College Football Capsules: Backup Texas QB leaving to focus on academics

AUSTIN (AP) — Backup Texas quarterback Sherrod Harris won’t return for his final season so he can focus on getting his degree.

Harris said Friday he had “a couple of tough semesters” and wanted to stay on track to graduate in December. He is majoring in corporate communications.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder from the Dallas area played in five games during three seasons as a backup to Colt McCoy.

Harris was the No. 3 quarterback last year behind McCoy and then-freshman Garrett Gilbert, the new starter who played most of the BCS championship game loss to Alabama after McCoy got hurt.

The backup battle will be between a pair of freshmen — Connor Wood and Case McCoy, Colt’s brother.

Investigations

AP Sources: Vols coaches interviewed by NCAA

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA has interviewed several current and former Tennessee coaches and recruits regarding an investigation into possible recruiting violations, people with knowledge of the probe have told The Associated Press.

Previews

MWC squads pursue TCU as Boise State awaits

DENVER — TCU’s Gary Patterson plopped into his seat at Mountain West Conference media day and professed how good it felt to still have a job in an age where football coaches sweat over security as much as they do the scoreboard.

As if he has anything to worry about.

The Horned Frogs are a bona fide power, finishing sixth in The Associated Press poll last season after a 12-1 season that was marred only by a loss to Boise State, a soon-to-be conference foe, in the Fiesta Bowl.

Returning another stacked team led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton, TCU will again have its sights set on not just the MWC crown but a national title.

First, though, the Frogs have to navigate a nonconference schedule that includes Oregon State in the opener and a conference docket that isn’t exactly a cakewalk, especially with a visit to Utah on Nov. 6.

But they’re clearly the favorite to win a second straight MWC crown.

After this season, TCU will be joined by its BCS busting brethren Boise State in the Mountain West. The Broncos are bolting from the Western Athletic Conference.

They’ll essentially take the place of Utah as the Utes split for the conference that will be called the Pac-12.

“I’m sad to see Utah leave. We’ve had great games. It’s been a great rivalry,” Patterson said. “I think they brought a lot to the conference.”

So, too, have the Broncos, a 26-1 squad over the last two seasons. They only elevate the profile of the conference, something that commissioner Craig Thompson is trying to do as the MWC laboriously lobbies for an automatic bid to the BCS.

The league is definitely making a compelling case, joining the Big Ten and SEC last season as the only conferences to have two teams in the top 12 in the final polls.

Even more, the conference has a 9-3 bowl mark against automatic-qualifying BCS teams since 2004.

These are all stats that Thompson likes to drop when promoting the league.

“We have no issue with the bowl system per se,” Thompson said. “Our issue is we think we’re performing and playing at a level that is equal to and deserves a spot in one of the BCS bowls, along with the current six automatic qualifiers.”

TCU enters the season with a loaded defense that was the best in the nation for a second straight season. The Horned Frogs also return Dalton, the conference’s offensive player of the year after throwing for a school-record 2,756 yards.

“Personally, I don’t see how you can’t choose TCU as the favorite,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose squad was picked to finish second in the preseason conference media poll. “What they accomplished last year and what they have coming back, that’s a no-brainer.”

Utah remains a contender, BYU returns a solid nucleus after an 11-2 season and Air Force could be a factor as the Falcons return their entire backfield.

Still, TCU remains the unquestioned headliner. The Horned Frogs have a fire burning, too, especially after losing 17-10 to Boise State to deny them a perfect record.

“That, in itself, is motivation,” Dalton said. “That’s been a lot of our drive, to want to get back to that game and win it this year. The way we worked this offseason and summer shows how hungry we are and how ready we are to get this season started.”

TCU — Key players: LB Tank Carder, QB Andy Dalton, DE Wayne Daniels, DB Tejay Johnson, WR Jeremy Kerley, OL Jake Kirkpatrick. Returning starters: 9 offense, 7 defense

Notes: Dalton is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks to step ever step under center at TCU, tying Sammy Baugh for most wins (29) in school history. He will lead the drive toward another shot at a national title. .. The team’s biggest stumbling block early could be their first game against Oregon State at Cowboys Stadium.

Utah — Key players: RB Eddie Wide, OLs Caleb Schlauderaff and Zane Taylor, DB Brandon Burton. Returning starters: 8 offense, 4 defense.

Notes: The Utes will make one last stand in the conference before leaving for the Pac-12. Their 17-game home winning streak — second-longest in school history — will be put to the test as they host Pittsburgh, TCU and BYU. ... The team has a nine-game bowl win streak, the longest active streak in the country.

BYU — Key players: OL Matt Reynolds, DBs Andrew Rich and Brian Logan, RB JJ Di Luigi. Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Since 2006, BYU has a 43-9 record, one of the top marks in the nation. ... The Cougars will have to replace the tandem of QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga. Hall threw for more than 3,000 yards and Unga ran topped the 1,000-yard mark in three straight seasons.

Air Force — Key players: FB Jared Tew, TB Asher Clark, QBs Connor Dietz and Tim Jefferson. Returning starters: 5 offense, 5 defense.

Notes: The Falcons are stacked on offense, returning their entire backfield. Tew led the team in rushing with 970 yards. ... Air Force has a formidable tandem at defensive back in Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright. They had 10 interceptions between them last year. ... The Falcons will play a rigorous schedule that includes a game at Oklahoma on Sept. 18.

Wyoming — Key players: DB Chris Prosinski, QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, RB Alvester Alexander. Returning starters: 7 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: Carta-Samuels threw for 1,953 yards last season, the third-best mark in league history for a freshman. ... The Cowboys went to their first bowl last season since 2004. The team beat Fresno State in two overtime, 35-28, in the New Mexico Bowl. ... Prosinski led Wyoming in tackles last year with 140, which ranked tied for 10th in the nation.

