Other College Football Capsules: Halftime report is in on college football season
If there was still any doubt that being a so-called traditional power in college football isn't what it used to be, consider the AP Top 25 halfway through the 2010 season.
Here's who is out: Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, USC, Penn State and Miami. Those teams have won a combined 23 AP national championships.
Here's who is in: Oregon, Boise State, TCU, South Carolina, Utah and Nevada. That group has one AP title — by TCU in 1938.
And here's the craziest part: It didn't take a bunch of stunning upsets to get to where we are. In fact, the first half went mostly as planned — until South Carolina snapped Alabama's 19-game winning streak last week.
When the season started, the No. 1 storyline was whether Boise State, or maybe TCU, could become the first team from a conference without an automatic BCS bid to reach the national championship game.
Six weeks into the season, the Broncos and Horned Frogs are still undefeated and the debate rages on.
So before we dive into the second half, a look back some of the high and lows of the first half and a few predictions for what's to come.
MOST IMPORTANT GAME. Boise State 33, Virginia Tech 30. The Hokies had a four-point lead and needed one more first down to run out the clock. That would have been it for the Broncos. All the talk about a national championship run would have been over. Instead, Kellen Moore and the Broncos rallied back and now we're stuck analyzing how Utah State's big victory against BYU effects Boise State's strength of schedule.
Looking ahead: Most important game of the second half will be Nebraska vs. Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. The winner will be undefeated and will leap over Boise State into the BCS title game.
Six more that will determine the course of the season: LSU at Auburn, Oct. 23; Michigan State at Iowa, Oct. 30; TCU at Utah, Nov. 6; Ohio State at Iowa, Nov. 20; Boise State at Nevada, Nov. 26; Oregon at Oregon State, Dec. 4
HALFWAY HEISMAN. Sure, much of Denard Robinson's crazy stats (second in the nation in total offense at 369 yards per game and in rushing at 165) were accumulated against defenses that range from shaky (Notre Dame) to abysmal (Bowling Green). But thanks to the Wolverines' own Keystone Cops approach to defense, Michigan needed just about all of Shoelace's joystick-style moves to start 5-0. That's why he gets the nod over two other multitalented quarterbacks who have emerged as stars this season — Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Auburn's Cameron Newton.
Looking ahead: The Heisman Trophy goes to .... Martinez. His numbers are already comparable to Robinson's. He'll become the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman.
MOST SURPRISING TEAM. Oklahoma State (5-0). Returning only eight starters, the Cowboys were picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 South. Some even thought they'd let Baylor out of the basement. A weak early season schedule has helped coach Mike Gundy's cause, but the offense led by quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon looks good enough to get the Cowboys to eight wins.
Looking ahead: Brian Kelly and Notre Dame (3-3) might not lose again. Utah comes to South Bend, Ind., on Nov. 13 and the Fighting Irish finish the season at USC. Notre Dame wins at least one of those and goes bowling with eight victories.
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM. Tempting to pick Texas, but in retrospect, we should have seen the Longhorns' slip coming. Miami, on the other hand, looks like a team that should be better. The Florida State loss was downright disturbing. Quarterback Jacory Harris and the Hurricanes were supposed to be ahead of the Seminoles on the path back to being a national contender. Instead, Randy Shannon, in his fourth season as coach, already seems to be behind new FSU coach Jimbo Fisher.
Looking ahead: Rich Rodriguez is not quite in the clear at Michigan. The conventional wisdom is that a winning season is all the coach needed to keep his job. Last season Michigan won all four of its nonconference games and beat Indiana. The Wolverines have done the same this season. With that defense, a sketchy kicking game and little depth, another meltdown is possible. Cautiously pencil in the Wolverines for seven victories.
BIGGEST MESS. North Carolina had a team capable of winning an ACC title. Until .... Agent-gate seems destined to strip the program to the bone. The last question is will Butch Davis survive?
Looking ahead: It's one thing to have agents wooing your players while your back is turned. It's quite another to have one of your assistants involved in the wooing as former UNC assistant John Blake is being accused. This doesn't look as if it will end well for Davis.
OUT THE DOOR: Of all the coaches who came into this season on the hot seat, Tim Brewster of Minnesota is way out in front in the first-to-be-fired pool. The Gophers (1-5) have lost five straight. Look for Minnesota to pull the plug before the season ends to get a head start on the hiring process.
Looking ahead: With a 2-4 record and 11 players arrested in the last year, Georgia's Mark Richt might need to run the table to keep his job. Dan Hawkins started 3-1 at Colorado, but that 26-0 loss at Missouri last week looks like a preview of what's to come in Boulder.
NOT DONE YET: Like Brewster, Illinois coach Ron Zook also entered the 2010 season in win-or-else mode. Well, the Illini are 3-2 after winning at Penn State for the first time and there are some real signs of life in Champaign. The hiring of defensive coordinator Vic Koenning has given the defense a boost and Zook always seems to bring in some talent, such as quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase and running back Mikel Leshoure.
