College Top 15 Capsules: Duke wants best shot from No. 1 'Bama
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — They're used to hosting top-ranked teams and defending national champions at Duke.
Just not in football.
A rare visit from No. 1 Alabama on Saturday gives the historically downtrodden Blue Devils a chance to catch the Crimson Tide napping and pull what would be the upset of the year.
"We have to take them seriously, because you can't take any days off," Alabama running back Trent Richardson said. "Every team is for real, and you don't want any teams to sneak up and mess up whatever opportunity we have. We have to go conquer another giant. They're a giant test and we have to go out and play ball."
It's been a while since anybody called Duke's football team a giant, but there are a few reasons why the Tide (2-0) — 24-point favorites in this one — could get caught overlooking the Blue Devils (1-1).
The first road game comes in a tricky spot on the schedule, nestled between an impressive win against Penn State and the SEC opener against Arkansas. And there's always a chance for a rusty performance from two key players who haven't seen the field yet, a Heisman Trophy-winning tailback and a difference-making defensive end.
The Blue Devils don't care. They seem to want 'Bama's best shot.
"I hope they take us as serious as any game they've ever played," Duke tight end Brett Huffman said. "It wouldn't feel good to play an Alabama team that was looking down on you or was taking you lightly. You want to play a team at their best. You want to play them with their best players. Because when the clock runs out, then you can see, 'This is how good we are. This is what we can do,' and if a team's taking you lightly, they don't have their players, you don't really know, and it's not a sense of accomplishment."
With two of the Crimson Tide's top players expected back, Duke may get its wish.
Defensive end Marcell Dareus, the defensive MVP of last season's national title game, is back after he was suspended two games by the NCAA, further strengthening a defense that hasn't given up a touchdown — only two field goals — and hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 straight games.
Mark Ingram, the only Heisman winner in the history of the proud program, also is expected back after missing the San Jose State and Penn State wins with a knee injury. The Tide's ground game didn't seem to miss a beat with Richardson, who has rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and is coming off a career-best 144-yard performance against the Nittany Lions.
"We're hopeful that (Dareus and Ingram) will be able to contribute in a very positive way and make us better," coach Nick Saban said. "That's our expectation, and there is no reason for us to think any differently based on their attitude, how they've worked or what they've done to this point to be ready to be able to play."
On paper, this one looks like a mismatch. Alabama ranks in the top 16 in both total offense and total defense, its average of 3.0 points allowed leads the nation and hasn't lost a regular-season game since 2007. The Blue Devils, who despite their record clearly have been on an upswing since coach David Cutcliffe arrived for the 2008 season, still haven't beaten a ranked team since 1994 and are 0-10 against No. 1.
They allowed an FCS team to gain 400 yards and gave up 54 points to Wake Forest, and it's doubtful that the nation's ninth-ranked total offense can make up for a defense that ranks 100th or worse in three major stat categories.
"I have great respect for Alabama ... but I have concerns about Duke right now that I want to see," Cutcliffe said. "I hope that can produce a major upset win, but whether it does or doesn't, I'm looking to play a really good football game, not because of what it does to the program, long-term, but what this team in 2010 needs to do."
The connections between the coaches, from past to present, add another level of intrigue to the matchup of schools that met in the 1945 Sugar Bowl.
Cutcliffe, a Birmingham native, graduated from Alabama, got his coaching start under Bear Bryant and went 2-4 against the Tide as head coach at Mississippi from 1999-2004. While at Ole Miss, he was 1-4 against Saban, who was at LSU at the time. They'll meet again at a stadium named after Wallace Wade, who won three national titles at Alabama from 1923-30 before coming to Duke and leading the Blue Devils to two Rose Bowls.
"I think it's very appropriate that both schools play here," Cutcliffe said. "There's a lot of connections here, and let's hope that the game lives up to all the atmosphere."
Bold Bobcats think big vs. No. 2 Buckeyes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Eric Benjamin grew up admiring Buckeye football in the Columbus suburb of Grove City, so it wasn't surprising as a visiting player in 2008 that he had chills hearing the roar from the Ohio Stadium fans.
"It's an awesome feeling when you go in there, just to hear the crowd like you did when you were a little kid, but now you're on the field," the Ohio University linebacker said. "Hopefully we can quiet the crowd down a little bit like we did a couple of years ago."
That's when the Bobcats took a surprising 14-12 lead into the fourth quarter before the Buckeyes rallied for a 26-14 victory.
Ohio (1-1) gets another shot at No. 2 Ohio State (2-0) Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
Two years ago, Ohio State may have been thinking past its Mid-American Conference foe with a game against Southern California the next week.
This year, the Buckeyes are coming off a 36-24 win against then-No.12 Miami, while Ohio lost to Toledo 20-13 last week.
"Normally it would be a chance to overlook a team. But with the leaders and seniors we have, we'll get our young guys ready to play," Ohio State defensive tackle Dexter Larimore said. "This was a team two years ago that we struggled with."
