College Top 25 Football Capsules: Alabama's Ingram to miss opener with knee injury
Mark Ingram's run for a second Heisman Trophy has been put on hold, and possibly even derailed, before the Alabama tailback had a chance to gain a single yard.
Ingram will miss No. 1 Alabama's opener against San Jose State after injuring his left knee late in practice Monday, coach Nick Saban said Tuesday.
Saban said in a statement the star tailback had an arthroscopic procedure and should make a full recovery in a "relatively short time."
"Mark will definitely be out for this week's game against San Jose State and we will manage this on a week to week basis beyond this week," Saban said.
If the absence proves short-lived, it figures to have more of an impact on Ingram's bid to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only two-time Heisman winners than it does on Alabama's hopes for a repeat national title.
San Jose State went 2-10 last season, but the Crimson Tide face a much stiffer test in the second week of the season. No. 19 Penn State visits Tuscaloosa on Sept. 11, then Alabama travels to Duke.
Alabama does have a talented backup in sophomore Trent Richardson, who ran for 751 yards and scored eight touchdowns last season, including 109 yards and a 49-yard touchdown against Texas in the national title game.
He and Ingram were picked as the preseason first-team all-Southeastern Conference tailbacks.
"It's different not having (Ingram) out there," Richardson said. "We're not losing Mark; he's still going to be out there. We know we have to do what we have to do. Mark will support us and we will support Mark too."
Added center William Vlachos: "We are extremely fortunate to have guys behind him that are going to rise to the opportunity."
Ingram became Alabama's first Heisman winner as a sophomore after rushing for a school-record 1,658 yards and catching 32 passes. He's the first running back since Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett in 1976 to win both a Heisman and a national title in the same season.
He was the third consecutive sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, joining quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Florida and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. An early injury sidelined Bradford, while Tebow was a finalist as a junior and a senior though he never got to hoist the bronze statue again.
If Ingram misses more than one game, it could allow players such as Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore or Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams — or someone else — to get a head start on him in the Heisman race.
Then again, the emergence of Richardson and a diverse offense that also includes standout receiver Julio Jones might have hindered Ingram's chances to repeat anyway.
Asked Monday if he thought Alabama could have two 1,000-yard rushers, Ingram said: "Yeah, definitely. I think it's a definite possibility, but our main goal is to do whatever we can to help this team win. We're not really focused on stats. We're focused on executing our assignments, playing the best football we're capable of playing week in and week out and help this team win games. Stats really isn't an issue or something we're focused on."
There's not much experience behind Richardson while Ingram is out. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lacy is listed as the third-teamer.
"Eddie's a little bit taller than all the other running backs," Ingram said Monday. "He's a physical runner. He can make you miss. He can catch good out of the backfield. He's another great back. He'll be real special here as well."
Pryor says he finally feels like a QB
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State's secret weapon isn't much of a secret.
After two years of tutoring, coaxing, learning and waiting, Terrelle Pryor is no longer just a gifted athlete but a genuine quarterback.
It's almost too much for assistant head coach and wide receivers assistant Darrell Hazell. His voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper as he says, "You've just seen the beginning of greatness, I think. I believe that. He's so much better right now. He looks like a true quarterback. He gets back in his drops now, sees the field so much better now than he did last year — so much better."
Regardless of the departures and arrivals that make up a typical year for a college team, Ohio State's coaches think the biggest difference in the second-ranked Buckeyes this year is Pryor's comprehension of the position.
"The fun part of what we do is that every guy that comes in at 17 or 18, it's dramatic how we see them change," coach Jim Tressel said. "Terrelle is no different. He just happened to be walking around with a spotlight on him the whole time. I think his change has been as significant as anyone else's."
The first test comes Thursday night when the junior leads Ohio State up against Marshall at Ohio Stadium.
"I really feel like a quarterback," Pryor said. "I feel like I can be a complete quarterback, but I can also run the ball. It's going to be interesting, just how much smarter I am and how much I grew. ... It's the first time I could actually look at film and see how much I've grown and matured. I go through the reads right, I hit my checkdowns now, I take the right steps in the handoff. It just feels like everything is good."
Despite winning 19 of 23 games since he took over as a callow freshman, those who see Pryor on a daily basis say he's only scratched the surface.
"The guy is a freak of nature," safety Jermale Hines said. "And not only is he a freak of nature, but he's coming along as a quarterback. He's starting to look off (defenders) and things like that. His arm has gotten way stronger. But I'm really not surprised because he's the hardest working guy on the team. Hands down."
In his first two years running the offense (he took over for Todd Boeckman four games into the 2008 season), Pryor has flashed the ability to make an eye-popping run with that fluid, 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. When he is assigned to tuck the ball under his arm, or he is flushed out of the pocket, he puts pressure on a defense to break coverage and hunt him down. And he is extremely fast and elusive for a man his size.