San Diego State — Key players: WRs Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson, QB Ryan Lindley. Returning starters: 9 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: Lindley has his two biggest targets back in Brown and Sampson. Brown had five 100-yard games last season before a thumb injury ended his season on Oct. 24 at Colorado State. ... The father of senior LB Marcus Yarbrough once played on the offensive line for the Aztecs from 1978-81.

Colorado State — Key players: LB Mychal Sisson, RBs Leonard Mason and John Mosure. Returning starters: 4 offense, 10 defense.

Notes: The Rams possess a deep backfield with Mason, the team’s top rusher, Mosure and Lou Greenwood all returning. ... Freshmen Pete Thomas and Nico Ranieri are contending for the quarterback job. ... CSU went 3-9 in coach Steve Fairchild’s second season at the helm. ... Sisson had six sacks and 15½ tackles for loss last season.

UNLV — Key players: WR Phillip Payne, RB Channing Trotter, QB Omar Clayton. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: Rebels coach Bobby Hauck takes over after spending the last seven seasons in charge of the University of Montana, a perennial power in the FCS. ... Payne will try to step in and fill the spot of Ryan Wolfe, who left as the conference’s all-time leading receiver with 283 receptions. ... UNLV has four returning starters on the offensive line.

New Mexico — Key players: DL Johnathan Rainey, LB Carmen Messina, RB Desmond Dennis. Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Messina led the nation in tackles last season with 162. He also had three sacks. ... Lobos coach Mike Locksley finished his inaugural season 1-11. He served a 10-day suspension during the year for his role in a physical altercation with an assistant. ... Dennis rushed for 427 yards and three TDs for the Lobos last season.

Pac-10 expecting season of parity

PHOENIX (AP) — The Pac-10’s football coaches went on a look-at-us road show to the East Coast in July, hitting Times Square, ringing the opening bell at NASDAQ and visiting ESPN’s headquarters before landing back on the floor of the Rose Bowl for a media meet and greet.

Now it’s time to see if their teams can live up to the hype.

In what may be its final official year as the Pac-10 — next year’s addition of Utah and likely Colorado, too, will make 12 teams — the conference is as deep and talented as it’s been for quite some time. There may not be a legitimate national-title contender and Southern California has a two-year bowl ban because of the Reggie Bush fiasco, but the Pac-10 has eight or nine teams that can contend for the conference title.

“There is a lot of parity in this conference, there is no doubt about it,” California coach Jeff Tedford said. “Last year we had five teams with the same record. Very difficult to go through this conference unscathed. Very competitive. There is firepower on offense and a lot of great defenses.”

Oregon is the favorite, by a slight margin.

The Ducks are the defending conference champions after going 8-1 — 10-3 overall — and are coming off their first Rose Bowl since 1994. Oregon is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, has a no-huddle offense that makes defenders’ heads spin and is chock-full of confidence after knocking USC off the conference throne for the first time since 2001.

Still, it wasn’t a quiet offseason for the Ducks.

The big blow was the loss of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, who was dismissed from the team after a second run-in with the law. That leaves senior Nate Costa and sophomore Darron Thomas in a battle that will likely last until just before the season starts.

Running back LaMichael James, who set the Pac-10 freshman record with 1,546 yards rushing last season, was suspended for the season opener against New Mexico after an altercation with his ex-girlfriend that led to a guilty plea on a harassment charge. Two other players were dismissed from the team and two more were suspended for brushes with the law.

“We’re just moving forward, looking at a new season,” defensive tackle Brandon Bair said. “It’s just like we graduated the guys that are gone.”

USC made the Ducks’ offseason seem manageable.

The Trojans, coming off a lackluster 5-4 conference season, were rocked by the loss of coach Pete Carroll, who left for the Seattle Seahawks, then were hit with heavy sanctions that included a two-year bowl ban after the NCAA ruled Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo received improper benefits.

The sanctions allowed players to transfer without having to take a year off and many did leave, leaving new coach Lane Kiffin with just 70 scholarship players — 15 below the NCAA’s limit — at the start of training camp.

“The only way we’re going to be able to express ourselves is to win 13 games,” tailback Allen Bradford said. “We know it’s going to be difficult this year.”

OREGON — Key players: QBs Nate Costa and Derron Thomas, RB LaMichael James, DE Kenny Rowe, MLB Casey Matthews. Returning starters: 9 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: Costa was slated to start two seasons ago before an injury and Thomas has drawn some comparisons to former Ducks QB Dennis Dixon, so the loss of Masoli might not slow Oregon’s potent offense much at all. ... Had nine games of more than 200 yards rushing last season including 391 vs. USC. ... Offensive line returns intact. ... Rowe had 11½ sacks last season.

USC — Key players: QB Matt Barkley, WR Ronald Johnson, DT Jurrell Casey, MLB Chris Galippo. Returning starters: 5 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Coach Lane Kiffin draws lots of attention for what he says and how he acts, but he was 7-6 in his only season at Tennessee, with close loses to Alabama and Florida. ... Barkley started as a freshman and had an up and down season with 15 TD passes and 14 interceptions. ... Trojans start season at Hawaii, which allowed them opportunity to play 13-game regular season.

ARIZONA — Key players: QB Nick Foles, RB Nic Grigsby, DE Ricky Elmore. Returning starters: 8 offense, 4 defense.