If Ohio is to have a chance it must find a way to contain Heisman Trophy candidate Terrelle Pryor, who had 346 all-purpose yards last week vs. Miami. He completed 12 of 27 passes for 233 yards and rushed for a career-high 113 yards on 20 carries.
With 139 of 207 players (61 percent) on the combined rosters from Ohio there will be a bunch of matchups involving friends vs. friends and former high school teammates.
None is more intriguing than the Posey brothers from Cincinnati LaSalle High School. Julian is Ohio's fifth-year senior cornerback, who will line up against junior wide receiver DeVier.
Neither started in 2008, so they had little opportunity to go head-to-head, but that is not expected to be the case Saturday.
DeVier Posey caught a 62-yard pass from Pryor against Miami and Julian Posey had a 38-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against Wofford in Ohio's season opener.
The pair talk almost daily and the conversation this week naturally became a little competitive.
Staying neutral is their mother, Julie Posey, who is expected to attend the game wearing a jersey that is half green for Ohio and the other half scarlet for the Buckeyes.
"Good for her," Ohio coach Frank Solich said. "Very few moms get a chance to have two sons play Division I football, let alone play against each other."
Ohio State's win against the Bobcats two years ago was the 800th in school history. An Ohio win Saturday would be its 500th (499-517-48). But those odds are long.
Ohio State has not lost to an in-state opponent in 41 games, dating back to 1921. In that run, the Buckeyes are 6-0 vs. the Bobcats, and Ohio is 0-14 against ranked opponents.
No. 3 Boise State returns to work against Wyoming
The Boise State Broncos have been cooling their cleats for a while, waiting for another chance to prove they're worthy of the national title talk.
The Broncos' big win over Virginia Tech in the season opener was somewhat smudged by the Hokies' stunning loss to lower division James Madison last week.
Although the idle Broncos (1-0) held onto their No. 3 ranking, they lost seven of their eight first-place votes from the week before.
Not that they're really dwelling on that. The team refuses to get caught up in the national debate over whether they are valid championship contenders.
All the Broncos can control is what happens on the field, starting again Saturday night at Wyoming (1-1).
They know a win isn't enough in the eyes of so many; they must win soundly. They can't just look good; they have to look great.
"We're just trying to win — if that means by one point, that's one point. We're just trying to do our best," said Boise State coach Chris Petersen, whose team has won 15 straight. "It'll never be to impress anybody else other than our staff, the players and our teammates."
In the court of public opinion, Virginia Tech's 21-16 loss to James Madison tarnished the Broncos' 33-30 win over the Hokies in Landover, Md., a week earlier.
Petersen disagrees.
"Virginia Tech is a heck of a football team, and a heck of a football program," he said. "For us to go across the country in the first game and win a hard-fought game in the fourth quarter was really, really important to us.
"Whatever happens to any teams after that, in our opinions, in our mind — I know in others it does — really has no significance to us."
It did afford Petersen a good teaching lesson, reminding his players how fickle football can be. That's why Boise State's focus is squarely on Wyoming and not toward next weekend's showdown with No. 25 Oregon State.
"It can happen to anyone. I don't care how good you are, what your ranking is, what league you come from," Petersen said. "If you're not ready to play, you're going to get beat."
The Broncos will receive a taste of Mountain West Conference play this week when they face a Wyoming team that lost last week to sixth-ranked Texas, 34-7, in Austin.
This may be the start of a burgeoning rivalry once Boise State joins the league after this season.
"That's one thing that's great about the new conference — proximity can breed some of those natural rivalries," Petersen said. "Do you want another rival? Not really. But they probably will be."
The Cowboys have had an emotional week with the funeral of freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse, who was killed in a car accident in Colorado on Sept. 6.
Team captain and quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels spoke on behalf of his teammates at the funeral, the Laramie Boomerang reported.
"Ruben had a special light about him," Carta-Samuels said.
The Cowboys will honor their teammate on Saturday with linebacker Brian Hendricks wearing Narcisse's No. 12 jersey. The team also will wear his initials on their helmets and distribute T-shirts with "Ruben Narcisse, Always a Cowboy" printed on it.
"I can see the pain in them," Wyoming coach Dave Christensen said. "They're also doing everything they can to move forward — certainly not move on and forget it, but move forward.
"I though they did a tremendous job of that, preparing last week and going down to Texas under a week of very difficult (circumstances) and performing and playing as hard as they did. I think it will continue on this week."
Petersen has no doubt of that.
"They've had a hard time the last couple of weeks, losing a team member. We all know the effect that can have. That is hard," Petersen said. "I thought Wyoming held their own (against Texas), they battled them hard. Texas made a few more plays to kind of kick the game open. But I thought Wyoming did a very good job."
An intangible in this game could be the lung-searing altitude at War Memorial Stadium. As Christensen is fond of pointing out, it's at "7,200 feet where the oxygen is a lot thinner."
