College Top 25 Previews: No. 1 Florida ready for highly anticipated season

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida receiver David Nelson feels like it took forever for the season to get here.

Going through early morning summer workouts, fighting through two-a-day practices in the sweltering Florida sun and sitting through motivational speeches from Tony Dungy, Lou Holtz and several former players, all Nelson could think about was getting to the opener.

He wasn’t alone.

The most anticipated season in Florida’s 100-plus years of football begins against Charleston Southern on Saturday night. It’s the start of what the top-ranked Gators have thought about for eight months — repeating as national champs.

"We’re just ready to play, ready to get out there and finally hit somebody other than ourselves, our teammates," Nelson said. "It’s time to get this thing going."

Florida has been the overwhelming favorite to win a third national championship in four years since that day in January that quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes decided to return for their senior seasons.

With 18 of 22 starters returning, there have been countless questions about repeating, talk about wanting to go undefeated and sky-high expectations that would rival anything Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and their Southern California teammates dealt with in 2005.

Coach Urban Meyer responded by putting his team through the toughest offseason he could muster — an effort to keep players grounded, hungry and far removed from even the slightest hint of complacency.

Now, after seeing his players answer the challenge, even Meyer acknowledges that he loves this team.

There still are some concerns, though. Who will replace Percy Harvin? How will the revamped offensive line hold up? Can the defense pick up where it left off in the Bowl Championship Series title game against Oklahoma? How is Tebow’s sore back?

The answers might not be known for at least a few weeks.

Florida opens against Charleston Southern, a middle-of-the-pack team from the Football Championship Subdivision, and probably the biggest underdog of college football’s first weekend. One oddsmaker installed the Gators as 73-point favorites.

"This is an opportunity to have an experience that most likely they never would have gotten had they not competed collegiately," Charleston Southern coach Jay Mills said.

The Buccaneers received $450,000 to travel to Gainesville, play in front of 90,000 fans and possibly get embarrassed like never before. Meyer admitted he has a hard time determining when a game is securely in hand, meaning Tebow, Spikes and Co. could play longer than anyone expects.

"I’m a little more nervous than most coaches," Meyer said.

He might be the only one on Florida’s sideline. The Gators have done just about everything short of make room for another national championship banner. Players openly talked about wanting to be the first team in school history to put together a perfect season, and some of the defenders believe they have the talent to be mentioned as one of the best the game has seen in recent years.

Meyer has tried to reel them in, but they sense something special.

"It’s exciting that I got one more season and just having more opportunities running out of that tunnel, and I’m going to cherish every opportunity, every minute, every chance I get to be on that field and play with those guys," Tebow said. "I’m going to make it special and definitely leave everything out there."

The Gators have spent much of this week defending their non-conference schedule, which also includes games against Troy (which lost 31-14 to Bowling Green on Thursday night), Florida International and rival Florida State. There were preliminary talks about playing Utah in Gainesville this season, but the deal eventually fell through.

"It would be fun to play a team the caliber of the Oklahoma States, teams from different conferences, teams you don’t get to play but get to see on TV," Nelson said. "But we have Charleston Southern on the schedule this week and that’s all we’re focusing on."

That’s really all Nelson, as well as many of his teammates, has been able to focus on since January.

"It’s the first opportunity," Tebow said. "You want to get that under your belt and see what you got."

USC frosh QB Barkley takes spotlight against SJSU

LOS ANGELES — Matt Barkley indulged in a bit of teenage nostalgia this week when he reflected on the path from his Orange County youth to the glaring spotlight he’ll face at the Coliseum on Saturday.

"I’ve dreamed about it since I was a kid, going into the Coliseum and wearing the cardinal and gold," Southern California’s starting quarterback said. "Even though it seems like yesterday I was in high school, I feel comfortable here."

Forgive the chuckling teammates of the first freshman quarterback to start a season opener in USC history. Barkley still is a kid who won’t turn 19 until next week, and it actually hasn’t been much longer than yesterday since he was throwing 40 or 50 passes a game in high school.

Heading into the fourth-ranked Trojans’ season opener against San Jose State, those same teammates think he’ll do just fine, as long as he remembers he’s just one part of the formidable USC machine that’s been cranking out victories and titles for seven years.

"I don’t think I need to prove anything," Barkley said. "With the talent we have, we’ll be winning even if I just do the minimum."

That’s often seemed true at USC, where Pete Carroll already has coached two quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy and two more who merely won the Rose Bowl. Still, most observers were surprised when Carroll wagered Barkley could add a little something to that list.

"I don’t see it as a gamble at all," Carroll said. "We have a quarterback that’s unusual. He’s so far ahead of the curve that it’s hard to predict what he can do. He’s blown us away with how he’s handled things."

Barkley will have plenty of help from the Trojans’ annually powerful offense, including starting tailback Joe McKnight, receiver Damian Williams and a veteran offensive line. USC’s opener should be a valuable tuneup for Barkley before next week’s trip to face No. 6 Ohio State.

Still, the Spartans are no pushovers in coach Dick Tomey’s fifth season — and they’re certainly motivated to give Barkley all the trouble he can handle.

"Everybody has goosebumps," said San Jose State defensive tackle Kalvin Cressel, who grew up 10 minutes away from the Coliseum. "We’ve been talking about this game for years, since we first found out we might be playing USC when we were freshmen. We’ve been waiting for this game. It’s like our Super Bowl. For them it’s just another game with Ohio State their next opponent. We have a chance to go out there and shock the world."