Looking ahead: The Illini are a good bet for four more victories and that should be enough to keep Zook on the payroll.
CONFERENCE CALL: With the WAC and the MWC combining to put five teams in the Top 25, the Big East picked a bad time to go 2-11 against teams from other BCS automatic qualifying conferences and Notre Dame.
Looking ahead: West Virginia, which played LSU close in Baton Rouge, should run through the league with no more than one loss and help the Big East save some face at BCS time with a 10-2 record.
WELCOME BACK: South Carolina's big win against Alabama not only put Steve Spurrier back in the national spotlight but makes the Gamecocks the favorites to win the SEC East in what is a down season for traditionally one of the toughest divisions in the nation.
Looking ahead: It's always fun to have the Head Ball Coach relevant, but beating Florida in Gainesville will be tough for the former top Gator.
BCS PROJECTION
SUGAR BOWL — ALABAMA vs. TCU
FIESTA BOWL — OKLAHOMA vs. WEST VIRGINIA
ORANGE BOWL — FLORIDA STATE vs. ARKANSAS
ROSE BOWL — OHIO STATE vs. BOISE STATE
BCS Championship — NEBRASKA vs. OREGON
TCU to the Sugar Bowl seems odd, because the Sugar is first in the selection order after the bowls that lose teams to the BCS title game.
But follow this scenario: If the Rose Bowl loses a team, it is locked in to take the highest ranked BCS buster (Boise State). The Fiesta then picks Oklahoma to replace Nebraska, which leaves the Sugar faced with picking a Big Ten team with a loss (Iowa) or undefeated TCU. Sugar goes with TCU. Orange picks the best of the rest in the SEC and Fiesta gets left with Big East champion.
Game day means millions to SEC schools, states
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Fans heading to Southeastern Conference football games are hitting the ATM on the way and bringing their credit cards too.
Game day in the SEC is big business and the price tag for the experience can be steep.
Devoted fans are anteing up, shelling out millions on hotels, parking, clothing, food and drink to watch SEC football — an obsession in nine states and one that is nearly unrivaled in five of those where there's no major professional competition.
On a given Saturday, crazed SEC fans spend up to $41 million in ticket sales alone.
Twenty years ago, Brian Harrison paid $45,000 to tailgate in one of about two dozen converted railroad cars called "Cockabooses" less than a hail mary pass from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Now 43, he's lucky he bought early — two suites for sale currently go for more than $200,000.
"There's really no way to put a price on these things," Harrison said, sweeping his hand across his view of the stadium and his two televisions showing games before his Gamecocks beat then-No. 1 Alabama last weekend.
"How could you find a more perfect tailgate experience? I have heat and air conditioning, a bathroom. And if it rains, I have a roof," he said.
Tennessee fan Ryan McBee says fans are not being duped and that the SEC is worth the money. He shares five season tickets for Vols games and a parking pass with relatives.
"For me, this is my primary form of entertainment," said the 28-year-old McBee. "A lot of people go to concerts or go to movies. I work all year to save up for football season. I grew up going to the games. ... I think about the other things I could be doing with money, and it does get a little ridiculous. I guess I just try not to think about."
The money can be dizzying.
The SEC just distributed $209 million — $17.3 million for each of its 12 members in the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. About $150 million of that money came from football through television contracts, bowls and the league's championship game.
Toss in ticket sales, concessions, souvenirs and parking with 10 SEC schools filling stadiums at least 95 percent, and it really adds up.
At LSU, the Tigers take in more than $4 million on Saturday nights in Death Valley — averaging $3.6 million in ticket sales, $550,000 in concessions, $125,000 off souvenirs and $300,000 in parking.
Some deals can be had for non-conference games. The cheapest ticket to an SEC game is at Vanderbilt with $25 to watch the Commodores play Wake Forest in November. Mississippi State charged $30 against Alcorn, while $40 is the tab when Tennessee played UAB or when LSU hosts McNeese State on Saturday.
But marquee games are going to cost top dollar. Alabama charges $65 per ticket for Penn State, Florida and Auburn. For Tennessee's home game with Alabama on Oct. 23 fans had to buy season tickets for $360, plus a donation — minimum of $100.
Those donations is where the NFL got the idea for personal seat licenses. The right to buy season tickets for college football comes with an annual donation to that school's booster group. Two season tickets to South Carolina requires $55 for a Gamecock Club Membership, then $320 per seat and a $50 donation per seat for a grand total of $795.
Florida started charging opponents more for tickets this year than its own fans and boosters pay, saying the change came from being charged more by others. Georgia is one SEC school using that approach.