"We've got a huge mountain inside," Petersen cracked when asked about training for the altitude. "You can't do anything different. ... If the team's in good shape, I think that works."
Petersen bristles at the notion his team needs to make an impression with an impressive win over Wyoming. In his opinion, respect will come if the Broncos keep taking care of business on the field.
"We just need to play more football and people will know what they have," Petersen said. "There's a lot of teams that are out there that aren't really being talked about right now. Four or five games, people are going to say, 'Look at these guys, they're for real, they came out of nowhere.' And there's going to be some teams that a lot of people are talking about that they're not talking about.
"It'll change dramatically in a few weeks."
-- Pat Graham
No. 5 Oregon is wary of Portland State
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — The fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks have ample motivation when it comes to Saturday's game against Portland State. They've got the upsets sprung by James Madison, South Dakota and even Jacksonville State.
All three of those programs pulled off stunners in the season's opening weeks. James Madison shocked then No. 13 Virginia Tech and South Dakota topped Minnesota last weekend, after Jacksonville State beat Mississippi in the season opener.
"I feel like those (upsets) add to our motivation. For the most part, we're playing against the image of our team," Oregon linebacker Spencer Paysinger said.
Portland State, of the FCS Big Sky Conference, is making its fourth trip south on Interstate 5 to Autzen Stadium. The Vikings are 0-3 against the Ducks, who won the last meeting 55-12 in 2006. First-year coach Nigel Burton was keeping the expectations realistic.
"We talk about the fact that each game depends on our execution and what we do, not necessarily our opponent," Burton said.
The Ducks are 2-0 with decisive victories against New Mexico and at Tennessee last weekend. Coach Chip Kelly is treating Portland State (1-1) the same as those opponents, which has become something of a trademark for the Ducks.
Last season Kelly kept Oregon focused after a season-opening loss to Boise State and the debacle that followed with LeGarrette Blount's infamous punch. And the Ducks stayed grounded as the wins mounted in pursuit of the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth.
This season Kelly has steadied the Ducks after a spate of offseason trouble, including the dismissal of quarterback and potential Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Masoli.
"You only get 12 chances to play a game and you can't take any of them lightly," tight end David Paulson said. "You have to be prepared for every one of them."
Oregon is the highest-ranked opponent the Vikings have ever played.
Truth is the game likely will serve as a tuneup for the Ducks before the start of the Pac-10 season. Darron Thomas, who took over at quarterback, is developing nicely with 422 yards passing and four touchdowns so far this season.
LaMichael James, who set the Pac-10 rushing record for freshman last season, ran for 134 yards — including a 72-yard touchdown run — against Tennessee last weekend. Backup Kenjon Barner ran for four touchdowns in the Ducks' opener while James served a one-game suspension.
Overall Oregon has scored 120 points in 120 minutes this season, averaging 60 points per game, second best in the nation. The Ducks have allowed an average of 6.5 points per game to rank sixth nationally.
But Oregon has some key injuries. Defensive end Kenny Rowe had an ankle injury that had him in a boot this week and tight end Brandon Williams had an injured left hand that was encased in a cast. Linebacker Michael Clay and offensive lineman Carson York were also hurting.
As is his custom, Kelly would only say those players were day-to-day and not offer any specifics; they have not been declared unable to play Saturday.
The Vikings are 2-26 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams. They are 0-9 against teams from the Pac-10, including their 54-9 loss at Arizona State in the opener.
Portland State, with its new pistol offense, beat UC Davis 41-33 last weekend for Burton's first victory as a head coach. He took over the Vikings from Jerry Glanville, who was popular with players and fans alike but largely unable to help his team win. Portland State went 9-24 in three seasons under the gregarious former NFL coach.
Junior quarterback Conner Kavanaugh is expected to make his fifth career start against the Ducks. He threw for a career-high 178 yards and a touchdown in last weekend's victory over the Aggies.
-- Anne M. Peterson
No. 9 Hawkeyes, No. 24 Wildcats ready for showdown
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Those first two lopsided wins to start the season were good for the confidence. No big-picture revelations, but there's never anything wrong with winning.
Now comes the real test.
No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona isn't just one of the biggest games in college football this weekend, it's a chance to see if each team's pair of opening wins were feel-good or indicators of how good this season could be.
"None of us really know how good we are at this point," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "It's going to be a heck of a test. Regardless of who we played the last two weeks or who they played, they're an excellent football team. We hope to be a good team."
Arizona looks at it another way; the Wildcats are trying to prove themselves and reach the standard Iowa has set.
The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the Top 10 in the final Associated Press poll four times in the past eight years. They've been bowl eligible nine straight years, competed in January bowl games six of the past eight years, and won a pair of conference titles in the last decade.
Arizona is still a cusp team.
The Wildcats have made progress under coach Mike Stoops, recovering from a lost decade by winning eight games in each of the past two seasons. Arizona could have taken another step in the Holiday Bowl, only to get overrun by Nebraska 33-0.
