Other College Football Features: Arkansas offensive line finding its groove?
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — DeMarcus Love still remembers his first reaction to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino's playbook.
Love, then wrapping up his redshirt freshman season for the Razorbacks, was accustomed to running only a handful of different plays on the offensive line under previous coach Houston Nutt. Within those plays, linemen were responsible for knowing only six or seven different blocking schemes.
When Love walked into a spring playbook meeting in 2008, he got his first glimpse at the different line calls under the newly hired Petrino. In addition to the sheer volume of man- and zone-blocking calls, there were different formations, techniques and assignments to learn.
"Is this guy serious?" Love thought.
When No. 17 Arkansas opens its season against Tennessee Tech on Saturday night, it will do so with an offense that led the Southeastern Conference in scoring last season. It's an offense led by a line much more confident in its ability and knowledge of the Razorbacks offense than it was two years ago in Petrino's first year.
"It's a lot more comfortable now because a lot of us have three years under our belt," senior offensive tackle Ray Dominguez said. "We were bombarded at first, but once we stopped and studied, everything was a lot smoother. It's a real pro-style offense."
In 2007, Nutt's final year as coach, Arkansas was second in the SEC in total offense (450 yards per game), and led the conference in rushing (286.5) and was next-to-last in passing (163.5). The Razorbacks were third in points scored per game (37.3) that season.
Arkansas finished fourth in the SEC in total offense in 2008, Petrino's first year, but the offense's struggles were evident as it averaged just 21.9 points per game, seventh in the conference. The Razorbacks were second in passing offense (259.6), but the rushing yardage — with a struggling offensive line and minus former standout running backs Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis — bottomed out at 113.5 yards per game, 10th in the SEC.
"(The offensive line was) all over the field, missing blitzes and stuff like that," Arkansas senior tight end D.J. Williams said. "It was all new to them."
In addition to the change in offensive philosophy, Arkansas dealt with information overload that season, particularly on the offensive line. There were missed calls and missed blocks as the Razorbacks struggled at times to grasp the enormity of the new system.
"That season, we were still learning the ropes," said Love, now a senior. "There were a lot of things that went wrong that season because guys didn't know the plays and weren't all the way ready and mentally focused."
The offense showed improvement last season as Arkansas finished 8-5, leading the SEC in average points (36) and finishing third in total offense. Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee credited some of the improvement to the "natural progression" of the veteran Razorbacks, noting that Arkansas played 16 freshmen two years ago.
"We were confident going into Week 1 two years ago," McGee said. "We've got the same confidence now, but we understand more about the game of football than we did then."
Despite the improvement last season, the Razorbacks still finished 10th in the SEC in rushing (131.8) and struggled with consistency in conference losses to Alabama and Mississippi — averaging just 54 yards rushing in the two losses. Those are numbers the confident offensive line plans to improve this season.
"Last season was a good season, but that's not where we want to be," said Love, who was recently named to the Lombardi Award's watch list. "Our goal is to go a little higher. We want to go all the way."
New starting QBs abound in SEC
Cameron Newton has abundant faith in No. 4 Florida's new quarterback.
And he should know: Both were once Tim Tebow backups and potential heirs to the Heisman Trophy winner.
"The whole college nation will be hearing about John Brantley, because he's an excellent quarterback," Newton said.
Plenty will be hearing about Newton, too. He's set to start his first game for No. 22 Auburn Saturday against Arkansas State. Newton just arrived by way of a Texas junior college while Brantley stuck it out with the Gators.
Newton and Brantley will have substantial company around the Southeastern Conference when the season opens, even if Jeremiah Masoli doesn't wind up joining them.
Newton is one of five quarterbacks set to make their first start for an SEC team. The others are Aaron Murray (Georgia), Nathan Stanley (Mississippi), Matt Simms (Tennessee) and either Chris Relf or Tyler Russell (Mississippi State).
At least eight teams will open with starters who didn't finish last season in that role. The combined passing numbers for the five returnees who saw SEC action in 2009: 1,658 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
That includes Vanderbilt's Larry Smith and Kentucky's Mike Hartline, who were sidelined with injuries at season's end.
Having a new quarterback is not always a hindrance, particularly when the new guy is a longtime backup like Brantley. Alabama's Greg McElroy led the Tide to a national championship last season in his first year as a starter but fourth in the program. And Arkansas's Ryan Mallett, maybe the league's only bona fide star passer going into opening weekend, put up big numbers quickly.
But it can make for quite an interesting ride. See Snead, Jevan.
After all, defenders in the SEC are fast, the hits vicious and the challenge considerable.
"You see a lot of quarterbacks that come through who are great and just struggle in the SEC," McElroy said. "It's so hard to play consistently in this league because week in and week out, you're getting a team's best shot. You're getting a well-coached team, you're getting a disciplined team, you're getting a team that has big, fast athletes. That makes it difficult to be consistent."
Just ask Stephen Garcia. The up-and-down South Carolina junior is the SEC's most experienced quarterback but he's being challenged by freshman Connor Shaw leading up to Thursday night's opener against Southern Miss.
The Rebels' situation is more up in the air. The NCAA denied Masoli's request for a waiver after his transfer from Oregon. Ole Miss is awaiting results of an appeal.
"We were devastated," coach Houston Nutt said Wednesday. "We were hurt by the decision, but it's like I told our guys: It's life. It's why football's the greatest teacher there is. There's going to be ups and downs. But it's not over with Jeremiah. Hopefully by Friday we'll get a different answer but if not, we're getting two quarterbacks ready to go."