"We charge the visiting schools the same amount that UGA is charged at their venue," Georgia associate sports information director Frank Crumley wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
It all adds up. South Carolina projects to bring in $16.5 million in ticket sales this year; Florida racked in $16.8 million in 2009. Georgia averages between $1.8 million to $2.9 million per game in ticket sales. Tennessee's Neyland Stadium is the largest in the SEC with a 102,455-seating capacity and the Vols looked to take in about $27 million in 2009 ticket sales.
Vanderbilt is at the other end of the spectrum with the SEC's smallest stadium (39,773-seat capacity), but the Commodores still bring in just under $1 million on a good game day — including everything from ticket sales to parking.
"We probably have to work at it a little harder than others," said David Williams, a vice chancellor who is in charge of Vandy's athletics.
RV parking is another source of revenue on game day, which can be more than an all-day affair and hotel rooms are often scarce.
A season pass at Mississippi State costs $750, it's $895 at South Carolina while Florida packages RV parking in with a season ticket. It almost makes the $15,000 paid in five installments for one of 50 spots in the RV lot Tennessee built in 2006 next to a treatment plant seem cheap. The yearly maintenance fee is just $250.
But Alabama is revenue champion of SEC game day. The Crimson Tide completed a $65 million stadium expansion this summer — the second in four years — pushing capacity to 101,821 and making Bryant-Denny the nation's fifth-largest facility. Ticketholders pay $500 to hang out and eat before, during and after games in "The Zone."
Alabama sold out the 1,000 tickets for that party zone in two weeks.
Two professors with the University of Alabama's Center for Business and Economic Research found that a Crimson Tide football game has a $21.8 million economic impact on the state. Seven home games in 2008 generated a total of $152.8 million. In Tuscaloosa, one game generates about $14.5 million.
Ahmad Ijaz, co-author of that study, said the numbers have gone up "significantly" since coach Nick Saban was hired.
"This year I think it will be substantially higher since that was pre-championship numbers," Ijaz said.
Records show Florida's football revenues jumped $7.2 million to $61.3 million after the Gators' title in 2008.
The money stream seems to make Saban's $4.7 million annual salary a bargain. U.S. Department of Education records show Tide football made $38.2 million in a 12-month stretch that ended June 30, 2009 — nearly enough to easily cover Saban's pay.
Cha-ching indeed.
-- Theresa M. Walker
ACC coaches rethinking redshirt decisions
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Midway through the season, Atlantic Coast Conference coaches are being forced to rethink decisions about whether to use true freshmen or redshirt them.
The choice often comes down to is the player ready and what the team needs.
At Boston College, after Virginia Tech made quarterback Dave Shinskie look lost in a 19-0 victory, coach Frank Spaziani named highly touted true freshman Chase Rettig his starting quarterback for the fourth game at Notre Dame. Rettig was injured, but Spaziani said it was the necessary move.
"The needs of the team usually are the over-riding factor," he said this week. He added that while it would be ideal to be able to have every true freshman sit out the season, it would not be fair to fourth- and fifth-year seniors to not use the best options available.
Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech is hoping to take a different route with Chase Williams.
The 6-foot-1, 231-pound linebacker is the son of New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and has not played. He's halfway toward using the year to get bigger, stronger and faster — and possibly more prepared to excel the next four seasons.
But Williams might be the next best option for Beamer if the Hokies lose another frontline linebacker to injury. Barquell Rivers, a starter in 2009, hasn't played and may wind up applying for a medical redshirt, and Lorenzo Williams is already out for the season.
Beamer is content to sit Williams now, but with the Hokies contending for the ACC title and a spot in a multi-million dollar BCS game, another injury might cause him to reconsider.
"Right now, I think it would take an injury for us to even consider where he is," Beamer said of Williams. "I think he's got a good future. You want to make sure you do what's right for him and what's right for the football team.
"That's a hard question."
It's also one most coaches like to try to make as soon as possible, even though they don't have to submit a list of players that redshirted until the season ends.
They also have different standards for how much playing time a freshman will get to consider it a worthwhile investment.
At Miami, coach Randy Shannon looks to see if they can help on special teams.
"If they're helping us, or can help us, on special teams and giving us some way to help win games, then we'll burn the redshirt," the Hurricanes' coach said. "But if we're not sure that they can't help us, if they might not be totally ready, then we'll redshirt them."
Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech said there's no exact science in making the decision.
"We have had a few guys in the last couple of years that we probably should have redshirted them, but as a head coach sometimes you get talked into it" by coaches, he said. "'I have to have this guy. We are going to use him.' Then you get halfway through the season and the kid has played five snaps other than special teams. Once you make that decision, and you do it the first game, you are locked in and there is no going back from there."
Johnson's new defensive coordinator, former Virginia coach Al Groh, liked to say "when they're ready, we're ready," and many times burned player's redshirts late in the season.
Often, those players played sparingly, but still lost a year of eligibility.
