Texas and Big 12 Capsules: 'Horns begin new era with Gilbert against Rice

HOUSTON (AP) — No. 5 Texas has more than a dozen freshmen on its depth chart.

Coach Mack Brown doesn’t see that as cause for concern as the Longhorns prepare for Saturday’s opener against Rice.

"Youth is an excuse," Brown said. "These guys are good players, and they came to play. It’s our job to get them in the right places. It’s our job to teach them what to do and then they’ll get the experience."

There’s Jackson Jeffcoat, son of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, at reserve linebacker. And there’s Case McCoy, brother of Colt McCoy, at backup quarterback.

More important than any freshman who might play on Saturday, though, is the performance of a sophomore: quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

Gilbert takes over for Colt McCoy full-time this season after an inauspicious start filling in for the star in a 37-21 loss to Alabama in the BCS title game.

Gilbert threw four interceptions in that game after taking over McCoy in the first quarter. That fact hasn’t left him now that this is his team.

"I think as a quarterback, the thing that’s been the most important for me is to be able to be the leader, the guy that manages the game well and doesn’t turn the ball over — doesn’t make mistakes with the ball," he said.

Brown wants Gilbert to understand he doesn’t have to try to be McCoy and that he wants him to have fun and enjoy the moment. The high-school All-American will get show his stuff against a Rice defense which allowed 464 total yards and more than 273 yards passing a game last season.

Still, the coach knows it will take some time for things to run smoothly.

"He’s going to have some problems," Brown said, "but the way you overcome your problems is the way you win."

The Longhorns also have a new look at running back with hard-running junior Cody Johnson earning the starting job. The 5-foot-11, 250-pound Johnson nabbed the position after finally getting health and shedding some extra pounds. Brown is looking for Johnson to change the Longhorns’ running game, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to abandon the passing game.

"We just want to run the ball better when we run it," Brown said. "Everybody’s talking about how we’re going to line up and run it every play. That’s not going to be the case. We’re going to do whatever we need to do to win. We’ll still throw the ball."

Brown believes this team has all the pieces to be successful despite their youth. He’s eager to see how they’ll respond this season and says they "can’t play with complacency."

"The question will be their chemistry, their motto, ‘Every play, every day,"’ he said. "Are they going to do that or will it be a team like in ‘06 and in some times ‘07 early, that played up and down?"

They’ll get their first tuneup against a team that is almost always overmatched when facing the Longhorns and is a more than 30 point underdog on Saturday.

Coach David Bailiff didn’t shy away from that fact and figures things will be most difficult for his offensive line against the Texas defensive front.

"Earlier I called (Houston Texans coach) Gary Kubiak to see if we could get a scrimmage last week, but they were busy," Bailiff joked. "That’s about the same type of people the Longhorns have. I think they have a bunch of future Hall of Famers. They’re a good football team. Is it a gauge? I don’t know, but I would sure like to see some improvement."

Owl fans are looking forward to the Rice debut of running back Sam McGuffie, who sat out a year after transferring from Michigan following a freshman season where he gained 486 yards and scored three touchdowns. He was a high school star in the area, with 5,847 yards and 83 touchdowns in his career at Cypress-Fairbanks high school.

"He’s a difference maker in the program," Bailiff said. "He’s a lot like all the great ones. He’s the first one here and the last to leave. He loves the game of football."

Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson knows McGuffie is good, but he thinks the Longhorn defense is ready for the challenge of facing him.

"He’s very fast," Robinson said. "He’s very athletic, and I just think that our scheme that we have this weekend — I think we will be able to play well against him and play well against the other running backs we face."

Aggies unveil new defense against Lumberjacks

COLLEGE STATION (AP) — Texas A&M’s offense was one of the most potent in the country last year, but the Aggies put up a losing record with a defense that was among the nation’s worst.

They’re hoping the defense improves this season under first-year coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who came to College Station from Air Force. The Aggies have scrapped the 4-3 defense they’ve ran for the last few years and will unveil DeRuyter’s 3-4 scheme when they open the season on Saturday against Stephen F. Austin.

DeRuyter is ready to see how the group, anchored by last season’s national sack leader Von Miller, stacks up against someone besides A&M’s offense.

"I think we’ve got to really play fast," DeRuyter said. "We’re getting to the point where our guys understand our defense and are going to maximize their speed. If we do that we should be able to force some takeaways, and get off the field and get the ball back to our offense."

