of good things," said Harbaugh, who led Stanford to its first bowl game in eight years last fall. "A lot of guys were impressive. They are all equal today, every single guy. It's going to be who practices hard, who picks up the position and who holds on to the ball. We'll start to see that this camp."
Senior Jeremy Stewart, who missed seven games due to injury last year, is the front-runner but he's had limited success. He rushed for 343 yards as a freshman and has accumulated a combined 183 yards the past two years.
"Gerhart is a great runner," Stewart said. "The biggest thing I learned from him was watching him. You could tell he was having fun."
Sophomores Stephan Taylor and Usua Amanam and freshmen Anthony Wilkerson, Ricky Seale and Andrew Stutz will also be given an opportunity.
Two players — seniors Owen Marecic and Alex Loukas — are working out on both sides of the ball.
Marecic will be on the field as both a fullback and inside linebacker. Loukas will be given a chance to win the No. 2 quarterback spot while also working as a free safety. Loukas, who missed last season with a torn ACL, was the backup quarterback two years ago and has seen time as a wide receiver.
"Owen is the perfect football player," Harbaugh said. "He does so many things right and he's trained himself for this. Alex will play offense one day and defense the next. We'll make sure he doesn't lose a day in either."
The Cardinal (8-5 last year) host Sacramento State in their season opener on Sept. 4.
News
WVU's Devine, Sands on preseason watch lists
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia running back Noel Devine is among 30 players named to the watch list for the Walter Camp Award, given annually to the top player in college football.
Devine, who rushed for 1,465 yards last season, also was named Monday to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award that honors the nation's best all-around player. Devine was a Maxwell semifinalist last year.
In addition, WVU safety Robert Sands is on the watch list for the Bednarik Award given to the nation's top defensive player.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Maxwell Football Club, which oversees both the Maxwell and Bednarik awards, will select semifinalists in November. Winners will be announced at the college football awards show on Dec. 9.
Clemson's Bowers out after his father's death
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson junior defensive end Da'Quan Bowers is likely to miss a week of practice after his father died unexpectedly.
Head coach Dabo Swinney said on Tuesday that 51-year-old Dennis Bowers died Sunday morning. A cause of death was not given. Swinney flew to Bamberg on Sunday to be with the family.
Dennis Bowers was a singer and guitar player with The Legendary Singing Stars gospel band. Da'Quan Bowers frequently performed with his father and the group.
Swinney said he didn't know how long Bowers would miss practice or when he planned to return to school.
Funeral services were scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School gymnasium.
BC LB Herzlich misses practice with foot injury
BOSTON (AP) — After missing all of last season fighting cancer, Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich missed the Eagles' opening practice on Monday with a foot injury.
Herzlich had an X-ray on his right foot, and it was negative.
Herzlich was named the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year in 2008. But in May of 2009 he announced that he would miss the upcoming season after being diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer often found in bone or soft tissue.
He was pronounced cancer-free in October.
Defensive tackle Damik Scafe also missed practice, due to a back injury. Defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey has not reported for fall camp due to undisclosed personal reasons.
Rumph impressive in early workouts
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's freshmen are turning heads at practice.
Defensive lineman Donte Rumph and kicker Joe Mansour have both drawn praise from head coach Joker Phillips for their play during training camp.
Phillips says Rumph is still working on getting into shape but has impressed coaches with his strength.
Mansour's leg power also has teammates talking. Phillips says the ball sounds like it explodes when it comes off his foot.
The Wildcats will get into full pads for the first time on Tuesday. Phillips says he's anxious to see how well conditioned his players are. Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-90s during the session.
Rutgers and Temple to play 4 football games
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers and Temple have agreed to a four-game football series beginning in 2015 at Rutgers Stadium.
The schools said Monday that the Scarlet Knights will be host Temple in 2015 and 2017, while the Owls will play host in Philadelphia in 2016 and 2018.
Rutgers and Temple have met 35 times on the gridiron in a series that began in 1948. The Scarlet Knights hold a 18-16 advantage.
The teams last met on Oct. 16, 2004, at Rutgers Stadium with the Scarlet Knights posting a 16-6 victory.
Knee injury ends former sprinter's football tryout
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Tennessee track athlete Evander Wells' football career is over after tearing a knee ligament.
Wells was out of eligibility as a sprinter and walked on for the Volunteers at the beginning of fall camp, but tore his ACL during Sunday's practice.
Coach Derek Dooley said Monday he had expected Wells to contribute as a return specialist on special teams.
Wells finished fourth in the 200-meter dash at both the NCAA Championships and the USA Track and Field Championships in June.
Hokies LT sidelined by 'turf toe'
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Nick Becton, listed as Virginia Tech's starting left tackle on the preseason depth chart, will be sidelined at least two weeks by a right toe injury.
The school says the 6-foot-6, 311-pound redshirt sophomore has "turf toe" — essentially a sprained toe on his right foot. He will wear a boot to protect the injured toe.
Becton, from Wilmington, N.C., emerged during spring practice as the favorite to replace the departed Ed Wang in the critical spot on the offensive line.
The Hokies open the season against Boise State on Sept. 6 in Landover, Md., in what is expected to be a matchup of top 10 teams. The Top 25 will be released Aug. 21.
DBs Enriquez and Williams dropped from Lobos
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico coach Mike Locksley says defensive backs Nathan Enriquez and A.J. Williams have been dismissed from the team for an undisclosed rules violation.
Enriquez played in 11 games as a freshman in 2009 and made six starts. He had 23 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Williams was a junior walk-on.
Locksley calls it "disappointing" to lose the two players. He will have no further comment.
Torn knee ligament sidelines UNC RB for 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard will miss the season after tearing a knee ligament during preseason camp.
School officials said Monday that Bernard will have season-ending surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. They say he will receive a medical redshirt this season.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound freshman injured his knee during Sunday's practice.