That would be the sophomore Stanley and JUCO transfer Randall Mackey. Stanley backed up the aforementioned Snead, throwing just 23 passes. Snead, a Texas transfer, was intercepted 20 times in his second season.
None of the first-time starters face FBS teams coming off winning seasons, which could help ease through the opening day jitters.
A look at the other new SEC quarterbacks:
—Brantley is the most high-profile new starter, because of his team's record and his predecessor's accomplishments. He'll take the field against Miami (Ohio).
"I'm trying not to think about it too much so that I don't get too nervous," Brantley said. "It's going to be a little nerve-racking running out there the first time, but if you're not nervous then there's something wrong. I'm excited. I just can't wait for Saturday to come."
—The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Newton won the Tigers' starting job in the spring, and gives Auburn a dual threat to run coordinator Gus Malzahn's offense.
Newton transferred from Florida after getting charged with stealing a laptop (he says he bought it not knowing it was stolen). The charges were dropped after he completed a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders.
"I think he's a great quarterback," Brantley said. "He's a really smart football player. He knows the game of football. It's just unfortunate because of his past but I think he's going to do a great job at Auburn. I'm pulling for him."
From Newton's perspective, "I feel like the luckiest man on earth to be able to start for any Division I school."
"We were just waiting our turn, and unfortunately he got the chance," Newton said. "But I'm still in an excellent situation myself, so it worked out for the both of us."
—No SEC team has less seasoning at quarterback than Georgia. Murray is a redshirt freshman, backed up by freshman Hutson Mason and two walk-ons. The only Bulldog player with game time at quarterback is Logan Gray, last year's backup to Joe Cox and now a receiver.
No wonder coach Mark Richt said Georgia's "quarterback room has got to be the youngest room maybe in the history of college football."
But he's been here before, having started David Greene and Matthew Stafford as freshmen.
—Mississippi State's Relf was mostly a runner when he saw action last season, gaining 131 yards against Ole Miss. He did throw five TD passes. Russell is a redshirt freshman.
—At Tennessee, Simms beat out freshman Tyler Bray but he hasn't even seen Neyland Stadium on a game day much less started.
"I have played it through my mind a million times, almost everyday since I have been here," Simms said. "Even though each time I play it over in my mind it gets better, it's not going to compare to when I actually do it for the first time. I am just going to try and stay focused and not keep my mouth wide open just looking around at the place."
-- John Zenor
Spurrier: South Carolina focused on Southern Miss
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Steve Spurrier says South Carolina is focused and ready to play Southern Miss, no matter how often he's asked about potential NCAA problems.
"Those issues are not as big as a distraction as some people think," Spurrier said.
Although they have dogged Spurrier, his staff and players throughout the summer.
The Gamecocks already enter Thursday night's opener against Southern Miss minus suspended standout tight end Weslye Saunders, who's been at the center of NCAA inquiries for possible agent contact. He was among several South Carolina players asked by Spurrier to move out of a local hotel.
Golden Eagles coach Larry Fedora said he hears all the time from people speculating on who his team may or may not face at Williams-Brice Stadium.
But "it's one of those things that I have no control over and it's probably not going to affect anything that we do," Fedora said. "We've had our work cut out for us getting ourselves ready and prepared."
Spurrier has said Saunders told him he did not violate NCAA rules. The coach also said that Saunders' suspension was not connected to the NCAA probe. Still, it's been a humbling experience for Spurrier — famous for jabbing at colleagues over rule breaking.
"It is the first time in my coaching career that we have had sort of these kind of issues," Spurrier said. "I realize now how they can happen."
Spurrier said last week that the NCAA typically suspends a player a game or two for such extra-benefit violations. The Gamecocks will accept any penalties, he said, and move on.
Right now, Spurrier's expecting everyone to play as he attempts to add to opening week win streak of 17 straight seasons starting 1-0. Throw in his 2-0 mark with the NFL's Washington Redskins and Spurrier hasn't lost a regular-season opener since falling to South Carolina, 27-21, to start his last season at Duke in 1989.
Even if the faces on the field change, the Gamecocks mission won't.
"I don't believe in distractions," Spurrier said. "A guy gets hurt, we're not going to sit around and mope and cry. Next guy has to go play. That's part of all sports."
At tight end, South Carolina would likely go with senior captain Pat DiMarco who has moved over from fullback. Untested backups Justice Cunningham and Mike Triglia are next on the depth chart.
South Carolina's defense will be without its leading tackler from a year ago in injured Shaq Wilson, who has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury. Quin Smith and Tony Straughter are Wilson's replacements.
Spurrier did bring some clarity to one issue Wednesday — junior Stephen Garcia will open at quarterback. Spurrier has spent the offseason touting freshman Connor Shaw and his chance of supplanting Garcia for the No. 1 job. Garcia started all 13 games a year ago and was second to Arkansas' Ryan Mallett in passing yards among returning SEC quarterbacks.
South Carolina might need Garcia's passing skills if it can't contain Fedora's high-flying Golden Eagles.
Fedora was Florida's offensive coordinator under Ron Zook after Spurrier left the Gators for the NFL and has Southern Miss attacking on offense. The Golden Eagles set a school record with 5,636 yards of offense in Fedora's debut season of 2008 and nearly matched it last year.