DeRuyter said Stephen F. Austin’s offense, led by quarterback Jeremy Moses, reminds him of preparing for Houston and Case Keenum while at Air Force last season. Moses and the Lumberjacks won the Southland Conference last season and are ranked in the top 10 in six of the seven FCS polls this year.

"He does a great job distributing the ball," DeRuyter said of Moses. "They spread you out to get matchups. They are going to throw ball down the field as well as dink and dump, so they make you defend the whole field."

Miller, who had 17 sacks last season, isn’t concerned about matching or outdoing that mark this year. He takes it personally that the defense didn’t keep up with the offense last season and wants to help change things this year.

"I just want us to take advantage of our opportunities ... so we can get the ball back to the offense," he said. "We have a really explosive offense. If we can get the ball back to them we are going to give ourselves a really good chance to win games."

The Aggies have a 59-6 record against non-conference opponents in the last 25 years and have lost just two of their last 25 home openers, daunting numbers for Stephen F. Austin coach J.C. Harper.

"Playing at Kyle Field and they’re 23-2 playing there, that within itself makes it incredible and then you add in their players ... it’s just a tremendous challenge for us," he said.

While Texas A&M’s defense is trying to establish a new identity, the offense is trying to build on what it did last season. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson returns for his senior season after leading the Big 12 conference in total offense last year.

He has simple goals for Saturday’s opener and knows exactly what he wants to see.

"Execution and tempo," Johnson said. "With practice and substitutions it’s kind of hard to simulate that tempo. I’m looking forward to getting into the rhythm of things in a game and into what we do. If we can find that tempo, I think we’ll be successful."

Johnson threw for 30 touchdowns and 3,579 yards and ran for 506 yards and eight more scores in 2009. Coach Mike Sherman has been impressed with the improvement of Johnson since he took over the starting job in 2008.

"I’ve seen a lot of progress in Jerrod," Sherman said. "I thought last year he made his biggest jump, but he had the furthest to go when we went through last season. He continues to be a student of the game even more so. He studies it even more."

Harper knows Johnson presents a major challenge to his defense, but he’s more focused on dealing with sophomore running back Christine Michael. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Michael ran for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

"I don’t know how we’re going to tackle him," Harper said. "He might not get tackled. He might just keep running. He’s definitely a problem, one that we’re very aware of and very worried about."

-- Kristie Rieken

TCU’s new perfect pursuit gets quick test from OSU

ARLINGTON (AP) — TCU is pursuing perfection again.

After coming so close last season, finally being a BCS buster only to lose the Fiesta Bowl, the sixth-ranked Horned Frogs know the only chance for a major bowl do-over is to have another undefeated regular season.

"I don’t want to have that taste in my mouth again, so everything I do and my teammates do, we’re working to be perfect," center Jake Kirkpatrick said.

Eight months after the disappointing finish to its BCS breakthrough, TCU starts over Saturday night — with the school’s highest preseason ranking and a quick challenge in its opener against No. 24 Oregon State.

"I think it helped the players in the offseason to understand we didn’t finish," coach Gary Patterson said. "Once we got in two-a-days, you start thinking about losing, then losing takes over. You’ve got to talk about how you can become what you want to become."

Oregon State came close last season to its first Rose Bowl in 45 years. The Beavers had to settle for the Las Vegas Bowl after losing to rival Oregon and being tied as the Pac-10 runner-up.

The Beavers have a new starting quarterback in sophomore Ryan Katz, but still have running back Jacquizz Rodgers and receiver James Rodgers, the brothers from Texas who are getting to play a few hours from their Houston area home.

"When I found out about the game, I thought it would be a great thing for my family and friends to be able to watch me in person," said James Rodgers, a senior. "It’s going to be a great experience, but it still is going to be a business trip, and that cannot distract me."

Jacquizz Rodgers was the Texas AP player of the year in 2007 after running for 43 TDs to lead Lamar Consolidated to its first state title. He ran for 8,245 yards in high school.

The Texas return for the Rodgers brothers is part of a made-for-ESPN matchup at Cowboys Stadium, the $1.2 billion NFL showplace that hosts the next Super Bowl. It is one of only two games Saturday matching Top 25 teams.

"I love opening up on this stage because you get an understanding of where the game is at," said Jacquizz Rodgers, who ran for 1,440 yards and 21 touchdowns last season as a sophomore for the Beavers.

The Frogs had to go only about 20 miles from campus for two workouts at the massive stadium that features the world’s largest high-definition screens hanging over the field. The Beavers planned their Friday workout there.

"I have a former coach friend that played there last year, he said to go do a practice the day before the game to get the ‘wow’ factor out of the way," coach Mike Riley said.