Although Barkley beat out Aaron Corp to win the Trojans’ quarterback competition — at least until his first bad game — the duel is still going on at San Jose State. Junior Jordan LaSecla and California transfer Kyle Reed both will play against the Trojans, with Tomey favoring LaSecla out of spring ball but still valuing the maturity of Reed, who was solid last season.

"It doesn’t matter who starts," Tomey said. "They will both play. Jordan LaSecla has improved dramatically over the last year. Kyle Reed won five games for us, but he got hurt toward the end of (last) season and wasn’t the same. The job will be won on competition, not on the practice field. By the time the conference season comes around, we want one guy to take it."

Barkley isn’t the only rookie making his Trojans debut on the offensive side of the ball. Jeremy Bates, USC’s 33-year-old quarterbacks coach, will call the plays for the first time since leaving the Denver Broncos to take over the Trojans’ offense.

USC has retained largely the same offensive scheme for the past few years — a subject of periodic consternation among Trojans fans, who grumble that their offense had become stale and predictable. Bates has added a few tweaks, but acknowledges he’s mostly sticking to the USC way.

"This is a game of entertainment, and the fans all have their opinions, and I think that’s awesome," Bates said. "We’ve got a game plan and a way we like to do things, and you could argue that it’s been pretty successful here for a number of years."

The Coliseum should be full and rocking in a stark contrast from San Jose State’s last visit to the historic stadium. The Spartans lost 21-10 in Carroll’s debut with USC in 2001, and the coach remembers being disappointed by the half-empty stands and somnolent crowd.

Carroll changed all that, and now he expects his freshman phenomenon to take it another step forward.

"Think how cool this is going to be if this kid can hold it together," Carroll said. "He’s giving every indication that it’s going to happen. He just jumped on this golden opportunity."

-- Greg Beacham

Bama, Tech ready to kick preseason woes away

ATLANTA — For Alabama and Virginia Tech, the first game can’t get here soon enough.

The No. 5 Crimson Tide and the seventh-ranked Hokies will meet Saturday night in a bowl-like atmosphere at the sold-out Georgia Dome, both looking to score early points in the national championship race after enduring a that-wasn’t-in-the-plans preseason.

Virginia Tech lost star running back Darren Evans, who went down in practice with a season-ending knee injury. The sophomore rushed for 1,265 yards while starting just eight games a year ago, and was named MVP of the Orange Bowl.

At Alabama, the days leading up to the season opener were filled with off-the-field travails. Defensive end Brandon Deaderick was shot in the arm during a robbery attempt (he’s OK but isn’t likely to play Saturday). Two of the team’s top players, receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram, needed clearance from the NCAA after taking a Gulf Coast fishing trip with a businessman (they’ll have to repay the cost of the trip).

Finally, it’s time to kick things off.

And the stakes couldn’t be much higher for the opening weekend.

"It’s fun," Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas said. "You get a chance to prove yourself."

While hardly make-or-break for either team — it’s generally accepted the national champion in today’s highly competitive field will have at least one loss — the Crimson Tide certainly knows the winner of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic can get a major boost for the rest of the season.

Alabama opened at the Georgia Dome a year ago, routing a favored Clemson team ranked in the Top 10. That 34-10 victory propelled the Tide to a 12-0 mark in the regular season, though their national title hopes were dashed by Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Arenas said the atmosphere before last year’s first game was "kind of indescribable. The energy waves going through the Dome, going through the locker room, and even when we were at the hotel. Just excitement and eagerness to get out there and show the country what we were about."

That is no longer in question. In two short years, coach Nick Saban has restored the Tide to its place among the nation’s elite. Now, it’s time to go a step or two beyond last season.

"It’s motivating, because we got so close," linebacker Rolando McClain said. "We can’t change it. We can’t sit here and dwell on it. We’ve just got to get better from it."

Virginia Tech, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion, is eager to make a statement on behalf of its basketball-leaning league against the mighty SEC.

"We are all in this thing together," coach Frank Beamer said. "A win over a program as good as Alabama would definitely be a big thing for Virginia Tech and the ACC. The other side of it, it doesn’t make your season either way. If you beat Alabama you still have games to play, and if you lose to Alabama you still have games to play."

This game will likely be decided by the quarterbacks and two of the nation’s best defenses.

Greg McElroy is taking the snaps for Alabama, stepping in for three-year starter John Parker Wilson. He’ll look to take advantage of his two prime weapons, two guys who stood out as freshmen and are looking for even bigger things as sophomores.

Jones, whose physical style has been compared to Terrell Owens, set a school record for first-year players by making 58 receptions for 924 yards. Ingram ran for 743 yards backing up Glenn Coffee and is eager to take on a starring role in Saban’s ground game.

"I think the offense is going to be just as explosive as it was last year," Arenas said. "We’ve still got great guys at every position on the offense."

Tyrod Taylor has the Virginia Tech quarterback job all to himself after sharing time the last two seasons with Sean Glennon. While Taylor is 13-1 in games he starts and finishes, he’s known mainly for his willingness to run and frequent injuries.

He plans on being more judicious about when to tuck the ball away, which should keep him healthier, and took steps during the offseason to improve his throwing.

Both quarterbacks will have their hands full against these defenses.

Alabama appears to have one of the best units in school history. All four linebackers return, including McClain and freshman standout Dont’a Hightower. Massive Terrence Cody anchors an experienced line. Arenas returns in the secondary and is even more dangerous as a returner, having brought back three punts for touchdowns last season.

"We want to be physically dominating," McClain said. "We intend to go out and hit people in the mouth. That’s how we play. We’re going to run the ball at you and stop you from running the ball."

