College Sports Capsules: Iowa State looks to keep star RB Robinson healthy
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson had tried cold tubs, Epsom salt baths and deep-tissue massages in an effort to stay healthy.
So when his parents sent him a beginner’s yoga DVD last month, Robinson figured it couldn’t hurt to try it out.
The key cog in Iowa State’s offense is willing to do anything to prevent issues like the nagging groin injury he suffered through last season — even if yoga can be a lot more painful than it looks.
"Some of the positions aren’t things that you’re normally stretching," Robinson said.
The Cyclones will focus on keeping Robinson out of the trainer’s room, too, because they know they can’t afford to be without him for very long.
Robinson’s speed proved perfect for Iowa State’s new spread offense. He rushed for 1,195 yards and six touchdowns despite hurting his groin just four games in. Iowa State begins fall camp on Thursday, and coaching staff promises to keep a close eye on him with the Sept. 2 season opener coming up against Northern Illinois.
"Our offense goes as he goes," offensive coordinator Tom Herman said Wednesday during the team’s annual media day. "He’s pretty important to us, so him staying healthy — I’m going to knock on wood for that because he’s pretty special for our offense."
Iowa State has always tried to monitor Robinson’s workload in practice, and there’s little doubt the Cyclones will try to work in some of their younger backs to keep Robinson fresh.
It’ll be tempting to play Robinson as much as possible, though, given how productive he was for an offense that averaged just 20.5 points a game last season.
Robinson put up decent numbers for some bad teams during his first two seasons, but it didn’t take long for Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads and his staff to see that Robinson would be their "bell cow," as Herman put it.
Iowa State finished a surprising 7-6 last season, but it wasn’t the spread passing attack that carried the Cyclones to admittedly modest heights. It was a smart, disciplined defense that did just enough to get by and, when healthy, Robinson.
He rushed for 143 yards at Kent State, helping the Cyclones snap a 17-game road losing streak. He put up 152 yards and two touchdowns at Kansas while gutting out that groin injury, and rushed for 138 yards and caught a touchdown pass in a crucial home win over Colorado.
Robinson finished with 1,456 all-purpose yards, good for seventh-best in school history, despite missing a win at Nebraska and getting just four carries in a loss to Kansas State.
Robinson had recovered by the Insight Bowl, running for 137 yards to help the Cyclones beat Minnesota, 14-13.
"I wish we could control the health. We can certainly control how he practices, but we can’t control what happens in the game," Rhoads said. "Nobody takes care of their body and trains smarter than (Robinson), and we count on that to help his health as we go through this season."
The Cyclones would also be in rough shape if Robinson goes down because they don’t have any proven talent behind him.
Iowa State has two redshirt freshmen, Jeff Woody and James White, and sophomore Beau Blankenship listed behind Robinson on the depth chart. And though Herman’s system also has a number of designed quarterback rushes, the Cyclones don’t really want to see senior Austen Arnaud knocked out either.
But Robinson should have more help than he did last year, with seven starters back on offense and a veteran line to run behind, and there’s no reason Robinson can’t be among the best backs in the Big 12.
That’s only if he stays healthy, though, and Robinson is going to great lengths to make that happen.
"I’ve done a lot of things to try to take care of my health and my body a lot better," Robinson said. "It’s just an effort to prevent (injuries)."
SEC teams still chasing Tide, Gators
Take heart, Southeastern Conference: Tim Tebow and Mount Cody are gone.
That's right, there will be no Tebow barreling over defenders for Florida, and no Cody clogging up the middle for Alabama.
"The two teams that lost the most just on paper is probably Alabama and Florida," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said.
But that was expected, since those two teams arguably had the most to lose.
However, they're still the odds-on favorites to meet in the SEC championship game for a third straight year, with the winner likely competing for a national title — again. Florida and Alabama have combined to win the BCS championship three of the last four years; the other one went to SEC rival LSU.
As an added treat, Florida and Alabama meet on Oct. 2 in Tuscaloosa. That at least guarantees they couldn't play as unbeatens in the SEC title game.
Chasing the defending champion Tide in the Western Division will be two teams led by transfer quarterbacks, Arkansas and Ryan Mallett and Mississippi and newcomer Jeremiah Masoli. Not to mention an LSU team trying to get back on top and Auburn playing catch-up with in-state rival Alabama.
"Every team on our end of it is going to improve," Saban said.
Florida could face a challenge from Georgia and receiver A.J. Green. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier has Stephen Garcia back running his offense.
"The East is completely wide open," Gators coach Urban Meyer said.
There was plenty of turnover around the league in the two most high-profile positions: Head coach and quarterback.