What a setting for Katz to take over for Sean Canfield, who graduated after throwing 21 TDs and completing a school-record 68 percent of his passes last season.

"It is a big stage and a big opportunity," Katz said. "We are comfortable right now, with having a lot of the guys around during the summer, I threw to all of them. Our timing is down, and it’s where we’re at the point of feeling comfortable."

Andy Dalton is going into his fourth season as TCU’s starter. His 29 victories are tied with "Slingin’ Sammy" Baugh for the most in school history, a mark that had stood alone since the mid-1930s. They are the most among active FBS quarterbacks.

Dalton is the Frogs’ career passing leader, and last season helped TCU set school records with 498 points and 5,937 total yards.

But Dalton threw three interceptions in the Fiesta Bowl. One was returned for a touchdown and another came after TCU had reached the Boise State 30 in the final minute of the 17-10 loss.

"To know we didn’t play as well as we should have hurts a lot of us inside," Dalton said. "That’s just motivation for us to get back there and prove that we can go the whole season and play pretty well."

That has to start right away for Dalton and Co., who are pretty much intact from a season ago with nine returning offensive starters. Leading rusher Joseph Turner is gone, but he was one of three running backs with at least 650 yards.

TCU has won 13 of its last 16 games against teams from conferences with automatic BCS bids, a string that includes that season-opening 17-10 upset at No. 7 Oklahoma five years ago. The Mountain West Conference champions had road wins against ACC teams Virginia and Clemson last September.

"The more you’re in a spotlight, the less your kids act like it’s a spotlight," Patterson said. "I don’t worry about this football team as much as I would maybe three or four or five years ago."

-- Stephen Hawkins

Baylor eager to see star QB Griffin back in opener

WACO (AP) — Remember Robert Griffin?

This time last year, Griffin was the up-and-coming sophomore quarterback whose powerful throws and dazzling runs were going to help Baylor start settling some grudges against Big 12 powers. That is, until he tore a knee ligament in the third game and the Bears remained also-rans.

Well, on Saturday, Griffin returns for the season opener at home against Sam Houston State. Baylor is expecting about 50,000 fans to welcome Griffin back.

"I’m going to be excited, nervous, anxious, ready to go," he said. "I don’t really feel like I have anything to prove but I am definitely excited to get back out there on the field. It will be exciting and my teammates and coaches will help calm me down and my parents and everybody. It will be a big moment for me, but I’m not going to try and look it that way. I just want to go back out there and have it be another game and come ready to execute."

Griffin has been hailed as the catalyst for Baylor’s long-awaited revival ever since the former state hurdles champion committed to coach Art Briles’ program. Expectations surged during a freshman season in which he threw for 2,091 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only three interceptions, and ran for 843 yards and another 13 touchdowns.

Then, last September, on the opening drive of a home game against Northwestern State, Griffin was stopped on a fourth down run. Before he was even hit, he heard a pop in his right knee. It was his anterior cruciate ligament.

"As soon as I planted, my foot got stuck and it just snapped," Griffin said.

The damage wasn’t verified until an MRI the next day. Griffin actually kept playing until halftime, leading the Bears to 41 points, their highest-scoring first half in 15 years.

Baylor went 2-7 the rest of the season, 1-7 against Big 12 foes.

If Griffin can somehow pick up where he left off, or even come close, Baylor could reach a bowl for the first time since 1994. At 15 straight bowl-less seasons, the Bears are tied with Duke for the longest drought among schools from BCS conferences.

Baylor has a schedule made for soaking up early victories, including the home opener against Sam Houston State, an FCS school that went 5-6 last season and is breaking in a new quarterback (senior Bryan Randolph) and a new coach (Willie Fritz). The offense is also replacing its top six receivers and doesn’t have a running back who gained a yard in a game last season.

Even if the Bearkats are outclassed, they’re bound to hit Griffin a few times. He’s ready for it — more than ever, actually, as he’s now carrying close to 220 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame.

"Getting hit is a part of football," he said. "I got hit a lot my freshman year and it was never a problem. I’m not a soft quarterback so whenever I get hit it will happen and I’ll get up from it and wave to the crowd."

-- Jaime Aron

Dodge faces win-or-else season at North Texas

DENTON (AP) — Todd Dodge is no longer the hot shot high school coach hired to energize the North Texas football program.

After 31 losses in three years, he’s just trying to hang on to his job and avoid becoming another case study in why it’s so rare for a coach to be plucked from the preps and put in charge of a major college team.