Notes: New QB coach Frank Scelfo tutored eventual first-round draft picks Patrick Ramsey and J.P. Losman at Tulane ... Wildcats finished a solid season with a thud, getting beat 33-0 by Nebraska in Holiday Bowl. ... Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, head coach Mike’s brother, left for Florida.

CALIFORNIA — Key players: RB Shane Vereen, LB Mike Mohamed, TE Anthony Miller. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: QB Kevin Riley has had a mixed career at Cal, but he’s a senior now and the Bears need him to find the consistency that has eluded him. ... Vereen led team with 952 yards rushing last year filling in for first-round draft pick Jahvid Best. ... New defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was in NFL for last 15 years.

STANFORD — Key players: QB Andrew Luck, G David DeCastro, WR Chris Owusu, NT Sione Fua, LB Shayne Skov. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: Luck, projected as a possible first-round draft pick, takes over the reins after Doak Walker Award winner Toby Gerhart moved on to the NFL. ... Coach Jim Harbaugh has been mentioned as a possible candidate for NFL and big-name colleges but has so far stuck with Stanford. ... The Cardinal are coming off their first bowl appearance since 2001.

WASHINGTON — Key players: QB Jake Locker, RB Chris Polk, WR Jermaine Kearse, LB Mason Foster, S Nate Williams. Returning starters: 9 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: An accurate drop-back passer, Locker is a Heisman Trophy front-runner and the likely No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft. ... Polk became the first freshman in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards (1,113) and caught 25 passes. ... The Huskies went from 0-12 in 2008 to 5-7 in their first season under Steve Sarkisian and expect to make another jump this season behind Locker.

OREGON STATE: Key players: RB Jacquizz Rodgers, WR James Rodgers, DT Stephen Paea, LB Dwight Roberson, CB James Dockery. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: Jacquizz Rodgers was third in the nation with 21 rushing TDs, while his brother, James, led the Pac-10 with 179.1 all-purpose yards per game. ... The Beavers must find a replacement for QB Sean Canfield, who graduated. Sophomore Ryan Katz and Peter Lalich a transfer from Virginia, will fight it out. ... Oregon State finished tied for second in the Pac-10 last season, just missing its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1965 with a loss to rival Oregon.

UCLA: Key players: QB Kevin Prince, WR Nelson Rosario, WR Taylor Embree, LB Akeem Ayers, S Rahim Moore, DE Datone Jones, K Kai Forbath. Returning starters: 7 offense, 5 defense.

Notes: The Bruins are making steady progress under coach Rick Neuheisel, winning seven games last season and four the year before, and have had two stellar recruiting classes. ... Forbath has made 37 straight FGs inside 50 yards. ... Moore led the NCAA with 10 INTs in 2009.

ARIZONA STATE: Key players: WR Kerry Taylor, WR Aaron Pflugrad, LB Vontaze Burfict, DT Lawrence Guy, K Thomas Weber. Returning starters: 3 offense, 4 defense.

Notes: Coach Dennis Erickson, who could be on the hot seat after two of the worst seasons in program history, has made big changes with the offense, bringing in new coordinator Noel Mazzone and switching to a no-huddle, four-wide set. ... The QB battle between Michigan transfer Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler will likely last until just before the season starts.

WASHINGTON STATE: Key players: QB Jeff Tuel, DE Kevin Kooymanm, DE Travis Long, WR Jared Karstetter, LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis, P Reid Forrest. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Any turnaround for the Cougars will have to start on defense. Washington State ranked last in total defense last season, allowing nearly 1,000 more yards than the next closest Pac-10 team. ... Washington State has won just two games the past three seasons and coach Paul Wulff’s job could be in danger if there isn’t improvement this year. ... Tuel won the starting job in a close battle with junior Marshall Lobbestael, who will still get snaps during the season.

-- John Marshall

Boise State closing out WAC tenure

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Boise State’s reign in the Western Athletic Conference can only last one more season.

The league’s other eight members would like to end it sooner, sending the Broncos off without another league title before Boise State joins the Mountain West Conference next year. Now, can any of them do it?

With 10 starters back on both sides of the ball from last year’s unbeaten Fiesta Bowl winner, Boise State is easily the favorite to win the WAC again and close out a remarkable 10 seasons in the conference. Since joining the WAC in 2001, the Broncos have won seven titles and finished second twice.

So with just one more shot at the Broncos before they ride off to the MWC, every other team in the WAC is hoping to spoil the send-off.

“We know what we’ve got coming down the gauntlet this year and that’s just been our complete and total focus,” Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. “We have not had a team meeting that has spoken about the next season. I have had no conversations about anybody on our team player-wise about next season.”

The Broncos are hardly the first marquee member to leave the league, which has survived decades of reformation since New Mexico won the first WAC title in 1962. Other former members include Arizona, Arizona State, BYU and Utah — the school Boise State will essentially replace in the MWC when the Utes join the Pac-10.

“We’re going to be fine,” Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. “The WAC is a survivor — obviously.”

The Broncos have gone 8-0 in the league the last two seasons and have never lost a WAC game at home.

For seniors like safety Jeron Johnson, streaks like that are much more important to the 2010 team than the one what will take the field next fall in the MWC.

“We just want to win the WAC title,” Johnson said. “Coach Pete will have those guys ready for the Mountain West when it’s time.”

BOISE STATE — Key players: QB Kellen Moore, RB Jeremy Avery, S Jeron Johnson. Returning starters: 10 offense, 10 defense.

Notes: In two seasons as the starter, QB Kellen Moore has already passed for 64 touchdowns and more than 7,000 yards. ... The Broncos’ hopes of busting the BCS for a third time will be at risk right away when they open the season against Virginia Tech on Sept. 6 in Washington, D.C.