Tennessee replaces Lane Kiffin with coach Derek Dooley. Vanderbilt welcomes first-time college head coach Robbie Caldwell — thanks to Bobby Johnson's midsummer retirement — and Kentucky's Joker Phillips got to remove the in-waiting part of his title.
With Tebow in the NFL, Mallett is the only bona fide returning star at quarterback, though Alabama's Greg McElroy still hasn't lost as a starter since eighth-grade.
The Tide's stingy defense must replace two-time All-America noseguard Terrence "Mount" Cody and Butkus Award-winning linebacker Rolando McClain. But there's still running back Mark Ingram — the Tide's first Heisman winner — and fellow Alabama offensive threats Julio Jones and Trent Richardson.
The Meyer-Saban battle remained intact, though, when the Florida coach changed his mind a day after announcing he was stepping down last December after a health scare.
"The battery is recharged," Meyer said in July.
And so is the battle for No. 1 in the SEC.
EAST
FLORIDA — Key players: QB John Brantley, RB Jeff Demps, CB Janoris Jenkins. Returning starters: 6 offense. 5 defense.
Notes: Overlooked with loss of Tim Tebow, three top receivers are also gone. Brantley has played in 16 games with 10 touchdowns and one interception. Coach Urban Meyer said a "bunch" of newcomers from loaded recruiting class will play. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin replaces Charlie Strong.
GEORGIA — Key players: WR A.J. Green, QB Aaron Murray, LT Clint Boling. Returning starters: 10 offense; 5 defense.
Notes: Switching to three-man front on defense under new coordinator Todd Grantham. DE Justin Houston and RB Richard Samuel moved to LB. Entire starting offensive line returns after allowing league-low 12 sacks. Backfield is strong, led by Washaun Ealey and Caleb King. P Drew Butler is one of the nation's best.
SOUTH CAROLINA — Key players: QB Stephen Garcia, WR Alshon Jeffery, DE Cliff Matthews. Returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense.
Notes: RB Kenny Miles and top four rushers return, joined by top recruit Marcus Lattimore. Shawn Elliott is third offensive line coach in as many years; Gamecocks allowed 37 sacks last year. Garcia is the league's leading active passer, but has been erratic for nation's 102-ranked scoring offense.
TENNESSEE — Key players: WR Gerald Jones, TB Tauren Poole, DE Chris Walker. Returning starters: 5 offense, 6 defense.
Notes: New coach Derek Dooley inherits culture and roster issues. Must replace two top rushers and passers, and four leading tacklers. Battling for QB job are freshman Tyler Bray and junior college transfer Matt Simms, son of ex-Giants QB Phil and brother of current Titans' player Chris. RB Bryce Brown and QB Nick Stephens left team in offseason.
KENTUCKY — Key players: WR/RS Randall Cobb, TB Derrick Locke, DE DeQuin Evans. Returning starters: 5 offense, 7 defense.
Notes: Joker Phillips only second black head football coach in SEC. QBs Mike Hartline, Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski battling for starting job. Wildcats have won at least seven games four straight years for the first time since 1909-12. Cobb and Locke were AP's first- and second-team all-purpose players, respectively.
VANDERBILT — Key players: QB Larry Smith, RB/RS Warren Norman, LB Chris Marve. Returning starters: 6 offense, 5 defense.
Notes: Robbie Caldwell has a tough audition as interim head coach after replacing Bobby Johnson in mid-July. Vandy faces 10 teams that made bowl games last season. LB Chris Marve was SEC's No. 2 tackler. Starting QB Larry Smith returns but had just four TD passes against seven INTs last season for league's worst scoring offense (16.3 ppg).
WEST
ALABAMA — Key players: RB Mark Ingram, QB Greg McElroy, LB Dont'a Hightower. Returning starters: 8 offense, 2 defense.
Notes — DE Marcell Dareus' status was unclear entering fall camp with an NCAA investigation into who paid for a trip to Miami's South Beach. Backfield of Ingram and sophomore Trent Richardson might be nation's best duo. Only two defensive starters return, but replacements include several highly touted youngsters.
ARKANSAS — Key players: QB Ryan Mallett, WR Greg Childs, LB Jerry Franklin. Returning starters: 9 offense, 7 defense.
Notes — Most returning starters among SEC teams. Mallett and all his key targets are back from league's top scoring and passing offense. One of the deepest, best receiving corps around. Bobby Petrino promoted Garrick McGee to offensive coordinator. Team leaders in 18 categories return, but defense was SEC's worst.
AUBURN — Key players: QB Cameron Newton, LT Lee Ziemba, LB Josh Bynes. Returning starters: 7 offense. 8 defense.
Notes — Only SEC coaching staff to return intact. DBs Aairon Savage, Mike McNeil and Zac Etheridge trying to return from serious injuries. Newton won the No. 1 job in the spring after transferring from JUCO. RB Michael Dyer headlines one of the Tigers' top-rated recruiting classes in years.