The athletic director who grabbed Dodge after he went 79-1 over five years at Southlake Carroll High School expects a winning season, which means at least seven victories when Dodge has just five for his college career.

Clemson, nearly a four-touchdown favorite in Saturday’s season opener, inadvertently illustrated how far Dodge has fallen, referring to him as "Tom Dodge" in pregame notes.

"It’s been very disappointing at times, with not being where I thought we’d be," Dodge said. "We’ve taken a lot of black eyes and bloody noses."

Dodge’s first two years were tough and tougher, marked by routine blowouts on the field and sticky issues off it. Players kicked off the 2007 team accused him and his staff of racial bias, although the coaches were cleared by administrators. A year later, Dodge suspected some players were using drugs and tested every one of them during the season. Fifteen came back positive.

Perhaps the biggest setback came next, when two-year starting quarterback Giovanni Vizza left the team after the 2008 season. Not only was it critical to lose experience at the most important position in a four-receiver spread offense, but Dodge was hearing from others that Vizza figured the coach would start his son, then-redshirt freshman Riley Dodge.

"I recruited my son because he was the best possible option," Dodge said. "But that didn’t mean he was going to start over a guy that started for two years. When you go 1-11, everybody on the football team has to compete. But still, I’d invested 20 starts in a guy."

With Vizza gone, Riley Dodge started 10 games, but the results were about the same. Now the coach’s son — who won a state title in his dad’s last high school season — isn’t a full-time quarterback thanks to shoulder and arm injuries. He is listed as a receiver and just hoping to contribute for the next three years as a utility guy on offense.

"It’s just different going from winning all the time to kind of struggling," Riley Dodge said. "It builds a lot of character. It has humbled me and my dad a little bit."

Nathan Tune is the quarterback now. The fifth-year senior with just two career starts holds the keys to a pass-happy offense that will go a long way toward determining whether Dodge stays or becomes Gerry Faust, the last coach who went straight from the prep ranks to the highest level of college football. Notre Dame fired him in 1985 after five mediocre seasons.

Defense will have to play a role, too. North Texas was last in the nation in scoring defense Dodge’s first two seasons, another setback for him because he was criticized for bringing too many high school coaches with him, including his defensive coordinator. That coach was fired after the first season when the Mean Green gave up more than 70 points twice and 66 in another game.

All four former Carroll assistants are gone, leaving Dodge surrounded by assistants with more much college experience.

"We need a very experienced staff that has been at this level and understands some of the things at this level," said athletic director Rick Villarreal. "And I think today Todd understands more about this level. I don’t think he could have imagined that when he first took the job."

Dodge was hired to help create a buzz and complete a push for a new stadium. The stadium part of the plan succeeded, but the buzz among alumni has been replaced by doubt. There’s a chance Dodge won’t be around when the new stadium opens next year.

Such circumstances are nothing new to Dodge, the former Texas quarterback who endured stinging criticism when he led the Longhorns in the 1980s. He knows what his athletic director expects, and he’s "fine with it."

"The tough times here have not gotten in the way of me believing in how I can lead a football team and what our football team can do," Dodge said. "When my time is over with, there won’t be any excuses. Would I have done things differently? Sure."

The victory count isn’t likely to start against Clemson, but the Tigers should be the toughest opponent on the schedule. While last year’s 2-10 record was the second in three years under Dodge, the Mean Green were much more competitive. Six of the losses were by a touchdown or less.

North Texas also has hope of a strong running game to complement Dodge’s pass-first scheme. Lance Dunbar finished among the national leaders last year with 1,378 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing in just eight starts. Six of the team’s top eight defenders return, including Craig Robertson, the leading tackler.

"Are we going to go 12-0? No. I don’t think so," Dodge said. "But we do have the potential to win seven or eight ball games. We’re in a window of the 2010-11 seasons where we can really flip this thing and not look back."

If not, it’s probably back to high schools for Dodge.

-- Schuyler Dixon

Clemson QB Kyle Parker focused on football

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — There’s no doubt where Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker’s focus is: On the North Texas Mean Green.

After an exhausting summer of college baseball, Major League negotiations and big-time decisions about his direction, the Tigers’ sophomore passer is set to open the season against North Texas on Saturday at Death Valley.

Parker’s put most things outside of football on the back burner, and that includes his future employer, the Colorado Rockies. He agreed to a $1.4 million deal with Colorado last month.

His immediate concerns are the Mean Green of the Sun Belt Conference, and whether his new Tigers have the same firepower as a year ago.