The Hokies have the talent to hit back. Seven starters return from a group that allowed the seventh-fewest yards in the country, including end Jason Worilds (eight sacks, 18.5 tackles for losses), tackle John Graves (three blocked kicks) and cornerback Stephan Virgil (six interceptions).

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster is a master at disguising his calls, especially when facing a quarterback starting his first game and an offensive line that had to replace key starters Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell.

Look for Foster to send plenty of guys at McElroy.

"Our whole defense is kind of excited about it," linebacker Cody Grimm said. "It’s definitely going to be on their guys upfront. They don’t have as much experience, their quarterback hasn’t started before, so it’s definitely a good opportunity for us to bring some blitzes."

-- Paul Newberry

Navy hopes to slow down No. 6 Ohio State’s Pryor

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jim Tressel has always wanted to see an Army-Navy game.

"That’s on my sports ‘bucket list’ to someday see that game," he said. "I’ve never been to it, but I’ve heard it’s breathtaking."

Seeing the Midshipmen shift gears on that lethal running attack against Army in a stadium full of dress uniforms is one thing. Tressel has no desire to see Navy put on a show on Saturday when they take on his sixth-ranked Buckeyes.

"I guess I have a little different perspective as I’m watching that triple-option run up and down the field" at Ohio Stadium, he said with a chuckle.

The Buckeyes host the Midshipmen for the first time in 78 years in the season opener for both teams. Ohio State is hopeful of another shot at a national title, not to mention extending its string of Big Ten titles to five in a row.

Navy is shooting for a seventh consecutive season of at least eight wins while hoping to add to its record of four consecutive national rushing titles.

Coach Ken Niumatalolo knows what his squad is up against when it steps before 106,000 partisan fans.

"It’s a great challenge," he said. "Ohio State has a phenomenal football program with a legendary coach and a bunch of future first- and second-round draft choices. This program has been in three of the last seven national championship games, five BCS bowl games in that span. It is one of the elite programs in the country."

Told that most of the best-known Buckeyes from a year ago — linebacker James Laurinaitis, tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, wide receiver Brian Robiskie and several other household names — are gone, the second-year coach of the Midshipmen almost laughed.

"It doesn’t matter. They just reload," he said. "There are guys the country doesn’t know about right now that are going to be stars and future NFL draft picks."

Ohio State’s defense returns seven starters. Among the only four holdovers on offense is quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the nation’s top recruit two years ago and coming off a year of seasoning in which the Buckeyes won eight of 10 games after he took over as the starter.

The only knock against him was that he couldn’t stretch a defense through the air. Sure, he could turn a potential big sack into a big gain with that quick, sinewy 6-foot-6 frame. But can he hit a pass when the game is riding on it?

He takes that question as an insult.

"When they call a run play, that’s when I’ll take off unless I see something bad," Pryor said early in August workouts. "We’ll find out against Navy if I can throw the ball."

Niumatalolo has no doubts that he can.

"He looks like Usain Bolt in pads," he said. "Guys like him don’t come along very often. He’s bigger than anybody on our defense and faster than anyone on our team. He can throw the ball a mile. He’s the ultimate weapon."

It’s not as if the Midshipmen don’t have some weapons of their own. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs has waited for his chance to take over Navy’s stuck-to-the-ground offense. A year ago, he was the team’s third-leading rusher even though he only played in eight games.

The only question about him — does this sound familiar? — is whether he can throw the ball as well as he runs it.

Tressel has no doubts that he can, either.

"The thing that I keep hearing as I listen (to Ohio State’s defensive coaches) is that he’s a very, very good passer and that’s scary in this offense," Tressel said. "Because if you don’t have the play-action covered, there could be a sinking feeling when you see that ball flying out there knowing none of our guys are around (a receiver)."

The defenses are both good but unproven. Navy’s unit improved a year ago, cutting more than 10 points a game off its 2007 average. In preseason scrimmages it appeared Ohio State’s defensive line dominated — unless that was a sign that the offense hasn’t quite matured as fast as its triggerman.

One other concern for the Buckeyes is what lies ahead. On Sept. 12, No. 4 Southern California comes to Columbus for one of the premier intersectional games in the nation. The players say they’re not overlooking Navy, but they said that last year while struggling to get past Ohio University 26-14 the week before playing USC.

Then they went out to California and were blasted 35-3 by the Trojans.

Ohio State is honoring the military at the game, with former astronaut and ex-senator John Glenn "dotting the i" in the school’s script Ohio band formation at halftime.

The Buckeyes have tried to treat their opponent with reverence and respect while gearing up for the opener like it’s any other game. But, still, it’s clear it’s not just another game.

The stakes for the two teams couldn’t be much different.

"We’ve talked about it," Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman said of Navy’s players, whose biggest battles won’t be on a football field. "These guys definitely have a different kind of training than what we go through. Their mindset is, they’re fighting for their lives; we’re fighting to win a game."

-- Rusty Miller

Challenges never end for Mississippi cornerbacks

JACKSON, Miss. — Memphis quarterback Arkelon Hall will drop back several times this Sunday when the Tigers play No. 8 Mississippi and heave the ball into space. The higher the better.

Think of it as the football version of the alley oop. With a couple of receivers who have the stature of basketball players, it’s a pivotal strategy in a game that figures to be full of passes.

Waiting for Hall’s passes to come down are 6-foot-9 Carlos Singleton and 6-4 Duke Calhoun.