MISSISSIPPI — Key players: QB Jeremiah Masoli, RB Brandon Bolden, DT Jerrell Powe. Returning starters: 3 offense, 6 defense.
Notes — 9 returning starters is fewest in SEC, but Masoli's transfer from Oregon is a potentially huge boost. Rebels return players responsible for less than 42 percent of passing, rushing and receiving yards. Defensive line remains formidable with Jerrell Powe manning the middle.
LSU — QB Jordan Jefferson, LB Kelvin Sheppard, CB Patrick Peterson. Returning starters: 6 offense, 4 defense.
Notes — Defense lost 4 of its top 5 tacklers. Nonconference games against North Carolina and West Virginia. Redshirt freshman RB Michael Ford could be big factor in backfield. Peterson and Sheppard are two of the league's top defenders.
MISSISSIPPI ST. — Key players: QBs Chris Relf and Tyler Russell, OT Derek Sherrod, DE Pernell McPhee. Returning starters: 6 offense, 8 defense.
Notes: Coach Dan Mullen said bulldozing QB Chris Relf is "completely different" in his approach and demeanor from last season. He's listed as co-No. 1 with Russell. JUCO transfers RB Vick Ballard and 6-foot-7, 345 JUCO DT James Carmon could play roles after going through spring. New coaches Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson will run the defense.
-- John Zenor
Vols coaches split time with newcomers, veterans
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Volunteers won't don pads during practice for a few days. Their coaches are still planning on getting as much out of them as possible in the mean time.
For the first three practices, veterans and newcomers are reporting separately. The double-duty gives coach Derek Dooley and his staff a chance to give players more individual attention and drill them a little harder with extra repetitions.
"The tempos are quicker, and there's not a lot of breaks in between," Dooley said Wednesday. "I think once they get used to it they'll see the value in it, but it's a little different because you have half the squad gone so it's ones, it's twos, it's ones, it's twos."
Sophomore linebacker Greg King and sophomore defensive tackle Marlon Walls joined the veterans for their first practice on Wednesday afternoon after returning from a monthlong suspension. King and Walls were suspended following a July 9 bar brawl that left an off-duty police officer severely injured and another bar patron bruised.
King and Walls both said they respected Dooley for his decision to punish them but were glad to rejoin their teammates.
"I would love to apologize again for my actions," King said. "I want to apologize to the young man because it was just the wrong thing to do. I reacted in the wrong way, and I just put it on me."
Walls added: "Me and Greg both have a chance to start this season, and that's just not what you expect in your starters. Right now, all I could do is apologize and say I made a mistake I should have never made because I should never have been out there at that time of night anyway knowing I had workouts the next morning."
The veterans are scheduled to practice in the hot afternoons for the rest of the week while the newcomers and inexperienced players are practicing at night. The two groups will merge on Sunday, when the players can practice in pads for the first time.
The heat index during Wednesday's first practice session reached 104 degrees, and Dooley said some players needed to become more mentally tough in dealing with the heat.
"It's hot. So what? It's hot in Athens, and it's hot in Tuscasloosa, and it's hot in Gainesville. So what?" Dooley said.
Senior wide receiver Gerald Jones likes the idea of having split practices because it gives the younger players a chance to show more of what they can do. The Vols' depth is painfully shallow at many positions this season, so the inexperienced players might have to contribute even more than usual, he said.
"My freshman year I got thrown out there with the older guys and got knocked around a couple times, so I had to learn the hard way," he said. "But when you play against people your age and people that are just coming in with you, you have a little more confidence going into it."
That the coaching staff is putting in twice the work this week is inspiring too, said senior linebacker Nick Reveiz.
"He feels like this is the best position for our team to have success, therefore he's going to do whatever it takes," Reveiz said. "If he's dead-tired, up until 2 a.m. and getting up at 6 a.m., that's what he's got to do. I respect him so much for that."
Dooley wouldn't have it any other way.
"There's only limits on what you can do with the players, not the coaches, so we try to grind the coaches to oblivion because there's no regulations on coaching," he said.
-- Beth Rucker
Tiger duo looking to fill Spiller's spot
CLEMSON, South Carolina (AP) — Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper understand they have Clemson's most productive cleats to fill. And the two are ready to step into the backfield C.J. Spiller owned the past four years.
Ellington and Harper split time as Spiller's backups, usually letting the Tiger star catch his breath after another of his eye-popping plays. Now, with last season's ACC's player of the year off to the NFL, both men hope they can showcase their skills.
"C.J. is a spectacular player, on and off the field. C.J. is capable of doing things me and Andre can't do," Harper said Wednesday night. "But me and Andre are capable of doing things C.J. can't do."