NEVADA — Key players: QB Colin Kaepernick, RB Vai Taua, DE Dontay Moch. Returning starters: 9 offense, 6 defense

Notes: Nevada had three players rush for more than 1,000 yards last year and two of them are returning. ... Nevada’s only conference loss was to Boise State and the Wolf Pack will be hosting the Broncos this year on Nov. 26. ... QB Colin Kaepernick has 19 wins as a starter and had 36 touchdowns last season as a junior — 20 throwing the ball and 16 rushing. ... The Wolf Pack play their first three at home.

FRESNO STATE — Key Players: QB Ryan Colburn, RB Robbie Rouse, DE Chris Carter, K Kevin Goessling. Returning starters: 8 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: The Bulldogs stumbled to a 1-3 start last season, losing three straight to Wisconsin, Boise State and Cincinnati, but recovered well enough to finish 8-5. ... The offense needs to replace RB Ryan Matthews, whose 1,808 rushing yards last year were a school record and the defense must improve after allowing more than 400 yards per game for the third straight year.

IDAHO — Key players: QB Nathan Enderle, S Shiloh Keo, DE Aaron Lavarias. Returning starters: 8 offense, 10 defense.

Notes: After winning three games total in coach Rob Akey’s first three seasons, the Vandals were one of the top surprises nationally last year when they went 8-5, beating Bowling Green 43-42 in the Humanitarian Bowl on a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 4 seconds remaining. ... Idaho lost four starters on the offensive line, but has 10 starters returning on defense.

UTAH STATE — Key players: QB Diondre Borel, RB Michael Smith, LB Bobby Wagner. Returning starters: 8 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Utah State’s four wins last season under first-year coach Gary Andersen were the Aggies’ most since 2002. ... QB Diondre Borel helped Utah State to a school record 5,272 yards of offense. ... The defense — Andersen’s forte — is stocked with much more experience than he had last fall.

LOUSIANA TECH — Key players: QB Ross Jenkins, WR/KR Phillip Livas, LB Tank Calais. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Former Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes takes over as coach of a team that was second in the WAC two years ago but slipped to 3-5 in league play last fall in a season full of injuries. ... The Bulldogs lost five straight down the stretch, but only one of the losses — 45-35 to WAC champion Boise State — was by more than a touchdown. Tech also kept it close against LSU, losing 24-16. If the Bulldogs can stay healthy and win a few of the close games they lost a year ago, Tech could leap back into the top half of the standings.

HAWAII — Key players: QB Bryant Moniz, WR Greg Salas, DB Mana Silva. Returning starters: 4 offense, 7 defense.

Notes: The Warriors are the WAC’s senior member, entering their 32nd season in the league. ... Hawaii closed last year by winning four of five, but has to rebuild an offense that lost seven starters. ... Moniz started eight of the last nine games and passed for 2,396 yards and 14 touchdowns.

NEW MEXICO STATE — Key players: RB Seth Smith, CB Davon House, DE Pierre Fils. Returning starters: 9 offensive, 7 defense.

Notes: The Aggies are trying to break free of No. 8 in the league standings after going 1-7 in the WAC three straight years. ... Coach DeWayne Walker got a nice surprise in his first season when walk-on running back Seth Smith took over the starting job two games into the season and ended up with 1,016 rushing yards. ... New offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar was hired to help revive the offense, which scored just 16 touchdowns in 2009.

SAN JOSE STATE — Key players: QB Jordan La Secla, S Duke Ihenacho, DE Mohamed Marah. Returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense.

Notes: Coach Dick Tomey’s final season before retirement was plagued by injuries as the Spartans struggled to a 2-10 finish, winning just one WAC game. ... Duke defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre was hired to replace Tomey and has a daunting challenge in the first two weeks. The Spartans open at defending national champion Alabama on Sept. 4, followed by a trip to Wisconsin.

-- Doug Alden

Features

Sooners seek new superstars after exodus to NFL

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — It’s time for Oklahoma to move on.

Enough of what might have been had quarterback Sam Bradford stayed healthy. If Jermaine Gresham had been around to catch his passes. If Trent Williams and Brody Eldridge hadn’t joined them on a lengthy list of banged-up Sooners during a disappointing 8-5 season.

None of those players are coming back. They’ve all moved on to the NFL, along with standout defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, leaving a noticeable void at the team’s annual media day Friday. That means many of the same players who struggled as fill-ins last season will now be expected to excel as regulars in the starting lineup.

“Maybe we don’t have the Heisman Trophy guys coming back or maybe the biggest names in the world, but I really believe there’s the makings of a lot of special players on this team that could be those guys,” coach Bob Stoops said.

Over his first 11 seasons in Norman, Stoops lost Heisman Trophy winner Jason White and a slew of NFL talent. But he’s never had an exodus quite like this one: Bradford, McCoy and Williams became the first trio of players from the same school to be taken within the first four picks of the NFL draft.

Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner and the overall top pick by St. Louis, did miss almost all of last season with a shoulder injury that required two surgical procedures and Gresham missed the entire season before being the 21st pick in the draft. McCoy was the only one there for the duration.

All the missing parts gave Stoops a head start in finding his next wave of superstars, but the search still isn’t done.

“We’ve got to find the guys that are going to step up and be one of those leaders. I feel like we’re going in the right direction,” said Ryan Broyles, a second-team all-Big 12 pick at receiver last season. “We just have to have that strong core like the core that we lost last year in Sam, G.K. (McCoy), Jermaine, those guys like that, Trent Williams. We’ve just got to find those guys that can take their mold, their position.”