"I just feel like if you throw a ball up 10 foot high it’s hard for a defensive back to watch you and the ball at the same time, so by the time you jump it will be too late," Calhoun said. "That’s what our quarterbacks are taught, to throw the ball 10 foot high."

An hour south in Oxford, Ole Miss defensive back coach Chris Vaughn is teaching Rebels cornerbacks the finer art of defending the basket. At 5-9 and 5-10 Marshay Green and Cassius Vaughn aren’t going to leap over the men they’re covering to swat away a pass. They have to defend the lob, just like a power forward.

"Any time a wide receiver is 6-9 and 6-4, that’s a big-time talent," Green said. "Basically we’ve just been working on trying to box the wide receivers out and put our arms through their hands trying to separate him and the ball."

The matchup in the Ole Miss defensive backfield will go a long way toward answering one of the Rebels’ more pressing questions as they make the case they are Southeastern Conference contenders.

Ole Miss finished last in the league in pass defense last season, something that could have been predicted when coach Houston Nutt took over. He found an empty secondary and immediately moved Green over from wide receiver. With little experience and no backups, Green and Vaughn struggled but got better as the season went along.

It turned triumphant in the Cotton Bowl when the Rebels shut down Texas Tech’s vaunted passing attack and wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Green was named defensive MVP after returning an interception for a touchdown and mostly shutting down Crabtree in his final college game.

"It was a real boost for everybody in the secondary," Vaughn said of Green’s switch. "We were going against him in one on ones and we’re all talking smack back at each other back and forth, and then he comes on our side and just becomes one of us and does what we’re doing. To see him progress and learn, to see him mature, it was beautiful to see. It was a team thing. There was no selfishness in what he did. We needed him."

Still do. Green and Vaughn are confident as the season starts, but many of the same questions remain about the secondary after two top prospects were unable to join the team. Kendrick Lewis and Johnny Brown start at the safety positions, and coaches feel good about their starters.

After that, though, it gets questionable real fast. So there will be little respite for Vaughn and Green at the Liberty Bowl. They can expect to play almost every down. And since the Tigers are short-handed at receiver, they can also expect to see Singleton and Calhoun across the line.

The four played each other last season and coach Houston’s Nutt’s staff doesn’t need to look at film to gauge the challenge. The duo combined for 10 catches and 132 yards in last year’s game.

"Singleton is a very good player — good hands and a great jump-ball catcher," Nutt said. "And Calhoun’s the same way. We recruited Duke, and so we know these guys pretty good. They’re just very, very talented and always going to create problems for people."

Both are motivated, too. Each could reach career milestones in the game. Singleton needs just one more catch to own the touchdown receptions record at 20, while Calhoun needs four catches for 66 yards to become the leader in those categories.

"I really don’t think about it," Calhoun said. "It’s going to happen when it happens, but hopefully it will happen in the first game live on ESPN."

Not if Vaughn and Green have anything to do with it. And they’ll have plenty of assistance.

Vaughn said one of the many lessons he and Green learned last year was that pass defense is as much about linemen collapsing the pocket and linebackers rushing the throw as it is about blanket coverage.

"I don’t feel like there’s a weakness in our secondary," Vaughn said. "It’s a team thing. It’s just not our secondary out there on the field."

-- Chris Talbott

JoePa’s return to sideline boosts No. 9 Penn St

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The boss is back on the field at Penn State.

Exchanging a cane for a new hip, Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno will return to the sideline Saturday when the No. 9 Nittany Lions host Akron in the season opener.

He’s bringing Sean Lee with him, too, after his star linebacker missed 2008 with an injured right knee.

Lee can’t tell who is more excited to be back on the Beaver Stadium turf.

"I don’t know," he said with a laugh, pondering for a few seconds. "I know (Paterno) is going to be excited to be out there with us. ... He takes pride being on the sideline."

The 82-year-old Paterno coached the final seven games of the 2008 season from various press boxes, ailing from a hip he hurt while trying to boot an onside kick in practice a year ago.

He underwent surgery Nov. 23, the day after the Nittany Lions routed Michigan State to clinch the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl berth.

Enough with press boxes, he’s said throughout the summer.

"I think everything will be good," Paterno said this week. "I’m looking forward to getting back on the sideline."

This will be another milestone year for a Hall-of-Fame coach whose resume is already full of accomplishments — a mind-boggling 60 years at Penn State: 16 as an assistant, the next 44 as the man in charge.

His 383 victories place him one ahead of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden for most wins among major college coaches.

But it’s one loss that’s been eating away at Paterno all offseason — the 38-24 defeat to Southern California at the Rose Bowl. The goal is to get back to Pasadena this year, whether as a participant in the BCS title game, or as the Big Ten champion in a Rose Bowl return.

It’s a reachable ambition, even with just nine starters returning, not including Lee.

Star quarterback Daryll Clark is back to coordinate the spread HD attack, and a weak nonconference schedule should give the Nittany Lions time to jell before the Big Ten slate starts.

Akron coach J.D. Brookhart knows there’s a talent disparity between Penn State and his Mid-American Conference squad.

"A bounce of the ball will determine whether they are Top 10 or Top 15," Brookhart said. "It’s not like they went off and had three bad recruiting years. There’s good players in that house."

Start with Lee and fellow linebacker Navorro Bowman, who lead one of the deepest linebacking corps in the country.

Tackle Jared Odrick paces a solid defensive line that needs to pressure third-year QB Chris Jacquemain to slow down Akron’s spread offense.

The Zips also return their top four receivers and four offensive linemen. Paterno fears it will be an early test for Penn State’s secondary, revamped with four new starters.