"He's scary when he can run it and threaten the edge because he's a hard guy to tackle," Hazell said.
His passing, however, has been spotty. Even though he's completed 58 percent and has a 2-to-1 ratio on TD passes to interceptions (30-15), there have been times when he has been inaccurate and inefficient. He seldom threw deep or even medium-range passes. Some blamed a shot-put throwing motion. So Pryor worked for hour after hour on passing drills during the offseason, streamlining his release point and honing his touch.
Couple that and his running ability with his increased awareness of coverages and blitzes and he becomes potentially the best quarterback in the country.
"We always knew Pryor had the talent, the ability, it all comes down to what's going on in his mind," cornerback Chimdi Chekwa said.
Tressel said that it's taken time.
"Terrelle has a good confidence about himself instinctively," he said. "I also think that he has a tough standard of excellence that he puts on himself. I think he's grown into understanding that this is a journey and that every moment is not an end-all moment."
With increased understanding of what's going on around him on the field, Pryor has gained a lot of respect from his teammates.
"Last year TP was kind of just playing off his freshman year and still wasn't really sure of what was going on," cornerback Devon Torrence said. "But this year, man, he's very decisive when he's out there. He understands the whole package, what everybody's doing. And checkdowns. He's calling out the defense and the stunts and the blitzes and everything and he knows who the hot receiver is."
No wonder with a new season looming, Pryor feels as if he's at a crossroads.
"I'm very anxious, I'm a little nervous," he conceded. "But I also think we're ready."
-- Rusty Miller
Air Hawkeye? No. 9 Iowa hopes to open things up
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa's resurgence last season was powered by a punishing defense and a rushing attack that eats up yards and time.
Don't expect the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes to abandon their beloved running game in 2010. But don't be surprised if they fling the ball around a bit more than usual either.
Iowa brings back what appears to be their most impressive passing attack in recent memory. The often-conservative Hawkeyes return senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi, a talented receivers in Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Marvin McNutt and dependable tight ends Allen Reisner and Brad Herman.
The Hawkeyes probably won't have to get too fancy against FCS school Eastern Illinois in Saturday's opener. But Iowa appears to have more than enough weapons to better the paltry 23.2 points per game it scored last season.
"We would love to have an explosive offensive attack, especially in the pass game. I mean, that can only help us," Stanzi said. "I think we have guys that can go out there and do that."
It all starts with Stanzi, whose inconsistency has been a much-discussed issue for the Hawkeyes. Stanzi threw 17 touchdowns last season and 15 interceptions — including four picks that were returned for touchdowns — and he spent the offseason working to cut down on the mistakes that often put the Hawkeyes in early holes.
"I'd like to think that all the preparation we've all done as team can definitely help change some of the things last year that put us in bad positions," Stanzi said.
Johnson-Koulianos has a chance to become the first Iowa player to lead the team in receiving four years in a row, even though he's often been on coach Kirk Ferentz's bad side for one undisclosed reason or another.
But Ferentz singled him out during fall camp for his strong play, a sign that the Hawkeyes are ready to lean on him more than ever.
McNutt converted to wide receiver after Stanzi emerged as the starting quarterback two years ago, and he quickly took to his new position. McNutt caught a team-high eight touchdown passes in 2009 — including a 7-yarder on the final play at Michigan State to keep Iowa's then-unbeaten season alive. A 6-foot-4 he gives Stanzi a big target near the end zone.
"I have a lot more confidence going in, because I have game experience under me. So, it's really not as if it's the first time I'm going to be playing in front of a crowd," McNutt said.
Iowa's reserve wideouts include senior Colin Sandeman, who will likely make his impact on punt returns, and sophomore Keenan Davis, a highly touted recruit out of nearby Cedar Rapids who has bulked up to 215 pounds and could emerge as the Hawkeyes third receiver before long.
Iowa lost one of its top offensive options in tight end Tony Moeaki, but the Hawkeyes believe they'll be able to compensate for his loss with Reisner and Herman, a pair of reliable tight ends for an offense that uses them extensively.
Ferentz also indicated Tuesday that 6-7 freshman C.J. Fiedorowicz, the top prize in Iowa's most recent recruiting class, could also be a factor at tight end this fall.
"He'll make some mistakes — we'll have a lot of guys make mistakes, but hopefully work around those. I think he'll do a good job, based on what we've seen in practice," Ferentz said.
With eight starters back on defense and a pair of talented sophomore running backs in Adam Robinson and Jewel Hampton, Iowa has all the ingredients to grind out wins in its trademark fashion.