In South Carolina's perfect world, its stout defense — the Gamecocks were third in the SEC last season — would corral Southern Miss and an improved run game featuring touted freshman Marcus Lattimore would keep the Golden Eagles' attack off the field.
"With this getting closer, I feel confident," Lattimore said. "The whole running back group feels confident. I know we're going to produce."
Spurrier and Fedora may share more than leading Florida's offense.
Fedora channeled Spurrier a bit this summer when telling a Southern Miss fan gathering that the country will watch the Golden Eagles beat South Carolina and he'd already counseled his players to shake hands like they expected the upset. Fedora has since tempered that stance, saying he never promised a win and that his players always take the field thinking of victory.
No matter who's in South Carolina's lineup, Fedora knows Southern Miss will have its hands full to end an eight-game losing streak to SEC opponents.
"Coach Spurrier, it doesn't matter where he's been in the past, his team's are going to be well prepared," Fedora said. Spurrier has "proven year in and year out, he knows how to score points. But we're looking forward to rolling the ball out there and find out what we're made of."
-- Pete Iacobelli
Rebels turn to Stanley with Masoli ineligible
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi coach Houston Nutt allowed himself a few hours of anguish over Tuesday's news that quarterback Jeremiah Masoli's waiver request to play immediately was denied by the NCAA.
But by Wednesday's practice, there was no more time for despair. Ready or not, Nathan Stanley's time has arrived.
"He knows the playbook, he's got a spring under his belt and he's played in the Cotton Bowl," Nutt said. "He's going to be all right."
The lanky 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore from Tahlequah, Okla., completed 11 of 23 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception last season as Jevan Snead's backup, but remains largely untested in game situations.
Most of Stanley's playing time was during blowouts against lesser opponents, but he did see extended action against Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl after Snead left the game because of an injury.
Nutt said Stanley played well in both spring practice and preseason camp, leaving little worry about how he'll perform on Saturday against Jacksonville State in Oxford.
Stanley, who is in his third year with the program after redshirting in 2008, isn't the only one on the Mississippi offense who doesn't have much experience. The Rebels' will likely use eight new starters on Saturday while trying to replace their leading rusher and leading receiver from last season.
"I've become really comfortable making my reads and finding the open receiver," Stanley said. "The game's difference of course. Things move fast. But I'm ready."
Another option is junior college transfer Randall Mackey, who threw for 3,122 yards, rushed for 579 yards and accounted for 37 touchdowns last season at East Mississippi Community College. He doesn't know the offense as well as Stanley, but he's able to make more plays with his running ability.
Mackey could be useful in the offense's "Wild Rebel" formation, a Nutt concoction that features mostly option plays, reverses and misdirection. It relies on the quarterback's ability to make good decisions and gain yardage on the ground.
Nutt expects Mackey to play against Jacksonville State, though he wasn't sure how much.
"He can do just about everything," Nutt said. "He's really come on."
Mackey said the NCAA's ruling on Masoli was tough on the team, but there wasn't any time to be upset with a game just days away. Stanley and Mackey are the only two scholarship quarterbacks left on the roster.
"It's down to me and Nate so we've got to move on," Mackey said. "That's part of football. We know we've got the guys to do the job right."
Masoli, who transferred from Oregon, was ruled ineligible for the 2010 season after his request to waive a one-year residency requirement was denied by the NCAA. The school appealed, with a decision due in the next week.
-- David Brandt
Iraqi vet takes advantage of 2nd chance at Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Kevin Bush doesn't sweat the little stuff any more.
He'll repeat every drill and line up anywhere the Indiana coaches tell him to go. He won't count the minutes untll the end of practice or the sweltering 90-degree days. The 25-year-old defensive end actually calls two-a-days pure joy.
Crazy? Maybe, until you realize this is the easy life for Bush.
Here, in Bloomington, Ind., home is just a three-hour drive away, the desert is a distant memory and the days of dodging bullets and improvised explosive devices are over. The former Army infantryman has a new mission and that is playing football for the Hoosiers.
"When you're fighting, you have a lot of time to sit and think about things and it matured me fast," said Bush, who spent 14 months stationed in northern and central Iraq. "I try to approach everything, every day with every effort so I can say I left it on the field. I'm just thankful to be here."
Bush should be. His academic struggles cost him a scholarship at Toledo and sent him into a different kind of recruiting office back in the summer of 2006. There, without telling his parents and not needing their signatures, the young Bush joined the Army, knowing he would eventually land in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The lessons over those 3½ years were hard. Some of Bush's buddies died over there, others were wounded. Bush said his dream of wearing cream-and-crimson helped him survive.
"My biggest fear was getting hurt to the point that I'd lose a limb because then I knew I couldn't play," he said. "But over there you did your time and you didn't think about it."
Yes, Bush had some close calls.
He remembers hearing the occasional pop-pop-pop of gun shots while working out in a gym. Or sometimes the shots came in the middle of the night. Then there was July 2008 when Bush and a truckload of soldiers were targeted by the enemy.
Bush was driving a mine-resistant vehicle on patrol that day when he made the mistake of pulling into the sand and right over one of the buried IEDs. The explosion damaged the truck and left one soldier with a head wound and concussion. Nobody else was injured, but it was the closest Bush ever got to being seriously hurt.
"You know, you're bound to get blown up some time or other out there," he says now.