"Contrary to what people think, Akron is a fine football team," said Paterno, always one to talk up an opponent.

It’s on the other side of the ball, though, where Akron could be overwhelmed. Six starters return from a unit that gave up more than 397 yards and 31 points a game.

The Zips could be the perfect foe to allow the Nittany Lions’ rebuilt offensive line to gain confidence, and for Clark to mesh with his new, taller receiving corps. On average, the Penn State receivers could have a height advantage of roughly three or four inches over the Akron defensive backs.

"You see it each and every year ... they reload," said Brookhart, whose last visit to Beaver Stadium in 2006 ended with a 34-16 loss.

The players change, but Paterno remains the blue-and-white constant.

On Saturday, his distinct voice with the hint of a Brooklyn accent will be heard again on the field, tormenting officials and pleading with his players.

"It’s going to be real exciting because this is where Joe belongs, on the sideline," Clark said.

-- Genaro C. Armas

Sarkisian’s Dawgs open with angry, No. 11 Tigers

SEATTLE — New Washington coach Steve Sarkisian had to laugh when he saw the first game on the Huskies’ schedule.

Not only did his new athletic director provide a challenging debut, Sarkisian will experience something he never did in his years as an assistant at Southern California.

"I kind of got the chuckle because, for me, coming from ‘SC, there was always banter among the fans about ‘SC and LSU should’ve been playing, (from) years ago when we kind of split the national title," Sarkisian said.

"I thought to myself, ‘Well, I’m getting my chance now."’

Some chance.

Sarkisian and his Huskies begin a new era at home Saturday night as a huge underdog to No. 11 Louisiana State.

LSU is 18 months removed from winning a national championship. Tigers fans have swarmed into Seattle, showing up as early as Wednesday on the longest road trip in the history of LSU football, 2,550 miles. Almost 15,000 LSU fans are expected inside Husky Stadium for the nationally televised opener for both teams.

And the players are just as eager as their fans. This is an angry bunch of Bengal Tigers following an embarrassing five-loss season in 2008.

"It’s been a long time coming," said left tackle Ciron Black, who will make his 41st consecutive start for LSU. "I’ve been saying it all week, I’ve been saying it ever since January 1: I just want to show everybody how we play football. Last year, it’s just not us, it’s not how we play.

Of course, embarrassment is relative.

Washington is coming off the first 0-12 season in Pac-10 history. The Huskies have lost 14 consecutive games, the last games in the dreadful tenure of fired coach Tyrone Willingham. It’s two short of the Pac-10 record for futility. And they expect to play six true freshman Saturday.

"They had a horrible season. We had a horrible season as well last year," LSU running back Keiland Williams said. "So I think you’ll just definitely see two teams out there just hungry, trying to earn everybody’s respect back. ... We’re definitely anxious."

Washington’s anxiety wasn’t supposed to be this high this soon. The opener was supposed to be at home against Nevada, followed by another game against Idaho. But about 18 months ago Nevada backed out, leaving the Huskies scrambling.

Then Verge Ausberry, a senior associate athletic director at LSU, called an old friend. Washington athletic director Woodward was born in Baton Rouge, graduated from LSU and was the director of external affairs there before moving to Washington.

Soon the Tigers were coming for their first trip to the West Coast since 1984. The Huskies go to Death Valley in 2012.

Convenient, but not exactly the way to jump-start a former power and the tenure of a new coach.

"People with concerns say, ‘Hey, shouldn’t you have opened up with a lesser opponent?’ I understand those," Woodward said.

Then he mentions another friend, Nick Saban. Alabama’s current head man was LSU’s coach when Woodward was there. Woodward remembers how Saban, in the same situation at Michigan State as Sarkisian is now at Washington, opened at home in 1995 against No. 2 Nebraska — and lost 50-10.

"He got beat, but he says (the) team learned a lot from it and got better, and played in a bowl that year," Woodward said.

Now Sarkisian’s Huskies get a faster, more athletic LSU team led by sophomore QB Jordan Jefferson. He is running the Tigers’ offense after emerging late last season. And running is the operative term — LSU returns the players responsible for 93 percent of its rushing yardage in 2008.

"I’m ready to run power," Black said. "I’m ready to run zone right up the middle. Just show them how we play football, man."

Nothing silences 70,000 roaring fans starved for an upset or demoralizes a fired-up underdog like a pounding running game. And "Chuck the Truck" is the man for the job.

Senior Charles Scott rushed for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns — second in school history — last season. He’ll be facing a Huskies’ defense that returns eight starters from last season, when it allowed 241 yards rushing per game.

LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis came from Tennessee to fix a unit that allowed more than 24 points and 325 yards per game last season. His new schemes will be tested by Jake Locker, Washington’s dynamic junior quarterback who had last season ruined by a broken thumb in September.

Locker will try to keep the Huskies in the game with his powerful running and supposedly improved passing in Sarkisian’s new, prostyle offense modeled after USC’s.

"Obviously this is a great metered gauge for us to where we’re at as a program, to see how far we stack up with a team that is a perennial top-10 team," Sarkisian said. "I think we’re embracing the challenge more than, ‘Oh, whoa is me."’

-- Gregg Bell

No. 12 Cal opens season against Maryland

BERKELEY, Calif.— For California, last year’s cross-country trip to play Maryland turned into a lost weekend full of bad memories that still haunt the Golden Bears.

From the loss to an unranked opponent to the sight of star Jahvid Best on his knees vomiting following a hard hit, the 12th-ranked Bears feel like they owe Maryland something when the two teams open their seasons Saturday at Cal.