Parker is one of the few standouts back from Clemson’s ACC Atlantic Division winners.

ACC player of the year C.J. Spiller is gone and so are the record-setting pass catchers — receiver Jacoby Ford and tight end Michael Palmer. The trio caught 135 of Clemson’s 220 completions a year ago in Parker’s successful debut season.

Parker could’ve easily opted out of Clemson’s offensive restoration this summer after his first-round selection by the Rockies (26th overall), but chose a baseball deal that let him to play football this fall because he believed in the Tigers’ direction.

Expect to see a lot of names on the stat sheet Saturday as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney finds out exactly what he’s got this season. Swinney is looking to go a step beyond last year’s achievement — the program’s first ACC title game appearance.

Along with backfield co-starters Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper, figure on Roderick McDowell to get some carries. Sophomore Dwayne Allen should get most of the throws to a tight end this season, but junior Drew Taylor is in the mix as well.

Count on freshmen DeAndre Hopkins and Bryce McNeal to see plenty of time at wide receiver.

"I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of guys get a lot of touches," Parker said. "Just to see who’s going to step up and make plays."

North Texas may not have a lot of hope of stopping Clemson, no matter who the Tigers use. The Mean Green gave up more than 35 points and 412 yards a game last year to finish 2-10.

Still, fourth-year coach Todd Dodge saw a different, improved attitude among his returnees.

"Going through the offseason, going through spring ball, going through summertime," Dodge said. "It’s been great."

If North Texas is going to succeed on offense, junior tailback Lance Dunbar will play a big role. Dunbar rushed for 1,378 yards and 19 touchdowns. He had two games with over 200 yards rushing.

More importantly, Dodge said, Dunbar came back ready to work even harder.

"He didn’t get too full of himself which you worry about with a young player after a great season," the coach said.

The Mean Green will have a new quarterback starter in Nathan Tune, who won the position after Dodge’s son, Riley, was moved to receiver because of arm injuries. Tune knows he’ll have his hands full at Death Valley, although his first career start came at Alabama in a 53-7 loss last fall.

"Expect the worst and, I guess, hope for the best," Tune said.

The Tigers defense will be without starting linebacker Brandon Maye, who had arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday.

Swinney’s ready to see Parker mesh with Clemson’s new weapons.

"Game week is kind of like Christmas for me," Swinney said. "I’m anxious to see our team play. That’s the biggest thing from a coach’s standpoint. You plant your seeds in the offseason and now you see what you got. The only way to see that is to go play someone."

-- Pete Iacobelli

Big 12

No. 7 Sooners seek entry into 800-win club

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — The pictures on the walls and the old videos Bob Stoops shows to his players serve as a reminder that Oklahoma’s program has been thriving for decades, since long before any of them were around.

On Saturday night, Oklahoma can add to its storied history with a win against Utah State in the season opener for both teams.

By beating the Aggies, the Sooners can become only the seventh Division I team in college football history to make it to 800 wins. The others are Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State.

"It just shows how much tradition we have here and all of the hard work and the blood, sweat and tears that the past players have put into this," running back DeMarco Murray said. "We’re trying to continue that tradition.

"It’s Oklahoma and we expect to win a lot of games here."

The Sooners’ 560 wins since the end of World War II are the most by any school, though Michigan is far ahead with a Division I-leading 877.

"This is ... one of the more special schools in college football. You look at our tradition and history and you don’t go back just a few years, you go back decades. There’s not many like it," Stoops said. "We’re excited to be here as a team and proud to be a part of that history and tradition. Hopefully, we can keep adding to it."

To do that, Oklahoma will need to avoid starting a second straight season with an unexpected loss to a Utah team. Last season, BYU beat the Sooners 14-13 in a game best remembered for 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford’s shoulder injury.

The shocking loss came only eight months after their appearance in the BCS championship game. Oklahoma wound up 8-5, matching the most losses in Stoops’ 11 years as head coach.

"The first game is a big game. You saw what happened in our first game last year," tight end Trent Ratterree said. "We don’t want to do something like we did last year. We want to completely change the way we played and in essence become a new team."

Utah State has tried to reinvent itself since its last visit to Owen Field, a 54-3 Oklahoma blowout in 2007. Gary Andersen put together the 12th-best offense in the nation last season and went 4-8 in his first year in charge of the Aggies, the team’s best win total since 2002.

That included giving an early-season scare to Texas A&M, losing 38-30 but having a chance to tie the game after recovering a late onside kick. That’s the game that caught Stoops’ eye as he told his team not to overlook the Aggies.