This season, despite that crushing loss, carries unprecedented expectations, the kind that come with a program hoping to join those that have already built a winning tradition.
A win over Iowa in front of their own fans could be a big step in that direction.
"Iowa is the established (program). That's a hard place to get and we're fighting like mad to get there," Stoops said. "I think our players have worked hard and our coaches, and this is another opportunity."
These teams met a year ago this week, a game noteworthy not just because the Hawkeyes beat Arizona 27-17 in Iowa City, but because it marked the debut of Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles.
A transfer from Michigan State, Foles lost a tight battle with Matt Scott as the starter and spent the first two games as backup.
But with the offense laboring against Iowa in the third game, Stoops called on Foles in the fourth quarter. He led the Wildcats to a touchdown on his second drive and ended up supplanting Scott as the starter the rest of the season.
The undeniable leader a year later, Foles has become one of the best quarterbacks in a conference full of good ones. Big, athletic and strong-armed, the junior is projected as a high-round NFL draft pick when he decides to leave Tucson and has had an on-the-money start to the season, hitting 83 percent of his passes.
"He gets it out and spreads it around nicely," Ferentz said. "They've got a lot of guys that can do something with the ball once they get it. They've got a good scheme. Looks like he's really comfortable and confident in the scheme.
Arizona should have a small advantage with the late start — 9:30 back in Iowa City — and temperatures that are expected to be in the mid-90s at kickoff.
The overall advantage might go to Iowa.
The Hawkeyes are huge up front on defense, led by big-but-agile defensive end Adrian Clayborn, MVP of last year's Orange Bowl. Arizona's line has made progress, but will have to keep Clayborn and Co. away from Foles to give him time to do what he does best.
Iowa's offense has been a time-consuming nightmare for opponents, grinding out dozen-play, tick-off-the-clock drives that leave defenses exhausted.
Quarterback Ricky Stanzi, inconsistent in the past, has been steady in the first two games, throwing for 433 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in 41 attempts. Adam Robinson has helped take some of the pressure off him on the ground, averaging 7.0 yards per carry — 265 total — while scoring four TDs.
The Hawkeyes are, in other words, the kind of balanced team Arizona hopes it is, too.
"We know this team's no joke," Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed said.
The feeling's mutual.
-- John Marshall
Tennessee expects No. 10 Gators to be back to form
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Derek Dooley doesn't understand all the talk about the Florida Gators not looking like themselves.
He thought they looked just as physical as ever forcing five turnovers and scoring four straight touchdowns in a 38-14 win over South Florida last week.
"They blistered them pretty good," Dooley said. "They look like Florida to me, so that's what we're going to expect."
Florida has had some uncharacteristic early season struggles, and Tennessee is in the throes of an unprecedented rebuilding season. But when the two meet Saturday in Knoxville, it still promises to be the kind of physical battle that's expected from two bitter Southeastern Conference rivals.
Tennessee (1-1) is hoping to put behind a third-quarter collapse and 48-13 loss to No. 5 Oregon. Florida (2-0), a two-touchdown favorite, is looking for its first three-game road winning streak in Knoxville.
The Gators hold a 20-19 lead in the all-time series — the first time in history they've had more wins than Tennessee — and have won the last five.
The Vols nearly ended that streak last season in Gainesville, even after former coach Lane Kiffin put targets on their backs by promising a win and accusing Florida coach Urban Meyer of cheating while recruiting. The Gators won 23-13 after a couple of missed opportunities by Tennessee in the fourth quarter.
"I think there is a lot of cheerleading that goes on in the first two (nonconference) games," Gators coach Urban Meyer said. "I think you find yourself as a coach trying to motivate and cheer lead and do all that, but you don't have to do that now."
Even without Kiffin, the week leading up to the game has still had drama. Meyer suspended wide receiver Chris Rainey after he was charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly sending threatening text messages to his girlfriend. Tennessee fans quickly printed shirts that read "Time to die," one of the texts Rainey allegedly sent.
The Gators looked due for an upset during three consecutive quarters of sluggish play against Miami (Ohio) and South Florida. They finally started clicking in the second half against the Bulls, and John Brantley completed 18 of 31 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and Deonte Thompson finished with six receptions for 83 yards in the win.
Jeff Demps had a career day after rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown and picking up a total 255 all-purpose yards, and the Gators finished with 244 yards rushing.
Florida's running game couldn't have heated up at a better time. When it comes to Tennessee versus Florida, the team with more yards rushing has won 18 of the past 20 meetings.
"I feel like they're giving more runs to Demps, a guy who can really hit that home run, score a touchdown, make game changing plays," Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz said, calling Demps one of the fastest players in college football. "It's the guy we really have to prepare for."