His steely attitude won over his comrades, many of whom, former Army buddy Marcus King recalls, wanted only one guy — Bush — to drive on their patrols.
If he wasn't driving, Bush spent his time putting on a show at the gym.
King recalls many times Bush would come back from the six to 10-hour patrols in the desert heat and head straight for the weight room. And whenever the other guys discussed about what they'd buy when they got home, Bush's conversations covered one topic — college football.
It didn't take the soldiers long to realize this wasn't just talk.
"You've got a lot of guys that come in and tell you these stories," King said. "Everybody says they're a Troy Aikman or an Emmitt Smith and they couldn't prove it. But Bush was different, he put the work in. He'd be in the gym and have a crowd around watching him. He was putting up a lot of weight and he was very devoted to it. We had some good friends over there that we lost along the way, and I think they pushed him even more."
That didn't guarantee Bush a roster spot at Indiana.
When the 24-year-old transfer student with the questionable academic resume returned from Iraq in November 2008, he had to convince Indiana coach Bill Lynch to give him a chance. A recommendation from his former coach at Homestead High School near Fort Wayne, Ind., was just what Bush needed.
Turns out, the Hoosiers wound up getting the better end of the deal. nstead of dealing with some arrogant high school All-American, focused on big numbers and an NFL career, the Hoosiers wound up with the kind of scout team player coaches dream about.
Bush never complained, never questioned the coaches, never asked for special treatment when he sat out 2009 because of NCAA transfer rules. He played so hard in practice that he injured a teammate last season.
"I'd say he might bring more to us off the field than he does on it," Lynch said. "Having seen his work ethic and the way he practiced in the fall. I don't think you'd find too many 24-year-old guys who like being on the scout team. But, you know, he's been through a lot tougher things than this."
Bush cannot forget. The most common question he gets is whether he shot anyone in Iraq. The answer: No.
A few former Indiana players have asked Bush for advice about entering Officers Candidate School. The redshirt sophomore didn't hesitate to give his assessment. Bush still wears a metal wristband as a tribute to one buddy who was killed overseas, and he has a tattoo of a biblical verse on his arm as a reminder of how he survived.
He's not afraid to talk about Iraq — the good, the bad or the ugly — and when he finally got a chance to play in the spring game this April, King drove up from Hopkinsville, Ky., to watch.
"I was so proud of him," said King, a semipro football player. "I've been to Iraq three times, and I've never heard of anyone that got out and came back and played college football. So to see him in those colors, I was just really proud of him."
On Thursday night, when Towson visits Bloomington, the Iraqi veteran will finally make his college football debut at the tender age of 25 and two days after President Obama formally announced the end of combat operations in Iraq.
The Hoosiers hope to improve on last season's 4-8 mark and a victory over Football Championship Subdivision school Towson (2-9)would be a good start.
It's likely Bush will have an impact, too.
He goes into the game listed as the second string defensive end, and after adding almost 30 pounds since his deployment, Bush has grown into the prototypical rush end/standup linebacker for the Hoosiers' new 3-4 defense. But teammates look to Bush for something else — leadership.
"I think because of his life experiences, everyone looks up to him," senior linebacker Tyler Replogle said. "We've had a few brief discussions about his experience there, and it really puts everything in perspective."
For Bush, too.
"People sometimes ask me if I regret doing it, but I don't regret it at all," he said of his service. "I tell it how it is so it doesn't get misconstrued. But I knew (at Toledo) that I was never going to get the grades I needed to, and I know, 100 percent that I would not be here without the Army. I'm one guy who deserves a second chance."
-- Michael Marot
Post-cancer, foot injury, Herzlich back for BC
BOSTON (AP) — Cancer kept Mark Herzlich out for all of last season, and a stress fracture in his foot this summer threatened to delay the Boston College linebacker's return to the field.
But Herzlich returned to practice this week and said on Wednesday he expects to play in Saturday's opener against Weber State.
"It's three days away. I can't believe that," Herzlich said before practice. "Sept. 4 was my goal the whole time. I still have a lot of work to do. I'll be excited on Friday morning, when all we have left is a walkthrough, dinner and sleeping in a hotel room."
The Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year in 2008, Herzlich was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma and sat out the 2009 season while receiving radiation treatment and chemotherapy. He was pronounced cancer-free by doctors lst fall, but during this year's training camp he sustained a stress fracture in his right foot.
On Tuesday, he returned to practice.
"It felt sore. It felt good," he said a day later. "Then I realized, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to have to practice again in 95 degree heat (on Wednesday).' Oh, my gosh, it was tiring. But it was definitely the best workout. That felt good."
BC coach Frank Spaziani acknowledged that there was more than football involved in Herzlich's comeback, but he said he will try to make decisions on how much to play the star linebacker based on the circumstances in the game.
"We want to keep all of the players happy — within the framework of the team," Spaziani said. "Mark is a special case, but he knows better than anybody that the team comes first."
Spaziani said he didn't think Herzlich would play a full game, but otherwise the coach couldn't predict how Herzlich's body would respond to its first action since the 2008 Music City Bowl.
But at least the problem this time is conditioning; Herzlich said he did virtually no running for four months.
"I don't know what he's definitely doing," Spaziani said Wednesday. "He's definitely practicing today. I'm not to Saturday yet."
Herzlich's father has accumulated 75 tickets for the game, and his high school coaches will be also be there. The school will also include children who have survived cancer in a pregame ceremony.