"Revenge I guess is a pretty strong word," Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. "Redemption may be a little bit better just because we didn’t play well last year. It’s not the revenge of what they did to us, it’s the redemption of what we did to ourselves."

That starts with Tedford’s decision to fly cross-country the day before the game, giving his players little time to acclimate themselves to the time difference. With the game starting at noon — or essentially 9 a.m. for the Cal players — the Bears looked half asleep at the start.

The Terrapins ambushed them with two quick touchdown runs by Da’Rel Scott and led 21-3 one play into the second quarter. It was 28-6 midway through the third before the Bears finally appeared to wake up with three fourth-quarter touchdowns that led to the 35-27 final score.

"They came out here one day early, not really expecting the time difference to mean anything," Maryland defensive tackle Travis Ivey recalled. "It was kind of like they were sleepwalking out there. I know they’ll be ready to play. I’m sure they thought they were the better team. I know they want this pretty bad."

The Cal players refuse to use the time difference or early start as an excuse for the loss, saying they simply weren’t prepared to win the game.

They were often confused on defense as Maryland played at a fast tempo and the Bears found their groove too late for it to matter.

"It’s a game that we felt got away from us real early in the game," cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson said. "If we had a couple more minutes on the clock we think could have pulled it off and got the win last year. We’re looking forward to the challenge again. We get a chance to redeem ourselves and start this season off on a good step."

Whether the travel and unusual start time were a factor or not, the Terps are doing their best to remove that issue from the equation. With this year’s game starting at 7 p.m. local time — or essentially 10 p.m. for the Maryland players — staying awake is a bigger issue than waking up.

The Terps arrived in the Bay Area on Thursday having been ordered to stay awake on the flight. Quarterback Chris Turner, a Californian who has frequently flown cross country, thinks leaving a day early will eliminate jet lag as a factor come Saturday.

"It seems like everyone you ask thinks it was an issue last year," Turner said. "You’d have to ask them; I don’t know. Maybe it was. It seemed like it was, that’s for sure. But we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it’s not a factor for us. We don’t want to have that as an excuse."

With the travel less of an issue, Maryland can focus its energy on stopping Best, perhaps the most explosive running back in the country. Best ran for 1,580 yards last season, averaging a school-record 8.1 yards per carry. He scored 16 touchdowns and had seven runs of at least 60 yards.

But Best was held to a season-low 25 yards rushing at Maryland last year and was on the wrong end of the most memorable highlight from the game. In the second quarter, Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes got a running start and struck Best squarely in the chest during an ill-fated swing pass.

Best hit the ground quicker than the ball, and it took several minutes before the standout running back got to his feet. As the cameras zoomed in for a close-up on the fallen Best, he vomited. The hit became an instant YouTube classic.

Barnes is no longer with the Terps and there are plenty more differences on the Maryland defense. New coordinator Don Brown has brought an attacking-style defense, whereas last year’s team preferred to sit back in zones.

The change has forced the Bears to study tape of Massachusetts, as well as Maryland to see what Brown’s defenses looked like last year.

"Any time you go into something like this it’s unsettling not to have anything on tape of their people," Tedford said. "It would be nice to have one game on them from this year but we don’t. There will be some adjustments that need to be made during the game so we’ll be very focused on what’s going on."

-- Josh Dubow

Georgia Tech opens again against Jacksonville St.

ATLANTA — Jack Crowe says he likes Georgia Tech’s spread option offense. The Jacksonville State coach especially likes Yellow Jackets running back Junior Jonathan Dwyer.

The 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading rusher and player of the year had a successful debut in coach Paul Johnson’s new offense one year ago against Crowe’s team. Dwyer rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries in the Yellow Jackets’ 41-14 win over the Gamecocks.

Dwyer and No. 15 Georgia Tech are looking for similar success when they open their 2009 season against Jacksonville State on Saturday.

Crowe says this may be Dwyer’s last college season.

"If he is not the first pick taken in the next NFL draft, I will be surprised," Crowe said.

Crowe said trying to tackle the 235-pound Dwyer, who boasts power and breakaway speed, "is probably our biggest challenge."

The Yellow Jackets rushed for 349 yards and six touchdowns against Jacksonville State in last year’s opener in Atlanta.

Johnson returns 17 starters, including quarterback Josh Nesbitt, Dwyer and leading receiver Demaryius Thomas.

Georgia Tech finished 9-4 last year, when Johnson had depth problems at several positions, including running back. Now Johnson has more experienced players behind his starters.

"I think we’re going to be better, but I don’t know," Johnson said. "We could be better and it not show in the first game."

Dwyer has more help this year, and the improved depth at running back should be noticeable.

Junior Anthony Allen, a transfer from Louisville, and Embry Peeples are the starting A-backs. Roddy Jones, a 2008 starter, returned from a dislocated wrist only a week ago and may be held out against Jacksonville State.

Allen (6-0, 228) rushed for more than 1,000 yards with 20 touchdowns in two seasons at Louisville. He had to watch last season while he sat out as a redshirt following the transfer. Allen says he sees a big change in the execution on offense.

"It’s exciting watching how it grew from last year to this year," Allen said. "You can watch tape from last year and see little things that went wrong but playmakers made plays. This year it’s going so much faster and everybody is making the right blocks and everybody is making the right reads. I’m real excited."

Preston Lyons is Dwyer’s new backup at B-back. Lyons, from Atlanta’s Marist School, transferred to Georgia Tech from Colgate and sat out the 2008 season. He also sat out the 2007 season as a redshirt at Colgate and may be a surprise to some fans, according to Johnson.