Florida's been doing its own preparation on rushing defense. The Gators are gunning for Tauren Poole, who leads the SEC after averaging 136 yards in the first two games and piling up 111 yards in the first quarter of the Vols' 48-13 loss to Oregon.
After spending two seasons buried on the depth chart, this is the junior's first shot at the Gators, and he plans to play fast for four quarters.
"We have no choice because they are going to play fast," Poole said. "In order to be in this game we have to play fast and physical all game."
Tennessee can't afford for Poole to be unsuccessful. The Vols have converted a woeful seven of 30 third-down attempts in two games, mostly due to breakdowns in their passing game on third-and-long. They fell apart against the Ducks last week after Matt Simms threw an interception on third-and-13 that was returned 76 yards for a touchdown.
The Gators could make Tennessee pay even more for miscues in the passing game. They lead the nation with eight interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
"When the ball's in the air, it's ours," Florida cornerback Jeremy Brown said. "That's something (the coaches) have implanted in us. That's our mentality. When the ball's in the air, no matter what side of the field it's on, it's our ball. Our group has really grasped that concept."
-- Beth Rucker
Tempo key when No. 11 Wisconsin plays Arizona St.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Clay says he's still trying to find his timing and rhythm heading into No. 11 Wisconsin's matchup on Saturday with Arizona State. The Sun Devils plan to march to a much faster beat.
Both 2-0 teams will try to control the pace of the game using completely different strategies.
The Badgers prefer a methodical, grinding running attack using the 252-pound Clay. Arizona State tries to move so quickly it doesn't want opponents to know what hit them.
"We're always looking to march 80 yards down the field, take 8 minutes or 9 minutes and eat up the clock. That's even more emphasized against Arizona State," Wisconsin offensive lineman John Moffitt said. "The dangerous thing about that, is they have the ability to score fast."
Arizona State's spread offense led by former Michigan transfer Steven Threet stresses getting in as many snaps as possible, especially early in the game.
Threet is already well known to Badgers fans because he led the Wolverines from a 19-0 halftime deficit over Wisconsin in 2008. This year, he's completed 67 percent of his passes and is looking forward to another matchup with a Big Ten opponent.
"I've played Wisconsin before, but there's a lot of different guys running a different offense, I've got different teammates, it's obviously a different situation, but I'm just excited for the game, he said.
So is Clay.
He's run for 240 yards and four touchdowns in wins over UNLV and San Jose State. Clay says his ankles are still about 85 percent following offseason surgery on both of them.
"I haven't run like this in a long time," Clay said. "It's just getting back to the groove of it."
His numbers have been good with a 6.5 yards per carry average despite only one run of greater than 20 yards, when he gained 40 late in the game against San Jose State. He said he's taking his coaches' advice when it comes to highlight reel runs.
"I'm being patient. Let it come to you and don't force it," he said. "You take those two, three yards here and there and that big one will come out of nowhere. Just being able to stay consistent, pounding it, moving the chains and that will come when big runs will come."
It's something Arizona State knows it will have to avoid, but coach Dennis Erickson acknowledges that slowing Clay behind Wisconsin's line, averaging 323 pounds, and 320-pound fullback Ryan Groy will take the entire effort of his defense.
"They're just an extremely good offense team that believes in what they're doing — to run it first and make you stop that and then throw it. They do it awfully well," Erickson said. "When you start offensively, you start with their offensive front, how big and physical they are. We obviously haven't seen that this year and you don't see people in our league quite like that other than Stanford."
Wisconsin's mistakes have been annoying for the Badgers, but haven't cost them yet. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said they've left 35 points on the field in the first two weeks, and the Badgers have scored only seven touchdowns in 13 trips inside the 20.
"Those are money situations. So, taking care of the ball, but then that's typically when we've got to make big plays. It's a smaller field, smaller windows and you've just got to execute," quarterback Scott Tolzien said. "We've got to do everything in our power to try to maintain possession and try, like any other game, to control the clock and execute."
As the offense has sputtered, Wisconsin's defense has been somewhat stagnant, too, beyond the play of defensive end J.J. Watt. The secondary gave up 193 yards and 15 catches to a pair of freshman receivers at San Jose State. Bielema said the linebackers also share in the blame.
And if the mistakes pile up, the Sun Devils can bank on more of those quick scores.
Arizona State doesn't have a drive longer than 3 minutes, 47 seconds so far this year, while the Badgers have six of them longer than that mark. That puts Wisconsin fifth in the nation in time of possession. Arizona State is 107th out of 120.
"They are as fast as any huddle we've ever seen," Bielema said. "(It's) a dramatically different method of doing things than us, but I'll take a couple quick scores, too."
-- Colin Fly
Razorbacks out to show they're for real vs Georgia
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Step one: Hire a coach from the NFL known for his brilliant offensive mind. Step two: Pair him with a strong-armed quarterback who has plenty of star potential.
Now, it's time for step three, the biggest leap of all.