Herzlich said he is proud of the work he has done to raise money for cancer research, and to serve as a role model for others who are facing a frightening diagnosis. But he is also eager to be thought of once again as a star football player who was a Butkus Award finalist in 2008 after leading the Eagles with 81 tackles in 2008 and intercepted six passes — the most in the nation for a linebacker.
"Some people don't think of me as a football player at all," Herzlich said. "But I don't ever want either of those things to go away."
-- Jimmy Golen
Irish hope 3-4 can solve leaky defense
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame's leaky defense, the one that gave up yards in bunches a year ago — especially during a four-game losing streak to end the season — is pretty much old news. At least that's how Kerry Neal sees it.
There's a new coach, of course, in Brian Kelly, who brought defensive coordinator Bob Diaco along with him from Cincinnati. A different scheme, the 3-4, is taking over for the 4-3.
And for Neal, there's a move from defensive end — where he started five times a year ago — to outside linebacker, where he won a role as a starter with his play this preseason.
With Purdue coming to town for Saturday's season opener, it's time to see how much improvement the Irish have made — if they've plugged up the holes with their new system, if the changes make a difference.
"We just don't even look back at last year," says Neal, who beat out fellow senior Brian Smith to be a starter at outside linebacker along with Darius Fleming. "Out with the old, in with the new."
If he did care to recall last season, he'd see the 6-6 finish and a porous defense that allowed 397.8 yards per game total offense, including 170.2 rushing. In that final month, Navy, Pitt, Connecticut and Stanford all had great success running against the Irish.
"I know you can't win championships without playing good run defense. I can tell you that right now," says Kelly. "And we'll get tested right out of the gates. Purdue is going to run the football."
The Boilermakers' running game features Al-Terek McBurse after last year's leading rusher Ralph Bolden tore up his knee.
Up front for the Irish will be junior defensive ends Ethan Johnson and Kapron Lewis-Moore and senior Ian Williams at nose guard. Inside linebacker Manti Te'o started 10 games as freshman and will be calling signals and be joined on the inside for the first game by Carlo Calabrese, with projected starter Anthony McDonald slowed by a hyper extended knee.
"Our defense is pretty much the same guys who were there last year," Te'o says. "We've been through that, been through what we had to go through last year. We've seen the mistakes we've made and we know the corrections to those mistakes."
Safety Harrison Smith had a strong preseason camp and seniors Darrin Walls and Gary Gray will be on the corners.
But the linebackers could be a focal point. Neal could be rushing the passer or could be in coverage.
"I'll be out in space more," said Neal, who has 21 career starts. "I feel like I'm a pretty versatile guy. I can go out and cover and I can rush the passer. So it's the best of both worlds."
Don't expect Brian Smith, second on the team in tackles last season with, to get sore from sitting on the bench, either, even if he didn't beat out Neal to start. Diaco says many of his players are interchangeable and he'll be using more than just the starters as the season progresses.
"Coaches expect everybody they put out there to be able to go out and get the job done," Harrison Smith said, adding that the new coaching staff has stressed keeping defensive calls simple and tried to make so many returning players comfortable.
"Just the way they came in and didn't try to make it like them versus us, which is what I've heard happens a lot of times when there is a coaching change," Harrison Smith added. "It was kind of, 'We all need to unite as fast as we can.' ...It made a lot of sense to me."
Diaco, a former star linebacker at Iowa, has stressed versatility and variety.
"You got to ask the players to do the things they can do well," he said. "Don't become too one-sided. I think we can move that way. It seems there are a lot of players who can do a lot of different jobs."
And Diaco's defense might not rest too much this season.
With Kelly's fast-paced offense, where the challenge is to score as quickly as possible, time of possession is not a big deal. Get off and let the defense play.
Diaco says working against such a potent spread offense every day in practice should be beneficial to his defense.
"That's a help," he said. "Just like it's a hindrance when you are going against a team that runs an offense that doesn't even remotely resemble anything your offense does. So there will be weeks that it will be an asset, there will be weeks it will be a liability."
-- Rick Gano
Shoemate gets chance to play tailback at UConn
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut tailback D.J. Shoemate still wears his 2009 Rose Bowl championship ring.
The junior, who transferred to UConn from Southern California this summer, says he's not trying to show off to any of his new teammates, but instead wears the ring as a reminder of what it takes to become a champion.
"I'm keeping my eyes on the prize, the Orange Bowl, BCS bowl," he said. "When I was at SC, we competed with everybody. We worked hard. We prepared, and the end result was a Rose Bowl championship. It was one of the proudest moments of my life."
Shoemate had committed to Southern California as a 15 year-old sophomore in high school. But after arriving, he was moved from tailback to fullback, and said it was not a good fit. He started the Rose Bowl, but spent most of his time at USC as a reserve.
He began looking for a new school after the NCAA hit the Trojans with sanctions that allowed players to transfer without having to sit out a year.
"I just saw the opportunity and the love I didn't feel for fullback," he said. "I thought I could be utilized in a totally different way."
He looked at Texas, TCU, Boise State and North Carolina. He added UConn to the mix at the urging of a close friend and high school teammate, Johnny McEntee, a backup quarterback for the Huskies.
"We ran a similar offense in high school," McEntee said. "I just told him that we had some opportunities for him here and if he wanted to come, he could be a big impact for us."