"I'm seeing there's a bunch of guys that should have had the benefit of being redshirted," new Cavaliers coach Mike London said of the team he took over in December.
He has used two true freshmen this year, but is unlikely to play any others.
Virginia just lost starting tight end Joe Torchia for the season to a shoulder injury that will require surgery, but London said his two freshman tight ends are off limits.
"I think Jake McGee and Zach Swanson, I think they're going to be really, really good tight ends. At this point, if I take that redshirt right now, it's a year of development that I'll lose from them because right now, our strength guy has got them and they're in the mindset of getting bigger, faster, stronger and not worrying about the plays. Now, if you play a guy, he's got to worry about the plays.
"At this point, it's not worth it to me."
London, however, also cautioned before the season started that the Cavaliers would struggle, and made it clear that building up his roster would be a large priority. In essence, he's applying the widely held view that redshirting is the best way to do it.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe isn't sure he has that option.
"You get into five or six games deep, you really don't like to have to do that," he said of burning a redshirt. "Unfortunately, with scholarship limitations and injury bugs, you can get so low at a position that you really have no choice. You take a private school like we are, we don't have an enormous number of walk-ons. So we can't fix it with a walk-on."
In Boston, some question why Spaziani is considering playing Rettig anymore this season when the school could probably successfully argue that he warrants a medical redshirt.
That option exists for a player who has played in four or fewer of the team's first six games, said Tim Parker, Virginia Tech's senior assistant athletic director for compliance.
Spaziani, though, with a 10-8 record at B.C., may not feel he has that option.
"You want to win," he said. "You've got to win every Saturday."
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
Team Features
Ruffer: from the rough to the tee
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The days of breaking golf clubs in frustration are behind David Ruffer. You could say he's kicked that bad habit.
The discipline he learned when he was standout prep golfer in Washington, D.C., — he still has a 4- or 5- handicap — has helped him on his new field as Notre Dame's placekicker.
So far, the transfer student and walk-on who once kicked in dormitory football games on campus has been perfect on field goals. Stretching back to last season, the strong-legged Ruffer is 16 for 16, the most consecutive field goals in Notre Dame history.
"I had much higher expectations for golf for some reason than I ever did with football. I couldn't tell you why," said Ruffer, who didn't play prep football.
"I broke a few clubs in my day. I don't miss breaking the clubs because that got expensive, but hitting a good drive on a long par-5 was a cool feeling. But making field goals, that feels pretty good, too."
Ruffer took over as place-kicker when Nick Tausch was injured last season and went 5 for 5 over the final three games. He said the similarities between golfing and kicking are fairly obvious.
"The biggest thing is that you have to stay focused on ever single shot or kick. Obviously there are great kickers who were never golfers, but for me that's what I take from it the most," he said. "You can't take a play off. You can't take a shot off."
The 6-foot-1, 176-pound Ruffer beat out Tausch in preseason camp to be the place-kicker this year and hasn't missed in 11 tries. Tausch had set the school record by making 14 straight last season. Ruffer took the record away with a 50-yarder against Pitt last week for No. 15, drilling the longest kick of his career despite a low snap.
A transfer from William & Mary, Ruffer participated in Notre Dame's unique interhall dormitory competition, which is full pads and tackle with the championship game played in Notre Dame Stadium. He was a receiver and kicker for Siegfried Hall before he got three tryouts with the Irish then coached by Charlie Weis.
"I was really nervous because it was like, all right, these guys are going to see me for about 20 minutes and if I don't do really well they probably won't want to see me again," Ruffer remembers.
But they did and served on the scout team in 2008. Last year, he was Tausch's backup before Tausch hurt his foot.
Now he's the main guy and a member of an unusual fraternity — his holder, Ryan Kavanagh, and snapper Bill Flavin are also walk-ons. Notre Dame's success at times this season may wind up in the hands or on the foot of players who made the team without a scholarship.
New coach Brian Kelly acknowledged he had low expectations after hearing that one of his kickers had started in the interhall competition.
"We really didn't know, I guess is the best way to put it, and now to see what he's doing, obviously he's exceeding all of the thoughts that we had," Kelly said.
Ruffer, whose father and sister attended Notre Dame, said he's matured and settled down. Kicking has taught him some lessons and how to relax — and he realizes, too, that one of these days he will miss a field goal.
"I was just really a perfectionist. Now I've grown up to the point where I understand that things aren't always going to go your way," he said. "I think that laid-back attitude has helped my focus. I want to enjoy this last season here."
-- Rick Gano
Little things send Clemson on three-game losing streak
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Each time Clemson coach Dabo Swinney thinks he has solved a problem keeping the Tigers from winning, another one pops up.
In a loss to Auburn, offensive communication stalled Clemson after it took a 17-0 lead. Against Miami, the Tigers kept in touch better, but allowed too many big plays and turned the ball over six times.