Both proved that a year ago, combining for 909 yards and eight touchdowns in limited roles. Ellington led the team with 7.2 yards per carry, while Harper had the Tigers' longest run from scrimmage at 69 yards.
Those numbers got lost in Spiller's success. He set an Atlantic Coast Conference record with more than 7,500 all-purpose yards and was the only player in the country to score a touchdown in every game.
Ellington, a third-year sophomore, is just a shade smaller than Spiller at 5-foot-10, yet has a similar shiftiness and vision to burst through holes at the line. Harper, a junior, is the more powerful back at 6-foot with enough speed to pull away from defenders.
The two have worked hard to take their spots in the backfield, all while hearing friends and family ask if there's any chance they'll flourish like Spiller.
"I take it as a challenge," Ellington said of people's questions. "I'm glad a lot of people think that because it'll give us a chance to show what we're really about."
So far, that's leadership on an offense seeking some take-charge personalities. The Tigers are minus not just Spiller, but also record-setting seniors in receiver Jacoby Ford and tight end Michael Palmer. Gone, too, is offensive lineman Thomas Austin, the linchpin of that unit.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says Ellington and Harper have displayed a willingness to lead the way in camp.
"Leadership's about excellence, it's not about age," Swinney said. "Neither of them are seniors, but both are about excellence and want to answer the bell and show a lot of people they're players, too."
Ellington and Harper were part of a stellar 2008 recruiting class that landed the Tigers in the top 10 nationally in some services. And both turned down a "Who's Who" of college football powers to join Clemson.
Harper, of Jacksonville, Fla., was considered by some recruiting experts to be as important a player for Clemson to get as Spiller was in 2006.
Things didn't go well for Harper his first season, however. He fumbled on Clemson's opening play in 2008 in what turned into a 34-10 rout by Alabama at the Georgia Dome. He was pressed into action later that season against Georgia Tech when Spiller pulled a hamstring and ended with 26 yards.
Harper and Ellington, who redshirted in 2008, each took advantage of opportunities last season. Harper's best performance came with 86 yards in a win over North Carolina State, which included that 69-yard run for a touchdown.
Ellington played for a hurting Spiller against Florida State last season, rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown on six carries in the 40-24 victory.
"I never want to compare myself to that guy (Spiller)," Ellington said, "because he's one of a kind. I just want to be my own player."
Swinney said his two runners likely rolled their eyes in a bit of frustration when Spiller, a likely first-round NFL draft choice, chose to return to Clemson for his senior season in 2009.
But Swinney says both know spending a year behind Spiller made them better players.
Ellington and Harper have been good friends since playing in a high-school all-star game before they knew they'd be college teammates. They've comforted and pushed each other to stay the course and be ready when called on.
Now, it's their turn and both are itching to get started.
"This year we're going to go out and just give fans a great show," Harper said.
-- Pete Iacobelli
Saban: Woodson leaves, Dareus case in NCAA's hands
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's Nick Saban didn't have anything new on the NCAA investigation of Marcell Dareus, though his star defensive end will practice with the rest of the team when fall camp begins on Thursday.
The Crimson Tide coach said Wednesday that the probe into whether Dareus violated rules with a spring trip to Miami's South Beach is in the NCAA's hands.
Saban made it clear he expects Dareus to keep his focus on the field even while his status for the Sept. 4 opener with San Jose State remains in limbo.
"He's mature enough to know that he created a situation for himself," the coach said. "He's going to have to live with the consequences if there are consequences. But there will be a day when he's allowed to play football again, and it may be very soon. He needs to prepare himself to take advantage of that."
Players at South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia are also under investigation in connection with the Florida trip.
Saban had more definitive updates on several other players, including what he described as the "mutually agreed" decision for sophomore safety Rod Woodson to transfer to another program.
That move potentially creates more depth issues in an already inexperienced secondary which lost three starters and several reserves. But Saban said he's not losing sleep over the departure.
Woodson played in 12 games as a freshman, mostly on special teams.
"I don't care how many players we have," Saban said. "We have a lot of good players on this team, and I would rather move somebody from another position to play where we don't have enough players than to allow somebody not to do the right things and be involved. I don't think we do anyone any good if we do that."
The secondary got a boost with junior college transfer DeQuan Menzie's recovery from a torn Achilles tendon sustained during a spring pickup basketball game.
Saban said Menzie has participated in the players' summer conditioning program for at least two weeks.
"We are hoping that we'll be able to continue to progress him so that he can get to 100 percent by the opening game," Saban said. "Provided he doesn't have a setback from a medical standpoint, we think that's very possible for him."
Saban said Alabama is holding the 105th and final roster spot for one of two signees, wide receiver/defensive back Blake Sims or defensive back Deion Belue. Both still awaiting clearance academically.