But if the Hawkeyes want to open it up in 2010, it looks like they've got the weapons to do so.
"I think we have a chance to be better in the passing game, and when you have that kind of experience you hope that's a byproduct of that good production," Ferentz said. "I think for the most part the receivers have practiced well, and I include the tight ends in that group, and I think our quarterbacks have done a pretty good job too. Our goal is to be balanced and we'll get good production in the passing game."
-- Luke Meredith
Tolzien's study gives No. 12 Wisconsin confidence
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien walked into his bedroom in the apartment he shares with offensive linemen John Moffitt and Bill Nagy and made a startling discovery.
His room was upside down. The furniture. The posters on the wall. Everything.
"We had his bed turned upside down, his TV stand upside down," Moffitt said, laughing about his prank. "I'm naturally kind of a slob. I don't put things back and he likes things very in order. It's really kind of creepy."
It's a little mild to call Tolzien just a perfectionist. He's into the smallest of details — and that's a good thing.
Moffitt and receiver Nick Toon say Tolzien's relentless pursuit of perfection inspires confidence. The 12th-ranked Badgers know the fifth-year senior won't be unsure or unprepared in crunch time on Saturdays, when they take on the likes of Ohio State and Iowa.
"It's a really good thing to have as a quarterback," Toon said. "He's just organized in all aspects of his life, from his football to his playbook to his room to anything."
Most of the attention at Wisconsin goes to the line or to the running game, led this year by dynamic tailback John Clay. Last year, Tolzien wasn't the starter or even the backup heading into fall camp, but he climbed the depth chart in camp and landed the starter's role.
"This year, my outlook is just going to be one of a little bit more responsibility," said Tolzien, who was recruited by Mid-American Conference schools until Wisconsin came into the picture. "That's what you want as a quarterback, the responsibility to make changes if things aren't right and just lead."
Last year, he threw for 2,705 yards with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions, leading Wisconsin to a 10-3 record and a win in the Champs Sports Bowl over Miami after making just eight attempts previously in his college career.
Tolzien has traveled so far that one national publication called him the "perfect quarterback" for Wisconsin because of his demeanor. Tolzien chuckles at the compliment, describing what type of player that would be.
"First and foremost you've got to take care of the ball. We win games by winning the turnover battle," he said. "Secondly, playing within yourself. Don't play out of your abilities or try to do too much in this offense, which is great because you know that it all starts with the run game and just trying to chip away, just trying to move the chains rather than always having to make big plays and have the whole thing on your shoulders."
Tolzien tries to shrug off that he's obsessed, pointing at his father, Mike, as the real neat freak of his family with the perfectly manicured lawn outside their suburban Chicago home. He's not really that bad, he says as Toon shakes his head in disagreement nearby.
"I've been in his room, it's spotless," Toon said.
Does Tolzien get frantic if he can't find something?
"Yeah, yeah. That's why his roommates go in and move stuff around sometimes to mess with him," the receiver said.
Moffitt, the lineman roommate, stays up late, plays video games and lounges around. Tolzien is gone early each day, choosing a morning routine.
"He and I are polar opposites. He's very 'productive' — that's the word he uses," Moffitt said.
Tolzien doesn't see why he'd squander time being messy when he could use it toward building something special.
"I feel like you only get so many opportunities and when you miss details, I feel like you wasted an opportunity — on the field and in the classroom," he said. "I'm not perfect, but I get frustrated when I don't have the details down."
And just because teammates know how to needle Tolzien, it doesn't mean he's a pushover. Far from it, he uses all that work to his advantage against his opponents — and his teammates.
When backup quarterback Curt Phillips sat in the third row of a recent meeting and donned Tolzien's No. 16 jersey to get a rise out of the straight-laced leader, Tolzien didn't miss a beat.
"What are you doing with a Joe Montana jersey on?" he asked.
Touche.
-- Colin Fly
Shannon has a calm air entering a new Miami season
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Although he'd never say so, Miami coach Randy Shannon's future was most uncertain a year ago.
Months of talking about a new contract for Shannon had gone almost nowhere, and he was faced with the unenviable task of trying to convince recruits to spend the next four years of their lives at Miami — while unable to guarantee them he'd actually be with the Hurricanes past the 2010 season.
"It was tough," Shannon said.
Not anymore. A new four-year contract was hammered out in May, giving Shannon some measure of security. And with a depth chart that's finally loaded to his liking, Shannon thinks he might have the kind of team he needs to get the Hurricanes thinking about winning college football's biggest prize again.
When No. 13 Miami opens its season Thursday night against Florida A&M, Shannon believes he'll be sending the most talented Hurricanes team of his four-year tenure onto the field. All they have to do now, he says, is go out and prove him right.