Against North Carolina, Clemson only allowed two plays over 20 yards and had no turnovers. But nine penalties for 81 yards — the most since Swinney took over two years ago — doomed the Tigers to another 2-3 start.
Swinney says Clemson hasn't lost hope. But he says the Tigers know they need to beat a Maryland team that has won three of the last four against the Tigers to get back on track.
"You stick a finger in this, stop it, and it starts leaking again," Swinney said.
The frustrating three-game losing streak has left Swinney with another mess to clean up. But the guy who was selling real estate seven years ago when Clemson took a chance and hired him to coach its wide receivers is confident he can turn this around, too.
"I'm kind of in the pit of it right now," Swinney said. "All I can tell you is, I've always been able to look back and I can understand those growing pains at the time. Always."
Clemson bounced back from last year's 2-3 start to win its division and end up in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. To do the same thing this year, the Tigers will have to start Saturday by beating Maryland.
The Terrapins got their only ACC win last year against Clemson, marking a low point of 2009. The Tigers came up empty in four trips into Maryland territory in the fourth quarter, missing two field goals, losing a fumble and punting from the 43.
"We tried our best to give them that game last year. It was really an act of God that we won, and I thank him for it quite a bit," Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said.
Clemson's frustration level is just as high this year. North Carolina drove for a critical fourth quarter touchdown in last week's 21-16 win on a 14-play drive that saw the Tigers commit penalties on an interception, a third down incompletion and a fourth down sack.
Tigers offensive linemen Chris Hairston, who got a personal foul on the first play from scrimmage last Saturday, thinks the team may have been so angry about the little things not going right that they tried too hard.
"You may be frustrated, but you can't play football out of frustration," he said.
But that frustration hasn't spilled off the field. On Monday, senior cornerback Marcus Gilchrist surprised Swinney with a knock on his door.
"I just wanted to relay the message to him, coming from the whole team, that we're behind him 100 percent. Right now, even though it may seem like we are failing, failure is not an option," Gilchrist said.
The message was well appreciated by Swinney, who several times this week insisted his team has not lost hope and can still reach all of its goals, including an ACC title, with just a little help.
"It's very frustrating because I know the character of our team. I know the talent of our team. I know how hard our team has worked and how they've sacrificed," Swinney said. "I really want to see them taste success."
A loss Saturday for Clemson likely ends any hope of an ACC title game bid. Maryland won its only ACC game against Duke and can stay on top of the Atlantic Division by picking up its fourth win in five tries over the Tigers.
"It's big for our side, too," Terps defensive lineman Joe Vallano said. "They have to win, but it kind of feels it's like that every week for every team."
-- Jeffrey Collins
Williams knocking off rust for Tar Heels
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Deunta Williams knew he would hear it from his teammates.
After Williams gave up a 74-yard touchdown pass against Clemson, North Carolina's coaches quipped the play should've knocked off any rust Williams felt after sitting out four games on an NCAA suspension.
Teammates even teased him by saying that when he jumped for the pass, he didn't get high enough to hurdle a notebook.
Williams took it all with a good-natured smile. He was just happy to be back.
An all-Atlantic Coast Conference safety last season, Williams was suspended for receiving more than $1,400 in improper benefits when he took two trips to California to visit former Tar Heels safety Omar Brown.
It was a part of the ongoing NCAA investigation into agent-related benefits and possible academic misconduct at the program that has damaged the school's reputation and even ended the college careers of some NFL prospects.
"It was a tough situation," Williams said. "Throughout the whole process, I didn't think that I had broken any rules or anything like that."
Williams said he took the first trip with cornerback Kendric Burney, who will serve the last of a six-game suspension this weekend, and the second trip with his girlfriend. The NCAA required Williams to repay $450.67 to a charity of his choice.
"(Brown) swiped his card for our hotel, and we reimbursed him with cash," Williams said. "We didn't think that would have been a problem. Our relationship has been a big-brother, little-brother relationship for about four years, so I didn't think it was an issue."
Williams found out the day before North Carolina's opener against LSU that he was among 13 players who would not play amid the NCAA probe. He sat out one more game before hearing that he would miss a total of four contests.
Unlike some of his suspended teammates, Williams didn't show up at Kenan Stadium on game days.
"I thought it would hurt too much to be here and actually be able to see the game and not be able to play in the game," he said. "So I stayed at home with my family and my friends."
Against Clemson, Williams returned with five tackles and a forced fumble, although he said his excitement led him to make more mistakes than usual. That was evident on the long touchdown pass to Jaron Brown, which Williams could have prevented by taking a better angle to the ball.
Williams expresses no ill will about his suspension. His focus is on the seven regular-season games he has left, not the four he missed.
"I always believe that everything that happens in your life is according to God's plan and that it's all going to work out for the good," Williams said. "I really think that going through that whole process, it made me appreciate playing and made me appreciate this time that I have here left much more."