Landry Jones said he didn’t settle into the starting quarterback’s job until after Bradford was knocked out of the Texas game and was officially done for the season. By then, the Sooners already had three losses and were searching for answers at receiver and along a battered and unproven offensive line.

The injuries continued to mount, and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said his squad lost its identity as a bruising rushing team that could also attack with play-action passes.

Wilson said he’s been asked what the Sooners are going to do this year on offense that they couldn’t do last year. His response: “Execute. It’d be nice if we could execute.”

“We could talk about all the talent that we lost,” Wilson said. “What we’re going to try to do is be a more disciplined team that can rush it, have that balance we talked about because we can rush it, be a team that takes care of the ball and be a team that gets it in the end zone.”

Unlike a year ago, when most of the key players were back from a team that played for the national title and set an NCAA single-season scoring record, Stoops isn’t sure where to set his expectations for this team.

The standard at Oklahoma is to compete for a Big 12 championship, after winning three of the last four trophies and six overall. But Stoops isn’t ready to call this team a contender just yet.

“It’s a little early for me to say that without, say, four first-round draft picks coming back a year ago. It was easier to say. And having just come off a national championship, it’s easy to project that,” he said.

“Now, obviously, that’s not the case. We’ll see. It has a chance to be a special group to compete for a Big 12 championship. And we’ll see how things go and how we work, how we prepare for it. We’ve got a lot of work to do. If we do it well, we’ll have a chance to be a contender for it.”

NOTES: DT Adrian Taylor, who suffered a gruesome ankle fracture in the Sun Bowl, participated in about 40 percent of Oklahoma’s first practice and is hopeful he’ll be ready to go for the opener Sept. 4 against Utah State. ... Stoops says LB Ronnell Lewis, nicknamed the “Hammer” for his punishing hits, could also be used as a defensive end. ... Wilson says Gabe Ikard and Eric Mensik have moved full-time to the offensive line but he hasn’t closed the door on using them as tight ends.

-- Jeff Latzke

Kelly ready to lead Irish into preseason drills

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Brian Kelly’s real work is just starting.

Sure, he’s made 150 or so appearances as an ambassador for Notre Dame since taking over as head football coach last December. He ran spring practice, installed parts of his spread offense and 3-4 defense, and got a glimpse of what kind of talent he inherited from Charlie Weis.

He’s analyzed and studied the roster, and heard about all the expectations for one of the country’s proudest programs that has gone 16-21 over the last three seasons.

Now, he says, it’s time to start making improvements and progress on the field. After great success in transforming three other programs — Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati — he’s hoping to carry it over at Notre Dame.

He’s already changed the climate with some rules. Hats and earrings during any football-related endeavors are a no-no. And when you’re practicing, your helmet stays on your noggin where it belongs.

His imprints are everywhere, even on the cover of the team’s media guide that he helped designed. It shows an early Notre Dame team sporting the look of the day with leather helmets, jerseys without numbers and no facemasks coming out of the tunnel with imposing looks on their faces.

The cover resembles a painting in Kelly’s office.

“I think that is the pervasive theme here: let’s get back to understanding the great tradition, who we are, how we play the game,” he said Friday. “We won’t go as far as no facemasks, but I will tell you that toughness, that ‘Fighting Irish’ is certainly the theme that we want to continue to advance forward.”

Being tough doesn’t necessarily translate into victories and that’s where everything really hinges — the satisfaction of the alumni and widespread fan base, and successful recruiting.

When it was noted that his two most recent predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Weis, got off to good starts in their first seasons before eventually faltering, Kelly acknowledged that it’s his plan to start strong and get better.

“We took this job over with the idea that we’re not going anywhere. I’m staying here for the rest of my life and going to coach Notre Dame,” Kelly said.

“It’s not like there’s the next part that has to be implemented, let’s get off to the good start here and next year we’ll do this. This is all about getting this program nationally in the top echelon immediately and then continue to work on that every single day.”

Kelly’s teams during his three full seasons at Cincinnati went 33-6 with two straight Big East titles and two BSC bowl bids before he got his dream job in South Bend. His final Bearcats team last season went 12-0 in the regular season.

Now he takes his hurry-up offense to a place where so many want him to hurry up and win.

The Irish lost prolific quarterback Jimmy Clausen and top receiver Golden Tate. Kelly must count on Dayne Crist, who played four games as a backup last season before injuring his knee, as the replacement for Clausen.

Michael Floyd and tight end Kyle Rudolph are the top pass-catching threats and Armando Allen led the team in rushing last season. Chris Stewart and Trevor Robinson are key returning offensive linemen.

A porous defense that allowed nearly 400 yards per game last season returns top linebackers in Manti Te’o and Brian Smith and a powerful nose guard in Ian Williams.

Kelly lists his team’s depth, especially on the offensive line and at running back, as strengths. He also likes the playmaking ability of his team on perimeter. Depth at quarterback behind Crist — where Joe Montana’s son, Nate, is a backup — and depth at defensive line are vulnerabilities, according to Kelly. He considers the kicking game a question mark.

All to be addressed by a Sept. 4 opener at home against Purdue.

Kelly expects his players to graduate and to comport themselves as representatives of the school and the program. No wonder he was not happy last month when eight of his players were arrested for underage drinking at a party in South Bend.

“We’ve already handled it internally. We’ve already addressed it,” he said without providing details.

Preseason practice starts Saturday.

-- Rick Gano

Tide’s Davis embraces daddy, football roles

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Luther Davis had to make an important phone call before he was ready for Alabama’s first practice of preseason camp.

He needed to hear his two little boys say “Dah-dah.”