"What we have to do is walk in there with a mindset that we can tackle well and we can protect the quarterback," Andersen said. "Those are two big glaring things. Those are two things we have to do to be able to have a chance in this football game.

"If we can’t do those two things, it is going to be a long day."

Unlike last year, the Sooners haven’t been ravaged by injuries heading into their opener. Middle linebacker Austin Box (back) is out and defensive linemen Adrian Taylor and Frank Alexander may not play because of ankle injuries. That’s nothing compared to the chaos that preceded last year’s opener, with a late injury to NFL-bound tight end Jermaine Gresham compounding issues on the offensive line.

"We have something to prove. We didn’t play Oklahoma football last year," receiver Ryan Broyles said. "We know we have a tough schedule, but we wouldn’t be here at this university if we weren’t going to play great teams. We want to play like champions game in and game out."

-- Jeff Latzke

New-look Cowboys open against Washington State

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — After spending five years building his program at Oklahoma State, Mike Gundy is all but starting over.

He has a new quarterback, a new offense and four new starters on the front line. On the defensive side, eight of the 11 players from last year’s starting lineup have been replaced heading into the season opener Saturday night at home against Washington State.

What hasn’t changed is the level of expectations.

"We won nine last year. We want to win nine or more this year. That’s just kind of where this program’s at right now," said Brandon Weeden, who will replace Zac Robinson as the starting quarterback. "It’s our job to kind of keep up what those guys started before us."

It all starts against a Cougars team trying to leap forward after winning a total of three games in Paul Wulff’s first two seasons as head coach. Oklahoma State won 39-13 when the teams met two years ago in Seattle in Wulff’s first game in charge of the Cougars.

Last season, Washington State ranked last among the nation’s 120 Division I teams in total defense and next-to-last in total offense.

"We feel like we’re a much, much improved football team. There’s no question in our minds," Wulff said. "But we’ve got to go out now and do that on game day."

The Cougars will start sophomore quarterback Jeff Tuel, who last year became only the second true freshman in Washington State history to start, getting the nod in five games before his season was cut short by an injury.

Oklahoma State will go with the 26-year-old Weeden, who will be making his first start and replacing the school’s career leader in passing and total offense.

Weeden’s most valuable experience came while he led Oklahoma State to a second-half comeback in a win against Colorado last season. He also played late in games when OSU was up big and after Oklahoma had sewn up a victory over the Cowboys in the annual Bedlam rivalry game.

It’ll be the first start for Weeden since 2001. Since then, his senior year of high school, he spent five years in minor league baseball after being a second-round pick by the New York Yankees and then sat behind Robinson on the depth chart.

Weeden is only the most talked-about newcomer to the Cowboys’ lineup. Just three starters are back from last season’s defense that was the best in Gundy’s five years as coach, and the offense isn’t much more experienced.

"We want to surprise some people. We’re going to be better than we’re getting a lot of credit for," Weeden said. "This team, it’s going to be fun. We’ve got a lot of weapons on offense and the defense looks great."

The game will also mark the debut of OSU’s offense under new coordinator Dana Holgorsen, the architect of the nation’s most productive attack last season at Houston. He’ll have at his disposal Kendall Hunter, the nation’s sixth-leading rusher two seasons ago before he was slowed last season by an injury.

"It’s going to be similar, but you’ve got to take your personnel and you’ve got to adjust what you feel like you do well to be able to have success," Holgorsen said. "If you look at all the games that I did last year, each game was a little different.

"I know we’ll be comfortable with what we decide to do."

It doesn’t hurt that he’ll be calling plays against a unit that gave up 512 yards and 38½ points per game last season.

"We’ve got to understand that they’re going to get their yards, and they always do, and realize that we can’t panic and we (must) be controlled in our approach," Wulff said.

Last season, Holgorsen’s offense produced a Heisman Trophy candidate in Case Keenum, who threw for an NCAA-best 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns. This time, he’ll be starting out with a new quarterback and only one receiver who caught more than 20 passes last season.

"We’re going to do what he’s always done, and he’s had success doing it," Weeden said. "We’re going to play fast, try to catch them off guard and try to run them out of the stadium."

-- Jeff Latzke

No. 8 Nebraska goes down to wire with QB call

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska fans haven’t forgotten that one-point loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game and they’re still celebrating next year’s move to the Big Ten.

But the biggest topic of conversation in Big Red country has been about who will start at quarterback when the No. 8 Cornhuskers open the season against Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

Coach Bo Pelini hasn’t said whether he’ll go with Zac Lee, the senior incumbent, Cody Green, the top backup in 2009, or redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.