Defensive line signee Wilson Love didn't pass the physical because of an ankle injury but will enroll in January and count toward next year's class. So will wide receiver Ronald Carswell, who is eligible.
-- John Zenor
Trojans open first training camp after sanctions
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Something was missing for Southern California coach Lane Kiffin in his first practice of training camp, and it wasn't the fans that once lined the Trojans' practice field.
"I didn't really feel any different," said Kiffin, the former USC assistant who ran his first official practice as head coach Wednesday. "Having been here six years before, it's the same walk, same grass, same door ... except we used to have more players."
After major NCAA sanctions shook the foundations of USC's athletic department in June, the Trojans now have fewer bodies in uniform than nearly all major programs — just 70 scholarship players, well below the NCAA limit of 85, along with relatively few walk-ons. Scholarship reductions and transfers are taking an obvious on-field toll on Kiffin's first team at USC.
Kiffin plans to adjust by running practices more on the NFL model, which requires fewer players, once injuries thin the Trojans' ranks even further. Until then, he's getting a vivid look at what he's got available on a team that already knows it won't finish its season in a bowl game.
"The only way we're going to be able to express ourselves is to win 13 games," tailback Allen Bradford said. "We know it's going to be difficult this year. You can't just go half-speed because there aren't any fans out here at practice anymore. You can't rely on fans to get you going. We're playing for a tradition. We're playing for a school. We're playing for ourselves."
The Trojans still went through a super-sized practice on the first official day of camp, working out from mid-afternoon until sunset on campus. The workout seemed more organized and much less boisterous than the standard practice under former coach Pete Carroll, whose practices sometimes seemed anarchic to observers.
New USC president Max Nikias and athletic director Pat Haden stopped by on their second days on the job to watch the Trojans — and they had plenty of elbow room on the sideline. The NCAA's sanctions also banned many fans, boosters and complete strangers who watched the Trojans in years past, often crowding three deep along the fence near the practice fields.
The NCAA believes that all-welcoming mentality played a major role in the oversight lapses that allowed scandal to overwhelm a program that had won seven straight Pac-10 titles until last season.
"It's definitely different," quarterback Matt Barkley said of the sparse sideline attendance. "I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. Once our parents start coming around here, it'll be different. I was watching a practice last year on tape, and it was just outrageous how many people were on the sidelines. There's a lot more organization now."
Wednesday's practice was watched mostly by media members who had to sign a detailed form before being allowed onto the field.
Everybody who attends a practice at USC must swear to abide by the stringent guidelines set by the NCAA and the school, including "not to have any contact with any USC prospective student-athlete (or their relatives or friends) while at a USC Football Practice. This includes in-person contact and written or electronic communications, either directly or via a third party."
Attendees also must "certify that you are not an agent or any such agent's employee," and anyone who has made a financial donation to the USC athletic department also is banned.
Aside from the forms and formalities, the Trojans made it through their extra-long practice with good spirits, even after a mid-workout urging from Kiffin to pick up the tempo.
"Everybody is coming out here and trying to get that jump," said Bradford, who has the early lead on the race to be the Trojans' starting tailback. "Coach Kiffin said, 'If you want to change your playing time, change it out here.'"
-- Greg Beacham
'Canes eager to show that they've grown up
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jacory Harris was wide-eyed when he first arrived in the Miami locker room two years ago, uncertain what to truly expect at the college level.
He wasn't alone. Harris in the same boat as many other Hurricanes in 2008, a young guy with high expectations who was getting thrown quickly into the pressure-cooker of big-time college football as Miami began its rebuilding project after a disastrous 5-7 season.
Those days are gone.
"Can't sit up there and say 'we're young' anymore," said Harris, the quarterback who threw for 3,352 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago in his first season as Miami's full-time starter. "We're all juniors and seniors, basically. And we're ready to have some fun."
Ah, fun will be a relative term over the coming 28 days for Miami, which opens training camp Thursday morning, exactly four weeks before the Sept. 2 season-opener against Florida A&M. A trip to Ohio State for a rematch of a past national championship game will loom the following weekend, but the Hurricanes are already insisting they're not looking too far down the road.
"The only thing I've got to concern myself about," Miami coach Randy Shannon said, "is August."
He says that for a number of reasons.
Shannon proudly points to the depth on the Miami roster now, especially since it wasn't that long ago when wide receiver Darnell Jenkins was playing quarterback out of necessity for the Hurricanes. Thanks in large part to the recruiting efforts, Miami has seen its win total improve by two in each of the past two seasons, from 5-7 in 2007, then 7-6 in 2008, followed by the 9-4 mark posted in 2009.