“It does my heart good each time,” Davis said. “I just came out here with a different attitude. It’s going to be the same attitude I’m going to have every day, because it’s no longer about me. Everything I do is for them.”

The Crimson Tide’s senior defensive end has a lot more responsibility these days. He’s poised to be a starter for the first time on the field, and he’s pulling double daddy duty off it.

Davis’ twin sons, Shyron Rayne and Jacquel Lyriq, were born a few days before the Tide’s opener last season. They live with him and his fiance, Cameron Eldridge. This week, they were visiting family in Louisiana, where they lived until January.

Davis isn’t complaining about the heavy load, lost sleep or having to miss nights out with his teammates and friends.

“I’ve definitely enjoyed it,” Davis said. “It’s helped me grow as a person. I think a lot of the guys on the team, they respect everything I have to do. Being a student-athlete is enough, but at the same time going home and being a father, it’s pretty difficult. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I love my boys to death.”

In fact, he credits fatherhood with helping him to mature as a player, too.

The career backup is the likely replacement to end Lorenzo Washington. Davis has played in 34 games, but never started one.

That should change when the Tide opens Sept. 4 against San Jose State.

Quarterback Greg McElroy predicts Davis will be “a big-time contributor this year.”

“Luther’s biggest hurdle in the time he’s been here hasn’t been talent, because the talent’s always been there,” McElroy said. “Luther’s biggest hurdle when he got here was he just had a tough time transitioning into the mindset. Luther, ever since then, has made a full change. It’s unbelievable how far he’s come.

“He looks great. He’s vocal. He’s being a leader. He’s a guy that’s going to have to step up on the D-line for us and I think he understands that and he’s grasping that role.”

There’s a certain irony since Tide coach Nick Saban said when Davis signed with Alabama after initially committing to LSU that “it was important to him that he had an opportunity to play early in his career.”

Now, patience and the maturation process appear set to pay off.

Eldridge takes care of the twins — who are from a previous relationship — during the day.

“She does a great job of making me focus on ball,” Davis said. “She doesn’t even like me talking about it. If she sees this, she’s probably going to kill me.”

He’s become a homebody when other students are partying.

“I haven’t even been to a team party since my sophomore year,” Davis said. “That life is long gone from me. I’m all about just being the person I am and just trying to serve the Lord.”

He’s also trying to make a big career leap for a player who doesn’t have a career sack. The 6-foot-3, 279-pounder isn’t even the biggest question mark on the line, though.

That honor goes to the opposite side, with Marcell Dareus. Dareus, MVP of the national championship game, is still in limbo for the start of the season pending the outcome of an NCAA investigation stemming from a trip to Miami.

Davis said Dareus’ demeanor hasn’t changed with all that going on.

“There’s not any difference to him,” Davis said. “(He’s still) playing around, watching cartoons. He’s such a laid-back, lovable person. He’s just a good guy. A lot of people try to make him out to be something he’s not. I know in my heart what type of person he is and every player on the team knows what type of person he is.”

As for the trip: “He hasn’t talked much about it and I haven’t asked him, because it’s really not much of an issue. It’s just something that occurred or didn’t occur, I don’t know. But he’s just being himself.”

-- John Zenor

Gators confident in run game, even without Tebow

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s running game was a bruising, bashing attack the last three years. It was practical, predictable and one of the most potent in the country.

It was, for the most part, the Tim Tebow show.

Running backs often stood around and watched the beefy quarterback keep the ball, serving as the team’s short-yardage specialist and its go-to guy. He ran more than 600 times the last three seasons, gaining nearly 2,500 yards and scoring 49 touchdowns.

Without Tebow, Florida’s running game will be considerably different this fall. But with all the talent in the backfield, it also remains the team’s biggest strength.

“We’ve got an interesting dynamic back there to really cause some stress,” offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said Friday.

It starts with Jeff Demps, the junior who just might be the fastest guy in college. Demps captured track national championships this year in the 60-meter dash and the 100 meters. He became the first person in school history to win titles in two sports.

He’s open to the possibility of trying to make the U.S. team for the 2012 Olympics in London, but his focus remains on the Gators.

“At the end of the day, I’m still a football player,” Demps said.

A good one, too.

Demps has rushed for 1,350 yards and 14 touchdowns the last two seasons. He averages 7.6 yards a carry, putting him on pace to shatter the school record (6.4 yards per carry) set by Eli Williams (1994-97).

He should get more chances this fall, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

“It’s exciting just to give us a chance to get that feeling at crunch time, putting the running backs in and see what we’re going to do,” Demps said.

Demps certainly will share the workload.

Emmanuel Moody, a 212-pound senior who transferred from Southern California in 2007, believes he’s healthy after having two ankle surgeries since January. Moody has carried 58 times in each of the last two seasons, both of them plagued by nagging injuries.

His right ankle has been the biggest issue. Moody injured his ankle last November, returned the following month and then developed bone spurs. He had surgery to remove them earlier this year, returned too soon, developed more bone spurs and went back under the knife.

“It’s getting there,” said Moody, who has missed nine games because of ankle problems. “I should be ready to go before the first game starts. I’m practicing, I’m going all out. I went through all the workouts. But I don’t how it’s going to be with pads on.”

If Moody misses any time this fall, it could open the door for sophomore Mike Gillislee and highly touted freshman Mack Brown.

Gillislee averaged 8.6 yards per carry in mop-up duty last season and ended the season with a 52-yard run in the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati. Brown joined the mix a few weeks ago and could make an immediate impact. He gained more than 1,700 yards in his final two years at King High in Lithonia, Ga.