Kentucky struggling to post stop sign in red zone
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — When opponents enter the red zone against Kentucky, they leave it with points. Every time.
The Wildcats have allowed teams to drive inside their 20-yard line 22 times this season. Each drive has ended with the ball going through the uprights, either on a field goal or an extra point following a touchdown.
That's not exactly the recipe for success for a program trying to take the next step in the Southeastern Conference.
The Wildcats (3-3, 0-3) have lost three straight heading into Saturday's game against No. 10 South Carolina (4-1, 2-1), and know they need to start getting defensive stops soon if they want to turn around their season.
Coach Joker Phillips has a simple solution to his team's red zone woes: get tougher.
"You bow up," Phillips said. "Bow your neck, try to get some minus-yard plays to push them out of the red zone."
Finding a solution and executing it, however, are two very different things. South Carolina has been nearly unstoppable when driving deep into opposing territory. The Gamecocks have scored on 19 of 20 trips inside the red zone — the best in the SEC. All but two of those drives have resulted in touchdowns.
Coach Steve Spurrier credits the dynamic blocking schemes of new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott and the powerful legs of freshman star running back Marcus Lattimore for giving the Gamecocks the swagger needed to finish drives in the end zone.
"The ability to run the ball in from inside the 5-yard line, gosh, we could never do that before here," Spurrier said. "But having Marcus and maybe that little scheme of blocking ... gives us a chance to do that. Hopefully it'll continue."
If it doesn't, it'll be a first for the Wildcats.
The defense has looked helpless at times during the losing streak, giving up an average of 42.3 points.
Phillips, however, remains upbeat. Though the defense struggled in the first half against Auburn last week — allowing the Tigers to score on all five possessions — Kentucky held Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton in check for most of the second half as the team rallied from a 17-point deficit.
Not that it stopped the Tigers from surviving 37-34 behind a 19-play drive that ended with Wes Byrum's game-winning 24-yard field goal.
"The good thing is, we did hold them to two field goals (in the red zone)," Phillips said. "The problem is, one of them was the field goal that won the game."
Phillips isn't as concerned about his team's inability to stop opponents once they're inside the 20 as he is about the frequency with which they get there. The 22 red zone trips the Wildcats have allowed also are the most in the league.
"That's way too many times of getting in the red zone," Phillips said. "We got to keep people out of the red zone."
They'll have to find solutions against one of the hottest teams in the country. South Carolina put up 35 points against defending national champion Alabama last week, scoring touchdowns all four times it drew within the shadow of the Crimson Tide goalposts.
The Gamecocks can score in different ways. The bruising Lattimore gives them the kind of punishing running back they've lacked, while 6-foot-4 wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey is a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks.
Kentucky safety Winston Guy, who collected his first career interception last week, said the Wildcats don't need to do anything differently when other teams get in the red zone. They just need to do what they are doing a little bit better.
"You have to be poised," Guy said. "Everybody can't be out of control and not know what they're supposed to do or where they're supposed to be. It's totally mental in the red zone."
It's a test the Wildcats have failed consistently. South Carolina has been the exact opposite. The Gamecocks are stopping opponents from scoring on 40 percent of their trips in the red zone. A little bit of their success is luck. Alabama and Georgia both missed chip shot field goals against South Carolina.
Yet the Gamecocks were also able to produce a couple of red zone takeaways, something Kentucky has yet to do. The Wildcats have created just two turnovers in conference play while giving it away six times.
It's a number that needs to be flipped if Kentucky wants to advance to a bowl game for a fifth straight season.
"We're minus-four in the last three weeks," Phillips said. "I think that's the common denominator of the teams that win and lose."
-- Will Graves
Hokies TB Wilson keeps team loose with zaniness
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — David Wilson has so many skills, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer couldn't bear to redshirt him, even with two All-ACC caliber tailbacks ahead of him.
The sophomore has made that decision pay off, not only with his play on the field, but also with his infectious smile and zany antics that keep everyone loose.
"In second grade, my teacher said that I was like a wiggle worm in hot ashes," he said Tuesday, chuckling as he talked. "Since I was little I always had a lot of energy."
Perhaps it's the sight of him hanging from the crossbar of the goal post while the Hokies' kickers are working during a walk-through, or the freelance band directing after a game.
Whatever it is, the Hokies have noticed.
"Just you look at him and wonder where in the world is he getting all his energy from," senior tight end Andre Smith said. "There's plenty of times in practice where he might, instead of running 10 or 20 yards, he might run 80 yards all the way down the field and run all the way back. At times you kind of look at him like a little kid with too much energy."
It might be a problem, except the Danville native can play. He led the team by running a 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds, and was fourth in the ACC in the indoor and outdoor triple jump.
He leads the Hokies with 13 touches that covered 20 yards or more, although all but four came on kickoff returns. He returned one of those 92 yards for a touchdown, had a 68-yard scoring run and is averaging 6.6 yards per touch when running the ball or catching a pass.