Shoemate had already seen UConn play. He traveled with McEntee's family during a USC bye week last November to watch the Huskies at Notre Dame. UConn won 33-30 in two overtimes.
"They showed heart, camaraderie, and they just executed," he said. "That really, really stuck out to me when I was considering going to another university."
What tipped the scales, Shoemate said, was UConn coach Randy Edsall. He encouraged Shoemate to visit several schools before making a decision. He didn't promise Shoemate playing time, but told him he could compete for time at tailback.
"That showed his true character, he wasn't trying to tell me a bunch of bull crap," Shoemate said. "He was just keeping it as real as possible."
Shoemate joined an already deep stable of tailbacks at UConn, but made his way up the ranks during training camp. When the final depth chart was released Tuesday, he found himself behind only junior Jordan Todman, who rushed for almost 1,200 yards a year ago while splitting time with Andre Dixon.
Todman said he welcomes Shoemate, who he describes as a strong and punishing runner, and a great athlete.
"We'll take on anybody who can help us win games," he said.
Shoemate is expected to be used mostly in short-yardage situations. Edsall said Todman, Shoemate and junior Robbie Frey all will see action on Saturday against Michigan.
"We have a role right now that we think D.J. will fill," Edsall said. "And I think that role that we have, I think he'll do a good job with that role. I'm glad that he's here, because there are things that he's going to do that are going to contribute to the success of our football team and most especially our offensive team."
Shoemate said he's been impressed with his teammates' work ethic, drive and passion for learning the game. He said he's hoping that by the end of his two years in Storrs, he'll be able to replace that Rose Bowl ring.
"I'm 100 percent a Husky now," Shoemate said. "The ring that I wear just signifies the hard work that it takes to get to that level. Without a doubt, I believe we can get there."
-- Pat Eaton-Robb
Middle Tennessee, Minnesota have questions aplenty
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — No one's quite sure what to expect any more when Minnesota and Middle Tennessee kick off the season Thursday night.
The first game is always a time of uncertainty, but recent suspensions have added to the mystery of how these two teams will start what figure to be pivotal seasons in their march toward national relevance.
It was supposed to be a coming out party of sorts for Middle Tennessee after a 10-win season. It's also a chance for Minnesota to show it's going to be better than the critics think after consecutive bowl trips.
The game will be on ESPNU, a rare television appearance for Middle Tennessee. And the Thursday night kickoff to the football season adds to the attention on Murfreesboro.
The Blue Raiders will be without quarterback Dwight Dasher, the dual threat who was suspended in the midst of an NCAA investigation into whether he took an improper loan.
The Gophers won't have two key players, safety Kyle Theret and offensive tackle Dom Alford. They were suspended by coach Tim Brewster for violating unspecified team rules.
Theret is one of just two returning starters on defense, while Alford is a key cog at left tackle for a line that returned all five players.
The loss of Dasher hasn't elicited much hand-wringing from coach Rick Stockstill. He named sophomore junior college transfer Logan Kilgore the starter and he tells everyone who asks of the confidence he has in his other players.
"Dwight is a great player, but this team is much more than Dwight Dasher," Stockstill said. "We talk about having a chip on our shoulder. You want to be the best in America, and prove it every time you play. These players need this chip so they can prove this team is more than just Dwight Dasher."
No one's quite sure how Kilgore will play and Stockstill has a rule against newcomers talking with reporters until they've played, so no one can ask his opinion. He's more of a dropback passer than Dasher, but will run the ball at times.
Brewster was able to put together a detailed scouting report from Kilgore's time at Bakersfield College, where he threw for 2,512 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, and sees a player who is still a threat.
"I have a lot of contacts in California so we've been able to evaluate his talents, his skill," Brewster said. "He's very athletic. He can do the things that Dasher was going to do. They're not going to change their offense. They probably won't have as many quarterback runs with Kilgore, but he's plenty athletic enough to do the things they want to do running the ball. And we're very, very impressed with his ability to throw the football."
The loss of Dasher hasn't seemed to dim the enthusiasm around the game for Blue Raiders players and fans. The school extended ticket office hours to meet increased demand and something close to a sellout is expected.
"I hope it's sold out," defensive tackle Dwight Smith said. "That's a dream and that's the one thing we said coming in as a freshman class when we came in 2007. We said we're going to sell this stadium out before we leave. That was a goal and hopefully we'll reach it."
Stockstill embraces the enthusiasm around the team. The Blue Raiders have earned it, after all. They became the first Sun Belt Conference team to win 10 games in a season last year and capped 2009 with a win in the New Orleans Bowl — just their second bowl berth since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision.
He wants everyone to approach the upcoming season and all those expectations that are building around his program with caution. Minnesota is a big, talented team from a major conference, not an opponent to take lightly.
"It would be a big win, but we're not talking about that," Stockstill said. "It's not something, 'Hey, we've got to win this game to validate our program or validate our team or our season.'"
-- Chris Talbott
Wake ready to break in new QB in opener
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest is breaking in a new quarterback, and coach Jim Grobe knows exactly what he'd do if he was facing a team in the same situation.
"Absolutely, I'd turn the gas up, and see if we can't go get you," Grobe said.
The Demon Deacons' first opponent probably doesn't have the bodies to do that often.
Wake Forest opens its season Thursday night against Presbyterian, a transitioning Championship Subdivision team that went winless last season, has lost 14 straight and has never played a school from one of the six major conferences since starting its jump to Division I in 2007.