"I think when he came in, he had to establish his new rules, his new regime," Miami kicker Matt Bosher said. "I think he did that. He came in and led with an iron fist for a while. Now he's kind of letting the team police ourselves before he had to step in. He's letting the senior class have a lot more responsibility and the team have a lot more accountability ... which I think is a good sign."
By now, his rules are well-known. Go to class. (The Hurricanes rank among major college football's leaders in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.) Don't get in trouble. (Only one player has been arrested in Shannon's three-plus years, and that was on a misdemeanor charge.) Make sure no one calls the coach's cell phone after midnight to report an issue.
All those changes in the off-field makeup are complete. The only thing left to do is win.
"There is such a need for a guy like Randy," said Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor, a Shannon fan who'll be a foe Thursday night. "He stands for all the good things. Not only is he a role model himself, but he's affecting that city in a very positive way. There's trouble all around the city. When you establish a program that mothers and fathers can point their kids to, then you're doing a great job."
True, Shannon's mission is much bigger than what Hurricane fans might see.
He's a father figure to dozens of his players, many of whom turn to him when they have no one else to talk with, and those conversations are rarely about football. Running back Graig Cooper endured two bouts of personal tragedy this offseason, the specifics of which he wouldn't disclose, only to say that both times he turned to Shannon for advice on how to survive it all.
"It's not about football," Cooper said. "He teaches you how to be a man."
Then there's the off-the-field schedule that few are ever made privy to. Shannon — whose father was murdered and who lost three siblings to drug- and AIDS-related issues — goes into prisons, jails, halfway houses, wherever he can find a captive audience to talk about dealing with the adversities.
And those talks rarely revolve around football.
Miami was 5-7 his first season, then 7-6, then 9-4 a year ago. The Hurricanes haven't won an Atlantic Coast Conference title yet, and haven't won a bowl game since squeaking past Nevada in 2006 — the final game before Shannon took over the program.
Just about everything about the Hurricanes has changed since.
"We do not want to mess up coach Shannon's image, or tarnish his name or the University of Miami program," quarterback Jacory Harris said. "We're not kids who were raised doing things that way. Some of us may have broken pasts, but at the same time, we understand that we're in college now. We're grown men. We have to be mature young adults."
When players understand that, the winning simply has to fall into place, Shannon said.
Those close to Shannon — his tight circle of friends, his assistants, even some of Miami's upperclassmen — say he's calmer entering this season than any of his three previous with the Hurricanes.
Maybe it's the new contract. Maybe it's the sense Miami could be in the Bowl Championship Series hunt again.
Whatever it is, Shannon insists he's no different now than he was when the rebuilding process started in 2007, or when the contract talks were going nowhere in 2009.
"I'm kind of a confident guy," Shannon said. "I take pride in the guys I work with and the players are those guys. I don't know if there's pressure. I think you can see some great things about to happen here. You know when you're about to take that next step and go over the top. I think we're sitting there right now."
-- Tim Reynolds
With camp over, USC hopes health holds in Hawaii
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After one last preseason workout at Southern California, the Trojans headed to Hawaii on Tuesday night.
And it wasn't for a restful vacation, no matter how much they need it.
The Trojans realize reinforcements for their depleted program aren't arriving any time soon, so their fate rests in their ability to stay on the field through every bump and bruise. Several of coach Lane Kiffin's players are nursing minor injuries, and a handful are out — including their backup center and their most talented freshman receiver.
But Kiffin finally has his preferred offensive line together just a few days before the 14th-ranked Trojans open at Aloha Stadium on Thursday night, and he's cautiously optimistic he can keep a healthy, competitive team on the field beyond the opener.
USC has been careful to avoid using injuries and personnel shortages as excuses this month, even if they might turn out to be legitimate reasons for any struggles.
"We don't make excuses, because we've got the ability to be successful with whatever guys are out there," starting tailback Marc Tyler said.
Still, Kiffin says he ran a lighter camp after realizing he couldn't afford many injuries on a team fighting through significant scholarship cuts and several transfers by reserve players after crippling NCAA sanctions.
USC held full-contact drills only once, and it was back in the opening week of camp. The scrimmages were about safety first, and some units — such as the offensive line — have avoided full-speed drills whenever possible.
"Once we realized where our numbers were at, this wasn't like what we put our kids through last year (at Tennessee)," Kiffin said. "We spent more time in the weight room, more time in the film room."
Yet several veteran players believe the camp was more physical than anything they endured during the tenure of coach Pete Carroll, who got remarkable results from practices packed with hundreds of observers and featuring unorthdox drills built into high-intensity workouts.