"I think it will come down to the last-minute call," offensive lineman Ricky Henry said.

Pelini probably can’t go wrong regardless of who he chooses for this game. After all, the Sun Belt Conference’s Hilltoppers have lost 20 games in a row and are five-touchdown underdogs.

The Huskers have their highest preseason ranking since 2001 and will be in position to make a run at the national championship if their offense improves. The Ndamukong Suh-led defense carried the Huskers a year ago while the offense scuffled along to a No. 99 national ranking.

"We know that we didn’t live up to everything that was expected last year," receiver Brandon Kinnie said.

Lee started 12 of 14 games and was serviceable, though the Huskers went through a brutal patch where they scored four touchdowns over four games. He had surgery on his right (throwing) elbow after the season, forcing him to miss spring practice.

Green and Martinez did enough in the spring to make it a three-man race that, Pelini predicted, could last until October.

"They’ve played at a high level," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. "They’ve had to, to stay in the hunt. It’s been a great competition and it’s really, really close."

Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead give the Huskers a 1-2 punch at running back, the offensive line is deep and the Niles Paul-led receiving corps is experienced.

Jared Crick, Suh’s partner on the defensive line, and cornerback Prince Amukamara lead a unit expected to be stingy even with Suh gone to the NFL. The Huskers were left vulnerable at linebacker when Sean Fisher broke his leg last month, and there will be two new starters at safety.

The Hilltoppers will be going against an opponent that has won 24 straight openers. Nebraska has scored at least 40 points 17 times during the streak and given up 14 points or less 16 times.

"For us to have a chance, we have to be on our ‘A’ game," first-year WKU coach Willie Taggart said. "They have an opportunity to win a national championship this year. But anything is possible ... If we’re not sharp, we’re not going to have a chance."

This is another in a line of money games for the Hilltoppers, who’ll earn $800,000 for their visit to Memorial Stadium. Since 2008, they’ve also visited Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia Tech.

"That most definitely is going to help us," WKU defensive end Jared Clendenin said. "We’re not going to be in there with those big wide eyes. You know how it is when you walk in a big stadium like that. All you want to do is look around at the fans."

The Huskers are coming off a 10-4 year in which they won six of their last seven games, including a 33-0 Holiday Bowl win over Arizona.

All that stood between Nebraska and a BCS game was the 13-12 loss to Texas. The Longhorns kicked the winning field goal after one second was put back on the game clock.

Players are wearing reminders on their wrists — red rubber bracelets with the messages "0.01" and "FINISH" stamped in.

"It still comes up on ESPN Classic, and I can’t watch it," Kinnie said. "It still eats at me. We have a lot of motivation, a lot to prove this year."

-- Eric Olson

Missouri has five-game win streak in series

ST. LOUIS (AP) — All the news coming out of Columbia, Mo., lately has been off the field, and bad. There’s no doubt Missouri can’t wait to hit the field.

With Saturday’s neutral-site opener against Illinois, the Tigers have a chance to divert attention from a disruptive August marred by three DUI arrests and the dismissal of running back Derrick Washington, who’s charged with felony sexual assault.

"We’ve done a good job building a reputation and running a first-class program," coach Gary Pinkel said. "I’m embarrassed that we’ve taken a few of these hits."

"I expect it to clean up, but we have to earn that respect back, and that is the way it should be."

Missouri was 8-5 last year, went to a fifth straight bowl game and entered fall practices with 16 returning starters and plenty of optimism. That was before Washington, the leading rusher the last two seasons and a team captain, was kicked off the team this week after he was charged with assaulting a woman over the summer.

Despite the turmoil, the Tigers were 12-point favorites to make it six in a row over Illinois, 3-9 last season. It’s the final game of the Arch Rivalry series, played in the Edward Jones Dome, the St. Louis Rams’ home field.

"It’s a bowl-type atmosphere," Pinkel said. "It’s difficult to play a game of this magnitude to start the season for our players. You have to be good right out of the shoot."

That’s not been a problem for Missouri, which won 37-9 last year. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth in his first career start.

"He looked like he was a Heisman Trophy winner," Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

That sentiment applied to the entire Missouri team that day.

"I’ve watched every single game from last year," Zook said. "I think they played their best game against us. The reason we all felt so bad last year was because we didn’t even come close to the way we were capable of playing."

After an offseason housecleaning of his staff, Zook enters perhaps a make-or-break year with new offensive and defensive coordinators. That adds uncertainty to Missouri’s game planning.