Talking about Wilson's antics makes Beamer smile himself, and sometimes laugh.
"He makes me tired looking at him," Beamer said. "I tell you what, he has fun. Out there in practice he has fun. He enjoys life. He's got a great outlook. ... He's one of a kind."
There have been times, Wilson said, when he's been misunderstood, the smile on his face construed as a sign that he's goofing off. He has no problem setting the record straight.
"My high school coach used to be like, 'David, get focused,' and I was like, 'I am focused,'" he said. "And some of my teammates, captains, when I was an underclassman, they'd see me smiling when we were about to play and they'd say, 'David. Get serious. We're about to play a football game.' And I told them — this was my exact quote: 'I like playing football, so I'm going to smile when I do it.' I also told them, 'When we go to practice, we're not uptight and tense, so I don't think I should be all uptight and tense for a game.'"
Eventually, coaches have realized that he is focused, but just having a blast.
"I don't think I've ever seen him when he's not smiling, happy, outgoing," Beamer said.
And the fun ride continues after a game, too.
When the Hokies beat Central Michigan 45-21 on Sunday for their fourth consecutive victory, with Wilson contributing a 68-yard scoring run, he headed with the team to over by the band for the playing of the alma mater. While others watched, he played band director.
In reality, he was flailing his arms without rhyme or reason.
"In middle school, I played the clarinet in the band, so I've seen my teacher do it," he said, laughing like he was about to say something outlandish. "But I really don't think that person — no offense to anybody that really likes music — I really don't think that person has a real role. I used to think he was like conducting the notes, making the notes in the air so they would know what to play, but I found out they just read the music off the screen."
He was joking, of course.
Even when he's playing football, that's what he does.
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
News & Notes
Central Florida beats Marshall 35-14 in storm
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — The lightning that halted play seemed to energize Ronnie Weaver and Central Florida.
Bouncing off Marshall defenders like a pinball, Weaver rushed for 150 yards on 30 carries — both career highs — and the Knights flourished in a steady rain with a storm-delayed 35-14 win Wednesday night over the Thundering Herd.
UCF (4-2, 2-0 Conference USA) broke open a close game with two touchdowns in the span of a minute in the third quarter and Marshall (1-5, 0-2) never recovered.
Weaver bounced back from a 50-yard effort last week against UAB. He surpassed his previous high of 130 yards set at Kansas State on Sept. 25.
"College football is definitely a game of momentum," Weaver said. "When we feel confident about ourselves, confident about our team, things just work a little better. Things flow a little better. It's easier to execute our assignments."
UCF is off to its best start since opening 5-1 in 1998. The Knights have beaten Marshall in all six meetings since the schools entered Conference USA in 2005.
The nation's ninth-best defense got an interception return for a touchdown for the third time in four games and limited Marshall's running game to 37 yards. And on a soggy night, two Marshall quarterbacks couldn't complete enough passes to overcome a big deficit.
"We didn't run the football very well and we haven't all year," Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. "I keep repeating myself — when we become one dimensional, we struggle. We have to continue to work to find a way to run the ball."
The game was stopped for more than an hour in the second quarter because of the storm. Only a few thousand fans returned to their seats when play resumed, and halftime was canceled.
When the third quarter started, the Knights were ready.
Jamar Newsome returned the kickoff 70 yards and freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey, who earlier had a 9-yard scoring run, finished the short drive with a 5-yard scamper up the middle.
On Marshall's third play from scrimmage in the quarter, A.J. Bouye intercepted Brian Anderson's pass and went 42 yards for a touchdown that made it 28-7.
Freshman Eddie Sullivan replaced Anderson after the turnover and quickly provided a spark. He threw a short pass on first down to Aaron Dobson, who broke a tackle and went the rest of the way for an 86-yard score.
It was the second score of the game for Dobson, who had a 12-yard TD reception in the second quarter, and the first career touchdown pass for Sullivan, who had completed one of 10 passes to that point.
Anderson returned after sitting out two series but Marshall punted on four straight series and Sullivan replaced Anderson a second time late in the game. Anderson finished 15 of 30 for 129 yards.
Marshall had hoped to feed off its home crowd on national television, but little went right. The stadium was half filled at the start of the game. The storms chased most of the fans away and left the Thundering Herd sluggish when play resumed.
"It was kind of hard coming back," said Dobson, who had five catches for 119 yards. "I think we did OK, but things didn't go our way when we came back out."
UCF's two-quarterback rotation was thrown off when Rob Calabrese hurt his left knee on a 2-yard TD run in the first quarter and didn't return. That left Godfrey to take the remainder of UCF's snaps. Godfrey went 11 of 21 for 138 yards.
"I thought Jeff, still a freshman making some mistakes, makes big plays when he has the opportunity," UCF coach George O'Leary said.