"This is probably the hardest camp we've all been through since I got here," said Tyler, named the first-string tailback just a few days ago. "The coaching staff is the best. When they came here, everybody bought in, and we've been practicing for a long time. Everybody is committed to showing that SC is still SC."
With a little bit of NFL injury management thrown in, at least when dealing with the media, Kiffin has been deliberately vague about many injuries, usually just saying whether his players participated in practice.
Sophomore offensive guard Khaled Holmes has been hobbled, but Kiffin said he'll attempt to start against the Warriors. So will defensive lineman Nick Perry, while backup quarterback Mitch Mustain plans to be available after being limited in practice throughout the week.
The news wasn't as good on backup center Abe Markowitz, who had surgery Tuesday on a foot injury and will be out for several weeks. USC also is planning to redshirt receiver Kyle Prater, one of the top prospects in last season's high school class, after lower-body injuries hampered his development.
The Trojans tromped through LAX en masse Tuesday to make a commercial flight they bought out in its entirety since they were unable to use their usual charter company. They're still staying at a posh resort on Oahu's west side, and they plan to hang out Friday for a little relaxation before coming home to prepare for next weekend's home opener against Virginia.
"In our preparation and in guys' mindsets, we're ready," quarterback Matt Barkley said. "When we're in the locker room, I'm hearing talk about how ready we are to play, and how we can't wait to get on the field. We know we've prapared hard and well."
-- Greg Beacham
One year later, Pitt's Lewis hasn't slowed down
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mark Ingram of Alabama won the Heisman Trophy a year ago, but he's not the leading returning rusher in the nation. Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis is.
The same Lewis who, at this time a year ago, was competing to be Pitt's starting tailback. He won the job by running for 129 yards and two touchdowns against Youngstown State in the opener, and he kept on running: 190 yards at Buffalo, 158 against Connecticut, 180 at Rutgers, 152 against Notre Dame, 155 at West Virginia, 194 against Cincinnati, 159 against North Carolina State.
In a matter of weeks, Lewis went from being a virtual unknown whose 5-foot-8 size scared away every BCS school except for Pitt to being a modern day version of Tony Dorsett. Dorsett's own assessment of Lewis' 1,799-yard freshman season: "Wow."
Only Dorsett ran for more yards in a season at Pitt than Lewis did, and that was during his 1976 Heisman Trophy season in which he gained 2,150 yards. No doubt Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is thankful he watched that highlight reel of Lewis' long runs at Blair Academy in New Jersey that nearly every other Division I coach managed to overlook, despite Lewis' 14.1 yards per carry average during his final season.
"Dion, man, he was a steal," Pitt tackle Jason Pinkston said.
Now that the 19-year-old Lewis is beginning his second college season, with three new offensive linemen in front of him and a new quarterback, Tino Sunseri, handing him the ball, he keeps being asked what makes him run.
Lewis himself offers a hint of an answer, mentioning he's still the same athlete who had only a couple of major college offers.
"I knew I was talented, I knew I could play and make things happen," Lewis said. "The type of season I had, I didn't expect that much (yardage) but I knew I could go out there and be productive."
Lewis initially showed Pitt's coaches his ability to power through potential tacklers during spring practice in 2009. He enrolled in Pitt nine months before his first college game, and the extra weeks of practices and workouts proved beneficial.
"Dion Lewis is in the mix for 30 carries (a game during the season), in my mind," Wannstedt said that spring.
Wannstedt's early assessment proved to be remarkably accurate. Lewis averaged 27.1 carries per game as Pitt went 10-3, surpassing Dorsett's freshman record of 1,686 yards rushing. Lewis' 47 carries against Cincinnati were a school record, and he was an AP second team All-American.
"Last year, what I did? That's last year," Lewis said as the No. 15 Panthers prepared for Thursday's opener at Utah. "That doesn't mean anything. It's what I do this year, and that's my focus. I'm trying to help my team win, put last year behind me and keep moving forward."
That is what Lewis does best, move forward.
"I expect, if not the same thing as last year, even better," Pitt wide receiver Jon Baldwin said. "He worked so hard in the offseason. He's so powerful, you can put nine men in the box against him and he still can break for a 65-yard run. He's nearly impossible to stop."
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham compares Lewis to Oregon State star Jacquizz Rodgers, a third-team All-American while rushing for 1,440 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. The 5-7 Rodgers, like Lewis, was considered to be undersized coming out of high school.
"He (Lewis) is quick, fast, not great size but he is the same type of back that Jacquizz is," Whittingham said. "He has great vision and balance. He is a powerful runner in regards to his size."
The challenge this season is that opposing defensive coordinators have had an entire offseason, not just a hurried week of pregame preparation, to design schemes to control Lewis. With the unproven Sunseri at quarterback, opponents know that Pitt will lean heavily on Lewis during the early part of the season.