But to get to that next level — and perhaps finally play for an Atlantic Coast Conference title, something Miami has never managed in the league's two-division era — Shannon knows that depth can't be tested too much by injuries. And that's why he says all that matters to him right now is finding a way to exit training camp with a team that's both ready and healthy for the season.
"Injuries always are the key," Shannon said. "If you can go through the season without any injuries, you're probably going to win the conference."
That's always the spoken goal at Miami.
Only this year, those words seem to take on new meaning.
The baby faces that came into the program two years ago are gone. The "No Excuses" wristbands that the Hurricanes have broken out from time to time over recent years are back, a constant reminder that youth and inexperience should no longer stand between Miami and the top of the ACC. Players insist they worked out harder this summer than ever before, getting closer along the way.
When that first whistle blows around 8 a.m. Thursday, the tests begin.
"Me personally, I never felt that we were a young team," wide receiver LaRon Byrd said. "Once you're at the college level, you should be able to compete, freshman, junior or senior, it doesn't matter. ... No excuses. What can you say now if we don't win? We've got to capitalize on all cylinders and got to get this thing rolling."
Shannon's message to Miami during the offseason was simple: The last two seasons were merely part of a bigger process.
Rebuilding takes time, he said, and he challenged players to "buy in" to that way of thinking. So they did, fueled by both the disappointment of not finishing the season strongly a year ago and the hope that this year just might be the one where Miami reclaims its perch on the national stage.
"We were once young Hurricanes," safety Vaughn Telemaque said. "Now we're growing up and we're kind of developed into our own players, our own type of personalities, the personalities that he recruited, the personalities that he made and molded and tried to make into a national championship team, an ACC championship team. And it's not a front. We're comfortable."
-- Tim Reynolds
First full practice for new Ga. State program
ATLANTA (AP) — With the first game less than a month away, Bill Curry wanted to make sure his Georgia State players realized the urgency of every workout.
"We've got 29 practices to get ready to be a football team," Curry said, speaking to his players through a bullhorn. "We don't have a single moment to waste."
This wasn't just the start of practice for another football season. For the Panthers, this was a significant milestone — a full roster of 90 players hitting the field together for the very first time.
The temperature was sweltering, hovering in the mid-90s at the beginning of the afternoon session.
The enthusiasm was even higher.
"We have a chance to start something new here," said offensive lineman Joseph Gilbert, who transferred to the Panthers after starting the last two years at nearby Georgia Tech. "For however long Georgia State has a football program, we'll always be the first."
Curry, the 67-year-old head coach, is returning to the sideline for the first time since 1996. Unlike his previous jobs at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky, he's encountered all sorts of hardships that go along with starting a program from scratch, whether its raising money in tough economic times to finding a place to practice.
He doesn't mind a bit.
"I just love being on the field with a bunch of young men who are giving their best, even if it's not very good at that moment," Curry said.
The Panthers actually recruited their first group of players in 2009, giving them an entire year to practice while being redshirted. But it wasn't until Curry brought in his second recruiting class — and added some high-profile transfers such as Gilbert — that he actually had a complete roster.
Another of those transfers, former Alabama quarterback Star Jackson, will be one of the most-scrutinized players in camp. But Curry said the sophomore will have to beat out three other signal-callers who've been with the program since last fall — redshirt freshmen Kelton Hill, Drew Little and Bo Schlechter.
"Having too many good quarterbacks is not a controversy," Curry said. "A quarterback controversy is when you don't have any good quarterbacks. That's a problem. That's a controversy. We don't have that here."
Curry started out with conditioning tests in the morning, trying to get an idea of which players took advantage of voluntary summer workouts — and which ones spent a little too much time on the couch.
"I saw some things that gave me goose bumps," he said. "I saw some things that made me nauseated. And everything in between."
After starting out practicing at high school and youth fields, the Panthers have a practice facility of their own not far from campus, complete with a 100-yard synthetic turf field — similar to the surface they'll be playing on at the Georgia Dome — and a 60-yard grass field.
The adjacent training complex is still a work in progress. Georgia State hopes to have the meeting rooms completed before the Sept. 2 opener against Shorter, while construction on the weight-training complex and locker rooms will have to be phased in because of a lag in fundraising.
But some of the financial worries were eased by largest gift ever made to the school's athletic program: $1.5 million from businessman and alumnus Pete Petis.
In 2012, Georgia State will settle in as a football-playing member of the Colonial Athletic Association, a step below the big time in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.
Until then, the Panthers will be facing a wide variety of teams, hoping to show they're a legitimate program worthy of support from a student body that has long shunned its largely mediocre athletic programs.
The Panthers open the season Sept. 2 against an NAIA team. They'll finish up in November with a trip to face the best team in the land, defending national champion Alabama.
Curry has no idea what to expect.