Adding to Florida’s backfield depth are speedsters Chris Rainey and Andre Debose, two hybrid playmakers expected to be used like coach Urban Meyer did Percy Harvin two years ago.

Rainey has 1,237 yards rushing, including several long ones, and nine TDs. Debose was the team’s top recruit in 2009, but missed the entire season after having surgery to repair a torn hamstring.

“You can’t win our conference if you can’t run the ball,” Addazio said. “You better be tough, you better be able to run it and you better have balance. If you don’t have those three components, you’ve got problems.”

The Gators are confident they will be able to run it, with the biggest question being who will take on Tebow’s workload.

“It’s third-and-1, what are you going to do with the ball?” Addazio said. “That was really a flat Tebow-run scenario: fourth-and-2, third-and-2, third-and-1. I think you’ll see more opportunity for tailback runs in those scenarios. We saw more I-formation last year, but not as much as we might have thought we might have done. Probably will see more this year, more traditional two-back offense.”

It’s a welcome change for Moody.

“We’re excited,” he said. “There’s more carries to go around, more balls to go around now.”

-- Mark Long

Mallett on practice field, working toward opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — After an offseason recovering from a broken foot, Ryan Mallett was understandably restless when practice finally started this week.

Even a mundane drill with no tackling was enough to excite the Arkansas quarterback.

“Did you see the blitz checks we made?” Mallett said afterward. “When you get a chance to just get in there and flip the switches, make the checks, it’s the best part about playing quarterback.”

The Razorbacks started practice Thursday, and all eyes were on Mallett’s left foot, which he broke in February. The 6-foot-6 Mallett was extremely limited during spring practice, and less than a month ago he said swimming was his main conditioning tool in lieu of running.

He was on the field Thursday night and appeared to be moving around just fine. Mallett was able to jog and work on short drop-backs before making his throws.

“I thought he was on balance, I thought his timing was pretty good,” coach Bobby Petrino said. “He made good throws for the most part. He was very, very comfortable.”

Arkansas fans might still worry a bit until Mallett tests the foot in an actual game, but he won’t need to do that until next month. The Razorbacks open their season against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 4, so they’ll have some time to get used to working with their strong-armed quarterback again.

“It’s been a while. I was a little rusty,” Mallett said. “For the first day of fall camp, you really can’t expect to be perfect.”

Mallett said his foot was fine, although his leg muscles were sore on his first full day of practice in a while. When he went up against pass rushers for the first time, there was no tackling, but the defense wasn’t shy about sending extra players after him. It’s never too early to start preparing for the stout defenses Arkansas will face in the Southeastern Conference.

Mallett threw for 3,624 yards and 30 touchdowns as the Razorbacks went 8-5 last season. After toying with the idea of turning pro, he decided to come back to the Hogs, making himself a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and Arkansas a chic pick to challenge Alabama in the SEC West.

The Razorbacks also return all of Mallett’s top targets from last season. Wide receivers Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Cobi Hamilton and tight end D.J. Williams combined to catch 169 passes for 2,901 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Similar numbers are expected in 2010, assuming their quarterback is healthy. That was an open question after Mallett’s injury, and fall practice is the first real chance for fans to see for themselves how he’s progressing.

Although the Razorbacks don’t seem worried, Childs understands the attention Mallett’s foot has received.

“He’s the quarterback of this team, and people want to know how he’s doing,” Childs said. “He’s the focus point. He’s the QB.”

Mallett was able to throw during the offseason, even if the injury affected his mobility.

“He was always out there ... trying to throw us the ball,” Childs said. “Even if he couldn’t throw it to us, he would just get in a chair and still be calling the plays and things.”

If there’s one weakness Mallett needs to work on, it’s his accuracy on shorter throws. He completed only 56 percent of his passes last season and was kept in check by Florida and especially Alabama. Williams said the injury might have actually helped Mallett in that regard.

“I think him getting off his feet and working on his accuracy helped him a lot,” Williams said. “So now he’s accurate with the ball, and now he has that foot power behind it. I think he benefited from being out for a little bit, and now he’s on the field, he’s as sharp as ever.”

-- Noah Trister

Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt talks Masoli for first time

Mississippi coach Houston Nutt said Friday he has a zero-tolerance contract with new quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.

Nutt spoke about the former Oregon player for the first time as the Rebels newcomers and freshmen reported for training camp. Unexpectedly down a quarterback with just a few weeks to preseason practice, Nutt says he wasn't convinced he could trust Masoli until he brought him to campus last weekend.

"You have an obligation to this organization and that's what I felt," Nutt said. "After weighing everything out, especially after we got him here on an official visit, got Jeremiah here, looking him in the eyes, and he understood. I'll have a contract with him. He understands it will be zero tolerance and he has to do what's right."

Masoli will join the team as a walk-on and can play this season if the NCAA approves a waiver request. Masoli, who won't talk to the media until at least Monday, was thought to be a Heisman Trophy candidate before Oregon coach Chip Kelly kicked him off the team after his second brush with the law in six months.

The Rebels became interested in Masoli after losing backup quarterback Raymond Cotton, who transferred to South Alabama just two weeks before preseason practice began. That left Nutt thin at quarterback and more willing to gamble that Masoli can be trusted to stay out of trouble.

Nutt said he spoke with the quarterback and his mother, did his research and sat down with athletic director Pete Boone to make a decision.

"I just felt like this was important and the right thing to do at this time," Nutt said. "You can always argue both ways and I understand that. I've got to be oblivious to that. I have to be focused about our team and the players. Sometimes that doesn't always feel good, it's not a feel-good decision. But I do feel good about this."