Not that Wannstedt would have it any other way.
Being able to recruit running backs like Lewis is one reason why Wannstedt stays with a pro-style offense that often includes a blocking fullback, Henry Hynoski. The last three seasons, Lewis and LeSean McCoy combined to rush for 4,615 yards; McCoy gained 1,488 yards as a sophomore and 1,328 as a freshman before going to the NFL.
"I think we'll be even better this year," Hynoski said. "That might be hard to believe for some people because we did so well last year. But I think we'll have an even bigger year. We're primed for it."
-- Alan Robinson
Georgia Tech pushing Nesbitt for Heisman Trophy
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech wants Heisman Trophy voters to know quarterback Joshua Nesbitt is the most interesting player in college football.
Georgia Tech launched a website on Tuesday to promote Nesbitt as a Heisman candidate. Nesbitt wears a tuxedo on www.Nesbitt4Heisman.com as he spoofs the older, bearded star of the Dos Equis beer advertising campaign.
The Dos Equis actor, who is billed as the most interesting man in the world, asks viewers to "Stay thirsty, my friends." Nesbitt's request is "Vote for me, my friends."
This is Georgia Tech's first Heisman Trophy campaign since 1999, when quarterback Joe Hamilton finished second to Wisconsin's Ron Dayne.
Nesbitt said he likes the new website since it also promotes the team.
"I was happy for the whole situation, but overall, it's putting the team out there," Nesbitt said Tuesday. "When you see the site, you also see Georgia Tech and it's great for the program."
The Heisman campaign could be a challenge.
Nesbitt has completed only 45 percent of his passes in his three seasons. He completed 75 of 162 passes (46.3 percent) for 1,701 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
It's easy to overlook a quarterback on a run-first offense. The No. 16 Yellow Jackets are not expected to change that commitment to the run in 2010.
"I'm not really focused on that," Nesbitt said. "I was just looking to boost the program. Whoever's behind it, let them do their job. If they want to hype it up, I'll let them do that and I'm just going out and playing."
Nesbitt (6-1, 218) is better known for his powerful runs than his passes in coach Paul Johnson's spread option offense. He ran for 1,037 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2009 and led Georgia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
"He's certainly deserving, I think," Johnson said Tuesday when asked about Nesbitt's Heisman chances. "Hopefully he'll have his best year."
Nesbitt was a first-team All-ACC pick in 2009, but the senior was not included on the media's preseason All-ACC team this year.
He ranked only 93rd in the nation with 1,701 yards passing last year. Georgia Tech was second in the nation in rushing but only 116th of 120 FBS schools in passing.
Georgia Tech is promoting Nesbitt's leadership and dual skills as a rusher and passer. The Yellow Jackets are 20-7 since Nesbitt became the team's starter.
Johnson said the best promotion for Nesbitt will be another successful season.
"I think if your team wins every week, it helps, if you look at history," Johnson said. "Just play. You can't go out and try to win the Heisman. You just go play and if things fall into place and the team does well and you perform and you're still being mentioned late in the year and you happen to win the big game and you play really well in a marquee game, I guess that's how you win."
Nesbitt's teammates, including 2009 senior offensive lineman Cord Howard, respect the quarterback's toughness.
"The guy once fumbled just to see what it felt like," Howard says on the website. "He didn't like it and snatched it right back from the defender."
Nesbitt passed Hamilton last season for the most yards rushing by a Georgia Tech quarterback. Nesbitt's 2,069 yards rushing rank 10th overall on the school's career list. He is 11th with 2,602 yards passing.
"He deserves it," said defensive end Jason Peters of the Heisman campaign. "He's a great quarterback and works extremely hard. I hope he has a really good chance to do his thing and show what he can do."
-- Charles Odum
JoePa not ready to name Penn St. starting QB
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Just who will take the first snap behind center Saturday for No. 19 Penn State remains a mystery.
It could be Kevin Newsome. Or Matt McGloin. Or Robert Bolden.
And even then, whoever starts the season opener versus Youngstown State likely won't play the entire game anyway.
Coach Joe Paterno still didn't know Tuesday what he was going to do. Honest.
He does promise that he'll be down on the sideline for his 45th season as the lead Nittany Lion. He said he hasn't missed a play of preseason camp after intestinal ailments forced him to skip out on some offseason appearances.
But he said the decision on who he'll send out as his starting quarterback is still a day or two away.
"We'll probably play a couple kids. You just don't know what you're going to get, because none of them have been through a lot of pressure, so we'll see what happens," Paterno said.
Out of eligibility, two-year starter Daryll Clark left Happy Valley with his imprint all over the school record book. He set school highs for most touchdowns in a season and a career, as well as most career rushing scores by a quarterback.