"People say, 'Well, what's the team going be like,'" Curry said. "I'll let you know. Roughly half the guys who are going to be playing, we hadn't seen until this morning."
-- Paul Newberry
Marshall football coach dismisses 3 freshmen
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — The first day of fall practice at Marshall began Wednesday with new coach Doc Holliday dismissing three freshmen, one of whom was charged in a robbery.
Gone are defensive tackle Mike Fleurizard, running back Antwon Chisholm and wide receiver Fred Pickett. All three are from Florida.
"We have high expectations of our players and these three have not lived up to what we require of a Marshall University football player," Holliday said. "They have lost the privilege of playing football at Marshall and have been dismissed from our football team."
Holliday didn't cite any specific incident for the dismissals.
But Cabell County Magistrate Court records show Fleurizard was charged with robbery stemming from an incident Saturday. Fleurizard was held on $50,000 bond Wednesday at the Western Regional Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 13.
A court official said two other individuals were involved but the complaint didn't list their names because they haven't been charged.
Marshall Director of Public Safety Jim Terry said a pizza delivery driver was robbed outside of a student residence hall and that the victim identified Fleurizard through a photo lineup. Terry declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
Earlier this year Holliday dismissed defensive backs DeQuan Bembry and T.J. Drakeford from the team.
"This football team's going to do what we ask them to do," Holliday said. "If they don't, they won't be here. That being said, I'm excited with the guys that are here. We've got a great bunch of guys and we're just looking forward to the season."
Pitt’s Sheard pleads guilty to disorderly conduct
PITTSBURGH (AP) — University of Pittsburgh defensive end Jabaal Sheard has been reinstated to the team after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct for a fight last month in which he threw a man through an art gallery's glass door.
The senior from Hollywood, Fla., had been charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest after he got into a fight in the early morning hours of July 18.
A district judge reduced the charges and ordered Sheard to pay a $300 fine and the other man's medical bills. Sheard also was ordered to apologize.
Sheard's attorney called the fight unfortunate.
Coach Dave Wannstedt says Sheard also will be disciplined by the team. The 21-year-old started all 13 games for the Panthers last season. Pitt opens preseason camp Saturday.
Tulsa starts camp with 2 new transfers
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tulsa's football team has reported for training camp with the addition of players transferring from Texas Tech and UCLA.
Among the 30 newcomers reporting Wednesday night were offensive lineman Joe King from Texas Tech and cornerback Lowell Rose from UCLA. Both will be sophomores, but King will redshirt this season while Rose will be eligible to play after sitting out last season due to injury.
The Golden Hurricane won't have the services of nine players who were a part of their recruiting class in February.
Cornerbacks Brenton Bogar and Tres Houston, defensive end Relus Chance and tight end Deonte Morris are all headed to junior college. Linebacker Zik Asiegbu, offensive lineman Alec Henry, linebackers George Quentin and Eldon Thompson and punter Cole Way will all grayshirt, or enroll late.
ISU’s David Sims out for opener
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads says defensive back David Sims has been suspended for the season opener against Northern Illinois.
Sims was accused of charging gas, groceries and shoes on the debit card of a Des Moines woman who had loaned it to her son before he visited Ames.
Story County attorney Stephen Holmes says Sims paid restitution of just over $600 to the victim. If he stays out of a trouble for a year the incident will be expunged from his record.
Sims, a senior from Gainesville, Fla., was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2009. Rhoads says Sims, who was removed as a co-captain after the incident, has already addressed the team about the issue.
Austin, Little will practice Friday
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little will practice when the Tar Heels open training camp Friday despite being the focus of an NCAA investigation.
The NCAA is looking into whether Austin and Little received improper benefits from agents. Investigators notified the school in June of the inquiry and visited the campus to interview players on July 12 and 13. That's according to public records requested by The Associated Press from the school.
While the two players will practice, team spokesman Kevin Best says Austin and Little won't be available for comment. The Tar Heels open the season against LSU in Atlanta on Sept. 4.
Georgia freshman Dexter Morant leaves team
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia freshman defensive end Dexter Morant is leaving the team.
Coach Mark Richt says Morant, a native of Manning, S.C., "lost the desire to play."
Richt said after Wednesday's practice he wishes the best for Morant, who he says is a "good kid." The coach says he tried to persuade Morant to stay with the team.
Meanwhile, Richt says receiver Tavarres King, who was charged with underaged possession of alcohol last month, is likely facing a one-game suspension.
QB Garrett moves from LSU to Northwestern St.
NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — Northwestern State coach Bradley Dale Peveto says quarterback Chris Garrett is transferring to the Demons from LSU. LSU coach Les Miles announced last month that the redshirt freshman from Tupelo, Miss., was leaving.