So, the biggest challenge Wake Forest faces probably won't come from the Blue Hose. Rather, it'll likely be adjusting to life without the security of that familiar No. 11 jersey once worn by Riley Skinner.
The most accomplished passer in school history, and the leader of the program's most successful four-year run, has graduated, so the Demon Deacons are turning their offense over to Ted Stachitas.
The former No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart knows plenty about replacing supposedly irreplaceable players — he took over his high school program in Florida when Tim Tebow moved on to college stardom, and led Nease High to consecutive state championship games. He was 14 of 22 passing in three scrimmages this preseason but has never thrown a pass in a game.
"I've known Ted for a number of years, and the thing about Ted that's maybe different from Riley is, he's not as vocal as Riley was as a leader, but just his work ethic and his skill and the way he commands respect by the way he's a hard worker and a guy who wants to win," said linebacker Hunter Haynes, a prep teammate of both Stachitas and Tebow.
"You can always see that in Ted, and it's been exciting to see him work hard this spring and this camp. He's come out and given it his all, and pours everything that he has into this camp. Everyone sees that, and they want that in a leader and a quarterback."
For Wake Forest, which last year missed the postseason for the first time since 2005, this seems to shape up as precisely the kind of matchup in which Grobe can ease his quarterback into his new role. One of the nation's youngest teams, Presbyterian has only five fifth-year seniors on the roster.
Six defensive players had significant starting experience last year, but the Blue Hose allowed an average of nearly 478 total yards and averaged roughly one sack per game.
"We understand that Presbyterian had an unsuccessful season, as we did last year," Wake Forest running back Josh Adams said. "They're going to be hungry for wins. Their defense is a very fast defense. They like to blitz a lot, so they're definitely going to challenge our offense with blitzes coming off the edge from the linebackers and the cornerbacks."
It doesn't get any easier for the Blue Hose, either: They play another guarantee game next week at Clemson.
"We're going to try to get the Peach Bowl bid, I believe, playing these two ACC schools at the beginning," second-year coach Harold Nichols said with a laugh. "All kidding aside ... the fact (is) that it's more about focusing in on your own team. Obviously, Wake Forest and Coach Grobe and their staff, they've got a great program there. ... The biggest thing for us is to be able to adapt to the speed of the game."
-- Joedy McCreary
Week 1 foes Virginia, Richmond traded coaches
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — New Richmond football coach Latrell Scott will be in familiar surroundings for his debut as a head coach. The big difference is the location of his locker room.
Scott spent last season coaching wide receivers under Al Groh at Virginia. Now he'll be taking his Spiders to Charlottesville for their opener, and against a familiar face.
Mike London, Richmond's head coach the past two seasons, is now running the Cavaliers.
Given his brief history at Virginia, Scott doesn't expect a warm reception.
"They're going to treat me just like any other coach who's coming in there trying to play," said the 35-year-old, one of the youngest coaches in Division I. "I had a great season in Charlottesville despite our record. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the people."
So, too, is London, though he expects the warm and fuzzies to happen after the game.
"Pregame, they may not want to talk to me. I understand that," he said, recalling that he got a chilly reception three years ago after leaving Virginia to take his first head coaching job at Richmond, his alma mater.
There are close Virginia and Richmond ties between the assistant coaches, too.
Three of Scott's assistant coaches came with him from Virginia, another was an assistant there previously and another played for the Cavaliers.
Virginia's defensive coordinator, Jim Reid, ranks among the Spiders' leaders in career coaching victories. The Cavaliers also have three other assistants that came with London from Richmond and a former Spiders strength coach.
London's former players have said there are no hard feelings, even though his departure came just days after Richmond lost in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals. A year earlier, he had guided them to the national championship.
"We understand his decision," linebacker Eric McBride, who started in each of London's seasons at Richmond. "He has family. He has goals. He has dreams. He had this opportunity he has to take, so best to him. We're excited to play against him on September 4th."
Defensive lineman Martin Parker, who also started both seasons, said if he should happen to be involved in a play that ends with him standing near the Virginia sidelines and close to London, he might say hello and shake his hand before heading back to his team's huddle.
But the rest of the action doesn't figure to be as cordial.
Last season, it was a loss to William & Mary — also like Richmond an FCS school and member of the Colonial Athletic Association — that started the Cavaliers on a deep downward spiral.
"I've been on both sides of this game," Scott said. "I've been down as an assistant and beat Duke. I've been at Virginia and lost to William & Mary. I know what these games entail. I think when you have teams like Richmond, people don't take teams like this (lightly).
Scott said FCS teams know "they have the opportunity to win a game like this if they do the right thing. On the flip side, Virginia also knows if they don't play well, they could lose."
The hardest part now, Scott said, will be waiting for the 6 p.m. kickoff.
"We'd kick that thing off at noon if we could," he said.
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
SDSU eager for fast start in 2nd year under Hoke
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego State Aztecs hope their second year under coach Brady Hoke begins better than the first year ended.
The Aztecs are eager to show progress when they host Nicholls State on Saturday night. SDSU will try to win consecutive openers for the first time since 2003-04.
The Aztecs were a hit early last year, and then faded at the finish line. After winning four of their first eight games, it appeared SDSU would become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1998.
But the Aztecs lost their last four games, twice squandering double-digit leads in the fourth quarter.