The polished Clark had a charismatic personality that provided seasoned leadership for Penn State's offense.
Now Paterno has the exact opposite situation at the most important position on the field.
Newsome, a sophomore, was highly touted out of high school but played sparingly last season as Clark's top backup. McGloin, another sophomore, played even less as the third-stringer.
Bolden, a highly recruited freshman, has reportedly impressed most on the practice field after enrolling in school over the summer. He's ahead of another top freshman recruit, Paul Jones, who enrolled in January, but will likely redshirt.
Experience, or lack thereof, is a big concern for Paterno. With a trip to top-ranked Alabama looming in Week 2, Penn State would be wise to build up as much confidence as possible in the quarterback — or quarterbacks.
Peppered with quarterback questions through his 40-minute news conference, Paterno in part said he doesn't want to put too much pressure on any of his candidates.
"I've got to be honest with you. We've got some kids who we really like, and (we) think they are going to be good, and there's more than one," Paterno said. "But at this stage, I couldn't tell you which one is going to come to the front as THE guy to lead the team, or whether we have one who can handle the kinds of situations that the quarterbacks are going to have to handle as this season goes on."
Receiver Brett Brackett said all three quarterbacks have split time equally with the first team.
"They've all been doing really well ... We have a pretty comfortable situation with whoever they decide to go with," said Brackett, voted a captain this week by teammates along with defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu.
Paterno has a couple other worries on offense.
Sophomore receiver Curtis Drake, a former high school quarterback who gave Penn State an option on wildcat-type formations, is already out with a broken left leg.
Backup tailback Stephfon Green has been nagged by a neck injury, while projected starting tight end Andrew Szczerba has a bad back. Redshirt freshman Garry Gilliam is the listed starter at tight end for now.
It is unclear if Green or Szczerba might be available Saturday, so speedy junior Chaz Powell has been shuttled back from cornerback to the receiver/all-purpose position he played last season.
-- Genaro C. Armas
No. 22 Auburn opens to mixed reviews
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Baby steps, Auburn.
The Tigers enter this season with a No. 22 ranking and are predicted to finish third in the Southeastern Conference Western Division by league media, which would be a two-spot improvement from last season.
One national commentator even picked Auburn to win the West over preseason No. 1 Alabama. Second-year coach Gene Chizik doesn't mind that kind of talk at all.
"The bottom line is our expectations of ourselves should be really high," Chizik said on Tuesday. "Our football team hears those things, and we know at the end of the day that doesn't mean anything. You have to earn it on the field every week.
"At the same time, they need to know that the expectation level out there for other people as they look on is high as well. I think that that's a healthy thing."
The Tigers seem willing to embrace either underdog status or raised expectations.
There's cause for both ends of the perception spectrum.
Auburn has a new quarterback in Cameron Newton and starting tailback in Mario Fannin, but high expectations for both.
The Tigers have newcomers all over the depth chart who figure to play and three starters — right tackle A.J. Greene, tight end Phillip Lutzenkirchen, defensive tackle Zach Clayton — who have made a combined two career starts. Plus, starting linebacker Daren Bates converted from safety in the offseason. Four walk-ons also are listed on the depth chart.
Making matters tougher, the Tigers continue to get overshadowed by in-state rival No. 1 Alabama.
"Any time you turn on the TV or turn on the sports talk radio show or anywhere, they're talking about the other team," Newton said late in preseason camp. "Of course we know that they're an excellent team as well. We feel like we're not being mentioned as we should be.
"We're just going to do what we're coached to do, and our No. 1 thing to do is win. And I guess if you win games, you'll silence all the critics."
Perhaps the best news for the Tigers is that safeties Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage have returned from serious injuries to reclaim their starting jobs.
Savage has missed the last two seasons with a torn knee ligament followed by an Achilles tendon tear. Etheridge had a scary neck injury in a collision against Mississippi late last season.
"We're extremely excited about having both of those guys back on the field for all that they bring to the table as people first," Chizik said. "They're great kids, they're great leaders. That's not even to mention the experience that they bring to the table, which is huge."
Bates said the team isn't focused on headlines and TV time, or lack thereof.
"We don't have to fight for the attention but I just think we need to get to the championship," he said. "That's what we're working on, to get from good to great. That's really our intentions, just to get there."
Linebacker Craig Stevens doesn't think the so-called lack of respect is anything new.
Stevens points to last year's 41-30 win over West Virginia as an example of why Auburn sometimes feels jilted. His 15-yard interception return for a touchdown — the Tigers' fifth pick of the game — clinched the win.