"They’re eager to get things rolling just like we are," Gabbert said. "We know their personnel from playing them last year but they have some new people. We have to adapt to that and play on the run."

Missouri had questions at wide receiver without prolific Danario Alexander, now in training camp with the Rams, before tailback became an area of concern. Instead of Washington, sophomore Kendial Lawrence and junior De’Vion Moore likely will share the carries.

Gabbert is not a question mark, running the offense on two good legs and ready to lead in his second season.

"I need to lead this team and we expect big things out of this team," Gabbert said. "I’m going to do my best to get them there."

Missouri is likely to try to exploit a banged-up Illinois secondary minus two starters. The top returning pass catcher, Jerrell Jackson, made a rapid recovery from a broken bone in his left wrist last month and will start.

"There’s always a lot on us because our offense revolves around our passing game," Jackson said. "It’s sad that we lost Derrick, but we have a lot of guys who are going to step up and take that spot."

Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is in the same position as Gabbert was last year, preparing for his first career start after the end of the Juice Williams era in Champaign. Missouri recruited the redshirt freshman, who Pinkel recalled as "very poised."

Heading into the opener, Zook has seen no evidence of jitters.

"He’s a very, very confident guy," Zook said. "He knows how to control (nerves). If something bad happens, he’s going to learn from it and move on to the next thing."

-- R.B. Fallstrom

Bruins make first trip to Kansas State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Even though he would never have scheduled a team like UCLA in a non-conference home opener, Bill Snyder fully appreciates what a victory over the Bruins would do for his rebuilding Kansas State Wildcats.

For one thing, it would avenge last year’s 23-9 loss in Los Angeles. For another, it would provide instant credibility to a program trying to dig out from three failed seasons under Ron Prince, Snyder’s successor-predecessor. After Snyder retired and Prince took over, he sought to reverse the soft scheduling philosophy that Snyder used throughout the 1990s while resurrecting the program in his first stint as head coach.

Since Snyder could not get out of the home-and-home commitment with UCLA, the Bruins and Wildcats will kick off on Saturday afternoon. It will be the first time since 1992 that Kansas State has opened at home against a BCS school.

"It is definitely a big game," said Kansas State linebacker Blake Slaughter. "My parents are going to make it up for the game, so it is a very big deal. It is on national television, so that definitely adds some importance to it. Also, with this being the first game, it kind of sets the tone for the entire season. I think we need to bring our ‘A’ game."

Injuries to several key players slowed UCLA during the week. Perhaps most critical was the leg problem plaguing kicker Kai Forbath, who is 37 for 37 since 2008 from 50 yards in. If Forbath can’t kick, the Bruins will go with backup Jeff Locke.

"I have huge confidence in Jeff," said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel. "He’s looked good. He’ll be fine. I hope we get Kai but Locke’s ready to go if necessary."

The Wildcats were hoping to break the home-opening attendance record of 50,750 against UMass set last year when Snyder made his debut after returning from a three-year retirement.

It will be UCLA’s first trip to Manhattan, Kan. But Neuheisel is familiar with the Wildcats from his days as head coach at Colorado. His 1996 Buffaloes shut out Kansas State 12-0, the last time the Wildcats have failed to score.

"Great, great respect for Bill," Neuheisel said. "Maybe I should say coach Snyder. But great respect for him. We had some great battles in the old Big 12 when I was at Colorado. I know he’s as good as there is in building football teams. We have to anticipate we’re going to play a very fundamentally sound team."

They’re also going to be facing perhaps the best running back in the Big 12 in Daniel Thomas and a quarterback, Carson Coffman, who is back as the starter after losing the job during the 2009 season to sixth-year senior Grant Gregory.

After getting benched last year, Coffman bested two challengers during spring and summer drills to reclaim the job.

"It was tough, but I think it was a good experience for me," said Coffman. "I’ve got one more shot to get it done, so that is what I am going to do."

Although he may not have realized it at the time, the way Coffman handled his demotion actually helped him win the starting job this year.

"I think he certainly made the effort to learn and get better, but I do not think anyone is happy when they lose their starting spot," said Snyder. "I think he handled it quite well and was good with his interaction toward the other quarterbacks. He really tried to help Grant with getting familiar with the system, and I think that is what good, caring teammates do. He is certainly one of those."

-- Doug Tucker

Gill nervous about Kansas opener

DENVER (AP) — Steve Fairchild realizes that starting a quarterback just a few months removed from his high school prom means the Colorado State Rams will have to go through some growing pains.