"I don't know if it was us wearing down; I wouldn't say that," said defensive lineman Ernie Lawson, one of the team captains. "You know coach Hoke has preached on it a lot, a whole lot that we just didn't finish. Was that because guys were tired out at the end? I'm not sure but we just didn't finish the way we needed."
The Aztecs will lean on an offense that features three-year starting quarterback Ryan Lindley and two top wide receivers in Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson.
Brown was among 10 semifinalists for the 2009 Biletnikoff Award before being sidelined with a thumb injury. He was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Conference squad.
"It's been a long time for me and I'm real anxious and excited to just get back out there under the lights at Qualcomm again," said Brown, who had six TD catches in seven games last year.
Hoke is hoping the team's moribund running game rebounds behind freshman Ronnie Hillman and sophomore Walter Kazee. The Aztecs will look to run behind center Trask Iosefa, who will make his 37th straight start Saturday and is considered among the better college centers.
The Aztecs hope to bolt from the gate, what with Nicholls State coming off a 3-8 season and Saturday's game marking the debut of new coach Charlie Stubbs.
"I told the kids the other night it really doesn't matter who we play," Hoke said. "It's how we play, how we approach the game and how we prepare for the game. That is something we have talked a lot about."
The Aztecs haven't had a winning record or gone to a bowl game since finishing 7-5 in 1998.
"Now you find out what kind of team we are," Hoke said. "That is what you really find out early in the season. It's exciting to be at home and open the season at home.
"We're excited to get started. It's been a long time since we could hit someone else."
Curry returns at age 67 to start up new program
ATLANTA (AP) — Bill Curry hasn't been on the sideline for a college game since 1996, so excuse the ol' coach if it takes him a few plays — maybe even a few games — to get up to speed.
"I'm trying to remember everything I can," the 67-year-old Curry said. "I hope it's enough to knock the rust off so I don't do too many embarrassing things."
He's still got a few tricks up his sleeve, though.
With a sly grin, he won't reveal the starting quarterback for his new team at Georgia State until the offense runs on the field for the first time. And he's brought in some big names to chat up his players, such as former teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis, who stopped by a few days ago to give the Panthers a pep talk.
Now, it's time to see if all that chicanery and inspiration will pay off. On Thursday night, Curry leads the Panthers onto the field for their inaugural game against Shorter.
"This means a lot to me. This means lot more than I thought it would. This is my hometown," he said. "I have an emotional attachment to these streets. I know that sounds weird, but it's the truth."
When Curry was let go by Kentucky 14 years ago, he seemed at the end of the line in a career than began at Georgia Tech, his alma mater, and included a highly contentious stint at Alabama, where he was never fully accepted trying to fill Bear Bryant's shoes.
But along came another school, right down the road from Georgia Tech and about six blocks away from the old Rich's department store where his father once worked, starting up a football program of its own. When Georgia State called, asking if he might be interested in coaching again, Curry jumped at the chance.
He has stayed familiar with the college game after leaving Kentucky, working 11 seasons as an ESPN analyst. He believes that experience made it easier to step back into coaching after so long away.
"I was right in the middle of a lot of great programs," Curry said. "I sat in the room with Tom Brady before his first start at Michigan, when nobody thought he would be the starter. As soon as Brady left the room, I knew he could be something special.
"I learned from all that. I hope it makes me a better football coach. I know it made me a better person."
Even though he's now in his late 60s, Curry still has that same passion for teaching young men that he brought to his first coaching job at Georgia Tech, way back in 1980.
He'll go on and on about how football is the greatest team sport there is, the one where everyone has to work together on every play. Even if 10 guys get it right, he'll point out, one guy going the wrong way can mess the whole thing up.
Mark Hogan was certainly impressed with Curry's vigor. He wanted to play for the man who had coached Hogan's father at Georgia Tech, so much so that he was Georgia State's first — and, for a while, only — player. He worked out on his own in the early days of the program before the Panthers signed their first full recruiting class.
"He cares about his players. He's a man of integrity. He's knows what he's doing. He's got a lot of experience," Hogan said. "He told me the other day, 'If I wasn't so enthused about this, I wouldn't be here.'"
In some ways, Curry comes across as more preacher than coach, a deeply religious man who talks as much about hope and redemption as he does blitzes and running plays. To his critics over the years, this surely sounds familiar — they always thought he was much more impressive in front of the cameras than he was on the field.
Only six times in his 17 years at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky did Curry's teams finish with a winning record. Even his best season — in 1989, Alabama went 10-2 and shared the Southeastern Conference championship — didn't end well. Hopes of a perfect season crashed with a third straight loss to rival Auburn. When school officials tried to strip away some of Curry's power in a new contract, he left for Kentucky and failed to produce a winning record in seven seasons.
All that's in the past now.
Curry and his players see a chance to leave a lasting legacy at school that has largely ignored its athletic programs. More than 4,000 season tickets have been sold for a team that will play a step below the big time in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.
A crowd of up to 20,000 is expected for the historic first game at the cavernous Georgia Dome, also home to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
"We know we're going to playing in the same place where NFL players have played," linebacker Jake Muasau said. "That triggers something in your mind. I you want to be an NFL player, you better start playing line one."
Curry promises an entertaining show, even if takes a while to knock the rust off.
"It'll be fun to watch us," he said. "We're not asking people to come to downtown Atlanta to see a team that will run it into the line and hope to hang in the game. No, there will be none of that."
-- Paul Newberry