For all the hype about the Arkansas Razorbacks, they still must prove it on the field. Are they worthy of the lofty ranking? Are they ready to challenge the power structure of the Southeastern Conference?
These next two weeks should provide a definitive answer.
After beating up on a couple of cream puffs, the No. 12 Razorbacks (2-0) face their first real test of the season when they go between the hedges Saturday to face Georgia (1-1, 0-1 SEC). The Bulldogs didn't exactly look overpowering a week ago — a meek 17-6 loss at South Carolina — but they are a traditional blue blood in a conference where the line between the haves and have-nots has always been very distinctive.
Taking down the Dawgs in their house, before more than 90,000 hostile fans, would certainly be a major accomplishment for Arkansas.
"I'm excited about it," said safety Elton Forde, a native of suburban Atlanta. "We've got big expectations, and we plan on putting on a show for the world."
Georgia's players certainly know what's on the line, both for themselves — an 0-2 start in conference play would likely be a death sentence to their hopes for contending in the same division with Florida — and the visiting team.
"I definitely feel like this is a game we need to win," tight end Aron White said. "I think it's a game we can win."
If the Razorbacks clear this hurdle, they'll be riding high when they face the ultimate test: a home game next week against defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Alabama.
Once these two games are out of the way, everyone will have a much better idea of what to expect from this team led by coach Bobby Petrino and Heisman-hyped quarterback Ryan Mallett.
"I think we're ready," said another Arkansas safety, senior Rudell Crim. "We're doing a great job this year of just focusing on what game is ahead of us right then and there — not looking backward, not looking forward."
Petrino will be returning to Georgia for the first time since he slipped out of the state in 2007, abandoning the NFL's Atlanta Falcons with three games left in his debut season as a pro coach. While that didn't win him many friends in these parts, there's no doubt he seems better suited for the college game.
He built a powerhouse at Louisville — a program that fell on hard times as soon as he left — and now appears to be following the same blueprint in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks led the SEC in scoring last season (36 points a game), nearly pulled off an upset of then-No. 1 Florida, took LSU to overtime and won five of their last six games on the way to a spot in the Liberty Bowl.
Expectations are much higher for Petrino's third season, largely because of Mallett. After transferring from Michigan, "Big Tex" had a brilliant debut at Arkansas, throwing for more than 3,600 yards with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's off to another strong start this season, completing nearly three-fourths of his throws for a staggering 701 yards and six touchdowns, impressive numbers even facing lightweights Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe.
"We're ready to get into SEC play," Mallett said. "(There's) something special about the SEC that brings the best out in both teams, because you never know what's going to happen and all the games come down and count at the end of the season. We're excited, and we know they're excited, so we'll see what happens."
Georgia knows it can't afford another conference loss, not with games still left against No. 10 Florida and No. 16 Auburn. The Bulldogs were manhandled by South Carolina, which ran right through the 3-4 scheme installed by new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham for 189 yards on 52 carries. The Gamecocks quickly realized they wouldn't have to bother throwing much (they attempted just 17 passes) against a team that had trouble wrapping up tackles.
Arkansas might throw it 17 times in the first quarter, presenting an entirely difference challenge for a unit that has a reputation for giving up lots of points in big games under previous coordinator Willie Martinez. Last season, Mallett threw for 408 yards and five touchdowns — both school records — in a wild 52-41 loss to the Bulldogs.
"We're definitely playing against one of the best quarterbacks in college football," cornerback Vance Cuff said. "As a competitor, you want to play against the best and see where you stand. You definitely have small room for error when you're playing a guy with such a strong arm."
On offense, Georgia was hoping for the return of star receiver A.J. Green, who received a four-game suspension from the NCAA for selling a bowl jersey for $1,000. But his appeal was turned down Friday, meaning he will miss this game and one more before he's eligible to return Oct. 2 against Colorado.
Even without Green, the Bulldogs plan to open up the offense for redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray, who's been a bit limited in the first two games.
Petrino shrugged off any personal feelings about returning to the state where he's still viewed as a traitor over his ugly departure from the Falcons in 2007. He let the players know he was quitting with a form letter left at their lockers — one wrote "traitor" on his copy — and was in Fayetteville before the day was out doing the "Woo Pig Sooey" cheer.
"I haven't even thought about," Petrino said. "This game is all about our players."
-- Paul Newberry
No. 13 South Caorlina looks to avoid FCS upset
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Furman coach Bobby Lamb remembers coming to Williams-Brice Stadium 28 years ago not thinking much of the Paladins chances to beat South Carolina. While Lamb might have similar concerns facing the 13th-ranked Gamecocks on Saturday night, he hopes he's as wrong as he was in 1982.
Lamb was a freshman backup quarterback for the Paladins then and still had the bad taste of his team's 26-0 loss at North Carolina State only weeks before. But Furman left with a 28-23 upset of South Carolina still talked about by the purple Paladin faithful.