"Preston Lyons is a guy that has gotten better every week and should help us," Johnson said.

Johnson cringed when asked if he planned to pull his starters early in the game and give backups some playing time.

"I want to try to win the game so I’m going to do whatever it takes," he said. "If we have a chance to play them, yeah they’ll play. I want to play everybody but I’m under no illusion that will happen."

Nesbitt’s backup, sophomore Jaybo Shaw, is out with a broken collarbone. Freshman Tevin Washington may play behind Nesbitt.

Nesbitt completed only 43.9 percent of his passes for 808 yards and only two touchdowns last year, but he rushed for 693 yards and seven touchdowns.

Georgia Tech ranked fourth in the nation in rushing last year. Dwyer said the goal is to lead the nation in rushing this year.

"Nesbitt may surprise some people," Johnson said. "He is a lot more comfortable doing what he is doing. I think he will be a lot better than he was a year ago. That is just my belief but until you see it happen you just do not know."

Jacksonville State has a No. 19 FCS national ranking but Crowe suspended quarterback Ryan Perrilloux for violating team rules during the spring.

Sophomore Marques Ivory will make his first start at quarterback.

Ivory was 24-0 as a starter at Northside High in Warner Robins, Ga., and Crowe said the sophomore is "not an average guy to put in that position."

"I have had first-start quarterbacks in a lot of places," Crowe said. "I don’t think I have seen one that has been less affected by all of the circumstances than Marques Ivory. He just rolls with the punches and goes on. Marquis has enormous confidence in himself and is very resourceful. He is not a great talent, but he maybe beyond his years in terms of managing a game."

-- Charles Odum

No. 21 UNC cautious entering opener vs. Citadel

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — There’s a good reason why North Carolina is approaching its opener against The Citadel with all the intensity and attention of a rivalry.

A year ago, the Tar Heels nearly lost this type of game.

And if they want to take another step toward becoming an annual contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference, they can’t afford any more close calls against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

"Every day, you’ve got to bring your lunch pail, no matter who you’re playing," defensive end E.J. Wilson said. "You could be playing Florida, or you could be playing (an FCS) team. ... Every opponent deserves the same respect, and that’s one thing we learned. We’re going into the Citadel game just like we’re playing one of our biggest rivals.

"It has to be important to you, because every week, you can’t turn it on and off," he added. "It has to be a consistent, sustained effort — mentally and physically — every week."

When the Bulldogs visit the 21st-ranked Tar Heels on Saturday night, the biggest test coach Butch Davis’ players probably will face is one of focus. The Citadel, the preseason pick by the media to finish seventh in the Southern Conference, offered little resistance in its finale last season — a 70-19 loss to eventual national champion Florida.

Still, for a North Carolina team that dodged embarrassment in last year’s opener — holding off McNeese State 35-27 in a game delayed by lightning — the Tar Heels want to prove they can finish off a less talented team that’s gunning for them.

"We’ve just got to realize we have to stay focused in those types of situations, because we went into the locker room for two hours and kind of lost focus," quarterback T.J. Yates said. "Those types of teams ... that’s their biggest game on the schedule all year long, and they’re coming out absolutely with everything they’ve got. ... They’re not just going to lay down. They’re going to come at us full-force, so we’ve got to be prepared for that."

Yates is entering his third season as the Tar Heels’ starter, but he won’t have his favorite targets after the exodus of receivers Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster — who a year ago combined for nearly two-thirds of North Carolina’s 182 catches. The situation got even worse this week when one of their top replacements, Dwight Jones, was ruled out with a knee injury.

With so much uncertainty and inexperience on the offense, most expect North Carolina’s defense — which returns an ACC-best nine starters — to be the strength of the team.

Wilson doesn’t.

"I know people have been saying that’s one of our question marks, but in my mind, I feel we may not have a lot of experience, but there’s a lot of talent there," he said. "We’re not asking them to go out there and score 40 points a game. All we need is for them to take care of the ball, for them to score when they get the chance and take advantage of the opportunities, and we’ll have their back."

The best receiver on the field most likely will be the Bulldogs’ Andre Roberts, who led the SoCon with 95 catches for 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and could be a threat to take snaps in the wildcat formation.

"I’m definitely up for anything they put me through this year," Roberts said. "I know I’m going to be a playmaker for this team, and I have to come out every game and produce. Wherever they need me, they can put me."

-- Joedy McCreary

No. 22 Iowa seeking answers on offense in opener

IOWA CITY, Iowa — It’s a good thing Iowa opens the season at home against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Northern Iowa.

The 22nd-ranked Hawkeyes have quite a few kinks to work out on offense.

Iowa hardly has any idea who will replace departed Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene at running back, now that projected starter Jewel Hampton is out for the year with a knee injury. The offensive line is in flux as well, with just one projected starter from the spring expected to be in that spot for Saturday’s opener.

Unlike the start of last season, though, Iowa is solid at quarterback. Junior Ricky Stanzi has taken control of the job after a somewhat chaotic sophomore campaign, and his experience will come in handy early on.

"We expect him to play quarterback and play well, and he’s important in the running game as far as making sure we’re not doing dumb things out there. Hopefully he’ll be a proficient passer," coach Kirk Ferentz said. "He had a good camp and I think he’s a little more confident than he was last year at this time."

In 2008, Stanzi and the since-departed Jake Christensen battled for the starting job through the end of September before Stanzi took over for good, leading Iowa to a 6-1 record down the stretch.