"A lot of people overlook Auburn," Stevens said. "That was one of the most exciting games that week. We played hard and ended up pulling it out in the end. I remember all of us went home and turned on ESPN trying to see the highlights. They showed everybody's highlights and then they came to us, they just showed scores, no highlights, no nothing.
"At times we feel like we're overlooked as a team and as players out there. We know as long as we make plays and just continue to do well, sooner or later people will take notice."
-- John Zenor
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Slowing Pryor the key for Marshall's success
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Doc Holliday had a close-up view of Tim Tebow at Florida and watched Pat White set an NCAA career rushing record for quarterbacks at West Virginia.
Fortunately those playmakers were on his team. Holliday is now a head coach for the first time and doesn't want his debut ruined by a marquee quarterback from the other side of the field.
The excitement of a new season and new coach at Marshall has been tempered by the thought of where it starts — at the Horseshoe with No. 2 Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor in charge.
Watching film of Pryor confidently maneuver about in January's Rose Bowl caused an uneasy feeling for a Marshall defense that has allowed big-name quarterbacks to make big plays before.
"He is going to create a major issue for every team that he plays against this year," Holliday said.
Marshall had months to prepare for Thursday night's opener in Columbus. At times it wasn't pretty. The Thundering Herd had no one on the scout team to match Pryor's athleticism. Heck, Marshall's roster wasn't big enough in some places to fill out the scout teams to Holliday's liking.
His answer: Put the first-string offense against the first-string defense whenever possible.
"For us to mimic Ohio State is very hard. They've got All-Americans at every position," Holliday said. "The speed is a little different."
And it starts with the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Pryor, who led the Buckeyes in rushing as a sophomore. He threw for a career 266 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 72 more in a 26-17 Rose Bowl win over Oregon.
Holliday, who replaced the fired Mark Snyder, mixed brainstorming with defensive coordinator Chris Rippon with a "hope and pray" attitude of slowing Pryor.
"Starting out when he was a young quarterback, he created a lot of issues with his feet," Holliday said. "But I think he's grown up. He's matured a lot. Not only now can he beat you with his feet, but he also can beat you with his arm."
In the week leading up to the game, Holliday, who was a Florida assistant when the Gators won the 2006 national championship in Tebow's freshman season, was constantly asked about comparing Tebow and Pryor.
Tebow finished his career 35-6 as a starter with two national titles. So far, Pryor is 19-3.
"I don't know if you can compare him to Tebow, but they do have some similarities," he said. "They are both big and strong. It is hard to get them to the ground, and Terrelle does what Tebow does. He throws the ball down the field well enough and then he can beat you with his feet. Are they similar? Probably in some ways with their physical skills."
Of course, Ohio State's offense is more than just Pryor. But if Marshall can limit his game-changing plays, Herd linebacker Mario Harvey, the team's leading tackler a year ago, predicts "it contributes to a win."
It'd be the type of victory Marshall hasn't had in a long time. Since joining Conference USA in 2005, Marshall is 0-13 against BCS opponents. Much of that has to do with being worn down.
In 2007, Marshall led West Virginia at halftime before White engineered a 42-point burst in the second half.
Marshall went scoreless in the second half of losses to West Virginia last year and to Wisconsin in 2008 and managed just three second-half points at Virginia Tech last year.
"It's our job to get them ready," Holliday said. "Ohio State will be, without a doubt, the most talented team we play all year."
There's been plenty of talk about the last meeting between Marshall and Ohio State in 2004, when Mike Nugent's 55-yard field goal as time expired gave the Buckeyes a 24-21 win.
"We can't live in the past," said Harvey, one of six returning starters on defense. "We've got to seize the opportunity right now and face the task."
-- John Raby
Tide's Chavis Williams rises to starting role
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's Chavis Williams has made an impression on his coaches and teammates, even if many fans aren't that familiar with him.
The top-ranked Crimson Tide senior is listed as a starter at Sam linebacker going into Saturday night's opener against San Jose State.
Williams has made five tackles in his first three seasons, mostly on special teams.
Coach Nick Saban says Williams is a high-energy player who can run. Saban says he has gotten bigger and stronger and has a better understanding of the defense.
Fellow linebacker Dont'a Hightower says Williams is "a great linebacker" who ranks up there with Mark Barron as knowing the defense.
Koeppel likely out for Iowa opener
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says center Josh Koeppel will likely miss Saturday's season opener after a traffic accident in Iowa City.
Koeppel (KEHP'-puhl) was riding a motorcycle Monday morning when a pickup truck turned left and collided with him. Koeppel was treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and released.
Ferentz says Koeppel was fortunate to walk away with just scrapes and soreness, and he's hopeful Koeppel will return to action soon.
Koeppel was listed as the backup to James Ferentz on the depth chart after the two competed during fall camp for the starting job.