The Palmetto State programs haven't played since. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier hopes his team doesn't become the next FBS victim of an FCS opponent like Ole Miss losing to Jacksonville State or Virginia Tech falling to James Madison.
Spurrier doesn't have the answer to why big teams with major advantages in finances and recruiting sometimes lose to the little guys.
"I'm not sure if some of the bigger schools get as fired up as they need to be to play some of those smaller schools," he said.
Furman was certainly fired up for the last meeting, even with Lamb's worries coming in. He remembers the Paladins taking an early lead, 21-3, and South Carolina rallying with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to tighten things. That's when future NFL standout Stanford Jennings took control on a clinching, 80-yard TD drive that sealed the victory.
"Once we won the game, you realized how big it was," Lamb said.
It was part of a run of success that cemented Furman's reputation as a giant killer. The school went 4-1-1 against current BCS schools between 1982-86.
Furman became so adept at defeating North Carolina State, the Wolfpack eventually hired away Paladins coach Dick Sheridan. Since then, though, the Paladins have only won once in 20 tries against FBS competition. Still, recent FCS triumphs have Furman thinking that anything's possible.
"It can be done, but a lot of things have got to fall into place," Lamb said. "No. 1, you've got to be very lucky. No. 2, you've got to very good on that day."
Spurrier says South Carolina has faced its share of very good FCS teams and barely made it through. The Gamecocks needed an interception in the final moments at their own 10-yard line to escape Wofford, 27-20, in 2006. Two years later, the Terriers again played South Carolina tight in a 23-13 loss.
"We haven't won any easy games around here much," Spurrier said. "I don't know how in the world we could ever be overconfident. We haven't done enough to even think we should be heavily favored over a team."
Despite the grousing, Spurrier doesn't lose to teams he's supposed to beat. South Carolina's head ball coach is 39-0 against teams who are not from conferences with automatic BCS berths, including all 13 such games as Gamecocks coach.
Plus, the Gamecocks (2-0) are likely to be solid favorites in most games if they keep performing like they have so far.
Freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore rushed for 182 yards and scored twice a week ago in South Carolina's first victory over Georgia in three seasons. Lattimore was named the SEC's co-offensive player of the week and Spurrier praised his running style and ability to break tackles.
Lattimore was accustomed to such mismatches in high school when he starred for powerhouse Byrnes and plans to work just as hard this week as he did last.
"We're not going to take this week off because it is Furman," Lattimore said. "As you see, Virginia Tech, they got beat by James Madison. It can happen to us if we don't prepare and we're not focused."
Furman's Lamb not counting on any celebrations just yet. He'll take part in a reunion of his 1982 teammates on Friday night and enjoy the memories of that fantastic afternoon almost 30 years ago.
"Then I'll have to set them down and warn them, this is not the South Carolina team of '82," Lamb said.
-- Pete Iacobelli
Winless NM faces No. 14 Utah
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico coach Mike Locksley knows things won't be any easier for his winless Lobos on Saturday when they facing No. 14 Utah in their Mountain West opener.
"Utah is a top-10 caliber team," said Locksley, whose squad has been outscored 124-17 its first two games, including a 72-0 rout at Oregon.
"Utah is a combination of what we saw between Oregon and (Texas) Tech. They have tremendous speed out on their perimeter, whether it's at receivers, or (defensive backs), skill players. But also, I think they have two quarterbacks, both have shown they have the ability to lead."
One of those, Jordan Wynn, has a thumb injury and his status is day-to-day, coach Kyle Whittingham said. Wynn did not play in the Utes' game last week against UNLV and was replaced by Terence Cain, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 207 yards and two TDs without an interception.
"They have two quarterbacks, both have shown they have the ability to lead," Locksley said. "We faced athletic quarterbacks against Oregon and then we faced a drop-back quarterback this past weekend in Potts, so I believe we're prepared for both types of quarterbacks."
No matter who takes the snaps for Utah (2-0, 1-0 Mountain West), what concerns Whittingham the most is the Utes' performance at New Mexico (0-2).
"Albuquerque has been a tough place to play for us," he said. "There's no answer as to why. Even in 2008 it was down to the wire (13-10)."
There's something about Utah that seems to bring out the fire in the Lobos.
"New Mexico has played us tough perennially and it's been a tough matchup," Whittingham said. "It's been a good series since I've been at Utah."
For the Lobos to keep that tradition going, they will have to clean up the many mistakes that have been made in the first two games, particularly on special teams.
"That's an area that obviously we haven't played well in either of our first two games," Locksley said.
To correct the problems, that have included bad snaps, blocked punts and long returns, New Mexico will be using more of its starters on special teams.
"We've had to adjust some personnel," Locksley said. "I thought going into this season as we evaluated us on special teams last year, we had a bunch of our starters playing a lot of plays. We tried to give some young guys and guys who haven't played a lot an opportunity to create a role for themselves on our team. They didn't get the job done."