-- John Raby
Uga VIII to be introduced as Georgia's mascot
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — After playing its first six games with an interim mascot, Georgia will introduce Uga VIII before Saturday's homecoming game against Vanderbilt.
Georgia has had "Russ" as the interim mascot since Uga VII's death last year.
Uga VIII's registered name is "Big Bad Bruce" in honor of Dr. Bruce Hollett of the university's school of veterinary medicine. Hollett has helped in the care and treatment of the line of white English bulldog mascots owned by members of Savannah-based Sonny Seiler's family.
University of Georgia president Michael Adams and new athletic director Greg McGarity will participate in the pregame ceremony as the collar is passed fro Russ to Uga VIII.
"Uga is one of the most storied mascots in the history of college athletics," McGarity said. "He is the rallying point for the Bulldog Nation. As our mascot he represents everything we want our student-athletes and fans to be ... proud, loyal, tenacious, and relentless.
"We look forward to his long and successful reign and appreciate all the Seiler family has contributed to our mascot program for more than half a century."
Uga VIII is 13 months old. He weighs 55 pounds and is the grandson of Uga VI.
"We had several puppies that were direct descendants from the Uga line to choose from," Seiler said. "We came to the conclusion that this dog had all the physical attributes that we look for in a Georgia mascot.
"We made the choice based on experience and I'm confident the Bulldog Nation will be pleased when he is introduced Saturday."
Rudolph surgery scheduled for Friday
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame star tight end Kyle Rudolph will have season-ending surgery Friday to repair a torn hamstring, coach Brian Kelly said.
Rudolph, who was injured in last week's win over Pitt, will then probably need six months of rehab. The 6-foot-6, 265-pound junior, a top NFL prospect, has been a starter for the Irish since his freshman season. He had 28 catches and three TDS this season.
Kelly said the surgery likely will be performed by Dr. Brian Ratigan, an orthopaedist who works with Notre Dame athletes.
Kelly said that leading rusher Armando Allen, who did not practice Wednesday, has a hip flexor and the team will be cautious with him. A decision on whether he can play Saturday against Western Michigan might not come until game day.
Illinois lineman sentenced to community service
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — Illinois offensive lineman Hugh Thornton has been ordered to perform community service for violating the terms of his court supervision by using a friend's ID to get into a campus bar.
A Champaign County judge on Wednesday sentenced the 19-year-old sophomore to 100 hours of community service and to pay $1,143 to the bar for damage caused by a fight in which he was allegedly involved. Both incidents occurred Sept. 26. Thornton was not charged in the fight.
Thornton was on supervision for his 2009 arrest for unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor.
Illinois spokesman Kent Brown said Thornton will play Saturday at No. 13 Michigan State after being suspended for two earlier games.
Jeffery, Lattimore added to Maxwell watch list
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery and tailback Marcus Lattimore have been added to the Maxwell Award watch list.
The school announced their addition to the list on Wednesday.
Jeffery is a 6-foot-4 sophomore who leads the Southeastern Conference in catches and receiving yards per game. He's scored four touchdowns and had four games of more than 100 yards receiving for the No. 10 Gamecocks.
Lattimore is a 6-foot, 218-pound freshman who's fifth in the SEC in rushing average. He's gained 459 yards and scored nine touchdowns.
The Maxwell Award goes to college football's most outstanding player as voted on by sports information directors, head coaches and selected media. Semifinalists will be announced next month and three finalists selected Nov. 22. The award will be presented on Dec. 9.
Rettig on track to return as QB for Boston College
BOSTON (AP) — Freshman Chase Rettig is on track to return as starting quarterback when Boston College plays No. 14 Florida State.
Rettig said Wednesday that he's ready to play. He said he took all the snaps he needed at Tuesday's practice and his ankle feels good.
Rettig was named the started for the Oct. 2 game against Notre Dame, but he sprained his left ankle in the second quarter. Mike Marscovetra relieved him, but he was ineffective and BC went back to starter Dave Shinskie for last week's game against North Carolina State.
Shinskie has been ruled out with a concussion. Freshman Josh Bordner has moved up from the scout team to No. 3 on the depth chart.
The Eagles have lost three straight games for the first time since 1998.
Montana State QB has sprained left foot
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Montana State quarterback Denarius McGhee suffered a sprained left foot in the Bobcats 44-31 win over Portland State.
Coach Rob Ash said Tuesday that McGhee would be day-to-day this week, leading up to the game at Northern Arizona. He said McGhee still has a chance to play on Saturday, depending on how quickly he recovers.
McGhee downplayed the injury, saying he came down on his foot awkwardly, but that it didn't hurt too badly. He says the injury is not on the foot he uses to plant before a throw, so he doesn't expect it to affect his play.
And when asked Tuesday if he had to play on Wednesday, he said he would, "without a doubt."