If cleared to play by the NCAA, Masoli seems a perfect fit for Nutt's Wild Rebel offense and could challenge starter Nate Stanley for his job. Nutt was content to use multiple quarterbacks the past two seasons at Ole Miss, alternating between dropback passer Jevan Snead and more shifty running backs.

Masoli guided the Ducks last season to their first Pac-10 title since 2001 and their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1995. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder is a two-year starter who threw for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 668 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2009.

Nutt said he has spoken with Stanley and the team's only other scholarship quarterback, junior college transfer Randall Mackey, about bringing in Masoli. He said Stanley, a redshirt sophomore, was receptive to the idea, especially after being injured during spring practice and missing time.

The coach also said he had the support of the team's leaders.

"I feel like we have enough good going on in our locker room, we have enough leadership, guys like Jerrell Powe and Kentrell Lockett and Johnny Brown, Lawon Scott, Jonathan Cornell," Nutt said. "I feel good about these guys that are leaders and the heartbeat of our team and they also were very adamant about having another guy like that in our program."

Along with the positive feedback, Nutt has received criticism for the move. Masoli pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor second-degree burglary for his role in a theft at an Oregon fraternity in January. He was suspended for the 2010 season, though Kelly allowed him to practice during spring drills. But Kelly kicked Masoli off the team after the senior was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and driving on a suspended license after a traffic stop in June.

Masoli launched his own website, www.jeremiahmasoli.net, to combat what he said were misconceptions about his behavior and successfully convinced Nutt he can be trusted. Not everyone else agrees. But Nutt's not paying attention to them.

"I don't listen to too much outside," Nutt said. "I listen to really what's inside our program, inside this building, our coaches, players, our families. It's more that family, and it's very positive."

-- Chris Talbott

Pitt has much to do before Sept. 2 opener at Utah

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitt officially starts preseason practice Saturday in the most anticipated of Dave Wannstedt’s six seasons as coach, even if it might seem to his players as if they have been preparing since the day last season ended.

For good reason, too.

Asked what he did during his time off this summer, new starting quarterback Tino Sunseri said he visited his mother for four days. And that was his summer vacation, one mostly spent working out with the teammates who’ve yet to see him lead them as a starter.

“That’s it,” he said Friday.

There won’t be much of a break when the season starts, either. Pitt also has two new starting cornerbacks, two new starting offensive guards a new center. Both interior defensive linemen are first-time starters.

With so much inexperience at key positions, this would seem to be a season in which the Panthers might start slowly. But they understand a team that was a near-unanimous pick as the Big East preseason favorite can’t afford to do that with potential Top 25 non-conference opponents Utah, Miami and Notre Dame awaiting in its first five games.

Wannstedt is hoping the Panthers’ depth — 20 of the 22 projected starters are in at least their third year in the program — and the abundance of star-caliber players help them get through their rugged break-in period.

Running back Dion Lewis was a second-team All-American as a freshman. Jonathan Baldwin is one of the Big East Conference’s best wide receivers. Defensive end Greg Romeus, the Big East’s co-defensive player of the year, could be a first-round draft pick.

Wannstedt likes how his players are handling the expectations placed upon them as the Big East preseason favorite. The challenge, he said, is making sure they are game-ready for the Sept. 2 opener.

“Opening out at Utah, there’s no margin for error,” Wannstedt said. “We’re going to have to go out there and play as well as we can in order to win that game, and everybody knows that. This is a very, very important training camp for us as a football team. We have a lot to get dome in 27 days.”

Pitt’s weakness appears to be its vulnerability at so many pivotal positions — one bad throw by a new quarterback, one misread pass route by a cornerback can cost a team a game and, perhaps, its national ranking.

With three new blockers in front of him, it might be difficult for Lewis to get off to as fast a start as he did while rushing for 1,799 yards last season.

“Last year at this time, I don’t think I mentioned Dion Lewis,” Wannstedt said. “It really was a situation where guys like that all of a sudden have big years. ... You hope you’ve recruited good kids, their opportunities come and they take advantage of it.”

While Sunseri has thrown all of 17 college passes, the son of former Pitt linebacker Sal Sunseri is headed off to his third training camp. At this time a year ago, he was sharing practice snaps with Bill Stull, who went on to keep the job.

“The plays will take care of themselves,” Sunseri said. “I believe I have the physical tools to play the position. I can make all the throws, but I definitely had to work on the mental aspect, and I took care of that during the spring and the offseason.”

Lewis won’t have the surprise factor going for him like he did last year, when he had the best season by a Pitt running back since Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett ran for 2,150 yards on an unbeaten national championship team in 1976. Lewis also won’t have to carry the offense by himself; Baldwin made 57 catches for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns last season as a deep threat who demands attention from defenses.

“I think we can be just as good offensively, if not better,” Lewis said. “I think we’re going to have a big year, and that should help me a lot. We’re going to have a great year on offense.”

-- Alan Robinson

UNC opens practice for Davis’ 4th year

Notes

USC's Havili sent home as punishment for fight

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California fullback Stanley Havili has been banned from team activities as punishment for injuring teammate T.J. Bryant in a fight last week.

Pitt coach comfortable reinstating Sheard

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is comfortable with his decision not to hold defensive end Jabaal Sheard out of game action, even though Sheard threw a man through a Pittsburgh art gallery’s glass door during a fight last month.

Sheard read a statement Friday to reporters apologizing for his actions, which led to him pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. A district judge ordered him to pay a $300 fine and all the other man’s medical bills and write a letter of apology to him. Sheard also was subjected to internal team discipline that Wannstedt has not fully explained.

“I made a huge mistake that reflected poorly upon my school and my family,” said Sheard, who had serious charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest dropped.