Inserting players like offensive lineman Byron Bell, defensive lineman Jaymar Latchison, linebacker Joe Stoner, defensive back Anthony Hooks and wide receiver Chris Hernandez should pay an immediate dividend
"I expect to see our special teams improve because of the personnel changes that we made," Locksley said. "What you're seeing now is our best 11 guys on the field. And they're just going to have to go. We're not afforded the luxury of not playing them as we found this past weekend."
The Lobos, however, did show some improvement offensively, with quarterback B.R. Holbrook throwing for a career-best 323 yards and receiver Ty Kirk collecting a career-best 119 yards.
"With our offense, I think there is a comfort level with our guys now that have been in the system," Locksley said. "I'm really excited about B.R. and the way he played for us. I thought he threw the ball well and I thought he made good decisions. But I also thought the players around him kind of picked it up a little bit."
Still, Locksley knows it's going to take a special effort to pull out a victory.
"The thing we need to continue to work to correct is to play smart football," he said. "That's the missing piece for this inexperienced team. I'm very hopeful that we can put together a game in which we give ourselves the opportunities to win by playing smart."
LSU's Jefferson looks to bounce back vs. Bulldogs
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jordan Jefferson has been waiting all week for a shot at redemption.
That may seem odd for a quarterback on an undefeated, 15th-ranked team coming off a 24-point road win. But at Vanderbilt last weekend, LSU (2-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) rolled to a 27-3 triumph even as Jefferson labored through one of the worst performances of his career, going 8 of 20 for 96 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
"I had plenty of opportunities to complete passes and they just fell short on me," said Jefferson, who is 11-5 as a starter. "All my reads were correct. If I get the ball up a couple more inches, it's a totally different game for me."
Dominant defense and a powerful running game were more than enough to compensate for LSU's anemic aerial attack against the Commodores. LSU coach Les Miles isn't sure whether that formula will be as effective in the Tigers' home opener Saturday night against Mississippi State (1-1, 0-1). Although the Bulldogs have lost 10 straight to LSU, they nearly won last year's meeting and played Auburn tough in a 17-14 loss last week.
"We play a much better football team in a Mississippi State team that is 1-1, and we understand that the challenge is much more significant," Miles said.
Last year in Starkville, Miss., LSU profited from four Mississippi State turnovers and still needed a dramatic goal line stand to escape with a 30-26 victory. That result left Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen not so much discouraged as optimistic about how competitive his team had become, and what they might accomplish with some fine-tuning in areas such as ball security.
"We played them really well last year," Mullen said. "I sound like a broken record at times — I think we were minus-four turnover ratio, made critical mistakes and lost the game. Hopefully we get those things cleaned up."
The Bulldogs kept that game close in large part by allowing only 30 yards rushing on 31 LSU carries. In essence, they tried to force Jefferson, then a first-year starter, to beat them.
Jefferson wound up with one of the best statistical performances of his career, going 15 of 28 for 233 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns, including 58-yard scoring strike to Brandon LaFell.
"They packed the box in last year, so they left a lot of things open on the field," Jefferson said. "Hopefully they do the same thing this week and I can redeem myself and put a lot of yards on the board."
Jefferson has yet to throw for more than 250 yards in a game. Now in his junior year and second year as a starter, more is expected of him. LSU hired former Florida receivers coach Billy Gonzales as the Tigers' new passing game coordinator. Meanwhile, Russell Shepard, who is one of the best athletes on the team, gave up on becoming a quarterback to join Terrence Toliver and Rueben Randle in a highly respected receiving corps.
If Jefferson fails to progress, Miles could turn to fellow junior Jarrett Lee, who started eight games as a freshman and has averaged more yards per start (230) than Jefferson (177) during their careers. However, Jefferson is the better scrambler and has demonstrated better ball security. It remains to be seen whether Lee, who was intercepted 16 times in 2008, has learned to sharply reduce risky throws.
At this point, LSU's offense has been carried by its ground game. Even Shepard's two longest scores — of 50 and 30 yards — came on end runs.
LSU is averaging 221 yards rushing, led by Stevan Ridley, who gained a career-best 159 yards at Vanderbilt, highlighted by his 65-yard TD.
"We're just so close, but at the same time so far away, from having a great offense," Ridley said. "One thing we focused on all summer ... was running the football. I know that coach Miles wants to do that."
Mississippi State also has been running the ball well, and doing so by committee. Nine players, including option quarterback Chris Relf, have helped the Bulldogs average 157 yards rushing.
Relf shares snaps at quarterback with Tyler Russell, and together they've averaged 250 yards through the air.
Mullen said he expects to keep his quarterback rotation about the same, even though Relf's scrambling ability will be at a premium if Mississippi State is to win in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1991.
LSU's defensive line has been menacing, helping the Tigers pile up 10 sacks already, including six last weekend.
"They're going to come out there and push us to our limits," Mississippi State left tackle Derek Sherrod said, "just like we're going to push them to theirs."
-- Brett Martel