It looks like it might take Iowa at least that long to settle on a No. 1 running back this season.

Unheralded junior Paki O’Meara, who has spent the bulk of his first two seasons on special teams, earned the starting nod for Saturday, with redshirt freshman Adam Robinson as the backup. Freshmen Jeff Brinson and Brandon Wegher also figure to be in the mix at tailback.

"I think we just keep an open mind on this whole thing right now," Ferentz said. "My guess is, probably by the end of the season we’ll see all four of those guys being involved if they can stay healthy and pick up what’s going on."

Iowa’s offensive line is expected to be among the nation’s best, with 99 career starts between them. The problem is that two of those players, tackle Kyle Calloway and guard Julian Vandervelde, won’t play against the Panthers.

Calloway is serving a one-game suspension after being arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Vandervelde is still recovering from offseason surgery.

Guard Adam Gettis will make his first career start in Vandervelde’s spot, and Rafael Eubanks is back at center after playing guard much of last season. Senior Dace Richardson, who hasn’t played since 2007 because of knee injuries, will start at right tackle.

"We do have experience right now, and the frustrating thing is just trying to figure out where we’re at because we’ve had a lot of guys in and out," Ferentz said.

History indicates that Iowa’s issues shouldn’t be a major concern against Northern Iowa, which has been outscored 145-34 in three trips to Kinnick Stadium since 1995.

But the Panthers have won at least a share of the last two Missouri Valley Football Conference titles and reached the FCS semifinals last season. Nine starters return from an offense that averaged 29.2 points per game in 2008, including senior quarterback Pat Grace, who accounted for 25 touchdowns.

Still, the Northern Iowa team that made it all the way to the FCS national title game in 2005 lost at Iowa 45-21. The Hawkeyes scored on five of its first six possessions that day, and Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley knows the Panthers face a challenge of playing on the road.

"Sometimes that added excitement adds to a missed tackle or a missed assignment and it exhausts a player very quickly until you settle down," Farley said. "That’s the edge they’ll always have, playing home field at Kinnick."

The biggest edge will the Hawkeyes will have, though, is their defense. Iowa returns eight starters from a unit that allowed just 13 points a game in 2008 and, save for a season-ending injury to cornerback Jordan Bernstine, enters the season healthy.

-- Luke Meredith

It’s show time for No. 23 Notre Dame vs. Nevada

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It’s show time for No. 23 Notre Dame and Nevada.

The preseason credo for the Fighting Irish has been it’s time to stop talking about how good the team can be and just go out and show it. No more talk about how the Notre Dame defense is going to be tougher, or how the Irish running game is finally going get going after the worst three seasons in the school’s 120-year football history. It’s show time.

"I think that’s exactly what the team feels," coach Charlie Weis said. "It’s not just coach Weis talking. It’s what the team feels."

Fans talk about the Irish losing a school-record 15 losses over the past two seasons and speculate how many games Notre Dame must win this year for Weis to keep his job. But Irish players say they aren’t feeling any added pressure headed into an opener against a Wolf Pack team that was fifth in the nation in total offense last season.

"Just being at the University of Notre Dame you’re going to have pressure," quarterback Jimmy Clausen said. "We always talk about the head coach and quarterback of Notre Dame get too much praise when things go right and get too much blame when things go wrong."

Clausen took his share of criticism last season. He was outstanding at times, especially at the Hawaii Bowl in December when he completed 22-of-26 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns against Hawaii. All four incompletions were dropped passes.

"Your stats aren’t going to get much better than that ever. But that’s what you have to shoot for on a week in, week out basis," Weis said.

There also were times when Clausen let his frustration show and he forced passes that were intercepted. Weis, who has taken over as offensive coordinator this season, wants Clausen to show more composure when things are going poorly, to be a better leader and to make better decisions when receivers are covered and defenders are rushing him.

As an example, Weis said the slow-footed Clausen has learned to shuffle around the pocket just a bit to buy more time — rather than just bailing out when the pressure is coming.

Entering his third season as starter, Weis said Clausen is where he expected to be when he arrived on campus as the most highly touted recruit in years, famously holding a news conference at the College Football Hall of Fame to announce his commitment and say he was coming to Notre Dame "to try to get four national championship rings."

"He’s done everything in practice I could ask him to do. He’s developed on and off the field the way I’d want him to develop," Weis said.

The Irish are hoping Clausen can show similar improvement from his sophomore to junior year as Brady Quinn did four years ago when he led the Irish to the first of back-to-back Bowl Championship Series berths.

"We’ve done all the preparation we could do prior to the game," Weis said. "Now he’s got to go out there and do it in front of 80,000 people."

That’s true for the entire Irish team. The offensive line and tailbacks have even more to prove because they have not yet shown nearly the promise that Clausen and the receivers have. The same goes for the Irish defense, which ranked 39th in the country last season.

"The biggest thing we’re looking forward to is go out on the field Saturday and show everybody what we’ve been doing up until this point and just prove, with our performance on the field, that we can back up how good we think we’re going to be," linebacker Scott Smith said.

Nevada has something to show as well. The Wolf Pack have not done well on the big stage in the past.

Since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1992 the Wolf Pack are 2-18 against teams from the Bowl Championship Series conferences, with wins over Washington in 2003 and Northwestern in 2005. Their only win in 15 tries against ranked teams was a 38-35 win over No. 16 Fresno State in 2005.

"This is definitely a great opportunity to get our name out there on the national level and really show the country what Nevada football is about and what we’re capable of," quarterback Colin Kaepernick said.

-- Tom Coyne