At LSU, he likely would have been the fourth-string quarterback. The Demons have senior Tyler Wolfe and sophomore Paul Harris returning at the position.
Becuase he's moving to an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision school, Garrett can play this fall and has four seasons available. Going to a Football Bowl Subdivision program would have meant sitting out a year.
Men’s Basketball
Jury weighs decision in Pitino extortion case
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A jury deliberated for nearly two hours Wednesday but went home without reaching a decision in the case of a Kentucky woman accused of demanding millions from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino to keep quiet about their sexual tryst.
Karen Cunagin Sypher, 50, has pleaded not guilty to extortion and other charges. She did not testify in her own defense, and her attorneys rested their case without calling any witnesses. In closing arguments, they claimed her ex-husband tried to extort the coach.
Jurors will resume discussions Thursday morning.
If convicted, Sypher could face up to 26 years in prison, though under sentencing guidelines, she would likely receive a lighter term.
Assistant U.S. attorney Marisa Ford told jurors that Sypher was “looking for a golden parachute, something for nothing” when she demanded $10 million, college tuition for her children and her house paid off in exchange for her silence about having sex with the coach, a married father of five, at an Italian restaurant in July 31, 2003.
“This was nothing more than a pure shakedown of Richard Pitino,” Ford said.
Sypher’s attorney, James Earhart, said his client’s ex-husband and longtime Pitino aide Tim Sypher was at the center of every criminal act and used his then-wife to get back at the coach he worked for since 1996, Earhart said.
“Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher are victims of Tim Sypher’s scheme,” Earhart said.
Tim Sypher has not been charged with any crime.
Although she didn’t testify, jurors have heard from Karen Sypher in the form of several hours of videotaped interviews.
In interviews with WDRB-TV in Louisville and police, she claimed Pitino raped her after the restaurant Porcini emptied.
“It didn’t last long. It seemed like hours for me,” said Sypher, appearing to cry, although no tears were visible on the video. “All he said was shut up, shut up and be quiet.”
Ford said the interview with the television station in April 2009 and the one with police a few months later were riddled with inaccuracies. Sypher also lied in several FBI interviews, Ford said.
Multiple witnesses have contradicted Sypher’s stories — differing with her account of what she wore, what time of day the sex took place and even the weather outside the restaurant.
“When you’re not telling the truth about something, you can’t keep your facts straight,” Ford said.
Once the FBI considered her an extortion suspect, Sypher twice called media outlets to accuse Pitino of rape before going to police, Ford said. The rape claim was made in retaliation for Pitino reporting the extortion attempt to the FBI, Ford said.
The star of the prosecution’s case was Pitino. He told jurors he had an “unfortunate” sexual encounter with Sypher and that he felt “sick to my stomach” when the extortion calls started Feb. 26, 2009. Pitino received two calls that day and a third a couple of days later.
“I could never rape a woman or be physically harmful to any woman at any time,” Pitino said.
Earhart told jurors Pitino wasn’t truthful about what happened and said the coach didn’t deny raping Sypher at a meeting with her on the day the extortion attempts started. Earhart said Pitino gave “one of the most moronic responses to a question” when the coach said he didn’t deny raping Sypher at the meeting because she knew it wasn’t true.
On the night of the sexual tryst, two restaurant patrons told jurors Sypher first approached Pitino, forcing her way into his circle of friends and that the two were hitting it off as the night went on. Pitino testified that the sexual encounter lasted 15 seconds.
About four weeks later, Sypher approached Pitino, saying she was pregnant and he was the father, which the coach denied.
Sypher said she had no health insurance, Pitino said, so he offered $3,000. He thought the money was for counseling and medical needs but Sypher later said she had an abortion, Pitino said.
Tim Sypher drove her to Cincinnati to have the abortion.
The two became romantically involved and married in April 2004. They are now divorced, but locked in a legal battle over custody of their 5-year-old daughter.
Three men have testified to having affairs with Sypher while she was married to Tim Sypher. Lester Goetzinger admitted making the extortion calls in exchange for sexual favors from Sypher. He reached a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.
-- Brent Barrouquere
Syracuse in field for 2010 Legends Classic
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Syracuse, which was ranked No. 1 for one week last season, and fellow NCAA tournament teams Georgia Tech and UTEP will be host schools in the 2010 Legends Classic.
Michigan will be the other team in the field guaranteed a berth in the semifinals, which will be held Nov. 26 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The championship game is Nov. 27.
The other teams in the Syracuse regional are Detroit and William & Mary. Bowling Green and Gardner-Webb will be at Michigan, Albany and Niagara will be at Georgia Tech, and Mercer and Western Carolina are at UTEP.
The non-host teams play three more games in subregional games at Detroit or William & Mary, so all 12 teams in the tournament play four games.
Florida won last year’s tournament.
